A Blog of Exhortation
Just a quick post this week, and an early one so you’re not getting extra emails on Christmas Eve!
Jesus let us know that we’d have trouble in this world. It’s a given.
His entry into the world, however, marked a milestone that would change our relationship with the Creator, and ultimately overshadow the trouble we have in this life.
I’m very thankful for that!
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. – Luke 2:14
Merry Christmas to you all!
Do you believe that what the Bible says is true?
You might breeze past that question without even giving yourself a firm answer one way or the other. I’m not asking if you believe that parts of it are true; I’m asking if you believe the whole thing is true.
There are lots of different (some may say boring) parts of the Bible. There are some parts, though, that are mind-blowing when you examine them closely. The story of Creation, for example. When Moses wrote Genesis, though, there were a lot of details he glossed over or simply didn’t include. The advantage we have in our time is that we can look back through history and fill in some of the gaps using corroborating sources and our knowledge of science.
We don’t have that same advantage when we look at the other extreme of history’s timeline. The Bible has a lot to say about the times leading up to the end of this world (the “End Times”), but they’re written in such a way that it’s difficult to pinpoint times, places, and the specifics of how particular events might unfold. It’s not clear if there’s one major event that sets things off, or if there’s a straw that breaks the camel’s back, but we know that God eventually says “You know what? Enough is enough.”
There are several books in the Bible that discuss the End Times, but the most prominent is Revelation. It’s a crazy book. It’s full of vivid symbolism, along with sometimes vague information about how God will pull His faithful out of the world, satisfy His extensive wrath against sin, and contend with those that have opposed or rejected Him. There’s some scary stuff in there, and it can make you nauseous to see what’s in store for those that never accept Christ.
One of the interesting things to ponder is how the United States may play a role in the events described in Revelation. Right now I’d say that the United States is one of the most powerful nations on the planet. Twenty years ago our nation stood head and shoulders above everyone else. We’re still at or near the top, but much of our advantage in any given area (technology, military might, etc.) has eroded and China either has, or may soon, overtake us. Here’s the kicker: of the nations described in the Bible’s End Times writings, most of them appear to be Middle Eastern, European, and some nation that’s east of Israel. Translation: by the time we actually arrive in the End Times, the US will fall into the “all others” category.
Here’s where future prophecy meets current reality. How could a nation as powerful as the United States, the only country to put humans on the moon for over 50 years (using computers less powerful than your phone) descend so far into mediocrity as to not even be a footnote in the Bible’s “end of the world” account? Well, I guess the short answer is that a nation can’t expect to be blessed by God if it turns its back on Him.
The U.S. will have to fall very far from its high-water mark. How might that happen? I’ll give an example of A way; I’m not saying it will happen this way, but it can help illustrate things in a way that hits home. Keep in mind that tumultuous times will become a regular occurrence, and that the current craziness we’re living in may one day seem like “the good old days.”
The biggest way to kill America’s superpower status will be to cripple the country as an economic powerhouse. I’m not talking about shutting things down for Coronavirus…that blindsided everybody, so most nations are in the same boat there. I’m talking about tanking our economy in relation to the rest of the world.
Well, what’s the best way to bleed our economy to a point where we’re no longer a world leader? I’m not going to put a label on it, but I’ll describe it to you. Ever since World War II, we’ve tried to develop a global community of sorts; our economy was so powerful that we’d throw money at other nations just to keep them friendly with us. We shouldered the bulk of the costs for the UN and for NATO, and countless smaller international agreements. Over time, other nations began decreasing the levels of funding they committed to those same international efforts, but with a wink and a nod, they understood “that’s okay, the U.S. will pick up the tab.” For some reason, we did, and other nations liked that.
Then came Donald Trump. “Hey, you’re not living up to your commitments, and we’re left holding the check. Ain’t gonna happen anymore.” He embraced the idea that the American President should be an advocate for the citizens of the U.S. before he or she advocates for anyone else.
But he’s abrasive, not easily controlled, and doesn’t care about upsetting the status quo in Washington DC, which unleashed an untold amount of hate. There has been such a backlash against Donald Trump that his political opponents have never had more momentum for swinging back in the other direction as hard as possible. It doesn’t even matter what the policies are; if Trump supported it, the loudest critics want it to go, even if it made good sense. One of Trump’s hallmark policies is “America first,” doing things that will grow the American economy and generate opportunities for the people that live within our borders. It’s not anti-everyone else, it’s just taking care of our own house before looking around and seeing what we can do to help out the neighbors. He takes the view that the American President should do everything in their power to make the lives of Americans better. Those committed to swinging the pendulum back the other direction are willing to place the interests of the global community above American interests.
