Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:  Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!  Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:5-11

Wisconsin weather is crazy. One day it’s so oppressively hot and humid I can hardly stand being outside. The next day I need a sweatshirt and all the windows are shut.

One day farmers are rolling through hayfields baling up summer’s first cut. Next day it’s pouring.

Hot.

Cold.

Sunny.

Rainy.

It’s all so crazy!

Still, we serve humans, horses and some other beasts.  Because that’s what we’re supposed to do, right?

But let’s move a bit beyond our farming community and even beyond our state.

Who’s serving whom?  Who is humbling himself or herself, not considering equality with God something to be grasped?

Seems we’ve got this crazy country where people in control at high levels seem to defy any chance of being held accountable for their actions by deifying themselves.  Actions that would get the less powerful and less wealthy put in prison.  And go figure! Seems we’re about to hire one of both the self-proclaimed high-and-mighty for the highest position in our country!  What a choice we have!

And, we’ve got these crazy families who can’t get along because of pride issues where we would rather cut down than build up. Or, we want building up when the word of God commands cutting down (consider Exodus 34:13 specifically and the whole surrounding passage for context—Exodus 34:1-28).

Are we not to cut down things set up in place of Yahweh where people are pressing to bow down and worship?  In our own modern way?  Without golden calf and Asherah poles?

Even in families, we’re being fed a dictate that all must be tolerant of thoughts, words and deeds that God deems abhorent, according to his own words in his holy book, right there in black and white and red for all to read, at least for now, in our current “land of the free”.  And if we don’t bow down to modern-day “correctness”?  Well then, we can’t be friends, even if we’re relatives. Because we’ve all become so relativistic in our interpretation of “loving” and “correct”, haven’t we?

Forget what God has to say!

Who cares anymore anyway?

We all get to decide what’s right and wrong, don’t we?  Just as long as we keep on “loving”, whatever THAT means.  According to you?  According to me?  What about according to God?

I’m standing in church last night after service and we’re talking Orlando. One standing next to me speaks God’s truth:

“Love the sinner, hate the sin.”

We’re not talking just sexual behavior here. We’re talking humans, all made in the image of God. Even murderers. Even those of a different religion . . .

Seems to me we’ve stepped over the edge of sanity by insisting we love and tolerate what Jesus Christ does not, did not and will not ever tolerate, at least according to God’s word.  (And, BTW, according to true Christianity’s God, one can be loving of people and not tolerant of thoughts, words, and behaviors).

I am praying for all today and all days because I’m commanded by Jesus Christ (Matthew 5:44; Matthew 6:9-15), the Prince of Peace, the King of kings, the Lord of lords.

I am praying all will come to know the one, true, everlasting Commander in Chief—Jesus Christ, the only God of grace, mercy, forgiveness, peace, abundant life—for all who follow his way. 

We get to choose whether we’ll follow.

Today, we get to elect.  Will we live what we say we believe?

Today, we get to decide if we’ll bow the knee, the mind, the mouth.  Will we be humbled?  

Today, we get to elect who will preside in our heart.  Who will we elect?

Someday, everyone will bow and every tongue will confess, whether we want to or not, that JESUS CHRIST is Lord.

And all massacres will be stopped by a scepter—the scepter of the final successor who will rule in perfect righteousness and true love, forever.

Thank God!