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devotion

Devotionals

Redeemed and Restored in His Presence!

by Jana Tuttle
written by Jana Tuttle

I love the early mornings, surrounded by quietness and peace. A time when I can spend some special uninterrupted moments with the Lord. During this time I can always expect Him to speak to me through His Word and through His Spirit, and oh how I cherish it.

Have you ever struggled with not feeling worthy? Maybe you have lived in a shame based identity for years, never feeling like you measure up. Perhaps you have had something downright awful enacted upon you by someone else that has left you physically or emotionally crippled. Or maybe there was such tragedy in your families’ life that everyone knew about it, and you just wanted to hide. If you can relate, then this will minister to you…

I love the story of Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son, King Saul’s grandson. This redemptive story begins with the tragic death of King Saul and Jonathan. Mephibosheth was 5 years old when this gut wrenching news traveled back home… the king and his son were dead.

Due to Jonathan’s household not knowing of the covenant that David and Jonathan had made (1 Samuel 20:15… that David would not cut off his kindness from Jonathan’s house, even when the Lord has cut off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth) they feared that the new upcoming king, King David, would now come and smite the house of Saul, since Saul made himself an enemy of David, though David never retaliated… he knew the LORD had placed Saul in his position, and He would be the one who would remove him.

In that moment of fear and frenzy, Mephibosheth’s nurse grabbed him to flee and accidentally dropped him, leaving him lame in his feet. In one moment’s time Mephibosheth’s life was altered. He went from living in a palace to living in a place called Lo Debar in the wilderness. (Lo Debar meaning “pastureless” having no wealth, abundance or prosperity.) Oh what tragedy suddenly came upon this young man at such an early age. Circumstances that were out of his control, in which he did not create, but was a victim of.

But One Day, ALL of This Would Change! Mephibosheth Got In The Presence of The King and His Life Forever Changed!

Time had passed and David became king. One day the covenant he had made with his dear friend Jonathan came flooding back to his mind. So David asked, “Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show my kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” Now David wanted to make good on his promise, he wanted to show the kindness of God to a descendant of Saul. So Ziba (a servant in Saul’s house) told King David that there was still a son of Jonathan who is lame in his feet.

In 2 Samuel 9:5 we are going to see Mephibosheth’s life forever change. “Then King David sent and brought him out of the house of Michir, from Lo Debar.” The King summoned him to come. 

Darlin’, do you remember the day that our King summoned you to come to Him? The appointed time that the Gospel was presented to you and at the moment of accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior of your life, He brought you out… out of darkness, a life of sin, and brought you into His Kingdom, the Kingdom of Light. He took you, covered you with a robe of righteousness, crowned you with His loving kindness and tender mercies, and you became a new creation… There is something so very special about being in the presence of the King. The One who can enact change in your life in one moment’s time.

Now lets together behold a Divine Turnaround that happened in Mephibosheth’s life…

Verse 6, “Now Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, had come to David, he fell on his face and prostrated himself. Then David said, “Mephibosheth?” And he answered, “Here is your servant!” Verse 7, So David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.”

Verse 8, “Then he bowed himself, and said “What is your servant that you should look upon such a dead dog as I?” Mephibosheth saw himself as a person of no value, worth or importance. Here he is King Saul’s grandson, living in Lo Debar… in the wilderness, seemingly forgotten. He had no riches, no fame, and he was lame. This man had been brought low. He was living below what the covenant had afforded to him. Beautiful One, as a Believer in Christ, you have a covenant with God. You are His daughter. All of His Promises are yes and amen to those who believe. He daily loads you with His love, His benefits… Are you living below what the Covenant has afforded to you?

Verses 9-11 tells of King David’s continued display of kindness to Jonathan’s son. He calls for Ziba and his sons and servants to work the land for Mephibosheth since he was not able to. He asks him to bring in the harvest so that Mephibosheth can eat. But then he says Mephibosheth shall eat at my table always like one of the king’s sons. Hallelujah! Mephibosheth is put on the royal pension for the rest of his life!

Honey, I don’t know about you but this blonde Texas gal cannot stop tearing up. Maybe you have felt you are living ‘Low De Bar’ not even in a place that is ‘Above the Bar’… Maybe you have been limping around trying to make sense of your life. You may even feel you are worthless, you don’t measure up. You are hidden and forgotten. Beautiful One, all you need is one moment in the Presence of the King and EVERYTHING WILL CHANGE.

Well, guess what? If you are a born again Believer, you are a Daughter of the King and you have access to His Presence continually! And because of this He has a royal pension for you to enjoy the rest of your life… His Goodness… His Abundance… His Mercy… His Forgiveness… Divine Healing… His Provision… His Peace… His Power, Ability and Might! He has REDEEMED you from destruction. He RESTORES you, and He RETURNS you to your Father’s table in peace! There is a Place of Redemption and Restoration in the Presence of the King.

Hold your head high and fix your crown! You now sit at His table for eternity! Glory!

 

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Articles

A Poor Widow’s Sacrifice

by John Beck
written by John Beck

Jesus honored a poor unnamed widow in the Bible because she freely gave all she had to the God she loved.

Picture the scene:

It’s a very busy day at the Temple.  Hundreds of people are crowding in for an opportunity to worship.  A part of their worship was almsgiving.  This day, Jesus is watching the people as they approach with their offerings.

Among the crowd are the wealthy.  Many of them place large sums of money in the collection bowls.  I can see the smiles on the faces of the priests.  Most of the worshipers are regular folks dutifully participating.  Perhaps lost in the din and confusion of the crowd is a simple widow woman.  She’s insignificant to the system.  She has very little to offer.  She’s poorer than the poor.  I imagine the priest isn’t paying too much attention to her.  Neither is anyone else.  She’s kind of “in the way” of the Temple business.  Her presence is tolerated, not wanted.  Predictably, she puts into the bowl a tiny amount, less than one cent.

Across the way is Jesus, the Jesus who knows us all fully and completely.  The Jesus who knows the very number of hairs on our heads.  The Jesus who knows our thoughts and hearts, our motivations and intentions.  The Jesus who is able to judge those thoughts and intentions with a terrifying accuracy.  Jesus sees all who approach the altar.  He sees the thoughts, hearts, intentions and attitudes of the givers.  He knows who is genuinely worshiping.  He knows who is pure of heart.  He knows who is playing games.  He knows the ones who are trying to make this whole thing about themselves, to win the applause of men.

Jesus is moved deeply by the generosity of this simple widow woman, a true worshiper. He calls together his disciples for a teaching moment.  May I paraphrase what he said to them?

“You know, I’ve spent some time here watching the worshipers place their offerings at the altar.  There have been some large amounts of money given today, greatly pleasing that priest over there.

            But did any of you notice that widow woman?  She had less than a cent to give.  Then again, she had less than a cent to her name.

            I want to tell you something very important.  She has given more today than all the other offerings combined.  You see, everybody else gave from their abundance.  They all had plenty left over.  Most of them should’ve been more generous than they were, but because they lacked faith in God to supply their needs, they held tightly onto the money they had.

            But this woman gave all she had.  She must now trust the Lord completely.  Her offering was a true act of total faith.  As such, our Heavenly Father is pleased with her and has more regard for her offering than all the rest.”

 

How beautiful, right?  Let’s take a moment and examine why Jesus noticed this poor widow’s offering.

 

I           The Widow gave the First.

 

I believe that the widow’s offering represented her obedience in giving to the Lord first.  Her desire to worship and to participate in the offering was more important to her than anything else.  With less than a cent to give, her needs gave clarification to her priorities.  She trusted God completely.  The whole process of her economic expressions began in her relationship with God.  She gave to God first because giving to God was not optional in her heart.

Herein is an important lesson for you and me.  Our offerings to the Lord, perhaps through our churches, must be prioritized as well.  Like the widow, we must give to God first, then let other things find their place. When we truly seek the Lord with all our hearts, all others things will be added to us, and will find their rightful place (Matthew 6:33).

Perhaps you, like me, have been tempted too many times to spend almost all we have, then give to God the leftovers.  We spend and spend on the best houses, cars, gadgets, entertainments, fancy diets, etc., with little regard to the outcomes, or perhaps with no regard to how God has directed us to handle money in his Holy Word, the Bible.  One thing is for certain, God has given us the power to become wealthy so that we then can share those blessings through our generosity and with our testimonies to God’s faithfulness (Deuteronomy 8).

When we participate in offerings, when we purposefully return to the Lord a portion of all with which he has blessed us, we are reminded of his goodness, love, and provisions.  We remember and worship the One to whom we pray: “Give us this day, our daily bread.”

 

II         The Widow gave the Most.

 

Again, Jesus said to the disciples, “I assure you, this poor widow has given more than all the others have given.  For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.” – Mark 12:43-44

            You and I may think this poor lady has lost her mind.  Perhaps, if I had been advising her, I would’ve said, “Take that money to the grocery store and buy something to eat!”  Maybe because of my limited understanding or even lack of faith, I think I might’ve been more concerned about her physical needs than her desire to worship.  How about you?

Maybe the widow is showing more faith than you and I are comfortable with!  Maybe we don’t attempt many things in this life that really require faith and action at all.  After all, if we are attempting to do something “in the name of the Lord” but we can see how, through our own strength and resources that we can accomplish that something, faith is not really required.  Faith is required to follow God and be obedient to him when the outcome is guaranteed only by his promises and his Word.  When the outcome is something only God can do, then we know faith is actually involved.

Perhaps, even as she was making her offering, the widow was remembering the story of her ancestors as they wandered in the desert following their release from slavery in Egypt.  Hungry and thirsty, they cried out to God.  Their circumstances suggested they would die in the desert, but God intervened.  Exodus 16 records the marvelous story of how God “rained down bread from heaven.” They called it “manna,” asking, what is it?

Interestingly, God was very particular in how much of the bread from the heavens that they could gather.  Specifically, God told them to gather only as much as they needed for today.  Naturally, being in want in the desert, and with no certainties about tomorrow, they would’ve wanted to store up manna.  If they did, however, it soured and filled with worms.

What was God up to?  I think the answer is simple.  God was saying, “Trust me to meet your need today, then trust me again tomorrow.  I am your God.”

I think that’s what motivated the widow’s giving at the Temple.  I also think God wants us to do the same.  And yes, faith is required to be truly, biblically generous.  Oh, and one other thing; God likes faith.  So when Jesus says she gave the most, he certainly means she gave the greatest portion.  Her offering had less to do with the value of the money in her hand, and much, much more to do with the faith in her heart.  Again, what about us?

 

I know someone else who gave it all away.  His offering to sinful, pitiful people sounds like this:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life – John 3:16.

 

            May we all have the courage to follow this poor widow’s example of giving, and the example of the one who so loved that he gave it all.

 

May God bless you.

 

 

 

 

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Devotionals

Begin Your Day with Listening to God

by Randy Alcorn
written by Randy Alcorn

Augustine said, “By hearing Thee I am happy; because of Thy voice I am happy.” There’s no place we can go to hear God speak authoritatively, to hear His voice with complete confidence, other than the Bible itself.

We need to hear from God before we hear from everybody else. That’s a good reason not to start the day by looking at email or text messages, but rather to first look at the messages God has placed in your primary inbox: Scripture.

Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. (Psalm 90:14)

I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your words. (Psalm 119:147)

Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. (Psalm 143:8).

A. W. Tozer said, “Listen to no man who has not listened to God.” Once we hear from God, only then are we ready to bring His perspective to the onslaught of human opinion and need, the trivial and the overwhelming that comes upon us wave by wave throughout the day. (Listening to Scripture on audio might be a great way to start your day with God’s Word, and you can play it while you make breakfast, take a shower, or pack a lunch.)

Dallas Willard writes in Hearing God, “Our failure to hear His voice when we want to is due to the fact that we do not in general want to hear it, that we want it only when we think we need it.”

Only when we understand our need for God’s Word—and are ready to listen to Him—are we prepared to listen to others, and to give back to them not from sludgy murk, but from a reservoir of pure waters. “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation” (1 Peter 2:2). Crying infants aren’t concerned about doing their duty; they simply want to be fed. They crave milk because they need it.

If you’re not craving God’s Word, you’ve forgotten what you’re missing—or perhaps you’ve never known. If that’s the case, dive into it. After you’ve spent enough time there, you’ll find that television and social media and popular culture will ring hollow to you.

Father, you’ve spoken to us through Your Word. Help us turn off the world’s incessant noise so we might hear you. With all the voices that clamor for our attention, Lord, help us turn off and turn away from others’ and listen to yours, when we rise in the morning and all throughout our day.

www.epm.org

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Articles

The Tale of Two Dogs

by Trevin Wax
written by Trevin Wax

This analogy from Trevin Wax is absolutely wonderful. May we be like the second dog in his parable, longing to be in our Master’s presence:

“As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for thee, O God, for the living God.” (Psalm 42:1-2)

“My soul thirsts for Thee, my flesh yearns for Thee, in a dry and weary land where there is not water.” (Psalm 63:1)

“How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house: you give drink from your river of delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.” (Psalm 36:7-9)

“O taste and see that the Lord is good.” (Psalm 34:8)

A Tale of Two Dogs

Once upon a time, there was a dog that lived in a sprawling house in the middle of the city. Though the house had plenty of doggie toys and plenty of room for play, the city dog hated being cooped up inside. Day after day, it looked longingly out the window and past the fenced-in yard around the house to the street where cars zoomed and pedestrians rushed by. The dog made little use of its spacious accommodations, choosing instead to focus on the doors that were always closed and the curtains that were always drawn.

Every evening, the city dog anxiously awaited the arrival of its master – not because it loved the master but because the master’s arrival provided an opportunity for escape. As soon as the dog heard the master’s keys jingle outside the door, it attempted a mad dash out of the house and into the yard. But without fail the good master, with a pained expression of disappointment, made sure the dog stayed inside where no harm might befall it. Wearily the dog would retreat to a corner of the house and start planning its next escape.

A dozen miles away, there was another dog. This dog lived in a one-room house set on a sprawling country farm. At one edge of the farm’s borders was a cliff overlooking a rushing river. On the other side was a dark forest. But no fences were present. The country dog was free to roam the farm, but it usually preferred to stay close to the front porch. It worried that if it strayed too far, it might miss its master’s arrival.

Every evening, the master’s arrival was the highlight of the country dog’s day. As soon as the master came into view, the dog would bound to his side to greet him. It followed close behind him, wanting to get into the house, not because of anything special inside but simply because it was where the master stayed. Each day without fail, the master showered his love and affection on the country dog and then led it inside the tiny farmhouse, where it wagged its tail with great contentment. Even in a shack, it was so satisfied to be in the master’s presence that the outside world held no power of attraction for it.

Lesson

Growth in holiness does not take place when our focus is on the boundaries but when our focus is on the Master. Fences may keep us from harm, but love for the Master is what keeps us from fences.