That brings us to next month, when it looks like Joe Biden (a likable career politician who’s in failing health and has demonstrated signs of mental decline) will be sworn in as President. Mr. Biden is generally moderate, but will be under a great deal of pressure to lean harder to the political left in order to satisfy the extreme wing of his party and undo President Trump’s executive orders and other actions.
Let’s assume for a moment that Mr. Biden (due to a resignation, due to being forced out via the 25th Amendment, or due to impeachment connected to his son’s business dealings), does not serve out his entire first term. In that case the Presidency falls to his Vice President, Kamala Harris (a freshman Senator who, in 2019 was ranked further left than any other sitting Senator based on the bills she supported). Ms. Harris ran in the Democratic primary for her own shot at the presidency, but her views were so extreme that she was not considered “electable.” Support never materialized and she dropped out before the first primary vote was even cast.
Well, even that might not be so bad, except for the fact that the same party already controls the House of Representatives and is within striking distance of taking over the Senate, pending the outcome of the Senatorial elections in Georgia early next month. We’ve had instances in the past where the same party has controlled the White House, the Senate, and the House of Representatives, but we’ve never had the same party control all three during a time when that party avoids condemning those tearing down monuments for the sake of trying to rewrite history, or when that party supports cries of “defund the police.” On top of all that, it seems like Communism…the world’s biggest political source of mediocrity and human suffering, and its gentler cousin Socialism…are gaining popularity in America. Never has the country been so close to endorsing anarchy, legislating hatred for our nation’s ideals, and intentionally taking a knee on America’s economic interests as it is right now.
You may think some of these sound nuts, but let me remind you that crazy things have occurred in the past, and maybe some of them could have been avoided if more people voiced their concerns. If America is to hasten its descent into has-been status, this would be one of the biggest opportunities in its history to hit the gas.
Thinking about our country in terms of a very weak nation (or several smaller nations) may be a difficult thing to do. I’m about to list some things that will probably happen on our way to that point. Keeping in mind the end result of America’s eventual placement in the “all others” category and general alignment with accepted global principles described in the Bible’s End Times writings, here are several other items to be on the lookout for:
Please don’t misunderstand; I’m writing of a possible bridge scenario between where we are and where we’ll end up. I can’t tell you what will happen tomorrow, let alone what will happen in our government over the next few years. I don’t believe that voting for the Biden/Harris ticket or other Democratic candidates makes anyone a bad person. I believe the Bible is true in its entirety, and since I believe that, I’m looking at where the Bible says we’re going, and seeing how we might get there from here. Globalism would cause a reduction of America’s place in relation to the world’s other nations, and the leadership team that’s shaping up to take office next month is more “pro-globe” than “pro-America.” I don’t believe we’re living in the era described in Revelation just yet, but the scary part is that I’m able to see how the distance between now and then may be closed.
Some may be incensed that I would write these things. I completely respect your right to disagree with me, but I expect that you’d do the same for me without thought of intimidating or silencing me. If you do not respect my right to disagree with you, it’s only evidence to you that the overall attitude I’ve written about is already bearing fruit in your mind.
Speaking in practical terms, no superpower lasts forever. America is no different. I don’t know if it will have a quick fall, if it will take another few hundred years, or if it will zigzag back and forth between rising and falling power. What I know is that God has a plan, and if you are a Christian, regardless of whatever nationality you claim as your citizenship, He has purpose in mind when He thinks of you. He does not hope that you blindly stumble into your purpose. He prompts you. He places something on your heart. You hear something in a song or in a conversation with someone that ignites something within you, something that makes no sense at all intellectually, but it’s something that you can’t shake.
I encourage you to go down that road, because it’s the purpose God has for your life. We’re closer now than ever before to the days described in Revelation, and you live in this time, rather than at any other point in history, for a reason. It’s time to lean in.
People in the Air Force regularly have to pass a physical fitness test. As long as you remember that Uncle Sam is paying you to stay in shape and even gives you time on duty to work out, it’s generally not difficult to stay in decent shape as long as you have some discipline and routine in place. When I was on active duty, a few times a week I usually did pushups and sit ups at my dorm or house in the morning before I left for work, and a few times a week I’d leave work early to do some running, swimming, or other type of cardio at the gym. Not a lot at once, just consistently.
I remember one occasion where a handful of us were getting ready to take a PT test. We paired off to help each other count repetitions and monitor proper form. The guy I paired with was older and more senior in rank than I, and we talked about the number of pushups we expected to perform. Things have changed since I last took an Air Force PT test, but the way it used to work is that there were several components (push-ups, crunches, run, body fat measurement), and you get a different amount of points for each component depending on how well you perform. Once you’ve performed all the components, you add up the points, and the total needs to be at least a certain number in order to pass. Each component also has a minimum passing score, and a maximum number of repetitions (once you hit the max number, you don’t get any additional points for doing extra crunches, for example).
