Was Jesus Likable?

Years ago I read the book "They Like Jesus but Not the Church." It had some valid points about the way we Christians can make the gospel unattractive by clumsy remarks and rude attitudes.

But the book's basic premise was flawed. It suggested that people would like us if we acted more like Jesus.

That's not scriptural.

Even when we speak the truth in love, our message will offend those involved in culturally acceptable sins. In fact, if all of our unsaved friends and relatives approve of our values, we aren't living faithfully for the Lord.

Jesus made people angry—so angry they killed him.

And it wasn't just the self-righteous religious people who hated Jesus. Anyone who refused to accept God's definition of sin hated Jesus (John 7:7). If we want to be like the true Jesus in Scripture, people will hate us too (1 John 3:13).

 

I'm not suggesting that we should seek to make people angry. But we shouldn't be surprised if people reject us even when we've shared God's truth graciously.

"You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved." Matthew 10:22 

Let's strive for faithfulness, not popularity.

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See also The Fake Jesus vs. the Real Jesus Collection of five one-minute devotions. And please do the Bite Size Bible Study based on this devotion: HERE.

I encourage you to check out the Wisdom for Life devotional. It contains 100 one-minute devotions to challenge, encourage, instruct, and inspire your love for God's Word. Read the story behind Wisdom for Life HERE. Find out about the two free Bible studies with purchase HERE. You can read the first four devotions in the book by clicking "look inside" on Lifeway or Amazon. In addition, you can buy the book in Kindle format on Amazon and as an ebook on other sites.

 

Sign up for a free subscription to Bible Love Notes and get a free e-booklet. Find out more HERE.

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Confused Definitions of Love

Are you feeling a bit beaten down, dear Christians? I sometimes feel that way when culture and unbelieving friends and family pound me with the world's definition of love: “If you approve of my values, you're loving. Otherwise, you're hateful.”  

When I look back on my family heritage, I see that the kindest, fairest, and most sacrificial men and women were those who loved Jesus and refused to approve of sin. They weren't perfect, but they were loving.

The same is true when I look at my present friends, family, and acquaintances. 

I still love the people in my life who have bought into worldly values, but their lives would not be defined as loving or sacrificial. 

Whenever we feel beat up by our culture or by our worldly friends and family, let's remind ourselves of God's definition of love: 

“We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, ‘I know him,’ but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.” 1 John 2:3-6

When we love Jesus, we never approve of sin. We love people enough to warn them (2 Timothy 2:24-26). 

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For more on this subject see these one-minute devotions:

7 Important Truths about God's Love

Does True Love Include Disapproval? 

Tolerance Isn't Approval, Agreement, or Silence 

Think God Is a Permissive Granddad?  

💙 Please check out the Bible Love Notes devotional Wisdom for Life. It features one-minute devotions from Psalms and Proverbs and is on sale at reduced prices on Lifeway, Amazon, and CBD.  

You can sign up for a free email subscription to Bible Love Notes online devotions HERE. 

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Don't Be Stupid!

In our build-your-self-esteem world, it's becoming increasingly rare for people to give or receive honest, constructive criticism.

Even worse, many Christians are convinced God never rebukes or disciplines His followers. 

I've often heard someone say that when God looks at them, He doesn't see their sins; He only sees Jesus.

This belief isn't found in the Bible.

Scripture tells us we're counted righteous in Christ, but that doesn't mean God is ignorant of our sins or content with our character. 

God "disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” Hebrews 12:6

His Word "is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17). 

God doesn't sugar-coat it:

"Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid." Proverbs 12:1 

God forgives our sins, but He loves us too much to overlook them. 

Let's not be stupid.

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I encourage you to check out the Wisdom for Life devotional. It contains 100 one-minute devotions to challenge, encourage, instruct, and inspire your love for God's Word: Wisdom for Life. Read the story behind Wisdom for Life HERE. And find out about the two free Bible studies with purchase HERE. You can read the first four devotions in the book by clicking "look inside" on Lifeway or Amazon.

 

I also encourage you to sign up for a free subscription to Bible Love Notes and get a free e-booklet. Find out more HERE.

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Do You Know Why Christians Have "Unveiled Faces"?

In 2 Corinthians 3 Paul explains that the old covenant law had a temporary purpose. When Moses met with God to receive the law, his face glowed, but he veiled his face for two reasons: 

1. The people were frightened by the brightness (Exodus 34:29-35).

2. Moses didn’t want them to see the light fade (2 Corinthians 3:13).

Why did the light fade? 

Because it was part of the old covenant law which didn't bring salvation.* The purpose of the old covenant was to prepare us for the new covenant in Christ, showing us that we can never be “good enough” to earn salvation (Galatians 3:24-25; Romans 3:20). 

