Fruit Salad of the Spirit – The Only Way to Fight Back

Posted on January 18, 2021 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

To borrow a phrase from Thomas Paine, these are times that try our souls.* And now my own words: the fabric of our nation is threadbare, made brittle by the scorching sun of discontent and discord. On this, mostly everyone agrees. The explanation for how we got here, however, will vary widely depending on whom you ask.

Regardless of how we got here, our situation is dangerously precarious. The slightest tear, it seems, could easily lead to a complete shredding of the fabric, to utter destruction. Paine wrote his revolutionary words 244 years ago to encourage the 13 colonies that started this American experiment to rebel against the greatest military force on the planet. A brave undertaking, to say the least.

I write these words tonight to encourage a New American Revolution, although probably not in the way you might think. Borrowing ideas from revolutionaries who came well before Thomas Paine, the bravest and fiercest way to fight against the destruction of our great nation is to call upon the Holy Spirit, the most powerful force the world has ever known.

What?? Pray? That’s your answer?!

Unapologetically, yes.

What is there that cannot be accomplished by the awesome power that breathed life back into a Jewish rabbi who had been beaten nearly to death and then crucified the rest of the way? If you answer with anything, I’ll tell you that you don’t know the God whom we serve, the God who made this planet from nothing. It may seem like an insurmountable challenge for you or me to resurrect this country–and it is if we try to do so from our own strength–but with God, nothing is impossible.

One thing is sure: anything we do or say that we think will make the situation better but does not come from God will probably make the situation worse. So how do we know if our thoughts, words, and actions come from God? By looking at the outcomes–the fruits of what we say and do. Let’s peek in on what the revolutionary Apostle Paul (who first tried to kill followers of Christ, then was blinded by the Light, and ended up writing 3/4 of the New Testament) had to say about how to tell if our actions are from God:

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Apostle Paul, in Galatians 5:19-26 (NIV)

So, if the outcomes of our words and actions don’t fall into the heavenly fruit salad list that starts with love and ends with self-control, then what we’re doing or saying is not from God. We are not bringing the Holy Spirit to bear on the situation, so we’re probably making things worse. This means that, for the most part, we need to separate ourselves from our political opinions and anything else that is putting ourselves in violent opposition to someone who doesn’t believe what we believe.

To be clear, we can and absolutely should hold firm to those beliefs, and should continue to vote accordingly. But for the sake of civil discourse and bringing the power of God into the situation, we should not try to force our opinion on others just for the sake of being right. We are ONLY allowed to view others through the lens that God loves them and Jesus chose to die for them–NOT as a Democrat or Republican or any other label that might cause enmity.

Trust me, I know this isn’t easy. I have very strong and deep-rooted opinions (ask my wife and kids!), but I know I cannot indulge them right now since they do not bring life to interactions I have with others. Candidly, this is probably one of the most monumental struggles with the flesh that I’ve ever had to deal with, so I completely understand how difficult this is.

But Jesus never promised that following Him would be easy–only that He would be there with us to help us every step of the way.

And also, referring back to the passage in Galatians I mentioned earlier, Paul starts it off by quoting Jesus, who was himself quoting Leviticus:

For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

Galatians 5:14-15 (NIV)

To sum it up, to love people not in our “tribe” can be infinitely more difficult than hating them or saying nasty things to or about them. To pray for someone you disagree with is braver than yelling at them or posting a tirade about them. But Jesus tells us to do the difficult and brave thing, and it is the only way to win, to bring life back into our country. Hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, and factions may feel more natural, but we cannot give in to any of them. But fear not, our weapons are powerful: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. In the end, nothing can overcome them.

God bless us all this week, and may He continue to bless the USA. Please join me in praying for government leaders at all levels, including both the incoming and outgoing Presidents.

* The actual quote by Thomas Paine was:

These are the times that try men’s souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.

