The LiMP

Scripture says that a good name is better than gold or silver. But take a name, any name that Christ-followers are known by, and it won’t be long before efforts from without and within will be at work trying to destroy it. Unfortunately, that is part and parcel of Christianity’s existence in a fallen sinful world. But let us remember that the ultimate reason good names come under attack is at least two-fold. Reason one is to try to ruin the credibility of the person or persons bearing the name. And Reason two is to attempt to make the person or persons bearing the name feel too ashamed or afraid to continue doing what they are known for.

And there is a name that is currently under attack like never before. And that is the name “Evangelical”. Webster’s primary definitions of the word are that which is, “of, relating to, or being in agreement with the Christian gospel especially as it is presented in the four Gospels” and “emphasizing salvation by faith in the atoning death of Jesus Christ through personal conversion, the authority of Scripture, and the importance of preaching as contrasted with ritual”.

This name has come under increased attack in the last year since Republicans, through the election of President Trump, have regained majority control of the House and Senate. Along with this regime change of sorts came an unprecedented level of evangelical leaders having continual access to the Oval Office. And of course with such access comes a great responsibility to maintain the proper definition of evangelicalism while also praying for and attempting to advise the President on policy and other issues.

How successful has it been for evangelicals to have such access to our nation’s seat of power? It depends on your perspective. I’ll say that there are many things I can applaud about the influence evangelical leaders seem to be having over the President. But I must also admit that there appears to be some things seriously lacking. I wonder if any of these leaders are firmly counseling him on how to communicate more maturely as he fulfills his duties as Commander-in-Chief. But more than that, I hope and pray that through some of their efforts, the president will come to a clear saving knowledge of the truth in Jesus Christ. But that is my perspective. Perhaps some other born-again believer who actually gets to sit down with him sees great hope and knows more than I do about President Trump’s faith. I know a couple of those advisors. And I will give them the benefit of the doubt.

It is unfortunate that we get to see so many verbal missteps by President Trump. But it is also our president’s choice to so put himself out there each day. Is he always wrong? No. Is he always right? Of course not. But is he the president? Yes. 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And so I will continue to pray that he and all evangelicals involved in the governance of our great country will submit to Christ’s authority. But I also realize that not all will. In fact, to keep it Scriptural, let us never forget that there is a narrow way that leads to life, and only a few find it. Yet, there remains a broad way that leads to destruction, and many or most find it. And that biblical truth helps me to refrain from taking our government too seriously. I will not allow my position as an evangelical to be determined by what goes on in the White House. And I hope that you won’t either.

But the main reason I bring up the Trump White House is because anyone who has a pulse knows that the ongoing argument of the day is whether or not Trump is racist. I personally do not believe that he is. But I also can see how some would feel like he is. I continually maintain that I do not condone the use of sinful language by anyone, but especially not by the President of the United States. He is essentially the leader of the free world. It simply makes no good sense to me to use foul and vitriolic lang...

Recently in a very heated DACA “Dreamers” immigration meeting, President Trump used a derogatory term to describe some of the countries from which illegal immigrants are arriving. As hard as he works, and with as much as he has accomplished in the last year, I truly wish that he would refrain from using such volatile language. I definitely feel that an apology is in order. His language sometimes adds fuel to the already stoked fires that have been raging since November 9th 2016.

Let me be clear that I in no way condone anything that Trump or anyone else does that is sinful. Yet I am also aware of the very real fact that I voted for him and he is our president. And it is my reasons for voting for him that keep me praying for him and not against his presidency. I did my homework and went into this last presidential cycle with a few strongly held biblical convictions that I deeply wanted to see change on. And I am glad to say that I see very positive results in those areas. No need to go into them here though, because this show is not about that. It is about Christ and the Christian who has the Lord as his or her portion (Lamentations 3:24).

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, if President Trump claims to be a Christian, then he needs to realize that his words have betrayed him. I don’t know whether or not he’s saved. But what I do know is that he is the President of the United States. And as long as he is, I will pray that he comes to a saving knowledge of the truth and that he tries as much as possible to operate like a born-again believer.

And I’ll say to those wanting him to be impeached that if he is found guilty of an impeachable offense, then by all means, I would support his impeachment. But until then, I pray for him and for our country, and that God will have mercy.

So why am I bringing this most recent Trump statement up? It is because a couple of days ago, I found myself in a Facebook conversation with a bunch of other Christians, a few of whom were also pastors. And the reason I joined the conversation was because of the inference that was made that there is no way a person who is a Christian could in any way support President Trump.

