Overcoming the World Archives

Antichrist

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. 1 John 4:1-3 (NIV)

2020 has been a rough year for everybody so far, but especially for Truthseekers. The media has degenerated from fake news to absolute lunacy. A pandemic, or at least the fear of one, has gripped the world, but the scientists can’t seem to get their stories straight. Worst of all, opportunists of the lowest caliber have used fear and racial prejudice to turn us against each other.

Why do I say that one is worst of all? Because if we create enemies for ourselves along the lines of racial differences, we will forget that we have a common enemy. Which is exactly what our real enemy wants.

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So, what does John mean when he talks about “testing the spirits?” Some people get a little froke out by this, but it’s not all that weird.

Three years ago, we covered this extensively in the Overcoming the World series. In Part 8, we discussed that when a thought “pops into your head,” it is likely a message from God if it is in line with scripture, illuminates the solution to a problem and leads to a good result for all concerned. If this out-of-the-blue thought does not meet those criteria, it did not come from God. So where did it come from?

The passage above makes clear that deceptive messages are from the spirit of the antichrist. Now this is the spirit of antichrist with a lower-case A, not the big baddie of Revelation (more on that later). John uses this term literally to mean a spirit that opposes Jesus. You can see from this passage that this is the spirit that controls false prophets.

However, the wording above appears at first to be too simplistic. Every spirit that acknowledges Jesus has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that doesn’t, isn’t. If discerning the spirits were that easy, then why would we need to test them?

Well, have you seen what’s going on in the Church lately? It mirrors what’s going on in our country. Just as America’s greatest enemy has proven to be from within, so it is with the Church. Atheists are the least of our problems, annoying though they may be. They are a mosquito bite compared to the cancer that is eating away at the Body of Christ from within.

In the Flesh

To understand what it truly means to test the spirits, it is important to know that John snuck a coded message into verse 2 above. “Every spirit that acknowledges Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.” Pretty much every church identifying as Christian acknowledges that Jesus was an actual human born into this world. Yet sharp division remains on what the Church’s role in the world ought to be. So, there must be something more to it than that.

There is. It’s hiding in plain sight at the beginning of John’s Gospel:

In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself.

And the Word (Christ) became flesh, and lived among us; and we [actually] saw His glory, glory as belongs to the [One and] only begotten Son of the Father, [the Son who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, who is] full of grace and truth (absolutely free of deception). John 1:1, 14 (AMP)

Jesus is the Word of God in human form. He is one with God Himself, which means that the Word is one with God Himself. Jesus is absolutely free of deception, which means the Word is absolutely free of deception.

Are you seeing where I’m going with this? Remember, the first criteria to judge whether a message is from God is if it lines up with scripture, logos, THE WORD, God Himself. Therefore, anyone who claims to speak on behalf of God but says something different than what God has already said—this is the spirit of the antichrist at work.

And we let it right in the front door. Because we didn’t want to be “judgmental.”

God’s righteous judgment

Wake up Truthseekers! Put on the armor of God and report for duty. John has already told us what comes next:

Next I saw heaven opened, and there before me was a white horse. Sitting on it was the one called Faithful and True, and it is in righteousness that he passes judgment and goes to battle. His eyes were like a fiery flame, and on his head were many royal crowns. And he had a name written which no one knew but himself. He was wearing a robe that had been soaked in blood, and the name by which he is called is, “THE WORD OF GOD.” The armies of heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. And out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down nations — “He will rule them with a staff of iron.” It is he who treads the winepress from which flows the wine of the furious rage of Adonai, God of heaven’s armies. And on his robe and on his thigh he has a name written:

KING OF KINGS

AND

LORD OF LORDS.

Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out in a loud voice to all the birds that fly about in mid-heaven, “Come, gather together for the great feast God is giving, to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of generals, the flesh of important men, the flesh of horses and their riders and the flesh of all kinds of people, free and slave, small and great!” I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to do battle with the rider of the horse and his army. But the beast was taken captive, and with it the false prophet who, in its presence, had done the miracles which he had used to deceive those who had received the mark of the beast and those who had worshipped his image. The beast and the false prophet were both thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. The rest were killed with the sword that goes out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh. Revelation 19:11-21 (CJB)

Can you see now why the spirit of antichrist is so intent on dividing us in terms of race? Because the devil knows well that when The Word Made Flesh returns, there will only be two kinds of people. The Army of Heaven, and Bird Food.

Now, I promised that I would get back to the Capital-A Antichrist.

What I did not promise was to reveal who I think it might be, because that is pointless speculation. Just as trying to figure out when Jesus is going to return is a distraction, trying to make news headlines line up with Biblical prophecy is also disruptive to the work we are supposed to be doing.

