Jesus, in His earthly ministry, did not talk to us about rest. He talked to us about our mission, our ministry, our witnessing—in short, our work.
MESSAGE BY WARD PIMLEY
IF YOU WERE TO ASK ME to describe a perfect week, or even a day, no doubt I would conjure up a restful spot, probably near the ocean with a bright sun and low humidity, and I would be lounging in a comfortable chair sipping a cool drink.
30s-SOMETHING COUPLE RELAXING BY THE LAKE
Oh, sure, there are varieties of that image; for example, a mountainside retreat overlooking a verdant valley, or an early morning with the Bible and a steaming hot cup of coffee, but even those are not much different from the first image.
In all three scenarios, I would be at rest.
Yet, Jesus, in His earthly ministry, did not talk to us about rest. He talked to us about our mission, our ministry, our witnessing—in short, our work.
We are to learn from Him and follow Him:
• Jesus replied, “My Father is always working, and so am I.” — John 5:17 (NLT)
• Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men. — Colossians 3:23 (NKJV)
• Let each person examine his own work, and then he can take pride in himself alone, and not compare himself with someone else. — Galatians 6:4 (CSB)
Henry Blackaby, in his book Experiencing God (Kindle edition, loc. 1767), put it this way:
“In Scripture, you never find God asking people to dream up what they want to do for Him. He never urges His people to set impressive goals and generate grand visions for Him and His kingdom.”
~WILLING SERVANTS~
IN FACT, IN SCRIPTURE, we find God TELLING people what He wants them to do.
Here’s King David looking for men to step up and pledge their allegiance to the Lord:
• 1 Chronicles 29:5b (NKJV): “Who [then] is willing to consecrate himself this day to the LORD?”
God is always on mission, and His mission is to reconcile a broken world of disobedient humans to Himself—-men and women created in His image for His glory, who in misguided pride, prefer to serve their own desires, not the Creator’s.
In the next verse, God gives us the response He expects:
• 1 Chronicles 29:6 (NKJV): “Then the leaders of the households, the leaders of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king’s work gave willingly.”
Don’t miss the key words “Gave willingly.” Not only did they give, which was what God wanted them to do, but they gave “willingly” from the heart.
~PRAYER FOR PEACE~
If you want the peace and joy that comes only from giving “willingly” to God’s design for your life, then would you join me in this prayer (or use similar words):
“LORD GOD, I am so lost. I feel an emptiness inside that I know only You can fill. Would You come into my heart and rescue me from myself and the world’s influence on my life. Lord, forgive me for how I’ve rejected You and gone my own way. I am a sinner lost in time, and I claim the promise that is mine when Christ took my sins upon Himself and suffered on the Cross for me. Lord, forgive me and give me new life.” AMEN
If you prayed that prayer (or one similar) and genuinely meant it, then Welcome to the Kingdom of God, your Creator and Sustainer!
From this day on, you are a new creature; the old has been washed away, replaced by the new.
To keep on the straight path, determine to do these things daily:
1) Read Your Bible.
2) Pray To God.
3) Fellowship With Other Believers.
GO TELL SOMEONE WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR YOU!
PRAYER
GOD’S HOLY WORD
HEAVENLY FATHER, WE THANK YOU for the gift of life through the shed blood of Your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We lift up those, Lord, who have come to You in trust for their salvation that they may know of Your unending love, Your unqualified forgiveness, and Your beneficial commands. Lord, we honor You, we praise You, we love You, and we worship You. In Jesus’ name.
THE BIBLE TELLS US that all who call on Jesus’ name and believe He is the Christ will be saved from eternal damnation, but it also tells us to receive Him as our Lord. Many who identify as Christian have received Him as Savior, but is He also their Lord?
MESSAGE BY WARD PIMLEY
THE ‘ALTAR CALL’ — Inviting those in worship to make a confession of faith in Jesus Christ and trust Him for their salvation — is one of the more emotionally fulfilling moments in a Christian worship service.
Image of lighted cross
The process rivals baptism — another public profession of faith — for its seriousness of purpose and determination of one’s eternal destination.
Philippians 2:9-11 (NKJV) “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
The Bible tells us that at the end of history, when God judges the world, all people, small and great, will recognize the Lordship of the Creator, even if they rejected that truth during their earthly lives.
Many people claim the mantel of “Christian.” Self-reporting data show some 2.2 billion individuals in the world declare themselves to be Christian, making it the world’s largest religious group, In addition, surveys show some 65-70 percent of Americans claim the mantel of “Christian.”
Watching new hearts walk down the aisles toward the receiving pastors and kneeling before the Cross to confess their need for Jesus as Savior is riveting and a cause for celebration.
Despite those staggering numbers, does anyone seriously see evidence, in either North America or the world at large, that Christianity is dominant in its influence?
If not, then what’s going on here?
‘NARROW’ PATH v. ‘BROAD’ PATH
ONE POSSIBILITY is that many people who claim to be “Christian” do not understand that it is more than a “cultural” designation, much like one is of English or German or Italian descent (or Nigerian or Japanese or Bolivian), or a host of other nationalities and ethnic groups.
