What I Believe

How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?

— Romans 10:14

Sometimes people ask me why I do what I do. I have a very simple answer to that question, which is that I really do believe the things that we read in the Bible are true.

For example, I really believe what the Bible says about our lives being "a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away" (James 4:14). I really believe there is an eternity, there is an afterlife, there is a heaven, and there is a hell. I really believe that only those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ will go to heaven. And I also believe that I need to share this message with as many people as possible.

I received the following letter from someone who came to Christ at one of our Harvest Crusades some years ago:

My younger brother went to sleep one night and never woke up. He was 23 years old, and he had just graduated from college. He moved to Philadelphia after he graduated. . . . I found out the Harvest Crusade was coming to Philadelphia, so I took my younger brother with me to hear the gospel. He was not yet a believer. He went forward at the invitation and gave his life to Christ, and God called him home . . . one month after his commitment to Christ. My brother lives today because of your ministry. . . . . he is in the arms of Jesus, and that's where I will meet him again.

That is why I do what I do. That is why I want to get the gospel out. And that is why we were placed on this earth: to come into a relationship with God, to know Him, and to glorify Him with our lives.

Always God

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God.

— John 1:1–2

Before there was a world, before there were planets, before there was light or darkness, before there was anything but the Godhead, there was Jesus, a member of the Trinity. He is coequal, coeternal, and coexistent with the Father and the Holy Spirit. He was with God, and He was God. Then He came to this earth as a man. He entered our world, He breathed our air, He shared our pain, and He walked in our shoes—and then some. He lived our life, and then He died our death.

Jesus did not become identical with us; He became identified with us. That is an important distinction. No one was ever more identified with humanity than Jesus. It was total identification without any loss of identity. He became one of us without ceasing to be himself. He became human without ceasing to be God. Jesus did not exchange deity for humanity; He was deity in humanity.

The Bible is clear in making the point that Jesus was God and that He was the Creator of the universe. We are told that "God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him" (John 1:3). And Colossians 1:16 tells us, "For through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him."

Jesus is the most controversial figure who has ever lived. Many preach on Him and speak about Him. Some have it right. Some don't. He is loved, adored, worshipped, and followed by some. He is hated, despised, and rejected by others. He is disregarded and ignored by most. Yet Jesus is God.

God with Skin On

So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father's one and only Son.

— John 1:14

Some children were asked the question, "What is God like?" Ashley, age 10, said, "God is like a never-ending story that you want to read again and again. When I hear about Him, I want to know more. Although I can't see Him, I feel Him. He is perfect and pure. I know He has felt pain and has suffered greatly to take away my sins." Well said.

Adrian, age 8, said, "God is cool. Awesome. Powerful. Nice. Big. Huge. Wonderful. Loving. Exciting. Caring. Giving. And the best." Adrian has some great insight into God's attributes.

But I think Caleb, age 10, had the best answer. He said, "God is like Jesus, because God is Jesus." That is right. If you want to know what God is like, then take a long look at Jesus, because Jesus was God in human form.

Jesus was not a mere representative of God; He was God himself among us. He was not a glorified man, but God in human form. As it has been said, "Jesus was God with skin on." He walked our planet and breathed our air and felt our pain. He was so wise that He could predict the future events of the world. He was so humble that He could get on His knees and wash His friends' dirty feet. He was so powerful that He could calm the wind and waves with a word. He was so approachable that children climbed into His arms.

There has never been a man who strode across the human stage quite like Jesus. He stands apart from all others. And because of Him, we have access to God. C. S. Lewis summed it up beautifully when he said, "The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God."

Reaching Today's Culture

It's a real challenge to reach our culture today. In my 35 years of ministry, I have never seen greater Bible illiteracy.

There was a time when you could assume most people had a general idea of the Bible. If you were talking with someone and made a reference to Adam and Eve, the Garden of Eden, Noah and his ark, or even Jesus Christ, they would have a sense of what or who you were referring to.

Not anymore. People are largely oblivious to the Bible, not only as God's Word but even as great literature. The obsession of some to implement the "separation of church and state" has contributed to this illiteracy concerning God's Word.

When I present the gospel today—especially to young people—I can no longer assume that they understand what I mean when I say something along the lines of, "You need to repent of your sin and put your faith in Jesus and become His disciple!" They might wonder what it means to repent, or even what sin is.

Our challenge as believers in reaching this post-modern generation is to make sense without compromising our message.

By the way, I think way too much is made of the whole modern/post-modern generational issue. There are some valid things to know about each group, but let's not forget that the essential gospel message does not change. The gospel that the apostles delivered in the first century still resonates with the twenty-first century.

But we still need to adapt and become, as Paul said, "all things to all men." Paul said:

I have become a servant of everyone so that I can bring them to Christ. When I am with the Jews, I became one of them so that I can bring them to Christ. When I am with the Gentiles who do not have the Jewish law, I fit in with them as much as I can. In this way I gain their confidence and bring them to Christ. Yes , I try to find common ground with everyone so that I might bring them to Christ. (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)

Note that Paul says, "I fit in with them as much as I can." There is a place to draw the line when you are around nonbelievers. We want to be careful to try to influence them more than they are influencing us.