He gave me his anticipated number, which wasn’t very high. I told him that I expected to max out my number of pushups and crunches. Almost dismissively, he said “yeah, well, you’ve got that muscular build.”
I was a little taken aback and didn’t quite know what to say or how to react. Did he think I accidentally had the capability to max out my pushups and crunches, or maybe that the capability was just handed to me? The responsibility to pass a PT test belongs to each individual in the Air Force. It’s not like the military branch’s leadership kept it a secret that we’d have to take these tests periodically, or that as a professional warrior susceptible to being deployed to warzones it might be a good idea to have a reasonably good baseline fitness level.
I never figured out whether he was serious or not. It certainly left an impression though.
If you know you have a test coming up…in any aspect of life…and you want to do well on it, it would behoove you to prepare for it. There’s an old saying: “Fortune favors the prepared.” It means that people who prepare for challenges tend to be more successful in overcoming them than the people that don’t prepare. Jesus said in John chapter 16 that “in this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Although Jesus was talking to His disciples right before the events of His arrest, trial, and execution, I believe the same message applies for Christ-followers today. If that’s not an indication of an upcoming test, maybe 2 Timothy 3:12 will spell it out a little clearer. “In fact, everyone who wants to live a Godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”
No bones about it. If you follow Jesus, and other people know you follow Jesus, you’re going to have to take some flak. Bet on it.
So there you have it: you have a test coming up. It may be today, it may be decades from now, but you know it’s coming. To pass the test you may not have to “beat” the one doing the persecuting; passing the test might simply mean bearing up under the pressure or not giving in to what all the voices around you are saying.
Are you spending time in God’s word more than just whenever you go to church? Do you pray more than just basic prayers, and more than just at meal times? Do you read books or articles that help explain the things that are in the Bible? If you listen to podcasts about the stock market, retirement, politics, etc., those things are important, but are you also finding the time to listen or learn about something that has a longer-lasting effect?
Christ Jesus loves you (and those confronting you), will empower you, and will be with you until He returns or calls you home. In the meantime, just like in the Air Force, it’s the responsibility of everyone who wants to pass the test to prepare for it. Not a lot at once, just consistently.
Your test is coming, and fortune favors the prepared.
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I’m pretty sure COVID is never mentioned in the Bible, but the book contains lessons we can apply to our current circumstances. I’m actually kind of surprised this hasn’t occurred to me before.
After centuries of God telling His people, the Israelites, that they need to straighten up (and centuries of them not doing it), He finally dropped the hammer on them. He warned them time and again, but they’d ignore or even kill the prophets. Once He had enough of it, He allowed the Persian Empire (Babylon) to raid Jerusalem and carry away most of the people as captives back to Babylon.
Many of the people refused to accept what was going on. They’d been brought up to believe that as Jews, God favored them. While true, that’s only part of the story. God selected the Jews to be His people, but warned them many times to follow His ways and pursue Him. By failing to do that corporately, over and over again, God finally had enough and allowed Babylon to serve as his instrument of judgment.
Still some chose not to believe what was happening. These people started giving ear to false prophets that popped up. One of them claimed (Jeremiah chapter 28, paraphrased) “Everybody, take heart! God will deliver us from this and we’ll be back home in Jerusalem inside of two years!” This message, though false, appealed to the people, so they believed it and threw their support behind prophets that proclaimed this message.
God, however, intended for these exiles to stay in Babylon for 70 years, and He didn’t hide His intent. Now, if you’re one of these people, living in a foreign land against your will, you’re going to live your life differently if you believe you’re only going to be there two years than if you believed you were probably going to spend the rest of your life there. Of course God wasn’t going to let this be the end of the Jews, but He works on His own timeline, not the one that people decide He should.
To help set the record straight, God had Jeremiah write them a letter. Paraphrasing from Jeremiah chapter 29, the prophet writes “look, everybody, you’re gonna be here for awhile. Build houses for yourself. Plant gardens and eat the stuff that grows in them. Get married to each other and have kids, and give those kids away in marriage. For now, this is your normal. No, it won’t always be like this, but that’s what it is for now.”
That’s our modern-day tie-in. The basic question here is “how many people have put off or canceled major life events because of the current circumstances?” Countless weddings have been postponed, untold numbers of students missed the opportunity to have a traditional in-person graduation ceremony, and it’s simply impossible to know how many other major trips or events have dropped or otherwise been put on hold.