This article originally appeared on The Gospel Coalition and is used with the author’s permission.

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Articles

How Tim Keller Seeks to Pray without Ceasing

by Tim Keller
written by Tim Keller

Like many other believers, I’ve always sought to have a time of devotion and prayer each morning. And like most other believers, I have found it a struggle to be consistent.

Imagine my surprise when I came across a place in John Calvin’s Institutes where he argues that, when it comes to daily prayer, once is not enough.

Calvin points to the exhortation to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17) and says that, of course, every Christian should aspire to pray to God constantly through the day. But, he adds: “Since our weakness is such that it has to be supported by many aids, and our sluggishness such that it needs to be goaded, it is fitting each one of us should set apart certain hours for this exercise.”

Calvin taught that we should designate set times, though brief, during which “all the devotion of the heart should be completely engaged.” He proposed five times:

  • when we wake in the morning
  • before we begin work
  • at midday meal
  • after the meal (or after the day’s work)
  • when we are getting ready for bed at night

He immediately adds, “This must not be any superstitious observance of hours—as “paying our debt to God” and forcing him to hear us (3.20.50).

Compose Daily Prayers

Though I knew about this exhortation years ago, only recently did I learn that Calvin actually prepared five prayers for these various times of day—and included them in his 1542/45 Geneva Catechism. They were meant to be examples for individuals and families to use. This encouraged me to use his prayers as a foundation for composing my own.

I would encourage others to do the same thing I did with Calvin: take these as examples and use them to compose your own. Having something written, which I can read and use as a basis for prayer to God—and taking only one minute for each—has been extremely helpful for remembering the presence of God and the truths I learned that morning in Bible reading. It “frames” the entire day with God and the gospel.

Below are the prayers I use. Again, use them simply as the basis for crafting your own.

Upon Rising: For Love

Father, thank you for the grace that has preserved my life to this moment. Now give me enough love for this day—a sense of love from you (so I’m not scared or driven), a welling up of love for you (so I’m not proud or selfish), and a resulting love for others (so I am not cold or distracted). Let your Spirit illumine my mind and enlarge my heart for that. And because it means nothing to begin well if one does not persevere, I ask that you would continue and increase your grace in me until you have led me into full communion with your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, that I may see his beautiful and great glory. And as I laid down in sleep and rose this morning only by your grace, keep me in a joyful, lively remembrance that whatever happens, I will someday know my final rising—the resurrection—because Jesus Christ laid down in death for me, and rose for my justification. In Jesus’s name.

Before Workday: For Perseverance

Lord, all day may you give me an awareness of your presence, fruitfulness yet patience with your appointments, wisdom and compassion in my dealings, and Fatherly protection against dangers and adversities. Let me accept whatever degree of success or difficulty in my work you give me this day, and especially make me compassionate and ready to be interrupted in order to do good to others. In Jesus’s name.

Midday: For Presence and Recollection

O Lord God, thank you for sustaining my physical life through food and shelter; for giving me new life through the gospel; for the assurance that my bad things will turn out for good, and that my good things cannot be taken from me; and for the certainty of the best and perfect life, which is yet to come. Now give me a joyful sense of your presence, and freedom from my characteristic sins of perfectionistic works-righteousness, fear of criticism, and self-comfort. Don’t allow my affections to be tangled in inordinate desires for the things of this world, but let me set my heart on things above, where Christ, my life, is seated at your right hand. In Jesus’s name. (Recollect morning Bible insights.)

End of Workday: For People I’ve Met or Dealt with Today

Lord, send down your blessings, temporal and spiritual, on my family, friends, and neighbors. Bless those who have done us good today, and pardon all those who have done or wished us ill, and give them repentance and better minds. Be merciful to those who are in any trouble or suffering, and minister to them according to their needs. Do this for the sake of the One who went about doing good, the Man of Sorrows, your Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ. In his name.

Upon Sleep: For Rest

O Lord, defend us from all dangers and also from the fear of them tonight. Grant us grace, not only to rest our bodies, but to have spiritual repose, in soul and conscience, in your grace and love, so we might be comforted and eased in all ways. And since no day passes that I do not sin in so many ways, please bury all my offenses in your mercy, that I might not lose your presence. Forgive me for Jesus’s sake. Finally, grant us grace always to live in such a state that we may never be afraid to die; so that, living and dying, we may be yours, through the merits and satisfaction of your Son Christ Jesus, in whose name we offer up these our imperfect prayers. Amen.

Re-printed from www.thegospelcoalition.org.

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Devotionals

Learn to Have a Quiet Time

by Drew Anderson
written by Drew Anderson

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was a formless and desolate emptiness, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.”
Genesis 1:1-3

In the opening chapter of the Bible, God brings order out of chaos. Later, God makes mankind in His image, and tells them to rule the creation, be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth by subduing it according to God’s design. As the Bible articulates, God’s design is to create…this creation has in its center an ordering.

Most everyone understands and appreciates the fact that chaos is bad and order is good. What’s more, we have largely been removed from the chaos of the external world. For instance, take shelter and water…there is the invention and utilization of indoor plumbing, of heating, ventilating, and air conditioning units, of slab-built and masonry constructed housing, etc. We could also talk of political, clothing, food, and medicinal conveniences. The point remains, there have been many instances where chaos has largely been mitigated from our world around us.

And so, many in first-world countries benefit from external order created by generations of forethought, sacrifice, and ingenuity.

However, while we benefit from these things, we can still face chaos in our own lives. This chaos, on the other hand doesn’t have to rule us. No, no. We have a say. We have a say on how we invest our time, our talents, and our treasures.

As we begin a new year, let me share how I invest my morning time. In reality, most of my life is built around routines. Sure, I have to be flexible, because life is dynamic. However, I can still bring order to my life by routines that guide me like seasons.

Let me share my morning routine that has been helpful for me to cultivate order instead of chaos each day.

  • 5:30AM – the alarm goes off (I still need an alarm…I’m not one of those who wakes up without one. Further, I need at least 7 hours of sleep to feel rested and ready for the day. Thus, I’m aiming for bedtime to be before 10:00PM.
    • I drink a full glass of water
    • I pour a cup of coffee and some half-and-half
    • I grab a small snack
  • Next, I write in my morning journal
    • Each journal has the following heading: day, date, time, and temperature
    • I simply list prayers, events, or thoughts. The entry is usually 3-5 sentences.
  • Start my Bible reading plan
  • Next, I read the insight from DA Carson on the chapters I just read
  • Then, I read from the Voices of the Past devotional
  • Next, I read from Diary of Private Prayer
  • Then, I read from a thought-provoking and spirit-lifting resource
    • Right now, I’m reading the Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis
  • Finally, I Pray
  • 6:30AM – I’m usually wrapped up in 1 hour

Upon finishing this AM routine, I get ready for my day, which may include a walk, but does include looking over the schedule, starting necessary communication, and then getting dressed for the day.

This obviously isn’t the only way to cultivate order instead of chaos, but it has been very helpful for me each day. There are changes to this routine based upon changes in the day, but this routine is my aim. If I miss, I’m not stressed, I adjust, and look forward to the next morning!

Do you have a morning routine? In what ways could one create order in your life?

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Articles

Thirty-Five Ways to Care for Your Soul

by Deborah Haddix
written by Deborah Haddix

Psalm 46:10:

“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Care of the soul is serious and important work. For it is through this task that we draw closer to God and thus, deepen our relationship with Him.

A SOUL CARE CAVEAT

As we engage in this weighty work, there is a warning to be disclosed.

While we can share ideas on how to effectively care for the soul with one another, it is crucial for us to recognize that the responsibility for this work is ours alone.

Hidden in the innermost part of our being, no one else has access to our soul. Therefore, the responsibility for its care belongs to each of us individually.

Consider the following 35 practical ideas for soul care. Then, establish your personal plan – prioritize it, nail down the when and where and for how long, prepare ahead, set up a physical space, arrange childcare if needed, make it portable so that you can take it with you. Do whatever it takes for the work is crucial and the responsibility yours.

Walk with God

  • Breathe breath prayers throughout your day.
  • Say His name – “Jesus.” Out loud. Remind yourself that He is right there with you.
  • Have a heart-to-heart with God. Don’t hold back. Share your deepest concerns, fears, and thanks with Him.
  • Wear a special item of jewelry that will remind you of Jesus.
  • Practice immediate obedience to Him.
  • Keep a daily appointment with God.
  • Provide a soundtrack for your work – listen to podcasts, turn up the praise music, build playlists for different purposes.
  • Carry on conversations with Christ.

Pay Attention

  • Before your feet hit the floor in the morning, commit your day to God and invite Him to be with you.
  • Each morning, challenge yourself by asking: “In how many moments of my life today can I be consciously aware of and surrendered to God’s presence?”
  • Schedule a dedicated and consistent time for self-reflection.
  • Stay alert to God’s surprises throughout each and every day.
  • Keep your eyes open to God’s guiding hand on your life.
  • In prayer, ask your loving Heavenly Father to show you which of your attitudes, expectations, beliefs, or plans are holding you back from intimacy with Him.
  • Step away from social media and turn off your devices. Then turn your focus toward Him.
  • Lean in physically while talking with God.
  • Enlist an accountability partner or two who will help you pay attention.
  • Examine your motives regularly – Duty or love? Performance driven or response from the heart?

Engage in the Spiritual Disciplines

  • Pray Scripture. Read a Bible passage back to God as a prayer or put the passage into your own words.
  • Take prayer breaks throughout your day. Set an alarm on your phone to help you remember.
  • Listen to the Bible.
  • Write out Scripture – by hand.
  • Meditate on a passage of Scripture as you enjoy a walk.
  • Read God’s Word with a pen in hand – underline important words, make lists, draw diagrams, record your reflections, note your questions, do word studies, compare and contrast, make connections, summarize.
  • Pray as you live life – having coffee, doing laundry, waiting in line, walking the dog.
  • Offer thanksgiving, every day.
  • Preach the Gospel to yourself. Learn to spend more time talking to yourself than listening to yourself.

Rest

  • Enjoy a leisurely prayer walk through your neighborhood.
  • Set a timer and sit quietly alone with God for five minutes.
  • Spend some time alone with God – write it on your calendar, prepare for it, and if possible, get away from home.
  • Take a nap.
  • Get plenty of sleep at night.
  • Learn to wait on the Lord – in solitude and silence, with no agenda.
  • Plan a personal retreat day (or hour).
  • Let go of perfectionistic tendencies and impossibly high expectations of what things should look like. Extend grace to yourself and allow for adjustments that will better fit your current season (ie; shorter amount of time spend in daily quiet time, Bible reading and prayer spread out over time, spiritual disciplines practiced at different times of day, children included in spiritual practices).

www.deborahhaddix.com. For more resources and Bible studies, go to her amazing site!

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Devotionals

Worship is a Way of Life

by Darlene Zschech
written by Darlene Zschech

Worship should be a way of life, with many facets of expression.

 

The insistence that there is only one way to worship God has often left the body of Christ confused, fragmented, and frustrated. Some worship leaders declare that a certain defining style of worship is the only correct way to worship the Lord, but that is a narrow view of His inexhaustible riches.

Music and song are ways we can praise God’s name, but the Word says we can worship God in many ways.

We can worship with feasting (Psalm 22:29). I think that’s a great concept.

“All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—
those who cannot keep themselves alive.”

We can worship the Lord with joyful songs (Psalm 100:2).

“Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs.”

We can worship God with sacrifices and offerings (Isaiah 19:21).

“So the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day they will acknowledge the Lord. They will worship with sacrifices and grain offerings; they will make vows to the Lord and keep them.”

We can even worship by walking and jumping as the man did who had been lame was healed by the name of Jesus (Acts 3:8-9).

“He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.”

But regardless of the method, the worship of God must be in Spirit, (from our natural consciences) and in truth (consistent with our lives) John 4:24.

 

We don’t have to be great singers or musicians to worship God.

 

Our worship can be filled with radical demonstrations of praise and other times be very quiet and personal. Neither is better than the other. But we do need to be in a relationship with a personal God and live with the truth of His greatness reflecting through all we are becoming and all that we do.

 

I have lived with many unhealthy labels in my life, but I have a longing in me for the King of Heaven to label me an “extravagant worshipper.” As a worship minister, I ask worshippers to ask the question “Are we there yet? Are we there yet?” Parents will tell you that phrase is often used by their children at the beginning of a long journey. Even though it seems we have been traveling for hours, we’ve a long way to go before our worship is extravagant.

 

Extravagant worship is not achieved by taking shortcuts.

 

“When the ark of the Lord’s covenant was finally brought to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, the priests, musician, and singers joined in unison to bring extravagant worship. All the Levites who were musicians…stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps and lyres. They were accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets. The trumpeter and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they sang: ‘He is good; his love endures forever.’ Then the temple of the Lord was filled with a cloud, and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the temple of God” (2 Chronicles 5:12-14, emphasis added). The priest’s attempt to connect with God was blown away by God’s coming and connecting with them.

 

People often want quick solutions. They want directions to the easy path; but shortcuts never lead to the gold in life. Most shortcuts become setbacks. I have tried shortcuts in worship, I have tried to do things my way, but I only ended up frustrated, and the goal seemed to be slipping away.

 

To practice extravagant worship, we need to be good about saying “I lay down my life.” Come to Jesus with a grateful heart, and in everything you do, live a lifestyle of extravagant worship!

 

Taken from Extravagant Worship: Holy, Holy, Holy is He Who Was and Is and Is to Come! By Darlene Zschech. Bethany House, 2002. Used with permission.

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Sermons

What’s Really Worth Dying For?

by Levi Lusko
written by Levi Lusko

Young Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had to choose between God and facing the fury of one of the most powerful kings in history. They chose to face death rather than forsake their God. As believers, we must model the same kind of uncompromising integrity as these Hebrew teenagers. We must not bow. God will show you His work in your life that will empower you through any crisis, any challenge you face. God alone is who we have to fear.  The same God who worked in their lives can give us the strength to lay down our lives and see His deliverance at work.

Preached at Fresh Life Church.

www.sermons.love.

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Devotionals

The Key to Contentment is Surrender

by Francis Chan
written by Francis Chan

We need to live lives that demand an explanation. Paul lived this life that didn’t make any sense. In Philippians 4, he is talking about joy and contentment while chained to a prison guard in jail. If you could write a letter to your loved ones in prison, would you write about happiness or complain? In Philippians 4:13 we have the most misquoted verse in the Bible. Evander Holyfield had it on his robe “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me…” and I am going to pulverize Mike Tyson. He wore the same robe to fight Lenox Lewis, and he bit the dust. Maybe you use this verse as a promise to ace a test in class when you didn’t study. “I can do all things through Christ.” We need to look at the context of the verse.

This is what Philippians 4:10-12 says:

“I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”

Have you learned Paul’s secret? “No matter what the economy does, I don’t care.” How many people have you met that have that attitude? They are suffering and others say to them, “You should be stressed out, you should panic.” In contrast, Paul says “be content.”

