The World As It Was Meant To Be

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”


He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

Revelation 21:1-5

This world is not what it was meant to be. Certainly our world is nothing more or less than what God has allowed it to be, because He is in control. But that is not what I am talking about. When I say that our world is not what it was meant to be, I mean that our world is not now what it was originally created to be. We know this instinctively. Wherever we go in this world we encounter pain. We have our hearts broken. We constantly try to improve ourselves- we try to get better grades, lose those five pounds, or stop cursing- only to watch ourselves fail. The powerful take advantage of the weak. Instinctively, we see these things happening and we look to the heavens and cry out "Why?" Thankfully Scripture gives us an answer to this question.

When we look at Scripture from the grand perspective, a story emerges. That story in a nutshell is this: God created a perfect creation  in the midst of which He placed man and woman that they might rule over it. But mankind chose to turn our back on God. We rejected His authority and disobeyed His commands. This was sin. Sin is like a cancer; it brings death and pain as it spreads and contaminates everything it touches. And so man's sin didn't just affect him but it affected all of creation, not only his descendants after him but the natural world as well. In Romans 8, Paul points to this truth by saying that that the creation itself groans and longs to be set free from its corruption (Romans 8:22-23). This sin separated mankind from God, and the whole of Scripture is the unfolding story of God's grand plan to restore right relationship between Himself, mankind, and His creation. God first pursues this plan through the nation of Israel then, over time, the Messiah comes through that nation. It is in Him ultimately that the hopes of all mankind for restored relationship rest. Now through this Messiah God is calling a new people out of the world, the church. This people is tasked with proclaiming the good news of restored relationship and forgiveness of sins to all who will receive it.

But this is not the whole story. Often this is all we tell, but it is not the whole story. As important as all of this is, it leaves God's great plan of restoration unfinished. For the culmination of God's plan is found in the new heavens and the new earth. You see God isn't merely forgiving a people, He is removing the cancer of sin from their lives. The Bible teaches that Christians will experience a resurrection to new life, a life like Christ now lives after His resurrection. This resurrection will remove the taint of sin from us and we will dwell with God face to face once again. But this is still not all! Remember, it wasn't just man that was tainted by sin, it was the whole world too. Thus, the Bible tells us that this world will be destroyed by fire and that there will be a new heavens and a new earth. Scholars disagree over whether this fire will properly destroy the earth so that a completely new one is created or whether Scripture is speaking of a purification by fire so that this earth is purified and made new. Either way the point seems clear, one day this world and all the Christians in it will no longer cry out "Why?" One day this world and all believers will be what we were always intended to be. There will be no more tears, no more mourning. There will be no disabilities, no injustices, and no diseases. This world and those who are still in it will be what God always intended us to be...what we were created to be.

So as you go through your everyday life and you encounter something that makes you want to shake your fist at God and ask "Why?" Choose instead to use that situation or difficult person or painful experience to remind yourself to look forward to the day when all of that will be wiped away. Every "why" in this world is a reason and an opportunity to live in expectant hope for the day when the world will no longer be this way, when our bodies will no longer be this way, when sin will no longer be present. Remind yourself that God has a plan, and as sure as the sun will rise tomorrow that plan will work its way out.

For further reading...

• Revelation 21:1-8, 22-27, & 22:1-5- New Creation!

No Regrets?

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near...” John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire."

Matthew 3:1-2, 4-10

There is a point of view that is popular today which people often express in terms like the following: "I refuse to regret my past because all of my collective life experiences make me who I am today. Without that experience I wouldn't have learned a valuable lesson. I wouldn't be who I am today." I believe wholeheartedly that this point of view is foreign to the Bible. All throughout the New Testament we find the theme of repentance. We are called to repent of our sin before we turn to Christ, and in fact, Scriptures like the following indicate that without true repentance we are not Christians at all (Acts 2:37-39, 3:19, 20:21, II Peter 3:8-10). Repentance has often (and aptly) been described as turning our back on sin and turning towards God. It is a 180-degree turn in our life's orientation. But this is not all it is. Repentance also includes feeling a sense of sorrow and regret for our sin. It is this sorrow and even repulsion at the ways we have ignored and defied God which leads us to turn our back on our sin. How can anyone say they love God and want to serve Him with their whole heart without regretting the ways they have sinned against Him? 

While I agree that we should not wallow in regret and self-guilt our whole lives, this attitude (which refuses to regret anything) goes too far. We should regret our sin. Regret is a healthy, natural emotion that we should feel when we hurt someone else or ourselves. Let me give you an example. Imagine a convicted murderer glibly saying this motto to the parents of his victim. Do you see the depravity in that? Or more commonly, imagine saying this motto to your friend after you betrayed and hurt them. Surely, you can see that any true friend would regret such actions. In either of these scenarios it would actually be wrong to not feel regret. So sometimes regret is good. In fact, it is a necessary part of the Christian faith. How can one repent of sins he does not regret committing? Regret only becomes unhealthy when we refuse to  move on, when we refuse to accept forgiveness from God, others, or even from ourselves.

Is there sin in your past or in your present that you need to repent of? Don't thumb your nose at God by saying you refuse to regret the ways you have rejected His lordship. Don't trample His grace underfoot by refusing to acknowledge that His way would have been the better all along. Mourn for your sin. Come before the Lord with a broken and contrite heart and ask for forgiveness. Then, if your sin has been covered in the blood of Christ, rejoice in your forgiveness. Leave that sin and guilt behind as you press on towards the calling you have received. There is now no more condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!

For further reading...

• II Corinthians 7:9-11- See Paul's discussion of Godly sorrow.
• Matthew 4:17 & Mark 1:15- At the beginning of His preaching career Jesus's message was pretty simple.
• Acts 2:37-39- On the Day of Pentecost Peter proclaimed salvation following this formula.
• Psalm 36:1-3- Sound familiar?

