by Catherine McDaugale | Mar 25, 2024 | Bible Study
Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen! (Luke 24:5–6 (NKJV))
Do you believe in the resurrection? As we quickly approach Resurrection Weekend – the time when we celebrate the fact that Jesus rose from the grave and overcame death – it’s a good time to do a little self-reflection.
As you do business with the Lord, here’s an excerpt from Day 10 of my book, How to Teach Your Kids about God, on that subject:
* * *
Jesus’ resurrection is a fundamental part of the gospel. Jesus – the Son of God – came down from heaven; was born as a baby; lived a perfect life; died on the cross to pay the penalty for all our sins; was buried in a tomb; and three days later, He rose from the grave.
If God hadn’t raised Jesus from the dead, life would be pointless. There would be no promise of eternal life with Him. We would have no hope.
But God did raise Jesus from the dead. Jesus overcame death! Praise God for that!
Not only did God raise Jesus from the dead, but He also gave us evidence of what He did. Many people saw Jesus after the resurrection. There were eyewitnesses. People who had followed Jesus during His ministry – who had watched Him die and be buried – later saw Him alive. They saw Jesus, ate with Him, and touched Him.
- Mary Magdalene saw Jesus and clung to Him (John 20:15–17).
- Thomas touched Jesus’ wounds from the crucifixion – His hands and His side (John 20:27–28).
- The disciples ate with Jesus (John 21:12–13), and saw Jesus eat (Luke 24:41–43).
And Jesus appeared to many people, more than once. He appeared to:
- His disciples when they were gathered together in a room without Thomas (John 20:19–24).
- His disciples – again – when they were gathered together in a room with Thomas (John 20:26–29).
- Two men walking on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13–31).
- His disciples – a third time – by the sea of Galilee (John 21:1–14).
- Over 500 people at the same time (1 Corinthians 15:6).
- His disciples – a fourth time – right before and as He ascended into heaven (Luke 24:50–51; Acts 1:4–9).
One of those disciples, John, had been so close to Jesus at the crucifixion that Jesus talked to John before He died and committed His mother, Mary, into John’s care (John 19:25–27).
And Mary Magdalene (to whom Jesus appeared first) was at the crucifixion, watched them take Jesus’ body down from the cross, followed them, and saw them bury Jesus in a tomb (John 19:25, stood by the cross; Matthew 27:57–61, sat opposite the tomb).
And now? Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God the Father, interceding for us (Romans 8:34). Jesus is our advocate with God the Father (1 John 2:1). We can only come to God the Father through His Son, Jesus Christ. As Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6 (NKJV)). Indeed, “[t]here is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12 (NLT)).
Because Jesus overcame death, we have the promise of eternal life with Him. And if that wasn’t enough, Jesus has promised He will come again (John 14:3). We can hold on to that promise, knowing He will be faithful to fulfill it.
* * *
So, let’s rejoice in the fact that Jesus rose from the grave. Because He did, our faith isn’t “useless” and our sins have been forgiven (1 Corinthians 15:17 (NLT)). Let’s praise Jesus for what He did for us as we walk by faith with Him.
Photo by Joshua Burdick on Unsplash
by Catherine McDaugale | Feb 19, 2024 | Life
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. (Psalm 23:1(NKJV))
You Get to Choose
Who is your shepherd – the one who will guide and care for you? It’s your choice. God gave us free will. So, you get to choose who will shepherd your soul. You can be your own shepherd, making choices that seem right. Or you can submit your will to God.
Shepherding Yourself
When you shepherd yourself, you make decisions based on whatever doctrine sounds good to you. You may borrow a little from the Bible here and there when it suits you. But you don’t rely on God or follow His commands.
We see an example of this in the Book of Judges. The people did what was right in their own eyes (Judges 17:6). And it never ended well for them. They always ended up crying out to God, for His mercy and help.
When you shepherd yourself, you’ll eventually look like a sheep that has wandered away from the flock. The wool grows and picks up the gunk from your sin along the way, choking your spiritual life.