Trust God and His Word this much—when the Antichrist reveals himself, if you’re still here to see it, you’ll know.

Evidence: Part 4–Choose Joy

Although great trouble accompanied the Word, you were able to take great joy from the Holy Spirit!—taking the trouble with the joy, the joy with the trouble.

Do you know that all over the provinces of both Macedonia and Achaia believers look up to you? The word has gotten around. Your lives are echoing the Master’s Word, not only in the provinces but all over the place. The news of your faith in God is out. We don’t even have to say anything anymore—you’re the message!

(1 Thessalonians 1:6b-8 MSG)

Something in that passage doesn’t seem quite right. The phrases “great trouble” and “great joy” are in the same sentence. Other translations say “severe suffering” in place of “great trouble.” I don’t know about you, but when I think of severe suffering, I don’t feel very joyful about it.

The word “feel” is the key. We think of joy as a feeling. When we do that, though, we are confusing joy with happiness. Happiness is what we feel or don’t feel, but joy can be present even when happiness is nowhere to be found.

The reason for this is that happiness, like any other emotion, comes and goes, usually without any action on our part. Joy, however, is an attitude that can be cultivated.

It helps to remember the source of joy. The Joy of the Lord is His response to our gratitude. Even in the midst of our trials, we can still choose to feed the habit of being thankful for everything else that’s right in our lives. When we acknowledge God in these things, this happens:

Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. (Philippians 4:7 MSG)

So praying in this way doesn’t necessarily change our circumstances or make the bad stuff in our lives go away. What it does do is change our focus. It is empowering to know that we don’t have to be ruled by the negative feelings that bombard us from everything that’s wrong in the world. We can actually CHOOSE joy. Give a listen to this song, which illustrates this concept perfectly:

Sounds great. So how do we start?

Here are some methods that I have found helpful.

One thing I have noticed that feeds depression in me more than anything else is an attitude of discontentment. I fall into the habit of comparing myself to others or even with my own perception of where I think I ought to be in life.

My church has found an antidote to this, which they break out every year at our Thanksgiving service. Included in the bulletin is a sheet with blanks numbered 1 to 100. At the top, it says, “Lord, I thank you for. . .” The first time I saw this at a Thanksgiving service, I wondered how I would ever be able to think of 100 things that I was thankful for.

Then I heard some kids next to me challenge each other to a race to see who could fill in all 100 the fastest. My competitive nature kicked in. I was not about to be shown up by a bunch of kids. So I started filling in blanks with anything I could think of. Big things, little things, serious things and silly ones. I tried to think of any situation in my life where I had ever said, “Thank God for. . .” Something. Anything. In four minutes, to my own astonishment, I had completely filled in the list. I stuck it back in my bulletin and promptly forgot about it.

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Thanksgiving x 100

One day not long after, I was feeling particularly sorry for myself, for no good reason. I found myself sinking into my typical emotional chasm, wondering what the point of living was, etc. Then I remembered the list.

I took it out and read through it. As I read each entry on my list of 100 things for which to be thankful, I found myself thinking about each one. Obviously, I had filled it out in a rush. Now that I stopped to really think about it, my perspective began to change. I started to realize not just that I had a lot to be thankful for, but that the things I had written on that list were what defined me as a person—my talents, my hobbies, my passions, the people who had the great impact on me, my faith, and so many more.

This list has been rewritten several times over the years. I carry it with me every day in my day planner. Wherever I am, if I am having a bad day, I can just pull out my list, circle the next number, and take a few minutes to thank God for that.

Yes and Amen

Another thing I have done is to keep a list in a file on my computer of everything I know to be true about God’s promises. I try to remember and record every answered prayer, every time when life has worked out in a way that goes far beyond coincidence, everything that can’t be explained in any other way other than “God showed up.”

This journal is my ultimate doubtbuster. When I start to think that maybe God isn’t who He says He is, or that He’s not interested in my life, or maybe that He doesn’t even exist at all, I go back to that list. Then I am reminded that not only is God real, but He can be trusted. When I look back at all the things He has delivered me from in my life, it reminds me that all of His promises yet to be fulfilled will be, and at exactly the right time. This fills the gas tank of my soul to the top. That’s the Joy of the Lord.

What I find interesting is that this joy comes immediately after doubt. I don’t generally go to this list unless I am feeling desperate and showing the signs of faltering trust.

When I regain my perspective, though, I realize that God’s response to my laying my doubts about Him directly at His feet is not to turn me away in anger, but to fill me with joy in His presence. Then I am ready to keep in step with Him for whatever is coming my way next.