Running to Get the Prize

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

I Corinthians 9:24-27

Paul has just finished speaking about how he does his best to become all things to all people so that “by all means [he] might save some” (v. 22) when he decides to use a metaphor to drive his point home. He wants to show the Corinthians that he uses self-control and self-discipline of the highest sort to ensure that he continues to give God his best. Paul wants to call them to a single-minded commitment to do the same. So, he uses a metaphor that would have been familiar to them: an athletic competition.

The ESV Study Bible explains that Corinth “was the location of the biennial Isthmian games, at that time second in fame only to the Olympic games. Paul’s stay in Corinth during his second missionary journey (Acts 18) may have even overlapped with the games in either A.D. 49 or 51.”* Paul claims that like these athletes, he is no poser. He does not run aimlessly or shadowbox. He practices intense self-discipline because he knows that he is competing in a race, a race that he wants the Corinthians to run with him. 

Paul points out that in the races of their day only one runner gets the prize. At this time in history that prize would have been a “crown made of foliage” (ESV Study Bible*). He says that they should run in such a way that they might hope to obtain it. Paul is not saying that only one believer in all of history will receive a heavenly crown. Scripture teaches us that there will be more than one person in heaven receiving crowns. Rather, Paul is drawing attention to the fact that just like in the races of their day not everyone receives a crown. It is only those who run in a certain way that will be rewarded. So too with Christians. Only those who run the race that Christ has set before them with self-control and single-minded commitment will be counted worthy of a prize. 

Paul also points out that the prize for which we strive is of far greater worth than the crown of foliage athletes received which quickly withered. Our crown lasts for eternity. So we have all the more reason to “throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Hebrews 12:1). Yet, too often we turn Paul’s advice on its ear. Both as spectators and as athletes we often exercise greater self-discipline in sports than we do in our relationship with God. We leave church early to get to games. We eliminate Wednesday night church altogether because it conflicts with our practices. I would imagine that even the most dedicated Christians among the athletes in my youth ministry spend more time every week in practices and games than they do serving God or studying His word. 

Personally, I love sports. I am not advocating that we get rid of them. Instead I challenge you to keep them in their proper place… prioritized beneath your relationship with God. Teach your children to do the same. Our culture will challenge you at this point. Almost every sports league out there for children, teens, and adults schedules practices and games during times that used to be reserved for church. I challenge you to prayerfully consider how best to handle this issue as you commit to follow Paul in being single-minded in your commitment to serve God faithfully, knowing that one day there will be a prize for those who have run well.

For further reading...

• Acts 18- Read up on one of Paul's visits to Corinth. 
• Hebrews 12:1-3- The writer of Hebrews also uses an athletic metaphor but in his image the great heroes of the faith are around us in the stadium cheering us on.  
• I Timothy 4:7-9- Physical training has some value, but godliness has more. 

*Thielman, Frank S. Study Notes on First Corinthians in The ESV Study Bible. (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2007), p.2204. 

Toiling in vain?

Unless the LORD builds the house, 

   the builders labor in vain. 

Unless the LORD watches over the city, 

   the guards stand watch in vain. 

In vain you rise early 

   and stay up late, 

toiling for food to eat— 

   for he grants sleep to those he loves. (or "for while they sleep he provides for those he loves.")

Psalm 127:1-2

This passage has brought me great comfort over the past few months. You see, I have a tendency to think that hard work can fix any problem. And while hard work is certainly an important part of a successful life, it is good to be reminded that the success of any venture does not rest solely with me but with the Lord. At times I lose sight of this. I get so driven trying to accomplish some ministry or personal goal that my perspective narrows until everything else is blocked out. Unwittingly, I begin to think that it all depends on me. This is rarely an overt thought but I am realizing more and more that this must be the reason so many of us work ourselves to death. This passage lifts our eyes, broadens our perspective, and reminds us of the beautiful truth that ultimately all things depend on God, not us. This passage reminds us that at the end of the day we really are not in control of anything. Even working as hard as we might apart from God's blessing we will get nowhere.

I believe that all of this is part of the reason that God commanded Old Testament Israel to abstain from work on the Sabbath. All the other peoples worked seven days a week. It was odd in every way for a whole nation to shut down and rest for a full day each week. How could they hope to provide for their families with 14% less time to work than the nations around them? How could they be expected to take a Sabbath rest during the harvest when they were working against the clock to get the produce in off the vine before it began to rot? The answer was simple. The Israelites were to rest (at least in part) as an exercise of their faith. It was a practical way for them to live out their belief that God was in control.

So too we need to remember that God is still in control. Whether we are stressed about school or work, church or home, or whatever it may be, we must turn it over to Him. There's an old saying, "Work like it depends on you and pray like it depends on God." I disagree. I think we should pray like it depends on God and work like it depends on God blessing our best efforts. Throughout Scripture we find that God often blesses those who work hard in faith yet trust Him to provide whatever may be lacking in their best efforts. Rarely does God miraculously provide for the lazy. Likewise those who oppose Him or who continuously sin against Him cannot expect large portions of His blessing. So examine your heart today. Be sure that you are doing all you can in faith to better your situation. Be sure that you are in right relationship with the Lord through His Son Jesus. And be sure that you are not living in unrepentant sin against your God. After you have done the best you can in these areas...trust God. Remember that you are not alone in your circumstances. God has not lost sight of your problems. Jesus himself says “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). If you are carrying a heavy burden today, remember that God is still in control and only He can bring relief. 

For further reading...

• Proverbs 10:3-5, Proverbs 12:24, 27- The Lord blesses the diligent.
• Proverbs 16:33, Proverbs 21:1- Though we struggle to understand how God's sovereignty and human decision are reconciled, there is no denying that God is in control.
• Psalm 29:11, Psalm 146:7-9 & Isaiah 42:5- God provides for His people.