Without God, life is empty and pointless. You may try to feel content by filling your life with other people and possessions. Or you might try to escape the emptiness with alcohol or drugs. Ultimately, nothing fully satisfies. The bottom line: we don’t make good shepherds.
Jesus as Your Shepherd
But with Jesus as your Shepherd, you can have an abundant spiritual life. As Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10 (NKJV)). Jesus is the good Shepherd who gave His life for the sheep (John 10:11). He willingly died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sins (John 10:17–18), so you could choose to let Him shepherd your soul.
When you follow Jesus, you don’t need anyone or anything else to be your shepherd. Jesus gives you all that your soul needs. With Jesus, you’ll have contentment and peace.
Sure, we still have times when we stray from our good Shepherd. But we’re miserable when we do. Although Jesus will bring us back, we can avoid a lot of heartache by staying close to Him in the first place.
So, let’s be like David when he declared in Psalm 23:1 that the Lord is his Shepherd. Stay close to Jesus. Keep your eyes on your good Shepherd and submit to His authority over your life. When you do, your soul will be completely satisfied as you walk by faith with Him.
Photo courtesy of Live Science
by Catherine McDaugale | Dec 11, 2023 | Christian Living, Life
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us . . . . (John 1:14 (NKJV))
I’ve heard it said that entertainment is a reflection of culture or where culture is headed. And it’s true, isn’t it? When you watch a movie, you somehow become a part of it. You want the encounter to be heartwarming, exciting, encouraging, or empowering. As you live out the story with the characters, that experience wouldn’t be those things if it didn’t fit into your worldview.
Christmas movies are no exception. And, unfortunately, a closer look at the most popular ones reveals that they have little, if anything, to do with Christ Jesus.
Instead, the scores of Hallmark Christmas romance movies and holiday favorites like
- It’s a Wonderful Life,
- A Christmas Carol,
- A Christmas Story,
- Elf,
- National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas,
and others abound with themes of family, belonging, loving, giving, Santa Claus, and poking fun at the difficulties of family gatherings. They’re centered around man-made traditions. And they are often light-hearted and give us that warm, fuzzy holiday feeling.
Those that include angels and ideas about the meaning of life often contain beliefs that are contrary to a Biblical worldview (e.g., humans don’t become angels or come back to warn others about their destiny). And other than a random Christmas carol, the name of Jesus or the reason we celebrate His birth is rarely mentioned.
I’m not saying that the movies are bad, in and of themselves. Nor am I saying you shouldn’t watch them. (I confess, I watch Elf and It’s a Wonderful Life just about every year.) But we should be aware of what’s missing from them. And we should recognize that Christ Jesus isn’t a part of many people’s lives – they don’t give Him a single thought during this time.
When we realize what’s missing, we’ll be more likely to share why we celebrate Christmas. The Word (Jesus) became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). Christ Jesus left His glory in heaven to be born as a baby – a baby who grew up to be a man. He lived a perfect life (Hebrews 4:15) and died on the cross so our sins could be forgiven (Colossians 1:13–14). We celebrate His birth and the hope that He brought to a hopeless world.
So as Christmas draws near, be intentional about sharing the hope that only exists because of Christ Jesus. Make sure that Christ is at the center of your Christmas celebration. And praise God for the amazing sacrifice He made for you as you walk by faith with Him.
Photo by Waldemar on Unsplash
by Catherine McDaugale | Oct 2, 2023 | Christian Living, Life
And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins. (Ephesians 2:1 (NKJV))
Someone once told me that Christianity is just a crutch. He said only weak people are Christians.
It was before I became a born-again believer. I had been going to church and considering whether God was real. I think I replied with something profound like, “No, it isn’t!”
Now that I’m a born-again believer, I still disagree. Christianity isn’t a crutch. A crutch implies that you can still do everything pretty much on your own. You’re still able to walk; you just need a little help.