The deeper question, and the one that has a more permanent impact, is “what God-honoring things have been put off or canceled because people decided that the world no longer met their definition of what the world should look like?” There are obvious things, like the cancellation of church services or outreach programs, but there have been varying degrees of success regarding the thing that have taken their place. For example, most churches this past summer probably either completely canceled or had a greatly scaled-back version of Vacation Bible School (VBS). Children are especially open to hearing about what Christ has done for them, and it’s important that Christians reach them. The challenge is addressing the same needs through different means, and the missed opportunities come when there’s no attempt to fill the gap.
That’s just an example. There are elementary-age needs, middle-school-aged needs, high-school-aged needs, needs for singles, for engaged or newlyweds, for men, for women, for families, for widows/widowers, for seniors, for professionals, for stay-at-home parents, and countless sub-groups of any of these demographics. The world needs you…whether it’s your creativity, your technological savvy, a spacious or special property you own, or a brand new idea that can be used to reach people in the name of Christ…this is your opportunity to step out in faith and make an eternal difference.
In this season of COVID, remember not to live like you’re still in Jerusalem. For the moment, we’re in Babylon, and we have to live out our Christianity and witness to non-believers within the parameters of our Babylonian environment. Build houses, plant gardens, and pursue long-term relationships. We may be here for awhile or we may not, but either way, we don’t have the option of letting the ministry opportunities stop. You might be the only thing that an important new undertaking is waiting for.
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You know, considering everything that’s going on in our nation right now, I just kind of feel like it would be a good idea to try to help you smile.
I’ve got three kids, and they’ve each got their own distinct personality. When they were little and they did something cute or funny, we’d write it down in what we now refer to as “the quote book.” It’s full of little stories or fun quotes that came from the kids or the sleep-deprived things that we did as parents of young kiddos. Now that it’s at least a few years after some of the quotes, our kids enjoy when I pull out the book and relay some stories we’ve written down.
Lately I’ve been taking a look through the book, and thought I’d share a few entries with you. Just for context, I’ve got a daughter, then a son, then another daughter.
My older daughter used to pick the most inopportune times to tell us about her day. When you have multiple young kids in the house, life is a blur. There’s not a whole lot of conscious thought that extends out past the next meal or bedtime. The minutes leading up to dinner were a mad rush of “go potty,” “okay, who still needs to wash their hands?” all while getting hot food on the table and scooping out some of the hot food early so it can cool off enough for the kids. Right as we sat down and things got quiet enough to pray, our daughter would pick that moment to start telling all of us about some event from earlier that day that was memorable in her mind. We’d all sit around the table, holding hands, about to pray but unable to begin. We could’ve shushed her, but…that just didn’t seem right. Then, just as she finished recounting her tale, but before we could jump in and start praying, her spellbound little brother would ask a question about her epic yarn. (“Nooooo!!!”) This happened at bedtime on a regular basis, too.
She could also open “childproof” caps before she could put together a complete sentence. We kept them away from her for awhile, and she lost the knack for it, but it still kept us on our toes.
She could also open “childproof” caps before she could put together a complete sentence. We kept them away from her for awhile, and she lost the knack for it, but it still kept us on our toes.
My little guy was the craziest blend of sweet and sour. He had heart-melting moments when you just couldn’t believe how compassionate or kind he was, and he’d have moments that make you want to pull out your hair. When he was little enough that he still slept in a crib, there was a time when my wife and I were laying him down and he saw his favorite little stuffed dog laying in the crib waiting for him, and my little guy let out a giggle. It made me appreciate how wonderful it must be to laugh simply because you’re happy.
On the flip side of his personality, there were other times he’d just utter blatant, unprompted lies. If he said “I don’t have anything in my mouth,” it’s a solid bet he just got into some snacks that he knew he wasn’t supposed to touch. He also knew that naptimes were for napping, but he loved to get up and look out the window. As he got big enough to come downstairs on his own after a nap, he’d reassure us by seeing us and saying right away “I wasn’t looking out my window.” The stool near the disheveled curtains suggested otherwise.
It’s also fun to look through the book and find little exchanges like when he and I were watching the winter Olympics on TV together when he was probably about 3. During a ski-jumping event, I told him “That guy’s from Norway.” He looked at the screen, interested, and said “Oh, is that his home planet?”
There are some slapstick memories, too. Parenting is a full-contact sport. All of our kids enjoyed when my wife and I read books to them. My younger daughter, when she was a toddler, had no concept of causing pain in other people. If I was laying on the floor and said to her “do you want me to read a book?”…man, I’d better watch out. She’d take off and find a book to read, which was great, but on her return trip, I needed to keep my gloves up. She’d come bouncing back at me in a full-speed toddler waddle, holding the book out in front of her. In the beginning, I figured she’d slow down as she got close. Nope. She came running with her arms stretched out in front of her, and she didn’t stop until she slammed me in the head with the book. (It didn’t take me long to learn to pay attention when she came running with a book, though I think it took me longer than it should have.)
