Behind the Scenes

No one believed in people more than Jesus did. He saw something in Peter worth developing, in the adulterous woman worth forgiving, and in John worth harnessing. He saw something in the thief on the cross, and what he saw was worth saving. In the life of a wild-eyed, bloodthirsty extremist, he saw the apostle of grace. He believed in Saul.

Don’t give up on your Saul. When others write him off, give him another chance. Stay strong. Call him brother. Call her sister. It’s too soon to throw in the towel. Tell your Saul about Jesus, and pray. God is at work behind the scenes. And remember this: God never sends you where he hasn’t already been. By the time you reach your Saul, who knows what you’ll find. God used Saul—who became Paul—to touch the world. Has God given you a Saul?

Everyone Who Believes

Legalism is a systematic process of defending self, explaining self, exalting self, and justifying self. Legalists are obsessed with self, not God. Legalism turns my opinion into your burden. There’s only room for one opinion, and guess who’s wrong?

Spiritual life is not a human endeavor. It’s rooted in and orchestrated by the Holy Spirit. Every spiritual achievement is created and energized by God. The Bible says, “everyone who believes can have eternal life.” Not “everyone who achieves.” Not “everyone who agrees.” But “everyone who believes.”

Listen. Salvation is God’s idea. It’s his business, his work, his expense. He offers it to whom he desires, when he desires. Our job in the process is to inform people, not to screen people.

Pray At All Times

Is your fantasy that your family will be like the Waltons? An expectation that your dearest friends will be your next of kin? Jesus didn’t have that expectation. Look how Jesus defined his family in Mark 3:35: “My true brother and sister and mother are those who do what God wants.” He recognized that his spiritual family could provide what his physical family did not.

If Jesus himself couldn’t force his family to share his convictions, what makes you think you can force yours?  We can’t control the way our family responds to us. We have to move beyond the naïve expectation that if we do good, our family will treat us right. I can’t assure you that your family will ever give you the blessing you seek, but I know this much: God will. Accept God as your Father, and let God give you what your family does not.

Acknowledge Gods Presence

As Romans 12:18 instructs, “As you do your part to live in peace with everyone, as much as possible,” it’ll also come as you pray.

For ten days Jesus’ disciples prayed. Ten days of prayer, plus a few minutes of preaching, led to three thousand saved souls. Perhaps we invert the numbers. We’re prone to pray for a few minutes and then preach for ten days! Not the apostles. They lingered in Jesus’ presence. They never left the place of prayer.

Are you wondering, “My business needs attention, my children need dinner, my bills need paying. How can I stay in one place of prayer?” Think of it less as an activity for God and more as an awareness of God. Uninterrupted awareness. Acknowledge his presence everywhere you go!

Every Day Closer

Too seldom do I hear thunder and think “Is that God?” Colossians 3:2 reminds us to “Let heaven fill your thoughts. Do not think only about things down here on earth.”

Blessings and burdens. Both can alarm-clock us out of slumber. Gifts stir homeward longings. So do struggles. Every homeless day carries us closer to the day our Father will come to take us home. The Bible tells us God will wipe away all tears, there will be no more death, no more sorrow, no more crying, no more pain. All of that gone forever.

Write checks of hope on this promise, my friend. With Paul in Romans 8:23, we “wait anxiously for that day when God will give us our full rights as his children.” Every day—closer to home!

Heaven Is Your True Home

Heaven Is Your True Home – The dread of death ends when you know heaven is your true home.

In all my air travels I’ve never seen one passenger weep when the plan landed. Never. No one clings to his armrests and begs, “Don’t make me leave! Let me stay and eat more peanuts!” We are willing to exit because the plane has no permanent mailing address.

Nor does this world. Paul said in Philippians 3:20, “But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.”

What about you? Is your fear of dying robbing your joy of living? Romans 14:9 says, “Christ died and rose again for this very purpose, so that he might be Lord of those who are alive and of those who have died.” You see, in Christ, heaven is your home.

Trust His Work in You

Trust His Work in You – Here’s a test: how far do you have to go to hear the reminder Be afraid? How near is your next You’re in Sin sees the world with no God in it. Where we might think of sin as slip-ups or missteps, God views sin as a godless attitude that leads to godless actions. Isaiah 53:6 says, “All of us have strayed away like sheep. We have left God’s paths to follow our own.”

A life of doing what we feel like doing, whenever we feel like doing it. God says to love; I choose to hate. God instructs to forgive; I opt to get even. God calls for self-control; I promote self-indulgence.

This is sin. But Jesus took the punishment for that sin and made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed. God has piled all our sins, everything we’ve done that’s a sin on him. So trust his work for you, but then also trust his work in you.

Be of Good Cheer

Be Of Good Cheer – Here’s a test: how far do you have to go to hear the reminder Be afraid? How near is your next You’re in trouble memo? A flip of the newspaper page? A turn of the radio dial? A glance at the internet? According to the media, the world is one scary place.

There’s a stampede of fear out there. Let’s not get caught in it. Let’s be among those who stay calm. Let’s be numbered among those who hear a difference voice—God’s! Courage doesn’t panic, it prays. Courage doesn’t bemoan, it believes. Courage listens to the voice of God calling through Scripture.

“When reports come in of wars and rumors of wars, keep your head and don’t panic.” (Matthew 24:6)

“Be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven.” (Matthew 9:2)

“Let not your heart be troubled.” (John 14:1)

We Can Trust Him

We Can Trust Him – Revelation 2:10 says, “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.” Make sure the hull of your convictions can withstand the stress of collisions. Builders of the Titanic should have been so wise. The luxury liner sank because contractors settled for cheap rivets. The builders used substandard ones that popped their heads on impact with the iceberg.

How sturdy are the bolts of your belief? Reinforce them with daily Bible readings, regular worship, earnest communion with God. Courage is fear that has said its prayers. You see, all things—big and small—flow out of the purpose of God and serve his good will. When the world appears out of control, it isn’t. We can trust him!

Confident in Him

Confident in Him – Yes, life stinks. But it won’t forever. As one of my friends likes to say, “Everything will work out in the end. If it’s not working out, it’s not the end.”

In the meantime, don’t overreact. Psalm 37:7 says, “Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.” This is a toxic world. But neither do we join the Chicken Little chorus of gloom and doom: “The sky is falling, the sky is falling!”

Somewhere between Pollyanna and Chicken Little, between denial and blatant panic, stands the levelheaded, clear-thinking, still-believing follower of Christ. Psalm 27:3 says, “My heart shall not fear—though war arise against me, yet I will be confident!” Confident in Him.