Christ is enough. You can have nothing and can be content. You can be rich and be content. I really encourage you to read the Bible with an open mind. Voltaire once said, “God created man in his own image and now man is returning the favor.” We want to recreate God in the way we want to be. I want a God okay with me sleeping with my girlfriend, I want a God who says, “my body, my choice.” One author wrote, “The American church has created a middle-class Jesus.” For example, they say that it’s okay to make your nuclear family an idol. When it comes to you and your kids, take care of them first even before your relationship with Jesus. You never find that in the Bible. Christ taught us to be willing to hate father, mother, wife, kids. He said my true brothers, sisters and mother obey my words. I’m not saying we shouldn’t love our family. It’s just that following Jesus comes first. We need a radical Jesus, the Christ of the Bible. We must not settle for a middle-class Jesus.

Sometimes the words of Christ seem crazy. Like, “Quit storing things up on earth. See the birds of the air. God provides for them, He will provide for you.” If you want to find a radical Jesus, read through one of the Gospels.

Life is a lot shorter than you realize. I don’t believe I’m crazy enough. All of Jesus is enough. Anything we give to the Lord is totally worth it. Don’t let your desires color your perspective. There are things about Jesus I don’t like. I prefer He didn’t say those things. When I read what Jesus says, I’m going to try to tweak me, to conform to Jesus, even when it’s hard to do. As I’ve followed, I have found I understand why He said it. When He said it, I know He’s right. Even things on which you disagree, I would encourage you to ask the question, “What have you made Jesus to be?” You will find that a middle-class Jesus never existed. Jesus said, don’t worry about the future, God will provide.” You can know contentment today by surrendering to Jesus and His Word.

Excerpt from Philippians Sermon Series Part Four, Cornerstone Church, Simi Valley.

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Ask Roger

How Much Do You Really Love Christ?

by Roger Barrier
written by Roger Barrier

Dear Roger,

Our small group was studying the passage in John 21 where Jesus commissioned Peter to be a shepherd for His sheep. I hadn’t considered the next part before, where Jesus leads Peter to analyze how much he loved Jesus! We spent the rest of the evening discussing how deeply we felt our own love for Jesus. We all want to know more. Please help!

Love, Sam

Dear Sam,

I’d like to answer your question by contrasting the maturing of Peter’s love for Jesus with how much Mary of Bethany loved Jesus. We’ll look at three key questions:

– Do you know if your love for Christ is genuine?

– How can you grow more deeply in that love?

– How do you rekindle that love if you’ve lost it?

My goal is that we all may be better equipped to evaluate and deepen our love for Jesus at any price.

Don’t be in a hurry. Take your time. Put yourself in Peter’s and Mary’s sandals. Take time to evaluate the question, “How much do I love Jesus?”

Let’s start by looking at Peter’s love for Jesus.

A Look into Peter’s Faltering Love

Peter’s love needed rekindling. After all, he denied Jesus three times the night before the crucifixion. In John 21, we see that Peter’s done it again! He’s given up on Jesus and returned to Galilee to reopen his fishing business.

Jesus met Peter on the beach after His resurrection. He asked three soul-searching questions to help him understand just how much he loved Jesus and why that matters so much.

Read with me:

Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. (John 21:15-17)

Peter hadn’t shown His love for Jesus well. His behaviors spoke for themselves. So, Jesus challenged him, calling him to “care for the sheep,” or to lead the church.

Surely, we can do better, knowing Jesus’ love for us and His call on our lives. Starting with, what’s true about love?

Two Things Are Always True about Love

1. Love always expresses itself

I dare you to fall in love and not do something about it.

A little child plucks a daisy with no stem and comes running up to mom. Why? Because love always expresses itself.

I recall the response of one teenage girl at summer camp who was asked to define love. As she stumbled all over her words, I thought about how love might feel to that 15-year-old girl.

She said:

“It’s an inward-ish-ness; no, it’s an outward-ish-ness, no, it’s an all-over-ish-nish-ness!”

Follow that girl 10 years later as she sits with her firstborn, wiping a fevered brow all through the night. Then ask her, what is love? She’ll probably tell you that love is more giving than feeling.

If you say you love Jesus and do nothing about it, I’ll tell you that it’s just not true!

2. Love always costs

I made $25 per week preaching in a small country church during college. I had money to purchase preaching books, and gasoline and car repairs and insurance, and go to a few baseball games, but just barely!

Then, I met Julie. She took me for everything else that I had left: movies, restaurants, flowers for Valentine’s Day, birthday presents and on and on.

It wasn’t too long until she cost me everything that I had..but she was worth it!

When we truly love Jesus, we can’t help but express it. And when we truly love Jesus, it costs everything that we have.

Remember in the upper room, Peter declared that he loved Jesus better than all the other disciples? He declared, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I will never go away. I’m ready to die for you.” (John 13:37 NLT)

Shortly thereafter, Peter turned and walked away from Jesus. The cost of following was too high. So what does the Bible say about kinds, or levels, of love?

The Bible Uses Four Different Words to Describe ‘Love’

We use the word “love” for many things. We might say, “I love dogs; I love school; I love my girlfriend; I love my work; and I love to travel.” We use the word “love” every time! We don’t discriminate.

However, Greek has four different words that expand the meaning of what we call “love.”

First, the word “Storge” might be translated as the word “like.” Think “I like chicken; I like my car; I like chocolate ice cream; or, “I like my dog.”

Next, the word “Eros” refers to erotic sex or erotic love.

“Philos” basically means “close friend.” It describes “brotherly love.” This is also the word often used to describe marriage between husband and wife.

Finally, “Agape” is a love of deepest intimacy, vulnerability, sacrifice, and devotion.  It is used to describe the intimate love of God. Agape is the word Jesus used whenever He talked about love!

Agape is sacrificial, giving love that demands nothing in return: “For God so “agape’d” the world that he gave his only begotten son” (John 3:16, paraphrased). Agape loves the unlovable. Agape never quits.

Jesus Evaluated Peter’s Love Level

Let’s read John 21 again, swapping out the words Jesus and Peter actually used for “love.” Notice that Jesus used “agape” twice and then switched to “philos,” while Peter used “philos” throughout.

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love (agape) me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love (philos) you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

Again Jesus said, “’Simon son of John, do you love (agape) me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love (philos) you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love (philos) me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus had asked him the third time, “Do you love me (philos)?”

He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love (philos) you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.” (John 21:15-17)

I remember once being head over heels in love with this girl named Janet.  Finally, I got up my courage and said, “I love you with all my heart. I worship the ground you walk on.”

She said, “I like you a lot.” My seven-year-old heart was crushed.

When He got to the third question, Jesus lowered the bar from “agape” to “philos,” asking if Peter even loved him like he would love a brother. Peter said, “Well, at least I love you like a brother. I think…”

With that evaluation out of the way, Jesus began to transition Peter from fishing for men to shepherding God’s flock.

Phileo love is not enough to impel a life of obedience, service, and self-denial for Christ.

Phileo did not do it for Peter. It won’t do it for us either.

There is no shortcut. Loving Jesus and serving Him takes agape love.

By the way, eventually, Peter’s agape love for Jesus led him to Rome, where he preached the gospel with whole-hearted-agape devotion. Peter was crucified upside down, in honor of his Lord.

If Simon Peter can develop a heart full of agape love for Jesus Christ, then, so can we. And here’s another Biblical example we can learn from…

Do You Have a ‘Mary’ Kind of Love for Jesus?

We can ask “Do I love Jesus?” But perhaps this is not the right question. We will “love” Jesus. But a better question is “What KIND of love do we have for Jesus?”

Storge? Eros? Philos? Agape?

Let’s compare Jesus’s evaluation of Peter’s love with Mary of Bethany’s. Then we’ll figure out which kind of love we have for Jesus.

The most incredible picture of agape love for Jesus came during the Wednesday night before the Crucifixion. Jesus and His disciples were eating at the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus in Bethany, when Mary came bursting in the room and poured a treasure of perfume all over Jesus (read John 12:1-8).

Judas shouted: “Lord, make her stop it. She’s wasting it all on you!”

John tells us that the rest of the disciples chimed in along with Judas! Judas continued, “It would have been better to sell this perfume and give the money to the poor instead of pouring it out on you!”

Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. She’s done a great thing. She’s anointed my body for burial while I’m still alive and can enjoy it.”

Continually, He told the disciples about His own coming crucifixion and resurrection. But they never got it.

But Mary did. So, she poured out the perfume. Agape love filled the room and not one disciple recognized what was happening.

How did Mary of Bethany get to know Jesus so well that she could love him so much?

She is mentioned only three times in the New Testament; and every time she is in the same position—kneeling at the feet of Jesus.

“Mary sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he said” (Luke 10:39).

“When Mary reached the place where Jesus was, she fell at his feet and worshiped” (John 11:32).

“She took about a pint of pure nard, and poured out on Jesus’ feet and washed his feet with her hair” (John 12:3).

This was a costly bottle of perfume. According to custom, it was her retirement fund. Leave it to Judas to total up the cost: “That perfume was worth a year’s wages!”

Mary didn’t calculate! She didn’t measure it out to see how much she could spare! She just poured it all over Him. You don’t calculate that kind of love.

Pour out some of it on Jesus? Certainly!

Most of it? Commendable!

All of it? Hold it!

But Mary kept on pouring.

The amount of “perfume” we are willing to pour out is determined by our love for Jesus.

Judas said, “What a waste!”

Jesus said, “I am worth every bit of it.” Waste? Or Worth? How much is Jesus worth to you? How much do you love Jesus?

If Jesus is who the Bible says He is—and if He is what we say that He is—then it’s incredible that we falter at breaking the bottle and pouring perfume all over Him.

Love always expresses itself. Love always costs.

They didn’t take many baths in those days. I can imagine Jesus hanging on the cross when a slight breeze passed his face. “What’s that I smell? It’s the perfume. It’s Mary. She did anoint my body for burial while I was alive and could enjoy it.”

Are you ready to ask yourself?

How Much Do You Love Jesus?

The intensity of our love for Jesus is measured by the quality of our service for him. So, how much do you love Jesus?

First, those who are filled with whole-hearted love and devotion for Christ—agape love—understand that service to the sheep is the same as service done for Christ.

“Feed my lambs…Take care of my sheep…Feed my sheep.” (John 21:15-17)

Second, we love Jesus above all else.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37)

Third, we follow Christ at any price.

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.  When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” (Matthew 13:45-46)

Fourth, we care for those in need.

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” (Matthew 25:35-36)

Finally, we wash feet.

After that, Jesus poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around it. When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place.

“Do you understand what I’ve done for you? I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet that you should also wash one another’s feet.” (John 13:2-17)

If You’ve Lost Agape Love for Jesus, Here’s How to Get it Back

Agape love for Jesus was waning at the church in Ephesus. In the book of Revelation, Jesus declared that they had lost their agape love for him. As a result, he shared a simple model for restoring agape love.

First, remember what your love for Jesus used to be like when you first came to know Him.

Next, repent that it’s not that way anymore.

Finally, repeat the things you used to do when you first fell in love with Jesus.

I often tell people I fell in love with Julie, my wife, at first sight. But after loving her all of these years, I am just beginning to know how to love her more.

Well Sam, I hope that my answer gives your group more to discuss about Jesus and his love—and our love for Him.

Love, Roger

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Devotionals

Rest and Listen

by Julie Barrier
written by Julie Barrier

Have you ever thought of sleep as a gift? Symbolically, it means God the Father wants to teach you the rest you can experience by trusting in Him. Hebrews 4:9 “There remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from His own work just as God did from His.” The verse that follows is surprising—“The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” NIV

 

When we rest and listen to God, His Word helps us to understand who we are in Him. When you are in the throes of a big decision—and the car salesman or stockbroker demands an answer, the wise person will often say, “I’ll sleep on it.” Sleep gives us clarity and perspective. Sleep restores and rejuvenates us. Sleep is a gift. Neurologists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology conducted a study on sleep deprivation where several graduate students were kept awake for two consecutive weeks. At the end of the insomnia fest, all of the subjects were showing schizophrenic symptoms. Sleep is essential for our well-being. Stop squirming and start listening.

 

Isaiah 30:15

 

For thus said the Lord Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.

 

When is the last time you rested, quietly listening for God to speak? What did He say?

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Devotionals

Face and Defeat Your Fears

by David Ferguson
written by David Ferguson

What are our sources of fear? From where do they originate? Past hurts can lead to present fear. Any traumatic event-a painful divorce, a car accident, a debilitating illness can cause us to fear what’s ahead. The hurt we experienced must be properly dealt with before the fear will subside. Lies from Satan and our own self-talk can immobilize us. Satan is called the father of lies (John 8:44), which implies that he tells a lot of them, and he’s good at it. Often, his lies are intended to make us fearful. For example, you will read an article in the newspaper about teenage drug abuse and Satan will suggest, “Your kid will become part of the drug culture.” Lies can often be self-inflicted. Our minds will wander aimlessly, inadvertently attach to a random thought and embrace and embellish it. Perhaps you live with the nagging thought that you will never amount to anything. You live with the fear of failure every day. We can also fear the unusual and the unknown. Perhaps the disciples were feeling anxious about the unknown when Jesus announced that after three years of being together, He was going to leave them. Anxious thoughts no doubt raced through their hearts: “What are we going to do after Jesus leaves? Just fish and collect taxes again?” Jesus, sensing their anxiety, said to them, “Do not let your hearts by troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me.” John 14:1.

 

So how do we gain victory over fear? Here are a few simple suggestions. The mental dimension of fear is ministered to by truth. (John 8:32). The emotional dimension of fear is ministered to by perfect love. ((1 John 4:18). The volitional dimension of fear is ministered to by faith (Luke 8:25). John 8:32 says that the truth will set us free. When our fear is based on lies, truth will help bring relief. 1 John 4:18 teaches that “Perfect love casts out all fear.” Perfect love can be expressed by a reassuring presence from a loved one, a concerted effort to write, call or visit the person on a regular basis. Don’t leave them out in the cold. Perfect love is expressed by caring involvement. Helping the person to drive again after they have been in a car accident, being trustworthy for a friend who has been betrayed, listening to them as they process their fearful emotions are ways to show “perfect love.” As we look through the future, we can view it through the lens of fear or the lens of faith. Just as fear is future-oriented (we do not fear the past), faith is future-oriented. God promises, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6. “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life…your Heavenly Father knows what you need…But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:25,32-33.

 

Never face your fears alone. Jesus is there to meet you in the midst of your fear. God wants us to bear each other’s burdens (Galatians 6:2) and that includes sharing and bearing the fears and anxieties of those who are paralyzed by fear. Wouldn’t it be profitable to share with someone who loves you, all the fears and anxieties with which you struggle, and to be able to do that on a regular basis? This is God’s design and will!

