Ward's Words | BY WARD PIMLEY

Sharing the Lord's Message of Grace

Tumblr ↗

Author: Ward Pimley

  • 1 PETER 4 – ALL FOR GOD’S GLORY

    Serving God is both an honor and opportunity. Although He does not need us, He wants us. As forgiven and loved people, we must enter our mission fields, sharing Christ, testifying boldly, and using our gifts for His glory.

    In our series on 1 Peter, we’re on 1 Peter 4. We’ve highlighted four messages within this chapter.

    CHRISTIAN MESSAGE

    By WARD PIMLEY

    Pastor, Journalist, Author

    • “You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious [eager] to do the will of God.” – 1 Peter 4:2 NLT
    • “As good stewards of the manifold grace of God, each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve one another.” – 1 Peter 4:10 BSB

                                            

    1. CHANGED LIFESTYLE

    “FOR YOU HAVE SPENT ENOUGH TIME IN THE PAST CARRYING OUT THE SAME DESIRES AS THE GENTILES: LIVING IN DEBAUCHERY, LUST, DRUNKENNESS, ORGIES, CAROUSING, AND DETESTABLE IDOLATRY. BECAUSE OF THIS, THEY CONSIDER IT STRANGE OF YOU NOT TO PLUNGE WITH THEM INTO THE SAME FLOOD OF RECKLESS INDISCRETION, AND THEY HEAP ABUSE ON YOU. BUT THEY WILL HAVE TO GIVE AN ACCOUNT TO HIM WHO IS READY TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND THE DEAD.” — 1 PETER 4:3-5 BSB

    [DON’T GET HUNG-UP over the term “Gentiles” in this passage. Although that refers to those of us who are not Jewish, in this context it means “unbelievers,” those who have not accepted Jesus Christ as the Messiah, the Savior of the world, the Son of God.]

    I LOVE THIS VERSE. God, through His agent, the apostle Peter, is giving us a statement about our changed lives in Christ, how we used to engage in ribald behavior – the world calls it “fun” – but now we don’t. 

    We’re chaste. We’re sober. We’re not profligate with our money. We don’t take unnecessary risks. We don’t cuss. We don’t condemn *other* people for their *otherness*. We don’t judge them.

    Our women don’t flirt with other’s women’s husbands; our men don’t lust after other men’s wives.

    We show compassion. We’re patient. We’re encouraging. We’re eager to help. We praise, rather than condemn. We joke, but it’s kind, not harsh or belittling. We don’t shame someone. 

    We look out for the defenseless and the helpless and the hopeless. We cherish “the least of these.”

    And, yeah, our friends notice.

    Oh, how they notice! Some may be displeased; others might be jealous. 

    It’s with sadness that I share that I lost a good “drinking buddy” after I came to the Lord. We drank together during graduate school – so many, many years ago – and met many times in the years following graduation, until it became apparent that only one of us was going to drink alcohol, and one was not, and that killed the connection.

    I had the opportunity to share my faith with my friend, and he asked me various pointed questions, until I said, “You’re placing a great deal of trust in my answers to your questions, when you should be searching for those answers yourself. They’re available to you. Just ask God.”

    2. LOVING ONE ANOTHER

    “ABOVE ALL, KEEP LOVING ONE ANOTHER EARNESTLY, SINCE LOVE COVERS A MULTITUDE OF SINS. SHOW HOSPITALITY TO ONE ANOTHER WITHOUT GRUMBLING.” – 1 PETER 4:8-9 ESV

    IF GOD WERE to give me an opportunity to delete some words from His sacred text, I would be tempted to start with these. “Love one another earnestly” and “show hospitality … without grumbling” are “no goes” for me.

    I stand convicted, being very guarded of both my heart and my home. I even hate to loan someone a pen. I watch it carefully; fearful I’ll need to chase the miscreant to retrieve it. What is it with pens, anyway?

    In theory – in the abstract, devoid of real-life experience – I agree with those two commandments. I just find it difficult to do them.

    Aren’t there commandments you find difficult to keep? I’m sure there are. We’re all alike, weak-willed and sin filled. That’s why we need Jesus!

    So, let’s just pass over the difficult-to-obey commandments and go on to the Bible’s next passage. Maybe the next one will be easier for us.

    Right? Wrong!

    That’s not the right attitude. If I’m convicted by God’s Word, then I need to ask Him to fill my heart with the right spirit, that I will honor Him and His call on my life.

    Let me read the passage again: “Keep loving one another earnestly. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.“

    This passage calls on me to think about someone else’s comfort, someone else’s needs, someone else’s perspective, someone else’s feelings. 

    As Christians, we are called to refrain from asking: “What can you do for me?”; asking instead, “What can I do for you?”

    Yes, those commandments are difficult for me. Yet, I serve a Savior who laid down His life for me. Surely, I should be able to ask Him to grant me a heart to think, feel, and consider the needs, wishes, and wants of someone else.

    Even if it means I lose a pen. Ouch!

    3. SPIRITUAL GIFTS

    “EACH ONE, AS A GOOD MANAGER OF GOD’S DIFFERENT GIFTS, MUST USE FOR THE GOOD OF OTHERS THE SPECIAL GIFT HE HAS RECEIVED FROM GOD.” – 1 PETER 4:10 GNT

    DO YOU EVER play that church game where we striate the various tasks we see on campus? We place this task above that one, and honor this gift over another one, and simply ignore what some folks have labored over, and then labor over stuff that no one else notices.

    Hey, wind me up, and I’ll tell you how I often feel slighted because my ministry – the senior center ministry – takes place *off campus* and so no one sees what we do, and few – apparently few — are motivated to step alongside us for what must seem like a difficult ministry. 

    Many choose not to preach or sing or pray in a roomful of people whose best days are spent looking through the rearview mirror, whose minds drift off to a private world where loved ones were gathered, and everyone was active and joyful and full of life. 

    One of our pastors rightly called this ministry a “special ministry.” [Actually, all ministries are “special.”]

    He said it takes a special heart to serve the underserved, but what he neglected to add – perhaps because he was not aware of it – is that the blessings received from doing this ministry are enormous, way out of scale to the effort put into the service. 

    Frankly and honestly, I’ve been surprised, myself, at the level of asymmetry between effort out and reward in.

    We find most people are drawn to working with those who come after us because we feel we have something to share, to help them grow in their walk with the Lord; but how many feel called to minister to those who go ahead of us, to that place that beckons to us, “Come to me; you’re next.” A place where sickness and death await.

    We have the privilege of ministering to a population that deeply appreciates us and what we do for them. 

    There is a gifting that God provides us as His followers. While we take evaluation tests to determine our giftedness, God can surprise us. He has His own metric to use, and it’s faultless. 

    When God plugs you into something, you can feel confident He has placed you in the right spot – just where He wants you and just where you are needed.

    This verse also calls us to consider each of God’s giftings as valuable in His eyes. There is no striation in His plan. Preaching over painting? No. Teaching over Training? No. Evangelism over Encouraging? No. Singing over security? No. Cleaning over carpentry? No.

    All spots – both volunteer and paid — are valuable in God’s sight, and all are blessed in serving the Lord and the Lord’s anointed.

    If we are using our gifting to benefit the church body and the community outside our doors, then we are serving God according to His plan for us. There is no room for boasting. No room for comparisons. No room for envy. No room for friction. No room for complaining.

    We are to be good managers and use our gifting to benefit others. 

    4. SUFFERING FOR CHRIST

    “IF YOU ARE INSULTED FOR THE NAME OF CHRIST, YOU ARE BLESSED, BECAUSE THE SPIRIT OF GLORY AND OF GOD RESTS ON YOU.” – 1 PETER 4:17 LSB

    “FOR IT IS TIME FOR JUDGMENT TO BEGIN WITH THE HOUSE OF GOD; AND IF IT BEGINS WITH US FIRST, WHAT WILL BE THE OUTCOME FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT OBEY THE GOSPEL OF GOD?” – 1 PETER 4:17 LSB

    IF YOU’RE LIKE ME, and you are – because we’re alike – then you shiver whener you read in God’s Word that we’re called to suffer with Christ to join Him in glory, and we think – “Lord, maybe we just focus on the glory part there and soft-pedal the suffering part.”

