2020 was a tough year, and it was reflected in the church. All over America, the pulpit turned into a Sunday morning Fox News report and an American Family Radio commentary blended into one. Unfortunately, it was a proud time for many Christians. It was in February 2021 when I started blogging, and one of the first blog posts I wrote, along with a letter to Ozzy Osborne, was “Pharisees and False Prophets.”
I say that so you know I am not riding on the coattails of the latest controversy in Contemporary Christianity. I know the words Pastor Alistair Begg spoke on September 1, 2023 were guided by a heart of love and understanding of what it means to walk as light in the darkness. When I heard him speak them back in September my heart was joyful. Now, the right-wing Christian media and YouTubers, along with other pastors, are speaking out against what Pastor Begg had said. They speak against it with only legalism as their foundation, forsaking discernment, the guidance of the Spirit, and the amazing love Jesus demonstrated for us 2,000 years ago.
This is a defense of both Pastor Begg and his counsel.
History of denouncing sin with words seasoned with grace
Pastor Alistair Begg
In 2020, tensions were high. The Trump election, Covid, BLM, the border, and LGBTQ all battled to dominate the public’s attention. Churches across the nation took the bait and put Trump on a pedestal, denounced Covid and the work of public health administrators as a lie, belittled immigrants and internationals-I’m talking to you, AFR-and minimized the plight of African Americans and the pain and confusion of the gay person.
I had been listening to Pastor Begg for a few years and I have been edified and have grown in wisdom through his teaching on the word of God. During this time, I heard Pastor Begg denounce sin, gay marriage, and homosexual practices, now with harsh, proud, and judgmental words, but with a grace and love that I had not found. That is hard to do, but he does it repeatedly.
Arguments against his statement are all based on legalism, never love
Everything I heard on YouTube videos (I could only stomach a couple) and from the AFR commentators were based on legalistic arguments. Every argument states you are affirming, or agreeing with, or blessing, this union by going to the wedding (I’ll come back to that later). Let’s be clear, Pastor Begg never said to go and celebrate the wedding, but simply to stand as a light in the present darkness. One commentator put himself in the place of God, saying, “I’m where I have always been, and you drew away from me!” Putting yourself in the place of God makes you the judge. Trust me, you don’t want to do that. Jesus calls us to Go To the sinner. We are not on the throne and this argument is steeped in pride. One YouTube comment said you are participating in evil occurring within a holy place, the church, and a Christians presence in this holy place during an act of evil is worthy of hell. Sounds like a Catholic argument, but certainly not a Christian argument. Jesus said we will not worship here nor there, but in Spirit. That building means nothing. It is what is in your heart that matters.
They leave no room for discernment
No one has left any room for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. They only have legalistic opinions and lines drawn in the sand. Jesus was mocked for talking to women, and not only women, but to a fornicator, an adulteress, and a prostitute. Yes, he was in the presence of sinners who were currently in their sin. He did not turn his back on them like a legalistic Pharisee. Instead, he showed compassion and love. Told them they were loved and invited them back into the Father’s grace through Him.
I’ve known several Christians who have not gone to a nephew’s or a sibling’s gay wedding because the church told them not to. They struggled with it. They had no peace over it. In the end, they didn’t go. I’ve seen the hurt and confusion in their eyes to this day as they continue to ponder that decision. I wonder what the Holy Spirit was saying. I know what legalistic men were saying.
They grab a statement and dismiss everything around it except the part that will give them ratings and a paycheck
Wake up, America. Commentators like AFR, and other right-wing, conservative Christians are not showing love to the outcast, the stranger, or the sinners who are sinning in the bigger arenas. They say Pastor Begg told Christians to go to the wedding, thereby to celebrate the wedding. They say that by simply attending, you are affirming, celebrating, will say “congratulations” at the end, and attend the party afterward. This is all hypothetical and simply not true.
