Heartfelt
Bible
Unrepentant
The other day, when I was in traffic, the man in front of me was driving a black Jeep. On the back of the Jeep were several stickers with skulls and a few with crossbones, and in the middle of his display was a bumper sticker that basically said he was unrepentant. He was definitely signaling for all to see that he was a bad dude.
I’ve thought about him a lot. Bad? Maybe…but definitely headed in the wrong direction, and that makes me sad. I hate to see anyone defiant against the Lord, and I fear for what his ultimate end will be.
Repentant is a word that is not usually used in secular conversations. It is in the Scriptures, and the Lord has a lot to say about it. Most people think that the word means to be sorry…but that is not it. In the New Testament, it is from the Greek word metanoia, which means to change one’s mind for the better.
In other words, we look at our past sins and misdeeds, and we change our minds about them. We make a conscious decision to go a different way. When we are unrepentant, we are saying we will not change, we will stay the course we are taking.
In the orthodox churches, this past week began the season of Lent, i.e., forty days before Easter. Christians are supposed to examine their lives and see if there is something they need to repent of…some practice, some sin, some habit that has overtaken them. When we are unrepentant, we are saying to God that we are okay the way we are.
As far as I am concerned, there is not a person on this planet who doesn’t have something they need to repent of. During this season, we would all do well to examine our own hearts. We do not want to be unrepentant. Proverbs 28:14 says: “Blessed is the one who fears the LORD always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.”
The Lord Jesus paid a high price to cover the cost of our sins. Let’s not take it for granted. If he cared enough to put his life on the line for us, the least we can do is take a good, hard look at our own lives and see if there is something we need to repent of.
photo by john hein courtesy of pixabay.
Indifference – the Cousin of Hatred
Indifference – “lack of interest, concern or sympathy.” Oxford languages
Last week, I was at a luncheon. I was standing in a group of women, and one mentioned Savannah Guthrie and what she must be going through. We all agreed that it must be terrible. All of us except for one. The lady said, “But she was so disrespectful to President Trump.” I just stared at her, not believing my ears…and then I said, “What’s that got to do with anything?”
I thought about her comment a lot and realized that the media had done its job. It had caused her to be indifferent to someone with whom she politically disagreed. Lest we think we are immune to that kind of thinking, we should examine our own hearts.
How many times do we ignore or are indifferent to the suffering of those who oppose our political views? What about those who are different than us, ethnically, racially or religiously? We tell ourselves we don’t hate them, but we certainly can’t muster up any kind of sympathy for their suffering either. Our hearts have become stone cold towards them.
When Jesus told us to love our neighbor as ourselves, he gave us a parable to illustrate it. A man was on a road and was beaten up by robbers. A priest and a Levite passed by, and they both did nothing to alleviate his suffering. A Samaritan stopped and helped the injured man. He took him to an inn and made sure he was well taken care of.
Let’s put it in today’s context. A man is walking in a bad part of Tel Aviv at night. He is beaten up and robbed. He is left for dead. A religious person walks by and turns his head the other way. A lawyer walks by and does the same, wanting to get out of the place as quickly as possible. A Palestinian gets off work, walks by, and stops to help the man. He takes him to a hospital and makes sure he is taken care of. He doesn’t leave until he knows the man will live.
Who do you think fulfills Jesus’ command to “Love his neighbor?” Obviously, the Palestinian. He was not indifferent to the suffering of the man, and he didn’t care about his race, religion, or ethnicity.
As believers, we are not called to help everyone in the world. But we are called to care about and not be indifferent to those who are right in front of our eyes. Let us not be taken in by the tribal attitudes of today or the division that is being fostered in the media. We can make a difference if only we will view others with the same humanity we view those in our own circles of reference.
Let’s not justify ourselves and tell ourselves we are okay because we don’t hate them. At least with hatred, there is a level of emotion involved. With indifference, we are devoid of emotion, care, and concern. That should cause us all to take a second look at our stony hearts.
Photo by jhraskon. Courtesy of Pixabay.
Empty Prayers
“I put an empty hand on an empty head and said an empty prayer.”