Sometimes, in an attempt to "relate" to nonbelievers, Christians will make unnecessary compromises. Listen, if you become too much like them, they will never want to become like you. Let's reach people, but let's also stand our ground and hold to our principles as followers of Jesus.

Some may want to rationalize compromise in their life as a Christian by protesting, "Well, Jesus hung around sinners!" That is not really true. Jesus did not "hang around sinners," for the most part. Actually, He "hung around" his disciples when He was not teaching.

When Jesus was with sinners who were separated from God, they did not stay that way for long.

He confronted the woman at the well about her sin. Sure, He loved her, but he pointed out she was living in sin with a man at present. She also came to faith after that.

Yes, Jesus forgave the woman caught in adultery, but it was only after she called Him "Lord." Even then, He said to her, "Go, and sin no more. . . "

When he went into the home of a notorious sinner named Zacchaeus, the little guy emerged transformed.

So, let's work on building a bridge to our lost world, not burning one. At the same time, let's not lower our standards in order to extend our reach.

Praying Effectively

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

— 1 John 5:14

If you want to see your prayers answered in the affirmative, if you want God to say yes to your prayers more often, then you must pray according to the will of God.

When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He told them, "When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Luke 11:2).

Sometimes God will answer our prayers differently than we thought He would. But we need to remember that the primary objective of prayer is to line up our will with the will of God. True praying is not overcoming God's reluctance; it is laying hold of His willingness. Prayer is not getting my will in heaven; it is getting God's will on earth.

The goal is to pray according to God's will, because 1 John 5:14 tells us, "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us."
Nothing is outside the reach of prayer except that which lies outside of the will of God.

So here is how I pray. I pray for what I think is right, but then I always add, "Nevertheless, not my will, but Yours be done."

When you have lived for awhile, you begin to realize that God knows more than you, and you actually will thank God for unanswered prayers. With 20/20 hindsight, you will thank God that He said no to your prayers at an earlier time.

So don't ever be afraid to pray, "Your kingdom come. Your will be done. . . ." This is not a copout. Rather, it is an acknowledgement that you don't know everything, but God does—and God's will is better than your own.

When You're Worried

From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

— Psalm 61:2

Without question, life is full of troubles. We have concerns about our future, concerns about our health, concerns about our family, concerns about our finances, and the list goes on. Things happen that scare us—and sometimes even terrify us. There are things that concern us, things that alarm us, and things that cause us to be filled with anxiety.

Everyone worries a little. We all have anxiety. I admit that I worry, and I don't say that proudly. Worry is not a virtue. In fact, it can be a sin in which we are failing to trust in God. So I have a suggestion: the next time you are tempted to worry, pray instead.

Prayer is the way by which God helps us to overcome our anxiety and worry. We are told in Philippians 4:6–7, "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus" (NLT).

Maybe God will take your problem away. That is possible. Then again, maybe He won't. But here is what happens: you get perspective. You see God for who He is, and thus you see your problem for what it is. If you have a big God, then you have a relatively small problem. But if you have a big problem, it may be that you have a small God, because you are not seeing Him in His glory and for what He can do.

Prayer gives us His peace and His strength to help us get through whatever it is we are dealing with. That is what God does for the person who will call on Him.

An Example to Follow

Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart.

— Luke 18:1

Not only did Jesus tell us to pray, but He left us an example of prayer. We find in the Gospels that He was constantly praying. Here was God in human form walking our planet, breathing our air, and yet feeling the need to be in constant communion with His Father.

It was not uncommon to see Jesus praying when the disciples were sleeping. We know that while He was in the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me" (Matthew 26:39). Then, as He hung on the cross, His first statement was, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do" (Luke 23:34). Later He prayed, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46).

When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, we read that He spoke first to His Father, saying, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me" (John 11:41–42). Then He shouted, "Lazarus, come forth!" And that is exactly what Lazarus did.

When Jesus fed the five thousand, we read that He first looked up toward heaven and asked God's blessing on the five loaves and two fish that were brought to Him (see Matthew 14:19). The Bible also tells us that children were brought to Jesus so He could lay His hands on them and pray for them (see Matthew 19:13).

So if Jesus felt the necessity to pray constantly, then how much more should we? Pray all the time. Pray about all things. He has given us that example to follow. And we, too, need to be people of prayer.

Never Stop Praying

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

— Ephesians 6:18

To be successful as a Christian, you must have a prayer life. Prayer, simplified, is hearing from and communicating with God. There are different kinds of prayer identified in Scripture, including public prayer, private prayer, verbal prayer, and silent prayer. Also, any position is acceptable for prayer: you can pray kneeling, standing, sitting, lying down, or even driving (but always keep your eyes open, of course).

God hears our prayers wherever we offer them. Consider some of the places that people of the Bible prayed: Jonah prayed from the stomach of a whale. Daniel prayed in a den of lions. David prayed in a cave and also in the wilderness. And Peter prayed both on the water and in it after he sank. Wherever you are, God will hear your prayer.

The key is that we should pray frequently. We should pray in the morning. We should pray in the afternoon. We should pray in the evening. The Bible says, "Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:17–18).

