9/20/24 | Daily Devotions

Forgiving What You Can’t Forget

September 20, 2024

By Lysa TerKeurst

Forgiveness is God’s provision to heal. In “Forgiving What You Can’t Forget,” Lysa TerKeurst shares how to stop reducing your life down to the limitations of living hurt and move toward the freedom found only through forgiveness.

Run time for this video is 43 minutes.

https://youtu.be/vVGh0kxR0lQ?si=atJRuEpclCpppuRC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVGh0kxR0lQ

Not Just Adam and Eve

September 18, 2024

By Mara Hodler

Sometimes when I see something reprehensible in the world, such as a terrible act of hatred or violence that is the direct result of sin and evil, I think to myself, I wish Adam and Eve wouldn’t have eaten the fruit. I wish they had never brought sin into the world. I wish we did not live in a broken, fallen world (Genesis 3:6–19).

The Garden of Eden was a perfect place. I like to imagine that the grass was lush and green, but not itchy; the sun shone, but it was not too hot; the world was full of its natural beauty, but nothing was dirty or dying. There was no such thing as rich or poor, slaves or lords. No haves and have-nots.

Then someone takes a bite of a forbidden fruit and the world breaks. Sin enters the world, along with sickness, death, and suffering. And ever since that day, mankind has struggled and suffered.—Suffered from the elements of cold, heat, drought, floods, earthquakes, storms, and fires. Humanity has suffered at the hands of one another through wars, feuding, slavery, greed, oppression, deception, and other sinful acts. There is sickness and pain; our bodies die.

When we consider the outcomes of Adam and Eve’s decision to disobey God, we can be tempted to lament and wonder how things could have been if only this hadn’t happened! But we know that God is omniscient, and He knows the future (Isaiah 46:10). He created Adam and Eve in His image with free will, and they made the wrong choice and sin entered into the world. And as human beings made in the image of God, we have also been given the gift of free will, and God has given us the freedom and responsibility to choose to love and obey Him or to choose our own way and to disobey Him.

When I was a young child, our family had a favorite ice cream shop that we would frequent. I was still learning how to eat an ice cream cone without making a mess. My parents were quite easygoing about the messes I made, but there was one thing they told me every single time: “Do not bite the bottom of the ice cream cone.” My sense of logic hadn’t fully evolved, and I was desperately curious as to why I could not bite the bottom of the ice cream cone.

One day, after an afternoon of running errands, my mom decided to take us for an ice cream treat on the way home. The plan was to eat our cones as we walked home. My sister and I were certainly on board with the plan, and I selected a cone with my favorite ice cream of the time, Rocky Road. On our walk home I realized that with Dad not being present, this was the perfect time to conduct the cone-biting experiment, and I excitedly bit off the bottom of my ice cream cone.

Only a few seconds later, as melted ice cream dripped out of the bottom of my cone, did I realize that biting the bottom of my cone had ruined my ice-cream-eating experience. Ice cream dripped on my clothes and shoes, and I was forced to throw my cone away. I learned an important lesson for life that day—our decisions have consequences.

In thinking back on that experience, I would say that I exhibited behavior similar to that of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. They were told not to take a bite, and yet they did, assuming they knew better than God, rather than trusting that God had good reasons for telling them to not eat that fruit. Likewise, I was told not to take a bite, and yet I did. My heart, their hearts, are all made of the same human stuff and proclivities.

Our desperate need for a Savior cannot be placed solely on Adam and Eve. As human beings, we have to acknowledge our personal responsibility and that we are each just as sinful as Adam and Eve of our own accord. “As the Scriptures say, ‘No one is righteous—not even one. … All have turned away. … No one does good, not a single one’” (Romans 3:10–12). “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23). “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

The knowledge that we didn’t just happen to be born into this world in the time period after sin entered the world, but that we ourselves are sinners in desperate need of saving, should make us eternally grateful for God’s free gift of salvation. God had a plan for our redemption. The Bible tells us that “God paid a ransom to save us from the empty life we inherited from our ancestors” through “the precious blood of Christ,” which He planned “long before the world began” (1 Peter 1:18–20).

When Jesus took up the cross and began His torturous walk to Calvary, when He allowed Himself to be pierced and poked, it was for each one of us and because of each one of us. And when He arose triumphant over sin and death, He changed our eternity. How amazing is that?

I’ve always known I am saved and understood that Jesus loved me, forgave my sins and mistakes, and reconciled me to God through His death. But when I recently came to understand how like Adam and Eve I am, I gained a much deeper appreciation for Jesus’ sacrifice and death on the cross for me and the joy of my salvation.

We cannot fully experience the joy of our salvation until we comprehend the truth that we would be lost in sin without the grace and love of God (Ephesians 2:1–8). May the joy of your salvation be renewed and restored today! (Psalm 51:12).

When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. … And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.—Ephesians 3:14–18

Adapted from a Just1Thing podcast, a Christian character-building resource for young people.

God Inhabits the Praises of His People

September 17, 2024

A compilation

Audio length: 12:20

Download Audio (11.3MB)

The phrase “God inhabits the praise of His people” comes from the King James Version of Psalm 22:3, which states of God, “But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.” Other translations say, “Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises” (NIV). …

Psalm 22 is thought to have been written by King David. It is a cry of anguish and interestingly parallels much of what happens in Jesus’s crucifixion, though it was written 1,000 years before those events would occur. … Much of this psalm of lament involves David, sorely distressed and feeling rejected by the Lord, remembering past times of rescue and imploring God for help. You are holy, and yet you feel so far away, David is saying to God in essence. But our ancestors praised you and trusted you, and you delivered them, so I will do the same. …

In this reminder that God does indeed “inhabit the praise of His people,” David is thought to be reminding himself that he is to praise God in all circumstances, even when things seem hopeless.

The importance of praising God is mentioned hundreds of times in the Bible, both in the Old and New Testaments. Praising God means telling or otherwise expressing how wonderful and great we believe God is and how much we love Him. This can be done with words—such as through prayer, teaching, singing, or writing—or other modes of expression, such as dance, painting a picture, or simply opening your heart to Him in love during a moment of quiet stillness. It can mean heeding God’s commands and knowing He is Lord, as well as obeying His commandments and understanding we are to follow His Son, our Savior, Jesus.

Hebrews gives us one way to look at praise, noting we should “continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name” (Hebrews 13:15). … We are always to praise God in good times and bad. In his letter to the early church in Thessalonica, the apostle Paul reminds Christians to “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18).

Scripture tells us God hears us always and is with us always. As Isaiah 65:24 says, “Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.” … Because we know His presence is certain, we can know in our hearts that God is there: in good times and bad, always listening, always with us. In the words of Moses, “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (Deuteronomy 31:8).

Psalm 22 reminds us of this truth. For even if God feels far away, He is not. He desires our praise and worship in all things. He is listening and very much present. So praise God in the sunshine and in the storm—He is there.—Jessica Brodie¹

The joyful heart

As followers of Jesus, “grateful” should be our default setting when we consider that Jesus died to redeem us from an eternity of being separated from God. This should put a spring in our step and cause all the not-so-great stuff to bounce off as irrelevant. But I tend to succumb to less-than-grateful reactions, because, well, traffic, mess, stress, too little of this, too much of that. You know how it goes.

Still, I know that in the big picture, all the daily details matter very little, and I want to have joy in my heart. Let me share with you three areas that I have been concentrating on in order to be more positive in my reactions and outlook.

Be grateful for the smallest things: I’m learning to notice the smallest things that bring joy, and the list is endless: the sunrise, the sunset, a great cup of coffee, the cool morning air, the laughter of children, my husband’s strong arms, a good book, my pillow, and on and on the list goes. I’ve discovered that keeping a long string of small joys in mind can do wonders for absorbing the impact of some of the harder things life throws at me.

Don’t get attached to any particular outcome: This is a hard one! There are times when I’ve had very strong feelings about what I believe the outcome should be, but there were things at play that I couldn’t control. It’s often hard for me to say, “Either way I’ll be grateful,” because who wants to be grateful for a bad diagnosis or a rejected job application? But I’ve learned that my gratitude is not meant to be based on the outcome, but rather based on the fact that God is good. Always. Even when His goodness is beyond my comprehension.

Remember God’s goodness: For all my worrying, for all the tight spots, for all the difficult journeys, haven’t I come through okay? None of the hard things have altogether ruined me. I’ve never reached a place where God’s love couldn’t find me. Like Paul says: “Endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope” (Romans 5:4 NLT). When I pause to remember God’s goodness, my heart is flooded with that truth and my outlook can again become grateful.—Marie Alvero

The temple of praise

Heaven is a place where God is surrounded by praise, and it is described in the Bible as God’s temple (Psalm 11:4; Habakkuk 2:20). Yet the ultimate dwelling place for God is with His people: “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God” (Revelation 21:3; see also Revelation 21:22). Jesus Christ revealed that He is the Lord’s temple (John 2:19–21), and God’s presence now inhabits His body—the church (1 Corinthians 3:16–17).

Scripture repeatedly affirms that individual believers are “the temple of the living God” and “temples of the Holy Spirit” where God’s presence dwells (1 Corinthians 6:19; 2 Corinthians 6:16). The whole church “is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord … built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit,” explains the apostle Paul in Ephesians 2:21–22. …

God still inhabits the praises of His people. No matter what our circumstances, we know that God is holy and does all things right. We can worship the Lord even in our distress.—GotQuestions.org²

Living in worship

We feel God’s love most keenly when we are focused on His will and have devoted ourselves fully to His praise and purpose for our lives. We are instructed to abide in God, which means that we should live and move to worship His Name. The word “abide” carries with it a sense of habitation; we are commanded to live in the presence of God. …

God seeks to have His way in every area of our lives. He does not do this to directly control our actions as if we have no free will; but when we yield our will to His, He has the freedom to work in us in ways we could never imagine.

Our praise is a primary way that God works His way into our hearts and minds. When we worship, we are meant to turn all of our attention to God. In simple terms, worship is ascribing worth to God in some way. Today, most of us think of worship as music, and that is certainly one aspect of worship. However, it is much more than that.

True worship is lived out every minute of every day. Paul tells us in Romans that we should give up our bodies in a sacrificial way, and let our minds be constantly renewed by the Holy Spirit. He says that this is an acceptable act of worship (Romans 12:1–2). Far greater than any song we could sing, wholehearted worship is a life that praises God for His mercy and grace, and that seeks to show others what that grace and mercy has done in our lives.

God can minister to others in many ways, and will always deal directly with our hearts. However, as His ambassadors on earth, we are called to live out a life of praise so that others would see who we live for and glorify God in heaven. When we fully give ourselves to God’s purpose in our lives and give all the honor and praise to Him in our words and our actions, God’s might and power indwells itself in us and shines through to the rest of the world. The Holy Spirit lives in our hearts when we become believers, and His power is shown in our thoughts, actions, and interactions.

The most brilliant part of this is recognizing that God steps into our worship and magnifies Himself through it. … The presence of God will inhabit your heart and shine through in your worship.—ConnectUs ³

Published on Anchor September 2024. Read by Gabriel Garcia Valdivieso. Music by John Listen.

¹ https://www.christianity.com/wiki/bible/what-does-it-mean-that-god-inhabits-the-praise-of-his-people.html

² https://www.gotquestions.org/God-inhabits-the-praise-of-His-people.html

³ https://connectusfund.org/meaning-of-god-inhabits-the-praises-of-his-people-psalm-22-3-kjv

It Is So Because God Said So

September 16, 2024

By Virginia Brandt Berg

Audio length: 11:06

Download Audio (10.1MB)

The Lord bless you and make you a blessing. We’re so glad to have you with us and we do trust that this will be a help to you.

God will lead you along if you’ll let Him. If you’ll listen to His Word, and be obedient and follow, God will lead you along. I’ll never forget when a deep conviction first came to me that we’re able to know the will of God and that He would not fail to give us the desire of our heart when it comes to knowing His will.

I was thinking of the deep conviction that dawned on my soul that God could not and would not fail His Word. I kept saying, “This is the Word of the Almighty God. It cannot fail; I can depend upon it.” I came into a spiritual alertness and I recognized that previously the Bible had not been a living, vital thing to my heart, but rather a sort of combination of creeds and doctrines and wise sayings and printers’ ink. I had never known the power of the Word of God.

But at this time, a deep conviction dawned on my soul that God could not fail His Word. I kept saying over and over, “It’s true! God said it and it’s true!” How did this new understanding come about?

I had known church membership and much of church organization before this time, but I’d never really believed God’s Word, nor had I met Christ personally. My experience with the church had been a little disappointing. It seemed tediously humdrum, without any power.

It was through a little tract that was put in my hand by a Christian Missionary Alliance preacher that I came into the most glorious experience. It brought unbelievable victory into my life and complete healing of my sick body.

Gone was the unbelief and that sense of futility and disappointment, and there arose in my heart an unnamed hunger. Christ came into my life to fully satisfy! When that conviction dawned upon my heart, I was a total invalid, utterly helpless. A number of physicians had given up on me. But I had been newly born again, and my faith encouraged me to look to the Lord to restore my health and to raise me up.

Previously I felt I must have some evidence before I could believe, which is walking by sight and not by faith. I had received prayer for my healing, and I had waited for God to let me see something to prove that He had heard and answered prayer, because at that point for me to see was to believe, which isn’t the right way. The world says see and you will believe, but the Bible says believe and you will see.

It was at that time that God brought certain scriptures to my mind to show me that I must believe simply because God said so. Soon faith came into my heart, simply by believing what God’s Word said, not by anything I saw or felt. I believed God had heard our prayers, and that He had answered. I believed that He had reached down and had healed me! It was so, simply because God said so, and that was enough. My heart leapt with joy! And when that realization came, something was born in my soul that has never changed from that day forward: an abiding, unshakable faith in God’s Word. Again and again, as I was lying there so helpless, I whispered over and over, “It is the Word of God, it cannot fail. It is God’s Word and He cannot lie.”

I seemed to see this marvelous Word of God marching through the centuries of time, indestructible, infallible, inexhaustible, unchangeable. What joy came into my heart as I realized I had such an anchor to hold on to! There was in my heart the substance of things hoped for, the belief in things not seen. (See Hebrews 11:1.)

I believed the work of God was done, for we had met His conditions, and there was His promise very plain and sure that He would not, could not fail His Word, and I was not going to doubt that Word.

Well, it happened! It happened just as He had promised, and I was completely healed! That was many years ago. I have lived these many years to serve Him. And I have never doubted the power of the Word of God.

John 6:63 says, “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” When we come to the realization that there is the power in what God says in His Word, then we have taken hold of the truth that makes all things possible. Oh, to meditate on His Word.

Numbers 23:19 says, “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said it, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” Whatever the need is in your life right now as you are listening, just hug that promise to your heart. Let it quicken your faith.

That is the word of the living God. God said it and it is true. “Has He said it, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” He will do it for you. Isn’t that wonderful? God has spoken, and He’s going to make it good.

Don’t you let anything shake your faith! Don’t believe any of the doubts the Devil puts in your mind. “Has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” Well, God made it good in my case, and He raised me up off that sickbed. I had been an invalid for five years. Some of you have heard me say this so many times; I never get tired of talking about it. But that isn’t the most important thing, but rather it was the faith that came into my heart, that because God said it, it was true. In 1 Kings 8:56 God’s Word says, “There has not failed one word of all His good promises.” He’s not going to fail in any of them for you. That burden you carry today, cast it upon Him.

He’s not failed in “one word” of all of His good promises. Psalm 89:33 says He will not allow His faithfulness to fail. And in Hebrews 13:5 He says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

God grant that His Word will have a preeminent place in your life. When you’re obedient to God’s Word, His blessings will be poured out. When we yield to His Word, He does guide us. Yes, He leads His children along just as He promised He would. He led me along step by step just like He will lead you.

Though sorrows befall us, and Satan opposes,
God leads us along.
Through grace we can conquer and defeat all our foes,
God leads His dear children along.
Some through the waters and some through the flood,
And some through the fire, but all through the blood.
Some through great sorrows, but God gives a song,
In the night season and all the day long.
—Adapted from “God Leads Us Along” by George A. Young

God will lead you along. It is His Word; He has promised to do it. When you yield yourself to His Word, He will guide your life each day and your faith will spring up invincible. And then you’ll shout triumphantly, “It is so because God says so. What He has promised, He is also able to perform.” (See Romans 4:21.) Say it over and over to yourself, “What He has promised, He is also able to perform.”

If you are not saved, why do you carry the burden of sin? 1 John 1:9 says: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” If you confess your sin, God will keep His Word. He will not fail His Word. He will cleanse you from all unrighteousness.

The Bible says, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). You can be free from the burden of sin and have peace come into your heart, and God will lead you along.

How wonderful to have such power to lead you along! He will keep His Word. He will not fail you. It is so because God said so! Amen.

From a transcript of a Meditation Moments broadcast, adapted. Published on Anchor September 2024. Read by Debra Lee.

01 A More Sure Word of Prophecy (2 Peter 1:19) part 2

Book of the Future, Part 1

Book of the Future

Compiled from the writings of David Brandt Berg

1983-03-28

To know or not to know “the times and the seasons”

All the way through the prophecies of Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, Isaiah, John, and Jesus, there are specific detailed descriptions of the last days on earth before Christ’s Second Coming. Has the Lord given us these signs for a reason? Does He want us to know about the soon coming of His kingdom? Does He want us to be prepared for it? Does He want us to have that knowledge and be able to teach others so? If He doesn’t, He’s sure wasting an awful lot of time throughout both the Old and New Testament telling us all the signs of His coming.

In fact, in one of the most descriptive endtime prophecy books of the Bible, the Lord told Daniel to close up the book and seal up the prophecy until the end: “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. For the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. And none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand” (Daniel 12:4, 9–10).

For almost 2,500 years the book of Daniel has been virtually a sealed book, and it’s only recently that men have begun to open the book, break the seals, and understand the prophecies and what Daniel was saying. Although they had the Bible for thousands of years, they still didn’t understand endtime Bible prophecy. But now we’re supposed to open the book, break the seals, and read it and understand it, because we live in the time of the end.

God’s Word says, “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy” (Revelation 1:3). It takes an effort; it’s work to try to understand Bible prophecy and to “study to show thyself approved unto God, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). But you’ll find that “the entrance of Thy words giveth light” and wisdom and understanding (Psalm 119:130). When we delve into God’s Word, we “bring forth treasures, both new and old” (Matthew 13:52). You’ll discover how wonderfully the Lord can weave His Word together like a beautiful tapestry, filling in the whole picture to give you His vision of His plans. “For where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18).

Of course, some Bible professors and students are going to say, “Jesus told His disciples that ‘no man knoweth the day or the hour when the Son of Man cometh, not even the angels in heaven.’ And ‘it’s not for you to know the times or the seasons’” (Matthew 24:36; Acts 1:7). When all the dramatic, climactic, final events of world history begin to unfold, let me tell you, you’re going to need to know. You are going to want to know and you are going to know, because God promised it in His Word.

If the Lord did not intend for us to know the times and the seasons, then why did He give us Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21, John 14, Acts 1, 1 Thessalonians 4 and 5, 2 Thessalonians 2, 1 Timothy 4, 2 Timothy 3, 2 Peter 1 and 3, and the whole book of Revelation, as well as multitudes of prophecies in the Old Testament, including many in the historical books, as well as the poetical books, and 17 books of the prophets with prophecies and specific predictions of the future. If God didn’t want His children to know anything specific about the future, then He wasted half the Bible talking about it, and we ought to throw that half away.

But He does want us to know, and throughout the Bible He continues to give us multitudes of literal, specific predictions of the future and what its times and seasons will be like. In fact, the Lord makes it extremely explicit many times in many places regarding the exact number of years and months, and even days, during the crucial last seven years of the endtime.

In Matthew chapter 24 and Luke chapter 21, Jesus Himself gives one of the most descriptive and specific of all resumes of future endtime events of any prophet in the Bible. After giving a long list of predictions and coming signs of the times, He tells us, “When you see these things or these signs come to pass, look up, for your redemption draweth nigh.” “The generation that sees these things come to pass is not going to pass away till all these things are fulfilled” (Luke 21:28; Matthew 24:34). So obviously He wants us to “see” and “look” at the signs of His coming being fulfilled before He returns so that we can “discern the signs of the times” (Matthew 16:3).

“For as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days that were before the Flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage”—going on, business as usual—“until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and they knew not until the Flood came and swept them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 24:37–39). Who knew not? The wicked. Who knew? Noah! He knew what was going to happen; he was expecting it.

“For unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to others it is not given, because they seeing, see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them” (Matthew 13:11–17).

“For ye, brethren,” the apostle Paul tells us, “are not in darkness, that that day (of Christ’s Second Coming) should overtake you as a thief.” In other words, it shouldn’t take you by surprise. “Ye are all the children of light, the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.” We’re not in the dark on this question. We know Jesus is coming, and from His Word we know how He’s going to come. The Bible tells us plainly! (1 Thessalonians 5:1–5).

“Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” He says, “You’re not children of the night. You’re not supposed to be sleepy and asleep when it happens. You’re the children of the day, children of light. You’re supposed to be wide awake and have the light on these things” (1 Thessalonians 5:6).

You’re supposed to know what’s happening and when it’s going to happen. God’s children are not supposed to be in the dark about all these Bible prophecies. If you know His Word, you won’t be surprised when you hear about the rise of a new powerful world leader and one-world government, the new credit-only computerized economic system and the dramatic ending of man’s governments on earth with the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

To be foretold is to be forewarned. We who know His Word and His prophecies and promises for the future will never be surprised with a “mighty widening of the eyes” like those who have not discerned the signs of the times. We will be prepared.

We don’t have to be in doubt and confusion and in darkness, wondering what’s going on like the rest of the world, “men’s hearts failing them for fear, for looking after those things which are coming on the earth” (Luke 21:26). We can know exactly what’s going to happen, exactly the way things are going to go. We may not like it and it may look pretty bad, but we know the happy ending, and all is well that ends well.

Thank God we have the preparation that prepares us for anything that’s going to happen, and that’s salvation, knowing Jesus and knowing that we’re saved. Then no matter what happens, even sudden death is sudden glory! No matter what anyone does to you, even if they kill you, “after they’ve killed the body, they have no more that they can do” (Luke 12:4–5), because God will take you into His spirit world with Him until we return to rule and reign here on this earth with Jesus.

Are you prepared? Have you personally received Jesus into your heart? I hope you’ve accepted Him. I hope you’ve received Him so that you can look forward to these marvelous future events not with fear and trembling, but with hope and faith and assurance that God’s going to see you through, He’s going to save you and rescue you out of it all and take you to be with Him, to live with Him forever.

You don’t have to know the future and all the marvelous details of endtime prophecy. These events will happen whether you know them or not. But it’s a good thing to know and to understand these things so that you’ll be able to know what’s going on and what’s happening, as well as be able to teach and warn others. The main thing you need to know is summed up in one verse, John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son (Jesus), that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

So receive salvation now; then you’ll be ready for the revelation of the future. Otherwise, knowing the future wouldn’t make much difference to you, because your future will be all bad news. You probably won’t even want to hear about what’s going to happen if you’re not saved. But if you are saved, then God has got some marvelous, wonderful, encouraging, thrilling revelations of the future in store for you.

Knowing Him and His Word, that’s what’s going to carry you through. The vision of what’s coming will give you the faith to believe God and the courage to launch out and march victoriously through the plagues of this world, through Great Tribulation, and right on through to the coming of Jesus Christ and our loving reign with Him forever.

01 A More Sure Word of Prophecy (2 Peter 1:19) part 1

Book of the Future, Part 1

Book of the Future

Compiled from the writings of David Brandt Berg

1983-03-28

So many people today are worried about the future, wondering what’s going to happen. Most of today’s youth seem to almost instinctively realize that they are living on borrowed time. After all, we are the first generation that has had to live with the knowledge that we could completely destroy ourselves. People want to know what to do about it, or if there is any way to avoid it or prepare for it, to survive it.

Psychologists tell us that uncertainty and the fear of the unknown is the worst fear of all—not knowing what’s going to happen. It’s sad that so few people realize that they can know the future, that they can know what’s going to happen—accurately and in detail. Even the exact number of years, months, and days of parts of it.

How could this be? By what means can mortal man possibly transcend the bounds of time and peer into the future? By tuning in to God and His wonderful Word, the Bible. For He alone is the great “I AM,” who dwells in the eternal now where there is no past nor future and “time shall be no more” (Revelation 10:6). It all looks the same to God, and He can easily reveal to His prophets and seers the mysteries of the future. “For surely the Lord God will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7).

“For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy: Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them. For I am the Lord: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; for I say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord God” (Isaiah 57:15; 42:9; Ezekiel 12:25).

“Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for My mouth it hath commanded them” (Isaiah 34:16). The mate of every prophecy is its fulfillment. God’s Word finds its mate in fulfilled Bible prophecy, and the ones which have already occurred and been fulfilled, foretold hundreds of years in advance, have been fulfilled. Every prophecy the Bible has uttered has been fulfilled except the ones that are yet to come, and they’ll be fulfilled just as surely as the ones that have been fulfilled in the past.

It’s a marvelous, thrilling study to deal with fulfilled prophecies, and it encourages your faith to know that those regarding the future will be fulfilled just as accurately and just as perfectly and just as surely as every prophecy of the past. But we are particularly interested in those which are yet to be fulfilled.

You’ll find that God’s Word is specific and clear. Its prophecies tell you exactly who and where and even when. So if you’ve been wondering, “Where did we come from? Where are we going? What’s happening?” this wonderful book, the Bible, tells you all about it, exactly what’s going to happen. You don’t have to worry about it; you don’t have to fear. You don’t have to guess at it. It’s all here just as plain as can be.

“For that that is determined shall be done” (Daniel 11:36). What God has determined and prophesied, He’s going to do. Whatever God has said He’s going to do, He is going to do. Not one shall lack her mate. Not one prophecy shall be without fulfillment; every single one shall be fulfilled.

“We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:19–21).

“And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away” (John 14:29; Matthew 24:35).

“Pearls of great price” (Matthew 13:45–46)

God has warned us time and again almost since the beginning of man, and certainly throughout the Bible, that there’s coming an end to things as far as man’s rule on this earth is concerned, and that his governments are going to eventually end so that God can set up His heavenly kingdom of peace on earth.

God has given man thousands of years to try to solve his own problems and run the world and bring peace and happiness, and he has brought nothing but war and misery. God has given man his chance and he has done nothing but make a mess of the world. And now, finally, man is able to destroy it. And if God did not step in and intervene in this last hour of history, man could completely destroy it and totally annihilate himself.

If God didn’t step in, mankind could commit suicide. We could either blow ourselves up with the bomb or we could gradually kill ourselves with famine or overpopulation or air pollution or water pollution. Let’s face it, man is destroying himself. He’s killing himself with his pollution and with his destructive nature, and if God doesn’t intervene and stop it, man would eventually wipe himself off the map! This is why Jesus prophesied of the last days: “Except those days be shortened, there should no flesh be saved” (Matthew 24:22).

The Bible predicts that in the last days of man-made regimes on earth, a totally godless, anti-Christ world government will arise, led by a Devil-possessed dictator, Satan incarnate, who will bring a temporary false peace on earth and a counterfeit utopia. Its price will be enforced worship of him as the imitation Messiah. All of his subjects will be branded with a credit number in order to buy or sell or obtain food or employment, and all those who refuse to cooperate will be hunted, persecuted, and slaughtered by his commandment. This will be a time of Great Tribulation.

This anti-Christ government of anti-Christ forces under the leadership of the Antichrist himself, this superhuman world dictator of man’s last one-world godless government, will then set up its headquarters in Jerusalem, his capital, and unite all peoples of the world into a one-world worship of this demon-demagogue and his magical image which can speak.

These startling events will immediately precede the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, which is the major endtime event, the grand climax, as the Lord Himself returns and wipes out the Antichrist and his followers and sets up the last and most lasting and only perfect government the world has ever known, and “the meek shall inherit the earth” (Psalm 37:11).

Most Christians seem to have rightly gathered from reading their Bibles and hearing various preachers that in the last days, times are going to wax worse and worse, and not get better. A lot of them believe that the end is going to be a time of very bad trouble and tribulation. And, of course, all real Bible-believing Christians believe that Jesus is coming again. They have also gathered the fundamental idea that there’s going to be a heavenly time on earth at some time or other. But a lot of them have it pretty mixed up and they don’t know how, where, or when these events will take place.

They’ve got the knowledge of these events and these priceless truths like a handful of pearls, but they don’t realize exactly how they ought to be strung, in what order and in what sequence, to make them a beautiful string of pearls in proper order to, you might say, wear around their neck of knowledge. They don’t realize the chronological sequence, which is necessary to understand what’s going to happen, how it’s going to happen, when it’s going to happen, etc.

True, the Bible admonishes us not to fret for tomorrow, which means we’re not to worry about tomorrow, but the Lord sure has had a lot to say about tomorrow, so He certainly must want us to be informed about tomorrow! That’s the whole point of prophecy: to let you know what’s going to happen so you won’t worry about it. You’ll know what’s going to happen.

To be forewarned is to be forearmed. To understand what’s going to occur is to be prepared to face it and take it as it comes and hopefully survive it.—At least certainly to understand what you’re going through and to know what’s happening. You may not understand it all in advance; you may not know everything that’s going to happen. But we can know enough from God’s Word that we can know the major events and their characteristics, the major characters in these events, and in some cases when they’re going to happen, the exact time periods predicted in the Bible, so that when the time comes you’ll know exactly when certain events are going to take place, because God has already said so in His Word, plain as day.

It’s wonderful to be able to read a newspaper that tells you what’s going to happen—not just what’s already happened. Anybody can tell you what’s already happened, but the Bible tells you what’s going to happen. Newspapers are not really newspapers; they’re history papers. They tell you what’s already happened—past news. But God has given us a lot of later news about today, the time in which we’re living right now, and what’s going to happen next. So the Bible is not just a history book, it’s a news book. It not only tells you about yesterday, it also tells you about tomorrow. (to be conthued)

10 Things You Should Know about the Fruit of the Spirit

September 13, 2024

By Megan Hill and Melissa B. Kruger

The fruit of the Spirit points us to Jesus.

The fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22–23 is a familiar list of virtues. You may have memorized it or learned a childhood song based on it. On good days, it’s an encouraging list—a reminder that the Spirit is at work in you. On bad days, it can be a crushing list—a testimony to how far you have yet to go. But the fruit of the Spirit isn’t merely intended for self-examination. The list of fruit in Paul’s epistle points us upward, away from ourselves, toward our Savior. …

(Read the article here.)

https://www.crossway.org/articles/10-things-you-should-know-about-the-fruit-of-the-spirit

Perseverance in Prayer

September 12, 2024

Treasures

Audio length: 12:17

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“Lord, teach us to pray.”—Luke 11:1

God expects each of His children to seek Him and draw close to Him in prayer, and to enter into a personal relationship with Him as our heavenly Father. His Word says, “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13), and “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you” (James 4:8). Each of us must learn to make personal, intimate contact with the Lord through prayer, our means of direct communication with God.

Although we should spend time in communion with the Lord every day—in prayer and reading His Word—Jesus also told us that we should continually pray throughout our day. He told His disciples a parable “to show them that they should always pray” (Luke 18:1). He also said to “watch and pray” (Matthew 26:41), and Paul taught us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Prayer is one way the Lord has of keeping us close to Him and in His presence continually, dependent upon Him and His guidance.

Even though our heavenly Father “knows what we need before we ask him” (Matthew 6:8), we are to come to Him and to acknowledge that we alone can’t solve all our problems and that we need His help and guidance. The Bible instructs us to “in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:6).

As God’s children, we are to acknowledge His power and show our faith in Him by asking Him for help, guidance, supply, and blessing, and committing our every care to Him. The Bible says, “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him” (Matthew 7:9–11).

So don’t ever think you have to try to figure out all your problems and decisions yourself. Bring your decisions to God in prayer and seek His guidance and wisdom. The Bible says, “Without Him you can do nothing” (John 15:5), but with Him, you can “do all things through Christ who strengthens you” (Philippians 4:13). So when you need help, tell Jesus.

“Cast your burden on the Lord and He will sustain you. Cast all your cares on Him, for He cares for you” (Psalm 55:22; 1 Peter 5:7). Jesus said, “My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” But there’s one condition: He said, “Come to Me” (Matthew 11:28–30). When you go to the Lord in prayer and faith and thanksgiving, you will find joy, peace, and strength in His presence.

This is what prayer is all about. It is not merely some kind of religious ritual, but a living relationship. As the old hymn says:

What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear.
What a privilege to carry,
Everything to God in prayer.

Oh, what peace we often forfeit.
Oh, what needless pain we bear.
All because we do not carry,
Everything to God in prayer.
—Joseph M. Scriven (1820–1886)

It’s so important to learn to pray and commit our burdens, trials, and needs to Him, and to trust Him to hear and answer our prayers.

Persistence in prayer

The Bible teaches that “Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven” (Psalm 119:89), and Malachi 3:6 says, “I am the Lord, I do not change.” There are aspects of God’s will that are unchangeable, including His promises and His gift of salvation to all who put their trust in Jesus. There are also times in our lives when certain things are set, and we have to submit to His will and accept how He is working in our lives. But this is not always the case. There are times when our passive acceptance of situations and circumstances is simply a lack of faith and determination to contend in prayer—an attitude known as “fatalism.”

The Bible teaches us to simultaneously commit all things to the Lord in fervent prayer, while trusting in Him and asking for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). Scripture tells us: “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you” (1 Peter 5:7), and “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6). We are not meant to passively accept everything we face in life, but to actively bring our concerns and cares to God in prayer.

When we pray, we have to believe that God hears our prayers and has promised to answer us in accordance with His will. The Bible says, “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results” (James 5:16). But the prophet Isaiah once lamented that “there is no one who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to take hold of you” (Isaiah 64:7). Our prayers for God’s intervention are meant to be fervent, earnest, and persistent, as the following story from the Bible points out.

Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, “A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.”

And suppose the friend calls out from his bedroom, “Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.” But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.

And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened (Luke 11:5–10).

What can we learn from this parable that Jesus was using to teach His disciples about prayer? If you sincerely need something, and you believe that your request is within His will, or you are interceding on behalf of others, or asking Him to prosper some vital task you are undertaking—then pray fervently for it. Be persistent! “Seek, and you will find,” and if your prayers aren’t answered right away, don’t give up! Just keep knocking on heaven’s door with your prayers and trust that “the door will be opened” according to God’s good and perfect will. “This is the confidence that we have in approaching God, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him” (1 John 5:14–15).

The promises of God

God has made numerous promises in the Bible for those who love and worship Him, which we can apply to our everyday needs. God’s Word says, “His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:3–4).

We should never take lightly or overlook the promises of God, because by these we become “partakers of the divine nature.” It is through God’s promises that we partake of His gift of salvation and eternal life, promised to all who receive God’s son, Jesus, as their Lord and Savior. By faith in His promises, we receive “the right to become the children of God,” granted to all who believe in His name (John 1:12).

For a strong prayer life, it is important to study and know God’s Word. Faith grows by faithful study of His Word. “Faith comes by hearing the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). God has made promises in His Word, and when you pray, you can claim those promises. When you quote God’s Word, it is a positive declaration of your faith and trust in Him. For “without faith it is impossible to please Him, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

We should also begin and end our prayers with praise and thanksgiving, and enter into God’s presence in worship. His Word says, “In every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). The Psalms teach us to “enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and bless His name” (Psalm 100:4). We should enter into the presence of the King of kings giving Him due reverence and honor.

Of course, sometimes our prayers aren’t answered right away or in the ways that we had hoped. It’s helpful to remember that God’s delays are not necessarily denials, and that sometimes we just have to have faith and wait for Him to answer, which often results in “the testing of our faith, which produces patience” (James 1:3). Learning patience seems to be one of God’s frequent lessons, yet one of our rarest virtues, as it tests our faith and draws us to the Lord and His Word.

It is also important to pray for God’s will to be done first and foremost. Ensure that what you’re seeking Him for is for His glory and within His will. Jesus taught His disciples to pray: “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10), and He Himself prayed in the final hours before crucifixion, “Not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42).

After you have prayed about something and have committed it to the Lord, you just need to have faith that God will answer according to His good, acceptable, and perfect will (Romans 12:2). “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24).

Once you’ve committed your petition to the Lord in prayer, from then on it’s in God’s court. You don’t need to worry about it. In fact, the Bible tells us, “Do not be anxious about anything” (Philippians 4:6). Just trust the Lord and praise Him and thank Him for hearing and answering your prayer—even if you don’t see the answer right away. “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18).

From an article in Treasures, published by the Family International in 1987. Adapted and republished September 2024. Read by Reuben Ruchevsky.

A New Dimension to Prayer

September 11, 2024

By Rufus

“And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, ‘Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour?’” (Mark 14:37).

Poor Peter! I kind of feel sorry for him. One hour in the early morning, I could have easily fallen asleep myself. The truth of it is, with my prayer life, unless there is something earthshakingly desperate happening in my life, I usually would only last about five minutes max before I would start losing focus, daydreaming, and forgetting what I’m even doing. God help me, I’m not proud of it. I’ve inwardly felt inadequate in both my private and public prayer life most of my time in the Family. It has been my Achilles’ heel.

Around the time of Covid, things slowed down for me. With extra time on my hands, a little revelation came to me that I needed to occupy the added time with more Word and prayer rather than with news, conspiracies, and entertainment media. A few quotes stood out to me.

Our ability to stay with God in our closet measures our ability to stay with God out of the closet.—E. M. Bounds

We are no greater than our prayer life. We are only what we are in the secret place with the Father, no matter how shiny or spiritual we act on the outside.—Andrew Murray

How would I even begin to strengthen my prayer life, an area I’ve been so weak in all my life? I remembered David referring to an oft-quoted response to Melanchthon attributed to Luther, “I have so much to do today that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.” Wait, three solid hours in prayer? Okay, I could probably squeeze out three hours in my schedule, but knowing me, forget it. How would I ever effectively pray for three hours straight? I could never even relate to this, much less apply it.

Looking for articles on how to better pray effectively, I came across Luther’s commentary on the structure and content of the Lord’s Prayer, where Luther made clear that he considered the Lord’s Prayer the very best of all prayers.

This in short is the way I use the Lord’s Prayer when I pray it. To this day I suckle at the Lord’s Prayer like a child, and as an old man eat and drink from it and never get my fill. It is the very best prayer, even better than the Psalter, which is so very dear to me.—Martin Luther

I personally only knew the Lord’s Prayer as what we all repeated after the close of a meeting, but never really considered applying it in any specific way in my prayer life. I realized that Luther wasn’t just talking about quoting the Lord’s Prayer, but really praying it by putting structure and content into it. Maybe that’s the key? I began to study articles relating to the deeper meaning of the Lord’s Prayer, many of which have been posted on TFI’s websites. (I know, I’m a later bloomer!) But it began to dawn on me that the individual sections of the Lord’s Prayer are indeed everything you need in a prayer.

Begin with thanks and acknowledging how great and wonderful God is: “Hallowed be Thy name.”
Surrender and accept ahead of time His will in my life: “Thy will be done.”
Make my spiritual bread requests (I pray for the things on my prayer list afterward): “Give us this day our daily bread.”
Checking and cleansing my heart through forgiveness: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive.”
Asking for protection from the traps of the enemy: “Lead us not into temptation.”
Closing with acknowledging and thanking Him again: “Thine is the kingdom and the glory.”

The challenge for me would then be: “How can I go deeper into each of these sections of the content and structure of the Lord’s Prayer so as to keep me enthralled in a Spirit-filled, lasting, meaningful, and nonrepetitious prayer?” Then another instruction came to me: “Find seven to ten of the most applicable verses related to each section of the Lord’s Prayer. As you pray, take your time in each section to read over and meditate deeply on each of these verses, really absorbing them. And as you do, I will speak to you and take you deeper.”

Wow! Now that’s the inspiration I needed! Applying a fun Word project to my prayer life. So, I’m on it. As an example, for the section “Hallowed be Thy name,” one of the ten verses I chose to meditate on was:

For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together (Colossians 1:16–17).

After praying all the sections of the Lord’s Prayer, I continue in prayer and move to a prepared list of requests. I also go to the TFI Online Portal and pray for all the current Prayer Request posts.

I structured my entire prayer time beginning with a gratitude list. By way of entering into His courts with thanksgiving, the Lord showed me to compile a list of current things to be thankful for, and then another separate list starting back through my life, listing the events and miracles that shaped my life before knowing Him and then spanning over 54 years of service.

I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work and meditate on your mighty deeds (Psalm 77:11–12).

This list is five pages, triple column, small font. Ha! What a life He’s given me and how His hand has been on my life! Beginning with a small section of my gratitude list gets me in the mood, and then I go into each of the sections of the Lord’s Prayer. Lastly, I close my prayer time with my list of prayer requests. Voila!

I realized that finding the right ambient (closet) is so important as a mood-setter to prayer. My circumstance is that we still have three of my adult kids living with us, relegating me and my tiny desk and resemblance of an office to the loud hallway, which by the way is not exactly the ideal prayer closet; but hey, if all you’ve got is a lemon, make lemonade? The Lord showed me to just put on headphones and shut out the world with soothing ocean, healing-type music to enter the Spirit, and drown out any distracting noises from the household.

After about a year of this, I came across a quote from Mark Batterson, pastor of a church on Capitol Hill in D.C., “The survival of any system depends on its capacity to cultivate variety in its internal structures… The same is true spiritually.” Got it! If I want this system of prayer and worship to continue to maintain its potency, I need to develop some variety, or my natural tendencies will creep back in. So, I came up with six different templates of the Lord’s Prayer. Each template has a different variety of pertinent verses for each section. I rotate the background music and each template regularly and intend to develop more as needed. This method has been working effectively for me now for almost two years, and prayer continues to grow and change my life.

So, God did the miracle, and I went from a dutiful, spaced-out, five-minute morning prayer to being deeply engrossed and focused in prayer for two or three hours and sometimes all morning as my schedule permits, while really getting high on the Spirit and seeing many answers to prayer. I do feel the Holy Spirit is more active in my life and my little light is shining brighter than before. Brethren, from being surely one of the weakest among us in prayer, I’m just excited to have a renewed prayer life!

Freedom in Christ

September 10, 2024

A compilation

Audio length: 10:33

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God wants us to be free. In fact, this is a major theme throughout Scripture.

Because Jesus died and rose again, we can have freedom from the prisons that hold us back. Jesus says in John 8:36, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

Here are three ways Jesus wants to give you freedom in your ministry.

Freedom from pretending. We often worry people will see the real us. People tend to expect perfection from us, and we put on masks to hide who we really are. Social media makes this even worse, pressuring us to appear like we have it all together. Some of you have been pretending for so long that you don’t even know who the real you is. One of the reasons we pretend is because we want to please people—our families, our church, or our communities. But Proverbs 29:25tells us the problem with doing this: “Being afraid of people can get you into trouble.”

None of us can please everyone. Even God can’t do that. …

For others, the temptation is perfectionism. We believe we must be perfect to be loved.

The antidote to both people-pleasing and perfectionism is to switch our focus to what God thinks. The Bible tells us, “I have gained perfect freedom by following your teachings” (Psalm 119:45). Only when we recognize that God loves us unconditionally and we commit to living for him instead of the approval of others will we find real freedom from the prison of pretending.

Freedom from unforgiveness. Unforgiveness becomes a prison that keeps us stuck. We’ll never get all that God wants for us and our ministry when we’re shackled to unforgiveness. We preach about this. We counsel people to forgive others. But forgiveness can still be difficult to live out. Here’s why forgiveness is so important.

— Because God has forgiven us. We will never need to forgive anybody else more than God has already forgiven us. When we come to Christ, all our sins are wiped away. God has no record of our sins in Heaven if we’ve accepted Christ in our life. Since God offers us that kind of forgiveness, we should freely offer it to others.

— Because resentment makes us miserable. Holding on to unforgiveness doesn’t just hurt the other person. It hurts us. In fact, it hurts us more.

— Because we’ll need more forgiveness in the future. We’ll make mistakes in the future. We’ll sin. We’ll fail. We’ll fall. We will need the forgiveness of God and others later. But Jesus taught, “If you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive your offenses” (Matthew 6:15).

Freedom from the prison of fear. We may call it worry or anxiety, but fear is a prison. It never allows us to have the limitless life God wants for us. … Maybe God has called you personally or your church corporately into a new opportunity of ministry, but you’re scared of what might happen if you fully follow God. To unlock the prison of fear, remember God loves you. No matter what happens in the future, he’ll never stop. His love is unconditional.

Also, don’t forget that God has a plan for you, your family, and your ministry. Not everything that happens to you is good. But Romans 8:28 tells us, “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” God specializes in bringing good out of bad!—Rick Warren¹

Before Christ’s sacrifice, we lived under bondage to the law (Galatians 4:3). We were burdened by demands we could not keep (Acts 15:10). Christ’s death and resurrection broke our bondage to the law. Jesus’ perfect life and holy sacrifice on the cross was the complete fulfillment of the law, and anyone who trusts in Him for salvation is made right with God. Only Christians have true freedom from the law. John 8:36 confirms, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” …

Believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and are characterized by a joyous freedom to follow Christ and God’s design for life (Galatians 2:20). The Bible is clear that Christian freedom is not a license to sin. … Believers are free to live an abundant life (John 10:10), and we have been given everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).

Jesus did what the law could not do—He took away our sin and saved us, and in doing so, He set us free from the penalty and power of sin. For freedom to follow His design of life He set us free. … Now we who have this freedom can live in God’s ways and love others well in the power of the Spirit (Galatians 5:13–26).—GotQuestions.org²

Put your trust in Me, and I will keep you safe. There is a deep, deep yearning in your heart for safety and security. You can mask these longings with activity for a time, but only for a time. These feelings actually serve a very good purpose. Properly used, they can point you to Me and My sufficiency. I am the only One who can really, ultimately keep you safe.

Whenever you start to feel insecure—about anything—come to Me. Talk with Me about your fears and concerns; then affirm your trust in Me. Voicing your trust connects you with Me at a deep level. It also pushes back the darkness of deception. The evil one has been deceiving people ever since time began, since the Garden of Eden. Do not listen to his lies. Instead, put your trust in Me, for I am absolute Truth. As you come to know Me—the Truth—better and better, I make you increasingly free.—Jesus³

Do you know who the happiest people are? Those who have the courage to be themselves, just the way God made them, rather than try to be something they’re not in order to fit in or impress others. Struggling to live up to what you think others expect of you puts a heavy weight on you, but there’s freedom in humility.

When I was young, I didn’t like the way I looked. I thought my nose was too big and that I was too skinny and ugly. I had quite an inferiority complex about that, and it took me a long time to get over it. Part of it was my pride, and part of it was comparing myself to others. But as I grew older, I realized none of that really mattered. I understood that the Lord had made me the way He wanted me, and that He loved me.

He loves you, too, the way He made you, and you’re beautiful in His eyes. We’re all unique and special.

The closer you draw to Him and the more at peace you are with Him, the more content and at peace you’ll be with yourself, and the happier and more relaxed you’ll be. When you’re living close to the Lord, you’re handsome or beautiful because His love and His light are shining through.

I have a suggestion for you: Sit down sometime and let the Lord speak to you about yourself. Or ask someone else to pray and ask Him how He sees you, what your inner beauties are, what your inner strengths are, and what gifts and abilities He likes to bring forth in you. Let Him encourage you, and you’ll find freedom and contentment being His unique creation.—David Brandt Berg

Published on Anchor September 2024. Read by Jerry Paladino. Music by Michael Dooley.

¹ https://pastors.com/how-jesus-gives-us-freedom/

² https://www.gotquestions.org/for-freedom-Christ-has-set-us-free.html

³ Sarah Young, Jesus Today (Thomas Nelson, 2012).

The Rich Man and Lazarus

September 9, 2024

By Peter Amsterdam

Audio length: 13:58

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The story of the rich man and Lazarus in the Gospel of Luke makes a comparison between the lives of two men—one rich, the other poor—which extends beyond this life and into the next. Jesus starts the parable by describing the rich man.

“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day” (Luke 16:19).

Not a lot is said in this brief introductory description, but the original listeners would have drawn some definite impressions from it. This man was not only rich, but he dressed daily in purple cloth, which only the very wealthy could afford. The rich man also wore fine linen. Wearing white linen garments under purple robes was indicative of great affluence. On top of that, he feasted sumptuously every day, which might mean that he entertained guests on a daily or regular basis. The point being made, both here and later in the story, is that the man was very rich and self-indulgent.

“And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores”(Luke 16:20–21).

In keeping with the brevity of the parables, the information about Lazarus is sparse. However, one outstanding point is that his name is given. This is the only one of Jesus’ parables in which people are named. The name Lazarus is the Greek version of the Hebrew name Eliezer or Elazar, meaning the one who God helps.

Lazarus is so poor he must beg for food. He is also ill, covered with oozing sores, and cannot walk. In first-century Palestine, there were no governmental services that provided care for the poor, so such care had to be given by the community or individuals. Almsgiving, the giving of money or food to those in need, was the main way people like Lazarus survived.

Every day Lazarus would sit at the gate of the rich man, knowing that daily feasts were being eaten there and that his hunger could be satiated if he were just given some of the food being tossed on the floor. The dogs would come and lick Lazarus’ leaking sores. Most Bible commentators presume that the dogs were dirty, mangy street dogs.

Lazarus was in a miserable state—unable to walk, covered with sores, always hungry and sitting day after day begging outside the gate of the rich man, who apparently ignored him. He was a ritually unclean social outcast.

The parable continues: “The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side” (Luke 16:22).

Being by Abraham’s side, or at Abraham’s bosom, as it’s sometimes translated, expressed the blessed state after death, and was compared to dining with the patriarchs, as seen in Matthew 8:11: “I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.”

Lazarus, who was never invited to the rich man’s feast, who was relegated to being fed with what fell from the rich man’s table, is now reclining at a feast in the place of honor next to Abraham, the father of faith. The rich man, meanwhile, experiences a very different fate.

“The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame’” (Luke 16:22–24).

The unnamed rich man has died and been buried, undoubtedly with an expensive funeral. However, his existence is now very different from what it was in his time on earth. He who feasted daily with copious food and wine is now the one in need and dependent on others for help. He called out to Abraham, naming him “father,” perhaps hoping that reminding Abraham of his Jewish descent would in some way obligate Abraham to help him.

At this point in the parable, the surprising discovery is made that the rich man knew Lazarus’ name, and was apparently aware that Lazarus sat daily in front of his house in desperate need. However, he shows no remorse about his neglect of Lazarus; instead, he’s instructing Abraham to send Lazarus to perform a service for him.

“But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish’” (Luke 16:25).

Abraham doesn’t answer harshly; rather he calls him “child.” He instructs the rich man to think back on the life he led and all the good things he received, as opposed to the bad things Lazarus experienced. Abraham reminds him that the wealth he possessed wasn’t truly his; it was on loan from God, and he was meant to use it wisely. Now his earthly life is finished, and due to his actions in that life he is in anguish.

Lazarus, on the other hand, is now comforted. Having lived a difficult life, he is no longer in pain and torment. He is no longer neglected. He has found lasting comfort after his death.

Abraham then said: “And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us” (Luke 16:26).

Even if Lazarus out of compassion wished to dip his finger in water and cool the rich man’s tongue, it would be impossible. Lazarus would have been well within his rights to point out how ridiculous it was for the rich man to ask that he be sent to help relieve his pain. Hadn’t Lazarus been in pain daily at the rich man’s doorstep and received nothing? Yet Lazarus says nothing, as is the case throughout the whole parable.

