Politics & Power.

 Father-in-heaven...

Politics has become a growth industry in America, this is a problem; too much ambition and too little service. It didn't start this way. What was honorable has become dishonorable.

Regardless of party affiliation, the pursuit of power, wealth, and celebrity has become the focus of many elected to serve "the people." Congress has been sullied by gridlock, the love of money, sexual scandal, graft and abuse of privilege--regardless of color, gender identity or sexual preference.

I pray God will raise up people from every segment of political vision, women and men of integrity;  selfless leaders willing to make tough decisions that reflect justice, kindness and humility, without regard for how those decisions poll: that, will be patriotism.

...Deliver us from evil.

Let it be...

Liveitwell!

Dust To DIAMONDS.

Given the presence of carbon--along with vast amounts of time, temperature (ranging between 1800 and 2400*F) and extreme pressure (650,000-850,000psi), the Earth will produce diamonds.  

It's this remarkable process that makes diamonds a relatively rare and always valuable commodity.

It should surprise no one that God uses a similar process in bringing people with effective faith into a beautiful reflection of the image of our Saviour, The Lord Jesus Messiah.

Dust to Diamonds.

Paul describes this process for us in his second letter to the church at Corinth...

7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 10 Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.

11 Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies.12 So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.

13 But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.” 14 We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. 15 All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.

16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

--2 Corinthians 4.7-18 NLT

Pressed on every side, perplexed, hunted, knocked-down; NOT crushed, NOT despairing, NOT abandoned, NOT destroyed.  BUT suffering, sharing in the death of Jesus--for one glorious purpose: that the life of The Savior might be clearly seen in our bodies, IN us.

Dust to Diamonds.

God uses hard places to fashion us into a new version of ourselves, still us, but transformed in ways that manifest His presence, His grace, His mercy.  This is not what we will be, but we are sufficiently different in ways that produce confident expectation--hope.  Look at how Paul describes it to the church in Rome, where he compares our struggle with the cataclysmic impact sin has had on the Earth; thus, all creation waits...

18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. 19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. 24 We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. 25 But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)

--Romans 8.18-25 NLT

Dust to diamonds.

What is responsible for this transformation and the hope it delivers?  Paul makes this clear to us at the beginning of the eighth chapter of his letter to the Roman church...

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

--Romans 8.1-4

Don`t miss it...for God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh (humankind) and for sin (He absorbed the penalty for sin on His own body in our place) He condemned sin in the flesh in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us.

Sin broke the planet.

God is in the process of restoring what He created.  The tipping point of the restoration is the passion, sacrifice, and resurrection of Jesus Messiah.  We have been redeemed and restored positionally, now we are waiting--suffering still, but knowing that "it is finished." 

In that suffering, as we lean into our weakness, our fragility, there, at that moment, the Manifest Presence of God shines brightly through us and our suffering; for us, for a watching world to behold in wonder.  His strength made manifest through our weakness.  Indeed, "the wound is where the light shines through."

Dust to Diamonds.

Suffering is NOT payback.
Suffering is NOT God's plan spinning out of control.
Suffering IS the last dying gasp of sin--Check, NOT Check-Mate.
Suffering IS the process God has sovereignly allowed to transform our lives on this side of the veil, from...dust to diamonds.

We don't get to be here long.

Liveitwell!

Beauty & Power.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.  The politics of personal destruction, mayhem across the country, hate, violence, unrest, incivility, a virus we can't tame; fear, anger, despair, hopelessness.  

These are difficult days, yet not unlike the climate-of-culture in the First Century before the Gospel's ascendance.

As the Scriptures predicted, culture has again devolved to post-Christian paganism. Pre-born children are targets of infanticide, gender is a mythic construct, love is whatever we declare it to be, and values are defined by those who wield the most persistent, cynical, and compelling narrative.

Yet this remains: People on the Way have been given the mandate to declare this Truth...

"For God so loved the world He gave His one, and only Son, that whosoever would believe in Him would not perish, but have eternal life." John 3.16

It seems, too often, that some within the Faith Community would be content to simply shout it from the rooftops with conviction, yet absent compassion. This loveless approach FEELS like these zealots are bent on brandishing the sword of truth to "cut others down to size" in the name of fidelity to the Gospel--the good news.  According to these, to do otherwise amounts to a compromise of Truth...indeed it is to preach "another gospel."  What tragic irony.  This amounts to a Christianized version of Jihad. 

