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Ark of the Covenant inside the Holy of Holies illuminated by a shaft of light from above
Sermon Starters

Follow the Ark: Seek God’s Presence

by Mark Batterson
written by Mark Batterson

In 1931, America was in the depths of the Great Depression. A businessman by the name of Conrad Hilton was staring foreclosure in the face because people weren’t traveling and his hotels were struggling. Hilton was actually borrowing money from a bellhop to make ends meet. That year, 1931, Conrad Hilton came across a photograph of the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. It was the most famous hotel in the world at the time. It had six kitchens, 200 chefs, 500 waiters, 2,000 rooms. It even had its own private railroad and hospital. Conrad Hilton cut that photograph out of the magazine and he wrote five words across it, “The greatest of them all”.

Conrad Hilton placed that photograph on top of his desk so that it would stare him in the face every single day. Every time he walked by the Waldorf Astoria, he would tip his cap in deference to that dream. Fast forward 18 years, in 1949, against all odds, Conrad Hilton acquired the Waldorf Astoria but I want to back up the bus. I want to go back to the genesis of that dream. Looking back at those tough times, Conrad Hilton would say this. “1931 was an outrageous time to dream”. Now, I’m not sure that I can say it any better than Conrad Hilton. 2021 is an outrageous time to dream. Over the last two years, we’ve endured a global pandemic. We’ve witnessed protests and riots, especially here in D.C., because of the racial tension and political polarization that exists in our nation.

In the last few weeks, we have watched the Taliban take control of Afghanistan, another earthquake hit Haiti, another hurricane hit the Gulf Coast. It seems like an outrageous time to start a series called “The Best is Yet to Come”. But this is when and where and why we need this series right now. Lots of people are languishing, and I’ll talk more about it next week, but it feels like we’re fighting so many battles on so many fronts, not to mention mental health. I mean, according to the CDC, one third of Americans struggling with anxiety or depression. That seems like an emotional epidemic to go along with a global pandemic. I want to be careful right here. If you’re grieving, you need to go through all of those stages of grieving, and I’ll say this. Lament is a love language. It’s a biblical language. It’s a biblical response to other people’s pain.

Now, having said that, let me say this. This is what I sense in my spirit. I feel like God is saying it’s time. Well, time for what? For starters, it’s time to dream again. “Without a vision, the people perish”. Proverbs 29:18. That word perish refers to fruit that is starting to rot. Vision is a spiritual preservative. The goal is not surviving. It’s thriving. The goal is not getting back to normal. The goal is getting back to the supernatural, and I want you to hear me. I believe that we’re coming into a series where we’re gonna see signs and wonders, where we’re gonna see a supernatural demonstration of God’s love and power. Why? ‘Cause we need it. It’s time. It’s time to dream big, pray hard, and think long.

And so welcome to National Community Church. This weekend, we kick off a new series, “The Best is Yet to Come,” and I can’t wait to see what God does in life over these next six weeks. This is not some catchy phrase or cute saying. Yes, we own the domain, which I think is kind of fun, thebestisyettocome.com, but this is a core belief. The last time I checked the tomb is empty, and the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in us. Now we just need to live like it, so ready or not, here we go. You can meet me at the Jordan River, Joshua chapter three. Let me set the scene. The Israelites had been enslaved for 400 years. Slavery is all they’ve ever known. It’s an outrageous time to dream, but God delivers them out of Egypt with signs and wonders. He makes a side walk through the Red Sea. Remember this? He provides manna every morning for 40 years. He leads them, cloud by day, pillar of fire by night.

Now, their first attempt to enter the Promised Land ends in failure, ’cause of 10 negative people, right? But finally, after 42 stations of the Exodus, 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, they are a stone throw from the Promised Land, and that’s where we pick up the story. I want to talk about four things this weekend. One, get up early, two, follow the ark, three, consecrate yourself, and four, step into the river. You do those four things, and the best is yet to come. Well, Pastor Mark, what do I do after I do those four things? I’ll tell you what you do. You get up early, you follow the ark, you consecrate yourself, and you step into the river. Okay, I got it, I got it, but what do we do after that? You rinse and repeat, because you never arrive. There is no finish line. I kinda like this.

June 13th, 2017, Draymond Green wins NBA Championship as a member of the Golden State Warriors. Anybody want to guess what he did the next day? It’s kind of infamous in sports circles. He didn’t go to Disneyland. He got up early, he went to the gym, and he worked out. Now, why would you do that, when the night before, you proved that you’re the best in the world? ‘Cause that’s how you became the best, right? And so you gotta keep working the plan. Most of us want success without the sacrifice. We want the trophy without the blood, sweat, and tears, but the early bird still gets the worm, and so number one, get up early. It’s right here in the text. “Early in the morning”. When? All right, you’re catching on. “Early in the morning, Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over”.

Now, here’s the big idea, okay? If you want to get out of Shittim, you gotta get up early. What are you laughing at? Last week, I said that geography and spirituality are interconnected. Do you remember this? I would add chronology. There is a chronology of spirituality, and there is a spirituality of chronology. Two observations about time management. One, time is measured in minutes, but life is measured in moments. Now, all of us are given the same amount of time every single day, 1,440 minutes. Now, when it comes to talent and treasure, we kind of have a wide spectrum, right? Some people, a lot of talent, other people, not so much. Some people, a lot of treasure, other people, not so much, but time, time is the great equalizer. No one gets more than 1,440 minutes, and no one gets less. How are you managing the minutes and the moments, the kronos and the kairos? Two, you don’t find time. You make time. You have to identify the time wasters and time multipliers, and I’ll give you the most obvious example.

The average person spends 142 minutes on social media every day. Okay, that’s a staggering statistic, is it not? I have nothing against social media, but is that really how you want to spend 15% of the waking hours of your whole life? Do you know what you could accomplish if you bought back two hours and 22 minutes every day? You could read a book or write a book. You could get a graduate degree. You could volunteer at the DC Dream Center or one of our campuses. You could train for a triathlon. You could learn a language. You could plug into one of our small groups. You can do a lot with 142 minutes, but you won’t find the time. You have to make the time, and in my experience, the best time to make time is early in the morning.

Now, I know that there are larks and owls, but even if you’re a night person, you still need a morning routine, ’cause how you start the day sets the pace, sets the tone, sets the table, and it starts with when you set your alarm and why. And it can’t just be to get up and get out the door just in the nick of time, okay? ‘Cause that’s not gonna get us where we need to go. And so here’s the challenge. You have to set your alarm clock with consistency and intentionality. “Pastor Mark, come on. Where is that in the Bible? Give me chapter and verse”. Okay. Psalm 57:8. “Awake my inner self; awake, harp and lyre. I will awake right early, I will awaken the dawn”.

According to rabbinic tradition, David hung his harp above his bed by an open window. Why? Because it functioned like an alarm clock. When the north wind started blowing, it would make music, and David, according to rabbinic tradition, would get up and study Torah until the break of dawn. Now, I’ll go on record. I am not a morning person by nature. I’m a morning person by discipline, and that’s a very different thing. When I was in college, I could sleep to noon with the best of them. Come on, anybody else? But I made a defining decision to become a morning person for a couple of reasons. One, I watched my father-in-law get up and go to early morning prayer at five a.m. every single day, and I saw the intimacy he had with God. I saw the impact that he had with his life, and I put two and two together, and so I reverse-engineered his morning routine.

It was around that time that I read a biography of DL Moody, and there was a paragraph on page 129 that changed the trajectory of my life. It said that Moody felt a twinge of guilt if he heard the blacksmiths hammering before he was up praying. It said, “Every day of his life, he rose very early in the morning to study the Word of God way down to the close of his life. Mr. Moody would rise about four o’clock in the morning”. And I’ll just say, that is earlier than me, okay? “He would say, ‘If I’m gonna get in any study, I have to get up before the other folks get up.’ And he would shut himself up in a remote room in his house along with his God and his Bible”.

Now, I have no idea what goal you’re going after, but it’s not gonna happen by accident. You have to set your alarm with consistency and intentionality. You know, occasionally someone will ask me, you know, “Pastor Mark, how do you write a book”? And it really has nothing to do with writing. You have to set your alarm clock very early in the morning. How do you bike a century? ‘Cause it’s like a part-time job training for that thing. Gotta set your alarm clock early in the morning. How do you read the Bible cover to cover every year? You set your alarm clock early in the morning and you prioritize the disciplines that you know are the time multipliers.

Now, next week we begin our fall season of Upper Zoom. We’re gonna start climbing those digital stairs again, 7:14 a.m. Eastern time, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Can I just extend an invitation? I mean, it’s a way for you to kinda get into a daily rhythm of prayer, and so ncc.re/upperzoom. One, you gotta get up early. Two, follow the ark. Joshua 1. I’m sorry, Joshua 3, verses two and four. “After three days, the officers went throughout the camp giving orders to the people. ‘When you see the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, and the Levitical priests carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it.'” There it is. “Then you will know which way to go, since you never been this way before”. I mean, in this fascinating? Like the Ark of the Covenant is their GPS, “But keep a distance of about 2,000 cubits between you and the ark”.

Now, I don’t have time to do this, but it’s just, it’s too much fun. And so last weekend, I biked a century, a hundred miles, made it, but I’m gonna tell you something. Right around mile 93, okay? So we’re about six hours in, we’re keeping a 16-mile-an-hour pace, and my quads start to cramp, and we hit a hill. Well, I’m gonna tell you what I did, ’cause we were biking in a Peloton, and so the race organizer, Jeff Zog, you know, I’m six-three, you know, six-four in Jordans, but Jeff Zog, he’s six-seven. He’s a big boy. He’s a tall drink of water, and so I’m gonna tell you exactly what I did. “Jeff, I’m hurting, I’m hurting”. And so Jeff is like, “Come on, come on, you got this hill. Just draft off of me, stay right on my tire,” and I drafted him all the way up that hill What are the Israelites doing here? They’re drafting the presence of God, the Ark of the Covenant.

Come on, we gotta stay close enough. Because here’s the deal. The Ark of the Covenant symbolizes the presence of God and the power of God. And then they add this little addendum, right? It says, “Keep a distance of 2,000 cubits”. Now, for what it’s worth, that’s the same distance that a Jewish person was allowed to walk on the Sabbath, which I just think is really fascinating. But I think the principle is a two-sided coin. Don’t fall behind, don’t get ahead, okay? Don’t don’t fall behind, but don’t get ahead of God. There is a sin of procrastination, delayed obedience. Is this obedience? And there is a sin of presumption. It’s taking matters into your own hands. I have tried to manufacture a time, a miracle a time or two or 10. Anybody else? Like, you just, okay, it’s not happening, so I’m gonna make it happen. You know what usually happens when you try to make it happen? When you take matters in your own hands? You end up like Moses. “Oh man, I’m gonna expedite the deliverance of the Jewish people”. No, you’re gonna delay things 40 years by trying to take your shortcut.

Question. Are you following the ark or are you following the crowd? It is really hard not to cave in to peer pressure and popular opinion. It is hard to live counter-culture, especially in a cancel culture, but we walk to the beat of a different drum. We follow the ark. In New Testament terms, we are people who are Spirit-filled and Spirit-led. I’m gonna go on record. Anything less than Spirit-filled and Spirit-led is dead religion. At the turn of the 20th century, William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, issued a warning. He said, “The chief danger that confronts the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, and heaven without hell”.

Okay, it was true then, and it is true now. You gotta get up early. You gotta follow the ark. You gotta consecrate yourself. Joshua 3:5. “Then Joshua said to the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.'” We want to do amazing things for God, but that’s not our job. God is the one who does amazing things for us. So what’s our job? Our job is consecration, and if we do our job, God is going to do his job. Now, that Hebrew word for consecrate is qadash. It means to purify, to sanctify, to set something apart. I like to think of it as you are anointed and appointed by God. Pastor Dave said something during our disciple series. Do you remember this? He said we are most free when we are most disciplined.