Remember those in prison

Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

Hebrews 13:3

Youcef Nadarkhani is a 34 year old pastor in Iran. He was arrested in October of 2009 after protesting a government policy that requires his two sons (8 & 9) to study the Quran in school. Secret police called him before a tribunal and arrested him. His charges were later amended to include apostasy and evangelism of Muslims. Youcef was tried in September of 2010 and sentenced to death for apostasy.

He has been imprisoned in Lakan prison where authorities have used various methods, including medication, to convert him back to Islam. He has refused to deny Christ. In fact, at least three times during court proceedings Youcef has refused to secure his own release by recanting his Christian faith. After Youcef refused to convert, his wife was arrested, put on trial without an attorney and sentenced to life in prison. She was later released after an attorney was able to make an appeal.

Youcef will remain in prison for at least one more year. The presiding judge ordered authorities to keep Youcef in prison using whatever means necessary to force him to recant his Christian faith and convert to Islam.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Many of us don't realize how common it is for Christians around the world to be persecuted, imprisoned, and even tortured for their faith. The myth that this type of thing doesn't happen anymore is unfortunately just that, a myth. It has been estimated that more Christians were martyred in the 20th Century than in all the prior 1,900 years combined.* Brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world will lay their head down tonight in a prison cell because they refuse to reject Christ, because they refuse to stop telling others about His grace. "In more than 40 nations around the world today Christians are being persecuted for their faith. In some of these nations it is illegal to own a Bible, to share Christ, change your faith or teach your children about Jesus."** In spite of all this, men and women, boys and girls across the globe continue to faithfully follow after Jesus because they are convinced that He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). They are real heroes of the faith who live out the truth of Luke 9:23-26 everyday.

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.  

Today, let them challenge you to a closer walk with your Savior and Lord. And more than that put Hebrews 13:3 into practice today. Spend five minutes in prayer for the persecuted church. Remember, "the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective" (James 5:16).

For further reading...

• http://www.prisoneralert.com/ - This is a ministry of Voice of the Martyrs. It gives stories of specific Christians and pastors around the world who are being persecuted for their faith so that you can pray for them. They also have information on how you can write letters to them in prison to encourage them. They translate phrases for you so you can print them off and mail them overseas to these precious believers.
• http://www.persecution.com/public/pray.aspx?clickfrom=bWFpbl9tZW51- This is the prayer page for Voice of the Martyrs. It has prayer requests and praises for the persecuted church globally.

*http://erlc.com/issues/quick-facts/persecution/

** http://www.prisoneralert.com/vompw_persecution.htm

The Wedding Day

Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

1 Peter 1:17-19

“Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” 

Luke 21:34-36

When you are twenty-five you think you know everything. So when I was getting ready to propose to my wife I knew that her having any idea I might be ready to propose was lame. Marriage proposals are better when they are a surprise, or so I thought. I also knew that a marriage proposal isn't one of those things you get a second shot at so I spent a month getting my plan just right. Her sister went ring shopping with me after slyly getting some intel on what type of rings she liked. I had the proposal all scripted out and the decorations ready. I even mislead my wife into thinking I really wasn't ready for marriage. (I didn't find out until later that she almost gave up hope that I would ever be ready.) When I opened that door and she walked into the room all decorated and I started my proposal she was so shocked that she basically started to hyperventilate. She had to sit down on the floor which is where she and I stayed for the majority of the proposal.

After that proposal our lives completely changed. For the next six months everything about our lives revolved around the wedding. We had to book a venue and ask the pastor to marry us. We had to order flowers and pick our colors for the wedding. We also had to plan our honeymoon and figure out where we were going to live after the wedding. Even time was even measured in reference to the wedding. Our whole lives were spent focused on and in preparation for that day. And it is appropriate that this was the case. Our wedding day changed everything for us. Our lives will never be the same because of that day, and if we hadn't focused on it for those six months then we wouldn't have been ready for that day that would change everything. 

Scripture tells us that there is another day coming which will change everything for everyone on earth. It even uses a wedding as a metaphor for this day at times. It is the day when Jesus will return and will be married to His bride, the Church. On this day we Christians will receive our inheritance. We will see God face to face. We will meet our Savior. What a glorious day! But it is important for more than just Christians because the Bible tells us that Jesus will return as more than merely a triumphant Savior. He will also return as a righteous Judge. On that day every man, woman, and child will have to stand before God and give an account for what they have done and what they have left undone. Surely this day will change everything and it is only fitting that, until then, our lives should focus on, revolve around, and be spent in preparation for that day. If they are not, then we may not be ready.

I Peter 1:17 tells us that we should live our lives here in reverent fear of that judgment. Now I know that we do not like to think about fearing God, but Scripture talks about it quite commonly and even says that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Proverbs 9:10). The truth is that just as it would be wrong for us to only fear God and to never think of Him as a loving Father or as a merciful Savior, so too it is wrong for us to only think of Him as a loving Father and merciful Savior and never as a righteous Judge who should be feared. God is all of these things and we relate to Him in all of these ways. Because of His grace we are not in danger of losing our salvation but we are in danger of being ill-prepared for the judgement. I don't know about you, but I don't want to stand before God unprepared. So let me ask you this question: If Christ were to come back today, what would you be ashamed of? Would you be ashamed that you aren't telling others about Jesus? Would you be ashamed of your sexual sin, or your unforgiveness and bitterness towards others? Would you be ashamed that you are not tithing to His church or that you were never obedient to believer's baptism? Whatever it is, whether it is something you are doing or are not doing, surrender that to the Lord today and ask Him to enable you to change.

For further reading...

• II Peter 3- Are you a scoffer?
• Hebrews 11:13-16- Living as a foreigner.
• I Thessalonians 5:1-11- You shouldn't be surprised.

