Righteous Anger

I haven't been so angry in years as I was lately. This week I have wept, spent hours in prayer and scripture.  This passage has helped me: " ...and Jesus entered the temple and cast out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. And He said to others, 'It is written: My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a robber's den.' "  WE are His temple.

I am so weary of the excuses Christians use for sinning against their body/temple that belongs to Jesus. Recently one told me: "I was sick of being told what to do." That statement blew the lid off of a jar full of smoldering anger about what unbiblical sex is doing to His Name, ...to the church; ...to families; ...to the world and to this nation. A church that I dearly love is still reeling from the front page news that their long-time pastor has been a pornographer for years. His wife has divorced him and his family is shattered. I could write of similar story after story.  Sex. The beautiful sexual union of a married man and woman was instituted by our Creator to image Christ and His bride. That would be us; therefore there are always consequences when there is sex outside of man/woman marriage. Years of being a counsellor underscore the scripture that men and women sin against God and their own bodies when they engage in sex any other way. I grieve over the consequences suffered by those who come to me for help in re-starting their lives after having premarital sex, sex with multiple partners, multiple marriages and divorces, abortions, pornography, homosexuality, children born out of wedlock, and all sexual activity other than what God intended to be pure and life-giving rather than life-stealing.

A long time ministry partner/friend of mine in Texas, after reading last week's blog called me and said, "Jo, you are tired of baby sitting!"  She nailed it!  My dear Texas male board member was a very successful business man who took his hard-earned money and built a Christian retreat that hosts 6,000 every year! He immediately Emailed this response to last week's blog: "Great teaching today as always. Strong in truth and love and we are more than proud of you. Your insights concerrning the compromise of the church are the reason I am writing this note. Ted always pushed the agenda of the churches making disciples. The church, in general, has failed to do this and this failure has caught up with our degrading society. Because we did not make disciples, God's precepts have not followed men and women into society and the various institutions that shape our country. Jesus knew that making disciples would insure us a reasonable stable society down through the ages. This omission is very clear now. Ted knew what he was doing. Every time Ted would try to implement this command you two suffered many indignities. Heroes in the faith to us."

The four couples who make up my Family Life Resource Board not only pray for and support me, but they give me wise advise when I call them. One couple lives in Orlando, Florida, another in Round Top, Texas, another in Sacramento, California and one couple lives here in Tehachapi.  These are long-time trusted friends who all have proven ministries of their own.  I have a network of pray-ers. After Ted's and son Doug's home going within the same year, diverticulitis and shingles set in. There were other family losses and then I broke my hip.  It was a dark time. I would have curled up in a fetal position and willed to die had these warriors not been my encouragers to bury myself in God's Word and keep on making disciples for Christ. I still am ....making disciples. There is no other reason for me to still be here.

If you were writing this, what hymn would you choose now?  I always return to the old ones. How 'bout "Blessed Assurance?"

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine.
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine.
Heir of salvation; purchase of God
Born of His Spirit; washed in His blood.

Perfect submission; perfect delight!
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight.
Angels descending, bring from above
Riches of mercy, whispers of love.  

Perfect submission; all is at rest.
I in my Savior am happy and blest.
Watching and waiting; looking above
Filled with His goodness; lost in His love

THIS IS MY STORY; THIS IS MY SONG.
PRAISING MY SAVIOUR ALL THE DAY LONG.
THIS IS MY STORY; THIS IS MY SONG
PRAISING MY SAVIOUR ALL THE DAY LONG.

Love,  Jo