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A Lenten Prayer

Lord, let me die. Let me die so that in the weakness of my flesh I shall not fall into sin. Let me die so that I will not be confident in my own strength. Let me die so that the love of this present age will not corrupt my heart. Let me die so that my pride will not be exalted so that I become self deceived, believing in my own importance. Let me die so that I am loosed from the need or desire of worldly treasures.

Lord, let me die. Let me die so that I may be raised in Christ by the Spirit of Life. Let me die so that Christ may live in me. Let me die so that I may live abundantly and eternally in this age and the age to come. Let me die so that I may be filled with the goodness of God, partaking of the divine nature, glorified in Christ. Let me die so that I may see beyond the corruption and death of this present age; into the beauty, justice, peace, and joy of your eternal kingdom. Let me die so that I may see your glory.

Amen.

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Why I Observe Lent (and the Liturgical Calendar)

For most Pentecostals, the only days of the Christian calendar worthy of observance are Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost. Even so, these days are dropped into the midst of ordinary days with very little reflection or planning, with the exception of the obligatory drama or cantata. As a kid in Pentecostal church, I never knew what Ash Wednesday signified. I thought it had something to do with the government’s anti-smoking campaign.

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Should You Bake the Cake?

The LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender) political movement is no friend to traditional Christianity. There is little doubt that in order to promote their political movement, the LGBT radicals have no compunction in denying to Christians the rights of free exercise of religion and free speech. I have read many of their articles and listened to their arguments. Their narrative is that because Christians view their sexual preference/activity as immoral, Christianity is a religion of hate.

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Loving God Fearfully

Recently, in prayer I again realized that God’s love for me (and you) is far greater than my love can possibly be for God. God loves in perfection. God’s love is a gracious choice towards humanity, not based in need. My love for God is imperfect, based in my weakness and need. Rather than selfless love, my love for God is selfish. I NEED GOD more than I want God. “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10).

A friend recently asked, “How do we fear the same One who loves us unconditionally?” I pondered, “Do I fear God?” I quickly came to the realization that I do indeed fear God; that even after years of devotion and study there remains a mystery, an awesome quality about God that provokes wonder and fear.

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Christian Conscience in a Secular Culture

In a blog several conservative Christians were taken to task for supporting Hobby Lobby’s ongoing battle against provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that violate religious conscience, specifically issues dealing with contraception and abortion. Many Christians will be forced to violate their personal and institutional consciences by being coerced to participate in the ACA. The blogger suggested that these conservative Christians are misguided in their efforts, misusing Scripture, and that “it is impossible to avoid enabling sin.” He then offers several examples of how Christians inadvertently enable sinfulness. If it is true that it is impossible to avoid enabling sin, then it must be assumed that Christians should not attempt to exercise conscience or resist evil.

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