It’s good to be around happy people, but it’s even better to be around joyful people. Someone who has the Joy of the Lord even in difficult circumstances is someone you are going to notice. You might find yourself thinking, “What’s wrong with that person? He should be miserable right now!”

A better question might be, “What’s RIGHT with that person?” What you are seeing is evidence of the Lord at work in the life of someone who has chosen joy.

(Come back for Part 5–Run the Race)

Overcoming the World: Part 10–Be Still and Know

God is our protection and our strength. He always helps in times of trouble. So we will not be afraid even if the earth shakes, or the mountains fall into the sea. God says, “Be still and know that I am God. I will be praised in all the nations;
I will be praised throughout the earth.” The Lord All-Powerful is with us; the God of Jacob is our defender. (Psalm 46: 1-2, 10-11 NCV)

(Originally published March 15, 2017.)

Been an interesting few months, hasn’t it? Our nation is as divided as it has been in a century and a half. This is taking a toll on our families too. Truth is nowhere to be found in our government, our media or our culture. This has created an atmosphere of distrust so thick and noxious that even if this country were to somehow raise up a Truthseeker as a leader, who would even believe him or her?

Good News!

God is still God. It’s hard to find evidence in these troubled times that He is still on His throne. But where else would He be? He does not change, no matter what happens down here. When we say that the world is “out of control,” we mean that it’s out of our control. It is never out of His.

However difficult this truth can be to hold onto when our lives are in turmoil, we must persevere in doing so. Whenever our way of life is threatened because of what’s going on in the world around us, we have to remember that this way of life was never meant to last anyway. We are looking forward to life eternal that will not pass away. For this reason, we fix our eyes and our faith on the things that don’t move.

Bad days are going to happen. Sometimes we will have seasons of life that could last months or years when we don’t feel God’s presence. We may doubt His goodness, or even His existence. However, whenever I find myself in such a spiritual funk, I always come back to what Peter said to Jesus in John 6:68, after Jesus asked the Twelve if they were going to desert Him, as many other disciples were doing:

“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

I couldn’t go back to my old life if I wanted to, and there have been days where I wanted to. There are days when it just doesn’t seem worth the effort or the sacrifice that it takes to live the Christian life, because I can’t see the reward from here. When my fear outweighs my faith, I forget what God has already done, throughout history, and in my life personally. Some days I just want to chuck it all, but then I always find myself face to face with the question, “OK, then what?”

One thing that I have done for myself, and that I highly recommend for others, is to keep a journal of some sort listing every answer to prayer, every unexpected blessing, any time you have seen scripture fulfilled, any change in your life that can only be attributed to the power of the Holy Spirit. Keep this in an easily accessible place. I have mine as a document on the desktop of my computer.

When times get difficult, or if you’re just in a dry season of doubt, open that up and read it. Satan can’t get a foothold in your mind if you keep your memories fresh of what God has done for you. Staying in scripture every day is a good weapon, but it can be even more effective to regularly make the personal connection of where you’ve seen God at work in your life and the lives of those close to you.

If you do this, expect there to be some gaps in this journal. It is not likely that you are going to experience a bona fide miracle every day of your life. This doesn’t mean that God’s ignoring you. Learning to trust His timing. A day always comes when things fall neatly into place, and you can look back and see the progress that led to that point. You very rarely notice that progress while it’s happening, though. So when it does, put that in your journal with a note of thanksgiving and praise that God was in control of the situation from the very beginning. Remember, He can see the end of things long before you get there.

It is also critical to remember that God doesn’t always ride in and “save us” whenever we think we need saving. Sometimes, He lets us go through things for reasons that we aren’t aware of yet. Sometimes we never learn why in this life. If we have faith that all of our questions will be answered in heaven, that can help our outlook somewhat. Remember, God doesn’t come around to our way of thinking; therefore, we must do our best to learn His.

The only way to conquer fear is to practice faith. It has to be exercised just like our bodies. If you are one of the many who has bought a health club membership, but not lost any weight or inches off your midsection, then you already know that your situation might improve if you actually went to the health club. Owning the membership doesn’t create actual change. Owning a Bible without reading it has the same effect. Knowing about the power of prayer without actually praying—ditto.

In the same way, we must keep renewing our minds by reminding ourselves constantly that God does not change. He does not move. He is with us and He is for us. And He always will be.

Be still, and know that.

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Overcoming the World: Part 9–The Armor of God

Therefore, put on the complete armor of God, so that you will be able to [successfully] resist and stand your ground in the evil day [of danger], and having done everything [that the crisis demands], to stand firm [in your place, fully prepared, immovable, victorious]. Ephesians 6:13 (AMP)

First and foremost, remember that the devil is a created being. Though he would much like to tell you that he is equal with God, or even superior to Him, he isn’t. Nevertheless, being spirit, he is more powerful than we are in our flesh by ourselves. This is why we need to call on the power of the Lord to defend us.

