What’s your go-to greeting? “Good morning!” “Hey!” “How are you doing?” “Grace and peace to you” was likely the most frequently used greeting offered by the leaders of the early church. Because our greetings tend to be tired and worn thin, it’s unsurprising that we skip over these greetings. Let’s slow down and look at those five words and consider why they would be used so frequently. What does “grace and peace” mean? How can we offer grace and peace? 17x “Grace and Peace” Let’s first take a look at the seventeen times that it is used in the New Testament: To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. - Romans 1:7 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. - 1 Corinthians 1:3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. - 2 Corinthians 1:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. - Galatians 1:3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. - Ephesians 1:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. - Philippians 1:2 To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. - Colossians 1:2 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. - 1 Thessalonians 1:1 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. - 2 Thessalonians 1:2 To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. - 1 Timothy 1:2 To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. - 2 Timothy 1:2 To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. - Titus 1:4 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. - Philemon 1:3 …according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. - 1 Peter 1:2 May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. - 2 Peter 1:2 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father's Son, in truth and love. - 2 John 1:3 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne… - Revelation 1:4 What Does “Grace and Peace” Mean? Let’s start with the basics. The phrase “grace and peace” is so frequently repeated that we might miss all that is loaded in those three words. In Greek, grace ( charis ) refers to grace that brings about joy and delight. It is loving-kindness and favor. Peace (e irene in Greek) points us to the Hebrew notion of shalom , which refers not just to a lack of conflict, but wholeness, wellness, harmony, and even prosperity. It’s important to note that both words point back to God himself. Grace is offered by our perfect God who generously grants his unmerited favor upon us. Likewise, while we can achieve some measure of lack of conflict through human means, it is only God who can bring about true shalom . Note how often the biblical writers mention the first two persons of the Trinity. Fifteen of the seventeen invocations of “grace and peace” mention both God the Father and God the Son.  That’s no mistake. God the Father bestows his favor upon his children. Jesus secures our peace through his reconciling work. Note also that every one of these references occurs within the first seven verses of the letter. For Paul, Peter, and John, the double-barreled promise of “grace and peace” are what bullets of their letters are shot out of. Every truth that is fired in these letters emerges from grace and truth. This is no mere pleasantry; it is at the very heart of what God is doing in his people. To state it even more bluntly: “grace and peace to you” is the gospel in five words. How Can We Offer Grace and Truth? If Paul, Peter, and John think that they ought to start almost everything they write with the double-barreled promise of grace and truth, shouldn’t we consider doing likewise? Starting to offer these words as a blessing is a great start. Meaning these words is even more important. Declaring these words with the confidence of Paul, Peter, and John is where we are called. We can declare grace and peace on brothers and sisters in Christ instead of judgment because we know that Christ has taken their sins upon himself. We can declare “grace and peace to you” because God the Father has already promised it to believers through God the Son. We are invited to see others through this blessing and then treat them as Christ does. Grace and peace to you, my dear brother. Grace and peace to you, my dear sister. www.thebeehive.live.

Have you watched the pages of the calendar flip by or listened to the tick-tock of the clock counting out the hours year after year, wondering where God is in your life? God has not forgotten about you. God has a plan for you. If you are still here, that means there is still hope for a fresh encounter with God. God does some of His best work in the dark, in those times when we don’t think He is doing anything at all. While you may be wandering in the wilderness, God is working out the details of your destiny. A lot of people want an experience with God but do not want to hang out where God is located. They choose to place themselves outside of His vicinity. But if you want an experience with God, the first lesson to learn is that you must hang out where He is. The pursuit of God includes the willingness and intention to go into His presence. Don’t settle for a long-distance relationship with God. Don’t settle for a long-distance relationship with God. If you are open to a divinely-ordained kingdom encounter, remember that it may come when you least expect it. When you experience something outside of normal patterns of your life, open your eyes. When you see things that don’t make sense, pay attention. If stuff just doesn’t add up, focus in. Because you may be on the verge of a divine kingdom encounter. If you are still here, that means there is still hope for a fresh encounter with God.  www.tonyevans.org.