To be a Christian is a conscious decision to receive the Holy Spirit into one’s heart by declaring the sin in their hearts, the truth of Jesus’ divinity and sacrifice on the Cross, and their need for His healing touch.
JESUS SAYS, “CHOOSE THE NARROW PATH.”
That process is called “justification,” or the cancellation of a debt paid in full.
Next, comes the process of “sanctification,” in which the saved individual grows in his or her walk with Jesus. This is the life-changing process by which the person becomes more like the Savior in word and deed.
It may well be, as Jesus points out, that too many people fail to take that second step.
In Matthew 7:13-14, He tells us there are two gates and two pathways in life: one is narrow, that leads to life; the other is broad, that leads to destruction. He warns us that only a few enter the narrow gate and live for Jesus, while most people enter the broad gate and live life on their own terms.
Most likely, our churches are filled with cultural Christians — those who identify as “Christian” because of the culture — and immature Christians — those who have been ‘justified’ but stopped short of “sanctification.”
JESUS IS BOTH LORD AND SAVIOR
JESUS WANTS TO BE both our SAVIOR and LORD.
In Luke 6:46, He laments that we call Him “Lord, Lord,” but fail to obey His commandments. In casual parlance, “we talk the talk, but we don’t walk the walk.”
Can you imagine how dynamic and vital the Christian-claiming world would be if we actually believed what we claim we believe and lived out the Gospel in our daily lives.
Romans 10:9 (GNT) “If you confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised him from death, you will be saved.”
Romans 10:10 (ESV) “For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”
Even with the modicum of faith that many Christians display, Christian influence has been significant: from the elevation of women’s status to equality with men, to building of hospitals and medical research, to the proliferation of science and systematic knowledge, to moral teachings to be in kind to others and lend help when others are hurting.
That’s with just the modicum of faith most Christians display. What could be earth-shattering if every Christian actually held Jesus not just as their Savior, and so will avoid eternal destruction, but also as Lord, and lived according to His commandments.
The altar call, wherever it is practiced, is a beautiful reminder of God’s promise of what He can do when His creation, who are called by His name, humble themselves, seek His face, pray, and repent of their sin. (2 Chronicles 7:14).
FATHER GOD, We confess we have drifted so far from You we don’t always take our faith walk as seriously as we ought to. Within our midst, O Lord, are fellow Christians who have not turned their lives over to Jesus as Lord but are content with calling Him their Savior. Help us to reach out to them in love with the truth and guide them toward maturity in their faith; and as we do so, O Lord, keep us from falling into the same trap. In Jesus’ name.
Whatever we’re afraid of controls us. So, to a large extent, we are controlled by our fears — fear of failure, fear of heights, fear of darkness. God promises us hearts of courage and self-confidence, but that requires us to trust Him, which involves another fear — losing control.
MESSAGE BY WARD PIMLEY
YEARS AGO, I WAS RECRUITED for a high-profile position to handle press and media outreach, but just before my interview, the recruiter blasted me with this revelation: “You do not show the level of self-confidence that someone with your skills and accomplishments should have. Am I wrong?”
GULP.
“No, you’re not wrong,” I replied, sheepishly, wondering how I had gotten myself into this mess.
Here I was being recruited by a benefactor to leave my temporary position for one with high-visibility that could leverage even greater opportunities … and before I had the interview with the hiring authority, even before my benefactor sat down for our pre-interview “pep” talk … he was telling me I needed to shape up … and quickly.
That incident, which took place more than 25 years ago, has haunted me since. (Also, I was not hired.)
The matter came up recently when a Christian brother, speaking harsh truth into my life, brought up the very same point! I hadn’t changed! I still was groveling about in self-deprecation, undermining whatever good qualities, energy, and determination I have, so that I underachieve.
Both men were saying, “We could use you; you could be an asset to our organization, but we’re concerned that when the going gets tough, you’ll shrink back into your cocoon. In other words: you’ll quit on yourself, and not be the asset you could be.”
~GOD’S CALLING~
IS THAT GOD’S CALL for our lives?
Not according to Scripture.
“Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9 (CSB)
God made a clear call to obedience, self-confidence, and courage when Joshua — who had been Moses’ understudy and deputy — was thrust into leadership of nearly three million Jews when Moses died.
Joshua’s job? Lead God’s chosen people into the Promised Land, property promised to Abraham’s descendants some 400 years earlier.
Not an easy task. To succeed, God needed Joshua to “buck up” and lead this unruly bunch. His words to Joshua have become a rallying cry for generations of leaders since then:
“Haven’t I commanded you; be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9 CSB
~ROYAL PRIESTHOOD~
GOD GOES SO FAR as to call us — those who call on His name — a “royal priesthood” and a “chosen people.” (1 Peter 2:9 NIV)
Pretty neat, isn’t it?