The rich man then comes up with a new task for Lazarus. “And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house—for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment’” (Luke 16:27–28).

Realizing that his predicament isn’t going to change, the rich man asks that Lazarus be sent on a mission to warn his brothers. He sees that the same fate awaits them, most likely because they live in the same manner as he did, pursuing their own selfish pleasure with no concern for those in need.

“But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them’” (Luke 16:29). Abraham replies that the Scriptures, God’s written Word, are sufficient to instruct his brothers in righteous living and faith. If they will hear those words, meaning to obey and follow them, they won’t end up as their dead brother has.

This answer doesn’t sit well with the rich man. He’s used to people doing what he says. His response is argumentative. “And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent’” (Luke 16:30).

This is ironic given that the rich man himself is at that moment seeing someone “from the dead,” Lazarus, who is reclining at the table with Abraham, and he hasn’t shown any sign of repentance. Yet he’s convinced that if Lazarus were to appear to his brothers, they would repent.

Abraham lets him know that’s not the case. “He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead’” (Luke 16:31).

The rich man is asking that a sign be given to his brothers. It is clear that the rich man knew that his brothers weren’t living in obedience to what God’s Word taught, and that they were going to end up in the same state he was in if they didn’t receive a sign. But Abraham says that no sign would be given to them, as they had God’s Word available to them and that was sufficient. They knew enough from the Scriptures to know what God says about how to live righteously and how to treat the poor.

Many of those Jesus was speaking to would have initially assumed that the rich man was blessed by God and that Lazarus was being judged, as they believed that prosperity was God’s blessing and the lack of it was God’s judgment. Jesus was expressing that this wasn’t necessarily the case. Being rich isn’t necessarily a sign that one has received God’s blessing or that they are righteous; nor are those who have less, or who suffer illness or poverty, being judged by God.

The parable also shows the wealthy how not to act. The rich man was aware of Lazarus and his needs but was indifferent toward him. He took no action to help him, though he clearly had the means to do so. It’s so easy to look away when one sees a beggar, especially when they are unsightly, as in this graphic example Jesus uses of Lazarus’ oozing sores being licked by dogs. Instead of seeing a human being, one made in God’s image whom God loves, it’s easier to avoid them or to look away, to be indifferent toward them. As Christians, we are meant to respond with love and compassion when we see the condition of those in need.

Jesus is using a wealthy man as a bad example in this parable to highlight the danger of allowing riches and possessions to wrongly affect one’s attitude. It has to do with the place of importance we give our possessions and how we use them. Do we serve our money and possessions, or do we use them for God’s glory?

Do we live self-indulgent lives like the rich man in this parable, or do we help others? Even if we don’t have enough to give much financially, do we do what we can to help those in need, perhaps by giving some of our time, attention, or in some way helping to meet their need? What is our attitude toward the poor and needy? Are we indifferent? Do we look down on them? Do we judge them because we feel they deserve to be in that situation? Or do we show compassion, care, and concern in our actions?

The parable also gives a warning about ignoring or rejecting God’s Word. The rich man either had no belief or wrong belief. He knew his brothers were in the same condition. He asked for a sign to be given to them, but Abraham said no sign would be given because God’s Word was available to them. God held the rich man accountable because he had access to God’s Word, yet didn’t live in alignment with it, as evidenced by the fact that he didn’t treat the poor in accordance with Scripture.

How we live our lives affects our eternal future. Our actions, or our lack of action, make a difference not only in our life today, but in our life forever. We should be mindful of the choices we make, how we live, how we use our money and possessions, and how we treat those in need. The sum of our decisions, choices, and actions not only make us who we are today, but affect our future in the life after this one.

As Christians, we are surrounded by many who don’t believe or realize that there is life after this life. They may not understand that believing God’s Word and receiving salvation through His Son Jesus will change their lives now and for eternity. Our job is to share our riches of spiritual truth with them. We shouldn’t be like the rich man in the parable, content with our spiritual riches, and pass by the “Lazaruses” of this world who are so in need, not just physically, but spiritually.

As Christians we each possess the most valuable thing anyone can have—eternal life and a personal relationship with the one who makes it possible, Jesus. There are multitudes from all walks of life around us who are in desperate need, and we have the spiritual riches of faith, of salvation, of God’s deep love to share with them. We are called to do the very best we can to bring them comfort and salvation.

Originally published July 2014. Adapted and republished September 2024. Read by Jon Marc.

Blood to Grace

Peter Amsterdam

2009-06-04

Something we need to keep in mind during those times that the Lord redefines and remakes us is this: Just because the Lord changes something now, it doesn’t mean that the way He instructed us to do it in the past was wrong. He’s God, and He can change His instructions to us, or what He expects of us, depending on what He knows is needed at the time.

This isn’t a new concept, of course. The Lord has done this throughout time with His children and anyone who was willing to listen.

When the Lord gave the Mosaic Law, that was His law for His people for more than a thousand years. People could die for small infractions of the law. Israel was judged and conquered, or prospered, depending on their obedience to the law. There were many ceremonies and rituals required—and at the time, they were anything but token. The Lord used people’s adherence to those very strict rules and rituals to gauge their obedience, and they were blessed or cursed accordingly.

When Jesus came, He fulfilled the law, and His sacrifice on the cross made many those rules and sacrifices—which the Jews had lived by and adhered to for so many years—outdated. Many of the rules and traditions of the Mosaic Law weren’t needed anymore. All that people had to do was believe in Him, accept Him as the Son of God, and be willing to live by His Law of Love, upon which all the previous Law and the prophets depended (Matthew 22:37–40). He was the way to salvation, by grace through faith.

Another example was blood sacrifice. That was the way for Jews to seek forgiveness and to be absolved from their sins (Leviticus 17:11). They had to sacrifice a lamb—and there were many regulations regarding what kind of lamb, the age of the lamb, that it was the best of their flock, without blemish, etc.—and through that sacrifice, they were cleansed and forgiven. When Jesus died for us, He was the Lamb of God, sacrificed for the forgiveness of the sins of all humanity. He shed His blood for us once for all, and no further blood sacrifice was needed (Hebrews 10:10).

Another example is that the early church considered Gentiles unclean, because that’s what God had told them in the Old Testament. The apostles wouldn’t even witness to them at first. It took a direct revelation from God to change Peter’s mind on that, and Paul had to continually reinforce the point. Even then, many of the Jewish Christians were reluctant to change. Many thought that Gentiles must first be circumcised and obey Jewish ordinances before they could be Christians. Paul devoted a considerable portion of his writings to arguing that “in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love” (Galatians 5:6).

The Lord isn’t concerned about preserving the past or the way He showed us to do it before, if it’s no longer His will for today. And if He isn’t concerned about it, we shouldn’t be either! He is interested in keeping us alive and fresh and relevant to today, so He’s going to continue to help us adjust, change course, and even reverse course when necessary, in order to get the job done.

The Lord once told us in prophecy:

I want you to be successful in the mission I have given you. The past is past. It suited the needs at the time very well, but today’s needs are very different. The world is different, the needs of the lost are different, and if you hold on to the way things were or the vestiges of the past, you will miss the mark for today!—Not to mention the future. Today and tomorrow are what count, not yesterday or yesteryear.

When I say that old things are passed away and all things are become new, you have to believe that I have the power and authority to do just that. When I walked the earth two thousand years ago, My announcements of change were big news to people in that day. When I told them that I had the power to forgive sins, it was a real departure from what they’d been taught—something they didn’t think was possible—and that’s why so much of what I did seemed wrong to them.

When My Father and I reveal new plans to you, we have the power and authority to do so as the Creators of the universe.

It was a stretch for the people of My day to accept that I could forgive sins, when previously only blood sacrifices could make atonement, but those who accepted My new teaching found that it opened a door to greater closeness between us, not to mention the peace and security of My love and forgiveness.

Though My ways may be past your comprehension, I do all things well. Though many things may change, My love and My great desire for all to know Me has never changed and will never change. This is what I continue to work toward, and why I often call you to make changes —to better accomplish My purpose. (End of message.)

Thank You, Jesus, for that beautiful message.

Thank the Lord for His up-to-date guidance, changes, and adjustments. That’s what David was talking about in “For God’s Sake, Follow God.” We’re still doing that today, and trusting the Lord as He leads us in new ways. Amen? Praise the Lord!

A Changed Relationship: Salvation Results

Peter Amsterdam

2020-10-05

God’s love for us is the motivation behind His plan of salvation, and that love was manifested in the death of His Son, Jesus, as a propitiation for our sins. The sacrificial death of Jesus resulted in a changed relationship between God and us. The price Jesus paid for our salvation was the supreme price; the sacrifice was immeasurable. Our redemption is due to the boundless love of God—the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Three significant results of Jesus’ death and resurrection are justification, adoption, and regeneration. These results bring about massive change in the lives of those who become reconciled to God through Jesus. Justification refers to our “legal” status before God, adoption speaks to our personal familial relationship with Him, and regeneration to a change in our spiritual nature.

Justification

Through Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross, God forgives our sins. They have been imputed to Christ, meaning they became His and are no longer ours. At the same time, Jesus’ righteousness has been imputed to those who receive Him and accept His gift of salvation, so God no longer sees us as sinners worthy of punishment, but rather as righteous in His sight. Our “legal” guilt and condemnation are removed, and the separation between God and us is no longer there.

Our justification means that God declares us righteous, or declares us no longer guilty and condemned. This doesn’t mean that we who have received His gift of salvation are now sinless, as we are all still sinners, but it means that “legally” we are seen by God as righteous.

All of this is God’s work, not our own. There is nothing we could do or achieve to deserve this forgiveness and righteousness. In His love He made the way for us to be righteous in His sight—not by our works or good deeds, but by His grace, mercy, and love. It’s a gift of love, costly on God’s side, free on ours. “By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”¹

Scripture makes it clear that people are not saved by being good or doing good works or keeping the laws of Moses—or anything we do ourselves. Salvation, which results in justification, depends solely on God and His plan. All we have to do is believe that God has made it available through Jesus and accept it by faith.²

A beautiful feature of justification is that, as Christians, we no longer need to feel anxiety regarding our standing with God. Though we still sin, our status of having the righteousness of Christ does not change. We no longer need to question whether we’ve done enough or are close enough to God to merit salvation. God has done it all, and through Jesus’ death and resurrection we are and will always be seen as righteous by God.

When we sin, we need to repent and ask God to forgive us, as well as actively strive to become stronger in resisting temptation. The Bible teaches that we will appear before the judgment seat of Christ in the afterlife. However, sin doesn’t cause us to lose our salvation or justification, and “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”³

The love and sacrifice of God, through Jesus’ death on the cross, has resulted in our justification before God. It has removed our separation and has reconciled us with Him. What a precious and valuable gift has been offered by the God of love to humanity!

Adoption

We experience another significant change in our position and relationship with God through salvation. With sin no longer separating us from God, our relationship with God changes, as we become part of God’s family—we become His children. “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.”⁴

This change of relationship, this entry into God’s family as His children, is called adoption. We are not the sons and daughters of God in the same sense as Jesus, who is the only begotten Son, but we are adopted into His family. In one sense this change is a legal one, since as God’s children we become heirs of God with all the rights of heirs. But more than that, we now have a relationship based on being members of God’s family. God is our Father.

“When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.”⁵

While God was seen as Father in the Old Testament, the emphasis was more on God’s holiness, and that holiness largely defined the relationship between humans and God. The general portrayal of God in the Old Testament is that He is mighty, holy, pure, and separate, and sinful humans need to be humble before Him, obey Him, and venerate Him.

Redemption through Jesus changed this relationship to a much more personal one. We can now relate to God as a child relates to his or her loving father. This closeness to God as Father, and His love for us, is seen in things that Jesus said about His Father:

“Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”⁶“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”⁷“The Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came from God.”⁸

We see God’s deep love in our adoption. He didn’t have to invite us into His family, He didn’t have to adopt us, but He did. Adoption is an act of love by someone who is not obligated to take in, care for, and love a child—it is by choice. God doesn’t adopt us because of how great or wonderful we are, or because we do good things for Him. He adopts us because He loves us—He loves humanity. He made it possible—at great personal cost to Himself—for sinners, separated from Him, to be redeemed, to be forgiven, and to enter His family. This is the love, mercy, and kindness of our God, who is love.

Regeneration

Another result of Jesus’ death and resurrection in the lives of believers is a spiritual change which is referred to in the following ways: being born again, rebirth, regeneration, being born of the Spirit, and becoming a new creation.⁹

All of these concepts generally refer to a spiritual change which occurs in the heart of one who is redeemed by Christ. The Holy Spirit transforms the redeemed person’s sinful nature in a way that renews them and brings a spiritual change in the person. This new birth is the clean slate or fresh foundation on which the new Christian begins his or her spiritual life, and from that point forward can grow in it.

This rebirth is a result of belief in and acceptance of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice for us. When someone believes in and accepts God’s plan of salvation, when they acknowledge that Jesus is their Savior, they are reborn. The person may or may not feel the change, but the change has occurred. They are born of God because they have believed in Him.

Becoming a new creation doesn’t mean that the original created nature of the individual no longer exists and is replaced, but rather signifies his or her sinful nature being changed or re-created. It’s a spiritual or moral renewal of the redeemed individual’s nature. It’s a new self that is in alignment with the likeness of God.

God’s loving plan of salvation has justified us so that we are seen by Him as righteous. We have become His children by adoption. We are members of His family and no longer separated from Him. We are heirs of eternal salvation and of God’s other promises. We also become a new creation, as we are born again. These precious gifts are the fruits of God’s costly love, of Jesus laying down His life for us. We have been reconciled to God, and nothing will ever change that.

“I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.^”¹⁰

Originally published November 2012. Excerpted and republished October 2020.
Read by Reuben Ruchevsky.

¹ Ephesians 2:8–9 ESV.

² Romans 10:9–10; Galatians 2:16.

³ 1 John 1:9.

⁴ John 1:12 NKJV.

⁵ Galatians 4:4–7 ESV.

⁶ Matthew 6:26 ESV.

⁷ Matthew 7:11 ESV.

⁸ John 16:27 ESV.

⁹ John 3:3–8; Titus 3:5; 2 Corinthians 5:17.

¹⁰ Romans 8:38–39.

4 Simple Shifts That Helped Me Read the Bible More Consistently

September 6, 2024

His Word My Walk, with Kaela

It’s the number one question I get asked: Kaela, how are you so consistent with reading the Bible? In 2017 I committed to reading the Bible daily. And when I say “committed,” I meant it for real that time. I made some very simple shifts in my mind and in my lifestyle that got me to be consistent and stay consistent with reading the Bible. I’m sharing four of the simple strategies with you. And when I say simple, I mean simple! As a former elite athlete, personal trainer, and fitness professional, I literally trained myself to read the Bible consistently, and now, more than seven years later, my relationship with God is on a level I never knew existed, and still growing from here!

Run time for this video is 20 minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ES-qJg2GEa0

Words and Deeds of Kindness and Appreciation

September 5, 2024

Words from Jesus

Audio length: 11:22

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Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.—Ephesians 4:32

Kindness is one of the priceless treasures of life; it provides that touch that lets someone else know that they are special and loved. Everyday acts of kindness that reflect My love to others—a smile, a word of encouragement, words of appreciation—are acts of love, and no act of love is ever lost or forgotten.

Loving-kindness is a tangible way that My love for others can be manifested through you—often through simple everyday actions, which reflect a tenderness in your heart that is reaching out to show that person that you care—and ultimately that I care for them.

Take the time to show My love for others through intentional acts of kindness, and don’t let these be choked out by the busyness of everyday life or the tares of many cares and responsibilities. Where kindness thrives, there is love; and where there is love, My light shines to those around you and draws them to Me.

As you reflect My loving-kindness through your words and deeds, and look at those you encounter each day with love and care, My love overflows on others. As you encourage others and show your acceptance of them and manifest a spirit of tolerance and caring, you can fan the embers of faith in someone’s life and a desire to experience My love. Everyone needs encouragement, and your words of kindness show others that you care about them personally—you care about their lives and their burdens.

Do you love Me? Feed My sheep (John 21:17). You can feed My sheep not only by sharing My written Word, but by acts of kindness and caring words and tangible actions that demonstrate My great love for them. Whatever you do to one of the least of My brethren, you do as unto Me (Matthew 25:40). So take the time to show others that I care about them by your kind words and actions.

Love without partiality

My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. … If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.—James 2:1, 8

Love without partiality accepts that each person is unique and all people were equally created by their Maker. To love others without partiality is to love people with My love—no matter who they are, their past, or where they are at in their lives.

It is natural to have more feelings of affinity and friendship for one person than for another—and that in itself is not being partial, as long as you are willing to love your neighbor as yourself, whoever that may be. As you pray and ask Me for My help to love that person—even those who are more difficult to relate to—and then go ahead by faith, you are loving without partiality, and this is pleasing to Me.

Everyone needs encouragement and appreciation, and when you give it freely, you become a channel for My love to flow through to that person. So give and pour out. Freely you have received, freely give (Matthew 10:8)! Let My Spirit work through you to touch the lives of those around you.

Be faithful to show appreciation and kindness to the people you encounter in your daily life: the waiter, the garbage collectors, the shop owners, the cashiers, the nurses and doctors. Let them know how appreciative you are of their labors. Thank them and show them My love for them.

Sometimes people don’t take the time to notice the many blessings that come their way through others’ actions and sacrifices. Ask Me to open your eyes to those around you and to help you see them and show your care for them through your words of appreciation.

Be a vessel of My lovingkindness to your family and friends. Just stop for a moment and look at that person and let Me speak to your heart about all their good qualities, the things they do that are special, that light up your life and make your load easier and give you a reason to live and joy in your heart.

Appreciation

Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.—Luke 6:38

There’s not one person on earth who doesn’t need encouragement and appreciation. Everyone needs to know that they’re noticed, that the things they do make a difference, that it matters to somebody.

Even just a few words of appreciation can go far to make somebody’s day, to help pull them out of a negative mood or to overcome discouragement or depression. Many people think negatively about themselves or their situations, and these thoughts can loom before them as an almost unconquerable mountain.

So make it a personal project, even a hobby, to appreciate those around you. Give, and it will be given unto you! You can help to lighten someone’s load, ease their burdens, cheer their hearts, and relieve their discouragement. You can help bring sweet relief by your kind actions and words of appreciation.

No one is past falling into discouragement at one time or another. By showing My kindness, you may be saving a life and giving strength to those who have lost hope. You will never lose by reaching out with kind words and heartfelt appreciation to those around you.

Receive this commission joyfully, and let Me guide you throughout the day to express My love and care for others. There are many things you can do each day that will make a difference, such as lending a listening ear, going out of your way to lighten another person’s load and to do a kind deed.

Think on these things

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.—Philippians 4:8

This is My commandment, that you love others as yourself, that you appreciate others as you yourself wish to be appreciated. “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4), and see how you may be a blessing to them.

Your ministry is not only to the world, but also to the dear ones by your side, your brothers and sisters in Me, your co-workers who also lay down their lives for Me daily, who have also taken up their cross to follow Me.

Appreciation of others begins with your thoughts. As you think positive and uplifting thoughts about your co-workers and neighbors, this results in positive attitudes and actions. Ponder on people’s strong points—their love and service for Me, how hard they work, the sacrifices they make, their cheerfulness in the face of affliction, their faith in the midst of adversity, their love for the lost and their dedication to My cause.

My Word instructs you to dwell on the things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report, and a part of that is to think of the virtues of others and the things for which they deserve praise. As I have loved you, so I have called you to love one another (John 15:12). Express your appreciation for others and take the opportunity to encourage them. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you (Matthew 7:12).

Your words of appreciation and kindness could be the very words that will help someone through a difficult time and give them the courage to fight on. By your genuine appreciation, you can lend others a helping hand, come to their aid, and give them strength, hope, and encouragement.

Originally published in August 1998 and June 1999. Adapted and republished September 2024. Read by Gabriel Garcia Valdivieso. Music by Michael Dooley.

Alan Ritchson Faced Bipolar Diagnosis with Courage, Leaned into His Faith

September 4, 2024

By Dahlia Gonzalez

Heartthrob Alan Ritchson is so highly self-critical and self-demanding that he drove himself into a midlife crisis and nearly took his life at age 36.

“Thank God I was not successful,” he told The Christian Post. ”I went up to my attic and hung myself. It was the saddest lie, but I thought I was doing my family and my community a favor because I was such a mess mentally.”

His scrape with suicide eventually brought Alan Ritchson—who stars as Jack Reacher on the much-loved Amazon Prime series—back to the God he had walked away from as a child.

(Read the article here.)

https://www.godreports.com/2024/05/alan-ritchson-faced-bipolar-diagnosis-with-courage-leaned-into-his-faith

Disappointment? Or His Appointment?

September 3, 2024

A compilation

Audio length: 12:02

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Have you ever noticed how forgetful people can be? They quickly forget all the ways others have helped them in the past, and they end up complaining later on.

Children forget what their parents have done for them. Spouses take one another for granted. Bosses move on to other employees.

It’s human nature.

Many pastors experience this firsthand. Despite years of faithful service, their congregations only remember the failures. These pastors work so hard, and no one seems to notice.

Maybe this is the position you’re in today. You’re not alone. Moses also experienced this kind of disappointment.

Just three days after Moses led God’s people through the Red Sea—one of the greatest miracles in history—the Bible says, “The people grumbled to Moses, ‘What are we going to drink?’” (Exodus 15:24). Israel was quick to forget what Moses had done for them.

At the first sign of trouble, the Israelites complained. Their motto during their time in the desert was: “When in doubt, grumble against Moses.” One minute Moses was a hero, the next he was a zero. …

God is the master of reversing hurt. Disappointments are really his-appointments. Romans 8:28 says, “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Nothing comes into the life of a child of God without the Heavenly Father’s permission.

God allows delays, difficulties, and disappointments for his greater purposes. It doesn’t surprise God when [others have] forgotten all you’ve done before. Most of them have forgotten what he has done for them, too.

The good news is, God provided a solution for Moses and the thirsty Israelites. In Exodus 15:25, we learn that God showed Moses a piece of wood that became the answer to their problems, for “when Moses threw it into the water, … this made the water good to drink.” Many of us get so caught up in the disappointments that we don’t see the solutions right in front of us. Thankfully, God is always faithful even when we are forgetful.

With God’s help, our disappointments can become opportunities to know and trust him in a deeper way.—Rick Warren¹

The word “disappointment” has been on my mind a great deal recently. You know, some people take disappointment so differently than others. There are those that have so grown in faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and are mature Christians that they don’t worry when there is some disappointment.

No matter how much they look forward to some occasion, or something they expected, if it doesn’t mature, the thing they wanted so badly doesn’t happen, that doesn’t seem to move them. They are like the apostle Paul. They are such steadfast, immovable Christians, that they can say, “None of these things move me” (Acts 20:24).

I looked today for the little poem which I’ve read so many times. It says: “Change one letter of the word disappointment and then you’ll see it’s His appointment.” Disappointment. Just remove the letter “d” and put “h” there, and it’s His appointment! Mature Christians, so grounded, so established in the Word, can take disappointment as His appointment for them.

The more I get to know Him, the more I find Him true
The more I long that others should be led to know Him too!
—From “He Is Not a Disappointment,” by Mary W. Booth

Oh, my friend, Jesus isn’t a disappointment! Put everything in His hands, and if a disappointment comes into your life, it shall work for good for you, through Him. Amen.—Virginia Brandt Berg

***

“DISAPPOINTMENT—His appointment,”
Change one letter, then I see
That the thwarting of my purpose
Is God’s better choice for me.
His appointment must be blessing
Though it may come in disguise;
For the end from the beginning
Open to His wisdom lies.

“Disappointment—His appointment”;
Whose? The Lord’s who loves me best,
Understands and knows me fully,
Who my faith and love would test.
For, like loving earthly parents,
He rejoices when He knows
That His child accepts unquestioned
All that from His wisdom flows.

“Disappointment—His appointment”;
“No good thing will He withhold”;
From denials oft we gather,
Treasures of His love untold.
Well He knows each broken purpose
Leads to fuller, deeper trust,
And the end of all His dealings
Proves our God is wise and just.

“Disappointment—His appointment”;
Lord, I take it then as such,
Like the clay in hands of potter,
Yielding wholly to Thy touch.
All my life’s plan is Thy moulding,
Not one single choice be mine;
Let me answer unrepining,
Father, “Not my will, but Thine.”

“Disappointment—His appointment”;
Change the letter, then, dear friend,
Take in cheerful acquiescence
All thy Father’s love may send;
Soon will faith be lost in vision,
Then in glory thou shalt see
“His appointment,” and that only,
Was the right way Home for thee.
—By Laura Sophia Soole²

Who hasn’t experienced disappointment on occasion? Maybe a friend failed you; maybe anticipated recognition at work did not materialize; perhaps what you thought would be a lifetime of love in your marriage ended prematurely in divorce; maybe you had big dreams for your children and they took a different path.

When we are disappointed because our expectations about something or someone are unfulfilled, we may become discouraged, lose trust, and even close ourselves off to others. We can become unhappy, resentful, bitter, and angry. While these are natural reactions, there is a better way. In fact, disappointment needn’t destroy us; it can teach us.

Look for the positive side of each situation and ask yourself, What can I learn from this? How can I use it as something positive? If we seek God in each situation we face, what could have been negative can turn into something positive.—Gloria Cruz

When things go wrong in your life, you can be tempted to ask, “Jesus, where are You when I need You?” or to wonder whether I have failed you or if My love and patience have run out. At times like that, your faith is being tested, and that is when you need to take a stand of faith and determine to place your trust in Me, no matter how shaky the ground seems that you are standing on.

One of the keys to remaining positive, no matter what your circumstances, is trusting in My love and the promises in My Word, and learning to turn to Me in your times of need. It’s not that your faith will never be tested, but you’ll know where to turn to for the help you need during times of testing.

Here’s a secret to overcoming in times of trouble: Prepare for the hard times by strengthening your faith when times are good. Make a point of looking for My loving hand at work around you. Count your blessings. Cultivate an attitude of faith and trust and thankfulness. Trust that when the going gets rough, I have promised to be with you always.—Jesus

Published on Anchor September 2024. Read by John Laurence. Music by Michael Fogarty.

¹ https://pastors.com/how-to-deal-with-disappointment-in-ministry/

² https://mjmselim.wordpress.com/2017/02/26/disappointment-his-appointment/

Reaching Alice

September 2, 2024

By Maria Fontaine

Audio length: 11:14

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Once while on a trip, we had a chance to witness to a special young woman in her midtwenties, who I’ll call Alice. She worked at a local restaurant where we ate occasionally. She was beautiful and had an outgoing, bubbly personality and knack for making friends with perfect strangers. At first glance, it was evident she was a talented girl who had a lot going for her in every way. We first noticed her outside the restaurant where Peter and I were eating. She was so animated and expressive that it got our attention, and I felt the Lord leading us to give her a tract.

After I handed her the tract, we immediately got into a conversation. Her first question was “Why, of all the people around, did you give a tract to me?” I answered that the initial reason was that she caught my attention and I felt that she needed a tract, but that the deeper reason was because Jesus loved her and she was special to Him, and He wanted her to get to know Him.

She was quite disillusioned with religion, but she seemed quite interested in the tract. She was very open about herself, and I got to know a lot about her in the short conversation we had right there on the street.

One of the first things she told me was that for the past few years she had a problem with epilepsy, which had taken quite a toll on her. Her question was, “If God loves me, how can He do this to me?” That was a tough one to start off with, and I was glad that she turned to talk to a customer for a minute to give me time to shoot up a prayer and ask the Lord for guidance.

In response, I asked her whether this sickness had helped her to understand others better and have more compassion for those who likewise have problems. She acknowledged that it had, so I explained that perhaps that was one reason why the Lord had allowed it. She accepted that, but it didn’t seem to satisfy her completely. I then explained that if she hadn’t had this illness, she would probably feel completely in control of her life, very self-sufficient, and not in need of anybody, much less God. She acknowledged that that was true and said, “I’ll have to think about that for a while.”

After conversing for a while, we arranged to meet with Alice again another day. We felt that the Lord wanted us to minister to her and lead her to Him. Of course, she could have gotten saved from reading the tract—and many people do—but people often need a personal witness to help answer their questions and prepare the ground so that they can receive the gift of salvation.

The next time we met Alice, she was with a girlfriend of hers, and we were able to witness to them. Both Alice and her girlfriend were full of questions—mostly about why bad things happen to good people—which Peter and I answered the best we could, while pointing them to the Lord and His love.

It was hard for Alice to understand and receive some of the answers we were giving her, and we realized that she needed to receive Jesus as a first step so that the Lord’s Spirit could work in her heart and open her eyes to His truth. Peter shared his personal testimony with the two girls, which they were very interested in, and at the end he gave them the message of salvation and challenged them to receive Jesus into their hearts too. They weren’t ready to pray right there in the restaurant, so Peter encouraged them to do so at home.

We were so encouraged when the next time we met Alice, she said, “That night, after talking with you, I went home and talked to Jesus for a long time. I asked Him to come into my heart, and He did!” Praise the Lord! She also said that since then she had made a promise to talk to Jesus a little every day. It was so rewarding to know that this dear girl was going to not only spend eternity with Jesus in heaven, but that she also would grow closer to Him on earth now.

Alice was the type of person who has a lot of friends and who people come to for help, and we encouraged her that now that she believed in Jesus, she had something to share with others that would make a lasting difference in their lives. So what started out as just one tract on the street led to a soul saved, which by faith will lead to other souls coming to know Jesus and His love as well!

Prior to the meeting when we had suggested to Alice that she receive Jesus, Peter gave her the following note, which he wrote for both of us.

Dear Alice,

It was so nice to get to know you and to have some time together talking about the questions you had. As you can see, we don’t have all the answers; only God does. However, we have learned over the years that God really loves each one of us, and that even though we don’t understand everything, we can always trust that He loves us and will do what’s best for us. It’s like parents and children—children don’t always understand the complicated things of the adult world, but they know their parents do, so they trust their parents to take care of those things they don’t understand.

If there were any questions you had that we didn’t answer to your satisfaction, please forgive us. The main point we wanted to get across to you is that Jesus loves you. He loves you so much that He gave His life just for you, so that you could live with Him forever in heaven. Even if you had been the only one in the world, He would still have died for you—that’s how much He loves you.

You can receive this gift of eternal life by believing that Jesus died for you and praying and asking Him to forgive your sins and to come into your heart and life. Then you can know that you have eternal life. And even if we never see each other again in this life, we will in the next one!

We will be praying for you. God bless and keep you.

We also asked the Lord for a message for Alice’s girlfriend, who had also been quite receptive. We didn’t get a chance to meet her again, but we were able to pass this prophecy on to her via Alice. Following is the message the Lord gave on His love and salvation:

My dear friend, if you want to know how to overcome life’s trials and problems, come to Me and I will give you the answers you seek. I will give you comfort to replace anxiety, faith to replace fear, rest in place of struggle, peace in place of worry, happiness in place of sadness, and answers to your questions. I will be your strength, your help in time of need, your friend and companion. When you’re lonely, I’ll be there for you. When you’re confused, I’ll set your mind at peace with My Word.

Come to Me and open your heart and life to Me and you will find real love and know the truth that will set you free. This does not mean that you will never have another problem or challenge in life, or that you will never face another difficulty or trial, but I will be with you and will help you through all of life’s problems. You will no longer have to handle things on your own, because you can call on Me and I will always answer you.

I will be an unfailing friend to you. You are very special to Me, and I created you because I love you. Reach out and receive My love, and you will find that it will be more to you than any earthly love. As you learn to know Me and love Me, you will find the answers to your deepest questions.

(Maria:) We didn’t get to see much more of Alice, although we did leave her an address where she could contact us, which she promised to do. We explained how she can share her newfound faith in Jesus with others, and we prayed that the Lord would use her as a witness to others.

Alice would be considered a “nobody” in the eyes of the world, but in the Lord’s eyes she is very important. Actually, all of the people who we ministered to and gave tracts to on our trip would be considered “nobodies,” but they’re all “somebodies” to the Lord. He died for each one and He’s concerned about them having a chance to receive His love and salvation.

Had we not done our part to be faithful witnesses by giving out tracts wherever we could, heeding the Lord’s leadings and being willing to follow through, we would have missed the opportunity to meet this precious young woman. The Lord gave us the conviction that He wanted us to give the message anytime and everywhere, which resulted in our meeting Alice and leading her to the Lord and getting her started on the new road that He wanted her life to take.

The Lord has so much love and such a broken heart for each of His lost sheep. Lord help us to have that same broken heart, that same willingness to forsake our pride and the things that would hold us back from reaching out to others, and to reach those in need with the message that can lead to their eternal salvation.

Just that one tract can make a difference. Just those few words of comfort and encouragement can make a difference. The ripple effect is greater than we will ever know—until we get to heaven, that is, and can see the fruit of our labors. Now that’s something to look forward to!

Originally published July 1997. Adapted and republished September 2024. Read by Debra Lee.

Fight the Good Fight of Faith

David Brandt Berg

1975-01-01

Remember that not all voices are of God, and you must “try the spirits” (1 John 4:1) to make sure that what you’re hearing is of the Lord. If it is not according to His Word or causes you to be discontent, bitter, dissatisfied, unhappy, or critical of others—these things are not of the Lord, and you must rebuke the Enemy in Jesus’ name when he tempts you with these negative thoughts.

One of your best protections is to keep busy for God and obedient to Him, and also to fill your mind and heart with positive, encouraging, strengthening and faith-building thoughts from His Word, remembering, memorizing and continually quoting to yourself and even to the Enemy when he attacks you, claiming such promises of God constantly as you cling to His Word.

Some scriptures which have been a great blessing to me in times of distress, mental anguish, doubts and fears and battles with the Enemy have been those like: “For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear” (1 John 4:18). “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee because he trusteth in Thee” (Isaiah 26:3).

“For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds” (Hebrews 12:3). “Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1). “And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2).

The Twenty-third Psalm and the Lord’s Prayer have always been a great comfort to me in time of need, to know that the Lord would never leave nor forsake me nor leave me comfortless (Hebrews 13:5; John 14:18). And I am always convicted by that part: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us” (Matthew 6:12), and where Jesus said we know that “If we forgive not others their trespasses, neither will our Father in Heaven forgive us” (Matthew 6:15).

So we must ask Him in all humility to help us have mercy on others, knowing that we ourselves must also be forgiven for many sins. Remembering continually what sinners we are and how many mistakes we’ve made helps greatly to keep us humble and to avoid that spirit of self-righteous pride which causes us to criticize and condemn others.

It helps to always remember we’re all sinners and that we all make mistakes and that we must “forgive one another even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven us” (Ephesians 4:32). “For it is no longer you that live but Christ that lives in you, for you are now dead and your life is hid with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3).

You don’t have to offer God your life, for He has already taken it. When you yielded on His altar of sacrifice and asked Him to take it, He did, and He’s been trying to use it for His glory ever since, as much as you will let Him.

So keep it that way: it’s in His hands. You are His and He loves you and is doing His best for you in trying to make you useful and happy in His service for others, so that you might bring them life and happiness as you have found it in Jesus.

Stay close to Him and He’ll never fail you. He’ll never forsake you. He’ll never let you down. Even though He may not always answer just the way we’d like, keep trusting Him and He’ll never fail.

Keep loving others and they will love you. Keep serving Jesus and He’ll serve you—well! “When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him” (Isaiah 59:19). “Resist the Devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

Also remember: “One can chase a thousand, but two can put ten thousand to flight” (Deuteronomy 32:30), and it helps greatly to have someone else pray with you when you feel oppressed or distressed or attacked by the Enemy. “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). And, “If any two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 18:19).

So there is great power in united prayer together. Never be ashamed to ask for help or prayer when you need it. “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed” (James 5:16).

Meanwhile, despise not the day of small things (Zechariah 4:10) or whatever humble tasks the Lord may call you to perform. The less responsibility you have, the less you will be held responsible for; but if you are faithful in the small things, the Lord will commit greater things to your care when you have proven that you can be trusted with them. Remember that “It is better to be a doorkeeper in the house of the Lord than to dwell in the tents of wickedness” (Psalm 84:10).

In the meantime, “In everything give thanks.” Be thankful for all things (1 Thessalonians 5:18), and “in whatsoever state you’re in,” whether “abounding or abased” (Philippians 4:11–12), be thankful for your many blessings and that Jesus loves you and your loved one loves you. We are praying for you that you’ll make it by continuing to be faithful—full of faith and love in Jesus.

God bless and keep you and make you a blessing.

The Message of Jeremiah

Huntington Beach Light Club 1968

David Brandt Berg

1970-11-22

God turned Jeremiah around and made a revolutionary out of him, but he had a little difficulty trying to turn the nation around. In fact, he never quite succeeded! But at least he tried.

Are you willing to be a revolutionary even if nobody ever joins? That’s about the way Jeremiah had it. And let me tell you who joined him—God. God took him through in his own little revolution, all the way through a war, the great confusion, and the takeover by the communists of his day, and helped him to survive it.

I told you the other day, there’s revolution rampant in the country and the swelling tide is rising. (The Jesus Revolution!) You know how the surf rises? You spot that wave out there and you watch that swell lift and you say, “Oh, man, there’s coming one, that’s going to be it!” And it rises and rises until it reaches that peak, and then it really begins to roll. And if you hit it just right, you jump on that board just in time, you can ride the crest, and it’s a thrill to ride on top.

But you know, some of these preachers see that swell coming and they don’t want revolution, they don’t want a change, they don’t want to be different. So they take their surfboards and they try to stop the wave, like that guy did to you yesterday. The Lord said, “If these should hold their peace, the very rocks would cry out” (Luke 19:40).

What happens when you try to stop the wave? It just rolls right over you. It rolls you down, that’s all! You can submerge and let it roll over you if you want to, but personally, I like to ride it. Now you can think about that for a while as we study Jeremiah.

There’s only one thing that’s really worth dying for, and that’s Jesus. You’re going to find this book of Jeremiah a very dangerous book. It was plenty dangerous for Jeremiah! Nearly got him killed. Got him thrown in prison, got him thrown in a dungeon where he sank in the slime right up to his armpits.

His own family wanted to murder him and his own church put him in stocks, one of those pieces of wood where your head, hands, and feet are sticking through, where they could spit on him and slap him and make him a mocking derision to his people. Wait till you hear what Jeremiah suffered for preaching revolution! Of course, he preached the same kind we do—not one of violence, but one of the Spirit.

What is revolution? Revolve, turn around, and go the other direction. Similar to the Latin word repentance and the Greek word metanoia, it means a complete change of mind, change of direction.

We’re not interested in trying to patch up the old system; we don’t give a hang about trying to reform it! I’m not talking about the true Christians that love God. I’m not talking about the gospel being preached. I’m not talking about Christians getting together and enjoying fellowship. I’m talking about the system they’ve got. The system of—instead of witnessing and winning souls—of going into all the world and building buildings! Going into all the world and telling everybody to just be a Christian and go to church on Sunday. Not that those things were intrinsically bad to begin with, that a building’s anything evil of itself, or that going to church on Sunday is bad.

God has asked His prophets to do a lot of peculiar things! He asked one prophet—Isaiah, a courtier of the king’s blood, royal family—to go stark naked for three years before all Israel as a testimony against them of how God was going to strip the nation. He asked another prophet, Hosea, to go out and marry a prostitute, to illustrate what Israel had done to God, that Israel had become a harlot in the eyes of God, but that God was still married to her and still loved her and would forgive her.

And Jeremiah, He asked him to do some peculiar things too. One of the most peculiar things He asked him to do was to wear a wooden ox yoke around his neck to illustrate that the nation was going to go into servitude and slavery and bondage to her enemies—yoked, slaves in chains, because of her sins. Popular message?

You’ll find Jeremiah was a revolutionist! He was trying to revolve the nation, turn it around and start it the other direction. But he never succeeded; he was a flat failure. He never changed Israel, he never got them to repent. And God judged them and let their enemies conquer them and take them as slaves because they didn’t repent. Was he a failure? His job was not to make Israel change her mind or heart or repent, because only Israel could do that.

We can’t make the churches change. We can’t make this nation change. They have to make that decision; our job is to tell them. And when it came to telling them, let me tell you, Jeremiah was a huge success! They got the point so well, they nearly killed him. If it hadn’t been for the power of God he never would have made it. Because listen to the kind of call God gave him in this first chapter:

“The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin.” He was from Anathoth, his hometown. You’re going to hear what his hometown tried to do with him later. His hometown got so mad at him, they said, “Now listen, this guy is such a radical revolutionary, the king’s going to think that we’re like this too, so we’d better kill him before the king takes it out on us!”

What made Jeremiah a revolutionary? He broke with the system, and he followed God. No matter what the system said or did to him, he was more afraid of God than he was of the system. Now I’m not talking about the government; don’t misunderstand me. I’m not talking about the people that love the Lord, but their system that they are trapped in.

One government or another makes little difference to us for the plain and simple reason we find out all the way through the Bible, they changed governments like they changed clothes, and all governments amount to about the same thing in the long run: It’s all Roman, still Rome, but it’s put here by God to try to keep the peace and order.

Jeremiah’s message was nothing but trouble and doom for the country! There were little rays of sunshine here and there, a little blessing that was going to be far off in the future after they’d gone through the mill and really suffered—God was going to forgive them then. They’d repent then, He’d forgive them, and then He’d bring them back, but it was going to be a long time.

When God has appointed somebody to a special task, this frequently happens; God sets you aside. He’s got a special job cut out just for you! And you’d better believe it and you’d better obey it and you’d better do it.

“Then said I, Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a child” (Jeremiah 1:6). “Lord, I can’t do it!” You’ll never find anyone in the Word of God who wanted to be a prophet. Almost all of them were forced to be prophets. They didn’t want to be, they were reluctant, and they tried to talk God out of it. Someone once said, don’t ever try to be a leader unless God virtually forces you to be, where He puts you in a position of responsibility where you have to.

There are a lot of people running around the world who’d love to be boss. They want to run things; they want to be an executive behind a big polished desk. If they only knew the problems of those guys. If they only knew the hassle they go through mentally and every other way. We read in the paper just recently, some guy jumped out the hospital window, a big executive. The responsibility nearly drives them out of their minds, all the things they have to do. I saw a sign on the grocery store wall one day: “Work your eight hours a day and don’t worry—maybe someday you’ll be boss, work 16 hours a day, and have all the worry!”

“But the Lord said unto me, Say not I am a child, for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee. And whatsoever I command thee, thou shalt speak” (Jeremiah 1:7). “Just tell them what I tell you, that’s all you have to know. That’s all you have to do, just tell them what I tell you.”

“Be not afraid of their faces, for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord. Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put My words in thy mouth. See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms” (Jeremiah 1:8–10).

What do you mean? Jeremiah was nothing but a prophet! He wasn’t even of the blood royal. Who was he? Of just one little town of Anathoth, of one little tiny insignificant country in world history. But God said He had set him over the nations and over the kingdoms. You mean this little insignificant prophet was that important to God? Let me tell you, he had a message for the nations, a message for the kingdoms, a message for the world!

Listen to the kind of ministry that Jeremiah had: “To root out and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down.” Four parts of his message was destruction, two-thirds of his total message. Get rid of the false, obliterate the false, throw out the false, throw down the false, cast out the false, root out the false! Because if you can’t get rid of the weeds, if you can’t get rid of the ruins and the rubble, how are you going to plant or build anything in the same place? Ever had a garden? Let me tell you, if you don’t get rid of those weeds, they’ll get rid of your garden! You’ve got to get rid of them; they can’t grow side by side.

I regret to tell you that so far, according to world history, the prophets have usually gotten it in the neck and the system got them first. But they saved a lot of souls, and they woke up a lot of people, and they preserved at least some truth and some gospel and some salvation. And that’s why you’re here tonight, because somebody fought for the truth!

All the way from the prophets of old up to guys like Martin Luther, Savonarola, John Knox, and Tyndale, who gave up their lives so you could have the truth. But as a result, you’re here today hearing the truth of God and this book has been preserved. And because we are willing to live and die for the truth of God, somebody’s going to hear about it and believe it and receive it and carry it on after we’re dead!

For every drop of blood we shed, God raises up ten more drops to keep on preaching it! Praise God? For the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church, some great martyr once said. It was not just what the Christians said that turned Rome to Christianity, it was the way they died! Then people knew they believed. They were fighting the system, and you couldn’t have fought a bigger system than they had then. That’s one case where the system finally got conquered.

The message that we preach down here, this kind of Christianity, is as far from what is being preached in those churches on Sunday as night is from day, as communism is from capitalism. The early church seemed to have more success with some of the Romans than the Jews. And Paul finally gave up on the Jews and said, “From henceforth I will go to the Gentiles! I’m sick of preaching to the church people. I’m going to the heathen; they’ll receive it” (Acts 18:6).

Let’s pray and ask God to help us to have the courage to preach a message that’s hard to preach, a message many will not receive, and a message that they’ll persecute you for.

Charity in Light of Eternity: What Sets Christian Service Apart

August 30, 2024

By Seth Porch

In the hinterland of Senegal, in the middle of a remote field on the outskirts of a village, stands a white metal sign. Emblazoned in blue is the name of a humanitarian organization and the date of its mission: August 2015. According to the sign, the organization’s mission is “to provide water for the waterless.” Behind the sign stands a small, concrete water tower, about ten feet in height, positioned next to an open well. Surprisingly, however, when I came across this well in January 2016, there were no footpaths to the site, no signs of recent use. Upon inspection, the well was dry.

To the one who thirsts, there is nothing quite so disheartening as an empty well. Parched tongues long for water, and God prepares his people to be cupbearers for the thirsty. He intends for us to dig new wells, to feed hungry mouths, to clothe the naked, to visit the sick and imprisoned (Matthew 25:35–36). Yet as Christians move toward need, we do so not as the world does. For we know that even if we could provide access to water throughout the whole world, only Christ can fill the soul’s deepest well. Christian charity is unlike the world’s because, in every act of serving, we aim to meet a deeper need and slake a deeper thirst.

(Read the article here.)

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/charity-in-light-of-eternity

Going About Doing Good

August 29, 2024

By Virginia Brandt Berg

Audio length: 7:11

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I knelt today where Jesus knelt,
Where all alone He prayed,
The Garden of Gethsemane,
My heart felt unafraid.

I picked my heavy burden up,
And with Him by my side,
I climbed the hill of Calvary,
Where on the cross He died.

I walked today where Jesus walked,
And felt Him close to me.¹

I never think of that song, “I Walked Today Where Jesus Walked,” when I don’t think of this verse of Scripture in Acts 10:38: “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power, who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil, for God was with him.” What a wonderful scripture!

I heard a story once, and it was said that the story was true, regarding a newsboy who had been hurt very badly in an accident. Another little newsboy came to see him and asked if he wanted anything. He said, “Yes, I would like for you to go to the bookstore and get me that book about the man that went about everywhere doing good.” He didn’t know just who the man was. So the boy asked the man at the bookstore, and he told him that was the Bible, and Jesus was the one who went about doing good.

So the crippled boy read and read that wonderful Bible. At last, he wanted to do good like Jesus, so he would copy verses of Scripture, and there in the attic room where he lived, he would pull his maimed body over to the window and then drop those verses of Scripture down on the pavement.

One day a very wealthy man saw this scrawny hand reach out from that window and drop a note, and he hurried over and picked it up. On it was this verse of Scripture, about Jesus going about doing good, and how God was with Him. He thought about it a good deal, and he went up and found the little crippled boy. They quickly became friends, and the man gave his heart to the Lord through the boy’s testimony.

Then one day the man came to the boy and said, “I’ve got good news for you. I’m going to take you out of this tenement house, and out to my beautiful home.” And he continued, “You’ll have a room all your own. And we have servants there, and good things to eat. It’ll just be wonderful for you.”

The boy said, “Well, I’ll think it over, Mr. Hatfield. You come back tomorrow and I’ll tell you whether I’ll go or not.” The next day Mr. Hatfield came back. The boy said to him, “I want to ask you a question about your home. Are there any people that walk under the window there where I would be?” And Mr. Hatfield said, “Oh no, it’s very quiet there, with beautiful, terraced lawns. There’s no one that walks under the window.”

Do you know what little Jimmy said? He said, “I’m sorry, I couldn’t live anywhere where people don’t pass under my window.” And he never did go. He stayed in that poor district and in that little room.

How wonderful that there are some people that will make any sacrifice that they might go about doing good, just like Jesus. If we’re going to walk where Jesus walked, we’re going to walk where we can do good for other people. That’s a rather trite saying, but remember the wonderful verse: “He went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil.”

It reminds me of when someone asked a little boy: “Is your mother at home?”

And he answered, “No.”

“Where is your mother?”

“I don’t know just where she is, but I know that wherever she is, she’s doing good, because she always goes out and helps people.” What a wonderful thing to say.

You know that God’s Word says that whatever you do in word and deed, do all to the glory of God (Colossians 3:17; 1 Corinthians 10:31). While it’s wonderful to be doing good things, we must be very careful that it is for the Lord, and we’re not just depending on our good works.

God’s Word says it’s not of works. These are wonderful verses in Ephesians chapter two. “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherein he loved us, even when we were dead in sin, hath quickened us together with Christ; by grace are ye saved”—not by your works! “And he hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding richness of his grace and his kindness toward us. For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:4–9).

Isn’t it wonderful that God has a plan, because it would be so unfair any other way? Some people have had a good background and good parents and they’re just naturally good. Others have had bad backgrounds and wicked parents, and it would be so unfair if it would be our good works that could save us. But God, in the wonders of His wisdom, had a plan in which everybody has to come the same way, and that is through the shed blood of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, His sacrifice on Calvary.

I’ll read it again. “By grace are ye saved through faith, not of works, lest any man should boast.” It’s by the grace of God. So if you’re going to go about doing good things and nice deeds just to get a little glory to yourself, there will be no reward laid by in heaven. It has to be in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that’s the only way you can be saved. “There is no other name given under heaven among men whereby you can be saved” (Acts 4:12).

God bless you and keep you and make you a blessing. Everywhere you go, may you go about doing good works in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

From a transcript of a Meditation Moments broadcast, adapted. Published on Anchor August 2024. Read by Lenore Welsh.

¹ “I Walked Today Where Jesus Walked,” by Geoffrey O’Hara (1937).

A Moment in the Morning

August 28, 2024

By Frank Steele

It was going to be a lovely day. The sun wasn’t up yet, but I was, enjoying the beautiful time right before dawn. The day was still and peaceful, and the birds were happily chirping, secure in the knowledge that their heavenly Father will feed them (Matthew 6:26). Of course, they still have to work for it. And I had to work too, but I decided to go for a bike ride before my day’s work began.

The streets were mostly empty as I biked down to a local park with a lake, where I stopped for a few moments and enjoyed the dawn. It reminded me of the old Letter by David, “Sunrise, Sunset.”

When the Lord puts on a light show, we ought to stop and look at it. It’s so beautiful to be able to see the artwork of the Lord in spite of all the pollution and confusion. People ought to stop and admire God’s handiwork while He’s putting on such a beautiful show. They ought to stop and watch His beautiful sunsets and lovely dawns.—David Brandt Berg

When the dawn flames in the sky, I love you;
When the birdlings wake and cry, I love you;
When the swaying blades of corn whisper soft at early morn
Love to me anew is born,
I love you. I love you.
—N. Eberhart and C. Cadman

On the lake, the rays of the sun were striking the water and there was a gentle mist rising from it, a little fog on the water. Where trees hung over the water and the sun hadn’t hit it yet, there wasn’t yet a mist. It seems like we need a bit of the Son ourselves to activate us in the morning. Some ducks were busily swimming about on the water, while on the banks a few big geese still had their heads tucked under their wings, not yet ready to face the day. Dragonflies were skittering over the water, eating up mosquitoes and other pests, and probably being eaten in turn by the birds starting to skim the waters.