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Devotionals

Is Jesus the Love of Your Life?

by Lisa Bevere
written by Lisa Bevere

Has there been a person in your life you thought you knew, but you really didn’t? Could that person be Jesus?

Stay with me as we explore this pivotal question!

The anchor that keeps us grounded throughout our journey of faith is a revelation of Jesus. Because of this anchor, Paul could not be shaken, confessing, “That is why I am suffering here in prison. But I am not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until the day of His return” (2 Timothy 1:12 NLT). Notice Paul does not say, “I know what I believe” but rather, “I know the One in whom I believe.” The Amplified Bible records, “I know Him [and I am personally acquainted with Him] whom I have believed [with absolute trust and confidence in Him and in the truth of His deity].” Simply stated: Paul possessed a personal revelation of Jesus. He knew Jesus intimately.

Many can recite facts about Jesus—much like many can recite facts about their favorite celebrities. However, knowing about someone does not equate to knowing them personally. Can you too say with conviction, “I know the One in whom I believe”

Lovely one, Jesus is not a philosophy; He is a person. Therefore, believing in Jesus is more than adhering to a creed; it’s an awakening of the heart. We see Him for Who He really is—the Son of God.

In the sixteenth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus entered the region of Caesarea Philippi and asked His disciples, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” (Verse 13 NKJV). Several disciples answered promptly. The common response was, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets” (Verse 14). Once the opinions of the crowd were shared, Jesus looked at them and asked them directly, “But who do you say that I am?” (Verse 15).

There was a moment of silence as they were confronted by a moment of truth. The men who were so eager to air the opinions of others were now lost for words. With this confrontation came the realization that they had no answer—except for the fact that they were living off the speculations of others, rather than establishing in their own hearts who Jesus really was.

Simon, whom Jesus renamed Peter, was the only one of the disciples who could answer. With boldness, he confessed, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Verse 16). With a smile and a sparkle in His eyes, Jesus responded, “Blessed are you . . . for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven” (Verse 17). One translation says, “My Father has supernaturally revealed this to you” (TPT).

The source of Peter’s revelation was God Himself, not the opinion of man. It came through direct revelation. This is what Jesus meant when He shared, “The only way people come to Me is by the Father who sent Me—He pulls on their hearts to embrace Me . . . It has been written by the prophets, ‘They will all be taught by God Himself.’ If you are really listening to the Father and learning directly from Him, you will come to Me’” (John 6:44–45 TPT).

So we see clearly that the illuminated truth of Jesus must be solidified in our heart. Jesus firmly stated, “And this truth of who I am will be the bedrock foundation of which I will build my church—My legislative assembly, and the power of death will not be able to overpower it!” (Matthew 16:18 TPT).

The revelation of Jesus is the foundation the church will be grounded on. Without this truth firmly planted within us, we’ll easily be swayed by the shifting current of public opinion. Beloved, there is a stability that results from revelation knowledge.

Are you living off secondhand information about Jesus? Who do you say that He is? Are you convinced that Jesus is the Son of God?

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Articles

How to Pray All Day

by Tim Keller
written by Tim Keller

Like many other believers, I’ve always sought to have a time of devotion and prayer every morning. And like most other believers I have found it to be a struggle to be consistent. Imagine my surprise when I came across a place in John Calvin’s Institutes where he argued that when it comes to daily prayer, once is not enough.

Calvin points to the exhortation to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and says that, of course, every Christian should aspire to pray to God constantly through the day. But, he adds, “since our weakness is such that it has to be supported by many aids, and our sluggishness such that it needs to be goaded, it is fitting each one of us should set apart certain hours for this exercise.”

Calvin taught that we should designate set times during the day that, though brief, “during them all the devotion of the heart should be completely engaged.” He proposed five times — when we wake in the morning, before we begin work, at mid-day meal, after the meal (or after the day’s work), and when we are getting ready for bed at night. He immediately adds “this must not be any superstitious observance of hours … as if paying our debt to God” and forcing him to hear us. (Institutes 3.20.50, See John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion & 2, ed. John T. McNeill, trans. Ford Lewis Battles, vol. 1, 917-918.)

I had known about this exhortation years ago, but only more recently I learned that Calvin prepared five prayers for these various times of day and they had been included in his 1542/45 Geneva Catechism. They were meant to be examples for individuals and families to use. This encouraged me to use his prayers as a foundation for composing my own.

I would encourage others to do the same thing I did with Calvin — take these as examples and use them to compose your own. I’ve found that having something written, which I can read and in my heart use as a basis for prayer to God — and taking only 1 minute for each of them — has been extremely helpful for remembering the presence of God and the truths I had learned that morning in Bible reading. It ‘frames’ the entire day with God and the gospel.

Below are the prayers I use. Again — use them as the basis for crafting your own.

Prayer upon rising: For love
Father — Thank you for the grace that preserved my life to this moment. Now give me enough love for this day — a sense of love from you (so I’m not scared or driven), a welling up of love for you (so I’m not proud or selfish), and a resulting love for others (so I am not cold or distracted). Let your Spirit illumine my mind and enlarge my heart for that. And because it means nothing to begin well if one does not persevere, I ask that you would continue and increase your grace in me until you have led me into full communion with your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, that I may see his beautiful and great glory. And as I lay down in sleep and rose this morning only by your grace, keep me in a joyful, lively remembrance that whatever happens, I will someday know my final rising — the resurrection — because Jesus Christ lay down in death for me, and rose for my justification. In Jesus’ name.

Prayer before workday: For perseverence
Lord, all day may you give me an awareness of you and your presence, fruitfulness yet patience with your appointments, wisdom and compassion in my dealings, and your fatherly protection against dangers and adversities. Let me accept whatever degree of success or difficulty in my work you give me this day, and especially make me compassionate and ready to be interrupted to do good to others. In Jesus’ name.

Prayer at Mid-day: For presence and recollection
O Lord God, thank you for sustaining my physical life through food and shelter; for giving me new life through the gospel; for the assurance that my bad things will turn out for good, my good things cannot be taken from me, and for the certainty of the best and perfect life which is yet to come. Now give me a joyful sense of your presence, and freedom from my charateristic sins of perfectionistic works-rightness, fear of criticism, and self-comfort. Don’t allow my affections to be tangled in inordinate desires for the things of this world, but let me set my heart on things above, where Christ, my life, is seated at your right hand. In Jesus’ name. (Recollect AM Bible insights)

Prayer at end of workday: For people I’ve met or dealt with today
Lord, send down your blessings, temporal and spiritual, on my family, friends, and neighbors. Bless those who have done us good today, and pardon all those who have done or wished us ill, and give them repentance and better minds. Be merciful to those who are in any trouble or suffering; and minister to them according to their needs. Do this for the sake of the one who went about doing good, the man of sorrows, your Son our Savior Jesus Christ. In his name.

Prayer upon sleep: For rest
O Lord defend us from all dangers and also from the fear of them tonight. Grant us grace, not only to rest my body, but to have spiritual repose, in soul and conscience, in your grace and love, so we might be comforted and eased in all ways. And since no day passes that I do not sin in so many ways, please bury all my offenses in your mercy, that I might not lose your Presence. Forgive me for Jesus’ sake. Finally, grant us grace always to live in such a state that we may never be afraid to die; so that, living and dying, we may be yours, through the merits and satisfaction of thy Son Christ Jesus, in whose Name we offer up these our imperfect prayers. Amen.

Beyond the Daily Devotional. www.timothykeller.com.

 

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Articles

Who or What Do You Trust?

by Bryan Blagg
written by Bryan Blagg

What do you trust? Who do you trust?

This is the overarching theme of the Bible. Where do we put our trust?

Biblically, it is called “self-righteousness” to seek outside sources for solutions to your internal problems. A fallen world innately pursues self-seeking solutions, and it is only through surrender of pride of self and complete submission to the precepts of God that we have any victories over our weaknesses. We are to seek God through confession, and surrender to Him in repentance to obtain victory. This is what pleases God the most: our full trust in Him.

Humanity has developed ten areas of self-righteousness:

 

  1. Religion
  2. Government
  3. Education
  4. Insurance
  5. Healthcare
  6. Commerce
  7. Politics
  8. Technology
  9. Entertainment
  10. Vices

 

The order of importance is different for each of us. Some rely heavily on government for their security, others rely on their vices, others their 401K. The western world is highly reliant on insurance, whereas the concept of insurance is barely a thing in other parts of the world such as Africa. We find our security in many things. Personally, I sought money, prestige, and affection for my security, and I was deep into my selfish pursuit of relief.

 

I was going to church, highly involved with many committees, volunteering, mission trips, service projects, choir, children’s teacher, usher and so much more. I know I loved God and Jesus, but I was also deep into my sin: chasing money, a very long addiction to porn, high credit card debt. I decided to transition to self-employment in order to be my own boss. I was completely focused on my ability to provide myself security and acceptance. I had made myself my god and I knew everything. After several years of trusting and relying upon myself came divorce, bankruptcy and joblessness. It broke me. I learned in the hardest way possible to fully trust in God. After having literally every aspect of my life altered, an accident with a truly miraculous outcome involving my 22-month-old son convinced me that God is in full control of even the millimeters of life.

 

Here we are in April 2020 with a virus wreaking havoc around the globe. The virus is on every continent. Almost every nation is in lockdown. We are tracking worldwide deaths, and I reflect on numerous biblical accounts: the flood, the plagues, Job, and the bowls in Revelation. Each has a common purpose: do you Trust in God?

 

Noah built a boat and got in it to live. The world laughed at Noah, but being in the boat saved his life and the life of his family: trusting in God saves lives. There were those who believed and those who did not believe. The Israelites applied the blood of a lamb over their door post and believed that God would pass over their home. There were those who believed and those who did not believe: trusting in God saves lives. The story of Job is entirely about how easy it is to believe during times of plenty and abundance, but what happens when the heat is turned up? Will you believe during times of distress? It is a story about staying firm in belief.   Lastly, I come to the bowls in Revelation 16.

 

“For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and His divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made so that they are without excuse.” Romans 1:18-20

 

“AND I heard a loud voice from the temple, saying to the seven angels, “Go and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God into the earth,” Revelation 16:1.

 

Revelation is all about the final wrath of God which has several underlying realities. First, Revelation is not His initial act of wrath; there were several others preceding it. Second, we should not be surprised when wraths come, we have the written word telling us to be prepared for these times of persecution. Third, this is what God does to prove He exists; these events leave us feeling completely out of control and that helps bring His children back to Him. When science is slow and cumbersome at providing a vaccine, quarantine policy demands isolation, stimulus relief checks get entangled in politics and food runs low in the pantry; it opens the path to seeking God for provision.

 

We are given small glimpses of God’s purpose in the verses: “…and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent, so as to give Him glory,” verse 9. And in verse 11, “and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of the pains and their sores; and they did not repent of the deeds.”

 

God wants us to give Him the Glory for being the source of overcoming the desires of our flesh. It is that simple: we accept that we are helpless and we confess our need for God’s transforming power, and we repent by trusting in Christ for the transformation. We deny God the glory of being our source when we pursue money for our security, sex for our affection, materialism for our approval, prestige for our respect. We naturally seek earthly solutions for spiritual problems instead of turning to God.

 

So here we are wanting testing, a vaccine, government imposed quarantine, shelter in place orders, social distancing, essential vs non-essential employment, relief checks, and even toilet paper as our security. We put so much trust into our institutions, but a teeny tiny virus can bring every institution to complete irrelevance. Money does not have an answer, the stock market is no help, politicians have no answers, government and its policies have no answers. The vaccine will be a year away. Churches are shut down, schools are shut down, commerce is divided between essential and non-essential services. We have no answers. Our human desire to “fix” things is placing all hope on testing and the quarantine. When will we learn?

 

In a time of great fear and anxiety, I cannot count the number of times I have heard the word “uncertainty”, but I have great peace in my trust. Neighbors, friends, family are worried about the things they cannot control. There is great fear about getting the virus, great fear about death from the virus, great fear about loss of income from the shutdown, the uncertainties can be overwhelming. We try to put our fears to peace by loading up on food, applying for unemployment, watching the news for updates on testing and the fatality rate. This fear is real. It is consuming, and it is insatiable.

 

The solution for the fears, is trusting in God. Daniel WAS put into the lion’s den, (we might get the virus), but Daniel came out the next day unharmed. The tenth plague came, He did not hold back, but trusting in Him is what got the Israelites through. Job endured the loss of his children, loss of his income, loss of his health, but Job did not waiver in his trust of God (minus a little complaining to God, which is a topic for another post). We know that this is God holding back. We know from scripture that the restrainer is still with us. We know it will get worse. The seals, the trumpets and the bowls are yet to come. All are for His predetermined purpose of purging self-righteousness and turning people towards Him.

 

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

Proverbs 3:5-6

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Articles

How to Be Devoted to Your Family and Friends

by Don McMinn
written by Don McMinn

Thirty-six times in the New Testament we see a recurring word pattern—an action verb followed by the words one another. In English grammar this phrase is called a reciprocal pronoun—I am to act a certain way toward you and you should act the same way toward me. For instance, we’re told to encourage one another, accept one another, comfort one another, honor one another (and 32 other phrases).

In the book I wrote on these actions (Love One Another: 20 Practical Lessons) I suggested that all of us should give all the one anothers to all people at all times. In short, give all to all.

  • These phrases are commands for us to obey; we can’t opt out and choose not to participate.
  • I shouldn’t pick and choose which of the one anothers I’ll give (for instance: I’ll encourage people but not accept them).
  • I shouldn’t show favoritism as to whom I give them to (for instance: I’ll encourage some people but not others).
  • I should willingly dispense these acts of grace all the time (for instance, I shouldn’t have the attitude: “I’ll give these when I’m feeling good but not when I’m upset.”

But there is one exception to the “give all to all” guideline; there is one “one another” that can be sparingly dispensed: “Be devoted to one another” (Romans 12:10).

The Greek word for “devotion” is philostorgos, which means “to cherish one’s kindred, to be fond of, to be fraternal toward others, tenderly loving, and tenderly affectionate.” Devotion implies a deep level of commitment. It is, perhaps, the only One Another that we can ration out.

Through the years, I have developed a deep sense of devotion to certain individuals, but not to everyone. My highest devotion is to my wife, children, and grandchildren. Even among my friends, I am more devoted to some than others.

Jesus did the same. He had a small group of people he was deeply devoted to: his twelve disciples. Among the twelve, there were three men in whom he confided the most: Peter, James, and John. Some would even suggest he was closest to John. He didn’t love these three men more than the others, but he did spend more time with them, allowing them to know him in ways the others didn’t. They were invited to be with Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration, perhaps the highlight of his earthly ministry, and in the Garden of Gethsemane, arguably the lowest point in his life. Jesus didn’t have favorites, but he did have intimates. He loved the world, taught thousands, but was devoted to a few.