    But whether we are called, as Christ was called, to suffer bodily harm, torture, and death for the Gospel, or we just suffer the stares and whispering and cold shoulders of those who want to push us and our Gospel-peddling aside, we will suffer at some point.

    We often express fear of antagonizing a neighbor or a co-worker – or even family members gathered around the Thanksgiving Day table – with our God talk, but today – even today – our brothers and sisters in many other countries are worshipping in secret or fearing a militia raid that will lead to the rape of the women, the crucifixion of the men, and the burning of the huts. 

    After the raping and looting comes the slaughter as men, women, and children are butchered, their bodies torn apart, the pieces left rotting in the hot sun. 

    For what crime? For worshipping the Lord as Christians.

    And you’re worried about the cold shoulder and some whispering?

    Really?

    It saddens me even to talk of this, to present to you this unpleasant truth – too many self-proclaimed Christians live lives indistinguishable from the rest of the world and never breathe a word of their faith to anyone.

    [Have you led anyone to Christ? More importantly, because you cannot control someone else’s response, have you tried? Have you? Is that commandment even important to you?]

    God does not hold us responsible for someone else’s response to the Gospel message, but He does hold us responsible for trying – or failing to try.

    When I meet Jesus in Heaven, I do not want to field a question like, “I died on the cross for you, son. What did you do for Me?”

    Let’s refocus on today’s text source. “As good stewards of the manifold grace of God, each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve one another.”

    Can you just let those words simmer in you for a moment and blossom? You are God’s chosen child.

    We are to share the gifts we were given with others. We are to do so in thanksgiving and with praise. All we have, and all we are, is part of the mosaic, the fellowship, the church. 

    We are the body; Christ is the Head. 

    Let us be faithful stewards.

    FINAL WORDS

    SERVING OUR LORD in whatever capacity He calls us should be seen as a great opportunity for us, just as it should be viewed as a great honor.

    God wants us. God calls us. God chooses us. God looks for us. God forgives us. God loves us. 

    God does not need us, but He wants us.

    He does not need us, but He wants us. (I know I repeated those words, but they bear repeating.)

    CHURCH: As we leave fellowship this morning (afternoon), let us respond to God’s gifting in our lives with our love, our praise, and our worship.

    Let us resolve to enter our personal mission field, ready, able, and willing to share the Gospel entrusted to us, to testify to the change that Jesus Christ has made in our lives, and to use our special gifting in service to King Jesus. 

    PRAYER

    O LORD, OUR GOD, When we in awesome wonder, consider all the worlds Your hands have made. We see the stars; we hear the rolling thunder, throughout the universe displayed. 

    And when we think of God, his Son not sparing, sent Him to die, we scarce can take it in. That on that cross, our burdens gladly bearing, He bled and died to take away our sin. 

    Lord, Your goodness, grace, and mercy are more than we can imagine. Your vision for us is so much better than what we’ve managed to hold onto. 

    We are so grateful, so thankful, for how You have rescued us from the mess we’ve gotten ourselves into, brushed off our dirt and grit, bathed us clean and fresh, and restored our souls in Your sight to righteousness.

    In response, we can only fall to our knees (even if we do so only in our minds), and humbly sing Your praises and say, “Thank You, Lord Jesus! Thank You.”

    We lift this prayer in the mighty name of our Savior, Jesus, the Christ of God.

    AMEN and AMEN

  • HOMOSEXUALITY – One Christian’s Response

    Christian Message

    By WARD PIMLEY

    Pastor, Journalist, Author

    PERHAPS NO SIN PATTERN divides the Christian community today more than does the sin of homosexuality, both gay and lesbian.

    Most of us know someone who struggles with same-sex attraction, and many of us recoil when confronted with flagrant displays of gay or lesbian conduct.

    Why is that? Is it because the sin pattern is so odious to us that we separate from it reflexively, or could it be that all of us have, even to a tiny degree, an inkling that we, too, could be tempted?

    If we take the position – as does this column – that all sin patterns are tempting to mankind, whether it is cheating on a spouse or income taxes, telling fibs large or small, selfishly ignoring the pleas of the helpless around us, or even eating more sweets and carbs than our diet and doctor recommend, then we can readily see how someone’s homosexual lifestyle is more threatening to our self-esteem than any other sin pattern our neighbor can exhibit.

    Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. — 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NKJV)

    Homosexuality threatens our very self-image of being either masculine (male) or feminine (female). Our neighbor cheating on his/her spouse or their income taxes would not necessarily be visible to us, nor would it likely challenge our self-image.

    *****

    HOMOSEXUALITY, HOWEVER, places a mirror before us that causes us to reflect on whether, even if in the tiniest, briefest moment, we, too, could be similarly tempted.

    We might think: Are we any less masculine (or feminine) if even for that quick fleeting moment we sense a recognition of the temptation that lures our neighbor to pursue that sin pattern wholeheartedly?

    What other sin pattern has that same impact on us?

    Is that any different from the thought — again, fleeting and quickly dismissed — of taking an income tax deduction to which we’re not entitled or to grabbing extra pens and notepads from our employer when no one is around to observe?

    Yet all of us would admit, even without pride, that we’re tempted to grab something that’s not ours, even if it’s just tooling down the highway above the speed limit. 

    The Bible is very clear that we are not to hold ourselves out to be better or more holy than someone else and not to judge their sin more harshly than we judge our own.

    — ROMANS 2:1b

    We disdain all forms of weakness, and we take pride in our ability to deny self. After all, that’s not only the moral position but also is part of what we consider being mature.

    Who does not feel a bit healthier just by declining a second portion of pie and ice cream or a bit more noble when avoiding the opportunity to rifle through the office supplies?

    Aren’t we more likely to point the accusing finger at those among us who, in our opinion, are less noble than we are because they succumbed to the temptation of grabbing that second desert, the fistful of roller pens, or the unsupported tax deduction?

    *****

    EVEN MORE SO, what is our instinctive response to those among us who give in to the temptation they feel, more so than we do, of same-sex attraction? Consider also, that once that sin is indulged in, it can overtake us and demand a lifestyle change to comport with our new community of like-minded sinners.

    Personally, I am not aware of a fellowship community of tax cheats, adulterers, gamblers, drunks, and spouse abusers, but we all are aware of fellowship communities that attract those dealing with same-sex attraction.

    There’s another difficulty with the sin of same-sex attraction. It can’t be hidden as well as other sins, most of which are done in the darkness and away from prying eyes. Homosexuality, on the other hand, is flagrant, in-your-face, ever present, and — with the new “pride” movement — aggressively persistent.

    We all know sins that have grabbed a hold of us so strongly, and are so pernicious, that we think little of committing them, even while we know that God holds all sin as sin, from murder and armed robbery to telling “half-truths” to speeding on the open highway to eating another chocolate-chip cookie when the hostess isn’t looking.

    Yes, you say, but capital murder is a worse crime than petit theft, but we’re not talking about crime – which is a violation of a human standard. We’re talking about sin, which is a violation of God’s standard. To His holy eyes, sin is sin.

    To earn our spot in Heaven, we must be perfect as God is perfect. We aren’t, so we depend on Jesus’ cleansing blood. Since we’re all flawed and fall short of God’s glory, we ought not be the church scolds, pointing “naughty fingers” at others.

    The Bible is very clear that we are not to hold ourselves out to be better or more holy than someone else and not to judge their sin more harshly than we judge our own.

    “For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things.” – Romans 2:1b ESV

    The Bible also clearly states that we will be held accountable by the Creator not only for our actions but also for our words and even our thoughts. Jesus, in His Sermon on the Mount, told us it is not enough to avoid committing adultery, just thinking about it condemns us in God’s holy eyes.

    *****

    THE GLORY OF the cross is that Jesus left the comforts of Heaven and endured that excruciating punishment for us so that we would not have to suffer the punishment for our own sin.

    The fact that all of us sin and fall short of God’s glory, that all of us are weak and sinful, that all of us war against God’s standards for our lives does not give any of us the self-proclaimed right to judge harshly someone else’s failures or lapses into persistent sin.