We’re talking the Creator of the Universe here, the Alpha and Omega of existence, from Everlasting to Everlasting, and He calls us to be His royal priesthood and chosen people, to be brave and courageous, to avoid being discouraged — He even commands it! — and assures us He’ll walk alongside us.
In the New Testament, the apostle Paul admonishes his young understudy, Timothy, to the same principle, to avoid giving into his fears and to strike out boldly, knowing the power of God is with Him.
“For God has not give us a spirit of fear,” Paul wrote, “but of power, love, and self-control.” (2 Timothy 1:7 BSB). The CSB calls it “sound judgment”: the NKJV says “sound mind,” and the NLT says “self-discipline.”
Whether your Bible says “self-control” or “sound judgment” or “sound mind” or “self-discipline” or even something else, it’s clear, isn’t it, that we’re called — commanded, even — by God, Himself, to break free from our crippling fears and embrace the power and confidence God is so eager to bestow on us.
~MAN’S RESPONSE~
THE MOST LIKELY outcome is to pay lip-service to the words of God’s assurance.
We nod our heads in acceptance, determine to do better from now on … and then, when the moment has passed, retreat into that familiar lair we’ve built for ourselves, most likely the one we constructed during our childhood and have been reinforcing ever since.
I know my lair is a comfortable spot. No one is allowed in to spoil the mood, and I can feel totally content, listening to the busyness of everyday life passing me by.
It’s not what God wants, and somewhere I can recognize it’s not what I want, either, but sometimes — maybe often — we choose the familiar over the beneficial.
Hiding from our fears for some of us is like an alcoholic taking a “quick drink” or an overweight individual making room for another piece of pie or a confirmed gambler convinced he’s just making the sporting event “a little more interesting.”
It’s an addiction, and as such, it cripples us. It keeps us rooted in one spot, far short of the goal line.
~GOD’S RESPONSE~
FORTUNATELY, GOD, in His love for us, provides the way out.
He reaches His hand toward us, beckoning us to reach back. As we begin to stretch our arms, we hear a voice … softly at first, then louder as we continue to stretch:
THE CROSS IS GOD’S ANSWER TO MAN’S SIN
“Fear not, for I am with you,” the Voice says. “Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you,” the Voice continues, growing louder, clearer, more distinct. “Yes, I will help you, I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10 NKJV)
At the moment our hands clasp, I can imagine His strength passing into my fingers, then trickling into my palm and wrist, and finally pouring into my arm and through my entire body.
His assurance is enough for me.
Paul apparently felt the same way:
“Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
Romans 7:24-25 (ESV)
~PRAYER~
FATHER GOD, we take our burdens to You and lay them at the foot of the Cross. We know Your love; we know Your call on our lives. Help us to reach out our hands and grasp Your extended hand in trust. In Jesus name, we pray.
Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed [are] those who have not seen and [yet] have believed.” And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. – John 20:29-31 (NKJV)
HAPPY EASTER! OUR CHRIST IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN, INDEED!
IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS TODAY, throughout the Christian world, Catholics, Protestants, and Evangelicals raised their voices in song and praise, proclaiming the resurrected life of their Savior, Jesus Christ, the Lord, who was and is the long-awaited Jewish Messiah.
While those of us who know the Lord praise His name and revel in the sheer joy that He exists and rose from the grave, sadly, most people in the world do not know Him.
Yes, many have heard of Him, but they don’t know Him. Sadly also, many have not heard of Him or have heard a false message about Him. As well, many have heard a false message about who we are – His followers.
The Jews do not believe He was the Messiah because He did not fulfill the Old Testament prophecies that spoke of His Second Advent. His coming this time was His First Advent, and they missed the message.
The Muslims do not believe He was the risen Christ because they do not accept our God. Mormons believe He was human. Jehovah’s Witnesses and Seventh Day Adventists all skirt around the Scripture, preaching a slightly different text that magnifies doctrinal errors.
Pagans abound around the world. Some of them follow Buddha or Confucius, some worship nature, some worship wealth and property, some worship political or economic power, some worship their accomplishments and possessions, and some worship themselves.
Today marks the Second Most Important Day in the Christian calendar, greater even than Christmas and second only to Pentecost, which marks the sending of the Holy Spirit, yet most of those who observe today as something special …
gathered Easter eggs,
opened packages of chocolate bunnies,
slept in late, or
played golf.
What most of them missed was church.
SADLY STILL, many, if not most, of those who trouped off to Easter church services today will not return to church until late December, when they’ll dutifully repeat the process, family in tow, for candlelight services and Christmas carols.
In both cases, tomorrow will be just another day in their 70- to 80-year romp through life, a largely meaningless journey without goal or purpose. The day after Easter is as barren for them as is the day after Christmas. The lights are put away; the gift wrappings are tossed; the sweaters are returned for designer jeans.
Fortunately for them and for the world, not everyone acts that way.
Recently, a friend said that without Jesus Christ in her life, her life was meaningless. I feel the same way. If we just exist, we both asked, what’s the point of it?
