Runner

Every summer I find myself reminiscing about attending church camp in my younger days. Without a doubt my favorite song we learned in one of the camps was “Runner” by Twila Paris. That song is still on my playlist. It continues to inspire me today.

The chorus says:
Runner when the road is long
Feel like giving in, but you're hanging on
Oh runner, when the race is won
You will run into His arms

I am a believer and I will be honest and admit that there have been many times I felt like giving up. It isn’t always easy. It’s definitely not been the most popular choice. I have done a lot of “hanging on” during my own journey. My grandpa once said that living for Christ is like climbing a steep hill. The way is full of briars that you have to get through but if you don’t give up eventually you will make it to the top.

I am determined to make it to the top. I have been at this too long to turn back now.

The Christian life has been compared to a race. It isn’t a race against other people but it is a race that we finish. Everyone runs their own race. You don’t know me and you can’t possibly know all that I have been through to get here. My goal is to finish. It might not be smooth or pretty. In the end, I want to run into His arms. That is the MOST important thing about the race.

I grew up in the church and I have bounced around spiritually to stay on course. It has taken me in directions that I never imagined I would go. I can tell you that there will be people - even other believers - who will judge you and have their opinion about your race. The thing to remember is that no one can run the race for you. You and I have to do it ourselves and sometimes even in the face of opposition from other believers.

What is amazing about this race is that we have a cheering section. Hebrews 12:1 tells us “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us”.

I’m far from perfect. I get frustrated and I have the same emotions that you do. This isn’t an easy race. Sometimes I fall but I continue to get back up and press on. It is my passion to finish my race.

Dealing With Our Emotions

There is a hit movie in the theaters this summer called “Inside Out 2” which is a sequel to a story that animates our emotions.  It is a humorous look at what goes on inside of us as we live our lives.

We are emotional beings. That’s how we are made. Even if you are a believer, you are still going to have emotions both good and bad.  We STILL have to deal with them.  Some religions act as if you are supposed to be void of any emotions but that is not reality.

Emotions are tricky.

They set our moods and our thoughts about ourselves and others.

The Inside Out movie features nine emotions: Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust, Fear, Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment and Ennui (boredom).

I think we can identify with all of these emotions. I remember attending a Bible Study group once where the teacher focused on the Bible Verse where Jesus said to be holy as He is holy (1 Peter 1:16) and was trying to imply that we could be perfect. I disagreed with him. There is absolutely no way ANY of us can be perfect while we have our human bodies and emotions. We can certainly strive to be holy but we will never attain it in this life.

So how can we deal with these emotions?

Joy
This is easily the only positive emotion among the ones listed. We should all want to have joy in our lives. Joy gives us hope and contentment in the life we live. Romans 15:13 tells us: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

Sadness
I think we have all had periods in our lives enduring sadness. This can be because of many reasons. It happens in the absence of joy and lack of hope. The Bible says that sadness is a reality in our fallen world, where God’s design has become corrupted by sin. “For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.” (Ecclesiastes 1:18) We have to know that the sad times are a part of life but we can look to the hope that comes in our trust in God.

Anger
This one gives is a lot of problems especially if we don’t keep it under control. We live in a world where anger is totally out of control with tempers which lead to some sort of violence. People are so quick to pull out a gun to shoot rather than calm their anger. The Bible urges us to “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” (James 1:19-20)

Disgust
There are things in life that completely unsettle us. We can’t avoid them. There are things that happen that we won’t like. Jesus warned us about this when He said “In this world you will have trouble but take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

Fear
About this time last year I battled fear when I was looking for a job after being cut. I know what fear feels like. I know how it twists your gut. Fear can beat you down if you let it. John 14:27 tells us: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

Anxiety
Many people are tormented by anxiety. Life stresses us out with the demands that we face. It can paralyze us unless we find a healthy way to deal with it. Well meaning people will often say to just trust in the Lord but if you have ever dealt seriously with anxiety, a religious cliche won’t resolve it. Certainly we can trust in the Lord when He says to cast our cares on Him (1 Peter 5:7) but we must do the things which help us to not be overwhelmed.

Envy
It can be difficult to watch others succeed when we aren’t. I know it gets me down sometimes when I am struggling financially when others are doing whatever they want. Envy can eat at you on the inside. Proverbs 14:30 tells us “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.” When we are at peace with ourselves and others, we don’t need to envy what others have or do.

Embarrassment
I grew up with the fear of others making fun of me and I never wanted to be embarrassed in public. There are times we might say or do the wrong thing and it draws unnecessary attention to us. Embarrassment is an emotion that can impact how we feel about ourselves and how we are perceived by those around us. 1 Peter 2:6 says that “whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.” We must be secure in the fact that God’s opinion of us is the only thing that matters.

Ennui
I thought it was interesting that the movie used this word for boredom. This word is defined as a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement. We have to be aware that this emotion can lead to trouble. The Bible warns us that “idle hands are the devil’s workshop.” (Proverbs 16:27) Temptation is the greatest when we are bored.