Now, that’s a little counter-intuitive, but it’s true, and in the same sense, we are most alive when we are most dead to self. Around the turn of the 20th century, there was a group of missionaries who became known as one-way missionaries because they bought one-way tickets to the mission field. They didn’t pack suitcases. They packed all of their earthly belongings into coffins, because they knew they were never coming back. Well, one of those one-way missionaries was a man named AW Milne and he said sail for the New Hebrides in the South Pacific, where a tribe of head hunters had martyred every missionary who’d gone before him. Milne didn’t fear for his life, because he had already died to self. For 35 years, AW Milne incarnated the Gospel. He lived among that tribe. He learned their language. He loved them like Jesus, and when he died, they buried AW Milne right in the middle of the village, and this is the epitaph that they inscribed on his headstone. “When he came there was no light, and when he left there was no darkness”.

Have you packed your coffin? Consecration is death to self. Consecration is dethroning yourself. Consecration is going all-in with God. Consecration is giving the Holy Spirit veto power. Consecration is seeking God first. Consecration is my utmost for his highest. “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you”. Please hear me. Every miracle, every breakthrough, every move of God starts with consecration. Now, you remember DL Moody getting up at four o’clock in the morning to spend time with God. Here’s what he said. “The world has yet to see what God can do through one man who is wholly consecrated to him. By God’s help, I aim to be that man”.

Why not you? Why not now? The question of course, how? How? I think it starts with the complete surrender of your life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, your time, your talent, your treasure, your past, your present, your future, and that decision has a domino effect, but let me connect the dots. 1 Timothy 4:5 says, “Everything God created is good and nothing is to be rejected if it’s received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by two things”. Here it is. “By the Word of God and prayer”. When we read the Bible, we don’t just read it. It reads us. Hebrews 4:12. “The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It penetrates even to the dividing of soul and spirit, joint, and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart”. In other words, the Word of God has a consecrating effect. Have you experienced this? It’s the quickening of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes it’s conviction. Sometimes it’s revelation, and prayer has the same effect.

Now, prayer changes things, no doubt, but I think sometimes, the circumstances that we’re asking God to change are the circumstances that God is using to change us. The secondary purpose of prayer is to change circumstances. The primary purpose of prayer is to change me, to consecrate myself. I gotta move. I got giddy up. Verse eight. Four, step into the river. “Tell the priests who carry the Ark of the Covenant, when you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river”. And this is where most of us get stuck. We’re waiting for God to part the water while God is waiting for us to get our feet wet. See, I don’t want to get my shoes wet, right? I want God to go first, ’cause then it doesn’t require any faith, but faith is taking the first step before God reveals the second step. If you want God to part the water, you have to step into the river.

So I’ll close with this. It’s 25 years ago this weekend, that God parted the Jordan River in such a fun way for National Community Church. At the time, I wasn’t just preaching. I was leading worship, and the problem with that is this, like the only thing worse than my voice is my rhythm, my rhythm, and we didn’t have a drummer, and so our predominant prayer the first year was, “Lord, send us a drummer,” about a hundred times, “Lord, send us a drummer”. And then one day I hear the still small voice of the Holy Spirit say, “Why don’t you go out and buy a drum set”? Well, just as soon as you send us a drummer, then I’ll go buy a drum set. Why? ‘Cause I want God to go first. Now, our income at the time was $2,000 a month. Cost $1600 to rent the D.C. Public School. That left $400 for our salary and all other expenses. But it was one of those “Field of Dream” moments.

If you build it, they will come. It felt like I needed to step into the river, and so long story short, found a used drum set in Silver Spring, Maryland. Cost $400, of course, right? And I’m driving up there and I’m thinking to myself, “This is crazy! I’m buying a drum set with money we don’t have for a drummer who does not exist”. That was a Thursday. That Sunday, a kid named Tony walks into our service. Clean cut. I can tell he’s military. Marine Corps, 8th and I Drum and Bugle Corps. God doesn’t just send us a drummer, he sends us a rock star, and I learned a lesson. Whew! Sometimes you got to take the $400 step of faith. Sometimes you gotta step into the river.

Now, don’t get ahead of God’s Ark, right? Don’t manufacture the miracle. But there comes a moment where you gotta exercise your faith. Final thought, verse 15. “Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during the harvest”. And I love this set up, right, because it’s terrible timing. It’s an outrageous time to cross the Jordan River. “Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho”.

Let me show you a map. The Jordan River flows about 60 miles between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. Average width, about a hundred feet, but it was flood stage, so it complicated their crossing. But here’s what I want you to notice. They cross across from Jericho, right? But that isn’t where the miracle happens. The miracle happens 16 miles upstream at a place called Adam, and it always does. We think right here, right now. God is thinking nation and generations. The miracle always happens 16 miles, 16 years ago.

This past weekend, I biked that century in Minnesota. The next day, I preached for a friend, Peter and Carolyn Haas at Substance Church in Minneapolis, and it was just a few miles from some of my earliest memories. My grandparents had a house on the Mississippi River, and so I just, I had to swing by, and it was so fun. The rock, the rock that I used to climb on, there it is. When I was a little kid, it was so big. It was so hard to get up on top of that rock. To me, it’s almost like the 12 stones. You remember this? The 12 stones that they take from the Jordan River and set up as an alter in Gilgal. Do you remember that? And so I’m having all of these flashbacks, and here’s the deal.

My grandfather, Elmer Johnson, got a picture that my cousins gave to me, ’cause I saw ’em this weekend, and man, that’s my grandfather, right in the middle. Oh! First Municipal Judge of Fridley, Minnesota. Loved God, loved his family, and so some of my earliest memories are my grandfather praying. He had a habit. He would kneel next to his bed. He would take off his hearing aid, put it on his bedside. He couldn’t hear himself praying, but everybody else in the house could hear him praying, and so I remember hearing my grandfather praying for me.

Now, my grandpa died when I was six, but his prayers didn’t. There’s no expiration date on prayer. Prayer turns parents and grandparents into prophets who shape the destiny of their children and grandchildren. And listen, there have been moments in my life where I’ve experienced blessings that I knew I did nothing to deserve, and the Holy Spirit has whispered to my spirit and said, “Mark, the prayers of your grandfather are being answered right now”. Prayer is the way we write history before it happens. Prayer is the way we seed the clouds. Prayer is the way we consecrate the future. And guess what? When we do, amazing is on the way. I’m not naive. I’m not naive. I know how tough times are, right? I know bad things happen to good people. I know that we have heartaches and headaches and setbacks. I know that there are things we can’t understand and there are things we can’t control. But I also know that we drink from wells we did not dig, we harvest fields we did not plant, and we live in houses that we did not build.

The miracle always happens 16 miles, 16 years upstream. You are the answer to someone else’s prayer, and you can return that favor. I don’t know what decision you need to make. I don’t know what action you need to take, but it’s time. It’s time. It’s time for what? I don’t know. It’s time to start tithing. Time to start serving. It’s time to start counseling. Time to start writing. Time to start running. I don’t know, but it’s time. There are decades when nothing happens. If you’re Israel, 40 of them, 400 years, but there are days when decades happen, and you can look back on this day 16 years from now, and say it was an outrageous time to dream, but it was a day that decades happened. The best yet to come.

www.theaterchurch.com

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Devotionals

Light that Overcomes Darkness

by John Beeson
written by John Beeson

Were you afraid of the dark when you were a child? I was. The chore I dreaded most was taking the trash to the curb. The 25-yard walk down the driveway in the quiet darkness seemed more like a 2.5-mile gauntlet. I was sure that robbers and coyotes were crouching in the bushes, ready to spring their attack on me under the veil of darkness.

Later, at night, I would lie frozen in my bed, afraid of what lay behind my closet door. What monster lurked, waiting for me to fall asleep?

In George Lucas’s Star War universe, the Light and Dark sides of the force vie for power. The forces are equal in power, and the outcome is in jeopardy. There is no guaranteed victor.

Good thing we live in God’s universe and not Lucas’s! Christmas reminds us that history does not hang in the balance. The Light will overcome.

In his introduction to his gospel, John explains that Jesus is the light:

In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. [John 1:4-9]

Jesus the Creator contains and is the essence of Light and Life. When he takes on flesh in his creation, it is as though a light has been turned on in a dark room. He is flood lights as I walk in the quiet darkness to the curb; he is a sunrise after a night with no moon.

The darkness of fear cripples us.

The darkness of shame clings to our hearts.

The darkness of envy won’t release us.

The darkness of bitterness churns in your gut.

But the light of Jesus makes them flee.

Where is there darkness in your life? Where are the shadows lurking? What situation do you fear God isn’t powerful enough to defeat? Do you have a functional Star Wars theology in your heart? Are there are certain things you have a sneaking suspicion the light of Christ can’t conquer in your life? Be confident this Christmas that when God the Son took on flesh in Bethlehem, an unquenchable light arrived. And that light is for you.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

www.thebeehive.live.

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Bible Studies

The Coming Glory

by Jan Shrader
written by Jan Shrader

The Coming Glory
Romans 8:18-25

The last three years have been some of the most emotionally difficult years we have ever seen. Everyone I encounter seems to be stressed to the max. From a global pandemic, to severe supply shortages, a Russian invasion of Ukraine, sexual abuse scandals, mass shootings, and high inflation, this has been a season like no other. All these events have brought us to tears. Over the last three years, many people have told me that they simply can not watch the news anymore because it is traumatizing them to hear one sad story after another. And, you know, I am inclined to agree with them. I used to be a news junky, but in the last three years I haven’t wanted to watch the news as much. How has this present suffering effected you? Have you found yourself struggling with an increase in anger, feelings of helplessness or frustration? If you have you are not alone.

For me personally, the emotional heaviness started nine months before Covid hit our big world. In November of 2018, my beloved husband Gary, retired from our Tucson church where he had pastored for forty years. To celebrate his retirement, our sweet congregation sent us on a trip to Israel. Going to the Holy Lands was always on our bucket list. Little did we know that this retirement gift was also going to be Gary’s graduation gift. While touring the sights of Israel, from the Golan Heights to the Dead Sea, my husband began to experience seizures which would later prove to be an unknown brain tumor. And, this diagnoses was going to make the endurance of Covid even harder.

For the next seventeen months we struggled through surgeries, chemo therapy and Covid isolation. Often times Gary and I had to communicate though ground floor windows of a care facility or a hospital. As his brain tumor continued to grow, one time I coached Gary for twenty minutes on how to find his cell phone, it was in his pocket. After he found it he told me he
needed a nap and could not talk to me. This was the last real conversation I had with my husband. I walked backed to the car in tears knowing the end would be soon.

Finally, they put him on hospice and they let me bring him home. My children and grandchildren rallied one more time to see their beloved father, and we cocooned as a family until he passed. I found the entire experience of trying to be an advocate for my husband, while he was dying of brain cancer, during a global pandemic to be emotionally exhausting. On October 2, 2020, my husband went to be with Jesus.

My days of grief have been a mixture of both good and bad times. Yes, I lost my husband, the love of my life and until I see him again in heaven I will deeply miss everything about him. But, in his illness and death, friends supported us, brought us food, sent money and genuinely wanted us to to know how much they loved Gary. I have to say I am deeply grateful for the extended
time God gave us to say our full goodbyes.

In Romans 8:18 Paul wrote,

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. ESV

Was Paul being genuine when he wrote these words? Did he know what real suffering was? How could he say with confidence that our present sufferings are not worth comparing to the glory that is coming in Jesus?

Paul’s present sufferings were very different than the trials we have been facing. But, suffering is not a competition where we struggle to see who has endured the most. Your sorrow is real and so is mine. Once when I was trying to explain the universality of suffering to a sweet friend deep in grief she said, “Well if it was I would be winning!” Haven’t we all felt that way at times?