Thomas Paine, The American Crisis, 1776
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No Resolutions – Do or Do Not / A Shield for 2021

Posted on January 4, 2021 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

There’s something about turning the calendar over to a new year that feels fresh, restores hope. While this is true, the same could be said for a new month, new week, or even a new day. A chance to start over again. Try again, do better.

So my first bit of commentary is toward our penchant for creating New Year’s Resolutions, which really makes no sense. If you disagree, ask yourself how many resolutions from this year you recycled from last year. The reason they make no sense is the way we tend to approach them, which is basically little more than wishes for the new year. I’ll borrow (and slightly alter) a phrase from Yoda of “Star Wars” fame: “Do or do not. There is no resolve.” If instead the goal is to make lasting change in your life, then read a book about habits–forming good ones and breaking bad ones. An excellent one I read and recommend is Atomic Habits, by James Clear.

One other quick note in this regard. Some people have a sense that they should read through the Bible, perhaps setting a goal to do so in a year. While this is a worthy goal–this is, after all, one way our loving Father in Heaven has chosen to communicate with us–it can also be a daunting undertaking. And I really don’t recommend reading it from cover to cover like you would a “normal” book. At the very least, I think you should read some from the Old Testament and some from the New Testament each day (I’d be happy to explain why if anyone is wondering). Better yet, My.Bible.com (aka YouVersion) has some excellent reading plans available, and they make many translations available across multiple devices, so it’s a great resource worth checking out. And finally, another personal favorite of mine is to take a guided journey through the Bible in a year with Brian Hardin and the Daily Audio Bible (DAB) family. I’ve done this many years now, and I still hear from God in different ways all throughout the year. Brian is an ordained pastor (and this is his “church”), so following each day’s reading, he spends a few minutes (yes, just a few) talking about whatever God put on his heart to discuss from that day’s reading. This is an excellent way to go through the Bible, with a trained professional to help you make sense of it all.

TWR360 | Daily Audio Bible
Daily Audio Bible Logo

OK, so back to the hope that can be associated with turning the calendar over to a new year. I’m right there with most of the world celebrating closing the book on 2020. But as much as I hate to point this out, nothing has really changed. Most (if not all) of the problems that were present in our world on December 31, 2020, were still with us on January 1, 2021. Why should the new year give us hope?

Maybe it’s not the new year that gives us hope per se, but rather the reset that it brings with it–the chance to remind ourselves that all is not lost, even if the outlook in the world remains bleak. We can recall that God is in control, even if it doesn’t look like it to us. We can and should (daily!) find comfort in God and His promises–there are gems of hope and comfort and peace woven all throughout the Bible. Here are just a few:

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Romans 5:1-5 (NIV, emphasis added)

…we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf.

Hebrews 6:18b-20a

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

1 Peter 1:3-5 (NIV, emphasis added)

Also, besides the tender message of hope woven throughout God’s love letter to us, He also assures of His protection. He wants nothing but the best for us. Here are some examples:

But you, God, shield me on all sides;
You ground my feet, you lift my head high;
With all my might I shout up to God,
His answers thunder from the holy mountain.

Real help comes from God.
Your blessing clothes your people!

King David, in Psalm 3:3-4, 7-8 (MSG)

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NIV, emphasis added)

So go boldly into 2021, knowing that God goes before you as a shield. Hold onto the hope that only He can bring, and give to you personally. I pray that God blesses you richly in this new year, and that you (we all) will have the eyes to see those blessings.

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Retrospective: Where was God in 2020?

Posted on December 31, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

Now that we are finally counting down the few remaining hours in this rough year, it might be useful to reflect on the year that was. As with any sort of retrospective pondering, this is usually a bittersweet thing to do, but with 2020, there may be more bitter than sweet.

For me, 2020 began with us having to euthanize a beloved dog, a member of our family for over 15 years. That was the first weekend, and the year never really got much better. There were bright moments, to be sure, but it was definitely the type of year that could leave one wondering where God was in all the messiness. It breaks my heart to say this, but one of my adult children has basically walked away from the faith (at least for now) because she has asked a similar question about the pattern of bad things that has seemed to plague her throughout her relatively brief life: if there is a loving, caring God, how can He allow so many bad things to happen to me?