One need not compromise the message to deliver it in a fashion that communicates truth, urgency, conviction, exclusivity in its truth claims--in a context of grace, love, mercy, and civility. The Gospel is inclusive AND EXCLUSIVE simultaneously--God's Word is unique and powerful in this way.

He has called us to proclaim the Gospel in a context of suffering, committed to making a choice to live our lives based on the Truth of God's Word-- IN the world but not OF the world; so that His Will might be done ON Earth as it is IN heaven. 

Peter touches on this in his second letter, vv.14-16...

"14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame."  English Standard Version

Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 4.7-10...

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies."  English Standard Version

We never compromise Truth. We never accommodate culture. We never embrace human wisdom as a lens through which we selectively apply God's Word. 

This principled praxis will certainly lead, has led, to suffering, persecution, and aggressive steps to marginalize us and God's Message. That said, WE ALWAYS deliver that message with gentleness and respect born from our life-altering encounter with God's grace and mercy.  

When God's people, empowered by God's Spirit, in submission to God's Son, live transformed lives...it is breathtakingly beautiful and powerful at the same time; beautiful music that the Holy Spirit uses to impel people to effective faith "...Jesus is Lord and God raised Him from the dead." Romans 10.5-13

Life is fast.

Liveitwell!

Today.

Our nest is empty...
Some things I cannot do.
Face is lined, hair is gone.
Confidence gives way to doubt.
Strength gives way to weakness.

Today...
Independence is community.
Knowledge is wisdom.
Love is tenderness.
Time is a gift.

Help stopped being a four-letter word.

Liveitwell!

HELP!

Celebrated my year 68 this week; 48 shared with Laura as my beloved. In this photo, taken in 1969, about one-month into our dating relationship, Laura was 15, I'd just turned 16. I remember that day like it happened yesterday.

Reflecting on life at 68, I am reminded, again, about the plaintive message in the Beatles hit, released that same year, Help. 

It occurs to me, what a tremendous insight that song had into what happens to us as we move into the final third of our lives, seen through the eyes of those five young men. Hence the plaintive nature of the song.

In fact, from this "68 years" side of the time continuum, I realize that life today is filled with tradeoffs. While I can't "do it all" anymore, the tenderness in this season, as Laura, our kids, and friends stand in the gaps, is profound. 

The Fab-Five had it figured out in 1969. They just didn't realize the light at the end of the tunnel was a train, coming to pick them up and carry them into a new more content chapter. 

Life is certainly different. It's definitely sweeter.  The challenge remains the same, clearly recorded by the prophet Micah, "...do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God." [Micah 6.8]

Leaning into my weakness, only to discover God's strength is transformational; the humility that comes with interdependence is liberating; my life, hidden with Christ, in God. This is the constant that will NEVER change. 

Thanks be to God for our blessed hope.  

Life is fast.

Livitwell!

Oh so Super!

Regardless of the narrative being advanced by many today, America is unique.

It's amazing what people can do when given the freedom to succeed AND to fail. 

Our "Super Bowl" has become a metaphor.

Back in July, each team started at the same place, 0-0, as every other franchise in the NFL. Now, 106 young men, two teams remain standing; black, white, brown...not all born equally, privileged start and not. All shapes sizes...some more talented than others. All making the most of what they've been given, working hard, and sacrificing for a dream. Working together to create synergy. All competing on a level playing field, and yet, a few with a clear advantage over others, not all endowed equally--size, strength, speed. All paid, what the market will bear for their service--some much more than others.

That said, each strives to overcome, to elevate their game and maximize their opportunity, against all the odds. The underdog can prevail because "heart" can't be measured. Mistakes will be made, injuries will occur that force a change to the gameplan, and the unexpected, will be the norm. Bad calls? No doubt, someone is going to feel like it wasn't fair. Most will perform up to standard, a few will be disappointed--and not play well at all. The ball will be dropped, and it will take some bad bounces. But there won't be any do-overs. One performance will be judged most outstanding of all...and propel that player to a new level of achievement and notoriety.

At the end of the day, some will win, others will lose, and Monday morning? Each will crawl out of bed and begin again.   They will attempt to make the ascent to the top of their profession; each sore, tired, some beaten, all driven by conviction: it's a new day, it's a new opportunity, "I believe 'it' can happen, if I work hard, stay focused and apply myself."