“And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.” Genesis 1:31 (ESV) Remember who you are. These are words I spoke to my children countless times when they were younger. I wanted them to remember they are children of the Almighty God. I knew if they remembered this truth, they would be better able to live this truth. Genesis 1 and 2 read like this kind of reminder to me. A reminder I needed when my heart was broken and I could feel everything good slipping away from me. I felt so insignificant. I was trying to move forward after the deep pain of betrayal. I kept asking, “Is it even possible to heal from something like this?” As we navigate a world full of hurt and hearts so often full of shame, these first two chapters of the Bible feel like God whispering to us: “Remember who you are. Remember how I designed you. Remember all I’ve called you to be.” When God formed, shaped and painted this world and its creatures into being, His goodness seeped in with every thought and touch. And when He was done, Genesis 1:31a says,  “God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” I love that God declared Adam and Eve to be exceedingly and abundantly good, even though the actual ingredients He used to make them were seemingly so very humble and basic. Dust and broken-off bone don’t seem like the most promising of beginnings. Left on their own, these ingredients would amount to nothing. Insignificant. Unacceptable. But chosen by God and then breathed on and touched by God, they became the only part of creation made in the image of God. They were “nothing,” turned into the most glorious “something.” They were made to be a reflection of the image of God. These image bearers made an invisible God’s image, visible. And I don’t want us to miss the significance of Genesis 2:18 when God says He will make a helper suitable for Adam. The Hebrew word for suitable is נֶגֶד neged,  meaning “what is in front of you, in your sight, before your face in your view.” So, this word “suitable” gives meaning to the kind of help Adam needed. Beyond just needing help to work the garden or someone uniquely designed to be able to carry children so they could bring forth life, Adam needed a visual — something in front of him to view. This seems to me to be a reflection. Not like a mirror reflecting only what you place in front of it. No, this is more like a reminder that what is standing in front of him is a reflection of God’s image. It seems Eve, in being a helper suitable for him, was to be a reminder of who Adam was — a human made in God’s image. A reflection of the glory and goodness of God. It’s a reminder Eve would have needed as well. And together, they were to fill the earth with the glory of God. Not to just be fruitful and multiply it with children. But to multiply evidence of God Himself. (Genesis 1:28) Their design in the image of God declared to the world, “God is worthy of praise!” And their design declared to each other, “Remember who you are. You are of God. From God. Made in His image. Loved from the depth of God’s unfathomable Father’s heart. Treasured beyond imagination.” This is the Divine Echo. This is what Adam and Eve were called to, and it’s what we’re called to as well. Not just married people, but every person with a beating heart. And the more we remind each other of who we really are, the more God’s goodness and glory will echo throughout the earth. We aren’t just dust and bone. We aren’t what we’ve done or what’s been done to us. We aren’t the worst of what others have said about us. We are the very breath and touch of God. Designed and loved by God. A reflection of the glory and goodness of God. These are the truths I needed to remember about who I am. I am so much more than the sum total of my hurt and pain and insecurities. Maybe it’s what you need as well … so let me whisper to your soul, “Remember who you are.” Father God, what a humbling and beautiful gift it is to be Your image bearer. Help me to change how I see myself and others. Show me if there’s anyone I've been viewing through a lens of hurt and shame instead of Your divine lens of love. I want my life to be a declaration of Your goodness and glory. And I want to speak life and truth into hurting hearts who have forgotten who they are. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. TRUTH FOR TODAY Genesis 1:27, “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” (NIV)

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness." Colossians 2:6-7 (NIV) I looked at the text message in complete disbelief. Why couldn’t this person see how insensitive and hurtful she was being? I don’t know who made up the saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Either they had nerves of steel, or they lived on a deserted island with no other people. Because not only do words hurt me, but they make me want to fight back and be mean too. Have you ever had a situation with someone where you just knew you were right, and they were wrong? Or at least you could make a really good case for your side of things? Oh, how I have this burning need to state my case in these kinds of situations. It’s like an inner attorney rises up, desperate to defend my rights and get the other person to see things my way. This can feel so justifiable and normal. Yes. But normal doesn’t always mean good. Especially in light of Colossians 2:6-7, which reminds me,  “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” This verse is teaching me to live rooted in Jesus’ teaching and overflowing with thankfulness. The opposite of this is when I’m rooted in self-centered opinions and overflowing with grumbling. I need to let God show me how to see things from this other person’s side and gain a different perspective. In doing so, I will be strengthened and taught. Colossians 3:12-14 reminds me,  “… as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity”  (NIV). My job isn’t to fix this person or make them see my side of things. My job is to obey God by offering an extension of the forgiveness I’ve been given. But I can also stay healthy in this situation by remembering forgiveness doesn’t mean giving this person access in my life that sets me up for destructive patterns. Forgiveness also doesn’t mean that what the other person did is now okay. Nor does it mean my feelings don’t matter. Forgiveness means I’ve decided to pursue healing by sweeping my heart clean of resentment and bitterness. Finally, Colossians 3:17 reminds me,  “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him”  (NIV). Everything I do and say tells a story of whom I serve. If I act out of anger and spite, I give in to the ways of the enemy, spreading his darkness. If I honor the Lord with my actions, I serve to further the name of Jesus and spread His light. At the end of the day, honoring God leads to good things. Anything else leads to confusion, emotional exhaustion and a lack of good things. I processed the text message mentioned above with a family member who said something that brought much clarity: “You know when you’ve taken the high road, God blesses you. You’ve seen these blessings over and over as you’ve made choices that honor God. So choose a blessing today and save yourself the emotional turmoil of trying to prove you’re right.” I know this isn’t easy stuff. I’m having to live it in the midst of feeling hurt. But just because I feel hurt doesn’t mean I have to add to the chaos by returning more hurt. Responding to something mean with more meanness will only lead to conflict escalation, not resolution. While I can’t immediately fix the hard situation with my friend, I can have a healthier perspective. And when I am more at peace with a healthier perspective, I have a much greater chance of responding in a way that’s a truer reflection of my heart. Remember, just because someone lays something down doesn’t mean we have to pick it up. We don’t have to fall into the trap of saying ugly things back. We don’t have to betray who we are in a moment of feeling offended. Instead, we can decide the cycles of hurt going ‘round and ‘round the world today will stop with us. We can take the higher ground and, because we don’t have to live with reaction regret, we can celebrate. Dear Lord, You know the hurtful words and actions that have come my way. Please give me Your strength not to retaliate, but instead to react based on Your Truth. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. TRUTH FOR TODAY James 1:19-20, “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” (NIV)

Have you received devastating news? Divorce? Disillusionment over current events? Perhaps, like Job, everything in your life seems to be falling apart and you are just waiting for the other shoe to drop. You wanted a dream job and ended up with a dead-end job. You anticipated holding a healthy baby and now you have a handicapped one. (Or a dead one, in my case).   My husband is the best preacher I’ve ever heard. (I’m incredibly prejudiced, of course). But he’s lived with a weak heart his entire life. One of his high school buddies was vice president of a booming Fortune 500 company. The business went belly-up, and now he’s a Walmart greeter making minimum wage.   Americans hate settling for second best, silver medals, or plan B. But God often takes the rubble of our broken lives and does His best work with our “second bests.” Let me give you a single Bible example. Missionary Paul is chomping at the bit to share the gospel in ritzy Bithynia, a cosmopolitan trade center in Asia Minor. To reach such an influential hub of culture and clout would be a feather in his Christian cap. However, God had other ideas. The Holy Spirit said “no, no, you don’t go” and slammed the door in Paul’s face. Read Acts 16: 6-10 below:   “ They went to Phrygia, and then on through the region of Galatia. Their plan was to turn west into Asia province, but the Holy Spirit . So they went to Mysia and tried to go north to Bithynia, but  Proceeding on through Mysia, they went down to the seaport Troas. That night Paul had a dream: A Macedonian stood on the far shore and called across the sea, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!”  The dream gave Paul his map. We went to work at once getting things ready to cross over to Macedonia. All the pieces had come together.  We knew now for sure that God had called us to preach the good news to the Europeans.”  The Message In Troas the door was opened to the preeminent ministry of his career. Paul rendered his most significant service in the leftovers of a broken plan. All of us have times spent in barrenness in low tides when we feel shelved or set aside, not used, or virtually unusable. Let me encourage you. That is often the hand of a sovereign God who has closed the door. The Bible teaches that those rock-bottom days, those hard times are God's perfect arrangements to prepare us for some of his best works.   Here are some helpful hints for times of disappointment, for “second best” days: When doors close... 1). Don't run. Be patient and wait for God's blessing. 2). Don't always assume that an open door is from God. Satan also opens doors. 3). God will lead you by speaking in your spirit. Listen for His voice and call there. 4.) When God shuts off one path He inveriably opens a better one. It's only a matter of time. Revelation 3:7-8 “This is the message from the one who is holy and true. He has the key that belonged to David, and when  HE  opens a door, no one can close it, and when  HE  closes it, no one can open it. I know what you do; I know that you have a little power; you have followed my teaching and have been faithful to me.  I have opened a door in front of you, which no one can close."  GNT