In Ephesians 6: 14-17, Paul uses the imagery of a Roman soldier by telling us to “put on the full armor of God,” meaning that we need to make use of every resource that God makes available to us to win this struggle. These are the examples that he lists:

The Belt of Truth. If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you know this is my biggie. The first four tenets of the Truth Mission Statement lay this out. Acknowledge Truth, recognize it for what it is, give credit to the Source of Truth, and never stop seeking it.
The Breastplate of Righteousness. True righteousness is a right standing with God that is given by His grace, not earned through our efforts. Knowledge of this righteousness that is imputed to us helps us to do the right thing and to keep our word, among other things.
Feet fitted with the Gospel of Peace. A good pair of running shoes provides you with stability and speed. So it is with the Gospel. It is the foundation upon which you stand to face the enemy, and the Good News you take out into the world to foil his plans.
Shield of Faith. Faith is more than just belief. Even Satan believes in God; he has seen Him face to face! It is only when you firmly rely on God and His strength that you are able to deflect the devil’s attacks.
Helmet of Salvation. It’s your head the devil tries to get into. Cover it with the knowledge that God has already accepted you and has no intention of giving you back.
Sword of the Spirit. This is referring to scripture itself. Hebrews 4:12 says: “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” This is the double-edged sword that Revelation depicts coming from the mouth of Jesus at the Second Coming, when Satan is defeated forever. Guess what? You have access to that very same Word. It is the most powerful offensive weapon you have in fighting against the devil.

With all of these items in place, now you’re ready to pray like you mean it. That is what vanquishes Satan. A person who prays while knowing the One being prayed to, knowing that He’s listening and most of all, knowing that He will honor that prayer with His protection—such a person is unstoppable in spiritual warfare.

So what is it that actually goes on in the spiritual realm when we pray? Hard to say, as most of us can’t see it. Some people do have that gift, but I am not one of them.

Author Frank Peretti burst onto the Christian Fiction scene in 1986 with his book This Present Darkness, which vividly addressed this very issue. In the book, angels are constantly engaged in battles with demons over the souls of people. Prayer is like a caffeine rush to the angels. When people put on the armor of God and pray, the angels drive back the demons. But when prayer falters, the demons have the upper hand.

Now I don’t know if that’s how it actually goes down (many theologians argue that it isn’t), but it’s a neat picture (and a highly entertaining read as well).

The important thing to remember is, like the soldier, we must always be on our guard. Satan and his minions do not sleep. Ever. They’ll keep coming back, no matter how many times you pray them away. This doesn’t mean your prayers aren’t effective or that God isn’t listening. This is just what demons do. It’s their nature.

(For some final words of encouragement, come back for the conclusion in Part 10: Be Still and Know.)

Overcoming the World: Part 8–The Struggle

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:10-12 NRSV)

Back in Part 6, we discussed how fear can gradually wear us down. By maintaining a continuous level of inner turmoil, we become less effective at pretty much anything useful. Some of this mental stress comes from what we actually see and hear. Have you noticed though that sometimes what bothered you hours, days, or weeks ago still seems to have some hold over you?

Now some folks are better at letting things roll off their backs than others, of course. This is a process I am still learning myself. But I am not talking about merely having a good attitude here or learning to relax. I am talking about nagging thoughts that linger to the point where someone can be sitting still with no apparent external stimuli and be teetering on the edge of a panic attack or a ragestorm.

So what’s going on there? A psychiatrist might look at such a person, diagnose some sort of disorder, and throw a pill at it. I can personally testify that pills do help somewhat. However, like any pill, they treat the symptoms rather than solving the problem. While I do appreciate being able to face my struggles with a rational sense of calm, the struggle remains.

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So what is the real struggle?

It’s not about comfort or safety or a sense of belonging. It’s not about politics or world affairs or getting the last word in on social media.

We all have a common enemy folks. His name is Satan, which means “adversary.” He is not some made-up cartoon figure with horns and a pitchfork to scare little children. He is real; he doesn’t sleep, and his primary goal is your destruction and mine.

The devil begins his attack with fear, attempting to paralyze you into submission. If he finds that he can not make you afraid of something or someone, then he will use deception. He will try to stir up your basest emotions with things that just aren’t true. If you won’t buy an outright lie, then he will work on you with subtle half-truths. But if you are on your guard against such nonsense, then he will move on from deception to distraction. If he can’t win you over, he can at least keep you from doing good.

So why is the devil so effective at carrying out his schemes? Because most of us are unaware that he is even there. And that’s just how he likes it.

