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Some time ago, a woman came to the microphone at a conference and told of how, 14 years earlier, her adult daughter had been stalked and then viciously murdered by a man. The woman turned to me, standing in front of the whole congregation, and began to pour out her heart. “I have hated this man for 14 years, and you say I have to forgive?” she asked. Brokenly she pleaded, “How can I forgive? How can I?”The details of each of our lives are different, but at one time or another we have all asked that question: How can I forgive? Let’s take a look at some biblical insights about the matter of forgiveness. Everyone gets hurt First, we need to realize that everyone will get hurt. It’s inevitable. Hurt cannot be avoided. You may have been hurt by a trusted friend who lied about you. You may have been hurt by a teacher or professor who embarrassed you in front of a classroom. You may have been hurt by a parent who was harsh or abusive or who did not know how to express love. You may have been hurt by someone who wounded your children. You may have been hurt by a child who has rebelled and turned on you. You may have been hurt by an employer who wronged you or your mate. You may have been hurt by someone who stole your moral innocence and used you sexually in a way that was sinful and inappropriate. You may have been hurt by a husband who broke his wedding vows and has not been faithful to you. The list of potential hurts could go on and on. In many cases, that pain comes out in anger. It’s been said that the most dangerous animal in the forest is the one that’s been wounded. I think that’s a good picture of what we’re seeing in our homes, in our communities, and in our schools today. People who have been wounded instinctively tend to wound others. Women talk today about how angry they are—angry with their husband, their children, their parents, their pastor, and, ultimately, with God. Those harbored hurts, that smoldering bitterness, has turned to anger, hatred, revenge, and, at times, to violence. Although we cannot avoid being hurt, the important thing to remember is that the outcome of our lives is not determined by what happens to us. Nothing that anyone has ever done to you or ever will do to you can determine who you become. What is done may affect your life, but it cannot determine the outcome of your life. The outcome of our lives is not determined by what happens to us, but rather by how we respond to what happens to us. Two ways to respond to hurt The first way to respond, and the way that most people choose, is what I call becoming a debt collector. The mentality of the debt collector is, “This person wronged me; she owes me, so I’m going to hold her hostage and put her in debtor’s prison until she pays me back.” This way of responding ultimately leads to resentment, bitterness, and anger—it is the way of retaliation. That is where most people live much of their lives today. The way of retaliation is a subtle, secret desire for revenge. We may not retaliate with guns, but we do it with looks, attitudes, and words. Ultimately, those seeds of bitterness and resentment are likely to grow up and produce a multiplied harvest, not only in your life, but also in your children and their children and the next generation. The second way to respond is to choose to release the offender from prison. We choose to forgive, not because the offender deserves to be forgiven or has even asked for forgiveness, but because of God’s grace that He has poured upon us, which we then are able to pour out upon others. This is the pathway of reconciliation. Our God is a reconciling God. He took the initiative to be reconciled to us. We were His enemies, we were estranged, we were sinners. We hated God. We were not seeking Him. We were not searching for God, but He came searching for us as the Hound of Heaven, pursuing our hearts, pursuing reconciliation. And He calls us in His name to initiate reconciliation in our relationships. What is forgiveness? Forgiveness is not a feeling; it is a choice, an act of my will. If I waited until I felt like forgiving before I forgave, I might never forgive. We are not to wait for our emotions but rather to choose to obey God. Then, in time, God will cause our emotions to catch up to right choices. Second, God commands us to forgive, regardless of how we feel and regardless of what has been done to us. Jesus says in Mark 11:25, “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins” (NIV). “If you hold anything against anyone”—that pretty much includes every offense, doesn’t it? When you come to offer up to God your prayers, before you pray, if you hold anything against anyone, there’s one step that you must make first: To forgive. Jesus says we must do this so that our Father in heaven may forgive us our sins. Third, forgive as God has forgiven us for the ways that we have sinned against Him? How did He forgive us for taking the life of His Son? Psalm 103:12 says, “as far as the east is from the west, so far has God removed our transgressions from us.” He does not deal with us as our sins deserve; rather, He deals with us in mercy and kindness. His mercy toward us is infinite, unconditional, complete, and undeserved. The blood of Jesus cleanses from all sin. That’s how God forgives us. He didn’t wait until we deserved it to extend forgiveness. He didn’t wait until we realized our need for forgiveness. He forgave us before we had any thoughts of seeking Him. As infinite and unconditional and great is His forgiveness toward us, that is the measure of the forgiveness we can extend to others. The person who is not a Christian does not really have a capacity to forgive the person who has never experienced God’s love and forgiveness. But if you are a child of God, if you have been washed by the blood of Jesus, if you have experienced His forgiveness, then you can extend that same forgiveness to others. Fourth, forgiveness is a promise. It is a promise never to bring that sin up against the offender again—to God, to him, or to others. It is a promise to clear the record of the offender. I know just enough about computers to be dangerous. But one thing I’ve learned the hard way is the meaning of the “delete” key. I’ve had the unhappy experience of spending a lot of time working on a document and then pressing that delete key accidentally. What happens to that document? It’s gone. Forgiveness is pressing the delete key. It is clearing the record of the one who has sinned against us. Now that doesn’t mean the person never sinned. It just means you’re clearing the record so she no longer owes you for those sins. You’re promising never to hold it against that person again. How can we expect the world to believe that God’s grace is so wonderful and His forgiveness is so available if we, who claim to have been forgiven, refuse to forgive others? Our lack of forgiveness steals our credibility. It’s no wonder that people aren’t knocking down the doors to get into our churches. They know us. They work with us. They live next to us. They listen to the way we talk about those who wounded others and who have wounded us. They hear the bitterness, anger, and resentment that come out when those names or those situations come up. They don’t see in us the grace and the forgiveness of God. As a result, they have no interest in what we are offering. Without forgiveness, you and I are really not much different than the unbelieving world. I believe that when we begin to demonstrate biblical forgiveness, our message will finally become believable to our world.