Peter says that he is about to die, so he wants to share with Christians the most significant lesson they could ever learn. As a pastor, if I could say the same, this is what I’d say.   2 Peter 1:12 So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.   Like Peter, I would want to teach you how to spend time alone with God in His Word. At this time in my life, I know now that I can open the Word and do what it says. How do you pull off living in this culture without seeking God for yourself? Most of us are pretty good at putting up a front-projecting a positive image to others. We can craft that image to be whatever we want to be.   But when you are alone with God, He sees through our duplicity. God knows when I’m trying to sound “spiritual” even in my prayers. He knows better. You can’t hide who you are from Him.   Peter writes in these precious verses  “I know the putting off of my body will be soon.” Peter knew he was going to die. It’s not death, it’s putting off the body. How did Peter know? In  John 21: 18-19 , Jesus was restoring Peter over a breakfast of fried fish. Jesus asked him, “Peter, do you love me? Then feed my sheep.” In  John 21:17 , Jesus further prophesies Peter’s death:   “Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.  18  Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.”  19  Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”   When it came time for Peter to be crucified, he chose to be crucified upside-down because he didn’t feel worthy to die the way Jesus did. It’s nonsense to listen to prosperity-gospel pastors teach that if you follow Christ, you will be healthy, wealthy and wise. Imagine how Peter felt when Jesus gave him the news of his impending death. Peter doesn’t complain.   What did Peter want to do with the last few moments of his life in  2 Peter 1:15 ?   “15  And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.”   He wants them to know what God says and to do it. When we’re gone, as parents we want to train our kids to be independently dependent upon God.   I was raised in a very Asian family. We only spoke Chinese in my home. I was taught to have tremendous respect for the elderly. I was taught not to talk back to them, question them, but instead to be quiet and learn. Honor was given to an elder. We must honor God and listen carefully to what He says.   “These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.”  Isaiah 66:2   This verse breaks my heart. I remember Peter standing on the mountain as Jesus’ face shone like the sun. His clothes burst into heavenly glory and Moses and Elijah appeared beside Him. In addition, the cloud of the glory of God descended and enveloped them. Matthew writes, “ 5  While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”   Can you imagine that Peter was shaking in his boots? He was terrified. He trembled at God’s voice-at His Word.   But do I tremble at His Word? I may read it, study it, memorize it, but do I tremble at it? Don’t be dependent on someone else to give you the Word of God. Open your heart humbly before God with reverential awe and trembling, and do what He says.   Picture yourself on that Transfiguration mountaintop. www.crazylove.org.

Jim Roan, an American entrepreneur, author and motivational speaker said,  “Your life doesn’t get better by chance. It gets better by change.”  If that is true, why is it so hard for those of us who want to change in our lives to really pull it off?  As I thought about that, I realized the reason is because we are secure in our comfort zone.  It’s easy to get stuck living your life every day from a place where things seem to make sense, simply because that’s the way we did it the day before, and the day before that. But  actually  starting to change how we think and how we live is difficult. The COVID-19 pandemic has really forced us to change. In many ways it has blown us completely out of any comfort zone we had prior to our first knowledge of it. As I was thinking about how all of us had been pushed out of our comfort zone, I realized that is when and where God does His most transformational work. Think about the people who had to find themselves outside their comfort zone before God really began to use them. Peter had to get outside his boat. He lived each day inside of his comfort zone, literally. Think about that story where Jesus had Peter walk on the water getting outside of his comfort zone to really test his faith. Saul, who later became Paul, had to get out of his comfort zone of being the persecutor of the church, riding on his high horse. He was knocked to the ground, and through that experience His perspective changed, and God used him in a mighty way. Nehemiah, in the Old Testament, served as a cup-bearer to the king. God moved him out to go back to his homeland and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Esther was the queen. She had to step outside her comfort zone, risk her life and confront the king. God’s people were saved because she took action. God’s best work occurs outside of our comfort zone. Some of you could testify that it was during a time of divorce, a medical diagnosis that you did not expect, loss of a job or anything that moved you out of your comfort zone that God accomplished some of His greatest work in your life. I don’t know what you’re facing.  Some of you may be facing concern for your business.  Maybe your marriage has been stressed or your finances have been damages because of COVID-19.  It doesn’t really matter what it is.  The choice to live an intentional life makes a difference.  Intentional Living  is about the way we live our lives as followers of Christ no matter what happens. An intentional life in Christ results in more freedom, more peace  and deeper purpose. It brings God’s very best to your life. The intentional life is not about perfection but about an attitude. It requires making a decision and managing that decision every day. www.theintentionallife.com .