Yes, Paul and his fellow Christians never faced a global pandemic. But, they did face many life threatening trials. For the first 400 years of Christianity, it was a crime to be a Christian across the entire Roman empire. There was literally no place to hide for the young and persecuted church. The book of Acts records in great detail how Christians were taken outside the city gates and stoned by their accusers. Some went on to their death in coliseums where they would face gladiators and lions, to entertain the blood thirsty citizens of Rome. Long after Jesus’ resurrection, crucifixion remained Rome’s favorite form of intimidation. These numerous acts of torture were a constant reminder of how much it would cost to disobey Rome. In spite of this high level of physical pain and suffering Paul said that the glory that was coming was not worth comparing.

Can we imagine a glory like that? A glory that makes all our trials pale in comparison and gives us hope? This glory is what I want us to consider.

Look at Romans 8:18-26.

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is
not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. ESV

Paul emphasizes three truths about the glory that is coming.

First this coming glory puts our present sufferings in perspective. Romans 8:18

In this world everyone will suffer, but this is not the end of the story. Eternity is coming when we will see the glory of Jesus and that will be, so spectacular that these present trials will pale in comparison. We do not get to choose our earthly trials, but we have the freedom to choose where we will spend eternity. At the end of time no one is going to say, “Jesus, you asked me to do too
much.” No, instead we are going to wish we had done more to advance God’s kingdom on earth. This is how fabulous seeing Jesus’ face will be. Can we imagine that? If we could it would strengthen us.

Second this coming glory is anticipated by all of creation. Romans 8:19-22

As I studied this passage I found myself remembering a recent trip to Sedona, Arizona that I took with my children and grandchildren. Every time I think of about this trip it makes me deliriously
happy. As a native Arizonan I have always loved the rugged beauty of Sedona. And, I loved considering that this red cliff, hiker’s paradise is groaning in expectation for the glory that is going to be revealed in Jesus. This is a marvelous concept to consider.

In Romans 8 Paul is teaching that creation was subjected to decay when Adam and Eve rebelled against God in the garden. Before the Fall of Man, roses didn’t wilt and plants did not decay. What Paul is emphasizing in this passage, is that creation has been waiting in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. When nature sees the revelation of who the true children of God are, she knows it won’t be long before she too, will be liberated from her bondage to decay. Creation is groaning for this revelation as in the pains of childbirth. How many of you women can remember the pains of childbirth? Me too! Paul’s illustration of childbirth explains just how painful creations’ wait time for Jesus’ return has been.

All of creation is groaning in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. The next time you look at the iridescent feathers of a hummingbird hovering in flight, a brilliant Arizona sunset after a monsoon storm, or the red cliffs and canyons of Sedona I want you to remember that nature has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth to see who the adopted children of God are.

Third this coming glory fills us with hope. Romans 8:23-25

We learn from this passage that the children of God, just like all of creation, are also groaning in expectation for God to set the world right. We long for the day when God will broadcast who he has adopted as his children. God uses everything that happens to us, good and bad, to draw us to himself and to reveal his great love for us. God delights in knowing his children and being known by them. His spiritual adoption sets our hearts at rest when we know that just like a precious child who is adopted on earth, our acceptance is based on his word and not our behavior. Employees or servants must strive to please their employers, but a child is favored because of who their daddy is. God gifts us with his unconditional and sacrificial love, to redeem us and make us his own. No one can earn God’s favor and become his child, but those who are adopted spiritually will live lives marked by spiritual fruit.

Paul talk’s about the fruit of God’s Holy Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23,

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. ESV

Spiritual fruit is the evidence of Gods indwelling power. Galatians teaches us, that we can not be loving unless God fills us with his indwelling presence. We can’t be joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle or a person who exercises self-control, without the Holy Spirit within us bearing his fruit.

When fruit is sold at the grocery store that is out of season its’ price usually reflects its’ scarcity. For example: Rainier Cherries are $7.95 a pound when they appear at the market early and are out of season, but they are only $2.95 a pound when they are in season. Rainier Cherries are still an expensive fruit, even in season, but the fruits that arrive first at the market don’t taste any sweeter than the fruits that arrive later after the larger harvest. This is also true of those of us who bear spiritual fruit today. We maybe scarce, but we are not sweeter than the believers who will follow us. All the true children of God will bear the fruit of God’s Holy Spirit.

Those of us who have this privilege to bear first fruits, just like all of creation, are groaning for the revelation of those who are God’s children. We are eagerly waiting for the redemption of our bodies. This is the very hope that saves us. Because of the power of Jesus’ blood sacrifice we have been adopted into the family of God. This is the hope that is coming. But, hope that is seen is not hope. But, if we wait in patience for Jesus’ return, Jesus our hope will not disappoint us.

This coming glory puts our present sufferings in perspective, is anticipated by all of creation, and fills us with hope.

Death is real and death is final. Many of us have not always enjoyed the life we wanted here on earth. Let’s be truthful, many of us have experienced extreme betrayal and heavy heart aches, but we need to realize we have complete control over how we are going to spend eternity. Someday soon all of us are going to meet Jesus face to face. This truth should sober us. Are we looking to our hope or has our suffering been in vain? This is the question I want us to consider.

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Articles

What Happens When a Christian Dies?

by Drew Anderson
written by Drew Anderson

At some point every human has thought, “What happens when I die?” It’s one of the most ubiquitous and mysterious aspects of humanity. Where do we go for answers? To the Bible.

The Christian can say at a minimum that when he dies he will:

  • Be with the Lord (Luke 23:43; Rom. 8:38-39; 2 Cor. 5:8)
  • Have a body like Christ’s resurrected body that is:
    • Glorified (Rom. 8:30; Phil. 3:21)
    • Resurrected (1 Cor. 15:49; 1 John 3:2)
  • Live for eternity (John 3:16, 11:25-26)
  • Not experience grief (Rev. 21:4)

How does this happen?

  • It happens by the power of God (1 Cor. 15:24-27, 43)

Why does it matter?

  • It matters because every Christian will face the judgment seat of Christ.

Let’s break these two questions down by looking at 2 Corinthians 5:1-11:

“For we know that if our earthly house, the tent we live in, is dismantled, we have a building from God, a house not built by human hands, that is eternal in the heavens…”

  • The Christian has both a present body (earthly house–tent) that is distinct from a future heavenly body (building–1 Cor. 15:42-44).
  • This future body is realized in the heavens.

“…For in this earthly house we groan, because we desire to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed, after we have put on our heavenly house, we will not be found naked. For we groan while we are in this tent, since we are weighed down, because we do not want to be unclothed, but clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life…”

  • A Christian lives with an inexorable groaning because while he exists in a present body (not perfect), he knows that it is not his ultimate and glorified future body (perfect–Phil. 3:21).
  • A Christian is a walking conundrum.

“…Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment…”

  • The Christian’s future heavenly body is made by God, and is guaranteed by the the third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit.
  • If God can fail, then we don’t have a promise of eternal life with Him. Since He cannot, we have…

“…Therefore we are always full of courage, and we know that as long as we are alive here on earth we are absent from the Lord—for we live by faith, not by sight…”

  • The Christian’s first response to these truths is good courage while living with the conundrum of an earthly body. The reason is because his confidence in having a future heavenly body is based on God’s character.
  • The word that defines the Christian’s perspective is “faith”, because he hasn’t seen his future heavenly body yet. He’s trusting God for it.

“…Thus we are full of courage and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord…”

  • The next response continues his good courage, and adds an understanding of the dimension (preference) of a Christian’s groaning.
  • To be with the Lord in a future heavenly body is better than living with a present earthly body.

“…So then whether we are alive or away, we make it our ambition to please him…”

  • The third response is to please the Lord.
  • There is no “waiting” until I’m older to honor God with my life.
  • Why?

“…For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be paid back according to what he has done while in the body, whether good or evil…”

  • God will reward the Christian for his deeds done in his present earthly body.

“…Therefore, because we know the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade people, but we are well known to God, and I hope we are well known to your consciences too.”

  • As a result of knowing a judgment day for the Christian is real and imminent, he persuades others to know the Lord.

In sum…

  • The Christian has an earthly body with the hope of a future heavenly body.
  • The future heavenly body is: (1) better than the earthly body, (2) guaranteed by God, and (3) provides direct fellowship and nearness to God.
  • The present earthly body is the testing or trial grounds out of which the Christian will receive rewards in the future (with God in a heavenly body).
  • Ergo, while in his present earthly body, the Christian walks in faith, aiming to please God, knowing that he will be rewarded, and therefore persuades others to know the Lord.

Therefore…

“…we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also we believe that God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep as Christians.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 (NET)

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Articles

When We See Jesus Face to Face: What Will It Be Like?

by Randy Alcorn
written by Randy Alcorn

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, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known” (John 1:18).

Consider the dialogue between Philip and Jesus in John 14:8-9:

Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”

Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”

Jesus also says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8). This is all a precursor to 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).

“Without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). 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 (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.

That’s why 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 sometimes ponder what it’ll be like to see Jesus, to fall on my knees before Him, then talk with Him and eat with Him and walk with Him as a resurrected person living on a resurrected Earth. Like Job I’m struck with the realization that “I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”

In my novel Deadline, the character Finney, having just entered Heaven, meets His Savior face to face:

At the back of the crowd stood one being glowing with a soft light that did not blind, but attracted and captivated the eyes. He smiled at Finney, who trembled with joy at the immediate realization of who it was.

This was the ageless one, the Ancient of Days, who is eternally young. He stepped forward.… He who had spun the galaxies into being with a single snap of his finger, he who could uncreate all that existed with no more than a thought, extended his hand to Finney, as if the hand he extended was that of a plain ordinary carpenter.… For the moment, it was impossible to look elsewhere, and no one in his right mind would have wanted to.

“Welcome, my son! Enter the kingdom prepared for you, by virtue of a work done by another, a work you could not do. Here you shall receive reward for those works you did in my name, works you were created to do.”

And then, with a smile that communicated more than any smile Finney had ever seen, the Great One looked into his eyes and said with obvious pride, “Well done my good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord!”

As the crowd broke out in cheers, Finney felt overwhelmed, and dropped to his knees, then flat on the ground, face down, as if the knees were still too lofty a position before the Lord of Heaven.

epm.org. Used by permission.

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Ask Roger

Why Should We Work for Crowns in Heaven?

by Roger Barrier
written by Roger Barrier

Dear Roger,
I have a question about what has been termed to be “earning my crown.” My husband and I want to hear your explanation of what earning “jewels in the crown” means. My parents have told me that by doing good works on earth they are earning jewels in their crowns and they will receive a greater reward in heaven. It seems to us that when we go to some kind of a “system” to be rewarded in heaven, that’s defeating the purpose, and is almost Pharisaical. If we choose to do things saying we are doing that act to glorify God in order to get a reward…to me it smacks of religion, rather than relationship with the Lord. Can you enlighten us?
–Kathi

Dear Kathi,

Should a Christian Work for Rewards?

A resounding “yes!”

Please look up and digest 2 Corinthians 3:10-15 where Paul describes Jesus’ process for determining how well or how poorly we spent our lives on earth. The more profitable our lives, the more rewards we earn, the greater will be the position that we will have in heaven. Some Christians will be disappointed.

The Soul Winner’s Crown of Evangelism

“For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you?” (1 Thessalonians 2:19)

A person’s greatest glory lies in those whom he/she has helped on the path to Christ.

Jim Tosh was the first person I helped on the path to Christ. I was seven years old and very excited about my faith. He was in the fourth grade and I was in the second. We were on the playground at school when I told him about the little lost lamb that Jesus talked about that needed a Savior. I told Jim that he was a lost sheep who needed to be found. He became a Christian right then and there.

We were baptized together three weeks later. Nine years after that he rounded a curve too fast and his “new” first car was totaled. His head hit the rear-view mirror and instantly he transitioned into Heaven’s glory. We were good friends, but I wished that he’d stayed around a little longer. I’m so glad that I talked to him about Jesus.