Quaking in your boots? Perhaps you fear foreclosure on your house. Maybe you have a child headed in the wrong direction. Downsizing at your company causes you to shiver. A doctor’s report makes your stomach churn and your faith foundations rocked to the core. We all need assurance that God is our protector, and that nothing is out of His control and care. We take all kinds of precautions to be shielded from disaster and distress. Are we really “in good hands” with Allstate insurance? We certainly pay them an arm and a leg to keep safe life and limb. Is the security system in our house foolproof? Does our precious laptop have virus protection? Does the smoke alarm that beeps annoyingly when it’s out of batteries (usually at 2:00 a.m.) keep our home from being burned down to the ground? Yes, we spend much of our lives trying to avoid danger and loss. Psalm 123, the third poem in the Psalms of Ascents, promises that God is a sure foundation for our lives: “Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion. It cannot be shaken; It remains forever.” The Hebrew word for trust is batach, and has three meanings: to be sure, to be secure and to be confident. Every person instinctively needs confidence-and when God is the object of our faith, we have confidence in spades! Beth Moore, in Stepping Up: A Journey Through the Psalms of Ascents, gives great insight into this verse. She writes, “Insecurity has remained one of my most consistent challenges. Jealousy, low self-worth, envy promiscuity, manipulation and unbelief are rooted in insecurity. Self-security drawn from our position as a child of God is an even bigger problem—even self-security drawn from our position as a child of God.” Psalm 30:6-7 says “When I was secure, I said, ‘I will never be shaken.’ LORD, when You showed Your favor, You make me stand like a strong mountain, when You hid Your face, I was terrified.” (HCSB) “Perhaps the psalmist grew a little overconfident…in God’s manifest favor. Notice how often the word “I” is used in these verses. David was the first to ascribe his prosperity to the Lord, but somewhere along the way He mistakenly placed his security in the blessing of God rather tan God Himself. We often know enough not to ascribe our security to carnal, worldly things. Our greater and slyer temptation is to place our security in the blessing we readily credit to the Lord. Even if our security is in something God has given us—our gifts…loved ones, church family, consistent victory, passion for His Word—our seemingly secure mountain ultimately will fall into the sea. God’s favor and His person are not synonymous. If our trust is in manifestations of God’s favor rather than God Himself, we will crumble like dry clay when He calls us to walk a distance of our journeys entirely by faith and not by sight. …God is with us and for us even when His face and His favor seem hidden. Mountain-like security only comes from trusting God, not what He’s done for us or given us, however glorious and eternal those things may be. The difference between trusting God and trusting what God has done is a fine line we easily can trip over, falling headlong into a pit just as David feared. Thankfully, he described what to do in the subsequent verses of Psalm 30. We can do likewise when we realize we have unknowingly let our security slip from god Himself to His manifest favor.”1 Read David’s conclusion to Psalm 30 in verses 8-12 and be encouraged: I cried out to You, O LORD; And to the LORD I made supplication: “What profit is there in my blood, When I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your truth? Hear, O LORD, and have mercy on me; LORD, be my helper!” You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever. Beth Moore, Stepping Up: A Journey through the Psalms of Ascents. Nashville: Lifeway Publishing, 2007. pp. 68-69.

Now is the time for a movement of reformation and revival in the hearts and homes of Christian women all around this world. Now is the time to go against the flow. I believe God has brought you into His kingdom for such a time as this. Teens: That means the willingness to follow Christ and His Word when it seems that all the other girls your age are consumed with beauty, guys, self, sex, and having a good time. It means setting your affections on Christ, guarding your heart, choosing the pathway of purity, and becoming a Truth-speaker in your generation when all your peers seem to be going the opposite direction. Single women: That means choosing the pathway of contentment. It means being willing to be married or single—whichever God has for you—for His glory and the sake of His kingdom. It means using your singleness to serve the Lord without distraction. It means being willing to be sexually pure and to be a servant of the family of God. Married women: It’s a call to be faithful in a world of broken promises—to love your husband, to pray for him, to build a marriage that glorifies God. It means being faithful in the good times and the hard times. It means saying yes to your high and holy calling of being a helper to your husband, reverencing him as the Scripture exhorts, submitting to him as a picture of your submission to Christ Himself. It means giving yourself wholeheartedly to your husband and saying no to emotional or physical intimacy with any other man. Mothers: That means embracing the calling and gift of being a giver and a nurturer of life. Don’t let the world tell you how many or how few children to have. Let God give you His vision for the impact that your children and grandchildren could make for His kingdom for generations to come. Do battle in prayer for the souls of your children and your grandchildren. Older women: It means choosing not to retire spiritually. Don’t settle for a life consumed by golf, bridge, meaningless activity, and preoccupation with self. Younger women need you. They need your counsel, encouragement, and prayers. They need you to take them under your wings and help them learn how to live lives that please the Lord. I often say to women, “We’ve got to be willing to be salmon swimming upstream.” What do salmon do? They get bloodied and beat up on the rocks in order to give birth and produce life. Then what do they do? They die. You say, “That doesn’t sound like something I want to be called to.” But what a picture that is of the heart of Christ, who swam upstream—bloodied and beaten—to give spiritual life; laying down His life on Calvary to give us eternal life. We may die in the process, but if we die fulfilling the kingdom purposes and will of God for our lives, so be it. If we perish, we perish. Let’s go for broke! That’s what Amy Carmichael did for over 55 years. She risked her life to rescue little girls who had been sold into prostitution in the Hindu temples—one young woman at a time. She worked tirelessly to salvage those lives and to expose the works of darkness that had claimed so many children’s lives in India. Each step of the way she was fighting and pushing against the powers of darkness—not in her own strength, but in the strength and power of God who had sent her there. She endured and persevered through all those years with a handful of victories, but also with numerous heartbreaking losses and apparent defeats. The issues around us are no less serious than those of those little girls sold into temple prostitution. Women and girls all around us are in bondage to guilt, fear, bitterness, anxiety, eating disorders, sinful behaviors, addictions, and depression. They need to be rescued from the enemy who has taken them captive. We are called to fight the powers of darkness in the name, power, and Spirit of the Lord Jesus and to join God in His great rescue operation. We’re called to shine the light in the darkness, to see captives set free, and to see God glorified. If you’re like me, you feel inspired and grateful to help with such a mission, but on the other hand, there is a real sense of weakness and overwhelming inadequacy. In these times of fear, the Lord reminds me of that passage in Luke 1 when the angel came to Mary and said, “You’re going to have a baby—God’s Son. I know you’re not married and you’ve never been intimate with a man, but this is what God is going to do.” Mary asked the obvious question, “How can this be? It’s not physically possible.” The angel said to Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” Who’s going to win the battle? God is. Who’s going to fill you with power? God is. “Nothing will be impossible with God,” the angel said. What was Mary’s response? Mary said simply, in faith, humility, and surrender, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.” Mary said, “Yes, Lord.” If you were to ask her today, “Was it worth it, Mary? Would you do it again?” Do you have any doubt about what she would say? “Yes, it was worth it. The Savior was born!” His calling on our lives will involve hardship, suffering, and obstacles. It’s not a calling to comfort, convenience, and self-fulfillment. It’s a calling to glorify God with the laying down of our lives, just as our Savior was willing to lay down His life so that we could live. When you and I see the face of Christ—if we’ve been faithful in fulfilling His calling in our lives—we will say, “Jesus, it was worth it all for You.” In fact, I think most—if not all of us—will say, “I wish I’d given You more.” I’m asking God to raise up a great host of women—women of courage, faith, compassion, humility, and wisdom. Women filled with Jesus for such a time as this. Will you join me in that mission? Will you be a part of that counter-cultural revolution? Will you say, “Yes, Lord. I am Your servant. Take me, use me, spend me. Fulfill all Your holy, eternal purposes in and through my life, whatever the cost”? © Revive Our Hearts. Used with permission. Excerpted from Nancy Leigh DeMoss’ closing challenge at True Woman 2008. www.ReviveOurHearts.com Info@ReviveOurHeart

