Category: Faith and Culture

The Parable of the Tenants

by Innermost Being, posted in Faith and Culture

Jesus often taught through parables. The lessons are still applicable today. Read them afresh and put yourself in the story. In my own words, this is how I apply The Parable of the Tenants to Christian life in the USA today (Luke 20:9-18).

A man built a vineyard and then rented it to some farmers. The owner went away for a long time. When it came time for the harvest, the owner sent a servant to the tenants to get some fruit from the vineyard. The tenants beat the servant and sent him away with nothing. So the man sent another servant. The tenants also treated him badly and sent him away empty-handed. The owner sent yet another servant to collect some fruit; that servant was also beaten by the tenants and thrown out.

The owner said to himself, “What shall I do now? Perhaps I’ll send my own son. Surely they will respect him.”

When the tenants saw the owner’s son coming, they talked it over. They decided to kill the son, thinking they would inherit the property.

Jesus asked the people, “What will happen to the tenants when they kill the owner’s son? The owner will kill them and give the vineyard to others.”

After Jesus told the parable, the people were skeptical, saying, “God forbid.” So Jesus asked them, “Then what is the meaning of this: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone?’ Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces.”

*******

God loved the world so much that he sent his son to redeem us. People rejected him then. People reject him now.

Those of us who accept Jesus as the son of God, as our Lord and Savior, call ourselves Christians. But I wonder how many people who call themselves Christians really accept Jesus, not just for who he is but for what he asks of us? If you believe that Jesus is the son of God, do you also accept his authority? Is he really the  Lord of your life?

Jesus came to the United States of America. He asked the people for a cup of mercy for immigrants. The people shouted, “No! America first!” They began chanting, “Trump! Trump! Trump!” Donald Trump walked up to Jesus, punched him in the face, and proclaimed, “These [brown] people are murderers and rapists! They’re poisoning the blood of our country! Only I can save them!” The people cheered. Franklin Graham lifted his hands and praised God for anointing Trump. As Jesus wept, Christians in red hats pummeled him with their fists, shouting, “DEPORT HIM!”

Jesus was not deterred by this rejection. He again came to the people of the USA and said, “Fill this basket with food for the hungry and medicine for the sick.” The people responded, “No! That’s a waste of our money! America first!” Elon Musk shouted, “Waste, fraud, and abuse! I will make this country efficient.” He kicked Jesus in the stomach. As Jesus bent over in pain, Christians punched him and said, “Your empathy is toxic!” They tossed him out empty-handed.

The stone the Christians rejected is the cornerstone.

Defending the humanity of immigrants

by Innermost Being, posted in Faith and Culture

In 2018, Jennifer Rubin wrote an opinion piece titled, “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and Trump’s immigration lies,” a play on a quote attributeed to Mark Twain. Although the media has been fact-checking Trump’s lies for years, he continues to make baseless claims about immigrants. Contrary to his inflammatory lies,

  • Undocumented immigrants are not collecting Social Security and Medicare.
  • Undocumented immigrants are not voting in US elections. Furthermore, Democrats are not promoting illegal immigration to win elections.
  • There is no migrant crime wave. Immigrants are less likely to commit violent crimes than native-born Americans.
  • Native-born Americans are bringing illegal drugs like fentnyl into the country.
  • Immigrants are not taking American jobs. They are filling jobs that Americans evidently don’t want. Furthermore, immigrants are not stealing “Black jobs.”

Yes, there are different kinds of lies, and Trump is an expert at telling them. There are the kinds of lies he tells to avoid accountability, the lies he tells to look better than he is, and the lies he tells to elevate himself above others. There are the lies he spews to defame and demean others. And there are his damned lies about entire groups of people to stoke fear and hatred.

Lies, damned lies, and statistics.

It is bad enough that Trump makes up statistics to distort the effects of immigrants on jobs, crime, drug use, and financial resources. What’s far worse is Trump’s dehumanizing lies about immigrants.