Prayer can be continuous. Elijah, in seeking an audience with the wicked King Ahab, said, "I swear by the Lord Almighty, in whose presence I stand, that I will present myself to Ahab this very day" (1 Kings 18:15). Elijah was aware of the fact that wherever he went, he stood in the presence of God.

You, too, are never alone. Wherever you go, God is with you. You can commune with Him and fellowship with Him and pray to Him and hear from Him. That is the idea of continuous prayer: being in fellowship and communion with God.

If you want to grow spiritually, then make prayer a vital and regular part of your life.

Be Filled with the Spirit!

The Bible tells us to be "filled with the Spirit!" Have you ever wondered what that means? It may not be what you think.

We might surmise to be "filled with the Spirit" means that we will have an emotional experience. Now, it could mean that, but you can have this encounter with God and have no emotional experience to speak of.

I'm sure we would all love to have an emotional encounter with God every single day. It would be great to just get "zapped" every morning, wouldn't it? But that is not necessarily going to happen.

In the Book of Acts, we read of the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came upon the first Christians and filled them. The day of Pentecost was like an explosion that set the early Church into motion.

Like when you start driving a car, there is the "explosion" that starts the engine. But once the engine is started, you just drive the car. You don't need the explosion over and over, just one to start the engine.

Thank God for those powerful, emotional, life-changing encounters we have with Him. But Scripture reminds us, "The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:17). So we don't need "another" Pentecost any more than we need "another" Calvary.

We just need to appropriate and apply what God has made available for every believer. And that is the work and power of the Holy Spirit to help you be the person God has called you to be.

Paul tells us, "And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18). So we don't need "spirits," we need the Holy Spirit!

The word "filled" has many shades of meaning. One translation of the word "filled" describes the concept of the wind filling the sail of a ship as it carries it out to sea. By that definition, to be filled with the Spirit is to allow God to fill your sails and guide your course through life, making His commands a delight, not drudgery.

The word "filled" also speaks of something that should be ongoing and continuous. You could translate it "Be being filled with the Holy Spirit," just like you have to put gas in your car.

You need the constant filling of the Holy Spirit. And the good news is that God will not charge you!

What God Knows about You

You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.

— Psalm 56:8

Scientists now tell us that we never forget anything. It is estimated that in a lifetime, the human brain can store one million billion bits of information. I have a hard time believing that, because it seems like I forget a lot. Yet there have been times when certain things have triggered memories that go back so many years, and I am surprised that I can still remember them so vividly.

God remembers everything—at all times. There is never a lapse in His memory. He never forgets someone. God is omniscient, which means He knows everything. God's knowledge is as eternal as He is. What God knows now, He has always known and always will know. God doesn't learn new things; He knows them from the beginning. And He doesn't forget what He has learned like we do. We learn new things, but God never does.

The Bible says that God knows about every little bird that falls to the ground. And not only that, He knows about you. Jesus said, "The very hairs on your head are all numbered" (Matthew 10:30). Now it doesn't require a lot to number the hairs on my head. But for others, it is a lot more work.

This awesome God who created the universe is interested in you. What bothers you? What concerns you? What brings heartache to you? What brings tears to your eyes? It is of concern to God. So whatever you are facing right now, He knows about it. He is concerned about it. He is aware of the wrongs that are done in our world today. Nothing catches Him by surprise, because He dwells in the eternal realm. He knows the end from the beginning. This all-knowing God loves you. And He welcomes you into fellowship with Hi

What Not to Forget

Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth.

— 1 Chronicles 16:12

I have noticed that as I get older, I forget things more often. There have been times when I have been looking for my reading glasses, only to find them on my head. It is kind of embarrassing. There have been times when I am looking for something that I have misplaced and then forgot what I was looking for while I was still looking for that thing. I have found that I need reminders, so sometimes I will jot down little notes to myself. Or, I will even ask someone to remind me about something.

I have discovered that I tend to remember what I ought to forget and forget what I ought to remember. When did I consciously memorize the lyrics to stupid commercials and songs I didn't even like? I can't get rid of them no matter how hard I try. And how is it that I cannot, at times, remember verses that I have actually committed to memory? What I find is that I need to remind myself and refresh my memory over and over again.

Why do we need to be reminded? Because we tend to forget. The Bible is a book that is filled with reminders. Not only that, but it is a book that is filled with repetition. It tells us the same thing again and again and again, because we forget things.

And there is no more important area in which to think than our faith. Because what we believe about God and what He says about himself is the most important thing we could focus on and think about. What you think about God has everything to do with how you will live. Why? Because your view of God will determine how you react to what comes your way in life.

The iGod Generation

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

— Genesis 1:1

The Bible never tries to prove the existence of God. It just starts with these words: "In the beginning God . . . (Genesis 1:1). The Bible assumes the obvious; it assumes that people know this is true. And I think it takes more faith to believe there is no God than it takes to believe there is one.

God exists, and He is the creator of the universe and of humankind. While militant atheists have done their best to undermine the faith of those who choose to believe the Bible, most polls would reveal that Americans, by and large, believe in God. And even those who claim to be atheists are probably agnostics at best.