I have heard AFR belittle foreigners and immigrants on their radio show. Their morning host told a joke making fun of Mexicans-on the air. They do not work in love, nor do they edify believers. Instead, they cause division, promote pride, and speak with arrogance.
Using Bible verses to validate their claims
Let me tell you, there isn’t a single Bible verse that can stand alone to solve this problem. You’re going to need the whole Bible for this one, and after that, you’re going to need the Holy Spirit. Take any of the myriads of verses being used to belittle Pastor Begg and I can give you one in defense.
My Conclusion
Praying
Imagine this: when a gay person gets married, every Christian family member they have shows up at that wedding. Every one of them spend the ceremony in silent prayer the entire time, standing as light in the darkness, just as Jesus would want us to do. At the end of the wedding, some may go up to the altar to kneel and pray for the lost and confused souls who are in that building. And when they leave the sanctuary, and the gay couple is at the door, instead of saying “congratulations,” say, “Can I pray for you?” If they say yes, then pray they will come into a personal relationship with Jesus, and He will use them for His glory in this life. Your present should be a Christian gift, stating and affirming your belief in the Bible and in Jesus Christ.
Believe me, someday, when they start to question their lifestyle, their decisions, and the God who created them, they will ponder on what you did that day, on the seed you planted that day because you weren’t scared of the Christian right-wind to follow your heart, and your actions will shine the light they need when all the others gave them was the darkness of the cold shoulder.
Finally, it is important to note that decisions like this, using proper discernment as to whether to attend or not, being guided by the Holy Spirit in what to say and how to conduct yourself, and simply being mature enough to handle this calling, is only for mature and biblically grounded believers. We need to read the Bible every day, spending time with God and seeking His guidance. That is the only way we can properly handle the difficult tasks that come our way as we walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ.
a sample chapter from Chris’ book, “Guided by Wisdom,” to be released in November
Proverbs 16:18
18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.
Pride is a tough topic to deal with because we all feel it, yet the Bible says pride is a sin, period. The sin of pride is when we exalt ourselves, replacing our faith in God with faith in ourselves. In the Bible, pride is almost always connected to haughtiness and arrogance. It suggests lifting ourselves higher than others, bragging about ourselves, and disregarding others in place of self.
Proverbs 21:24
24 A proud and haughty man—“Scoffer” is his name; He acts with arrogant pride.
Imagine scoring a game-winning goal or playing a difficult piece to perfection at a piano recital. We would feel proud of the accomplishment, right? The pride we feel has two potential sources: either from within ourselves over what we’ve accomplished, or from God and what He accomplished through the gifts He gave us. When you accomplish something, we can either say, “I did it,” or “Isn’t God awesome that He gave me this ability and led me to use it for His glory!”
Pride
Sample chapter from Guided by Wisdom
Proverbs 21:24 calls a proud person a scoffer. A scoffer is a person who makes fun of someone or mocks something, which is often something in a religious framework. Now we can see that when we take all the credit for what God has given us, according to Proverbs 21, it is like we are mocking God.
1 Samuel 2:3
3 “Talk no more so very proudly; Let no arrogance come from your mouth, For the Lord is the God of knowledge; And by Him actions are weighed.
To fight against pride, we must continue to give God the glory for who He has made us to be and for what He has gifted to us. This is a choice we must consciously make. Our parents can say, with honest hearts, they are proud of us. We are their children, and they delight in us the same way God delights in His children (see Psalm 18:19). But parents can’t say they are proud of what they have made us into, or proud of the path they have laid out for us, because this is pride that robs God of His glory.
Proverbs 11:2
2 When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom.
The opposite of pride is humility, and we, as believers, strive to be humble. A humble person cannot be haughty or arrogant. Their hearts express love and compassion, which are natural by-products of humility. Humility reminds us that all people—the rich, the homeless, the famous, the convict, and the depressed—come from the same place in the eyes of God, fallen under the curse of sin. No one is better than anyone else, and we all need the saving grace of Jesus Christ. This path of knowing we are not perfect and are not better than any other person, shows us how to love and helps us to love like Jesus loved.