He is the short answer regarding God’s whereabouts: He is here for us and with us to help us weather the storm. To expand a bit, God has never promised us an easy life. If someone has convinced you to believe otherwise, they need to read the Bible. It is a collection of true stories written by and about people who endured unspeakable hardships, and most of their stories do not have happy endings. At least not for their time on earth–the eventual ending is glorious, being restored and in the presence of God for all eternity. In fact, Jesus Himself confirmed that life is hard when he said, “In this world, you will have trouble.” (John 16:33, NIV, emphasis added).

However, He also added, “But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

But if Jesus has overcome the world, why does it still suck so badly sometimes?

That is a fair and natural question. The answer plumbs the depths of theology, I think, but here is how I understand it, in a nutshell. When Adam and Eve listened to Satan and ate the fruit God told them not to eat, sin (and Satan with it) gained a foothold in this world. It has been spreading like a plague (worse even than COVID-19) ever since, as history and the evening news clearly show. When Jesus came to earth, lived a sinless life, died on the cross to pay the price for the sin of every person who has ever lived or ever will live, and then rose again on the third day, He defeated Satan and death in the spiritual world. The book of Revelation contains some details (but not many), but this victory won’t manifest itself in the physical world until Jesus returns (the Second Coming). Battles will ensue in this physical realm, the end result of which will be that everyone who has called on the name of Jesus and accepted His gift of salvation (the only requirements) will be restored, along with a new heaven and new earth, to dwell forever in paradise with our great and loving Creator.

So unfortunately, because of the brokenness introduced and spread throughout the world by Satan, this world will suck until then.

But here’s the really great news: God has also promised to never leave or forsake us! Said another way, rather than just sit up in heaven eating bonbons and saying, “Wow, look at the mess they’ve made! Good luck with that!”, God has entered into our messiness. Because there is growth to be had through the muck and mire of life, He doesn’t usually take us out of the messiness, but He does find various ways to help us through it. He gives us shalom (deep, lasting inner peace) if we ask Him for it. He puts people in our path who will help us (financially, spiritually, emotionally, and in myriad other ways), if we let them. He has spread churches and other gatherings of believers all around the world with the intent of giving us a place to worship Him and remind ourselves and each other that this isn’t the way it was intended to be, nor will it be this way forever.

Even if you’re not yet a follower of Christ, He stands always at your door, knocking softly and waiting for you to open it. In conjunction with the Holy Spirit, He is only a breath, a brief prayer, away. You have only to say, “Help me, Jesus, I need you,” and He will step in to help you carry your burden. You may not be able to imagine how He will help you (His answers never look like our questions, but they are always better!), but He will. It’s what He does. He does not want a single one of us to endure the hardships of this life on our own.

So where has God been during the storm that has been 2020? Standing on the shores of heaven cheering us on? No way! Our kind and loving Savior has left the grandeur of heaven to get into the rocking boat with us, even as it gets tossed about by ferocious waves. It may not make sense, but this is our God. Someday we will understand.

I pray you will have a healthy, prosperous, and peaceful 2021, but even more so that you (as well as I) will always remember to look to God, our Creator and Giver of Life and Light, all throughout the coming year, regardless of what comes our way. May God bless your 2021!

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Advent: The Invasion – Love

Posted on December 28, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

We close out this advent season reflecting on love.

Grace is love in action. God has taken action, giving wings to His love by sending His Son to this planet before we had any idea what was going on. We did not deserve such an extravagant gift, nor could we ever. We cannot earn it, we can’t buy it, not even on Amazon.

This is grace.

Before God (the Hound of Heaven) tracked me down and brought me into relationship with Him, I thought I would have to get my act together prior to going to church. Since then, I have heard many variations of this from people who are not yet followers of Christ–“God would never accept me like this.”