    We are called to turn our lives over to God, and He has promised, in turn, to transform us into new creatures, washed in His blood. While we continue to sin, we increasingly become, as the Holy Spirit works through us and in us, more Christ-like. 

    We sin less often. We avoid sin patterns and a lifestyle based around the sin that grips us. We grieve more when we fail.

    One person’s failure around homosexuality is as grievous to God as is another person’s lapses around his/her employer’s office supplies. In other words, to God, our neighbor giving in to same-sex attraction is an abomination against nature, but we, who commit other sins, stand just as condemned before a perfect God.

    *****

    THE BIBLE TELLS US we are to love our neighbor but not their sin, just as we naturally love our selves but, when redeemed, not our sin. 

    Can we acknowledge, then, the basic personhood of our failed neighbor, pray for his/her redemption, and avoid being stumbling blocks to their spiritual recovery?

    We are called to speak the truth in love to our neighbor, just as our born-again neighbors are called to speak the truth to us. Lovingly calling out someone for their sin pattern covers a multitude of our own offenses and can bring a wandering believer back into the fold. 

    It also can lead to conviction for those who are struggling with sin but who are not yet believers in God’s grace and mercy.

    None of that is possible for us if we are too busy condemning the wayward neighbor while excusing our own sin.

    PRAYER

    ALMIGHTY GOD, Father of all creation, we confess our sinful hearts and weak wills. You have told us our spirit is willing, but our flesh is weak, and that, unless we abide in You and You in us, we can do nothing worthwhile on our own.

    We ask you humbly to forgive our sin and our judgment against our neighbor’s sin. Help us, we ask, to love our failed neighbor and teach them, when given the opportunity, God’s truth and to do so with grace and love.

    Strengthen us, we pray, in our own walk with the Lord that we will be Your ambassadors, as salt and light, in word and in deed, as our Savior has commissioned us. 

    We lift our petition and our gratitude in Jesus’ beautiful name.

    AMEN

  • ALWAYS BE READY: Lessons From 1 Peter 3

    “But set Christ apart as Lord in your hearts and always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about the hope you possess. Yet do it with courtesy and respect.” – 1 PETER 3:15-16a NET 

    CHRISTIAN MESSAGE

    By WARD PIMLEY

    Pastor, Journalist, Author

    LET’S CREATE a little story together. Everyone loves a good story — right? — and God gives us the ability to craft our own.

    Part 1 of 4. “Sharing Our Faith”

    S0, LET’S ASSUME you’re talking with a good friend, maybe sharing coffee and some catching up, when your friend turns serious and asks you a sensitive question.

    “Say, if you don’t mind my asking, there’s something different about you. I mean, you’ve always been friendly and joke around a lot, but there’s a peace about you I didn’t see before. Is there something going on I should know about?”

    NARRATOR: That’s a nice comment, isn’t it? It’s so much better than, “What’s gotten under your skin? You’re so jumpy, so judgmental, so, I don’t know, angry or something.” 

    We pick up here: What do you do? Your friend has just teed up a nice compliment and wants to know how come you’re so relaxed, at peace with yourself, content – even while you’re facing some of the same battles you were before – lingering issues with your mother, a tense relationship at work, your oldest child struggling at school, your lawn turning into a weed factory. 

    Well, our text source gives us an answer, one we as believers and followers of Christ should look for and even ask God for: an opportunity to share our faith. 

    Do you do that? Do you ask for an opportunity to share your faith, or would you rather nobody ask you and just leave you alone?

    In our text source, God is telling us through the apostle Peter to dedicate our lives to the Lord and be ready, at all times, to tell others “what God has done for us,” especially, he says, when we’re asked.

    In other words, we should be living out the Gospel to earn the right to share the Gospel when given the opportunity.

    One commentary tells us: “We must be ready to tell them with gentleness and respect, the story of how we came to be redeemed by God through faith in Christ. [I]t matters that we continue to do good so that even those who accuse us of wrongdoing will be ashamed.” – BibleRef.com (Got Questions Ministries)

    Another commentary says: “Christians must be a strong witness for Jesus with their lives so that they have opportunity to be a strong witness for Jesus with their words.” – Pastor Tony Evans

    That means our lives and our words should be in synch; they should back each other up. We don’t want to preach to others the love and forgiveness that Christ offers us when our own lives don’t reflect that same commitment. 

    Also, we don’t want our words of sarcasm, nit-picking, and complaint to prevent an opportunity to testify to God’s goodness. 

    Peter was writing to a population being persecuted for following Jesus, so their witness placed their physical safety in question.

    We, fortunately, do not now face that same persecution, even while we might well face our own personal life battles. 

    Even so, our attitude, as we experience life and as people watch us, either gives a favorable witness for the Lord or detracts from it.

    Part 2 of 4. “Everyone Suffers”

    WE ALL SUFFER in some way. No one gets through life without some sorrow. 

    There’s another verse in 1 Peter 3 I want to draw to your attention: 

    “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit. – 1 Peter 3:18 NKJV

    Once again, Jesus gives us the perfect model for how to face our life journey. 

    Who hasn’t said, at some point, “Was it fair for us that Adam’s sin has caused us to be born with sinful hearts,” even though the Bible clearly states that if we were in the place of Adam and Eve, we would have acted the same way. 

    In fact, we do. We willingly create our own diversion from God.

    But let’s ask ourselves whether the redemption part of God’s story is unfair.

    “Was it fair to Jesus that God had to send Him to leave the throne of Heaven, be born of a woman and placed in an animals’ feeding trough, live a sinless life, be harassed by religious and civic leaders, and then be sacrificed on the cross for our sins, not His own?”

    God righted the scales, as it were, giving us Jesus to succeed where our forebear Adam failed. So, fairness has nothing to do with it. 

    Life isn’t fair. We know that. Some of us suffer more than do others; some of us suffer more earlier in our lives; others suffer more later in life.

    Some of our suffering results from our own doing, our own (youthful) stupidity. Some of our suffering lingers; some of it is temporary. We may suffer more than once. 

    Pastor Rick Warren said we’re either going into trials, are in trials now, or are just emerging from trials, such that trials and tribulations are a common part of our lives. 

    They are the norm in life, not the exception. 

    That is why it is so important for us as Christ followers to live bathed in Christ’s grace. 

    One pastor I was privileged to know quite well exhibited tremendous grace while suffering from a fatal nerve condition that recently claimed his earthly life. He demonstrated the grace of God that marked his life and testimony. “God’s grace is sufficient for the day.”

    That’s the kind of witness we should exhibit so that we might earn the right to share the gospel with someone. When that opportunity comes, we need to be ready to pounce.

    Part 3 of 4. “Sharing Techniques”

    HOW DO WE do it? How do we share the Gospel when God presents us with the opportunity? (What holds us back?)

    What are the magic words we can use to share our personal life journey, from sinner to saint, brought about solely through the blood and grace of Jesus Christ?

    Do you have a testimony? Do you have a before Christ to go with your after Christ experience? I sure do. 

    >This is how I lived before Christ entered my life; this is how He entered my life; these are the changes He has made in me. I’m not the man (or woman) I want to be, but I’m not the man (or woman) I used to be.<

    Unless you were led by your parents to turn your life over to God before you entered the first grade, you have a before that wasn’t very pleasant. Jesus has remade you. 

    If you did turn your life over to God before first grade, then your testimony is one of praise, yet you might have some “Jonah moments” you could share.

    If you’ve lived a pristine life, and believe you have nothing dramatic to share, then your testimony is to praise God Almighty! You could share how He kept you from falling away.

    IMPORTANT: YOU DO NOT NEED TO KNOW ONE MORE BIBLE VERSE OR DOCTRINAL PRINCIPAL OR WORD OF WISDOM TO TESTIFY OF YOUR FAITH THAN YOU KNEW THE DAY YOU TURNED YOUR LIFE OVER TO JESUS CHRIST. 

    My sense, though, is that in this case you would not have the conversation we noted at the beginning, where a friend notices a profound change in your life.