Now we can see why pride brings destruction and shame. Pride focuses on self and takes away the love we have to offer to others. Pride separates us from God and causes us to lose sight of His character and presence, blinding us to our sin and keeping us from repenting to God and seeking Him for our needs, wisdom, peace, and joy.
Guided by Wisdom, the first book in the Every Step series, shows adolescents how they can use the Bible to help them respond biblically to challenges and questions they face every day. It will show them how God’s Word is relevant in decision making and problem solving, guidance and character growth.
Look for it to release in November, 2023, on Sing Write Read / Books.
Giving God complete authority and total control, and then submitting to that in spite of ourselves, is a monumental task for those with the strongest of faith. I recently walked through a test of faith, one in which I doubted everything I believed, and God, in His love, showed me the error of my ways.
The Test
She is a sister in Christ, and she is a warrior for God’s kingdom. She was also diagnosed with cancer months after her father passed away. We cried and we prayed for miraculous healing. We asked God to touch His beloved daughter with healing hands, to show her He was in control, and to ease the heavy burdens that life had placed on her so suddenly by demonstrating His abundant love for her.
She had the surgery, it was bigger than they thought, more surgeries and chemotherapy are to come, not to mention the stress of the inflated medical bills.
At the same time, we were praying for an aunt who went in for surgery to have a small tumor removed. It was a three-day process, from arrival to returning home. She went home four surgeries and three and a half weeks later.
Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God…”
Doubt
Little Faith – Doubt
In the wake of all this struggle and pain for those who are close to me I considered the prayers and pleas I had lifted up to God. I recognized that God is in control, that He is sovereign over everything, even within our own freewill. Experience has taught me that God does not answer every prayer the way we want, but He does answer, even if we don’t hear it or see it. But this was different. This affected my heart.
I prayed again to God over this matter, and I asked Him if He doesn’t answer these prayers, like the Bible says He will, then how do we know for certain that He is the one who provides for all of our needs, like the Bible says He does? I considered that the path we walk in this life is coincidence and chance, under freewill, instead of freewill under His will.
God is understanding and God is love. God does not mind these questions. He invites them. But I did not only ask questions, I believed in my heart that I knew the answers, and the answers did not glorify Him. Doubt had seeped into my veins and was now pumping through my entire body. This was a heart condition, not just questions of the mind.
Wrath
I repented for that doubt and for that prayer to Him the very next morning. I asked Him to forgive me, and it was sincere, at least I thought it was. But God was going to walk me through this one, He was going to make sure I got the message and learned the lesson.
The coming Friday night to the following Sunday morning I would experience what it was like to be under the wrath of God. You may think this list of events is kind of funny, or coincidental, but I can tell you that from the first incident to the last I felt the Holy Spirit’s involvement and guidance.
Friday night my cell phone flew from my hands and landed perfectly on the sidewalk to destroy it. As I watched the phone twist in the air and land like a pancake, I marveled at the perfection of it, and I knew there was meaning behind it.
Saturday morning, I spent over $1,000 to replace the phone and another piece of equipment I had broken the week prior. I was seeing my financial security being wiped away.
Upon arriving home, I found the deep freeze in the garage had stopped working. I spent the rest of my relaxing day dealing with it. We put some stuff in a neighbor’s fridge and started cooking and barbequing.
During the impromptu a lawn chair crumbled into three pieces beneath me as I sat in it.
The following morning, while at Sunday school, my wallet was stolen.
As I said earlier, it was the Holy Spirit who was communicating to me that these things were not coincidence, but they were from God, being dealt out with the sole intention to show me an answer to my prayer, that yes, indeed, He was and is in control. I felt it when the cell phone smacked the concrete, my heart knew it when over $1,000 left my bank account in less than 30 minutes, and I was on my knees begging for forgiveness when I found the deep freeze and all of its contents thawed out.