This is the same little one who, when I held her in church during the live music, would watch intently everything going on up on stage. One time everything was quiet as the worship leader prayed, but my little girl kept her eyes open and was mesmerized by all the light reflecting off the shiny instruments. During the prayer, when her face was about six inches away from mine, she let slip a little burp that smelled like Cheerios.
Also, as our third child, she’s the only one I’ve used a dust-buster on.
And finally, to cap it off, here’s a story with all three. There was a phase (at least, I hope it’s a phase) where my older daughter liked to over-dramatize things, so she’d pretend to cry at certain things. The problem was that anytime my younger daughter saw someone cry, she thought it was her cue to start apologizing, even if it wasn’t her fault or she didn’t know what was happening. She’d keep doing it until someone acknowledged her, too, and would get louder as she went. Making it more fun was the fact that she couldn’t pronounce an “r” sound very well at that age. There was one instance where I sat in the living room and my wife and all three kids were in the kitchen. My wife and older daughter started acting silly, and began pretending to cry about something. Right around then my son, who needed to hear the same thing three times before it started sinking in, got hyper and did something he shouldn’t have, which distracted my wife. Imagine the sound of fake crying from one daughter, my wife talking firmly to my little guy, and an ever-more-persistent little voice saying “sowwy. Sowwy! SOWWY!”
You know, despite what you see on TV, there’s still some good stuff going on out there. Despite what you may see and hear, there are some good people in the world. Keep your chin up and keep smiling, because like I’ve said before, your joy and positive attitude in Christ is one of the things that will make people take notice, especially in times like this.
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Since I’ve been spending a lot more time in my house over the past six months, it’s been interesting to go digging through closets or boxes and see what’s in there. A few days ago I listened to some old CDs.
One of the albums I popped into the CD player is Steven Curtis Chapman’s Heaven in the Real World. We’re talking 1994…hard to believe I’ve had it for 25 years or so!
As the music started, the beat and lyrics all came rushing back. I can’t even tell you how long it’s been since I listened to those songs. The crazy part, though, was when I started listening to the words.
Before the first song started, a voice track came on, talking about all the craziness happening in the world at the time. Violence erupting somewhere, drug seizures, natural disasters. It led into the first song, talking about a child looking through eyes of fear and uncertainty. I thought “Huh, not much has changed.”
The next song came on, and it was a similar story:
People say this world’s a jungle and sometimes I must admit
I’d be scared to death if I did not know who was king of it
But the truth is God created this whole world with His own hand
So everything is under His command
I enjoyed humming along with an old familiar song, and looked forward to the next track on the album. It got even crazier:
Once upon a time not so long ago in a land not so far away
Right and wrong were not quite so hard to know
And black and white were not so gray
Times have changed and now it seems
Conscience has gone the way of the dinosaur
But I believe it’s still alive and well today
In the hearts of those who will stand up and say (chorus)
Then the second verse went on to describe the conditions of the day:
There’s a banner waving saying tolerance will set you free, it’s the latest thing
While the consequences it leaves behind are like a ball and chain
But there’s a voice in everyone called conscience
That’s been around since God created man
And as we learn to listen to its whispering
We’ll find the greater freedom when we stand up and sing
Right is right and wrong is wrong just like it has been along
We cannot sit by and see conscience become history
So come on, get up and dance
Dance this dance with me
I’ll tell you what…this world is, and always has been, in a state of decline. This is nothing new. It’s sad to see, but to the Christians reading this, it’s important to understand that standing around wringing your hands is not going to make things any better. The hope that you have in Christ is one of the best ways of getting people to notice that there’s something different about you. Think of hope as the confident expectation of what God has promised. When you hope in Christ, you are trusting in God’s faithfulness.
It’s important for you to broadcast your hope. To do that though, you need to make sure your soul is getting fed. Reading the Bible on a frequent basis is one of the best ways to sustain your hope. The Bible reminds us of God’s faithfulness and the promises He’s made to His people. I’ll tell you a startling statistic I heard recently: during the time of Covid, one-third fewer Christians are reading their Bibles.
Talk about throwing a cinderblock to a drowning man.
The Church (not the building, but the people) is still God’s plan for spreading the Gospel and restoring the lost relationship between God and people. There are probably more people out there that are not going to Heaven than the number that are. In a time when things are, once again, crazy, those people need to see your hope. Please, let them see it.
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As it turns out, when we read the Bible in English, we’re missing out on a lot of the little details you might otherwise catch if you were reading it in its original language (mostly either Hebrew or Greek). I recently learned something interesting about how the resurrected Jesus interacted with the disgraced Peter, who had denied Christ three times.