Set Your Hope on Grace

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls...

Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

I Peter 1:3-9 & 13-15

I went to a small college in a mid-western town whose only other attraction consisted of the Super Walmart. Needless to say there wasn't a lot to do outside of studying and partying. Many of the students seemed to think their education should contain equal parts of each. My college was ranked 9th in the nation for consumption of hard liquor, so it was no surprise when my friends and I found a group in the cafeteria advocating for responsible drinking. They had a set of "beer goggles" that allowed a sober person to experience just how impaired drinking can make a person. It looked pretty simple. After you put the beer goggles on they would spin you around two or three times and then they threw a tennis ball to you. You were supposed to catch it and throw it back. Then they asked you to walk heel-to-toe in a straight line without losing your balance. My friends and I were pretty athletic so we felt we could do this easily even with the added disability of the beer goggles.

As soon as I put the goggles on the world warped around me. My balance was off, the floors and walls seemed to move. My perspective was completely distorted. It is amazing how difficult simple, everyday tasks can become under these circumstances. Given normal vision I could have done these tasks without even paying attention. It was more than a little funny to watch. I was completely unable to catch the tennis ball they threw to me. I think it took me two or three stabs just to pick it up off the floor, then I threw it a clear three feet to the left of the person I was tossing it back to. I reeled and stumbled through the simple heel-to-toe exercise. Even after I took the goggles off it took several moments for me to regain a normal perspective on the world.

Beer isn't the only thing that has the power to warp our perspective. When your eyes are fixed solely on this world and on this life, then the smallest of obstacles can seem insurmountable. With this small perspective every problem is distorted as the cares of the world swirl around us making everything more difficult than it has to be. But when we fix our eyes on Jesus, on eternity and what has been laid up for us there...these same problems seem much easier to overcome.

But as the passage above makes clear, setting our hope on eternity affects much more than merely the size of our problems. I believe that it is impossible to live life the way God wants you to if you don't keep the return of Jesus always in your mind. Even in the Old Testament God continually reminded His people that this world is not as it should be. It has been marred by sin along with us. Sin has turned our world into a place of pain and struggle. But God has promised that there will come a day when He will set things right. We know that this day will be the day that Jesus returns. We know that Christ promised to take us to be with Him on that day so we must remember that this world is not our home. We must remember that our great hope is not in anything this world has to offer. It is not in achievement or wealth or even in family. No we must "set our hope on the grace to be brought to us when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming." Our great hope is the grace that will be shown to us on that last day. Grace that will forgive our sins. Grace that will once and for all remove the marring effects of sin from our bodies and cause us to shine like fine gold refined in the fire seven times over. Grace that will gain our entrance into heaven. Grace that will enable us to gaze unflinchingly on the face of God. Grace that will enable Him to say "Well done good and faithful servant." Grace that will supply us with an everlasting inheritance in the house of the King of kings. Grace to allow us an eternity with the Master. Grace to be holy, because He is holy.

This is our hope and unless we enter the New Year with our eyes fixed on this, we are doomed to continue wasting our days living for this world. All that we accomplish for this world could be taken from us at any moment by death. That is why Matthew 6:19-20 says, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal." But to do this we must first fix our eyes on heaven.

Father, fix my gaze upon Your face and upon the prize that You have set before all believers in this new year. Help me to judge my challenges in light of heaven. Help me to make choices based on their eternal impact. Help me to live on this earth as an alien and a stranger...someone who is just passing through on my way home. And may You make it so that I feel more and more at home in Your presence this year as I do my best to serve You more faithfully.

For further reading...

• Read all of I Peter 1-4 in light of this opening passage and the idea that fixing our hope on Christ's return changes everything about our lives.

Thirsty

On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

John 7:37-39

This world is a spiritual desert. It has nothing to offer those who thirst for God but the mirages of false religion, personal enlightenment, and sin. They promise to quench our need for God, but they all fall far short. Thirsty souls continue to search. They run from false hope to false hope and from sin to sin hoping to satisfy their deepest need. What they find is little more than a distraction. Something to take their mind off of their thirst. Some, to avoid utter despair, embrace that distraction with all they have, for it is, at the very least, better than nothing. But this is not how it should be. God has placed wells of life giving water in the midst of this desert, and in His abundant kindness He did not make these wells stationary. The thirsty need not come upon one of them by chance. God placed these wells in the hearts of His people so they might go to where the hurting and thirsty are and give them life.

Now you may think I am being a little melodramatic here, but this is the picture that emerges from the passage. Jesus spoke the above words on the last day of the Jewish Feast of Booths which celebrated God's provision for the Israelites during their time in the desert. Now I have never lived in the desert but I imagine that a person's greatest need there is water. Jesus draws on this image to talk about what He has to offer. He says in effect, "Come to me all who are thirsty and drink..." (Isaiah 55). He continues explaining that those who come to Him to drink not only have their thirst quenched but a well of Living Water is placed within them. Presumably this well would serve two functions. First, it would serve to quench their thirst on a continual basis so that they would never again be lacking. Second, it would flow out from within them to provide for those around them. Jesus identifies clearly what this well of Living Water is. It is the Holy Spirit placed inside all believers. He is also clear about the source. It flows from within believers but it originates from belief in Christ.

This leaves us with a few questions. Are you a believer? And, the question that has been haunting me of late, is the life-giving Spirit flowing freely from within you and impacting the lives of all who come into contact with you? I fear that I have allowed my well to fall into disrepair. I write a devotional blog trying to help others spend more time in the Word not because I have mastered it but because I very much still struggle to do so myself. I have grown lax in my connections to Christ and now I run dry. What is truly sad is that this not only hurts me but it also leaves those who are perishing around me with no witness that there is something better for them. Oh, I can tell them about how great Jesus is but a thirsty soul has a knack for noticing the parched lips of one who claims to have water. They have been misled too many times. They are hesitant to believe. The best witness of all is that living well. As the presence of the Holy Spirit spills out of your life in power onto the hurting they have every reason to believe what you say. 