Are we nothing more than a chance coupling of random acts morphing and evolving over billions of years until we pop out of our mother’s wombs with these amazing bodies and minds – as just the result of a multitude of fortuitous transformations – without any design or purpose?
And if we do have a purpose, if, indeed, there is Intelligent Design behind all of this, then Who Is It and What Could That Mean for Our Lives?
The Bible – God’s Holy Word – tells us that God created the magnificence of nature and the universe to demonstrate His glory, [In the beginning, GOD], that we can’t help but marvel at even the sliver of understanding we have of the world we inhabit. … and that’s before we engage with the nano-world of items unseen and unknown without the latest most sophisticated magnifiers.
BUT JOY UPON JOY, all is not lost. God exists, He sent His Son to redeem us, His Son defeated death and Satan’s rebellion on this morning more than two millennia ago, and we are here this day to praise His name and give Him thanks.
Amen!!
The Rev. Franklin Graham said in his most recent Easter Message:
“Christ came for a purpose , and that was to save us from our sins. Jesus Christ came on a rescue mission to take our sins and to shed His blood, to die on the cross. He was buried for our sins. And on the third day, God raised His Son to life. And if you’re willing to accept this truth and surrender your life to the Lord, He will change you, cleanse you, forgive you, and give you a new beginning.”
Surely, we can appreciate the great sacrifice our Lord made to redeem us, to reclaim fellowship with His image creation, His imago dei. We can appreciate it far more readily than we can understand it.
There is so much about the Godly message of life and sin and redemption and forgiveness and salvation and sanctification and eternal life in Paradise — Heaven — that we cannot understand … yet God says we don’t have to understand it, we just need to trust Him, to believe in Him, and to let Him carry us along to glory with Him.
That’s what the Easter Message means, that God is victorious. That Satan was defeated, that life beats death, and that resurrection beats the cross.
SO, WHERE ARE YOU on this Easter Sunday, this glorious day of spring and new beginnings? Not where are you in your bodies – we’re all here in physical space, going through our daily paces. But where are you in your spiritual journey, in your walk with the living God?
Are you a drifter, occasionally dropping by to check the box that says you were in church, or are you a true believer, one who deeply and personally knows and loves the Lord Jesus Christ for who He is – the one who sacrificed all to save us from the peril we deserve and to ensure that we receive the gift of life none of us deserves – an eternity with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit – three Persons, one God.
If you have never taken the time or had the opportunity to confess your sins to Almighty God, who is waiting patiently for your confession and is eager to forgive, this is the time to change that. If you have made that confession, then this is the time to renew your commitment to the living Lord.
God told us in 2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
Pray with me, would you, as we invoke the name of Jesus to cover our sins and redeem our souls:
Almighty God, maker of Heaven and Earth, I confess that I’m a sinner in need of salvation and your saving grace. I believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sin, that He was resurrected from the grave, the first fruits of those who will join Him in Paradise, and that He loves me enough to forgive me, to pardon my sins, and to restore my fellowship with Him, both in this life as well as the life to come. O Lord, please accept my soul. Save even me. We ask this humbly in His precious name. AMEN
If you prayed that prayer for the first time and meant every word of it, then welcome into God’s Kingdom! If you prayed it before and simply recommitted your life to the Lord, then let’s resolve to be Jesus to those we meet along the way. Let’s let the eternal light shine through our actions and our words for His glory, and may we be counted among those who are ambassadors for Christ, even in our daily lives.
Today marks Easter Sunday 2024. Christ is Risen, and that glorious event changes everything – our lives were given meaning. For that, we worship Him, and we praise Him every day.
Christ is Risen! He is risen, indeed!
AMEN and AMEN
PRAYER AND BENEDICTION
WE THANK YOU, LORD, for Easter Sunday, the Resurrection of the Savior, and our redemption from sin.
Now, may …
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit [be] with you all. [2 Corinthians 13:14 (NKJV)]
YEARS AGO, I VOLUNTEERED to be a *mentor* for a minority individual interested in becoming a journalist. Through the program, I mentored two individuals — both Vietnamese.
“GO ON, I’M LISTENING.”
Before beginning our work, we were taught some basic strategies for mentoring. The first one — the most important one — was the Art of Listening.
That’s counter-intuitive, isn’t it, to the way most of us would consider the role of mentor.
We’d love to fill the air with our bon mots, our pearls of wisdom, as we talk down to the individual who, we believe, should be eternally grateful to have been assigned to our care.
Mais non, sugar-breath, that’s not at all how it works, despite our well-intentioned tendency to dominate the conversation.
As proper mentors, we need first to listen, to actually hear what our mentee is saying, as he/she expresses feelings or frustrations or makes observations or asks questions or even segues into a seemingly unrelated area of discourse.
When the mentor can build trust in the relationship, the mentee (don’t you just love that word?) can open up about deeper, more important issues.
