Why Did the Children of Israel Wander Away from God? They had unrepentant hearts…. Moses sent twelve spies to Canaan to bring back a report of the land. When they returned, ten said that, though the land was good, Israel would surely be defeated by the inhabitants. Although Joshua and Caleb argued that Israel certainly could drive out their enemies, the people moaned, complained, and rebelled, even seeking to stone Joshua and Caleb and return with new leaders to Egypt. And again, the anger of the Lord was kindled against them and threatened to bring judgment (see Num 12-14). Faithfully, once more Moses intercedes. “I pray, let the power of the Lord be great, just as Thou hast declared. The Lord is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generations.” -Num 14:17-18 Just as Abraham had prayed centuries before him, Moses focuses upon two things: the integrity of the Lord and His great mercy. God is slow to anger, He is abundant in lovingkindness, He forgives people. When the Scripture says He will “by no means clear the guilty,” it speaks of those who sin yet do not repent. Yet even here the Lord is able to be entreated. Remember, the Israelites have rebelled, they are not even aware that their sin has them at the threshold of God’s wrath. The Lord looks at a nation of unrepentant, sinful people on one side and one man, Moses, praying on the other. Even though Moses acknowledges that the Lord will not “clear the guilty,” Moses still prays that God would forgive Israel, “Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of Thy lovingkindness, just as Thou also hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.” -Num 14:19 Listen in awe at the Lord’s response to Moses’ mercy prayer. He says, “I have pardoned them according to your word” (Num 14:20). Incredible! Three million Israelites had not repented, nor rent their hearts, nor confessed their sins to God and one another. Not one of them who sinned possessed a broken, contrite spirit. Yet, the Lord says, “I have pardoned them.” This is utterly amazing to me. The Lord granted Israel forgiveness “according to [Moses’] word.” Staggering! One man with favor from God brought mercy upon three million people who had not repented. Then, in case we think this is some kind of easy grace, the Lord reaffirms His purpose with all nations, beginning with Israel. He says, “But indeed, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord” (Num 14:21). The integrity of the Lord is non-negotiable. He says, in effect, Though I forgive, I am not going to change My plans. All the earth will be filled with My glory. When we ask God for mercy, we are not asking Him to compromise His intentions. We are only asking that He forgive the sins of people until He can fulfill His purpose. In truth, we are in complete agreement with His desire. We earnestly want His glory to overshadow America, to fall upon Canada, to roll through Europe and Asia, Israel and the Middle East-all over the world, in fact. We shout a resounding “Yes!” to the purpose of God. Fill America with Your glory, Lord. Fill Canada. Fill Europe. Fill Israel and Africa, Asia and Australia with Your majestic glory. But we also pray, until Your purposes are perfected, reveal Your mercy and forgive the sins of Your people. We need a vision of God’s ultimate destiny for our nation: America “will be filled with the glory of the Lord.” He will hear our prayer for mercy as we reach, with Him, toward His ultimate goal. Do you doubt this? The mercy prayer worked for Moses. God brought Israel from Egypt to Canaan through the prayer of His servant. You say, “But that was Moses, I am a nobody.” Jesus said, “He who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater” than the greatest prophets in the Old Testament (see Matt 11:11). How can that be? We have the power of Christ’s blood covenant to aid our quest for mercy! Yet, God indeed used Moses to bring an imperfect people from promise to fulfillment. Whether we are praying for our nation, our cities, our churches, or our family, the Lord will “pardon them according to your word.” Adapted from Francis Frangipane’s book, The Power of One Christlike Life, available at www.arrowbookstore.com.

Share 0 Dr. Kevin Leman shared three keys to helping your kids through a divorce: There’s no such thing as an “easy divorce” – for anyone involved. Kids of divorce feel like a dried-out turkey wishbone after Thanksgiving, with Mom pulling at one end and Dad the other. “Why did my family have to fall apart?” “If Mom and Dad don’t love each other, will they no longer love me?” “If Dad leaves, will I not see him again? Will Mom leave too?” “Is this my fault? Do they hate me?” “What if we can’t keep our house? Will I have to move? Change schools?” “Will Mom and Dad split us kids up? I don’t always like my sister, but I want to live with her…” Most parents launch into the “it’s not your fault” frenzy, thinking that’ll be easier on the kids. “This is between us, the adults,” they say. “It has nothing to do with you.” Nothing to do with me? It has everything to do with me, a kid thinks. Such a sucker punch tears life apart as they know it. Some common defense mechanisms are: acting like the divorce doesn’t matter; hiding out and hoping it’ll all blow over; acting “adult” and calming a ruffled parent’s feathers; playing the “equal time” game so neither parent feels hurt or left out; angrily striking out at everyone around him; becoming even more of a drama queen. Underneath these behaviors is a boatload of hurt. You’re hurting too, so what can you do? And what do your kids need most from you? They need you to be the adult. With divorce’s bomb, he’s understandably upset, especially if he’s already part of the hormone group. So give him some grace, but don’t excuse disrespect and foul language. Though the heat of the moment isn’t the best time to take on negative behaviors, the next day is fair game: “Let’s circle back to what happened yesterday. I know you’re hurting, but what you said really hurt me. I’m your mother – not your psychological punching bag. We will get through this tough time, but I want to do that in a healthy way. I’ll do my part the best I can, and I need you to do your part the best you can too. Can we agree on that?” Be the decisive leader your kid needs – supportive, understanding, positive, action-oriented – and you’ll provide a stable environment even in a stressful time. They don’t need to be bounced around like a rubber ball. Guilt is the propellant for most lousy decisions after a divorce, so make as few changes as possible. Yes, you might need to switch housing or school districts, but keep things as close to “normal” as you can – including staying connected to her old friends. With most divorces, parents want to do the 50/50 kid split, but that approach takes a toll on already-stressed kids. That’s why – as improbable and crazy as it might sound – I tell divorcing couples, “If you’re so high on having to spend equal time with your kid, then you two move from place to place and let the kid stay in his own home.” After all, who’s the adult here? They don’t need to play the “Dad v. Mom Game.” Your ex isn’t likely your favorite person, but don’t use your kids as a sounding board for your squabbles. Putting down your ex is only asking your kids to make him into “Father of the Year.” So, for their sake, extend an olive branch – as much as he might not deserve it. Don’t extract information about what they did at your ex’s or who was there. You aren’t licensed to be a private eye. Instead, provide a warm environment (food helps!) and some non-stressed space to return to. If they want to talk, believe me, they will – of their own volition – and you’ll learn a lot more than any extraction technique known to humankind.