We’re probably all familiar with the passage in John 21:15-17. It’s the one where Jesus asks “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?”
He said to Him “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”
He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”
He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love you.”
He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”
He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?”
And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.”
Jesus said to him “Feed My sheep.” – John 21:15-17
Just reading over it you might think “well that’s a little weird,” or “it’s because Peter denied Jesus three times.” Well, that might have something to do with it, but I thought it was interesting when I learned about a literary device used in the recording of this account.
When John wrote the gospel that bears his name, placing two words with similar meanings near each other actually amplifies the difference between the two. An example in our language might be something like “I love Krispy Kreme, but I adore Dunkin’ Donuts.” The words “love” and “adore” mean very similar things, but in this example, Dunkin’ is the favored product.
We’re looking at something along those lines in these verses, but you can’t see it in English. We’re dealing with two synonyms for the word “love,” but they have slightly different meanings. The one Jesus uses means loving without holding anything back…with complete and total commitment. Peter, still fresh off his stinging denials, isn’t quite so confident as he used to be in declaring his dedication. Instead of using the “total commitment” version, he responds with a synonym that declares his love/affection for Jesus, but is a little shakier as far as the commitment goes. Using our “original language lenses,” we read it again:
“Peter, do you love (total commitment) Me more than these?”
“Yes, you know that I love (I’m super affectionate for you, but maybe not super dedicated) You.”
“Feed My lambs.”
Then a second time:
“Simon, son of Jonah, do you love (total commitment) Me?”
“Yes Lord, You know that I love (affection but not commitment) You.”
“Tend My sheep.”
Now here’s where the twist comes in, and it helps reveal why Peter was so grieved. When Jesus asks the third time, He stops using the word for “love” that He’d been using. He switches to the word Peter’s using. Peter used this version instead of the one Jesus used because he thought he’d be safer. It pierced his heart to have Jesus question even this lesser level of love:
“Simon, son of Jonah, do you love (affection for, but not necessarily committed to) Me?”
Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time “Do you love me?” And he said to Him “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love (affection without dedication) You.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.”
Knowing this little insight, it helps us understand a bit better why Peter was so hurt by this exchange. Jesus knew everything that was still coming in Peter’s future, and this round of questioning helped prepare Peter to deal with his doubts and make the conscious decision to become completely devoted to spreading the Gospel.
God is really amazing in how He prepares people for what the future will bring. Some people seem to just be born with devotion to Christ, while others have to really wrestle with it. In either extreme, and everywhere in between, God knows you, and knows exactly what you need to emerge from that crisis of faith with complete commitment. Maybe you’re in the middle of that struggle right now. I personally would urge you to keep the faith, but for some people God needs them to lose faith before they can find it again. I don’t know what God has planned for your life, but He does, and He’s preparing you for it.
Imagine if someone offered you the chance to live for two weeks with two other people in an area about the size of three or four phone booths.
Before you answer, hold on a minute. It gets worse.
It’s a closed environment, so nothing extra comes in, and no garbage goes out. All the food you’ll be eating during that time needs to be freeze-dried and packed inside. It’s not modern day freeze-dried food, either; it’s like, 1960s freeze-dried food. Add water, stir, and eat. Want to eat it hot? Add hot water.
On top of that, there’s no bathroom. You’ve got a little suction tube for liquid waste and you’ve got some bags for solid waste. Not a great deal of privacy, either.
What do you think, are you in?
Of course not. Why would anyone in their right mind sign up for that?
Now what if I told you that if you can endure these conditions, you get to walk on the moon?
From 1968 to 1972, the American space program sent a series of missions into space that resulted in 12 men walking on the moon and returning safely to earth. Would you be willing to endure the cramped quarters and terrible conditions if you could look forward to setting foot on the lunar surface?
That paints things in a different light, doesn’t it? Life is largely the same for a Christian; the main difference is that instead of two weeks, we’re looking at 80 or maybe 90 years or so.
This life has some fun times, and it has some miserable times. The older you get, the more you understand the temporary nature of things on this earth, and the more you realize that everything around you will one day turn to dust or otherwise become worthless. The joy, however, comes in knowing that you’re on your way to a destination of unspeakable happiness, where you come face to face with God Himself and can ask Him everything you’ve ever wondered about, you can praise Him with no distractions, and you can rejoice in the fact that nobody who’s there will suffer pain, heartache, or loss ever again.