Instead of a crutch, a better analogy is spiritual life support. Before I decided to follow Jesus, I was spiritually dead. If I hadn’t accepted God’s free gift of salvation, I would still be dead in my sins. I don’t need a little assistance; I need all the help I can get. I need God for everything. And so do you.
There’s an entire hospital waiting to render aid to those who are broken and sick. When you admit your condition, there’s no wait to be admitted into the emergency room. The ICU is always open to help you. All you need to do is call out to Him (Jeremiah 33:3).
God is the One who brings us from death to life (Ephesians 2:1). He takes our hearts of stone and gives us hearts of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26). And He sustains us every second of every day. He is literally holding us together (Colossians 1:17). Praise God!
Yet, that person was right about one thing. Christians are weak. But so is everyone else. Whether you’re willing to acknowledge it or not, we weren’t made to do life on our own. Our Creator made us to be in a relationship with Him.
We all need Jesus. No one can save himself. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). We can’t be spiritually alive on our own.
So, it’s okay to admit that you’re weak. It’s okay to ask God for help. When you do, you make room for Him to be strong in your life. Stay close to your life-giving, life-saving, all-powerful Savior as you walk by faith with Him.
Photo by Martha Dominguez de Gouveia on Unsplash
by Catherine McDaugale | Apr 3, 2023 | Bible Study, Life
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:14-15 (NKJV))
How stubborn are you? Are you unwilling to alter something that you know God wants you to change? Many in our society are stubborn – unwilling to yield or turn from the direction they’ve chosen.
And we’re not the only ones who are stubborn. God referred to the Israelites as “stiff‑necked” (see, e.g., Exodus 32:9 (NKJV)). I love how that gives us a visual of our stubbornness. When a person is stiff‑necked, she is unwilling to turn her head from the course she wants to take.
We see this play out when the Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years. At one point, the Israelites complained about the manna (the bread from heaven) that God provided for them to eat. They called the bread “worthless” and said they “loathe[d]” it (Numbers 21:5 (NKJV)).
“So the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.” (Numbers 21:6 (NKJV))
Then, in His graciousness, God directed Moses to make a serpent and put it on a pole, so “everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live” (Numbers 21:8 (NKJV)). Moses did so. And anyone who was bitten lived “when he looked at the bronze serpent” (Numbers 21:9 (NKJV)).
Such an easy remedy, right? You would think all of them would have looked at the serpent. After all, the only thing they needed to do was open their eyes and turn their heads.
Yet, the Bible doesn’t say that all of them looked and lived. If they refused to look, they died. If anyone was stubborn, it would cost him his life.
The same thing is happening today. The penalty of sin is death (Romans 6:23). And all of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). So, each of us is facing death.
But God has given us a remedy too. He loves us so much that He “gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16 (NKJV)). Jesus was lifted up – like the serpent on the pole – so anyone willing to look to and believe in Him will have eternal life (John 3:14-15, 36).
Jesus paid the penalty for our sins when He died on the cross. It’s a free gift. One only needs to accept and open the gift that’s been given. “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13 (NKJV)).
So, how stubborn are you? Are you willing to turn your head to look to Jesus and believe in Him? I’m ashamed to say it took me 37 years before I was willing.
If you haven’t already, turn your head and look to Jesus. Believe in Him. Don’t be stiff‑necked. Don’t be stubborn. Your stubbornness could cost you your life.
Instead, believe in Jesus. Accept the free gift of salvation He’s given to you. Yield to Jesus. And then walk by faith with Him into eternity.
Photo by Greg Rosenke on Unsplash
by Catherine McDaugale | Feb 6, 2023 | Life, Thoughts
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! (1 John 3:1 (NKJV))
Are you looking for the Father’s love? Many of our fathers were absent. Some rejected us. Others left us. And some just weren’t around while we were growing up.
God designed us to love and be loved by our fathers. So, we crave the love that we should have received from them. And, we go to great lengths to try to substitute it with something, anything, that feels like love.
I’ve had three fathers in my life. Two were earthly; One is heavenly. One was biological, another willingly supported me, and the third adopted me as His daughter. One was absent for most of my childhood, one came into my life when I was a teenager, and One patiently waited for years for me to turn to Him.