As it turns out, it’s all a load of crap.

This IS NOT about going to church. Far too many people (believers included) see going to church as a way to earn God’s love. It’s not, and you can’t earn God’s love. Why not? Because you already have it. He has loved you more than you can imagine since before you were even born. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done or will do. His grace is bigger than all of that. There is NOTHING that can separate you from His love!

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, or nor heavenly rulers neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Apostle Paul, in Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)

So this is what it’s all about: being in an intimate relationship with God.

The Bible frequently compares the relationship God wants to have with us to that of a (good) marriage. I love my wife and she loves me, and we fell in love a long time ago. We talk and share a life together because we already love each other, not so I can try to earn her love. And while I had shortcomings I wish I could have gotten rid of before we got married, I didn’t, but we got married anyway. It hasn’t always been easy, we have had to contend for it, but thankfully we are still in love today, even more so than when we got married 27 years ago. I’m so glad we didn’t wait until I “had my act together” (whatever that really means) before we got married! And I believe I’m a better person today because of my relationship with her.

So in the same way, we shouldn’t go to church to check a box or to try to earn God’s love. We should go to church to tell God how much we love and appreciate Him, and to learn more about Him so we can grow deeper in relationship with Him.

This is really all God wants from us: to accept His gift of love, entering into a relationship with Him so we can swim in his oceans of grace and forgiveness.

If you believe that it’s about anything else–standards of dress or behavior or anything else that the world thinks is required to go to church, then you have believed a lie straight from the pit of hell. Refer again to the passage from the eighth chapter of Romans above–none of these things can separate us from God’s love. God doesn’t care about your haircut.

So before the glow of Christmas cheer slips from our grasp completely like water draining from cupped hands, let me pass along this invitation: spend a moment pondering what unbelievably good news it is that the One who created us knows us better than we know ourselves, knows every rotten thing we have ever done and ever will do, but loves us anyway, more than we could ever hope or imagine. He love us enough to give us His Son as a Christmas gift.

This is grace. This is the gospel. It is the love of our God.

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Christmas Eve, 2020 – If Ever We Needed a Holy Night…

Posted on December 24, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter
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Advent: The Invasion – Ode to Joy!

Posted on December 20, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

I don’t know about you, but I love positive stories that are counter-intuitive or even, to some extent, counter-cultural. I must not be alone in this, since stories where the hero overcomes incredible odds to achieve his/her goal are quite popular.

One story I love is around composer Ludwig van Beethoven (my favorite) and his 9th Symphony. One remarkable aspect of this, his last completed symphony, is that he was one of the first composers to include chorale music in his symphony. For this, he borrowed (and modified) a poem written in 1785 by Friedrich Schiller called “Ode to Joy.” Another incredible aspect of this story is that by the time Beethoven completed the symphony and first performed it, in 1824, he was almost completely deaf. This would seem to be the greatest curse a professional composer and musician could endure, to lose the sense you counted on the most. And yet, without being able to hear a note of it, he completed one of the most beloved pieces of music of all time. And central to it is the “Ode to Joy”. Savor the taste of the delicious, counter-intuitive irony of this. How could he be joyful when composing music he couldn’t hear?! Here are some of words from Beethoven’s version of the song:

Joy, beautiful spark of divinity,
Daughter from Elysium,
We enter, burning with fervor,
heavenly being, your sanctuary!
Your magic brings together
what custom has sternly divided.
All men shall become brothers,
wherever your gentle wings hover.

Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphony No. 9, “Ode to Joy”

To carry this a bit further, in the initial performance, on May 7, 1824, in Vienna, Beethoven desperately wanted to conduct. However, since he couldn’t hear and would therefore be unable to keep the tempo, the orchestra used their own director (Michael Umlauf) to stand behind Beethoven and actually conduct–the performers were instructed to ignore Beethoven’s direction and follow only Umlauf’s baton). When the performance completed, Beethoven was several bars behind, so he was still “conducting”. Caroline Unger, who sang the contralto part, went up to Beethoven, stopped his conducting, and turned him around to face the audience, who was giving him the first of five standing ovations, which included many people waving handkerchiefs or their hands in the air since Beethoven couldn’t hear their applause.