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The reality of spiritual warfare

If you are on one train of thought, and something else intrudes on that thought out of the blue, that is not the random firing of a synapse. That thought that just popped into your head didn’t just pop into your head. It was PLACED there. This doesn’t mean you can’t think for yourself. That’s what you were doing after all before your thought process was interrupted. But what will you do NEXT with this new thought? To answer that, you need to know who introduced it.

When Christians talk about receiving a message from God, it is almost never an audible voice. If it is, many times that is a sign of something else going on that is more mental than spiritual (cue the psychiatrists). More often, you will hear people use phrases such as “prompted by” or “led by the Spirit.” Sometimes this is in direct answer to prayer; sometimes it’s seemingly out of nowhere. However it happens, you can always tell that the message is from God if it is in line with scripture, illuminates the solution to a problem and leads to a good result for all concerned.

Here’s where things get sticky. Sometimes you might have a thought that solves YOUR problem but creates one for someone else. Sometimes acting on that thought leads to a result that works in YOUR favor, at least for the short term, but has far-reaching consequences that you don’t even notice. And of course, if you don’t know Scripture, then you have no way of telling if the message you are receiving is in line with God’s will as revealed in His Word.

Even worse, if you’re not aware that this spiritual influence is even happening, you probably think that the idea was your own idea in the first place. After all, no one spoke it to you out loud. But remember, you didn’t think it up yourself if you were actively thinking of something else when this new thought “occurred to you.” Satan’s easiest targets are the people who don’t believe in him. He has the easiest time influencing people who have no idea that they’re being influenced.

However, now that you have read this, you are aware and can no longer claim ignorance.

(So what do you do now? Come back for Part 9—The Armor of God)

TRINITY RANCH

Overcoming the World: Part 7–Up There

Stay focused on what’s above, not on earthly things, because your old life is dead and gone. (Colossians 3:2-3a VOICE)**

Why is it that we dwell on things that we know aren’t good for us?

How many times have you caught yourself starting a sentence with “I really need to,” but then you don’t actually do what it is you really need to do? It’s as though we think we’ll at least get partial credit for acknowledging that we have fallen short of what is necessary. I really need to eat a salad, but I’m going to have pizza instead. I really need to go to the gym, but I seem to have grown butt roots here on the couch.

Or how about these. I really ought to pray more. I really ought to read my Bible more. I really ought to get off the Internet and pay attention to my kids. I really ought to put my phone down and talk to my wife. Can you relate to any of this?

You could say that acknowledging the problem is the first step to solving it, and it is. However, one step does not a journey make. You have to take the next one.

The thing is, the next step is usually not anything difficult. We just. . .don’t. . .do it. How hard is it to make simple choices like ordering something different at the restaurant, standing from a seated position, or simply TALKING to someone?

So why do we make it so much harder than it is?

I would chalk it up to a combination of habit and fear of change. We do what we do because we have always done it. If not always, then at least for long enough that it has become automatic. Habits are comfort zones; therefore, breaking them makes us uncomfortable. We will always gravitate toward comfort, no matter how obvious it is that a change would do us good.

Christians do not have this luxury though. When we turned our eyes toward Christ, we also turned them toward heaven, where He is. Once you have seen a glimpse of the eternal, the things down here lose their luster a bit.

The problem is that the things down here are the things we are used to and are surrounded with every day of our lives. We love our stuff. We love being in control of our own schedules. We love our dreams and ambitions. Even if they no longer satisfy us as they once did, we have claimed them as our own. Therefore, we defend them.

We can not forget this simple truth though. When we made Jesus the Lord of our lives, we signed a spiritual quit claim deed for all of that stuff. Our possessions are not ours, because the earth and everything in it belong to the Lord. We are not in control of our lives, because we have no idea what the next day, or even the next hour, may bring. And all of our dreams and ambitions die with us when we die. From a spiritual standpoint, they have already died, because we surrendered them when we surrendered to Christ.

When we talk about “overcoming the world,” we are usually focused on all the evil bad things that we wish we didn’t have to deal with down here, and that we know won’t exist up there. However, if we are serious about overcoming the world, then we also must focus on overcoming the pleasures down here along with the pains. This is much more difficult, because while pain usually catches us by surprise, pleasure is something we continuously seek. We want to do what we want to do when we want to do it.

Now is it bad to do things that feel good? Not necessarily. The point of this is that we need to realize that eternal life with Christ will feel, and indeed be, better than anything we have going on down here.

The thing we have to learn then is to be patient for the reward that is coming for us up there instead of being consumed with rewarding ourselves down here.