My biological father wasn’t around after my parents divorced when I was young. But I always craved his love. And, although a benevolent man stepped into my life to be a father figure to me, I still wanted love from my own father.
After I was grown, I reconnected with my dad. One day when we were spending time together, I suddenly realized, This is what I had been looking for all those years. It was an epiphany of sorts. God created us to be loved by a father.
Years later, I finally surrendered my life to Jesus Christ. At that moment, I was adopted as one of God’s children. He had chosen me!
And then I had a true epiphany. As I felt the Father’s love wash over me, I knew that this was what I had been searching for all those years. I was home. I was loved. And it was better than I could have ever imagined. As our heavenly Father, God designed us to receive His love.
Are you still looking for the Father’s love? Your heavenly Father is right there waiting for you to come to Him. He loves you so much that He sent His own Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for your sins (John 3:16).
Come to Him. Accept His love. Become His daughter.
Only then will you be able to enjoy the love of your Father as you walk by faith with Him.
Photo by Melissa Askew on Unsplash
by Catherine McDaugale | Dec 26, 2022 | Bible Study, Christian Living, Life
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14 (NKJV))
Why do we celebrate Christmas? Even those who aren’t Christian know it’s the day set aside to celebrate the birth of Jesus. But what’s so special about someone’s birthday?
Now that the busyness of the Christmas holiday has subsided, let’s reflect on how amazing it is that Jesus was born that night in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago. And let’s meditate on what His birth meant for us.
People are sinners. The Bible tells us that all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). And our sins put us in a real quandary. They left us separated from God.
None of us could pay the penalty for our sins. Our sins were too costly because they were committed against a perfect, all-powerful God. Because we are imperfect, we couldn’t do anything to pay off our debt. The best we could offer was like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).
But God knew our predicament. He knew we weren’t able to save ourselves. So, God Himself chose to pay the penalty for our sins. And He was our only hope.
Jesus is God. He was there at the beginning with God the Father (John 1:1). He existed before anything was created. Jesus is eternal. He was not created; He is the Creator.
Everything was made through Jesus. He created you, me, the mountains, the trees, the flowers, the animals, the birds, the earth, the stars, and the universe – to name just a few. The Bible says, “All things were created through Him and for Him” (Colossians 1:16 (NKJV)).
Yet, with all that power, Jesus chose to leave His glory in heaven to be born a helpless baby on earth. He loves you so much that He wanted to make a way for you to have a relationship with Him.
Jesus – the Word – became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). He lived a perfect, sinless life; willingly died on the cross for your sins; was buried; and rose from the grave three days later (Matthew 28:6; John 10:17-18; Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21).
How can we fully grasp the great sacrifice that our God made for us? An infinite God chose to come down to earth and take on a finite body. He left heaven, knowing that He would be rejected by His creation and die on the cross.
And He did it all for you. Jesus did it so your sins could be forgiven. He did it so you could have eternal life with Him. It’s truly something to celebrate!
So, whether or not you made time to worship Jesus on Christmas, worship Him now. Our worship is not confined to any specific day. In the aftermath of the holiday rush, let’s slow down and remember everything that our faithful God has done for us. Let’s take time to worship Jesus as we walk by faith with Him.
by Catherine McDaugale | Aug 15, 2022 | Life, Ministry
Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” (Revelation 3:20 (NKJV))
Don’t you love to hear stories about how different couples met? They’re as individual as fingerprints – no two are alike. Some got to know each other in high school and have been married for decades. Others met in an online gaming site, through friends, or even while commuting to work on the bus. There are couples who fell in love at first sight, while others took years for the relationship to develop.
The story of how I met my husband is as distinct as any other. We first saw each other at a McDonalds while we were at lunch in high school. Then we saw each other again at a mutual friend’s house. A few months later, we met at a cast party for a high school play.