Max Lucado calls us to life and peace in a world filled with uncertainty and violence: “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.” Matthew 10:28 Yet again, yet so soon, we struggle to make sense of bloodshed and violence. Last week bikers mowed down on New York City’s Westside. Sunday, worshippers slaughtered in a small-town South Texas church. Life is a dangerous endeavor. We pass our days in the shadows of ominous realities. The power to annihilate humanity has, it seems, been placed in the hands of people who are happy to do so. Contrary to what we’d hope, good people aren’t exempt from violence. Murderers don’t give the godly a pass. Terrorists don’t vet out victims according to spiritual resumes. The bloodthirsty and wicked don’t skip over the heavenbound. We aren’t insulated. But neither are we intimidated. Jesus has a word or two about this brutal world. “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul” (Matthew 10:28). His disciples needed this affirmation. Jesus had just told them to expect scourging, trials, death, hatred, and persecution (Matthew 17–23). Not the kind of locker room pep talk that rallies the team. To their credit none defected. Perhaps they didn’t because of the fresh memory of Jesus’ flexed muscles in the graveyard. Jesus had taken his disciples to the “the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, [where] two men who were demon-possessed met Him as they were coming out of the tombs; they were so exceedingly violent that no one could pass by that road. And behold, they cried out, saying, ‘What do we have to do with You, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?’” (Matthew 8:28–29 NASB). These two men were demon-possessed and, consequently, “exceedingly violent.” People walked wide detours around the cemetery to avoid them. Not Jesus. He marched in like he owned the place. The demons and Jesus needed no introduction. They had battled it out somewhere else, and the demons had no interest in a rematch. They didn’t even put up a fight. “Have you come to punish us before our time?” (Matt.8: 29 cev). Backpedaling. Stuttering. Translation? “We know you will put it to us in the end, but do we get double trouble in the meantime?” They crumpled like stringless puppets. Pathetic, their appeal: “please send us into those pigs” (Matthew 8: 31 CEV). Jesus did so. “Move,” he exorcised. No shout, scream, incantation, dance, incense, or demand, just one small word. We Christians trace the source of violence back to the devil. We place the fault of bloodshed at the feet of the one whose days are numbered; Satan. We find our hope in the sure victory of Jesus. And though this world with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God has willed his truth to triumph through us: the prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him, his rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure, one little word shall fell him.[i] This is the balance on which Jesus writes the check of courage “Do not fear those who kill the body and cannot kill the soul” (Matthew 10:28). Courage emerges, not from increased police security, but from enhanced spiritual maturity. These days of violence call for people of faith. People of fear make poor decisions. They overreact, lash out and/or retreat. People of courage, on the other hand, keep a cool head. They are not blind to nor bewildered by the evil in the world. Martin Luther King exemplified this courage. He chose not to fear those who meant him harm. On April 3, 1968, he spent hours in a plane waiting on the tarmac due to bomb threats. When he arrived in Memphis later that day, he was tired and hungry, but not afraid. “We’ve got some difficult days ahead,” he told the crowd. “But it doesn’t matter to me now. Because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the Promised Land. And I’m happy tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.”[ii] He would be dead in less than twenty-four hours. But the people who meant him harm fell short in their goal. They took his breath, but they never took his soul. Evildoers have less a chance of hurting you, if you aren’t already a victim. “Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but to trust the LORD means safety (Proverbs 29:25 NLT). Real courage embraces the twin realities of current difficulty and ultimate triumph. Avoid Pollyanna optimism. We gain nothing by glossing over the brutality of human existence. This is a toxic world. But nor do we join the Chicken Little Chorus of gloom and doom. “The sky is falling! The sky is falling!” Somewhere between Pollyanna and Chicken Little, between blind denial and blatant panic, stands the level-headed, clear-thinking, still-believing person of faith. Wide-eyed, yet unafraid. Unterrified by the terrifying. The calmest kid on the block, not for lack of bullies, but for faith in our heavenly Father. The old people of God knew this peace: “Though a host encamps against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident” (Psalm 27:3 RSV). Do not give in to your fears. Resist the temptation to retreat and hunker down. This is the time for faith; the season for God-based hope. “Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about the evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes” (Psalm 37:7 NLT). Courage is a choice. Let it be yours.

Focusing on our eternal inheritance is key to maintaining a proper perspective on Christ’s sufficiency, especially when you’re in the midst of difficult circumstances. That’s not always easy because we’re prone toward selfishness and desiring instant gratification. Advertising fuels that mentality by telling us we can have all we want—and we can have it right now! Of course “having it all” usually means buying on credit whatever product they’re selling. A steady diet of that philosophy has fattened our society with self-indulgence and impatience. People find it difficult to cope with life if they can’t instantly fulfill every desire. They want to eliminate any discomfort, difficulty, injustice, or deprivation immediately. Scripture responds with two revolutionary concepts: heavenly-mindedness and delayed gratification. Heavenly-mindedness is taking our eyes off the world’s offerings for fulfillment and focusing instead on God’s sufficient provision for our satisfaction. It’s what Jesus meant when He instructed us to make the Father’s kingdom our first priority (Matthew 6:33). It’s what Paul meant when he told us to set our minds on the things above, not on earthly things (Colossians 3:2). And it’s what John meant when he said, “Do not love the world nor the things in the world” (1 John 2:15). Delayed gratification is simply deferring to God’s will and God’s timing—the essence of patience. All of His promises will be fulfilled, His righteousness and authority will be fully realized, His Son and His saints will be fully vindicated—but in His time, not ours. Many of the difficulties we experience will not be resolved in this life because His purposes transcend our temporal situations. So there’s no point in running impatiently for relief to people offering “solutions” that ignore God’s objectives and timetable. For example, the Holy Spirit encourages persecuted believers: Be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. (James 5:7–8) I’m sure the dear saints to whom James was writing longed for God’s comfort and justice against their persecutors. But God wanted them to cultivate patience, strength of heart, and a joyful anticipation of Christ’s return. Those are far greater benefits than immediate relief from the difficulties and injustices they faced. God would vindicate them, but in His own time. Heavenly-minded patience includes looking forward to our eternal inheritance with gratitude to God despite our temporal circumstances. Peter illustrated that principle in his first epistle, which was written to teach us how to live out our faith amid seemingly unbearable trials and persecutions. The emperor Nero had accused the Christians of burning Rome, and the resulting persecution was spreading even as far as Asia Minor, where the recipients of 1 Peter lived. To help them focus on their eternal inheritance rather than their present difficulties, Peter gave them—and us—a threefold word of encouragement. Remember Your Calling We are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession” (1 Peter 2:9). As such we are at odds with Satan’s evil world system and will incur its wrath. Therefore we shouldn’t be surprised or intimidated by threats of persecution. That’s our calling: You have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously. (1 Peter 2:21–23) Remember to Praise God Bowing in praise is far better than bowing to pressure. In 1 Peter 1:3–5 Peter says: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected bythe power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. The main verb “be” (1 Peter 1:3) is implied rather than stated (“Blessed be the God”). The text could be literally translated, “Bless the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” In short, the sense of it is “bless God,” which is both a doxology and a command. For Peter to have to command believers to bless God clearly illustrates the depth of our sinfulness. One of the joys of heaven will be our undiminished capacity to praise God perfectly and incessantly for His saving grace. The song of the redeemed will be on our lips throughout eternity. Yet now we struggle with apathy and familiarity. What an indictment! Praising God for our eternal inheritance should be the constant expression of our hearts, no matter what the temporal situation might be. Remember Your Inheritance Focusing on our inheritance is an important key to experiencing joy amid trials. The richness of our inheritance should motivate us to bless God continually. We’re aliens in this world (1 Peter 1:1), but we’re citizens of heaven and recipients of immeasurable blessings in Christ. This temporal world offers nothing in comparison to our imperishable eternal inheritance. (Adapted from Our Sufficiency in Christ)