But when we accept Christ's redemption, we're given a permanent glory, and we shine with “unveiled faces” as we “contemplate the Lord’s glory” and allow Him to transform us “into his image with ever-increasing glory” (2 Corinthians 3:17-18).

Think about that. When we genuinely accept Christ, we start “glowing” with the permanent glory of our Lord's salvation. And the more we let God’s Spirit transform our hearts and minds, the brighter His glory becomes in our lives.

So let's ask God to show us specific ways we can “glow” today. In fact, when we wake up each morning, let's ask Him to use our  “unveiled faces” to share His glory with others.

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* This does not mean that people in the Old Testament were not saved. It means that keeping the law didn't save them. They were saved the same way we are saved—through faith. Christ had not yet revealed Himself and His salvation, but they were saved by their faith that God would supply a Savior (Romans 4; Hebrews 11).

 

Scripture clearly teaches that the law could save no one. “For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son” (Romans 8:3). This highlights one of many errors in The Hebrew Roots Movement. It also refutes the false doctrine in The Chosen mini-series where Christ says He is “the Law of Moses.”

See All or Nothing: Hebrew Roots Movement and Scripture Refutes The Chosen's "I Am the Law of Moses" Statement.

💙 Please check out the Bible Love Notes devotional Wisdom for Life. It features one-minute devotions from Psalms and Proverbs and is on sale at reduced prices on Lifeway, Amazon, and CBD.  

And please sign up for a free email subscription to Bible Love Notes online devotions HERE. 

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Important Truths about Confronting a Fellow Believer

In our "judge-not" culture, many people are neglecting this important aspect of Christian community: confronting fellow-believers who are involved in sinful lifestyles. It's not only commanded in Scripture, it's an act of love to help restore and heal. These one-minute devotions address important aspects of biblical confrontation.

Jesus Confronted Sin: What that Means to Us

People would like to think that Jesus was non-confrontational, but Scripture tells a different story.

When and How to Confront People

What the Bible teaches about confronting someone who is making harmful, ungodly choices: When, How, and Why should we confront someone?

 Understanding "The Spirit of Cain" 

As culture declines, we need to remember that sin is sin and avoid the error of Cain's victim mentality. 

With the Right Intentions 

This 1-minute devotion explains the importance of confronting fellow believers who are living sinful lifestyles. 

Signs of a Successful Confrontation 

This short devotion explains what real repentance looks like. This is the desired result when we confront a fellow believer.  

If you enjoy these concise, Scripture-packed devotions, I encourage you to check out Wisdom for Life, a hardback devotional containing 100 one-minute devotions from Psalms and Proverbs plus additional helps and resources. Check out the sales on Lifeway, Amazon, and CBD.

Allowing for Differences but Not Sinful Choices

Originally posted for the 2016 election. Updated for the 2024 election.

Romans 14-15 discusses disagreements among genuine believers and warns us that in some areas we can agree to disagree. But this isn't true in areas where Scripture offers clear guidance. For example, we can allow differences regarding methods of baptism, but not regarding adultery or murder.

In our upcoming election, we can hold different views about issues like welfare and taxes. 

But God's Word speaks clearly in these areas:

1. LGBTQ lifestyles – A key element of the Democratic platform is the promotion of LGBTQ lifestyles. They approve of surgical mutilation of underage children and censorship of biblical counseling in this area. See A Public Holiday Mocking Our Lord and U.S. State Dept. on Conversion Therapy.

2. Abortion – Past Republican platforms have been solidly pro-life. This election, I would call their platform mildly proabortion. 

The Democrats, on the other hand, are wildly proabortion. On the one hand, they claim they aren't in favor of abortion up to the day of delivery, but they reject all limitations including time limits. And they overwhelmingly voted against medical care being given to babies born alive during abortions. See Be Sure You Fully Understand This Fact. 

These are not issues where genuine believers can agree to disagree. Instead, it's our Christian responsibility to expose these evils and warn fellow believers not to help promote them (Ephesians 5:11). 

Some believers have prayed about this election and feel they can vote for neither party. I disagree with this view, but I consider it a Romans 14 difference, and I still respect those who hold it. 

However, if a fellow believer tells us they're voting Democrat, God wants us to lovingly warn them that they'll be held accountable by God for promoting evil (Galatians 6:1; James 5:19-20). 

Necessary note:

In the last few months, whenever I've written about voting, I've stuck to the biblical issues, not the personalities. If I mentioned a candidate, it was directly related to something they said or did in regard to the issues of abortion or LGBTQ lifestyles. 

When it comes to personal lifestyles, I don't respect or approve of Trump's personal values nor do I respect or approve of Harris' personal values. 

Despite what some people claim, we are not voting for a king, queen, or dictator. We are voting for a platform that expresses the values that a candidate and his/her party are promoting in our nation. 