We became friends, going on short road trips, eating dinner, hiking, and hanging out. He was always there when I needed him – through good times and bad. As the trust grew, I fell in love. But it would still be a while before I would admit my feelings. And a few years before we would become a couple and get married.
Salvation stories – accounts of how you met your first love, Jesus – are just as unique. God is awesome. He doesn’t work the same way twice. I’m sure that the way I came to know Jesus is very different from the way you met Him. Each one is beautiful, intricate . . . impossible.
But God.
God meets us right where we’re at. He pursues each one of us, desiring for us to see all He has done so we’ll fall in love with Him. When we do, “[w]e love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19 (NKJV)).
Jesus is so patient, so kind, so loving. He’s a gentleman. He knocks on the door of your heart and patiently waits to see if you’ll open the door to invite Him in. He doesn’t ever force the door open.
I was thinking about how my love story with my husband parallels my salvation story in certain ways. Like my husband, I saw Jesus a few times before I actually met Him. When I was young child, I saw Jesus during Sunday school classes. Then, as a teenager, I saw Him again at Bible camp one summer. But it would take longer before I met Jesus. I didn’t take the time to meet Him and get to know Him until many years later.
Although I grew up going to different churches, I was unwilling to submit myself to God, to do things His way. Instead, I relied on myself. I had many goals that I wanted to accomplish – things I thought would make me happy. Yet, after I had achieved most of them, I was still miserable, unsatisfied, and empty inside.
During that time, I finally sought God with all my heart for the first time in my life. God promises that when you search for Him with all your heart, you will find Him (Deuteronomy 4:29; Jeremiah 29:13). And I did.
When I finally opened the door of my heart and invited Jesus in, I got to know Him and learned to trust Him. And then I fell in love.
Although my circumstances didn’t change, my perspective on life was suddenly different. I no longer feared death. I felt a deep contentment in His love. Needless to say, my life hasn’t been the same since.
God began changing me from the inside out, one issue at a time. He began by showing me that the music I was listening to and some of the movies I was watching didn’t glorify Him. Not only that, the music and movies weren’t building me up but tearing me down. He showed me the importance of my thought life. And He implanted desires to serve Him and others. The work He’s done in my life has been amazing.
So, how did you meet your first love, Jesus? What’s your salvation story? Take time to record your testimony. Then tell someone how God brought you to Him. Let’s encourage each other by sharing how we met our first love, Jesus, as we walk by faith with Him.
Photo by freestocks on Unsplash
by Catherine McDaugale | Jul 4, 2022 | Christian Living, Life, Ministry
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6 (NKJV))
Decisions, decisions, decisions. Apparently, an average person makes about 35,000 choices each day. 35,000. That equates to 2,000 decisions every hour you’re awake and one every two seconds.[1]
Of course, most of those decisions are minor. And you probably don’t think too much about them. Decisions like . . .
Do I really want to get out of bed now? Maybe just five more minutes.
Should I wear a purple shirt or a blue one?
What should I eat for breakfast? I don’t really feel like eating yogurt this morning.
Should I drive five miles per hour over the speed limit? Maybe I should use my cruise control.
You get the idea. But there’s one decision that is more important than any other. It’s the most significant one you’ll ever make. And that’s not an exaggeration. The decision will not only affect your current life but all of eternity.
Have you decided to follow Jesus?
I hope you’ve already chosen to follow Him. If you haven’t, don’t put off making that decision for another day.
Anyway, by waiting, you’ve already decided by default. Jesus said that you’re either with Him or against Him (Matthew 12:30). By choosing not to make the decision, you’ve chosen to not follow Jesus today. By putting it off, you’ve chosen to be against Jesus.
If you wait until tomorrow to decide, you might not get a tomorrow. We are not guaranteed another day. No one knows when their time is up. And if you die before choosing to follow Jesus, it will be too late. The Bible teaches us that “each person is destined to die once and after that comes the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27 (NLT)).
There is no purgatory. No penalty box where you wait until you’ve done your penance so you can enter into heaven. We don’t come back in another life as someone or something else. This life is your only opportunity to choose. As the saying goes, “You make your choices and then your choices make you.”