Lord forgive me for taking You for granted. Restore my first love. Renew my well of living water. May those who are hurting and lost in this world enter into Your presence when they enter into mine. Quench my thirst anew and send me out for your glory!

For further reading...

• Isaiah 55- Only God satisfies.
• John 4:1-42- Jesus used this metaphor elsewhere.
• Leviticus 23:39-43- background on the Feast of Booths.
• II Corinthians 2:14-17- Paul uses a different metaphor. We are the aroma of Christ.

What is your life about?

An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.” 

To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’ The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less.”

John 3:25-30

When I read this passage of Scripture, I can almost hear the panic in the voices of John's disciples. You can sense their concern that John (the prophet and teacher to whom they have dedicated their lives) is losing his influence. By reading between the lines a little, one even senses that there may be a certain amount of disdain for Jesus' presumption. "The one you testified about," they say. You were so gracious to Him. You honored and exalted Him and now He is encroaching on your turf! He is baptizing and people go to Him instead of you. This of course presents a real problem for John the Baptist who is kind of pigeon-holed into a certain ministry now. He is called John the Baptist after all.

John's response to his disciple's concern is truly remarkable. Like Job he acknowledges that all he has in life comes from God and ultimately all he has in life will return to God. John points out that the same is true for Jesus. "So if Jesus is receiving influence as mine is waning, then it is because God has chosen to take it away from me and give it to Him," John says. He continues with a wedding metaphor. "Jesus is the groom," he says. "I'm the best man." Does it make sense for the best man to be angry that the groom is getting married when he is not? No, it makes no sense. The best man should rejoice and be happy for his friend. So too, John says, "That joy is mine, and it is now complete." John knows that this isn't his story. He isn't the main character, but he can find joy in playing his part well. He dare not step out of line and try to steal the lead role from Jesus. In other words John says, "It's not about me!" How hard those four words are for us to accept and live by.

But it's the last line of this passage that draws attention to our error. John says, "He must become greater; I must become less." What John wanted more than anything in the world was for God's kingdom to advance in this world. Everything else in life was secondary to that goal, even John's own personal fulfillment and social standing. His disciples had momentarily lost sight of that. We sometimes do as well. We work so hard to get ahead at work, to build a life for our family, to build a program or Bible study at church that before we know it we get caught in the trap of thinking that these things are the end goal themselves. They are not. They are merely a means to the end of bringing glory to God and advancing the gospel. Sometimes the gospel advances when you are transferred to a lower paying position or when your hopes for your family are thwarted or even when your church doesn't keep pace with the growth of the church down the street. That is when you have to ask yourself, "Why do I serve God?"

So let me ask you, why do you serve God? Do you serve God to advance the cause of Christ simply because God deserves your faithful service? Or do you serve God to make a name for yourself? Do you serve Him to get ahead in life? Let me put it slightly differently, what is the most important thing in your life?

For further reading...

• Job 1:1-2:10- Job understood his place in relation to God.
• Mark 12:28-30- The greatest commandment requires that God hold first importance in our lives.

The Weed of Hypocrisy

While all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples, “Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”

Luke 20:45-47

I came across this warning from Jesus today during my quiet time and immediately I had to ask myself, "Am I like these teachers of the law?" Am I just going through the motions? Is my heart right with God?

It's clear from Jesus' statements that even though these men seemed holy, they were not. They were very religious and were very well-respected in the Jewish community. This didn't impress God. Scripture says, "Judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God." (1 Corinthians 4:5). God sees your heart. Your intentions and your motivations matter to Him. It's clear from Jesus' reprimand that these men were motivated by evil things. The things they did which made them appear righteous were actually the very things which condemned them before God because they did those things from a wrong heart. Their long prayers, like their long robes, were just for show. They studied God's Word not out of a love for it but out a of love for places of honor at banquets and special greetings. They sought the approval of man, not of God. 

When someone makes a god out of other people's opinions, eventually their righteousness reflects the smallness of their god. In other words their righteousness stops at what other people can see. These men served a god that was not all-knowing like the true God. Their god couldn't see into their hearts or behind closed doors. All they had to worry about was appearances. For these men religion was just a means to further the ends of their own personal agendas. That's why they were able to steal from widows.

Unfortunately this profile of hypocrisy has played itself out over and over again in a million different ways in many different lives. In some circles Christians are known for their hypocrisy precisely because of men like this. Notice Jesus' warning though: "These men will be punished most severely." The same is true of all of us who fall into their trap. So let me ask you, are you doing the right things for the wrong reasons? Are you putting on a religious front and using God for personal gain? Does your life match your confession? God sees you. "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account" (Hebrews 4:13). Heed Jesus' warning today and guard your heart against the weed of hypocrisy. Search your heart, your motivations and intentions and ask God to weed out those places where you have slipped into man-pleasing and self-service. Do it for your own good. Do it because God deserves your best.

For further reading...

• John 12:42-43- Who's praise do you love most?
• Deuteronomy 10:17- God isn't impressed.
• Luke 18:9-14- God cares about your heart.

Playing Pretend

Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”

He said to them, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’

There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.

Luke 13:22-30

 

 

I don't know if you like football, but I do. Ever since my college buddies talked me into playing fantasy football with them, I can't get enough of it. I do "research" before the season starts to make sure I have a good draft. I follow all of the NFL news very closely to see how it will impact my team. I love it! (How big of a nerd am I?) And this is the part of the season when I really get excited because we are coming up on the playoffs. But the truth is that even if my fantasy team comes in first in my league, I don't really win anything. I'm not really playing football, and it isn't the Superbowl. At the end of the day we're just playing pretend... a really awesome and fun game of pretend, but pretend nonetheless.