By the way, many surveys taken over the years declare that 98% of all Christians have never experienced the joy of leading a single person to Christ.

“Will there be any stars in my crown?” is an old hymn that has transcended generations. The melody has changed often. The idea is that we receive the soul-winners crown when we first lead somebody to Christ as Lord and Savior. Every time we lead another person to Christ, a star is attached to our crown!

The Pastor’s Crown of Glory

“And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away” (1 Peter 5:4)

Remember that Jesus called his disciples to be “fishers of men.” But don’t forget that when Jesus restored Peter to fellowship in John 21, he made it quite clear that while Peter was still to fish for fish; Peter was to shepherd Jesus’ lambs and sheep.

We follow in the footsteps of Jesus. He was the chief Shepherd. We are shepherds, too.

Any Christian who has led someone to know Christ, knows what a thrill it is to point to some person who has done well, and be able to say, “That was one of my boys/girls.”

John wrote, “I have no greater joy to hear than that my children walk in truth” (3 John 4).

This crown is reserved for those who care for, mentor, and help mature Christ’s spiritual children and into spiritual mothers and fathers.

You don’t have to be a pastor to earn this crown. Any Bible study leader or teacher is qualified to receive this crown.

The Eternal Crown of Self-Discipline

“Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever” (1 Corinthians 9:25)

The righteous live lives that are holy and pure. In every issue of life they want to do what is right.

Paul insists that Christians who wanted to take the easy way would never get anywhere without the sternest of self-discipline. Paul was always fascinated by the picture of the athlete. An athlete must train with intensity to win his contest. Self-discipline is training to win a crown of laurel leaves that wither and die within days. How much more should the Christian be self-disciplined to win the crown that is eternal life!

I recall driving one day and seeing a man playing golf. It just so happened that I passed that way again next week. Rain was pounding down in horizontal sheets. However, there he was, still playing golf in the raging rain.

That is dedicated self-discipline. May God grant us the self-control to be much more dedicated to Christ than he was to golf.

The Crown of Rejoicing: the Loving Anticipation of the Second Coming

“Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8)

I can hardly wait for the second coming of Jesus. My wife and I argue about just when that might occur. She says that Jesus will come before the seven years of tribulation on earth. I say that he will come right at the middle of the tribulation when Jesus opens the seven seals, the angels blow seven trumpets, and God pours out his seven bowls of wrath upon the earth.

I finally decided to pray for the second coming her way. Jesus will come at the beginning of the seven-year tribulation so that we could hold hands heading up to heaven at the rapture.

Remember, live as if Jesus were coming in the next 10 minutes. But plan as if He were not coming for another 100 years.

Victor’s Crown of Righteousness

“Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules” (2 Timothy 2:5)

Paul says in Ephesians 6:10-17 that not only will Jesus give us the victor’s crown because of our godly living on earth, he gives us the crown of righteousness to use as protection from the attacks of the devil.

It is important to pray daily that every decision we make will be right. One of our church businessmen said to his employees, “If we get half of our decisions correct, we’ve done well.” I think that we all can do better than that. We have the Holy Spirit within to guide us.

When our church property ran out of parking spaces, I decided the church should buy the surrounding houses for more space. Many of the neighbors worked hard to stymie our attempt. We ended up before the city zoning commission and made our appeal. Many angry homeowners fought us and won. I was so humiliated, but rightly so.

One of the zoning commissioners said, “You’d think that a church could get along better with its neighbors, after all doesn’t the Bible say, “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house?”

That was one of the worst decisions that I ever made.

The Martyr’s Crown

“Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown” (Revelation 2:10)

The band “DC Talk” published a contemporary collection of Christian martyrs and persecutions around the world. More Christians are being persecuted and martyred today than at any other time in world history.

During the Chinese Cultural Revolution, one Christian observed an act of martyrdom that she later repeated. From her cell window, she saw two young Christian women kneeling before their pastor. He was told to shoot both girls or he himself would be shot. He hesitated. One of the girls said, “It’s okay pastor. We know you are in a rough position. We understand if you shoot. After all, we will be going to heaven!

In a moment of great weakness their pastor pulled the trigger twice. Both girls slumped dead. But the ordeal was not finished. Once again the gun fired. The pastor was shot anyway.

The Victor’s Crown of Perseverance

“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown” (Revelation 3:11)

Remember, the real test is not how we start, but how we finish.

“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12)

“Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!” (Philippians 4:1)

Demas is mentioned three times in the New Testament:

“Demas and Luke, my fellow workers” (Philemon 1:24).

“Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings” (Colossians 4:14)

“For Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica” (2 Timothy 4:10)

Notice the downward flow: he is working closely with Paul; then, he is mentioned with no appellation. Finally, he has deserted Paul.

Three points on a graph describe his downward spiral away from Jesus! He started well, but ended poorly.

We find it easy to love this present age. We make fine beginnings, but then some comfortable corner of this present age invites us, and our Christian profession lapses, and our faith grows formal, and we do not amount to much in the end as Christians. If I should accuse some of us of being Judas, we would be indignant. But Demas – how many of us have been that!

Why did you do it, Demas? The answer: He loved this present age. Rome was so appealing. So many worthy activities he desired. Such power. Such opportunity. He couldn’t resist.

However, of all the surprises in history, can we think of anything more surprising, with Nero on his throne and Paul in his prison, that the gospel for which Paul stood would outlast the Roman Empire? The person who has faith in God expects that to happen. So, even if it takes a lifetime, he carries on.

So we name our dogs Nero and our children Paul.

Staying power is commonly associated with profound resources of interior strength that replenish our faith.

Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to him who sits on the throne they lay their crowns before the throne and say:

“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being” (Revelation 4:11)

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name that the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father” (http://www.biblestudytools.com/search/?t=niv&q=php+2Philippians 2:9-11).

So why should we work to earn heavenly crowns? Because we will lay them at Jesus’ feet!

Kathi, I hope this helps to answer your question.

Love, Roger

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Articles

Why Should the Transfiguration Be Important to You?

by Tom Terry
written by Tom Terry

Have you ever considered the significance of the appearing of Moses and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration and what it might mean for your life? It may be obvious to some that Moses represented the giving of the Law (Torah) and Elijah represented the giving of prophets to proclaim God’s word. But actually, the meaning of their appearances goes quite a bit deeper than that.

Three times in scripture God speaks from a mountain. The first time was from Mount Sinai when God gave the Ten Commandments.

“Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up…And God spoke all these words, saying…” (Exodus 19:18-20 and 20:1).

Between the appearance on the mountain and God speaking as if through thunder, the people of God were terrified and asked that God not speak to them anymore. “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die” (Exodus 20:19).

This is an interesting contrast to the second time that God spoke on a mountain. That mountain was Horeb (same mountain, different name), and Elijah the prophet waited for the Lord to speak to him while he was in a cave. Notice what scripture says about this.

“And [God] said, ‘Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.’ And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave” (I Kings 19:11-13).

Did you notice the difference? For Moses there was thunder and an earthquake and smoke, enough to terrify the people. Yet when he spoke to Elijah, there were these things, but God did not speak through them, but rather, through a low whisper.

Notice also that in Exodus God spoke and gave the Law. But with Elijah, God spoke and commanded Elijah to anoint two kings. “You shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel” (I Kings 19:15-16).

In both of these accounts of God speaking from a mountain one gives the Law and one anoints kings. Now, let’s look at the account of the Mount of Transfiguration.

“And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. And Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.’ When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Rise, and have no fear.’ And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only” (Matthew 17:1-8).

In this case, Jesus did not go up alone as Moses and Elijah did. Jesus’ closest disciples were with him. Instead of fire and smoke there was bright light. In Exodus, God’s voice thundered. In I Kings God spoke in a whisper. God also spoke in thunder to the disciples, but also in a normal voice when Jesus said, “Rise, and have no fear.” But the real significance is not that Moses and Elijah appeared, it is in what they represent.  For, we must remember that Jesus is the God of the Old Testament. It was his voice that Moses and the congregation heard on Mount Sinai. And it was his voice that Elijah heard outside the cave. Thus, the two men appearing before Jesus during his incarnation are signposts, pointers, representing these truths:

  • Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law (Moses)
  • Jesus is the fulfillment of prophecy (Elijah), and
  • Jesus is the one anointed king

The authority of the Law and the proclamation of prophecy begin and end with Jesus. The Father signifies this when he loudly pronounces, “This is my beloved Son…listen to him!” And beautifully, the first words Jesus speaks after this proclamation are, “Rise, and have no fear.”

What is the Lord doing in your life, right now? Are you fearful of God speaking and changing your life? Are you listening to Jesus? Whatever the Holy Spirit may be convicting you of through the Scripture, God’s word to you is the same as Jesus, “Rise, and have no fear.” In Exodus and I Kings, Moses and Elijah went down the mountain alone. But at the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter, John, and James walked down the mountain with Jesus. God is not just a thundering voice or one who commands from afar. In Jesus we are with him, through the presence of his Holy Spirit. So, in this case, we have nothing to fear beyond the reverential fear that is due him. You can submit to him knowing that his word to you is true (Law), and that his calling on your life is sure (Elijah). You can submit to his authority, because he possesses it whether you obey or not, and he much prefers to walk with you down the mountain.

guywithabible.com

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Ask Roger

Why Should the Transfiguration Be Important to You?

by Roger Barrier
written by Roger Barrier

Have you ever considered the significance of the appearing of Moses and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration and what it might mean for your life? It may be obvious to some that Moses represented the giving of the Law (Torah) and Elijah represented the giving of prophets to proclaim God’s word. But actually, the meaning of their appearances goes quite a bit deeper than that.

Three times in scripture God speaks from a mountain. The first time was from Mount Sinai when God gave the Ten Commandments.

“Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up…And God spoke all these words, saying…” (Exodus 19:18-20 and 20:1).

Between the appearance on the mountain and God speaking as if through thunder, the people of God were terrified and asked that God not speak to them anymore. “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die” (Exodus 20:19).

This is an interesting contrast to the second time that God spoke on a mountain. That mountain was Horeb (same mountain, different name), and Elijah the prophet waited for the Lord to speak to him while he was in a cave. Notice what scripture says about this.

“And [God] said, ‘Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.’ And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave” (I Kings 19:11-13).

Did you notice the difference? For Moses there was thunder and an earthquake and smoke, enough to terrify the people. Yet when he spoke to Elijah, there were these things, but God did not speak through them, but rather, through a low whisper.

Notice also that in Exodus God spoke and gave the Law. But with Elijah, God spoke and commanded Elijah to anoint two kings. “You shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel” (I Kings 19:15-16).

In both of these accounts of God speaking from a mountain one gives the Law and one anoints kings. Now, let’s look at the account of the Mount of Transfiguration.

“And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. And Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.’ When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Rise, and have no fear.’ And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only” (Matthew 17:1-8).

In this case, Jesus did not go up alone as Moses and Elijah did. Jesus’ closest disciples were with him. Instead of fire and smoke there was bright light. In Exodus, God’s voice thundered. In I Kings God spoke in a whisper. God also spoke in thunder to the disciples, but also in a normal voice when Jesus said, “Rise, and have no fear.” But the real significance is not that Moses and Elijah appeared, it is in what they represent.  For, we must remember that Jesus is the God of the Old Testament. It was his voice that Moses and the congregation heard on Mount Sinai. And it was his voice that Elijah heard outside the cave. Thus, the two men appearing before Jesus during his incarnation are signposts, pointers, representing these truths:

  • Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law (Moses)
  • Jesus is the fulfillment of prophecy (Elijah), and
  • Jesus is the one anointed king

The authority of the Law and the proclamation of prophecy begin and end with Jesus. The Father signifies this when he loudly pronounces, “This is my beloved Son…listen to him!” And beautifully, the first words Jesus speaks after this proclamation are, “Rise, and have no fear.”