A woman, in order to abort her unborn child, must overcome her instinctual impulse to attend to the baby’s helplessness. Even a woman who has undergone several abortions, upon seeing her limp fetus, experiences a profound psychological shock that can produce emotional trauma or illness. Our society has multitudes of would-be mothers who are suffering the grief and emotional ordeal of having an abortion. The abortion industry makes $500 million a year in the United States, and an estimated $10 billion a year worldwide. As pastors and concerned Christians, we must not only be proactive about preventing abortions, we must compassionately help the women who have had an abortion to recover from the trauma and find forgiveness and healing. Recent evidence indicates many women harbor strong guilt feelings long after their abortions. Some women felt that they were carrying out the unconscious wishes of their rejection mothers who had not wanted their own birth and had in many cases, actually tried to prevent it. After five or ten years, fifty-four percent of mothers choosing abortion had nightmares and ninety-six percent felt they had taken a human life. Eighty percent of post-abortive women express self-hatred, and forty-nine percent begin or increase drug use. Fourteen percent describe themselves as becoming an addict or alcoholic. Sixty percent admit contemplating suicide, and twenty-eight percent actually attempted suicide. Pastors, counselors and lay people can lead women who have had an abortion to experience the totality of God’s love for them and to accept the forgiveness of Jesus Christ and of themselves. The Church can be a place of healing and a refuge for all-the women and their families-touched by the devastation of abortion. Fear of rejection, shame and denial will keep women in isolation and pain if they do not feel that they can share their pain. There is the danger of preaching against abortion in a way that further isolated those affected by the trauma. Women (girls) who are newly converted or were pressured into making a decision that they later regretted are in need of pastoral care. Jesus has promised to heal and restore those who have found themselves in guilt, sin and despair. Often, years after a woman has had an abortion, she will begin to feel remorse and pain from this event. There was a remedy for guilt in the Old Testament with the giving of a guilt offering, and there was the ultimate remedy in the New Testament by the giving of the Son of God as a sacrifice for our sin. Paul penned these words: “the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23) God does not intend that we remain under the curse of guilt. It is easier for one to focus on their sin rather than the one who can take away their sin. Guilt feelings and personal behavior must be evaluated in terms of the teachings of Scripture. People must examine themselves according to the teachings of Scripture and not by their own unattainable standards. King David was free from guilt and was able to implore of the Lord to examine his life. (Psalm 26:2). Releasing guilt is not instantaneous. It is a process. Simplistic responses like “just trust in the Lord” or “leave it in His hands” don’t give the individual permission to grieve or find emotional healing. There is much work that one must do to help move an abortion victim toward acceptance and wholeness. Feelings must be processed and unhealthy behaviors must be “unlearned.” The goal is to help the hurting woman to forgive herself, to forgive others, to seek forgiveness from others and to receive forgiveness from God. Grief is a process that must not be short-circuited. Regardless of the loss of a child, whether the baby is miscarried, still born or aborted, the mother will still pass through the stages of grief. Denial, anger, sadness and acceptance are stages that every grieving person faces. Often the first reaction to an unplanned pregnancy is “This can’t be happening to me.” Some women feel numb or dazed on the day of the abortion. Women are often surprised to find themselves crying later. Feelings of shock, denial or delayed sadness are a natural way of protecting oneself from being overwhelmed by too many emotions all at once. It’s natural to feel angry or irritable. Some women find themselves snapping at family members. Some women feel angry at themselves, at pregnant women or women with small children. Circumstances seem to have cheated them, and anger is a natural response. Remember that a relationship cannot be healed if one is dishonest about feelings. Too often women are taught that forgiveness means overlooking hurtful behavior. Bottling up angry feelings can cause stress. If there is difficulty expressing angry feelings, a book on assertiveness will help them express their feeling without harming themselves. Sadness is the emotion that is most often associated with grief. Remember that because abortion can represent a real loss in one’s life, it is natural to cry and feel sad. One of the most common mistakes people might make is to minimize the pain. Many people are uncomfortable with expression of grief, and that is why they try to “fix” one’s feelings too quickly or gloss over how much one is hurting. Support from the church helps many to cope with the grieving process. Shedding tears and talking over sad feelings with others are therapeutic activities. Friends, spouses, prayer, self-help groups and therapists are all potential sources of environmental support. Help them find a support group with those who have gone through a similar experience. Some women benefit by having a memorial service for the pregnancy. Others create a memorial by doing something important or special for themselves or others, something they might not have done if the pregnancy had continued. This can help give the abortion experience meaning and closure. Finally, one might begin to think about the abortion less and less. When this occurs, the feelings are less painful. One has not forgotten about the abortion, but they are simply ready to move on. Acceptance is not forgetting about the experience, but it is coming to the place where one has forgiven themselves and others and has accepted the peace that is available from God. Vining, John Kie. When Home Is Where The Hurt Is: A Ministry Intervention Guide for Trauma Victims. Nashville: Family Ministries, pp. 232-252.

One of the key words in the culture that confuses people today is the word tolerance. We must remember that tolerance is how we treat people, but rationality is how we are supposed to treat ideas—and for the Christian, that is biblically based rationality. We are not to tolerate false ideas. Rather, we are to sort truth from error and then expose error. Two worldviews are in conflict. One worldview is biblical; the other is antibiblical. Christians are often called narrow-minded, but having distinctions requires a narrowing of thought. Jesus spoke of a narrow gate (Matt. 7:13-14), and we see throughout the Scriptures that there is no gray area when it comes to receiving Christ’s salvation and obeying His commands. Jesus must be the Lord of our minds. He exercises His authority through the Word, so we must be sure we are thinking biblically. Be Biblical – Know and teach the truth, and show it in your life. Bank workers study genuine money, not counterfeit bills, so they will recognize bogus money. Similarly, if we want to recognize wolves in sheep’s clothing, we must know what a true sheep looks like! Because evil disguises itself as truth—and remember, Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14)—we must study God’s Word so we can quickly recognize error. Even in some evangelical churches, people are not being taught the whole counsel of God. It’s important to anchor our lives in God’s character (2 Pet. 1:3), and know His standards for unchanging truth, so we will not be cast adrift by the empty, always-changing philosophies of the world (2 Tim. 2:15). God does not want us to be spiritual babies. He wants us to mature in Christ so we will not be “tossed to and fro” by foolish, crafty schemes and teachings (Eph. 4:13-15). He wants us to grow in understanding and discernment, because he hates “every false way” (Psalm 119:104). Likewise, God does not want His children to fall into the traps of the Enemy. If we will meditate in the Scriptures, we will be less likely to fall for the counsel of the wicked (Psalm 1:1-2). It is important to come to the Word