Likewise, it’s okay for us to be selective as to whom we’re devoted to. On a practical level, it would be impossible for us to express devotion to the hundreds of people we’re acquainted with. A sense of devotion can be reserved for a few.

I am devoted to my family. I’ve jokingly told my wife, “If you ever leave me, I’m going with you.” I’m devoted to my  two daughters; through life’s ups and downs, I’ll be their faithful father. I’m devoted to my son-in-law and his daughter. Five years ago, my grandson entered my scope of devotion. As a leader, I’m devoted to members of my team. I have hundreds of good friends and feel devoted to some but not all of them.

Devotion is expressed in these terms:

  • Value — “I highly value you; you are important to me.”
  • Commitment — “I am committed to you; I pledge to be lovingly involved in your life.”
  • Long-term commitment — “I’m in this relationship for the long haul. I’ll walk with you through good times and bad. We’re friends for life.”
  • Priority — “My life, like yours, is multifaceted. However, you are a priority to me.
  • Meeting needs — “I am aware of your physical and emotional needs and want to be a part of meeting those needs.”
  • Faithfulness — “Relationally, I’m going to bind myself to you. I hope my deep commitment will make you feel secure.”
  • Vulnerable communication — “I am willing to share with you the deep issues of my life, and you can trust me with the deep concerns of your life. I want to know you in a deep, intimate way.”
  • Tenderness — “You are very dear to me.”
  • Consistency — “You can count on me to be a consistent source of love and care.”
  • Love, even unto death — “I would give my life for you.”

Question: to whom are you devoted? As suggested by the previous list, true devotion requires enormous commitment; have you made such a commitment to a few people?

Soon after Jack Benny died, George Burns was interviewed on TV. “Jack and I had a wonderful friendship for fifty-five years,” Burns said. “Jack never walked out on me when I sang a song, and I never walked out on him when he played the violin. We laughed together, we played together, we worked together, and we ate together. I suppose that for many of those years we talked every single day.”

In a sweet and sincere way, George Burns and Jack Benny were devoted to each other.

www.donmcminn.com. Used by permission.

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Articles

Who Are the Gods of Today?

by John Beeson
written by John Beeson

The competition for your devotion is fierce.

We just arrived in India: it’s my second time visiting this beautiful nation. One of the first thing that strikes you as a Westerner is just how different religious devotion manifests itself in this country. In this Hindu nation, the competition for devotion is manifested in the temples—some lavish, some simple—erected to the 33 million Hindu gods. The gods scuttle for devotion based on geographic region, power, and personality.

If Hinduism is foreign to you, you might roll your eyes at the idea of 33 million gods clamoring for your devotion. It might as foolish as believing that leprechauns are at the end of a rainbow or that there are unicorns sipping water in faraway forests.

American Gods

And yet, is our context any different? There are no fewer gods fighting for our hearts in America than there are in India.

Many Christians would be on guard in a Hindu context. You might even feel a measure of oppression passing in front of a Hindu temple. Perhaps it would make you pause and pray. And yet, the gods of the Western world barely register in our daily lives.

What gods am I speaking of? The gods of self, pride, respect, lust, comfort, distraction, law, religion, bitterness, fear, and anxiety fight for our hearts. The demigods of money, vocation, social media, job titles, cable, internet, sexuality, cell phones, productivity, health, pornography, education, body-image, cars, spouses, children, friends, sports, and on and on can do the bidding of gods.

33 million doesn’t seem like such an overwhelming number all of a sudden.

It ought to give us pause. If we were walking the streets of Chennai passing temple after temple, we would be on high alert spiritually. And yet, as Westerners, the gods of Hinduism pose a miniscule threat compared to the Western gods that litter our lives.

Gods and the Commandments

When God pronounces the Ten Commandments, he begins with a declaration of who he is: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” And then, he launches in, with the first of the Ten Commandments dedicated to admonishing his people to flee from idolatry, “You shall have no other gods before me.”

The very first commandment demands we expunge other gods from our lives. This isn’t a relic from an age-gone-by, it is a statement about the tendency of the human heart, a tendency to seek out other gods. We are those who, on our own, do have other gods before the one true God. And we must fight to rid our hearts of our attachment to these false gods.

And then, believe it or not, with only nine commandments left, God devotes yet another commandment to idolatry. He says, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God” (Exodus 20:4-5a).

Gods Put to Death

In Colossians 3, Paul declares with the incredible truth that we “have been raised with Christ (!)” Wow. That means “your life is hidden with Christ in God.” What security we have! And yet, following on the heels of this, Paul admonishes us to “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Colossians 3:5).

In other words, we have the resources of our new raised identity in Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit within us to work against the temptations of this world, and yet, we must not sit idly back and expect the idols of this world to be expunged from us. We need to be active, putting to death the gods (idols) of this world.

What are the gods in your life that you’ve become so accustomed to that you casually register their existence like an anonymous passerby on the street? Or, worse yet, we consider them our friends: they are part of the fabric of our lives and parting with them seems inconceivable.

What are the gods that already have a grip of your devotion? Where, if a loved one were to prod, would you be most defensive? What do you lean to as an emotional prop? What have you stopped fighting against because you’ve failed too many times?

My prayer is that God would give me fresh eyes in my life to see the gods straining for my devotion that, through his strength, I might put them to death. May we fight for the purity of our devotion as hard as the enemy strains to garner it.

Thebeehive.live

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Articles

How We Can See Jesus

by Randy Alcorn
written by Randy Alcorn

Do you really want to see Jesus? Randy Alcorn reflects on the happiness we will experience as we look on the face of Christ:

“Ancient theologians often spoke of the “beatific vision.” The term comes from three Latin words that together mean “a happy-making sight.” The sight they spoke of was God. To see God’s face is the loftiest of all aspirations. But sadly, for most of us, it’s not at the top of our list of desires.

Wayne Grudem writes in his Systematic Theology:

When we look into the face of our Lord and he looks back at us with infinite love, we will see in him the fulfillment of everything that we know to be good and right and desirable in the universe. In the face of God we will see the fulfillment of all the longing we have ever had to know perfect love, peace, and joy, and to know truth and justice, holiness and wisdom, goodness and power, and glory and beauty.

The most astonishing sight we can anticipate in Heaven is not streets of gold or pearly gates or loved ones who’ve died before us. It will be coming face-to-face with our Savior. To look into Jesus’ eyes will be to see what we’ve always longed to see: the person who made us and for whom we were made. And we’ll see Him in the place He made for us and for which we were made. Seeing God will be like seeing everything else for the first time.

I grew up in an unbelieving home. My dad, a tavern owner, was totally hostile to Jesus. (He remained so until he was 85 and appeared to be dying, when I had the privilege of leading him to Jesus; he lived four more years.)

When I was in high school, God drew me to Himself, and Jesus changed everything for me. God’s Son gave me my first glimpses of the Creator.  

When Moses said to God, “Show me your glory,” God responded, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you… but you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live” (Exodus 33:18-20, NIV).

Moses saw God, but not God’s face, yet in another sense “the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend” (Exodus 33:11, NASB).

God “lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see” (1 Timothy 6:16, NIV). Sinful humans were rightly terrified by the prospect of seeing God. Samson’s father, Manoah, who after seeing the angel of the Lord, told his wife, “We are doomed to die!  We have seen God!” (Judges 13:22, NIV).

Yet—and this is really striking to me—Job cried out with this ancient hope, and solid confidence: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” (Job 19:25-27, NIV).

To actually see God and not be struck dead? Job was given a promise of something that, before the incarnation of Jesus, was unthinkable!

The God who lives in unapproachable light became approachable in the person of Jesus (John 1:14). In fact, it was Jesus Himself who made God visible to us: “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known” (John 1:18).

Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father.” Jesus answered: “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:8-9, NIV).­ Jesus also said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8, NIV).

This anticipated what God promises we’ll experience after the resurrection, on the New Earth: “No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face” (Revelation 22:3-4, NIV).

“Without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14, NIV). For us to see God would require us to undergo radical transformation between now and then. And that’s exactly what will happen.

By faith in Christ, God’s children already have His righteousness, which will allow us into Heaven (see Romans 3:22; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Because we stand completely righteous before God in Christ, once we’re glorified and forever made sinless, we’ll be able to see God and live!

Incredible. Yet absolutely true!

For more on Jesus, see Randy’s book Face to Face with Jesus: Seeing Him as He Really Is.

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Ask Roger

Experience Jesus like Never Before: A Meditation

by Roger Barrier
written by Roger Barrier

Dear Roger,

 

I grew up at Casas Church. I remember how you occasionally closed each service by asking the congregation to bow their heads and close their eyes. Then, you guided us through a meditation on a particular biblical passage or story.

 

I use meditation as part of my quiet times. These meditations often take me into a Bible passage where I see and learn things that I have never noticed before. I often hear God speaking to me very clearly during those times.

 

I remember one particular meditation that you led us through from Hebrews 12:2, about the crucifixion of Jesus. If you remember it, will you please share it with me? I’d like to begin using it again. It meant so much to me.

 

Sincerely, Jamie

 

 

Dear Jamie,

 

I remember. That passage is foundational to me … in fact, meditating on the crucifixion has been key to my personal spiritual growth. I will walk you through it.

 

But first, let me share how I begin my meditation times.

 

First, I find a secluded place, close my eyes and breathe slowly and deeply.

 

Second, I quiet my mind.

 

Third, when the time seems right, I think of a biblical passage, verse, or Bible story that I want to dig into and discover more.

 

Fourth, I try to imagine what people are saying and feeling as if I were a participant. I meditate not just on what people say, but upon the feelings and emotions behind their words.

 

For example, I like to meditate on the man or woman who was last in line to make it through the Red Sea. Do you see him running as fast as he can? She sees the Egyptian chariots getting closer and closer. Do you see the fear in his eyes as Moses lifts his staff in preparation for closing the sea? Look at the relief as she reaches Moses and safety. Imagine what she learns from her experience … “God rescues. If He rescued the Israelites, then He certainly will rescue me.”

 

Try meditating on each phrase in the Lord’s Prayer. I suppose we could spend 20 or 30 minutes just on, “Our Father.”

 

We could spend a week on, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.“

 

Finally, I always end my meditation with time spent thanking Jesus for meeting with me, and then tell Him how much I’m looking forward to next time.

 

LET’S MEDITATE TOGETHER

 

Join me in a meditation on Hebrews 12:2: “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despised the shame, and is now sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

 

Take a few minutes to pray, quiet your mind, and prepare your heart.

 

“LET US FIX OUR EYES ON JESUS”

 

How do you picture Jesus? I picture Him like this:

 

He is wearing sandals with dusty feet. His homespun robe is girded with a short piece of rope. I think about all the things that rope saw during three years of His earthly ministry. Jesus has a light olive complexion. His hair is the color of ripe chestnuts, falling down past His shoulders, parted in the middle. His eyes are light brown and filled with delight as He gazes at me. Our eyes meet. He has an incredible look of love and compassion. I am drawn into His presence.

 

“THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF OUR FAITH”

 

I see Jesus sitting at a table with pen and pencil in hand, sketching out His plan for the salvation of mankind. He’s enjoying the moment … thinking about the ultimate outcome of overcoming sin and death, restoring relationships with all of humankind. The cross will be hard; nevertheless, “for the joy saving us,” He believed that the pain is worth it.

 

“DESPISING THE SHAME”

 

No one likes to be shamed. I hate being shamed.

 

I had a terrible case of acne when I was in the seventh grade. School was almost out for the day and some of the students were talking with the history teacher, Mrs. Horne. One of the students brought up the subject of complexions and the next thing I heard was Mrs. Horne shaming me: “What’s the matter with Roger, doesn’t he wash his face enough?

 

I froze with embarrassment and shame. I’ve never gotten over that moment. It took me a long time before I could forgive her—the old hag.

 

Look at Jesus Christ. He despised the shame, being hated even by those He served and loved. I try to imagine how that must have felt…the sorrow and pain. And yet He endured the cross, for the joy of saving us.

 

A SHAMEFUL REJECTION

 

When Jesus came to His hometown, He faced incredible rejection. Imagine how he must have felt as some of his childhood friends tried to throw him over an embankment (Luke 4:28-30). Imagine how he felt as he walked out, never to return home? He’s thinking, “How could they do this to me.”

 

Look at His face as His heart was breaking.

 

A SHAMEFUL ACCUSATION

 

See him standing before the Priests, Annas and Caiaphas. They charged him with blasphemy (Mark 14:56-64) … with turning His back on His own Father.

 

Can you imagine his feelings? He who loved as He loved … He who obeyed as He obeyed … to charge Him with blasphemy must have caused him intense sorrow and suffering.

 

Mocking His Kingship

 

They took him to Pilate: “Are you a King?”

 

Here stands the King of all creation. He was there at the beginning of time, the ultimate King of Kings. And He deliberately humbled Himself: “As a lamb before his shearers is dumb, so He opened not his mouth.”

 

So, what did they do to the King? Did they bring Him robes and bow down to worship the King of Kings? No, they placed a crown of thorns on his forehead, spit on Him and mocked Him. Try to place yourself in His sandals; do you sense His sorrow.

 

MOCKING HIS DEITY

 

They dragged Jesus before Herod. The Roman soldiers stripped and blindfolded Him, and they began to poke the Son of God with sticks, saying “If you really are God tell us who struck you.”

 

How did it feel for Jesus to hear, “Do some tricks to prove that you are God,” and we’ll let you go free”? Did He feel angry? Hurt? Frustrated? How would you have reacted?

 

MOCKING HIS PRAYERS

 

Never before do we read in the annals of execution that anyone mocked the prayers of a dying man … except for Jesus’s crucifixion. Villains about to die ask, “Give me a minute or two to pray.” “Well, of course.”

 

Look at Jesus. Every prayer is an object of jest. “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabacthani… My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me?” The religious leaders made a pun. “He calls for Elijah! Let’s see if Elijah will come and rescue Him!” (Mark 15:33-37).

 

The sorrow. The pain. The hurt.

 

THE SHAMEFUL CROSS

 

Men have devised many horrible ways to kill: guillotine, gas chamber, electric chair, mustard gas, nuclear weapons, hanging, and firing squad … among others.

 

Nevertheless, I suppose nothing is more shameful than the cross.

 

Modern forensics sheds much light on the manner of crucifixion. Take some time to imagine this…

 

Death begins with scourging, which progressed slowly for maximum suffering. The whip quickly pierced the epidermis. Little bleeding occurred as the veins contracted. As the whip cut deeper into the tissue, larger vessels began to bleed freely. The whip cut through the intercostal muscles into the spine and lungs. Imagine …  think about the level of pain … Jesus’s whipping has been compared to a shotgun blast at short range.