  • Saying that immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country.”
  • Calling immigrants animals.

Immigrants are human beings created in God’s image. Immigration should be addressed humanely.

Proverbs 17:5 says, “Whoever mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished.”

The same can be said for immigrants. In expressing contempt for migrants, Trump shows his contempt for their Maker.

Examining the Divide in Christianity Today

by Innermost Being, posted in Faith and Culture

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.

Tim Alberta used the closing line of the Lord’s prayer in the title of his book, The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, subtitled American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism. As a reporter, Alberta went to places where I would never go and spoke to people with whom I would not associate (because our values differ too much). His book is disturbing, but it gave me insight into the damage false prophets and their followers have done and continue to do to Christianity.

Alberta noted that Christian conservatives are now Donald Trump’s “most unflinching advocates.” Given DT’s immorality and unrepentance, as a follower of Christ, I can not help but ask the question that prompted Alberta to write his book: Why? 

I also ask myself, What can I do to counteract the damage that has been done to  Christian witness? How can I disciple Christians who have been seduced by false teachers?

As Alberta wrote, it isn’t fair to lump all Christian Trump supporters into one homogeneous group. They fall along a continuum. Like Alberta’s, my conservative Christian friends have “to some extent been seduced by the cult of Trumpism.”

An interviewer asked Alberta if he really believes that evangelicals are divided into two camps, as he implied when he tweeted that there are Russell Moore Christians and Jerry Falwell Jr. Christians. Alberta says he fumbled in his response, not stating his position clearly. He responded that some Christians see issues through the eyes of Jesus, while others process everything through a partisan lens. The truth is, Alberta sees evangelicals as either “faithful to an eternal covenant” or “seduced by earthly idols of nation and influence and exaltation…” In other words, one camp has its eyes set on this earthly kingdom, political power, and the exalting of people, not on God and his kingdom.

Evangelicals are not easy to define. Today, the description is frequently used as a cultural or political identity. At one time, evangelicals were born again Christians, characterized by activism – sharing the gospel (the good news) so that others might believe in Christ and be born again. There are still Christians who believe this is our mission. However, with the influence of groups like the “Moral Majority” in the 1980s and the Heritage Foundation today, a growing faction of Christianity has been transformed into a partisan political movement.

Alberta’s book is structured around how politicians, Christians, and others have attempted to coopt the kingdom, the power, and the glory that belong exclusively to God.

God has His own kingdom.

God has His own power.

God has His own glory.

Earthly kingdoms like the one envisioned by conservative Christians and politicians can not compare to the kingdom of God.

No amount of political or cultural power, not even the amount DT and wealthy political donors hold, can compete with the power of God.

The glorification of DT by the Trump cult and his own self-aggrandizement can’t hold a candle to the glory that belongs exclusively to God.

Alberta ended the book’s prologue with this admonition – you can not serve and worship both God and the gods of this world. Christians must resist idolatry. We must reject our worldly identity if we want to become more like Christ, the author and perfector of our faith.

The state of Christianity in the U.S. today is an unpleasant topic that’s been bothering me for years. It isn’t getting any better. The extremism persists. The false witnesses drown out the witness of the faithful. I feel called to resist the false witness.

Heavenly Father, the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory are yours forever.

Everday Grace

by Innermost Being, posted in Faith and Culture, Word Prompts

Have you ever unintentionally broken the law?

I am one of the many people who drive faster than the speed limit, especially on highways. I have never gotten a ticket for speeding, though I certainly have deserved one. It is well known that you won’t be stopped if you drive within five mph or so of the speed limit, and I take advantage of that. Other people drive 10-15 mph over the limit, so I tell myself I’m good!

The one time I ever got a ticket was for failing to stop at a red light. I was with my husband, though we weren’t yet married. We were following another car on our way to a  coworker’s house when the light turned yellow. As I was slowing down to stop, Kent told me to go so we wouldn’t lose them. Of course, a police officer was there!