Most people are willing to accept the premise of a god, but it seems today that we want a god in our own image. What we largely have today is not a generation that doesn't believe in God, necessarily, but a generation that believes in a god of their own making.

With technology that allows us to get the information we want when we want it, many people today seem to prefer an iGod, a god who is personalized and customized, a God who says and does what they want him to. They edit out the tracks they don't like and leave the ones they do. But that is not the way to know God. We don't mold God into our image; He wants to mold us into His.

In the beginning God—that is where it starts. The Bible doesn't tell us where God came from. It just tells us that God is. It simply says, "In the beginning God. . . . " God has always existed. He has no beginning, nor does He have an end. In the beginning . . . God.

Believing God

"I am the Lord, and I do not change."

— Malachi 3:6

A. W. Tozer said, "Nothing twists and deforms the soul more than a low or unworthy conception of God." I think that is true, because if you don't understand who God is, if your view of God is warped, then it will affect you in the way that you live. We must have a proper understanding of the character and nature of God.

What you believe will enable you to get through the challenges and the difficulties of life. And there is no better place to start than with God himself and what the Bible says about Him.

When Paul was on the tempest-tossed sea on the way to Italy and it looked as though everyone on the ship would die, God assured him that he would arrive safely in Rome. So Paul was able to tell the crew,

"Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, and he said, 'Don't be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What's more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.' So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said." (Acts 27:23–25)

Paul believed God, and we should too, because we live in a storm-tossed world. We don't know where the problems we're facing today will lead. These are uncertain times, and we need a real certainty that will help us get through it. Though times and circumstances change, God never does. All but God is changing day by day. God says, "I am the Lord, and I do not change" (Malachi 3:6).

When you believe God, it doesn't necessarily change your circumstances, though sometimes it will. But more often than not, it will change you.

A Reasonable Faith

"Come now, and let us reason together," says the Lord, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

— Isaiah 1:18

A recent poll revealed that half of Americans who describe themselves as Christians do not believe that Satan exists, and one-third are confident that Jesus sinned while He was on Earth. Pollster George Barna concluded, "Growing numbers of people now serve as their own theologian-in-residence." The Bible teaches there is a literal devil and that Jesus, the Son of God, never sinned. These things are Christianity 101, yet so many people who profess to be believers don't understand them.

As believers, we need to realize that Christianity is a reasonable faith. It is a logical faith. We do not have to check our brains at the door when we choose to be followers of Jesus Christ, because God says, "Come now, and let us reason together . . . " (Isaiah 1:18). God is effectively saying, "Let's get this right. Get this straightened out in your mind. Understand these things."

As believers, we need to think and act biblically, not emotionally. Yet far too many people today emote when it comes to God. They feel. They don't think. They will say things like, "Well, I don't believe in a God of love judging anyone." Or, "My God would never. . . . " Or, the all-time classic: "Well, I am not into organized religion. I am just a really spiritual person." But we need to think carefully about these things. We need to study God.

We neglect theology, the study of God, to our own peril. C. S. Lewis warned, "If you do not listen to theology, that will not mean that you have no ideas about God. It will mean that you have a lot of wrong ones."

Our experience is never to be the basis for theology; rather, sound theology should be the basis for our experience.

This Is Serious

My life was impacted dramatically by the power of the gospel. In one single day, I completely had the direction of my life changed, for the better.

I had looked for truth and answers in this world and found none. But it was the bold, unashamed witness of committed Christians that won me over.

People could have tried to be cool and win me over, but it would have never worked. I had had enough of "cool" to make me choke, up to that point, in the crazy home I was raised in. I had pretty much seen it all and was tired of it all. To me, nothing was more lame than people trying too hard to be cool.

No, when I first encountered Christians, I thought they were the lamest people ever.

So, what was it about them that appealed to me? They just didn't care about things like that. They cared about knowing and following Jesus. There was an authenticity about them that drew me to them, then to Jesus.

That's what I was looking for, something to believe in; something or someone worth changing for; something to die for; something that was genuine, real and authentic but most of all true.

Young people are still looking for this today. I have seen generations with names like Boomers, Busters, X, Y, and Z come and go. At the church that I pastor, our music and style has changed throughout our history, but our message has not and it will not! It cannot, because the gospel is the gospel.

Paul reminds us the gospel is, "The power of God to salvation to everyone that believes" (Romans 1:16). I know that is true. Yet, the gospel is under attack like I have never seen.

The church has always had its minor disagreements, but this is serious. This is not about what style of worship or music you prefer. This is not about how you view the order of prophetic events, or even the neverending debate concerning the sovereignty of God and freewill of man.

This is life and death. For in what we call the church today, there is a debate among a growing number as to whether or not Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation. Or as to whether or not "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God. . . " (2 Timothy 3:16).

There is a popular movement that is gaining momentum called the "emergent church." It is very popular, especially among young people raised in the evangelical church. They are looking for their own expression.

There is certainly nothing wrong with that! They want to "be real" and "authentic" and "honest," just as my generation did.

That's fine, but "being real" is not the most important thing. Being right with God is. Because, quite frankly, you can be "real" wrong! And there are some pied pipers who are leading them down the wrong road.