Joy in the midst of tragic yet heartwarming circumstances… Joy from overcoming…

A German workers’ movement started a tradition of performing Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony on New Year’s Even in 1918, timing the start of the performance at 11:00 pm so the finale would carry the audience, uplifted on a wave of joy, into the the new year. This tradition has spread elsewhere in the world as well, as far as Japan.

In 1907, the pastor Henry van Dyke took the melody one step further and wrote the hymn, “Joyful, Joyful, we adore thee”, which includes such celebratory passages as:

Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee
God of glory, Lord of love
Hearts unfold like flow’rs before Thee
Op’ning to the Sun above
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness
drive the dark of doubt away
Giver of immortal gladness
fill us with the light of day

Henry van Dyke, “Joyful, Joyful, we adore thee”

And it all started with a composer who couldn’t hear the music he was writing, at least not in the same way you and I would hear it.

Or how about this one, which starts off in the unlikeliest of ways? On a dark and starry night in a small town in the middle of nowhere, the King of kings and Creator or the universe steps down from his throne of glory to be born as a baby to a poor teenage mother who got pregnant out of wedlock. He was born in a filthy barn, wrapped in a dirty rag, and laid in a feeding trough for animals.

If it were up to me, this is not how I would stage the initial invasion against the powerful forces of darkness and evil in this world. There is no way this would work!

And yet…

It has worked! This poor little child survived despite brutal attempts to kill him as an infant. He grew up, and even though he had no formal training, he became the greatest theologian the world has ever known. And so much more than that!

This man that none of us should ever have heard of 2000 years later still offers His friendship to us. He knows that all of us have fallen short of the perfection God intended for us, but instead of condemning us, He has taken the punishment for each and every one of us that we deserve for our failures.

He died so that we (anyone who calls on His name) can live!

If that’s not a cause for the greatest celebration each of us can muster, I don’t know what is!

If you ponder what this means, how can you feel anything but joy?!

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Luke 2:8-14 (NIV, emphasis added)

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

1 Peter 1:8-9 (NIV, emphasis added)

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Philippians 4:4 (NIV)
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Advent: The Invasion – Prince of Peace?

Posted on December 13, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

OK, so I’m a week behind unpacking the symbolism of the advent candles, but I’m working on God’s time and there was something more pressing I felt like I needed to post before I started into advent. So the second advent candle symbolizes–you guessed it–peace. Hundreds of years before Jesus’ invasion into the darkness of this world, Isaiah prophesied about Him in this way:

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6 (NIV, emphasis added)

This notion of peace, and of Jesus being the Prince of Peace, may seem straightforward, but maybe also a little bit out of place in today’s world, so I thought it would be worth diving into it a little deeper.

To begin with, it may be hard for us who speak English to remember that the Bible was not originally written in our mother tongue (after all, don’t God and Jesus speak like King James??). The First (Old) Testament was, of course, originally spoken and then written in Hebrew. The word for peace in Hebrew is shalom, a word we have undoubtedly heard. The nuances of shalom, though, run much deeper than the way we usually think of peace, which is generally and basically interpreted as the absence of war, or at least a freedom from being disturbed.

Is that what we are experiencing today? In our country? In the world? Or even at the individual level–do you feel at peace?

I suspect I know the answer to all of these questions.

Or what are we to make of Jesus being referred to as the Prince of Peace? Look at what Jesus says about himself relative to peace:

“Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

Jesus, in Luke 12:51-53

“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn“ ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’”

Jesus, in Matthew 10:34-36

This all seems pretty confusing. What I have found helpful in grappling with all this is to think back to the nuances of shalom. More than just an absence of conflict, it refers to wholeness or completeness. It hints at the way God meant for things to be, with our lives interwoven and interconnected with God and creation, everything working together for good.

