"What God Hates"

 

“What God Hates”

 

Most of us have listened to many messages on God’s love (I’ve preached a lot of them) but I can’t recall hearing (or preaching) one on what God hates. Why is this the case? Two reasons come to mind: God’s love is emphasized far more and we like to hear the positive rather than what we perceive as negative. Recently I read a devotional article based on Isaiah 61 in which God says, “For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity.” (Verse 8). I asked myself why this is and concluded that it’s because sin is an affront to God’s holiness. What else does He hate? In Malachi 2:16 He states, “I hate divorce.” because it violates His design for marriage given in Genesis 2:24. And in Proverbs 6:16-19 Solomon lists seven things that are “…detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness that pours out lies and a (person) who stirs up dissension among (brothers and sisters).” because they adversely affect our relationship with Him and our fellow humans.

Is there a place for both love and hatred? In God’s economy the answer is yes. Solomon asserts that there’s “…a time to love and a time to hate….” (Ecclesiastes 3:8). But please note in the above references that God hates actions, not people. Our Lord’s friend quotes Him: “For God so loved the world (i.e. all people) that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, emphasis added). So God separates the person from the deeds, something we humans find difficult to do.

Let me add a quick word about a statement Bible critics have cited to “prove” God’s hatred for some people. God spoke through His prophet, “I have loved Jacob, but Esau have I hated….” (Malachi 1:2-3). But He’s referring to the activities of the nations which descended from these brothers: Israel and Edom. Israel accepted God’s ways (although they strayed from them often); in contrast Edom lived in rebellion against Him throughout its history. So again it was the Edomites’ sinful acts which God hated, not the individuals. It’s probable, then, that some from this nation will be in Heaven (Revelation 7:9 says, “…a great multitude…from every nation, tribe, people and language, (were) standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.”{Emphasis added}).

God shows justice, love, grace and mercy to all but He hates sin in any form. But He stands ready to forgive all sin as we trust in Jesus’ sacrifice (see 1 John 1:9). Is there any good reason not to accept His offer?

 

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan

"Something Missing"

 

“Something Missing”

 

A few years ago a sports celebrity was the subject of a segment on a TV news magazine program. This superstar gave the appearance of having the world by the tail but in response to a question by the interviewer said he felt like something was missing from his life. When asked what he thought that might be his reply was, “I wish I knew.”

People can live in ideal circumstances but still, rightly or wrongly, sense they’re missing something. Such may have been the case with Adam and Eve. God created them and put them in a perfect environment in which He met their every need. Enter Satan, who as the angel Lucifer was “…cast down to the earth….” from Heaven for saying, “…I will make myself like the Most High.” (Isaiah 14:12,14). He deceived our first parents by putting doubts in their minds about God’s words and claiming “…you will be like God….” (Genesis 3:5), a goal which led to his being separated from God. Perhaps Adam and Eve felt they were missing something so disobeyed their Creator and ate fruit from the forbidden tree. Their act of sin has impacted every person since then (“When Adam sinned, sin entered the entire human race.”—Romans 5:12, NLT), all because they were tricked into thinking they were missing something from God.

In Acts 10 we meet a Roman centurion named Cornelius who with “…all his family were devout and God-fearing….” (Verse 2) but he sensed something was missing. Then God spoke to Peter who went to Cornelius’ house and “…(told him) the good news of peace through Jesus Christ….” (Verse 36). This opened the door to ministry to the Gentiles and is part of our spiritual heritage almost 2000 years later.

Cornelius found out that the “something missing” was a relationship with God through faith in Christ which he received when he believed Peter’s message from God. My prayer is that the athlete mentioned above as well as people all over the world would come to the same realization as Cornelius did so they might be “…filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” (Ephesians 3:19, NLT). Please pray with me to this end.

 

Race and Blessings!

Jim McMillan

"Operating Systems"

 

“Operating Systems”

 

My computer skills are virtually nil, especially in understanding the technology involved. What I do know is that they are powered by operating systems, defined in Oxford Languages as “software that supports a computer’s basic functions”. Many such programs are available but in 2024 Android, Windows and iOS controlled about 90% of this lucrative market.

No matter what operating system (OS) is utilized each computer does only what it’s programmed to do. So in effect there’s no such thing as computer error (a problem stems from what’s entered) but glitches (sudden malfunctions) are always possible. When this happens chaos can result. Last July Karen and I arrived at the Tampa Airport to begin our Alaska trip (which had been postponed from the previous year due to illness) only to find that a computer bug had delayed or cancelled most flights and our airline couldn’t get us to our destination until several days into our tour. So we postponed it (again) until this coming August. You also may have experienced problems when an OS failed to perform as expected.

A recent Our Daily Bread devotional states, “Believers in Jesus have a new operating system.” Paul writes, “You…are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.” (Romans 8:9). So rather than “Doin’ What Comes Naturally”, with the Spirit’s presence in us we do what God desires us to do. This is always a struggle (“For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other….”—Galatians 5:19) but “…thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” (1 Corinthians 15:57).

So…what’s my operating system? Yours?

 

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan

"Sandbags"

 

“Sandbags”

 

Here in Florida sandbags are a common item for flood protection, especially during hurricane storm surges. But they’re also used under less threatening conditions. In recent weeks I’ve noticed some near the doors to the lower level of our church building because of sudden downpours. This aroused my curiosity as to their history and other uses.

Sandbags can be traced back to antiquity when they were utilized for protection, fortifications and (as they are today) flood control. They began to be made and used as we now know them (sand in a bag made of sturdy material) in the 18^th century, particularly in The Netherlands. Along with levees they form an effective barrier when dangerous weather conditions arise. During World War II Londoners used them during frequent Axis bombings and they were also placed on tanks to provide added defense against anti-tank weapons.

The term can be used colloquially for deceiving a person or group in order to gain some kind of advantage or to hinder progress. Some have traced it to poker players’ pretending to have a good hand to prompt others to “up the ante” (in such cases it’s synonymous with bluff). Others say it originated with those wanting to maintain control by blocking others’ suggestions and efforts.

Scripture cites a number of examples of sandbagging to hinder God’s work. In Ezra 4:4 we’re told that the Jews’ enemies “…set out to discourage the people of Judah and made them afraid to go on building.” Some time later a complaint was brought that the Jews’ motive for rebuilding was “…to the detriment of the royal interests.” and caused the work to stop (Ezra 4:23). Later research into historical records showed that Cyrus, an earlier emperor, had issued a decree stating, “Let the temple be rebuilt….” (Ezra 6:3) which was done under the leadership of Zerubbabel. So the attempted sandbagging ultimately failed. Then about 75 years later Nehemiah answered God’s call to rebuild Jerusalem’s wall. The project was completed in 52 days (Nehemiah 6:15) but not without at least six attempts at sandbagging the work. In each case God’s servant called on Him for help which overcame the opposition. On these and other occasions God intervened to fulfill His purposes.

Maybe you’ve felt the efforts of our archenemy to sandbag your life in some way. If so, listen to King David: “In (God’s) strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall.” (Psalm 18:29, NLT)—including those of sandbags! So with His prophet let’s “Trust in the Lord forever….” (Isaiah 26:4).

 

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan