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In step

Better Get Used to Mystery​

[ 1 min read ★ ]

. . . my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts—Isaiah 55:9​

We men go through lengthy stretches of our lives with an “I’ve got this” posture. We convince ourselves we know what’s best in any particular situation or what’s right against any particular problem. We convince ourselves that we “get it.” We maintain this belief . . . until we can’t anymore . . . until we find we don’t actually know all that we think we know. We maintain it until we finally face the reality that God is God and we are not.

“I am the Lord, who made all things,
who alone stretched out the heavens,
who spread out the earth by myself,
who frustrates the signs of liars
and makes fools of diviners,
who turns wise men back
and makes their knowledge foolish” (Isaiah 44:24-25).

Never can we have God’s knowledge or wisdom. Because of who he is, because of who we are, there’ll always be a tremendous amount of mystery in the relationship. We must be willing to accept and embrace it—and not let it become an impediment. We may “need” to know why something is the way it is or why something happened the way it did, but most times we simply cannot—and still we must believe, and still we must obey. To be in right relation to God we must instead adopt a posture of “I don’t know . . . and I’ll do what he asks nonetheless.”

Okay, so what do we do?​


Fill in the following blanks, brother, according to your story:

I don’t know why ____________ happened, but I’ll trust God nonetheless. I don’t know why I had to experience ____________, but I’ll love him nonetheless. I don’t know why I am experiencing ____________ right now, but I’ll follow him nonetheless. I don’t know why he is pushing me out of what’s comfortable by ____________, but I’ll go nonetheless.
 
​

Better Get Used to Mystery​

[ 1 min read ★ ]
​

. . . my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts—Isaiah 55:9​

​
We men go through lengthy stretches of our lives with an “I’ve got this” posture. We convince ourselves we know what’s best in any particular situation or what’s right against any particular problem. We convince ourselves that we “get it.” We maintain this belief . . . until we can’t anymore . . . until we find we don’t actually know all that we think we know. We maintain it until we finally face the reality that God is God and we are not.

“I am the Lord, who made all things,
who alone stretched out the heavens,
who spread out the earth by myself,
who frustrates the signs of liars
and makes fools of diviners,
who turns wise men back
and makes their knowledge foolish” (Isaiah 44:24-25).

Never can we have God’s knowledge or wisdom. Because of who he is, because of who we are, there’ll always be a tremendous amount of mystery in the relationship. We must be willing to accept and embrace it—and not let it become an impediment. We may “need” to know why something is the way it is or why something happened the way it did, but most times we simply cannot—and still we must believe, and still we must obey. To be in right relation to God we must instead adopt a posture of “I don’t know . . . and I’ll do what he asks nonetheless.”
​

Okay, so what do we do?​


Fill in the following blanks, brother, according to your story:

I don’t know why ____________ happened, but I’ll trust God nonetheless. I don’t know why I had to experience ____________, but I’ll love him nonetheless. I don’t know why I am experiencing ____________ right now, but I’ll follow him nonetheless. I don’t know why he is pushing me out of what’s comfortable by ____________, but I’ll go nonetheless.
 

Facing Your Own Sin Courageously​





FACING YOUR OWN SIN COURAGEOUSLY

All of us have things that we wish were not true of us. Sometimes we call these, “regrets.” And they usually fall into one or two categories. Things we have done unintentionally and intentionally. We have all sinned intentionally and we have all sinned unintentionally. Some sins are omission. Meaning, things you didn’t do that you should have done. Some sins are commission. Meaning, things you did that you shouldn’t have done, but you did. All of us have to deal with these categories of sin in our lives. The question is, will we respond to our own sin courageously or will we run and hide from it and pretend it doesn’t exist, hoping it will go away?



The choice is ours and how we choose to respond will have a great impact on the future of oour lives. One thing is for certain, it will take courage each day to face who we really are and ask God for the grace to become who He has created us to be.

In Jeremiah’s day the word of God came to him to remind the nation of Israel who they were before sin got the best of them. He tells Israel in Jeremiah 2:2 that He remembers their devotion to Him in their youth and their undying love for Him. He recalls in Jeremiah 2:3 how they were holy before Him and brought to Him as worship those things that mattered most to them. But along the way they incurred guilt and disaster came upon them because they started consuming the holy things in their lives for themselves.

Do you remember when you use to walk with the Lord in deep sincerity and give to Him the things that were most precious to you? If you and I are going to face the sin in our lives courageously we have to remember who we were before our disobedience got the best of us. We have to remember the sincerity of our original faith and go back to that place and rekindle that child-like heart for God, again.



To get back to a place of child-like faith with Jesus, we have to be willing to take responsibility for how we drifted from God in the first place. God tells Israel in Jeremiah 2:13 that they have forsaken Him. They abandoned God. They relied on themselves for their success and well-being. They saw themselves as their source of life. How about you? Are you drifting toward self-reliance?

God says to Israel in Jeremiah 2:17, “Have you not brought this upon yourself by forsaking the Lord your God, when he led you in the way?” That is a hard pill to swallow. I know it is for me when God speaks to me in this way. When God speaks to us in this way, what do we do?

I invite you to say, “My sin is my fault. I brought this upon myself.”

That statement of humility releases God’s grace in our lives and brings reconciliation to our souls.

Now I know in moments like this, it is easy to fall into the trap like Israel in Jeremiah 2:25 and say, “It is hopeless.” It is easy to say in times like this, “I am doomed to fall into my addictions, vices, and self-destruction. I am hopeless!”

If you and I are going to face our sin courageously we have to realize it is never too late to repent.



God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. Confession is humility in motion through words.

You might say, “Well, what if I choose not to repent, what will eventually occur?” Jeremiah tells us in Jeremiah 2:26, “As a thief is shamed when caught, so the house of Israel shall be shamed;”

God forgives repented sin. He exposes unrepented sin.

Tell yourself, “My consequences will be worse if I wait to repent.”

You need to remember judgment and shame on unconfessed sin increases with time.

One of the strangest verses in the Bible is Jeremiah 3:3 where God tells Israel, “You have the forehead of a whore; you refuse to be ashamed.” What does it mean to “have the forehead of a whore?” It simply means you are not sorry for the sin you have committed or ashamed of it, you are actually proud of it.

Part of repentance is asking God to make your heart soft toward Him again so you can genuinely mean what you are saying to Him about your sin. God told Israel in Jeremiah 3:10 they did not return to him with her whole heart but in pretense. Meaning, they returned to God publicly for show but didn’t mean it and God knew they didn’t mean it because they didn’t change.



God tells Israel in Jeremiah 3:13, “Only acknowledge your guilt.”

We can’t say to God, “I sinned, but.” We have to leave the “but” out.

When you and I repent we have to truly acknowledge what we have done and not try to manage the consequences, but trust ourselves to a Creator who loves us and died for us.

I remember when I was 19 years old, thirty years ago now , I was in Florida for the summer and I was in a battle to go back to a sin God had freed me from. I felt like I had no choice. Then I felt the Lord said, “Fall to your knees and beg me to help you.” I fell to my knees and I said, “Lord, help me. I want this sin more than I want you. Would you change my heart and help me overcome this?”

Immediately, it left me.

It was one of those defining moments of my life.

I have never regretted that moment of repentance and neither will you.

It has made all the difference in my life these past thirty-years and it can in yours as well.

Courageously face your sin, today.

Blessings,
Pastor Kelly
 

Your past sins hindering your parent/child relationship today? Read this.​





When I was twenty years old, I did something that no Christian young man was supposed to do. I got my girlfriend pregnant. I can still remember, like it was yesterday, the moment I received the phone call from her to give me the news. She was crying. She was confused. And, she was terrified because she knew that she would have to tell her father, who had not quite embraced the idea of me dating his daughter. Plus, since her body would change and become a public reminder of our sin, she carried an additional burden of embarrassment.


I, too, was shaken but mostly, I was very disappointed in myself. Because of my lack of self-control, I put the woman that I loved in a very difficult situation. I had let her down. I had let my family down. And, most importantly, I had let God down because I knew well his principles in this area and I also knew well the possible consequences of violating them. You see, my father had gotten my mother pregnant when he was about 18 years old and my mother was about 16 years old. Although they eventually married, and remained so for a few years, they split up and my father, like too many others, became more distant and disconnected from my life. And, my mother was left to raise four small children on her own. So, early on, I vowed to not repeat my father’s mistake.

Truth be told, I also felt like a hypocrite and, of course, I was one. I was a Christian and most of my friends knew it. I went to church and Bible study regularly and was even a member of the university’s gospel choir. In fact, I used to be teased a bit because I proudly carried a big red Bible that I received in high school. I didn’t really “lord” my faith over people, but I certainly wasn’t shy about it either.