REAL TRUST
THE LIFELONG BENEFIT of learning to listen in a mentoring situation carries over into our non-mentoring lives; in fact, into our daily conversations with our wives/husbands, our children/parents, our neighbors/friends/co-workers, and even casual strangers.
Jesus said: “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!”
Matt. 11:15 NLT
So, you’d think from what I’ve written here that I have mastered that lesson and employ it rigorously, taking in every morsel of observation, truth, fiction, humor, emotion, instruction, and whatever else comes my way with the serious intention it deserves.
If so, you would be wrong.
I don’t.
It’s not that I don’t believe I should or that I discount what others are saying, it’s just that my mind drifts, and I comfort myself in the warm cocoon of “Ward’s World,” my wife’s term for the insular world I’ve built around myself.
Yes, I can focus intently on messages, like sermons, teaching, and other items that speak seriously into my life; it’s just that everyday conversation tends to be — in my mind — largely pointless. I mean, how often can one comment on the weather?
CONNECTING POINT
CLASSES ON MENTORING tell us there are three types of mentoring:
“I HEAR YOU, BRO. LET’S PRAY.”
TOP DOWN, where the mentor helps, assists, teaches, encourages the mentee,
HORIZONTAL, where each partner is both mentor and mentee, sharing and encouraging one another, and
BOTTOM UP, where the mentee benefits from the loving attention of someone more experienced or skilled in a particular matter.
All of us can benefit from the second and third forms, and as we gain experience, we can benefit others through the first form.
To maximize effectiveness, in whichever form we find ourselves in a particular relationship, listening is the key trait, not just a key trait but the key trait.
It also is important in our other relationships, and it’s a lesson I would do well to take more seriously.
“Hmm, did you just say something? Go on, please. I’m listening.”
PRAYER
FATHER GOD, HELP ME TO LISTEN. Your Son told us to listen to His Words, that they will never fade away, and You have said Your Word will never come back to You void. You created our fellow men/women in Your image, and as imago dei, their words are important, even if we don’t think so in the moment. Those words are connecting links, ways of building community, and each of us needs to pay attention when someone addresses us, even if it’s to comment on the weather. Thank You, Father God, and now bless us to be a blessing to others, those You put in our lives. In the name of Jesus.
There, I said it. I’m not proud of that, but I am owning it.
Through our local church, I am taking a year-long series of courses under the rubric of “Leadership Development,” and one of our tasks is to identify key weaknesses.
Mine is being judgmental.
Another way of describing it is “sarcastic.” Other terms are “condescending” and “arrogant.”
Whoa! You can imagine how *excited* I was to learn that about myself. (Sarcasm)
If you took an assessment of your biggest faults — weaknesses, sins — whatever you call them, could you do it? I recently did an assessment and concluded I am too judgmental; so, with God’s help, I need to change.
Sarcasm could be family curse because I am not the only one in our clan that needs to make an adjustment, but we each travel alone when we make our assessments and seek to change.
I might be traveling alone here.
The Bible clearly condemns judgmentalism, so I can’t hang onto a lifeline of ambiguity in the sacred text or pass it off as so common a trait that “everyone” does it, as if that were an excuse.
No, I’m standing in the harsh light of God’s Word shining down on me, and I need to shake free from this curse if I want to be obedient to my Maker (which I do), let alone be a church leader.
~FREEING MYSELF~
SHAKING FREE of a harmful trait is not easy – in fact; it feels a lot like losing a close friend. If you’ve tried to make reforms in your life, and you probably have, then you know what I mean.
I am encouraging myself through prayer and Bible study, focusing intently on some of the verses that speak directly to me:
Psalms 141:3 (NASB20) Set a guard, LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.
James 3:8 ( NKJV) But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
Proverbs 13:3 (ESV) Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.
Matthew 12:36 (NIV) “I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.”
Luke 6:45b (NLT) “What you say flows from what is in your heart.”
The last two verses were from the Master, Himself, so they appear in red letters in my Bible and require serious attention.
~POSITIVE SIDE~
THE FLIP SIDE gives me more encouragement. While recognizing a negative trait that I need to curb, I also can focus on the benefits of a new spirit.
Ephesians 4:29 (NKJV) Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.
Proverbs 8:8 (BSB) All the words of my mouth are righteous; none are crooked or perverse.
Proverbs 15:4 (NASB20) A soothing tongue is a tree of life, But perversion in it crushes the spirit.
Luke 24:8 (ESV) And they remembered his words.
GIVING ENCOURAGEMENT
As I make progress along this journey, God can and will open more doors for me to witness to the change He has brought in my life since I first trusted Him for my salvation.
I’m eager to become an ambassador for Christ (2 Cor. 5:20), and I can do it only if I am obedient to His calling on my life.
He has placed the marker down. Now, it’s my turn to respond.
May I say, as did the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 6:8 (NKJV)):
“Here am I! Send me.”