    Yes, God is not done with you yet, and He will not be until you enter Glory with Him, but He has been growing you and molding you from the mess your life was in when you turned it over to Him.

    Part 4 of 4. “Explaining Prayer”

    LET’S RETURN TO our story and take a lesson from our text source, that we should be ready to give a testimony whenever someone gives us the opportunity. 

    Our friend points out how different we are: more relaxed, more confident, more joyful. What do we say? What do you say? 

    This is the opportunity we should be praying for, and it should not fill us with dread. Instead, we ought to be able to relate something very simple, something like this:

    “I turned my life over to Jesus Christ. I just admitted to Him what He knew already – that I am a sinner in need of God’s grace. I just poured out my heart to Him and sought His forgiveness.”

    “I told Him I believe He is the Messiah, the Son of God and that He died on the cross to pay for my sins. I asked Him to come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior.“

    [Doctrinally, we *receive* Him, not ask Him, but *receive* is a passive tense verb; it does not require an action on our part; while *ask* does.] 

    “Basically, that was it! When I prayed that simple prayer, I felt a burden lifted from my shoulders, and I was filled with a peace and joy I had never known before.“

    [God is the acting agent who lifted the burden from my shoulders and filled my heart with a peace and joy I had not known before.]

    “I don’t know why I waited as long as I did to seek God’s favor, but now I am grateful I did it. In fact, I am eternally grateful.“

    At this point, you might want to add a concluding flourish, something like,

    “If you ever want to discuss this further, just let me know. I’d love to share my faith with you. I’m just not going to push you.”

    Or, you could say,

    “What I did, you could, too. Of course, when you’re ready. If you’d like me to pray with you about this, I’d be more than happy to do so.”

    You can see that in each of our examples we made it clear that any further discussion of this topic will be at the instigation and will of the other party.

    Not us.

    We are not going to push our faith onto someone, just as God does not push Himself onto us. He lets us come to the decision on our own.

    The second point to emphasize in this verse is that our discussion of faith issues with our friend must be done with love and gentleness; our text source says *courtesy and respect*. Other translations say *meekness and fear*, *gentleness and reverence*, and *courteously and respectfully*.

    Regardless of the exact words your translation uses, we are to share the truth with love and grace – not highhanded, not judgmental, not condemning – just loving acceptance of our friend’s question.

    Let’s close where we started, repeating our text source, but this time with a different translation, the Berean Standard Bible:

    “But in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give a defense to everyone who asks you the reason for the hope that is in you. But respond with gentleness and respect.” – 1 Peter 3:15 BSB

    FINAL WORDS

    HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY to share your faith – and praying that God will give you those opportunities – should be a way of life for each of us.

    CLOSING QUESTION: I ask myself, “Is sharing my faith a way of life for me? Let me ask you: Is sharing your faith a way of life for you?

    Living out the Gospel is not enough. Being a good person is not enough. Smiling often is not enough. Neither is saying “please” and “thank you,” although those are desirable traits.

    We need to back up our actions, our lives, with words of affirmation; otherwise, we are stealing God’s glory and claiming it for our own.

    Here’s how God says it:

    “How then will they call on him in who they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’” – Romans 10:14-15 ESV

    Instead of the word “preach,” we can easily substitute the word “share.” So, how will someone believe without hearing, and how will someone hear without someone sharing?

    That person who shares could be you.

    That someone that God has placed in your life could be waiting for you to share your testimony, your defense (or apologia) for the hope and joy you feel in your heart.

    Just remember, when you do, share the Word with love and gentleness.

    PRAYER

    OUR HEAVENLY FATHER, our Abba, our Daddy – We are so grateful for the blessings you shower on us. We want to share our faith with others, as they express an interest in listening, so please help us prepare to share a brief testimony about our lives, to tell others what God has done for us. Then, mighty Lord and Savior, please give us the opportunity to share what God has done for us. Once we’ve prepared, give us the opening. In Jesus’ name. AMEN

  • MILITARY FORCE: Christ’s Church Seeks God’s Wisdom

    CHRISTIAN MESSAGE

    By WARD PIMLEY

    Pastor, Journalist, Author

    This blog has been devoted to Christian meditations, but this is a first step in broadening its reach to topical issues.

    These discussions will be based on biblical principles as our Christian faith should inform our positions and viewpoints.

    So, here goes …

    COMPETING VIEWS

    EVERYONE IN THE WORLD knows of the recent “dust-up” between Israel and Iran and between Israel and Iran’s proxies — Houthis, Hamas, and Hezbollah — the three Hs. 

    The question is, from a Christian perspective, what should be the position of the United States? Should we as a country become involved in a military contribution on the side of Israel, and if so, to what extent?

    Let’s examine two possibilities: First, that Jesus preached non-violence, leading us to avoid unnecessary use of armed force. This view would emphasize using the bully pulpit, combining the pulpit’s teaching side with its preaching side. 

    This view would exhaust all “soft” policy, which is “statecraft” or negotiation, before engaging in “hard” policy, which calls on military force as a last resort.

    “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” – James‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬ ‭ESV‬‬
    “For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” – Proverbs 2:6 NKJV

    The chief alternative considers the biblical response to evil. In the Old Testament, the Jews were to wipe out the natives in the Promised Land because God’s patience with them and their evil had worn out. He was imposing judgment on them.

    In Revelation, we see Jesus will wipe away all evil with just the spoken word – His Word, not ours – as He rides on a white horse from Heaven to take His throne in Jerusalem to reign over the land in the Millennium.

    The account of three battles in Revelation – Gog and Magog, Armageddon, and the final, unnamed battle, will spill tons of blood as God eradicates evil from the world.

    God’s wrath is righteous anger, while ours often is self-centered and harmful to community.

    So, how would we settle this discussion? Engage militarily or speak our truth into the storm?

    SPEAKING BOLDLY

    BOTH VIEWPOINTS have merit, but one point this column would make is that whichever course the church takes, it should speak boldly and without compromise. 

    How then can the church speak conflicting viewpoints boldly and without compromise?

    All such questions can be answered via the same formula: walk with the Lord, seek His counsel, read His Word, pray to Him, and seek His face. As we draw closer to Him, He will draw closer to us and reveal His answer.

    Let us as the church never chart any course without first seeking the Lord’s face and asking for His counsel. We should not ask Him to bless whatever it is we decide.

    This column questions how many in the church universal are seeking His face, turning to Him for His answer rather than asking Him to bless their answer.

    The view of this column is that the U.S. should make strong statements in support of Israel and its right to exist and that Israel is to own the land given to it by God. That includes Gaza, the Golan Heights, and Lebanon. 

    This column also believes the U.S. should bless Israel and support Israel through military might and that the bombing of Iran’s nuclear reactor sites was proper and in line with God’s declaration of support for the Jewish people.

    SEEKING HIS FACE

    MORE IMPORTANTLY than making a one-time decision is the process by which we continually seek God’s answers to our questions. 

    Let us as the church never chart any course ourselves without first seeking the Lord’s face and then asking Him to bless whatever it is we decide.

    This column is clear that the U.S. took the right course in bombing Iran’s nuclear facilities and then seeking a peace settlement, but at no time does this column end the process of seeking God’s face.

    We should always be humble, come together in prayer, learn from one another, and follow God’s lead as we understand it.

    We might well find that as we do so, God will reveal more of His commandment to us such that we will mold our response in some way, much like sanding a block of wood makes the block more aesthetic, easier to handle, and more useful.

    PRAYER

    ALMIGHTY GOD, PRINCE OF PEACE,

    You are both the Lion and the Lamb, 

    the conquering warrior and the humble sacrifice.

    Lead us into making the right decisions in all matters of public policy, that we as a church may represent You in truth and honor, according to Your desires, not according to our own.

    Lord, we bless You and thank You, we praise You and we worship You.

    In Jesus’ name we lift this prayer.

    AMEN

  • 1 PETER 2: We Are A Chosen People

    “Come to the Lord, the living stone rejected by people as worthless but chosen by God as valuable.” – 1 PETER 2:4 GNT

    “But you are a chosen people, royal priests, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession. You were chosen to tell about the wonderful acts of God, who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” – 1 PETER 2:9 NCV

    CHRISTIAN MESSAGE

    By WARD PIMLEY

    Pastor, Journalist, Author

    THE APOSTLE PETER mentions “chosen” three times in our passage: the first time, He references His Son; the next two times, He references us.