And yes, I have unintentionally broken traffic laws. Going down unfamiliar streets, I have failed to see a stop sign or a reduced speed limit sign. I have unintentionally gone the wrong way down a one-way street, which can be terrifying!

The topic of breaking laws makes me think of everyday grace, the undeserved favor we show one another. Just as the police extend grace to traffic law breakers every day, most of us extend grace to others every day for minor annoyances. We are even more merciful when people unintentionally do something wrong.

Sometimes, we take everyday grace for granted, don’t we? When I speed, I am breaking the law. The police have the right to fine me for going even one mph over the limit.

God is even more merciful than we are. He does not treat us as we deserve to be treated. He is compassionate and gracious.

The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.

Psalm 103:8-10

Preparing Spiritually for 2024

by Innermost Being, posted in Faith and Culture

I remember the Y2K fears of the late 1990’s. People were afraid that computer systems would not handle the year 2000 correctly because programmers used a 2-digit year. At work, I was tasked with contacting service providers to ask about their preparedness for the year 2000.

Recently, I watched a political program about threats to US democracy. The commentator warned the audience that 2024 is going to be a difficult year.

I was not prepared for the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. I was shocked to hear that over 80% of “evangelical” Christians voted for a man who is the complete opposite of Christ.

For me, preparing for 2024 isn’t about preparing for a political battle but for a spiritual one. How does one prepare spiritually for a year that promises to be tumultuous and perhaps even life changing?

1. Choose to be on God’s side.

When I recommitted my life to Christ, it was because I saw the destructive power of hate and darkness, and I wanted to be on the side of love and light. God revealed his goodness through Jesus.

Which side do you choose?

– Hate or love

– Deception or truth

– Selfishness or charity

– Vengeance or forgiveness

– Grievance or gratitude

– Discord or peace

– Division or unity

– Pride or humility

– Self-interest or the interest of others

– Lawlessness or accountability

All of us behave in ways that do not reflect God’s goodness. But I will have nothing to do with the perverse of heart.

The perverse of heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with what is evil.

Psalm 101:4

2. Stand firmly with God’s protective armor.

The Apostle Paul described how to prepare for spiritual battles (Ephesians 6:19-18). Put on the full armor of God – the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit (God’s word), with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

I struggled with Paul’s description of footwear. Obviously, you don’t go into a battle with bare feet. To stand firmly in God’s armor, you need sturdy shoes.

But why mention the gospel of peace? Well, it is because salvation brings peace that surpasses all understanding. In other words, when we are saved, we can be at peace in all circumstances.

In an article on the shoes of peace, Stacey Salsbery pointed out that the enemy wants to steal our peace. He wants us to be anxious and afraid. If we worry about bad things that might happen, we won’t focus on advancing God’s kingdom.

Christine Batchelder made similar observations. She wrote that the Greek word for prepared, hetoimos, means sure-footed, established, ready to go. We should be so established in peace that we are prepared to share the good news.

3. Trust in God’s sovereignty.

We may get so distressed about current events that we ask, is God in control? He is omnipotent, so why doesn’t he prevent bad things from happening?

God permits Satan and man to act. Man has free will. John Piper explains that permitting man to act is part of God’s ultimate design and final control. He allows us to make bad choices, knowing He can work them into his overall plan for human redemption.

God is my help and my shield. I trust his holy name. His purposes are good. He has pulled me through every challenge I’ve ever faced.

But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,
the purposes of his heart through all generations.

Psalm 33:11

4. Be alert and pray.

Be on your guard against the wiles of Satan. Don’t let him steal your peace.

Pray about your worries and concerns. Pray for God’s will to be done. Pray for God’s kingdom. Pray that God will use whatever happens in 2024 to bring people to him.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for my salvation. Thank you for pulling me through dark and distressing times. Keep my eyes focused on you and your will for my life. Make me an instrument of your peace and prepare me to share the good news.