So, the notion that I would get someone pregnant was a bit ironic, especially given that I had some friends who were clearly more sexually active than I was. Some how, it just didn’t seem fair. But, actions—all actions—have consequences and although you can control your actions, you can’t control the consequences of your actions. This was a hard lesson to learn—one I am still challenged daily to never forget. So, I determined to do the right thing, after a few months, Yvette and I got married and had our first son, Jamin. A few years later, we had our second son, Justin.


As my boys grew, I was on a mission to break the cycle of teen fatherhood. So, when they were young, I would be sure to share and reinforce the Biblical principle of saving sex for marriage. It was really easy then because they were more interested in the Dallas Cowboys than their cheerleaders and Hershey kisses than girl kisses. But, I knew that this would change and this made me nervous.

You see, in a sense I was haunted by my past and how my first son was conceived. Therefore, as the time approached for me to have “the talk” with him, I began to worry about how my son would deal with the news that his father had violated a principle that he had stressed for as long as he could remember. I feared that, even if he respected me too much to say it, he would think that I was a hypocrite.
Also, every time, I thought about this, I was paralyzed, so much so that at times I was tempted not to have “the talk” at all. But, by the grace of God, I did and the conversations with both of my sons went well. I was very candid about my mistake and my hope and prayer that they would break the cycle of teen fatherhood in our family. The blessing was that they both did.
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Over the years, as I have reflected on my dilemma, I realized that I was laboring under a paradigm I believe has held many parents back from taking needed action that would protect their children and families from hardship and pain resulting for sexual activity outside of God’s design as well as other problems. I believe they struggle with understanding the difference between hypocrisy and spiritual growth. You see, hypocrisy is when you try to stop your children from doing something that you are currently doing. For example, when a parent says, “do as a I say but not as I do.” So, if you try to admonish your children to stop doing something that is immoral or illegal while you continue to so, you are being a hypocrite. And, most likely your kids will call you on it.


However, spiritual growth is when you tell your children to not do something that you once did and you learned was not God’s best for you or that violated God’s principles. This is like a parent saying, “once I was blind but now I see.” Indeed, a blind man who receives his sight and helps others avoid a dangerous ditch that he once stumbled into is not a hypocrite. He’s a hero. So, too, are parents who protect their children from repeating mistakes they made in the past.

Indeed, there could be a very high price paid by children if parents fail to understand the difference between hypocrisy and growth. For example, many years ago when I was a young father, another father told me that he used and abused a lot of drugs in his youth. As we ended the conversation, he offered that although his drug use was not a good thing and he no longer used drugs, he would never tell his children not to use drugs because he would sound like a hypocrite. He also reasoned that he used drugs and turned out fine. Of course, it’s clear that this father was confusing hypocrisy with growth.

But, he also made another mistake in his reasoning. Specifically, he was projecting his consequences onto his children’s actions. You see, his children’s consequences are linked to their actions, not his. For example, pot today is not “your father’s” marijuana because, unknowingly to buyers, at times it’s laced with other new very additive substances like PCP and Crystal Meth. Moreover, his children are different people with different influences, temptations and drug tolerances than his and these differences are directly linked to the consequences they will face. In short, this father was paralyzed by his past from taking the right action to protect his children.


How very sad.
So, don’t let what happened to this father happen to you. Indeed, as Jesus Christ reminded us in Matthew 15:14, “If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”
 

My Novel Deadline and a Story of God’s Relentless Love​






Deadline was my very first novel. I am still amazed by its ongoing impact. And so grateful.
Because it was my first fiction book, and therefore, I didn’t know what I was doing, I think it is probably the poorest written of any of my novels. Yet certainly God has reached far more people through it than, for instance, one of my later novels, a book the publisher was certain at the time, would affect far more people. Though that other book has certainly been used by God to touch many, it shows that neither I nor they knew what God was going to choose to do through Deadline. I’m so glad that’s true!


Despite the fact that I finished writing it in 1993, twenty-eight years ago, in the last few months, our ministry has received multiple reader responses to Deadline. I have long believed that the Holy Spirit providentially brings certain books to the fore at certain times, touching many hearts even with older books and sometimes not bestsellers. For example, it seems like years go by and no one says anything about Edge of Eternity, but then out of the blue in a single week we get three letters from different parts of the country, or world, about how it changed people’s lives. Same with Money, Possessions, and Eternity; If God Is Good; Safely Home; and others. Each time it makes me smile because it’s not just a weird coincidence. Our God of providence is choosing to work in His own time and way. One of the countless things I love about Him!
Here’s a touching letter a reader sent me last week:


On May 4, 1997 my father finally made his way back to God. You see, he had a very turmoil-filled few years where he lost his faith, made some poor decisions, and just doubted God’s love for him, like many of us do. But that lovely Sunday morning he got up, got around, and took myself and my brother to church for the first time in months. It was wonderful, my grandmother was astounded and cried tears of joy and praises to God for this day. She has a warrior’s heart and the moment my father started to doubt God’s love, she fervently started to pray for him. They had had a falling out, and were not talking as much as they normally did, but through it all she knew that God was faithful and would deliver my dad from this dark hole he spiraled into.
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And she was right. A few weeks previous…she had prayed and asked God for a way to speak to my dad. And she was nudged to go to the local Christian bookstore. She looked and just couldn’t find anything worthwhile, so a gentleman came over and asked her how he could help. The associate listened to my grandma and the story of my dad patiently. When she finished, he instantly said, “I know the perfect book.” He led her to a bookshelf and picked up Deadline.
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She gave it to my dad and made him promise to read it. He devoured it. The Sunday he finally packed us all up and went back to church he had two chapters left.
The following Monday, May 5, 1997, he called my grandma, and they had a fantastic talk and he thanked her for never giving up on him. He told her he finished the book she got him, and he said she should read it. He said the ending will surprise you.
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After that call ended my grandma prayed and thanked God for everything. She said, “God filled my heart with the knowing that your daddy’s heart was back with Him!” She has told me this so surely my whole life, I have no doubt. That night our lives changed forever. My dad went to be with the Lord.
It was a freak reckless driving accident. My dad was killed instantly. His best friend [died] the next night in the hospital. It mirrored your story so much, that it’s been difficult to read your book for years. I finally started it last night.
I say all of this as a thank you! Your book and countless prayers from many are some of the reasons that I know I will see my daddy in Heaven again. That our story is truly just on hold until we are reunited with our Lord and Savior forever. —E.H.
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And here are six other notes we’ve received over the last few months—trust me, no one is more surprised than I am we are still getting them!
Your description of the man entering Heaven and meeting Jesus was one of the best things outside of God’s Word that I’ve read. Unbelievably impactful. I wept as I read it years ago and wept as I shared it with my Sunday school class. It still moves me. —J.M.
You will always be in my heart and prayers as the person who wrote Deadline that brought me to my knees and into eternity with Jesus. —P.S.
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Deadline gave me my first glimpse into the fullness of Heaven which helped Heaven to become a living reality. It also sent me on a search for understanding more of the more that God has prepared for us. Today, I see Heaven. And I see my husband worshipping our God with all the saints who have gone before him. So while the process of dying still offends my senses I nonetheless look forward to an endless life of sinlessness in the presence of our holy God. Thank you for writing Deadline, Randy! —S.S.
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I hate to read. I am sure it’s some undiagnosed learning thing. The Lord had me read this [Deadline] right before we adopted our son who turned out to have a rare birth defect. He was diagnosed around the time I read this book. It brought me the most amazing amount of peace. It helped me so very much during some of the darkest times. Reading about the Down syndrome topics in this book was AMAZINGLY helpful. I also LOVE your imagination of Heaven. When I think of the part that talks about how all the angels wanted to go through the portal to stop the “puny men” from hurting our LORD… I sobbed for hours after reading that. You, dear man, have given us a glimpse of Heaven….thank you from the bottom of my heart. —J.J.H.

I am just finishing your novel, Deadline—wow! When I saw you included scenes of Heaven, I was prepared for something lame, frankly, but they were both biblical and realistic! Thanks for a great read! —D.F.
Not long ago in one of your posts you referenced a book you had written years ago. Since I had read your book on Heaven, I wanted to check out this one you talked about, Deadline. Oh. My. Word. Though published in ‘94 it’s a mirror of deeper understanding to me today. You mentioned matters in this book I had never heard of but KNOW they are happening NOW. I’m almost finished with this book and will be passing it along as one of the most timely books of our day in 2021! —A.R.
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What Christian Growth Looks Like​





​

What Christian Growth Looks Like​

Philippians 1:9-11​

When you look at a person, you can estimate the biological age. A baby crawls and cries dada, mama, gaga, googoo. A child walks and speaks innocently. A teenager has grown in height and with more vocabulary and slang. An adult is fully formed. As an adult age, there are other characteristics that show their age. The hair grows a different color or falls out. Wrinkles and age spots develop. Eyesight diminishes and hearing loss starts to happen. So you can discern the biological age, even though technology has advanced where one can mask the effects of aging for a time.


You can even create an avatar on Facebook. You create the face, the hair, clothes, and anything else you want for other people to notice. Yet, you can’t really see how a person really is.
However, you can’t look at a person and determine their spiritual age. Here, Paul outlines in his prayer the spiritual aging process. It is all defined by Christian love. A Christian grows in the love of Jesus. In other words, a Christian grows in proportion to the growth of their love for Jesus. Paul lists seven markers of effective Christian growth.1

SEVEN MARKERS OF EFFECTIVE CHRISTIAN GROWTH​

1. Love to grow
“And I pray this: that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment,” (Philippians 1:9, CSB)
Christian growth is built upon the foundation of God’s love. This love is the sacrificial love that God showed when He gave His Son. It is the same love Jesus showed when He went to the cross. It is the same love that God tells husbands to use when they give to their wives. Christian love is not a sexual love, it is not emotional love. It is sacrificial and giving love. Christian can only grow by demonstrating love. These marks of maturity are ways that a Christian exhibits the love that God called us to share with others.


This is a prayer for maturity, and Paul begins with love. After all, if our Christian love is what it ought to be, everything else should follow. He prays that they might experience abounding love and discerning love. Christian love is not blind! The heart and mind work together so that we have discerning love and loving discernment. Paul wants his friends to grow in discernment, in being able to “distinguish the things that differ.”

The ability to distinguish is a mark of maturity. When a baby learns to speak, it may call every four-legged animal a “bow-wow.” But then the child discovers that there are cats, white mice, cows, and other four-legged creatures. To a little child, one automobile is just like another, but not to a car-crazy teenager! He can spot the differences between models faster than his parents can even name the cars! One of the sure marks of maturity is discerning love.2​


2. Accompanied with full knowledge and moral insight
“And I pray this: that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment,” (Philippians 1:9, CSB)
Knowledge is spiritual wisdom found in Scripture. Insight is the application of this spiritual wisdom to practical living. Christian love must be rooted in wisdom from God’s Word if we are to love both God and man in greater ways.3

Every spring, 35 million Americans get hay fever. Springtime allergies occur when the body’s immune system incorrectly identifies pollen as bacteria or viruses and releases antibodies to fight against it. This releases chemicals called histamines, which trigger allergy symptoms like runny noses and itchy eyes.
It isn’t enough to combat irritants; we must have the discernment to recognize what is dangerous and what is harmless.4 5​


Discernment is kind of like x-ray vision, to be able to look into situations and to size up people and to know what their real needs are, and how to reach out and love them. It is one thing to have the desire to love another person. It is something else completely to know how to best come alongside of them, and to give that love to them. This word “discernment” means, “powers of mental judgment.” It means, “a practical understanding of people and situations.”

And the word “all,” “all discernment,” means all types of situations and all kinds of people. And so, the idea is, in this context, Paul is praying for the Philippians to have spiritual eyes to see with spiritual insight into the lives of people around them regarding how they were to apply God’s love.
Knowledge and discernment must be kept in balance.

Both are equally important. Grow in too much knowledge and a Christian’s love becomes too hard, unteachable, and legalistic. Grow in too much discernment by the Spirit, and a Christian’s love becomes too loose, too easily able to accept the whims of false teaching. Yet, when a Christian learns from both the head and the heart, the Word and the Spirit, then the Christian has balanced growth.


3. Approve the things that matter (Excellence)
“so that you may approve the things that are superior…” (Philippians 1:10, CSB)
“Excellent” means “to differ.” Believers need the ability to distinguish those things that are truly important so they can establish the right priorities. sincere and blameless.

This excellence is like a balanced meal. When a person eats a balanced meal that contains meat, milk, vegetables, fruit, and grains, the body grows in a healthy way. However, when the meals are unbalanced with too much sugar, or starches, or anything unhealthy, proper growth does not occur. If a person doesn’t eat, then they become anorexic. When a person doesn’t eat properly, they become obese. A balanced diet is key to proper nutrition for the physical body. Proper spiritual nutrition is necessary for the Christian. The Word and the Spirit must be consumed in correct portions and in balance.
4. Be pure and blameless (Integrity)


“…may be pure and blameless…,” (Philippians 1:10, CSB)
“Sincere” means “genuine,” and may have originally meant “tested by sunlight.” In the ancient world, dishonest pottery dealers filled cracks in their inferior products with wax before glazing and painting them, making worthless pots difficult to distinguish from expensive ones. The only way to avoid being defrauded was to hold the pot to the sun, making the wax-filled cracks obvious. Dealers marked their fine pottery that could withstand “sun testing” as sine cera—”without wax.” “Blameless” can be translated “without offense,” referring to relational integrity. 6

5. Do Good Works – “fruit of righteousness”
“filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ….” (Philippians 1:11, CSB)


We don’t do good works to get God’s approval. We do good works because God has approved us. Good works is the natural outflow of a Christian. This fruit of righteousness is the result of right living. Jesus said it this way:
“I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.” (John 15:5, CSB)
One can picture the essentials to pursue a Christian life like a fruit that grows on the vine. There is the root, then the vine, then the branches and then the fruit. A farmer spends time nourishing the plant so that the fruit will grow. The farmer provides the right environment and the fruit grows naturally.
6. Effected by Jesus
“…that comes through Jesus Christ….” (Philippians 1:11, CSB)
Jesus is the beginning of my salvation and He the end of my salvation. He brings about my salvation by His work on the cross. Jesus keeps me saved until I am with Him forever in Heaven.


“I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6, CSB)
7. Brings glory to God – “to the glory of God”
“…to the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:11, CSB)
The difference between spiritual fruit and human “religious activity” is that the fruit brings glory to Jesus Christ. Whenever we do anything in our own strength, we have a tendency to boast about it. True spiritual fruit is so beautiful and wonderful that no man can claim credit for it; the glory must go to God alone.7
“And I pray this: that your love…” (Philippians 1:9, CSB)

John MacArthur notes the following about prayer:
There is no truer indicator of a Christian’s level of spiritual maturity than his prayer life. Paul’s prayer life reveals more of his true spirituality than all of his preaching, teaching, and miracles—marvelous and divinely blessed as those were. He was compelled to pray by the continual and powerful working of God’s Spirit in his heart.8
One of the fruits of righteousness is praying for others. Paul shows his maturity by sharing a prayer for his church. He wants them to experience the same wonderful spiritual growth that he himself experienced.

The best way to apply this message to your lives this week by partnering with another believer. The best way to show Christian maturity is to pray for another person. As you pray, pray their love will increase, pray they will receive wisdom, and pray their lives will produce fruit.9
 

Palm Sunday, Holy Week and Holy War​






Entry into Jerusalem (Annunciation Cathedral in Moscow), Wikimedia; {{PD-US-expired}}

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week with Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1-11). On this day, we celebrate Jesus in his humble glory riding a donkey into the city of David, as the crowds and children cry out, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21:9; ESV). The crowds threw palm branches on the path before Jesus to celebrate him as their approaching King (Matthew 21:8), who came to bring lasting peace and gracious justice.


Many expected Jesus to deliver them from their Roman oppressors in keeping with their Messianic expectations. Like his disciples, they had no idea that Jesus would bring peace and justice paradoxically through the Roman symbol of oppression—the cross. In less than a week from Palm Sunday, Jesus would bear nail marks in his hands. How did they respond to his strategy for bringing about victory, when they saw it all play out? How about us?

Like the crowds, we may respond well during Palm Sunday celebrations. For instance, you will find many churches marking the occasion by distributing palm branches to those gathered for worship. This is a helpful, symbolic act. Palm Sunday helps us look back and forward at the same time: we look back to Jesus’ first coming leading up to his sacrificial death for the sins of the world followed by his resurrection to new life. We also look forward to his second coming, when he returns to rule the world with a just peace. At that time, multitudes from among the nations will worship him (See Revelation 7:9-10).

Not everyone marks Palm Sunday joyfully, though. In Matthew’s Gospel account, for example, many do not cast palm branches before Jesus’ path. They do not approach Jesus with an open hand of praise, but a closed fist, as revealed behind the scenes and within a few days (See the following accounts of how some of the rulers, people, and Romans reacted to Jesus: Matthew 21:15, 45-46; 26:1-5; 27:15-31). How do you and I approach Jesus today—with an open hand revealing our palms, or a closed fist?


As with the rulers noted in Matthew 21, we might not be able to see Jesus working wonders if we are consumed with power and control, whereas the blind, lame, and little children can truly see him (Matthew 21:14-15). These vulnerable ones have everything to gain and nothing to lose as a result of Jesus, whereas these leaders fear losing their grip on power, which they hold onto tightly with a closed fist. They cannot reach out and touch Jesus, like those longing for him, though they long to seize him and do him in (Matthew 21:45-46). What about us? Did we journey with Jesus through the season of Lent with his disciples simply to take matters into our own hands, like Judas did in his conspiracy with the establishment?