~PRAYER~
FATHER GOD, You know my strengths and my weaknesses, how You can use me and ways I let You down. From this point on, Abba Father, mold me into the instrument You intended me to be from eternity past that I might become a true soldier of the cross, an ambassador for Christ, one of Your faithful and obedient servants. In the name of Jesus, AMEN
AS CHILDREN, we had these great dreams about what our lives would be like when we “got big,” as in becoming an adult. Funny thing, for most of us, it didn’t work out that way.
For example, I was sure I would be a Major League Baseball player. I even had my position picked out (first baseman) and my team (Pittsburgh Pirates).
If you’ve never heard of me, it’s probably because I never made it out of Little League, and I didn’t play first base there, either. Either I was a catcher or an outfielder. One time, I played third base, and that was a disaster! As I said, only once I played third base.
_________
1 John 5:4 (ESV)For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
1 Juan 5:4 (EM) Porque todo lo que ha nacido de Dios vence al mundo; y ésta es la victoria que ha vencido al mundo: nuestra fe.
_________
MANY OF OUR LIVES turn out that way, where our childhood dreams, so filled with wonder and color and imagination, often turn to dust as we age, gain some wrinkles and eventually gray hairs and maybe too much cellulite.
Sound dreary? It shouldn’t. Our world is a fallen world, and we have only ourselves to blame. We thought we knew better than God—in fact, many of our contemporaries still do—and we’re bearing the brunt of our conceit.
THERE IS GOOD NEWS, and the Good News is that God has promised us a better reward, something better to look forward to than your favorite dessert. (BTW, mine is vanilla ice cream over warmed peach cobbler.)
I’m far happier focusing on the eternal reward that awaits me.
So, who are the Overcomers?
The Bible tells us:
1 John 5:5 (LSB) “Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”
~PRAYER~
ABBA FATHER, Thank You for allowing us to be the overcomers, the ones who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. Help us share the message of hope and promise to those You place in our lives. In Jesus we pray. AMEN
Too often, we are our worst critics, condemning ourselves more harshly than others do, and dismissing our strong points as nothing special. That tendency is satanic and keeps us from being more productive.
Weekly Message by Ward Pimley
I HAVE TO ADMIT IT, I often heap abuse on myself for failing to be *perfect,* even when I *know* (i.e., have mental knowledge) that perfection is beyond human reach.
My Toughest Critic – Me!
I’m not alone in this regard. According to the Myers-Briggs personality profile, my profile type (INTJ) is more likely than other profile types to be self-abusive. We strive for perfection and demand accountability in others.
There is help, but in our (my) human pride, we tend to glaze over it, preferring to focus on the achievements of others and our tendency to underperform, at least by our own standards.
The Bible tells us — if we’ll let it speak to us — that we are helpless without the guidance and strength of the Holy Spirit. Here are some examples:
But my work seems so useless! I have spent my strength for nothing and to no purpose. Yet I leave it all in the LORD’s hand; I will trust God for my reward. — Isaiah 49:4 (NLT)
Do your own work well, and then you will have something to be proud of. But don’t compare yourself with others. We each must carry our own load. — Galatians 4-5 (CEV)
“If any remain in me and I remain in them, they produce much fruit. But without Me they can do nothing.” — John 15:5 (NET)
~WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?~
THE PROBLEM IS THIS: When we listen to the voice of the Evil One, we ignore the voice of the Holy Spirit. The Evil One will cause us to doubt God’s goodness, His love for us, His caring touch.
Instead, like Eve in the Garden (Genesis 3), we’ll convince ourselves that God does not have our best interests in mind and that, just perhaps, He’s “holding out on us.” Therefore, we reason, we must “follow your bliss,” as mythologist Joseph Campbell taught and, like Cream sang in Strange Brew, “do what’s inside of you.”
Then, we get into trouble.
With God’s help, we can change that dynamic.
~HERE’S AN EXAMPLE~
Recently, I wrote about following my dream (LoveAndGrace). I wanted to use the skills, training, and experience of being a newspaper reporter (journalist) to write novel-length fiction, creating characters and dialogue and movement and setting and storyline — all the things I was doing at work when reporting on real-life events.
I wrote about having started — and stopped — writing three novels. Two years ago, I began diligently to complete them. Since then, I’ve edited them severely — shrinking them to 85,000 words each and, more importantly, reflecting the Christian values I’ve come to embrace in the last decade as a born-again believer.
Okay, in this example, I am glad I had not finished the novels beforehand, because I would not want my pre-Christian heart and soul made public. Now, when I publish the novels, they’ll reflect the new creature God has created in me.
The point I’m making is that it only has been very recently that I’ve felt the self-confidence God wants me to experience so that I could complete the novels and contemplate writing more.
Being my inner critic prevented me from completing any of the novels. I just stared at them on my computer’s hard-drive.
~THE CATALYST~
WHAT CHANGED FOR ME is that God has given me a spirit of courage, replacing my spirit of fear. I am now willing to embrace my dream and go after a calling, unafraid of temporal rejection or lack of applause.