This hope compels them to bear down, start over, and try again. They will take what they learned (the good, the bad, and the ugly), winners and losers, and use that as leverage to get better, and they will--because they see the future is filled with open doors.

I believe this is why this night, this event, is more celebrated, anticipated, and watched than any other on the calendar in America. It reflects our hopes and dreams, our core values as a nation, at so many levels. We watch these young men compete and we are reminded, dreams come true here; hard work pays here, the hope of success far outweighs the risk of failure. Bottom line: "It can happen, it does happen." If it doesn't? Failure isn't the end of the world, it's the beginning of a new cycle.

Everyone has to play by the rules, but the rules aren't designed to produce pre-determined outcomes. So, many compete, some win, some lose; some never win or lose, because they never try, that's ok too. America is a place where dreaming is a part of our culture, where we, as free people, set the bar, where people can "do better", and to no one's surprise, we do.

So there it is; our unique approach to the way we live empowers our consistently exceptional results.  America, "we hold these truths..."

Liveitwell!

Flesh it out.

The culture war continues to take America by storm. The stakes have never been higher. The temptation to double-down and engage in the debate, turn back the tide, is more compelling than ever. 

 Just say "no."

As believers, we have been "gifted" to add value to the lives of people and make disciples. We are called to love people--the best and the worst--with a love that looks past how they live and sees WHOSE they are.

Whether or not they come to effective-faith in Christ is not my responsibility; this is the work of God. He uses me (it's not a head thing, it's a heart thing) when I selflessly serve people in a way that adds value to their lives; I reflect Christ--no, I flesh-out Christ--and they wonder, "Why, what's in this for you?"  

This testimony is powerful because the reality of Christ in me, has manifested itself in an "incarnational" way; they have seen Christ through me. That reflected image is intense and compelling. God uses this kind of "vision" to transform hearts, minds, and lives.

This needs to inform our outreach effort, the way we see people, the way we see their sin. When our attempts at outreach do not holistically address the felt-needs of people and work toward their spiritual need (it's not either/or, it's both/and), we diminish the Gospel; we erect substantial barriers to effective-faith for people without hope.

God's plan does not require His church to fix our culture. His plan does call us to engage in the work of seeing people's hearts transformed by the Power of the Gospel (Matthew 28.18-20; Romans 1.16-18). When hearts change, minds change. 

Paul, in his second letter to the church in Corinth makes very clear our role in a world that is hostile to the Gospel and Christ's church, 2 Corinthians 4.7-12...

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death is at work in us, but life in you."

This is especially relevant given the devolution of culture and character in our Nation today. God does not need us to defend Godly values. They stand on their own. What He desires from us is to love "the lost sheep, the lost coin" the Way He does. He isn't finished yet, Matthew 25.34-40 makes this point very clear...

"34 Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 38 And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39 When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’"

Believing friends, the Word is still becoming flesh--through us.  Micah 6.8 underscores what God wants from people of effective-faith...

"He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?"

Life is fast; do, love, walk. 

Flesh it out...
Liveitwell!

Refuse the Sheep.

So much angst hanging over the Nation as we turn the corner on the way to January 20 and the President-elect's inauguration.  Millions, if the polling is correct, believe the election was stolen.  

Those on BOTH sides of the political spectrum are bitterly charging the other as perpetrating sedition and "an existential threat the Republic and the process of our Democracy,"  each advancing legitimate and compelling narratives for their grievance.

My neighbors, friends, and community--our Nation feels profoundly divided; surly, rude, bombastic, mean-spirited because, indeed, we are.  So much finger-pointing.

Here is the thing, we come by this naturally.  This isn't the first time we've had to face down our darker impulses.  THIS is the REAL existential threat.  We must commit ourselves to growth, personally and collectively.

Refuse the sheep.   

Our government's very structure is designed to hold up under the schemes of those who might seek to subvert it for their own design and power.  We have survived, indeed thrived for 244+ years under the "tom-foolery" of our politicians and their minions.

Our part is to exercise shrewd oversight with our vote and grow as we face new challenges at home and around the planet.  We grow by listening to people who don't see life through the same set of lenses we use to process the world around us--we need people who don't think like us, regardless of which direction we lean from the center; it's amazing how much common ground we can find when we listen.  That growth, leading to effective, decisive oversight of our politicians every two years, is the antidote to whatever might threaten our Republic.