    1. Chosen by God as valuable.
    2. Chosen to be royal priests/holy nation.
    3. Chosen to tell others the Good News.

    That word “chosen” is key to understanding 1 Peter 2 because God, through His servant Peter, reminds us that He has “chosen” us.

    In fact, in Genesis, Chater 1 Verse 28, God chose us to be collaborators with Him in rendering *dominion* over the fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every living thing that creeps on the earth.

    Genesis 1:27-28 (ESV) So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

    Please keep in mind that as we exegete 1 Peter 2, we can appreciate why God puts up with us, why He has redeemed us through His Son. He has *chosen* us and still *chooses* us to be in partnership with Him and in fellowship with each other.

    Keep in mind, also, that in our first text verse, the apostle says that Jesus is the *living stone* chosen by God to be valuable, even though His people rejected their Messiah, even though most people even today reject the Messiah.

    That word *chosen* is the key word in 1 Peter 2.

    1 Peter 2 verses 1-3 (1st segment)

    “So, put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.” – 1 Peter 2:1 ESV

    In your identity as a follower of Jesus Christ, as a true believer that He is the Messiah, the Second Person of the Tripartite Trinity, here are some descriptions – or indicators – of how you should live. This list comes to us from God through Peter. This is God’s list, not Peter’s list. Peter was the instrument, but God was the author.

    Rid yourself of:

    • Malice
    • Deceit
    • Hypocrisy
    • Envy
    • Slander

    Replace them with: Pure Milk of the Word – so, like a baby grows through life into an adult, you may grow in your spiritual life to become one who …

    • Is a mature Christian, 
    • Draws confidence from his/her walk with the Lord,
    • Can withstand spiritual conflict (warfare),
    • Will witness in word and deed for the Lord Jesus Christ, and
    • Honors Fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

    1 Peter 2 verses 4-8 (2nd segment)

    “Come to the Lord, the living stone rejected by people as worthless but chosen by God as valuable.” – 1 Peter 2:4 NCV

    Peter then describes believers as “living stones” who are being built – or fashioned by God – into a spiritual house. That house, or structure, features Jesus Christ as the “cornerstone,” the building block upon which the house is built and stands.

    What you’ll see as a believer is that much of the world will not respect your beliefs but will consider you to be their enemy: you will be labeled a ‘hater’ or a ‘bigot’ because you believe what God tells us through His Word (the Bible), which differs from what the world teaches.

    The world holds “human reason” to be the god of gods; Christians hold God’s Word to be God. 

    So, we believe …

    • God when He said He created two genders, not 57 of them.
    • Men should protect women and provide for them, and, in turn, women should respect men and encourage them for the burden of care God has placed on men.
    • We should protect the lives of the unborn, considering them human, with separate DNA from their mother, and conceived with God’s blessing.
    • We should share the peace and joy God has placed on our hearts instead of the rancor, self-centeredness, and striving for material gain that mars the lives of unsurrendered hearts.

    You will, by your life and word, prove the world’s lie as to what is true and good and perfect versus what is not. 

    The Bible tells us not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. – Romans 12:2 NKJV

    1 Peter 2 verses 9-10 (3rd segment)

    “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” – 1 Peter 2:9-10 ESV

    Peter identifies the church as a “chosen people, royal priesthood, holy nation, God’s special possession,” called out of darkness into God’s marvelous light. 

    This means that, as the song Amazing Grace so eloquently points out: “once we were lost but now we’re found, were blind but now we see.”

    In the OT, God says that those who did not know Him (Gentiles) would come to know Him, those who were “not my people” (unbelievers) would become known as “my people,” and I will be their God. 

    God is both a God of “inclusion” and of “exclusion.”

    • INCLUSION – His invitation is open to all to receive.
    • EXCLUSION – His reward excludes those who reject Him.

    When we did not know God, we were not recipients of His mercy; now, in Christ, we walk in fellowship with the Lord, and we do receive His mercy.

    1 Peter 2 verses 11-12 (4th segment)

    “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.” – 1 Peter 2:11-12 ESV

    This passage calls us to recognize that we are to be *salt and light* to the world – that most of the world is populated by unbelievers. With our new identity in Christ as Christ followers, we are *called* by God to live honorable lives, reflecting God’s glory through good deeds. 

    Those good deeds should be delivered in love, in compassion, in humility, in good humor, in grace – not begrudgingly and not condescendingly.

    That means we should not consider ourselves somehow *better* than someone else. We are *forgiven,* not *perfect*. We are simply doing our jobs as faithful servants. We are just doing what God expects of us.

    In short, we are to *be Jesus* to the people we meet. We might be the only representative of Jesus many of them have seen in a long time or ever will see.

    1 Peter 2 verses 13-20 (5th segment)

    “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish evildoers. For this is the will of God.” – 1 Peter 2:13 ESV

    Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood (of believers). Honor the emperor. We are to be obedient to government, pay our taxes, obey the laws, educate ourselves before voting, recognize the rights of others to express themselves, and obey traffic laws.

    God instituted civil government for our sakes, to maintain order and punish the unruly. We are called to respect our leaders as long as they govern wisely.

    Unfortunately, most of them do not, and most countries are led by unelected strong men. Even our own leaders often veer from God’s wisdom. We are to pray for their hearts and minds, to follow the Lord’s will.

    As such, we also are called to speak into the culture. As Christians, our voices should be loud whenever our leaders take us down the wrong road.

    Now, there are some Christians who believe we should be silent about temporal affairs, focusing solely on spiritual matters. They believe the temporal – earthly matters – are distasteful and beneath them. We might call that the *monastery* view.

    I disagree. Notice, I said “I.” My view. I am part of the Christian tradition that believes we should lead by our actions and speak into the culture, as well. Maybe we’ll call that the *involved* view.

    We ought to call out the abortionists, the proponents of homosexuality, the transgenderism, and other atrocities that mar our current culture. Our forebears in the pulpit and the church members called out slavery, as the evil it was. 

    Slavery still is evil. We have 300,000 unclaimed migrant children that have poured into our country in recent years, and we have no idea where they are. The church, led by the pulpit, should not remain quiet. 

    The Lord says we are to shine a light into the dark world. How do we obey Him if we remain silent in the face of evil?

    The Rev. Franklin Graham says we should pray for our country’s leaders at all levels of government – national, state, and local – as well as school boards and committees, so that we will be governed by men and women of deep faith, so those functions are not dominated by unbelievers.

    1 Peter 2 verses 21-25 (6th segment)

    “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.” – 1 Peter 2:22 ESV

    “When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” – 1 Peter 2:23-25 ESV

    Peter continues his reference to Jesus Christ as a model for our behavior. The apostle described the Lord’s suffering not as a defeat for Him personally nor for the church and Christ’s mission but as a success.

    A success. Let that linger a bit. Christ’s suffering for our sake was a success. It fulfilled the Father’s goal of providing a way for sinful man to enjoy fellowship with His creator. 

    Jesus was born in human form and lived among us to become the perfect sacrifice for our sins. He came to die on the cross. Had we not sinned and strayed from God’s will for our lives, there would have been no need for Him to suffer and die.

    We caused the reason for Jesus to visit Earth in human form. 

    We caused the reason for Jesus to die on the cross. We put Him in the manger; we put Him before the Jewish and Roman courts, we put Him on the cross, and we put Him in the grave … yet He rose from the grave, defeating death for our benefit.

    Seven hundred (700) years before Christ, the prophet Isaiah (53:5 NKJV) prophesized with these words: “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.”

    CLOSING WORDS

    Since we are chosen by God to be His possession, shouldn’t we be willing, also – eager, even – to fulfill (obey) His call on our lives to (1) believe in Him for our salvation and then (2) tell others about it. 

    We do not need to be knowledgeable about the Bible, just be prepared to give a short testimony of how God has changed our lives. 