So, what’s keeping you from deciding? Maybe you think that you have plenty of time left and you’ll wait to take God seriously when you’re older. Or maybe you’re waiting for a sign – a lightning strike that will prove once and for all that God means what He says in the Bible.
But God has already given us a sign. As Jesus said,
“This evil generation keeps asking me to show them a miraculous sign. But the only sign I will give them is the sign of Jonah. What happened to him was a sign to the people of Nineveh that God had sent him. What happens to the Son of Man will be a sign to these people that He was sent by God.” (Luke 11:29-30 (NLT))
When God told Jonah to go and preach to the Ninevites, Jonah refused and got on a boat that was going to a place in the opposite direction from where the Ninevites lived (Jonah 1:1-3). God sent a storm that threatened the lives of all who were on that boat (Jonah 1:4). So they tossed Jonah overboard, and the storm ceased (Jonah 1:12, 15).
Jonah descended into the depths of the water where God had prepared a large fish to swallow him (Jonah 1:17). Still, it took three days for Jonah to repent (Jonah 1:17-2:9). When he did, God spoke to the fish, and it expelled him onto dry land (Jonah 2:10).
What happened to Jonah was miraculous. When he finally obeyed God, Jonah went to Nineveh and cried out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” (Jonah 3:4 (NKJV)). That very short sermon was enough to get the people of Nineveh to believe in God and repent (Jonah 3:5).
Similarly, Jesus’ resurrection was a sign to that generation and every generation since then that Jesus is who He said He is. He is the Son of God. And Jesus is the only way to come to the Father and have eternal life. Jesus died on the cross for our sins, was buried in a tomb, and rose again on the third day – just as the scriptures had predicted.
In fact, all of the Old Testament’s prophecies about the coming suffering, servant Messiah were fulfilled in Jesus. Jesus is our sign. So stop looking for another one.
As Steven Curtis Chapman exhorts us in his song, Waiting for Lightning:
But the sign and the word have already been given,
And now it’s by faith, we must look and we must listen.
Instead of waiting for lightning.
A sign that it’s time for a change;
Listening for thunder,
As He quietly whispers your name.
If you haven’t chosen to follow Jesus, do so today. Stop waiting for lightning. Today is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2). Tomorrow never does come. By choosing Jesus, you can start walking by faith with Him today.
* Photo by Johannes Plenio on Unsplash
[1] Eva M. Krockow, Ph.D., “How Many Decisions Do We Make Each Day?,” Psychology Today, Sep. 27, 2018, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/stretching-theory/201809/how-many-decisions-do-we-make-each-day.
by Catherine McDaugale | May 23, 2022 | Life, Ministry
“He created them male and female, and blessed them and called them Mankind in the day they were created.” (Genesis 5:2 (NKJV))
The Confusion about Gender
The other day, I googled the question, “How many genders are there?” The search produced a variety of answers, many from medical-sounding websites. Based on the dates of those articles, it became clear that the number had been rising. Recently, people had come up with over 70 ways to self-identify.[1]
The idea that you get to choose your gender is becoming entrenched in our society. You’ve most likely heard about the effects, including
- the ability to get a passport or a driver’s license without specifying your gender;[2]
- discussions about the singular “they” to be used as “a generic third-person singular pronoun in English”;[3] and
- confusion about the biological implications of being male or female, such as the introduction of a pregnant man emoji, the mocking of a state governor for saying men can’t get pregnant,[4] and the elimination of gendered restrooms.[5]
The movement has also targeted our children with picture books about their gender options and school districts “educating” them on that subject.
The Truth about Gender
In the midst of the confusion, it’s important to go to a reliable source for the truth. And there’s no better source of truth than God’s Word, the Bible. As we see from the verse in Genesis, God created gender. And God’s Word is clear – there are two. God made them male and female.