In our individualized, privatized religious culture, we may find it difficult to grasp the political overtones of all that transpired during Holy Week, which really initiated God’s holy war against idolatry, pride, and injustice. In Jesus’ day, there was no separation of church and state, or more accurately, temple and state. Going back to the time of God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt through Moses and Aaron, God tabernacled with his people. Later, King Solomon built a temple for God’s glory to dwell in Jerusalem, the city of his father, King David.

Now here’s David’s greater Son, Jesus, riding into Jerusalem as a humble prince of peace. The crowds cheer because they recognize Jesus as David’s greater Son (Matthew 21:9). Immediately following this event according to Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus cleanses the temple (the second temple, which was reconstructed in remembrance of Solomon’s). Kings and priests as well as prophets all shared the same public space in Jewish history. Jesus intertwines and integrates all three functions of king, priest and prophet in his own person.

It is worth noting that the Roman Emperor also operated as a priest in addition to king. Here’s what N.T. Wright has to say about Tiberius, who like Caesar Augustus before him was hailed as divine:
After Augustus’s death, he too was divinized, and his successor, Tiberius, took the same titles. I have on my desk a coin from the reign of Tiberius (there are plenty of them, readily available). On the front, around Tiberius’s portrait, it says, “Tiberius Caesar, son of the Divine Augustus.” On the back is Tiberius portrayed, and described, as “chief priest.” It was a coin like this that they showed to Jesus of Nazareth, not long after he had ridden into Jerusalem, when they asked him whether or not they should pay tribute to Caesar. “Son of God”? “High priest”?…[1]
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While many of the Jewish authorities wished for their Roman oppressors to be overthrown, they sought to trap Jesus at points by trying to get him to challenge Caesar’s authority as divine king and chief priest, as indicated here (Matthew 22:15-22). Politics and religion were not separate, but one.

The Jewish religious establishment also questioned Jesus’ authority to cleanse the temple. Matthew’s Gospel transitions immediately from Jesus’ triumphal royal entry on Palm Sunday to his priestly temple cleansing scene (Matthew 21:12-17). A few chapters later Jesus weeps over Jerusalem during Holy Week. Why? Rather than turn to him for his kingly and priestly rule of peace—which would have brought about their deliverance, the Jewish nationalists determined at an opportune time to pursue direct confrontation with Rome in pursuit of liberty from its tyrannical power. In Luke’s Gospel, the lament over Jerusalem immediately follows the triumphal entry and immediately precedes the temple cleansing:
And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation (Luke 19:41-44; ESV).
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Wright observes that Jesus
…continues with the warning of what was going to happen to Jerusalem, because, as he says, “You didn’t recognise the time of your visitation by God.” This is the moment, and you were looking the other way. Your dreams of national liberation, leading you into head-on confrontation with Rome, were not God’s dreams. God called Israel so that through Israel he might redeem the world; but Israel itself needs redeeming as well. Hence God comes to Israel riding on a donkey, in fulfilment of Zechariah’s prophecy of the coming peaceful kingdom, announcing judgment on the system and the city that have turned their vocation in upon themselves, and going off to take the weight of the world’s evil and hostility onto himself, so that by dying under it he might exhaust its power.[2]
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Here we witness Jesus’ form of holy war. It does not involve an eye for an eye retributive pursuit of justice, but grace. Wright’s own teacher G. B. Caird argued that “Evil is defeated only if the injured person absorbs the evil and refuses to allow it to go any further.”[3]

This is exactly what Jesus did. He took the evil and hostility upon himself and exhausted it, as Wright notes. As a result, Jesus’ embrace and embodiment of grace threatened the logic and foundation stone of the Roman system of retributive justice, otherwise known as the Pax Romana or Roman peace.[4] If redemption is stronger than evil, hostility and retribution, having exhausted them, Rome rules the shadowy old world order, not the new age reality of the Messianic kingdom.

Palm Sunday with its exemplification of Jesus’ humble lordship, gracious disposition and redemptive and equitable rule begins Holy Week. It also sweeps us up in Jesus’ ride into Jerusalem on a donkey to bring about God’s holy war. As the New Testament proclaims, the resurrected Jesus will conquer the world’s hostility by reigning in cruciform glory.
 

The Beautiful, Terrible Cross​






When The Lord of the Rings came out, I refused to watch it. I had never read the books, but I was familiar with the story enough to know that much of it was dark and full of evil – enough for me to stiff arm the entire trilogy. I’ve always been very impressionable, which has resulted in also being unable to stomach a lot of dramatic literature and movies that have been put out, whether old or new.


Well, eventually, about six years after the LOTR movies came out, Shaun talked me into watching them. They’re three hours long of course, so it took a total of three evenings (spread out over a few weeks) to watch all three. At the end of the first movie, I was livid. For years I told Shaun I wouldn’t watch because I knew I’d have nightmares and be psychologically damaged to the point of no return. But he assured me that though evil was presented as a very real thing, it didn’t win. Still, the first movie did end in a way that lead me to believe evil would conquer, and by the closing scene, I was sure I had married nothing but a war hungry white male who thrived on blood and guts and evil and horror, and no matter what he promised, all three movies would end in catastrophe!

You told me evil would be defeated, I said with teeth clenched.
In spite of my horrible gut feelings, I watched the other two. Mostly because I said I would, and because I figured if the movies didn’t deliver, divorce was always an option.


I kid!
As you know, the story, though filled with much evil, ends well. Evil is indeed conquered, and most importantly, nobody gets swallowed up by ringwraiths or gigantic famished spiders, except me in my nightmares.
All’s well that ends well.

After watching LOTR, you’d think I’d be able to stomach The Passion of the Christ. But alas, I’ve never seen it. I just can’t. Besides my convictions about not making graven images is the fact that the Cross is horrible. It’s bloody, terrible, gruesome, and unjust. I can’t find words to describe the cruelest creation of man. Why would I want to watch an acting out of the wicked ordeal? By God’s grace, I am not a hard-hearted person toward what happened to Jesus on the Cross. It hurts me deeply, and it hurts me even more deeply to know I am one of the sinners who put Him there.

True, He is Risen! Perhaps I should be able to stomach the crucifixion because I know that evil loses. Love wins. Jesus wins. And because Jesus wins, I win. Death loses and is forever conquered for those who put their trust in the One who died for our sins. In short, the true story has a beautiful end that is in such contrast to the horrors of the Cross that it’s mind boggling. There is nothing more beautiful than someone laying down their life for another. Not begrudgingly. But willingly.


He could have called ten thousand angels. With one spoken word or even thought, Jesus could have summoned the powers of Heaven to rescue Him from the predicament of an unjust crucifixion. But He willingly stayed put, praying, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
I find it difficult to pray for someone who has merely offended me with their words. How difficult it must have been to pray for an entire crowd who mocked, spit upon, crowned with thorns, nailed to a cross, whipped, and eventually killed by asphyxiation. All while knowing that in return, God would turn His back and place the sins of the world on Him.

How crushing. How astonishing. How simultaneously ugly and beautiful. It remains a mystery how anyone could or would bear such a weight, and all out of the goodness of His heart and love for others who have hurt, wronged, and sinned against Him.
I don’t know about you, but I just don’t love people to that level. Perhaps my children. I’d like to think I’d lay down my life for them if an occasion called for it. But that’s just not the same as being utterly innocent and yet willing to endure the worst form of death known to mankind and dying in the place of those who deserve it. Never has there been an act equally selfless to Jesus’ death on the Cross.


So no. I don’t want to watch The Passion of the Christ. I have the gift of empathy. I do well with the sight of blood if the blood is not coming from someone I love. But one glance at blood coming from a loved one and I become as pale as Wonder bread, possessed of the same amount of goodness, which is basically none. I’m useless. I can’t do it. But what I can do is read the account of the crucifixion. I don’t particularly enjoy the word pictures. They conjure up guilty feelings, gruesome images, empathy that hurts my heart. The trick is to keep reading, because while the terrible cross is a true story, so is the Resurrection.
Jesus suffered and died. But Jesus also lives, and because He lives, death has been conquered.

As I hurry and type this up so I can get back to my Mom who is suffering greatly with Parkinson’s and other complications this week, that means a lot. Death – especially slow death – is horrible. It’s grueling to watch. It’s painful to endure. It’s unnatural. We hang on to life even though we suffer pain and sickness and heartache, because our very being cries out for life everlasting. We must endure a physical death as a result of the Fall, and admittedly, that is terrible. But we have also been presented with a Way to enjoy life everlasting. Jesus is that Way. Through Him, we can live forever. Through Him, we are no longer called an enemy, but a friend of God. Through Him and the power of the Resurrection, this world doesn’t have to be our only hope, and admittedly, that is beautiful.