In addition, I have objectively pointed out where the Republican platform has moved backward, going from strongly pro-life to mildly proabortion (example). And I've pointed out other ungodly choices they've made (example). 

Sadly, what I'm seeing in many Christians is a form of backward idolatry. Instead of focusing on the issues involved and the lives lost and damaged, they are focusing on a single man they don't like. So when I write about voting against unlimited abortion, I get letters from readers asking me why I'm promoting Trump. Instead of addressing the murder of unborn babies and the trans-mutilation of underage children, they focus on Trump.

I've even heard some people say that Trump's sins are worse than abortion and the trans-mutilation of children. If you believe that what one man has done is more offensive to God than the killing of millions of babies nationwide and mutilating hundreds of children through trans-surgeries, you are not thinking clearly and you are letting your hatred for Trump affect your judgment.

Satan loves this. He wants us to focus on personalities and let nationwide evil prevail. He has seriously blinded unbelievers to God's truths, and many Christians have allowed him to blind them as well (2 Corinthians 4:4). 

If you think you can vote for a proabortion candidate with God's blessings, you're wrong. And you don't need to take my word for it, you can take God's:

"Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to die; save them as they stagger to their death. Don’t excuse yourself by saying, 'Look, we didn’t know.' For God understands all hearts, and he sees you. He who guards your soul knows you knew. He will repay all people as their actions deserve." Proverbs 24:11-12

"Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow." Isaiah 1:17

"Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked." Psalm 82:3-4

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If a Christian teacher tells you he's voting for Harris, I would take him/her off your list of reliable Bible teachers. 

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Priorities and Our Jealous God

The Ten Commandments begin with strong warnings not to worship other gods: 

"I, the LORD your God, am a jealous* God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods" (Exodus 20:5).

Typically, we think of "other gods" as pagan deities, but genuine Christians can violate this commandment through wrong priorities as well as pagan influences.

We definitely make God jealous when we prioritize things like "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life" (1 John 2:15-17).

But we can also place good things above God's purposes. For example, we can get so focused on our family, our job, or our ministry that we neglect spending time with God in prayer and Bible study and seeking His will for our lives.

I know that I need to evaluate my priorities from time to time, and I encourage you to do the same. Let's never forget that "we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:10).

God is jealous for our undivided love. Let's give it to Him.

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*Jealous is usually a negative word, but not when used by God. He is appropriately jealous like a husband would be jealous if his wife had an affair with another man. For more, see Our Jealous God

When we make Jesus our #1 priority, all other priorities fall into place. For more on this, see Rolling Right.

Click the image below to find out more about Wisdom for Life, a hardcover devotional priced lower than most paperbacks.

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What Genuine Faith Looks Like

A major test of faith—the thing that reveals if we genuinely know Christ or simply know about Him—is our willingness to stand firm even if we're insulted.

Inside and outside the church, Christians are being told that loving people means keeping silent about God's strong warnings against culturally acceptable sins.

If getting along with culture was our goal, Christ would never have said:

"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." Matthew 5:11-12

 

Many pastors and teachers are sugarcoating unpopular biblical teachings or avoiding them altogether. If that was our goal, Christ would never have said:

"If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels." Mark 8:38

Genuine believers test everything with God's Word because "the Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons." 1 Timothy 4:1

And if we doubt the importance of these things, Scripture gives us this charge:

"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?" 2 Corinthians 13:5

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God calls us to speak the truth in love, not in anger or self-righteousness (Ephesians 4:15; 2 Timothy 2:24-26). But speaking the truth in love means we must know the truth. As we study Scripture during our daily quiet time and study in groups with good Bible teachers, we understand God's values and we develop discernment so we can accept what is true and reject what is false.

See I Am not Ashamed of the Gospel and Truth with Love, Love with Truth.

💙 And please check out the Bible Love Notes devotional Wisdom for Life. It features one-minute devotions from Psalms and Proverbs and is on sale at reduced prices on Lifeway, Amazon, and CBD.  

You can sign up for a free email subscription to Bible Love Notes online devotions HERE. 

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8 Ways to Walk Closer to the Lord

Christianity isn't passive…it's proactive, so let's consider ways to grow deeper in our faith. Let me offer some suggestions:

Improve your prayer and Bible study.

1. Consider new ways to keep your mind focused during your quiet time. See Creative Bible Journaling and Spice Up Your Quiet Time.

2. Use daily activities as prayer prompts.  
See Every Time I Drink a Glass of Iced Tea. 

3. Get an audio version of the Bible and listen while doing other tasks. See Dwelling on Scripture. 

4. Memorize your favorite chapter of the Bible. See Why the Bible Is like Dark Chocolate and Filling Our Minds with Life.

Consider your soul influences.

5. Throw out or delete any of your books, videos, and music that don't please God. See Haunted by What I'd Seen and Heard and Soft-Core Christians.