One of these leaders made this statement: "I must add, though that I don't believe making disciples must equal making adherence to the Christian religion. It may be advisable in many, not all circumstances, to help people become followers of Jesus and remain within their Buddhist, Hindu, or Jewish contexts."

This sounds very inclusive and loving, but it is flat-out wrong and unscriptural! We want people to become followers of Jesus in a biblical context! The Bible teaches that you become a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ.

The Bible clearly tells us, "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). Jesus plainly said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the life. . . " (John 14:6).

Despite this clear biblical teaching, another emergent leader has said, "I see the world through the images of Christianity, which teaches me that I encounter God in everyone I meet regardless of what they believe."

Folks, this is New Age mysticism, not New Testament Christianity. No, you will only find Christ living in those who have put their faith in Him. Scripture reminds us, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name" (John 1:12).

Friends, this is not the faith that was once and for all delivered to the saints. This is counterfeit and dangerous.

I see churches getting away from the proclamation of the gospel and instead focusing on issues like global warming. I'll tell you about global warming; it's when people spend eternity separated from Jesus Christ in hell! Jesus said, "Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched."

So, instead, I want to issue a global warning. We'd better get back to basics, or we will lose what little influence we have as the church.

The Lifeblood of the Church

 And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
— Acts 2:47


Show me a church that doesn't have a constant flow of new believers coming in, and I will show you a church that is stagnating. The first-century church was an evangelistic church, and I believe that every church that is functioning in the way God wants it to will have a constant flow of new believers coming in. New believers bring much-needed life, while older believers bring much-needed stability and maturity. We have a choice before us, which is to either evangelize or fossilize.

After you have been a believer for awhile, you can start taking things for granted. But when you have a new believer who is hearing things for the first time and his or her life is literally being changed, it can revive you.

It is a little like going to Disneyland with adults as opposed to going with kids. It is kind of a letdown to go there with adults, because the first thing they do is complain about how much everything costs or how long the lines are. But kids never complain about things like that. When you take a kid to Disneyland, it is the happiest place on earth for them. A child sees it differently. And when you see it through a child's eyes, it makes it a different place.

The Great Commission is not to make converts; it is to bring people to Christ. It is to teach them God's Word and get them on their feet spiritually. And then do it again . . . and again . . . and again. We invite people to come forward and make a decision for Christ, but God wants them to go forward. He wants them to mature in the faith. And He will use you to be a part of that process.

Our Choices Make Us

Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.

— 2 Timothy 2:22

Why is it that some Christians succeed, while others who make a profession of faith miserably fail? Why is it that some seem to run the race of life and cross the finish line with flying colors, while others just collapse in a heap? It is because of choices—choices that we make each and every day. We make our choices, and our choices make us. And life is filled with choices.

From the moment you get up in the morning until the moment you lay your head on your pillow, you will have made hundreds—maybe even thousands—of choices. Some are simple choices that don't mean a lot, and others are choices that mean a great deal. It comes down to this: If you want to grow spiritually, you will. And if you don't want to grow spiritually, you won't. It is not the luck of the draw or something that only happens randomly; it is making the right choice to do the right thing.

We either will go forward as Christians, or we will go backward. We either will progress, or we will regress. We either will gain ground, or we will lose ground. And if we stand still, we will lose ground. So this is the kind of commitment where we should be seeking, on a daily basis, to grow spiritually, to progress, and to learn—and not just hold our own.

We all need to commit ourselves to growing spiritually, because there are things that impair our spiritual growth, and there are things that help it. We want to live lives that will honor God and stay away from the things that will drag us down spiritually. Because spiritual growth is based on doing what is good—and not doing what is bad.

The Mark of a Spiritual Person

I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.

— Philippians 3:12

It has been said that he has the most need of righteousness who least wants it. In other words, if you think, I am really doing well. I don't really know that I need more righteousness, then you are in greater need than you realize.

The apostle Paul, after years of walking with the Lord, said, "I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me" (Philippians 3:12).

A real mark of a spiritual person is they are always hungry and thirsty for more and more and more. But there are certain things that spoil our appetite. Sometimes we feed on spiritual junk food and diminish our spiritual appetites. They are not even bad things in and of themselves, but some things just take the edge off our appetite.

So periodically we need to ask ourselves a question: Is this thing I am engaged in—this relationship, this pursuit, this activity—making me more or less hungry for spiritual things? Does it draw me closer to God, or does it in some way keep me away from Him? Is it a wing or a weight in the race of life? Does it speed me on my way, or does it slow me down?

Hebrews 12:1 tells us, "Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us." If you are really hungry and thirsty for righteousness, you will find it. Because if you really want something, then you will put yourself in that place where you will get it.

The Virtue of Mercy

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."

— Matthew 5:7

Martin Lloyd Jones said, "We are something before we begin to act as something."

When we as believers see ourselves as we really are, when we have mourned over our condition, when we have walked in meekness before God and have hungered and thirsted for righteousness, then it will produce mercy in us. We will be more merciful, because we recognize how much mercy has been extended to us.