Bankruptcy. Unemployment. Health insurance. Rising prices….Are you scared spitless about your economic future? Do you hide your credit card bills under the bed? Are you clueless about how to control family finances?   I never have cash. I always use plastic. If I didn’t have my magic black plastic MasterCard, God forbid, I would be stalled on the side of the road gas-less, grocery-less and naked. We do pay our bills as a family and our credit rating is stellar. But the honest truth is that I would be much more frugal if I were handing the cashier dollars and cents instead of my infinite supply of imaginary moolah.   God has basic financial principles He wants us to follow. I’d like to share some basics from my pastor-husband. I also want to share a life-changing article excerpt called “Seven Frugal Habits Everyone Should Develop.”   First, let me share a quick story about two of my favorite people: my parents. Mom and Dad did it right. My mother, the daughter of a poor East Texas dirt farmer, learned to play with corn husk dolls and fabric scraps. My skinny daddy slaved away in his father’s gas station to scrape together enough dough for an itty-bitty engagement ring for his sweetheart.  Ralph and Wanda, (their given names) survived on pinto beans and peanut butter. And along came me. Daddy boldly launched a little construction company. His hole-in-the-wall office was a block from our house. Mom was his bookkeeper. They slaved long hours, prayed hard, tithed and saved. After thirty years of penny-pinching, tithing, and helping the poor (not to mention their grateful family), Mom and Dad are quite wealthy. Early on in life, my parents learned to honor God with their money.   God has a sure-fire financial plan for you. I am going to start with the article I mentioned: “Seven Habits of Frugal People. ” Here are some key points.   Be proactive and take the first step. Instead, take a long hard look at your finances — your budget, debts, income, and expenses, and try to understand where your money is going and where you can budget better. Tell people so that you crystallize your goal, and won’t have to apologize for a more expensive lifestyle. Listen. Listen to yourself and to the reasons you give each time you make a purchase outside of your budget or decide not to put spare money into your savings account.    Define your financial goals and make a budget. Just say “no.” Don’t cave to the pressure of your family, or other influencers in your life. Wear the same suit. Eat at home. Understand the difference between possessions and net worth. When the value of your assets is greater than the amount you owe on mortgages, car loans, and credit card debts, then you have a strong net worth and are truly wealthy.  Communicate with the people in your life about financial choices. You are not the only person affected by your decision to live a more frugal lifestyle. Understand the goals and needs of others. What about your spouse and your kids? Find out what they perceive as essential and prioritize.  You can find a way to be more frugal without them having to give up all of the things that are most important to them. Synergize. Synergy is c reative cooperation — working as a team to find new solutions to existing problems. Look for new ways to be frugal and learn from the frugal people that you know. Be creative. Take care of yourself. Taking the time to renew yourself physically, spiritually and emotionally will give you strength to maintain the previous six habits, which are essential for your success. Develop a support system. Exercise, eat right, constantly read and develop your skills. And, shocker, even this secular article recommends that you pray about your finances. Don’t miss this article: There are a number of links and great resources that you can use. Now let’s address God’s biblical economic plan . My husband Roger has preached on this topic so often I can recite it by heart. If you really memorize these Scriptures, you will see yourself as a steward, not an owner of God’s gifts. Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5 NIV Borrowing to supply living expenses and depreciating items says, in effect, “God, you haven’t given me enough money to meet my needs and therefore, I am going to borrow to make up for your lack.” Borrowing money is a human attempt to satisfy a dissatisfied heart – a heart that will never find satisfaction in the things that borrowed money can buy.   “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.” Proverbs 22:7 NIV   Over the next five years a $20,000 car will cost you $25,000 and I submit to you that by borrowing money to purchase that car you have just lowered your standard of living by $5000. That, of course, is exactly what our government is doing right now. By borrowing money they are lowering the standard of living of every citizen in this country.   By borrowing money we allow the lender to dictate to us a lower standard of living – and I submit to you that that is a form of slavery. The lender has gotten some of your money and therefore, he has gotten some of God’s money. God won’t bless that.   “Be content with such things as you have .” Hebrews 13:5 NIV   By paying cash for everything we purchase we give God the chance to divinely guide us. He will give us the money if He wants us to have it. He won’t if He doesn’t. God owns all the assets in the universe and if He wants us to have something, He will give you the money if His own good time and in His own perfect will. If God hasn’t given you the money there is a good reason. Borrowing money may “short circuit” God’s plan to bless us for free!   “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to shar e.” 1 Timothy 6:18 NIV   God rewards generosity. Tithe. ( Proverbs 3:9-10 ) Give your Creator the first portion of our income. Budget. Know what you have and spend accordingly. ( Proverbs 27:23 ) Stay out of debt. ( Proverbs 22:7 ) Save for the future. Provide for your family. ( 1 Timothy 5:8 ) Give generously to God’s work and to the poor. ( Acts 4:32-35 )

Share 0 Affirming our grandchildren – it’s key: to building strong relationships, to discipleship, to passing the faith. Our words are powerful. When handled well, they can build up, encourage, communicate love, and convey value to our grandchildren. On the other hand, our disregard in the use of our words, and even our silence, have the affect of performing just the opposite work in the lives of our grandchildren. Knowing this, it’s imperative that we understand AFFIRMATION and learn to practice it well. WHAT IS GOD-CENTERED AFFIRMATION? Words can get muddied. Consider, for example the words: blessing, encouragement, and affirmation. We often use them interchangeably and while there’s nothing wrong with that practice, at their core, these words are distinct in meaning. A BLESSING is a word or action that delivers refreshment and hope to its recipient. According to John Trent, a blessing is the gift of acceptance and unconditional love passed from one generation to another through meaningful touch, a spoken message, attaching high value, picturing a special future and an active commitment. A blessing is live giving, live-changing. ENCOURAGEMENT applies to words or actions that offer support, confidence and hope. Encouragement looks forward, painting a bright future of something that “could be.” Think of it as “cheerleading.” AFFIRMATION, on the other hand, looks backward. It confirms something that has already happened and been observed. “Affirmation is truthfully declaring by complimentary word or action the goodness of something. Good affirmation attests, certifies, or confirms that which honors God, that which is morally upright.” Sam Crabtree, Practicing Affirmation (page 132) BLESSING, ENCOURAGEMENT, & AFFIRMATION As we look a little more closely at our definitions, we see that: Not all blessings affirm. Not all encouragements are affirmations. Affirmation is a particular type of blessing. Affirmation is a particular type of encouragement. In short, one way to bless our grandchildren is to offer them encouragement, and one way to encourage them is through affirmation. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO AFFIRM OUR GRANDCHILDREN? The ongoing practice of affirmation earns us a hearing. Our grandchildren are much more willing to listen to us when they have been the recipients of refreshment and hope extended by us. Affirmation lifts their spirits. Our words of affirmation motivate and incentivize our grandchildren. When we make the affirming of our grandchildren a habit, we are easier to live with . We become someone they want to be around. Being an affirmer changes us . As we make a practice of looking for evidence of God’s grace and character in our grandchildren, we move from being complain-ers to commend-ers which improves our disposition and emotional state. We become more positive. God-centered affirmation illuminates the character of God , which teaches our grandchildren and honors Him. When we affirm our grandchildren, God is glorified. HOW DO WE AFFIRM? Make eye contact. Speak in a manner that is uplifting. Touch your grandchildren in ways that are appropriate, safe, and welcoming. Share stories, especially your stories. Draw them in to your exclusive grandparent/grandchild circle. Learn to be interrupted by your grandchildren. When we drop what we are doing for them, it demonstrates their importance and value. CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD AFFIRMATIONS Good affirmations are: Detached from correction. As a classroom teacher, I always heard that when meeting with a student’s parent it was best to begin with the positive. To look for something to commend the student for before hitting the parent with the negative (correction). That might be a way to “cushion” the correction, but it doesn’t work if affirmation is your aim. Corrections contaminate and weaken our affirmations, canceling them out. Ongoing . There must be a steady stream of affirmation. Our silence and random spurts do not refresh or motivate our grandchildren. They do not honor. Affirmation done correctly takes time. Plan it. Schedule it. Honest. Phony, false affirmations do not build up. Learn to be an observer of your grandchildren and offer truthful affirmations. Commend only the commendable. God-centered. Pay attention. Look for godly characteristics to commend. The purpose of our affirmations is to glorify God by refreshing and motivating our grandchildren as we go about discipling them. As grandparents, we have an important role in the lives of our grandchildren. And if we desire to fill that role well, one of the things we must do is practice God-centered affirmation. Remember, the purpose of God-centered affirmations is to glorify God by refreshing and motivating our grandchildren as we disciple them. “Perhaps the best way to curb our bent for picking at others’ faults is simply to go out of our way to say good things about them – not by being insincere or buttering people up, and not be being blind to their imperfections, but simply by paying attention and making the effort to voice what we notice.”