 

But it's one thing to play pretend as a hobby, it's something else to play pretend with God. Unfortunately, there are people who do. They may spend a lot of time with Christians. They may be members of churches. They may even be in leadership positions at the church. But they are just playing pretend. They put on a front and try to blend in. They try to do all of the things that a Christian is supposed to do without having experienced the life-altering power of saving faith for themselves. The truth is that many of them do fool us, but they won't fool God. He sees them for who they are, and He knows them perfectly.

 

Jesus calls these people out in the above passage of Scripture. He issues a bold warning. There will come a day when it will be too late. "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to." On that last day you wont be able to blend in and your game of pretend will be over. Jesus says that many will try to enter heaven this way. It's hard for me to understand why this will be the case. Why are there so many who try to fool God? So far I have come up with two answers.

 

First, I believe that many are confused about exactly what makes a person a Christian. Often when I have asked people if they are a believer I have received responses like "Yes, I believe in God." or "Yes, I believe Jesus died on the cross for my sins." So let me be clear. Believing in God doesn't make you a Christian; it makes you religious. Believing that Jesus died on a cross doesn't make you a Christian; that is a historical fact. Even believing that Jesus died for your sins doesn't make you a Christian; it just makes you right. Romans 10:9 tells us what it takes to become a Christian. "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." It's not just believing that Jesus died for your sins but it is also believing that God validated Jesus' sonship by raising Him from the dead. If there is no resurrection, then "we are of all people most to be pitied" (I Corinthians 15:19). But in addition to believing in the resurrection we must confess "Jesus is Lord." I believe wholeheartedly that this amounts to a bending of the knee to Jesus. I see it as a submission of the will. We are not merely declaring that Jesus is Lord, but we are also acknowledging that as Lord He has claims on our lives. We owe Him repentance and we must surrender our lives to Him.

 

The second reason follows closely on the first. The truth is that some people do know what it takes to become a Christian and they are simply unwilling to surrender their will to the Lord. People often say that salvation is free. In one sense that is true. Jesus paid the price for your forgiveness. But at the same time that statement is very misleading. True faith in Jesus will cost you everything, because God demands nothing less than all you have. Check out what Jesus said about it. "Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me" (Luke 9:23). Jesus demands our all, and that is simply more than some people are willing to give.

 

So what are you? Are you the real thing or are you just playing pretend? If you are playing the game, then I encourage you to confess Jesus as Lord today. One day time will run out on your game. No one knows the day or hour when they will stand before their Maker and have to give an account of what they did with Jesus. Don't leave your eternity to chance. Stop kidding yourself. If the Holy Spirit is tugging on your heart today, don't fight Him. Confess Jesus as Lord and experience the real thing.

 

 

For further reading...

• James 2:14-25- Is your faith the same as demon faith?
• Luke 9:21-26 & Luke 12:4-9- Ashamed of Jesus? The He's ashamed of you.

But I Don't Want To...

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

Philippians 2:12-13

Remember when you were a kid and your mom would tell you to clean your room or take out the trash? Chances are you responded, in a whiny tone, "But, I don't want to." This probably didn't get you very far with your parents (I know it didn't go very far with mine) but the truth is that when we whined those well-worn words our little hearts had stumbled upon an indispensable truth of life. It's hard to do things that you don't want to do. It's much easier to stick to the things you do want to do. This is true of the Christian life as well.

In the above passage Paul points out that the Christian life is not something you accept but something you live out. You accept God's salvation, but then you have to work that salvation out into your daily habits of living. He goes on to say that we should work out our salvation with fear and trembling. That's not because we serve an angry God, but because we serve a God who is holy. He is separate and completely different from us. He is pure. And He has given us this amazing gift of salvation that we could never deserve. It is a holy gift and we have a duty to treat it with the respect that it deserves. We have a responsibility to to take the forgiveness that God has given us and to live like the new creation He has made us to be. Now that God has saved us from the consequence of our rebellion and sin, we dare not choose sin again. We dare not continue to live in rebellion against God.

But the truth of the matter is that we doubt our ability to do this. That is where the trembling comes into play. And we are right to doubt ourselves for we have proven over and over again to be untrustworthy in this regard. We love sin. Our natural inclination is to choose sin over God and His ways but we also know what the apostle says in Hebrews to be true. "How shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation?" (Hebrews 2:3). So we know we must work our salvation out into our daily living but we doubt our ability to follow through on that.

Here is where the apostle Paul meets us with a helpful reminder. He knows that this order is too tall for us to fill on our own. So he reminds us that it is God working in us both to will and to act in accordance with His will. That means very simply that God works in you both to help you want to do His will and to help you to actually do His will. This may seem very simple to you but when I first learned this it was a major light bulb for me. The fact that I could ask God to help me want to do His will was just so awesome. God knows me. He knows that my desires are not right. He knows that I don't want to get out of my comfort zone and witness to other people about Him. It isn't a surprise to Him when I admit that and ask Him to change my heart. In fact, I believe it pleases Him. And the simple truth is that oftentimes the real battles of life are fought and won on the battlefield of our own desires. We tend to find ways to do the things we want to do, and we tend to find ways to avoid doing things we don't.

So, if you are like me, and from time to time you evaluate where you are spiritually only to be disappointed by all of the hard work you still have ahead of you before you are fully conformed into the image of Christ, remember to start fighting that battle with your desires. If God will fix your heart then the rest is much easier. Pray today and ask God to help you to want to do His will. Ask Him to give you a heart like His.

For further reading...

• Hebrews 2:1-4 & 10:26-31- How we treat the blood of Christ is important.
• Romans 7:14-25- Do you think this passage contradicts what I have said or does it simple mean that wanting to do the right thing in itself isn't enough?
• James 1:13-15- We are lead astray by evil desires.
• Galatians 5:16-25- How do we deal with competing desires?