    (FOR EXAMPLE: I used to have a problem with alcohol; now I’m sober. I used to have anger issues. I’m more patient now. I used to chase everything in a skirt [or flirt with every man], but now I’m focused on my wife/husband or special loved one. I used to cuss without blushing; now I’m more encouraging.)

    That’s it. Then be ready to say, when prompted, “This is what God has done for me, and He can do it for you, too.”

    CONCLUSION: We should pray for:

    (1) the opportunity to witness, 

    (2) the right words to say, and 

    (3) willing hearts to listen.

    Then, you’re done!

    Let the Holy Spirit do the heavy lifting.

    PRAYER

    LORD GOD, we thank You for Your grace and mercy. Please forgive us when we fail to follow Your lead, when we do not act like a people chosen by God to be salt and light. Strengthen us, O Lord, to be “Jesus” to a world hungry for answers — answers that only You can give. We honor You; we praise You; we worship You. AMEN

  • 1 PETER 1 – A Message of Hope for a Discouraged People

    CHRISTIAN MESSAGE

    By WARD PIMLEY

    Pastor, Journalist, Author

    • Do you ever think about the promises God has made to us about an eternal kingdom in Heaven? 
    • Do you ever wonder what it takes to qualify, to pass the *entry* test, to get into Heaven? 
    • Do you ever worry that your salvation is not secure, that when you prayed the Sinner’s Prayer, God wasn’t listening, or if He was, you could *backslide* and lose His favor? 
    • If your answer to any of those questions is “yes,” or even if you’re not sure what your answer is, then today’s message is for you. 
    • Fasten your pew belts, church. We’re about to take a ride into the most important promise God makes in the Bible – our salvation and its security. 

    Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In God’s great mercy, He has caused us to be born again into a living hope, because Jesus Christ rose from the dead. – 1 Peter 1:3 NCV

    THE BIBLE REMINDS US that through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, God has caused those of us who believe in Him to be born again; as a result, He has promised us an eternal inheritance with Him in Heaven.

    WHAT CAN WE SAY ABOUT HEAVEN?

    This will be a place where sadness and sickness and accidents and pain and discord and jealousy and all the other ills of our current lives will be taken away. 

    New bodies, right! New minds! New spirits!

    Yet, we’ll still be “us,” with our emotions, our memories, our individual likes and skills, and our “circle” of family and friends, as well as our desire to meet new people, some of them from other parts of the world or who lived at a far different time in human history from us.

    WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO MEET?

    Who do you want to meet from the past? What questions would you like to ask that person? 

    • How about asking Sarah what it was like to have a baby at the age of 90? 
    • Or maybe ask Isaac what he was thinking when Father Abraham tied him to the offering pile, just before he heard the sacrificial lamb’s bleating? 
    • Maybe you want to peer into David’s heart when he realized Bathsheba was pregnant and he had her husband killed in war? 
    • Would you like a trip to the Lion’s Den with Daniel or being dumped into a vat of boiling oil with John, or face your own execution, like Paul and James, the half-brother of Jesus, or John’s brother James, the first apostle martyred. Or Peter and Andrew, also martyred. 
    • Maybe, like me, you long to talk with those who come to us from the future, who saw the completion of things we saw started, or who saw the development of new technologies that made our current knowledge seem so primitive. 

    WE’LL SEE GOD FACE-TO-FACE!

    HEAVEN WILL BE A PLACE of worship, of seeing God face-to-face, of sitting down with Jesus for a heart-to-heart talk. 

    Park your imagination on that spot for a while and do yourself a huge favor: pledge to go back to it frequently. It’s worth the trip. 

    In the place of all the evil that we experience in this world will be an oasis of peace and love and joy.

    How can you possibly go through this life without experiencing even for a few moments the sheer excitement of anticipating that glorious future God has prepared for us? 

    We will worship our Creator, we will enjoy fellowship with believers from the fullest extent of time, past and future, of every race, color, language, era – a sea of loving, compassionate, and faithful believers. 

    They – the world’s believers – will be our family and friends. 

    MY RESIDENCE 

    WE WILL ALL HAVE A RESIDENCE.

    Call it a “mansion” or a “room,” depending on your Bible translation. I like to think of it as an apartment or condominium. All the comforts of home without any outdoor maintenance.  

    As for eating, I don’t know. I’d like to know I could score a big breakfast readymade for me … as well as a dynamic dinner and an over-the-top Sunday mid-day brunch/buffet. 

    The rest of the meals I can fix for myself in my mansion – sandwiches, soup, crackers, potato chips, popcorn – nothing will be harmful for us. 

    There’ll be plenty of ice cream, maybe one of those soft-serve dispensers with 3 flavors – vanilla, chocolate, and flavor-of-the-month. 

    As for work, yes, I know our Creator values work, and frankly, I’m good with work. I’m also good with rest and relaxion; so, I guess I like plenty of both. 

    What about companionship?  

    Introverts don’t require as much companionship as extroverts do, but I imagine we’ll all have plenty of time to ourselves, just as we’ll have time to fellowship and enjoy the presence of other believers.   

    We’ll learn. We’ll learn about God, and we’ll have all of eternity to learn about Him, even if we never learn everything there is about Him.  

    PIVOT 

    ALL OF THIS is fine, you say, but what does any of that mean for me? How can I use any of what we might imagine Heaven will be like for my life now? How does this apply to my here-and-now? 

    The apostle Peter, in our text verse, encourages us with the reminder that through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, God has caused us to be born again; that is, for those of us who believe.

    2 Corinthian 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old is past; behold the new has come.” 

    That means we were “reborn,” or “remade,” our old, sinful selves replaced with new selves through the blood of Jesus. Our new selves still sin, but we don’t live steeped in sin; we’re no longer slaves to sin, but we strive, with His help, to live without sin. 

    As a result of this new birth, we, as believers, are promised an eternal inheritance reserved for us in Heaven.  That’s only for those who believe.  

    The Bible says … 

    • God planned long ago to choose you by making you his holy people, which is the Spirit’s work. God wanted you to obey him and to be made clean by the blood of the death of Jesus Christ. Grace and peace be yours more and more.  – 1 Peter 1:2 NCV
    • There are many rooms in my Father’s house. I would not tell you this, unless it were true. I am going there to prepare a place for each of you. After I have done this, I will come back and take you with me. Then we will be together.  – John 14:2-3 CEV 
    • Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. – Ephesians 4:30 NASB 
    • He has also put His seal on us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a down payment. – 2 Corinthians 1:22 CSB 
    • And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. – 1 John 5:11-12 NIV 

    We know that the term “down payment” means a good faith offering that seals the promise of future payment for the desired good or service. 

    MORE TO THE STORY

    BUT WAIT! There’s more! 

    GOD says our earth-bound lives are not the whole story.  

    There is much more for us, and it will be glorious! God does not give us many details about Heaven, but He does tell us in Eph. 3:20, and other places, that our lives with Him will be better and more rewarding than we could ever imagine.  

    WHY DOESN’T GOD GIVE US MORE DETAIL? 

    Could this be the answer?

    1. The secret things belong to the Lord our God. – Deuteronomy 29:29a ESV
    2. It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority. – Acts 1:7 BSB

    When the apostles/disciples asked Jesus if this was when He would restore the kingdom to Israel, He said, “NO.”

    >You have a job to do in this world. You are to leave the end times stuff to My Father in Heaven, and you carry the Word to your neighbors, your surrounding region, and to the ends of the earth. My Father will take care of the rest.<

    Perhaps God knew that giving us more information about Heaven would be like telling a young child, who needs to eat his dinner first, what dessert will be. The child’s attention will shift from the vegetables to the ice cream, and that is not the mother’s intent.

    Revelation 21 and 22 give us a brief description of the New Heaven and the New Earth:

    • Crystal-clear streets of fine gold, 
    • Precious stones along the walls,  
    • Gates and pillars with the names of the 12 Apostles and the 12 Patriarchs,  
    • Everlasting light of Jesus,  
    • Worship with the saints, along with angels and the four living things,  
    • The gates will never be closed. 

    Randy Alcorn in his book Heaven says we’ll be ourselves with our personalities and our memories – without our memories we wouldn’t be ourselves, would we? We wouldn’t recognize anyone because we wouldn’t know them.  