 

Our traditional view of Jesus’s feet crossed and nailed in front of the cross is challenged by the 1968 archaeological discovery of a complete skeleton of a crucified man in his early thirties that dated to the first century. A five-inch nail was hammered through the side of his heel.

 

In other words, instead of crossing his feet in the front of the cross, his feet were positioned, one to each side of the cross and the nails driven through the side of the heel and into the wood. The knees are bent back for maximum pain.

 

To take a breath, Jesus had to push up on those excruciatingly painful legs with all of His strength. One agonizing push … one agonizing breath …

 

The question about ropes to hold his arms and body up is easy to answer. He needed ropes. Whether nailed in the hand or wrist, a crucified body will pull away from the cross with only 40 to 60 pounds of pressure.

 

WHAT CAUSED HIS DEATH?

 

A combination of things contributed to Jesus’s death: dehydration, exhaustion; hypovolemic shock; blood loss; and/or hypoxia when he was no longer able to push up to open his lungs to breathe. Imagine the agony of each breath … do you feel His pain? His suffering?

 

Frankly, I think that Jesus died from a broken heart.

 

Under stress, his heart literally rips open. It feels like an intense heart attack. Jesus cries out just before death: “It is finished; into your hands I commit my spirit.” All is quiet. He’s gone.

 

Perhaps 30 minutes after his death, a soldier thrust his spear into Jesus’s side, and out gushed blood and water. Today we know that a tear in His heart likely began to fill the pericardial sac with blood. The sword pierced the pericardial sac and out gushed blood and clear pericardial fluid which looked like water.

 

Now, meditate on the musings of the crowd. Don’t you know that His tender heart bled as He was put to death by the very ones He had come to save!

 

This was His world, His men; His nails, His cross … and they did not recognize Him.

 

His head fell on his breast. They said, “He’ll never lift that head among the multitudes again!”

 

They said, “Look at his hands. Those were the hands which healed the sick, raised the dead, touched lips, made mud and opened blind eyes, commanded the winds to calm the storm. He will never use those hands again.”

 

By the way, to the crowd he was just another crazy rebellious Jew to add to long list of others crucified by Rome … how far from the reality could they be?

 

A SIGNIFICANT DEATH

 

Consider what made Jesus’s death different from all other deaths.

 

His death on the cross was a divine transaction to take upon Himself the sins of the whole world. He took the punishment we deserved for our sin so that we could be forgiven given, fit for heaven and experience eternal life.

 

What does that mean to you? He took on your sin … He died for you. Take that in for a moment. Then reflect on John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whosoever believes in him might not perish, but have eternal life.”

 

One more time, read and reflect on Hebrews 12:2; “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, despised the shame, and is now seated on the right hand of the throne of God.”

 

Why endure it? Why? Why? Because He could see the joy on the other side of the cross—the joy of saving us … saving you.

 

RESURRECTION GLORY

 

Catch the end of Hebrews 12:2, Jesus is “now seated on the right hand of the throne of God.”

 

Jesus’s story doesn’t end with bleak suffering on the cross. He was brought back to life. And He is now at right hand of God.

 

Today is the day to bow before Christ and confess Him as your Savior and Lord. Who is He to you? What does His life, death, and love mean to you personally? How does knowing Jesus change you?

 

Now, imagine the scene as you close your meditation. You’re standing in an unending crowd of people stretching out in all directions. Suddenly Jesus appears and everyone kneels in unison and cries out: “Jesus Christ is Lord.”

 

And you know that He is.

 

Amen

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Ask Roger

Why Do I Suffer and How Do I Survive?

by Roger Barrier
written by Roger Barrier

Dear Roger,

My family is falling apart. I have lost my job, my son is on drugs, and I lost my retirement fund when my company went bankrupt. Has God forgotten me? Why am I suffering so? How do I survive this crisis?

Sincerely,

BH

Dear BH,

I have noticed that intense suffering has a myriad of effects on people—but two results predominate. Some rise above it. Their lives are literally deepened and “made” by the experience. Others wallow in it and never get over it. Let me share a few thoughts on the biblical view of suffering.

A good theology of suffering begins with our world-view. This is not a perfect world. It is a good world. It is filled with many good things—after all, God made it. But, it is broken. It is bent. The fall of some angels and the fall of man have left our world full of suffering and evil and pain. In fact, God tells us that Satan is the god of this world. There are some things that we will just have to live with—we are not entitled to know all the answers now. We will learn all the answers later (1 Corinthians 13:12).

Remember that God is willing to give you understanding when you are walking through hard times. James writes in James 1:2-5:

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” NIV

Here are a few questions you can ask when you are experiencing suffering:

1. Am I paying a price for following Christ? (Acts 5:41; Philippians 1:29)
2. Am I suffering for doing good? (1 Peter 3:17; 4:12-19)
3. Is this discipline (punishment) for a sin I’ve committed? (Joshua 7:10-12; John 5:14; 1 Corinthians 11:31-32; James 5:13-16)
4. Is this intended to keep me from future sin? (2 Corinthians 12:7)
5. Is God using this so that His glory may be on display in my life? (John 9:1-3; 2 Corinthians 4:7-12).
6. Is this an instructive experience (discipline) designed for my personal growth and/or spiritual maturity? (Job 23:10; Romans 5:3-5; Hebrews 12:4-11)
7. Is this designed to increase my faith and God-dependence? (Matthew 8:23-27)
8. Is God using this to mold me into the image of Christ? (Romans 8:28-29)
9. Is it time to die? (Psalm 90:10; John 11:4)

It is hard to know what to say to a person who has been struck by tragedy, but it is easier to know what not to say:
1. Don’t say anything critical of the mourner (“don’t take it so hard,” “try to hold back your tears, you’re upsetting people”).
2. Don’t say anything which tries to minimize the mourner’s pain, (“it’s probably for the best,” “it could be a lot worse”). Minimizing the mourners pain is likely to be misguided and unappreciated.
3. Don’t say anything which asks the mourner to disguise or reject his or her feelings, (“we have no right to question God,” “God must love you to have selected you for this burden”).

Once we are well into mourning and comforting, it is time to move on with the healing.

However we answer (or are unable to answer) the Why question, there comes the time to move on by asking the question, “Now that this has happened to me, how am I going to respond?” This answer to this How question is best lived out in relationships.

God never intended for us to handle our sufferings alone.

1. Turn to God

Remember Psalm 23:4: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Learn to “pray from the inside out.” As we mature in Christ we transition from the temporal to the eternal. God is much more concerned that we are praying for our spirit which is eternal than for our body which is decaying and will soon perish (Ephesians 1:15-19; 3:14-19; Philippians 1:9-11; Colossians 1:9-12). God will answer prayers for the maturity of our inside spirit 1000 times out of 1000. God will sacrifice the body every time if that is what is needed to mature our inner, eternal spirit. God gives us the grace when we need it—often not a minute earlier: “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). Notice the growth in maturity and understanding in Jacob’s life from when he first prayed in the midst of suffering near the beginning of his walk with God (Genesis 28) to how he prayed twenty years later (Genesis 32).

2. Turn to others

Don’t go through suffering alone. Now is the time for encouragement, advice, lessons, logic and reasons, understanding, dealing responsibly with guilt—and more comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

3. “And it came to pass…” This means that all of our sufferings will one day come to an end, whether during our lifetime, or when we reach heaven. The world is not our home. Seasons of life come and go.

Hope this helps.

Love,

Roger

 

 

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Why Was Cain Guilty of Murder? 10 Commandments in Genesis

by Tom Terry
written by Tom Terry

In a recent Facebook post I asked the question, “How could Cain be guilty of murder when there was no law against murder?” A few people answered the challenge, but no one really had a specific answer of how Cain could be guilty of breaking a law against murder when no law existed. Such an objection goes to the heart of God’s justice. How can God hold someone accountable for something if that person does not know it is wrong?

So, to answer the question, how could Cain be guilty of murder? Simple. He broke the law. Contrary to popular understanding, there was a law against murder found in Genesis 1. The law that Cain broke is referred to as the Cultural Mandate (Genesis 1:26-31), and sometimes called the Edenic Covenant followed by the Adamic Covenant (Genesis 3:14-21). Allow me to show you where a law against murder is found in the Cultural Mandate.

When we think of law in the Bible our thoughts immediately turn to the Ten Commandments. We understand the Ten Commandments as law. But just because the commandments were explicitly revealed in Exodus 20 doesn’t mean that these principles did not exist prior to that time, even going all the way back to Adam and Eve. The commandments were not explicitly stated in Genesis 1, but we can make the case that they could be derived or were implied from the first covenant. In fact, we can derive all Ten Commandments from the Cultural Mandate and the events in Genesis 1-3. Here’s a list of the commandments with brief explanations about how they are derived from the Cultural Mandate:

No other Gods — God is the only Creator, therefore other gods do not exist (1:27).
No idols or images — the only valid image of God is humanity (and Jesus). God made man in his image (1:27).
Taking God’s name in vain — God’s power and name is on display in his creation. To misuse his name is to malign his character and power.
Sabbath day — the sabbath was established in Genesis 2:1-3.
Honor your father and mother — God is father and his rule, expressed in his giving of commands in Genesis 1 and 2 demonstrates that we should honor him.
Do not murder — God’s command to man was to “Be fruitful and multiply.”  This is a command to create and spread life. Murder is the opposite of this and thus a violation of this command.
Do not commit adultery — God created one man and one woman in a condition where adultery was impossible.
Do not steal — God denied Adam and Eve the forbidden fruit. It did not belong to them. To eat it they had to steal it.
Do not lie — God truthfully told Adam and Eve what they were, and what to do, in the Cultural Mandate. It was Satan who accused God of lying.
Do not covet — implied when God forbade them the fruit. Later, when Eve saw (from her perspective) that it was desirable, she coveted what she was forbidden from having.
From this very brief examination of the Cultural Mandate and the events surrounding the fall, we can see that the Ten Commandments were not new information to Moses’ generation. They were pre-figured in the Cultural Mandate. This is why Cain did, in fact, break law when he murdered his brother Abel.

Some have thought, based on their reading of Romans that there was no biblical law prior to Moses. They base this on two statements found in Romans.

“For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression” (Romans 4:15). “For sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law” (Romans 5:13).

But when we examine the context of Romans 4 and 5 we discover that Paul is not saying that there was no law prior to Moses. Rather, he is saying that law is not counted against us because we are in Christ—by faith. There was law before Moses. Even the simple command, “You shall not eat,” is a law.

Adam was counted a sinner because he violated the covenant, the Cultural Mandate. Sin is not counted against us in Christ because there is no law against us as long as we have faith in Christ.

As modern Christians we sometimes think that because we are under faith that we are not under any law. But that is not true. We fail to understand that the Cultural Mandate is a form of law. It preceded and prefigured the Ten Commandments and Jesus. In fact, all covenants are an application of the first covenant, including the Great Commission (Matthew 28). When understood in this light we realize that the Great Commission itself is a law no different than the Cultural Mandate or Ten Commandments. Therefore, if we are not involved in the Great Commission in some way then we are breaking the law and sinning against the commandment of Christ. And what is a law if not a commandment?

What shall we say to these things? Based upon what we’ve seen here we can determine that the Ten Commandments are therefore not for Jews only, but for everyone, for all of humanity. The Cultural Mandate is also for us. Sin is the violation of God’s covenants and commands. But when we seek to fulfill these commands, under the power of the Holy Spirit, we experience God’s blessing.

——
Tom Terry can be reached through his website: www.thomasterry.com. 

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Good Intentions to God Intentions

by Randy Carlson
written by Randy Carlson

“Figure out what will please Christ, and then do it!” (Ephesians 5:10 The Message)

 

It’s a life-altering directive and where living intentionally begins. Intentionality then occurs when you combine information and insight to compel you to action in each of the five essential areas of life: Faith, Family, Health, Finances and Work.

 

Yet what should be the basis for your intentions? Better asked: What does God look at to judge that your intentions are right – and from Him?

 

1 Samuel 16:7 says, “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

 

Think of a grill thermometer. The steak may look done on the outside, but the thermometer will reveal whether the meat is fully cooked inside. Our lives are the same way. Appearances are fine, but deep down are areas that are still not done to completion.

 

So what is the mechanism the Lord uses to help you see inside yourself?

 

“The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

 

The Bible is the thermometer. We look at Scripture as a guide and encouragement, and that’s good. But the Word of God will also, like the thermometer, pierce you; it’ll challenge you to place your life’s journey in alignment with God’s intentions.

 

At this point, it’s one thing to say you’re going to use this insight to live intentionally. It’s quite another to actually move forward. In Part 2 we’ll tackle the nasty issue of procrastination and the good intentions it creates that stay unrealized and destructive.

 

More Than Just a Good Intention

2: God’s Intentions are Best!

Procrastination is progressive and it stifles your efforts to live an intentional life in Christ.

 

Martin Luther had it right when he said, “How soon ‘Not now’ becomes ‘Never’.” In the Bible, Nicodemus with Jesus (John 3) and Felix before Paul (Acts 24) are both examples of people who had good intentions about knowing and following God, but they procrastinated – never following through on what Christ told them. You can easily do that as well.

 

Psychologists have identified a myriad of reasons why we procrastinate:

 

  • Complex projects seem daunting
  • Projects are deemed unpleasant
  • An inability to prioritize
  • Fear of failure
  • Distractions

 

The old saying says, “The path to Hell is filled with good intentions.” These good intentions have a definite pattern that may seem all-too-familiar to you: 

1.     Good intentions recognize a need in your life that

2.     Creates an interest where you want to know more, but then

3.     Leads to an emotional response, usually fear, that holds you back from doing anything else.

 

Other truths about good intentions:

  • They are not decisions; they’re just illusions of good decisions.
  • They release you from guilt, making you feel better. But you never take it further.
  • They’re all about the future, but not connected to now.
  • They’re not accountable to anyone else except yourself.
  • They promise much, require little, but accomplish nothing.
  • They are the facilitator of procrastination.

 

So how do you go forward from having good intentions that do nothing to possessing God’s intentions that do something and can be life-changing? 

 

3: God-given Passion

A good intention alone is fed by procrastination and accomplishes nothing. But God’s intentions, when birthed in your life, will not only move you forward. They can accomplish the incredible for you, and dramatically impact the lives of others.

 

What do I mean? Take the example of one of my favorite Bible personalities, Nehemiah. He discovered God’s intention for his life by using the process of having a good intention – then taking it to the next level. Nehemiah:

 

  1. Recognized a need (the walls of Jerusalem were destroyed, and his people were in danger – Nehemiah 1:3), that then…
  2. Created an interest where he wanted to know more (Nehemiah sought God for insight – Nehemiah 1:4-11), which then…
  3. Led to an emotional response; not fear, but bold faith (Nehemiah went to the king and secured permission and resources to rebuild the walls – Nehemiah 2:1-8)

 

The key was this: Nehemiah asked God, “What is your intention about this situation?” When he received the answer from the Lord, he immediately acted because he had a God-given passion about the need. I love that!