How do I deal with the death of a loved one?

Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful servants. 

Psalm 116:15

JD Yopp (pictured above) passed away on Monday night around 9:30. Now that may not mean much to you, but JD was my grandfather. We called him Pop. With only an eighth grade education, he taught me more about life than almost anyone else. He taught me about hard work, family, how to drive a tractor (and a stick shift), how to split wood, and how to die gracefully. Which brings me to the topic for today's post, death. How do we deal with the death of a loved one?

Scripture has quite a lot to say about death, yet the most basic truth that it conveys about the topic is also one of the least known. If we are to come to terms with death we must understand first that death is the result of sin. Romans 6:23 says "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." And Romans 5:12 says, "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned." We are often told that death is a "natural" part of the life cycle. All of nature experiences death in some way or another. While it is true that death is "natural" in that it occurs naturally and is a part of our now fallen human nature, that does not mean that it was "natural" before the Fall. Scripture teaches quite clearly that human nature and the earth itself went through dramatic changes as a result of sin (see Romans 8:18-25), so it should not surprise us that things are different now than they were before the Fall.* (A footnote for those who want to go deeper.)

But why does this matter? What difference does it make that death is the result of sin? Well, first of all, it helps us understand why the death of a loved one can be so hard for us to accept. We were not built to cope with death. We were not intended for death. Thus, whether we are dying or mourning the loss of someone we loved, we can expect death to be hard for us. However there is good news. When God chose to do something about man's sin problem, He determined that He would undo not only the stain of sin but the effects of sin as well. This is why Jesus rose from the dead. Since death is the result of sin, by conquering death Jesus conquered the power of sin and death in our lives (Hebrews 2:14-15 & I Corinthians 15:54-56). More than that, the Bible calls Jesus the firstfruits of resurrection (I Corinthians 15:20-23). He was the first one to be resurrected to eternal life but He will not be the last. He opened a door that those who believe in Him will also walk through. That is why Scripture says that we should not mourn as those who have no hope (I Thessalonians 4:13). For Christians, death is leaving this world and going home. Christians are called to live as foreigners and exiles in this world (I Peter 2:11-12). We are supposed to be looking forward to the home that Jesus has been preparing for us ever since He rose from the dead (John 14:1-4).

That does not mean, however, that we do not mourn. Sometimes, Christians lose sight of that. We still mourn, but we do not mourn for the believer who has gone on to be with His Lord, we mourn for ourselves. We mourn the loss that we experience because that person is no longer around. But we mourn in hope. Hope that our believing loved ones are in a better place, hope that they will receive their full resurrection bodies like Jesus at His second coming, and hope that we will one day be reunited with them. And those believers who die, die in hope. Our great hope is to go be with Christ now (II Corinthians 5:8) and then to be resurrected physically like Him at His return (I Corinthians 15 especially verse 19). It is much harder to cope with the death of a loved one who rejected Christ. Then we truly mourn without hope. For Scripture teaches that it is appointed to man once to die and then to face the judgment (Hebrews 9:27). Those who die apart from Christ are also resurrected but not to eternal life (Revelation 20:13-15). They are resurrected to eternal judgment. It is a truly awful thing to to consider their fate. The one hope in that situation is not for the deceased but for the living. We can only pray that their passing will serve as a warning to those who have yet to bow the knee to their Savior.

For further reading...

• Romans 6:1-14- Dead to sin but alive to God in Christ.
• I Corinthians 15- The resurrection chapter.
• I Thessalonians 4:13-18- The return of Jesus.
• I Samuel 2:6-7, Psalm 68:20, Psalm 118:18- God controls death.

*You might be thinking though, "How could we have life without death?" Well, this weekend my uncle, who is a pastor, commented to me that he thinks Enoch gives us a glimpse of what God's original plan for mankind may have been (Genesis 5:23-24). We wouldn't have died, we would have simply been taken to be with the Lord. I cannot be certain that is true, but I must say that it sounds good to me.

Angry God?

The LORD is a jealous and avenging God;
   the LORD takes vengeance and is filled with wrath.
The LORD takes vengeance on his foes
   and vents his wrath against his enemies.
The LORD is slow to anger but great in power;
   the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished.

Nahum 1:2-3a

On a whim I started reading the Old Testament book of Nahum last night. Nahum is one of the Minor Prophets, i.e. the shorter books at the end of the Old Testament that are hard to understand and that, unfortunately, we tend to ignore. As I began reading, these first few verses jumped out at me because they cut across the grain of what our culture says is true about God. Our culture says that God is not filled with wrath. He is never vengeful. And because I am so affected by this modern view of God and not influenced enough by the Bible's view of Him, these first few verses make me feel a little uncomfortable too. Maybe you feel that same way. I would like to take just a few moments and give a defense for the Biblical view of God expressed in Nahum 1:2-3.

First, we need to know the background. Nahum is a vision and an oracle written about God's impending judgment on Nineveh. At this time in history Nineveh was the capital city of the Assyrian empire. Assyria had conquered the Northern kingdom of Israel and carried them into exile and they were persecuting and imposing heavy taxes on the Southern kingdom of Judah. The Assyrian empire was well known for its cruelty in war. If the city of Nineveh sounds familiar to you, it is probably because you know it in relation to a much more popular Bible story from another minor prophet, Jonah. The book of Jonah details events that we think happened roughly one hundred years before Nahum received his vision. In Jonah the Lord sends a Jewish prophet to preach to the Ninevites so that they may repent and be forgiven. Jonah ran from this assignment because he hated the Ninevites (even then they were Israel's enemy). But God intervened and gave Jonah a one-of-a-kind transport to the city where he preached and the Ninevites repented and were spared from God's judgment. Now, probably a hundred years later, the Ninevites have turned their back on God again. They have attacked His people and His name and this time He will not relent in bringing them punishment.*