Several years ago, I heard Dick Mills speak. He shared an episode from his life. He had been ministering in a church. He was finished speaking with the people. He was tired, hungry, and he had no energy. As he was walking out the door, a woman approached him for prayer. He then said, “I put an empty hand on an empty head and said an empty prayer.” As he turned to walk away, the lady was healed, right then and there.
That story gives me hope. There are people I have prayed for over several years. Although I have seen shifts in their circumstances or their personalities, I still have not seen a total answer to my prayers. Sometimes, when I am praying, I feel like I am praying “empty prayers.” The requests are the same, but it has been so very long, and I just kind of mouth the words.
Jesus encourages his followers to pray and not give up. “Ask and keep on asking and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking and you will find; knock and keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7 Amplified.
All well and good but when we have asked for so many years, so many decades, what do we do? Even though it seems like sometimes we are praying just “empty prayers,” we should do just what He said. Keep on asking, keep on seeking an answer and keep on knocking til the door is opened.
The true lesson from Dick Mills’ story is this. The ultimate answer from God does not depend on us, it depends on Him. His timing, His reasons, and His way of doing things. So if you are like me and sometimes you feel like you are praying “empty prayers,” take heart. He hears us. He will answer, immediately, eventually or ultimately.
Temptation
Temptation – we all deal with it. It comes in all kinds of shapes, sizes and types. So let’s look at a few and what we need to do about them.
Obvious:
The easiest kind of temptation to identify is the obvious kind. What are we not supposed to be doing? Most of us have a list of those things we need to keep away from. So how do we do it when confronted directly by them? First, identify it in our minds. Second, make a conscious choice to not indulge in it. And third, turn around and walk away. The Scripture says, “But flee youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” 2 Timothy 2:22 It sounds simple, but it can be very difficult. If we make the choice to turn away at the very start of the temptation, we have a much greater chance of not falling into it.
Subtle:
This kind of temptation is much harder to identify in the beginning. It just sneaks up on us and then wham, we are right in the center of it. This kind of temptation usually comes with a thought that flies through our minds; we don’t even recognize it, it is there, and then it is gone. A while later, it comes into our minds again, lingers a bit and vanishes. Again, we take no thought of it. This begins to happen over and over during the day, and at the end of the day, we realize we have been fighting a battle in our minds and have not even recognized it. That thought has come in so many times, that it has begun to take root. Again, we need to Identify it, Reject it, and Evict it. Joyce Meyer said, “Frisk every thought.” I will add, “at the door of your mind.” Excellent advice. The sooner we recognize it, the sooner we can evict it.
Manageable:
This is the kind of temptation that makes the Enemy of our Souls laugh. We realize we have a weak area, but we make excuses or provision for it. We say to ourselves, “Well, I can handle this temptation.” We may be an alcoholic, but tell ourselves we will be okay going to the bar with our friends. The fact that we usually end up drunk at the end of the night should alert us to the fact that we are not okay, and should make a different choice. What about the temptation to only look at porn that one time? “I can handle it.” How many people have been sucked into that addiction? To think that we are somehow stronger than everyone else is a lie straight out of the pit of hell. Again, we need to Identify it, Reject it, Turn around and leave it behind. This one comes with a caveat…and get help if you need it. Some battles cannot be fought alone. “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful, he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide the way out so you can endure it.” 1 Corinthians, 10:13
The Road Ahead
I spoke with the Cartographer and asked him for a map of the road for 2026. He told me that since the road is new and unfinished, he could not send me one. He did send me an Itinerary and I will give you the highlights.
Destination: 2027
Time to Destination: A whopping 365 days…knowing that it takes about 8 days to get to the moon and back, one could travel to the moon over 40 times during this particular journey.
Passport: Required
Visa: Daily visas will be issued for 24 hours each day. Everyone will not necessarily receive one to complete the journey. Advisory: “For what is your life: It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” James 4:14
Vaccinations: None Required Advisory: There are several vectors along the swampier parts of the journey. Fear and Anxiety are the most annoying. Please take along sufficient medication. Isaiah 41:10 seems to calm fear, “Fear not, for I am with you, Be not dismayed, for I am your God.” Anxiety lessens with Philippians 4:6-7, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Accommodations: None guaranteed. The new road goes through many places not prepared for tourists. Be prepared to sleep in your car or tent camp. “And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.” 1 Timothy 6:9.