The Cross, though terrible, is also beautiful. It ends well for Christ, because He gets all the glory due Him. It ends well for those who repent and put their trust in Him because evil doesn’t win and death gets conquered.
Indeed … all’s well that ends well.

Now off to check on Mom, who I know wants nothing more than to begin life everlasting with Jesus. “I’m so tired. I’ve been in constant pain for almost six years. I can’t do this anymore.” Those are the words she says to me through tears, while I sit by feeling mostly helpless and useless. But both of us know that though she walks through the valley of the shadow of death, she need not fear evil, for He is with her. Please pray that goodness and mercy will follow her the rest of the days of her life, and that she will rest in two facts:
She will dwell in the house of the Lord forever … and all’s well that ends well.
 

Prepared for Burial​





The Passion Narrative is about Jesus’ arrest, trial, and death; it’s about the Son of Man being “delivered up.” But there’s a lot more going on. The story is actually woven of several distinct stories.
Two other characters are introduced in Matthew 26 – the woman who anoints Jesus and the Twelve. This is not the last time we’ll see women, nor the last time we see the Twelve.
The disciples and a woman are central to the story in verses 6-13. During the last week of Jesus’ life, He has been traveling back and forth from Bethany to Jerusalem (21:17), and after He ends His discourse He and the disciples go back to the village to stay with Simon, identified as a leper (v. 6).


Apparently, he is a cleansed leper; it is unlikely that a leper would host a dinner party. Healed or not, he is one of the marginal, “poor” Israelites with whom Jesus identifies. While the chief priests and elders gather to plot in the official palace of the high priest, at the center of Israel’s religious power-structure, Jesus goes to a meal with a leper. At dinner, a woman anoints Jesus’ head with oil (v. 7), an extravagant act of devotion.

Jesus says it is for His burial (v. 12). The woman is the only one at the table who has believed what Jesus has been telling everyone for a long time – that He has come to Jerusalem to die. The disciples have heard this again and again, but even when Judas shows up with the soldiers in Gethsemane, the disciples try to fight them off. They don’t really believe that Jesus is headed to the grave, but the woman does.

Her good work is proclaimed with the gospel because she’s the only one to understand the gospel. She announces it ahead of time, just as women will be the first witnesses of the resurrection, and the first of the church’s evangelists. The anointing identifies Jesus as King and Priest. He goes to the grave not as a victim but as a triumphant conqueror, the Christ, the son of David.


He looks passive, as He gets traded from hand to hand. But He is the good Shepherd, and the Good Shepherd lays down His life of His own accord. His death is not a tragedy; it is not a sorry episode. It is the last triumphant act of Jesus, the Son of Man.

But the story turns on the price the woman paid for the perfume. Her prodigality highlights another part of her role in the story. She stands in contrast to the disciples. Matthew simply tells us that the perfume was “very costly,” but John says that the disciples estimate the value at 300 denarii, which is nearly a year’s worth of wages for a day worker. We’re talking about thousands of dollars, and it all pours out in a few minutes, all poured out on Jesus’ head and, John tells us, on His feet.

It’s an act of extreme extravagance, and the disciples are indignant. It’s easy to scoff at the disciples’ response. They say that the gift is excessive, extravagant, obscene. The same money could have been distributed to the poor, put to use, invested, shared, used in ministry. We would likely share the disciples’ objections.
The contrast with Judas is even sharper. She has spent a year’s wage honoring Jesus, preparing Him for death. Judas accepts thirty pieces of silver to hand Jesus over. Not every disciple is a Judas, of course, but eventually they will forsake Jesus and run away. They betray Jesus without being paid.


Besides, they, like Judas, apply standards of value that don’t fit. The Twelve complain about the extravagance of the woman’s offering. They value the perfume monetarily; how much does it cost – too much? They suggest that it would be better to choose something more prudent and reasonable to offer Jesus. They value Jesus too low, just as Judas does. Judas is the extreme example of a mindset that all the disciples share, a tendency to judge value in monetary terms.

When the disciples complain about the expense and suggest that the money used for the ointment should have been spent on the poor, Jesus defends the woman. She has done a “good deed” (v. 10). Jesus’ words sound cold, as if He is telling the poor to wait their turn while He bathes in luxury. Of course, the church’s first love is Jesus, her Lord, but in the previous chapter, Jesus identified ministry to the poor and ministry to Him (25:31-46).

Timing is a key issue in the passage. Passover has come, so it is time for Jesus to be delivered up. The priests plot to set the time for capturing Jesus. Judas looks for an opportune time. And when Jesus responds to His disciples, He talks about timing. They don’t know what time it is; they don’t know that this is the time for Jesus’ burial; they don’t know that the time of Jesus’ presence with them is running out.


Another key to understanding Jesus’ words is His reference to His body (v. 12). The woman anoints His head, but He speaks of His body. That helps us get a handle on what Jesus is saying. While Jesus sits at table, the woman pours perfume on His body for burial. Soon that body won’t be there, but Jesus says at the close of the gospel that He will continue to be with them (28:18-20).

How? Not in the buried body, but in the risen body, which is present through the agency of the Spirit, and which is also present in the Spirit-filled body of disciples. Me you will not always have with you, Jesus says, but He will be with them in the body, in the poor, the “least of these My brothers.” For Jesus, extravagant generosity to the poor and extravagant devotion to Him amount to the same thing. The woman is doing what the sheep do in the judgment scene in chapter 25 – doing good to the “least.”

We are about to hear the story of man putting God on trial, man rejecting God, man putting God to death on a cross, but also of a God whom death cannot hold, a God who will not accept man’s rejection but goes even through death to deliver us. Yet we start out the narrative with stories about a woman who wastes a year’s wages on a consumable gift for Jesus, about disciples wrangling about the extravagance, about Judas haggling over Jesus’ blood money and getting a bad deal of it. We’re entering on great mysteries, but Matthew wants to talk about money. No wonder: He’s a tax-collector, after all.


It’s not that Matthew is obsessed with money. The point is that that following Jesus, being a disciple, taking up the cross and following Him to His death and grave, requires a revaluation of our values.
Judas is the negative example, of course, but the disciples are only lesser versions of Judas’ system of values. The model is the woman. The woman knows that wealth is for worship.

Her act is, after all, an act of worship. The woman approaches Jesus, draws near like a priest to the temple. According to John’s account, the fragrance of the perfume fills the whole house, like the shining glory of the Lord descending on the temple. She is drawing near to honor her Lord, drawing near as the bride Israel to anoint and minister to her Lord. She gives extravagantly, imprudently, because she is giving to Jesus.

The woman is commended because she understands. She understands that Jesus is beyond price, and that He deserves everything we have, and more than we can give. She understands that if we want to follow Him our scale of values has to be remade from top to bottom. If we want to be Jesus’ disciples, and follow the woman’s example of “good deeds,” we must be prepared to follow this king, the king who is delivered up, and up, and up, finally delivered up to the cross. We need to learn to imitate her extravagance, which is the extravagance of Jesus Himself, the Good Shepherd who gives Himself for His flock.
 

Why Are Many Called But Few Chosen?​





The Bible says that not many mighty or noble are called, but why does Jesus say many are called, but few are chosen?

Many are Called​

In referring to the Parable of the Wedding Feast, which is about who will be and who won’t be in the kingdom, Jesus said that “many are called, but few are chosen” (Matt 22:14). This is why Christ taught that we must “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many” (Matt 7:13). Notice the way that is easy leads to destruction, and it’s the major six-lane interstate that many are driving down, but as for the narrow gate, it’s narrow because not many are entering into it.

This is because it’s single-file, or one at a time, since “the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matt 7:14). What’s surprising isn’t that many are going the wrong way and only a few are entering by the narrow gate, but what’s surprising is that anyone is saved all, since we all fall infinitely short of God’s glory (Rom 3:23). We do not get what we deserve (Rom 6:23a) but what we need (Rom 6:23b) when we trust in Christ. It’s not the wages of eternal death but the free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ, so it is only “To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out” (John 10:3). The fact that He knows them all by name indicates He has a personal relationship with them…a personal relationship with the few, not the many.


Not Many Mighty​

If God only called the qualified or the rich, powerful, or famous, most of us wouldn’t stand a chance, but God’s ways are contrary to the ways of the world. Of course God has called some who are considered rich or “mighty” in the eyes of the world, but the Apostle Paul wanted the church to recognize the truly amazing grace that God provides. He writes, “For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth” (1 Cor 1:26).

That includes most of us…and I say, “us,” meaning me, so “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are” (1 Cor 1:27-28), but why? It was “so that no human being might boast in the presence of God” (1 Cor 1:29). If we can boast about anything, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord” (1 Cor 1:31). For certain, God “does not regard any who are wise in their own conceit” (Job 37:24).