What I was feeling was the unbridled and very real fear of God. I was keenly aware that everything I had could be taken away in the snap of a finger because the Almighty, all-powerful God was in control. I was seeing my finances leave, my personal safety threatened, our comforts taken away, and God’s protection removed. I was scared. I was on my knees more than once that weekend.
Little Faith – Fear
Return to Grace
That same Sunday, after my wallet was given back to me by a police officer, thanks to security footage on my pastor’s cell phone (the church we attend is full of hurting and broken people, like all churches are, but it is visible here), God touched my heart during a specific worship song. I was singing, my hands open, and crying. What an awesome and loving Father we serve, for He had reprimanded me like any father should, and then showed love and mercy on the other side of it. He gently guides, teaches, and builds up.
Hebrews 12:-6
5 … “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; 6 For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.”
God had simply reminded me what I already knew, that He is in control, although it is not our right nor within our capabilities to know all there is to know about Him and His plan. We know a lot, more than enough to know for certain that Jesus Christ is His Son and is the Messiah the Old Testament prophesied. We know more than enough to be without excuse.
1 Corinthians 13:12
12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
O you of little faith…
Matthew 8:26
26 But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
But God was not done with me. After all of this He reminded me of all the miracles He has blessed me with, all the times He had shown me His presence, and all the mercy He had shown to me. It was not lost to me that through this journey of prayer, doubt, and rebuke, that none of these acts of mercy had entered my mind or graced my thoughts. How is that possible? How can we be so pitiful and incompetent with these priceless gifts that have been given to us, namely the grace and forgiveness we receive through Jesus Christ? How can we consistently return to doubt and unbelief when we already know the truth?
Mark 9:24
24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
Our faith is so weak, memories selective, our deserving of deliverance non-existence. Yet He shows up for us, yet He submitted to torture and death by His own creation to save that creation from itself, yet He still, to this day, loves us!
Little Faith – Fear of God
This is a testimony to the power, the sovereignty, and the loving hand of God. Consider it, for just like the events of the Bible, it happened, and it is true. If you need to talk to someone about Jesus or if you are ready to accept Him as your Savior, but aren’t sure how, or if you need a Bible, please contact me.
I leave you with Psalm 38 in its entirety. It is a psalm that reflects the experience of knowing God’s wrath and the fear of Him.
Psalm 38
1 O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your wrath, Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure! 2 For Your arrows pierce me deeply, And Your hand presses me down.
3 There is no soundness in my flesh Because of Your anger, Nor any health in my bones Because of my sin. 4 For my iniquities have gone over my head; Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me. 5 My wounds are foul and festering Because of my foolishness.
6 I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long. 7 For my loins are full of inflammation, And there is no soundness in my flesh. 8 I am feeble and severely broken; I groan because of the turmoil of my heart.
9 Lord, all my desire is before You; And my sighing is not hidden from You. 10 My heart pants, my strength fails me; As for the light of my eyes, it also has gone from me.
11 My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague, And my relatives stand afar off. 12 Those also who seek my life lay snares for me; Those who seek my hurt speak of destruction, And plan deception all the day long.
13 But I, like a deaf man, do not hear; And I am like a mute who does not open his mouth. 14 Thus I am like a man who does not hear, And in whose mouth is no response.
15 For in You, O Lord, I hope; You will hear, O Lord my God. 16 For I said, “Hear me, lest they rejoice over me, Lest, when my foot slips, they exalt themselves against me.”
17 For I am ready to fall, And my sorrow is continually before me. 18 For I will declare my iniquity; I will be in [d]anguish over my sin. 19 But my enemies are vigorous, and they are strong; And those who hate me wrongfully have multiplied. 20 Those also who render evil for good, They are my adversaries, because I follow what is good.
21 Do not forsake me, O Lord; O my God, be not far from me! 22 Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!
On Good Friday, I have to admit, I have a hard time seeing past the cross to the resurrection. Even knowing how the story ends, how Jesus rose and defeated the darkness and death, securing our salvation for eternity, I still am blinded with tears on this day. My heart breaks for Jesus, my Savior and Lord. I want to cry out to God and ask why there couldn’t have been another way. I am always seeking a better understanding.