6. Go on a "pessimism fast." Whenever you start to think something negative, praise God instead. See Aware of Thieves, Dirty Thoughts, and Do You Have a Happiness Diary?

Be deliberate and prepared to share the gospel.

7. Start praying regularly for an unsaved family member and an unsaved neighbor. See 3 Suggestions for Sharing the Gospel Naturally.

8. Learn the "Roman Road" and other ways to share Christ accurately. See Hit the Road.

Why not add one of the above practices to your faith walk this week.

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I encourage you to check out the Wisdom for Life devotional. It contains 100 one-minute devotions to challenge, encourage, instruct, and inspire your love for God's Word. Read the story behind Wisdom for Life HERE. Find out about the two free Bible studies with purchase HERE. You can read the first four devotions in the book by clicking "look inside" on Lifeway or Amazon. In addition, you can buy the book in Kindle format on Amazon and as an ebook on other sites.

 

I also encourage you to sign up for a free subscription to Bible Love Notes and get a free e-booklet. Find out more HERE.

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Do You Know the Warning in Proverbs 24:11-12?

In Matthew 13:24-30, Jesus reveals that Satan plants weeds* in our fellowships. They profess Christ but promote lies.

In Nazi Germany these weeds convinced many professing Christians to support Nazism, resulting in the death of millions of Jews (source). 

The small minority of genuine remnant Christians refused the Nazi lies, and some lost their lives fighting the fight of faith.

In modern America, weeds have convinced many genuine Christians to promote the deaths of 600,000 babies each year by voting for proabortion candidates. 

Their most successful arguments are the life of the mother, or rape and incest victims. 

The weeds' destination is described in Matthew 7:21-27 and Matthew 7:13-14. But my hope is that genuine believers who have bought into these excuses for abortion will be faithful to study the truths I share below.

If you can read the facts below and remain silent about the unlimited abortion demanded by the Democratic platform, please read Proverbs 24:11-12. I have done my best to warn you.

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After reading the information below, please check out this extra post I did about this subject: 

Chris Rock Tells It Like It Is

*The word used for the weeds in this passage is a poisonous weed that strongly resembles wheat (source). 

The Facts 

Life of the Mother:

✔ Since 1873 it has been legal in the U.S. to have an abortion to save the life of the mother. The 'Comstock Law' (passed in 1873) made therapeutic abortions legal if pregnancy and childbirth threatened the woman's life.

✔ Abortion is not healthcare. "An abortion – 'the guarantee of a dead baby' – is never necessary in the rare cases when a mother’s life is in jeopardy late in her pregnancy" (source). Please read this entire linked article because it is quite interesting and offers lots of helpful info.

✔ Proabortion advocates, including proabortion doctors, continue to use this lie to promote abortion. For example:

"Misleading statements in a recent Obstetrics & Gynecology article require correction. No state has an abortion law that is a total ban on abortion. Every state law permits abortion when necessary to save a mother’s life" (source).

Rape and Incest:

✔ If you are voting for unlimited abortion because of your concern for rape and incest victims, you are saying that for every three women who are raped and get abortions, 200 innocent babies should give their lives, the three babies carried by the raped women and the 197 babies killed for other reasons. 

That's because 1.5% of abortions are done for rape and incest and 98.5% for finances, convenience, irresponsibility, etc.

Since you are allowing 200 babies to give their lives for this purpose, let me ask you this: Are you willing to give your life or the lives of your children to guarantee abortion for rape victims? If not, you are a serious hypocrite (Luke 6:31).

Using this reason is also illogical even from a totally secular viewpoint: When Roe was overturned and the decision returned to the States, most State laws made exceptions for those two situations. And it's likely a federal law would do the same.

✔ But it's important to recognize, that allowing abortions in those cases is still playing God. Abortion can actually deepen a woman’s trauma, and it can allow incest abusers to continue abusing. 

✔ If you vote for the Democratic platform for unlimited abortion, admit that you are using rape and incest as an excuse. And acknowledge the fact that you are voting for a platform that not only wants unborn babies killed up to the day of delivery, they want living babies killed (source).

✔ If your heart is not hardened, you'll find these videos helpful as well:

Abortion in Cases of Rape, a 3-minute video  

Pregnant from Rape, a 53-minute interview with a woman who was raped and chose to keep her child.  

✔ See also Planned Parenthood – Aiding Abusers which explains how abortions for rape and incest can allow the abuser to keep raping the victim.

✔ I also recommend any of the videos on Live Action. Most of them are short and filled with accurate facts about abortion from authorities, physicians, and women who have had difficult pregnancies.

💙 Please check out the Bible Love Notes devotional Wisdom for Life. It features one-minute devotions from Psalms and Proverbs and is on sale at reduced prices on Lifeway, Amazon, and CBD.  

And please sign up for a free email subscription to Bible Love Notes online devotions HERE. 

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