(Patience is only the beginning though. Come back for Part 8–The Struggle)

Overcoming the World: Part 6–Internal to Eternal

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us… Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:7, 16-18 NIV)

Life can really wear you out sometimes, can’t it? We work so hard to try to better ourselves and to make the world a better place for our families, but some days, it just looks like we aren’t making a difference at all. It’s enough to make you wonder if it’s really worth the effort.

What is it that wears us out when the problems of the world overwhelm us? Everyone’s situation is different, of course. It seems to me, though, that the things that often trouble us the most usually aren’t even happening to us directly. The problems that are too much for us to bear weren’t even supposed to be our own personal burdens. We barely have enough strength to get through the trials that life hands us, but we can’t seem to keep from taking on extra baggage as well. Why do we do this?

Can we just call this what it is? It’s fear.

It’s fear that gives birth to worry. You worry when you seeing angry mobs rioting on the news, but is there an angry mob outside your house right now? (Of course, if there IS an angry mob outside your house, you have an actual problem, and should stop reading this blog and go take care of yourself.)

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My point is that we worry ourselves into exhaustion and despondency about things that aren’t even happening where we are. Yes, they are happening in the world, and they are real, but if we’re not in a position to directly solve the problem, it’s not our problem.

Now please don’t misunderstand what I mean by “not our problem.” I am not saying that we shouldn’t be concerned about things in the world that are wrong and need fixing. What I am saying is that 99.99% of the time, it’s not up to us to fix it, either because we lack the resources, the ability, or we are simply too far away to have a direct and immediate impact on the situation.

So what can we do? We can give the situation over to the One who can do something about it. And while we’re at it, we can give Him our anxieties as well.

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Yes, the world is a mess. It’s a mess because it has people in it, and people are a mess. And yes, you and I are people, so guess what? We’re a mess too! But we can be less messy.

A good way to start that process is to examine what you expose your mind to. How do you start your day? If you’re turning on the TV or rushing to social media, that’s what’s going to set your tone for the rest of the day. Is that the tone you want? In the same amount of time, you could meditate on a Bible verse or an inspirational quote of some sort. You can’t control what happens out in the world, but you can control what goes into your head, which is what feeds your attitude.

Once you have developed the habit of being intentional about this, it will become easier for you to shift your perspective from the now to the not yet. When things are going badly, it is easy for fear to rob us of hope, but remember this. EVERYTHING we fear, or could possibly fear, has an ending. We may not be able to see it from where we’re sitting, but all the troublesome things of this world will pass.

Instead, what we can learn to do in ALL situations is to focus on the things that won’t pass away. Truth. Love. The Word of God. Best of all, the eternal life that is given as a free gift to all those who put aside their fears, worries and the troubles of this world and trust in Jesus, who by His death and resurrection, has overcome all of them.

Now of course, we can’t see any of this. We can’t see our fear, the Lord’s Spirit, the actual physical Kingdom of Heaven. We only see this world, its problems, and our own aging faces in the mirror.

But as the risen Christ told Thomas, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

(Come Back for Part 7: Up There)

Overcoming the World: Part 5–As Far as it Depends on You

Constantly rejoicing in hope [because of our confidence in Christ], steadfast and patient in distress, devoted to prayer [continually seeking wisdom, guidance, and strength], contributing to the needs of God’s people, pursuing [the practice of] hospitality. Bless those who persecute you [who cause you harm or hardship]; bless and do not curse [them]. Rejoice with those who rejoice [sharing others’ joy], and weep with those who weep [sharing others’ grief]. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty [conceited, self-important, exclusive], but associate with humble people [those with a realistic self-view]. Do not overestimate yourself. Never repay anyone evil for evil. Take thought for what is right and gracious and proper in the sight of everyone. If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. (Romans 12:12-18 AMP)

(Note: This post was originally published immediately following the 2016 presidential election.)

Well, the election’s finally over, and as expected, it has stirred up more issues than it has settled.

As is usually the case, Truthseekers were at a loss throughout this election, since Truth and politics are generally not found in the same place at the same time. Some of us voted defensively, some of us searched in vain for a viable third party candidate, and some of us just stayed home. Now that what’s done is done, we’re all asking ourselves the same question. “What do we do now?”

Well, the answer is the same thing we’ve always done. Seek Truth in the common ground. But how do you find common ground in a nation so divided?

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I covered a lot of this during the last election in the Us and Them series. However, since it seems to me that strife and discord have been amped up significantly this time around, I would like to focus on the concept of peace and the part we have to play in it.