Last week, I introduced the comparison of Christmas to an invasion story. This makes me think back to another famous invasion–D-Day (June 6, 1944), when the Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy to try to gain a foothold on Hitler’s “Fortress Europe”. It was such a massive and dangerous undertaking that its success was far from guaranteed. However, once it did succeed, an Allied victory in Europe was almost a foregone conclusion. Nevertheless, it took almost a year before Germany surrendered. And that time between invasion and V-E Day was dark and bloody. Nevertheless, at the end of it all, peace prevailed.

Perhaps we find ourselves in a similar state, in the time between invasion (Christ’s birth) and victory, when Jesus will come back to set all things right. Setting all things right sounds a lot like a return to shalom, the way it was in Eden before the fall, when Adam and Eve had God as their best friend.

So even though Jesus doesn’t seem to be focused on bringing peace to the world as we know it in the way we would think of it–putting an end to wars once and for all–with a bigger picture view, we can probably see that God has a plan for peace to prevail, when Jesus returns to usher in a New Heaven and a New Earth.

Is that it then? We have to wait for Jesus’ Second Coming to experience shalom?

No, not at all.

This is where it gets very cool, but also very hard for non-believers to understand. Even though Jesus never promised to give us an absence of conflict (peace) in this life, He did–and still does–offer us wholeness (shalom)! How is this possible? Through continuous prayer–in other words, by conversation with God. By being in relationship with Him. He will give us what we need to be whole and complete, if we ask Him and let Him. This is the way the Apostle Paul describes it:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV, emphasis added)

In this light, I am pleased to wish you shalom, the peace of God that transcends all understanding, throughout the remainder of this Christmas season, into 2021, and beyond! I hope we are all able to give focused attention to the Prince of Shalom as we prepare to celebrate His birth!

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Advent: The Invasion – Hope

Posted on December 7, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

The gift of hope is most precious in the bleakest of times. The evergreen leaves in a traditional Advent wreath are meant to symbolize the hope of eternal life that Jesus brought to the darkness of this world. One of the Advent candles also represents hope. So let’s explore this notion of hope as it pertains to this season of Advent, leading into Christmas.

The word “advent” means the arrival of something significant. Based on numerous prophesies as well as important writings in the Hebrew (Old) Testament, the people of God were waiting with great anticipation for Him to send His glorious promised Messiah, who would light up the darkness and eradicate evil. Nobody really knew what to expect exactly, but they were expecting something. This was their only hope.

And this is when the invasion took place.

Of course, it looked nothing like what anyone thought it would be. Many expected a mighty warrior king, a ferocious leader who would conquer their oppressors once and for all, reuniting the people of Israel reminiscent of the glory days under the great King David.

But what they got was a baby.

Although seemingly harmless and innocent, this was an intensely aggressive move by God, to send his Son to be born in a filthy feeding trough in a backwater town far away from the center of civilization in Rome. A most unlikely path to victory.

But Satan himself recognized the danger Jesus’ birth brought to his kingdom of darkness–working through King Herod, he tried desperately to locate and destroy the Christ child before He could grow up and defeat death and sin through His death on the cross and return to life three days later.

Now, as much as I love Christmas songs, there’s a part of me that thinks they should be more…well, fierce. This is not a polite, kind story; it’s a war movie. In Christmas plays, we dress our young ones as cute, adorable angels. But every time in Scripture that an angel appears to a human, the first words out of their mouths are, “Don’t be afraid.” This leads me to believe they must be terrifying to behold, since they seem to scare the hell out of anyone who sees them. God sent his version of the Navy SEALs to escort His Son as they began their invasion of earth to defeat Satan’s kingdom of darkness.

So instead of nice, peaceful Christmas carols, the soundtrack for the Advent season should be majestic and powerful, something you would hear in a movie when the forces of good begin turning the tide of a hopeless battle so they can eventually triumph over the forces of evil.