Anyone who has taken the time to calculate a loan repayment schedule understands the implications of interest, and how interest paid on long-term loans will often exceed the amount of principal paid before the loan is paid off.  In fact, if the interest rate is too high, or the term too long, the amount of interest paid can be several times the principal paid over the life of the loan, especially in the case of compounded interest. This same phenomenon has an interesting spiritual application. Psalm 4:4 says “In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent.” Selah NIV When a Psalm is punctuated with the directive “Selah”, that is a clue for us to stop and think about what we have just read.  Paul later quotes this Psalm in Ephesians 4:26-27: "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” NIV When I am offended in some way, I may become angry.  While some anger is well-justified, it should only move me toward resolving the offense, forgiving the offense, and moving on with my life. When I choose, instead, to hold onto the offense, refusing to forgive, I enter into a debt of unforgiveness.  Notice, I do not put the offender into debt, they may not even know I am upset.  Instead I go into debt, and the last phrase of the passage in Ephesians gives us a clue as to who holds the note on that debt. I would propose that bitterness then, becomes the interest I pay on that debt of unforgiveness; and it is compounded nightly.  Let’s take this statement apart and examine it more closely. Proverbs 22:7 says: “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant (slave) to the lender.” NIV We often quote this as a recommendation to avoid financial debt, but it applies equally well in this case, especially when we consider who is holding the note on any debt of unforgiveness.  As long as I owe a debt, my resources are not my own, but subject to the will of the lender.  And when he exacts interest on the debt, I fall deeper into debt with time. The interest payment of bitterness grows with time and will soon overwhelm the original offense, even to the point that I do not remember the original offense.  The classical feud between the Hatfields and McCoys was an excellent example.  Few if any, in the two families could tell you what started the feud, but it was kept alive over several generations by the bitterness.  The interest paid was far in excess of the original offense.  And the interest of bitterness is a compounding interest.  It is paid not only on the original offense, but on any bitterness that has grown since the debt of unforgiveness was first incurred. Like any interest, the growth of bitterness is dependent upon three factors: the interest rate, the term of the debt, and the compounding period.  Let’s look at each one. The rate of interest that a debtor is charged is often a reflection of his or her credit history and assets.  If a person has a long history of unpaid, or slowly paid debts, the interest charged will be higher.  The logic is that, first they are a higher risk for defaulting on the debt, and they are probably more desperate, hence more willing to pay the higher rate just to get the loan.  Neither factor works in the debtor’s favor, but may enrich the lender. In the same way, one with a history of unforgiveness will pay a higher rate of bitterness interest on any subsequent debt of unforgiveness incurred.  This higher interest rate means that the bitterness will more quickly overwhelm the original offense so that the debt is mostly bitterness. The term of the debt determines how long the debtor will pay interest on the debt, hence the total amount of interest paid over the term of debt.  In the same way, the longer I chooses to remain unforgiving, the more bitterness will be charged to my account.  Unless the debt is settled quickly, the bitterness interest will greatly exceed the original offense. The compounding period is the interval at which any accumulated interest is rolled into the original principal owed to increase the principal on which future interest is paid.  The more frequently the interest is compounded, the faster the debt grows, because the principal is larger each time the interest is calculated. Bitterness interest is compounded nightly.  Look again at the  passages from Psalms and Ephesians.  They both implore us to resolve any anger before we sleep, lest it turn to bitterness.  Something profound happens when I go to sleep pondering something.  It seems to get more solidly fixed in my heart and mind, so that it becomes more a part of me. Anger works the same way.  When I go to sleep angry, I will often wake up angry, and may not even fully remember the reason I first became angry.  Each time I do “sleep on my anger”, I become less cognizant of the original cause of the anger and more caught up in the festering bitterness that has accumulated. Bitterness is not a fixed interest rate, but a variable interest rate.  On any variable rate debt, the lender, not the debtor determines any changes in the interest rate.  The debtor may agree to an initial rate, but after that, he or she is at the mercy of the lender as to the rate charged.  Satan is a predatory lender, and once he has a person deeply into the debt of unforgiveness, he will raise the interest rate to the point that they have no chance of ever paying the debt.  Like any predatory lender, he does not care if the initial principal is ever paid off.  The longer he can keep me in debt, the more I will pay in interest. Lastly, we must consider what the debt of unforgiveness builds.  I may enter into financial debt to build a home.  