It’s so wonderful to view God’s beautiful creation. It gives you such a wonderful feeling of serenity and peace and calm and power of the Lord and harmony and beauty of His creation, to know that God still lives and still controls things.—David Brandt Berg

It’s wonderful to get out like this and enjoy the presence of the Lord in His creation, soaking it all in and communing with Him.

A moment in the morning, ere the cares of day begin,
Ere the heart’s wide door is open for the world to enter in,
Ah, then, alone with Jesus, in the silence of the morn,
In heavenly sweet communion, let your joyful day be born.
In the quietude that blesses with a prelude of repose
Let your soul be soothed and softened, as the dew revives the rose.

A moment in the morning—a moment, if no more—
Is better than an hour when the trying day is o’er.
‘Tis the gentle dew from heaven, the manna for the day;
If you fail to gather early—alas! it melts away.
So, in the blush of morning, take the offered hand of love,
And walk in heaven’s pathway and the peacefulness thereof.
—Arthur Lewis Tubbs, adapted

It was time for me to bike home, to face the day’s labors. “Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labor until the evening” (Psalm 104:23). But I carried the treasures of the morning with me, like the psalmist said: “O LORD, how manifold are thy works! In wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches” (Psalm 104:24). We can declare the Lord’s lovingkindness every morning, and His faithfulness every night (Psalm 92:2). He is truly great, and greatly to be praised, both morning and evening!

Be Kind to One Another

August 27, 2024

A compilation

Audio length: 10:36

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For a perfect emblem of Biblical kindness, we need to look no further than Jesus. Crowds followed Him and traveled miles just to hear Him speak. Healing the sick, feeding the hungry, teaching the people, caring for the widow, and defending children, Jesus lived 33 years of perfect kindness. He is not asking any more of us than what He willingly practiced Himself. Even on the cross, He displayed compassionate, merciful kindness praying, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Defending the weak, poor, and needy, He stated, “As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”

Jesus was perfectly selfless in everything He did. Flowing unceasingly from Him, kindness was His lifestyle. He took notice for the cause of the needy, intentionally and consistently seeking them out, even when He was tired and weary. Without partiality, He was kind to everyone, even if they didn’t “deserve” it. He turned no one away. And by the shedding of His blood on the cross, He demonstrated His love for the entirety of humanity—the ultimate act of kindness. Christ is the perfect role model of kindness.

So, what does Biblical kindness look like? It looks like Christ. Not for just a season or one day of the year, kindness is for every moment of every day; it’s a habit, a lifestyle, a continual practice. It is intentional, taking time and patience, a giving of ourselves in “the busy,” even when we are “too tired.” And lastly, kindness is for absolutely everyone. As we intentionally show kindness each day, may we shine the light of Christ to a dying world in need of a savior, a generation in need of love and grace. Be Jesus to someone today and every day; make Him your role model and kindness your lifestyle.—Olivia Forton¹

Become like Jesus

To Christians, who are called to become like Jesus Christ, the Bible teaches, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:31–32). …

In the original Greek, the phrase rendered “be kind to one another” literally means “keep on becoming kind toward one another.” The graciousness of God, which is also found in Jesus Christ, shows us what it means to be kind to one another. Because God acts kindly toward us, we are to behave the same way toward others. Because Christ offered grace as the basis for our forgiveness, so too should we. …

Compassion and kindness are closely linked. Compassion can be defined as “heartfelt sympathy or empathy toward those who are suffering or in need.” Kindness is the helpful spirit that sees someone else in need and is motivated to respond through good deeds. Kindness is the tangible action that results from compassion. Kindness goes beyond mere words; it translates into helping and serving one another (Acts 28:2).—GotQuestions.org²

The story of Doug Nichols

This is the wonderful story of how Doug Nichols, the International Director of Action International Ministries, made the excellencies of God known in a tuberculosis sanitarium in India in 1967. He was a missionary with Operation Mobilization and got TB. He was in the sanitarium for several months. He tried to give away tracts and copies of the Gospel of John, but no one would take them. They didn’t like him and assumed he was a rich American.

At one point, for several nights he would wake up coughing at 2:00 a.m. He noticed a little old, emaciated man trying to get out of bed. The man couldn’t stand up, and he began to whimper. He lay back into bed. In the morning the stench in the ward was terrible and everyone was angry at the old man for not containing himself. The nurse who cleaned up even smacked the old man for making such a mess.

The next night the very same thing happened. Doug woke up coughing with his own terrible sickness and weakness. He saw the old man try again to get out of bed. Again, he couldn’t stand, and began to cry softly. Doug got out of bed and went over to the old man. The man cowered with fear. But Doug picked him up with both arms and carried him to the bathroom, which was just a hole in the floor, and then brought him back. The man kissed him on the cheek as he put him down in bed.

At 4:00 a.m. another patient woke Doug with a steaming cup of tea and made motions that said he wanted a copy of the booklet—the Gospel of John. Through that whole day people kept coming to him and asking for his booklets even though he could not speak their language.

In other words, one way to declare the excellencies of God is to act them out. When we act out the excellencies of God, people will hear them with even greater eagerness. Which is just another way of saying that our identity—who we are—is for the sake of God. God made us who we are to show the world who he is.—John Piper³

A sample, not a sermon

Many people will not read the Bible, but they will read a Christian. And though they may doubt some of what you say, they are more apt to believe what you do.

If you don’t show people a love they can see and feel, they may have a hard time believing that there is someone up there whom they don’t know, and that He really loves them. They often need to learn to love you first before they can learn to love God.

In leading people to the Lord, you often have to inspire their faith in you before they can believe in God, because they may not understand or believe what you have to say about God unless you show them by some visible, tangible work that puts your words into action and puts your faith into effect and makes it fact and not fiction, a sample, not just a sermon. Show them His love, and manifest it by genuine proving action.—David Brandt Berg

Published on Anchor August 2024. Read by John Laurence. Music by Michael Fogarty.

¹ https://www.geneva.edu/blog/everyday-living/biblical-kindness

² https://www.gotquestions.org/be-kind-to-one-another.html

³ https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/christian-identity-and-christian-destiny

God’s Enduring Word: The Bible

August 26, 2024

Treasures

Audio length: 13:30

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The Bible—the Holy Scriptures—is universally considered “the Word of God” by all Christians, and is regarded as the foundation for Christianity and Christian doctrine. The Bible is a collection of 66 books that are the cornerstone of Christian belief and practice. Christians believe that the Bible is the Word of God, written by men of faith who were inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21). The Bible tells us that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).

The Bible explains God’s plan for humankind, defines truth and reality, teaches us how to live in harmony with God and others, guides our actions and decisions, and is essential to our spiritual life. Its timeless principles are the foundation of our faith, and its truth is the basis of the gospel message we share with others.

Whether people accept and believe in the teachings of the Bible, it cannot be denied that the Bible is the most unique and widely read book that has ever been written. The Bible is not merely a religious book, but it contains the answers to life’s deepest questions: How did the universe begin? Where did we come from? What is the purpose for life, and what happens after we die?

Consider the following facts about the Bible that set it apart as a unique volume:

The Bible is unique in its continuity. It was written over a 1,500-year time span by over forty authors from every walk of life, including kings, peasants, philosophers, fishermen, shepherds, soldiers, poets, statesmen, and scholars. Nevertheless, from beginning to end, its authors spoke on hundreds of subjects with harmony and continuity, outlining one unfolding story: God’s love and purpose for humanity.

The Bible has been read by more people than any other book. It has outsold every book that has ever been written, and even in this current secular age, still sells more copies every year than any other book in the world. The Guinness Book of World Records states, “The best-selling book of all time is the Christian Bible. It is impossible to know exactly how many copies have been printed in the roughly 1,500 years since its contents were standardized, but research conducted by the British and Foreign Bible Society in 2021 suggests that the total number probably lies between 5 and 7 billion copies.”¹ The Bible is now freely accessible on the Internet in many languages, reaching a wider readership than ever before.

The Bible has been translated and published in more languages than any other book in existence. As one of the oldest and most disseminated books of all time, the Bible has made its mark on the world through history and continues to do so. According to Wycliffe Global Alliance, as of 2023 the full Bible has been translated into 736 languages, and the New Testament has been translated into an additional 1,658 languages, making it the single most translated book ever.²

The Bible has more manuscript evidence than any other ten pieces of classical literature combined. Although originally written on perishable materials, having to be recopied by hand for thousands of years before the invention of the printing press, its style, correctness, and accuracy has been preserved as has no other book in history. Thousands of ancient manuscripts in the original languages have been unearthed which provide evidence, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the Scriptures have come down through the ages to us as they were originally written.

The Bible has withstood assaults against it and attempts to eradicate it as has no other book. Throughout the centuries, attempts have been made to burn it, destroy it, and outlaw it, from the days of the Roman emperors to some present-day countries. Its very existence today and the fact that its teachings and truths have been preserved throughout the centuries despite campaigns to eradicate it is of itself a miracle and a testament to God’s safeguarding of the Bible for all generations.

Modern archaeology confirms the events described in the Bible. Discoveries by modern archaeologists have confirmed the Bible’s accuracy and have proven it to be a source of history. Archaeologists who have pursued references made in the Old Testament have rediscovered whole nations, cities, and events in history.

The Bible accurately predicted the future of nations, peoples, and cities, and the coming of the Messiah. Although the ancient world had many different devices for determining the future, nowhere in Greek and Latin literature other than the Bible can there be found specific prophecies of historic events to come in the distant future. The Bible contains numerous detailed, specific prophecies that have been fulfilled—and prophecies about the future of the world that are yet to be fulfilled.

Although the Bible is truly an amazing and remarkable book and one of the oldest books, so many people today ignore it completely or dismiss it outright without taking the time to study it. In doing so, they neglect the very words of life and truth and the way to God (John 14:6). The Bible is our foundation, our guide, our standard, and the rod of measurement whereby we judge all things. Each of us is on a long journey, and God has given us a detailed map in the Bible so we won’t get lost and we will make it safely to our eternal destination. We ignore the map at our own peril.

The most wonderful thing about the Bible is that, through its words, we can know its Author. For the Bible is God’s great love letter to us, guiding us to truth, love, joy, peace, and eternal life. Its life-giving words promise life and love and heaven forever through believing in and receiving its main character, the one who loved us so much that He gave His own life to save us—Jesus Christ, the Son of God. All the life-altering things that you read about Jesus in the Bible can and do happen today, for “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

The Bible is God’s plan for eternal life, the solid genuine foundation of truth, whose giver is God. The Bible gives genuine immortality through the resurrection of Jesus to everlasting life in heaven with God.

So take the time to read and study the Bible and sincerely pray, “Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions” (Psalm 119:18). Start with the New Testament and the wonderful words of Jesus in the Gospels and read them—not as fairy tales of the past, but as God’s Word for you today—and see how inspiring, transforming, and encouraging the truth of the Word of God can be. The Bible is an amazing and inexhaustible source of wisdom and knowledge, out of which you will constantly find treasures new and old (Matthew 13:52).

Bible verses foundational to understanding the crucial role of God’s Word

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).
“If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31–32).
“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).
“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4).
“Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11).
“The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple” (Psalm 119:130).
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
“The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life” (John 6:63).
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Matthew 24:35).
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).
“O Lord, your word is established in heaven forever” (Psalm 119:89).

Quotes from famous people about the Bible

Michael Faraday (1791–1867), British physicist and chemist: “The Bible, and that alone, with nothing added to it nor taken away from it by man, is the sole and sufficient guide for each individual, at all times and in all circumstances.”

Samuel Colgate (1822–1897), American manufacturer and philanthropist: “The only spiritual light in the world comes through Jesus Christ and the inspired Book; redemption and forgiveness of sin alone through Christ. Without His presence and the teachings of the Bible we would be enshrouded in moral darkness and despair.”

Immanuel Kant (1724–1804), German philosopher: “The existence of the Bible as a book for the people is the greatest benefit which the human race has ever experienced. Every attempt to belittle it is a crime against humanity.”

Sir Ambrose Fleming (1849–1945), English pioneer of electronics: “There is abundant evidence that the Bible, though written by men, is not the product of the human mind. By countless multitudes it has always been revered as a communication to us from the Creator of the Universe.”

William Herschel (1738–1822), German-British astronomer, discoverer of the planet Uranus: “All human discoveries seem to be made only for the purpose of confirming more and more strongly the truth contained in the sacred Scriptures.”

Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), 16th American president: “I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to Man. All the good the Savior gave to the world was communicated through this Book. But for it we could not know right from wrong. All things most desirable for man’s welfare, here and hereafter, are to be found portrayed in it.”

Horace Greeley (1811–1872), American newspaper editor and leading abolitionist: “It is impossible to enslave mentally or socially a Bible-reading people. The principles of the Bible are the groundwork of human freedom.”

Charles Dickens (1812–1870), English novelist: “The New Testament … is the best book that ever was, or will be, known in the world, because it teaches you the best lessons by which any human creature who tries to be truthful and faithful to duty can possibly be guided.”

Samuel F. B. Morse (1791–1872), American inventor of the telegraph: “The nearer I approach the end of my pilgrimage, the clearer is the evidence of the divine origin of the Bible, the grandeur and sublimity of God’s remedy for fallen man are more appreciated, and the future is illuminated with hope and joy.”

From an article in Treasures, published by the Family International in 1987. Adapted and republished August 2024. Read by Reuben Ruchevsky.

¹ https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/best-selling-book-of-non-fiction

² https://www.wycliffe.net/resources/statistics

The Law of the Heart – Rick McFarland- Session 5 – #CampusDays23

The Law of the Heart – Rick McFarland- Session 5 – #CampusDays23 (youtube.com)

Love Never Fails

David Brandt Berg

1970-12-01

Remember, love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8). All the confession sessions in the world are not going to do it. All the introspection, analyzing, and agonizing are merely works of the flesh, which will have to be repeated next week. Battles never cease. “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of them all” (Psalm 34:19).

Only God can do it. Our salvation is only by grace, never by works, confession sessions, or battling in the flesh with our sins. If God can’t do it, nobody can. And if you’re trying to attain some state of sinless perfection through some false doctrine of eradication, such as the holiness people strive to have, you’re doomed to disappointment. You’ll never make it.

Not even Paul counted himself to have attained (Philippians 3:12). He kept making mistakes for the rest of his life, and pulled the classic boner of all time by trying to appease the system church, which permanently cost him his freedom—and his head. (See Acts 21.) Nevertheless, he was a good apostle, a faithful evangelist, and did a tremendous job in spite of all of his shortcomings, failures, sins, mistakes, and blunders.

If you think the time’s coming when you’ll no longer have to fight self, sin, and the “old man,” you’re mistaken. I’m still at it. How about you? That’s why we have so many victories: we have so many battles, and so much to fight against—mostly our own selves.

God knows, we should be growing, and making some progress, and passing a few tests, and surviving a few trials and having a few triumphs and testimonies. But if you think you’re going to make sinless saints, overnight wonders, out of new converts, I’m afraid you have another think coming.

I have a hard time bawling out other people for the same things I’m guilty of myself, and of which most of us are guilty, even worse. So about all I can do is confess what a hell of a mess I made along the same line, weep a little, cry a little, sympathize a little, and take each other in each other’s arms, forgive each other, and try again.

“For if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father in heaven forgive you your trespasses” (Matthew 6:15). And you’ve got plenty of them, let’s face it—only bigger and even worse, because of the size of your job. “Seek not therefore to be teachers, for unto you is the greater condemnation” (James 3:1).

I think all of you are going to find out sooner or later that the “thorn in the flesh” God is going to use to keep you humble, even as He did with the great apostle Paul, is probably going to be some besetting sin that you’ll have to fight for the rest of your life, which will take a lot of the grace of God to keep overcoming and keep battling (2 Corinthians 12:7–9).

This is what helps keep us in shape. There’s no triumph without a trial, no testimony without a test, no victory without a battle, so keep fighting! You’re bound to win sometimes, and when you lose, it’ll help keep you humble, and help others to know you’re only human, and give God all the glory.

I do not believe in the holiness doctrine of eradication, nor in the Baptist doctrine of suppression, but rather in the good old Bible doctrine of habitation, “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27; Ephesians 2:22).

“Without Me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5). Even Jesus said of Himself, “I can do nothing, but what the Father showeth Me” (John 5:19–20). And it was later said of Him, “Even the Son learned obedience through the things which He suffered” (Hebrews 5:8). The so-called holiness doctrine can often be a pride trip of self-righteous, sanctimonious, holier-than-thou hypocrisy.

You might as well face it: You can’t get the victory. It’s impossible for you to get the victory. Only Christ can. Let go and let God! You can’t do it yourself. “Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:9). “For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). Only God can give it. You can’t earn it, work for it, work it up, pray it down, pray it through, and become so wholly sanctified that you’re some kind of sinless saint.

You haven’t got anybody’s righteousness except Christ’s, and He’s the only one that can give it to you. Your own righteousness stinks! It’s “filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). So quit trying. Let God do it. Let the light in, and the darkness will flee of itself.

Get so full of the Spirit and the Word, you don’t have time to worry about yourself or how bad you are. Of course you’re bad! So are all the rest of us. Only Jesus is good. So let’s talk about Jesus, amen? I gave up on myself a long time ago—like Paul did in Romans 7:17–25: “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Hallelujah. He’s the only one who can do it. All the confession sessions in the world aren’t going to do it.

You’re glorifying self when you talk about your faults, because you’re talking about yourself instead of Jesus. I just can’t do the subject justice! As the man who was noted for his cursing said when they found him sitting silently looking at his overturned load of apples, “I just can’t do the subject justice.”

You just can’t possibly tell people how bad you are, so quit trying. Let’s talk about Jesus. And let’s quit judging people so severely and so harshly for little blunders of the mind, rather than the heart. Let’s forgive one another, as God, for Christ’s sake, has forgiven us (Ephesians 4:32).

You need to apply to yourself what Jesus said to the self-righteous, hypocritical religious leaders of His day, “You need to learn what it meaneth: ‘I will have mercy and not sacrifice’” (Matthew 9:13). You need to learn what that means. For God’s sake, let’s remember that only Jesus can do it, and quit trying to legislate righteousness. It’s a gift of God. Let God do it. Love never fails. Jesus never fails.

What everybody needs is love!

Leave It in God’s Hands

August 23, 2024

God sees your pain and hears your cry

Published by Soulful Devotions

Insights based on the writings of C. S. Lewis.

Run time for this video is 30 minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3At3x4Pg_k

Living in Praise

August 22, 2024

By Maria Fontaine

Audio length: 8:02

Download Audio (7.3MB)

What a blessing and privilege in our lives to realize that Jesus is with us all the time, and how very much He cares about us and wants to be near us. He loves each of us fully and completely. He loves us as the great King of the universe that He is, wanting only the best for each one of us for whom He died and who He looks upon with such eyes of love and acceptance. He certainly has given us not only life, but life in abundance (John 10:10).

Jesus forgives our faults and understands our weaknesses, and He envelops us with His security and comfort. For example, when I recently made a careless mistake, I asked the Lord to forgive me. He told me it was an unguarded moment and reminded me of that beautiful verse that tells us that “there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus” because the law of the Spirit of life in Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1–2).

The Lord is so wonderful and precious, and so good to us as He always looks at us with such eyes of love. He sees our blemishes and our failings, and He knows our every mistake and thought, but He loves us anyway. He knows our frame, that we are but dust (Psalm 103:14). We are all frail human beings and we cannot be perfect—but He sees our hearts and our desire to love and please Him and to love others with His love. He sees our desire to walk in His ways (Psalm 128:1) and to do His will and to do our part to take His truth to others.

Of course, the Bible tells us that “the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives” (Hebrews 12:6), and that is another aspect of His love for us. The Lord loves us so much that He accepts us and surrounds us with His love and works in our lives so that we can grow and be “changed into His likeness” (2 Corinthians 3:18). And the Bible also tells us that “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11).

So if you’re doing your best and striving to stay close to the Lord, yet you feel discouraged with yourself or your mistakes or sins or the fact that you don’t always do as well as you feel you should, don’t worry. In fact, you can take comfort in the fact that God is at work in your life and His work always bears good fruit—a harvest of righteousness and peace if we yield to His work and let it change and grow us.

Our wonderful Jesus is so loving and merciful and kind that at times it’s hard to find the words to express our thankfulness for this precious relationship He has given us. Of course, we have the beautiful Psalms in the Bible, and many other praise-filled verses that we can pray and recite to the Lord to thank Him for His precious, overwhelming, boundless, immeasurable, unending love for us.

We can also express our praises to Jesus in our own words; they can be centered on a specific blessing or for many different blessings. During one time of worship, you might feel more like saying great and glorious things to Jesus, our King of kings and Lord of lords, who was, and is now, and evermore shall be! At another time, you may just want to tell Jesus all the ways that you appreciate and admire Him as your friend and how eternally grateful you are that He gave His life for you and that you now belong to Him forever.

Jesus puts a new song on our lips, a song of praise to our God, and He says that many will see and hear and put their trust in Him (Psalm 40:3)! He dwells in the praises of His people, and we give Him pleasure when we praise Him with our words and songs. The Bible says, “Sing a new song to the Lord! Sing his praises from the ends of the earth! Sing, all you who sail the seas, all you who live in distant coastlands. Join in the chorus, you desert towns, and shout praises from the mountaintops” (Isaiah 42:10–11).

So let’s worship Him with all our heart and all our mind and all our soul, and live in praise to our wonderful Savior for all that He has done, is doing, and will yet do! You’ll feel edified and inspired and thrilled and amazed by the Lord as you take the time to praise Him and be reminded of who He is and all that He so graciously provides for His children each and every day. Hallelujah!

Praise brings victory, hope, and strength. Praise brings light and life. There are many ways we can praise, including our words of praise in our personal times of worship and with others, lifting up our hands, clapping, shouting, singing songs of joy. As the psalmist said, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord” (Psalm 150:6)! “Lift up your hands to the holy place and praise the Lord” (Psalm 134:2)! “Clap your hands! Shout to God with loud songs of joy” (Psalm 47:1)! “Lift up a song to Him” and ring out songs of praise (Psalm 68:4)!

The following words from Jesus in prophecy express His delight in our praises:

Oh, that My children would be children of praise, and that they would constantly have a word and a song of praise in their hearts and on their lips! For whenever you are praising, you are dwelling in My Spirit. Praise helps to ward off worry, fear, and anxiety because praise helps you to keep your mind stayed on Me—where you will find My perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3).

My people ought always to pray and praise and not lose heart, and not grow weary in well doing (Luke 18:1). Your words of praise are a declaration of your faith and trust in Me. They draw you into a closer walk with Me as you enter into My presence with thanksgiving and into My courts with praise, making a joyful noise in your hearts (Psalm 100).

Praise is the way of My kingdom and is the opposite of the way of the world. The Devil brings people into bondage through fear and worry and contention, whereas I bring My children into freedom, life, hope, and truth. You are blessed with My grace and salvation and eternal life, and it is My will for you to experience My joy and peace and to share it with others so that more people can enter into My kingdom.

Thank You, Jesus, our wonderful Savior and King, today and forever! He is so much greater than all that we could ever hope or dream or ask for, and He’s got such wonderful things in store for each one of us in His great love. May we live and walk always clothed in our garment of praise today and forever (Isaiah 61:3)!

Originally published March 1996. Adapted and republished August 2024. Read by Lenore Welsh.

The Value of Showing Up

August 21, 2024

By Mara Hodler

I’ve been thinking a lot about friendship lately. Friends are special. They are different from family in that you choose your friends. On your Facebook account, you can choose to accept a friend request or decline it, and it’s somewhat the same way in real life. The fact that friendship is a choice is one of the reasons it’s so special. You know your friends chose you and you chose them.

The right friends are a huge asset in life. A popular pastor and author from the late 19th century, Charles Spurgeon, once said, “Friendship is one of the sweetest joys in life. Many might have fallen beneath the bitterness of their trial had they not found a friend.”

When you want to be the kind of friend that helps someone not “fall beneath the bitterness of their trial,” you might think you need to do something amazing or have something great to say or to give them. But what I’ve found in friendship is that the simple act of showing up, of being present at a time when your friendship is most needed, is what really counts. It’s not the expensive gifts, amazing words of wisdom, or out-of-this-world fun ideas or events that make you the most valuable. While that can be pretty awesome, most importantly, if someone can count on your presence in their life—then they have a true friend.

I read a story about a man named Sam Rayburn. This man had an important job; he was the Speaker of the US House of Representatives for 17 years—the longest tenure in US history. One night the teenage daughter of a close friend of Mr. Rayburn passed away suddenly and unexpectedly. First thing the next morning, the father of this girl heard a knock at the door. There stood Sam Rayburn. “I wanted to come and see what I could do to help,” he said.

The father, reeling with shock and grief, replied, “We have already made all the arrangements. There really isn’t anything for you to do.”

Mr. Rayburn put a hand on his friend’s shoulder and kindly asked, “Have you had your morning coffee yet?” His friend then explained that they had not yet eaten anything, so Mr. Rayburn said that the least he could do was fix a breakfast for his friend’s family.

As he worked away in the kitchen, his friend asked, “Weren’t you supposed to have breakfast at the White House this morning?”

“Yes, I was,” said Mr. Rayburn, “but I called the president and told him that a friend needed me, so I couldn’t make it.”

When I was reflecting on what it means to “show up” as a friend, I was reminded of when I was 16. There was a guy in my class, I’ll call him Marcus. He was the quiet type; he never said much, and I never really knew what to say to him either. We worked on a few school projects together, but never really talked about anything other than that.

Halfway through the school year, something happened in Marcus’ life. I don’t remember what, just that he was obviously bothered by something. I knew he needed a friend, but I really didn’t know how to be that friend to him. I muscled up my courage and went over to his house after school one day and found him tinkering around in the garage. I said hi to him, and then proceeded just to sit and watch him fiddle around with an old clock for about an hour. I have to admit, it felt a little awkward just sitting there. I had no idea if I was being helpful.

After that visit, we had a short break from school, during which time I didn’t see Marcus. When I saw him next, he took me by surprise. He came right up to me and started talking. We talked for a very long time, and we’ve been friends from that day onward. That awkward act of showing up was enough to make him trust me. I had no idea that it would be a pivotal act in our friendship, but I am so glad I showed up that day.

There are two Bible verses on friendship that I especially love. Both of them are from Proverbs: “A friend loves at all times” (Proverbs 17:17). “There is a friend that sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24).

I think the first verse, in its few words, suggests that friendships can go through all sorts of things together: times when you don’t agree, times when you are upset with each other, times of stress, grief, or struggle that cause one or the other to pull back for a time. Life can also get hectic and busy. You experience success and you experience failure. Through all that, you know your friend loves you. You know your friend values you, considers you important, believes in you, and supports you.

The second verse says that a good friend shows up. You can’t get rid of a good friend just because you are having a bad day or week or even year. “Showing up” could mean posting something on your friend’s Facebook, calling them, sending a text, or some other avenue of connecting even without being physically present. It can also mean praying for your friend.

Albert Schweitzer said: “In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flames by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit. In the course of life, we get to be on both the giving and the receiving end of things. Sometimes you are the one who rekindles the hope and joy in someone, and other times you are the one who needs your spirit restored.”

When you really need a friend and someone shows up on your doorstep (or Facebook page), oh, what a happy day it is! Sam Rayburn showing up at the home of his grieving friend was probably the first ray of light that that family had experienced since losing their daughter. It might have been just enough to keep them holding on when they felt like giving up. I like to think it was.

My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me.—Henry Ford

Remember that life’s most valuable antiques are dear old friends.—H. Jackson Brown Jr.

Friendship improves happiness and abates misery, by the doubling of our joy, and the dividing of our grief.—Marcus Tullius Cicero

I would rather walk with a friend in the dark than walk alone in the light.—Helen Keller

I always say, Lorelei Lee got it wrong in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. It’s not that diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but it’s your best friends who are your diamonds. It’s your best friends who are supremely resilient, made under pressure, and of astonishing value.—Gina Barreca

Friends are the threads that weave a beautiful tapestry of memories.—Author unknown

A true friend knows your weaknesses but shows you your strengths; feels your fears but fortifies your faith; sees your anxieties but frees your spirit; recognizes your disabilities but emphasizes your possibilities.—William Arthur Ward

A faithful friend loves to the end.—Author unknown

Adapted from a Just1Thing podcast, a Christian character-building resource for young people.

God’s Calling on Your Life

August 20, 2024

A compilation

Audio length: 11:05

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Do you ever wonder if you are doing what God wants you to do? As in, what’s that purpose you were created for? What is it that you’re meant to do that will give your life meaning? I’ve wondered about those things, and I still do sometimes.

I watched a movie that addressed this very topic. It’s called This Is Our Time. The story is set around the lives of five college graduates: a brother and sister, Ethan and Ally; her boyfriend-turned-husband, Luke; and Ryder and Catherine, who are Ethan and Ally’s best friends. They’re all Christians and trying to pursue God’s calling in their lives.

On their graduation day, one of them asks their professor if he has any last words for them before they go out into the world. He says, “Always remember that God has a purpose for each one of you.”

Luke and Ally accept an invitation to work with a mission that serves leper colonies in India. Ryder moves into IT work and believes that God wants him to make a difference online. Catherine starts working her way up the corporate ladder and believes God’s calling for her is to be faithful in the workplace.

The only one left is Ethan. He always thought God wanted him to be a writer, but he doesn’t get into the college he wanted to attend and ends up working in his dad’s café. He struggles to find purpose and feels like he’s been left behind while everyone moves on to fulfill their destinies.

He keeps asking for and seeking “God’s calling,” but it seems like he gets no direction or answer. His professor frequents his dad’s café, and one day he asks the young man what he’s doing with his life. Ethan says he’s trying to figure out what God wants him to do but still has no idea.

It’s the professor’s reply to him that really impressed me: “The question is not ‘What does God want me to do?’ but ‘Who is God asking me to be?’ When you become who God wants you to be, His will is all around you.”

Without getting into spoilers, suffice it to say that an unexpected event changes everyone’s lives, and Ethan, who has finally started to focus on being who God wants him to be, is thrust into the spotlight. All of a sudden, his life has direction and God’s purpose becomes clear.

He finally understood that God couldn’t get him to do what He wanted him to do until he was the man God was calling him to be. Becoming that man involved struggle, disappointment, sacrifice, surrender, and hard choices, but when Ethan finally understands that his part was being the man God wanted him to be, he finds peace and contentment. And then he finds his calling, or at least his next step.

Life can be a series of cycles. Sometimes your purpose is clearly defined, and other times it might feel like you’re benched, sitting on the sidelines, watching and waiting for your opportunity. If you reach a point where you aren’t sure of what God wants you to do (and we all face times like that), focus on who God wants you to be. The rest will come.—Mara Hodler ¹

You have a unique calling from God. Do you know what it is? God knows your story, your wiring, and your gifts. He knows your abilities, your limitations, and your challenges. And he knows your experience, your education, and your opportunities. God knows all of that about you. And he has a calling on your life that only you can uniquely fulfill.

You have a kingdom assignment. If you’re not sure what that is, ask the Lord. He wants you to know. Your calling is not a decoder ring in a crackerjack box; he wants you to know your unique calling. Ask him about it. Then, when you know, ask the harder question: “Lord, am I willing to do your thing, the unique thing you’ve called me to do?”

Remember: God’s will isn’t a searchlight that shows the final destination but rather a flashlight that shows the next step. Where is he directing you?

Personally, I’ve long known that God’s call on my life is to speak biblical truth to cultural issues. … Still, every day, I need to pray, “Lord, am I willing to do your thing, the unique thing you’ve called me to do?” I know my calling, but I still need his leadership, and I still need to daily say yes to his call.
God’s will for your life is a flashlight. Will you trust where he leads?—Jim Denison

God is in the details of life, and often the way he calls people to different professions is by the gifts he gives to them. … Understanding how we are gifted goes hand in hand with understanding our calling, because God often calls people to serve him in places that fit their gifts (1 Corinthians 7:7, 17; Romans 12:4–8). So let’s look at a few things that may help determine where the Lord is calling you.

Consider your unique gifts. People have different skills and desires that equip them to succeed at certain tasks. Some are gifted at teaching, others at leading, others at administration, and the list goes on and on (Romans 12:6–8; 1 Corinthians 12:4–11; 1 Peter 4:9–11). Knowing what you are good at and what you enjoy doing is one important part of [your] calling. …
Assess your aptitude in your gifts.Besides different gifts, people also have different levelsof gifts. … God calls us to use our gifts in accordance with the measure he gives them to us (Romans 12:3). People can have similar gifts but the different capacities of those gifts can put them in very different roles. …
Weigh the mixture of your gifts. God typically does not give a person just one gift but multiple gifts, and each gift with varying aptitudes. This mixture of gifts and abilities makes us proficient for a variety of works. … This means that people are rarely locked into just one job or field, but are instead equipped to do a variety of tasks and jobs as God provides opportunity. …
Survey the opportunities in front of you. Finally, while we can make many plans and have all kinds of lofty desires, it is always the Lord’s purposes that prevail (Proverbs 19:21). No one likes to have doors shut on us, but sometimes those slammed doors are vital for identifying our calling. Closed doors can be the Lord sending us in a direction we might never go on our own (Acts 16:7–9). … As you look at the opportunities that do open for you, take time to reflect on who you are and which opportunity best fits your gifts, desires, aptitudes, and the unique mixture of all three.—Keith Welton²

The vast majority of believers are not called to a single, groundbreaking ministry. Instead, we’re called to several, depending on our stage of life, our spiritual maturity level, and the needs of those around us. God calls us to serve where we are. Someone with the gift of teaching may lead a Sunday school class for a while, teach at a Christian school, and then write curriculum. Or he may work at a bank and find opportunities to teach others about God through more informal situations. We are ultimately called to fill the needs of the body (1 Corinthians 12:7), but that doesn’t mean we’ll have a single, lifelong ministry to concentrate on, although sometimes it does.

Sometimes, God does give an individual a specific ministry, but He always does so in His own timing. Like training before a competition, it takes time to develop the wisdom and skills we need (1 Corinthians 3:2). If God were to give us the mission before the training, we’d try to do too much too soon. Instead, God holds us back, taking time to build our practical skills (Luke 2:52), spiritual knowledge (2 Peter 3:18), and faith (James 2:22). …

Ultimately, our “calling” is to love God, love others, obey God, and take care of others. If we concentrate on fulfilling the responsibilities He’s given us now, God will take care of our impact on the world.—GotQuestions.org³

Published on Anchor August 2024. Read by Gabriel Garcia Valdivieso. Music by Michael Fogarty.

¹ Adapted from a Just1Thing podcast, a Christian character-building resource for young people.

² https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/graduates-what-is-god-calling-you-to-do

³ https://www.gotquestions.org/spiritual-calling.html

The Coming of the Son of Man

August 19, 2024

By Peter Amsterdam

Audio length: 11:26

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In the first half of Matthew 24, Jesus predicted the destruction of the Jewish temple and told of the tribulation that would come upon the people of Judea when the Romans would destroy the temple and the city of Jerusalem (Matthew 24:21–22).

Jesus then proceeded to instruct His disciples about His future return, saying, “As the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (Matthew 24:27). This verse makes it clear that His return would not be a secret event; rather, the coming of the Son of Man will be as clear as a flash of lighting which lights up the sky, and everyone will see it.

Jesus went on to say, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken” (Matthew 24:29).

Jesus’ words in this verse are closely modeled in this (and other) Old Testament passages. “Behold, the day of the LORD comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it. For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be dark at its rising, and the moon will not shed its light” (Isaiah 13:9–10).

Jesus proceeds to say, “Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30).

Matthew’s Gospel notes the effect that the Son of Man’s coming will have on the people of the earth—they will mourn. His return will not be met with joy by all. People will recognize that Jesus’ return changes everything and will put an end to life as they have known it. His return will be different from the first time He came to earth when He was born as a child. This time, He will come with power and great glory, a phrase which refers to the majestic appearance of a king.

“He will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matthew 24:31). The appearance of the King brings about the gathering together of those who are His, those who have received Him and believed in Him. The gathering of his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other, makes the point that no believer will be left behind, none will be missing.

The sending of His angels with a loud trumpet is also mentioned by the apostle Paul: “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” (1 Corinthians 15:51–52).

Jesus goes on to say, “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates” (Matthew 24:32–33). As the appearance of the fig tree’s new shoots is indicative of the coming of summer, in like manner, when believers see the events Jesus has spoken of make their appearance, such as those described in verse 29, they are to understand that His return is near.

“Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place” (Matthew 24:34). While a variety of interpretations have been made by Bible commentators as to who “this generation” is, it is clear that Jesus is referring here to the generation that will be alive at the time of His return.

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Matthew 24:35). While heaven and earth have lasted through the lifetimes of generation after generation, they will eventually pass away; but, in contrast, Jesus’ words will last forever. What He has said will be fulfilled with all certainty.

Jesus went on to say, “Concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only” (Matthew 24:36). Throughout history there have been many predictions of when Jesus was going to return. None of them proved to be true, which makes perfect sense, since Jesus made it clear that the time of His return is unknown to anyone but the Father. Some may wonder how Jesus couldn’t know the day nor hour when heaven and earth will pass away when He, like the Father, is God. This is a mystery that has to do with the inner workings of the Trinity, which is beyond our knowing (Isaiah 55:8–9).

Jesus continues in Matthew 24 to say, “As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (Matthew 24:37–39).

We are told here that Jesus’ return will be sudden and without warning. Those who are alive when it happens will be carrying on with the normal affairs of daily life. “Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left” (Matthew 24:40–41).

These examples of people going about their daily lives and work at the time of Jesus’ return express the importance of being ready. In both examples there is a division, a separation, between the people. Those who have made the choice to believe in Christ will be with Him forever, while those who make the conscious decision to reject Him and to live without God will find that their choice will be respected, resulting in their permanent separation from Him.

“Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming” (Matthew 24:42). As it is certain that Jesus will return, He calls His followers to live in a state of constant readiness for that time, whenever it may be. “Know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into” (Matthew 24:43).

This illustration is used throughout the New Testament to make it clear that Jesus will return unexpectedly and that believers—including present-day Christians—should live in a state of readiness. The Apostle Paul, for example, wrote: “You yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. … But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief” (1 Thessalonians 5:2–4).

Jesus continued with “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions” (Matthew 24:45–47).

Jesus turns from the topic of watchfulness to tell the parable of the faithful and wise servant. In a household with numerous servants, one of them is placed in a position of responsibility by the householder to, among other things, ensure that his household is fed. This servant does his job diligently. He doesn’t know when the householder is going to return, but that doesn’t matter to him; he is focused on being faithful in his work. When the master returns, the servant will be blessed, and the master will reward him by putting him in charge of all that he owns.

The reward for faithful service is the opportunity of serving in a position of even greater responsibility, which is then contrasted to the wicked servant. “But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards …” (Matthew 24:48–49).

There is another possible outcome, as Jesus pointed out by presenting a hypothetical case of that wicked servant. This servant lacks the moral strength of the first servant. With the master away, he knows that he will not have to answer to anyone for some time, and he sees it as an opportunity to be selfishly irresponsible. His true character is exposed, as he uses his temporary authority to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with drunkards.

“The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 24:50–51). “Gnashing of teeth” is a phrase found a number of times in the Gospel of Matthew; it represents the pain, distress, anguish, and suffering of those who pass on without having a saving relationship with God. The wicked servant lost sight of the fact that his master would return, and he would be called to account for his deeds.

The fact that the master was away for longer than the servant expected didn’t mean that he was never coming back. Likewise, though the Son of Man’s return may seem delayed, it doesn’t mean that He isn’t coming back. As Jesus said earlier in this chapter, “You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:44).

Since Jesus’ ascension into heaven, believers have been waiting for His return. For two millennia, Christians have lived their lives, passed on from this world, and gone to be with the Lord. At the time of Jesus’ return, those who are alive on earth will experience His second coming, and in 1 Thessalonians we are told that those who have already passed on will return with Jesus (1 Thessalonians 4:14).

While Jesus’ return is an important part of the Christian faith, we, like all the Christians who have gone before us, may not be on this earth when it happens. Therefore, although the events leading up to His return are important, how we live our lives during the time we have on earth is even more important. We are called to love others, to share the gospel, to do our best to live the teachings of Jesus and to draw others to Him through our actions. May we all strive to follow the example of the One who gave His life for us.

Originally published March 2021. Adapted and republished August 2024. Read by Jerry Paladino.

Faith for Financial Supply

Words from Jesus

2023-05-29

“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”—Hebrews 4:16

Are you at the end of your rope financially? That’s the time to enter into My gates with thanksgiving and make your petitions known—and not just for the needs of the moment, but for your future—and trust that My peace will surround you. Through your prayers, you can give all your financial burdens and concerns to Me. When you do so, you can truly be at peace and rest, knowing that trusting Me as your financial advisor and provider is the most important part of your financial strategy.

When you pray for financial supply‚ remind yourself that I take pleasure in answering your prayers. I’ve never failed you yet, and I’m certainly not going to fail you now! Come to Me with praise and thanksgiving, and bring every petition to Me, trusting in My provision for you.

It pleases Me that My children are willing to both abase and abound and to be thankful in the process. I have promised that I will always supply for you. When I was on earth, at times I had no place to lay My head‚ but I have provided something better for you in My love and care for you. When I give you an earthly place of abode, it is a little foretaste of the place I am preparing for you in heaven.

I have prepared a beautiful future for you, My beloved bride. Continue to love the souls of people and tell them about Me, and let their lives be touched by My truth. Trust that I will continue to lead you into pleasant places and provide for you. My mercy and goodness will follow you all the days of your life, until you come home to dwell with Me forever.

Where I guide, I provide

“Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.”—Psalm 85:10

Earthly cash holds little value compared to the eternal treasures of heaven. Money is only a means to an end, something that gets you what you need. And when the world’s money is devalued or recession sets in, I will continue to provide for you. One day, your present financial struggles will be a distant memory of the past in comparison to the glories that await you.

I have been providing for My own for century after century, and I will never fail to care for My own. I will never leave or forsake you. There will still be tests of your faith, and times when you will wonder whether you will have all that you need. But at times like these, remember to “Ask and it will be given to you” (Matthew 7:7). Commit your every need to Me in prayer and trust in Me for the outcome.

With finances growing tighter all around the world, you might wonder how I’m going to continue supplying for you in your golden years. Don’t worry, My promises never fail. If your resources start drying up, I will do the miracles for you, as I did for the widow of Zarephath—when she made the decision to share what she could, her jug of oil and her barrel of flour never ran out. I will supply and care for My own, even when it seems impossible.

Seize every opportunity that I put in your path to be My witness and to freely give to others.

Follow My footprints right to the most needy and spiritually destitute people of the world and share the riches of the gospel with them. Where you stride, I will provide.

My sufficiency

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”—Philippians 4:12–13

I am teaching you the secret of being content in any and every situation. This secret is all about Me—who I am and what I offer you. I am your Creator and King, your Savior and Shepherd. I offer you Myself in all My power and glory. I am the only one who can empower you to find contentment in all circumstances.

I have promised to supply all your need according to My riches in glory. The greater your need, the more I invite you into the mysterious depths of My Being. Intimacy with Me gives you strength; it also fills you with transcendent joy…

The secret of being content is childlike trust in Me: My infinite riches and generous Love. Do not expect to understand My ways with you. Remember that My ways and thoughts are higher than yours—as the heavens are higher than the earth.

I am your sunrise from on high! While you were still sitting in darkness and the shadow of death, My Light shone upon you—giving you a reason to live, a reason to hope. Now you are Mine, and you can approach Me confidently because of My tender mercy.

My heart is full of unfailing Love for you; it overflows from My heart into yours. As you receive good things from Me with thanksgiving, you experience rich soul-satisfaction. I want you to sing for Joy and be glad in response to all that I give you. You can relax and enjoy My Presence since you know I am taking care of you. In your time of need, I will provide mercy and grace to help you.

I want you to enjoy not only My Presence but also My Peace. I came into your world to guide your feet into the way of Peace… Seek to bring Me Joy by walking trustingly with Me along the path of Peace.¹

Originally published October 2007, unless otherwise indicated. Adapted and republished May 2023. Read by Jerry Paladino. Music by Michael Dooley.

¹ Sarah Young, Jesus Lives (Thomas Nelson, 2009).

A Living Example

Peter Amsterdam

2014-08-18

Being a disciple in spirit means doing our best to live what Jesus teaches—both what He taught as recorded in the Bible and what He is teaching us today through our personal connection with Him—and to follow in His footsteps; to live as our Master did; to be a living example of His Word.

What is the preeminent thing that Jesus told us would prove that we are His disciples? It’s showing love to others. “By this shall all men know that you are My disciples, if you have love one to another.”¹ Giving people Jesus’ love, and demonstrating His love not only in word and in tongue, but in deed and in truth, is often part and parcel of what helps them to accept salvation. Perhaps not immediately, but in receiving the Lord’s love, they begin to make a connection with His Spirit, which prepares them for when they are ready to accept salvation.

God’s love is the answer to the problems of the world today. His love—and particularly an example of His love in action—is something the world desperately needs. Teaching that love, sharing that love, enacting that love is an inextricable part of our message and commission. Witnessing Jesus’ love is part of sharing Him with others—a part that they can see and feel and know is real.

Without His love and Spirit, the witness you give can seem hollow and will not bear the same fruit. Being a living example of Jesus’ love and what His Word teaches has undeniable drawing power. Because it’s the fruit of your relationship with Jesus and your striving to partake of the fruits of His Spirit in your life, it comes from the heart. It’s genuine; it can’t be put on. This testimony of love and living your life in accordance with Jesus’ Word attracts others to want what you have and to be open to learning from you so that they can follow Jesus too. This evidence of God’s Spirit in your life enables you to bear fruit.

Whether you are working closely with others or starting out on your own, besides using the mission as a benchmark for your decisions, manifesting Jesus’ love and following His Word are factors that will keep you grounded on a rock-solid foundation, and help you to bear much fruit for His glory. “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”²

Your first contact with people might just be the planting of a seed that will take time to come to fruition—the point when they’re ready to develop a personal relationship with Jesus. But if you don’t have the patience and faith to plant where you may not harvest, to water and tend to that buried seed, and to love them as Jesus does—whether or not it seems that they’re immediately growing—then you’ll never know. You’ll never know what they could have become for the Lord. You’ll never know what your inaction may have caused them to miss. Most of all, they may never experience the joy of knowing the Lord and fulfilling the Lord’s plan for their life in the way that they could have. That’s what you’re after in your witnessing—helping those you meet and minister to to reach their potential for the Lord and to become what He wants them to be.

Continue to be an example of integrity and loving Christian behavior to all that the Lord places in your path. Be open to the Lord’s checks about when and how to witness to them or to offer them salvation, and be a conduit that the Holy Spirit can flow through to work in their hearts and lives.

Fulfilling the mission doesn’t involve cramming Jesus or spiritual truths down people’s throats, or tackling people with salvation. Our commission to be an example of Jesus’ love and to witness to others is not contingent on what other people are or aren’t doing, or how they look at us or receive us.

If someone you meet doesn’t get saved right away, or doesn’t immediately start networking with you in some way, or doesn’t seem interested in learning about God’s Word, don’t automatically write them off. The Lord has a reason for letting your path cross with theirs, and you need to find out from Him what it is. Don’t get off that path prematurely.

It’s important that you use the goals of the mission as a benchmark for your actions. That’s a key, that you use God’s Word to evaluate your actions, rather than other people’s reactions to your witness. Engaging in the mission and bearing fruit in carrying out that mission hinges on your choices, your actions. Fulfilling the mission is not about what others can do for you; it’s about what you can do for them. It’s about the invaluable truths that you have and that you’re responsible to share with them.

No matter where you are, if you are faithful to witness, to offer people the chance of a lifetime—salvation in Jesus—and if you are following up on and feeding those you’ve met and teaching those who are willing to join efforts with you to also become witnesses, then the mission is being accomplished.

Jesus said:

Truly living what you believe is a testimony to those you meet. Your message can be enlightening and truth-filled, but people will often gauge the power and verity of your message by the manifestation of that truth in your life. As My followers, as My disciples, it’s part of your commission to live the Word. Your actions should reflect My love, Spirit, and truth. Essentially, the way you live reflects what you truly believe.

As the Proverb says, “As [a man] thinketh in his heart, so is he,”³ and the same principle applies to how you portray a living example of Me to others. If your love for Me is at the core of your mission, if you’re striving to be like Me so that you can win others to Me, then that’s what your actions will portray. The things you say, do, and take part in will demonstrate My Spirit of love, understanding, and compassion. Your actions will testify that you have been with Me, that you have dwelt in My presence, and that you carry My Spirit with you.

Being a living example of Me to others is all about love—love for Me and love for others. When you love Me, you want to do what will please Me and bring Me joy. I know how many people are desperate to experience the humble and unconditional manifestation of My love. You, My followers, who have experienced My love firsthand in your lives, are commissioned to do everything in your power to pass that same love on to others, so that their lives can be enhanced through the joys of salvation in Me and a personal union with Me, their Savior.

You can’t fake the presence of My Spirit in your life. It’s manifested by the light in your eyes, the humility of your spirit, the compassion shown in your actions, and the visible display of My attributes in you—all of which comes from Me, from spending time with Me, and striving to be like Me through your obedience to My precepts.

Striving to portray a living example of My love, truth, Spirit, and Word will make you more effective in your mission. Ponder My actions while I was on earth: the way I reached out and ministered to others; the way I looked beyond faults and foibles; the way I forgave sins and transgressions; the way that I gave of Myself so that others could know the truth, understand the love of the Father, and experience My unconditional love and eternal salvation. I had to actively demonstrate those qualities of God’s Spirit in order for people to believe that God truly was a caring and forgiving God. It ultimately cost Me everything, but what great gain there was in seeing the worn and tired souls of men find grace, hope, and salvation in My Father!

As My modern-day disciples, I ask that you walk in My footsteps, that you strive to fulfill your part of the mission of winning the world for Me. The words I spoke when I walked the earth are as true today as ever: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”⁴ Your friends include those I have placed upon your path to reach and lead to Me.

Originally published May 2009. Adapted and republished August 2014.
Read by Gabriel Garcia Valdivieso.

The Lord Sees: Learn to Rest in God’s Justice

August 16, 2024

By Trevin Wax

The longer I live, the more often I whisper to myself, “The Lord sees.” It’s a biblical truth repeated throughout Scripture. The psalmist sees all of life taking place coram Deo: before the face of God. “The LORD looks down from heaven,” he writes. “He observes everyone” (Psalm 33:13). The Lord is the One who untangles all our hidden motivations, the Shepherd who knows our hopes and fears.

(Read the article here.)

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevin-wax/lord-sees/

Faith for Overcoming Habits and Mindsets

August 15, 2024

Words from Jesus

Audio length: 10:10

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When it comes to changing negative mindsets and overcoming bad habits, remember that even when it seems impossible for you, all things are possible for Me (Matthew 19:26). When you’re at a loss where to start, begin by praying and committing all your cares to Me—and don’t get discouraged! Remember that I have said that with God nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37). Through the power of My Spirit, it is possible for you to have a true and lasting change.

Changing deeply ingrained habits can be challenging, especially when it comes to your thought patterns, or first reactions, or emotions that cause you to respond in a certain way. The first step is to recognize the problem and come to Me in prayer. Ask for Holy Spirit power to bring every thought into captivity and obedience to Me (2 Corinthians 10:5).