Yesterday, I had the privilege of preaching a funeral for the grandmother of a former elder of the church, a man I count as a Barnabas to me, and a dear, dear family. This morning, I’m reflecting on the fact that I’m going to die soon. I don’t know how soon. I don’t know whether I’ll live to be 90 or just have 90 more minutes. But, I’m going to die soon. Even if I live to be 90, I’ll look back at my life and it would have been a vapor. I’m going to die soon. And you are too. I asked the people yesterday how they would be remembered at their funeral. It’s a good question for the preacher, too, not just the pew. I’m going to die soon, and I wonder how I will be remembered. Will I, like Abraham, be remembered as a “man of faith” (Gal. 3:9)? Will I, like Abraham, be remembered as a friend of God (James 2:23)? Will people say I plead with God as a man pleads with a friend (Job 16:20-21)? Will anyone think that I, like David, was a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22)? What will be said about my service in the church? Will I, like Moses, be faithful in all the house of God (Num. 12:7; Heb. 3:2)? Will those who knew me say I loved my wife as Christ loves the church (Eph. 5:25)? Will anyone testify that the Lord hid nothing from me because I was trusted by God to teach my entire household His wonderful deeds, “to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just” (Gen. 18:17-19)? I am going to die soon, and these questions receive far too little of my time. Moreover, these questions seem occupied with what other men think. I suppose that’s okay on one level, given how the questions are asked. But what will God say when I die? Will it be written of me: “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saint,” Thabiti (Ps. 116:15)? I suppose some men will spend their lives in the ministry, and at the end cry out with Balaam: “Let me die the death of the righteous, and may my end be like theirs!” (Num. 23:10). Yet, like Balaam, they may never see such a death and their end may never be like “the dust of Jacob.” I’d rather hear the Lord say, Thabiti “was as zealous as I am for my honor” (Num. 25:10, 13). Oh to be like Phinehas son of Eleazar! To live only for God’s honor! For the saint, death is but a carriage to eternal life and the glories of Christ on high. All the commendations that attend our processional will have been earned by Christ our Savior. All the fruit of our lives leading to honor among men will have been produced by God’s Spirit. To God be the glory, great things He has done. But we would be better prepared for that day if we live now with the certain knowledge that we are going to die soon. www.thegospelcoalition.com .

We all know what it’s like to do the right thing for the wrong reason. But what about the reverse? Have you ever done the wrong thing for (what you thought was) the right reason? Your motives were pure, but you still blew it. Motives Matter One thing that separates biblical Christianity from almost every other religion is its laser-like focus on our hearts. Our Creator cares what we do, to be sure, but most fundamentally he cares how and why we do certain things. He’s interested in those intentions that are hidden from human eyes. He’s after our hearts. Psalm 100:2 commands us to “serve the LORD with gladness.” This means that serving God can be an exercise in disobedience. (Yes, you read that correctly.) If our service springs from a heart that isn’t glad in God, it isn’t obedience. It’s sin. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus raises the bar even higher. Struggling with hatred? You have a murder problem. Lust? It’s adultery (Matt. 5:21–22, 27–28). And when you fast or give to the poor, Jesus says, make sure no one notices (Matt. 6:1–4, 16–18). God sees your heart, and his approval is enough. The Maker of heaven and earth isn’t just concerned with our service; he’s concerned with our intentions. Our motivations. Our hearts. As deeply as God cares about our motives, however, there’s something he cares about even deeper. And that’s our message. A Startling Difference While reading the Bible recently I was struck by two remarkably divergent responses to gospel proclamation: It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. . . . The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. (Phil. 1:15–18) Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse! (Gal. 1:7–9) Why did comparing these two passages startle me? In Philippians, even though the motives in view are wrong, Paul is rejoicing because the message is right. In Galatians, by contrast, we don’t read anything about motives. For all we know, the hypothetical apostles (“we”) and heavenly angel could have perfectly sincere motives! Nevertheless, Paul is outraged. Why? Because the message being broadcast is mistaken. Motives, Messages, and Mormons Have you ever known a Mormon? I grew up next to a Mormon family, and they’re still my parents’ neighbors. I’m not sure I’ve met nicer people. If salvation were based on religious sincerity, they’d have a far better chance than me. But they’re lost, and I’m saved. Is that because I’m more sincere? No, I’m not. More moral? Not that either. Because I have stronger faith? I doubt I do. It’s for one simple reason: my Mormon neighbors and friends have the wrong message. You see, the only thing that bothered Paul more than wrong motives (Philippians 1) was the wrong gospel (Galatians 1). According to the Bible, the purity of our message trumps every other consideration—even one as vital as our motives. Diagnostic Time What are your motives when you share the good news of Jesus? For me, they’re often a mixed bag. Some are good (e.g., love for the lost, passion for God’s glory), others not so much (e.g., sense of guilt, desire to impress). How about your motives when you don’t open your mouth? For me, it’s often an ugly combination of apathy, selfishness, and fear of man. Even more importantly, when you do attempt to share the gospel, what gospel gets shared? Which aspects of the message are you most tempted to edit, to mute, perhaps even to deny? Maybe it’s the severity of sin, or the reality of judgment, or the necessity of repentance. It’s exceedingly tempting in our culture today to emphasize God’s mercy but not his justice, his love but not his wrath, his kingdom but not his cross. Yet such lopsided messages, however loving they may feel, are powerless to save. As the Puritan Thomas Watson once said, “Till sin be bitter, grace will not be sweet.” Bad and Worse Because the Lord cares much about our hearts, wrong motives are bad. But because he cares most about his truth, the wrong gospel is worse. Let’s not tweak the gospel of Jesus. Our mission is to deliver the mail, not tamper with it. The risen King doesn’t want editors; he wants men and women who, with gentle courage and humble conviction, will open their mouths to proclaim this liberating message “of first importance” (1 Cor. 15:3)—the message of what God has accomplished in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus to restore rebels to himself. So let’s get busy, friends. This good news, after all, is nothing less than God’s explosive power to save anyone who embraces his Son (Rom. 1:16). www.thegospelcoalition.org .