We are called to hate what is evil and cling to what is good. In a climate such as this, I would suggest that we focus on the clinging to what is good part. It’s too easy when emotions are running high to go from hating WHAT is evil to projecting that righteous hatred onto people, which is the line we should never cross. If the news is raising your blood pressure, watch something else. If your “friends” on social media are stirring the pot with their ignorance, get off Facebook and go put your face in a book. Better still, put your face in THE Book. Remember, all evil things will eventually pass away, and the good will remain. So why expend our energy on things that won’t last?

We aren’t supposed to judge people anyway, but we REALLY need to get past this judging people by whom they voted for. I think most of us can agree that there were no good choices this year, so why should we judge someone else’s choice?

That person you’re angry at because he or she voted differently than you and is venting about it on social media—who was that person to you before the election? Did you respect him or her then? So why not now? No one’s inherent worth is diminished by a single ballot. Remember that.

A Truthseeker’s objective is to end arguments, not start them. It is not our place to try to inject moral superiority into the discussion. For this reason, I urge patience above all. Resist the temptation to “correct” people, even if they are obviously wrong. When people are angry or upset, the lids of their minds are fastened tightly, and you aren’t going to reach them anyway. Pray for peace and reason to return to our society, and wait patiently for this to pass, because it will. Dust can’t settle if you stir it up.

Look for ways to be kind to people. The needy are still needy, so don’t forget them. Let wherever you are be the “safe space” where discussion of politics doesn’t have to happen. There are so many other things to talk about.

Don’t take the bait when some fool on the internet calls you out, directly or collectively, for how you voted and/or the motivations behind your vote. Justice is God’s job. If they have it coming to them, they will receive it in their due time. This is a good opportunity to practice forgiveness. After all, our sins are forgiven to the degree that we forgive.

I don’t really know that there were any “winners” in this election, but there are many who will lose. I am not suggesting that the criminal element of our society that would riot and destroy and call it a “protest” should be treated with compassion and understanding, but there are many people who stand to lose something dear to them in the upcoming administration. Be compassionate while they grieve their loss.

Make the most of every opportunity to establish common ground with people, preferably face to face. Listen to their stories. See people as individuals and not as members of a group. Come alongside people in their difficulties. Focus on solutions rather than problems. Above all, pray first, and listen carefully for an answer, before presuming to dispense wisdom. When tensions run high, even the most well meaning of advice can be perceived as an attack.

And PLEASE avoid the temptation to seek revenge, whether in word or deed. That is NEVER our job. It is natural to feel some sense of satisfaction when the times shift in your direction after they have been against you, but it is not our place to rub anyone’s nose in their own misfortune. You will never earn someone’s respect by spiking the football. Just hand it to the official and go back to the sideline. Justice is God’s job, and part of that is righting wrongs. It will happen in His timing. Don’t force the issue.

Most importantly, it is up to you to make the first move toward peace. You will have to use your best judgment with each individual you encounter as to whether that means actively extending an olive branch or remaining silent. Things are going to be ugly for a while. They may get out of control for a time as well. You have a choice to make it better or make it worse.

You may not be able to single-handedly fix what’s broken in our nation, but how you treat other people is one thing that you CAN control. So stand firm, pray hard, and keep hoping for the best. It WILL get better eventually.

(Next up, Part 6–Internal to Eternal)

Overcoming the World: Part 4–Keep in Step

Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original. Galatians 5:25-26 (MSG)

The Christian walk is not concerned with how good we feel about ourselves for being Christians. While we don’t need to do things for God to get His attention, we do still have a part to play. Even a simple game of follow the leader requires effort.

Grace is the free gift of God, but it did not come cheaply. If we had no role to play in working out our own salvation, then what would be the point of getting saved in the first place?

The work that God does within us by the power of the Holy Spirit ought to be evident externally. We have been changed from within so that we may bring change to the world without. So what does that look like?

More spiritual fruit, less religious nuts. . .

In Part 3, we began by listing the nine “fruits” of the Holy Spirit, that is to say, the characteristics that are produced by Him in us, which are the evidence of His existence in our lives.