I cringe a little every time I hear such accusations, because I know that there are born-again Christians in practically every area of our society, and even in the president’s cabinet. There are people who have been born again who are Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, and Independents. And God, for His many mysterious (and not so mysterious) reasons would have it so. My only hope and prayer is that wherever we find ourselves as believers, we seek to win souls to Christ, while as much as possible, without violating God’s word, seeking to live at peace with all people.

But even more importantly than that prayer, I pray that born-again believers in Christ will take time to remember and honor God by honoring one another, despite our political or other differences.

And for me that is where 1 Timothy 2:1-4 comes in...

Recently in a very heated DACA “Dreamers” immigration meeting, President Trump used a derogatory term to describe some of the countries from which illegal immigrants are arriving. As hard as he works, and with as much as he has accomplished in the last year, I truly wish that he would refrain from using such volatile language. I definitely feel that an apology is in order. His language sometimes adds fuel to the already stoked fires that have been raging since November 9th 2016.

Let me be clear that I in no way condone anything that Trump or anyone else does that is sinful. Yet I am also aware of the very real fact that I voted for him and he is our president. And it is my reasons for voting for him that keep me praying for him and not against his presidency. I did my homework and went into this last presidential cycle with a few strongly held biblical convictions that I deeply wanted to see change on. And I am glad to say that I see very positive results in those areas. No need to go into them here though, because this show is not about that. It is about Christ and the Christian who has the Lord as his or her portion (Lamentations 3:24).

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, if President Trump claims to be a Christian, then he needs to realize that his words have betrayed him. I don’t know whether or not he’s saved. But what I do know is that he is the President of the United States. And as long as he is, I will pray that he comes to a saving knowledge of the truth and that he tries as much as possible to operate like a born-again believer.

And I’ll say to those wanting him to be impeached that if he is found guilty of an impeachable offense, then by all means, I would support his impeachment. But until then, I pray for him and for our country, and that God will have mercy.

So why am I bringing this most recent Trump statement up? It is because a couple of days ago, I found myself in a Facebook conversation with a bunch of other Christians, a few of whom were also pastors. And the reason I joined the conversation was because of the inference that was made that there is no way a person who is a Christian could in any way support President Trump.

I cringe a little every time I hear such accusations, because I know that there are born-again Christians in practically every area of our society, and even in the president’s cabinet. There are people who have been born again who are Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, and Independents. And God, for His many mysterious (and not so mysterious) reasons would have it so. My only hope and prayer is that wherever we find ourselves as believers, we seek to win souls to Christ, while as much as possible, without violating God’s word, seeking to live at peace with all people.

But even more importantly than that prayer, I pray that born-again believers in Christ will take time to remember and honor God by honoring one another, despite our political or other differences.

And for me that is where 1 Timothy 2:1-4 comes in...

Ahhh yes… In the words of the 1955 William Holden film, “Love…” indeed “…Is A Many-Splendored Thing”. But in the vein of the 2013 Simpsons episode, “Love is [also] A Many-Splintered Thing”. When it comes to love of family, of friend, love of good and noble things, love really does appear to be all we need. But the harsh reality of love in a fallen world is that in a lot of little ways, it can really get under our skin and be painful too. Why? Because sin has infected what we perceive to be love with all of the counterfeits and knock-offs of Satan.

But then there’s God’s infinite love. Truly there is nothing like it. And in fact, God is the ultimate source of all true love. And we know what true love is whenever we take an honest look at the Scriptures and the Savior. In Christ we learn that infinitely beyond all of the friendly love, the familial love, the sexual love, and that distinctly different from all of the Satanic and sinful deceptions of love, there exists the supremely selfless and completely sacrificial love of God.

And there is no better, no clearer, and no more powerful demonstration of that love than what we find in John 3:16, when it says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son...” And yet because of our finite minds, we find ourselves facing a sort of conundrum. You see, that same apostle John also wrote in 1 John 2:15 that we are to, “…not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.” What is up with that, right?

So is God giving His children one of those “Do as I say, not as I do” type commandments? I don’t think so. In fact, I know He’s not. But we need to examine more closely the oh so familiar John 3:16 to help us fully understand what it means.

Ahhh yes… In the words of the 1955 William Holden film, “Love…” indeed “…Is A Many-Splendored Thing”. But in the vein of the 2013 Simpsons episode, “Love is [also] A Many-Splintered Thing”. When it comes to love of family, of friend, love of good and noble things, love really does appear to be all we need. But the harsh reality of love in a fallen world is that in a lot of little ways, it can really get under our skin and be painful too. Why? Because sin has infected what we perceive to be love with all of the counterfeits and knock-offs of Satan.

But then there’s God’s infinite love. Truly there is nothing like it. And in fact, God is the ultimate source of all true love. And we know what true love is whenever we take an honest look at the Scriptures and the Savior. In Christ we learn that infinitely beyond all of the friendly love, the familial love, the sexual love, and that distinctly different from all of the Satanic and sinful deceptions of love, there exists the supremely selfless and completely sacrificial love of God.