Dear Roger, Where do we go after death until the judgement? Sincerely, Betty Dear Betty, Death and dying are on the back burners of everyone’s minds, from preschoolers to the oldest adult. Some nine-year-old children were asked what they thought of death and dying. Brittney: “When you die, they bury you in the ground and your soul goes to heaven, but your body can’t go to heaven because it is too crowded up there already.” Judy: “Only the good people go to heaven. The other people to where it is hot all the time like in Arizona.” John: “Maybe I’ll die someday, but I hope I don’t die on my birthday because it is no fun to celebrate your birthday if you’re dead.” Martha: “When you die, you don’t have to do homework in heaven, unless your teacher is there, too.” Death is nothing to fear; in fact, we Christians can look forward to it with eager anticipation. In Philippians 1:21-23, Paul declares: “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain. I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far.” However, God still had work on earth for him to do. So, he stayed around a little while longer. In 2 Corinthians 5:8 Paul declares: “We are confident, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” As Christians, we know that heaven awaits us after death. But many of us wonder about that moment. What will it be like? Will it be frightening to experience our soul’s departure from the body? What does the Bible tell us about death? Charles Spurgeon (the “Prince of Preachers” during the mid to late 1800s) had a great perspective: “Depend upon it, your dying hour will be the best hour you have ever known! Your last moment will be your richest moment, better than the day of your birth will be the day of your death. It shall be the beginning of heaven, the rising of the sun that shall go no more down forever.” There’s reason to believe that at the moment of death, believers will be ushered into heaven by angels: “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side…” (Luke 16:22). Jesus makes it clear that every child has at least one guardian angel who watches over them: “See that you do not look down upon one of these little children. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my father in heaven” (Matthew 18:10). Our escorts into heaven may well be the angels who served us while we were on earth. “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14) But, best of all, Jesus himself promised that he would be with us in the moment of our death and take us immediately to heaven: “I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:3). Let me weave together a number of verses which summarize succinctly what happens after death: Summary At death, the bodies of all believers and unbelievers go to the grave. The spirits of believers go to heaven, in the presence of Christ. At death, the spirits of unbelievers go to Hades, which is a waiting place of torment as they wait for their final judgment at the great white throne. “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side” (Luke 16:22-31). (“Abraham’s side” is identified by most as a euphemism for heaven.) The next event for Christians is often called the ‘rapture’ from the Latin word meaning “catching away.” The rapture occurs at the second coming of Christ. At that moment, the bodies of Christians who previously died and went to heaven will be resurrected from the grave and united with Christ as he comes to earth. They will have spiritual bodies which fit them to live in heaven (1 Thessalonians 5:23). At “twinkling eye speed,” the Christians who are alive at that time will be instantaneously transformed into their spiritual bodies and united with Christ. Unbelievers, on the other hand, are not raised at the second coming. Their bodies remain in their graves, and their spirits remain imprisoned in Hades (a euphemism for hell) until the conclusion of the millennial reign of Christ on earth (1000 years). Next, “The Judgment Seat of Christ” occurs. Christ followers will stand before the “Bema” or “reward stand” to receive crowns based on profitable ministry during their lives on earth (1 Corinthians 3:10-14). We will lay these crowns at the feet of Jesus (Revelation 4:9-11; 5:9-14). Only He is worthy to receive honor, glory, wealth, and praise. Finally, all Christians will sit down with Jesus at “The Marriage Supper of the Lamb.” Obviously, this will be a time of great fellowship, rejoicing, and victory. “Then the angel said to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’” (Revelation 19:9). Then the Great White Throne Judgment occurs. “I saw a great white throne and him who was seated upon it. I saw the dead, small and great, standing before the throne, and the books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. . . Each person was judged according to what he done . . . If anyone’s name was not written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:11-13, 15) Jesus will be the judge. The bodies of all unbelievers in Christ (non-Christians) will be resurrected from their graves to stand at this judgment. Simultaneously, their spirits, long entrapped in Hades, will come forth for the judgment. No Christians will be in attendance here—only those who died without receiving Christ. Many will claim that they did more good things than bad. Jesus will now use the books of works to show them that not one of them is perfect. If God were to let them into heaven with all of their sins, they would wreck the place. Christians have their sins forgiven through Christ and thus are welcomed into heaven’s glory Betty, I’m going to share with you some common misconceptions about death and afterwards. I know that these are outside the scope of your question, but I think that you may find them helpful. Common Misconceptions About Death And Dying 1. There Is No Life After Death This is the view of naturalistic, secular humanists who believe that there is no God. The lights are simply turned off. Claiming that there is no God takes a lot of faith. Maybe even more faith than is needed to believe that there is one! 2. Soul Sleep Soul sleep is the belief that after a person dies, the soul “sleeps” until the resurrection and final judgment. Paul refuted that idea by teaching that when we die, we are immediately in the presence of Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians 1:23). 3. Reincarnation The essence of reincarnation is that we come back for many lives. This allows us to avoid the reality of facing God in judgment. Reincarnation teaches that the present life forms—from insects to humans—are a direct reflection of how well we behaved in previous lives. The better we were, the farther up the food chain we return. Reincarnation is foreign to the Bible. In fact, the Bible teaches just the opposite. Hebrews 9:27 declares, “It is appointed unto men once to die and after that comes judgment.” 4. The Bright Light The bright light is simply a physiological reaction to plunging blood pressure. We’ve all heard people testify of near-death experiences in which they look down a long hall and see a bright light. Let’s make this simple to understand. Fighter pilots wear pressure suits to keep them conscious during high speed turns. It is possible for a pilot to make such a tight turn that the blood begins to drain out of his brain. At about nine G’s, the field of vision closes in on all sides to produce a long-looking tunnel with only a slight light at the end. Such may happen at the point of death. 5. Purgatory The idea behind purgatory is that many people are not good enough to go straight to heaven. So, they are placed in a “holding tank” until enough people pray for them so that they can get out of purgatory and move on to heaven. Purgatory is never mentioned in the Bible. It is in one of the apocryphal books written by Jews in about the second century. The Jews do not accept these books as divinely inspired. Unfortunately, the Roman Catholic Church elevated them to make them a part of their Bible. The idea of purgatory comes from 2 Maccabees 12:39-46. By acting honorably, Judas Maccabees was qualified to make atonement for friends who had been involved in sin. These men needed someone to pray them out of hell. 6. St. Peter at the Gate The idea commonly accepted by many is that when they die, they will meet St. Peter at the gates to heaven. On the basis of their behaviors on earth, Peter will determine whether they can go to heaven or must go to hell. Peter never sits at the gate. There is no gate. Going to heaven or hell is based on our response to the gospel, which says that Jesus died on the cross to forgive the sins of the world so that whoever believes in him might not perish but have eternal life. Betty, again, I hope this helps. Love, Roger

Was the birth of Ishmael the result of Sarah’s sin? Here are a few thoughts by Jeff Elkins: AN OLD UNDERSTANDING OF GENESIS 16 As a Southern Baptist kid who attended a mostly white church in the Bible belt, when I read Genesis 16, I was certain of a few things: 1. Abraham (still called Abram in this chapter) was the hero of the story. 2. Hagar was a mistake. 