of God in humility—as a little child—without any ulterior motives and biases, asking our heavenly Father to teach us (Matt. 11:25; 1 Cor. 1:19-20). It is also important to sit under solid, biblical church teaching and to fellowship with strong Christian believers. God wants us to “exercise” our senses and faithfully seek how to live for Him (Heb. 5:14). We need daily exposure to the Word of God so we will be able to “discern what is best” and live holy, blameless lives (Phil. 1:10). Truth is the most powerful corrective to error. Once we know the truth, we will want to share it with others who have fallen into error, those who are deceived by false teaching. We must teach and live out the truth of God. We can help other believers stand in the liberty of Christ and “not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage” (Gal. 5:1). Be Courageous – Identify and expose the works of darkness. God wants us to defend the gospel (1 Cor. 15:1) by exposing lies. We must identify the sources of error that may be influencing our lives or the lives of those we love. Perhaps it is a cult or New Age thinking or theological errors. First John 4:1 instructs us to test the spirits, attempting to determine whether they are from God. Whatever their words—whether they are spoken by preachers, teachers, psychologists, authors, talk show hosts, or radio speakers—all teachings are to be judged by the eternal Word of God (John 17:17b). The character and methods of false teachers are exposed in the Scriptures. They preach another gospel and a different Jesus from the one revealed in Scripture (1 Cor. 16:22; 2 Cor. 11:4; Gal. 1:6-9). They speak “a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of the L ORD” (Jer. 23:16) and prophesy lies in God’s name, trying to make His people forget about Him and His Word (Deut. 18:20-22; Jer. 23:25-27). They dismiss guilt and justify sin, calling evil good and good evil (Isa. 5:20). They “make captives of gullible women” who are loaded down with sinful lusts—women who are “always learning” some new “truth” but never embrace the truth (2 Tim. 3:6-7). They “secretly bring in destructive heresies” (2 Pet. 2:1). They speak great “swelling words of emptiness” and entice people through the flesh, promising them liberty but enslaving them (2 Pet. 2:18-21). They cause dissension in the church (Rom. 16:17) as “untaught and unstable” people follow their example and twist Scripture for their own purposes (2 Pet. 3:16). False apostles often appear to be apostles of Christ (2 Cor. 11:13). In the end times, false prophets will be joined by false christs, who will “show great signs and wonders” to deceive many (Matt. 24:24). Christians are warned to have no fellowship with these teachers and their “unfruitful works of darkness” but rather to “reprove” them (Eph. 5:11) and be careful not to be “spoiled” (taken captive or cheated) by their false doctrines (Col. 2:8). False teachers are empowered by Satan, and we must be courageous and vigilant against this cunning enemy who seeks to “devour” us (1 Pet. 5:8-9a). Be Prayerful – Intercede for those caught in Satan’s snare. Prayer is often the forgotten element in the battle against false teaching. Beyond gently and firmly sharing the truth, we can pray—from a heart of compassion and concern—that God will correct those “who are in opposition” and “grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will” (2 Tim. 2:24-26). We can also pray for those who have fallen prey to these teachers, that they will recognize the error of false teachings and embrace the truth of the Word of God. We must be alert and keep on praying for believers everywhere, that they will stand for truth and righteousness (Eph. 6:18). We must be “serious and watchful” and develop keen discernment in our prayers (1 Pet. 4:7). Just as King Solomon asked for wisdom so that he could discern wisely and govern his people well (1 Kings 3:5-14), so we need to pray for understanding as we seek wisdom and truth in the Word (Psalm 119:125, 130). Be Proactive – Protect yourself against the poison of error. There is no such thing as a safe dose of poison, so we must be careful about what we allow to enter our lives. It is wise to surround ourselves and those we love with a clear understanding of what God teaches in His Word. After we pray for protection, we can stand firm with the “belt of truth” (Eph. 6:14a). In fact, we should put on the whole armor of God, for our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the “powers of this dark world” (Eph. 6:12-17). To be proactive, we can learn to correctly handle the Scriptures, knowing these truths about the Word of God: It is eternal and unchanging (Psalm 119:89). It is trustworthy (Psalm 119:137-138). It is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16). It originates in God Himself by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:20-21). It will be fulfilled—unlike the prophecies of false teachers (Deut. 18:22; Matt. 5:18; Luke 24:44). It is understandable through the Holy Spirit’s teaching (John 14:26; 16:13; 2 Cor. 1:13). It means what it says and is not to be altered (Deut. 4:2; 12:32; Prov. 30:5-6; Eccles. 12:11-12; 1 Cor. 4:5-6; Rev. 22:18-19). It is unified, neither contradictory nor inconsistent (Num. 23:19; Psalm 119:160; Matt. 4:4; Acts 20:27). It is the standard for testing all spiritual teaching (Acts 17:11; 2 Cor. 11:4; 1 Thess. 5:21; 1 John 4:1). We test teachings by asking questions. Does the teaching present Jesus biblically (John 8:24; 10:33)? Does the teaching represent truth from the Spirit of God—as portrayed in the Word of God—or from another spirit? Is the message consistent with the Scriptures that teach the physical death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and salvation by grace alone (1 Cor. 15:1-4; Eph. 2:8-9)? With the increase of spiritual error in these perilous days, we must be courageous to confront false teachings in confidence, with compassion and wisdom. We must know, share, and live the truth, prayerfully asking God to use us to change the hearts and minds of those ensnared by Satan’s lies. (Learn To Discern booklets available at www.Store.ReviveOurHearts.com. © Revive Our Hearts. Used with permission. www.ReviveOurHearts.com Info@ReviveOurHearts.com

Did you know that God has blessed you with hope and a future? His blessing is both personal, powerful and prophetic. Genesis 49 reveals great truths about prophetic blessings as seen in the Old Testament. By studying Jacob’s words, we can also learn how to bless those we love as well. Jacob’s blessings over his offspring were prophetic. God allowed him to foretell something over each of his children. Although some of Jacob’s words don’t appear to be blessings, they still have the power to bless the life of each child. Jacob’s blessings are “tailor-made” for each son, and are wise and fair. The patriarch’s words have far-reaching effects. The name of each son represents the entire tribe that will descend from him. “Then Jacob called for his sons and said: Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.” (Genesis 49:1) Theologian Bruce Waltke writes: “The prophetic blessings embrace both the near and distant future…from the conquest and distribution of the land to the consummate reign of Christ.” “He further states that Jacob’s blessings for his sons identify the twelve tribes and their individual blessing, prophesying their unique destinies within their common destiny as a nation.” We have a unique destiny within our common future as Christ’s church. After Jesus’ death and resurrection, we don’t have to be in bondage to the sins of our forefathers. “Jesus…cancelled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; He took it away, nailing it to the cross.” (Colossians 2:9) We can be free from our past, but we also have a bright future! “We are blessed in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” (Ephesians 1:3) Though Judah, Jacob’s errant son, had made mistakes in his lifetime, the far reach of blessing upon the tribes of Israel is never more beautifully displayed than in the prophecy Jacob spoke over Judah. The redemption of this one-foolish son is stunning. God tethers his line to eternity with crimson thread, saving earth’s crown for His Son’s Head. Genesis 49:9-12: “You are a lion’s cub, O Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness—who dares to rouse him? 10 The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs [a] and the obedience of the nations is his. 11 He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. 12 His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk.” The Lion of the Tribe of Judah was the same One who, draped in flesh, rode…down the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem as the crowd cried out, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Matthew 21:9) No wonder Judah’s name means “praise.” Kneel and receive your Blessing. Redemption is your and Jesus is your great reward! Bruce K. Waltke, Genesis: A Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001), p. 596 and 602. Beth Moore, The Patriarchs (Nashville, Tennessee: Lifeway Press, 2006), pp. 231-232. Used by permission of Lifeway.com.