 

Often, people with bad intentions have more motivation than those with good intentions because they, too, have a passion: to kill, to steal, to cheat. Yet when you break through to discover God’s intentions for you, you’ll do the right things based on His leading and direction, not yours.

 

Now think. What are God’s intentions for you regarding your faith, family, health, finances and work? How can you employ your thinking, emotions and action to live intentionally?

 

You start by finding the next right One Thing for each area of your life. You can live by Ephesians 5:10, “Figure out what will please Christ, and then do it!” (The Message)

 

http://www.theintentionallife.com/onething/  Used by permission of the author. 

 

 

 

 

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10 Reasons Why Reaching Muslims for Christ Should Be a Priority for Every American Christian

by Alex McFarland
written by Alex McFarland

Church history shows us that in key periods of time, God gives specific assignments to His followers.  In times past, when God’s church has been at its most prayerful, courageous, unified and culturally engaged, the Lord has used His people to:

 

•    Fight slavery

•    End segregation

•    Fight human trafficking

•    Fight child labor

•    Promote literacy

•    Oppose gladiatorial combat / death games (in ancient Rome)

•    Fight infanticide (throughout history)

•    Oppose child marriage (in 3rd world countries)

•    End temple prostitution (Rome)

•    Stand against child sexual abuse and child prostitution

•    Fight the view that wives are mere “property”

•    Fight for fair treatment of prisoners

•    Promote the equality of mankind

•    Build hospitals, create relief agencies, and invest for the betterment of the human condition …etc., etc.

 

Clearly, when followers of Jesus link arms for cultural engagement, the trajectory of history is changed.  As Christians we must ask, “What may I do in my lifetime that will count for eternity?  How may my life and abilities be invested in Christ’s Great Commission?”

 

For the following ten reasons, the conversion of Muslims must be a top priority for Christians in America.

I also want to share with you HOW to win a Muslim to Christ. Reaching them with Jesus’ love is the only way to truly change the world.

 

1. Love of Truth

Christians are called to love what is true (Philippians 4:8).

The truth is:

•    Mohammed was not a true prophet, because he taught things that contradict Scripture;

•    Allah is a false god, because there is only one true God, the father of Jesus Christ;

•    The Quran is not a holy book, as Scripture clearly warns against adding anything to God’s Holy Word;

•    The message of Islam does not correspond to reality, as its ‘truth claims’ or doctrine are false. These include its interpretation of history, its views of the Jewish people, and its murderous perspective of non-Muslims.

Christians must oppose Islam because it is demonstrably false. Because we are called to love what is true, as Christians, we should want to see Muslims come to know the truth as well.

 

2. Devotion to Jesus Christ

One of the biggest differences between Islam and Christianity is the view on the nature and mission of Jesus.

 

Muslims often show respect for faithful followers of Isa (Jesus). And in some places, Islam affirms Christ, called “Messiah,” the Word of God, Spirit of God, “born of the virgin Mary.” Muslims are to honor prophets, and Jesus is called a prophet, and the Koran even says that Jesus performed miracles, and raised someone from the dead.

 

The prophet Mohammed is given none of these accolades in the Koran.

 

However, no Christian can affirm Islam because of its clear denials and distortions about Jesus. 

 

Islam denies:

•    The deity of Jesus

•    The incarnation of Jesus

•    The Trinitarian understanding of Jesus

•    The crucifixion of Jesus

•    The atonement for sin by Jesus

•    Jesus’ physical resurrection from the grave

Scripture provides a clear way to test whether a prophet is true or false. A true prophet will not deny the deity of Jesus Christ (Col. 2:8-9), and a true prophet will not deny the humanity of Jesus Christ (1 John 4:1-2). Because Islam denies Jesus’ deity, a Christian cannot consider Islam a true religion.

 

3. Commitment to Scripture

2 Timothy 3:16 clearly teaches that all Scripture is God-breathed, inspired by God, and as Christians, we are called to be not only hearers of the Word of God but also doers, lest we deceive ourselves (James 1:22).

 

Adherence to God’s Word in its entirety is not optional for true believers in Christ. As a result, ‘watering down’ the truths proclaimed in Scripture and acceding that all religions are equal is clear disobedience to God’s Word.

 

4. Compassion for Lost Souls

One of the most important reasons we must pray and work for the conversion of Muslims is that we should be heartbroken that 1.6 billion souls are lost and without hope. There is no other name but the name of Jesus by which we can be saved (Acts 4:12).

 

5. Respect for Human Rights

The abuse of women and children in Islamic culture is well-documented, as is the persecution of so-called ‘infidels.’ Forced marriage of young girls and the overt repression of woman is often not only accepted but welcomed. Islam upholds no intrinsic value of human life as created in the image of God, but values only those lives that bring ‘honor’ to the Prophet. There is supposed ‘honor,’ however, in killing those who dishonor him.

 

In The Clash of Civilizations, Harvard University Professor and former Carter Administration cabinet member Samuel P.  Huntington wrote:

 

“Wherever one looks along the perimeter of Islam, Muslims have problems living peaceably with their neighbors. Muslims make up about one-fifth of the world’s population, but in the 1990’s, they have been far more involved in inter group violence than the people of any other civilization. The evidence is overwhelming…There were, in short, three times as many intercivilizational conflicts involving Muslims as there were conflicts between all non-Muslim civilizations. (Huntington, Samuel. The Clash of Civilizations. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1996. p. 256-258.)

 

As Christians, we are called to esteem others more highly than ourselves (Philippians 2:3); therefore, we should be dedicated to urging Muslims to turn away from a belief system that abuses human rights.

 

6. Belief in God-Given Liberty

Because America is the land of the free, our nation has been able to send missionaries worldwide to share the love of Jesus Christ, and here at home, we have been able to minister to the poor, help the downtrodden, and practice our faith freely. As Christians, if we believe in this God-given liberty and freedom of conscience, we must work to convert Muslims to faith in Jesus, or else, we stand to lose our liberty.

 

Consider that there are 2.4 million Muslims in US today. Two-thirds of these are immigrants, having come here from 68 countries. According to a USA Today article from May 23, 2007, “The USA’s 2.4 million Muslims hold more moderate political views than Muslims elsewhere in the world.”  However, “pockets of sympathy for Islamic extremism (exist in the US), especially among younger people.” Additionally, “47 percent of Muslims consider themselves Muslims first and Americans second.”

 

Huntington also wrote: “It is hard to find statements by any Muslims, whether politicians, officials, academics, businesspersons, or journalists, praising Western values and institutions.”  (Huntington. The Clash of Civilizations. p. 213.)

 

7. Patriotism toward America

Our primary allegiance as Christians must always be to Christ alone; yet, as we have been given the blessing to live in a free nation founded on Judeo-Christian principles, we also have the responsibility to defend our freedoms, as they provide the best opportunity for sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

When Christopher Columbus wrote in his journal about his life purpose as well as his understanding of God’s hand in his actions, his words read that he was “devoted to the holy Christian faith and propagators thereof, and enemies of the sect of Mahomet (Mohammed) and of idolatries and heresies” and that his purpose in traveling to parts of India was “to see those princes and peoples and land and the character of them and of all else, and the manner which should be used to bring about their conversion to our holy faith…”

 

Columbus also frequently quoted Matthew 28:19-20 (The Great Commission) and Acts 1:8 (“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” NIV) in relation to himself, and he believed God had a divine plan for the North American continent and that he was a part of it. And central to this plan was sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

Contrast this with the belief of Islam regarding America. Listen to the words of extremist leaders:

•    “The real matter is the extinction of America, and God willing, it will fall to the ground.”  Mullah Mohammed Omar, January, 2002

•    “The White house will turn black with God’s help, and America, England, and Israel should be destroyed.” Jerusalem Mufti (the highest Islamic religious teacher in Jerusalem)

•    “Jihad is our path, let us damn America, let us damn Israel.” Sami Al-Arian, Kuwaiti native and University of South Florida professor

•    “Have no mercy on the Jews, where ever you are, kill those Jews and the Americans who are like them.” Sheik Ahmed Abu Halabiya, in a sermon broadcast on Palestinian Authority television

Consider this: An October 2001 survey of over 500,000 people from so-called “Moderate” Islamic nations yielded more than one-half million responses affirming that Osama Bin Laden—the mastermind behind the 9/11 terror attacks on America— is viewed as  “a folk hero, and a righteous Muslim.”

 

If we love our nation, Christians must pray for the conversion of Muslims.

 

8. Concern for our Descendants

 

Recent billboards in Cairo, Egypt read: “The Muslims are coming! We are going to change the face of the world by Islam, and rule by the Koran!”

 

Dave Phillips is a campus minister to international students, and he works with many Muslim youth, both American and immigrant. In his words:

 

“Muslim parents tend to pass down the good, and bypass the darker stories of the past. They never mention the Christian youths persecuted by Muslims and forced to convert and become the Janissaries, during the Ottoman Empire. They never mention the hundreds of thousands of Armenians killed in Turkey in 1915. Even today, they ignore the Sudanese government which imposes Sharia law on Christian black tribes… through starvation and military attacks.” (Taber. Muslims Next Door. p. 60.)

 

The bloody legacy of Islam has already impacted our generation:

•    Pan Am Flight 103

•    World Trade Center bombing, 1993

•    US Military bombings, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia

•    American Embassy bombing, Africa

•    USS Cole bombing

•    World Trade Center Towers, 9-11-01

•    Jihad killings of 3,000,000 in Sudan (at one point, 800,000 Christians were killed in under 90 days)

Unless the advance of Islam is halted, this is the future our children will face.

 

9. Quest for Self-Preservation

“It [Islam] is the only religion that was started in conscious opposition to Christianity.” (Hume, R.E. The World’s Living Religions. New York, New York:  Charles Scribner & Sons. p. 213.)

 

In his book, The World’s Living Religions, R.E. Hume, Ph.D. writes, “Mohammed was a domineering, warring, autocrat. He prescribed war, and advocated violence toward all non-Muslims.” (Hume 218). And perhaps even more sobering is Hume’s observation: “Nowhere in the world is there a notably successful self-governing national administration which has been started by Muslims.”

 

Yet, today, we see Muslims not only refusing to assimilate into Western culture in terms of accepting Western law but also attempting to infiltrate Western culture with Sharia law. Islam has one goal: dominance. Yet, such dominance can exist only when self-government is obliterated.

 

10. Worship of God

 

In all of this, our highest motive for wanting to see the conversion of Muslims is not so the world will be less violent. It’s not even so 1.6 billion people will avoid hell. For the Christian, our desire to see the conversion of Muslims is also motivated by our desire for there to be more worshippers of the living God!

 

John Piper said that “…missions and evangelism exists, because worship of the true God does not currently exist among all peoples.”

 

Conclusion

A great spiritual battle is taking place in our nation, and it’s one that will not resolve on its own. We would do well to remember the worlds of Benjamin Franklin, spoken to the delegates working through a period of crisis during the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia:

 

“We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings, that ‘except the Lord Build the House they labor in vain that build it.’ (Psalm 127:1). I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our little partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a reproach and bye word down to future ages.”(Farrand, Max, ed. The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787. Volume I. p. 451-452.)

 

How Do We as Christians Respond to Islam?

Certainly, there is a theological response to Islam. For example:

•    Jesus’ claims about salvation were confirmed by an unparalleled degree of proof. Christ physically rose from death, confirming who He was and what He taught. Mohammad’s teachings were not accompanied by supernatural confirmation, and the Muslim prophet himself said he did no miracles.

•    Compelling data affirm the trustworthiness of the Bible. Muslims believe the New Testament is not trustworthy because the original documents allegedly have been altered over the years. However, no one can point out the alleged “changes” or when they were supposedly made. The corruptions simply aren’t there.

•    John 3:16’s literal meaning matters. Whether a Bible translation reads that Jesus is God’s “only begotten Son” or “one and only Son,” this verse does not imply that God had physical relations with Mary, as Muslims believe. The original language asserts that Jesus is, literally, “of the same nature” or “essence” as the Father.

•    Christianity is unique in that Jesus is a loving and sinless Savior. The Koran’s suras 40:55 and 48:1-2 teach that Muhammad was a sinner. Because Jesus possessed both full divinity and sinless humanity, He was qualified to die sacrificially and capable of rising by His own power.

•    Christians have an intimate personal relationships with Jesus and great joy knowing they are secure in Christ (John 10:28-29). Where one stands with God is the most important issue of life—more important than culture, family background or social customs.

There is also a practical response:

•    Pray! Prayer is indispensable. Indeed, Scripture teaches that God the Father is the One Who draws people to Jesus.

•    Be very kind to Muslims.

•    Be very humble, and avoid an air of superiority or cockiness at all costs.

•    Be patient, and be ready to re-explain certain things several times.

•    Quote the Bible freely. Muslims have a degree of reverence for the Bible.

•    Focus on Jesus Christ.

•    Emphasize that Christians have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ (John 15:1-8, 1 John 1:3; 1 John 5:11-13; Revelation 3:20).

•    Emphasize that Christianity is unique among the world’s religions.

•    Share that Christians have great joy in knowing that they are SECURE in Christ.

•    Point out that where one stands with God is the most important issue of life.

Oh – and did I mention, pray.

 

“…That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation.” Romans 10:9-10

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Articles

How We Confront Self-Deception

by Neil Anderson
written by Neil Anderson

Satan tempts us to sin and stops us in our tracks by accusations, but his most insidious weapon is deception, because we don’t know when we are being deceived. Through deception, the father of lies has led the whole world astray (see Revelation 12:9).

That is why truth sets us free and why the belt of truth is the first piece of our protective armor. Jesus prayed that we would be kept from the evil one by being sanctified in the truth of God’s Word (see John 17:15-17). James admonished us not to be deceived (see James 1:16).

There are three primary avenues through which we can be deceived: (1) self-deception, (2) false prophets/teachers and (3) deceiving spirits. Scripture identifies at least eight ways that we can deceive ourselves.

First, we can deceive ourselves if we listen to the word of God but don’t do it (see James 1:22-25). “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). We will be self-deceived if we think the Bible is just a textbook that provides us with knowledge. We will hardly be aware of how self-centered and self-righteous we are, but others will likely see the hypocrisy. When the Bible is a mirror it knocks us down a notch, picks us back up, and trains us in righteousness.

Second, we can deceive ourselves if we say we have no sin (see 1 John1:8). Having sin and being sin are two different issues. We are not sinless saints; we are saints who sin. If we keep saying that we have done nothing wrong, we may start believing it.

Third, we can deceive ourselves if we think we are something when we are not (see Romans 12:3; Galatians 6:3). We are children of God, by the grace of God, who are living our lives before God. Those who think they are special don’t know they really are!