3. In Genesis 16, God paused the story of Abram to justify a war we were fighting in the Middle East. Based on the Bible studies I attended then, my reading of the story went something like this: God had promised Abram that he would be the father of many nations, but Sarai (Abram’s wife whose name will later be changed to Sarah) was baren. Now, Sarai felt really bad about this because she is holding up God’s promise, so one day, she went to her patient and faithful husband and said, “I’ve got an idea. What if you have a baby with my maid, Hagar the Egyptian? She can be my surrogate. So when she has the baby, according to the laws of our day, it will be my baby and the promise can be fulfilled through it. What do you think?” Abram, being a faithful and righteous husband, was like, “I don’t want to do that, but to honor your sacrifice, I will.” So Sarai explained the deal to Hagar and Hagar agreed. But then, after the baby was born, Hagar went back on the deal. She became angry and started walking around like she was Abram wife. She was ordering everyone around and, even worse, making fun of Sarai for being barren. In order to save the family from this horrible maid, Sarai told Abram that he needed to send her back to her family, so Abram did. But instead of going home, Hagar went out into the desert to pout. Not wanting Abram’s son to come to any harm, God intervened and saved Hagar from herself. God told Hagar to go back home to Abram and Sarai where she would be loved and safe. But before she went, God predicted the future. This prediction wasn’t really for Hagar, it was actually for me. As a faithful member of a church in the U.S. in the 1990s, God was explaining why my country was at war with people in the Middle East. After God tells Hagar to name her son Ishmael, he says: He will be a wild donkey of a man, His hand will be against everyone, And everyone’s hand will be against him; And he will live in hostility toward all his brothers. (Genesis 16:12 NASB) I remember a Sunday school teacher explaining that Ishmael was the father of Islam and that this description of Ishmael was actually God predicting that Christians would always fight with Muslims. That was why we were at war, and why there were terrorists, and why we should keep away from Muslims whenever possible because the Bible said they are trouble. The moral of the tale was that even though Abram made a mistake by trusting Hagar, but God knew it would happen and in some mysterious way even planned it because He plans everything; therefore, I should trust God and know that everything that happens is a part of His plan and happens for a reason. Mostly, I was supposed to take comfort in the fact that I was in the right. A DIFFERENT READING OF GENESIS 16 Now as an adult, I mourn this reading of Genesis 16. I understand it to be a tragic work of self-justification and I would like to offer a different perspective on Hagar, Ishmael, and God in Genesis 16. Think of the story of Hagar as a play. There are two acts. In both acts, there are two characters on stage. ACT ONE: ABRAM AND SARAI TALK First, we see Abram and Sarai on the stage. The narrator kicks things off by reminding us that Sarai has not borne Abram any children and by informing us that Sarai has a female slave named Hagar. (Genesis 16:1) Sarai speaks first, explaining to Abram that God has stopped her from having children, so Abram should have sex with her slave, and Sarai will have children through the slave. Genesis 16:2 tells us that “Abram listens to Sarai.” Then Abram sleeps with Hagar and Hagar conceives. Animosity forms between the two women and in verse 5, Sarai speaks again. She says to Abram, “ You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me!” Abram replies, “Your slave is in your hands. Do with her whatever you think is best.” So Sarai treats her slave “harshly” and Hagar runs away. FOUR THINGS TO NOTICE ABOUT ACT ONE There are four things we need to notice in the first act of Genesis 16. Notice how Abram and Sarai choose to deal with their problem. Sarai cannot have children, but God has promised that Abram would be the father of many nations. Instead of asking God for help, or at the minimum an explanation, Abram and Sarai decide to take matters into their own hands and solve the problem themselves. While I’m not championing inaction, I am arguing that the first lesson from this story is that when we cut God out of the conversation we make poor decisions. Notice who speaks. Abram has a voice. He speaks. He makes choices. Sarai has a voice. She speaks. She makes choices. But Hagar is silent, and the only choice she makes is to run away. And God is silent. Silent and unconsulted. When we find ourselves in a position of power, and we need to immediately stop what we are doing and give those without power a voice. How different would this story have been if Abram and Sarai had given Hagar a voice instead of treating her like an object? I believe that most injustice in the world would end if those of us with a voice would simply pause and seek to understand the perspective of those who have no voice. Notice Sarai. She is afraid and she allows her fear to drive her choices. She is afraid she won’t become pregnant. She is afraid of the other woman who is younger and has conceived. She is afraid of being cast aside. She is afraid that she was the problem all along. In her fear, Sarai blames others. She blames God, and she blames Abram, and she blames herself, and she pushes everyone away. This is something I do too. I think we all do, but it is an inclination we must suppress because making decisions out of fear leads to blaming others and isolating ourselves. Finally, notice that Abram and Sarai are not the heroes of this story. Yes, the story of Genesis is following Abram’s struggle to understand what it means to live in a relationship with a loving God. Yes, Sarai has been a character in the narrative since chapter 11. And yes, God has promised Abram that his children will someday be as numerous as the stars. But trying to live under God’s promises doesn’t make you right. ACT TWO: HAGAR AND GOD TALK Act two starts in verse 7. Hagar is sitting by a spring in the wilderness. She is alone and vulnerable in a dangerous world. Her family is in Egpyt, an impossible distance away. She has nothing and no one. God finds her by the spring and asks, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” Hagar replies, “I’m running away from my mistress Sarai.” Then God tells her to go back to your mistress and submit to her, but he promises her that he will, “increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.” Then God tells her: You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael (God Hears) for the Lord has heard of your misery. He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers. Hagar responds by declaring, “You are the God who sees me. I have now seen the One who sees me.” THREE THINGS TO NOTICE ABOUT ACT TWO There are three things we need to notice in the second act of Genesis 16. Notice who speaks. God has a voice. He speaks. But unlike Abram and Sarai, when God speaks, he asks Hagar a question. The first thing he does is give the powerless slave a voice. He is the Ismael, the God who hears. He is the El Roi, the “God who sees me.” If we want to be like God, we must also be in the business of giving broken people voices. We must let the powerless know that they are seen and heard. Notice that when God solves problems, he doesn’t hold back or protect himself out of fear. At this point in the narrative, God’s plan is totally wrapped up in Abram’s success. Abram is the only horse God has bet on. So it would make sense for God to tell Hagar, “I’m going to make sure you and your boy get as far away from Abram and Sarai and my future people as possible.” That’s clearly what Abram and Sarai wanted. But that is not what God does. Instead, he gives Hagar everything. He provides for her immediate needs by telling her to go back home, and he gives her a future by telling her the same thing he told Abram, that her children too would be numerous. Abram is not special because he was some amazing leader or wise and righteous father. Chapters 12–15 have been filled with more failures of Abram than successes. What makes Abram special is that God has made him promises and that God is with him. Thus, at this moment by the spring, God elevates Hagar. She is no longer an object to be acted on. She is now also a promise bearer, carrying with her the same thing that Abram knows has made him special. And God’s promises don’t stop there. God says Ishmael will be “a wild donkey of a man.” When I put myself in Hagar’s shoes, I understand why this is such an amazing promise. Donkeys were service animals. Their job was to work for their masters. But Ishmael will not be harnessed. Ishmael will not be tamed. Ishmael will be wild. Is there any greater promise God can make to a woman trapped in slavery? God tells Hagar, “Your child will be wild and free.” And not just wild and free. God tells Hagar, “And that family that drug you away from your home to a strange land and has forced you to serve them, that family that has overlooked your personhood and treated you like a position, you son will fight them. He will fight them at every turn. He will never surrender.” God doesn’t just take care of Hagar’s immediate needs, he gives her a future and promises that her children will be free. God doesn’t cast blame or isolate himself. He doesn’t seek to protect what he has. He doesn’t hold back. God is in the business of freeing slaves, and if we want to call ourselves his children, we should be too. Finally, notice how Hagar responds to God. Hagar gives God a name. She says, “You are El Roi. The God who sees me.” Giving God a nickname implies intimacy. It means that something special has happened between the person and God and that the person is forever changed by the encounter. It is a sign of belonging and acceptance. All the big names in the Bible do this. Moses does it in Exodus. Gideon does it in the book of Judges. King David does it a lot in the Psalms. Abram will do it in chapter 22 of Genesis. But the first person in the scripture to have the honor of this level of intimacy and understand with God is an African slave woman. If you believe the Bible is authoritative, then this should communicate something to you. The more I read the Bible the more I realize it is far more progressive than we are comfortable with it being. If you want to find God, go find the powerless outcast and sit down next to them, because according to the Bible, that is where God is going to be. A NEW UNDERSTANDING OF GENESIS 16 I used to think that Abram was the hero of this story. Now I see that the only hero in the story is God. I used to think of Hagar as a mistake. Now I see that she is the first person in the Bible to see God for who He is, the one who sees and hears those who are lost and suffering. I used to think this passage justified my position of privilege in the world by predicting a worldview that made sense of the world in a way that protected me. Now I understand that Genesis 16 is intended to challenge me because it reveals God to be the one who finds the lost and helpless woman under the tree, embraces her, and gives her a future. My new reading of Genesis 16 teaches me that I should stop making decisions out of fear that blame others, protect my position, and maintain my power. Instead, if I want to be like God, I should be in the business of empowering the powerless.