You may not experience an overnight deliverance from the habit or an instantaneous metanoia, but continue to take a stand of faith, trusting that I will answer your prayers. Determine to stand firm and continue moving forward with perseverance, determination, and tenacity, like the importunate widow in the parable I taught who would not give up until her request was granted (Luke 11:1–8).

You might fall and fail at times, and it might seem that you’re not changing or that the change isn’t lasting. You may be tempted to feel that it’s hopeless, but at these times remind yourself that every day you are growing and progressing in reaching your goal. Ask Me for patience and faith and the ability to trust that My Spirit is at work in you both to will and to work My good pleasure and purpose for your life (Philippians 2:13).

Continue to seek Me in prayer about whatever problem you’re facing, and keep coming to Me for counsel and guidance, and claim My Word for victory. In My love for you, I will continue to lead you down the path of change toward the good gifts I have promised My children (Matthew 7:11).

Recognizing the need for change

I made the world and all that is therein—humankind, animals, and the plant life, and the structure of all these things, from the cells to the molecules and the energy of which they consist and which they emanate, to flow, to grow, and to move. I set the stars and the planets in their courses in the way that they should go, and they follow My pattern therein (Psalm 8:1–4).

Human beings tend to be creatures of habit and often naturally resist change, because change usually means tearing down what has been built and building a new structure. To change direction means to reverse course to some degree, and this takes effort and energy, which in the end requires a degree of sacrifice. It takes changing some aspect of yourself and the way you react, parts of your routine and habits, and the ways in which you operate that have become comfortable and familiar.

It is naturally easier to continue doing things the way you have been doing them rather than go to the work, trouble, and expenditure of time and energy that it can take to make a concrete change. Change often only comes about as a necessity, after you realize that something in your life cannot continue the way it has been. In order for there to be long-lasting change, this realization must outweigh all the reasons for remaining the same.

I have given humankind free will, and therefore, change starts with the understanding and conviction that change is needed. To make change long-lasting, you must see that your life and your way of thinking or reacting or living will not produce the results that you want. You must be convinced that a change in direction is absolutely necessary before you will make the effort to let go of your old ways and to construct new and better ways.

Once you realize that a habit or mindset is leading you in a different direction than where you want to go, this will give you the motivation to change direction. To change means making the choice to get back in the driver’s seat of some aspect of your life by choosing to follow My will rather than habitual patterns of behavior.

When you make that choice, My Spirit will give you the strength and power to overcome and build new habits. Remember that anyone who is in Me is a new creation, and old things are passed away and all things are become new (2 Corinthians 5:17).

With you every step of the way

I am the God of the universe, the God of the heavens and the earth. I am also your Friend and Savior. I have promised to always be with you, and if you seek Me, you will find Me (Jeremiah 29:13). As you choose to go My direction and seek My will, My Spirit will work in you to transform you so you can fulfill My good purposes for your life.

I am the unseen God, but My light shines in the world through you (Matthew 5:14–16). I am seen in My creation, but I have made it so that My place of habitation is within you, for you are My temple in whom I have chosen to dwell (1 Corinthians 3:16). I love you, and I made you in My likeness and image. I’ve created you to be Mine. I’ve prepared a place for you to dwell with Me forever (John 14:2–3).

My joy will be your strength (Nehemiah 8:10), and you will find that joy in drawing near to Me, in choosing to walk according to My Word and in My Spirit, and forsaking your own ways of doing things to embrace Mine. For My ways are much higher than your ways (Isaiah 55:9).

When you are seeking a change in your life, it starts with having the conviction to choose My ways over your own, as otherwise you will naturally gravitate to your own ways, habits, and ingrained mindsets. But when you stand in the knowledge that I am the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6), you will have the conviction that your happiness lies in becoming what I have created you to be, and partaking of My Spirit and allowing Me to transform you.

Your life on earth is but a vapor, but the life I give you is forever, from generation to generation, throughout eternity. As you walk in this truth, you will actively strive to make the changes in your life that will allow Me to dwell in you fully. For I will fill every place in your mind, heart, and spirit that you consecrate to Me. I and My Father gladly make our home with all who love Me and keep My Word (John 14:23).

Originally published December 2000. Adapted and republished August 2024. Read by John Laurence. Music by Michael Dooley.

Proof or Prove?

August 14, 2024

By John Lampang

An anecdote is told about three-year-old Bobby, who insisted on standing up in his highchair although his mother had admonished him to remain seated, then emphasized her admonishment by twice reseating him. After the third time, little Bobby remained seated but looked at his mother and said, “Mommy, I’m still standing up inside.”

There’s also a quote that states, “A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.”

These thoughts came to mind as I listened to an interview with renowned Christian academic and scholar Dr. Gary Habermas, whose work in apologetics has resulted in much material on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. His documentation serves to show that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is not merely a matter of faith, but a matter of fact. The interview was conducted by a man who was interested in knowing more on the topic, because his brother had become an atheist and he wanted to have “ammunition” to help him reach his brother for Christ.

The academic explained that he was in the course of writing a book. It was going to be a lengthy book, with new information and a variety of facts to help prove, using reason, logic, and historical data and findings, that Christ’s resurrection was not only a matter of faith but also a matter of fact.

The interviewer asked him, “What was the best argument that you found helpful to make things clear and to prove to people that Jesus really is the Son of God and that He truly did rise from the dead?”

The academic’s answer was that he’d found that many of those with whom he had debated, even when confronted with facts, findings, and data on Christ’s resurrection, would still say that Jesus’ resurrection was just too fanciful for them to believe. The end result was that when those individuals were hard pressed, the honest skeptics and unbelievers would simply admit that they did not want to believe.

That highlights the point often brought out by Jesus about belief. I’m reminded of the parable of Lazarus in Luke, about the poor man who died and was carried by angels to Abraham’s side, and the rich man, who also died and was in Hades in torment. When the rich man finds out that there is no salvation from this situation, he asks Father Abraham to send Lazarus to his five brothers so that he can warn them about the place of torment. Father Abraham responds that the brothers have Moses and the prophets to teach and instruct them. The rich man answers that if someone went to them as coming back from the dead, then they would repent. Father Abraham replied that if they would not hear Moses and the prophets, neither would they be persuaded though one rose from the dead. (See Luke 16:19–31.)

That statement seems to hold true, as shown by the results of the academic. Even with all the facts, figures, and everything else discovered and proven over the years, if people do not want to believe in Jesus, they will not, and outright proof does not necessarily affect their beliefs and personal choices.

A lot hinges on faith! There are many things that we simply can’t prove—like by way of geometric or mathematical proof. However, there are examples of proof when someone wants to know if God is real, as illustrated in the following story.

A man was being pursued by certain of his friends to help him see how Jesus could be his Savior, but he did not respond. But the truth of their witness to him was not in vain. He was an avid diver, and on one diving expedition, he saw a beautiful shell from a distance. He swam toward it and inside the shell he saw something quite strange. He opened the shell and inside was a gospel tract, which to his surprise was still legible. This persuaded him that Jesus loved him and wanted to abide in his heart.

The man received Jesus as his Savior, and later he put this shell on the mantel atop his fireplace, as a centerpiece to remind himself of God’s love, care, and concern for him. It was also a conversation piece, and he’d use that as an opportunity to share the story of how God pursued him, and that he was convinced that if God were to pursue him in such a fashion that God must truly love him.

The man in this story had his “proof.”

God does say, “Prove me now herewith, said the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 3:10), and the Bible says to “prove all things; hold fast to that which is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Someone who truly wants to know whether God is real and is asking Him for a sign is different from someone saying, “I’m not going to believe in God unless I have proof—unless He appears right in front of me and I see Him with my own two eyes!”

There is plenty of proof that Jesus is real, that He died on the cross and rose from the dead. It’s up to each person to choose what he will believe. Choose wisely!

Praise Power

August 13, 2024

A compilation

Audio length: 14:25

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Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.—Ephesians 1:3

The Apostles Paul and Silas were going to a place of prayer when they were met by a female slave who earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. Paul commanded the spirit of divination to leave the girl, and the Word tells us “At that moment the spirit left her” (Acts 16:16–18).

When the owners realized that their moneymaker was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities. Soon the gathering crowd joined in the attack and the magistrates ordered them stripped and beaten with rods. After their flogging, they were taken under heavy guard, to a cold, dark, subterranean dungeon, where their feet were fastened in stocks. …

In the depths of the earth and shrouded in darkness, “about midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, as the other prisoners listened.” This entire scene astonishes me, considering that both men were in painful stocks, bruised, bloody, with their backs splayed open. Yet they had the fortitude and desire to sing songs of praise to God.

Psalm 22:3 tells us that God inhabits the praises of His people. That is why we are to praise the Lord no matter what happens and constantly speak of His glories and grace. We are to boast of all His kindness and let all who are discouraged take heart and praise and exalt the Lord (Psalm 34:1–3).

God responded to the praises of Paul and Silas, and “suddenly a great earthquake shook the foundations of the prison and every prison door flung open and the chains of all the prisoners came loose” (Acts 16:26). … The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. … But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” (Acts 16:27–28). …

The jailer called for lights, rushed in, and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:29–30).

Paul and Silas replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household” (Acts 16:31).Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds, which was an act of repentance. Immediately, he and all of his household were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.

Paul and Silas were not moved by their circumstances. They trusted God and praised Him in song and worship. Then God moved mightily in the midst of a darkened dungeon, and the prisoners and the jailer witnessed His delivering power. However, the greatest miracle was the salvation and baptism of the jailer and his entire family. What better ending could there have been than having more souls added to the Kingdom of God? …

God looks for our praises in the trials. For when we lift our voices in praise, we are saying to God, “No matter what happens, I will trust and praise You.” And it is in that complete surrender to God and His will that His heart is moved to act.—Joy Bollinger¹

Raised by praise

When hearing the word “praise” in a spiritual context, many of us might associate it with worship in a church service or gathering, or perhaps even personal gratitude to Jesus. And we wouldn’t be wrong; this is no doubt praising God. But the act of praising goes much further and deeper than that.

When we praise the Lord, be it in word, in song or deeds, we are expressing genuine thankfulness and gratitude to the Lord—and this is something we are called to offer at all times. The great king and psalmist, David, wrote, “I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Psalm 34:1).

Can blessing the Lord at all times mean only blessing or praising him during the “good” times?

Habakkuk 3:17–18 says, “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my savior.”

It’s perfectly natural not to feel like praising the Lord in unpleasant or painful circumstances—to some, it may even seem to be an unreasonable expectation. But in doing so, we manifest our faith in God to work in those situations and bring about His will. Just as Jonah was spit out of the belly of the whale after praising the Lord, which, I’m sure, was the last thing he felt like doing, we too can be lifted out of the pits of sorrow and heartbreak straight into the Lord’s presence through praise. (See Jonah chapter 2.)

It’s easy to feel resentful toward God when unfair and even downright cruel circumstances occur in our lives or the lives of those around us, but resentment blocks the flow of God’s power in our lives. The Apostle Paul reminds us to “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Not only does praise empower us to rise above challenging circumstances, but praise is the will of God.

Are you looking for a remedy for your pain, discouragement, or despair? Keep your hands, and most of all, your heart, raised in praise to the Lord, and you will in turn be raised to higher ground.—Steve Hearts

Benefits of praising God

As Christ-followers, we build many important spiritual habits into our lives—including prayer, Bible reading, gratitude, and so on. … But we must not forget the habit of praising God. It’s particularly important when we’re struggling.

What makes praise so important? …

Praise lifts your spirit. Psalm 42:5–6 says: “Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again—my Savior and my God! Now I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember you.”

There’s no doubt we have a lot in our world today to be discouraged about. But Psalm 42 reminds us to both praise God and remember what he has done in our lives when we’re down. The world is looking for hope. As Jesus-followers, we know the only real reason for hope. That’s why worship is so energizing. It takes your eyes off of your troubles and puts them on Jesus.

Praise helps you sense God’s presence. God is always present whether you sense it or not. Sometimes we don’t feel his presence, but that’s because we’ve moved away from him. He hasn’t.

When you don’t feel God’s presence is when you need to praise him the most. It’s easier to act your way into a feeling than feel your way into an action. In fact, maturity is when we do what’s right whether we feel like it or not. The Bible says, “Surely the righteous will praise your name, and the upright will live in your presence” (Psalm 140:13).

Praise enlarges your perception of God. The Bible tells us this in Psalm 69:30: “I will praise the name of God with a song, And magnify Him with thanksgiving.” When we look at something with a magnifying glass, it gets bigger. When God gets bigger, our problems get smaller. Either your problems will be big or God will be big. It’s your choice. …

Praise helps us remember God’s blessing. Often when we’re thinking about a big problem, it’s all we can think about. It colors everything in our lives. …

Praise will correct the imbalance. It’ll remind you that not everything in your life is bad. In Psalm 105, the Bible describes this pattern: “Thank God! Pray to him by name! Tell everyone you meet what he has done! Sing him songs, belt out hymns, translate his wonders into music! … Remember the world of wonders he has made, his miracles, and the verdicts he’s rendered” (Psalm 105:1–2, 5).

When you have problems, you tend to focus on the negative. Praise helps you remember who you are and who God is.—Rick Warren²

What the power of praise can do

We have so much to praise God for, there’s great power in giving honor to Him. … The Bible is filled with examples of praise when we see His power released—life-changing miracles, dramatic stories of the enemy being halted or defeated, hearts being changed and drawn closer to Him.

Yet reality is that way too often, daily struggles or constant life demands can crowd out our praise to God. … Sometimes it really is a sacrifice to offer praise. We may not feel like it. We’re struggling. We’re weary. Or maybe, we feel like He let us down. We think God seems distant, like He’s far away, or doesn’t really care about what’s troubling us. Painful life blows and losses might have recently sent us spiraling. …

Praise gets our focus off ourselves and back on God. In our often ”selfie” focused world, we need this constant reminder—life is not all about us. We may know that in our heads, but yet our hearts think differently so often. … He desires our eyes be set firmly on Him, because that’s where our true hope is found. …

We have a choice every day in this life. To live absorbed in worry and stress, on the fast track of busy, focused only on what surrounds us, tuned in to the roar of the world. Or, we can ask God to help us take our eyes off all that may be swirling around, our problems and mess, or the voices of others. And we can look up … to Him, the One who holds it all together, and who holds us in His hands.

God desires our whole heart. He waits for us to return. He longs for us to know the power of His presence over our lives. He desires to bless us more than we could imagine. His Spirit urges us onward, calling us closer.

Dear God, we praise you today with our hearts and songs, we praise you for your faithfulness, we praise you for your great power and love. We confess our need for you, our lives don’t go so well when we just spin around on our own. We struggle and worry, get weary and worn. Yet you never leave us. Thank you for your presence. Thank you for your care over us, thank you that you breathe renewal right into our souls. We ask for your Spirit to fill us, to draw us close to yourself, and to work your purposes through us, as we set our eyes on you. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.—Debbie McDaniel ³

Published on Anchor August 2024. Read by Gabriel Garcia Valdivieso. Music by John Listen.

¹ https://awakenedtograce.com/the-power-of-praise-and-worship

² https://pastors.com/7-benefits-of-praising-god

³ https://www.crosswalk.com/blogs/debbie-mcdaniel/what-the-power-of-praise-can-do.html

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

August 12, 2024

By Peter Amsterdam

Audio length: 14:49

Download Audio (13.5MB)

The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector is only recounted in the book of Luke in chapter 18. Among other things, through the comparisons made between the two characters of this parable, the basic element of salvation is touched on. We’ll start by looking at the two characters in the story.

The Pharisee: Pharisees were members of Jewish society who held very strong beliefs about obeying both the laws of Moses and the traditions handed down “from the fathers.” These traditions were not part of the laws of Moses, but the Pharisees put them on the same level as the law. The name Pharisee means “separated” or “separated one.”

Pharisees strove to observe the law of Moses, especially those laws that had to do with tithing and purity. Many Jews didn’t adhere to the purity laws concerning food, food preparation, and the washing of hands, so the Pharisees were careful about who they ate with so as not to become ritually unclean. Some of them criticized Jesus because He ate with sinners, and they looked down on His disciples because they ate with unwashed hands (Mark 7:5). They also criticized Jesus on more than one occasion for violating the Sabbath laws (Luke 13:14; John 5:16).

Pharisees were known to go above and beyond when it came to religious matters. The written law only required fasting once a year on the Day of Atonement, yet some Pharisees fasted twice a week, in a self-imposed act of piety. They tithed everything they acquired, which was also beyond what the law required.

Most Jews did not adhere to the Mosaic law as strictly as the Pharisees did; therefore, the Jews of Jesus’ day considered the Pharisees to be very righteous and pious.

The Tax Collector: There were three types of taxes which were required by the Romans, who ruled Israel during the time of Jesus: the land tax, the head tax, and the customs tax system. The taxes were used to pay tribute to Rome, which had conquered Israel in 63 BC.

The tax collector in the parable would have most likely been connected to the customs system. Throughout the Roman Empire there was a system of tolls and duties that were collected at ports, tax offices, and at the city gates. The rates were between two and five percent of the value of the goods that were transported from town to town. The value of the goods was determined by the tax collector. While there was some measure of control, tax collectors would often value the goods much higher than their actual worth, in order to make a profit. Those being taxed considered this institutional robbery.¹

When some tax collectors came to John the Baptist to be baptized, they asked him what they should do, and he responded, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do” (Luke 3:13)—which is a sure sign that they were overcharging for their own benefit.

Tax collectors were seen as extortioners and unjust, and were considered religiously unclean, and their houses and any house they entered were thus considered unclean. The hated tax collectors were put in the same category as sinners and prostitutes (Matthew 21:32), and were shunned by respectable people.

The tax collector in the parable is certainly not an upstanding character; he’s a rotter and he knows it, as evidenced by his actions in the temple and his prayer.

The Parable: The parable starts by saying, “He [Jesus] also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt” (Luke 18:9).

Luke gives an introduction explaining that the parable is about those who think that they can attain righteousness through their own merit. Jesus is directing this parable to those who trust in themselves, who feel they are righteous, and who consider others inferior and undeserving of respect.

The parable continues, “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector” (Luke 18:10). The words “went up” and later in the parable, “went down,” refer to the elevation of the Temple Mount, which was the high spot of the city.

It was customary to pray twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon, as this was when the two daily sacrifices for atonement were offered in the temple. The original listeners would assume that the Pharisee and the tax collector were going up to the temple to attend one of the daily atonement sacrifices and to pray.

“The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get’” (Luke 18:11–12).

The Pharisee stood by himself when he prayed; he separated himself from the other worshippers. If his clothes touched those of a person who was unclean, then he would be unclean too. And as one who was meticulous when it came to being pure and holy, that just wouldn’t do. He stood as he prayed and lifted his eyes upward, both of which were the custom in Jewish prayer.

It was also the custom to pray out loud, so there is a good possibility that others could hear his prayer. It could be that he meant his prayer to be a “preachment” prayer; you know the kind—where a person prays in a manner that is intended to preach a sermon to others rather than truly addressing the Lord.

He doesn’t confess any sin, he’s not thanking God for any of his blessings, and he isn’t asking for anything for himself or others. He seems to be pointing out to others how bad they are, and showing contempt for them, and publicizing his own righteousness and obedience to the law. He’s comparing himself to others and pointing out how religiously conscientious he is compared to them.

He fasts twice a week, meaning he fasts 104 times a year compared to the one time a year required by the law. While the law spoke of tithing those things which were grown in the ground and tithing animals which were watched over, he tithes everything he acquires. He does this just in case the person who sold the item to him didn’t tithe on it as they should have.

The Pharisee is not a hypocrite; he no doubt actually does refrain from the sins he lists and he does fast and tithe more than required. But he is self-satisfied and self-righteous. He looks down on others who don’t keep the law as he does, and thanks God that he “isn’t like them.” He views himself as the epitome of righteousness, and the original audience of the parable would have seen him that way as well.

The tax collector’s demeanor and prayer are completely different: “But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’” (Luke 18:13).

The tax collector stands far from others for the opposite reason—because he’s a sinner and he knows it. He won’t lift up his eyes to heaven because he feels unworthy. He extorts money from others by overcharging them. He’s a swindler. He doesn’t feel that he deserves to be standing with God’s people, or that he’s worthy of conversing with God. He’s standing apart, beating his breast, and he prays: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”

The Greek word used in this verse for “be merciful” means to make propitiation for. The tax collector is asking for propitiation, or atonement, for his sins. His cry isn’t for general mercy; it’s for atonement, for the forgiveness of his sins.

Author Kenneth Bailey expresses the situation of the tax collector beautifully. He wrote:

One can almost smell the pungent incense, hear the loud clash of cymbals, and see the great cloud of dense smoke rising from the burnt offering. The tax collector is there. He stands afar off, anxious not to be seen, sensing his unworthiness to stand with the participants. In brokenness he longs to be a part of it all. He yearns that he might stand with “the righteous.” In deep remorse he strikes his chest and cries out in repentance and hope, “O God! Let it be for me! Make an atonement for me, a sinner!” There in the temple this humble man, aware of his own sin and unworthiness, with no merit of his own to commend him, longs that the great dramatic atonement sacrifice might apply to him.²

And we see that it does. Jesus ends the story with: “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 18:14).

This ending would have been a shock to the original listeners. The Pharisee would have been seen as the righteous, respected one, as he not only obeyed the law but went beyond it. The tax collector, on the other hand, would have been considered the sinner. He was hated and reviled by virtually everyone, and with good reason; there was no way he could be seen as being righteous.

Yet who does Jesus say goes to his house justified, made righteous?—The one who knows that he’s a sinner, who humbles himself, knowing that no amount of works could save him, who looks to God in true repentance for His mercy, forgiveness, and salvation.

When it comes to God’s saving grace, the one who humbly acknowledges his or her need for God is the one who receives salvation. Not those with the exalted self-opinion, who trust that their good works and religiosity are going to save them. Now don’t get me wrong; doing good works that help others is good, but those works aren’t what get you saved. You don’t earn a bunch of good points that cancel out your bad points. You can’t earn salvation or forgiveness for your sins. It’s simply a beautiful gift offered by God.

While this parable speaks of the need for personal humility before God in prayer and warns against being self-righteous about our own works and looking down on others with a judgmental attitude, its most important message is about God’s grace. The message is that our works don’t save us; God’s grace does. God has made a way for our sins to be forgiven and for us to enter into a right relationship with Him because of His great love, mercy, and grace.

Jesus is telling His listeners that it is through God’s love and grace that people are justified, that our sins are atoned for, which the apostle Paul expressed as: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9).

While salvation through grace, not works, is a main point of this parable, other points can be learned from it as well, such as:

Prayers or preachments that boast of one’s accomplishments or put down others for their lacks are not appropriate.
The way that God looks at others can be quite different from the way that we may look at them, and thus we should not be judgmental of others. We should remember that “the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).
The Pharisee thought he could be obedient to God yet still have disdain for those he deemed less holy than himself, like the tax collector. To him, being religious was more important than looking on others with love, whereas in other passages Jesus makes it explicit that love is more important than religiosity, that love for others is second only to loving God (Matthew 22:37–39).

The parable reveals that God is not a God impressed with pious acts and feelings of superiority, He is, rather, a God of mercy who responds to the needs and honest prayers and repentance of people. As it says in Isaiah 66:2: “But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.”

Self-righteousness and pride, thinking highly of oneself and putting others down, are signs of an attitude that is out of alignment with the way God views people. An effective way to bring an inflated view of self down to size is to compare yourself with God’s greatness and His perfection, rather than comparing with the supposed faults and sins of others.

God is a God of love and mercy. He loves humanity and He made provision for us to be saved through Jesus’ sacrificial death. He’s passionate about saving all people, even those who seem to be the worst sinners in the eyes of the world, people like the tax collector in this parable.

As Christians, we are called to do all we can to help others know Him through living our lives in a manner that shows the love, mercy, and understanding that our loving Savior has shown to each of us. And then, to share with others the wonderful news that the way to know God is simply to accept His free gift of salvation by grace.

Originally published June 2013. Adapted and republished August 2024. Read by Jon Marc.

¹ Joel B. Green, Scot McKnight, Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1992), 809.

² Kenneth E. Bailey, Poet & Peasant, and Through Peasant Eyes, combined edition (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1985), 154.

084 – Jesus—His Life and Message: The “I Am” Sayings

(The Bread of Life, Part 2)

Jesus—His Life and Message

Peter Amsterdam

2018-01-30

The Bread of Life (Part 2)

(You can read about the intent for and overview of this series in this introductory article.)

In Part One, we read how Jesus declared that He is the bread of life,¹ the bread of God who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world,² and that whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.³ Some of those listening to Jesus had been present when He fed the five thousand; they had eaten the loaves and fish that He had multiplied, and while they understood that Jesus wasn’t speaking of physical bread, they were uncertain as to what He meant. However, once Jesus said that He was the bread, some clearly did not believe.

You have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.⁴

The people had asked for a sign, and Jesus replied that He was the sign. He explicitly stated that He came down from heaven, and that His purpose was to do His Father’s will. We see this expressed again when He was in the Garden of Gethsemane and prayed, Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.⁵

He explained that the will of His Father was that He loses none that the Father has given, and that He will raise them up on the last day. He repeats the phrase “I will raise him up on the last day” three times in this discourse.⁶

The Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”⁷

The people began to grumble among themselves, probably confused and/or disagreeing with one another as to what He meant. Knowing who His parents were made it difficult for them to accept the concept that He came down from heaven.

Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.”⁸

Earlier He said, All that the Father gives me will come to me,⁹ and here He makes the same point in a stronger fashion—no one can come without the Father drawing them. Those who come to Him are drawn to Him by the Father. One author explains that some do not come to Jesus because they are not “drawn” or “dragged” to Him. The verb is used literally of drawing a sword,¹⁰ or dragging a net full of fish into a boat¹¹ or onto shore.¹² The image is reminiscent of Jesus’ promise in the other Gospels that His disciples will “fish for people”¹³ or “catch people” like fish.¹⁴ Here the Father “draws” people to Jesus, but once a person is “drawn,” Jesus claims, “I will raise him up at the last day.”¹⁵

Jesus then said:

It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me—not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father.¹⁶

Jesus paraphrased Isaiah 54:13, which says, All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children. He adds to what He had just said about the Father drawing them to Him—a person is “drawn” to Jesus by being taught by God, by hearing and responding to God’s call. Jesus pointed out that hearing God didn’t equal seeing God, and the only one who had seen the Father was Himself, for He is the one who is in the bosom of the Father.¹⁷ Later in this Gospel, Jesus said: I speak of what I have seen with my Father.¹⁸ Jesus has been in the presence of the Father.

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life.¹⁹

This is the third “truly, truly” statement in this chapter. He is making a solemn vow that whoever believes has eternal life because He is the bread of life.

Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.²⁰

Earlier, the crowd spoke about manna and indicated that they would like a similar miracle. It was because of this that Jesus said “I am the bread of life.” Having said this, He then spoke of manna’s limitations. While it was food from God, it had to be eaten the day it was gathered, and whatever was left over was rotten the next day.²¹ It sustained the people, but they still died in due course. However, those who eat of the bread Jesus was speaking about will not die. The Greek verb tense used for eat in the phrase, so that one may eat of it and not die, indicates a once-and-for-all action, so that when anyone partakes of this bread once, they will never die.

Since this is no ordinary food, how then is it eaten? The answer of course is to believe, as Jesus stated earlier: Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. The concept of belief or faith as eating gives some insight to what it means to believe. We partake of and absorb what we believe in a manner similar to eating food, so that it becomes part of who we are. Those who partake of Jesus will never die.

Jesus’ definition of the bread as His flesh, His body, was a startling statement, but it became even more so when He stated that He would give Himself, His own body, His own flesh “for the life of the world.” Those listening to Jesus didn’t know what we know now, that Jesus was speaking of His death for the salvation of the world. This point is made at other times before His crucifixion. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.²² I lay down my life for the sheep.²³ Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.²⁴

The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”²⁵

Jesus’ words caused the listeners to argue with one another, as they were likely confused and at the same time disturbed.

So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.”²⁶

Jesus answered with the fourth “truly, truly” statement, which is meant to bring emphasis to what He was going to say. He didn’t backtrack, but rather added to what He had already said, making it even more explicit. One must not only eat His flesh but also drink His blood! This would have been repugnant to the Jews, as Scripture forbade the consumption of even animal blood:

If any one of the house of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn among them eats any blood, I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from among his people.²⁷

As in the case of eating the bread, the original Greek tense used for drinks my blood denotes a once-and-for-all action, not a repeated eating and drinking.²⁸ Jesus made the point that without eating His flesh and drinking His blood we have no life, but whoever does eat and drink has eternal life. One author states:

Eating and drinking Christ’s flesh and blood thus appears to be a very graphic way of saying that people must take Christ into their innermost being.²⁹

Those who feed on Him abide in Him. The Greek word translated as abide also means to remain, and the tense of the verb stresses remaining continuously. Those who partake of Him remain in Him, and He in them. There is a mutual indwelling.

As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me.³⁰

Here we see something about the relationship of the Father and the Son. Earlier in this Gospel, Jesus said, As the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself,³¹ as well as “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.”³² Jesus didn’t speak of “eating” His Father, but He does make the point that He depends on His Father for His “food”—meaning His life. In similar fashion, those who “eat” Jesus are those who depend on Him for their life.³³

This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.³⁴

Jesus referred to what He had said earlier about their ancestors to whom God had given manna, and how while that bread sustained them in the desert, they still died.³⁵ He also repeats that anyone who eats this bread will live forever.³⁶ The “bread of life” which comes “down from heaven” is different from any earthly bread. Those who eat this bread, who take Jesus into their lives, while they will experience physical death, won’t experience spiritual death. As Jesus said earlier:

This is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.³⁷

May all of us who have eaten the bread of eternal life be faithful to share this bread with others.

(To read the next article in this series, click here.)

Note

Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptures are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

¹ An interesting article on this concept can be found at https://cheftalk.com/ams/bread-in-history-religion-and-as-metaphor-part-iii.6927/

² John 6:33.

³ John 6:35.

⁴ John 6:36–40.

⁵ Luke 22:42. See also Mark 14:36, Matthew 26:39.

⁶ John 6:40, 44, 54.

⁷ John 6:41–42.

⁸ John 6:43–44.

⁹ John 6:37.

¹⁰ John 18:10.

¹¹ John 21:6.

¹² John 21:11.

¹³ Mark 1:17.

¹⁴ Luke 5:10.

¹⁵ Michaels, The Gospel of John, 386.

¹⁶ John 6:45–46.

¹⁷ John 1:18 KJV.

¹⁸ John 8:38.

¹⁹ John 6:47–48.

²⁰ John 6:49–51.

²¹ Because the people were to rest on the seventh day, the Sabbath, and were not to do work that day, God instructed them to collect two days’ worth of manna on the sixth day. “On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily” (Exodus 16:5).

²² John 10:11.

²³ John 10:15.

²⁴ John 15:13.

²⁵ John 6:52.

²⁶ John 6:53–56.

²⁷ Leviticus 17:10. See also Genesis 9:4, Acts 15:20, 29; 21:25.

²⁸ Morris, The Gospel According to John, 335.

²⁹ Ibid., 335.

³⁰ John 6:57.

³¹ John 5:26.

³² John 4:34.

³³ Michaels, The Gospel of John, 402.

³⁴ John 6:58.

³⁵ John 6:49.

³⁶ John 6:51.

³⁷ John 6:39–40.

083 – Jesus—His Life and Message: The “I Am” Sayings

(The Bread of Life, Part 1)

Jesus—His Life and Message

Peter Amsterdam

2018-01-23

The Bread of Life (Part 1)

(You can read about the intent for and overview of this series in this introductory article.)

Within the Gospel of John, we see how Jesus uses various metaphors to describe Himself: “I am the bread of life,”¹ “I am the light of the world,”² “I am the door of the sheep,”³ “I am the good shepherd,”⁴ “I am the resurrection and the life,”⁵ “I am the way, the truth, and the life,”⁶ and “I am the true vine.”⁷ These sayings, along with Jesus’ other uses of the phrase “I am,” are significant in that they show that Jesus was God incarnate and that He bears the divine name.

In Exodus, when Moses asked God what His name was, He replied:

“I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’’’⁸

“I Am” was the personal name of God in Israel’s faith, and was represented by the Tetragrammaton YHWH, (pronounced Yahweh).⁹

In other places in the Old Testament, we read of God using the phrase “I am” followed by a description of Himself, such as:

I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac.¹⁰

I am the LORD, your healer.¹¹

I am your salvation!¹²

I, even I, am he, and there is no god beside me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.¹³

So in the Gospel of John, when Jesus used the phrase “I am,” it was understood to mean that He was the Lord incarnate and carried the divine name.¹⁴

It’s clear in John 8:28 that those listening to Jesus in the temple understood the implications of what Jesus meant when they said to Him:

“You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.¹⁵

They considered it blasphemy that He would identify Himself with God.

Jesus’ purpose was to bring God’s presence into the world. All that Jesus did was done in His Father’s name, in order to manifest His Father and bring Him glory.

I have come in my Father’s name.¹⁶

The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me.¹⁷

I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world.¹⁸

I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known.¹⁹

Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.²⁰

Jesus’ usage of “I am” sayings was unprecedented. As one author explains:

In the many “I am” sayings, Jesus is publicly applying the divine name of God—and God’s authoritative presence—to himself. No prophet or priest in Israelite history would ever have done this. For Judaism it is the most severe Christological affirmation of all, leading audiences in the Gospel either to believe in Jesus or accuse him of blasphemy.²¹

In this and other upcoming articles, we’ll look at Jesus’ “I am” statements and what He was revealing about Himself and His Father to His listeners both then and now.

“I Am the Bread of Life”

In John chapter 6, we read of Jesus feeding five thousand people with bread and fish.²² After that, He withdrew to a mountain by Himself, while His disciples got in a boat and started off to Capernaum. After rowing three or four miles, it was dark, and the lake became rough due to the wind, which made it difficult to make headway. Then the disciples saw Jesus walking on water and coming near the boat. They took Him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached land.²³

The next day, when some of the people who had partaken of the loaves and fishes saw that Jesus wasn’t there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.”²⁴

Considering that the crowd had wanted to make Jesus king after having eaten the bread He had provided, it’s not surprising that they sought Him out the next day. Jesus didn’t respond to their question, but instead exposed their motives. They weren’t interested in the meaning of the miracle He had performed, or who He was; they were focused on the fact that He had provided them with bread. This is similar to how people responded to Roman emperors in Jesus’ day. Roman emperors and other politicians kept the Roman people pacified with free food. Like Roman clients, the crowds joined Jesus’ “entourage” just for “a handout of food.”²⁵

Jesus continued:

Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.²⁶

Seals were used in various ways in antiquity. They were often affixed to things to attest ownership; to authenticate a document; and rulers sometimes gave a seal to those who were commissioned to act on their behalf. This passage seems to convey that the Father had verified Jesus through the signs and miracles which Jesus did. As an alternate interpretation, some Bibles translate this phrase as: “On Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.”

Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”²⁷

As Jesus had told them to labor—or work—for food that endures to eternal life, they wanted to know how Jesus defined work. Jewish tradition didn’t isolate works from faith, as faith was often one “work” among many.²⁸ Whereas here, Jesus defined faith differently—He stated that the work that was necessary for eternal life was belief in Him. They asked about what works (plural) they needed to do, and Jesus told them that the work (singular) that they must do was to believe in Him. As one author put it:

The only “work” of God that counts is God’s work in them so that they might “believe” in Jesus, whom God has sent.²⁹

Jesus made the point that God doesn’t require that we do works in order to gain merit in heaven, but rather that we believe.

So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” ³⁰

It seems rather odd that they would refer to the sign of manna which God gave the Hebrews in the desert, when just the day before, Jesus had multiplied five loaves of bread to feed five thousand. It seems like they are asking for a sign when they had already received it. Perhaps the difference was that Jesus fed them once, while the manna in the wilderness was supplied for forty years. In Judaism, there was an expectation that, like Moses, the latter redeemer would cause manna to once again descend and feed the people.³¹ Since they had already seen the feeding of the five thousand, their asking for a sign so they could believe showed that they didn’t really want to see and believe, but rather were interested in receiving more free food.

Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”³²

Jesus reminded them that the manna in the wilderness was not from Moses, but from God. Manna was not “the true bread” from heaven, but rather an earthly, material type of that bread. It gave life to the people of God for forty years, and also served as a foreshadowing of the “bread of God” which gives “life to the world.”

Within this Gospel, we see a number of mentions of Jesus with reference to the world: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”³³ “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”³⁴

They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”³⁵

Those listening understood that the bread was a metaphor for a divine gift of some kind, and responded positively. They were no longer asking for normal bread to eat, or even manna. They began to recognize that in some way Jesus was offering them “life,” even eternal life, as He had earlier told them not to work for the food that perishes but for the food that endures to eternal life.³⁶

Jesus unambiguously stating that He is the bread of life is the first of the seven “I am” statements in this Gospel. Considering that He had just said the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world, it’s clear that He was stating that He came from heaven and from His Father. Having told them earlier that they were to labor for the food that endures to eternal life, He is now telling them that He is the way to that life.

The “bread of life” is the same as the “bread of God” mentioned earlier. The term “bread of God” identifies God as the source of this bread, and the term “bread of life” identifies this bread as the source of eternal life. Jesus then stated that He is this bread, that He is the one who gives this life. This in a sense changes the focus from what Jesus does to who Jesus is, as we’ll see in more depth in the latter part of this chapter.³⁷

(Continued in Part Two.)

Note

¹ John 6:35, 41, 48, 51.

² John 8:12, 9:5.

³ John 10:7, 9.

⁴ John 10:11, 14.

⁵ John 11:25.

⁶ John 14:6.

⁷ John 15:1, 5.

⁸ Exodus 3:14.

⁹ In English translations of the Old Testament, whenever the word Lord is written LORD, with all capital letters, it is the translation of the Tetragrammaton and is referring to God’s name.

¹⁰ Genesis 28:13.

¹¹ Exodus 15:26.

¹² Psalm 35:3.

¹³ Deuteronomy 32:39.

¹⁴ Green and McKnight, Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, 355.

¹⁵ John 8:57–59.

¹⁶ John 5:43.

¹⁷ John 10:25.

¹⁸ John 17:6.

¹⁹ John 17:26.

²⁰ John 14:13.

²¹ G. M. Burge, “‍I Am‍” Sayings, in Green and McKnight (Eds.), Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, 353–356.

²² Jesus, His Life and Message: Miracles, Part 8.

²³ John 6:16–21. See also Jesus, His Life and Message: Miracles, Part 10.

²⁴ John 6:24–26.

²⁵ Keener, The Gospel of John, A Commentary, Volume 1, 676.

²⁶ John 6:27.

²⁷ John 6:28–29 NIV.

²⁸ Keener, The Gospel of John, A Commentary, Volume 1, 677.

²⁹ Michaels, The Gospel of John, 367.

³⁰ John 6:30–31.

³¹ Michaels, The Gospel of John, 321, footnote 88.

³² John 6:32–33.

³³ John 1:29.

³⁴ John 3:16–17.

³⁵ John 6:34–35.

³⁶ John 6:27.

³⁷ Michaels, The Gospel of John, 373.

In Need of the Good Samaritan

August 9, 2024

By Amy Orr-Ewing

In this video, Amy discusses the question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life,” and discusses the parable of the Good Samaritan, with each of us being the person in need of help and Jesus as the Good Samaritan who comes to rescue, heal, and save.

Run time for this video is 22:30 minutes.

https://anchor.tfionline.com/tag/video/

The Future Foretold in the Bible

August 8, 2024

Treasures

Audio length: 12:36

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Is there hope for the future? Are world conditions going to improve? When will the wars and conflicts cease? Many people have struggled with these questions throughout time. In spite of advances made in contemporary times in education, science, medicine, and poverty reduction, the world continues to face economic and political crises and social upheavals, crime, and the collapse of moral standards.

Current predictions about the future of the world run from the utopian to the cataclysmic. Is the world headed for a bright or dismal future, or both? Will humanity ever be able to overcome its legacy of centuries of conflict and shortsighted exploitation and build a society of justice and peace and equity? Or will the earth descend into chaos and become an environmental wasteland?

When Jesus came to our world over 2,000 years ago, the coming of the kingdom of God was a central theme of His teachings throughout the Gospels and in the Sermon on the Mount. However, His message of God’s kingdom and salvation were rejected by the leaders of His own people. They wanted a messiah, a great king, not one born in a barn and raised as a poor carpenter, who chose humble fishermen and tax collectors as His friends and followers. They wanted freedom from Rome and a king who could make them a wealthy and powerful kingdom there and then, and were not seeking the eternal treasures He promised to all who would believe in and follow Him (Matthew 6:31–33).

This man, Jesus Christ, the Son of the Creator of the universe, said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me” (Matthew 28:18). He could have taken over the world and made Himself king in one day. He told the Roman governor before whom He was tried, “You could have no power over Me at all, unless it was given to you by My Father” (John 19:11). And He told Peter, “Do you think I cannot call on My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:53).

When He hung dying on the cross where He was crucified, those who passed by taunted Him and hurled insults. “You saved others. If You’re really the Son of God, save Yourself” (Mark 15:29–32), He could have done that. But He chose to die for you and me.

After He rose from the grave, He could have shown Himself to the religious authorities, the governor, or Caesar himself to prove to them that He was indeed the Son of God, the Messiah. Instead He appeared only to those who already believed in Him and loved Him, in order to comfort them and encourage their faith and prepare them for their mission of bringing God’s gift of salvation to the world.

For over 2,000 years His kingdom has remained largely unseen to this world, manifested in the hearts and lives of those who love and receive Him as their Lord and Savior. This is the mystery that many of His people in His day couldn’t understand, and that many today cannot grasp: He offers each of us a choice to receive or reject Him. This is still the age of grace, when those who believe His Word and receive Him must choose to do so by faith. But the Bible teaches that the day will come when this present age will be over and all the world will “see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:29–31).

When Jesus’ disciples wanted to know when He would return and asked Him, “What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3), Jesus replied: “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains”⁽Matthew 24:6–8). The version in the Gospel of Luke also includes pestilences in this list (Luke 21:11).

These signs also include “the gospel of the kingdom being proclaimed throughout all the world for a witness to all nations” (Matthew 24:14), which we are seeing fulfilled in our time with the global spread of the gospel, made possible by modern media such as radio, television, and the Internet. Jesus also foretold that in the latter days, “because lawlessness will increase, the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12), resulting in “people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world” (Luke 21:25–26).

Daniel, a Jewish prophet who lived 500 years before Jesus, wrote that in the end times travel, knowledge, and education would increase, which has happened at an exponential rate in contemporary history. Within 100 years the world has witnessed a dramatic increase in international travel, with “many running to and fro, wandering from sea to sea, as knowledge is increased” (Daniel 12:4; Amos 8:11–12).

There are many prophecies in the Bible about future events and world conditions that will occur before Jesus’ return. Some of these are being fulfilled in our times, and they foretell the fulfillment of yet others in the future. These future events are of such size and scope, and are so momentous in nature, that the Bible warns us to be watchful and prepared for when they happen (Matthew 24:22–24).

One of the most important signs of the final years before Jesus will return and reclaim the earth that the prophets predicted is the rise of a godless anti-Christ world government led by a person referred to in the Bible as a “vile person” and “son of perdition,” but most commonly referred to as the “Antichrist.” He will come on the scene with a seven-year agreement or covenant in which he will promise the world economic stability, peace, and religious freedom (Daniel 9:27; 2 Thessalonians 2:1–4; Revelation 13:5–8).

During the first half of the Antichrist’s seven-year covenant, many will regard him as a “savior,” as he will be able to bring solutions to some of the world’s most intractable problems, such as a more equitable distribution and consumption of resources; resolution of longstanding hostilities between nations, ideologies, and religions; and reduction of economic instability and exploitation. But suddenly, halfway through his seven-year reign, he will break the covenant and will forbid and abolish all traditional religious worship, declaring that he is God and demanding that all the world worship him (2 Thessalonians 2:1–12; Revelation 13:1–10).

While this imitation messiah will at first bring peace and stability, after the covenant is broken, the next three and a half years will see the world plunge into unprecedented social chaos. During this time, known as the “Great Tribulation” (Matthew 24:21–22), the Antichrist and his government will systematically persecute those who refuse to worship him, in particular Christians.

Jesus said, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days … the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:29–30). When Jesus returns to earth, He will not come as a babe in a manger, God in the hands of man, but as the almighty King of kings and Lord of lords.

The trumpets of God will sound, and all who believe in Jesus will be caught up together with Him in the clouds, in what is commonly known as the Rapture. When Jesus returns, the bodies of all of the saved people who have ever died will be instantly resurrected—just like Jesus’ body after He was resurrected. All of the believers who are still alive will be raised with them to meet Jesus in the air, “and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (Matthew 24:31; 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17).

A celebration will then be held in heaven, called the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:6–9). One of the titles for Jesus is “the Lamb of God” (John 1:29), and His bride is made up of all those who believe in Him (Romans 7:4). This marital metaphor is used in the Bible to describe the spiritual union between Christ and His people, and the loving union of heart, mind, and spirit that accompanies this relationship. During this celebration, Jesus will unite His followers throughout the ages, and at His judgment seat, He will reward them with eternal crowns of life (Matthew 16:27; 1 Peter 5:4).

So although the Bible foretells dark times looming in the future, we can take heart that there is hope for everyone who looks forward to Jesus’ coming! Luke 21:28 says, “And when these things begin to happen, lift up your heads, for your salvation draws near.” The Bible encourages us to keep “waiting for our blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).

Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble and tribulation. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). He warned His followers that without a doubt we would have troubles, problems, and trials in this life, and that those who love Him would even suffer persecution for His name. But He said, “Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for your reward is great in heaven” (Matthew 5:10–12). He also promised to be with us in the midst of everything we face in this life. “I am with you always, even unto the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

These events will come to pass as foretold in the Bible, and you can be prepared for the future by inviting Jesus into your life and heart, and living according to His teachings in the Bible. He will answer your prayer and transform your life, and you will be blessed with His presence and love from this day forward and on into eternity. If you believe in Jesus and trust in Him and His Word, you’ll emerge triumphant, despite all the trials and tribulations that come your way.

As the apostle Paul wrote, “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38–39).

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are nothing compared to the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

From an article in Treasures, published by the Family International in 1987. Adapted and republished August 2024. Read by Reuben Ruchevsky.

Follow the Leader

August 7, 2024

By Marie Story

As the children of Israel were preparing to cross the Jordan River, Joshua sent the priests ahead with the Ark of the Covenant. He instructed the people: “When you see the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD your God, move out from your positions and follow them (Joshua 3:3). Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before” (Joshua 3:4).

“Never been this way before.” I often feel that way. I run into a situation or a dilemma that’s all new to me, and I just don’t know how to tackle it. Should I go or stay? Should I take this offer or turn it down?

Some decisions in life are easy to make. Sometimes the path ahead seems pretty straightforward, even if you’ve never been that way before. Other times, it can feel like you’re walking into foreign terrain, with potential dangers and pitfalls all around.

Looking ahead can be exciting, but it can also be terrifying because of the many unknowns. As a kid, thinking about the future kind of freaked me out. I didn’t know what I would become or if I’d be successful—so I’d just try not to think about it. But time went on and I eventually became an adult, and soon found that I regularly have to face unknown territory.

Even as I write this, I’m facing a dilemma. I’ve been offered a job that seems pretty appealing. It’s work that I’d enjoy, and the pay is good. But this job would mean a major move to another city—when we’ve only just gotten settled. It would mean putting other goals on hold and moving away from family. It’s exciting, in a way, but it’s also scary, because I don’t know how things are going to turn out.

The children of Israel didn’t know how things were going to play out for them either. They knew they had to keep moving forward, as there was a promised land ahead for them, but there was also the River Jordan blocking their way.

They must have been asking themselves, “How are we possibly going to cross this river, let alone conquer this entire land?” I mean, here was a nation of millions, along with their animals and possessions, crossing a flooded river into enemy-occupied lands.

The Israelites hadn’t traveled that way before; they didn’t know what to do. That’s why they had to follow the Ark. The Ark represented God’s Spirit and His promises. By following the Ark—by following God—they could walk ahead confidently, knowing that they were headed in the right direction.

Following God can be a tough thing to do, though. The way He leads doesn’t always seem to make sense. Sometimes, it can look downright crazy, like when He instructed Joshua, “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’” (Joshua 3:8). In other words, “Go into the river and then see what I will do.”

I imagine some of the children of Israel were more than a little anxious as they approached the flooded riverbanks. After wandering in the desert for most of their lives, I doubt many of them knew how to swim. But “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” (Joshua 3:15–16). And the priests stood in the middle of the dry riverbed while all the Israelites walked safely across.

I think this story offers some helpful principles for making decisions. When you’re facing tough choices, when you “haven’t been this way before,” and you’re dealing with brand-new challenges or seeming impossibilities, remember to keep your eyes on Jesus and trust in Him to guide you. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart… In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5–6 ). Only God knows what’s ahead, so it’s a good idea to “commit all your ways to Him” and seek His guidance (Psalm 37:5).

Perhaps you have a decision to make, and the pros and cons are pretty evenly balanced on either side. Maybe you’ve even got people pressuring you one way or the other, or you have a short time frame in which to make the decision. You know you have to decide, but it can be really difficult to know what to do or which way to go.

The good news is that God cares about your problems and concerns and dilemmas just as much as He cared about each of the Israelites sitting on the banks of the Jordan River. God promises that you will find Him when you search for Him with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:13). So if you’re making an important decision in life, the first step is to seek Him, commit your ways to Him, and put your trust in Him. Tell Him about your concerns and questions, ask Him to guide and direct your path, and listen for His answers.

The Bible says that “The Lord is kind, and as soon as he hears your cries for help, he will come … and he will guide you. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, you will hear a voice saying, ‘This is the road! Now follow it’” (Isaiah 30:19–21).

God’s Word contains solid promises that you can stand on and claim in prayer, whenever you’re desperate for God’s answers and direction in your life. Then, as you keep your eyes on Jesus and follow His lead, you’ll be able to march confidently forward into what God has in store for you.

Adapted from a Just1Thing podcast, a Christian character-building resource for young people.

Being Content Whether Abasing or Abounding

August 6, 2024

A compilation

Audio length: 12:50

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The apostle Paul was a man who suffered and went without the comforts of life more than most people could ever imagine (2 Corinthians 11:23–28). Yet he knew the secret of contentment: “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:12–13). The writer to the Hebrews adds, “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5–6). …

“Be content with such things as you have” means that believers should put their trust and confidence in God, knowing that He is the Giver of all good things (James 1:17) and that He uses even the hard times to show that our faith is genuine, “being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold…” (1 Peter 1:7). We know assuredly that God will cause all things to work together for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).—GotQuestions.org¹

God’s provision of day-by-day future grace enables Paul to be filled or to be hungry, to prosper or suffer, to have abundance or go wanting.

“I can do all things” really means “all things,” not just easy things. “All things” means, “Through Christ I can hunger and suffer and be in want.” This puts the stunning promise of Philippians 4:19 in its proper light: “My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

What does “every need of yours” mean in view of Philippians 4:11–12? It means “all that you need for God-glorifying contentment.” Which may include times of hunger and need. Paul’s love for the Philippians flowed from his contentment in God, and his contentment flowed from his faith in the future grace of God’s infallible provision to be all he needed in times of plenty and want.—John Piper²

Paul continues his expression of thanks to the Philippian believers with a reminder that he was not saying these words because he needed more from them (Philippians 4:11). He wanted to show that he was humble and content. Paul could exist with or without earthly needs being met beyond basic essentials (Philippians 4:12).