Nearly half of pregnancies among American women are unintended, and four in 10 of these are terminated by abortion. Twenty-two percent of all pregnancies (excluding miscarriages) end in abortion. At least half of American women will experience an unintended pregnancy by age 45, and at current rates, about one third will have had an abortion. So how do we minister to these wounded women? Where do we start? Obviously much counseling and discipleship is needed to mature in their spiritual journey, but I believe the first step is to understand the emotions and struggles they face following their choice. We must do everything we can to prevent abortions, but we must also do all we can to heal those hurting women around us. Here are just a few facts about Post-Abortion Syndrome. Post-Abortion Syndrome (PAS) is a form of post-traumatic stress disorder. The process of making an abortion choice, experiencing the procedure and living with the grief, pain and regret is certainly, at its very core, traumatic. As with any trauma, individuals often try to “forget” the ordeal and deny or ignore any pain that may result. Many simply don’t relate their distress to the abortion experience. At some point, however, memories resurface and the truth of this loss can no longer be denied. During these moments, the pain of post-abortion syndrome reveals itself in the hearts of millions of lives. The symptoms of post-abortion syndrome will not necessarily appear at the same time, nor is likely that any woman will experience the entire list. Some may occur immediately after an abortion and others much later. If you can identify with more than two of these symptoms, it could be that you are experiencing post-abortion syndrome. Below are the symptoms that describe post-abortion syndrome , as described by Dr. Paul and Teri Reisser in their book, Help for the Post-Abortive Woman (now entitled A Solitary Sorrow): 1. Guilt. Guilt is what an individual feels when she has violated her own moral code. For the woman who has come to believe, at some point either before or after the abortion, that she consented to the killing of her unborn child, the burden of guilt is relentless. There is little consolation to offer the woman who has transgressed one of nature’s strongest instincts: the protection a mother extends to her young. In fact, many post-abortive women believe that any unhappy events that have occurred since the abortion were inevitable because they “deserve it.” 2. Anxiety. Anxiety is defined as an unpleasant emotional and physical state of apprehension that may take the form of tension, (inability to relax, irritability, etc.), physical responses (dizziness, pounding heart, upset stomach, headaches, etc.), worry about the future, difficulty concentrating, and disturbed sleep. The conflict between a woman’s moral standards and her decision to abort generates much of this anxiety. Very often, she will not relate her anxiety to a post-abortion syndrome abortion, and yet she will unconsciously begin to avoid anything having to do with babies. She may make excuses for not attending a baby shower, skip the baby aisle at the grocery store, and so forth. 3. Psychological “numbing.” Many post-abortive women maintain a secret vow that they will never again allow themselves to be put in such a vulnerable position. As a result, often without conscious thought, they may work hard to keep their emotions in tight check, preventing themselves from feeling the pain of what has happened, but also greatly hampering their ability to form and maintain close relationships. Cut off even from themselves, they may feel as though their lives were happening to another person. 4. Depression and thoughts of suicide. All of us experience depression from time to time, but the following forms of it are certainly common in women who have experienced abortion: Sad mood —ranging from feelings of melancholy to total hopelessness. Sudden and uncontrollable crying episodes — the source of which appear to be a total mystery. Deterioration of self-concept —because she feels wholly deficient in her ability to function as a “normal” woman. Sleep, appetite, and sexual disturbances — usually in a pattern of insomnia, loss of appetite and/or reduced sex drive. Reduced motivation —for the normal activities of life. The things that occupied her life before the depression no longer seem worth doing. Disruption in interpersonal relationships — because of the general lack of enthusiasm for all activities. This is especially evidenced in her relationship with her husband or boyfriend, particularly if he was involved in the abortion decision. Thoughts of suicide —or preoccupation with death. Not surprisingly, in a study done by the Elliot Institute, some 33% of post-abortive women surveyed reached a level of depression so deep that they would rather die than go on. 5. Anniversary syndrome. In the survey reference previously, some 54% of post-abortive women report an increase of post-abortion syndrome symptoms around the time of the anniversary of the abortion and/or the due date of the aborted child. 6. Re-experiencing the abortion. A very common event described by post-abortive women is the sudden distressing, recurring “flashbacks” of the abortion episode, often occurring during situations that resemble some aspect of the abortion, such as a routine gynecological exam, or even the sound of a vacuum cleaner’s suction. “Flashbacks” also occur in the form of recurring nightmares about babies in general or the aborted baby in particular. These “dreams” usually involve themes of lost, dismembered, or crying babies. 7. Preoccupation with becoming pregnant again. A significant percentage of women who abort become pregnant again within one year, and many others verbalize the desire to conceive again as quickly as possible. The new baby, sometimes referred to as the “atonement baby,” may represent an unconscious desire to replace the one that was aborted. 8. Anxiety over fertility and childbearing issues. A common post-abortion syndrome symptom in women is a fear that they will never again become pregnant or be able to carry a pregnancy to term. Some expect to have handicapped children because they have “disqualified themselves as good mothers.” Many refer to these fears as punishments from God. 9. Interruption of the bonding process with present and/or future children. Fearing another devastating loss, a post-abortive woman may not allow herself to truly bond with other children. Another common reaction is to atone for her actions toward the aborted child by becoming the world’s most perfect mother to her remaining or future children. Likewise, the woman who already had children at the time of her abortion may discover that she is beginning to view them in a different light. At one extreme, she may unconsciously devalue them, thinking things like, “You were the lucky one. You were allowed to live.” Or she may go in the opposite direction and become overly protective. 10. Survival guilt. Most women do not abort for trivial reasons. They are usually in the midst of a heartbreaking situation whereby they stand to lose much if they choose to carry their pregnancies to term. In the end, the decision boils down to a sorrowful, “It’s me or you, and I choose me.” But while the abortion frees them from their current trauma, it frequently produces in them an unrelenting guilt for choosing their own comfort over the life of the child. 11. Development of eating disorders. Some post-abortive women developed anorexia or bulimia. While this phenomenon remains largely unexplored at this time, several factors may contribute to it. First, a substantial weight gain or severe weight loss is associated with unattractiveness, which reduces the odds of becoming pregnant again. Second, becoming unattractive serves as a form of self-punishment and helps perpetuate the belief that the woman is unworthy of anyone’s attention. Third, extremes in eating behavior represent a form of control for the woman who feels her life is totally out of control. And finally, a drastic weight loss can shut down the menstrual cycle, thus preventing any future pregnancies. 12. Alcohol and drug abuse. Alcohol and drug use often serve initially as a form of self-medication—a way of coping with the pain of the abortion memories. Sadly, the woman who resorts to alcohol and/or drugs eventually finds herself having not only more problems but also fewer resources with which to solve them. The mental and physical consequences of alcohol or drug abuse only amplify most of the symptoms the woman is already experiencing. 13. Other self-punishing or self-degrading behaviors. In addition to eating disorders and substance abuse, the post-abortive woman may also enter in abusive relationships, become promiscuous, and fail to take care of herself medically or deliberately hurt herself emotionally and/or physically. 14. Brief reactive psychosis. Rarely, a post-abortive woman may experience a brief psychotic episode for two weeks or less after her abortion. The break with reality and subsequent recovery are both extremely rapid, and in most cases the person returns completely to normal when it is over. While this is an unusual reaction to abortion, it bears mentioning only because it is possible for a person to have a brief psychotic reaction to a stressful even without being labeled a psychotic individual. During such an episode, the individual’s perception of reality is drastically distorted. These individuals should be referred to the care of a professional. For more information see www.RamahInternational.org