It is hard for us to  be unbiased in these matters. All our lives we have been surrounded by a culture that has force fed us one view of God. It is hard for us to step outside of our culture and give the Biblical view a fair look. Our culture would say that God is loving and patient. This is true and this is taught by Scripture (I John 4:8, 16, Exodus 34:6-7, Psalm 144:2). The problem is that our culture says that God is never angry or vengeful. He is never filled with wrath. But the Bible says differently. The modern view of God is lopsided. Many in our culture and even many of us would be more than happy to strike the above verses from Scripture. You see, we don't merely want a God who is loving; we want a God who is only loving. We don't merely want a God who is patient; we want a God who is only patient. The problem here again is that this creates a lopsided God. A God who could not be angry that children are molested would be deficient. A God who did not exact justice on rapists would be of no use at all. A God who did not protect His own name and repay those who attack His people would be weak and not worth taking note of.

The classic example of the need for a just God is the Holocaust. A God who looks down on Hitler with only love is not more glorious because He loves so much. This God would be deficient. And a God who looks down on Hitler and decides to vent His anger and bring justice to this man is not less divine for doing so. A good God should be angry in that situation. Just because God has the character traits of love, patience, vengeance, and wrath in Him does not mean that they are all there in equal proportions. Nor does it mean that He experiences these emotions in the same way that humans do. God is not overcome by His anger like we are. His anger could never cause Him to act brashly or regretfully. His anger is always perfectly balanced by His love. Yet all of these traits need to be there because sometimes it is right for God to be angry and vengeful. There are some situations in which God would be less God if He wasn't angry. Just because God is sometimes angry however, does not mean that He is an "angry God." He is much better defined by His love and grace. He has gone through great lengths in His Son, Jesus, to show us these traits.

The fact of the matter is that it doesn't really matter what we want to be true of God. He is the way He is. Even the very name God gave Himself when He spoke to Moses at the burning bush means "I am who I am" or some translate it as "I will be what I will be." I think both renderings are true of God's nature. God is what He is. And He will continue to be what He will be regardless of what you or I think about it. He has revealed Himself to us in Scripture. This leaves us with a choice. We can either search out and accept the full, complete, and balanced view of God's nature revealed in Scripture, or we can create an image of god in our own minds that fits what we think should be true about him. This image of god will be non-threatening and comfortable to us because it will reflect all of our imperfections and misgivings. There will be no need to fear this god. Nor much reason to obey him since at the end of the day he will be just a creation of our own minds.

So embrace the mystery of God! Praise Him that He is too big and too great for you to fully understand. Praise God that He is both loving and jealous. He is both forgiving and just. He is slow to anger but He is also wrathful and ready to avenge His name and His people. All of these qualities are present and necessary in a holy God. Praise God for being holy.

For further reading...

• Jonah- It's only four chapters.
• Nahum- It's only three chapters.
• Isaiah 55:8-9- My ways are higher than your ways.
   

*I have an ESV Study Bible that gives historical and biblical background to the Bible and I have found it to be extremely helpful. The historical information in the above post is based off of the "Introduction to Nahum" in that study Bible.

Fear the Lord?

You who are His holy ones, fear Yahweh, for those who fear Him lack nothing.

Psalm 34:6

The idea that we should fear the Lord has fallen on hard times lately. No one seems to like it any more. Many think that we should ignore those parts of the Bible or at least find a new way to understand them so that they make more sense in the postmodern world. I disagree. God's Word is without error and is precious. If we don't agree with part of it, it is either because we don't understand it or because we are wrong and in need of heart-change. In the case of fearing the Lord, I think it is both.

First, my understanding of the Biblical passages that call us to fear the Lord is that it is not calling us to be terrified of Him (though there certainly are some points in Scripture where people are faced with a clear picture of God's power and are rightly terrified. c.f. Exodus 20 [esp. verses 18-19], Isaiah 6, Revelation 1:17-18). I believe the fear the Bible is referring to when it says that we should fear the Lord is the type of fear a person would have before a great king. There is little in the modern American experience that helps us understand this, but perhaps the closest thing is the fear of a child for his father. As a small child, you love your father and you know he loves you, but you are also aware of the fact that he is much greater than you and will discipline you harshly if you are disobedient.

Second, I think the simple truth is that we just don’t like the idea of fearing God. We prefer to focus on the parts of the Bible that talk about how we have been brought close to God through Jesus. We like to talk about how we are friends of God and no longer servants (John 15:15). But the fact of the matter is that we have been called to fear Him and that through our fear of Him our every need is provided. Let me explain why.

Those who fear God obey Him. They submit their lives to His will as they would a king. By doing so they become a part of His kingdom and come under His protection. He is a great king and provides bountifully for all in His kingdom. But He cannot and will not tolerate persons who want to be in His kingdom but who refuse to bow the knee to Him. He cannot have little would-be-kings running around threatening His authority yet demanding that He provide for their needs. It would be an assault to the greatness of His majesty.

So let me ask you, is Jesus the Lord of your life? (c.f. Romans 10:9) To put it another way, is He king of your life or are you just a little would-be-king who refuses to obey His commands? Psalm 111 says, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom." How wise are you? Stop and consider how awesome a God you serve and tremble with a holy fear in His presence. Then let Him draw you close by the love of His Son.

For further reading...

• Deuteronomy 6:1-3 - Teach your children to fear the LORD.
• Joshua 24:14-15 - Fear the Lord or leave!
• Proverbs 19:23 - Untouched by trouble.
• Revelation 15:3-4 - A song for the end of days.
• Deuteronomy 5:22-29- Take note of how God approves of Israel's fear of Him at Sinai and also how continuing in that fear would lead to prosperity.