The longest time of any Apollo mission that astronauts spent on the surface of the moon was during the final mission, Apollo 17. Two astronauts spent about 75 hours…a little over three days…either in the Lunar Module or out on the surface of the moon. That whole mission lasted about twelve and a half days from start to finish. Twelve and a half days in cramped quarters eating nasty food in exchange for 75 hours and three moonwalks on the moon.
In a Christian’s case, unspeakable joy that doesn’t end alongside your Savior in a body that doesn’t decay. That’s worth 80 or 90 years, even if a good percentage of them get rough.
Better times are coming. Hang in there.
Enjoying DareGreatlyNow’s posts? Let me know what you think. Email me at tim@daregreatlynow.com.
Over the past few weeks I’ve touched on how Satan commonly employs the same handful of tactics. I’ve covered how he wants to keep unbelievers unbelieving, and how he wants to water down the effectiveness of those that have become Christ-followers.
So where does that leave us in this epic spiritual struggle for the ages? Well, a historical anecdote might help set the stage:
After World War II, our ally Russia (then the USSR) started to walk down a different path from ours, and our two nations became enemies. It didn’t take long before both sides amassed enough nuclear weapons to destroy each other (and the rest of the world) several times over. In light of this massive weapons buildup, it became crucial that the two countries avoid a direct conflict, because it could very easily escalate into something with terrible consequences for the entire world.
Most of the developed world split into two camps: one that sided with the Soviets and one that sided with the United States. The two sides had radically different ideologies, and both wanted to strengthen their position and gain additional allies. No corner of the world went untouched by this indirect conflict (or “Cold War”).
Both sides knew that war with one another could quickly escalate to global catastrophe. Yet with both sides armed to the teeth, they couldn’t help but rattle sabers at each other in various ways. Both superpowers turned to supporting smaller groups or nations in fights against someone from the other camp. This led to a series of “Proxy Wars.” The Korean War, the space race, the Vietnam War, numerous conflicts in Africa, Asia, and Oceania were all just different chapters of the same story: the US vs. the USSR.
That’s where we are in the spiritual battle right now. The real story has always been God vs. Satan, but the fight plays out across the globe in chapters, fought through Christians and non-Christians.
You and I are “proxies” in a certain sense. We speak on Christ’s behalf when sharing the gospel, and the enemy’s efforts are sometimes manifested, either intentionally or unintentionally, through other people. What’s so easy to do, and I want to caution everyone against this, is to slip into the trap of thinking that the proxy on the other side, the unbeliever, is the enemy. Absolutely not! Satan is the enemy; the proxy is a soul that can potentially be saved, join the Kingdom of God, and do great things for Him! This is so important. Have a look at what the Apostle Paul said in Ephesians:
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. – Ephesians 6:12
It’s very important to stress that although all people are inherently sinful, relatively few of them are malicious or openly hostile toward Christ and Christians. God can even take violent, hateful people and turn them into powerful assets for His kingdom (read the story of Saul’s conversion to Paul for an example). There’s nobody that God doesn’t love, and no matter how bad you think you’ve been (or how bad the worst person you can think of has been), God is willing to extend salvation to them if they accept Him as their Savior. We don’t know who those people will be, though, so it’s up to Christians (and this is where we often have trouble) to treat everyone as if God’s working on their heart to reveal Himself to them and bring them to salvation. This is where another Bible verse comes in:
Look, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. – Matthew 10:16
We’re supposed to be out in dangerous territory, spreading the gospel to people that haven’t heard it, and yes, to people that we believe will reject it or react violently to it. Proxies can harm us in multiple ways. We must balance between being on guard against them while showing them love, compassion, and the truth in the hopes that we help win them for Christ.
One of my favorite sayings is that you do not know what’s on the other side of your obedience. At some point you, as a Christian, will likely feel called to do something that makes you uncomfortable, and that’s by design. The Bible is full of stories of people that God stretched in some way to go do things they thought were impossible. God makes no pledge about giving you cushy assignments. He’ll take care of you…maybe not in the way you’d like, but if you follow through with what you’re supposed to do, you might be surprised at how things fall into place for you.
As I close today, I just want to reiterate that other people are not the enemy in our spiritual struggle; they are the prize! You will do nothing on your own to win them for Christ, but you have no idea what Christ will do through you according to His plan. Boldly accept His invitation to play a part in His master plan. You won’t be able to see where the road leads, but part of growing your faith is taking the first few steps without seeing where you’re going.
God didn’t offer to let us be choosy about the people to whom we bring the Gospel. They all need to hear it, and you might be the only chance someone gets to hear it.
If you’ve read some of my previous posts and suspected that I’m crazy, you’ll be sure of it after this one. Stick with me though, it’s going somewhere.
For a few summers in high school and college, I worked at a Christian conference center. The summer staff, made up mostly of teenagers, lived on the campus and did a variety of jobs during the summer. “Summer staff” made for lots of fun memories. The days were long, but the weeks (and summers) were short.