Share 0 I talked with a young woman who viewed the Christian life as one of utter dullness. She knew that following Christ was the right thing to do, but she was certain it would mean sacrificing her happiness. Where did this young woman, who was raised in a fine Christian family and church, acquire such an unbiblical notion? What are we doing—what are we missing—that leaves many of our children and our churches laboring under such false impressions? Why do we think it would be unspiritual for the Christian life to be centered on what God calls the good news of happiness (Isaiah 52:7)? Celebration and gladness of heart have characterized the church, including the suffering church, throughout history. Scripturally, the culture of God’s people is one of joy, happiness, gratitude, eating and drinking, singing and dancing, and making music. It’s not the people who know God who have reason to be miserable—it’s those who don’t. Unfortunately, children who grow up seeing church as a morose, hypercritical place will turn their backs on it in their quest for happiness. Those who have found happiness in the church, and ultimately in Christ, will usually stay or return. If we want our children and grandchildren and future generations to seek God as the answer to their deepest longings, we must teach them the foundational truth that He is by nature happy. They need to see that the God who brings them the Good News really can (and longs to) “change their sadness into happiness” (Jeremiah 31:13, NCV). When we understand that the God of the Bible is both happy and powerful enough to overcome our greatest grief and suffering and to give us cause for eternal happiness, Satan’s arguments against trusting God will lose their power. Sadly, few churches teach that God is happy—or wants us to be happy. We are unintentionally silencing the biblical revelation of one part of God’s nature, at great loss to the church, families, and individuals. I believe it’s vital that we not leave our children and future generations of Christians to figure out for themselves that God is happy. Most never will. How can they, unless their families and churches teach them and demonstrate God-centered happiness in their own lives? We need to tell them that sin, suffering, shame, and unhappiness are temporary conditions for God’s people. We’ll once and for all be righteous, healthy, shame free, and happy. Once we’re in His presence, we’ll never again experience the anger, judgment, and discipline of God we see in Scripture (all of which are appropriate and important, but even now do not nullify His happiness or love). What if our children and grandchildren learned from childhood that to know God is to know happiness—and to not know Him is misery that propels us to search for happiness where it can’t be found? What if, without having to explore the world’s sin, as Augustine did, they could understand his prayer after his conversion: “There is a joy that is not given to those who do not love you, but only to those who love you for your own sake. You, yourself, are their joy”?[i] What if they understood Augustine’s words, “They who think there is another, pursue some other and not the true joy”?[ii] What if our children saw in our families and churches a breadth of Christ-centered, ultimately optimistic happiness and were taught that this happiness originates in God, not the world? How might it fulfill these words: “That the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born, that they may arise and tell them to their children, that they should put their confidence in God” (Psalm 78:6-7, NASB)? Imagine if our churches were known for being communities of Jesus-centered happiness, overflowing with the sheer gladness of what it means to live out the good news of great joy! And what if when our families left church and went to school, work, restaurants, and musical and dramatic performances, they didn’t feel they were walking away from God but toward the same happy God they’ve been worshiping? Envision how contagious the doctrine of God’s happiness could be if taught and grasped and lived out. What if we really believed the gospel doesn’t just offer us and our children and our communities and our world what we need but offers us what, in the depths of our hearts, we want? What if when suffering came, we faced it with an underlying faith that erupted into genuine gladness and thanksgiving? What if instead of looking away or being paralyzed by the needs of this world, we—with humility and gladness—reached out to intervene for the hungry, the sick, the unborn, the racially profiled, and the persecuted? Wouldn’t our children be less likely to leave the Christian faith, push away church as a bad memory, and pursue the world’s inferior happiness substitutes that will ultimately destroy them? I’m not talking about contrived happiness as a pretense or a strategy for church growth, but the genuine happiness that naturally flows from God and the gospel. Jonathan Edwards said, “It is of infinite importance . . . to know what kind of being God is. For he is . . . the only fountain of our happiness.”[iii] Sadly, some imagine that following Christ boils down to, “Just say no to happiness!” My hope and prayer is that we can counteract that misconception in our families and churches with a biblical doctrine of happiness, built upon the happiness of God. May we teach them that “In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). [i] Augustine, Augustine’s Confessions (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014), 52. [ii] Augustine, The Confessions of Saint Augustine (New York: E. P. Dutton, 1900), 255. [iii] Jonathan Edwards, “The Importance and Advantage of a Thorough Knowledge of Divine Truth,” Select Sermons. www.epm.org

Share 0 Have you settled for a mediocre faith? Is your prayer life mundane, expectations low. God is bigger than that. Steven Furtick preaches about childlike faith. “Paul said to not let anyone look down on you because you are young.” • I’m an expert on the idea of being dumb enough that God can do anything. Anything that is written in God’s Word is possible for anyone who believes. Audacious faith is the hope, the passion of my life and ministry. These words constantly inspire me: “I despair at the thought that my life might slip by without God showing Himself mighty in my life.” – Jim Cymbala. 2 Kings 3:9-20 is an incident in the life of the prophet Elisha. Elisha is an under-rated prophet. • Elisha did miracles everywhere he went. Fire from heaven, rain to heal a drought, defeating the host of prophets of Baal. There’s is nothing God can’t do. We can position ourselves, learn and get training, but only God can make it rain. After we’ve done all that we can do, we have to remember that only God can send favor, mercy, salvation, and healing. Only God can make it rain. Proverbs 3:5-6 states that… “in ALL your ways acknowledge Him.” We can’t expect God to show up in our work unless we do our work God’s way. You can do it. You can make it. When you attend conferences, or come together with other believers and Christian leaders, in at atmosphere like this it’s easy to get fired up, be inspired, motivated to act, etc. But we have to praise God for inspiration. But how will you get from inspiration to implementation? Having good ideas doesn’t make you a visionary, it makes you a daydreamer. The difference is having the audacity and courage to act. God gives you the faith to get started. If the size of the vision you have isn’t intimidating to you there’s a good chance it’s insulting to God. Remember Elijah’s faith. If you want to see the land filled with water, dig some ditches. Dig ditches in preparation for how God wants to use your life. You may not see rain or even see clouds, but don’t wait to get to work until you seethe evidence of God’s blessing. Faith believes it before it sees it. Pray for God to start a groundswell. Don’t let time talk you out of your dreams. Life can beat the audacity out of you. God is not done with you yet. Do it or die trying. True faith has a bit of ambiguity to it. No leader is ever 100% sure that they’ve heard from God. Just like Elijah, keep digging ditches. One of the reasons we struggle with insecurity is because we are comparing our behind-the-scenes with others highlight reels. If you will dig the ditches God will send the rain. If you will do what you can do God will do what only He can do. Sometimes it doesn’t seem like anything is happening, but you don’t know what God is doing behind-the-scenes. Hebrews 11:1 states that “Faith is the evidence of things hoped for and the evidence of things not yet seen.” Expect God to do great things through your life. Don’t dig one ditch… make the valley full. Noah looked stupid building a boat until it started to rain. When the vision you see around you doesn’t match what God has spoken to you, you’ve got to close your eyes and hold on to what you’ve heard. Be a ditch-digger. Believe for God to do great things. Notes by timschraeder.com. Used by permission.