Love. As we have discussed previously, love is an action word, not an emotion. Love involves sacrifice, or always putting the needs of others before your own.
Joy. Like love, joy is more substantial than just a feeling of superficial happiness. It is a powerful force that is God’s response to our praise and thanksgiving. This strength renews and refuels us, giving us the proper attitude to carry on with whatever comes our way next.
Peace. Peace is more than just an absence of discord. It involves trusting that God is strong enough to bring us through whatever trials await us, no matter how dire they may seem.
Patience. I KNOW this one’s coming from the Lord, because it sure didn’t originate with me! This is the supernatural ability to stay chilled and let things roll off your back. In many people, this is the first fruit of the Spirit that others notice in a new believer. Short fuses get a lot longer.
Kindness. Kindness is love in motion. This is the act of lifting up another who needs it. Before the Spirit’s work in your life, there were people you might not have even noticed. Afterward, though, you might find yourself helping these folks out without giving it a second thought.
Goodness. I’ve always wondered why this one was listed after “kindness,” because goodness is the attitude from which kindness flows. To be able to do good for others, we have to first have the mindset of doing good for good’s sake.
Faithfulness. A person under the influence of the Spirit will live a life of integrity. He will say what he means, mean what he says, finish what he starts, and always, ALWAYS keep his word. Lack of faithfulness is one of the quickest ways to spot a fake Christian. Someone who is timid, wishy-washy, unreliable or just plain dishonest is not living by the Spirit. It doesn’t matter how long he or she has been going to church.
Gentleness. Along with patience, this is another very obvious sign that God is working in someone’s life. If a person has a history of anger issues (as I have), and you see that person holding his tongue, not raising his voice, being less competitive, etc., it’s a good bet that person didn’t learn those techniques from a self-help book.
Self-Control. Along with gentleness, people under the control of the Spirit are able to keep themselves together. They can hold themselves back, and keep themselves from going to pieces in stressful situations. Again, when you see someone with a reactive nature not taking the bait and going for the throat anymore when someone tries to start an argument, you know that something’s up that didn’t start with that person.

I can not stress enough that this is not intended to be a to-do list for you to check off.

The goal here is not to get these things done. It’s to keep in step with the Holy Spirit by letting His influence in our lives rule our conduct. If our goal is to live lives of strong moral character and integrity, then the characteristics in the list above will shine through naturally, sometimes without our even being aware of them.

Other people will notice, however, just as they notice when we claim to be filled with the Spirit, but fail to display these characteristics.

Again, the characteristics are not the goal. The character is.

(For more on living this out, come back for Part 5—As Far as it Depends on You)

Overcoming the World: Part 3–Living by the Spirit

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)

I am a very task-oriented person. I am all about the to-do lists. It gives me joy when I check something off. It stresses me out when I get to the end of the day, and there’s still 12 more things on my list.

Because of this, I have a tendency to turn almost every facet of my life into a mental to-do list. Everything feels like a competition or a performance to me. I will emerge either as a winner or a loser.

Most of life really isn’t supposed to be that way, though. I am learning that it’s actually OK to simply live life as it comes and appreciate moments as they’re happening. I am learning that it’s more important to start each day with gratitude than finish it with a gold medal.

So why is it that we keep wanting to go back to the things that we know didn’t work before? Are we just addicted to futility? Or is this just part of the natural state of being human?

I think the problem lies in our tendency to define ourselves by what we do or fail to do. If I win, then I am a winner, but if I lose, then I am a loser. Nobody wants to be a loser though, so we do everything we can to win at life. And if we find we can not win, then we start doing things that are truly ridiculous.

“Winners” and “Losers”

Some people try to downplay life’s natural consequences by attempting to eliminate the concept of winning and losing, a concept that I call the “participation trophy” mentality. You’re a winner just for showing up! And if you didn’t even show up, we’ll try to find an excuse for you, so that you won’t lose. After all, you deserve to win!

Then there are the “glory days” people (I tend to fall into this category). These are the people who used to be the best at something. But then they went somewhere else where there were other people that were better. Or maybe they just got old and weren’t as good as they used to be. If a person like this is focused on the winning, and he isn’t winning anymore, bitterness takes over in a hurry.

A person in this kind of a rut can’t let go of the past, can’t be happy for anyone else who wins in the present, and is bleak about the future that he sees for himself filled with nothing but losing. Because if you lose, then you’re a loser. But you can’t be a loser, because you used to win. But now other people are winning, and keeping you from the victory that is rightfully yours. So if you can’t beat them, then you have to tear them down, so that you can be on top again.

Both of these misguided worldviews lead to the same error—trying to put everybody else on earth at the same level so that we can feel good about ourselves, either by having no distinction of greatness, or by declaring ourselves great by attrition. Both of these philosophies fail, because they both stand on the foundation of defining our worth by what we do, rather than who we are.

God gave us a better way to live.

In the Bible, Paul calls it “living by the Spirit.” This is a churchy way of saying “getting out of your own way and letting God do His work through you.” Living by the Spirit isn’t about checking things off of a religious checklist. It is more about being aware of God’s influence in our lives, and allowing ourselves to be led away from our own plans and deeper into His.

Notice in the verse at the beginning that it is the Holy Spirit that produces the fruit in our lives, not us. We don’t overcome the world by accomplishing all nine of those things on our own. Rather, when we yield to God’s leading in our lives, these fruits are the natural result of the change that He works within us.

(So what does that look like? Come back for Part 4—Keep in Step.)