Hidden from the Wise​

The Jewish leaders, as intelligent as they were, and “righteous” as they thought they were, just didn’t get it. That’s because “None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Cor 2:8), but this is just what God had planned, using evil for good (Gen 50:20; John 3:16), and why Jesus prayed to the Father, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children” (Matt 11:25).

Trusting in Christ is not a matter of intellectual knowledge or achievement, but humbling oneself before Almighty God. There is no reason to boast at all, for it only by grace we are saved; not by knowledge or trying to become righteous or by doing good works (Eph 2:8-9), although the saved will do works, if they are indeed saved, however these things are not discovered by empirical knowledge but “these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God” (1 Cor 2:10).


Opposed to the Proud​

James writes that “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6), and submission to God takes humility (James 4:7). Jesus Christ always submitted to the Father’s will during His earthly ministry (John 5:19, 6:38, 8:29), and we know God’s will is that He is “not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (1 Pet 3:9). God’s will for us is the same as it was for Israel, and that is that we should repent and be saved, for He takes “no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways” (Ezk 33:11).

You cannot turn to God until you turn away from evil, and today, God commands everyone to repent (Acts 17:30), but thankfully, it is God Who grants repentance (Acts 5:31, 11:18; 2 Tim 2:24-26). Given that fact, I don’t believe He will grant repentance to a stubborn, prideful heart. Jesus warned that “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matt 7:21), so even though they declared they had a relationship with the Lord (Matt 7:22), Jesus will “declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness” (Matt 7:23). This matches up with what Jesus had often said that many are called, but only a few are chosen. Many will believe they are saved (Matt 7:22) but Jesus said that those same “many” will be turned away (Matt 25:40). The many are shut out of the kingdom while the few are able to enter in through Jesus’ Christ’s atoning work on the cross (2 Cor 5:21), but that’s because they humbled themselves before God.


Conclusion​

Many are called but few are chosen because many refuse to repent of their sins and be saved. Having one foot in the world and the other in the kingdom just doesn’t work. They may have had some works that looked good to the world (Matt 7:21), but they failed to follow Christ’s imperative commands (Matt 25:35-36, 28:19-20) as doing it unto Him (Matt 25:40).

The ramifications for doing nothing for Him are disastrous (Matt 25:41-46). The many who think they are saved outnumber the few, but that’s expected as even our Lord said we should not uproot the weeds, saying “lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them” (Matt 13:29). Only God knows the heart (1 Sam 2:3, 16:7; 1 Kings 8:39; Luke 16:15), so we must allow the weeds to grow up with the wheat, and at the harvest, the Lord Jesus Christ will sort them out, and in time, “the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age” (Matt 13:40).

Daniel the Prophet writes of this time, saying “many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever” (Dan 12:2-3). Brothers and sisters, this is ample reason to “be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall” (2 Pet 1:10), because many are called, but few are chosen.
 
“O that I knew where I might find him!”

Job 23:3

In Job's uttermost extremity he cried after the Lord. The longing desire of an afflicted child of God is once more to see his Father's face. His first prayer is not “O that I might be healed of the disease which now festers in every part of my body!” nor even “O that I might see my children restored from the jaws of the grave, and my property once more brought from the hand of the spoiler!” but the first and uppermost cry is, “O that I knew where I might find Him , who is my God! that I might come even to his seat!”




God's children run home when the storm comes on. It is the heaven-born instinct of a gracious soul to seek shelter from all ills beneath the wings of Jehovah. “He that hath made his refuge God,” might serve as the title of a true believer. A hypocrite, when afflicted by God, resents the infliction, and, like a slave, would run from the Master who has scourged him; but not so the true heir of heaven, he kisses the hand which smote him, and seeks shelter from the rod in the bosom of the God who frowned upon him. Job's desire to commune with God was intensified by the failure of all other sources of consolation. The patriarch turned away from his sorry friends, and looked up to the celestial throne, just as a traveller turns from his empty skin bottle, and betakes himself with all speed to the well. He bids farewell to earth-born hopes, and cries, “O that I knew where I might find my God!”

Nothing teaches us so much the preciousness of the Creator, as when we learn the emptiness of all besides. Turning away with bitter scorn from earth's hives, where we find no honey, but many sharp stings, we rejoice in him whose faithful word is sweeter than honey or the honeycomb. In every trouble we should first seek to realize God's presence with us. Only let us enjoy his smile, and we can bear our daily cross with a willing heart for his dear sake.
 
Maundy Thursday

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."1

The day before Good Friday is called "Maundy Thursday." I believe it comes from the Latin mandatum (commandment). It was that day, after Jesus had washed his disciples' feet, that he said, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another."

I read about how the "King of Abyssinia who once took a British subject named Cameron prisoner and incarcerated him in the high fortress of Magdala. No cause was stated for his confinement. When Great Britain found out, she demanded an immediate release of her citizen. King Theodore refused.

"According to the story, within days Great Britain sent several thousand soldiers by ship to Magdala. After marching across unfriendly country for many miles, they attacked the fortress and rescued that one British subject. "The expedition took several months and cost the English government twenty-five million dollars. The entire resources of the government were made available in the rescue of only one citizen."

Similarly, because of God's great love for us, he sent his Son, Jesus Christ, from heaven to earth to rescue you and me from the prison of eternal death (that we actually deserved) by dying in our place to pay the judgment price for our sins.

However, on the day before Jesus suffered an excruciating and agonizing death by being crucified, he gave his disciples and followers a new commandment and that was "that we love one another." This he demonstrated for us on the cross at Calvary.

With tireless regularity Easter comes around year after year as a powerful reminder to all the world that Jesus, the Son of God, loved us so much that he gave his life as a ransom for our sins, so that we could be given a full and free pardon and the gift of eternal life.

There is no greater gift in all of life. There is no greater love in all the world. And because Jesus loved us so much, may God help us to love and forgive others as he has so freely loved and forgiven us. This is his new commandment to you and to me.

Suggested prayer: "Dear Jesus God, how can I ever thank you enough for all you have done for me . . . for dying for my sins and for rescuing me from the pit of hell and giving me the gift of eternal life to be in heaven forever with you. Help me to love others as you have loved me. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer, Gratefully in Jesus' name, amen."
 

Good Friday or Bad Friday, You Decide​





Millions of Christians across the world will be celebrating this weekend starting on the somber holiday of Good Friday in various ways including fasting and church services. But why is it called good when it is about the death of Jesus, our Lord and Savior? In fact, I just learned that in Germany, Good Friday is also called Sorrowful Friday. And how appropriate since this day is commemorated as the day that Jesus, the unblemished lamb of God, died from painful crucifixion in order to atone for the sins of humanity.


What about you—do you believe it is Good Friday or Bad Friday?
Bad: Jesus is make believe and not God’s son. There is no Creator and if so, he is not actively loving you.
Good: For God so loved the world that He sent His one and only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). God loves us so much!

Bad: There was a lunatic claiming to be the Messiah, but the real one has yet to come if the Scriptures is even true.
Good: Jesus came to Earth as the long prophesied Messiah.

Bad: If He came, they killed him and he is dead like everyone else who has lived in history.
Good: They tried to kill Him but the grave could not keep Him down for long!

Bad: No one can save us from our actions but ourselves. We have to pay the consequences, up to and including death.
Good: Jesus died to save us from the ultimate consequence of our sin nature—condemnation by God in eternal separation from Him upon physical death.

Bad: Jesus could not have suffered for He is God.
Good: Jesus suffered a physical death and a momentary spiritual separation from God the Father. He suffered while in the flesh wearing the crown of thorns, carrying the cross to Calvary, to the spitting, mocking, and his clothes stripped from his nail pierced body, to hanging with thieves at his final hour…


Bad: If Jesus suffered, it must have been his fault, his own wrongdoings.
Good: Jesus, Himself God and without fault, was persecuted, scorned, and nailed to the cross to die as foretold in the book of Isaiah. Just like in the Old Testament where each human sin had to be atoned for by sacrificing the blood of a spotless animal, such as a lamb, so Jesus became the literal atonement for our sins so that anyone who believes can have a personal relationship with God the Father, and eternal life upon our own physical death.