In addition to living humbly, Paul focuses on the concept of contentment, regardless of his circumstances. Contentment is not automatic, nor is it a natural attitude. Rather, it is a learned skill. Paul’s variety of ministry experiences had offered him times of plenty, as well as times of need. This allowed Paul to learn how to find joy, regardless of his circumstances.

Writing from Roman imprisonment, he was at a time of great need. Even so, Paul expresses joy and contentment. It’s important to recall that his imprisonment was not brief. He had been held continually for two years in Rome, in addition to multiple years in Palestine. Contentment was essential for Paul to find any joy in his circumstances.—BibleRef.com³

It’s easy to claim to be trusting God when things are going your way. However, the best indicator of your actual trust in God is seen in the way you respond to turmoil in your life, particularly when you’re unable to solve a troubling situation on your own.

Scripture calls us to trust God through both the peaks and valleys of our lives. Paul refers to this as contentment. As I was digging deeper into what it means to be content, I reread Philippians 4:11–12: “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.” …

The truth is, contentment does not come naturally. Paul learned it. This means contentment is a virtue we must develop, a discipline we should all be striving for.—Trevor Badorrek⁴

In Philippians 4, Paul tells us he learned the secret of contentment, and it’s not what I expected. The secret wasn’t to deny his needs and wants. Contentment wasn’t something he was faking. Nor was he content because his circumstances were perfect. No, the contentment he found was in Christ, not his own strength.

Contentment means living in God’s fullness. Which means contentment is possible because it’s independent of our circumstances. That doesn’t mean we won’t still have desires. You can be content in Christ and still desire for something to be different.

If you’re like me and wrestle with this, the Bible offers us practical ways to be content in our wanting. We can:

Fix our thoughts on godly things (Philippians 4:8).

Remember what God has already done (Psalm 103:1–2).

Talk to God, asking for what we want, and seeking His will in prayer (Matthew 7:7–12). …

As long as we are alive, we are waiting for Jesus to come make all things new. Our longing for something more isn’t going to go away. But we can trust the Holy Spirit to help us experience contentment, regardless of our circumstances. …

Contentment looks like being honest about what we want but trusting that God is not withholding His best from us. He gives us the strength to live fully and joyfully where we are because He has given us Christ.—Meghan Ryan⁵

Throughout your life you will find yourself in two special places—the place of abounding and the place of abasing. Paul wrote about abounding and abasing in Philippians 4:12: “I know what it is to be in need [abasing], and I know what it is to have plenty [abounding]. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”

Both places—where you are in need and where you have plenty—are needed in your life at different points in time, and both work something important in your life while you are in that place. And you know what? You can be content in both places if your faith is grounded in Me and My Word as opposed to the circumstances around you.

No matter what your situation, no matter what your condition, no matter what you have or don’t have—no matter what—you can have peace in your mind and heart, you can have My joy which will be your strength. No matter what circumstances you find yourself in, you’ll still be with Me—better said, I’ll still be with you. If I’m with you, then you will ultimately lack for nothing, My joy included.

I know it may be more difficult to find yourself in a place of need than in a place of plenty. But during times of need, when you feel as though you are on shaky ground, you can learn to plant your faith more firmly in Me. You learn to hold on to Me more tightly. You learn to come to Me. Your faith is tested and strengthened through these times.

If you are experiencing a place of abasing in a certain aspect of your life, you can be encouraged to know that I am with you in every place that you find yourself. As you choose to draw closer to Me through whatever circumstances you are facing, you open yourself up to experience My joy.—Jesus

Published on Anchor August 2024. Read by John Laurence. Music by John Listen.

¹ https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-contentment.html

² https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/i-can-be-content-in-every-circumstance

³ https://www.bibleref.com/Philippians/4/Philippians-4-11.html

⁴ https://tifwe.org/learning-to-be-content-in-every-circumstance/

⁵ https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2022/05/06/if-you-dont-feel-content-read-this

Stepping Stones to Glory

August 5, 2024

Words from Jesus

Audio length: 9:30

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For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.—2 Corinthians 4:17–18

Always remember that as your High Priest, I am touched by the feeling of your infirmities (Hebrews 4:15). During times of trouble, trial, and affliction, keep your eyes firmly fixed on Me, and your faith will grow. My hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, nor is my ear dull that it cannot hear (Isaiah 59:1).

Remind yourself that I am the God of all humankind, and nothing is too hard for Me (Jeremiah 32:27). So be of good faith and be encouraged. Continue to trust Me in the face of affliction and challenging times. Your courage and hope in times of trouble will not only bring you through, but it will also inspire others to turn to Me in faith, knowing that I am a very present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1).

Remember that all things will work together for your good because you love Me and have desired Me above everything else this life holds (Romans 8:28). Your faith has made you whole. These light afflictions you face will work to accomplish My will and purpose for your life, and lead you to the higher ground of faith and trust in Me.

Rest assured that the suffering and trials of this present time are stepping stones to My eternal weight of glory (Romans 8:18). Through them, you learn greater dependency on Me, as you reach out in prayer, draw close to Me, partake of My comfort and healing touch, and receive grace for your time of need. As you pray and trust in Me during times of trouble, it will encourage and increase not only your faith, but the faith of others.

Fear not, for I walk beside you, and I am always with you, and am leading you through everything you face as you climb to the higher ground of a closer walk with Me. Follow the example of Paul, who chose to glory in his afflictions, that My power might rest on him. He was able to do this because of My promise to him and everyone who believes in Me: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Come to Me and find rest for your soul. Rest from your labors, and know that your light affliction is but for a while, and afterward it will yield lasting fruit and prepare you for the eternal weight of glory that awaits you.

Prayers of faith

Every time you feel discouraged or question the effect of your prayers, remind yourself that there’s nothing too small for Me to give My attention to concerning you. There’s nothing too great for Me to intervene on your behalf, nothing too impossible for Me to remedy and to give you My grace to overcome. When you come to Me with your questions, when you look to Me for answers, when you get quiet before Me, your faith and your awareness of My presence grow.

When Moses raised his arms in prayer to Me at the banks of the Red Sea‚ I stretched out My hand and parted the waters, and I held them at bay until the last of My children were safely on the other side (Exodus 14:21–22). When the shepherd boy David loaded his sling and‚ looking up to Me whispered a prayer, I guided his stone and brought down the giant Goliath (1 Samuel 17:45–50). When Elijah prayed an intercessory prayer and asked for rain, I sent the showers in great abundance (1 Kings 18:42–45). Likewise, at Zarephath, when Elijah cried out to Me, asking for the soul of the widow’s son, I returned life to the boy’s motionless body (1 Kings 17:17–22).

When Shadrach‚ Meshach, and Abednego called out to Me as they entered the scorching furnace, I descended and walked with them in the midst of the fire, and the flame did not harm them (Daniel 3:20–26). When Hezekiah sought Me in the face of death, I spared his life and turned back the time as a sign of My answer to his prayer (Isaiah 38:1–8). When Jonah cried out to Me in his plight, I answered and placed him upon dry ground (Jonah 2:7–10).

Let this encourage your faith that no matter what you face, I am with you and I am for you. I will never leave or abandon you; I will always be with you through every trouble you face.

Intercessory prayer

When you intercede in prayer for others, you are like those who held up Moses’ arms during the battle (Exodus 17:11–12). Persevere in prayer for others and uphold them by your prayers. When you pray, put yourself in the place of those you are praying for and pray earnestly for their needs. Reach out in prayer to help others.

Your prayers can go places you’ll never go. Your prayers can help to free people who are struggling, touch the hardest hearts, bring supply to the needy, help heal the deepest pain, open doors, enlighten minds, clear the fog‚ dissipate bitterness‚ mend broken hearts, solve problems, encourage, heal, and bring relief to those who need it.

Whatever concerns you, concerns Me. If something is big enough to occupy your thoughts and time, it’s big enough to pray about. Keep stirring yourself up in prayer; keep stirring up the gifts within you (2 Timothy 1:6).

Invest in the work of God

Invest in the kingdom of God through your life of faith and your prayers for others and for the lost. When you invest your life, your time, and your heart in My work, you are a joint investor with Me and will reap the rewards I have promised for all who invest in My kingdom.

The paltry dividends of human investments are nothing in comparison to My promises, which are to reward you one hundredfold for everything you invest in Me and My work, and to grant you life everlasting (Matthew 19:29). Trust in Me and follow My way, which will be better for you than a known path, and even when there is darkness around you, it will be as light (Psalm 139:11–12). I will supply all that you need according to My riches in glory, so that you may do your job as My disciple, and fulfill My calling for your life.

I will not leave you comfortless, but I will supply everything you need, and as you trust in Me you will receive My blessings. I know the future and plans I have for you, and I will lead and guide you accordingly (Jeremiah 29:11). Now is your time to invest in My kingdom—through your witness, your prayers, and your acts of love and compassion, which will yield true dividends and help to reap a great harvest.

Compiled from material originally published in September 2005 and March 1996. Adapted and republished August 2024. Read by Jon Marc. Music by Michael Dooley.

Millennial Seeing Is Believing (Part B)

David Brandt Berg

1982-10-01

Everybody’s going to believe in God. There’s not a soul that’s not going to believe that Jesus Christ is the King of kings and ruler of the earth. That doesn’t mean they’re going to be saved—not if their hearts are still rebellious and disobedient—and there will be bad people who will have to be punished. The scripture’s very clear about it. But I am convinced that most of the people will not only believe when they see, but will receive and obey and submit. That’s why it’s going to be like heaven on earth, because the vast majority of people will receive it and will yield to the kingdom of God and His authority.

Maybe some people will be saved in the Millennium and will get into the Heavenly City if they believe in Jesus then. Maybe they’ll receive Him then as their personal Savior and have faith in His blood and believe, even as we do today, because they have seen.

I believe that the Millennium is, in a sense, a second chance—at least for those whom God chooses to spare to live into the Millennium. I think because they will have seen, heard, and felt the kingdom of God in the very visible personal rule and reign of Jesus and His government on earth, then certainly they will believe. They’ll know because they can see it.

There won’t be any unbelievers then, but there will be those who won’t yield and will try to disobey, who are still stubborn and disobedient and defiant and rebellious and iniquitous at heart.—Including the Devil and all his angels and the anti-God forces at the end. The Lord may allow some of these people to survive just to show us and the world that some are incorrigible.

I think He’s going to give the people who deserve it a chance to see and to believe. Jesus went down and preached to the spirits in prison. He must have felt they deserved a chance (Matthew 12:40; 1 Peter 3:19, 4:6). How much more so the people who managed to survive into the Millennium? They deserve their chance too. I believe they are going to have some chance to believe, receive, and obey, and God is going to in some way save them then, if not for the Heavenly City, at least from hell.

Otherwise, if everybody that’s going to be saved has already gone to heaven, what’s this judgment at the Great White Throne Judgment of God?—Of the unsaved who were never resurrected to begin with, and all those who were destroyed in the fire when the earth and atmosphere is burned up. What’s this second resurrection for? What’s this Great White Throne Judgment for in the 20th chapter of Revelation? Why does there have to be any judgment at all? Why doesn’t God just toss them all into hell?

But it doesn’t say they are all tossed into hell. What does it say? “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life…” (Revelation 20:15). Why did they have to have a book open to find who was written there? Why did there have to be any judgment at all unless there was some difference between those people who are resurrected for the Great White Throne Judgment when the book of life is opened? If none of them are written in there and it’s a blank book, why bother?

It says there’s going to be a book of life and they’re apparently going to read out those who are written there. And those who are not found in the book are the ones that are going to be tossed into hell! Who’s not found in the book? Obviously the wicked and those that rejected and wouldn’t believe and wouldn’t receive and rebelled, and probably all those people who at the end of the Millennium turn against the camp of the saints and the people of God when the Devil tries to pull his big revolt.—Also all those who accepted the mark of the beast and worshiped him (Revelation 19:20).

So the Millennium is going to be another refining time, a purifying, a purgatory in a sense, another chance to believe and receive and submit and obey. Those who don’t, even if they live to the end of the Millennium, are going to be destroyed in the fire which devours the earth. They have to face the Great White Throne Judgment and they have to be checked on from the great book of life.

All those who were in open rebellion against God and knew better, and all those that deserve hell, are going to get hell. They’re going to deserve it! But obviously there are going to be a lot of people who don’t, who are found written in the book of life.

These people who die in the Millennium are going to be raised in that second resurrection in the 20th chapter of Revelation, and they’re going to have to face the Great White Judgment Throne of God. Not the Judgment Seat of Christ, which you and I will face at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb when the prizes and rewards are passed out. That is the first resurrection, that of the saved (Daniel 12:2).

Who’s going to be at the White Throne Judgment? Not those who are saved during this dispensation of grace before the coming of Jesus, not those who are resurrected and caught up in the rapture when Jesus comes. These are the ones who are going to have access to the Holy City.

The people who are going to be judged at the White Throne Judgment of God are going to be those who were not previously saved, even the people who rebel during the Millennium and are killed and executed, and finally all the people who survive the Millennium to the end and are burned up in that final destruction of the enemies of God. The Lord doesn’t go into a great deal of detail, and He doesn’t have to. Why do we need to know that far in the future?

It’s just my theory, but it sounds to me like there’s quite a considerable camp of the saints there that they try to surround and defeat at the end of the Millennium (Revelation 20:9). Who are these saints? Do you mean we who are like the angels of God are holed up in some kind of fortress and surrounded by the Devil and his forces? We could destroy them or we could disappear or fly away.

It sounds to me like it’s going to be the natural physical human beings who are saved during the Millennium—those who have obeyed and followed God and Christ and refused to join the rebellion—who are going to be surrounded by this final rebellion. And God is then going to wipe out those wicked forces by fire and somehow save the others. I can’t prove it, but that’s what it sounds like.

If there’s anybody these wicked might have on the run, it might be the people who have received and submitted and been saved or won over, and it sounds like there are going to be quite a lot of people in rebellion against them. But the Lord’s going to allow it. He could have stopped the wicked by force, but it says He’s going to allow Satan to go out to deceive the nations again so that those who are willing to be deceived—in other words, they’re still just as wicked as ever in their hearts and minds—are going to be deceived again.

It’s the last test for mankind on earth, and those who are deceived by the Devil in that final test will try to attack the kingdom of God. But the whole earth is burned up, and whoever’s saved is saved and whoever isn’t, isn’t! And then all the wicked of all ages, including them, will be resurrected for the Great White Throne Judgment and will be rewarded according to their works. They’re going to pull the book of life on them, and those not found in the book of life are going to be cast into the lake of fire.

If there’s nobody in the book of life and all the pages are blank, why have it? Why have a judgment? Why have them stand there for judgment at all if there’s not going to be a difference between those who are written in the book and those who aren’t? Even though they weren’t saved like us, at least they received and obeyed during the Millennium, and maybe a lot of people in ages gone by, though not worthy of our kind of salvation and not having been saved like we are, will nevertheless be allowed to live on the new earth instead of a living death in hell and the lake of fire.

Thank God for this privilege of witnessing and winning souls today and saving those who will be running this world, teaching others how to live and how to know His ways. We won’t have to tell them to know the Lord, because they’ll all know Him, but we’ll certainly have to teach them His ways and laws and Word, according to the Bible. (See Isaiah 2:3; 11:9; 26:9b; Jeremiah 31:33–34.)

Millennial Seeing Is Believing (Part A)

David Brandt Berg

1982-10-01

In the Millennium the earth is going to be the same earth that we now know, except for the horrible mess man will have made out of it and the awful destruction in the aftermath of the wars of the Antichrist, the wrath of God, and Armageddon. But it’ll still be the old earth, particularly the parts that haven’t been ravaged and ruined, with the same plants and animals, trees, and the birds and the bees, and quite a few of the same people.

In the Millennium we’ve still got the same old polluted and ravaged earth that man has made a wreck of, and that God has not yet completely redeemed. In fact, it’s obvious that He could not fully redeem the earth as long as wicked men were still around who disobeyed Him and followed the Devil, as they do at the end of the Millennium.

“The whole creation groaneth, waiting to be delivered” (Romans 8:22). The whole creation is in a sense under the curse of sin and it’s not going to be completely delivered even in the Millennium. Although much of the curse has been removed during the Millennium for those who obey, there are still conditions.

There’s a verse that talks about the child playing on the hole of an asp in the Millennium (Isaiah 11:8). Obviously the asp will be there, and even the scorpions will be there, but they’ll have no sting, no poison, no venom.

The skeptics make fun of that scripture about “the cow and the bear shall feed, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox” (Isaiah 11:7). They say, “They couldn’t possibly do that; they’re carnivorous beasts. That’s impossible.” But nothing’s impossible with the Lord (Luke 1:37).

Man is apparently going to be herbivorous again, or vegetarian, because according to the description, there will no longer be enmity between man and the animals, nor between the animals themselves. “Nothing shall hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain” (Isaiah 11:9). Men will not destroy each other, they will not destroy the animals, and the animals will not destroy them or each other.

And since there’s nothing that will hurt or destroy, there will be no venomous insects, beasts, snakes, or scorpions. There will be no more thorns or thistles and that sort of thing that came after the fall of man when the Lord said the ground would produce thorns and briars, etc. (Genesis 3:17–18).

Apparently man was originally designed to eat grains and fruits and vegetables, but the Lord had to give him meat to eat after the Flood, or maybe he wouldn’t have survived this long (Genesis 9:3). I think flesh was necessary for health or God would not have given it to man to eat after the Flood. You notice that men then began living shorter lives, and the Lord must have known we needed flesh in order to survive and have the necessary strength. Science does say there are certain amino acids in animal flesh that you cannot get any other way, which man needs.

Apparently we’re not going to eat flesh in the Millennium; we’ll all be herbivorous since the animals will be at peace with man. Both man and beast will return to vegetarianism during the Millennium, because apparently people won’t need the extra strength of animal flesh to survive. The curse will have been at least partially removed and we won’t be suffering the ill effects of whatever it was that shortened life after the Flood.

Life is going to be lengthened in the Millennium to great longevity. If anybody dies at 100 years of age, they’ll say he was just a child (Isaiah 65:20). Before the Flood, when men lived to be nearly a thousand years of age, if somebody had died at the age of 100 you would have thought, “Poor fellow, just a babe.” So obviously the cause of man’s shortened life span which occurred after the Flood will be removed.

Certainly by the judgments of God, no doubt, man’s life had to be shortened, because he became so wicked he would have done even more damage if he’d lived longer. This is why King David writes by the anointing of the Holy Spirit: “The years of a man’s life are threescore and ten.” That’s the allotted life span in this present age of grace since the Flood. He says, “And if by reason of strength they be fourscore, yet is their strength labor and sorrow.” In other words, if you do manage to live to 80, it’s just that much more trouble (Psalm 90:10).

After the Flood, they didn’t live a thousand years anymore; they did very well to make it to a hundred! A few of them did, but it kept getting shorter all the time, if you’ll notice, until about the time of the Tower of Babel, men were living lives about the same length as today. Only rarely did someone ever reach a hundred or more like Moses (120 years), due to some special blessing of God.

Obviously man’s life span was greatly shortened after the Flood, and some scientists who are Christians believe it had something to do with the water vapor that disappeared after the Flood, which used to cover the earth before the Flood. You recall that before the Flood they never had rain. They had just as much plant life and foliage and grass, but it was watered by a mist that rose from the face of the earth like a dew (Genesis 2:5–6).

Who knows, it might have been a lot mistier then. Some scientists who are Christians believe that there was some kind of a haze in the atmosphere which protected us from the cosmic rays which now shorten life. Whatever the protection was, the Lord will restore it during the Millennium and men will again live a long time. There may be people who survive the holocaust that precedes it—the survivors that God blesses with survival into the Millennium—who are going to live for hundreds of years after that.

The Lord says to Daniel: “Blessed is he that cometh to the 1335 days” (Daniel 12:12); that is, through the wrath of God into the Millennium. They will still be in natural, normal human bodies just like today. But we, having been resurrected and raptured, gone to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and returned in the great Battle of Armageddon to conquer the world, will have our supernatural bodies just like the angels of God and like Jesus has.

We’ll be like Him, God’s Word says (1 John 3:2). He was born of woman, He died like a man, like flesh dies, but He was resurrected like we’ll be resurrected, being in a sense part spirit and part flesh. He was not purely spirit because He said: “Touch Me and see that it is I! A spirit hath not flesh and bone as ye see Me have” (Luke 24:39). We will have flesh and bone of some kind, a material resurrected supernatural body like Jesus has.

You and I are going to live forever. When the rapture and the resurrection come, our bodies will rise from the grave. We’ll be renewed, regenerated, restored, and will have resurrection bodies that are immortal, on which death will no longer have any hold. In other words, we will be in bodies that are eternal, united with our eternal spirits.

We’ll have bodies that have all kinds of amazing qualities, which we don’t have right now, but which people have had before.—Like the transporting of Philip, Jesus walking through the mob even before He was resurrected, or His being transfigured on the mount of transfiguration. There were quite a few supernatural things that happened before His resurrection. (See Acts 8:39–40; John 8:59; Luke 4:30; Matthew 17:2–3.)

After the resurrection, Jesus could appear and disappear at will, and we will have those same capabilities, because we will have our supernatural resurrected bodies, our eternal bodies during the Millennium. Whereas the people that survive the holocaust will still be in natural human bodies.

The curse that came on the earth after the fall of man will be lifted from the earth as a whole, and it will be selective then, you might say, for people who defy God and His government. During the Millennium there will still be free will and people who disobey, even whole nations that will rebel or refuse to obey, and God will withhold the rain or consume them with fire (Zechariah 14:17, 12).

This is why I’m convinced that during that period many people will be, if not what we call “saved” today, at least they will be changed, because many will apparently obey and submit and follow. It’s like a second chance for the people who survive the wrath of God and live on into the Millennium. They’ll have every advantage—the good government of God, the personal reign of Jesus Christ, and the tender loving care of His saints and angels to try to help them.

Jesus told Thomas, “Thomas, because thou hast seen, thou hast believed.” I believe the Millennium is going to be designed, in a sense, for the Thomases, those who would have believed if they had seen. So God’s going to give them a chance to see and to believe. But He said, “More blessed are ye, who having not seen, yet have believed” (John 20:29). We are in the more blessed category, the upper class who lived by faith and believed even though we hadn’t seen.

Why is there so little visible evidence of the supernatural? There’s lots of evidence of the supernatural, but it is rare enough that people in general are not convinced. How many have come back from the dead to say what was on the other side? God is certainly being more merciful every day and more and more people are coming back with tales of what they saw on the other side. It’s as if God is giving people their last chance to believe in every way He can. He’s providing more and more evidence of His existence and the marvels of His creation, more and more evidence of the reality of the spirit world.

And yet there’s a certain point beyond which He will not go. To those who will not believe, as He said, “Though one were to come back from the dead, yet they would not believe” (Luke 16:31).—The Scribes and the Pharisees and some of those critics of His and unbelievers and those of whom He said through Stephen, “Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost” (Acts 7:51).

There are going to be people so stubborn and rebellious of heart and mind, they’re going to be of the same evil mind despite seeing the visible reign of Jesus in the Millennium. That’s why they have to be ruled with a rod of iron! He said He shall dash the nations and their power to pieces, like a piece of pottery (Revelation 2:27). They’ll have no more power—His people will be the power, the government. None of their guns or their armaments are going to do them any good then; we’re going to abolish the whole military machine. This will be the world’s first genuine disarmament.

In spite of all the visible evidence of the power of God and the people of God and the government of God and the Son of God, Jesus Christ Himself ruling the earth, there will be people who still don’t like it.—The really carnally-minded and evil-minded people who will still rebel against the Lord. But it’s my conviction from what I’ve read in the Bible that the vast majority of the people will believe when they see.

Today the vast majority of the people do not see. They are not seeing the miracles. They are not seeing the manifestation in the Spirit. They are not seeing the evidence of after-death experiences. The people to whom God has been so good and merciful as to show them after-death experiences, miracles, supernatural powers, supernatural evidence of the other world and His kingdom—they are not the majority of the people today.

He’s given them lots of natural evidence. In fact, He says the whole creation proves His existence, so they’re without excuse (Romans 1:20). I believe many people believe because they see the handiwork of God. They cannot help but believe. They believe because of what they see. Many people are persuaded even by the marvels of creation.

Did you know that back in the 1920s only about 20-some-percent of American scientists claimed to believe in any kind of God or supreme being, or spiritual superior power, or creator? But about ten years ago [1972], around 76% of American scientists said that they believed that some kind of superior power or designer or creator or God or providence was in control!

Many scientists are men of faith. But the false prophets of science falsely so-called, vain and profane babblers of evolution (1 Timothy 6:20), have now got people hoodwinked so that the average person believes in evolution as fact.

To translate that passage in Romans into modern language: The obvious existence of God in His eternal godhead has been evident or manifest through the things that He has made; in other words, through His creation (Romans 1:20). The existence of God is proved by His creation. That’s why the Devil attacked creation most of all, because the creation of God is the greatest proof of His existence to humanity in this present era. People can see it, so they believe it. And they can believe that there had to be somebody behind it, some higher power that designed it, created it, and runs it.

God has gone that far to prove His existence, and that’s far enough, really. People shouldn’t need any further proof. And yet God has gone further than that with some. But the ones to whom He has revealed himself by spiritual experiences, supernatural experiences, miracles, are a rare exception.

The vast majority today in this era have never really seen. They have seen the glory and the wonders of God in His creation—this He reveals to everyone—and through this they should all believe. I’d say the vast majority of people in the world have some kind of religion and believe in some kind of higher power. They believe there’s some kind of God.

Today, most people have to believe purely by faith without seeing. I believe that in most cases where they truly believe, though having not seen, they will see some evidence, some proof, some change, if nothing else than in their own lives. They will feel it or they will see it. Once they have believed, God will honor that faith by letting them see and feel and know the proof. But it’s still a very small minority. “Strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life eternal, and few there be that find it,” Jesus Himself said. “But wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads unto destruction, and many there be that go in thereat” (Matthew 7:13–14).

How much more could you ask for than the evidence that there will be during the Millennium, when people will be able to see the visible power of God through the visible, personal embodiment of God in Jesus Christ as King of kings and ruler of the earth in the kingdom come. The kingdom of God on earth! The lifting of the curse. The supernatural restoration of the world as far as He can go without burning it up and re-creating it, which He’ll have to do eventually.

Wouldn’t you say that the people will believe who see that kind of government and that kind of visible, tangible manifestation of the existence of God, the kingdom of God on earth and His governors and His world restored, people living hundreds of years, no enmity between the animals, or between humans and animals, all these miraculous, seemingly supernatural manifestations?

It will be easier to believe then than it is now. Of course, almost anybody can believe having seen. Jesus said so. He said, “Thomas, God bless you for believing because you saw, but more blessed are those who having not seen, yet have believed” (John 20:29).

You today are more blessed than those of the Millennium. You are more blessed because, though having not seen, you have believed. But God is going to, in a sense, do for the world in the Millennium what He did for Thomas. The people who today say, “Lord, if You’ll show me, I’ll believe it”—will believe. I believe that the vast majority of people will then believe. It says, “No man shall say unto his neighbor, Know the Lord, for all shall know Me” (Jeremiah 31:34).

7 Benefits of Praising God

August 2, 2024

By Rick Warren

As Christ-followers, we build many important spiritual habits into our lives—including prayer, Bible reading, gratitude, and so on. All of them will play a critical role in our spiritual journeys.

But we must not forget the habit of praising God. It’s particularly important when we’re struggling.

What makes praise so important for you and for those you lead? Here are seven reasons the habit of praising God is vital for you and those you lead.

(Read the article here.)

https://blog.pastors.com/articles/7-benefits-of-praising-god

Understanding God’s Promises

August 1, 2024

By Virginia Brandt Berg

Audio length: 7:42

Download Audio (7MB)

Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28–30).

I want to repeat that last sentence. Jesus says His yoke is easy and His burden is light. In this passage of scripture He promised to take your heavy burden and give you rest.

I was reading about a Christian blacksmith who had endured a great deal of affliction, and he was challenged by an unbeliever to give account for why a Christian should have such affliction. His explanation was as follows:

I don’t know that I can account for these things to your satisfaction, but I can to my own. I am a blacksmith, and I often take a piece of iron and put it into the fire and bring it to a white heat. Then I put it on the anvil and strike it once or twice to see if it will take temper. If I think it will, I plunge it into the water to suddenly change the temperature. Then I put it back in the fire, and again I put it in the water. I repeat this several times.

Then I put it on the anvil and hammer it and rasp it and file it and make some useful article which will be of service for many, many years. If, however, when I first strike it on the anvil, I find that it will not take temper, I throw it into the scrap heap and I sell it at half a penny a pound.

I believe my God has been testing me to see if I will take temper. He has put me into the fire and the water. I’ve tried to bear this as patiently as I could, and my daily prayer has been, “Lord, put me into the fire if You will. Put me into the water if You think I need it. Do anything You please, only don’t throw me into the scrap heap!”

You see, dearly beloved, those of you who have had burdens, tests, trials, and afflictions, God is working with you. You are worthy of His attention. He considers you worthwhile. And this blacksmith continues this way:

Our life is like the dial of a clock. The hands are God’s hands passing over and over again. The short hand is the hand of discipline, and the long hand is the hand of mercy. Slowly and surely the hand of discipline must pass, and God speaks at each stroke, but over and over passes the hand of mercy, suggesting that there’s 60-fold of blessing for each stroke of discipline and trial that God gives. Both hands are fastened to one secure point: the great unchanging heart of a God of love, our solid Rock.

The following poem is such a blessing to my heart today:

I know not, but God knows;
Oh, blessed rest from fear!
All my unfolding days
To Him are plain and clear.

Each anxious, puzzled “Why?”
From doubt or dread that grows,
Finds answer in this thought;
I know not, but He knows.

I cannot, but God can;
Oh, balm for all my care!
The burden that I drop
His hand will lift and bear.

Though eagle pinions tire,
I walk where once I ran.
This is my strength, to know
I cannot, but God can.

I see not, but God sees;
Oh, all-sufficient light!
My dark and hidden way
To Him is always bright.

My strained and peering eyes
May close in restful ease,
And I in peace may sleep;
I see not, but He sees.
—Annie Johnson Flint

I wonder sometimes if many of the burdens we carry aren’t caused by our not carrying our side of the yoke I just read about: “My yoke is easy, my burden is light.” But we’re so sure the burden is heavy and the yoke is not light! Our Lord surely does not fail to carry His part of the yoke! In fact, He puts His shoulder under the heaviest end of the burden.

We want so much to have the promises fulfilled, but we don’t look at all aspects of the promise. Let’s look at the promise in Psalm 37:4: “Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” We set our minds on the desire of our heart and keep mentioning that to Him, but what about our end of the promise? What about “Delight thyself in the Lord”? This is the condition of the fulfillment of that promise. Do you really delight yourself in the Lord? Or is His work and His will and reading His Word kind of a drudgery?

So often we quote the promise: “Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass” (Psalm 37:5). Then we set our minds on how God’s going to bring it to pass, and when will He bring it to pass, and we look at ourselves to see if our faith is strong enough to bring it to pass.

But we think very little about the words “commit” and “trust.” We don’t commit it utterly to Him and go about our business with utter trust. We don’t take up our side of the yoke: “Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in Him.”

Let’s read His promises over and note our part in them. There’s the precious promise that says, “For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11). We tend to concentrate on the many good things we desire, and our heart and mind might not focus so much on our side of the yoke. We’re just thinking about God taking up His side, but the “walking uprightly” is where we should put our attention.

Every promise in God’s Word has a condition. So often we hear the promise, “All things work together for good”; but no, they don’t, beloved, not for some people! That promise is only to those that love the Lord and who are called according to His purpose. (See Romans 8:28.)

Do we put the emphasis where it belongs? On loving the Lord? That’s part of the first and great commandment! “Jesus said unto him, ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment’” (Matthew 22:37–38). You can’t expect all things to work for good if you don’t love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind.

Then consider this promise: “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). We ask people to pray for us to have faith, but God says it comes by reading His Word.

Read the Word of God and all these things will fall in line, and God will bless your soul, and your life will become rich in deep spiritual things. He’s still on the throne, and prayer will change things for you.

From a transcript of a Meditation Moments broadcast, adapted. Published on Anchor August 2024. Read by Carol Andrews.

His Promised Peace

July 31, 2024

By William B. McGrath

At the Last Supper we see Jesus wash the disciples’ feet, and then He gives what has become known as His farewell discourse (John chapters 14–17), during which He promises His followers His very own peace: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27).

There are different forms and levels of peace, but the peace that Jesus offers is profound and can transcend our surroundings. It goes down into our heart when, under normal circumstances, our heart would be troubled.

After His resurrection, when He first appears to His disciples, He tells them twice: “Peace be with you” (John 20:19, 21). Then, eight days later, He appears again and tells them the same thing, for the third time (John 20:26). This deep and lasting peace, not as the world can give, is His promised gift. As we compare some of the many other verses in the Bible on God’s peace, we find that it is closely linked to His rest, His patience, His strength, and, of course, to our submission and love for Him and His Word. There are many scriptures on “waiting on God” and on “hearkening to the voice of His Word,” resulting in His peace.

Isaiah 40:31 tells of the strength given in waiting, “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

John the Baptist rejoiced to hear Jesus’ words near the end of his ministry (John 3:29), and Jesus tells us that we are wise to hear His words and do them, and that by doing so we are like those who build their life’s foundation on that which lasts (Matthew 7:24).

“Great peace have they which love thy law; and nothing shall offend them” (Psalm 119:165), or as other translations put it, cause us to stumble. The peace that is cultivated through faithful study of God’s Word has strength to preserve us from becoming offended and from stumbling when we would otherwise. Offence, or resentment, as we know, is a killer of peace and contentment.

Also, as we meditate on and study His Word, we come to realize more and more the beauty of Jesus, His sincerity toward us, and what He has given to us through His sacrifice on the cross. “He himself is our peace” (Ephesians 2:14), and he is the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

The writings of Andrew Murray reveal to us how great peace and rest come to us as we learn patience through waiting on God:

The word patience is derived from the Latin word for suffering. It suggests the thought of being under the constraint of some power from which we would gladly be free. At first, we submit against our will. Experience teaches us that when it is vain to resist, patient endurance is our wisest course.

In waiting on God, it is of infinite consequence that we not only submit, because we are compelled to, but because we lovingly and joyfully consent to be in the hands of our blessed Father. Patience then becomes our highest blessedness and our highest grace. It honors God and gives Him time to have His way with us. It is the highest expression of our faith in His goodness and faithfulness. It brings the soul perfect rest [perfect peace] in the assurance that God is carrying on His work. It is the token of our full consent that God should deal with us in such a way and time as He thinks best. True patience is the losing of our self-will. …

Patience is a grace for which very special grace is given. “Strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness” (Colossians 1:11). If any are inclined to despond, let them be of good courage. It is in the course of our feeble and very imperfect waiting that God Himself, by His hidden power, strengthens us and works out in us the patience of the saints, the patience of Christ Himself. … Patient waiting upon God brings a rich reward; the deliverance is sure. God Himself will put a new song into your mouth (Psalm 40:1,3).¹

My wife remembers a time not long ago when I was bamboozled into giving someone a ride to a city over an hour away at night. This acquaintance of ours had missed his bus at the local bus stop in our small town, and desperately needed a ride to catch up to the bus at its next stop in a major city over an hour away. There we happened to be, so I consented. My wife stayed home, as it was already quite late.

During the drive, unbeknownst to me, she was trying to check in on me by phone calls, but my cell phone had no signal along the desolate roads. She became filled with anxiety, so finally turned to Jesus in desperate prayer. Then, as beautifully as ever, peace flooded her soul, strongly, inexplicably, and she fell into a peaceful sleep. I returned after midnight and all was well.

It’s those scary situations that can come upon any one of us, creating fear and anxiety, that can be overcome by His peace. Thank God, He gives His peace even amidst such circumstances. He has promised that His covenant of peace will never be removed. “‘For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,’ says the Lord, who has compassion on you” (Isaiah 54:10).

¹ Andrew Murray, Waiting on God, chapter 14, “The Way to the New Song.”

The Reality of Heaven

July 30, 2024

A compilation

Audio length: 12:25

Download Audio (11.3MB)

The Bible says in Colossians 3:1, “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand.” So what does the Bible say about these “realities of heaven”?

Heaven is where God lives and rules. The Bible calls heaven “the dwelling place of God,” “the house of God,” and “the city of God.” As these phrases suggest, heaven is where God lives.

But Jesus also calls heaven “the Kingdom of God” or “the Kingdom of heaven” 31 times in Scripture. So heaven isn’t just where God lives; it’s also where he rules. Psalm 123:1 says, “Lord, I look up to you, up to heaven, where you rule.”

Heaven is a real place. Heaven isn’t a state of mind. It isn’t a state of being. And it isn’t a place where your essence floats around like a ghost. It’s a real place. In fact, the Bible says there will be streets, trees, water, and homes in heaven. Many Scripture passages allude to the fact that animals are there. You’ll have your physical body, renewed through your resurrection. And there will be a real place for your real body to live: “There are many rooms in my Father’s house. I wouldn’t tell you this unless it was true. I am going there to prepare a place for each of you” (John 14:2).

And Jesus said in Matthew 6:20, “Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.” You can’t store up treasures in a place that isn’t real.

Heaven is designed for you and me. God didn’t design heaven for himself. He designed it for his followers. The Bible says, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you” (Matthew 25:34). …

People weren’t meant to live on Earth forever. You and I were made for heaven! Hebrews 13:14 says, “For this world is not our home; we are looking forward to our everlasting home in heaven.” Once you’ve become a part of God’s family, there’s a whole lot more to life than just here and now. Really, this world is not your home; you’re just passing through!

When it comes to heaven, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). No matter what you’ve dreamed up about heaven, the reality will far exceed it!—Rick Warren¹

Transition, not termination

Facing the death of a friend or loved one is always challenging. There are usually very mixed emotions.

There is sadness that a person is no longer with us. But there is also joy that a person is in heaven. There is sorrow that a chapter in our lives has closed, and that someone very significant to us will now be but a memory to us. There can also be a sense of relief and release… that someone we care about will not have to suffer or experience any of the pain and discomfort that this life can bring.

All of these, and countless other emotions can be very strong at a time like this, and we can understand why Jesus said: “Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). …

The Bible makes it very clear that physical death is more of a transition than it is a termination. There is an element of termination involved in that the physical body ceases functioning, but the Bible describes more than just a body, an outward man. The Bible describes an inward man.

Man is a spiritual being with a soul, and he lives inside of a body. When the body terminates its functioning, the spirit of man simply transitions to a new location. For a believer, that new location is a wonderful place called heaven. When we say that a believer who dies has “gone to a better place,” that is not a mere cliché.

Heaven is not a dream. It is not a figment of someone’s imagination … a metaphysical abstraction … someone’s theological conception. Heaven is a real place.

Paul said, “To depart and be with Christ is far better” (Philippians 1:23). He said that if this “earthly tent” were destroyed, that we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens (2 Corinthians 5:1). He said that “to be absent from this body is to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). …

[L]et me encourage those of you who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ: You will see your friend and loved one again. And as the old hymn says: What a day of rejoicing that will be!—Tony Cooke²

Living hope

I was thinking recently about death—how in spite of all the advances in medical science, death happens eventually to every living creature. I was curious to see what the Bible had to say about this and found some amazing things.

Death, it turns out, was not part of God’s original plan for His creation; it was the result of man’s disobedience to God. God had intended for man to live forever, but He could no longer permit that because of man’s fallen, sinful nature. Death is the penalty of sin, and it is one we all must suffer. “Through one man [Adam] sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12).

The good news, however, is that the sting of death has been overcome. Jesus Christ conquered death through His resurrection. The Bible calls Jesus’ resurrection the “living hope” (1 Peter 1:3). Because Jesus was raised from the dead, there is the promise that others will be raised too. This will occur at Jesus’ second coming, when everyone alive who has accepted Jesus into their hearts will receive new, supernatural bodies, like Jesus’ at His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:51–52).

And to those believers who have passed on before this event, Jesus promised that death would not be the end but rather the threshold to a new life in the spirit. He said, “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19). For believers, death is like passing from one room into another and closing the door. They are set free from the weight and limitations of this earthly life and liberated in God’s eternal kingdom.

If we trust in Jesus, we have a living hope of entering this dazzling new dimension when our present lives are over. There we will enjoy the splendors of heaven for all eternity, without any of the pain or problems we have now. “And God shall wipe away all tears from [our] eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Revelation 21:4).—Uday Paul

Confidence in heaven

We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.—2 Corinthians 5:8

The old saying in life goes that there are two things that are certain, death and taxes. As much as we all begrudge paying taxes, we do it anyway, hopefully trying to pay as little in taxes as possible. Even though you try to reduce that tax bill, you eventually have to pay.

The same is true of death. We can attempt to eat right and live a healthy lifestyle, but eventually one day this body will give out and we all will experience death. This is not meant to discourage you, but it is a reality, and the older you get, the more real this truth becomes. However, for us as Christians, death means something totally different than for those who don’t believe, and in 2 Corinthians there is an allusion to the process of what death means for those who believe. …

“For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands” (2 Corinthians 5:1).

The concept of eternity is difficult for us to grasp while we live in these earthly bodies. Have you ever tried to think about living forever? There comes a point where it stops making sense because that is not the reality we live with on this earth where everything has a beginning and an ending. …

What Paul is encouraging us to do is know that eternity with God is our reality, and this should be seen in what we believe and how we live. When you know that one day you will be in God’s presence and one day stand before him, then this should guide everything that we do in this life.

The last thing I want to leave you with is this. From the moment you give your life to Christ, you will never be separated from the presence of God or the love of God ever again. If you live, his presence goes with you. When you die, your faith becomes sight, and though you will be absent from your body, you will be present with the Lord. So whether you live in this life, you win. If you pass from this life, you win. That’s why your salvation is the greatest victory you have in life, because that is the guarantee of your hope and your eternal life.—Clarence L. Haynes Jr.³

Published on Anchor July 2024. Read by Gabriel Garcia Valdivieso. Music by Michael Fogarty.

¹ https://pastorrick.com/three-realities-of-heaven

² https://tonycooke.org/funeral-resources/reality_heaven

³ https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/what-does-absent-from-the-body-present-with-the-lord

My Birthday Gift of Music

July 29, 2024

By Maria Fontaine

Audio length: 9:45

Download Audio (8.9MB)

I wrote this post on my 75th birthday! I was anticipating a wonderful year ahead and was praying for continued growth and learning so that I can do a better job for Jesus in this life and also make progress toward my heavenly future. My cup was and still is overflowing with joy!

The Lord led me to a growing number of uplifting and motivating songs. I hadn’t planned for this collection; the Lord brought them to my attention one by one. Some came by way of links that were sent to me with emails. Some simply popped up when I had to search on my computer for something else. Quite a few were songs that I had never heard before. Some were songs that I’d heard long ago but had forgotten.

As you’ll see, in some cases, I’m including a number of songs by the same artist or group. Usually, the Lord would draw my attention to one song, and then I would seek out other similar ones. It turned out to be a little like a treasure hunt.

The Lord told me that the music He was pointing out to me wasn’t meant to replace the very special songs that He’s given to the Family, but that these would simply complement them. He said:

I want you to expand your repertoire of music so you can learn new and different songs. Although you have done this to some extent in the past, I want you to do more of it. There is a vast array of music of all types and styles that expresses the heart of My children in various ways. The songs convey thanks and rejoicing and faith for who I am and what I do for you out of love and mercy.

To know that we have millions of brothers and sisters throughout the world and all of us are part of God’s great kingdom is such a beautiful thing. Knowing that we can be connected to one another here and now through the beautiful songs to the Lord is an exhilarating feeling. I think that it is much the same as it will be in our heavenly home, except that then we’ll be able to sing with all our dear loved ones face to face.

Music is such a spiritual conduit, and we can benefit tremendously from opening our hearts to let His Spirit flow in through this medium of song and praise and declarations of His power, protection, and unconditional love. When a song harmonizes with what your heart wants to express, it touches you in a special way. The more songs like this you discover, the more ways you have to express yourself to Jesus.

You may have your own compilations of songs that speak to you. It’s not about what style of song it is, or who wrote it or who sang it; it’s about finding what helps to put the thoughts and intents of your heart into words. We are all unique, and God has made us so that we respond differently to different songs. I’d like to share some of the ones that the Lord has led me to in case these can help to expand your own collection. Whatever songs we sing, or however we sing them, the Lord wants our hearts to be filled with praise to Him.

One of my fervent desires continues to be for the Lord to draw me closer to Him. He knows my desire to be a better fighter in the spiritual warfare that’s constantly going on all around us. As I went back over these songs, I was impressed by how many of them emphasize fighting the good fight of faith and setting my mind steadfastly on things above, and reminding me to praise, no matter what the circumstances. We all need affirmations of the power of Jesus to overcome life’s difficulties and reminders that what He has done in the past, He can do again.

These songs have also been a great resource for me when I have needed to militantly fight the battles as they come along. When I was praying more about this point, I was reminded how singing is an important “spiritual activity” that we can discover tremendous benefits from.

I love to hear these songs repeatedly. They help me to keep my mind on the Lord. I often pray the words of the songs, and as I do, the lyrics tend to linger in my mind.

These songs give me a desire to stay focused and look forward. They help me to not look at the waves, but to look at Jesus. They help to set me on a path of praise and thanksgiving, and once I’m on that path, it’s easier to continue there. The Lord reminded me that that’s why King David speaks so much about praise in song and how it lifted him up above the daily struggles and brought his focus back into alignment with God. I believe that singing to Jesus and about Him has great possibilities for us as well.

When we face difficult times, it’s helpful to revisit these basic principles of praise and worship, adapting them to whatever we’re facing today, and allowing the lyrics to confirm our faith and help us to build an even stronger connection with the Lord. Jesus is always there with all we need, but we have to be there, too, willing and believing, in order to receive all that He has for us.

The Lord reminded me of something that I had completely forgotten. Even Jesus sang a song with His disciples before heading off on His final journey to the cross. The Bible says, “And when they had sung a hymn, they went out into the Mount of Olives” (Mark 14:26). I imagine Him singing that hymn with His whole heart, allowing it to draw His focus fully onto His Father, knowing that that was where His strength lay.

You’ll see that the first songs in this list are all faster songs with a strong beat. This is the way I like to do my personal playlists, with the faster songs grouped together. It gives me the incentive to get up from my desk and move a little to the music (my kind of dancing), raising my arms to the Lord. It’s a good way to stop and have a little praise time, as well as get a bit of exercise.

Then after the first twenty or so songs, they gradually shift to ones that are more contemplative. Facing the challenges of this life sometimes requires us to throw ourselves into our praises body and soul, but at other times our strength is to sit still and focus on Jesus, like the verse that says, “In quietness and confidence shall be your strength” (Isaiah 30:15).

So, if you’re in a more jump-up-and-dance mood, you can get right into some of the first songs, and if you are looking for something contemplative, you can go about halfway through the list and start from there.

A comment on the music of Russ Taff: I have always had a special liking for gospel music. The Lord reminded me of one of Russ Taff’s songs. Then I looked for others. Many years ago, he was one of my favorite singers, though I haven’t listened to much gospel music since I was in high school when my family went to listen to gospel quartets every Sunday afternoon. That was the highlight of my week. Besides, my daddy would go around the house singing those same songs that we’d heard on Sunday afternoon.

I also enjoy Russ Taff’s songs because I know he has come through the fire, being delivered from very difficult things in his life. He has a background of being demeaned and criticized and told that nothing he did was ever enough. He also struggled with alcoholism for a long time, but he came through these things with a richer, deeper relationship with the Lord and a gratefulness for His mercy.

You may notice another musician accompanying Russ Taff in one of the videos. His name is Gordon Mote. I included one of Gordon’s own videos below as well. Gordon Mote is a musician who has been blind since birth. He started playing at the age of three and acknowledges repeatedly that his talent is a tremendous gift from the Lord to use for His glory.

As a final note: If a song doesn’t have the lyrics incorporated in the video, the text will often be below the video under “Show more.”

Also, you will find that many of these songs have various versions performed by different artists, and you may find that another artist’s rendition is more appealing to you personally.

I pray that these songs will be a blessing to you in your times of praise and worship as they have been to me!

You’re the Lion of Judah – Robin Mark
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHiskcgd4d4

The Battle Belongs to You – Phil Wickham
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=johgSkNj3-A

I Raise a Hallelujah – Bethel Music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3RRU25dpPg

Warrior – Hannah Kerr
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQpKSpgrwQE

In the Eye of the Storm – Brian Fowler / Ryan Stevenson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZB0ReTpA6Gg

Joy of the Lord – Rend Collective
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3gLeCiMJqI

Every Giant Will Fall – Rend Collective
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF84v-oOhp0

Sing It from the Shackles – Rend Collective
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YF2wV9AREVM

I Will Be Undignified – Rend Collective
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hR1AoXyqsZ0

At the Corner of Heartbreak Ridge and New Hope Road – Russ Taff
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBPlNI1EuZE

They Call It Gospel – Russ Taff
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJ0e6G-hGVk

When He Set Me Free – Russ Taff
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtTk9Kas9Cs

One More River to Cross – Woody Wright
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGhLe4FW8Wg

Trumpet of Jesus – Russ Taff
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnsPvNbjo-8

Ain’t No Grave – Russ Taff
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYaz9yWLEWg

Oh Buddha – Russ Taff
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uByXpOte0Rw

You’ve Got Time to Pray – Gordon Mote
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMwdcRsEZBYandlist

Blessed Be Your Name – Matt Redman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTpTQ4kBLxA

God of Angel Armies – Chris Tomlin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOkImV2cJDg

More Than Conquerors – Rend Collective
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2p8_4NbrcKA

Every Victory – Daniel Gokey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qK357WBUNu0

Peace Be Still – Lauren Daigle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lJxib3_uuU

Almost Home – Mercy Me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lKdHXfpsFQ

Bring the Rain – Mercy Me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtjxCx-7Hps

The Hurt and the Healer – Mercy Me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pmau3tkeEh0

I Offer My Life – Don Moen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcFRbuIbyoE

God Will Make a Way – Don Moen
https://youtu.be/_rSWXf2Y4z0

You Have My Surrender – Lauren Daigle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2b0yJ-s730

You Say – Lauren Daigle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8WK9HmF53w

I Will Trust in You – Lauren Daigle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXMPNXXnCls

Sheltered in the Arms of God – Lynda Randle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szRzDFQI4Ow

I Will Be Still and Know That You Are God – Hillsong
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FrEmqyM4-k

10,000 Reasons – Matt Redman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXDGE_lRI0E

Solid Rock – Unspoken Music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHrSCaRImTQ

Above All – Lenny LeBlanc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_cxhf5ISeg

Open My Eyes That I May See – TheNCrew
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OU9sNkhWbDkandlist

In Christ Alone – TheNCrew
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjiiF83q7G0andlist

One Day – Matt Redman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGAdaGbmfFs

Angels We Have Heard on High – TheNCrew
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6v_TAIF_qI

Praise the Lord – Russ Taff
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iYC55-469U

Broken Ladders – Selah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kvzgoH-l90

I Look to You – Selah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uisK2hGGpo0

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God – Christian Hymns with Lyrics Choir
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60nbdWBbNTw

Originally published July 2021. Adapted and republished July 2024. Read by Lenore Welsh.