What is the Lord doing in your life, right now? Are you fearful of God speaking and changing your life? Are you listening to Jesus? Whatever the Holy Spirit may be convicting you of through the Scripture, God’s word to you is the same as Jesus, “Rise, and have no fear.” In Exodus and I Kings, Moses and Elijah went down the mountain alone. But at the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter, John, and James walked down the mountain with Jesus. God is not just a thundering voice or one who commands from afar. In Jesus we are with him, through the presence of his Holy Spirit. So, in this case, we have nothing to fear beyond the reverential fear that is due him. You can submit to him knowing that his word to you is true (Law), and that his calling on your life is sure (Elijah). You can submit to his authority, because he possesses it whether you obey or not, and he much prefers to walk with you down the mountain.

guywithabible.com

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Ask Roger

What Did Paul See in the Third Heaven?

by Roger Barrier
written by Roger Barrier

John Piper, in his magnificent book, “Why I Love the Apostle Paul,” asks us why Paul didn’t boast more about his vision of the third heaven. Where did Paul go? Here are John Piper’s observations:

“Suppose you had an absolutely stunning supernatural experience, like being in a car accident and having an out-of-body experience so that you were sure you had died and gone to heaven for a few minutes before returning to your body and being brought back to life. How would you handle that experience?

Most of us would be consumed with telling others about it. We might even write a book about it, and go on a speaking circuit. It’s just too amazing to keep to ourselves. And more than likely we would feel empowered to use that very experience to authorize our views of heaven. We might feel as if this extraordinary experience gave us extraordinary influence. Who could contradict us? We had been there!

To Heaven and Back

Paul did have an experience something like that. But here’s the amazing thing: He mentions it only one time in his thirteen letters, and he never once makes it the warrant for believing anything he says. In fact, the only reason he brings it up is to say that this kind of privilege is precisely not what he will boast in. Rather, he will boast in his weaknesses. Here’s the experience — he even describes it as if it were another person so as not to exalt himself:

I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven — whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. And I know that this man was caught up into paradise — whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows — and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. (2 Corinthians 12:1–5)

We know he is talking about himself, even though he says, “I know a man . . .” because two verses later he says, “To keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7). So he himself is the one who had this extraordinary experience.

It is astonishing that Paul introduces this absolutely stunning experience of being “caught up into paradise” only to give it a passing “boast” and then turn all his attention to the real marks of an apostle — namely, suffering for Christ’s sake.

Why Minimize the Marvelous?

Paul never mentions this experience again. He does not use it to pull rank. He shifts all the focus off of the dramatic and onto the painful reality of suffering with joy. Why? Because it is merely human to boast about extraordinary experiences like visions and out-of-body encounters with God. It requires no great grace or power of God to boast in things that seem to set you apart as privileged. But to boast about weaknesses, and to be content with insults and hardships and persecutions and calamities — that is not what ordinary sinful humans are like. That requires supernatural grace. This is what Paul wants to focus on as the evidence of his apostleship.

In fact, he says that the Lord Jesus gave him a thorn in the flesh (we never know what it is) precisely so that he would be hindered from boasting as a superhero of spiritual experience. When Paul pleaded that Jesus would take the thorn away, the Lord answered, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). So Paul concluded,

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9–10)

Instead of circling back again and again to his once-in-a-lifetime out-of-body experience, Paul mentions it once, and then shifts all the focus onto the truths that people can see and think about and test in his writing and his life.

Rooted in Public Reality

In other words, the truth of Christianity is not rooted in mystical experiences that only a few people have. It is rooted in God-given revelation through writings that are open for all to see and study and test. It is validated in real lives that others can see and examine. So, instead of directing people to his private experience, Paul says,

We behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you. For we are not writing to you anything other than what you read and understand and I hope you will fully understand. (2 Corinthians 1:12–13)

“The truth of Christianity is not rooted in mystical experiences that only a few people have.”

If you were to ask Paul, “How can we share your insight into the mystery of Christ?” he would not answer, “I’m sorry. Those mysteries are reserved for the select few who have rare mystical experiences.” What he would say is this: “When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ” (Ephesians 3:4). His way of opening heaven was not by appealing to unsharable experiences. His way was by appealing to shareable truths written for all to see and understand and experience.

Life on Display

Behind these writings he put his own life as evidence of reality. Not his life in the rare moments of mystical experience, but his life as a flesh-and-blood man who had to deal with all the hardships of life and ministry.

What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me — practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:9)

Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. (Philippians 3:17)

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:1)

In other words, Paul’s way of leading us into the truth and glory of Christ was not to talk about his privilege of an out-of-body experience of paradise. Instead, his way was to live an open life of total devotion to Jesus, through much suffering, and to write Spirit-given words (1 Corinthians 2:13) that are open to all — readable, public, ready for all to examine. This is a mark of humble, serious, personal reality. It is unusual, contrary to ordinary human proclivities, attractive. It has won my heart.

www.desiringgod.org.

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Paul: To the Third Heaven with No Fanfare!

by John Piper
written by John Piper

John Piper, in his magnificent book, “Why I Love the Apostle Paul,” asks us why Paul didn’t boast more about his vision of the third heaven. Where did Paul go? Here are John Piper’s observations:

“Suppose you had an absolutely stunning supernatural experience, like being in a car accident and having an out-of-body experience so that you were sure you had died and gone to heaven for a few minutes before returning to your body and being brought back to life. How would you handle that experience?

Most of us would be consumed with telling others about it. We might even write a book about it, and go on a speaking circuit. It’s just too amazing to keep to ourselves. And more than likely we would feel empowered to use that very experience to authorize our views of heaven. We might feel as if this extraordinary experience gave us extraordinary influence. Who could contradict us? We had been there!

To Heaven and Back

Paul did have an experience something like that. But here’s the amazing thing: He mentions it only one time in his thirteen letters, and he never once makes it the warrant for believing anything he says. In fact, the only reason he brings it up is to say that this kind of privilege is precisely not what he will boast in. Rather, he will boast in his weaknesses. Here’s the experience — he even describes it as if it were another person so as not to exalt himself:

I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven — whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. And I know that this man was caught up into paradise — whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows — and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. (2 Corinthians 12:1–5)

We know he is talking about himself, even though he says, “I know a man . . .” because two verses later he says, “To keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7). So he himself is the one who had this extraordinary experience.

It is astonishing that Paul introduces this absolutely stunning experience of being “caught up into paradise” only to give it a passing “boast” and then turn all his attention to the real marks of an apostle — namely, suffering for Christ’s sake.

Why Minimize the Marvelous?

Paul never mentions this experience again. He does not use it to pull rank. He shifts all the focus off of the dramatic and onto the painful reality of suffering with joy. Why? Because it is merely human to boast about extraordinary experiences like visions and out-of-body encounters with God. It requires no great grace or power of God to boast in things that seem to set you apart as privileged. But to boast about weaknesses, and to be content with insults and hardships and persecutions and calamities — that is not what ordinary sinful humans are like. That requires supernatural grace. This is what Paul wants to focus on as the evidence of his apostleship.

In fact, he says that the Lord Jesus gave him a thorn in the flesh (we never know what it is) precisely so that he would be hindered from boasting as a superhero of spiritual experience. When Paul pleaded that Jesus would take the thorn away, the Lord answered, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). So Paul concluded,

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9–10)

Instead of circling back again and again to his once-in-a-lifetime out-of-body experience, Paul mentions it once, and then shifts all the focus onto the truths that people can see and think about and test in his writing and his life.

Rooted in Public Reality

In other words, the truth of Christianity is not rooted in mystical experiences that only a few people have. It is rooted in God-given revelation through writings that are open for all to see and study and test. It is validated in real lives that others can see and examine. So, instead of directing people to his private experience, Paul says,

We behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you. For we are not writing to you anything other than what you read and understand and I hope you will fully understand. (2 Corinthians 1:12–13)

“The truth of Christianity is not rooted in mystical experiences that only a few people have.”

If you were to ask Paul, “How can we share your insight into the mystery of Christ?” he would not answer, “I’m sorry. Those mysteries are reserved for the select few who have rare mystical experiences.” What he would say is this: “When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ” (Ephesians 3:4). His way of opening heaven was not by appealing to unsharable experiences. His way was by appealing to shareable truths written for all to see and understand and experience.

Life on Display

Behind these writings he put his own life as evidence of reality. Not his life in the rare moments of mystical experience, but his life as a flesh-and-blood man who had to deal with all the hardships of life and ministry.

What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me — practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:9)

Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. (Philippians 3:17)

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:1)

In other words, Paul’s way of leading us into the truth and glory of Christ was not to talk about his privilege of an out-of-body experience of paradise. Instead, his way was to live an open life of total devotion to Jesus, through much suffering, and to write Spirit-given words (1 Corinthians 2:13) that are open to all — readable, public, ready for all to examine. This is a mark of humble, serious, personal reality. It is unusual, contrary to ordinary human proclivities, attractive. It has won my heart.

www.desiringgod.org. 

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Why Did Jesus Say We Are the Light of the World?

by John Beeson
written by John Beeson

I was born in Fairbanks, Alaska. During the dead of winter, there are several weeks where the sun skims the horizon for a mere four hours a day. If you move north to the Arctic Circle, there are days with no sunlight at all.

Can you imagine a world without light? A world where you can’t see your hand in front of your face?

A world without light is a world of terror and fear. It is a world where nothing is revealed and everything is hidden.

Jesus tells us that the world was dark before he came into it. In John 8:12 he tells us that he is the light of the world. Without Jesus the world is utter blackness.

And we are made to be the light. But before we can become the light, we need to have the light illuminate any darkness in us.

In Luke 8, Jesus talks about the lamp that comes into our lives: “No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.”

This passage is usually misunderstood. We sing, “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. Hide it under a bushel? No! Hide it under a bushel? No! Hide it under a bushel? No! I’m gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!”

This song picks up on Jesus’ words in Luke and tells us not to cover up our light. But the song misunderstands what Jesus is saying in Luke 8.

Jesus is saying that he is going to shine his light on us; he is not saying that we are the light that shouldn’t be covered. It is the light of Jesus that comes into our heart that we are not to cover or shield ourselves from. Why would we hide ourselves from the light? The reality is that while we are afraid of the dark, many of us are even more afraid of the light. We are like cockroaches who scurry in fear when the rays of sun pierce our comfortable hiding spots in the dark.

We want to control the light and not let the fullness of the light enter our lives. We want Jesus to come into our lives, but we only want a little light.

Are you trying to get just part of the light? Don’t protect yourself from it.

When I was ten, I had a friend of mine show me a Playboy. I was so guilty and ashamed that I didn’t tell anyone for a long time. The shame and guilt festered. This is why we can’t leave things in the dark. We need to have every part of our hearts exposed to the light. We need to confess to God and others and let the light of Jesus come.

Satan loves the dark. He loves it when we allow him to have the dark corners of our hearts. He takes these footholds and undercuts the work of Christ in our hearts.

When Moses went up to Mount Sinai and encountered God, he came down with his face shining the light of God:

“Now when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand – when he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. Exodus 34:9

When we encounter the fullness of Christ, every dark corner of our hearts are lit up. Every secret is exposed, every sin is forgiven.

When God shines his light into the corners of your heart, the light of your face will shine. We radiate the light of Christ as our hearts are illuminated.

In the Holy Place in the Temple there was a golden lampstand that signified the presence of God. Exodus 25 describes the care that God took to ensure that the “earthly temple” reflected His glory.

At Pentecost the presence of God came out to his people: the fire rested on those outside the temple. The tongues of fire described in Acts 2 described the light that brought the brightness of God’s glory to the early church. We now have the presence of Christ, the light of Jesus shines through our face.

Will you let the light of Jesus expose every dark corner of your heart? Will you let the light of Jesus shine through you? You are his light! Shine!

www.thebeehive.live. Used by permission.