It’s no surprise that biology supports this truth. Our DNA shows this very thing. A person either has a Y chromosome and an X chromosome (a man) or two X chromosomes (a woman). A person can try to change his or her gender with clothing, hormone treatments, or surgery. But the person’s DNA remains the same.
The Bible teaches us that God made the first woman, Eve, from a rib in Adam’s side (Genesis 2:21-22). Man alone was not good (Genesis 2:18). So, God made Adam a helper who was comparable to him (Genesis 2:18).
Importantly, God loves men and women equally. He doesn’t love a man any more than He loves a woman or vice versa. Both men and women are made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27) and are one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28). Yet, equal doesn’t mean the same.
God made us differently. Generally, men are physically stronger than women. And women can bear children while men cannot. There is a purpose for our different reproductive organs. After God made Adam and Eve, He told them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth” (Genesis 1:28 (NKJV)). God made us male and female so the earth could continue to be populated.
In this upside-down world where good – God’s design – is now being called evil, it’s important to remind ourselves of this truth. Internalize it. Choose to believe the truth and not the lie. It’s not for us to decide how we were designed. That is within God’s purview. He alone has that authority.
If you struggle with this truth, meditate on what God has told us in His Word. In addition to Genesis 5:2, read Genesis 1:27, Matthew 19:4, and Mark 10:6. As our Creator, God defines who we are and how we’re made.
Talk to God about what you’re thinking and feeling. He won’t be surprised by what you say. Come to Him and ask Him to help you accept His truth.
Your Responsibility as a Truth-bearer
As a truth-bearer, you have a responsibility to “walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him” (Colossians 1:10 (NKJV)). What does that mean in this context? Here are three things that will help you to “walk worthy.”
1. Remember Where You Came From
Don’t forget who you were before God saved you. We “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 (NKJV)). As Paul reminds us,
“Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people – none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you were once like that” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (NLT)).
Paul lists some sins that may have been a regular part of your life before you decided to follow Jesus. One that most, if not all of us, used to practice was the worship of idols. I’m not talking about a little statue that you call your god and bow down to like ancient cultures once did (and some existing cultures still do).
Worshipping an idol means that you have made something more important than God. It might be money, a job, power, family, or even yourself. These are things that many people commonly prioritize over God. If you’ve ever done so, that is sin.
And your sin is not any better than the sin of self-identifying as a gender that God has not given to you. It’s only by God’s grace that you were saved. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV)). You were not saved by anything that you have done.
2. Consider God’s Love For that Person
Just like you, that person was made in God’s image. And God sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for that person’s sins – not just yours. “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 (NKJV) (emphasis added)).
God doesn’t love you any more than He loves that person. And He wants that person to come to repentance like you did. God is patient toward us, “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9 (NKJV)).
3. Be the Hands and Feet of Jesus
If the gospel is offensive on its own terms, that’s okay. The Bible tells us that “the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing” (1 Corinthians 1:18 (NKJV)). But if you’re offensive, that’s another thing. In that case, you aren’t loving people like God loves them. If you’re obnoxious or hateful, you are misrepresenting God.
You can meet people where they’re at, just like Jesus did. You don’t have to get angry with them or tell them that they’re living in sin the first time you meet them.
As you get to know the person, you can share your testimony – who you were before Jesus, how God brought you into a relationship with Him, and what God has done to change your life since then. Tell the person about the work God is doing in your life.
Then, if you get an opportunity to speak the truth, you must do so in love. You can hate the sin without hating the person. Send up a quick prayer to God in your mind, asking Him to fill you with His Spirit to help you handle the truth well. Ask God for His wisdom and guidance as you share His truth.
Tell the person what God’s Word says about gender. However, don’t forget to share the truth about God’s love and all that He has done for him or her.
With these things in mind, let’s stand for the truth. But let us not forget where we came from. And obey God’s command to love others as you love yourself (Matthew 22:39). Love the people God has placed in your path with His love as you walk by faith with Him.
*Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash
[1] Shaziya Allarakha, MD, “What Are the 72 Other Genders?,” Medicine Net, Feb. 2, 2022, https://www.medicinenet.com/what_are_the_72_other_genders/article.htm.