    So, we’ll know who we are and who others are.

    Our bodies will be young and healthy, yet we’ll still – somehow – recognize everyone, even those we only knew when they were old or sick. Children who die before maturity will grow to adulthood, and babies who were aborted might well be present. 

    We’ll have our individual skills. If you could play the piano on earth, you should be able to play the piano even better in heaven. Let’s hope so, anyway. If you don’t know how to play the piano, you’ll have all of Eternity to learn. 

     CLOSING WORDS

    YES, TODAY WILL BRING with it many moments of joy, of peace, of kindness, of pleasantness – but today also will bring reminders of our loss, the loss that became our heritage in the Garden of Eden. God did not create this world to be experienced the way we experience it. 

    Remember, we – in the persons of our ancestors, Adam and Eve – defied God by tasting the forbidden fruit. God told us there would be consequences if we disobeyed him. We did it, anyway, and we experience that punishment every day.  

    You remember when Jesus cried? It’s in the Bible. John 11:35. “Jesus wept.” (See also Luke 19:41-42 ESV.) Why do you suppose He wept? 

    Perhaps for at least three reasons: 

    • He felt a personal sorrow for the loss of His friend Lazarus.
    • He felt the sorrow experienced by Lazarus’ two sisters, Mary and Martha, who also were friends of Jesus. 
    • He felt sorrow for the heartache of humanity’s self-inflected grief. 

    The Good News is that God sees our pain and our hopeless condition, and He has promised us a Savior – Jesus the Christ – who paid the penalty for our sin, which satisfied God’s wrath so He could restore us to full fellowship with Him. 

    The Bible reassures us by emphasizing God’s faithfulness, even when we are faithless; He fulfills His promises, even when we break ours. 

    God keeps His promises. You will not lose your salvation. The biggest reason? Because you did not earn it. God gave it to you as a gift. This gift is because of His grace and His desire that you will live in Eternity with Him. 

    PRAYER

    Thank You, Lord, for Your goodness, Your grace, Your mercy, and Your love. We deserve none of it, but we are grateful, eternally grateful, for all of it. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

  • FINDING SPIRITUAL STRENGTH: Lessons Drawn From 1 Peter 1

    Christian Message

    By WARD PIMLEY

    Pastor, Journalist, Author

    1 Peter 1 is a message of hope.

    God used the life witness of the Apostle Peter, and his words in this letter, to provide encouragement to First Century Christians, who were facing torture, beatings, ostracism, and even death for practicing their faith.

    God is using the same words to encourage believers in the Twenty-First Century to keep us faithful as we journey through our own burdens.

    We do not need to be defeated by our cares, pains, worries, disappointments, or discouragement.

    God

    Peter wrote his letter to the dispersed church when early believers faced persecution for their new faith, which taught that the Jewish Messiah had arrived at the time and place prophesied in the Person of Jesus.

    This new teaching was designed to give men and women hope for a better life, even if that better life was not on Earth but in Heaven.

    Even though life in modern Western countries is relatively tame and comfortable, God’s words through Peter’s writing give men and women comfort today, as well.

    However, please remember, the special blessing of salvation is accorded only to those who accept Jesus as the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

    In this lesson, we focus on Chapter 1 and five lessons we can draw from Peter’s writing.

    FIRST POINT: Heaven Awaits

    “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In God’s great mercy, He has caused us to be born again into a living hope, because Jesus Christ rose from the dead. – 1 Peter 1:3 NCV

    SUMMARY SENTENCE: The Bible reminds us that through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, God has caused those of us who believe in Him to be born again; as a result, He has promised us an eternal inheritance with Him in Heaven.

    First Century Christians faced persecution, torture, even death. Peter wrote to encourage them by giving them a guaranteed vision of a better future, in Heaven.

    That guarantee was based on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

    LESSON: We also face trials and tribulations, but “better days” await us; if not here, then in Heaven.

    SECOND POINT: Battling Regret

    “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials … yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.” – 1 Peter 1:8 BSB

    SUMMARY SENTENCE: God assures us through the Apostle Peter that He wants only good things for His children, and so the primary goal of His calling on our lives is not to grant us our every wish but to prepare us for glory, for an eternity with Him.

    Life doesn’t always work out the way we want it to.

    God wants us to keep our focus on Him, not on ourselves.

    That promise sustains us through our troubles.

    Jesus told us that same point when He urged us to take heart because He has overcome the world.

    This Earth is not our home, just our temporary residence. Our eternal home is where we go after our lives here are over.

    • Heaven
    • Hell

    LESSON: We rejoice through our troubles. For a short time, if necessary, we may suffer grief, but God is with us, giving us hope. The Bible says our trials, as we go through them successfully, make us stronger in our faith.

    THIRD POINT: Our Time

    “Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him … now that you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” – 1 Peter 1:8a-9 BSB

    SUMMARY SENTENCE: Our test of faith as Christ followers is to believe that Jesus Christ is who He said He is, even though we have not seen Him in bodily form.

    Who did He say He is?

    The Son of Man

    – The Son of God

    – The Messiah

    – Our Redeemer

    – Our Savior.

    LESSON: The Lord has made His presence known through His creation; that creation not only includes the universe, but all life, including us! We are His creation.

    FOURTH POINT: Always Relevant

    “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because ‘All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away, But the word of the Lord endures forever.’ Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.” – 1 Peter 1:22-25 NKJV

    SUMMARY SENTENCE: God’s Word is universal and eternal. As such, it is as fresh, active, and relevant today as it was yesterday and 2,000 to 3,000 years ago, when it was written. No church should distort that Word to make it “relevant” or “fit in” with secular culture. His Word will remain just as relevant tomorrow.

    Peter reminds us that, as believers, our souls have been transformed from corruptible seed to incorruptible.

    LESSON: We are encouraged to avoid false teaching and keep our focus on God’s promise of a glorious future with Him.

    FIFTH POINT: Holy Trinity

    “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ: To those chosen, living as exiles dispersed abroad … according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient and to be sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ. May grace and peace be multiplied to you.” – 1 Peter 1:1-2 CSB

    SUMMARY SENTENCE: Peter references the Holy Trinity to a people conditioned to believe in the unity or oneness of God.

    We might miss Peter’s reference to the Trinity if we glide quickly over the text. Here is how he defines it:

    1. Foreknowledge of God the Father,
    2. Sanctifying work of the [Holy] Spirit,
    3. Sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ.

    TRANSLATION: God the Father knows the future; God the Holy Spirit guides us [teaches us]; and God the Son cleanses us [forgives or purifies] with His shed blood.

    Together, the Three-in-One God:

    1. Knows us
    2. Grows us
    3. Forgives us
    4. Prepares us — for eternity with Him.

    LESSON: We are a chosen people, and those of us who have come to believe God is who He says He is, and that His promises are solid, are promised eternal life. You can bet your life on that – your eternal life.

    CLOSING WORDS

    That is the message of hope brought to us in 1 Peter 1.

    God used this letter of the Apostle Peter to give encouragement to First Century believers, who faced torture and death.

    God uses those same words to encourage Twenty First Century believers through our life trials.

    Our study of 1 Peter 1 shows us that:

    • God promises us better days ahead (Heaven)
    • We should keep our focus not on ourselves but on our Lord
    • We are blessed to believe Him even though we have not seen Him
    • We can rest confidently in God’s promises
    • Why? Because His Word is eternal, universal, and relevant to the time … and will remain eternal, universal, and relevant right up until the day Jesus returns.

    Believe it … and be blessed.

    ~PRAYER~

    HOLY FATHER, Our Redeemer – We come to You this day – and every day – confessing our weakness, confessing our sin nature, confessing how lost we are. We are like sheep without a Shepherd.

    Lead us, Lord, into humility so we will admit to our sin, pray to You and seek Your face. Lord, we lay claim to Your promise that if we do those things, You will honor our prayers by forgiving us and healing us.

    May those of us who need to turn our lives over to Your hands and have not done so, do so now; and may those of us who have turned our lives over to You be encouraged and energized in renewal of our faith and our commitment.