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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

Christians and Conscience: What’s Off Limits?

by Roger Barrier
written by Roger Barrier

Dear Roger,

My Christian friends hold a very different set of values than I do. They permit their kids to celebrate Halloween, they engage in social drinking and use recreational drugs. I can’t imagine how we can have fellowship with each other when our convictions are so different. What do you think?

“L”

Dear “L”,

First of all, I am pleased to see that you have used the word, “convictions”. A dramatic difference exists between Biblical truths and personal convictions. Too often we Christians confuse the two. We live and die for Biblical truth. On the other hand, personal convictions are not nearly as foundational to living out the Christian life. Convictions have more to do with our consciences which are trained to respond one way or another to particular situations and issues.

Christians have been divided over what Paul referred to as “disputable issues” ever since the first century. Most church fights—from the first century down to the present day—were not over Biblical issues. The fights were over personal convictions regarding personal consciences. The Roman Christians were having great difficulty in deciding just which activities were acceptable and which were not. They were arguing, among other things, about whether or not it was all right for Christians to eat meat which had previously been offered to idols and then sold at a discount in the market places surrounding the pagan temples.

Paul gave us specific guidelines for settling “food fights” among brothers and sisters in Christ. In Romans 14:1-15:5.  Paul taught how to settle disagreements among God-loving Christians who are trying to live out the Christian life in gray areas.

In Romans 14:1-3 Paul wrote: “Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. One man’s faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him.

“Disputable matters” are areas where the Bible doesn’t expressly give direction. Two disputable matters—among many others—were rampant in the church in Rome:

1. Eating meat offered to idols
2. Celebrating pagan holidays

Unfortunately disputable issues still divide and hurt Christians today: drinking alcohol, dancing, dress, movies, music, video games, holidays, tattoos, body piercings, bodily augmentations or “upgrades,” worshipping with uplifted hands in prayer and home schooling, etc., etc. and etc.

Two extremes must be avoided as we decide what is acceptable behavior and what is not.

Legalism: We make a list of rules and conform to the rules. Then, we attempt to impose our personal convictions as normative for others.

Libertinism: “Since I’m free in Christ and the Bible forbids none of these things, then I’ll feel free to do any and/or all of them!”

One of my close friends, Gary Shrader, synthesized Paul’s teaching regarding disputable issues of conscience into what he identified as four “boxes”. We need to know what box we are in and what box our friends are in as we sort out our relationships in the gray areas of the Christian life.

BOX 1: I can’t; and, I struggle if you do.
BOX 2: I can’t; but, you can.
BOX 3: I can; but, it is a struggle for me.
BOX 4: I can; and, you can.

By the way, Gary’s boxes are only somewhat of an indicator of personal spiritual growth. Some very young Christians may be able to enter many areas of freedom while those much farther along in the journey may still struggle in some areas.

In Romans 14:13-15:5 Paul added three more boxes. The overarching principle of handling issues of conscience is found in Romans 15:1: “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.” Who are the strong? What are the failings of the weak? Strong Christians eat the meat without any pangs of conscience. Weak Christians can’t eat without feeling that they are violating their consciences.

BOX 5: I can; but, I won’t because others might stumble.

Paul wrote in Romans 14:13b: “Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.” What is a stumbling block? If you pick any disputable matter and do it in front of weaker brothers offending their consciences, you have become a stumbling block to their faith.  Don’t flaunt your freedom before others (Romans 14:22). Keep your freedom in this area between you and God.

BOX 6: I can’t; so I won’t until I can.

Paul carefully addressed those gray areas where our engagement in certain activities might violate our consciences. He writes in Romans 14:23: “But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.”

Contrary to popular belief, our consciences don’t necessarily tell us what is right and wrong. They give us behavioral instructions along the lines of what we have been trained to believe is right or wrong. If a certain activity violates our consciences we are not to engage. To do so is to sin. A violated conscience impairs our ability to hear God speak deep in our inner spirit. Paul is clear: we are never to act contrary to the leadings of our consciences. Instead, we strengthen them by retraining them along the lines of Biblical truth so that we can experience the freedom of the Spirit-filled life. By the way, how we behave in these disputable gray areas means that what is sin for some is not sin for others. Think about that!

BOX 7: I can; and I’ll help others find freedom.

Paul wrote in Romans 14:19: “Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” “Mutual edification” has to do with retraining our consciences along the lines of Biblical freedom. We help “weaker” brothers or sisters whose consciences are more attuned in some areas to personal convictions than to Biblical truth by restricting our liberty—and then coming along side them and helping them understand why we restricted our liberty. Then, we encourage them to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit, search the Scriptures and enjoy freedom in those particular areas.

Rallying around the indisputables is one of the best ways to enhance relationships, unity and peace.

Paul wrote in Romans 15:5-6: “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, 6 so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

From my perspective the Indisputables are:

1. The Bible is the Word of God.
2. Jesus is 100% God and 100% man (Jesus was virgin born).
3. Jesus died a substitutionary death on the cross to pay the penalty for our sin.
4. The bodily resurrection guaranteed that Christ’s mission was s fulfilled.
5. Forgiveness of sin and salvation come solely by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
6. God establishes an eternal relationship with those who personally receive Him as Savior and Lord.

When we get these “indisputables” right, our priorities and choices will fall into place. We will live in deeper fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Jesus focused on the essentials as a powerful way to bring in the kingdom. So may we!

Well, “L”, I hope this helps. May God bless you as you live wisely and Biblically your Christian life.

Love, Roger

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Why Does the Bible Say our Bodies Will Shine in Heaven?

by Randy Carlson
written by Randy Carlson

Some people have asked me if our resurrected bodies will shine. They cite two passages: “The righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Matthew 13:43) and “Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever” (Daniel 12:3, NASB).

On the one hand, Jesus didn’t have a halo after His resurrection, and there’s no reason to believe we will either. Christ’s body appeared so earthly and normal that the disciples on the road to Emmaus didn’t notice He was the resurrected Lord (Luke 24:13-24). However, at this point He was not yet glorified.

During Christ’s transfiguration, His clothing “became as bright as a flash of lightning” (Luke 9:29). Since this portrays Christ as King, it makes sense to think He will literally shine in His kingdom on the New Earth. John says of the city, “the Lamb is its lamp” (Revelation 22:23). As noted earlier, John saw Christ in the present Heaven as a powerful shining being, not someone who would blend into a crowd (Revelation 1:12-18). Moses and Elijah, who joined Christ on the mountain, “appeared in glorious splendor” (Luke 9:31). After Moses received the Ten Commandments from God on the mountain, Moses’ face shone (Exodus 34:29-30).

Many believe these descriptors are figures of speech. Yet in some cases (including Moses’) it was clearly literal. Since God Himself is consistently portrayed as existing in brilliant light, it shouldn’t surprise us to think that in His presence we too will partake of His brightness. I believe that as resurrected beings, we will indeed bear this physical evidence of being God’s image bearers and living in God’s presence. To be glorified appears to mean that, among other things, we may literally shine.

If this seems hard to imagine, think of a person with drab, grayish, malnourished skin, and then imagine the same person as vibrant and healthy. Couldn’t you say the person shines? Have you heard it said of someone “she’s radiant”? I’ve met people so full of Jesus that they seem to have a physical brightness. If God Himself is bright, then it seems appropriate that we, His image-bearers, will reflect His brightness.

Now, moving beyond that weak analogy of our present condition, imagine people in the very presence of God, who are so righteous, so beautiful, so devoid of sin and darkness, so permeated by the very righteousness of God, that they have a literal physical radiance. That’s not so hard to imagine, is it?

Shining speaks of glory, the outward display of greatness and majesty. Gloryis a word associated with rulers. Kings had glory. We understandably hesitate to attribute glory to ourselves, but God doesn’t hesitate to ascribe glory to us. As God’s children we should bear His likeness. It’s He, not we, who declares that we are royalty—kings and queens who will reign with Christ.

A. B. Caneday reminds us, “God is the original; we are the organic image, the living copy. We do not rightly speak of God as King by projecting onto him regal imagery because we think it is fitting for God. Rather, bowing before God who has dominion is proper, for man as king over creation, is the image of kingship; God, the true king, is the reality that casts the image of the earthly king.” [1]

Hence, our glory as lesser kings and queens will serve to magnify His greater glory as the King of kings. We won’t absorb and keep the glory given us, but we will reflect it and emanate it toward its proper object: Christ Himself. This is evident in the fact that God’s worshiping children will “lay their crowns before the throne” (Revelation 4:10).

What prepares us to participate in God’s glory? Our current sufferings (Romans 8:17-18; 1 Peter 5:1-4). “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Corinthians 4:17). Provided we draw our strength from Christ, the greater our troubles now, the greater our glory then.

For more on the eternal life that awaits us, see Randy’s book Heaven. You can also browse additional books and resources on Heaven available from EPM.

[1] A. B. Caneday, “Veiled Glory,” in John Piper, Justin Taylor, and Paul Kjoss Helseth, Beyond the Bounds (Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway, 2003), 163.

 

 

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What Will My Glorified Body Look Like in Heaven?

by John MacArthur
written by John MacArthur

First Corinthians 15 is the definitive chapter on the subject of resurrection. There Paul severely rebukes anyone who would doubt or question it: “But someone will ask, ‘How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?’” To which Paul responds, “You foolish person!” (1 Corinthians 15:35–36). That is one of the most caustic retorts in all the Pauline writings. But in Paul’s estimation, this doctrine is fundamental. To deny an actual, physical resurrection is to embrace something other than genuine Christianity: “For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:16–17).

God made human beings body and soul together. He “formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature” (Genesis 2:7). We consist of an inner self and an outer self (2 Corinthians 4:16). Therefore our ultimate perfection demands that both body and soul be renewed. Even the creation of a new heaven and earth demands that we have bodies—a physical earth calls for its inhabitants to have physical bodies. An honest approach to Scripture does not permit these realities to be simply spiritualized or allegorized. Eternal life as a mere state of mind would defeat the whole point of many of the promises of Scripture.

Death results in the separation of the body and the soul. Our bodies go to the grave and our spirits go to the Lord. The separation continues until the resurrection: “Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear His voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment” (John 5:28–29). Right now the souls of believers who have died are in heaven. Someday their bodies will be resurrected and joined to their spirits, and they will enjoy the eternal perfection of body and soul.

Similarly, the bodies of unbelievers who have died are in the grave, and their souls are in hell. There will also be a day when the bodies of the ungodly will be raised from the graves and joined to their spirits. They will then stand, body and soul, before the judgment throne of God and will be cast bodily into the lake of fire (cf. Revelation 20:11–15).

Christians need not dread that judgment. There is no possibility of condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). We eagerly await the redemption of our bodies (Romans 8:23). “For in this [body] we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling” (2 Corinthians 5:2). Precisely what does this mean? Does it imply that we will receive all-new bodies? Will they be anything like our current bodies? Will we look anything like we do now?

First of all, note that our resurrection bodies are our earthly bodies, only glorified. The bodies we receive in the resurrection will have the same qualities as the glorified resurrection body of Christ. “We know that when He appears we shall be like Him“ (1 John 3:2).

Christ’s resurrection body was the same body as before, not a whole new one. After He arose, the tomb was empty. The body itself was resurrected—the very same body, but in a glorified state. The wounds from His crucifixion were still visible (John 20:27). He could be touched and handled—He was not merely an apparition or a phantom (Luke 24:39). He looked human in every regard. He conversed a long time with the disciples on the road to Emmaus, and they never once questioned His humanity (Luke 24:13–18). He ate real, earthly food with His friends on another occasion (Luke 24:42–43).