Road Conditions: Varied. The engineers report several long stretches of good highway; however, our trip will take us up several high mountains where there will be breathtaking vistas and hairpin turns. The guardrails will not be up yet, so drivers are advised to keep their eyes on the road. Dangerous areas will be marked with signs.
Weather: Expect every type of weather. There will be lots of sunshine and warm weather. There will also be long stretches of fog, stormy weather, and even a few tornado warnings. Be prepared for every eventuality.
Safety warnings: Will be issued as needed. Previous years’ warnings have included several from Matthew 24. “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled, for all these things must come to pass but the end is not yet.”
Everyone is advised to get an Itinerary.
Sending best wishes for a safe and secure 2026.
Valerie and Mike
Heart Check
“Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” 1 John 3:15
When I first read these words in the Bible, I thought they were a bit harsh. If you hate someone, you are a murderer? But I have reflected on these words a lot in the last ten days.
I was deeply saddened by the murder of Charlie Kirk. Let me tell you, I didn’t know who the man was. I had heard his name mentioned a few times, but that’s it. What saddened me was that he was killed because of his political and religious beliefs. I was also distressed by some of the reactions to his murder.
It seems to me there are not too many steps between hatred and murder. When we begin to hate someone, we naturally devalue them in our hearts. Their life matters little to us as we allow that hatred to grow and overtake us. Most of the time, we don’t murder them with a gun, but we can certainly assassinate their character with our words. We look at one person killing another and think, “I would never do that.”
But what is the real truth? Once we begin to hate someone, our heart begins to rot. We may think we are justified when we hate another person or group of people but the Lord doesn’t see it that way. He sees hatred for what it is, the antithesis of who He is and who He wants us to be.
Jesus told us, “to love our enemies” and “to pray for them who persecute you.” It is only love that will break the bondage of hatred in our hearts. As we pray for those we disagree with or have hurt us, we begin to see them for the flawed human beings they are. Their value goes up in our eyes. We also begin to see ourselves for the flawed humans we are.
Let us all do a “heart check.” Do we hate anyone or any group of people? If so, let’s ask the Lord to help us change our attitude. We can hate the things people do or say, but we are not supposed to hate them. We want God’s spirit (eternal life) abiding in us. And surprisingly, it is our willingness to pray for them that will usher in God’s grace and free our hearts from the bondage of hatred.
Photo by Mohamedgado15. Courtesy of Pixabay.
Unrecognizable
Have you ever gone to a town where you had visited and something devastating had happened there? You start to survey the landscape and look for familiar landmarks, but don’t see them. The scale of the devastation is so great that the area is unrecognizable. You aren’t sure exactly which street you are on, and it is impossible to find the features you remember. Has that ever happened to you?
If it has, you know that the first thing you do is get out your phone and call up Google Maps. You hope there is some way to get your bearings and find what you are looking for. You desperately search for something familiar so you can orient yourself to your surroundings.
That is exactly how I feel when I look at the culture around me. I feel I am living in a society that is unrecognizable from the one I grew up in. Almost every social metric has plummeted in a negative direction. Just to name a few: criminal behavior has skyrocketed because it is rewarded with a slap on the wrist and a get out of jail free card. Homelessness is accepted as a normal part of society, and few public officials are able to find a meaningful solution to the problem. The benchmarks on the education of our students are abysmal, and yet billions are thrown in that direction with little or no improvement in literacy or mathematical skills.
Unfortunately, I can’t call up Google Maps for help to try to navigate our culture. How do I, as a believer in Jesus Christ, live in a meaningful way in an unrecognizable society? The only thing I know to do is to go to the Scriptures to help me find my bearings. When I read them, I can somehow get a perspective on what I see taking place. When I look at some of the last words that Jesus spoke to his disciples, they open my eyes and help me see the signposts I am looking for.
Jesus said that the last days would be like the days of Noah. Those days were marked by violence and genetic engineering. He also said they would be like the days of Sodom. Those days were filled with sexual perversion and children being misused by unscrupulous adults. Jesus talked about the love of many growing cold, and if that isn’t one of the primary mileposts of our day, I don’t know what is. Man has stopped caring about his fellow human beings, and meaningful compassion is in short supply.