At the same time as I am building my own home, and well beyond, I am also building a home for the banker through the interest I pay.  In fact, “my home” is really the bank’s until I pay off the debt.  A debt of unforgiveness in the same way builds a home, or rather a fortress (stronghold) for Satan in my life.  From that fortress he can operate without interference in my life, protected behind the walls I have paid for with my bitterness. If the outlook for relief from an unforgiveness debt looks bleak, there’s a good reason.  It is!  Once I become caught up in it I quickly become hopelessly mired in the interest of bitterness.  If it were not for my advocate, the very Son of God, I would have no hope of escaping the predator’s trap.  When I yield to the promptings of the Holy Spirit to forgive the initial offense, and ask forgiveness for the sin of bitterness, God “forgives my debt as I have forgiven my debtors.”  To the extent that I forgive those who have offended me, I become free of the debt of bitterness that threatens to bury me.  It is only then that Jesus can come in and tear down the stronghold Satan has built. Any time I willingly enter into debt, there will be a cost.  The best strategy is to never enter into the debt of unforgiveness in the first place.  Then I will never incur any bitterness interest, with its heavy toll on my spiritual, psychological and physical health. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. Romans 13:7-8

Denial is a concept found in virtually every major religion. Various ideas on the practice of self-denial can be found in Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity and other religious and philosophical streams. In most religious practices, like Buddhism, self-denial is a means to achieve an end. Ironically, self-denial is a means of attaining something for oneself - selflessness. Some have thought that the Bible teaches something similar, noting as one example Jesus’ words in Matthew 10:39, “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Are these concepts similar? Not in the slightest. Unlike Buddhism and the other major religions of the world, self-denial in Christianity is not a means to an end, nor is it a religious practice. Self-denial is a loving expression of benefit for others, in obedience to God. There are three great differences between most religions and Christianity regarding self-denial: Buddhism & Other Religions: Self-denial is a means to spiritual enlightenment, Self-denial is a religious practice, Self-denial is performed for the benefit of oneself. Christianity: Self-denial is an indicator of pre-existing character Self-denial is not a religious practice, rather it is an expression of love for others and for God Self-denial is not performed for personal spiritual benefit, it is always performed on behalf of others. Let’s take a look at the Bible’s teaching on self-denial, and how the biblical concept of self-denial is firmly rooted in the expression of love. Self-denial is not an end unto itself. The scripture commands that we deny ourselves of sin, and sometimes of things that are not sin but fall under the realm of conscience. Self-denial as modeled in the Bible usually has three purposes, pointing to a much greater fourth purpose: 1. Self-denial reveals and tests our love for God In Genesis 22:1-13 Abraham was commanded by God to sacrifice his son Isaac as a burnt offering. Abraham was heartbroken, but trusted God’s character. God’s response to Abraham’s obedience was to prevent the sacrifice and declare, “Now I know that you fear God.” 2. Self-denial reveals that we truly love other people It is impossible to express love for another person without denying oneself in deference to the other person. In I Samuel 23:17-18 Jonathon, the heir to the throne of Israel willingly sacrificed his right to rule because of his love for his friend David. Jonathon didn’t simply give up the throne to pursue something else for his own benefit, rather he recognized the better man and denied himself the throne because of his love for David. 3. Self-denial indicates we are growing in our love for God and for others Denying oneself for oneself is not an expression of selflessness, rather it is a misguided expression of selfishness. I Corinthians 10:23-33, and I John 3:16 teach a much better expression of self-denial: The benefit of others. 4. Rightly expressed self-denial is an expression of love. 1 Corinthians 13:3 states, “If I give away all that I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.” Every facet of self-denial, from denying sin, to personal pleasures, to God giving us His Son, and giving away our own lives is wrapped up in love. Self-denial without love is a self-denial without substance and is meaningless. Self-denial is engaged by some as a religious practice to attain enlightenment or some greater spiritual standing. In such cases it is nothing more than a form of “self”-expression. The Bible teaches something far nobler, and more practical. Jesus said that the one who “loses his life for my sake shall find it” (Mark 8:35). The key to understanding Jesus’ meaning is found in the words, “for my sake.” Immediately after saying this Jesus went on to declare, “For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38). The correct path of self-denial is not to deny oneself for ones own benefit; rather it is to deny oneself for Christ. Jesus Christ denied himself that we might have eternal life. How small a thing it is for Him to ask us to sacrifice ourselves for Him and for others considering all that He has already done for us.