Yet His body also had otherworldly properties. He could pass through solid walls (John 20:19). He could appear in different forms so His identity was not immediately obvious (Mark 16:12). He could suddenly appear out of nowhere (Luke 24:36). And He could ascend directly into heaven in bodily form, with no adverse effect as He went through the atmosphere (Luke 24:51; Acts 1:9)

Our bodies will be exactly like that. They will be real, physical, genuinely human bodies—the very same bodies we have while on this earth—yet wholly perfected and glorified. Second Corinthians 5:1 calls the resurrection body “a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”

First Thessalonians 4 describes how the earthly bodies of believers are reunited with their spirits. At the trumpet of God, “the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17).

Paul speaks of this same reality in 1 Corinthians 15:51–52, where he says,

Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.

Believers who are dead will be united with their perfected bodies; then those who are still alive will be caught up and instantly “changed.” So every Christian still living on the earth when Christ comes will be instantly perfected. And both the living and the dead will have their old bodies made new, glorified.

Next time we’ll take a closer look at a passage that illustrates what that glorification will entail.

For the original article, click HERE. gty.org. Used by permission.

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No Brainer Ideas to Make Your Child a Successful Student

by Kevin Leman
written by Kevin Leman

“Sid, come to my office. We need to talk.” As Sid sat there wondering what was happening, the school official said, “Sid, I really like you. I believe in you. Yet, your grades aren’t cutting it here. You know it and I know it. Here is the good news. People with your character and values go on to be the CEOs of the straight A students. Yes, I am kicking you out of this college. Good luck.”

Here is the irony to Sid’s story. Sid is now one of the largest donors to that school. He ended up being that CEO. In fact, a CEO of a Fortune 500 company. It wasn’t his grades that made him successful. It was what his parents put into him as a kid while he was in school that made him successful.

1: Read, read, read and when in doubt, read to your kids. 

Successful is…

Sid was asked to leave his school because of his low grades. But he was a success because his parents taught him a love of learning and good life skills. A successful student isn’t defined by the grades on their report card.

A successful student is one that: enjoys learning, is self-motivated, and connects the dots about others, like gratitude. Learning is a life-long journey. Life skills out-perform good grades.

Reading is the Building Block

Want to be an Attorney? You will have to read a lot. Want to be a Doctor, an Engineer, an Actor, or a Salesman? You will have to read a lot to be successful in your career.

As my friend, Jeff Brown of Read to Lead, says, “Readers Lead and Leaders Read.” If you want to succeed above and beyond, reading is necessary.

Encourage Reading by Reading

Andrea’s favorite afternoon activity with her young children was to read a book for 20 minutes as she fell asleep on the coach. The kids joke that mom would read and start to slur her words as she fell asleep. The point is that Andrea made a routine to always find time to read, no matter how tired.

Andrea would let the kids decide which books they wanted to read. (For full disclosure, the book, “Go, Dog, Go” was accidentally left outside during a thunderstorm and ruined, so she didn’t have to read it anymore.)

When teaching reading to the kids, let them struggle and do it themselves. It will drive you crazy at times to help them with the word “that” for the 10,000th time their reading skills will grow much faster.

When your child reads to you, overlook the mispronounced words. They will eventually get it. Better they believe they can read and enjoy the experience at a young age.

Support Creativity by being Creative

Crayons are cheap. Paper is cheap. Creativity is priceless.

Give your kids lots of object to be creative with. Our kids love using the toilet paper rolls for all sorts of creative projects. It doesn’t need to be fancy or expensive for it to be fun to your kids.

Your response to their projects is important to encourage them to explore more. Hanging the project on the wall or refrigerator  is way more important than a perfect looking home.

The tablet and phone will grab your children’s attention if this is what you grab first to entertain your kids. Grab crayons and craft paper first. Dream with your kids and watch them take off.

Action Steps

  • Find a time and create a habit to read to your young kids.
  • Define a successful student as someone that loves reading and learning.
  • Let them choose books that they want to read.
  • Encourage them to practice reading and let them struggle through the words.
  • Get crayons and craft items for your kids to create works of art.

Parenting Tip/ Pocket Answer

Readers will flourish.

2. Don’t buy a ticket to the Homework Dog and Pony Show

How often did Dr. Leman help his kids with their homework? How often did Dr. Leman ask his kids if they finished their homework? His answers make sense, but do they really work? Find out in this episode. Dr. Kevin Leman never asked if his kids finished their homework. He keeps the tennis ball of life on their side of the court. So, they learn to be responsible for their own work.

1. It is their life and it is their homework, not yours.

Let the teacher be the authority to get the work done. Your children will learn that they will be responsible for their work by others than mom and dad. When the report card comes home, Dr. Leman recommends saying to your kids, “I have a hard time understanding why, they send me YOUR report card. This is your report card. How do you feel about this report card?”

I’ll never know if my kids are doing good or bad in school, if I don’t ask.

Your kids want you to be engaged in their life. They will volunteer information about their school work. Your job is to show interest in their work. If they volunteer information, be positive and keep it their homework. Feel free to call the teacher and ask how you can help support the teacher to insure his school work gets done.

What do I do if their grades are poor?

The next time, they want to do or go somewhere, say, “Nope, we need to have this conversation about your grades. Within 4 years, a person will look at your grades from High School and will make inferences about you from those grades. If those grades are poor, they won’t want to accept you into college or a job. Are you happy with those grades? What do we need to do to get them up?”

2. School first, play second.

Set the school first culture early. Get your child their own special spot to study. Set it up with their favorite pencil, good lighting and their touch. Set a specific time that homework starts, like 4 pm. This gives your kids the routine that I have my place, my stuff and a set time that school work gets done. Give your kid some time to play or decompress when the first get home from school, then encourage them to go to their spot and do their school work. Early on and later, put up their “work” on the frig. Show off their homework.

3. Don’t load the wagon so full.

Make sure your child has enough time for the important things of life as well as the extra activities. Does your child have time to simply enjoy life? Does your child have time for his friends to come over? Does your child have enough time to get his school work done? Be pro-active in evaluating what does on the family wagon, so you kid’s can do the important things.

Summation of podcasts by Dr. Leman. Used by permission.

www.birthorderguy.com/podcast/046-3-no-brainer-ideas-to-make-your-child-a-successful-student/

 

 

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God’s Emergency Warning System: Your Conscience

by John MacArthur
written by John MacArthur

I’m thankful for warning systems. The dashboard lights in my car, smoke detectors in my home, even the little bumps in the road that let me know when I’m crossing over into another lane. If there’s any device or object that’s able to warn me of danger or impending catastrophe, I want it working for me.

In the Lord’s perfect design, each of us has two built-in warning systems working to keep us from danger and harm. The first is pain. Most of us think of pain as a bad thing, but actually it’s a gift from God. You know something is physically wrong when your body hurts. But more than just that, pain is God’s way of protecting you from destroying yourself.

The best illustration of how pain protects us is Hansen’s Disease, or what is often called leprosy. Long ago people believed that leprosy ate away a person’s extremities, ate his fingers, his nose and ears, his chin, his toes, feet, and legs. It was only in the 1800s that biologists discovered that leprosy doesn’t consume the body at all.

Instead, it destroys your nerves and your sense of touch. And without the ability to feel the pressure or pain, you literally wear off your nose, your ears, your chin, and your forehead. You scratch your head and put big gouges in it without ever feeling the damage you’re doing. You’re totally oblivious to pain—you cut your finger and don’t realize it, and infection sets in and that starts to eat away at you. Without the basic ability to feel pain, you’re able to do incredible damage to your body, and you’re open to all kinds of other physical dangers. Without that built-in warning system, you slowly destroy yourself. Pain protects you.

From a spiritual perspective, your other built-in warning system—your conscience—does the same thing. Just as searing pain warns you of physical danger to your body, your conscience screams at you about a violation of a moral law.

But your conscience alone can’t save you. It’s only a mechanism—a warning device. And unless it has been guarded and trained, it won’t be able to alert you to spiritual danger. A malnourished, confused, and twisted conscience won’t be able to protect you—in fact, it could actually lead you to sin and corruption.

Your conscience won’t function properly unless it has been informed by reality and trained like a muscle. It needs to be developed and protected and sharpened.

If you’re going to live the pure, holy life the Lord has commanded you to live, you need a conscience tuned to His perfect standard. And then you need to listen to it carefully and heed its warnings.

In the days ahead, we’ll look at the vital importance of nurturing and training your conscience, how to keep it soft, sharp, and clear, and the dangers of deceiving or ignoring God’s warning system.

www.gty.org. Used by permission.

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Bobbing and Weaving: The Dance of Justification and Rationalization

by Craig Lounsbrough
written by Craig Lounsbrough

       

 

We’re not all too bad at bobbing and weaving. We’re pretty good at side-stepping and side-lining issues. We’re quite adept at cutting and spinning, doing a bit of fanciful dodging, as well as deftly running the obstacle course without getting so much as a scratch on us. We’ve learned to see things coming from a long ways away, and we’ve figured out how to duck and cover with rather amazing agility so that all that stuff rolls right by us without so much as a scratch. We get the game, we get the need to master the game, we get the need to succeed at the game, we get gamey at playing the game, and we bob and weave in order to win the game.

 

The Art of Bobbing and Weaving

 

However you want to visualize it, we have a way of trying to wriggle around or weasel our way out of a whole array of things as a critical part of playing the game. It seems that our first reaction to being confronted or being called on the carpet is to rapidly figure out a series of shrewd moves to deftly dance around the carpet. We’ve developed an engrained habitual nature where our first reflex is to deflect whatever’s been pointed at us or placed on us. Our initial intent is to figure how we get out of this, whatever this might happen to be. We deflect, we project, we place blame, we accuse, we divert and we bob and weave.

 

The Curse of Accountability

 

What we typically don’t do is to evaluate our culpability. Our mindset isn’t naturally one of accountability where we step up, take what’s ours and own it. We aren’t necessarily blessed with a pressing sense of responsibility, and we’re rather lax when it comes to developing an awareness that we’re answerable to the choices that we’ve made. We aren’t particularly prone to own what’s ours; to settle up when we’ve screwed up, fess up when we’ve faltered, and mop up when we’ve messed up. Rather, we bob and weave.

 

Instinctually, it seems that our more natural and deep-seated inclination is to try and figure out how to get out of something. That knee-jerk reaction seems to be our first response and one to which we quite often become feverishly dedicated. In fact, sometimes we’re so fixated on our efforts to avoid responsibility or circumvent taking accountability that we become blind to anything other than that. If our efforts are less than effective, we can shrewdly raise the stakes by smoothly presenting an endless array of colorful rationalizations and tediously crafting a mind-boggling and rather tangled web of sordid justifications. If that doesn’t work sufficiently, we can engage in the more base practices of blame placing, counterfeiting, distorting, manipulating and straight-up lying. It’s all about bobbing and weaving.

 

Bobbing, Weaving and Immaturity

 

Part of our difficulty in being responsible and accountable seems directly related our level of maturity or immaturity. There’s something about immaturity that causes us to instinctively move to a rigorously defensive posture when faced with difficulties or challenges. There’s an automatic and frequently overriding assumption of danger or threat that may or may not be a reality. With a singular focus on danger and not enough maturity to see anything else and subsequently craft any other response except self-preservation, we nervously work to protect ourselves at all costs. The actual nature of what faces us and our responsibility or accountability in it is rendered nearly invisible in light of the blindingly greater goal of protecting ourselves because that’s the only agenda that we see.

 

Maturity is the seasoning of the person to the fullest manifestation of the person. It is the life-long and sometimes arduous process of intentionally maximizing the abilities, resources and talents of the individual so that everything that the individual is comes to its fullest fruition. Maturity is what rises out of the flames of adversity. It’s the inborn product of outward experiences. Maturity is the thing born of the searing wounds, the blistered feet, the hands worn raw and bloodied, and the inescapable exhaustion of living life without working to escape the living of life. It’s out of this maturity that we are able to move away from the singularly primitive response of self-preservation, and entertain a host of potential options which can be infinitely more rich, expansive and enlivening. Without maturity, we bob and weave.