Jesus said, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy" (Matthew 5:7). In the culture of Jesus' day, mercy was not held in high regard. In fact, the Romans did not care for mercy at all. They saw it as a weakness, not a virtue. One Roman philosopher called mercy "a disease of the soul." The Romans glorified justice and courage and discipline and power. They didn't value mercy in their culture, and we don't value it in ours, either.

Yet Jesus said, "Blessed are the merciful. . . . " Mercy is something we do, not just something we feel. It means to help a person in need, to rescue the miserable. Mercy means a sense of pity, plus a desire to relieve the suffering. Simply saying, "I feel your pain" is not mercy. Mercy is meeting the need, not just feeling it. Real mercy is pity plus action.

The more righteous a person is, the more merciful he or she will be. And the more sinful a person is, the more harsh and critical he or she will be. Sometimes we think people who are quick to condemn are very spiritual. But it is actually quite the opposite. When you truly are a spiritual person, when you truly are a godly man or woman, then you will be a merciful person—not a critical or condemning one.

Chasing Holiness

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

— Matthew 5:8

A happy person will be a holy person, because Jesus said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (Matthew 5:8). But who could ever be pure in heart? You can. I can. We must understand what this statement means. By pure in heart, Jesus is not saying that we can never have an impurity in our hearts and never be inconsistent. Otherwise, we all would be disqualified, because the Bible clearly teaches "the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked" (Jeremiahs 17:9).

So here is how it works: we come to God, poor in spirit. We see ourselves as we really are. We mourn over our condition. And like the psalmist, we pray, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me" (Psalm 51:10).

In our culture, we often refer to the heart as the center of emotion, and we refer to the mind as the center of intellect. But in the Hebrew culture, the heart referred to everything. The heart was the very center of personality. It was the center of the emotions as well as the mind. And it included the thinking process. Proverbs 23:7 says, "As [a man] thinks in his heart, so is he."

The heart is the center of who you are. This means that with all of your being, you should be pure. But being pure does not mean being flawless. A good translation of the word "pure" would be "single" or "focused." So to be pure in heart means to have a single-minded devotion to Jesus.

To be pure in heart is to seek to live a holy life, because that is the secret to happiness. If you want to be happy, then seek to be holy. Don't chase after happiness. Chase after holiness.

True Peacemakers

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." —Matthew 5:9

Of all the Beatitudes given in Matthew 5, there is one most likely to meet with the approval of almost everyone: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God" (Matthew 5:9). We all want peace in the world. Yet this is not a statement Jesus made to solely advocate working for global peace, although that is an honorable thing to do. I am all for peace, but not for peace at any cost.

The context of Jesus' statement is not about working for peace in and of itself. It is speaking more about those who are bringing the message of the gospel because they want people to enter into a relationship with Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Romans 10:15 says, " 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!' "
As people who have met God, as people who have experienced His mercy and have committed our lives to hungering and thirsting after Him, we will be true peacemakers. Romans 5:1 says, "Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

However, let me forewarn you that peacemakers are often troublemakers. As contradictory as it sounds, real peacemakers are troublemakers, because they recognize that as long as people are at war with God, they may have to make them sad before they can make them happy. In other words, they may have to confront them with the reality of their spiritual state before God, and as such, they will have to be aggressive, not passive.

Who was a greater peacemaker than Jesus himself, the Prince of Peace? And how did they treat Him? They crucified Him. So if you are a real peacemaker, then you will be persecuted.

WOW The Big Picture

The Final Journey to Jerusalem

Matthew 20:17-28; Luke 18:35-19:27; Psalm 107:31-32; Proverbs 19:20

    Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again."

    Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him.

    And He said to her, "What do you wish?"
    
    She said to Him, "Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom."

    But Jesus answered and said, "You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"

    They said to Him, "We are able."
    
    So He said to them, "You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father."

    And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave- just as the Son of Man did notcome to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." Then it happened, as He was coming near Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the road begging. And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant. So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. And he cried out, saying, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

    Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

    So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him. And when he had come near, He asked him, saying, "What do you want Me to do for you?"

    He said, "Lord, that I may receive my sight."
    
    Then Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has made you well." And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

    Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house." So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner."

    Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold."

    And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

    Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately. Therefore He said: "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, 'Do business till I come.' But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We will not have this man to reign over us.'

    "And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. Then came the first, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned ten minas.' And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.' And the second came, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned five minas.' Likewise he said to him, 'You also be over five cities.'

    "Then another came, saying, 'Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief. For I feared you, because you are an austere man. You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.' And he said to him, 'Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?'

    "And he said to those who stood by, 'Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.' (But they said to him, 'Master, he has ten minas.') 'For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.'"

    Matthew 20:17-28; Luke 18:35-19:27

    WORSHIP

    Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
    And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
    Let them exalt Him also in the assembly of the people,
    And praise Him in the company of the elders.
    Psalm 107:31-32

    WISDOM

    Listen to counsel and receive instruction,
    That you may be wise in your latter days.
    Proverbs 19:20

Why am I scared to pray boldly?

Today I’m in the mood to wrestle with thoughts normally reserved for quiet introspection.  The thoughts bumping around in my heart and head today are about boldness and prayer.

