Archive for Scripture
Valuing Perseverance
Posted by: | CommentsI enjoy the Olympics. Though I am not sure I would watch any of the Olympic sports at any other time, I thoroughly enjoy them every four years.
One of the things that comes with every Olympics is personal stories of perseverance. It is inevitable and, it seems, constant, during the Olympic broadcasts. Every athlete has a story. And many of the athletes have a particular setback that they were able to overcome or endure in order to make it to the Olympics. An injury, a death in the family, failure four years ago, etc.
While watching one of these stories the other day, it hit me…I thoroughly enjoy these stories of perseverance, yet I don’t really want to be one of those folks who have to persevere and endure such difficult things.
That goes for most of it doesn’t it? We are inspired by tales of overcoming difficult obstacles, yet we tend to despise the obstacles in our own lives, the very things that can make us people of perseverance. We seem to simply want little more than everything coming easy. We are content with being inspired, when we could become inspiring.
According to Scripture, God is jealous to make His people people of perseverance. We are even told that Christians should count various kinds of trials joy because they are used by God to make us people of maturity and perseverance (James 1:2-4). While watching the Olympics, I am wise to use the plethora of perseverance stories to remind myself that I should not despise the means God ordains to making me a man that, just maybe, can inspire others and not just be inspired. Maybe you can watch and be reminded of the same.
Cultivating a Holy Longing
Posted by: | CommentsIn his book, The Gospel for Real Life, Jerry Bridges writes,
Generally speaking, believers who have the least benefits of this life have the most vigorous hopes of heaven.
He’s right, right? I believe so. After all, if you have nothing here and God promises you a New Heaves and New Earth in which perfect righteousness dwells, you should have easier time focusing on the future. If all is going well for you here, your relative blessing oftentimes will obscure the perfect blessing that is soon to come.
So what do we do if life is going along quite well? If we are enjoying the benefits of this life in greater measure than many others, must we forgo them in order to long more for heaven?
Lest we think it doesn’t matter whether we long for the life to come, check out Hebrews 9:27-28,
And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Did you catch that last part? ‘To save those who are eagerly waiting for him.’ That’s no joke huh? Though salvation is solely through faith in Christ, those who faith will eagerly wait.
And yet, we are so apt to feel quite at home here. Life gets going and we think little of the perfect life to come, where those who believe in Christ will live with Him and enjoy life as it ought to be and a thousand times better.
So back to our question: what do we do if our life here is pretty nice? Here’s two suggestions I have probably mentioned before.
1) Read the Bible and good books until you figure out what Heaven is really like and going to be like. Most of us aren’t as clear about the life to come as we may think we are. Do you think Heaven is singing hymns in the clouds with angels? Well then, you are way off and need to read up. Heaven by Randy Alcorn is a great place to start.
2) Cultivate a holy longing for the life to come by diligently seeking the Lord and asking Him for it. Word and prayer. It’s tough to get too much of these.
There is more that we can do, no doubt, but that is a good place to start. For no matter where we are or what is going on in our lives, we will do well to cultivate a holy longing for Christ and the life to come. Believe it or not, it will enable us to live much better here.
Guilty Yourself
Posted by: | CommentsI am currently reading the book of Job. For those who don’t know, the book of Job fits into the ‘wisdom’ category of Scripture as it tells the story of one’s man intense suffering. What happened, why it happened, how he responded, how his friends responded, and then, how God responded to all to them.
After more or less losing everything, four of Job’s friends come to comfort him. But after Job gives vent to his internal struggle, his friends can’t help but speak. And what they have to say ends up bringing anything but comfort.
After Job responded to the first of his friends to speak up, essentially defending himself, another one of his boys, Zophar, speaks. And more or less, Zophar tells Job that the fact he is suffering so much is a clear indication of his great sin. And the fact that Job doesn’t think it is his sin at fault (which it is not), makes it all the worse.
At one point, however, Zophar says,
“Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty? It is higher than heaven- what can you do? Deeper than Sheol- what can you know?” (Job 11:7-8)
And on and on he goes, telling Job that he shouldn’t pretend to know the purposes of the Almighty. But here is the ironic thing: Zophar is guilty of the same thing! After all, he is the middle of telling Job the reason for his suffering. He is pretending the know the purposes of the Almighty. He is arrogant enough to think that he has the answer.
Before we look down upon Zophar, however, let us recognize that we do the same thing. All of us. Particularly when we are found frustrated with another’s actions or words, or when we stick up our noses at someone else for their failure, we are Zophars. We are guilty of whatever we are frustrated with in another. Maybe not as obviously, but guilty nonetheless.
Romans 2:1 says, “Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things.”
Some folks out there might not believe it, but if you look carefully at your attitudes and actions, you will recognize that whatever you are apt to criticize in another, you are guilty of yourself.
So what are you frustrated with today? Take note and be sure to count yourself guilty before you do anything else. It will either give great humility and wisdom to your words or keeping you from saying something very stupid.
Imagination: Better than a Movie
Posted by: | CommentsIf my Amazon Widget thing were working off the right of my page, you would be able to see that I am currently reading The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. They are, quite simply, great books. Or I suppose I should say it is one great story, because it really is all one, divided as it may be. It has taken me a while to move through the work, and I still have a little less than a third to go, but I have enjoyed it thoroughly.
I have, however, run into one problem: I watched the movies first.
What a mistake this was. In hindsight, I think I would have been better off locking myself in a room for a few days and completing the entire book before headed out to see the films. The reason? Well, because I realize that my imagination has been hampered by watching the films. Rather than allowing the book to stimulate images within, I keep thinking about Elijah Wood and the guy from Rudy.
This isn’t to say that the movies were bad. No way. After finishing my reading, I am going to watch them again. It’s just to say that they can’t be as good as reading the book and using your imagination. At least first. Not to mention, the movie can’t tell the entire story, even when it runs three hours, as the films do. A good rule of thumb for any classic book made into a movie seems to be: Make sure you read the book first!
It’s a good rule, one that leads me to a greater appreciation for a good story and the importance of reading good stories. Even more, it helps me understand why the Bible is such a powerful book, for it is the work of the greatest Storyteller and indeed, when rightly understood and embraced, contains the greatest story every told. No film can capture that entire work, only bits and pieces, so we better make sure to read that one first.
Unbelievable?
Posted by: | CommentsCheck this out: The God of the universe promises to all who believe in Jesus Christ….
Fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
- Isaiah 41:10
I’m apt to say that such a promise is unbelievable, but that isn’t the case, because it is written in the the Bible in order to be fulfilled and believed. Fulfilled through Christ and believed by all those who believe in Christ. Amazing, awesome. These are better words to describe such a verse.
If you are a follower of Christ, believe this Word. It’s for you. If you’re not, don’t you want to be able to believe such a promise?