Peace with God Through Faith

7/28/24 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we^[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. ²Through him we have also obtained access by faith^[b] into this grace in which we stand, and we^[c] rejoice^[d] in hope of the glory of God. ³Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, ⁴and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, ⁵and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5) ESV

A Transfer of Confidence

A compilation

2011-08-01

Mistakes are going to happen. There’s no way not to make them, and so it’s a smart move to transfer your energy and worry away from thinking “Oh no, I might make a mistake,” to “when I make a mistake (which I will), I hope that I can really learn something useful from it.”—Jesus, speaking in prophecy

Failure is one of God’s primary tools in making you the kind of person He wants you to be. He’ll use failure to mold you, shape you, and develop your character. The truth is, we rarely learn anything from success. When we succeed we immediately think, “It’s just because of my sheer natural talent.” We don’t figure out why we succeeded.

But if we’re wise we’ll use our failures to our advantage. Wise people make the most of failure. It’s a stepping-stone to greater days.

So how can failure benefit me? There’s lots of ways, but here are three of the most important.

God uses failure to educate me.¹Mistakes are a learning process. You figure out what doesn’t work and eventually you’ll figure out what does work. We only learn certain things through failure. It’s just trial and error.
God uses failure to motivate me.²We don’t usually change when we see the light; we change when we feel the heat. Sometimes God has to use a little pain to get us to change and steer us in a new direction. Remember when God dried up the little brook that Elijah depended on for refreshment?³God wanted him to move on. Sometimes it takes failure to make us do what God wants us to do.
God uses failure to help me grow.⁴Failure can actually cultivate our character and help us grow. Romans 5:3–4 says we should rejoice when we run into problems and trials because they “are good for us.” Why can we rejoice in failure? God uses problems to cultivate our character. Failure has a way of softening our hearts. It makes us sensitive to others. It makes us less judgmental. It makes us more sympathetic.

Failure in our lives does not automatically educate us, motivate us, or help us grow. Failure only benefits you if you respond correctly. I know a lot of people who have been through problem after problem, and they’re still jerks. Why? They haven’t responded in the way God wanted them to, so God couldn’t use it.

You may want to forget your worst failures, but God wants to turn them into teachable moments.—Rick Warren

There are a lot of useful things that come out of making mistakes. For one, it can be a form of natural troubleshooting. When mistakes happen, they identify problem areas, either in your mode of operation or within the work or situation itself. These things are useful if you take advantage of them as diagnostic tools to highlight and think and pray about areas that can use improvement.

What’s at the core is what you end up with after the mistake has come and gone. If you walk away from a mistake smarter and more thoughtful, and closer to Me, then that’s a win. The only bad mistakes are the ones that you don’t learn from, or the ones where you take a step backwards because you lose faith and succumb to condemnation.—Jesus, speaking in prophecy

Making a mistake can help you know where to strengthen yourself and where you need more of Me in your life.—Jesus, speaking in prophecy

There’s no machine or plant or animal or even the marvelous, miraculous human body that can fix or repair a problem before it happens. Every organism in the world, made by Me or made by man, is reactionary to mistakes and problems. When the body detects a problem, it fixes it. When programs encounter a virus, then they take action.

You can do your best to avoid problems by being careful and prayerful, but you can’t avoid them completely. While you can do as much as you can to keep things running smoothly, whatever slips by beyond that is something you can learn from to make things even better. That’s the way to look at it.

No one is perfect, and no one can anticipate and plan for every possible weak area or potential failure. So you can look at mistakes as a helpful early-warning system, alerting you to give more attention to an area that you may not have otherwise noticed.—Jesus, speaking in prophecy

Don’t be discouraged by failure. … Failure is, in a sense, the highway to success, inasmuch as every discovery of what is false leads us to seek earnestly after what is true, and every fresh experience points out some form of error which we shall afterwards carefully avoid.—John Keats

Mistakes highlight problems, just like frequent fender-benders on a certain street might highlight the need for an intersection or a traffic light. Even if you find yourself regularly falling short in one area, chances are that the problem isn’t that you’re such a horrible person, but perhaps the way you’re going about a certain thing is flawed in some way and needs to be rethought.—Jesus, speaking in prophecy

Mistakes are the portals of discovery.—James Joyce

People slip up because they’re weak and human. I didn’t create you to be perfect men and women. Mistakes can be your greatest teachers. The best attitude is to determine to learn, grow, and progress through your mistakes. The way to do that is to do your best, slip, fall, get up again, and try to do better next time.—Jesus, speaking in prophecy

The sages do not consider that making no mistakes is a blessing. They believe, rather, that the great virtue of man lies in his ability to correct his mistakes and continually make a new man of himself.—Wang Yang-Ming

Learn from your mistakes, yes. Let them instruct and teach you, yes. But don’t give in to discouragement, don’t wallow in self-pity, don’t feel you have to make a big show to prove how sorry and remorseful you are, or to get sympathy for your error. Everyone makes mistakes, and most people feel bad when they do. But if you really want to prove to others that you’re sorry for what happened, what you’ll do is push aside the—in some ways inviting—feelings of guilt and condemnation and poor-me’s, and face the situation like a fighter and reach into that sticky mess to extract lessons, knowledge, wisdom.

To go through the whole cycle of beating yourself up and hand wringing and despair is really just self-indulgent. Or, if you want the “get tough” mindset on it, it’s bad enough that you made the mistake in the first place; don’t make it worse by being a crybaby. Face the fact that it happened, and realize that somewhere in it all I allowed it to happen, which means I can use it for good. And then roll up your sleeves, accept responsibility, and get ahold of Me to find out what went wrong and how you can learn from it and improve.

When you do that, you win every time. There’s no situation that can’t end up positive if you’re willing to do the hard work of finding the lesson or the good. Even when you’re going through the painful process of living with your mistake for a while, which sometimes happens, if you keep an “I will survive and be stronger for it” attitude, you’ll come through victorious.—Jesus, speaking in prophecy

Whenever you make a mistake or get knocked down by life, don’t look back at it too long. Mistakes are life’s way of teaching you. Your capacity for occasional blunders is inseparable from your capacity to reach your goals. No one wins them all, and your failures, when they happen, are just part of your growth. Shake off your blunders. How will you know your limits without an occasional failure? Never quit.—Og Mandino

When you make a mistake, it’s natural to feel your confidence is shaken, and it’s all too easy to become hesitant and ineffective. But instead, through the mistakes you make I want to bring about a transfer of confidence. I want your confidence to be in Me rather than limited to yourself and your own abilities.

You need confidence—but the safe kind of confidence is confidence placed in Me and in My ability to work through you. Without confidence, self-doubt can overwhelm you and make you genuinely ineffective and wavering. You’ll be weak when it’s time to make choices and decisions, and that lack of faith and confidence will distract and hinder you.

There’s no reason to let a mistake destroy your ability to be decisive and take action and continue to move forward in confidence. Let your pride take the knock, not your confidence in Me or in My ability to work through you.

I forgive your mistakes, I deliver you from condemnation, I’m waiting to move forward with you, and I want you to gain something valuable from any mistake or setback. If you’re walking away from a mistake with a renewed conviction of how very much I need to be part of your life, then that’s a good deal.—Jesus, speaking in prophecy

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.—Theodore Roosevelt

Published August 2011. Read by Dulcinea Fox.
Music by Michael Fogarty.

¹ Psalm 119:71.

² Proverbs 20:30.

³ 1 Kings 17.

⁴ Romans 5:3–4.

So You Want to Be a Leader?

David Brandt Berg

1970-12-01

Nearly every great building, every great accomplishment, every great war, every great movement took years of planning and laborious engineering. Every Michelangelo painting was engineered with meticulous care, with advanced sketches, designs, etc., before he finally got to the finished stage.

It takes a lot longer to plan a building than it does to build it. It took me a whole lot longer to select the property, plan my church building, scrounge the materials, design it, and do all the figuring to prepare the ground and lay the almost invisible foundation. It took much longer to do all that than to lay the blocks, build the walls, and stick the roof on. That was the fun part. That was when you could really see something. But the people who got excited as they saw the walls and roof go up only saw the smallest part of the job.

Every builder loves to get to that physical part of the job that is seen, which people begin to exclaim about, the visible. It’s the invisible, below the surface, long, hard hours and days and weeks and months, and sometimes years of planning, and the slow laying of the foundation that’s the hardest part, takes the most time, and for which you get the least credit, but without which there would never be a building and it would never stand.

You can ask any businessman about that: The pleasurable part is the finished product—the shiny new car standing there, the people raving about it. But they don’t see the blood, the sweat, and the tears in the months and years of planning and designing, trial and error, and preparation behind it. They can’t see the intricate and delicate wiring and mechanical systems that lie beneath the surface, that are far more difficult to install and much more vital to its efficient operation than any nice, shiny polish and paint on the surface. But what really appeals to the women who buy the cars is the looks of the product—the pretty surface—the color, the shape, the upholstery. They couldn’t begin to understand the intricate mechanism of the engine, the lights, the ignition system, the transmission system, and all the other complicated mechanical and electronic parts unseen beneath the surface, which took a lot more time to design and install and make it work, than that pretty paint and polish.

Even a well-cooked meal can take hours of thought, labor, organization, and preparation, and only looks good and smells good for a few minutes—and then it’s gone. The consumer can’t possibly appreciate all the time and effort that’s gone into it in the brief moment that he enjoys it, unless he has been a cook and knows what it is to have to plan the meal, buy the ingredients, and prepare it, cook it, and serve it.

That’s really the way it is with most things in life. A banana is another example. It just appears for the moment—here today and gone tomorrow—and all the hard work of the farmer behind it is invisible. The months or years of clearing, planning, plowing, planting, growing, fertilizing, pruning, harvesting, transporting, marketing—all of this is unseen behind that little banana. All we do is enjoy it momentarily, without even thinking about the hard work behind it.

I don’t even understand the clothes I have on. I don’t know what it took to design this pair of pants, nor the work behind the raising of sheep, shearing, wool gathering, selling it to the thread maker, and then the spinning of each little tiny thread, then the intricate weaving of the cloth into complicated designs of different colors. Think of the elaborate machinery it must have taken—years of planning, invention, design, and labor that have gone into the making of the cloth. Then the tailor had to design and plan the pants—how to cut the cloth, how to put it together, how to make it fit, what shape it would be, how it would hang, what it would have—pockets, belt straps, zipper, etc., waist size, length, and all these things. We don’t think about these things when we go to buy a pair of pants. All we see is a pair of pants, and we decide whether we like what we see and whether they fit.

We don’t begin to appreciate the years of unseen labor and invention behind them, which was only learned through experience and planning, discoveries and inventions and trials and errors, successes and failures, and joys and heartbreaks of generations—all the unseen handiwork, time, thought and labor behind one pair of pants. We just see it, buy it, wear it, and don’t worry about it. But it took somebody or a lot of somebodies years of time and thought and invention and discovery and labor to produce it.

Every bit of food we eat, the clothing we wear, the buildings we live in, the vehicles we travel in, and even all the little tiny necessities of everyday life are just the brief and temporary visible end products of generations of thought, invention, discovery, experimentation, designing, planning and producing by a world of laborers with a world of labor. We have entered into other men’s labors and reaped that on which we bestowed no labor (John 4:38). One plants, another waters; but it is God that gives the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6–7).

God’s behind-the-scene labors are almost totally invisible—the work of creation that produced the universe and keeps it running, His design and plan for man, His constant care for His creations from the realm of the Spirit, that behind-the-scenes workshop where God actually does most of His labor. “Set not, therefore, your affections on things on the earth, for the things which are seen are temporal”—only temporary, only the slightly visible manifestation of all the unseen work behind them—“but the things which are not seen are eternal”—the spiritual world which produced them, the power and planning of God (2 Corinthians 4:18). You don’t know how He did it. All you do is enjoy it. You can’t even comprehend it. All you do is consume it.

But somebody had to do it. As Dr. Robert Millikan said, “Behind every watch there had to be a watchmaker, and so behind the intricate precision of this great universe, there had to be a divine designer and Creator.” Behind every great creation, whether of God or man, there had to be worlds of work, planning, preparation, designing, invention, discovery, exploration, organization, and cooperation, in order to produce the finished product—the thing that’s seen—which does not begin to reveal the vast unseen labor and the multitudes of laborers behind it.

Even so, with the creation of a new nation, a war, a reformation, or a revolution—or any major change in history—somebody had to dream of it before it could happen. Somebody had to have the inspiration, the vision, the faith, the ingenuity, the genius, the spark that kindled the fire! You only see the fire and thrill and marvel at its glory. You don’t see the work and planning behind it—the problems in gathering materials, figuring out how to start it and keep it going.

Maybe you used to look at a big business and wish you were the boss, to enjoy the glory and the riches, and to get to tell other people what to do. But you’d have been better to work your eight hours and not worry, lest someday you’d become the boss and work at all hours, and have all the worry. Because you couldn’t possibly see all the problems, the difficulties, the obstacles, the troubles, the complications behind it—how hard it is to know what to do, to make decisions and to tell other people how to do it, and to be willing to take the blame for the failures, as well as credit for the successes. Because possessions, employees, businesses and governments are much more responsibility than enjoyment, much more hard work than pleasure.

As the great Scottish poet Robert Burns wrote as a whole world was toasting his fame, “Would that I were back with the wee sma’ daisy,” “For the best laid plans of mice and men, aften gang aglae.” He was wishing he were back, a wee small boy again, playing on the Scottish heather, gazing in wonder at the tiny flowers, without a care or responsibility in the world, unconcerned about the world around him—a world that didn’t even know he existed. But now that he was famous, he had to worry about his work and his writing, the opinions of man, and his successes and failures, and no longer had the time to enjoy the simple, uncomplicated things of life, or even the poems about them which had made him great. He was too busy.

You’d better enjoy being a buck private while you can, with very little worry or responsibility, credit or blame, cursing or fame. One of these days you may be the general and have most of the work and nearly all the worry—and usually all the blame. You may look at your leaders and think, “My, I’d like to be like him or her. I wish I had their position.” Watch out! Some day you may have and wish you didn’t but have to. You couldn’t begin to fathom the depths of despair, the heartbreaks, trials, tribulations, the bitter experiences, the fires of testing they had to go through to make them the pure gold they are today, the white-hot heat of the furnace they had to endure before they became the lovely colorful ceramic that they now are.

Don’t ask for leadership. Don’t even desire it. You don’t know what you’re asking for. Don’t try to be a leader unless God shoves you into it and you have to be! Just be thankful that you don’t have to do the leading, make the decisions, carry the burden of the responsibility, and suffer the blame.

You don’t realize how much goes into leadership: the years of the school of hard knocks, years of experience, trial and error, success and failure, suffering and tribulation—the years of following, obedience and training, the vast work of the Spirit, the innumerable lessons, the grades you had to take over again, the demotions as well as the promotions, the failures as well as the accomplishments, the blame as well as the fame, the unseen labor, the unrealized thought, the hours, days, weeks, months and years of prayerful planning, the blood, the sweat, the tears, the agony with the ecstasy—all that goes into the making of a leader.

Leaders are made, not born. They’re the brief and final end product of God’s infinite care, design, and preparation. Here today and gone tomorrow. “For what is your life? It’s but a vapor. It’s here a little while and then it’s gone” (James 4:14). It takes so long to grow into the full bloom, the full fruit of leadership, so your actual brief span of leadership is short by comparison to the years of preparation.

Don’t envy your leaders. Pity them. Pray for them. Help them. They need you. And don’t desire leadership, unless God forces it on you. I dare say you’ll not find a leader in the Bible who wanted to be a leader. Most of them tried to get out of the job! It takes too long, it’s too hard, and you’ll never get enough credit for it. But without them, God’s work can’t go on.

Just appreciate the end product. Enjoy it. Learn from it. Follow its example. And help it. Be thankful you don’t have to be one, until God makes you. Nearly every great leader in the Bible had to be pushed into it. Only in the folly of this world do men fight each other for fickle fame and fortune. Only in the sickening system of this world do men struggle for power, position, riches and glory—only to find that it doesn’t satisfy.

Like Alexander the Great, who, having conquered the known world, died drunken and weeping that there were no more worlds to conquer. Or Napoleon, who made all Europe tremble at his feet, but died in exile, whimpering like a baby, just to have his boots pulled on, that he might die like a soldier. Or Julius Caesar, whose friends stabbed him in the back at the pinnacle of fame. All these died in vain. The elusive butterfly of fortune weighed them in the balances and found them wanting. They paid such an awful price for it, when it wasn’t worth it. They sacrificed everything for it, only to discover it was ashes between their teeth. Husks, husks, husks. Like the Prodigal Son in the swine pit, with nothing left but the “husks that the swine did eat” (Luke 15:16).

What a pitiful end product are the men of this world, and even the Christians, who fail God. At least God’s leaders, who pay the same price and make the same sacrifices, can look forward to eternal rewards and everlasting glory and can die with a feeling of genuine permanent accomplishment from a lifetime of investment in His work, which will reap eternal dividends hereafter.

But you’ll never know what they went through to get there until you’ve gone through it yourself. And nobody in his right mind would ever do it for anybody but God and His children. Most of your work is unseen and will never be known by anybody but God and you, and perhaps a few of those closest to you. Most of your sufferings, your sacrifices, and your years of labor will never be appreciated in this life, nor realized by others until the rewards are handed out in heaven and the medals are pinned on at the Marriage Feast of the Lamb and the cities are distributed in the Millennium.

You say, “Lord, we are able” (Matthew 20:22). But you don’t know what you’re asking for. Just thank God for your leaders and hope you never have to be one. Don’t try to be a leader unless you have to be! Don’t desire leadership, unless God makes you lead—unless the time comes when you see the job that has to be done and there’s nobody else to do it but you, and you know you have to do it. It’s God’s will, God’s plan, and you’re ready—even if you don’t feel like it. Ready by the long preparation, planning, designing and making of a man by the hand of God.

As Kipling said, “If you can meet success and failure, and treat these two impostors the same … then you’ll be a man, my son.” Simply because you have the satisfaction of knowing you’re doing the will of God—that you were made for the job, that you can’t help it, you have to do it. He expects it of you. That’s what it costs to be a leader. “To live in fame, and die in flame”—and sometimes they have to live in flame and die in shame before the world.

We are God’s expendables, created to burn out on His altar of sacrifice—made to wear out as His tools of design; to die, that you might live. For “no greater love hath any man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). We “die daily” (1 Corinthians 15:31). We can only offer you an invitation to come and die with us—to die to the flesh that ye may live in the spirit.

After years in the making, preparation, and planning, you may only be a brief flare which lights up the landscape for but a moment in the heat of battle, that the victory may be won. But that lifetime of preparation is worth it all, even if for only that “moment of truth” and recognition by the Lord. That moment of usefulness that you were designed for, that day when you stood in the gap, that hour when you met the need, that time when you fulfilled your mission. And you can hear His “Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord” (Matthew 25:21). All this and heaven too!

You’ll never appreciate your leaders till you have to join them in leadership. We’ll probably never fully appreciate God until we join Him in glory and see what it really cost Him.—How much time it took, what infinite care and love and patience. How much unseen labor went into the end product—little old insignificant you and me. Praise His name forever. “All glory and praise to the Lamb that was slain, who hath borne all our sins and hath cleansed every stain.”^[1]

“Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest yet be wearied and faint in your minds. My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him: For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth” (Hebrews 12:1–3, 5, 6).

Do you still want to be a leader?

^[1] From “Revive Us Again” by William Mackay and John Husband, 1863.

A Place Prepared

A compilation

2013-12-31

By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.—Hebrews 11:8–10, 13–16¹

Since 1906, every other year, there’s been a race from Los Angeles to Hawaii. It’s called the Transpac Race.

There’s a tradition in the Transpac Race, no matter when you finish the race, even if it’s two in the morning. When you pull into the Ala Moana Marina in Oahu, there’s a guy who announces the name of the boat and every crew member who made the trip. There’s a huge loudspeaker, and his booming voice bursts through the trade winds and welcomes each person home.

I’ll spare you most of the details of the trip. [But] it was a few hours before dawn. It had been sixteen days since we set out from Los Angeles in our little boat knowing very little about navigation. Suddenly the silence was broken by a booming voice announcing the names of our ragtag crew like he was introducing the heads of state. One by one he announced all of our names with obvious pride in his voice, and it became a really emotional moment for each of us onboard.

When he came to my name, he didn’t talk about how few navigation skills I had or the zigzag course I’d led us on to get there. He didn’t tell everyone I didn’t even know which way north was or about all my other mess-ups. Instead, he just welcomed me in from the adventure like a proud father would. When he was done, there was a pause and then in a sincere voice his last words to the entire crew were these: “Friends, it’s been a long trip. Welcome home.”

I’ve always thought that heaven might be kind of a similar experience. … After we each cross the finish line in our lives, I imagine it like floating into the Hawaiian marina when our names were announced, one by one. And at the end, perhaps simple words spoken by a loving proud God will be, “Friends, it’s been a long trip. Welcome home.”—Bob Goff²

Oft times the day seems long, our trials hard to bear,
We’re tempted to complain, to murmur and despair;
But Christ will soon appear to catch His Bride away,
All tears forever over in God’s eternal day.

It will be worth it all when we see Jesus,
Life’s trials will seem so small when we see Christ;
One glimpse of His dear face all sorrow will erase,
So bravely run the race till we see Christ.
—Esther Kerr Rusthoi

The more of heaven we cherish, the less of earth we covet.—David Brandt Berg³

Thinking about heaven can inspire and encourage us to be more heavenly minded and realize that heaven is a real place where we’re really going to live.—David Brandt Berg⁴

Think of it —
Stepping on shore,
and finding it heaven!
Of taking hold of a hand,
and finding it God’s hand.
Of breathing a new air,
and finding it celestial air.
Of feeling invigorated,
and finding it immortality.
Of passing from storm to tempest
to an unbroken calm.
Of waking up and finding it home.
—Author unknown

I think perhaps I mentioned one time that I did not have my citizenship in this country, because I had married a Swede who had been born in Sweden, and who didn’t have his citizenship. If they only knew, he was such a wonderful man of God. It was during the days of the war, and if you married one who was an alien, you became an alien! Well, my people had been born in this country, my great-grandparents and all.

Yet that made an alien of me, and every month I had to send in where I was and account for myself because I was “an alien!” It was such a ridiculous situation, and I haven’t time to go into all the facets of it, but I can tell you it was most embarrassing. It took me some time to get that citizenship.

Then it was that this passage became such a comfort to my heart, that my citizenship was in heaven. “For our citizenship is in heaven,” Philippians 3:20. And I want to comment on this for just a wee bit.

Some time ago I found myself one night paying a real price and sacrifice to sit up and hear through a late program. It was regarding one of our national crises; I think at that time that it was in Africa.

I wanted to be well informed, and more and more I found myself trying to keep up with as many phases of that situation in Africa, and I didn’t realize until this particular night that it was pulling on me spiritually.

I was getting so entangled with the affairs of this world, though I wasn’t doing anything worldly, except just trying to keep up with the news, as I see it, and be well informed so that I could converse intelligently with other people.

But I found myself trying to keep up with so many phases of the mess this old world is in, and I couldn’t do it without worrying and feeling almost in bitterness sometimes, and some frustration because of the world condition; it was taking the keen edge off of my spiritual life. It was on this particular night, of this late program, that I just had it out with my soul.

I’m not saying anything against being well informed, but information that is needful and can be used for God’s glory—that’s different. I want to be a good citizen, but first of all, let’s remember this passage, that our citizenship is in heaven.—Virginia Brandt Berg⁵

You know the feeling you have when you’re at a wedding, listening to the music, waiting for the ceremony to start? Remember the anticipation, the intense emotion, the richness of meaning in the event? Then the groom and his men enter up front. And from the back, the procession starts down the aisle, from flower girls to bridesmaids. Suddenly the music swells, everyone stands and turns, the doors burst open, and in sweeps the lovely bride on her father’s arm. Everyone is in awe of the beauty and power of the moment. And you know that you’re all about to witness a new beginning that was always meant to be.

Keep that picture of heaven in your mind too. There’s a wedding in the future, and it is ours. We wait in great anticipation for God and His people to finally be united. We wait and ache for the pleasure of what is about to happen.

And it will.

One day, the gates of heaven will burst open, and people of the kingdom will be together forever with our King at last.—Rick McKinley⁶

Published on Anchor December 2013. Read by Jerry Paladino.
Music by Michael Dooley.

¹ KJV.

² Love Does (Thomas Nelson, 2012).

³ Glimpses of Heaven (Aurora Production, 2004).

⁴ Glimpses of Heaven (Aurora Production, 2004).

⁵ http://virginiabrandtberg.org/meditation-moments/mm061_heavenly-citizenship.html.

⁶ This Beautiful Mess (Multnomah Books, 2006).

The Unexpected Adventure

July 26, 2024

By Lee Strobel

Lee Strobel has been directing skeptics to the investigation of the person of Jesus since The Case For Christ came off the press in 1998. In this talk, Strobel urges listeners to live their lives on the “evangelistic edge” by asking the question, “What would it look like if Jesus lived under your roof?”

Run time for this video is 42 minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pbv9ym5hFoY

Refraining from Anger (Psalm 37:8)

July 25, 2024

Treasures

Audio length: 13:40

Download Audio (12.5MB)

A little-known poet and hymn-writer once wrote:

I spoke a word in anger
To one who was my friend.
Like a knife it cut him deeply,
A wound that was hard to mend…

How many hearts are broken,
How many friends are lost
By some unkind word spoken,
Before we count the cost!

But a word or deed of kindness
Will repay a hundredfold.
For it echoes again in the hearts of men
And carries a joy untold.
—C. A. Lufburrow

How true the saying, “The anger of today is the remorse of tomorrow.” How deeply we regret words spoken in angry impatience, words that we wish we had never said. As Matthew Henry (1662–1714) once wrote, “When anger was in Cain’s heart, murder was not far off.” When we give way to anger, self-control is at an all-time low, reason decreases, and the voice of common sense dissipates.

It was in a sudden burst of anger that Moses killed an Egyptian and had to flee for his life (Exodus 2:11–15). It then took him 40 years of patiently, humbly tending sheep in the wilderness, with time to listen to the voice of God instead of his own impulses, before he was ready for the slow, laborious, patient work of delivering the Hebrews from Egypt.

The Bible has a lot to say about anger and not allowing our actions to be guided by it. The book of Ecclesiastes says, “Do not be hasty in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools” (Ecclesiastes 7:9). In Colossians we are instructed to “put to death” and “put away all anger and rage,” and to “put on, as God’s chosen ones, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience” (Colossians 3:5–12).

While Jesus taught that anger with a brother or sister would lead to judgment (Matthew 5:22), the New Testament also tells us that Jesus was stirred up with righteous indignation on several occasions. In Mark chapter 3, we read that Jesus went into a synagogue of the Jews and found a man there with a withered or shriveled hand. Some of His religious enemies were watching closely to see if He would break their laws by healing this man on the Sabbath.

Jesus ordered the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone!” He then turned toward the religionists and asked them, “Which is lawful to do on the Sabbath: To do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?”

They were silenced by His question. “And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ And the man’s hand was completely restored” (Mark 3:1–5). Jesus was angered and grieved at the hypocrisy and the hardness of His accusers’ hearts.

Another time that the Bible says Jesus manifested His displeasure was when the people were bringing little children for Him to touch and bless. But His disciples rebuked and tried to send away those who brought the children. “But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant. And He said to them, ‘Let the little children come to Me! Do not hinder them, for of such is the kingdom of God’” (Mark 10:13–14).

The crowning example of Jesus’ righteous indignation was when He found the merchants and the money-changers robbing and exploiting the poor in the name of God. He made a whip, stormed into the temple, and drove out the money-changers, overturned their tables, poured out their money, and loudly rebuked them, saying, “You have turned the house of prayer into a den of thieves and robbers!” (Matthew 21:12–13; John 2:14–16).

God’s Word says, “You who love the Lord, hate evil!” (Psalm 97:10), and “The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil” (Proverbs 8:13). If we really love and fear the Lord, we will not sit idly by and remain silent or respond passively to outright evil, wrongdoings, and injustices. The Bible tells us that “God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth” (Romans 1:18).

However, there is a vast difference between God’s wrath and Jesus’ righteous indignation and our human anger, of which the Bible says, “human anger does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:20). Sad to say, we do not usually become angry for such noble reasons as those mentioned above. Often our anger simply results from concern about ourselves, or when we or people we care about have been slighted or mistreated by others, or when we run out of patience and we become frustrated, upset, and angry.

When we realize and recognize that we are becoming angry or upset, it is important to consciously make an effort to keep such emotions under control instead of letting them spill out in uncontrolled actions or words. The Bible says, “Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger” (James 1:19).

To “be quick to hear” means patiently listening and thinking and praying about how to respond, and making a deliberate effort to control anger and express our feelings in a healthy way that will honor God. The Bible says that patience and self-control are fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23), which are important to cultivate in our everyday lives and interactions with others, as the following story told by Billy Graham so aptly illustrates:

Many years ago a clergyman in a poor part of London became burdened for the dockworkers in his parish. Their work was hard, thankless, and poorly paid, and he decided that if he was ever to reach them with the Gospel of Christ he must become one of them. Day after day he dressed like them and stood in line waiting for a job, never telling who he really was. Finally one winter’s day he was hired to help unload a freighter, moving goods in a wheelbarrow from boat to dock along a narrow plank. On one trip he felt the plank rock violently and he lost his footing and fell into the cold river. Laughter rang out, and he realized one of the men had deliberately jiggled the plank to make him fall.

His first impulse was to react in anger (for he had often struggled with his temper)—but almost instantly he sensed the power of the Holy Spirit overcoming his anger and giving him peace. He grinned and joined in their laughter, and to his surprise, the culprit dropped his load and helped him out of the muck. His tormentor-turned-rescuer, taken aback by his calm reaction, began talking with him. Later the man shamefacedly revealed that he had once been a highly respected physician, but alcohol had robbed him of both his profession and his family. The clergyman led him to Christ, and in time the man was reunited with his family and restored to his position. But here is the point: it would never have happened if the Spirit of God hadn’t conquered the clergyman’s temper and replaced it with the gentleness and love of Christ. The Holy Spirit made the difference.—Billy Graham (The Journey)

The Bible also associates anger with a lack of wisdom: “A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control” (Proverbs 29:11). And “Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly” (Proverbs 14:29). It is wise to not give voice to anger when you are upset in your own spirit, but to wait until after you have calmed down. Anger causes mistakes, hurts those we love, and destroys friendships, whereas wisdom exercises self-control. “A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense” (Proverbs 19:11).

Many people have found that redirecting the pent-up energy that their anger has generated helps them to overcome it, such as by exercising, working in the garden, taking a walk, washing the car, organizing the kitchen, etc. This helps them to refocus their attention away from what made them angry in the first place, thus giving them time to cool off, to think and pray about a solution to the problem, and to find constructive ways of dealing with it.

Some people try to ignore the fact that they’re upset, but pent-up, unexpressed anger can be unhealthy and has been medically proven to cause all kinds of problems, ranging from ulcers to anxiety and depression. It can also lead to bitterness, which can affect our spiritual health and relationship with the Lord, which is why the Apostle Paul taught us to “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander.” Instead, we are to be kind and forgive others “just as God through Christ has forgiven us” (Ephesians 4:31–32).

So if you recognize that you are growing angry with someone, “Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry” (Ephesians 4:26). Confess your feelings before they get out of control and ask the Lord for His wisdom and His help to replace these feelings with patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22–23).

Memorize scriptures that speak of patience and faith and putting our trust in God, and how we as Christians should behave toward others. Proverbs 16:32 says, “Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that controls his temper than he who conquers a city.” Ask God for His help. He has promised to be our refuge and strength and a very present help in times of trouble, and He never fails (Psalm 46:1)!

Of course, there are times when we are justifiably upset with someone, such as when they purposely wrong or harm us or others. For such cases, Jesus said, “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them” (Luke 17:3–4). “Rebuke,” according to the dictionary, means “to reprove sharply, to reprimand.” Even in the case that this results in broken relationships, we are still called to forgive, as is evident by Jesus’ response to Peter when he asked Him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus responded by saying, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times” (Matthew 18:21–22).

So remember that as followers of Christ, “the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others,” and “as you forgive others’ sins, so your heavenly Father will forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:14–15). “And as you wish that others should do to you, so do unto them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12). And “love your neighbor as yourself,” for this is God’s Golden Rule (Matthew 22:39–40). “Owe no one anything except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law” (Romans 13:8).

May God help us to be loving, kind, and forgiving, even as Christ has loved and forgiven us!

From an article in Treasures, published by the Family International in 1987. Adapted and republished July 2024. Read by Reuben Ruchevsky.

Ecclesiastes

The Grit

July 24, 2024

By Chris Cedar

The term “integrity” as part of character is often broadly interpreted. From one person to the next, the guidelines of “acting with integrity” can morph to accommodate individual circumstances. However, true integrity is as solid a piece of one’s character as a cornerstone of granite. Once it becomes a part of the foundation, it does not adapt to the point of weakness, nor does it look to the other stones to see “how they’re doing it.” It stands, firm, immovable, and much needed in its place. Without it, the building will not last. So stands integrity. Without it, neither individuals nor society can succeed. So let’s take a look at the integral elements of integrity.

Here’s a quote by Junius, a writer from the 18th century: “The integrity of men is to be measured by their conduct, not by their professions.”

Sound familiar? It has also been said by my favorite author of all time—Jesus Christ—in these words: “You will know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16).

What comes to mind when you think of integrity? How would you define someone acting with integrity toward you? Personally, I’d say it means they are concerned about their treatment of me and they behave with decency and reliability when they interact with me. If I said, “That person has integrity,” I’d be referring to their moral standard in all circumstances. I would expect them to act even to their own hurt if it is right, and to resist the temptation to compromise, lie, cheat, or sidestep for gain. The definition simply helps us to understand it better; active integrity is dependent on what we and others do with what we know is right.

Here’s how the Bible defines it: “We do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God” (2 Corinthians 4:2).

So, how do we commend ourselves to every person’s conscience? By “manifesting the truth.” Do you think Jesus was just using a pleasant metaphor when He said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32)? Let’s think about what that means: Truth equals freedom. Which means the reverse is just as true: Lack of truth equals lack of freedom, or rather, captivity.

Captive to what? Proverbs 11:6 explains, “The righteousness of the upright will deliver them, but the treacherous will be caught by their own greed.” When we don’t live truthfully, then we become captive to our own greed, or as some translations put it, our own lust, mischief, desires, etc. The key point here is “our own.” We need to try with all that is within us to be more than simply ourselves—to be more like Jesus, who is truth, and in His truth is freedom.

We can look at it this way: Integrity equals “the grit in you.” The term “grit” is often used in description of character to mean “tough, down-to-earth, reliable courage and determination,” or “stubborn courage; brave perseverance.” In that sense, integrity is being determined to the point of stubbornness to do what we know is right—regardless of the easier alternatives. The “grit” comes into play when we’re faced with a situation where the “easiest” thing to do goes against what we know is right. What is accepted or practiced around you makes no difference. Grit is that part of you which guides your actions, interactions, and the way you think. And for believers, this “grit” comes from a foundation based on God’s Word.

Throughout the centuries, until recently, someone’s word was their bond.—“Bond” meaning you were obligated to fulfill it; it was like signing a contract. If someone had promised someone else that they would do such-and-such, then that is exactly what they would do, come what may. And if they didn’t, not only would they be dishonored and practically a social outcast, but often their family would feel compelled to fulfill the promise they made. It was not a light thing to give your word, and when you did, you meant it. Your word and your honor were your most precious possessions.

Here’s something to think about: Which of all your possessions would you consider the most useful and valuable? Would you easily throw it away? I doubt it. Well, we should be just as reluctant to “throw away” our integrity. Listen to what Alan K. Simpson, a successful businessman, had to say:

“If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don’t have integrity, nothing else matters.”

So, cancelling an appointment at the very last minute because “Oh, I can just quickly call them,” or failing to follow through on a promise—however unimportant to us—or saying one thing yet acting differently; these actions rob us. They rob us of this priceless possession, this part of us that defines, directs, and enriches us: integrity. Do we sometimes feel the whole truth may be a detriment to our agenda, so perhaps it’s better left unsaid? If so, we need to remember Romans 12:17: “Provide things honest in the sight of all men.”

Again, honesty equals truth. Truth equals freedom. Freedom equals happiness for us and those around us. No one wants to be around a person they cannot depend on, but everyone loves a man or woman whose actions speak as loud as their words!

We all fail at times, whether intentionally or not, but acknowledging the failure and getting up each time to try again is what makes the difference.

If we can be strong in Jesus—honest, straightforward, caring, honorable, and faithful—we will have “integrity”; we will have the “grit” to make it through unstable times, and the ability to share God’s love with others—through an example of strong character and unfailing integrity.

Adapted from a Just1Thing podcast, a Christian character-building resource for young people.

Who We Are in Christ

July 23, 2024

Compilation

Audio length: 10:09

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“Our greatest need is to become who we already are in Christ.”¹ That single sentence changed everything for me as it opened up a whole new world of self-understanding.

The idea that I should be who I already am in Christ laid an entire foundation for my identity and constructed a pathway to security, significance, and satisfaction. It saved me no end of pain and confusion in my walk with the Lord Jesus Christ, and has made me passionate to help new Christians discover their real identity in Christ. …

When people come to new life in Christ, our first instinct is to teach them to do. To read the Bible, attend church, become part of a small group, give, and so on. And of course, all these things are important. But there is a prior step. If we are to negotiate living for Christ in all the muck of life, if we are to cope with the ups and downs of our emotions, and the whims of circumstance, and the sheer pressure of our human brokenness, then the first step is to make sure that we know who we are as children of God, as those who have been united to the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is the truth that will enable us to get out of bed in the morning and face the delight and despair of our world. This is the truth that will enable us to cope with success and failure without missing a step. This is the truth that will set us up to walk humbly and confidently with Christ through the day and enable us to reflect on the day that has passed with repentance and faith, and to go to sleep resting in the peace that flows from God’s forgiveness. Knowing ourselves through the gospel is just about the most practical, most necessary truth there is for flourishing in our messy world.—Gary Millar²

Our identity in Christ is first and foremost one of newness. We are new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17); … our new identity in Christ should be recognizable both to ourselves and to others. … The name “Christians” means literally “followers of Christ.” …

Our new identity in Christ means we have the same relationship with God that Christ has—we are His children. God has adopted us as sons. We are able to call Him “Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:15–16). We are both joint heirs (Galatians 3:29) and friends (John 15:15) of Christ. … Instead of fearing God as judge, we have the great privilege of coming to Him as our Father. We can approach Him with confidence and ask of Him what we need (Hebrews 4:16). …

We understand that we are a part of a heavenly, God-ruled kingdom. Things of the earth no longer draw us (Colossians 3:2). We don’t fear or overemphasize suffering on earth or the trials we face (Colossians 1:24; 1 Peter 3:14; 4:12–14), nor do we place importance on things the world values (1 Timothy 6:9–11). Even our bodies and our actions reflect that our minds are no longer conformed to the world (Romans 12:1–2) but are now instruments of righteousness to God (Romans 6:13).—GotQuestions.org³

This isn’t where I thought I’d be at this point in my life.

Chances are you’ve had this thought; I certainly have.

When all my friends were buying houses, I struggled to buy groceries. When the plus sign on the pregnancy test left other women elated, the negative sign on my test left me defeated. When others watched their careers soar, I saw mine get sidetracked.

More than once I’ve hung my head in grief, anger, regret or shame and whispered, “This isn’t where I thought I’d be.”

It’s almost second nature to measure ourselves by where we are in life. We define our position relationally: single, married, widowed, divorced. We define our position professionally: top of the ladder, bottom rung. We even define our emotional well-being in language that alludes to where we are, with phrases like, “I’m in a good place” or “I’m in a tough spot.”

Why do we depend on defining ourselves by where we are?

I suspect it’s because, deep down, we’ve bought into the belief that where we are in life defines who we are in life. But what if this notion simply isn’t true?

Tucked away in the greeting of 1 Peter, we read words that might be easy to miss: “To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces …” (1 Peter 1:1).

Where were Peter’s readers? They were in exile. Who were Peter’s readers? They were God’s elect, “who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood” (1 Peter 1:2).

Exiled by others, they were elected by God. Rejected by culture, they were chosen by Christ. They were out, yet in. Scattered, yet secure.

And so are we. Where we are is not who we are. …

Like those early exiles, only when we maintain a firm grasp on who we are in Christ—chosen by the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, sprinkled by the blood of Christ—can we live obedient to Jesus, especially when where we are is not where we want to be. …

When we finally find ourselves at home in the place where who we are trumps where we are, we discover grace and peace in abundance.

Because no matter where we are—further along than we dreamed or further behind than we hoped—where we are isn’t who we are.—Donna Jones⁴

We are citizens of the world by birth, but citizens of heaven by rebirth.

When we received Jesus, the King of kings, into our hearts, we automatically and instantly became citizens of God’s great heavenly kingdom.

Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36), and the Bible tells us, “His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom” (Daniel 4:3). “Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end … to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever” (Isaiah 9:7).

We are no longer citizens of this temporal world only, but citizens of a new and everlasting world of love and life and truth and justice and happiness in Jesus. We’re citizens of the only truly righteous nation in the universe, the kingdom of Jesus Christ. That’s our country, and heaven is our home.

Are you a citizen of heaven? Have you received your passport? Are you claiming your citizenship papers? Your passport is Jesus, and your citizenship papers are the promises of God for your salvation.—David Brandt Berg

Published on Anchor July 2024. Read by John Laurence. Music by John Listen.

¹ Martyn Lloyd-Jones’s expositions of Ephesians 1, God’s Ultimate Purpose

² https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/become-who-you-already-are

³ https://www.gotquestions.org/identity-in-Christ.html

⁴ https://proverbs31.org/read/devotions/full-post/2022/08/12/this-isnt-where-i-thought-id-be

Promises for the Future

July 22, 2024

Words from Jesus

Audio length: 9:29

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He will swallow up death forever! The Sovereign Lord will wipe away all tears. … In that day the people will proclaim, “This is our God! We trusted in him, and he saved us! This is the Lord, in whom we trusted. Let us rejoice in the salvation he brings!”—Isaiah 25:8–9

I have given many promises in My Word about your future and your eternal place in heaven. During your time on earth, you will never be forsaken. In fact, you will always be cared for, and I will lead you in paths of righteousness for My name’s sake (Psalm 23:3).

I have called each of My children‚ within the realm I have placed them, to be a beacon of light to the world to draw people to Me. You may feel that your efforts to be salt and light in the world often fall very short or don’t seem to make much of a difference. But your faithfulness to fulfill My commission to you is what matters.

I look on the heart and the love and faithfulness therein, not the outward appearance of success or failure. As long as you are willing and yielded to be My messengers and have your heart in the right place, you will be in the right place for Me to work through you as My beacons of light to people in your part of the world.

Encourage yourselves with these words and the knowledge that, as you are faithful to Me, you will fulfill your destiny. Not a single promise that I have given about the future that I have prepared for those who love Me will lack fulfillment (1 Corinthians 2:9). Remember, the best is yet to come!

Raised in glory

Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.—1 John 3:2

Thank you for clinging to Me so faithfully throughout your life. I have promised to bring you through everything you face in this life and bring you safely into My heavenly kingdom (2 Timothy 4:18). I will be with you as you climb to that final mountain peak of victory.

Once you climb that final mountain peak, even if what you will be is not apparent to you now, I have promised that you will be like Me and you will see Me as I am. It is like the transformation of the butterfly. First it is a worm, crawling along the ground, hardly going anywhere. But when I transform it, it becomes a beautiful creation and flies to new places!

I am all-powerful, and nothing is impossible to Me. I am the Creator of the universe, and I formed all that exists—including you. One day your earthly body will be transformed like the butterfly into a thing of great beauty. You will be raised in glory (1 Corinthians 15:42–49).

Strength in weakness

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you … And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.—1 Peter 5:6,10

I know that sometimes you are discouraged by your lacks and failings. Whenever you are tempted to fall into discouragement because of your weaknesses, remember that I have created you, and I knew everything about you before you were even born (Psalm 139:13–16).

Be thankful for how I made you, and remember that My strength is made perfect in your weakness. I have made you just as you are, with your blemishes and imperfections, so that you might glorify Me through your weakness. As I told the Apostle Paul, My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness. You can even glory in your afflictions, knowing that My power will rest on you when you are weak, and you will be made strong by My strength (2 Corinthians 12:9–10).

Even though the Apostle Paul’s writings were powerful, his bodily presence was weak, and his speech was said to be contemptible (2 Corinthians 10:10). When people saw him, they were not impressed with his outward appearance. But his witness was powerful and filled with My Spirit! It took faith and humility on Paul’s part to carry My Word to the nations, as well as faith for the people to believe and receive Paul’s preaching. Those who received it were blessed with My truth and eternal salvation; they found saving grace and the hope of heaven.

I have chosen the weak things of this world to shame the strong, so that no human being might boast in My presence (1 Corinthians 1:27–29). That is part of My plan. In your weakness and dependence on Me, My Spirit can work to fulfill My will and plan for your life and the lives of others.

Allow your weaknesses to keep you humble, for My Spirit will work through your humility. Humility is a virtue that you can cultivate in your life, as you choose to not operate in self-reliance and self-confidence, but place your confidence in Me. Every time you seek Me and ask Me to direct your path and your decisions, you are cultivating humility in your life. The gifts and talents I have given you will grow in the soil of humility.

Great is your reward

Henceforth there is laid up 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 loved his appearing.—2 Timothy 4:8

This earthly life is the trial and proving ground through which you grow in faith and fulfill My calling for you. Avoid the temptation to think it is okay to shirk this life’s tests and trials and take the easy way out now, for this life is your battleground. How you perform on this mission on earth plays a part in the rewards you will receive when you return. Those who endure to the end will receive a crown of life (James 1:12 NKJV).

Your names are written in the book of life (Philippians 4:3) along with all those who have believed and loved Me with their lives. So run the race well, fight the good fight, finish the course, keep the faith, and there will be rewards laid up for you that you cannot begin to imagine!

When you feel discouraged, pause and meditate on the crown of righteousness that is laid up for you in heaven, and for everyone who loves My appearing (2 Timothy 4:7–8). Take courage in the fact that you are still engaged in the warfare for people’s souls and eternal destiny‚ and you staying true to Me.

You have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what I have promised, and the great recompense of reward that awaits you because of your confidence in Me (Hebrews 10:35–36). Remember that great is your reward in heaven as you continue to be true to Me and My Word, and your calling to proclaim the gospel.

Originally published October 2005. Adapted and republished July 2024. Read by Jon Marc. Music by Michael Dooley.

The Knowledge of Good

David Brandt Berg

1984-01-01

Man may be able to invent computers and automatons, but that stuff is eventually going to lead the world to its destruction. “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1:22). Things can be used by the Lord for good—like we use computers—or by mankind and the Devil to destroy the world. Every missile has a built-in computer to guide it to its destination, so computers can be used for good and evil.

The Devil told the truth when he said it was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Up to that time all they had was the knowledge of good, because everything was good; there was no evil except for the Devil. But when they partook of that tree, they got the knowledge of evil—good and evil.

Until they had the knowledge of evil, all they had was good, and they didn’t even know what good was. It took the knowledge of evil to give us the knowledge of good, to understand good and what good is. Because without the bad, you wouldn’t have anything to compare the good with, to know it is good.

They didn’t really get the knowledge of good, to know that it was good and why it was good and how it was good, until Satan gave them the knowledge of evil. He didn’t actually give it to them; they yielded to it by eating the forbidden fruit from the forbidden tree that God had warned them not to eat. That was, of course, the first evil, their lack of faith in the Word of God. The Devil planted doubts and they believed the Devil instead of the Lord and they partook of the fruit. But what God promised happened, and what the Devil promised happened too—at least half of it. When he said, “Ye shall not surely die,” that didn’t happen; they did die, it was a lie! The Devil often tells people half-truths to get people to swallow the lie, his sugar-coated pill (Genesis 3:4).

It’s sad that many people today have gained so much scientific knowledge about the earth, the sun, the moon, the stars, the planets, solar system, and galaxies, and yet they’re so ignorant of the beautiful order and perfection and marvelous synchronization of things like the phases of the moon! God has made a lot of marvelous things, and He put the moon and the stars up there for a reason; He said for lights, to light the day and the night, and to be for signs and seasons so you’d know the difference (Genesis 1:14). Long before people had calendars or clocks or any other way of telling time, that was the way they told time. If you ever got lost out in the woods or out in the desert or somewhere, as many people have, people who knew about these things managed to find their way home. People who didn’t, often starved to death and died, because they didn’t know which direction was which or which way to go.

God has made even the planetary system of the earth and the moon to be a marvelous clock to be able to tell time by, and even the day of the year. In biblical times people could read those signs and tell you what the weather was going to be, etc. They had ways of discerning the signs in the sky and the weather, even though they had no meteorologists. But Jesus said, “You can’t even discern the signs of the times! You don’t even know what day it is spiritually or in history or what’s happening right here in your country.”

God’s creation is fascinating. You can see the hand of God, hear the voice of God in it, and learn so much about God from it. “He which is invisible can be seen in the things that He has made” (Romans 1:20). That’s what that scripture means. It has kind of funny wording, but that’s what it means.—That in seeing what He has made, what is visible, you can see and know the existence of He who is invisible, by seeing His handiwork.

Back in the Garden of Eden, the Devil said, “Hath God said? God said you shouldn’t do that because God doesn’t want you to know that if you do this, you’ll have lots more fun!” Adam and Eve did that, and what happened? They didn’t have a lot more fun; they had nothing but trouble from then on.

Seeking the happiness of others and trying to help others and make others happy, as God has ordered us to do, is the only way to bring true happiness. That little song has got it all summed up beautifully: “The way to be happy is to make others happy, and we’ll have a little heaven right here.”

If you’ll try to make others happy, it’ll make you happy, and you’ll have a little heaven right here on earth.—Contrary to the preamble of the Declaration of Independence, that states that Americans are guaranteed the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They’ve been chasing it ever since and have never found it. You don’t find happiness by chasing it; happiness finds you by your bringing happiness to others. That’s God’s system, God’s rule, God’s way, God’s Law of Love. God will make you happy if you make others happy. It’s that simple!

I’ve even told people who have been Christians for years that that was the way to be happy. I told that to one woman who’d married husband after husband after husband and couldn’t find a man who could make her happy. I finally said, “Why don’t you go out and try to find some dear old man that you can make happy; maybe it’ll work!” The only way to be happy is to make others happy, and you’ll have a little heaven right here.

The Lord allowed mankind to fall because He saw that the only way man, His creation, would ever learn, was through that bitter experience, because you never learn as well as you do through experience. Adam and Eve learned, let me tell you, when they were driven out of the Garden and had to go out and find clothes to wear and till the soil for their food.

They then realized they’d never had it as good as they’d had it in the Garden when they obeyed God and kept His rules and had perfect liberty. The trouble was, you see, in the Garden before the fall they didn’t know what good was, because they didn’t have anything to compare it with. As I’ve often said, you wouldn’t know what light was unless you’d known darkness.

You don’t really appreciate health until you’ve known sickness. You don’t appreciate wealth unless you’ve known poverty. You don’t appreciate that marvelous heavenly relief and release from pain unless you’ve known pain.

The Lord had to let all that happen so that we would learn and appreciate the good and the marvelous good world we’re going to have in the future without all of that pain and evil, the kind of world He wanted us to live in in the first place and the way it was to begin with, and the way man was to begin with. But He saw that man didn’t really appreciate it, didn’t really understand it, had nothing to compare it with to know it was so good and so beautiful and so wonderful and such heaven on earth and so perfect with no evil.