We tend to give the disciples a lot of grief for their actions when they walked with Jesus. I don’t see it that way, at least not to the extent that it is often preached upon. The disciples were courageous men who were actively seeking God and waiting for the Christ. Even after 400 years of silence, these twelve men were seeking and were faithful. I often wonder what Nathaniel was doing under that tree.
What are some infractions made by the disciples?
John and James wanting to bring fire down on a non-believing town
Peter wanting to defend Jesus from capture and death
Thomas wanting to see the risen Jesus with his own eyes
These are normal responses to participating in something new and great, and wanting badly to be a part of it, to be relevant in exciting times, to stand courageous, and to do the right thing. I understand them, because here I am, on the other side of the resurrection, with the words of the New Testament at my disposal, and still, I struggle with the realities of pain and death and the profound righteousness and love of God.
When I set my eyes upon the cross on Good Friday, I see what John saw and feel what the disciples felt, tragedy and heartbreak. I see unjust suffering and the casual and proficient cruelty of men. I understand the fragility and weakness of their flesh and am able to sympathize with them.
Sad, but not Broken
Beyond the heartbreak the disciples felt, they also felt defeat and saw their dreams shattered. This is where we can part ways with them, for we can’t see defeat and shattered dreams. We know what happens on Sunday, and while our hearts may break alongside the disciples on Friday, we never experience the defeat they experienced, and we never have to, because Jesus Christ rose on the third day, cementing our salvation, and taking His place as King and Intercessor on our behalf. Rejoice, brothers and sisters, because we serve the living God and the risen Savior, and we are anointed with His Spirit. Jesus is ALIVE! Rejoice, because we worship God. We don’t worship, shouldn’t worship, and need to stop worshipping prophets and saints who are flesh and blood, who are human just like you and I, and who are dead. Jesus Christ is the ONLY Son of God, He IS GOD, and He is WORTHY of our totality.
On my last trip through the Book of Esther I wasn’t looking for anything in particular. I knew the story well enough to know the major events and the theme of the book, namely that “…who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14) If we live by faith, we believe God is guiding our steps and the destinies of men and nations. We also believe Esther was free to choose the path she would take, as the first half of verse 14 clearly says, if you don’t do it God will get it done another way, because His will be done. (Esther 4:14 and Matthew 6:10) We can also assume that if we are walking in faith with the intention of doing God’s will, that He will cover our mistakes, blunders, and failures, and He will see us to the end.
Although I wasn’t looking for anything in particular as I read Esther again, that doesn’t mean I wasn’t looking for anything. On the contrary, when I read the Bible, I’m always looking for something new: a new revelation, a new avenue, a new truth, a new lesson, and I found one in Esther. Check this out!
The Godless Book
Esther is commonly called the ‘godless book!’ What!?! Similarly, when people say that Jesus’ 12 disciples were riffraff and unworthy of their call, I completely disagree. The 12 disciples were devoted seekers of the Messiah. They knew the Torah and they loved God. Imperfect as they were, as we all are, they were worthy, and hand-picked by God to serve.
I understand why Esther is called the ‘godless book.’ It is because God is not mentioned in the book, and amazingly so, given the countless opportunities to mention Him and His hand in the story. One writer pointed out that the Jews were in a very dark place at the time Esther occurred. They were in exile for being rebellious, and their rebellion was severe; they had turned their backs on God in favor of idols and men. While this may have played a part, I believe the characteristics of the Book of Esther are intentional, as is the entire Bible, guided by God.
Look, He’s Right There!
The Holy Spirit is God. The Holy Spirit is the fraction of the Trinity that displays God’s presence and divine intervention and protection for His people, the Jews, in the Book of Esther. I wonder if this isn’t part of the reason God chose to leave His name out of this book, so He could show us, and remind us, that His Spirit is always present and always at work. Even in the most godless of settings, the Holy Spirit cannot be kept out. He can show up and touch someone’s heart in that place of darkness, because the darkness has no power over Him.