Just imagine people with whom we disagree strongly expanding our understanding, intellect, compassion, and, yes, perhaps most importantly, allowing us to exercise (and grow) the godly discipline of grace.  

America, STILL a remarkable idea.  No plan, no purpose will be left undone.

Liveitwell!

Giving Thanks.

Day 3, 2021. 

COVID lingers.

Fear is rampant.  

Uncertainty reigns.  

 I am blessed. 

Not because life hasn't taken anything away from me or disappointed me. Not because every dream I ever had for my life has played out in spades.

I'm blessed because the older I get, the more acutely aware I am that life is hard, harsh--unfair, and riddled with sorrow. Yet despite that, as I look back, I see God's fingerprints all across my 67 years.

I'm thankful for my family of origin. It was a perfectly normal not-perfect home, but we were loved with a sacrificial provision! I remember Hody's Drive-in, singing in the family station wagon, Christmas mornings, baseball card collections, my parents trusting me. Back yard barbecues. Working in the family business.  My home gave me my foundation, work ethic, and many of my core values and showed me what it means to be a responsible adult.

I'm thankful for my brother and sister, Brad and Tamara. I was the proud younger brother to Brad and the protective older brother to Tamara. I love them both and appreciate all we share and their part in making me, me.

I'm thankful for my Grandma Blankenship and my Aunt Carolyn, who stood in the gap for me, prayed for me, and lovingly intervened when I desperately needed an advocate...for my cousin Patty who was like a big sister to me.

I'm thankful for friends made a life-time ago that have come back into my life through social media. The memories we share form a strong bond and a rich tapestry woven from the community we shared together growing up in a little town North-West of LA called Thousand Oaks. These people helped give me a good start.

I'm thankful for Mark, who showed me what effective faith consisted of and then mentored me in the early years of my walk with Jesus Messiah; introduced me to the girl who would become the woman I've shared my life with for 48 (January 5) years and challenged me to pursue a call into ministry--which extended into 30 years.

I have been blessed by friends in 4 different States; North Carolina, California, Illinois, and Indiana, over the past 46 years. People have loved us well at every stop; they mentored us as a "just married" college couple at Duke, befriended us as co-sojourners with growing families in our early years when I was a young Merchandising Exec, allowed us to lead them as their "clergy couple" over 18 plus years as a Lead Pastor at three stops--California, Illinois, and Indiana. Many of these folks remain in close contact with us.

I'm thankful for the years I spent a Duke University--an opportunity that wasn't even on the radar when I finally sat down to consider where I might pursue my college ambitions--yet when the time was right, God delivered me to that place--and a paid-in-full promise.

I'm thankful for my Talbot Seminary experience. The timing was all wrong but so right. This was such a formative time in my life. My brain finally unfolded, and study became a discipline that shaped my life and my ministry.

I'm thankful for Laura, my wife.  She is my very best friend. She has worked alongside me, loved me, made our home a place of nurture for our children, supported us all in the pursuit of our dreams. She has stood by me through some deep water. I'm so grateful. She is an immensely talented woman with special gifts as a musician, homemaker, and grandmother.

I'm thankful for Laura's parents, Gene and Janice. They loved us well and were generous with their love, wisdom, and support. They left such a legacy of Godliness and service. They became the second set of parents to me--so critical because I lost my dad at age 17 and my mom at age 31. They stood in the gaps with me and for me.

I'm thankful for my kids, Erin and Joseph. They have become such good citizens, parents, and professionals. They are raising their kids with love, grace, and sacrifice. They are my friends; intelligent and stimulating, opinionated, and articulate. They have such passion for the ideas they believe in. Best of all, they love Jesus Messiah and endeavor to live in a manner that reflects His image to their worlds.

I'm thankful for Matthew and Miranda, my son and daughter-in-law. They are talented, compassionate people, love my kids well, and are wonderful parents. I prayed even before our children were born for that person they may eventually share their lives and dreams with. God did well. They are companions on the Way with our children and have established homes that honor Christ and serve Him.

I'm thankful for our five grandchildren, Braden, Kellen, Gabriella, Grayson, Chessa, who we lost before she took her first breath, and sweet little Gwendolyn, with whom I share a birthday. Grandchildren are everything right about life: pure joy, delight, potential. There isn't anything quite like the blessing grandkids introduce into our lives. These six make my heart explode with joy, pride, and thanksgiving.