    We thank You, Lord, for Your many blessings on us ~ many of which we don’t even know ~ but we know You are a good God who loves to give good gifts to His children.

    In our gratitude, Lord, we ask that You strengthen us to be salt and light to a disbelieving world hungry for Your presence.

    We lift this prayer in Jesus’ name. AMEN

  • GRACE CONNECTS SALVATION WITH PRAYER

    Subscribe to continue reading

    Subscribe to get access to the rest of this post and other subscriber-only content.

  • FAITH MEETS FICTION: COMPLETING THREE CHRISTIAN NOVELS

    How many of us have a dream to follow … someday … but someday never comes? Well, perhaps my *someday* is here!

    CHRISTIAN MESSAGE

    BY WARD PIMLEY

    Pastor, Journalist, Author

    OVER THE YEARS, I’ve dabbled in writing fiction — a few short stories but mostly novels. My first attempt at writing a novel  was in elementary school. Since then, I’ve taken a stab or two, but never completed a project. 

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DUDE!

    That has changed over the last two years, as I’ve completed three novels that had been occupying space on my computer’s hard drive. 

    The difference? I’ve decided to go for it without regard to anyone’s response. Why not? This is my life, and I want to enjoy the challenge and the privilege of completing this dream.

    All three novels have undergone tremendous refinement. While the years passed and the novels lay dormant, I became a born-again believer in Jesus Christ, which led me to redefine my characters and change the story flow, while still maintaining the tension and suspense of the original story.

    Oh, and I needed to trim each of them significantly to stay within an 85,000-word limit expected of a novice novel-writer.

    ~THREE NOVELS~

    SO, NOW I’VE COMPLETED three novels. They’re ready for a publishing agent and, should that fail, find their way to e-publishing.

    Since every story is a love story, my three books also are love stories, but with twists. Two of them are set against a Washington political backdrop, while the third focuses on fatherhood, divorce, and reconciliation.

    The two political books  — Beware of Liars and If Not For You — are part of a series featuring a congressman from Rhode Island and a congresswoman from Nevada who butt heads politically while fighting demons from personal tragedy and navigating their difficult relationship.

    The third novel — At Last — is written from a first-person perspective. The lead character is a journalist-turned-magazine writer, who becomes suspect number one in a murder investigation while trying to restart his career and unexpectedly care for his young daughter after her mother — his ex-wife — is hospitalized in an auto accident.

    Each of the three novels has something special for the Christian reader and, hopefully, a compelling testimony for the not-yet Christian who seeks better answers for life’s deepest questions than those the world offers.

    ~LIFELONG DESIRE~

    FOR YEARS, I HAVE WANTED to write fiction. That’s not unusual. God created us in His image, and the first thing we read about God is that … He created! (Gen. 1:1)

    PURSUING A DREAM

    Yes, it’s like the woman who nurtures her rose garden or expertly crafts gourmet pies, or the man who busies himself with wood-working, or anyone who dances, sings, plays an instrument, writes music, paints landscapes, photographs the sea, or dashes off sonnets or plays.

    Mostly, in writing, I enjoyed creating characters with distinct personalities and speaking styles and then molding them into action scenes where the reader feels he/she is in the room with them.

    I love my characters!!

    My next project — Lord willing — is to create a three-part novella series centering on one or two main characters and featuring a variety of secondary characters taking turns staring in sub-plots.

    The idea is once a reader enjoys one of the books, he/she is more likely to show an interest in the other two, especially if they can be read in any order.

    Plus, for me as the author, I get to watch my characters maneuver their way through different situations — some of them difficult, some embarrassing, some humorous — but all of them, hopefully, recognizable to the reader. 

    ~BIBLICAL SUPPORT~

    THE HOLY BIBLE is replete with *dreams,* as God once used them to connect with His creation. It’s the imagination that God has instilled in us that has led mankind to invent machinery, technology, and pharmaceuticals, to discover new lands, minerals, galaxies, and nano-particles, and to “go where no man has gone before.” 

    GOD’S GRACE IS LOVE IN ACTION

    Whatever your dream is, especially if you haven’t found your “someday” yet, maybe ask yourself, “What’s holding me back?” We all have a boatload of excuses, but in the end, listening to those excuses only stops us.

    Our dreams are not accidental. We might assume God has placed them in our hearts along with eternity. 

    As long as those dreams honor God, finding that rainbow could be more than satisfying a personal desire … it also could be honoring God’s plan for our lives.

    FATHER GOD, thank You for giving us hearts of boldness, minds that long to create, and hands – and sometimes feet – that put action to those urges. We pray, Lord, in all we do, we’ll honor You. In Jesus’ name. AMEN

  • GOD’S WILL — Embracing a Relationship With God

    Our God left nothing to chance. He exists, and He wants us to know who He is. Moreover, He wants us to know His character and His plan for creation and for us, His people, whom He fashioned in His image.

    MESSAGE BY WARD PIMLEY

    “I know now that the Lord is greater than all other gods, because he rescued his people from the oppression of the proud Egyptians.” — Exodus 18:11 (NLT)

    “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” — John 17:3 (NIV)

     Who hasn’t woken up in the middle of a deep sleep — maybe that proverbial 3 am midpoint — and wondered in panic, “Where am I?” 

    In the light of day, that question often morphs into “Who am I?” and “Why am I?”

    Those questions, and others like them, have occupied the minds of nearly all of mankind since our earliest days, with some of the greatest minds spinning yarns as they attempt answers for themselves and for us.

    Often — most often — they are wrong. 

    Why?

    Because they leave out of their equation the Creator of everything, the God who spoke life and matter into being. He and He alone determines the correct answers to those questions.

    ~God Speaks~

    FOR GOD TO COMPLETE HIS PLAN, He has given us “general revelation,” which is God speaking to us through creation itself, the majesty of the world and the universe around us, even down to the smallest specks of stuff we can see only through the most powerful microscopes.

    For those of us who believe, He has given us something more. It’s called “special revelation,” and it’s the Word contained in the Holy Bible, interpreted for us by the Holy Spirit.

    Through the answers God has given us, we can draw comfort in knowing there is a Plan, written by a Creator of mighty power and incredible intelligence, who – fortunately for us – is loving, patient, forgiving, merciful, and grace-filled.

    Imagine the terror that would befall us if our God were angry, mean, and unforgiving.

    ~Man’s Stubborness~

    WHY, THEN, DO so many people turn away from God’s invitation to meet Him and enjoy a personal relationship with Him?

    Because we are stubborn.

    Somehow, in our self-importance, in our arrogance, we think we know better than God does how we should live our lives and what should occupy our time.

    When we do that, at some point, we might realize we chose wrongly. For the unfortunate, that point never comes; for others, it comes so late in life, there’s little they can do except enjoy a brief course correction.

    But for those who come to that point early in life, God’s radiance can guide their steps through the peaks and valleys that mark our days, leading them along the pathway set out for them by their Creator.

    ~FLICKERING LIGHTS~

    THEY ARE THE ONES who live the most fruitful lives. They are the ones we call on when we are mired in our own mess. They are God’s flickering lights showing us a straighter path.

    They walk with a self-confidence knowing a personal God is Sovereign and ruling from His throne; they know life’s battles have been won by the One on the throne; they can testify to the joy and peace God has given them in exchange for their faithfulness.

    That life is available to all of us, if we choose it.

    Just open your heart to a prayer like this one:

    “Lord God Almighty, I know I am a sinner in need of Your forgiveness. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son sent to die on the cross for my sins, and that by believing in Him, You will transform my soul and reward me with eternal life in Your presence. Lord, I want that. Come into my heart and save even me.”

    That’s all it takes, but you have to be genuine. If you are, the Holy Spirit will bath you with His presence and remake you into the image Your Creator designed you to be.

    O Happy Day!

    ~PRAYER~

    ALMIGHTY GOD, Our Lord and Savior — Thank You for loving us, for creating us and fashioning us in Your image, male and female, equal in worth but designed for different and complementary roles. Thank You for being a God that spreads joy and peace, patiece and kindness, faithfulness and peace. Lord, thank You for salvation. In Jesus’ name we lift this prayer. AMEN