 

Bobbing, Weaving, Ethics, Value and Morals

 

Sometimes bobbing and weaving is nothing more than a character issue. It may rest in selfishness, self-centeredness, varying degrees of rancid narcissism, and a tainting dash of ego here and there. It’s the attitude of self that’s interminable driven by such pathetic questions as “what’s in my best interest, what course of action is going to get me the most of whatever it is that I want, what’s going to put me in the best light or advance my agenda the furthest?” It’s about the tedious strategy and the uncompromising prioritization of the brass ring that unflinchingly dictates any and all decisions. So, if bobbing and weaving most effectively gets me to my goal, let’s have at it. Conversely, if I can get some real and sustainable mileage out of the whole accountability and responsibility thing, let’s be accountable and responsible. Too often the whole “what’s in it for me” mentality becomes the ethic, which is not an ethic but a selfish orientation subversively clothed in the garments of ethics.

 

Ethics, morals and values stand as uncompromising compasses. They are their own authorities. They are not bent by opinions, twisted by objectives, contorted by agendas or modified by any criteria. They become the goal. They are the agenda. They are the only true north in world with compasses that point in whatever direction is deemed most convenient, or most self-serving, or most politically correct. Ethics, morals and values shape everything else and are not shaped by anything else. Bobbing and weaving are methods and maneuvers by which we bend ethics, water down morals, and parse down values to serve our agendas. Without ethics, morals and values, we bob and weave.

 

Bobbing, Weaving and Bad Habits

 

In some instances, bobbing and weaving is simply the stuff of habit. Habit is simply a behavior that’s become so natural that we do it without even thinking about it. The hidden danger in a habit is that, in time, the habit is presumed as normal and healthy. The behavior becomes so habitual that we never take the time to question the habit. We never think to pause long enough and think about what we’re doing and the exact nature of whatever it is that we’re doing. Habit moves the action beyond evaluation. We just go about the business of doing it. And when this becomes the nature of our business, we better believe that our business will embrace a whole bunch of bobbing and weaving.

 

So, somewhere along the line we’ve picked up the habit of bobbing and weaving. Maybe it was modeled for us in the actions, behaviors and attitudes of our parents or some other adult figure. Maybe it was something that our friends did so we just melded right into their patterns as part of the gang. Maybe it was taught to us along the way by a professor, or it was pressed upon us by a boss, or it’s been modeled by the incessant tides of our culture, or it’s been embedded in us by some wayward mentor. Maybe it was just the course of whatever business we were in so we presumed it as nothing more than “business.” Whatever the case, it became habit and it escaped a solely needed scrutiny. If we let it be a habit, we will bob and weave.

 

We are Not Designed for Bobbing and Weaving

 

You may want to take a personal inventory and ask what you’re doing. You might have learned how to bob and weave with a superb degree of dexterity. Indeed, many of us have become quite proficient at this sordid dance. But in the bobbing and weaving, we will bob and weave past priceless opportunities for growth, precious possibilities of all kinds, and we will wholly forsake opportunities to stand up and force all lesser things to stand down. We will become terribly compromised people living out a terribly compromised life of perpetual avoidance.

 

We are not designed to bob and weave. This is nothing of who or what we are at our deepest core. In the sometimes insanity of life and living, bobbing and weaving is our humanity repeatedly surrendering to something that’s vastly inferior to us. Rather, we are undeniably designed for battle, and we are matchlessly equipped for victory in battle. We are designed to grow in the face of adversity and not in the flight from it. We are far more than bobbing and weaving would ever cause us to be. We are built to seize and not side-step. Ingrained in us is the ability to own what’s ours, to settle up when we’ve screwed up, to fess up when we’ve faltered, and to mop up when we’ve messed up. That is who we are. In doing these things, bobbing and weaving will find no place in a life within which it should never find a place in the first place.

 

 

© 2014 Craig Lounsbrough, M.Div., Licensed Professional Counselor

Used by permission of the author.

 
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Love with Intention: Clearing the Clutter

by Randy Carlson
written by Randy Carlson

by Dr. Randy Carlson

 

Clutter is the enemy of intention. Without a sense of order in your life, your marriage relationship will never reach its potential.

 

You probably remember the comedy shorts from the duo of Laurel and Hardy, which nearly always featured a classic line uttered by Hardy to his inept sidekick: “Another fine mess you’ve gotten me into!” Of course, Hardy typically had some part in creating the mess, but he was unwilling to acknowledge responsibility.

 

This is about finding solutions, not assigning blame. First, let’s look at how clutter can hinder your marriage:

 

  • Physical clutter engenders stress and leaves you feeling out of control. The time you spend looking for something because of disorganization is time lost forever to you and your spouse.
  • Mental clutter robs you of the ability to meditate on God’s Word and your relationships. The Psalmist said, “Be still and know that I am God.” The Message Bible says it like this: “Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God.” (Psalm 46:10).
  • Emotional clutter imprisons you behind iron bars of uncontrolled anger, bitterness or hatred, leaving you incapable of true intimacy.

 

The good news about clutter is that it can be cleared. Here are some One Things you can do to clean up the mess:

 

  1. With your spouse, assign responsibility for housekeeping chores for each member of the family with a daily and weekly list. Discuss and think about how you each will feel with the freedom of an uncluttered home.
  2. Set aside specific time to be with God, and recognize that He probably will not reach out to you via Twitter. Banish all electronics and other distractions and ask God to help you “establish your thoughts.” (Proverbs 16:3)
  3. Identify one area of emotional clutter and seek out a trusted, Godly counselor who can help you overcome it.

 

God is not a God of disorder, but of peace (1 Corinthians 14:33). With an intentional focus on cleaning up the “fine mess,” you will carve out new space to enrich and deepen your marriage.

 

Free eBook by Dr. Randy Carlson

 

Dr. Randy Carlson has developed a 38 page eBook titled “Really Live” that will equip and challenge you to live life with more purpose and more meaning today, and more hope and success tomorrow. To download this free eBook simply visit TheIntentionalLife.com.

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Nosey: Looking for Manure instead of Giving Grace

by Julie Barrier
written by Julie Barrier

Benefit of the slop or benefit of the doubt? People, OK and Us magazines rake in bazillions of dollars by cashing in on our curiosity. Who did what to whom? The juicier the better. Gossip can also fuel the fires of dysfunction and dissension in our churches. “Tattle-taling” grows into “rumor milling” until innuendo becomes scandal. Apparently, gossip is an age-old problem. Solomon writes, “A perverse man stirs up dissension, but gossip separates close friends.” Proverbs 16:28  

Identify gossip when it rears its ugly head. Refuse to fuel the fire. Set the record straight. Confront when necessary. Even if there is a grain of truth, give the person grace rather than condemnation. “Pray for the gossiper and the “gossipee”! Remember faith in God and others always brings healing.

Gossip begins with an over-developed sense of nosiness. Snooping and sniffing for the dirt. Noses are nifty little facial appendages. They sniff, smell, sneeze, snort and snore. Our noses are supposed to help us savor the scent of a flower or to take a whiff of Aunt Ivelle’s Summer Rose toilet water. They were designed to warn of danger and help us taste our food. But mostly, noses run, bleed and provide an endless supply of crusty nuggets for mischievous little boys to pick and flick. Noses come in all shapes and sizes: pug, pointy, perky, flat, flared, hooked and stubby. One might think that human schnozzes would surpass the olifactory skills of God’s lowly creatures. Nothing could be further from the truth. My golden retriever, Surely, can sniff the hiney of a Doberman and immediately know if he is a fast friend or fiendish foe. My vet, Dr. Poage, tells me that a canine can sniff a puppy pal’s poop and determine the sex, age and kind of kibble his doggie buddy scarfed. Boy doggies sniff chair and table legs to see if interlopers have invaded their territory and peed in their domain. Goody, my pesky, overly suspicious Corgi, leaves a yellow trail around my grand piano legs to show whose boss of the house.

Why stick your nose where it doesn’t belong: in someone else’s business? “Curiosity killed the cat” is a warning for people and puppies alike. Some stones should be left unturned. Harold, the paunchy tabby down the street, became bald as a billiard ball when he “curiously” sniffed and pawed the Sunbeam hair dryer precariously perched on the bathtub ledge. Harold was never the same again. His litter box was moved to the garage.

Marge Minshew, the hefty alto in the church choir, was overly “curious” about every member of Cockrell Hill Baptist Church. Somehow she forgot to read Paul’s warning in 1 Timothy 5:13-14:”Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to.” 

 

Marge lingered in the bathroom stall to hear the latest tasty morsel about Art Palmer’s late hours at the office. She was convinced Jody Boyd, the church secretary, was swiping ten dollar bills from the Sunday offering plate. How else could she pay for that fire-engine red patent purse?

Pastor Jones must be a ladies’ man, Marge surmised, because he slathered way too much “Bedhead” mousse through his brown wavy locks. Behind every coat closet and water fountain, Marge would gleefully glean her gossipy tidbits. Armed to the teeth with half-truths and innuendo, she began her calling crusade. Marge phoned Peggy, Peggy dialed Betty, and Betty called the entire Women’s Missionary Union to warn them of chinks in the pastor’s armor and skeletons in the deacons’ closets. With each phone call, the tales were tattled and the sins of the saints grew. By the time Ethel Bentley got the scoop, Art Palmer was a pimp and Pastor Jones was an axe murderer.

Marge’s nefarious nose must be stopped up. Pastor Jones preached a fiery four-sermon series on “The Tongue is a Fire” from the book of James but Marge remained clueless, even when her husband Ed elbowed her in the ribs. She “amen’d” and cried “preach it, Pastor,” glaring at the sinners and backsliders seated in the row behind her. Marge really needed a nose job. Someone should have lobbed that sucker clean off her face. Nothing seemed to face the self-appointed “Baptist private eye.” She was sure the finger pointing applied to someone else.

One reason Marge was oblivious to her shortcomings was because she always couched her remarks in the form of “prayer requests.” “Pray for Velma Peabody,” she moaned. “God has revealed to me that she has fallen off the wagon and hit the bottle again. Didn’t you see the rum raisin cake she brought to Wednesday night dinner?” Big deal. Paul told Timothy to take a little wine for his stomach. It was first-century Pepto-Bismol.

But the Good Book warns, “…you can be sure your sin will find you out.” Marge stuck her snoopy nose out too far. Elba McElroy wandered over to our little congregation from the Methodist church down the street. Not enough sewing circles…When Elba joined the Baptist biddies, Marge had met her match. Elba gave her a taste of her own medicine. If Marge had “roast preacher” for Sunday lunch, Elba had “roast Marge” for Sunday dinner. Elba invited Marge and Pastor Jones to her house for pie and coffee, and Marge had to face Pastor Jones eyeball to eyeball. The Holy Spirit did the rest. The moment Marge got back to her old tricks and started the phone chain on the latest scandal, Elba grilled her for the details and checked her story. Marge finally decided the manure she was shoveling wasn’t worth the trouble. She had been cut down to size and the snooping stopped. If I had given monikers to the seven dwarfs (not small in size but small in soul) I might have named them Grumpy, Grouchy, Lazy, Fussy, Sleazy, Nasty and, the worst, Nosey.

Now the only thing Marge Minshew sniffs is warm chocolate cookies straight from the oven. We should do the same.

Identify gossip when it rears its ugly head. Refuse to fuel the fire. Set the record straight. Confront when necessary. Even if there is a grain of truth, give the person grace rather than condemnation. “Pray for the gossiper and the “gossipee”! Remember faith in God and others always brings healing.

 

 

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8 NIV

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Sermons

Angel Face

by Roger Barrier
written by Roger Barrier

No matter what kind of pressure we are under, the Lord understands and comforts us. Even while being stoned, Stephen sees the glory of God and testifies of his Savior. We also can know peace in the midst of chaos when we are filled with the Holy Spirit and anchored on the Holy Bible. Eternal victory is ours through the power of Jesus Christ.

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