[2] U.S. Department of State, “X Gender Marker Available on U.S. Passports Starting April 11,” Mar. 31, 2022, https://www.state.gov/x-gender-marker-available-on-u-s-passports-starting-april-11/; Colorado Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicles, “Change Your Sex,” https://dmv.colorado.gov/change-your-sex.
[3] American Psychological Association, “Singular ‘They,’” https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/grammar/singular-they.
[4] Gabriel Hays, “Gavin Newsom savagely mocked as ‘disgusting transphobe’ for claiming men can’t get pregnant at abortion rally,” Fox News, May 5, 2022, https://www.foxnews.com/media/gavin-newsom-mocked-disgusting-transphobe-men-cant-get-pregnant-abortion.
[5] Kyle Morris, “Chicago Public Schools eliminating sex-specific restrooms to ‘increase gender equity,’” Fox News, Dec. 2, 2021, https://www.foxnews.com/politics/chicago-public-schools-moves-to-eliminate-gendered-restrooms.
by Catherine McDaugale | Jan 27, 2022 | Bible Study, Christian Living, Thoughts
God is amazing. Each time I take a few minutes to contemplate the fact that He created the universe, I marvel at how powerful He is. The Bible teaches us that God made the heavens just by speaking.
“By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth” (Psalm 33:6 (NKJV)).
That’s incredible. God spoke, and it was. Look up at the night sky. Our omnipotent God formed all that you see by His word.
Now think about the vastness of space. Scientists still don’t know how big the universe is. But the distance to the sun – the nearest star – is 93 million miles away. Let that sink in – 93 million miles. Can we actually grasp how far that is? And they estimate that it would take 100,000 years to travel across our galaxy, the Milky Way.
Scientists also don’t know how many stars are in the universe. They estimate that there are 100-400 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy alone. That’s not a typo. Billion. It would take about 11,574 days just to count to one billion (assuming you could go without sleep for that long).
Not only that but there are more than 200 billion galaxies (each with another 100-400 billion stars) and maybe even 10 times that many.
Those numbers are astounding. It’s really hard to wrap your head around them. I can’t actually quantify how many stars are up there. I’m guessing that you can’t either.
But God knows exactly how many stars He created. The Bible tells us that God “counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name” (Psalm 147:4 (NKJV)). The extent of God’s knowledge is astonishing. I have trouble even remembering the names of a few people I meet, let alone trillions upon trillions of them. Our God is bigger than we could ever fathom. Praise God!
Have you ever had a chance to get out of the city and gaze up at the night sky? The number of stars that you see is extraordinary. It’s a beautiful sight. If you have that opportunity, take time to meditate on the fact that our awesome God is the One who created each star and knows each one by name.
Better yet, God knows each one of us. He knows, and understands, our thoughts (Psalm 139:2). I don’t know about you, but I don’t even understand my own thoughts part of the time. And “the very hairs of your head are all numbered” (Matthew 10:30 (NKJV)). Have you ever tried to count how many hairs you have? If not, don’t bother. Seriously, it’s an insurmountable task that will just leave you frustrated.
God knows everything about us – the good, the bad, and the ugly. And yet, He still loves us. God loves us so much that He gave His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins (John 3:16).
So, remember God’s power. Meditate on His might. When you have a problem, don’t evaluate it based on your own strength and resources. Instead, look at whatever you are going through in comparison to our all-powerful, remarkable God. If God could speak the universe into existence (and He did), He can handle anything that comes your way.
And God wants you to cast “all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7 (NKJV)). Talk to God about what is going on in your life. Ask Him for help. Then trust Him to handle whatever it is. He will give you direction. God will guide you. He will go before you and help you.
Then look up. Take in the beauty of the stars God created. Remind yourself of His power and might. Stand still in awe of God. “For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast” (Psalm 33:9 (NKJV)).
* Photo by Greg Rakozy on Unsplash
