Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Because of your false words and lying visions, I am against you, declares the Sovereign LORD. – Ezekiel 13:8

Today's Scripture Reading (August 6, 2026): Ezekiel 13

I admit that I am confused about the doctrine that some churches seem to want to proclaim. Some seem to effortlessly proclaim a gospel of hate that I admit I have a hard time understanding. The members of these churches are comfortable carrying picket signs protesting what they consider to be the sins of the age, namely homosexuality and abortion, among a few other unimaginative sins, proclaiming that this is the will of God. But in reality, I struggle to see the connection. And the one question I keep asking myself is this: would Jesus carry the signs? Over and over again, the conclusion that I come up with is that Jesus would more likely be holding the scared girl inside the abortion clinic than he would be holding the picket sign outside the clinic.

If I have a message to the world, it is that all churches are not created equal. At least in my corner of the world, we all seem to get painted with the same brush. But the Bible's overarching message would seem to be love for those who are different, not hate. Jesus partied with the tax collector and welcomed the prostitute into his presence. I am convinced that His church can do nothing less. And anyone who suggests a gospel filled with hate and picket signs must be reading a different Bible; they must be reading different words of God.

I say I am convinced because I feel I need to be. Declaring what God will or will not do is dangerous business. God declares that he will set himself against those who attribute words and actions to him that are not his. Making those kinds of assertions is probably something with which the contemporary church should be extremely careful. Too often, we seem to get carried away declaring the words of God that he has never spoken.

If there is a message that I believe we need to declare, it is about the wideness of God's love. There is no other message that is worthy of the Body of Christ, the Christian Church. And no other message that our world needs to hear more, especially because there are those among us who seem intent on spreading a gospel of hate that just cannot have originated with God of the Bible, the God who loves tax-collectors and always invites the sinner into a relationship with him.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 14