Lysa encourages us to persevere when life gets hard: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” Genesis 50:20 Do you ever worry that all of your hard times and suffering will be for nothing? That all of this pain you keep trying to press through is completely and utterly pointless? I deeply understand that kind of fear and fatigue. What it’s like to pray the same prayers over and over with little to no change, all while the disappointments linger on and on. That’s why I wish I could give you a gift today. It’s actually one that I received myself in the middle of the most heartbreaking season of my marriage. When Art and I realized our marriage wasn’t going to make any progress without some professional help, we started seeing an amazing counselor. We spent more than seventy-five hours in his office. It was all with the understanding that we were on the same page and moving ahead together. All the devastation would be repaired and restored and made right. But during one of our sessions, my counselor knew we were going to leave his office and walk into one of the fiercest seasons of this battle. He took a professionally done frame off his office wall and tore the backing to open it. He pulled out a real purple heart. The high honor the government had given to his family when his brother-in-law was killed in the line of duty trying to save others. Then he knelt in front of us and placed this priceless medal in my hand. “Hold on to this, Lysa, for as long as you need it. When the battle gets so fierce you wonder if you will survive, remember this moment of my telling you that you will make it through this. If God gave out purple hearts, you would absolutely receive this high honor. What you are going through won’t be for nothing. Your hurt will not be wasted. It will be for the saving of many lives.” I looked down at this beautifully outrageous gift, speechless. The moment stole all my words, and I had nothing to offer back to him but tears. I mouthed the words “thank you.” I felt brave that day. Less than a month after we returned home from that counseling appointment, my heart was devastated again. I couldn’t breathe. The medal was the only physical thing I felt I could hold on to when every bit of my life was flying around as shattered debris. I had thought we were almost done with that horrific season, and then I realized we hadn’t even started the healing. And while that purple heart couldn’t heal me, it sure steadied me for the next two years as Art and I did the hard work to put our marriage back together again. I want to be that friend who helps steady you today, sweet friend. Because I know what it’s like to feel battle weary. I am sure Joseph, the man who spoke the words of our key verse, was also familiar with feelings of discouragement and fatigue. How could you be thrown into a pit by family, sold into slavery, and then unfairly imprisoned without wondering if any good could ever come of your story? But God had a plan. From pit to palace, Joseph was positioned to spare not only the lives of his family, but the entire nation of Israel. This is why his words to his brothers in Genesis 50:20 are such a beautiful picture of redemption and hope, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” God has a plan for your life too. The enemy is going to try to trip you and rip you to shreds with the hurtful hisses that all of this suffering is for nothing. Don’t you dare listen. I’m holding a purple heart in my hand that tells me something different. And it’s not just for me. It’s for you too. I knew it the minute the counselor put it in my hand, it should be pinned on your chest too. And if you were here with me today, I’d do just that. I would remind you that your story, surrendered into the hands of God, will not be wasted. Close your eyes and breathe. You’re brave and beautiful and handpicked. A decorated soldier in this horrible battle with a glorious ending. I’m declaring over you that the Lord will restore you, redeem you, and write His glorious story onto the pages of your life. The journey might not look anything like you planned, but I’m believing with you that God is working things out in ways you cannot yet see. Lord, I’m so thankful to know that there isn’t a single thing the enemy can send my way that You can’t overcome… that You can’t redeem… that You can’t use for my good and for the good of others. I’m choosing to surrender every heartache and every difficult circumstance into Your loving and mighty hands. Amen. www.proverbs31ministries.org . Used by permission.

Christianity’s most controversial subject? Creationism. Forget the theories of the Big Bang and Evolution for a moment. Within the body of the Christian church there are at least six different views on the general subject of creationism. Each have their strengths and weaknesses and because of that many Christians have trouble deciding what they actually believe about the Bible’s accounts in Genesis 1 and 2. Advocates on particular sides of the debate haven’t always been known for treating people of the other views with respect. This turns off many nonbelievers watching from the outside. Some Christians regard science as the enemy of religious faith. Some seek to modify the Bible’s text or meaning by using scientific discovery or theories as a measuring rod for what is true in the Bible about nature. Meanwhile, others look to overturn what seem to be valid and proven scientific discoveries by forcing the biblical text to overshadow those discoveries as invalid. I believe that both the Bible and science are complementary disciplines that enhance our knowledge and application of both. General Revelation (that of which nature speaks) is equally true as Special Revelation (the Bible). Though they operate in different areas, both are truths that come from God and can be understood properly when we understand their proper scope and limits. This article is not about Creationism vs. Science or Creationism vs. Evolution. Rather, I’d like to outline the six major theories about the Bible’s creation account in Genesis 1 and 2 and give you resources that will help you determine where you stand on this important issue. In general, there are six positions on the understanding of Genesis 1 and 2. They are, · Young Earth Creationism · Progressive Creationism · Theistic Evolution · Functional Ontology · Hebrew Poetry · Historical Creationism Young Earth Creationism What is Young Earth Creationism? YEC is the belief that God created the universe, earth, and all life within a literal six-days of 24-hour periods as recorded in Genesis 1. YEC believes that the universe is 6,000 to 10,000 years old. Young Earth Creationists believe that all life was created by God according to its own kind and that evolution as a theory of origins is unable to explain the variety and complexity of life. This view is predicated upon supernaturalism, that is, that a supernatural intelligence outside of creation is responsible for designing and creating all things. In contrast, most who hold to evolutionary theory usually fall under the category of anti-supernaturalism, meaning that the origin of the universe and life can be explained solely by natural, random means, and that no supernatural activity is possible or necessary since the supernatural does not exist. Young Earth Creationists often run into problems convincing others of their views because of the ongoing discoveries of modern science. For example, modern science teaches that the universe is around 13.8 billion years in age, evidenced by the great distances of galaxies from one another and the speed of light being a fixed constant. Thus, light from those galaxies reaching earth would take millions or billions of years to reach us. There are many scientific theories and discoveries that would seem to contradict the YEC view. However, leading YEC organizations regularly publish articles and magazines refuting the anti-supernatural viewpoint of creation, using current scientific discoveries and reinterpreting other discoveries to defend their position. This is a problem for some who are searching for the truth about creation in that they sometimes see YEC believers trying to disprove what would otherwise be considered valid conclusions of science in order to square modern discoveries with the account of Genesis 1. There are many organizations and individuals publishing from a YEC view. Some of these include Answers In Genesis, Institute for Creation Research, Truth In Genesis, Creation Ministries International, Creation Moments, and True Origin. Progressive Creationism Progressive Creationism (PC) affirms that God created the universe, the earth, and all life on earth but it denies the teaching of evolution. In this way PC is similar to Young Earth Creationism. However, its most significant difference is that Progressive Creationists believe God created the universe over billions of years rather than in six 24-hour periods. This is also known as the Day-Age Theory, that the six days of Genesis 1 refer to ages of time, not literal 24-hour periods. Progressive Creationists believe that dinosaurs and other life forms lived in the geologic ages before the creation of Adam and Eve. This makes some PC adherents believers in what is called the Gap Theory. Gap Theory stipulates that there was a gap in time of an undefined duration between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. It was during this time that that the dinosaurs rose and persisted for millions of years until the world was re-created by God into what we know now. Some believe that another advanced civilization existed during this period, but all evidence of their existence has been lost to the eons. According to Young Earth Creationists, Progressive Creationists have a significant problem to work out. That problem is death. YEC hold that there was no death before the fall of Adam and Eve, therefore there could have been no animal life dying for millions of years before Adam and Eve rose. However, to inject my opinion, I think YEC creationists read too much into scripture on this point. I think YEC make an assumption on this point and not a conclusion of scripture. The scripture does not say there was no death before sin. It only says there was no human death because of human sin. Clearly, other forms of life other than man could die before the fall. If sinless Adam picked an apple off the tree and ate it, what would happen to the apple? It would die. If he picked a banana and ate it what would happen to the peel? It would die. If an animal fell off a high cliff would it just pick itself up and go on? I doubt it. If a seed were planted in the ground the seed would die and a new life begin from that death. Consider also that If other forms of life could not die but continued to reproduce (as they were designed to do), the earth would eventually be overrun and nothing could survive, thus death would result anyway. Finally, the scripture only describes man as designed to live forever. Nothing else in