Emotions are a part of our lives and even being a believer won’t make us immune to having them. We have to recognize our emotions and make the effort to keep them under control. God knows us and understands us better than we know ourselves. When we commit our emotions to Him, He is able to bring a peace to our lives which will help us to deal with our emotions.

The Last 4th of July?

Today is July 4th.  The United States of America turns 248 years old today.

Could this be the last 4th of July as we know it?

This is not the same country nor are we united.

I remember when I was in the military that any time I stood for the national anthem that my heart swelled with pride and the service I was doing for my country.  Today when I stand for the national anthem I cry for how fall our country has fallen.  

With what we see in our country today this isn't freedom.  Our freedom is slowly unraveling right before our eyes.  We have been deceived and lulled to sleep.  I fear that the recent Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity has possibly opened something that we will never get back in the box again and will further divide our country.

I remember when we cheered together when the U.S. Olympic Hockey team became the "Miracle on Ice" in 1980.  How we cheered when Rocky fought Ivan Drago in Rocky IV. We came together when we were attacked on September 11th.  

We can't say that today.  Today there are clearly lines drawn based on your political affiliation.  This is dumb.  How have we gotten here?  Will we ever recover?

We don't need Christian nationalism either.  We don't need the Ten Commandments back in the schools.  Forcing Christianity is NOT the answer.  Sure, I would love if everyone was a believer in Christ but that is a voluntary decision that each person must make.  Unfortunately, Christianity and Politics have mixed more than ever before.  Neither of our political parties are right.  They are flawed.  

There is an agenda out there to destroy what remains of the freedom we celebrate today.  The agenda is Project2025.  You can read about it here:  Project2025.org

Project 2025 is a massive, 920-page document that outlines exactly what the next Trump presidency would look like. This doesn’t just include policy proposals — like immigration actions, educational proposals and economic plans — but rather a portrait of the America that conservatives hope to implement in the next Republican administration, be it Trump or someone else. The document is a thorough blueprint for how, exactly, to carry out such a vision, through recommendations for key White House staff, cabinet positions, Congress, federal agencies, commissions and boards. The plan goes so far as to outline a vetting process for appointing and hiring the right people in every level of government to carry out this vision. 

Project 2025 is “a remarkably detailed guide to turning the United States into a fascist’s paradise.” The primary document of Project 2025, the magazine explains, lays out what is essentially a “Christian nationalist vision of the United States, one in which married heterosexuality is the only valid form of sexual expression and identity; all pregnancies would be carried to term, even if that requires coercion or death; and transgender and gender-nonconforming people do not exist.”

If this is implemented it will not be America anymore.  This is a direct threat to freedom.

I know many people think that one political party will lead America back to being a Christian nation.  This is a deception that many of today's prominent Evangelical leaders are falling for.  It is a very dangerous time for the church and for America.  Like it or not, the spirit of the Antichrist is a clear and present danger and is preparing the way.

Am I saying that Donald Trump could be the Antichrist?  Maybe not THE Antichrist but quite possibly the forerunner of the coming of the Antichrist.   Trump's cultish following is like no other we have ever seen.  The past several years have shown how the unity of American can be weakened by a charismatic leader.  This makes the United States vulnerable to such an individual.

According to GotQuestions.org, probably the most important factor in identifying the Antichrist is a relationship with the nation of Israel. The Bible teaches that the Antichrist will forge a 7-year peace covenant with Israel but then break the covenant after 3.5 years (Daniel 9:27). The Antichrist will then essentially attempt a second Holocaust, the annihilation of the nation of Israel and Jews around the world. Donald Trump has stated his strong support for the nation of Israel. Trump claims that he will come to Israel’s defense should it be attacked. Interestingly, Trump has described negotiating peace between Israel and the Palestinians as the "ultimate deal." It is possible that some form of agreement between Israel and the Palestinians will be part of the end-times’ seven-year peace covenant.

While Trump does possess some traits that are similar to the Bible’s description of the Antichrist, the same could be said of many world leaders. Further, there are serious questions regarding whether it is possible that the Antichrist could be a non-Jewish / non-Semitic person. In our evaluation, it is highly unlikely that Donald Trump is the Antichrist. Ultimately, though, the answer to the question has to be “wait and see.” Insert any other name into that question, and the answer remains the same. Second Thessalonians 2:3 states that the Antichrist, “the man of lawlessness,” will be revealed when “the rebellion occurs”—it will be abundantly clear who he is when the time comes. Rather than speculating about various scenarios and demonizing people with whom we disagree, our responsibility is to be wise and discerning, based on what the Bible says about the Antichrist (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4; Revelation 13:1-4).

I know this blog post may upset some of you.  I am very sympathetic about that but I also think it is important to speak the truth.  Many don't agree and I am not going to debate it.  I still have freedom today to speak my opinion.  People like to say they like to agree to disagree until you disagree with them.  You can just discard me as being a conspiracy advocate or a religious nut.  It is my feeling that this is a dangerous time and next year's "Independence Day" could look a lot different.