For the Spirit that God has given us does not make us timid; instead, his Spirit fills us with power, love, and self-control. — 2 Timothy 1:7 (GNT)
So we may boldly say: “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” — Hebrews 13:6 (NKJV)
I would like to say that this change in me came suddenly as the Holy Spirit entered my heart; but the truth is, this has been part of His sanctification process in slowly and methodically bringing me closer to Him. Also, the Lord has used the testimony of some dear brothers to speak this truth into my life.
But, wait! There I go again. The gift came from God, and I’m trying to grab credit for it, wishing I had come to this realization myself, by myself, on my own, and … apparently … for myself.
Not anymore. I want to embrace the new reality: God has transformed me and brought me into His embrace in His timing for His purpose.
Not anymore. I want to embrace the new reality: God has transformed me and brought me into His embrace in His timing for His purpose.
LoveAndGrace
This is what He tells me (and you):
PROVERBS 3:5-6 (NIV): “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
1 PETER 2:9 (NKJV): “But you [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
With those promises of God, how can we ever doubt His goodness toward us and therefore … in Him … our own worth as people of God?
PRAYER
FATHER GOD, We thank You for Your everlasting kindness, Your patience, and Your willingness to teach us how to be faithful and obedient sons and daughters of the King. All blessing, honor, and glory are Yours, O Lord, from everlasting to everlasting. AMEN and AMEN
OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST PROMISES TO RETURN. When He does, He will grant those who love Him their reward—eternal life with Him. Those who reject Him also will receive their reward—eternity without Him.
WEEKLY MESSAGE BY WARD PIMLEY
THE RAPTURE!
I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO THE RAPTURE!
Our Lord will come partway to Earth, and as the trumpet blasts, He’ll shout, “Come Up Here!”
JESUS CHRIST WILL RETURN FOR HIS CHURCH
All the believers alive at the time, and all the believers who’ve passed through this life, will hear His voice and rise to meet Him in the air, the dead in Christ first, then those alive at the time.
What an amazing scene to contemplate! Yes, it is exciting, even though God, in His wisdom, has purposed not to give us much information about the event.
Romans 8:19 (NKJV) For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.
Romans 8:19 (NKJV)
Just a few things I think about but have no information:
Will the dead in Christ be assembled according to geography, i.e., where they lived during their lives;
Will we be assembled according to era, i.e., when we lived;
Will we speak a common language; if so, which one – a current one or a brand new one? Will we become multi-lingual?
Will we wear robes, or our current garb, or something entirely new?
What will my “room” or “mansion” look like, and will it be tailored for my current tastes and desires, or will it meet needs and desires entirely different from what I want now;
How often will I see my loved ones — especially, my wife — and how will I react when I realize dear family members might not be joining me (that’s a euphemism, of course).
My list actually is much longer than this, and you probably have your own list.
Two Realities
I MENTION ALL OF THIS because we are faced with two realities, both of them valid: one the one hand, we have valuable biblical doctrine to guide our understanding of the Rapture and our eventual Eternal Home; while on the other hand, we have the natural human curiosity and wonder that God instilled in us at creation that prompt us to ask questions.
Yes, the Bible teaches us that the “secret things of God” belong solely to Him (Deuteronomy 29:29) and that many of the details are “not for us to know” (Acts 1:7), yet God did create us in His image, so naturally we are curious. He built that into us.
DOCTRINE:
While Jesus’ death on the Cross provides forgiveness of sin for all people—-past, present, and future—-only those who believe He is the Messiah, the Son of God, are His children (John 1:12; Rom. 8:14), and they alone will reap the benefit of eternal life with God (John 3:3). The rest will suffer for having rejected what the Bible calls “so great a salvation” (Heb. 2:3).
CURIOSITY:
Does everyone who ends up in Hell actually choose that destination, or were they not paying attention or falsely assumed they were *good enough* by their standards to warrant inclusion in Heaven? Will they regret their life choices, or will they remain convinced they chose wisely?
Approaching Event
WITH EACH PASSING DAY, we all come closer to that Moment of Truth, when the Lord returns to take some of us home while leaving the rest to struggle in a world of increasing evil and terror.
Jesus told us to “be prepared.” You can read about it in Matthew 25 (“The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins”). Matt. 25:1 (NKJV) says: “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.”
He relates a Jewish wedding festival in which the bridegroom leads a parade to the bride’s father’s house to claim his betrothed to begin their married life. Five of the bridesmaids were prepared and had stored enough oil for their lanterns, while the other five were not prepared and missed the celebration.
The haunting message to me is that the five “unprepared” virgins actually wanted to attend the joyous celebration.
They failed to take the proper precautions, but they did not want to be excluded.
Yet, they were.
Different Destinations
SO, WHERE DOES this lead?
We’re rapidly coming to a point where some of us will take the road that leads to an eternity of extreme joy and peace — while others, many of them our loved ones and colleagues — will transition into eternal regret.
Yes, I know that’s to burden us with the need to reach out to them with the message of hope — and, yes, it means we need to redouble our prayers for them.