Revelation 2:8-9 8 “To the angel of the church in Smyrna write the following: “Thus says the one who is the first and the last, the one who was dead, but came to life: 9 ‘I know the distress you are suffering and your poverty (but you are rich). The city of Smyrna was one of the three cities in Asia Minor who competed for the status of being the greatest city of the region along with Ephesus and Pergamum. The name of the city itself simply meant myrrh – expensive fragrance, because in the ancient times this was the chief expert of the city. Smyrna just like Ephesus was a coastal city perfectly positioned for accumulating enormous wealth because of its port and central location on trade route connecting all other cities of the Roman province of Asia Minor. Out of all seven cities mentioned in Revelation only Smyrna survives today as an inhabited city. It is called Izmir and it is located in the West of modern Turkey. The city was founded twice. Once it around as a Greek colony in Western Anatolia (around 1100 BCE) and after its total destruction was once again returned to life and habitation under the regional administration of Alexander the Great (4th century BCE). Perhaps, it is because of this known history of Smyrna as being dying and coming back to life that Jesus in his message to the messenger in Smyrna highlighted this particular aspect of his own life: He was also dead and came back to life. In a series of statements regarding Jesus’ personal knowledge of the perilous situation of his followers believers in the city of Smyrna, the Heavenly Priest, who is able to sympathize assures the congregation in Smyrna that the suffering and financial difficulties of this community is known and understood by him well. Yet Jesus tells the people experiencing social and, therefore, economic sanctions/isolation from prosperous Jewish and Pagan communities of Smyrna that in all reality they are rich. This idea of “things are not what they seem” will reappear many times throughout the book of revelation. I also know the slander against you by those who call themselves Jews… The second affirmation of Christ’s intimate acquaintance with the difficulties of Jewish and God-fearing followers of the Way had to do with a slander against them. Slander is a criminal action of making a false usually a spoken statement damaging to a person’s or group of persons’ reputation. This section is extremely important in order for us not to swerve from the road we are currently on – rereading the Letter of Revelation as a Jewish Christ-following document. Here too again the standard theory preconditions/forces the reader to think by the later categories while reading first century texts. The traditional theory goes something like this: The Christian Church at Smyrna suffered at the hands of the Jews. The Jews thought they were the people of God but were actually they were self-deceived representatives of Satan. Christians were now the People of God just as Jews once were. Why are were these people said not to be the Jews then? It is simple, the traditional theory posits – They were Jews by race and religion only. But they were not spiritual children of Abraham. Paul made the point in his writings that: “A man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit” (Rom.2:29). The Christian Church now was the Israel of God, the “true circumcision” and “the true Jews”, who worshiped God through Christ Jesus. But there are all kinds of misconceptions and anachronisms that are present in this common and usually unchallenged reconstruction of what took place in the City of Smyrna. This reconstruction that I sought to briefly present above is usually offered together with a story of martyrdom of great man of God Polycarp (bishop of Smyrna), disciple the Apostle John. When he was offered life in exchange for a public denial of Jesus and acceptance of Roman Emperor as Lord he uttered now his iconic words: “Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He has never done me wrong; how, then, can I blaspheme my King and my Saviour!” The story of Polycarp’s Martyrdom, though being one of the greatest stories that inspired millions of Christians for the greater commitment to the Lord, may not be historical at some very important points. The earliest manuscripts of Polycarp’s Martyrdom are dated to the tenth century CE and come across as full of inspirational Christian interpellations. This becomes clear when the story in Martyrdom of Polycarp is compared to the account as told by Eusebius in his Church History written in the fifth century CE. The differences are considerable. There are other issues like literary parallels with the passion of Christ that are doubtfully coincidental. Moreover, by the fifth century CE the Christ-followers have already developed what can be called Historic Non-Jewish (and often-times anti-Jewish) Christianity and therefore it is doubtful that documents coming from under the feather of fifth century Christian historians such as Eusebius can be trusted completely, especially when they involve the Jews. My point here is not that nothing in Eusebius’ account of the Martyrdom of Polycarp is true. But that simply we do not have ideologically independent and reliable sources to establish the details of Martyrdom, especially involving the Jews of the city of Smyrna, claiming that they led the way and encouraged the murder of St. Polycarp. The accuracy of Eusebius’s account have often been called into question many times both today and in the ancient times. For example, in the 5th century, the Christian historian Socrates Scholasticus described Eusebius as writing for “rhetorical finish” and for the “praises of the Emperor” rather than the “accurate statement of facts.” (Socrates Scholasticus, Church History, Book 1.1) The so-called historical methods of Eusebius were criticized by many modern scholars, which show that at least his chronology was something between an exact science and an instrument of propaganda. My suggestion, therefore, is to leave the story of the dating and the authenticity of these materials to the scholars of later periods and not to allow those accounts of Polycarp (whether they are true, false or only partially so) to influence our reading of a much earlier text of Revelation. We need to be able to read the Letter of Revelation as a first century literary work without borrowed insights and inspiration from later often-times anti-Jewish theology. … and really are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. The translation choice of the overwhelming majority of Christian translations of the Book of Revelation for the Greek is a synagogue of Satan. This a perfect example of inconsistent and clearly anti-Jewish (though most of the time without any malicious intent) translation. By inconsistency I mean that in the cases when the word synagogue is positive or neutral in meaning it is translated as a “congregation” or as “assembly” (James 2:2 “For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes…”), but in the cases that it is negative like in this case it is translated not as congregation or assembly of Satan – something that in modern minds evokes strictly Jewish (vs. non-Jewish) affiliation – “the synagogue”. If we read this text as is normally done in the context of Christian Polycarp being practically murdered in the mid-second century by the Jews. We will not be able to see any other interpretive options here at all. We would actually, as our interpretations of this normally do, have to disagree with what Jesus may be saying. Jesus says that those who slander his followers in Smyrna were dishonest about their Judean affiliation. They were actually not Jews. They only pretended doing so. One way to look at it is as we discussed before. That is these people are Jews in ethnicity and religion only, but not really in their hearts. But what if Jesus was right literally?! What if these people slandering the Jewish believers in Jesus and those who joined them in following the Jewish Christ were not Judeans/Jews at all? What if they were recent converts to the Judean life-style package from the Romans – a well-known and problematic phenomena in the Roman Empire? Incidentally, the utter religious zeal is very much characteristic of a religious convert. A Greco-Roman writer Epictetus who was a Stoic Philosopher residing in Asia Minor at the time of the composition of the Book of Revelation wrote the following: “Why, then do you call yourself a Stoic, why do you deceive the multitude, why do you act the part of a Judean, when you are a Greek? Do you not how each person is called a Judean, a Syrian, or an Egyptian? And when we see someone vacillating, we are accustomed to say, “He is not a Judean, but he is just pretending.” But when he takes up the state of mind of one who has been baptized and made a choice, then he is a Judean in both reality and name. So also we are falsely baptized, Judeans in word, but indeed something else, not in harmony with reason, far from applying the principles we profess, yet priding ourselves for being people who know them (Dissertations 2.9.19-21 = Stern no. 254).” www.eteacherbiblical.com .

The disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! — John 20:19 Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared! — Luke 24:31 He was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. — Acts 1:9 He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control. — Philippians 3:21 Christ’s resurrection body had an ability to appear suddenly, apparently coming through a locked door to the apostles. And “He disappeared” from the sight of the two disciples at Emmaus. When Christ left the earth, He defied gravity and ascended into the air. It’s possible that the risen Christ, who is man yet God, has certain physical abilities we won’t have. Appearing and disappearing could be a limited expression of His omnipresence, and His ascension might be something our bodies couldn’t imitate. On the one hand, because we’re told in multiple passages that our resurrection bodies will be like Christ’s, it may be possible at times for us to transcend the present laws of physics and/or travel in some way we’re not now capable of. On the other hand, it’s our God-given human nature to be embodied creatures existing in space and time. So it’s likely that the same laws of physics that governed Adam and Eve will govern us. We can’t be sure, but either way it will be wonderful. Our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. — 1 Corinthians 15:53 Our resurrection bodies will never fail us. They’ll work in perfect concert with our resurrected minds. We won’t get sick, grow old, or die from either an accident or natural causes. www.epm.org . Used by permission.

Is God calling you to serve Him in ministry? First of all, it’s a big YES. God draws lost people to himself to save them, and his desire is that all saved people serve people. So, if you’re a believer, you are called! Obviously, however, there is a kind of “calling” that sets certain individuals apart for positions of ministry leadership. The New Testament refers to some people as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. And they are given to the church to teach, preach, shepherd, equip, and instruct. It should be noted before moving any further that everyone within the body of Christ is of equal worth and importance. We may serve different functions, but the gap between “clergy” and “laity” is an imagined one. All believers are “ministers” even though a few may receive a special calling to lead and to take responsibility for the health and welfare of the flock as undershepherds who follow Jesus. Some of these leaders are paid and some are not. Some work for churches full-time, some part-time, and others on a volunteer basis. Regardless of their formal relationship with a particular church body, they are called to a higher level of responsibility for the maturing of the body of Christ. So they preach, they lead, they counsel, they give oversight, and they cast a vision for the fulfillment of the Great Commission. Here’s the million dollar question among those who grapple with this subject: Is the call of God to ministry leadership discerned mystically? Or practically? Is God’s call heard supernaturally? Or naturally? And again, the answer is YES. I have friends who testify that God showed up in a moment of their lives in an unusual way and made his presence known to them in the moment of their calling. But this isn’t always the case. Personally, I would describe my own experience of God’s calling in three phases: I was hungry. I couldn’t get enough of the Bible, and I couldn’t seem to read enough about ministry or ask enough questions of my mentors. This hunger grew over several months as I found my way back into a local church. (As an aside, we ought to pursue this calling in the context of a local church community and under the mentorship of our pastors and leaders.) I was convinced. I came to a moment when I simply knew that God wanted me to spend the rest of my life in full-time, vocational ministry leadership. It was on a bus ride to Louisville, Kentucky when I was a senior in high school. I jotted in the margin of my Bible the phrase, “3-1-95 Called to Preach”. I wrote it next to Jeremiah 1:5, which I was reading that day… Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. I became confident. Once I knew God was calling me, sadly, it took another seven months for me to find the guts to go public. In October of 1995, I preached my first, rather pitiful eighteen-minute sermon. But that experience lit a fire under me that burns to this day, and I still can’t hold it in. While I believe God can and does often speak his calling into our lives in precise and unique ways, I believe that there should be some practical confirmation of that calling. After spending twenty years talking to younger leaders just getting started, I’ve developed a sense for those who are serious and those who aren’t – those who will go far because they lean into God’s grace and launch out in faith, and those who squander their time and energy on the sidelines. When someone expresses an interest in ministry or talks of a calling, there are several questions that are quite appropriate to be asked, and through which a prospective leader can and should be screened, and I would divide them into five areas. 1. YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE Are you presently walking in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit? Are you soaking in God’s Word, praying regularly, and growing in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus? And does it show in your closest relationships? Would those nearest you (especially a spouse) describe you as Spirit-filled? 2. YOUR HEART Do you WANT to lead the church? Do you crave it? Hunger for it? Is your appetite insatiable enough that you cannot be stopped? Do you desire to do the work of a Pastor? 3. YOUR ABILITY Obviously we should never attempt to serve merely in the power of our own flesh, but to be effective, we must be sharpening our skills and abilities. This is why teachability is one of the most vital characteristics of ministry leaders. When you stop learning, you will stop leading. 4. YOUR PERSONALITY Your unique personality doesn’t really determine whether or not you’re ready to lead in ministry. Rather, it relates to HOW you should lead. One of the most beneficial exercises I’ve ever gone through is the DISC profile (or one of dozens of similar personality and temperament assessments). I’m laid back (a high “I”), so I have to work at communicating clear expectations. I hate conflict, so I have to be intentional about confrontation. And I’m an introvert, so owning this and being at peace with it is important. 5. YOUR EXPERIENCES A decade and a half ago, Angie and I started to go plant a church, and had we done so, it would have been disastrous. I only know that because of all that we’ve encountered in the last five years that I would have been totally unprepared for back then. All of your past experiences – the good, the bad, and the ugly – prepare you for what is next in your life. If you’ve come to a place in your Christian walk where your hunger to serve and your conviction that God wants you to serve line up, and you have the maturity, the desire, the ability, the personality, and the experience necessary to prepare you, then GO FOR IT! Every believer is “called.” We’re all called to serve others, to share the gospel, and to glorify God. And we’re all called to do these things “full time.” But thank God for granting the special opportunity for some to be fully immersed in the life of leading the body of Christ forward for the gospel’s sake! www.pastors.com . Used by permission.