“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord'” (Luke 2:10-11).

The events that took place at the capital of the United States yesterday is heartbreaking, unacceptable, and inexcusable.

I am not quite sure what to say. I have been in countries where the freedom and the democracy of those nations were squashed. I was in Syria under the Assad regime. I was in South Africa during Apartheid when Mandela was still in jail. I’ve spent time in Uganda when the country was just coming out of its civil war and there were still piles of human bones by the side of the roads.

Things like what took place at the capital happen in those places. They don’t take place in the United States of America!!! Yet they did.

Americans have the right to protest.

Americans have the right to believe that the election is stolen.

But no American has the right to violate laws and disrupt the constitutional processes of validating the electoral votes that was being conducted by our duly elected leaders.

No American has the right to enter illegally into the very halls of democracy in our capital.

There was nothing right about what happened in storming the capital.

And then it hit me.

Our world doesn’t need the church to believe in Jesus. Our world needs a church to start living like Jesus.

I’ve been lamenting the events in our nation’s capital and was reminded that today is Epiphany – the day the church celebrates the manifestation of Jesus.

How apt.

I can’t think of anything more needed today than for God’s manifestation of his love for the world. And it dawns on me that, perhaps, God has always wanted his church to be the vehicle of showing the world how much he loves them.

Let’s get to work church.

“If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:31b-32).

I will never forget the first time I held Karis in my hands.

When Helen told me we were having a baby, I knew I was going to be a dad. I mean, the growing bump in her belly was proof that I was going to be a dad. I knew that. I had even read some books about being a dad.

But that first moment when the nurse handed me Karis…wow!

I saw this tiny human being and the whole time I was thinking, “Holy cow! This little person thinks I’m her daddy!”

You see, what was wrapped up in that statement is my dad. There was never a time in my life when I didn’t know he had my back. He was the first person I turned to when I was in trouble. He was my rock. He was my provider. He was always there for me.

Now, this little person thinks that’s who I am for her! That reality rocked me.

While growing up I saw two types of kids:

• I messed up. Dad’s going to kill me
• I messed up. I need to call dad

Which one were you? I was blessed to be the latter.

As I come to think of it. There are two types of Christians, and they are the same ones as the two types of kids I grew up with.

• Religion says – I messed up. Dad’s going to kill me
• Gospel and grace says – I messed up. I need to call dad

Friends, your Father, your God, loves you. In fact, he’s crazy about you.

Words and action.

They go together.

There is not a single thing that God says that does not lead to action. In fact, in God’s reality there is never a moment where what God speaks is not what is real. How did God create the heavens and the earth? God spoke it. God said, “Let there be light. And there was light.”

There is never any second guessing. There is never any doubting. What God says, is.

It’s when words and action don’t go together where problems start. That’s the problem with us. The more our words and actions go together, the more we resemble God.

The LORD is trustworthy in all his promises.

The LORD is faithful in all his does.

Words and action.

Always together. Words simply mean what they mean.
– “I do” really means forever
– “I will” really means it is good as done
– “Yes” means yes. And “no” means no

No need to wonder. No need to second guess.

What an amazing world that would be.

That’s the world as God meant it.