In this life, I anticipate the coming Rapture with eager expectation for myself, yet fear for those loved ones who, by their own testimony, show no signs of trusting the Lord for their salvation.
I praise the Lord for my salvation … while saddened for those who reject His generous gift.
PRAYER
FATHER GOD, We love You and praise Your holy name. We thank You for Your gracious gift of life for all who claim the name of Jesus, and we petition You, O Holy Father, to quicken the hearts of those who spurn Your love. Turn them from their worldly pursuits and show them the peace and joy that will be theirs if they would humble themselves, pray to You, seek Your face, and turn from their wicked ways. In Jesus’ magnificent name. AMEN
Relevant Scripture
1 John 3:1 (NKJV) Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
John 1:12 (NKJV) But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.
Romans 8:14 (NLT) For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
1 John 5:12 (BSB) Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
2 Peter 3:14 (ESV) Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.
TEN LEPERS CLEANSED-Only One Returned to Give Thanks
In the story of Jesus healing 10 lepers, we learn important lessons about God’s mercy and man’s lack of gratitude. Jesus healed 10 lepers — social outcasts from their debilitating disease — yet only one man returned to thank Him.
WEEKLY MESSAGE BY WARD PIMLEY
Giving Thanks to God
IF WE ARE TO BELIEVE THE BIBLE is God’s holy and truthful Word — and this column holds to the Bible’s inerrancy and infallibility — then we also believe that God created us to glorify Him and that all good gifts come to us from Him.
How often do we recognize the Lord’s goodness and thank Him, actually stop a moment and thank Him for the goodness He provides?
PRAISE THE LORD!
I find that throughout the day, I am offering “prayer-lets,” little “thank you” prayers to the Lord for everything from keeping me from driving in front of a speeding car to helping me find my house keys to keeping me more patient and compassionate than my nature would warrant.
As I do so, I think my “guardian angel” must be working diligently to keep me safe and serene, and, yes, for that, I am grateful!
THE TEN LEPERS
THAT BRINGS US to our story of the 10 lepers. These were men and women ostracized from “polite society” because of their disfigurement.
~SCRIPTURAL SUPPORT~
MATT. 6:11 (NET): “Give us today our daily bread.”
MARK 8:36 (ESV): “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?”
LUKE 17:17 (NKJV): “So Jesus answered and said, ‘Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?’”
JOHN 10:10b (NASB20): “I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly.”
They lived in colonies on the outskirts of town and were forbidden from visiting their loved ones.
One day, when Jesus was in town, 10 lepers from the local colony — who knows how many were in the colony, the Bible doesn’t say — but 10 of them approached Jesus, hoping He would heal them.
He told them to show themselves to the temple priests for the ceremonial cleansing of healed lepers — a ceremony that probably never had been held before because the illness was incurable — and they all traipsed off dutifully to see the priests.
As they walked, they were healed. Jesus wanted them to demonstrate faith as a healing mechanism.
One of them turned back to fall at the Lord’s feet and to thank Him for healing him, and the Bible tells us he was not even Jewish but one of the Samaritans, which made him racially outcast as well as a leprosy outcast.
THE LORD’S ASTONISHMENT
THE BIBLE TELLS US that Jesus was amazed — two-fold amazed. Only one of the 10 expressed thanks, and He was a Samaritan, not a Jew!
GOD’S GRACE SPEAKS TO OUR NEEDS
“Weren’t there 10 lepers healed?” Jesus asked as He turned to His disciples. “How come only one of them came back to say “Thank You,” and He’s a foreigner, to boot?” (paraphrase mine)
Isn’t that embarrassing? If you were standing there with Jesus and had watched this charade, what would you have thought of the nine countrymen who sashayed off to the temple priests for the ritual cleansing ceremony and didn’t bother to give thanks to their benefactor?
Before you answer, how often do you give thanks to the Lord for His goodness in your life?
Many of us, including self-identified Christians, will dig into a meal without pausing to offer grace, who take their good health for granted, or figure their new job with the hefty salary is a result solely of their own effort.
APPLICATION
SO, WHERE DOES that leave us?
THANKING GOD FOR HIS MANY BLESSINGS
The Bible tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5 to be thankful in all situations and to pray constantly. Obviously, to pray constantly, and to be thankful in all situations, means to “be in the attitude of prayer.” That would be “praying as we go.”
The Bible also tells us in Matthew 7 to “keep on asking, keep on seeking, and keep on knocking” and, in God’s perfect timing, we’ll receive the answers He wants us to have, the goal we’re looking for, and the doors to be opened.
That promise, for me, is worth stopping in my tracks and turning around to the Master and, falling on my knees, saying “Thank You.”
PRAYER
FATHER GOD, we thank You for Your patience with us. Even while we were yet sinners, You sent Your Son to die on the cross for us, to restore us to fellowship with You, yet too often, we take our blessings as our “due,” and not as the gift of grace, which they are. Forgive us, Lord, and sustain us in our walk with Christ. In Jesus’ name. AMEN
Ward's Words | BY WARD PIMLEY 