Rather than walking around dazed and confused, each of us can look to the Scriptures for clear direction. We can ask the Lord to fill us with His Spirit so that we may love our fellow man. We can do whatever is within our capabilities to make a positive difference in the lives of those around us. Then and only then will we make a significant impact and the landscape we see will become more recognizable.
A Full Pardon
For the past few weeks, our society has been focused on the Presidential Pardons being given out at the White House. The President granted his son a full pardon and today has pardoned over 1,500 people. Some of his pardons have been controversial, and others, not so much. Like it or not, over the next several weeks, we are likely to see many more pardons.
Pardons are not something that we see happen a lot. Judges don’t usually give them out and there are not many other entities that are allowed to give out judicial pardons. Because pardons are such a rare thing, they gain a lot of attention.
A lot of us have not been in jail or prison and do not have a record that is limiting our life choices. We do not normally think about pardons in the judicial sense but we are aware of the need for them in our relationships. When we apologize for something we have done that may have offended someone, we want to be pardoned (or forgiven) our wrong. If people are unable or unwilling to forgive or pardon others, they can lead to a very difficult life indeed.
When I think about pardons, I immediately think about the fact that I was given a full pardon several years ago. I was in my mid-twenties, had lived a bit of a wild life, and needed the forgiveness of God for my sins. They were weighing heavily on my mind and I wished to make a change in the way I had been living. I learned that I was not alone and that the Scripture says, “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” I found out that God was waiting to grant me a full pardon; if only I would ask for it.
I was grateful that his Son, Jesus, had come to this earth to die in order that I might be pardoned for the sins I had committed. He paid the penalty for my sin so that my relationship with the Father could be restored and that I could live a new life. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life,” John 3:16.
Did I deserve a full pardon? No. Did some people not understand how I could be forgiven and begin to live a new life? Yes. It didn’t matter to me. I was and am eternally grateful to the Father and his Son, Jesus, for the full pardon.
When we think about pardons, we should look inside of ourselves and see if we need a full pardon. Let’s not look at others and think about their unworthiness but look at our own unworthiness when it comes to the ability to stand before a holy and righteous God.
After looking inside, do you feel the need a full pardon? Don’t be afraid to reach out to Jesus and ask for it. He has paid the full price for all of your sins and He is more than willing to give you one if only you will ask.
Photo by Chil Vera. Courtesy of Pixabay.
Instrument Rated
When I was a teenager, I had a friend whose uncle had an airplane. We had a lot of fun when he would take us on one of his trips. I really liked flying in a small plane…it was a great way to get where you wanted to go in a hurry! Fast forward to my twenties. I lost a few friends in small plane accidents because they or their pilots were not instrument-rated. Both planes ended up crashing into a mountain. In both accidents, when the search parties found them, no one survived the accidents.
You see, you can be a pilot and not be instrument-rated. You only have clearance to fly in good weather where you can see the horizon and the ground below you. If you get into the “soup,” as pilots say, then it is impossible to determine where you are in relation to the horizon. A person can be flying right side up, but it may seem like they are upside down. Perhaps the most famous incident in recent history is when JFK Jr. crashed when he was flying over the ocean. He was not instrument-rated, and when he became disoriented because of low visibility, he ultimately crashed into the water.
As we move forward in the future, it will be imperative to be instrument-rated in our lives. If we only have a cursory knowledge of God and his word, we can easily become disoriented and crash when events happen around us. Our survival will be dependent upon our skill in the cockpit of life. In order to become instrument-rated, we must become close to the Lord (the Control Tower) and take our guidance from him and his manual (the Bible).
It is fairly easy to become a beginner pilot, but it takes a lot of studying and over a hundred hours in the air to become an instrument-rated pilot. It will be the same for us in order to be instrument-rated in life. We need to spend a considerable amount of time studying his word and walking with the Lord in order to travel safely through what is coming. There may be economic upheaval, natural disasters, and incredible deception just over the horizon. Those who are not instrument-rated will crash and burn, but those who are instrument-rated will be able to follow the manual and handle each situation with an element of peace and a passage of safety that will be elusive to others.
Photo by Michi S. Courtesy of Pixabay.
Valerie Cullers 