To give a little more context, things had been going from terrible to worse for the people of God. Israel had long since divided into Israel and Judah, and both kingdoms had been conquered and ceased to exist as sovereign nations. Many of the Hebrew people had been dispersed. Those who remained in the land once known as Israel were oppressed by the brutal Roman Empire. And they hadn’t heard from God for hundreds of years.

Yet they managed to cling to a flickering candle of hope that God would send His Messiah to set all things right. Generation after generation, this didn’t happen, but they never lost that thread of hope, no matter how miniscule and tenuous it had become. They trusted God.

And God came to the rescue by invading earth at Christmas. It may not have been what most people were expecting, but it turns out to be the only path to victory, to salvation. A plan so awesome and incredible that only God could have dreamed it up.

What should we take away from this? Here are some thoughts to summarize:

  1. Christmas is an invasion story.
  2. Never give up hoping in God. No matter how bleak, no matter how dark, He can and will always come through.
  3. Sometimes (often? most of the time?) God rewards our hope in ways that don’t look like He’s answering our prayers. The Hebrews longed for a conquering king, but instead they got a baby. But that baby turned out to be a King like no other, one who could rescue them (and us!) from sin and death for eternity.
  4. Don’t mess with angels. They are probably much more like Navy SEALs than they are like pudgy little kids in flowing white robes.
  5. Someone needs to create a Christmas soundtrack that sounds more like majestic and epic invasion music than anything hitting the airwaves right now. I’m just sayin’….

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 

I Peter 1:3-6 (NIV)

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Roman 12:9-12 (NIV)
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Prowling Around Like a Roaring Lion Looking for Someone to Devour

Posted on December 1, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

I have a confession to make: I am concerned for the future of America. I can’t give details about why I am concerned without turning this into a political rant, which God has led me to believe I am not allowed to do here–he planted on my heart to use this space to spread His words of hope and encouragement, not divisiveness. But why I’m concerned is beside the point of this post anyway.

The point is that I am a hypocrite for having this concern, whether or not it’s rational, because:

  1. I have previously posted here about not worrying about the future, leaving it in God’s good hands, and
  2. I have also posted here regarding my sense that God cares more about the Kingdom of Heaven and saving souls than He does about any particular country, even the good ol’ USA

I still believe these things, very firmly. I’m just being transparent here and sharing my struggle.

I would never say that I believe God causes bad things to happen to us, but when bad things happen to because of the fallen world and the current broken state of humanity, I do believe that God will use those bad things to help others. Never waste a good crisis is what I say at work when we have an opportunity to grow because things have gotten really fouled up.

Anyway, said another way: because I have this concern for the future–a concern I’m not supposed to have–I feel that God has put it on my heart to be honest and share it here in case it may help someone out there (whether immediately or sometime in the future, I probably don’t get to know). So just like I’ve heard some of my favorite pastors say, I’m writing these things to myself as much as to anyone who might be reading this.

Let me summarize my concern in a non-political way by simply stating that there have been some very odd things going on in America since Election Day on November 3. Things that make me think of this warning from the Apostle Peter:

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

1 Peter 5:8 (NIV)

Or this saying from King Solomon:

Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a helpless people.

Proverbs 28:15 (NIV)

But upon further reflection, I realize that neither of the major political parties here in the US have a corner in the market on goodness and righteousness. And also, most Democrats and most Republicans are not evil and want what’s best for our country. We just can’t seem to agree on what those things are or how best to achieve them.

So what are we to do? It is our civic duty as followers of Christ who are also citizens of an earthly kingdom to stand up against evil and injustice of all kinds. But we can’t know the hearts of the leaders of our cities, states, and the country, so how can we tell if what they are doing is well-intended or to feed their own voracious appetite for never-enough power?

We really can’t. We can pray for that discernment, but I think it’s very difficult for us to put our own notions about a politician or political party aside, so how can I trust whether the “answer” I receive is from God or really just an apparition generated from my own frame of reference? I don’t have a good answer for that.