I have to admit I’m sometimes scared to pray boldly.

It’s not at all that I don’t believe God can do anything.  I absolutely do. I’m a wild about Jesus girl.  Wild in my willingness.   Wild in my obedience.  Wild in my adventures with God.

After all, I think Jesus would rather reign in a wild stallion than kick a dead mule any day of the week.

So, my hesitation isn’t rooted in any kind of doubt about God.

It’s more rooted in a doubt about myself and my ability to absolutely discern the will of God.  The reality is sometimes God chooses not to do things.  And if His will is no- while I am boldly praying for a yes- it makes me feel out of step with God.

Can anyone relate?

I so desperately want to stay in the absolute will of God that I find myself praying with clauses sometimes.  Like, “God please heal my friend but if it’s your will to take her, I will trust you.”  I wonder why I don’t just boldly pray, “God, please heal my friend.”  And then stand confidently that my prayers were not in vain no matter what the outcome.

The reality is, my prayers don’t change God.  But, I am convinced prayer changes me.  It boots me out of that stale place of religious habit into authentic connection with God Himself.

Prayer opens my spiritual eyes to see things I can’t see on my own.  And I am convinced prayer changes circumstances.  Prayers are powerful and effective if prayed from the position of a righteous heart (James 5:16).

So, prayer does make a difference- a life-changing, mind-blowing, earth-rattling difference.  We don’t need to know how.  We don’t need to know when.  We just need to kneel confidently and know the tremors of a simple Jesus girl’s prayers, extend far wide and far high and far deep.

Letting that absolute truth slosh over into my soul, snuffs out the flickers of hesitation.  It bends my stiff knees.  And it ignites a fresh, bold and even more wild fire within.  Not bold as in bossy and demanding.  But bold as in I love my Jesus with all my heart so why would I offer anything less than an ignited prayer life.

“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.  Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.  And when you pray, do not keep babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your father knows what you need before you ask him,” (Jesus speaking in Matthew 6:6-8).

So let’s ask.  And ask again.  Not so that we can cause the movement of God.  But rather so that we can position our souls to be able to see our sweet Jesus move in any which way He pleases.

THE COST

This week I want to talk about how crucial it is to boldly fight for our families. Satan wants to defeat, discourage, and destroy our families.  His attacks are not just willy nilly attempts to trip us up or knock us down.  He wants to take us out.

I know this seems like a heavy subject for a today blog… a late Tuesday blog at that.  But, I have a fire burning in my stomach from the hyper awareness of how crafty and strategic Satan really is.  He has made me fighting mad this week and I can’t help but address it.

Do you know why Satan’s tactics are called schemes in 2 Corinthians 2: 10-11?  A scheme is a plan, design, or program of action.  Satan’s schemes are well thought through plans specifically targeted to do 3 things:

1.  To increase your desire for something outside the will of God.
2.  To make you think giving in to a weakness is no big deal.
3.  To minimize your ability to think through the consequences of falling to this temptation.

Oh how I wish we could see the cost of each of our choices as clearly as a price tag on items in a store.  Or as clearly as the caloric cost of food choices offered on menus in New York (did you know they have that in New York?  fabulous!)  If I know how much something is going to cost me, I make such wiser choices.

So, Satan is a master of keeping that cost hidden until it’s too late.

Sweet sisters, I think this is something worth thinking about.  And I think it is something worth talking to our kids about.  Think of age appropriate examples of how costly stupid decisions can be.  Be real and raw and bold as you walk them through different scenarios of temptations they will face.

How much will this really cost me?  If we teach ourselves and our kids nothing else this week then to ask this one question, we will have invested wisely.  So, so very wisely.

The Wedding Prayer

Welcome to Encouragement for Today's devotion. Please leave your marriage prayer requests by clicking on the word “comments” below and following the prompts.  My prayer team and I will be personally praying over your requests this weekend.

I wanted to give you something today that’s priceless to me.  It will be part of my family’s legacy for years to come.  This is the prayer Art’s dad prayed over us at our wedding nearly 18 years ago.  I can hardly believe it’s been 18 years.

As I read back over this prayer, I am amazed at how God has answered so many of the requests intertwined in the words.  This was being prayed over two broken, fragile, headstrong, needing to learn a lot- individuals.  Individuals who 5 years into our marriage weren’t sure we were going to make it.  But we did.
And so can you.

I would encourage you to take your spouse’s hand and either have someone read this prayer over you or read it together.  Use it as a reminder and recommitment.  And if your marriage isn’t at a place where that is possible, pray this in the quiet shrine of your heart.  God hears you.  He knows.  He loves you.  He will show you the way.

And certainly, leave your prayer request in the comments below and I will be praying for you too.