Our firstborn grandson, Braden, marks his fourth New Year in the company of King Jesus. He lost his battle with cancer on June 28, 2016--passing into his Savior's loving arms. He lived it well. The legacy he left behind is a blessing--his courage, his story, touched the lives of thousands of people all across the nation. One of his last wishes was to "see the word of his testimony spread," and it has in a fashion only God could have orchestrated. He was diagnosed in February 2015, and it has been such a difficult journey, a journey God has made with us. We had seen such goodness and generosity from people, many who were strangers before this disease brought us together--many remain, strangers, today, but generous benefactors none-the-less. It's humbling. It's transformative. We will be together with Braden again, at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, because of our blessed hope--Jesus Messiah.

I'm thankful for our faithful family pets who have shared life with us and made our lives better in ways we could not have expected...Alphie 12 years, Max 13 years, Barley 15 years, Kate 15 years, Lily 12 years, Chance 9 years (and counting), and Jett, our youngster Black Lab at 21 weeks.

I'm thankful for 30 years invested in ministry, the good, the bad, and the heart-break.

I'm thankful for 19 years with State Farm. A great opportunity to pursue another side of my gift-mix. It's given us the security we never anticipated we would enjoy. It has been a wonderful platform from which to make hard-lives easier--truly a market-place ministry.

I'm thankful for good healers and good health.

So much to be thankful for, so little space and a memory dimmed by 67 years. That said..."Praise God from whom all blessings flow, praise Him all creatures here below, praise Him above ye heavenly hosts, Praise Father Son and Holy Ghost."  

Breathe it in.  No plan, no purpose will be left undone...

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and NOT to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be MANIFESTED in OUR mortal flesh. 12 So death is at work in us, but LIFE in YOU."

--2 Corinthians 4.7-10. ESV

We don't get to be here long.

Liveitwell!

2021...Be Beautiful Music.

The more things develop, the more they stay the same.  The politics of personal destruction, mayhem across the country, hate, violence, unrest, incivility, a virus we can't tame; fear, anger, despair, hopelessness.  

These are difficult days, yet not unlike the climate-of-culture in the First Century before the Gospel's ascendance.

As the Scriptures predicted, culture has again devolved to post-Christian paganism. Pre-born children are targets of infanticide, gender is a mythic construct, love is whatever we declare it to be, and values are defined by those who wield the most persistent, cynical, and compelling narrative.

Yet this remains: People on the Way have been given the mandate to declare this Truth...

"For God so loved the world He gave His one, and only Son, that whosoever would believe in Him would not perish, but have eternal life." John 3.16

It seems, too often, that some within the Faith Community would be content to simply shout it from the rooftops with conviction, yet absent compassion. This loveless approach FEELS like these zealots are bent on brandishing the sword of truth to "cut others down to size" in the name of fidelity to the Gospel--the good news.  According to these, to do otherwise amounts to a compromise of Truth...indeed it is to preach "another gospel."  What tragic irony.  This amounts to a Christianized version of Jihad. 

One need not compromise the message to deliver it in a fashion that communicates truth, urgency, conviction, exclusivity in its truth claims--in a context of grace, love, mercy, and civility. The Gospel is inclusive AND EXCLUSIVE simultaneously--God's Word is unique and powerful in this way.

He has called us to proclaim the Gospel in a context of suffering, committed to making a choice to live our lives based on the Truth of God's Word-- IN the world but not OF the world; so that His Will might be done on Earth as it is in heaven. Peter touches on this in his second letter, vv.14-16...

"14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame."  English Standard Version

Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 4.7-10...

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies."  English Standard Version

We NEVER compromise Truth. We never accommodate culture. We never embrace human wisdom as a lens through which we selectively apply God's Word. This praxis will certainly lead, has led, to suffering, persecution, and aggressive steps to marginalize us and God's Message. That said, WE ALWAYS deliver that message with gentleness and respect born from our life-altering encounter with God's grace and mercy.  

When God's people, empowered by God's Spirit, in submission to God's Son, live transformed lives...it is breathtakingly beautiful and powerful at the same time; beautiful music that the Holy Spirit uses to impel people to effective faith "...Jesus is Lord and God raised Him from the dead." Romans 10.5-13

Life is fast.

Liveitwell!