Fourth, we can deceive ourselves when we think we are wise in this age (see 1 Corinthians 3:18-19). In professing ourselves to be wise we become fools (see Romans 1:22). “The foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom” (1 Corinthians 1:25). Wisdom is seeing life from God’s perspective, not ours. Someday we shall see fully, but right now we have one eye starting to slightly open. We don’t have a clue what is going right around us in the spiritual realm.

Fifth, we can deceive ourselves when we think we are religious but do not keep a tight rein on our tongue (see James 1:26). Spirit-filled Christians exhibit self-control and only use their words to build up others (see Ephesians 4:29-30). Those who can’t control their tongues are denying the anger within them.

Sixth, we can deceive ourselves when we think we will not reap what we sow (see Galatians 6:7). Everything we think and do has consequences, and we will one day give an account for our words and our actions.

Seventh, we can deceive ourselves when we think the unrighteous will inherit the kingdom of God (see 1 Corinthians 6:9-10). We cannot defend a sinful lifestyle and claim to be Christians by calling sin something other than what it is.

Eighth, we can deceive ourselves when we associate with bad company and think it will not corrupt us (see 1 Corinthians 15:33). Sin is contagious. “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12, NASB).

Dr. Neil            www.discipleshipcounsel.com   For Spanish see www.ficmm.org/blog

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Articles

Donna: I Helped My Best Friend Die, Jesus Welcomed Her into Heaven

by Julie Barrier
written by Julie Barrier

Her sparkling blue eyes lit up as I slipped into the dimly lit hospital room. Donna McClure, my dearest friend, was a platinum blonde cowgirl with a heart the size of Alaska and a contagious laugh.

 

I hardly recognized her 85-pound frail form. A tracheotomy filled with blood and mucous gurgled in her throat when the air escaped. She smelled like urine and radiation. Despite her agony, she hugged me tight and motioned for her husband Jim to give her a pen and paper. Since Donna couldn’t speak, she wrote her thoughts on a little yellow tablet.

 

“Like my new hairdo?” she asked. I nodded and grinned.

 

“It’s dishwater blonde. Dolly would be mad,” she scrawled. Her friends compared her to Dolly Parton, without the facelifts and silicone implants.

 

She smiled. I tried not to cry.

 

I’d brought some Crabtree and Evelyn hand cream and began to massage her hands and feet.

 

“Sing for me!” she motioned. I knew what song she wanted.

 

I opened my mouth, holding back the tears and sang her favorite tune.

“I can only imagine
What it will be like
When I walk
By your side

I can only imagine
What my eyes will see
When your face
Is before me
I can only imagine.

I can only imagine…”

 

She closed her eyes and visibly relaxed as a sang the story of a saint entering heaven for the first few moments. I couldn’t finish the second verse. I began to sob. I kissed her on the forehead, prayed quietly and left. I should have stayed longer.

 

I was really angry at God. How could such a brave, amazing woman suffer so cruelly?

 

Donna was the strongest Christian I’d ever met. We were polar opposites. Donna grabbed her cowboy hat, loaded her 22 rifle and went hunting with her husband, daughter and three sons. She raised a passel of rowdy kids and rode a horse like a rodeo queen.

 

But Donna was no country bumpkin. A savvy businesswoman, she managed a boatload of ATT employees and worked like a whirlwind.

 

When Donna and Jim McClure joined our fledgling congregation, they immediately jumped in with both feet. I was teaching a burgeoning college Bible study, and they knew how to show those college students a good time. Jim hooked up his Dodge Ram to his ski boat and peeled down I-10, students, skis and life jackets in tow. He headed for Lake Roosevelt near Phoenix. A transplanted Texan, I had never heard of a lake that was in the middle of the desert devoid of trees and bushes. I was eight months pregnant and there were no port-a-potties in sight. I spotted a clump of bushes a few yards away and prepared to relieve myself when I heard this odd snorting and bellowing behind me. A 600-lb. black angus bull stared at my pink behind and prepared to chase me out of his napping space. 

 

Donna, laughing hysterically, roared up in the Ram and whisked me away to a Chevron down the road. I still shudder when I think of that bull’s icy stare. I’m surprised I didn’t go into labor on the spot.

 

Thus began a lifetime of adventures with my gal pal and partner in ministry. We took 46 youth choir trips, orchestra concert tours and church camp retreats together. Can you imagine?

 

The youth choir tours were not little ventures with risers and an accompaniment track. Our teens did full-fledged road shows replete with elaborate sets and costumes, lighting, special effects and live bands. If I had an epiphany, Donna and Jim would figure out a way to build it (including fire from heaven, moving rocket launchers, full-sized windmills and revolving stages). We didn’t go down the road apiece. Our teens were the first white choir to sing in Harlem after the riots. They worked among the tent cities and homeless shelters in L.A. We played concerts in the slums in Mexico. We even told the story of Jesus in Disneyland (where He wasn’t so popular!).

 

Donna was an avid prankster (a passion we both shared). We Saran-wrapped the girls’ toilet seats, “Vaselined” door handles and ran the education minister’s boxers up the camp flagpole. Because of our antics, we were banned from Pine Lake encampment for two years.

 

Jim and Donna always did the dirty work that no one else wanted to do. They drove the trucks, loaded heavy equipment, cleaned up trashed dormitories with nary a complaint. Donna was the “mom” who began cooking breakfast at 4:30 a.m. for 200 ravenous adolescents. She stayed up in the wee hours counseling a crying, hormonal girl grieving over her parents’ divorce.

 

The McClures served tirelessly in the background and never asked for accolades. But each and every child, teen or adult in my ministry knew that Donna and Jim would gladly lay down their lives for them — no questions asked.

 

The fateful summer evening one of our church vans plummeted over a rocky embankment, Donna was the first one on the scene to manage the collateral damage. She called the ambulances, placed tourniquets on bleeding limbs with beach towels and lifted heavy metal away from fragile bodies with almost super-human strength. This tragic accident could have proved fatal to those teens if she hadn’t scrambled down those jagged rocks and commandeered the gory scene.

 

My brave prayer warrior never minced words when she talked to God. She held onto Him like a bulldog and prayed boldly, honestly and fervently. Even the last year of her life, Donna arrived at my office like clockwork to pore over prayer requests for our precious parishioners.

 

Then one Wednesday Donna called in sick. We lost touch for a couple of weeks. I assumed she was especially busy at work. I met her in the church parking lot one sunny autumn afternoon and my friend revealed her secret tragedy.

 

“I have been diagnosed with throat cancer,” she confessed. “I just thought I had bronchitis but the medicine didn’t seem to help.”

 

My heart sank. My brave buddy was the hardiest of souls, a true saint and pioneer woman rolled into one. How could she fall prey to such a debilitating disease?

 

Donna declined quickly. She was chipper through her chemotherapy, but when the radiation treatments became more aggressive, Donna became homebound. Every other week or so, I’d drop by, read scriptures with her and play her rickety piano. I never came often enough, but she never chided me. She lit up like a Christmas tree and embraced me warmly.

 

One winter day, Donna stopped breathing and slumped to the floor in her bedroom. The paramedics intubated her with a trach and whisked her away to the cancer ward at University Hospital.

 

How I dreaded those hospital visits — each one more gruesome and hopeless than before. I couldn’t stand to see her this way — my pillar of strength and joy!

 

Early one morning, God spoke to me quietly and said, “Julie, today, I want you to help Donna die.”

 

“What are you talking about, Lord? How can I possibly do that? I can barely set foot in that room — it breaks my heart!” I answered.

 

“I know,” He spoke quietly but firmly. “This is what you tell her:

 

‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I WILL COME BACK AND I WILL TAKE YOU TO BE WITH ME that you also may be where I am’ (Jn. 14: 1-3 NIV).

 

‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for YOU are with me … and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever’ (Ps. 23: 4,6 KJV).

 

“This is what you tell her, Julie,” the Lord said. “You tell her that I prepared heaven for her and I WILL COME AND I WILL TAKE HER. In that valley of death, she will not be afraid, because I personally will walk her into glory.”

 

“Julie, when Donna closes her eyes in death, she will not see some light at the end of a tunnel, she will not be carried by an angel. The first face she will see will be MINE, and my hand will clasp hers the moment she closes her eyes in death. She will NOT DIE ALONE. I am there. Tell her, Julie. Tell her she has permission to stop fighting and come to live with Me.”

 

I wept softly as I heard those gentle, comforting words. This was the day I had dreaded for so long. But today became a day of hope.

 

Donna was in and out of consciousness that afternoon, but when she saw me, she gave me a weak smile. I clutched her hand and I whispered Jesus’ comforting words in her ear.

 

When I finished speaking, Donna’s eyes filled with tears and her body, once tense, relaxed peacefully.

 

“You can go home now, my love.” She nodded and sighed.

 

And so she did.

 

Dedicated to the McClure family: Jim, Donna, Darlene, Eddie, Greg, James and Tyrell. I will never be the same because of you.

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Articles

Four Kinds of Staff Members (and Volunteers)

by demo
written by demo

Who can you trust? Who will help you lead your church? In my estimation, people usually have one of these attitudes concerning leadership.

#1 – “Can Do”

This is the person that if you tell them you sense God’s leading you to land a 747 on the stage of your church, they immediately begin to brainstorm as to how it can be done.  They have a fire and passion and really do believe that NOTHING is impossible with God.

However, they ARE realistic!  I have several members on the team I serve with that will say, “I love that idea Perry, now, let me tell you what it will take in order for that to happen,” and then they proceed to tell me the things that I may not be aware of in regards to the implementation of the vision.  They aren’t saying we can’t do it…they just want me to know all that it is going to take.

I LOVE THIS…I love it when staff are realistic…every leader should.

#2 – “Can’t Do”

Many times staff or lay leaders like to refer to themselves as “the devil’s advocate,” they are always finding reasons things can’t get done and seem to bring a negative tone to every meeting they are in.  I have said it before, I will say it again…the devil does not need aa advocate, he is doing fine all by himself.  The person that is always saying that something can’t be done is USUALLY saying so because if the vision that is being cast is put into play then it will cause either a greater amount of work for them…OR require them to leave their comfort zone.

These people drain the you, others, and are not an asset to your team!

#3 – “Won’t Do”

These are the people on staff that are more obsessed with their giftings than their calling…and so if they are asked to do something that isn’t in line with their perceived gifts then they refuse to do it. They refuse to broaden their perspective,  and their “gift” can become their idol! James 3:17 states that the wisdom of God is “pure, peaceable, open to reason full of mercy and good fruits without uncertainty or insincerity…”

If a staff member (including the senior pastor) isn’t willing to do whatever it takes to make the vision God has given happen then that team will NEVER accomplish all that it could accomplish.  If someone on staff makes it a common practice to declare what they will not do in regards to executing the vision of the church then they are not pursuing Jesus (who, in servant-humility, washed the feet of His disciples in John 13). Loving confrontation may be needed and the individual  challenged to consider that our gifts do make us unique…but we all have the same calling, to do whatever it takes to reach as many people as possible who are far from God.

#4 – “Didn’t Know I Could Do”

The disciples had no idea they could do what they wound up doing until a leader came along (Jesus) who saw their potential, was constantly challenging them to go beyond themselves and attempt the “impossible.”

John Mark had no idea of what he was capable of until Barnabas believed in him.

Timothy was just a guy in the church until the Apostle Paul spotted greatness in him and mentored him to assist him in his ministry.

Many people in our churches and on our staff are able to do way beyond their current service potential…they just lack the self-awareness and the God-given self-confidence to pursue a vision because a leader has never dared to believe in them nor challenged them to leave their comfort zone.

Great power is produced when the people believe in their leader…it is even a more powerful when a leader believes in the people who sere alongside him.

This blog was edited by PITI staff.

 

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Sermons

Think Hard, Stay Humble: The Life of the Mind and the Peril of Pride

by Francis Chan
written by Francis Chan

True humility is not self-focused, but filled with thoughts of God and compassion for others. How can we build them up?

Do you want to brag about something? Brag about the fact that God knows you. Don’t boast about how much you know. Boast about the fact that the God of the Universe knows your name.

Preached at the Desiring God Conference, 2011. www.desiringgod.org.

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Profiting From Criticism

by Don McMinn
written by Don McMinn

In previous discussions about admonishing others, we’ve talked about two important issues.  If we’re going to love someone thoroughly, we must be willing to admonish if necessary.  On the other hand, we must be careful how we do it.

But what if we are on the receiving end?  Here are some ground rules.

Be approachable.  Give permission to people close to you to speak the truth in love.  (Eph. 4:15)  Close friends should feel the freedom to come and talk to us. Realize that admonishment doesn’t usually feel good, but it is good for us.  (Heb. 12:11)  Even though people who admonish us may not do it just right, we should be open to what they have to say.  (Heb. 12:10)

How should we respond to someone who admonishes us?  These practical suggestions have worked for me.

Listen attentively to what the person is saying and how the Holy Spirit may be nudging you.  Paraphrase or summarize the admonishment to verbally clarify the concerns.  This ensures that both parties are on the same page. Affirm the person’s concern for the issue and thank him for being willing to discuss it. In a non-defensive manner, discuss the issue.  Ask for clarification or examples.  It may be necessary to politely disagree.  There are usually two sides to every story! Receive the truth.  Even though the content or delivery may not be 100 percent accurate, we should be willing to learn from what is said. Respond graciously to the admonition.  For example…

If agreement is not 100 percent, “Thank you for taking time to visit with me.  I always want to be open to what you and others want to say to me.  I promise to prayerfully consider what you have said.”

If there is conviction, “Thank you for taking time to visit with me.  What you have shared makes sense and I receive what you say.  Pray with me and for me that I will be open to God’s work in my life.

Don’t try to deflect the focus to someone else or onto another issue. 

If we are confronted about a sin issue and we are indeed wrong, to simply acknowledge the wrong is insufficient.  We need to ask forgiveness. End the session with prayer. When someone correctly admonishes us, we should esteem him, not resent him.  Show this respect by thanking God in prayer and reconnecting with the person in order to reaffirm the relationship.

As we have discussed the issue of admonishing others, it may come across as a big deal that requires formal preparation.  While a formal meeting may be required in certain circumstances, admonishing others in a more relaxed, casual setting is often the atmosphere for this kind of communication.  For me, the most important requirement is love for the other person.

Don McMinn, Ph.D. (with Kimberly Spring)
Executive Director of theiPlace.org
The 11th Commandment: Experiencing the One Anothers of Scripture

 

 

 

 

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iLife Part Three-The Audience of ONE

by demo
written by demo

Holy living is not self-promotion, but devotion to the audience of ONE, our Father in heaven. Jesus decries the Pharisees’ ostentatious display of religious practices as He continues to teach about kingdom living. For example, Jesus explains that true prayer is not a technique nor a performance, but an interactive communion with God. Instead of living for the attention of everyone, our good deeds should shine the spotlight on God’s glory.

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