I see the work of the Holy Spirit throughout the Book of Esther, beginning to end. The book begins with the queen rejecting the king, which was foolish and likely unheard of (but this is what was needed to put Esther into position), and it ends with the Jews earning providential favor from the king to destroy their enemies, who were the king’s own people. If the events at the beginning and the events at the end don’t have you scratching your head and wondering how these things could have come to be, then you are missing the divine intervention, which is present throughout the book.
These are afterthoughts for me though. The part of the story that spoke to me, the part that inspired this writing, took place right in the middle. It came right at the heart of the story, when everything was heating up and ready to explode, that is where I saw God’s whisper. After Esther had approached the king for the first time, when she unexplainably (there it is again) failed to discuss the situation with Haman and her people, she had essentially signed Mordecai’s death sentence. That very day Haman received counsel from his wife and friends that resulted in the building of the gallows that would hang Mordecai the next morning. At this point, Esther had failed her uncle.
Do you know that your failures, your hesitations, your imperfections cannot thwart the plans of God?
It takes the Bible to understand the Bible. What I mean is you have to read the whole thing to understand it in parts. You can’t read the Book of Esther by itself and find God without reading the rest of the Bible. You can’t read the New Testament and understand the significance of Jesus’ arrival to the disciples (among many other things) without reading the Old Testament. As I read Esther, I was also reading Proverbs, and I didn’t just happen to be near Proverbs 21, I was led there.
1 The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.
This is where God showed His presence to me in the Book of Esther. After Esther procrastinates, leaving the door open for Haman to hang her uncle, watch what the Lord does; He covers for her. In the middle of the night, while Haman was out building the gallows, the king is robbed of his sleep. He asks for the chronicles of the kingdom to be read to him, and who should appear in the reading? Mordecai! My friends, if you believe in coincidences then you need to do a health check on your faith. As a result, Haman parades his enemy around on the king’s horse, dressed in the king’s robe, wearing the king’s royal crest, in place of hanging him from the gallows.
Proverbs 21:1 is revealed to us as a powerful testimony that God stands firm on His word. The events of that night are verbatim with what this proverb says, that God is in control, it is He who holds the heart of the king in His hand, it is He who has the power, and it is He who directs the steps of even the most powerful and hard-hearted men into His will. The Book of Esther is a testimony of how God can take any situation, any mistake, any hesitation, and any person and have His will done.
Key Points
My friends, this is what I want to leave you with:
If you feel it is too late for you to come onto the path God has for you, it most certainly is not! You must refuse to believe that the Almighty, all-powerful God, is limited by our weaknesses and imperfections. He can take you wherever you are and put you right where He intended you to be, right where He needs you, regardless of your doubt and delay, if, as it says 3 times in Joshua 1, you can “be strong and of good courage!”
Never make doctrinal or theological decisions or conclusions based on a single verse or chapter of the Bible. The Bible is a living book, one that guides and speaks to you. Its truths are concrete, and its revelations run deep. Absorb the whole thing and never, ever, stop reading it.
You are never alone, no matter how distant you feel from God, and these days, how distant you feel from the people around you. The Holy Spirit is always with you, always. He doesn’t pester you or push you, but He is there when you need Him and when you look for Him. Call on Him, talk to Him, just like you talk to the Father and to Jesus. He loves you and He is for you.
Never assume you’ve gotten all your going to get out of certain book or passage in the Bible. When most people think about Esther, they think about being in the place God put you in and doing what He intends for you to do. But is there not so much more in this book? So much more revelation, some of which we discussed in the paragraphs above? Keep searching, reading, and digging deeper with God. There will always be more because it is impossible for us to have it all this side of heaven, and that is a beautiful thing.
Esther 4
14 For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
Matthew 6
10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.
Proverbs 21
1 The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.
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