Bad: If it was Jesus who was crucified, then his body was possibly stolen to keep the story alive (who knows why).
Good: He was dead and His body buried in a cave for 3 nights until God raised Him up on the third day. Several women and men gave eye witness accounts.
~~~~~~~~<<<<<>>>>>~~~~~~~~~
Bad: We are still under works and the law. Forgiving others is optional. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Be ashamed of yourself if you do badly. Shame others mercilessly if they wrong you. Forgiveness has to be earned!
Good: God was showing us mercy and love on the cross that we would not be forever penalized for our sins. With one great act of sacrifice, God freed us from being under man’s laws. His great love overrides the law of life and death, an eye for an eye. He demonstrated forgiveness of sins with one final atonement for all. We have been forgiven, not because we have earned it or can possibly earn God’s forgiveness through any amount of works, even seventy times seven times. So we, too, are to forgive others in the same gracious way.


Bad: Expect nothing good apart from your works and innate abilities. May the toughest, shrewdest, fiercest among us win! Good luck and tough luck if you are born with low IQ or few talents for you will be undoubtedly worth less than others in this competitive world. It is a survival of the fittest world.
Good: We have hope that God is good and He loves each created being! His mercies are new every morning and His blessings abound! We can trust His gentle yoke and His promises to provide for, redeem, and restore us in His time. No sickness can break this body that the Spirit cannot restore. No disease or relationship dysfunction can separate us from the love that is found in Christ Jesus, our Lord!

Bad: There is no resurrection. It’s all a fairy tale for kids and gullible adults.
Good: Sunday is coming! Jesus is coming in power, prepare to receive the risen Lord!

Based on the list above, which Friday do you believe in? How have your beliefs served you or others well in life? For me, I believed and accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior on April 23, 1993, just after Easter earlier that year. So, my first Good Friday was in 1994. And there have been many good days of hope and power since then.
 

What is Holy Saturday?​





Have you heard of Holy Saturday? What is this day all about and what meaning does it have for Christians?

Holy, Holy, Holy​

God alone is holy and no day in and of itself is holy. Only God can make something or someone holy and so did God declare a particular Saturday as holy? Why would a day be holy and why a Saturday? I can understand Resurrection Day being considered by Christians as a holy day or a holy convocation or gathering but what is Holy Saturday and why is it called that?



Holy Saturday​

Holy Saturday is sometimes called Sabbath Saturday but goes by the names Black Saturday, Joyous Saturday, and even Saturday of Light. It is the last day of what is called the Holy Week and is the 40th day of the traditional Lenten Fast. This day is when the Catholic Church holds a deep reflection of the death of Christ. It is sometimes observed beginning with sunset and lasts until Sunday morning of the day Jesus was resurrected.

The church’s contemplation is believed to have occurred while the church awaited Jesus’ resurrection and Christians mediate on Jesus’ passion, crucifixion, and death. Some believe that this was when Jesus descended into hell to preach to those held captive. In the Catholic tradition, this is frequently a time of fasting and prayer although mass is not typically held on this day. Some Christian calendars even call it Easter Saturday although others strongly argue against calling it that.


Other Traditions of Holy Saturday​

There are still some Anglican churches, like in the Episcopal churches, that have scriptural readings on this day that commemorate the burial of Christ. If there is an Easter Vigil, it has to take place at nighttime, typically beginning at or near sunset and ending before dawn the next Sunday. In the early church, this was the day that most Christians were believed to have fasted collectively, although it was not commanded. In Great Britain, it is called Easter Even and even the Great Sabbath. During some Easter Vigils, a wax candle is inscribed with a cross and the Greek letters Alpha and Omega are inscribed at the top and bottom of the cross and four numbers are written that represent the current year in which it is being observed.

For many new believers, this is the time when they are baptized, some even waiting months for this time and this is when the new converts are introduced and educated about Lent. Only then are some of these new converts allowed to take communion for the very first time, on the very next day, that being Easter Sunday. The baptisms and Jesus’ resurrection are seen as being similar. Many disagree vehemently that Holy Saturday is called Easter Saturday, but this greatly depends upon which denomination or church one belongs too.


Conclusion​

If you have never repented and trusted in Christ, may I ask you why not? If you have been born again, have you not been baptized? No one is ever saved by baptism but everyone that is saved should be. The ordinance of baptism has great meaning to the believer and it represents the death, burial, and resurrection of the old man and the coming out as a new creature in Christ. Why put this decision off? Today can be your day of salvation, no matter what day of the week it falls on (2 Cor 6:2). To delay this decision and with Christ coming before you decide to be saved, you will have no chance to repent and trust in Him then. I would strongly urge you to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ today and you too will be raised at Christ’s return or be with the Lord at your death if the Lord tarries.
 

What Jesus Christ’s Resurrection Means​





The meaning of the resurrection and the consequences of it, have changed millions of people’s eternity forever.

Redeemed by the Lamb​



There is no sacrifice that could have satisfied the wrath of God except the life of the Holy Son of God, Jesus Christ. His perfect, sinless life was the only way that we could be reconciled back to God. Jesus came to give His own life as a ransom for those who would trust in Him (Mark 10:45). Near the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry, He began to speak of His suffering, death, and resurrection, but the apostles were afraid to ask Him about it (Mark 9:32), even though Jesus plainly said, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise” (Mark 9:31).

How clear that is, but they didn’t expect the Messiah to finally come to save Israel and then have to suffer and die, but “From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised” (Matt 16:21). The Apostle Paul reminds us that we are not saved by works (Eph 2:8-9), while the Apostle Peter says we aren’t redeemed by material possessions, but only “with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Pet 1:19). At the time, the disciples didn’t realize that crucifying the sinless Son of God was their (and our) only hope. Only later did they understand (Acts 2:14-47). At least Jesus gave the disciples hope, telling them, “Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19).


We’ll Be Raised​

Since Jesus has been raised from the dead, so shall we be. If Jesus had not been raised from the dead, we’d die and remain in our sins, “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead” (1 Cor 15:20-21). After Lazarus had been dead for four days, Jesus told Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this” (John 11:25-26)?

God has resurrection power in His Word, as “God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power” (1 Cor 16:14). The gospel of Jesus Christ must contain all three essentials; the sinless life, suffering and death on the cross, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul wrote, “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Cor 15:3-4). And it wasn’t just to the Apostle Peter that He appeared to, but “he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.

Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me” (1 Cor 15:6-8). Scriptures foretold His sinless life, His suffering and death on the cross, and His resurrection after the third day. It was all in accordance to Scripture, and all in accordance to God’s sovereign redemptive plan. Jesus was not a victim of circumstances, but as He said, “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father” (John 10:18).


He’s Not Here!​

One of the greatest verses in the Bible, and one which brings the greatest of news, is found in Matthew 28:6 where the angel told the women, “He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.” After the women had looked into the empty tomb, “they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples” (Matt 28:8). Mark records the event as the angel saying to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him” (Mark 16:6).

Even Luke the Physician wrote, “He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise” (Luke 24:6-7), so Luke even throws in a little teaching about Jesus’ dying for sinners. The Scriptures and Christ Himself declared, “that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead” (Luke 24:46), and that’s exactly what happened.


Conclusion​

The wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23), but since Jesus never sinned, the grave couldn’t hold Him. The Scriptures say “God raised him up, having loosed the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it” (Acts 2:24). The Roman soldiers “came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water” (John 19:33-4), so Jesus was officially declared dead by the Roman soldiers. The greatest travesty of justice that has ever occurred in human history occurred at the cross.

Not only had Pontius Pilate declared Jesus innocent, even the thief on the cross knew that Christ “has done nothing wrong” (Luke 23:41b), however the religious leaders thought they had put an end to Jesus and His ministry, but it had just the opposite effect. His sinless life, death, and resurrection changed human the world and it changed history, into His-story. Many of those who were formerly the sons and daughters of disobedience were born again and became the children of God.

Maybe we don’t have to think that far back in time to remember when we “once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the children of disobedience” (Eph 2:2), however, “God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved” (Eph 2:4-5).
 

A Little Known Reason Why Judas Might Have Betrayed Jesus​






Joshua Earle

Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. Luke 22:3-4
Everyone knows that Judas betrayed Jesus, but why did Judas betray him? In the end we’ll never know, because Judas killed himself shortly afterward and his motives were lost to history. Luke records that “Satan entered Judas.” What in the world does that mean? Most of our minds go to the Exorcist with heads spinning around and levitating bodies. But I don’t think that’s what happened. More than likely, all Satan did was have to plant an idea, a deception in Judas’ mind, and Judas took it and ran with it. That’s been Satan’s preferred plan of attack from the very beginning (Genesis 3:1).


Why would Judas betray Jesus? Like the expectation of the crowds, he could have signed up to follow Jesus because he thought Jesus was his one-way ticket to a revolution against Rome. But Jesus would never pick a fight with the Romans. Every time Jesus got a crowd, he would offend them and send them away. Every time someone gave him money, he would give it away. So, perhaps Judas was disillusioned with Jesus and wanted his golden parachute. If was going to walk away, he might as well walk away with some money in his pocket.