God is portrayed in Scripture as full of light. He has a bright radiance, seen by Moses and Elijah and Isaiah and the apostle John and shown in Christ at the Transfiguration. The apostle John is emphatic: “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all” ( 1 John 1:5 ). Psalm 18 speaks of “the brightness of his presence” (v. 12) yet paradoxically also speaks of Him coming down from the heavens with “dark clouds” under His feet (v. 9). We’re told of God that “he made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—the dark rain clouds of the sky” (v. 11). How do dark clouds fit with the brightness of the noonday sun? Somehow it relates to the fallen human condition and the difficulty of seeing the full light of God’s presence in a world still under the Curse. While I don’t suffer chronic depression, I’ve had a few periods of several months of depression that have awakened me to its reality and the hold it can take. A novelist friend wrote me: I pleaded with God for healing and understanding. I thought if I could just understand it, I’d somehow solve it. Never, in all my years of being a Christian, did I cling to God so closely. Never had I talked to Him so honestly. Those weeks, months, and even years of questioning and searching drew me nearer to Him. Walking through my discontent led me to a life so much richer than the one I’d been living. God used my depression and pain for something so much greater than I could envision. I’ve learned that there is purpose in struggle…even when we can’t see it. When I posted a blog about a time of depression I was experiencing, a few people expressed shock that someone who had written about subjects such as grace and Heaven could ever be depressed! I had to laugh, since far better people than I have experienced far worse depression—Charles Spurgeon, Martin Luther, John Owen, and William Cowper, to name a few. Some depression comes from simply feeling the crushing weight of pain and brokenness in one’s life and the lives of others around the globe. Of course, self-preoccupied woe-is-me depression quickly becomes deeply unhealthy. But sometimes when we feel burdened, we may simply be joining the whole of creation in groaning because of a suffering world. In that case, we’re in good company, for “the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express” ( Romans 8:26 ). It’s no sin to feel that burden, and sometimes it’s a sin  not to. Some of what passes for Christian contentment is, in fact, apathy toward the plight of God’s image-bearers. Our lives should reflect a groaning that gives way to joy, celebrating what God has done for us in Christ and thanking Him that He will rescue us once and for all from evil and suffering. Helen Keller, blind and deaf since a toddler, wrote, “Although the world is full of suffering it is also full of the overcoming of it.… Believe, when you are most unhappy, that there is something for you to do in the world. So long as you can sweeten another’s pain, life is not in vain.” Psalm 18, after speaking of both light and darkness, ends beautifully: “You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light” (v. 28). The darkness of the soul will not go on unbroken in this life. But even if it did, the bright light of the New Heaven and the New Earth is coming, so close that even now it is almost within reach: “The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp” ( Revelation 21:23 ). Lord, rescue us from the darkness of sin, and shine upon us the light of forgiveness. But rescue us too from the dark night of the soul that sometimes falls upon even the righteous, who confess their sins and seek your face yet still walk under a gloomy cloud of depression. Reassure us that we are in good company, for many of your great saints have so suffered. Lord, help us trust you until the darkness lifts. But please break through it and be pleased to shine upon us—not just in eternity but even now—the light of joy. Excerpted from Randy's devotional  90 Days of God's Goodness .