The Wedding Prayer

Father in Heaven, thank you for this husband ______, and wife, _______, and their commitment to Christian marriage. As we look ahead, we pray that their future will never lack the convictions that make a marriage strong.
Bless this husband, ______. Bless him as provider and protector. Sustain him in all the pressures that come with the task of stewarding a family. May his strength be his wife’s boast and pride, and may he so live that his wife may find in him the haven for which the heart of a woman truly longs.
Bless this wife, ______. Give her a tenderness that makes her great, a deep sense of understanding, and a strong faith in You. Give her that inner beauty of soul that never fades, that eternal youth that is found in holding fast to the things that never age. May she so live that her husband may be pleased to reverence her in the shrine of his heart.
Teach them that marriage is not living for each other. It is two people uniting and joining hands to serve You. Give them a great spiritual purpose in life. May they seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness, knowing that You will sustain them through all of life’s challenges.
May they minimize each other’s weaknesses and be swift to praise and magnify each other’s strengths so that they might view each other through a lover’s kind and patient eyes. Help them every day to be kind and gentle, more like Thee. Give them a little something to forgive each day, that their love might learn to be long-suffering.
Bless them and develop their characters as they walk together with You. Give them enough hurts to keep them humane, enough failures to keep their hands clenched tightly in Yours, and enough of success to make them sure they walk with You throughout all of their life.
May they never take each other’s love for granted but always experience that breathless wonder that exclaims. “Out of all this world, you have chosen me.” Then, when life is done and the sun is setting, may they be found then as now, still hand in hand, still very proud, still thanking You for each other.
May they travel together as friends and lovers, brother and sister, husband and wife, father and mother, and as servants of Christ until He shall return or until that day when one shall lay the other into the arms of God. This we ask through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, the great lover of our souls. Amen.

Today God Is First

 Deliverance from the Black Hole

"As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Joshua 1:5b). 

A black hole is a place of total nothingness. It's a time in our life when God removes the resources and supports that we normally rely on to feel secure - our careers, finances, friends, family, health and so forth. It is a preparation time.

When you find yourself in a black hole experience, don't just sit and brood. Take stock of your life. Take a look at your relationship with God.

First, ask God if there are any sins, habits, or attitudes that He might be judging in your life. It's important to discern whether the trial we face is the result of God's discipline for our sin?or if it is preparing us for a future leadership role.

Second, when you enter a black hole, don't trust your feelings. Trust God. Your feelings will tell you, "God has rejected you. Abandon hope. He has left you utterly alone." Feelings change; God never changes. Feelings come and go; God is always with us.

Third, remember that your black hole experience is not only intended to refine and define you; it's also intended to influence and change the lives of hundreds or even thousands of other people. Our adversity is not just for us, but others in our sphere of influence.

Fourth, don't try to hurry the black hole process along. Remember, when Joseph was in the depths of the pit, there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn't climb out, jump out, levitate out, or talk his way out. All he could do was pray and wait upon the Lord.

Fifth, lean on God. Even when you don't feel like praying, pray. Even when you don't feel like reading His Word, read. Even when you don't feel like singing songs of faith, sing. When you pray, don't just talk; listen. Be silent before Him and listen for His still, quiet voice.

Sixth, be alert to new truths and new perspectives. During a black hole experience, God often leads us to amazing new discoveries. A black hole can be a storehouse of unexpected riches for the soul.

Encouragement for Today

"With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people, who have been made in God's likeness." James 3:9 (NIV)

         

Devotion:

A few weeks ago two of my kids were having a growth opportunity.  "Growth opportunity" is the new phrase us TerKeursts use for "fight."  It's like when people say pink is the new black. Growth opportunity is the new fight.

Anyhow, back to the two kids who love each other but didn't like each other very much in the heat of the moment.  I pulled out my proverbial soap box, got my hand positioned just right on my hip, and told these two young teens to look outside the window of our home.  I told them that outside our home a world exists of people who may or may not be nice to us. There are no guarantees.
"But, inside this house," I continued as I turned them toward one another, "there are certain guarantees.  Since the day I birthed you, I have preached one sermon about the words spoken in our home.  It is a simple sermon.  Before you part your lips to speak, you must ask yourself this question:  Are my words kind, necessary, and true?"

"If the answer to all three parts of that question is yes...proceed ahead."

"If the answer to any part of that question is no...stop the words from coming out."

Does that mean there is no room to address hard issues with one another?  No. But it will always be done with a spirit of kindness using only words that are necessary and true. 

I then ushered these precious teens outside to a bench in my front yard and instructed them to figure out their issues between the two of them.  But they were not going to bring words into our house unless they were kind, necessary, and true.  Thank you very much. Have a nice time on this warm little bench on this warm little day.

Be sure when reading that last paragraph to do it with the mama attitude.  I'll wait right here if you need to go back and re-read with attitude. 

There are some verses in James I'm considering writing on the palm of my hand.  Think of how handy it would be just to flash my palm up in the midst of my people's growth opportunities with this verse in bold ink: "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people, who have been made in God's likeness.  Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.  My people, this should not be" (James 3 9-10).

That same chapter of James goes on to read, "For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice" (verse 16).

Have mercy. I do not want disorder and every evil practice to be invited into my home.  And if envy and selfish ambition (which are where ugly words come from) are the key that opens the door for all that evil mess, then I will do everything with the power of Jesus in me to tame tongues.  

And all my Jesus girlfriends said, Amen! 

Dear Lord, help me to know how to teach my children how to be more like You. Help me to model You in my actions, my reactions, and in every word I say. In Jesus' Name, Amen.