There’s a lot of debate on this. Some think that Judas intentionally handed Jesus over to the chief priests precisely because he knew they couldn’t kill Jesus. They would beat him and humiliate him, but then let him go. Little did he know that they would conspire with the hated Romans to kill Jesus. Or perhaps he knew Jesus would be handed over to the Romans but he was convinced that the Messiah would never allow himself to be killed. Messiahs don’t die! Perhaps he was trying to force Jesus’ hand and start the revolution one way or another.

Whatever the reason, I’m convinced that when Judas betrayed Jesus, he was convinced in his own mind that he was doing the right thing, perhaps even doing God’s will. Just like the Pharisees and the chief priests were convinced they were doing God’s will when they put Jesus to death. Isn’t it amazing how much harm we can do when we’re convinced we’re doing God’s will? History is littered with hurt done by the church when she was convinced she was doing God’s will. Millions of people who have unnecessarily walked away from the church bear scars from the church when she thought she was doing God’s will. Isn’t that the enemy’s greatest deception?
 

God Speaks . . . to You​

[ 1 min read ★ ]

I am the good shepherd . . .
My sheep hear My voice—John 10:11, 27​

God’s had direct, personal, reciprocally communicative relationships with a lot of men . . . Abraham, Moses, Gideon, David, Paul. What about you and me, though?

Many of us men—to the extent we think about it at all—assume those guys were special, different from us. And so, we decide God probably wants with us a different type of relationship—more indirect, impersonal, and non-reciprocal—go to church, read the Bible a bit, get on with our lives. That would mean, though, that God’s purpose in bringing us stories of these men was to simply demonstrate something unattainable—a divine taunt, of sorts. It would reveal a desire to impress upon us how special were his Biblical supermen, so we'd gaze upon them and wonder why he created us so . . . un-super.

Should we believe that? Or, could he have, through these stories, been showing us his heart, his father’s heart? Could it be that he wanted direct, personal, reciprocal relationships with Abraham, Moses, and an incalculable number of men since, and that he wants that kind of relationship with you and me too, right now?

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened” (Matthew 7:7-8)

Sure sounds direct . . . personal . . . reciprocal.

Okay, so what do we do?​


Begin to open your mind, brother. God wants to speak to you—directly to you. In Scripture, he spoke with his own audible voice; through dreams and visions; through intermediaries, such as angels and other human beings; and directly into thoughts, using his “still, small voice.” While the others are admittedly rare, using people as his intermediaries and using his still, small voice are actually quite common.
 

7 Tips for Co-Parenting with a Challenging Ex-Spouse​





Many divorced parents contact me and ask for advice about co-parenting with a difficult or high- conflict ex-partner. They often seem surprised that they are still dealing with the same dynamics in their relationship with their ex and ongoing challenges.

Marie put it like this: “I thought that after my divorce Tom and I could cooperate more easily but he gives me a hard time about little things, arrives late to pick up our two young children, and tries to constantly change his co-parenting schedule. I sought a counselor for support since we have joint custody and this stresses me out because we have to see each other often. I don’t want out children to suffer.”


What is the solution for parents who want their children to have access to both parents but one parent is challenging? According to Dr. Edward Kruk, Ph.D., “Parallel Parenting is an arrangement in which divorced parents are able to co-parent by means of disengaging from each other, and having limited contact, in situations where they have demonstrated that they are unable to communicate with each other in a respectful manner.”
In fact, parallel parenting allows parents to remain detached with one another (and have a parenting plan) while they remain close to their children. For instance, they remain committed to making responsible decisions (medical, education, etc.) but decide on the logistics of day-to-day parenting separately.

Here are 7 tips for co-parenting (or parallel parenting) with a challenging or high conflict ex:
  • Be the parental role model your kids need to thrive. Show compassion toward your children and don’t bad mouth their other parent in their presence. Children are vulnerable to experiencing loyalty conflicts and shouldn’t be in the middle between their parents.
  • Keep your eye on the big picture in terms of your children’s future. Although it’s stressful trying to co-parent or even parallel parent with a difficult ex, it’s probably in the best interest of your children. Adopt realistic expectations and pat yourself on the back for working at this challenging relationship for your kids.
  • Focus on the only thing you can control – your behavior! You alone are responsible for your reactions to your ex’s comments and behavior. But don’t be persuaded by your ex to do something that you’re uncomfortable with just to keep the peace. Adopt a business-like “Just the facts, ma’am” style of communicating with him/her.
  • Minimize contact and set boundaries with your ex. High-conflict personalities thrive on the possibility of combat. Be prepared and write a script to use when talking to him/her and try to stick with it, using as few words as possible. For instance, if he/she tries to persuade you to change the parenting plan, say something like: “I’m not comfortable with this idea. I’m sure you have good intentions but this won’t work for me.”
  • Make sure you have a parenting plan that is structured and highly specific – spelling out schedules, holidays, vacations, etc. to minimize conflict. Using a communication notebook to share important details with your ex can be an essential tool and help you stay detached and business-like.
  • Do accept help from counselors, mediators, or other helping professionals. Make sure you have plenty of support from a lawyer, friends, family, and a therapist. Use a third party mediator when needed. Educate yourself about strategies to deal with a difficult or high-conflict ex.
 

The Mysterious Connection Between Risk and Truth​





Discovering, let alone accepting, truth is a difficult task. More difficult than we acknowledge. It is a slog, a lifelong endeavor, full of ups and downs, surprises, forgiveness, and repentance. And, in many ways, deep joy.
We are meant to be creatures of learning. There is always more truth to discover. Each person has a light to shed on truth. Ultimate truths about what matters, what makes people happy, and how to operate in community. As well as “smaller” truths like how to perceive a particular circumstance or issues.



Pursuing Truth​

Although we don’t often think about this way, at least I don’t, truth always comes with an element of risk.

When we are trying to learn, choose, and/or accept a truth, the exercise itself is an act of vulnerability. There are a few reasons for this. First, the world is a kaleidoscope of competing truths. So, leaning into one claim on truth (even the right one) exposes us to criticism from other avenues making the same claim. It is a risk to say, even to think, that something is right. True.

We have tried to wiggle out of this tension by allowing truth to be relative. Our culture often claims “my truth” as if we are all equally entitled to define the parameters of the claim ourselves. Which, of course, is swathed in hypocrisy. We want to proclaim “my truth” and a right to it, but are suddenly much less open when someone else’s “truth” seems to violate ours. Said another way: someone claiming “my truth” in order to proclaim they are not defined by the abuse they have endured is going to get a very different reaction than a neo-Nazi’s claim on “my truth”.


All this to say that seeking truth is a risk. The competing truths will have something to say.
Even more risky, committing to a truth is an act of character. An act of trust. It puts us on a pun
ath. It becomes, in a very real sense, part of who we are. And that is quite a risk. If we get it wrong; if we call truth a lie and a lie truth, it can derail our entire character. The risk is that we choose the wrong path.

Out of Control​

This leads to an even deeper risk. As we pursue truth and learning, we cannot control where it leads. We cannot manipulate what truth dictates.

We sure do try though. In order to make it easier, cleaner, less confusing, we turn our exploration from a search for truth to a search for what we already think is truth. A subtle yet striking difference. We become an echo chamber within ourselves. When we are seeking to reinforce our conclusions, we are no longer genuinely seeking to find truth but to control it.


On the other hand, seeking truth in humble honesty means finding out how wrong we are, adjusting our perspective, and exposing ourselves to a question we do not know the answer to. Uncertainty is the gateway to truth, although we often act as though the opposite were true.
At The Crossroad, we often say “truth is an acquired taste”. It is a risk to continue along the path to acquire that taste. But, after all, it is a risk to stabilize on shaky ground. All we do is a risk, a choice. We have to do our best, with courage and discernment. The pursuit of truth is worthy of the trouble, the uncertainty, and the vulnerability. It is the key to everything we do in life.
 

Heard His Still, Small Voice?​

[ 1 min read ★ ]

And your ears shall hear a word behind you,
saying, “This is the way, walk in it”—Isaiah 30:21​

Still, small voice—the words come from the First Book of Kings. The Prophet Elijah emerged from a cave on the mountain called Horeb:

“ . . a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire . . .” (1 Kings 19:11-12).

After the fire, Elijah heard a “still, small voice.” God’s voice. God taught Elijah something that day. He taught us. He demonstrated, in dramatic manner, a preferred method of communication.

So, what is the “still, small voice”? Well, it’s more about our thoughts than about an audible voice. So, thoughts . . . they can be crystallized in many ways: in words—sort of an inner voice—or perhaps as pictures, feelings, or impulses. Originating them in the mind of another is neither complicated, nor difficult. We do it every day. Engaging in conversation with someone, we direct their thinking and they ours. There are limits, of course. We need some combination of physical media—ink on paper, pixels on screens, ones and zeros flowing over wires, vibrations of vocal cords, waves of electromagnetic radiation. Does God need physical media to originate thoughts in our minds? No, of course not. If we follow the King, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit is there already—he dwells within us (Romans 8:9-11).

Okay, so what do we do?​


Could’ve God already been at work in your mind, originating thoughts? I’ll bet. Could it be that you didn’t notice, didn’t recognize it? Begin today, brother, to sift. Begin to note which thoughts are likely yours alone, which were clearly originated by others . . . and which just might’ve been originated by God.
 
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