God had to let man experience evil to really appreciate good, and experience sin in order to appreciate salvation.

03: Revelation of the Future

A Study of Revelation: Revelation Chapter 1

A Study of Revelation

David Brandt Berg

1981-04-01

The history of man began in the Garden of Eden, but it has taken God over 6000 years to unfold His whole plan of how to save man and redeem him and work out his salvation, to populate the world and get people saved and get them through the Tribulation and into the heaven on earth of the Millennium. That’s what we’re going to deal with here, the revelation of the future as told by God to Jesus and to His archangel, who delivered the message to John. John wrote it all down and now we’re about to read it.

You may wonder where this book—the Revelation—begins. When does it start talking about the future? According to the Bible, the “last days” really began with Jesus when He first came to earth. The author of Hebrews writes, “In these last days” (Hebrews 1:2). In these last days Jesus has come. So believe it or not, the last days of man’s history have lasted now about 2000 years. They range from Christ’s first coming to His second coming; that’s the last days. And in fact, right on through into His third coming, and right on through the Millennium for another thousand years. Those are really the last days for people on this earth who are unsaved and not redeemed.

John is getting these marvelous revelations from God about the future, his future right then, the future of the world for the next 2000 years, and that’s pretty well covered in these first few chapters. In the very first chapter, the first verse, it says, “Things which must shortly come to pass”—that means very soon.

Then at the end of the third verse, it says, “for the time is at hand.” That means it’s here. “What I’m going to show you is beginning now, John.” So this book began at John’s day and it’s foretelling the future, most of which is now history.

He says, “John to the seven churches which are in Asia,” fourth verse. He’s writing this revelation in seven letters to the seven churches. In those days they didn’t have any carbon copies, typewriters, or mimeo machines, so he either had to write seven separate letters, or—what they usually did—he wrote one long letter and then they took it around to the different churches and it was read in them. So he’s writing to the seven churches which are in Asia.

The Island of Patmos, where the dear old apostle John received this marvelous revelation of the future, is a little island in the Aegean Sea between Greece and Turkey. These principal churches were in Asia Minor, on the coast of Turkey. Each one is named and listed in this first chapter, and then again in the second and third chapters. These were Ephesus, which was the principal church, the main port of that area, to whom Paul wrote his Epistles to the Ephesians; Smyrna; Thyatira; Pergamos; Sardis; Philadelphia, and the church of Laodicea.

John was living on a little island just off the coast of Turkey, not far from these churches. He was sort of like their bishop or their district superintendent, and he was naturally concerned and burdened about these very important churches.

The island was not far from Israel and Cyprus. There were boats to Ephesus, and then the Christians had people going around visiting the churches all the time. They’d probably travel a circuit to the different cities, and that’s probably why John named them the way he did in the order he did a little later in the same chapter, or the Lord did.

“Grace be unto you, and peace, from Him which is, and which was, and which is to come.” That can only be God, of course. “And from the seven Spirits which are before His throne”—God’s throne. We find out who those spirits are later; they’re the angels of God, the angels of these churches to whom he’s writing. “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness”—Jesus Himself was a faithful witness—“and the first begotten of the dead” (Revelation 1:4–5).

He was the first one to rise from the dead, and then immediately after He rose from the dead three days after His crucifixion, all the Old Testament saints also rose from the dead. It’s in the Bible. You can read it in the book of Matthew (Matthew 27:52–53). It says that when He rose from the dead, these other people rose from the dead too. But He was the first one that rose, “first begotten of the dead.” “And the prince of the kings of the earth.” He is the King of kings.

“Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood.” Who did that? Jesus. He died on the cross for our sins. He took our punishment for us so we could be saved just by believing on Him, receiving Him as our Savior into our hearts, loving Him and His Father God, and the Holy Spirit, and loving others, our neighbors as ourselves, and preaching the Gospel in all the world to every creature.

“And hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever, amen” (Revelation 1:6). We’re already kings and priests unto God, think of that!

Seventh verse, “Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him.” When Jesus comes back to rapture His saints, He’s going to come back in the clouds just the way He went away on the day of Ascension. Just like His disciples watched Him go up in the clouds, they’re going see Him come down in the clouds. “Every eye shall see Him”—no secret Rapture—“and they also which pierced Him”—who crucified Him. “And all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him.” The whole earth is going to see Jesus come when He returns for you and me, to rescue us, His children, out of this wicked old world.

Jesus goes on to say then: “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord” (Revelation 1:8).

This same dear apostle who wrote this great book of Revelation, do you know what he says in the first part of his Gospel of John? He said, “In the beginning was the Word”—that’s Jesus—“and the Word was with God and the Word was God,” because He was the Son of God. “All things were made by Him and without Him was not anything made that was made.” Think of that! Jesus was there (John 1:1–3).

Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet: Alpha, our “a,” and Omega, something we don’t have in the English alphabet. So Jesus is here saying He is the “Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” He’s been here a long time.

Ninth verse: “I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ”—did you know we’re already in the kingdom? If you have Jesus in your heart, you have the kingdom of God within you.

John says, “I was in the isle that is called Patmos for the Word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.” He was literally in exile; he was a kind of a prisoner. He’d been exiled to the island like Napoleon was exiled to the Isle of Elba, and later to some other island.

So he says here that he was on that isle of Patmos and he got the most amazing sermon and preached to more people than ever before, even though the Romans tried to get rid of him. “For the Word of God”—he was there because he was a good witness. Tenth verse: “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying, I am Alpha and Omega”—that’s the very thing Jesus had just said to him—“the first and the last: and what thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.”

Jesus himself commanded him that he was to write all this down in a book, and that’s what he did, and we’ve got the book to show for it today. Then John says: “And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; and in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man.” Notice that’s capitalized, “S” on the word Son, meaning Jesus. He was not only the Son of God but also the Son of man.

“Clothed with a garment down to the foot and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow: and His eyes were as a flame of fire; and His feet like unto fine brass”—golden—“as if they burned in a furnace; and His voice as the sound of many waters. And He had in His right hand seven stars: and out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and His countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength” (Revelation 1:13–16).

Here is a picture of Jesus Christ as the apostle John saw Him in the book of this marvelous revelation, Jesus standing before him as a supernatural figure with all of these amazing attributes, shining like the sun and like gold and like the rainbow, and a garment of shining, scintillating, sparkling light, from just above His breast down to His feet, and Jesus Himself having a human body of a man born of the Virgin Mary, clothed in such a garment of light.

It’d be almost beyond description, because it’s something very heavenly, very ethereal. There stands Jesus in all His glory, in all His beauty, ready to speak to the apostle John, standing in the midst of seven golden candlesticks, seven beautiful bright lights, with seven stars in His hand. What a beautiful picture!

In verse 16 he says: “Out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword.” This is, of course, symbolic of the Word of God, which He compares to a two-edged sword. “And His countenance was as the sun shineth in His strength. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last.” He’s already said this in verse 8: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the ending, that which is and which was and which is yet to come,” the first and the last. Verse 18, “I am He that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore.” Jesus died, was crucified and rose again from the dead, and now He lives for evermore. “Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death,” so that He is able to unlock the gates of hell itself to release its prisoners from the very jaws of death.

So He says to John, “Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter.” He’s going to tell him the history of now and hereafter. “The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in My right hand and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches” (Revelation 1:19–20). Isn’t that a beautiful picture?

He sees the seven principal churches of Asia Minor, or what is now Turkey, as seven beautiful candlesticks. And then he sees their seven guardian angels as seven beautiful stars. The churches, seven beautiful candles standing before God, and above each one, a guiding star, its guardian angel. What a beautiful picture of the churches to whom John is writing this epistle of this revelation of the marvels that God is about to show to him of their future, the future that they are to face, so they’ll know what’s coming!

The Lord does not want us to be ignorant, brethren, but to know the things which must shortly come to pass (1 Thessalonians 4:13; Revelation 1:1). And this is what He was telling the apostle John in that day, nearly 2000 years ago now, about 107 AD on the Isle of Patmos, where he was exiled by the Romans.

Here at the End of All Things: How to Deal with Change

July 19, 2024

By Gerrit Scott Dawson

We cannot stop the ever-arriving endings in the world, or even in our personal lives. Endings come because change continues. But when we trust that the world’s true end is the day of Christ Jesus, we live in hope. We live for his mission. And he promises that we are companioned. “Go … and make disciples of all nations. … And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19–20).

(Read the article here.)

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/here-at-the-end-of-all-things

The Stories Jesus Told

July 18, 2024

By Peter Amsterdam

Audio length: 10:27

Download Audio (9.5MB)

Jesus was an incredible teacher. His words, backed up by His actions, changed countless lives during His ministry on earth and for the past two millennia. His teachings and the influence of His life have had an unparalleled impact on humanity. Billions of people have fashioned their lives and beliefs on the words He spoke over 2,000 years ago. Those words and teachings, recorded in the Gospels, have radically changed humankind’s understanding of God and our relationship to Him. They spoke to the people of Jesus’ day and still speak to the hearts of seekers and believers today.

One of the most frequent methods Jesus used to convey His message was through telling parables. In fact, one-third of the recorded sayings of Jesus in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke are in parables. Parables were an effective means of conveying His message because they were stories that engaged the listeners and drew them in. These stories sometimes challenged the cultural and religious norms of the day, and the listeners were often surprised when the story lines went in unforeseen directions and had unexpected outcomes.

It was through these stories that Jesus taught about the kingdom of God, showed God’s character, revealed what God was like, and expressed the expectations that God has for people. While the parables Jesus told speak to us today, some of their original meaning and surprise factor has been lost because we, as today’s listeners, aren’t living in first-century Palestine.

Jesus was a first-century Jew speaking to other first-century Jews, and He spoke the common language of the day, using words, phrases, and idioms that His Jewish contemporaries understood well. When Jesus spoke of a Samaritan, He knew that His Jewish listeners despised Samaritans. When He spoke of wheat and tares, of leaven, of stewards and masters, everyone He was speaking to understood what He was talking about because those things were part of everyday first-century Jewish life and language.

People living in first-century Palestine understood the terminology Jesus used in a more complete and well-rounded way than we, living over 2,000 years later, can. So when you’re reading the parables of Jesus, it helps to know more of the context in which He was speaking and what the original listeners would have understood.

This is especially beneficial when we consider how much information the parables don’t give. Parables are short. They use no more words than necessary, and they generally include no unessential details. When descriptions of people are given, almost nothing is said about their appearance, relations, or personal history; we are only told the basics. With the exceptions of Lazarus and Abraham in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19–31), no names are given, so individuals are anonymous. Actions are omitted or compressed, and elements of the story are left for the reader to fill in.

Parables are inherently simple. There are never more than two persons or groups together in the same scene. While the father in Luke 15 has two sons, he does not interact with both of them at the same time, but with one or the other (Luke 15:11–32). When there is mention of a large number of people, such as the parable of the feast where many people are invited to the banquet, the story only focuses on three of those who were invited (Luke 14:16–24).

Jesus’ parables reflect the lives of everyday people—farmers, shepherds, women, fathers and sons, masters and servants. They are true-to-life fictional accounts of everyday life in the time of Christ. However, they don’t necessarily portray events precisely. Some stories give realistic portrayals, and some don’t.

One example of an unrealistic portrayal is the man who owed 10,000 talents, which is the equivalent of more than 200 metric tons of gold or silver. This parable uses a deliberate exaggeration, or what is often referred to as hyperbole, defined as an intended overstatement to make a point. Hyperbole used in this context helps to express the abundance of God’s forgiveness (Matthew 18:23–35). The use of exaggeration to make a point was common in Jewish writings and sayings.

Why did Jesus speak in parables? What is the value of a parable? Well, everybody loves a story. Jesus told stories to draw the listeners in, to cause them to reflect on the issues the parable addressed. The scenarios that Jesus painted with His words often required the listeners to pass moral judgment on the behavior of the characters in the story, and then to make a similar judgment about matters in their own life and in their faith.

Some parables start with a question, such as “Who of you …?” or “What do you think about …?” Other parables pose questions at the end. The questions are designed to provoke thought, to bring change in the listener’s heart and life. Sometimes the parable doesn’t have a conclusion or a final outcome—the story is left open-ended.

Parables often present the reverse of what the listener would expect. The hated tax collector is seen as being righteous instead of the Pharisee (Luke 18:9–14); the Samaritan is the true neighbor rather than the Jewish priest or the Levite (Luke 10:29–37). These conclusions were reversals of the norm. They cause the listeners to see things in a different light, to reflect, and to question the way they think. They issue a challenge to change.

The main point usually comes at the end of the parable, similar to how the punch line of a joke is delivered at the end. The story piques your interest, draws you in, and then at the end, it makes the point.

While those hearing the parables in the first century understood the language, the culture and customs, and the idioms and expressions, that didn’t mean they always understood the point of the parables. Sometimes even Jesus’ disciples had to ask Him what a parable meant. The spiritual points contained in the parables weren’t always obvious and caused people to ponder the meaning.

Jesus wasn’t the first or only teacher to use parables. In the Old Testament and in Jewish writings before the first century, there are some parables and parable-like writings, but few that are similar to Jesus’ narrative parables.¹ So while Jesus wasn’t the inventor of parables, no one throughout history is known to have used them as ingeniously and effectively as He did.

The parables of Jesus are a worthy study. Through them, Jesus conveyed His message about God, our interaction with Him and others, and life and how it should be lived. Reading the parables with more understanding of the first-century context helps bring further clarity to His message. It gives insight to why He had so much opposition and why His religious enemies wanted Him dead. It also helps to show why many loved and followed Him.

The messages that Jesus conveyed through His parables offended His religious enemies and even threatened their standing. At the same time, the message embedded in His stories drew in those who were lost and seeking. The parables show the love and mercy of God, His call to the heart of every man, woman, and child, and His willingness to pay the price of costly love to bring humankind to redemption. These wonderful truths caused people to love Jesus, to become His followers and disciples, to even die for His name. And His words evoke the same response today.

Jesus’ parables aren’t just stories to enjoy; they are the very voice of Jesus speaking His message. These short stories have deep intent, and that intent is to move each of us toward God and toward living our lives in accordance with His truth. When we carefully listen to what Jesus is saying in His parables, we will face answering the same questions as His original listeners. A light will shine on our lives as we confront the realization that we may be like the older brother, or the rich fool hoarding his wealth, or the priest and Levite rather than the Good Samaritan.

The parables also beautifully show the different ways that Jesus conveyed how deeply God loves humankind and to what lengths He is willing to go to show us that love, as well as the joy He has when one person enters into relationship with Him. Jesus used parables to describe the Father, and those descriptions brought a new understanding of what God is like.

As in any study of God’s Word, as we read and study the parables, it’s beneficial to take time to think deeply about the points they make, to allow these spiritual truths to speak to us. They are meant to cause change in our hearts, lives, attitudes, outlooks, and behavior.

May the study of the parables fortify your faith and encourage you to invite others to learn about and come to personally know Jesus—our wonderful Savior and our blessed Redeemer.

Originally published May 2013. Adapted and republished July 2024. Read by Jon Marc.

¹ Joel B. Green, Scot McKnight, Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1992), 594.

A Divine Fire Escape

July 17, 2024

By James M. Kushiner

In the Eastern churches, the service of matins includes several odes presenting images of salvation from the Old Testament. There is an ode on Moses and Israel escaping Egypt through crossing the Red Sea, another on Jonah’s three days in the belly of the whale and escape from the depths of the sea, and two odes about the three young men in the fiery furnace who miraculously escape. In all three stories, an escape is accomplished following a trial in a place of danger: in crossing the waters of the Red Sea, in the belly of the whale in the depths of the sea, and in the flames of the fiery furnace, where suddenly we find “four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods” (Dan. 3:25). There is Christology in all three stories.

(Read the article here.)

https://www.touchstonemag.com/archives/article.php?id=36-02-019-v

Why Worry?! Cast Your Cares on the Lord!

July 16, 2024

A compilation

Audio length: 12:13

Download Audio (11.2MB)

During stressful times, when unpaid bills still lie on the table, the children argue upstairs, and images of war flash across the news, hope and patience seem hard to come by. Worry seems inevitable. But how much can we really gain from our furrowed brow? Consider this quote: “Worry is like a good rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it doesn’t get you anywhere.”

Another way to think of the futility of worry is to imagine someone carrying around a suitcase of old junk that he doesn’t use. If he complained to you about his aching back, wouldn’t you suggest he drop the suitcase?

But we tend to do the same thing, feeling troubled, tired, and pulled off-balance. We hang on to our burden because we think something bad might happen if we let it go. But the answer is so easy. If we simply let go—if we trust in the Lord—we suddenly feel lighter.

We hear this same message from the Lord’s own mouth when He says to His disciples, “Do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. … Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these” (Luke 12:22–24; Luke 12:27). …

Worry can’t change our past or future, but it can ruin the present. When we dwell on the past or future, we lack motivation to make progress now. … But we can make an effort to find contentment with what we have and focus on being that person who is kind and loving rather than looking for that person elsewhere. Second, we can strive to make the best of our present situation, looking for opportunities to use our talents and reach out to others. And, finally, we can trust the Lord to bring good out of every situation, believing that what He says in His Word is true. …

Life is often compared to a journey. We can shuffle our feet and mope about the path we’re taking, but anxiety and impatience don’t change our speed or route. Instead, we can enjoy the scenery, confident that the direction of the stream of Divine Providence will steer us toward a more beautiful vista. So don’t waste today worrying. Cast your burden on the Lord. Take a glance at the flowers, or listen to the birds, and remember that the Lord is taking care of each one of us every single moment.—David Roth¹

My friend Lucy called recently, worried. She’d been looking forward to an upcoming trip to meet her first grandchild, but concern over COVID had her concerned.

What if she contracts the virus and gives it to her daughter and new grandchild. What if she gets sick and can’t fly home. What if. …

And so it goes—the free fall into the worry abyss. If this happens, then next that happens, and so on.

Humans can imagine days, even years into the future and consider “what might happen.” The problem is that thinking does not make it true. Worrying is not supportive. We want to believe that worrying helps us solve challenges ahead of time, but it does not, because it cannot.

Anticipating every conceivable outcome will not get us any closer to a solution. Worrying never helped solve a problem.

We have no control over the future, so therefore, we cannot choose the best response to an unknown. Lying awake, worrying about a range of potential problems is at best a waste of time and energy, and at worst your anxiety may deplete the energy you need to respond properly when the time comes.

Too often, in the middle of the night we start to catastrophize about the worst-case scenarios. One potential problem leads us to another potential problem, spinning us into dizzying circles instead of leading us to solutions.

A recent study showed how many of our imagined calamities never materialize. The subjects were asked to write down their worries over an extended period of time, and then later they were to identify which of the imagined misfortunes didn’t happen. It turns out that 85% of what the subjects worried about never happened, and of the 15% that did happen, 79% of subjects discovered that they could handle the difficulty better than expected, or the difficulty taught them a lesson worth learning. This means that 97% of what you worry about could just be your fearful mind punishing you with exaggerations and misperceptions.

[Most challenges] are just bumps in the road: inconvenient, not fun, but only bumps. Worrying never (ever) fixed a thing. So stop focusing on the bumps in the road. Instead, look up and enjoy the present of this moment as you journey through life. Don’t let your thoughts get hijacked by worrying.—Amy Dee²

If there was one thing that we could classify as a global pastime, worrying might just top the list. We’d probably all be shocked to discover the sheer amount of time that we’ve wasted by worrying.

That’s right. Wasted. In most cases, worrying is a wasted emotion. Most of our anxiety is about an imaginary future. We worry about situations that haven’t occurred and may never occur.

One of the hard lessons I’ve had to learn in life is that worrying harder, worrying more, or worrying better than someone else still gets you nowhere. Worrying just isn’t productive. It doesn’t produce any positive results. In fact, it often just leads to more worries, greater worries, and a lack of progress. …

I was an expert worrier. I worried day and night. … Almost all of my reasons for worrying were imaginary. I was worrying about things that hadn’t occurred and never would. …

It wasn’t that I wasn’t worrying hard enough, or well enough. I was an Olympic-caliber worrier. It was that worrying changes nothing.

I learned a lesson that I still utilize today. Instead of worrying without cause, I look at what I can do. Is there any way I can change the thing I am worried about? If yes, I have a plan. If no, it must not be my cause for concern.

What worries can you let go of today?—Annie Grace

Arthur Rank, an English executive, decided to do all his worryingon one day each week. He chose Wednesdays. When anything happened that gave him anxiety and annoyed his ulcer, he would write it down and put it in his worrybox and forget about it until next Wednesday. The interesting thing was that on the following Wednesday when he opened his worry box, he found that most of the things that had disturbed him the past six days were already settled. It would have been useless to have worried about them.—Author unknown³

One of the wonderful things about God’s love is that when we know that God loves us, we know that He is going to work everything in our lives somehow for our good, and He will take care of us. This is faith! And it’s faith in His love that keeps out worry and fear. “For perfect love casts out all fear” (1 John 4:18). Receiving God’s love in your heart is like turning on a light in a dark room—the darkness flees!

Then you don’t need to worry anymore. You’ll know your heavenly Father loves you and that you and yours—your family, your children, your future, your health—are in His hands. “For not even one sparrow falls to the ground, but your Father knows it. Fear not, therefore: You are of more value than many sparrows” (Matthew 6:25–34; Luke 12:6–7). He will care for His own.

The two greatest sources of fear and worry for most people are the past and the future—remorse over the past and fear about the future. But the Bible tells us not to worry about either. “Forget the things that are behind” and “fret not yourself for tomorrow” (Philippians 3:13; Matthew 6:34). And for the present, He says, “God will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are stayed on Him, because they trust in Him” (Isaiah 26:3).

Jesus says, “Come unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Again, such rest and trust in the Lord is faith, and you’ll find that your faith will grow and be strengthened by reading God’s Word (Romans 10:17). So read the Bible, the Gospels in particular, and let His wonderful words replace your fears and worries with faith and trust.

And if you give your whole life to the Lord in service to Him, doing your best to follow Jesus and help others, you’ll find that He’ll do His best for you. He’ll not only care for you and provide your needs, but the Bible says that God will give you the desire of your heart if you delight yourself in Him (Psalm 37:4). Your worries and problems then become His worries and problems, and you can “commit your ways unto the Lord, casting all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you” (Psalm 37:5; 1 Peter 5:7).—The Family International

Published on Anchor July 2024. Read by Jerry Paladino. Music by Michael Fogarty.

¹ https://newchurch.org/explore/dealing-with-crisis-and-grief/live-with-less-anxiety-and-more-joy/

² https://amydeespeaker.com/2020/03/02/worrying-never-solved-a-problem-funny-motivational-speaker/

³ https://www.family-times.net/illustration/Worry/201903/

The Way of Praise

July 15, 2024

Words from Jesus

Audio length: 9:16

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The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.—Psalm 23:1–3

Praise and worship not only please Me‚ but they also strengthen your faith and the faith of those around you. There are so many things to be praiseful and thankful for! To enter into a spirit of praise, all you have to do is look around you to see the many blessings I have given you in this life, and the promise of salvation and the hope of eternity and joy for the life to come.

You can choose to praise and count your blessings, even in the midst of dark and difficult circumstances. Many people who do not know Me or who are not well-grounded in their faith have discovered the power of positive thinking, but they don’t understand that the good results of thinking positively are part of the spiritual principle of thankfulness and praise.

Your bodies and spirits are made to respond vibrantly to a positive outlook on life, and praising Me is the ultimate form of positive thinking. When you choose to praise and worship even during difficult times‚ your declaration of faith and trust in Me will give you the strength to fight on. By entering into praise, you are taking a stand of faith that you love Me and appreciate My blessings, in spite of the negative circumstances you are facing, and that you trust that I’ll work on your behalf and continue to care for you and strengthen you (Psalm 138:2–3).

I would that all My children praise and thank Me continually for the many blessings I bestow upon them and their lives. At the start of every time of prayer, enter into My presence with praise. No matter how dire the situation you are facing may be, give voice to your faith through your praise. It may be easier to praise when everything is going well‚ but when you praise Me when things are not going according to plan and there are problems, you are proclaiming your faith and trust in Me.

Praiseful prayer

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.—1 John 5:14–15

When you’re praying for someone or a situation, it is important to remind yourself that I am all-powerful and there is nothing too hard for Me. There is nothing My power cannot change if it is in accordance with My will. There is no petition My children make that I do not hear. This confidence you have in Me and My promises to you to care for you and to act on your behalf is a great cause for praise.

A prayer that is prayed with faith in Me and My love and power‚ and thankfulness for all I have done and will do, is a prayer that is full of praise. It’s a quiet trust in Me and knowledge that I can and will perform what you are asking in accordance with My will and plan. A prayer full of faith and praise comes from the confidence of knowing and appreciating that I will never leave or forsake you and I will be with you all the days of your life.

Praiseful prayer is about the attitude in which you pray, the confidence you have in Me that I hear your every petition. That type of prayer is filled with praise and faith and trust in Me and in My ways, even when you don’t fully understand them. The confidence you have in Me and the way it translates into praiseful prayers come from living a praiseful life and cultivating a praiseful spirit. As you praise and thank Me throughout your everyday life, your faith and trust in Me will be strengthened.

Prayers full of praise are prayers that are backed with confidence in Me and trust in My love and care for you, and My ability and desire to do whatever is necessary to fulfill My will for your life.

Enter into His presence with praise

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Be thankful to him and bless his name!—Psalm 100:4

My Word teaches that the way into My presence is along the path of praise. When you come to Me in praise, you are choosing to put aside attitudes and feelings that hurt and destroy, such as fear, worry, panic, depression, or discouragement. When you choose the path of praise, you are entering My presence where I dwell, and there is no room for anything that can hurt or destroy.

As you enter into My presence and into My courts through praise, your faith will be renewed and you will find new courage to face the challenges of life. Praise is powerful and can help alleviate anxiety, doubt, discouragement, and fear.

When Joshua’s men faced a tremendous battle that threatened their future, I had them march around Jericho and shout praise and proclaim victory on the last day of battle. The victory was won that day through their obedience and trust, manifested in their praise (Joshua 6:12–20).

Praise is not only the entryway to My court, but it brings you into My presence, and My Spirit surrounds you. Through your praises you come to Me, and praise is the victory. It is you connecting with Me, and Me abiding in you, causing My Spirit to be manifested upon earth through you.

No matter what’s happening, no matter how bad the outlook is‚ no matter what you are going through in your life, when you can come to Me with sincere praise and worship‚ you are placing your trust in Me completely. Your act of worship shows that you are placing your life in My hands. It is a declaration of faith that no matter what happens or what losses you endure, you’ll still trust in Me, like Job of old, who said, “The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. May the name of the Lord be blessed!” (Job 1:21).

Sincere praise is surrender to Me. It’s trust. It’s being thankful in any situation and knowing that My ways are higher than your ways. It’s trusting that I am your Good Shepherd who loves and cares for you (John 10:11). Praise lifts your heart to Me and gives you the faith to rise above the trials and tribulations of life, and helps you to keep your eyes on the wonderful promises of eternal life—the place I have prepared for you (John 14:2–3).

Originally published March 2005. Adapted and republished July 2024. Read by Gabriel Garcia Valdivieso. Music by Michael Dooley.

God Has a Plan

Dan Ross

2012-11-11

Life can be difficult—no matter what your age, what society you live in, what your economic status is, or what your family is like. Everyone faces difficulties, and when we’re in the middle of those rough times, it’s not easy to keep the perspective that, “In spite of all this, God is able to work things out and accomplish His greater plan.” Each of us, at one time or another, has wished for things to be better in our life. You may have heard people say something like (or you may have thought these things yourself), “If I had more money … ” or “If I lived in a different location … ” or “If I went to such-and-such a school … ” or “If I had a certain job … my life would be so much better!”

Perhaps such things would make life better, but perhaps not! Certain comforts do make life easier, but often what helps someone to face and overcome their difficulties is not those comforts or luxuries. It’s their perspective on the situation. A positive or negative perspective can be the determining factor as to whether one will overcome or cave in when life dishes out a raw deal.

Perhaps you have a friend, relative, or family acquaintance who is suffering from a serious illness, or has faced a death in their family, or had an accident or tragedy that was not their fault. It’s human nature to find yourself questioning or judging a person and their circumstances. Perhaps you have thought, He must be doing something wrong because of the bad things that are happening. Or, He is a good person and shouldn’t be suffering like this.

No matter how well we may know someone, it takes years (if ever) before we will fully understand why certain things happen the way they do in other people’s lives, just like we can be in the dark as to why some things happen in our own lives. But whether or not we can see it, understand it, or identify it, God has a plan in each person’s life. It takes faith to believe and trust God’s plan—for both our lives and the lives of others.

Let’s take a look at someone who faced some pretty big difficulties, yet allowed God to use them for His purpose. This story is taken from the book of Ruth.

Naomi was an Israelite woman who had moved with her husband, Elimelech, and two sons to Moab (a country in Bible times, located in present-day Jordan), at a time when there was a famine in Israel. Sometime after their move, Naomi’s husband died, leaving her alone with her sons. Her two sons eventually married Moabite women. One of her sons married a young girl named Ruth. After only ten years of marriage, however, both of her sons died, and, Naomi was left alone with her two daughters-in-law, without the men, who—in that age and culture—were necessary to support the family. Needless to say, she felt as if the Lord had turned against her. She said, “The Almighty has done evil to me.”1 Naomi felt as if her whole world had crumbled; she even told people not to call her Naomi, but Mara, which means bitter.

When Naomi decides to return to her husband’s ancestral home in Israel, she tells her daughters-in-law to go back to their families. However, Ruth, who had grown close to Naomi, boldly tells her mother-in-law in a very famous passage, “Please don’t tell me to leave you and return home! I will go where you go, I will live where you live; your people will be my people, your God will be my God. I will die where you die, and be buried beside you. May the LORD punish me, if we are ever separated, even by death.”2

If we look at Naomi and the many tragedies she faced, without factoring in God’s greater plan, we might assume that she must have done something to deserve all that happened to her. Or maybe we’d wonder if the move to Moab had been the wrong move.

However, reading this story many centuries later, we can know and understand that all these troubles, difficulties, and, as Naomi put it, “evils,” would eventually lead to good. The famine took Naomi’s family from Israel into Moab, to find a girl named Ruth, and back to Israel, to give Boaz the opportunity to meet and marry Ruth. As we know from history, Ruth was the great-grandmother of King David, and an ancestor of Jesus. But how could Naomi have known that everything would work out for good as long as she continued to love and hold on to God? She could only go on her faith and knowledge of God and how He cares and provides!

None of us can know the future or God’s plan for our lives. In times of difficulty, we can strive to do what we know is right, but in the long run, we have to trust God and flow with His plan for us.

When I think of some of the difficult times I’ve faced in my life—times of financial hardship, times of sickness, the loss of children, emotional stress—I too had to decide whether I would allow myself to become bitter and angry at God or whether I would trust in God’s love for me, knowing that He would work through the difficulty to bring about His will in my life. I’m glad I chose to trust Him, because now that I know the outcome, or at least some of it, I can see that He has brought so much good into my life!

You too may be going through difficulties of your own. You may be having a rough time with one or a few subjects in your school, or maybe you have moved away from friends and family. Perhaps you have lost a loved one, or are going through a heartrending breakup with a boyfriend or girlfriend. Maybe you are experiencing a rough health problem. There are many difficulties—sometimes downright tragedies—that take place in our lives that we can’t understand and we can’t see any good in.

However, Jesus loves you. He cares for you. He is concerned about everything that happens to you. Because of His interest and involvement in your life, you can know that everything will be okay. God will work things out for your good as you look to Him and wait on Him. Like in Naomi’s story, you may also feel that God has “done evil” toward you. But as His child, you can be sure that He has a plan for you—that He can use the pain for your good, and no matter how difficult life might get for you, He is with you because He will never leave you nor forsake you.3

Trust in His plan for your life. Even if from your current perspective you can’t see what it is, He can! And that makes all the difference.

Footnotes
1 Ruth 1:20–21 GWT
2 Ruth 1:16–17 CEV
3 See Hebrews 13:5

18 – Living Christianity: The Ten Commandments (Safeguarding Human Life, Part 6b)

Living Christianity

Peter Amsterdam

2019-09-17

Aging and Death, 2

(This article builds on the preceding article, Aging and Death, 1. It addresses helpful practical matters regarding dying and death, and how to prepare.)

As we saw in Part 1 of Aging and Death, death came into the world because of Adam’s sin, and thus each of us will eventually die; and most of us will pass on after our bodies have weakened due to old age. While there is nothing we can do to prevent our death, there are some practical things each of us should do in preparation for our departure from this life and passing on to our heavenly reward.

The focus of this article will be on two practical matters which are wise to take care of in preparation for death. These points aren’t only important for those who are elderly, but for every adult, since none of us know the time of our passing. This article will address the wisdom and importance of having both an end-of-life medical directive and a Last Will and Testament.

One of the main reasons for creating these two documents is to save your loved ones from having to make unnecessary difficult decisions either when you are at death’s door or after you have passed away.

End-of-Life Medical Directive

An end-of-life medical directive, also known as a living will, advance healthcare directive, or an advance directive, is a document that expresses your medical wishes should you become incapacitated and unable to communicate. Such directives help guide the decisions of the doctors and caregivers if you are terminally ill, seriously injured, in a coma, or in the late stages of dementia or near the end of life. Having such a document will make it easier for your loved ones as it will avoid placing them in the difficult position of having to make life-and-death medical decisions on your behalf. It will save your family members from the potential agony of having to decide what course of action to take and/or having possible disagreements with one another about decisions regarding your end-of-life care.

At the same time, having such a document can prevent you from being kept alive by artificial means when it is your desire to go to be with the Lord. It can also prevent your family spending a great deal of money to keep you alive when you are longing to pass on but are unable to make your wishes known. It is not enough to simply tell others in advance what you want to happen to you, should you ever be incapacitated. If it isn’t written down and signed by you (and in some countries, signed by two others who are not named in the document), then your desires may not be considered by medical personnel and the standard course of action in such cases may be that the medical system would opt to keep you alive for as long as possible by whatever means necessary. Having an end-of-life medical directive is the legal means of giving you a voice when you are unable to make your wishes known.

Generally speaking, a medical directive should address the following points:

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Do you wish to be resuscitated by CPR or by a device which sends an electric shock to stimulate the heart? Or do you prefer not to be resuscitated?

Mechanical ventilation. If you are unable to breathe on your own, do you want to be hooked up to a ventilation machine? If so, for how long do you want to be placed on a ventilator?

Tube feeding. It is possible to supply the body with nutrients and fluids intravenously or through a tube in the stomach. You would want to decide if, when, and for how long you would want this treatment.

Dialysis. Dialysis is a process which removes waste from your blood and manages fluid levels if your kidneys no longer function. Again, you would want to determine if, when, and for how long you would want to receive this treatment.

Antibiotics or antiviral medications. These are used to treat infections. If you are near the end of life, do you want infections to be treated aggressively or would you rather let infections run their course?

Comfort care (palliative care). This includes any number of interventions that may be used to keep you comfortable and manage pain while abiding by your other treatment wishes. This may include being allowed to die at home, getting pain medications, being fed ice chips to soothe mouth dryness, and avoiding invasive tests or treatments.

The end-of-life medical directive can, and probably should, name someone whom you have chosen to be your healthcare agent, who can act on your behalf if you are unable to. This is important because it’s impossible to anticipate all potential scenarios, and in some instances there may need to be a judgment made as to your likely care wishes. Such a person should be someone you can trust to make decisions which align with your desires and values. It would require that you discuss your medical care and end-of-life issues with this person. This could be your spouse, a family member, or a close friend.

Another way to assign someone the authority to act in your behalf, should you be unable to make your wishes known, is to sign a durable medical power of attorney document that designates a spouse, relative, or friend who is authorized to make medical decisions on your behalf.

Even without an end-of-life medical directive, you can inform your doctor to put in their records what your wishes are, such as that you do not wish to be resuscitated (DNR, Do Not Resuscitate), and/or that you do not wish to be intubated (DNI, Do Not Intubate). Intubation generally means to insert a breathing tube into the trachea for mechanical ventilation.

Each country/state will probably have different laws regarding end-of-life medical directives and durable medical powers of attorney, so you will need to research what is legally acceptable locally.

Last Will and Testament

There are a number of benefits to having a will (or a similar legal document, such as a trust), whether you have many or few assets. Whether there is money in your bank account, a car, a house or property, or any other assets, it’s important that you have a will to determine who your assets go to.

The following is based on information regarding wills in the United States; in other countries, the laws concerning wills may be different. No matter where you live, it’s wise to familiarize yourself with the local laws regarding wills and inheritance.

Having a will makes the processing of your estate (meaning all of your assets) much simpler and faster after your death. It allows you to decide how your assets will be divided, as without a will the state will make that decision. If you have underage children, a will is especially important, as within the will you can designate who will gain custody of your children should both parents suddenly die.

Having a will allows the person who is designated as the executor of the will to take care of any necessary legal business, such as closing bank accounts, cancelling subscriptions, liquidating your assets, paying any last bills or taxes, accessing and cancelling email and other online accounts, etc. (A file containing such legal and financial information and passwords is helpful.) It’s possible to name an executor of your estate even if you don’t have a will; however, a will allows your wishes to be followed more precisely.

Many people avoid preparing a will because they don’t think they are going to die anytime soon. However, Scripture teaches that no one knows the hour of their death. Jesus told the parable of the rich fool who said,

“I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’”¹

In the book of Ecclesiastes we read,

No man has power to retain the spirit, or power over the day of death.²

Man does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them.³

Following are 10 reasons for having a will according to FindLaw.com:

You decide how your estate will be distributed. A will is a legally-binding document that lets you determine how you would like your estate to be handled upon your death. If you die without a will, there is no guarantee that your intended desires will be carried out. Having a will helps minimize any family fights about your estate that may arise, and also determines the “who, what, and when” of your estate.
You decide who will take care of your minor children.A will allows you to make an informed decision about who should take care of your minor children. Absent a will, the court will take it upon itself to choose among family members or a state-appointed guardian. Having a will allows you to appoint the person you want to raise your children or, better, make sure it is not someone you do not want to raise your children.
To avoid a lengthy probate process.Contrary to common belief, all estates must go through the probate process, with or without a will. Having a will, however, speeds up the probate processand informs the court how you’d like your estate divided. Probate courts serve the purpose of “administering your estate,” and when you die without a will (known as dying “intestate”), the court will decide how to divide your estate without your input, which can also cause long, unnecessary delays.
Minimize estate taxes.Another reason to have a will is because it allows you to minimize your estate taxes. The value of what you give away to family members or charity will reduce the value of your estate when it’s time to pay estate taxes.
You decide who will wind up the affairs of your estate.Executors make sure all your affairs are in order, including paying off bills, canceling your credit cards, and notifying the bank and other business establishments. Because executors play the biggest role in the administration of your estate, you’ll want to be sure to appoint someone who is honest, trustworthy, and organized (which may or may not be a family member).
You can disinherit individuals who would otherwise stand to inherit.Most people do not realize they can disinherit individuals out of their will. Because wills specifically outline how you would like your estate distributed, absent a will your estate may end up on the wrong hands or in the hands of someone you did not intend (such as an ex-spouse with whom you had a bitter divorce).
Make gifts and donations.The ability to make gifts is a good reason to have a will because it allows your legacy to live on and reflect your personal values and interests. In addition, gifts up to $13,000 are excluded from estate tax, so you’re also increasing the value of your estate for your heirs and beneficiaries to enjoy. Be sure to check the current laws for your year to learn the most up-to-date gift tax exclusions.
Avoid greater legal challenges.If you die without a will, part or all of your estate may pass to someone you did not intend. For example, one case involved the estate of a deceased son who was awarded over $1 million from a wrongful death lawsuit. When the son died, the son’s father—who had not been a part of his son’s life for over 32 years—stood to inherit the entire estate, leaving close relatives and siblings out of the picture!
Because you can change your mind if your life circumstances change.A good reason for having a will is that you can change it at any time while you’re still alive. Life changes, such as births, deaths, and divorce, can create a situation where changing your will is necessary.
Because tomorrow is not promised.Procrastination and the unwillingness to accept death as part of life are common reasons for not having a will. Sometimes the realization that wills are necessary comes too late—such as when an unexpected death or disability occurs. To avoid the added stress on families during an already emotional time, it may be wise to meet with an estate planning lawyer to help you draw up a basic estate plan at the minimum, before it’s too late.

Death can come at any time, so it is wise and loving to take the time to make a legal will. Doing so is one of those duties which can easily be put off to another, more convenient time; however, it’s best to invest the time and work in preparing it now, for the sake of your loved ones.

(To read the next article in this series, click here.)

Note

¹ Luke 12:18–20.

² Ecclesiastes 8:8.

³ Ecclesiastes 9:12

17 – Living Christianity: The Ten Commandments (Safeguarding Human Life, Part 6a)

Living Christianity

Peter Amsterdam

2019-09-10

Aging and Death, 1

(Points for this article are taken from Christian Ethics, by Wayne Grudem ¹)

In this series so far, I’ve addressed topics of defending life (self-defense, war) as well as the taking of life (suicide, euthanasia, and abortion). The focus in this two-part article will be aging and natural death. As we all know, every person ages and eventually dies. According to Scripture, both aging and death are a result of Adam’s sin.

The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”²

Adam and Eve disobeyed this command and ate from the tree, and when they did, God passed judgment on them for their sin.

“By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”³

The penalty of death was not immediately enforced, but over time they gradually grew old and eventually died.

Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died.⁴

In the New Testament, we also read that death was introduced because of Adam’s sin.

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned…⁵

For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.⁶

Because we live in a fallen world, we experience aging and eventual death. While aging and death are judgments or punishments put on humanity because of sin entering the world, for Christians they are no longer to be looked upon as a punishment. The apostle Paul wrote,

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.⁷

Death for us has become a gateway to eternity with God; we experience death, and then we receive the full measure of the benefits of salvation that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross has earned for us.

Unless one has an untimely death because of a fatal accident or disease, most people live into old age. Since many people in developed countries live much longer than people have in the past, doctors who specialize in caring for the elderly have developed different designations for those growing older. For example, one study breaks it down as young old (60–69), middle old (70–79), and very old (80+). Another study groups it as young old (65–74), old (74–84), and old–old (85+).

While the aging process can bring about difficulties, it also brings some things which from a Christian perspective can be seen as blessings. For example, with age comes a lessening of physical and perhaps some mental strength; however, this can result in a deeper relationship with God and can lead to greater spiritual strength. The apostle Paul experienced some kind of weakness or affliction (a thorn in the flesh) which God didn’t remove, even though Paul sought deliverance from it.

To keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 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.⁸

As we age and our body becomes weaker, we can learn from Paul’s teaching and apply the principles which he expressed—that in weakness we can become strong, that God’s grace is there for us in time of need, and that Jesus’ power will rest upon us in our weakness. Though the way in which the Lord uses us may change as we age and our strength and stamina lessen, the power of Christ will still rest upon us, and He can use us to share His message and love with others.

The apostle Paul also wrote about some measure of weakness in his body which seemed to be continually increasing.

Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.⁹

While Paul wasn’t necessarily writing specifically about his aging, the principle he wrote about fits the aging process. It is inevitable that as we grow older our physical body will age, weaken, and eventually die. However, our “inner man,” our spirit, is renewed day by day, and it will never die. As we age, we can expect physical decline; however, we can look forward to continual inner renewal and spiritual growth as we faithfully draw near to God, and He draws near to us.¹⁰

As we age, we will likely be faced with age-related challenges that will bring some hardships for which we will need to trust God. Such circumstances will call for us to pray and put our trust in the Lord while seeking Him for the right solution for the challenges we face. As the aging process causes a weakening of our bodies, we can ask Him for the grace and strength to live in a manner that glorifies and praises Him.

Because of Adam’s sin of disobedience to God, all humans suffer death. However, because of Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross for our sins, after His return, death will be destroyed.

He [Jesus] must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.¹¹

The apostle Paul compares our human bodies to tents and points out that in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling.¹² He wrote that we, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.¹³ The older we get, the more we will long for our resurrection bodies, which we will be given upon Christ’s return—bodies which will be very different from the weak “tents” we are presently living in.

Paul states that our old weak bodies which die and are buried are like seeds that are planted in the soil. These seeds, in time, produce a new plant.

So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.¹⁴

As Christians, we have nothing to fear from death. New Testament authors write about a believer’s death in a positive way. The apostle Paul wrote,

We would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.¹⁵

Later, when he was in prison with the possibility of execution on the horizon, he stated:

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.¹⁶

In the book of Revelation, the apostle John wrote:

“Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”¹⁷

As believers, we are assured that death will not be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.¹⁸

While we know that believers who die are with the Lord, it is part of our human nature to feel grief when they pass, as they are no longer with us in this life. In the Gospel of John, we read that when Jesus heard about the death of His friend Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, He wept.¹⁹ He felt deep sorrow at Lazarus’ passing, so much so that the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”²⁰ We’re told that Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb.²¹ In the book of Acts, we read of Stephen preaching to the Jewish elders, scribes, and the council, who had him executed. At his burial, devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him.²² Lamentation is defined as the passionate expression of grief or sorrow, which would include weeping, wailing, sobbing, and moaning.

The Christians who were mourning Stephen knew that he was in heaven because they had seen how he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”²³ Nevertheless, they publicly expressed their grief over his death and that they would no longer have fellowship with him in this life.

In the book of 1 Thessalonians, Paul wrote:

We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.²⁴

His point was that believers shouldn’t feel the same grief at the loss of a Christian friend or family member as those who don’t have faith in God and the afterlife. The sorrow Christians feel at the death of believers should be mixed with hope and joy, because those believers are in God’s presence. Paul pointed out that believers who have died are with the Lord.

God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.²⁵

Though we have sorrow at a Christian loved one’s passing, our mourning should be mixed with thanksgiving and praise to God for the life our loved one lived, and that they are now in His presence.

When non-Christian members of our personal family or others who are close to us die, the sorrow we feel is different, as it isn’t mixed with the same assurance that they are now with the Lord. This sorrow can be very deep. The apostle Paul expressed such sorrow when he wrote about some of his Jewish brethren who had rejected the Lord.

I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit—that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.²⁶

Of course, we don’t know for certain if someone we consider to be an unbeliever didn’t at some point in their childhood or before their death accept Jesus as their savior. Often those who realize their death is approaching will remember a testimony of someone’s salvation that they had heard in the past, or a specific witness which someone gave them, that they had previously rejected but now accept. Or they will come back to the childlike faith they had when they were young but had later resented or rejected.

When a non-Christian has died, it’s best not to make affirmations that the person has gone to heaven, as this could be misleading and give false assurance. When someone has died, often those closest to them reflect on their own lives and immortality, and they may wish to speak with a Christian friend about their own mortality, which may bring the opportunity to speak with them about Jesus and the afterlife, and lead them to receive the Lord.

(Continued in Part 2)

Note

¹ Wayne Grudem, Christian Ethics (Wheaton: Crossway, 2018).

² Genesis 2:15–17.

³ Genesis 3:19.

⁴ Genesis 5:5.

⁵ Romans 5:12.

⁶ 1 Corinthians 15:21–22.

⁷ Romans 8:1–2.

⁸ 2 Corinthians 12:7–10.

⁹ 2 Corinthians 4:16–18.

¹⁰ James 4:8.

¹¹ 1 Corinthians 15:25–26.

¹² 2 Corinthians 5:2.

¹³ Romans 8:23.

¹⁴ 1 Corinthians 15:42–43.

¹⁵ 2 Corinthians 5:8.

¹⁶ Philippians 1:21–23.

¹⁷ Revelation 14:13.

¹⁸ Romans 8:39.

¹⁹ John 11:35.

²⁰ John 11:36.

²¹ John 11:38.

²² Acts 8:2.

²³ Acts 7:55–56.

²⁴ 1 Thessalonians 4:13.

²⁵ 1 Thessalonians 5:9–10.

²⁶ Romans 9:1–3.

Overcoming Bad Habits

July 11, 2024

Treasures

Audio length: 12:20

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Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.—Matthew 6:13

We all have habits, both good and bad. Anything you do automatically without consciously thinking about it, or without specifically deciding to do it, has become a habit. Good habits or practices—such as courtesy, kindness, and ethical behavior—are reflective of our Christian faith and values. But when the habits we develop are negative or destructive, they become vices or negative patterns of behavior.

The good news is that the Bible has promised that “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure” (1 Corinthians 10:13). Of course, we must choose to follow God’s exit strategy and “hold unswervingly to the hope we profess,” believing that “He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23).

The story has been told of a man who owned an eagle and for many years had chained the eagle to a stake. Over the years, the eagle had walked around that stake so much on the end of his chain that he’d worn a rut in the ground. Finally, when the eagle was old, his master felt sorry for him and thought, “These are his last days, so I’m going to set him free!”

To this end, he took the metal ring off the eagle’s foot, lifted him up in his hand and tossed him into the air. But the old eagle had almost forgotten how to fly, and he flip-flopped back down to the ground, walked over to the stake and started walking around the rut as he had done for years. No longer constrained by the chain or bird band, he was held prisoner to the habit.

Samuel Johnson once wrote: “The diminutive chain of habit is scarcely heavy enough to be felt, till it is too strong to be broken.” And Horace Mann wrote, “Habit is a cable; we weave a thread of it every day, and at last we cannot break it.” These sayings reflect our need of a Savior and the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives to overcome bad habits.

The reality is that, in our human nature, we are all sinful and fallible, and subject to weaknesses and temptations, which can turn into a variety of bad habits or addictions. When we entertain and give in to temptation or certain weaknesses for a prolonged period of time, they become ingrained behavior patterns, and we can become impervious to the reality of how they can endanger us or our health or our relationship with others.

One of the first steps to breaking oppressive bad habits and negative patterns of behavior in our lives is to acknowledge the problem and identify its root, and to study the truth of God’s Word to know and develop a conviction of what is wrong and what is right. Claim God’s promised help in times of need. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble” (Psalm 46:1).

It is helpful to remind ourselves of God’s promises in His Word to save and deliver us “from every evil work” and to preserve us for His heavenly kingdom (2 Timothy 4:18). Remember that “he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25). No matter how difficult it may be to break the chains of bad habits and addictions, the Bible says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

Bad habits and addictions come in many forms, including the obvious ones such as alcohol, drugs, smoking, gambling, eating disorders, computer gaming, and pornography. Alcoholism, for example, is a vice that has plagued humankind for millennia. Although drinking wine in moderation was common in Bible times, the Bible has much to say against overindulgence in alcohol: “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). The Lord can not only deliver us from bad habits and addictions, but He can also give us the willpower to continue to resist the temptation. “Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear” (Isaiah 59:1).

There are also spiritual sins that can grow into bad habits and ingrained patterns of behavior that can be destructive if we allow them to grow in our lives, such as hatred, bitterness, pride, and deception. The Bible tells us to “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice” (Ephesians 4:31).

Fear and worry are also negative emotions which can become habitual responses and are detrimental to our spiritual and emotional well-being. Fear can become a form of bondage, keeping us from walking in faith and trusting in the Lord. But the Bible promises us that “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” [or self-discipline] (2 Timothy 1:7).

A starting point for overcoming bad habits and besetting sin in our lives is to recognize the problem and confess it and be willing to yield to the Lord in that area of our lives. We have to make a decision to “throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Hebrews 12:1). The next verse explains the key to doing this: “We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).

Jesus said that “if you abide in My Word, … you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31–32), and once we are saved and know the truth, we also become accountable to live according to His Word. This is why God’s Word says, “Neither give place to the devil” (Ephesians 4:27). Rather we are to “put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22–24).