creation is described in this way. It is therefore an assumption placed upon scripture that there was no death elsewhere in creation. I’ve written about this in my article, The Case For Death Prior To The Fall. Progressive Creationists make a strong argument for an old earth. This is especially true of arguments for the age of the universe as noted above. How could the universe be 6,000 years old if we see galaxies billions of miles away if the light from those galaxies took billions of years to reach us? Organizations holding the PC view include: Reasons To Believe, Old Earth Ministries, and God & Science. Intelligent Design, advocated by the Discovery Institute, may be classified as one form of the Progressive Creationist view. Theistic Evolution Theistic Evolution (TE) is defined simply as the belief that evolution was the process used to create life on earth, and that God guided the creation of life through the process of macro-evolution. Most TE adherents also believe in the Big Bang theory for the origin of the universe, though these two theories are not necessarily tied together. There are several problems with Theistic Evolution. First, the evidence for evolution is not as prevalent as some TE adherents believe. Multiple interstitial forms have yet to be discovered. The archeological record does not contain varieties of forms demonstrating a gradual evolution from one form of life to another subsequent form of life. If evolutionists are correct and various forms of life have lived on the earth for millions of years the obvious question becomes, “Where are they?” Certainly over millions of years billions of animals and other forms would have lived. If so, where is the archeological record of their existence? Would there not be millions of bones in the geological record? Theistic Evolutionists have yet to provide a persuasive answer to this dilemma. Second, both Young Earth and Old Earth Creationists agree that there would not be enough time for evolution to do what the theory claims happened. Third, Discovery Institute has pointed out quite convincingly that meaningful information cannot be produced unaided by non-intelligence. The complexity of meaningful information in DNA and RNA, across thousands of species could not write itself. The point of evolution is that such meaningful biological information came from non-intelligence through time and chance. This does not seem to be a persuasive argument as there are no other examples in history of intelligent and meaningful information coming from non-intelligent sources. Nor is there a theory on how such a thing would take place. Fourth, the Bible does not portray evolution as a means of creation. In fact, the Bible is silent on the means of creation other than saying God created all things. The Bible does not say how God created, only that he did. Thus it may be unwise on our part to assume that a theory like evolution must be the means by which God created life when even that theory remains unproven. Sites providing information on Theistic Evolution include: BioLogos . Functional Ontology This is a view of creationism advocated by John Walton, professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College, in his book, The Lost World Of Genesis One. Essentially, Walton argues that Genesis 1 should be interpreted from an Ancient Near East (ANE) framework and that the creation events in Genesis 1 are functional in nature rather than material. Material ontology advocates that the creation of the universe came from nothing and that God created all things. It argues that the six days of creation in Genesis are not primarily about creating the material universe and world. Walton’s argument is that the six creation days are functional in nature, that God was assigning a purpose to each of the created things because in ANE culture, things did not achieve full existence without being assigned a function. He argues that God was creating a sacred space in Eden which is mimicked by other ANE cultures. Walton’s case is an interesting one because (1) he strives hard to interpret Genesis 1 through ANE perspectives, which admittedly, Genesis 1 was written under, and (2) the Functional Ontology perspective is a useful framework for other views of Genesis and not just its own. Historical Creationism (profiled below) might also be said to have functionally ontological consequences. It might be said that Walton puts too much emphasis on ANE perspectives. Yes, Israel was formed under an ANE worldview, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that Israel shared the ANE perspective in totality. Israel had a different heritage and development than most ANE cultures. I find Functional Ontology compelling, especially when it comes to describing the Lord’s “Good” statements in Genesis 1. There is a lot to consider under Walton’s view that is very valuable. But I’m not completely convinced that Walton’s view is the best interpretive model for all of Genesis 1 and 2. A site providing insight into Walton’s views: Biologos.com. Other sites commenting on Functional Ontology include: First Things. A summary of Walton’s views can be found at Bibleinterp.com. Hebrew Poetry I confess this is an area I have studied the least. Therefore, I can only make brief comments and point you to few resources. This position states that the account in Genesis 1 was not meant to be taken literally as YEC do. Rather, Genesis 1 is a form of Hebrew poetry designed to show it’s readers that the God of the Bible was greater than the so-called gods of Egypt. This is an intriguing concept in that Moses’ writings clearly demonstrate the fallacy of worshipping gods that do not really exist. Idolatry is a major theme in the Pentateuch. At the writing of Genesis the Israelites were still entrapped in the worship of idols and sometimes syncretized their belief in Yahweh with Egyptian idolatry. Moses is therefore showing the Israelites through his account of Genesis 1 that the true God is higher than the false gods of Egypt. While I find this an interesting perspective there are three roadblocks to the Hebrew Poetry View. First, Genesis 1 may be poetic or have poetic elements (much of the narratives of scripture contain poetic elements), but it does not seem, in my perspective, to present itself as a form of poetry that is non-literal in its ultimate meaning. Moses wrote the Genesis accounts as a pattern for everything else that is to follow in Israelite history. If Genesis 1-11 is poetic in the sense of myth then Israel has no basis for its religion founded upon an actual history of events, which could throw the Judea/Christian worldview into the realm of fantasy. Second, other scripture refers to Adam and Eve as historical, not mythological (the Chronicles, Jesus, Paul, etc), therefore why would the creation account, which is directly tied to Adam and Eve, be poetic myth when Adam springs from the context of that very story? Third, Moses may indeed have been commenting on the difference between Israel’s true God and Egypt’s false gods. This may be true, but Moses invalidates Egypt’s false gods elsewhere in his writing, why then is it necessary to do so in a creation account written as if it is an historical event? Fourth, if Genesis 1 is a form of poetry not intended to be taken as a literal account of creation then why does Exodus 20:11 say, “In six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day.” I could find no organization online advocating this perspective. However, I do provide two links from the author who originated this argument: The Meaning Of Creation, by Conrad Hyers, and The Fall And Rise Of Creationism by the same author. Here’s a Preach It Teach It link with a good synopsis of the view. If you have links to others who advocate this view please contact me and I will post those links in this paragraph. Historical Creationism Historical Creationism is a term coined by John Sailhamer in his book, Genesis Unbound. Sailhamer argues that the Genesis 1 account is an historical event in real history but that what is described is not a 6-day account of the creation of the universe, but instead of a description of God preparing the land and location for Eden, which is also the Promised Land of Israel later revealed in Genesis. Though intriguing, Sailhamer’s thesis requires a complete rethinking of how the Hebrew language was used in the creation account. He spends significant time providing corroborating evidences from elsewhere in scripture to advocate that Genesis 1:1 is not a chapter or book heading, but is a straightforward, overarching statement of the creation of the universe and that the following account is of God systematically preparing the land for Adam’s habitation. He uses comparisons of scripture to claim that the sun and moon were not “created” on the fourth day, but that they were “made” in the sense of being given a role of indicating day and night (Walton also makes this argument in his Lost series books). Sailhamer makes a significant and persuasive argument that the literary context of Genesis contains striking parallels in the creation account with accounts of Abraham, Jacob, and Israel. He believes and notes that geographically, Eden and Israel are the same location. He goes further to show that both were guarded by angels, Eden had forbidden fruit and God told Israel do not destroy the fruit trees when entering the land. Both Adam and Israel were exiled east. God walks in the garden and also dwells in Israel in the Tabernacle/Temple (in the city where he put his name). A flaming sword prevents entry to Eden, a pillar of fire lights re-entry for the sons of Israel. The pattern of events found in Genesis is the framework for the rest of the Old Testament’s accounts of how God deals with Israel. There are additional advantages to Sailhamer’s view. Though he argues that evolution is not a viable theory under Historical Creationism, his thinking does preserve the Old Earth view of modern science. His view also respects General Revelation as well as Special Revelation. There are no organizations dedicated to advocating Sailhamer’s view. But there are a few websites that comment on it, as well as his book advocating for the position: Genesis Unbound, Desiring God’s advocacy of Genesis Unbound, and Probe Ministries’ review of Genesis Unbound . Conclusion What is interesting to note is that all of the views presented here, with the exception of Young Earth Creationism, leave room for an ancient cosmos and earth. While most American Christians subscribe to Young Earth Creationism, when you combine adherents to the other five views, along with views outside of evangelical Christianity, the great majority of people adhere to some form of Old Earth perspective. This actually makes Young Earth Creationism the minority view. This article is not meant to be an exhaustive review of creation theories. But it does provide a general look at the overarching issues that pervade the six views. Use the resources listed here to continue your own study.