And there is no better, no clearer, and no more powerful demonstration of that love than what we find in John 3:16, when it says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son...” And yet because of our finite minds, we find ourselves facing a sort of conundrum. You see, that same apostle John also wrote in 1 John 2:15 that we are to, “…not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.” What is up with that, right?

So is God giving His children one of those “Do as I say, not as I do” type commandments? I don’t think so. In fact, I know He’s not. But we need to examine more closely the oh so familiar John 3:16 to help us fully understand what it means.

It was about the middle of the twelfth century B.C. during the era referred to biblically as “the Judges”. This was a time of widespread famine, and with good reason; in fact we are told why in Judges 21:25 when it says that, “In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did what was right in his own eyes.”

The book of Ruth follows Judges. It is only four chapters long, but it unveils some important principles concerning what God expects of us, and what we should expect of ourselves as His children.

If we are honest with ourselves, we are quick to say that God works in mysterious ways, but we are often slow to actually trust Him to do so. We fail to accept that “mysterious” means that we won’t always understand what He is doing, and that we often won’t even sense His presence. But Ruth shows us how we ought to work and how we can trust God even in the mundane affairs of life in a fallen world.

As we approach the prospect of a new year in an age where people are increasingly doing what is right in their own eyes no matter how immoral or sinful it may be, we need to glean from the incredible story of Ruth. She shows us that if we remain faithful to God no matter what, He, in His own time and way, will take us from despair to delight!

It was about the middle of the twelfth century B.C. during the era referred to biblically as “the Judges”. This was a time of widespread famine, and with good reason; in fact we are told why in Judges 21:25 when it says that, “In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did what was right in his own eyes.”

The book of Ruth follows Judges. It is only four chapters long, but it unveils some important principles concerning what God expects of us, and what we should expect of ourselves as His children.

If we are honest with ourselves, we are quick to say that God works in mysterious ways, but we are often slow to actually trust Him to do so. We fail to accept that “mysterious” means that we won’t always understand what He is doing, and that we often won’t even sense His presence. But Ruth shows us how we ought to work and how we can trust God even in the mundane affairs of life in a fallen world.

As we approach the prospect of a new year in an age where people are increasingly doing what is right in their own eyes no matter how immoral or sinful it may be, we need to glean from the incredible story of Ruth. She shows us that if we remain faithful to God no matter what, He, in His own time and way, will take us from despair to delight!

The most familiar carol says “…Hail the heaven born Prince of peace. Hail the Sun of righteousness. Light and life to all He brings. Risen with healing in His wings…” It is found in the last book of the Old Testament, written by the final prophet of that testament, a man named Malachi. The verse is Malachi 4:2, which says, “But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture.”

And that is what today’s episode is all about. Jesus, the S-O-N of GOD, who is also referred to as the S-U-N of righteousness. Merry Christmas to you and yours! So glad you could join me for this show entitled, “The Polarizing Expression | God’s Great Gift of Seeing The Sun of Righteousness. I’m Keith L. Bell, your host. And this is The LiMP.

The most familiar carol says “…Hail the heaven born Prince of peace. Hail the Sun of righteousness. Light and life to all He brings. Risen with healing in His wings…” It is found in the last book of the Old Testament, written by the final prophet of that testament, a man named Malachi. The verse is Malachi 4:2, which says, “But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture.”

And that is what today’s episode is all about. Jesus, the S-O-N of GOD, who is also referred to as the S-U-N of righteousness. Merry Christmas to you and yours! So glad you could join me for this show entitled, “The Polarizing Expression | God’s Great Gift of Seeing The Sun of Righteousness. I’m Keith L. Bell, your host. And this is The LiMP.

Unfortunately, much of the activity is reminiscent of the plethora of war games that are flooding the video game market today. People are taking up their weapons of choice, whether they are smartphones, tablets, laptops, or desktops, and locking and loading up their ammo (namely words), and heading into battle from the safety of their homes, offices, cars, or wherever they can find a few moments to fire at Will, Nancy, Donald, Jeanie or Joe Schmoe… But here’s the major problem with that. Many of the people involved also consider themselves to be born-again Christians. And so immediately, it becomes evident that many are face-booking without facing the Book. And that’s what I want to talk a bit about. God’s word is so clear on all the problems we are currently seeing on social media that we really don’t have to have those problems there at all. But, are we willing to face the Book, let it speak to us, and let it speak through us? This is a question that goes to the core of one’s Christianity. So it should not be ignored or taken lightly if you are a social media user.