When we “give place” to bad habits or besetting sins in our life, it’s like having an evil boarder in our house. He’s not in control of the house, but he causes trouble and damage. You tell him to leave but he won’t leave, so finally by the authority and the law—in this case the authority of God’s Word and the name of Jesus—you literally throw him out!

It’s sad when we as Christians go so long without seeking complete freedom and deliverance from deep-seated vices and bad habits. When we harbor them and allow them to persist in our lives without getting rid of them altogether, we are failing to recognize that we are allowing sin a foothold in our lives rather than standing on God’s Word and the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome them.

We have to be willing to recognize when we are being besieged by a bad habit or addiction, and confess our sin before the Lord, and cry out to Him for help. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). We may also need to confess to others that we need help and prayer, or seek professional help as needed, because some vices have such a strong grip on people—including Christians—that they’re almost powerless to overcome them on their own.

If you have a serious problem and you cannot seem to overcome it through private prayer or trying to resist it on your own, it can be helpful to contact other Spirit-filled Christians whom you know and trust and ask for prayer. “If two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:19). There are also professional counselors who are trained to provide the support and assistance needed.

When you pray, remember to quote promises that God has made in His Word. Cling to His promises, memorize and quote them continually, and believe that God is going to answer—and He will. If you sincerely pray for deliverance from bad habits, the Lord will help you. Jesus never fails! He always answers when we call upon Him with a whole heart (Jeremiah 29:13).

But even after prayer, it sometimes takes a while to completely break free from a bad habit. You may still have the ingrained habit and the temptation or tendencies along that line—especially if a certain weakness or vice has been a problem or habit for many years. But don’t give up! “God is faithful, and he will never let you be tempted beyond what you can bear” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

As human beings, we will all face temptation. Jesus told His disciples to “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). Nobody can keep temptation from coming, but we don’t have to yield to temptation. As Martin Luther once wrote, “You cannot keep birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair!” Our part is to “be sober-minded and watchful” and not give place to temptation (1 Peter 5:7–8).

In God, we have the power to overcome every trial and temptation we face—and even when we falter or fail along the way, He has promised to never leave nor forsake us. Because Jesus Himself suffered temptation (Hebrews 4:15), He is able to sympathize with our weaknesses and “help those who are being tempted” (Hebrews 2:18). The power of God is greater than all earthly temptation and is able to break every chain that may bind you! For whom the Son sets free will be free indeed (John 8:36).

From an article in Treasures, published by the Family International in 1987. Adapted and republished July 2024. Read by Reuben Ruchevsky.

A Part of Our Hearts

July 10, 2024

By Steve Hearts

It’s one thing to know a lot about something, but it’s another thing to make it an integral part of who you are, so that something that you believe in becomes a part of your heart and actions.

When I was young, I felt proud of my ability to quickly and easily memorize Bible passages. I regularly used that knowledge to bolster my case when debating something. I’d spout off verse after verse, in an effort to prove how “spiritual” I was. While I did manage to impress some people, God truly knew my heart.

As I grew older, life’s difficulties increased. I complained about them and buckled under their weight instead of finding strength in God’s Word. It took a considerable amount of time for the Lord to get through to me that His Word is not only meant to be studied and memorized, but also lived and applied. More than simply making its way into our ears and heads, it’s meant to penetrate the depth of our being and become part of our hearts.

For instance, I could flawlessly quote James 1:2–3: “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” But instead of being thankful when in the midst of troubles and difficulties, my attitude was the exact opposite. The drastic change God asked me to make to live according to this verse was no easy pill to swallow. But with His help, I began to make the switch from a negative, grumbling attitude to one of gratitude and praise, and I can testify how this made all the difference in my life.

The Lord used the following situation to drive home this point about living and applying His Word:

As a blind musician who plays several instruments by ear, I know nothing about written music—not even in Braille. I also know very little when it comes to musical terminology. Once, when I was lamenting about this to my older brother, he said, “But you also have a great advantage over those who are unable to play without reading written music. The music itself is in your head and your heart, whether you can read the notes or not.”

The Lord showed me that I needed to live and apply His Word in the same practical way that I live and apply my knowledge of music. I realized that it’s possible to spend many hours reading, studying, and learning about any given subject. But if what is learned is not used, applied, and lived, then all that learning can be in vain.

My family and I are friends with a psychologist. For years, she would dismiss all our comments and suggestions about Jesus and salvation. But when a horrible event occurred, when her sister and brother-in-law were tragically murdered, all the knowledge she thought would keep her strong shattered into pieces. She turned to Jesus for His help and asked Him to come into her heart.

One day she told us, “I studied for years to be a psychologist, and I am able to speak extensively on many subjects, but none of that knowledge is helping me in the least right now. What is helping me now is the comfort I am receiving from coming to better understand Jesus’ great love for me and His Word!”

This reminds me of another story of a young professor of psychology who was an expert on human emotions, reactions, and was well loved by all his students.

One afternoon, he received a letter from his brother informing him that his mother, whom he hadn’t seen in five years, was ill. She wasn’t likely to live much longer and was longing to see him. The professor decided to take a trip to see her for Mother’s Day the next weekend.

A few days before his trip, the professor’s landlady asked him what he was planning to take home. The professor had no idea, so he asked his landlady to choose something for him to bring. The next day, the mailman arrived at the door with a beautiful bouquet of roses.

He then started to make excuses: “My mother doesn’t care much for sentimentality. Besides, how am I to carry roses on the train? What will people think?” His landlady was undeterred, though, and insisted that he take the roses.

Throughout the entire train ride, the professor was uncomfortable, thinking that someone who knew him would see him with the roses. Whenever he saw a familiar figure heading his way, he would quickly hide them behind his newspaper.

When he presented his mother with the roses, she tried to dismiss them, telling her son he should save his money for the future instead of buying her presents. Having expected this reaction, he felt justified.

The following day, the professor was on a walk and ran into an old friend of the family. “I just came from your mother’s house,” she said exuberantly. “All she could talk about was the roses you brought her.” The professor couldn’t believe this until he reached home and heard his brother and sister-in-law say the same thing.

The next day was Mother’s Day. His elderly mother didn’t come downstairs for breakfast. The professor checked on her and found that she had peacefully passed away in her sleep, tightly clutching the roses he had brought her.

It then dawned on the professor that it may have been him who didn’t care for sentimentality and that perhaps his mom was reacting that way for his sake. He’d thought he knew and understood so much about human emotions, but this bittersweet experience showed him that knowing information and putting what you teach into practice from your heart are two different things.

It has become a habit for me to pray the following prayer before diving into God’s Word: “Lord, cause Your Word to become a part of my heart and life instead of just mere knowledge.”

This article was adapted from a Just1Thing podcast, a Christian character-building resource for young people.

When Tragedy Strikes

July 9, 2024

A compilation

Audio length: 10:04

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My father died of a heart attack in 1979 at the age of fifty-five. The shock was nearly overwhelming for me and my family. … I had no idea why God would allow such a tragedy. …

The other great crisis of my life came ten years ago when our older son was diagnosed with cancer. … Watching our son go through surgery and radiation was more grievous for me than I can express in words. …

Over these years as a “fellow struggler,” I have come to appreciate the honesty of God’s word. The so-called “psalms of lament” (nearly half of the Psalms) have become especially important for me.

The first is perhaps the most deeply personal for David. Psalm 3 was composed while he was fleeing for his life from his son Absalom (2 Samuel 15–18). Imagine what this aged king must have felt as his son usurped his throne, staged a national rebellion, and sought to kill him.

In response, David begins: “O Lᴏʀᴅ, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul, ‘There is no salvation for him in God’” (Psalm 3:1–2). I would have followed this very honest statement with a litany of complaints against the Lord, asking him to explain why he allowed this crisis in my life and nation.

David does not: “But you, O Lᴏʀᴅ, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. I cried aloud to the Lᴏʀᴅ, and he answered me from his holy hill” (vv. 3–4). He chooses to see God’s unseen presence and providential protection and to cry out to him in faith.

Consequently, he can make a statement I find absolutely astounding: “I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lᴏʀᴅ sustained me” (v. 5). Even while fleeing from his son’s armies, David can sleep while trusting that God will protect him. As a result, he testifies, “I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around” (v. 6).

And he prays, “Arise, O Lᴏʀᴅ! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked” (v. 7). Then he extends his intercession to his divided nation: “Salvation belongs to the Lᴏʀᴅ; your blessing be on your people!” (v. 8).

I take from this psalm two life principles that are relevant for anyone facing life’s tragedies today.

One: David’s prayer invites us to be honest with God.

Psalm 3 and others like it are preserved in Holy Scripture as models of true transparency. They remind us of our Lord’s call to “reason together” (Isaiah 1:18); the Hebrew is literally translated as “argue it out.”…

Two: David’s example invites us to be honest with ourselves…

David is honest with his emotions in the moment, secure in the knowledge that he can admit how he truly feels to himself and then to God.

After my father died, I began praying the words I felt I should say, telling God that I was grateful for my father’s life and that I trusted him with our family’s needs. But then, the Spirit somehow opened a door in my spirit to how I genuinely felt at that moment—angry, hurt, and frightened. I was mad at my father for dying and mad at my Father for allowing my father to die.

That evening, I went into our backyard, looked up into the night sky, and shook my fist at God. But he did not shake his fist at me. He never does.—Jim Denison¹

When tragedy strikes, it is common for people to ask, “What does this mean?”… Because God instills meaning into every moment and event in history, through Him we can begin to find meaning in suffering. …

He understands what we are going through. … Nothing is insignificant to Him. If God knows when a sparrow falls, He certainly knows when we face tragedy (Matthew 10:29–31). In fact, God assured us that we would face trouble in this world (John 16:33) and that He has experienced our struggles personally (Hebrews 2:14–18; Hebrews 4:15).

While we understand that God has sovereign control over all things, it is important to remember that God is not the source of tragedy. The vast majority of human suffering is caused by sin. … While God is perfectly capable of stopping tragedies before they begin, sometimes He chooses not to. While we may not know why, we do know that He is perfect, just, and holy, and so is His will. Also, the suffering we experience in this world does three things. It leads us to seek God, it develops our spiritual strength, and it increases our desire for heaven (Romans 8:18–25; James 1:2–3; Titus 2:13; 1 Peter 1:7). …

Tragic events remind us not only that we live in an imperfect and fallen world, but that there is a God who loves us and wants something better for us than the world has to offer.—GotQuestions.org²

I am a shield for all who take refuge in Me. When your world is feeling unsafe and threatening, ponder this precious promise. I personally shield and protect all who make Me their refuge—their safe place in the midst of trouble. …

My shielding presence is continually available to you. Whenever you’re feeling fearful, turn to Me and say: “Jesus, I take refuge in You.”

It is crucial to remember that you live in a world where your spiritual enemies never declare a truce. So you need to stay alert and be ready for battle. Unlike warriors with servants to help them put on their gear, you must make the effort to arm yourself each day. No matter what happens, I want you to be able to stand your ground and after you have done everything, to stand. When you’re in the thick of battle, declare your trust in Me—your confidence that I am with you, helping you. You may feel as if you’re losing the battle, but don’t give up! Hold tightly to My hand, and just keep standing. This is the victory.—Jesus ³

Life can hold tragedy, hardship, pain, fear, death, evil, separation, violence, homelessness, addiction, and hopelessness. God hates evil and suffering, and His heart breaks to see His creations, His children, go through the torment of this world, but from the beginning, He gave mankind free choice. They could choose to do good or evil. They chose to go their own way, starting with Adam and Eve in the garden when sin entered the world.

But here’s the good news! The wonderful news! Someday God is going to say, “Enough!” and He’s going to rescue those who love Him and have received His free gift of eternal life. He’s going to make everything right and fair. He’s going to make everything just and beautiful. Those who love Him will be able to live in heaven with Him forever and ever. There will never be any more death or war or sickness or tears or suffering or loss.

This life, as it is right now, seems so long, but in reality it’s only the blink of an eye, compared to all of forever when we will live in a beautiful world with our loving Father and His Son, Jesus. So just hold on a little longer; keep persevering. Encourage yourself with what God will bring to pass and the beautiful world awaiting you in heaven, if you love Him and have received Him in your heart.—Maria Fontaine

Published on Anchor July 2024. Read by Jerry Paladino. Music by John Listen.

¹ https://www.denisonforum.org/daily-article/hurricane-idalia-fl-residents-swim-out-of-their-windows

² https://www.gotquestions.org/meaning-in-tragedy.html

³ Sarah Young, Jesus Always (Thomas Nelson, 2017).

Glorified Savior

July 8, 2024

By Virginia Brandt Berg

Audio length: 10:57

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Welcome to Meditation Moments. I was reading the 17th chapter of John, and I want to read a portion of this from the Amplified Version, for there’s just a couple of sentences in here that we want to use for our meditation. It’s a wonderful chapter.

When Jesus had spoken these things, He lifted up His eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour is come. Glorify [and exalt, magnify] Your Son, so that Your Son may glorify [and magnify] You. Just as You have granted Him power and authority over all humankind, now glorify Him, so that He may give eternal life to all whom You have given Him.

And this is eternal life: to know [that is, to receive, to become acquainted and understand] You, the only true God; and likewise, to know Him, Jesus Christ (the anointed one, the Messiah), whom You have sent. I have glorified You down here on the earth by completing the work that You gave Me to do. And now, Father, glorify Me along with Yourself and restore Me to such majesty and honor in Your presence, as I had with You before the world existed.

I have manifested Your name, I have revealed Your real self to the people whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, and You gave them to Me, and they have obeyed and kept Your word (John 17:1–6).

Now let’s go to the 20th verse. There He says about these that God gave Him:

Neither for these alone do I pray [it is not for their sake only, that is, that I make this request], but also for all those who ever come to believe on Me; so that they all may be one, just as You, Father, are in Me and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe, may be convinced, that You have sent Me (John 17:20–21).

I want to call your attention particularly to these two phrases here: “So that the world may believe,” and then the words “that the world may know.” As I read this chapter, the thought came to my heart: How can we best bring men and women to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ? We tell them, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31). But hearts are so hard and lives so filled with many distracting interests today, it’s hard to even get the attention for a moment of the unsaved. How can it be done?

I believe there’s no persuasive power in all the world like unto a transformed life! Show the world a transformed life and they will stop for a moment and take a look, whether it’s your transformed life or someone else’s. The force and impetus of transformed lives stirs my own heart afresh every day and whets to a keen edge my desire to keep at this work of God and even at this little program, and see other lives transformed.

Words fail me utterly when I try to describe the transforming power of the Lord Jesus Christ, so wonderful in my own life. Someday perhaps I can tell you how God brought me back from unbelief. My heart was so hard and cold, and I didn’t believe His Word anymore. There are so many lives like this that I have known.

Some time ago there crossed my path a young man so steeped in sin, so lust-filled and vile that his soul was sodden from years of debauchery. He was an alcoholic, a gambler, and a narcotic addict. Brought face to face with this miserably unhappy, useless life, the Lord seemed to challenge with these words: “Believest thou that I am able to do this?” (Matthew 9:28). In other words, do you think that I can transform this life?

I believe that Christ must find someone who has faith in His power to set such a captive free, someone who believes utterly that such a life can be transformed.

The other day I walked into a large auditorium to hear this same young man proclaim this very message of deliverance for captives from that pulpit. There he stood, not the same, for he was utterly transformed, his face aglow with the light of God, and the winsome loveliness of Christ in every act and word, as he was telling of the saving power of Jesus. Every word was graced with the love of God and adorned with the power of the Holy Spirit.

Oh, my friend, Christ has not changed since He stood in the synagogue and proclaimed: “The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon Me because He has anointed Me [the Anointed One] to preach the good news to the poor; He has sent Me to announce release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind; to send forth as delivered those that are oppressed [delivered those who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity]” (Luke 4:18).

Jesus still has the same power to save and transform as when He stood there in the synagogue. He still breaks the shackles and sets the captives free. How wonderful when we see such lives transformed! Surely that lets the world know of God’s power. God wants so much to use you to transform lives!

I’m thinking also of a man in Miami, Florida, years ago, whom we called “Old Man Jennings.” He was unclean in his heart and, when drinking heavily, he was none too clean on the outside. He was shackled with drink and sin, sick in body and discouraged when he came for prayer in a church where we were speaking.

God answered the prayer of those praying people, and the next time I saw that man, I didn’t recognize him. He was so cleaned up outside, and of course inside he was utterly transformed! I may not have recognized him, but I shall never forget what he said. This is what he said: “Why don’t you all get excited? Don’t you see what’s happened to me? I’m all changed! I don’t drink anymore, I don’t curse, my body is healed. If God can do things like this, why don’t you Christians get excited about it? Why don’t you run out and shout it from the housetops?” I’ve never forgotten that. I wonder why we don’t.

Are we just spiritually lazy, or are we doubters and do we begin to doubt that God can use us to help transform lives? Do we doubt that God can speak through our lips the words of power that will bring about this transformation in others?

Do we doubt that prayer has power, that if we give ourselves to prayer, lives can be transformed? Or maybe we don’t see the needs about us; or we view it with unconcern because the intense fervor of our zeal has cooled. Jesus said, “that the world may know…”

How are they going to know except through you and me? He has made no other provision. Think of it! We have in our possession the remedy for all the world’s ills. We have the only thing that will meet the need. This is the only means of transforming that pitiful wreck of humanity that you know, or that hopeless soul that’s headed for suicide, or that young life already so marred by dissipation that all the psychology and youth reformatories will never change him. Only this transforming power of Christ can do it.

But, you say your friend, or your boy, your loved one, your husband—he’s too unbelieving, he’s too much of a doubter, he’s too far gone. What about Jerry McAuley, the thief, the safecracker, the sodden drunk whose senses were so jaded that when he staggered into the Gospel mission he fell?¹ As Jerry McAuley said, when he fell, he fell towards the cross of Calvary. And today there stands in New York a monument to Jerry McAuley, because his transformed life did so much for the world. Through the forgiveness of God and the cleansing blood of Calvary, that man did so much for humanity.

So God asks the question: “Is there anything too hard for me?” (Jeremiah 32:27). Is there anybody that has sunk too deep in sin? What of Billy Sunday, the ballplayer, sitting on the curb in Chicago, half drunk, when the mission street workers went singing by? Later, as he knelt in the Pacific Garden Mission, the Lord completely transformed his life, and he became one of the world’s greatest preachers.

Hunt up the hardest case you know of, then look straight in the face of the Savior and hear Him say, as He said long ago: “Believe ye that I am able to do this?” (Matthew 9:28). Do you believe it? If you do believe it, give them His Word. Talk to them, persuade them; especially pray for these lives to be transformed.

Don’t give up on these ones, especially these that God has given into your care, brought you into contact with. Let us ask God to forgive our doubts, our lack of faith for these that need the transforming touch. We must believe in the possibility of their redemption. There are no hopeless cases with God. Oh, for more faith in the dependability of God! He’s not going to fail us.

Has faith grown dim for the one we are praying for because of delayed answer to prayer? Go to the Word of God again and see how many promises are made that He will help you, He will empower you. He’ll not fail you. And your faith will grow. His resources are limitless. Our faith is built upon the foundation of His divine Word. He has said it, will He not also do it (Numbers 23:19)?

Here’s a wonderful verse to encourage you to hold on and have faith for that person, for the transformation of their life. Remember, it’s the Creator of the universe, the sovereign of all, who has said this. He Himself hath said He will in no wise fail thee, “nor will I in any wise forsake thee,” “so that with good courage we say, the Lord is my helper” (Hebrews 13:5–6). Isn’t that wonderful? God help us to be true to it.

Remember, God’s still on the throne and prayer does change things. Believe God.

From a transcript of a Meditation Moments broadcast, adapted. Published on Anchor July 2024. Read by Carol Andrews.

¹ Jerry McAuley (1839–1884), along with his wife, Maria, was the founder of the McAuley Water Street Mission in New York City. He was a self-described “rogue and street thief” who spent seven years in Sing Sing prison during the 1860s, and his mission became America’s first Rescue Mission and is now known as the New York City Rescue Mission.

2 Thessalonians: Chapter 2 (Part 2)

1 and 2 Thessalonians

Peter Amsterdam

2023-05-23

Previously, in chapter 2:1–8, Paul wrote that the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. He then continued to describe the lawless one:

The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.¹

The mention in verse 8 of the coming of the Lord, which will bring the destruction of “the lawless one,” leads to Paul’s description that the “lawless one” will do signs and wonders. In verse 9, we’re told the power he will display will be satanic. The phrasing activity of Satan (work of Satan in other translations) highlights that the lawless one, by means of supernatural signs, will deceive those who have not accepted the gospel. Paul wants to protect the Thessalonians from being deceived in this way, as already the false teaching concerning the day of the Lord had entered the church (v. 2).

The miracles of the lawless one will include false signs and wonders. Elsewhere in the New Testament, signs and wonders are referred to positively.² However, this time they refer to satanic activities. Paul states that the power behind these wonders is Satan himself, and he calls them counterfeit. One author explains:

A number of ancient texts testify that false miracles accompanied a number of cults, and such were even characteristic of the imperial cult [the worship of emperors as divine]. Such wonders included images that could talk and move as well as the production of thunder and lightning. Although the apostle recognized the tricks that “the lawless one” would play, according to the religious conventions of the day, he is careful to note that real satanic power was working in him.³

Verse 10 goes on to describe the lawless one’s deception, along with the rejection of the truth of the gospel and the consequences of that rejection. The lawless one comes with false miracles, signs, and wonders, and will use any other method to promote his deception, which those who have rejected the gospel will embrace. This deception is called wicked; in other translations it’s referred to as evil deception (NLT), unrighteous deception (NKJ), all the deception of wickedness (NAS). Those who believe the lawless one are those who are perishing, meaning those who are not saved, who are lost. The power of Satan operates to make sure that people will be eternally lost. Paul’s letter expresses his conviction that a person’s final destiny is connected to the truth, the gospel which had been preached in Thessalonica.

Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.⁴

Because the unbelievers rejected the truth of the gospel, God judged them in a surprising way. He sent them strong delusion so that they would believe what is false. Since they didn’t receive the truth, God sent them confusion, so they were unable to distinguish between truth and lies, resulting in them believing a lie as if it were the truth. Elsewhere in Paul’s writings we find more references to God giving unbelievers over to the sins and errors they have accepted and embraced.

Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves.⁵

As it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day.”⁶

And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.⁷

People who reject the truth and believe what is false, as promoted by the lawless one, ultimately choose to believe a lie. They believe it because they are persuaded due to the strong delusion which has overtaken them because they have rejected the truth of the gospel.

In verse 12, Paul continues to explain the divine judgment which will come upon those who have believed the lawless one. The result is that they will be condemned. These are people who have rejected the message of the gospel and have aligned themselves with the lawless one. They not only rejected the gospel, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

At this point, the theme of the letter moves on to Paul’s thanksgiving to God for how the gospel came to the Thessalonians and their belief in its truth. He reassures the Thessalonian church that, contrary to the unbelievers who have rejected the gospel, they have accepted God’s call, are beloved by God, and were chosen by Him to be saved when Jesus returns.

But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.⁸

This mirrors the first expression of thanksgiving found earlier, in 2 Thessalonians 1:3. It expresses the obligation that Paul and his partners felt to give thanks to God. Paul refers to God’s choosing of the Thessalonian believers and His love for them. He doesn’t explain why God loved and chose the Thessalonians, but only offers thanksgiving that He did so. Paul explains that these believers were the first fruits of this church. The NLT Bible expresses this well: We are always thankful that God chose you to be among the first to experience salvation—a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth.⁹

To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.¹⁰

God called the Thessalonians to belief through the preaching of the gospel. He made sure that the message of salvation reached them through Paul and his partners. He gave Paul the vision to preach the gospel in the province of Macedonia,¹¹ and when they came to the city of Thessalonica, the people heard and received this message from God. Thus Paul could write that God called you through our gospel. It wasn’t Paul’s speaking abilities that won them, but rather God was active in Paul’s teaching, and He called them through the message.

The reason for this calling was so that the Christian Thessalonians would share in Jesus’ glory. The promise of receiving glory was one of the hopes of the Christian faith, as seen throughout Paul’s writings.

Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.¹²

If children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.¹³

To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.¹⁴

So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.¹⁵

Paul’s main concern was that the Thessalonian believers would stand strong and remain stable in their faith, that they would hold on to the teachings of the apostles in spite of Satan’s activity. They should faithfully continue in the apostles’ teaching and should hold on to it and not waver, even if they faced opposing opinions. Paul refers to the teachings as the traditions, which here are referred to positively. Within the New Testament, sometimes traditions have a negative sense.¹⁶ However, Paul’s reference here to the traditions describes the teaching he has imparted to the Thessalonian church.

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.¹⁷

At this point, Paul prays the first prayer of this letter in the form of a wish or desire. The prayer is directed to both God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, which puts them on the same plane. (Earlier, in verses 13–14, Paul included the full trinity—the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.) It’s interesting to note that unlike most verses where both the Father and Jesus Christ appear together,¹⁸ the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in this instance is placed in the first position.

However, though Jesus is placed in the first position, it is God the Father who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace. This points to some event in which God the Father demonstrated His love, likely referring to His choosing of the Thessalonians. Whatever act of love Paul had in mind, the purpose was to encourage and strengthen the church in the midst of persecution and in their fight against false teaching. As they were facing these adversaries, the love of God our Father was the foundation of their hope.

(To be continued.)

Note

¹ 2 Thessalonians 2:9–10.

² Acts 2:22; 2 Corinthians 12:12; Hebrews 2:4.

³ Gene L. Green, The Letters to the Thessalonians (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2002), 321.

⁴ 2 Thessalonians 2:11–12.

⁵ Romans 1:24.

⁶ Romans 11:8.

⁷ Romans 1:28.

⁸ 2 Thessalonians 2:13.

⁹ 2 Thessalonians 2:13 NLT.

¹⁰ 2 Thessalonians 2:14.

¹¹ Acts 16:9–10.

¹² Romans 5:2.

¹³ Romans 8:17–18.

¹⁴ Colossians 1:27.

¹⁵ 2 Thessalonians 2:15.

¹⁶ Matthew 15:2–3, 6; Mark 7:8–9, 13.

¹⁷ 2 Thessalonians 2:16–17.

¹⁸ Romans 1:7, 1 Corinthians 1:3, 2 Corinthians 1:2, Ephesians 1:2, 2 Thessalonians 1:2, Philemon 3.

2 Thessalonians: Chapter 2 (Part 1)

1 and 2 Thessalonians

Peter Amsterdam

2023-05-09

After writing 2 Thessalonians chapter 1, which provided an introduction to his second letter to the church in Thessalonica, Paul moved on to the body of his letter in chapter 2.

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.¹

Paul begins by instructing the Thessalonians to not become unsettled or alarmed by a false teaching that had entered the community. He was responding to how the wrong understanding of the day of the Lord had affected the believers’ comprehension of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and the gathering of the church to Him. Paul appears to indicate that the false teaching may have entered the church by means of a false letter forged under his name, a letter seeming to be from us. He had already given instruction about the day of the Lord,² but still questions continued, and some Thessalonians believed the incorrect teaching which affirmed that this day had already come.

Paul had already addressed the coming of the Lord and what it would entail in 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17:

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And 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.

The flawed teaching that the Thessalonians had received had caused confusion and distress among the believers. The instruction to not be quickly shaken meant that they shouldn’t waver in their beliefs; they shouldn’t be confused or alarmed, no matter what the source.

While Paul didn’t know specifically where the false teaching had come from, he called the Thessalonian believers to not disregard what he had taught them earlier. He seems to suspect that even with all the teaching he had given about carefully examining prophecies, it was still possible that false prophecies could have entered the church. In other New Testament writings, there are mentions of preachers who went among the churches and promoted heterodox teachings.

Many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist.³

Avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some.⁴

The Thessalonians had received teachings from Paul about the day of the Lord, and therefore had some understanding concerning it and hope in its coming.

For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.⁵

You are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.⁶

Even though Paul had written them regarding their inquiries, still the questions continued, and some of the Thessalonians believed the false teaching that the day had already come or was imminent.

Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction.⁷

Due to his concern over the erroneous doctrine about the day of the Lord which had entered the church, Paul presented a clarification of the events that had to occur before the day of the Lord. In doing so, Paul pointed out that these events had not yet occurred, and therefore they were not on the verge of that day.

The other event which will happen before the day of the Lord is that the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction. Jesus also spoke of the coming of false prophets and lawlessness.

Many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.⁸

Jesus and Paul both indicated that Christians could expect that some believers would desert their faith before the end. In the face of the severe persecution that the church experienced in the first century and the temptation to return to their former lives, many believers abandoned their faith. This leaving the faith became an example for what was to be expected in the last times. Paul and his companions hoped that the Thessalonian church would not take part in such an abandonment.

[The man of lawlessness] opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.⁹

Paul goes on to give further information regarding the “man of lawlessness,” focusing on his unchecked pride. He will oppose every other deity, including those which are worshipped throughout the ancient cities as well as the God of the Christians. He will set himself up against anyone or anything that receives worship. He will raise himself up in self-exaltation over God. This man of lawlessness will oppose everything which is called divine—false gods as well as the true God. While this refers to the antichrist when projected to the endtime, it could also refer to someone living at the time Paul wrote this letter.

Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?¹⁰

Paul was not giving the Thessalonians new information in his letter. While he was with them in Thessalonica, he had given them instructions about these matters. He reminded them of what he had said earlier. He implied that the believers had been taught enough to enable them to assess and reject the false teachings which had brought turmoil into the church. They needed to remember and apply what they had been taught by Paul and his team.¹¹ Instead of using the first-person plural, which would refer to Paul and his partners, here he uses the first-person singular, which reminds the reader that he was the principal teacher. His use of the first person is also seen when Paul writes about the activity of Satan against his ministry ¹² and against the church.¹³

And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way.¹⁴

In the preceding verse, Paul mentioned that he had told the Thessalonians “these things.” Unfortunately, he did not explain some aspects of what he shared with the Thessalonian believers. So verse 6 is rather unclear to us today. What Paul is referring to when he writes of what is restraining him now and he who now restrains is not known, and various theories exist as to its meaning.

The Thessalonian Christians understood that there was something holding back the “man of lawlessness.” In verse 6, Paul noted that the Thessalonians knew of the existence of a power that restrained the man of lawlessness. Now he observes that this power, which is described as the mystery of lawlessness, is not simply a future threat but a present reality. The verb at work is also found earlier in 1 Thessalonians 2:13 and implies some kind of supernatural activity. Paul doesn’t suggest that this secret power is divine, but only that it is supernatural, and in this context is malignant and satanic (which will be seen in verse 9). Paul calls this power the mystery of lawlessness. This power aligns itself with the lawless one. Normally Paul uses the term translated as “secret power” to refer to the “mystery of God” that is now revealed in the gospel,¹⁵ but in this verse the “mystery” refers to an evil, satanic power.

Before the revelation of “the lawless one” (v.8), one more event must take place: Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way.¹⁶ Here, the one who restrains is presented as a person, with the reference being to the one demonically possessed. This figure anticipates the revelation of the “the lawless one.” All this signaled to the Thessalonians that the end was not immediately upon them.

And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.¹⁷

After the one who restrains moves away from the scene, the lawless one comes to the fore. Earlier, this person was referred to as the man of lawlessness, the son of destruction.¹⁸ The text indicates that the veil will be removed so that he will be revealed to all. Paul informs the Thessalonians of the destruction of the lawless one, whom Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth. In spite of the lawless one’s appearance and his supernatural power, the epiphany of the Lord will be so mighty that it will destroy this evil one and his power.

(To be continued.)

Note

¹ 2 Thessalonians 2:1–2.

² 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11.

³ 2 John 1:7.

⁴ 2 Timothy 2:16–18.

⁵ 1 Thessalonians 5:2.

⁶ 1 Thessalonians 5:4.

⁷ 2 Thessalonians 2:3.

⁸ Matthew 24:11–13.

⁹ 2 Thessalonians 2:4.

¹⁰ 2 Thessalonians 2:5.

¹¹ 1 Thessalonians 2:9; 3:4; 4:1; 5:1–2.

¹² 1 Thessalonians 2:18.

¹³ 1 Thessalonians 3:5.

¹⁴ 2 Thessalonians 2:6–7.

¹⁵ 1 Corinthians 4:1; Ephesians 1:9.

¹⁶ 2 Thessalonians 2:7.

¹⁷ 2 Thessalonians 2:8.

¹⁸ 2 Thessalonians 2:3.

The Freedom of True Love

July 5, 2024

By Timothy Keller

In a culture where people really don’t know who they are and what life’s about—in a fragmented culture like ours—the fastest way to still feel good about ourselves is romance. It’s the ultimate philosophical narcotic.

“I don’t know what life is about, but when I’m with her or him, I feel somehow life is significant.” Do you see? It’s an end run. That’s the reason why in all fragmented cultures, romance and sex and marriage can either be the ultimate fatal detour or a clue to how to find your way home.

Jeremiah tells us about (1) an incredible offer: the ultimate lover; (2) the problem with the offer: that we’re faithless lovers; and (3) the resolution: a redeemed love relationship.

This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on September 21, 2003. Run time is 46 minutes (the message begins about a minute in).

https://podcast.gospelinlife.com/e/the-freedom-of-true-love/

The Faithful and Unfaithful Servant

July 4, 2024

By Peter Amsterdam

Audio length: 7:50

Download Audio (7.1MB)

The parable of the faithful and unfaithful servant is told in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, with minor variations. The context of this parable is that Jesus was speaking to His disciples shortly before His arrest and crucifixion. They were on the Mount of Olives in a private setting and the disciples asked Him: “What will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?” (Matthew 24:3). In response, Jesus went on to speak of future events, which included His return: “They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30).

Jesus went on to tell this parable within the context of His return (referred to as the parousia), and told His followers that no one knows when His return will happen: “Concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only” (Matthew 24:36). He also cautioned believers to always be prepared for that day: “Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:44).

Jesus then told a parable which emphasizes the importance of living in a manner which prepares us to be ready for His return at any time. He contrasts two conflicting attitudes, two choices which believers can make. He began the parable by posing a question:

“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions” (Matthew 24:45–47).

Here we read of a servant who is put in charge of his master’s household while the master is away. He is given authority over the rest of the household staff and the responsibility to administer the household. This seems to be a household with many servants, and as such, a great deal of responsibility.

This servant doesn’t focus on when the master will return, as it makes no difference to the work he does; he simply fulfills his duties faithfully. Such a man will be highly commended upon the return of the master. Beyond commendation, he will be given a promotion to the position of steward, with responsibility for all the master’s possessions.

After we’ve been given one possible scenario of a servant who has acted honorably in carrying out his duties, we are then given the opposite scenario of what might happen if the servant were to make a different choice, and the consequences of such a decision.

“But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 24:48–51).

In this passage, we see the servant having an internal discussion, reasoning with himself. The master is away, and for some reason won’t return when originally expected, so the servant feels he can act with impunity. In his mind, being left in charge as the overseer means he’s not answerable to others and there will be no consequences for his actions. He acts as if the master will never return and he will never be held accountable for his choices. This servant begins to act unjustly—his temporary authority goes to his head and he cruelly beats the other servants and begins eating and drinking with drunkards.

We’re told the master does return—with no warning—and the servant is totally unprepared. Somehow this servant lost sight of the fact that while the master was away longer than expected, it didn’t mean that he would never return. Return he did, and we’re told that due to the servant’s actions, his mismanagement, harshness, and malice toward others, he is judged and condemned.

Being “cut in pieces” certainly sounds like harsh punishment. Some commentators consider this to mean being “cut off from the midst of the people,” referring to fellowship with believers. Others consider that it can be interpreted metaphorically, while others feel it simply means he will be punished severely. As many Bible commentators say, it seems that the term is not meant to be a metaphor, but to be taken literally to mean a brutal punishment, used in order to shock the listeners so they would make the right decisions.

The phrase put him with the hypocrites in the Gospel of Matthew is presented in Luke as assign him a place with the unbelievers (Luke 12:46). The word in this context should probably be looked at as a general term for those who make the decision against God. Weeping and gnashing of teeth expresses deep sorrow and emotion. This phrase is used seven times in the New Testament, and in all cases in reference to those who have rejected God and are excluded from His blessings in the time of the end.

This parable presents two contrasting ways of living one’s faith. One option is to be like the first servant, who faithfully and consistently does the job day in and day out. It doesn’t matter when his master returns, as he has continually done what has been asked of him. Whenever the master returns, he will be ready.

The second option is to have the attitude of the wicked servant. He put very little focus on the fact that the master would return; instead he acted as, if it happened at all, it would be so far in the future that there was no reason to give it much thought. The catch is, the master did return, and there was a judgment and a reckoning.

While it might seem that this parable is about two different servants—one who makes the right choice and the other who doesn’t—in fact it’s about one servant, faced with making one of two choices. The implication is that each believer is faced with a choice. Will we be faithful to the Lord? Will we live our lives in accordance with His teachings?

Will we be ready whenever He returns, or when our lives are over? Or will our attitude be like the servant who lived as if there was no accountability, only to find out too late that there is, and we are being held accountable? As the Bible tells us, “So then each of us will give an account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12).

The right choice is clearly the first one—to choose to base our lives on the teachings of Jesus, to be in a healthy relationship with God, to love Him and others, and to be faithful in what He has called us to do. In living this way, we will be blessed not only in the present, but for all eternity.

Originally published February 2018. Adapted and republished July 2024. Read by Jon Marc.

Beauty in Our Struggles

July 3, 2024

By Jemima

Our life here on earth is a continual learning process. We go through times of difficulty and we experience moments of joy when all is well and at peace. We are learning that both joy and hard times are part of life, and both are important to help us to grow and to live our lives to the fullest.

I would like to share with you something I recently experienced that brought this to life. It was Eastertime. The sun was shining and the birds were singing. It was starting to look like spring. My husband and I were inspired to get a few plants that we could plant in a big pot outside our house and in our tiny garden to bring joy to us and our neighbors. The plants had lots of green leaves with small yellow flowers that were like a ray of sunshine.

The next day the weather changed drastically. The country was hit by a snowstorm that continued for a whole day and night. There was so much snow that we could hardly go outside for a walk. I looked at our newly planted flowers and I felt very sad. I was thinking about what I could do to save them, but they were already covered with snow. Will they just die? I wondered.

I decided to bring in a smaller plant that I had put on our terrace table. I was pleased to be able to save one of them. It looked happy inside the warm house. It was still snowing outside, like a blizzard. The next day my little plant inside did not look so happy anymore. So I decided to take it outside again. I don’t know much about gardening, so I researched online and learned that these plants can take a lot of cold and can survive even in the snow. There was hope!

Soon the snow started to melt. Slowly the yellow flowers were uncovered, and to my surprise and joy they were still alive. They even looked stronger and prettier than before! I was amazed and so thankful to see the happy flowers again. I learned something new about plants and gardening, and I also learned that what happens in nature can often be transferred to what we as people are learning in our lives.

There have been many times in my life when I have been in a difficult or unpleasant situation—such as going through a surgery or sickness, seeing our kids go through hard times and divorce, struggles with finances, heartbreaks, and other storms.

I must confess that I would rather not go through times like these, and instead try to run away from facing any struggles. But I am slowly learning that we have a loving Father who gently teaches us what we need to learn so we can be stronger and happier in our lives. I am also learning that I am not alone in these struggles, and that He is holding my hand and will see me through.

Often, my Father will not take away the hard times, but He will instead give me the strength and grace to go through the squeezing and the struggles. God taking away the difficulties would not be a benefit in my life. Rather, God teaching me to hold on and see things through will bring victory and joy and will prepare me for future service for Him. I also learn through tests and trials how to better relate to other people who are facing difficulties in their lives.

Our plant came through a snowstorm stronger and even more beautiful. It survived and it was even thriving. So, it can be the same for us. He is with us and will never leave us nor forsake us. What a joy and comfort! We are truly blessed by a loving and caring Father. Thank You, Jesus!

Here are some beautiful verses to hold on to:

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you (1 Peter 5:10).

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope (Romans 15:13) .

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God (2 Corinthians 1:3–4).

And here are some helpful quotes I found online:

Pain is not a sign of weakness, but rather proof of our vulnerability and capacity for love.

Pain reminds us that we are alive, that we can feel—and through feeling, we are able to grow.

Strength is not measured by the absence of pain, but rather by the ability to rise above it.

In the depths of darkness, beauty emerges as a guiding light.

The most beautiful souls are often those who have embraced pain as a catalyst for growth.¹

I hope and pray that this encourages you, and most of all that we will remember that our life here on earth is a gift from a loving and caring Father. He knows and understands. He promised in Scripture that He would never leave us nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6), that He is with us always (Matthew 28:20), and will keep us safe under His wings (Psalm 91:4), now, today, and forever.

P.S. We were faced with two more snowstorms after this incident. Each time our resilient plants survived and bounced back even stronger. So hold on, dear friends, and don’t give up. He will see us through to victory each and every time!

¹ From Beauty from Pain by Georgia Cates (2013).

The Power of Your Words

July 2, 2024

A compilation

Audio length: 10:32

Download Audio (9.6MB)

Can positive words of encouragement really make a difference? I think so. In fact, I don’t think I’d be writing this article right now without them. Let me explain. Remember how awkward middle school is? Well, I was the definition of awkward. Seriously, people used to call me awkward Alli because of how shy I was (and the frizzy hair, braces, and glasses combo didn’t help matters).

But one day in English class, my favorite teacher at the time had us write poems to read aloud to the class. Naturally, I was petrified. But after I read mine, I’ll never forget the positive words of my teacher. She paused and said, “You have a gift.”…

Words have the power to shape our worlds because they inform the stories we tell ourselves. And those stories in our heads influence the way we act and the people we become. So, those words? They were game-changing for me. Why? … My teacher’s words encouraged me to become a writer, which I love.

Now think about your life. Can you think of a time when someone encouraged you with positive words at the right time? What impact did it have on your life? Now, consider the impact of your words [on others]. …

Our words have the power to bring death or life to any situation. With one sentence, we can either destroy someone’s confidence or remind them of their identity in Christ. We can either encourage them with life-giving words that will shape their story in a positive way—or we can discourage them with harmful words that damage them. …

Pastor Craig Groeschel says it this way: “Every time you think something good about someone, share it! Never rob someone of the blessings of an unspoken treasure.”

That doesn’t mean you say compliments you don’t mean. But it does mean that we are on the lookout for ways we can genuinely encourage others around us. …

Positive words of encouragement matter more than we think. And giving positive words to others actually helps you start thinking of yourself more positively, too. When you look for the good in the world and in others, you start finding it. That helps you start staying positive and developing a more Christlike attitude.

If you could bless someone’s entire day with one small act, wouldn’t you do it? You have that power every day simply with the words you say. So look for ways to sincerely compliment and encourage those around you.—Alli Wiseman¹

When you whisper words of praise to Me, it draws us closer together, and when you express your admiration and appreciation for those around you, it draws you closer to each other. It helps the other person feel loved, needed, and noticed.

When you see something good about someone, it’s probably Me putting that thought in your mind because I want you to say it! Give that compliment or express appreciation for that good job. Even if you’ve said it many times before, say it again. Don’t worry that others will get tired of hearing your positive words—hardly anyone ever does.

It doesn’t have to be big things that you acknowledge or appreciate people for. In fact, it’s good to concentrate on the little things, because those are what often go unnoticed. If you feel you’re not observant enough to know what to say, just ask Me. And then when I show you something positive, say it.

Every person on earth needs to feel appreciated. When you give appreciation freely, you become a channel for My love to flow through to that person. Pray for the gift of appreciation and then put feet to your prayers by getting in the habit of voicing sincere appreciation at every opportunity.

Another wonderful thing about showing appreciation through kind and genuine words is that the more you do it, the happier it makes you as well, because it will help you recognize your blessings. Words of appreciation, gratitude, encouragement and acknowledgment start a positive cycle that will amaze you!—Jesus

Words have real power. God spoke the world into being by the power of His words (Hebrews 11:3). Humans are made in God’s image, and our words also have power. … Our words do more than convey information; they have an impact on people. … Words can exacerbate wounds and inflict them directly. Alternately, words can build up and be life-giving (Proverbs 18:21; Ephesians 4:29; Romans 10:14–15).

Of all the creatures on this planet, only humans have the ability to communicate through the spoken word. The power to use words is a unique and powerful gift from God.

Our words have the power to destroy and the power to build up (Proverbs 12:6). … Are we using words to build up people or destroy them? Are they being filled with hate or love, bitterness or blessing, complaining or compliments, lust or love, victory or defeat?

Words are so important that we are going to give an account of what we say when we stand before the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36–37).—GotQuestions.Org²

Once an old man spread rumors that his neighbor was a thief. As a result, the young man was arrested. Days later the young man was proven innocent. After being released, the man felt humiliated as he walked to his home. He sued the old man for wrongly accusing him.

In court, the old man told the judge, “They were just words, didn’t harm anyone.”

The judge, before passing sentence on the case, told the old man, “Write all the things you said about him on a piece of paper. Cut them up, and on the way home, throw the pieces of paper out. Tomorrow, come back to hear the sentence.”

The next day, the judge told the old man, “Before receiving the sentence, you will have to go out and gather all the pieces of paper that you threw out yesterday.”

The old man said, “I can’t do that! The wind has spread them and I don’t know where to find them.”

The judge then replied, “The same way, simple comments may destroy the honor of a man to such an extent that one is not able to fix it.”

The old man realized his mistake and asked for forgiveness.

Words are powerful. They have the ability to inspire, motivate, and persuade; or discourage, dismiss, and dissuade. With your words, you wield the power to plant seeds of either success or failure in the mind of another, and in the process, you reveal who you are, how you think, and what you believe. Whether it’s inspiring a nation, launching a product, building a team, or mending a relationship, the right words spoken at the right time can change history—Shivangi S.³

Published on Anchor July 2024. Read by John Laurence. Music by Michael Fogarty.

¹ https://finds.life.church/positive-words-make-a-difference/

² https://www.gotquestions.org/power-of-words.html

³ https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/short-motivational-story-choose-your-words-wisely-shivangi-shukla

Future Glory

7/01/24 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. ¹⁹For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. ²⁰For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope ²¹that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. ²²For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. ²³And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. ²⁴For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? ²⁵But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. (Romans 18:25) ESV

Always with You

Words from Jesus

2021-01-11

Each of My disciples must seek Me to know and discern My will for their life. I will help you to delight to do My will, and to find joy in your efforts. Through the forsaking of self and giving of yourself to bless others, I have promised that you will be rewarded one hundredfold in this life, and you will receive life everlasting in the age to come.¹

Reach out and take My hand, and I will guide you and uphold you. I am standing outside the boat, on the water. If you’ll only step out of the boat, I’ll help you to walk on the water. You won’t sink, for I will hold you up. Even if your circumstances seem impossible, I will always be with you, to help you and to sustain you.

I want you to know that wherever you go, I’m always with you. Don’t worry about the rest, because whenever you seek to walk in My will and be guided by My Spirit, I always make a way. All you have to do is have the faith and step out and commit yourself to be faithful to what I show you, and trust in Me for the rest. I will always help you to do whatever it takes to get wherever you need to go to fulfill your calling in life.

I know the burdens that you carry. I know the worries and cares that you have in your heart. I know everything about you. I made you. My Spirit dwells in you. If you only knew what joys and rewards are awaiting those who love and serve Me in spirit and in truth, you would be overwhelmed by the incomparable glory that will be revealed in you.² As you do your part to be faithful to what I’ve called you to do, you can trust that I will never leave you nor forsake you—ever! That’s a promise. I love you!

The things that last

What is your life? It is but a vapor; it’s here for a little while, and then it’s gone.³ You have no guarantee of tomorrow. You’ve read the story of the rich fool who lived for himself and saved up his treasures on earth—but what is he remembered as? The rich fool!

For those who strive only for the things of this earth, they may find momentary pleasure, but that inevitably will come to an end. If you wish to enjoy life to the full, you’ll strive for the things that last forever—eternal souls and transformed lives that will live on in My presence forever.

Follow Me faithfully, diligently, day by day. The end of the road may seem far away, and it may seem that there are many obstacles and pitfalls along the way, but if you take My hand and follow closely, I will lead and guide you each step of the way. I’ll be right by your side as a loving father, ready and willing to give advice and counsel. Seek Me diligently day by day, and I will never fail to lead and guide you. Remember that each day is new in My sight. As you seek first the kingdom of God and My righteousness, you can trust that all these other things—everything that you need—will be added unto you.

Stand pat on your decision to trust Me and My Word, for as you trust Me, I will strengthen your faith and My Word will give you hope, peace, faith, joy, and love. All the fruits of the Spirit will grow in your life as you put your trust in Me and place Me at the center of your life.

Trust in My love, for you know the thoughts that I think toward you, thoughts of peace and goodness, thoughts of love and of favor.⁴ Have faith that I do all things well. Even your faith is a work of My grace, a gift which I paid for and gave to you freely so that you can share it with others.

I will give you joy in your labors and relieve you from your worry and stress. I delight to give you these things, as you delight yourself in Me.

Standing on the rock

Fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I understand your struggles. I remember that you’re just dust. Keep your eyes on Me and don’t look at the waves and the problems, because that’s not what’s important. If you keep your eyes on Me, it will all turn out well in the end!

It’s because I love you that I am trying to pull you up to a higher rock. Don’t look at the size of the rock or the hardness or the roughness of it, but realize that it’s a place of safety, refuge, growth, and beauty. It might look like it’s hard to get on the rock, but it’s not. I’m reaching out My hand now to pull you up. So put your hand in Mine and let Me help you climb up. Don’t think that you’re unworthy or that you can’t make it, because you can! I will help you.

I know that My Spirit is tugging on your heart and calling you upward. I know that your prayer is to serve Me and to do what I want you to do. If you’ll listen and pay heed to the tug of the Spirit on your heart, you will find joy in the particular place of service I have for you at this time in your life. As you do so, if you give your life to Me, I will make it count! Together we can make a difference, as you light up your world with My love.

Every harvester knows that his wheat is out there ripe and ready to harvest, and if he is faithful to bring in the harvest, he will receive the abundant blessings the harvest will bring. As you do your part to reach out with the good news, you will experience the joy of witnessing a person come to eternal salvation, the joy of seeing My light shine in the heart of others.

Give your life to Me, and you’ll find true satisfaction. You’ll know what it’s like to have a full heart—full of My love and transformed by My Spirit.

Sharing in My compassion

Do you suffer with those who suffer, and feel the agony of their hearts as I felt the agony of your heart? Trust that I will strengthen you as you reach out to those who are hurting. As you look to Me, lean on Me, and trust in Me to work through you, your efforts will never be in vain.

I know what it’s like to feel at wits’ end corner with these who seem indifferent. You wonder if there is any point in attempting to reach them when they don’t seem open or willing to listen. But your job is to point them to the truth in love, to be My light in the world, whether people choose to come to the light and be transformed by it or not.

When I hung on the cross between the two thieves, one scorned Me and the other reached out to the light. I promised the man who sought truth that he would be with Me in paradise that same day. In spite of his faults and failures, My compassion did not fail him, for I saw that his heart was willing to receive the truth.

As you do your part to reach those who seem to be indifferent or closed, you can learn to be compassionate with their weaknesses and human frailties. If I would reward anyone according to their sins and failures, who would be saved?

As far as the east is from the west, so great is My love for you, and this is the love that I wish for you to share with the lost, so that they will be drawn to Me.

Originally published February 1998. Adapted and republished January 2021.
Read by Jon Marc. Music by John Listen.

¹ Mark 10:30.

² Romans 8:18.

³ James 4:14.

⁴ Jeremiah 29:11.

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