I imagine that followers of Christ have struggled with this very question as 13 fledgling colonies considered rebelling against the mighty British Empire over 200 years ago, or as this young country staggered toward the bitter division that turned into the Civil War. To be clear, I’m not suggesting that we are at another such pivotal point in our country’s story, just musing aloud (sort of) that I am probably not the first person to have grappled with this.

Maybe this is enough for now: that we leave it in God’s hands by:

  1. Praying for our leaders at all levels of government, regardless of whether or not we voted for them, that they would lead in selfless and godly ways, earnestly seeking the good of others above themselves;
  2. Asking for God’s forgiveness for not trusting Him enough to hold our future in His hands; and
  3. Praying for peace, both inside ourselves (so we can quit yanking the problems out of God’s hands only moments after turning them over to him!) and across our nation (so we don’t destroy our great country from within, which is certainly a conceivable tactic of the evil one).

We can take this suggestion from Peter, earlier in his first letter:

Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.

1 Peter 2:12-17 (NIV)

Simple, right? Just live good lives! Simple, maybe, but certainly not easy. But God never promised it would be easy, only that He would help us.

What are your thoughts? Please feel free to leave a comment, even if you disagree with me. I was told recently by someone I care for deeply and respect tremendously that I don’t like to hear differing points of view. I hope this isn’t the case, but if it is, I pray that God will forgive me and help me heal in that way–and maybe He will use one of you to help me with that! Maybe He already has.

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Yet I Will Rejoice in the Lord

Posted on November 23, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

“Now is the winter of our discontent…”

William Shakespeare, from Richard III

“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

Apostle Paul, Philippians 4:11-13 (NIV)

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

Habakkuk 3:17-18 (NIV, emphasis added)

What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you’ll have it all—life healed and whole.

Apostle Peter, I Peter 1:3-5 (MSG)

2020 has been a year to remember, and a year to forget. Something we should all remember, though, as we head into Thanksgiving week is that there are still blessings all around. We may have to look a little harder than we normally do, but that doesn’t mean they’re not there.

God has built into our human hearts a longing for something that transcends us. This ultimately points us to heaven and to God himself, but for now, beauty can also stir in us a sense that life is worth living, and that there is more to come. Earthly beauty is an appetizer for the bountiful feast that awaits us in eternity.

So look for it. It’s waiting to be found.

Maybe you find the sound of children playing annoying, all that shouting and boundless energy–but listen to the bubbling joy of laughter not yet weighed down by the burdens of grown-up responsibilities. Maybe you squint when the sun gets in your eyes, but (as long as you’re not driving!) take a moment to close your eyes and turn your face up toward the sun–see the color of your eyelids, feel the warmth on your face. Watch the way sunlight delicately plays with objects around you–sparkles, shimmers, shadows. Or maybe you’ve never appreciated loved ones so much as when it’s difficult or even impossible to gather with them, as it is this year. Cherish each fleeting moment.

God gave us all these things, and so much more.

To a great extent, we can choose to be miserable, to focus on anything and everything that is going wrong, and make this a winter of our discontent. Or we can choose to find the many blessings God sprinkles along our journeys and be thankful to Him.

Looking at the Bible verses I mentioned above, especially Philippians 4:11-13 and Habakkuk 3:17-18, there’s a certain defiance that I find inspiring, and it’s a good reminder, too. Paul and Habakkuk are not waiting for the situation to improve before they praise God. I really love the word “yet” in the passage from Habakkuk; the world is falling apart and my life stinks, yet I will rejoice in the Lord. This pattern of thinking becomes self-fulfilling: when you are thankful to God in spite of your circumstances, He will give you eyes to see that they are not as bad as you might think at the moment. Or He will make them better. Or both!

A posture of gratitude leads to peace that surpasses all understanding, and it leads to inexpressible joy.

So which do you choose? Discontent or thanksgiving?

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