Our world is always one push-button away from annihilation. If stocks plunge, nest eggs disappear. Pandemic fears fill our hearts. Don’t even get me started discussing global warming, moral depravity or the disintegration of the family unit. Depressing and worrysome. Negro slaves, brutally beaten, living in poverty, had no hope. How could man’s inhumanity to man exist? These slaves had one coping mechanism. They focused on heaven. Life on earth was hell. But heaven….yes, heaven would be different! “Deep River, my home is over Jordan,” “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot-coming for to carry me home!” Negro spirituals expressed hope in a life beyond death. We can learn from them. How can you become heavenly-minded and hopeful? Hoping in heaven gives you a different perspective on life. I envision my understanding of the here and now as the underside of an embroidered pillowcase. All I see are knots and dangling threads. The heaven side reveals a beautifully crafted masterpiece. Thinking about heaven makes me happy. Besides, I am going to chow down at the Marriage Feast of the Lamb and not gain an ounce! Remember that eternal life starts now. Jesus said in  John 17:3 : “Now this is eternal life; that they may know You, the only eternal God and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” Jesus’ presence will fill you full of joy and pleasure ( Psalm 16:11 ). Quiet your heart, mute your cell phone and let His love wash over you today. Jesus will be glad to see you .  Matthew 25:23  expresses God’s absolute delight in your celestial arrival. He says “Well done, good and faithful servant….Come share your Master’s happiness.” Have you spent your life trying to please God and others? You will find forgiveness, grace and rest in heaven. ( Psalm 103:12 ,  Hebrews 4:10 ). Picture God smiling at you, welcoming you with open arms instead of shaking His finger at you in reproof. Bored? You will have fulfilling work to do. The cream cheese commercial featuring “haloed” angels lying on cloud pillows and strumming harps is a myth. Revelation 7 and 22 states that we will not work riddled with fatigue and frustration (the result of the Fall), but will fulfill all of the potential God placed within you with unlimited resources and energy. Those you love and miss are watching. Hebrews 12:1  describes the crowd of witnesses cheering us on in our earthly struggles.  Revelation 6:9  and  Luke 16:19-30  give us an indication that our dear ones do see us but through an eternal lens. What joy to reunite with them! If “a thousand years is as a day, and a day is as a thousand years,” then your husband may die and you follow him ten years later. That’s about fifteen minutes in “heaven” time. He sees you and quips, “Hi, Honey! Late as usual…” The worship will be awesome!!!  Revelation 4:1-11 depicts the glorious scene of unceasing worship before God’s Throne. All are singing “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” I don’t care how much or little you enjoy worship now, sing, shout, thank and praise God during your day. God’s presence hangs around when you praise. (Read about the Ark of God and His smoky glory). That should get you going!   Hoping in heaven gives you a different perspective on life. I envision my understanding of the here and now as the underside of an embroidered pillowcase. All I see are knots and dangling threads. The heaven side reveals a beautifully crafted masterpiece. Thinking about heaven makes me happy. Besides, I am going to chow down at the Marriage Feast of the Lamb and not gain an ounce!

What are you trusting God to do in your life today? Do you need to address some things in your health, break some old habits and start some new ones? Maybe you have potential for promotion on the horizon at work, or you just need a job. It could be a breakthrough in your relationships—in your marriage, with coworkers, with adult or teenage children. Are you asking yourself: can I trust myself to do what’s needed to turn things around? Can I trust the other person to do their part in relationship repair? Can I continue to be patient and trust God? Trust is a major factor, and must be handled intentionally. Remember the formula: Information + Insight + Action = an Intentional Life in Christ. Trust always requires action to move forward. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been on the giving or receiving end of broken trust. Are you in a fractured relationship because of your betrayal of trust? Your behavior put you in this situation and only your behavior can repair the breach. Trust is earned—it’s a gift that someone chooses to give to you. When you rob someone of their ability to trust you, you have to be realistic. They are unable to immediately trust you again. In order to repair trust: Find out what’s really important to them in the area where you’ve been unfaithful. Ask them, “What do I need to do to regain your trust?” Then faithfully work to retain their trust by proving to be completely trustworthy with your words and behaviors. If you are the one struggling to deal with the hurt because someone betrayed your trust, it’s vital for you to totally and unreservedly forgive that person. That sounds extremely hard, but it’s not impossible when you follow God’s example. Think about how He forgave you. He knew long before Christ’s death and resurrection that millions of people over thousands of years would refuse Him, and He forgave anyway. When you forgive: Be specific in communicating exactly what you need to forgive. Recognize your emotions and let them assist you in clarifying your thoughts, helping you move ahead. Don’t become discouraged if it takes some time to let go. Forgiveness is often a daily, ongoing act requiring commitment and persistence. Trust God without reservation and ask Him to heal your broken relationships and renew the trust with those who have hurt you. www.theintentionallife.com.  Used by permission.