I don’t know if this still happens today, but back then the girls had a tradition where, once a summer, they’d sneak out after curfew and hit the pool for some late-night skinny dipping. Every summer, the morning after the annual excursion happened, the guys would be disappointed because it had gone on right under our noses, while we were sleeping, and we hadn’t even been aware that it was happening. (We caught them in the act the previous summer, but I was on crutches, so I couldn’t play much of a role in it.) It was a huge morale boost for the ladies to get away with something so dangerous, and it would temporarily suck the morale right out of the guys’ side of the dorm.
Well, the following summer I was a counselor, so the curfew wasn’t an issue for me. It would have been fun to catch the girls in the act, but it would’ve been impossible to keep watch every night of the summer. Rather than have the guys stay up late trying to catch the girls (and making it tougher to stay healthy in the process), I decided I would instead try to deter the girls from sneaking out for their annual tradition. A few complete coincidences worked in my favor, and I probably went a little overboard further developing my “unhinged” persona. One time, by complete luck, while I was locking up the kitchen at night, I looked out the window and saw three of the summer staff girls running out of the dorm toward the kitchen, for what I can only guess was the need to raid the fridge. I couldn’t resist the opportunity. That night when I had entered the kitchen, I didn’t turn on any of the lights, so I was walking around in the dark. I hid and waited silently. Sure enough, the three came sneaking in without turning on the lights. As they drew near, I jumped out from wherever I was hiding and yelled “YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE IN HERE!” They screamed in absolute terror and ran out with their hair standing straight up. Hopefully they got a snack somewhere else.
Now, you have to understand that back then, I had more enthusiasm and energy than direction. I got a little crazier and, in my exuberance, I dug up a camouflage military uniform that I would put on as it drew near the time for lights out. Sometimes the camo makeup went on, too. I’d let everyone see me in it, and the impression everyone got was that even as everyone was going to bed, I was heading outside into the dark to do Heaven-only-knows what. I wouldn’t do this every night, but I did it often enough to keep would-be curfew breakers guessing whether or not I was out there waiting for them. It was a page from Bruce Wayne’s book.
Another complete coincidence worked in my favor. Sometimes I really would head outside, all dressed in camo. My main purpose was merely to be seen heading out into the darkness, but since I didn’t want to be seen coming right back in again, I had to stay out for awhile. Most of the time I just found a comfy place to lay down in the grass, and in truth I enjoyed the quiet and stillness of the normally busy place while I was out there. Sometimes I fell asleep. One time, though, as I turned the corner of a building, I came across four of the staff girls, just sitting on the grass overlooking the pool, breaking curfew. At least one of them was someone that I had earlier caught sneaking into the kitchen. They weren’t doing anything wrong (other than being out after curfew), but to them it seemed like I just…knew when they were out there doing something they shouldn’t be doing.
The end result of all this was that I cultivated an impression that just wasn’t true, and it ended up influencing others’ behavior in a way that I wanted. There were countless nights where they could’ve made it to the pool without any problem at all, but it was the fear of some weirdo in camouflage hiding in the bushes that kept them from taking part in the adventure they wanted to be a part of. More often than not, I was actually asleep in my bed way before lights out, but without knowing that truth, late-night pool adventures got postponed.
Here’s where we “land the plane” on this entry. As Christians, we have an enemy that cultivates the same kind of image. If you’re a Jesus-follower, you have the unimaginable power of the Holy Spirit residing in you, but if your enemy can intimidate you into entertaining or giving in to your doubts, he’s effectively countered the power you have inside you. In military terms, he’s negated your will or capacity to fight, even though you’re equipped to dominate.
It’s all just clever tricks and deception. Remember the truth: as a Christian, you are more than a conqueror! Don’t be held captive by lies! Not only do you have defensive armor available to you, but you have the greatest offensive weapon there is…the Sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:10-18). Properly prepared, you can walk boldly and confidently into a spiritual battle and emerge victorious. Think of it this way: if you don’t have the will to fight, the enemy can use the resources he would have used on you…somewhere else. Make no mistake: he’s going to use them, if not on you, then on someone else. If you and the Holy Spirit combat those forces, you are fighting back against the darkness and tying up enemy forces, enabling relief elsewhere. (See Daniel 10:1-14 for an example where this happened to an angel.)
The Prince of Darkness excels in lying and deception. Do you believe the lies he wants you to believe, or are you willing to trust God’s truth? Don’t believe the lies. Get up and get in the fight.
In a couple of weeks I hope to start a series on some more of the tactics Satan uses against you. Subscribe today to be sure you don’t miss it!