I’d like to list a few ways the biblical idea of repentance can indeed be “hijacked” or stolen. Unhitch Method One way to hijack something would be to unhitch the word from the meaning the way a hijacker might disconnect the cab of an 18-wheeler from the cargo carrying trailer behind. In this approach, “repentance” gets disconnected from the fruit of repentance. Think Matthew 3:8 and Acts 26:20. Genuine repentance produces fruit, new behaviors that match the turning toward God that is true repentance. Without such works of repentance we have reason to doubt that someone has changed their minds and direction toward a new way. The deeds are unhitched from the claim. Diversion Method Diverting a driver from their path is another way something may be hijacked. The unsuspecting driver motors along their chosen route when a band of robbers force them from the road, perhaps to a side street, and into a waiting ambush where the entire vehicle may be stolen. It happens with repentance too. People show up to bewitch the “repenter” and lead them into sin’s trap. Think Galatians 3:1; 5:7-9 and the arrogant acceptance of immorality in 1 Corinthians 5:1-2. The man in Corinth likely claimed to be repentant; he was certainly part of the church there. The Galatians were seduced from the gospel itself–not only was repentance hijacked but the entire faith. Heist Method By now you can tell I watch too many Fast & Furious movies and enjoy a good whodunit too much. With a heist you simply empty the vault or the container of its valuables while leaving the vault or container intact. You dangle from suspension wires, avoiding motion sensors to gently remove the crown jewel from its perch in the museum. Then you quietly retrace your stealthy steps to flee the property. Think the false brethren in Jude’s day who “crept in unnoticed” to turn grace of our Lord into license or sensuality (Jude 4). They stole grace and along with it repentance right from the church’s pedestal while no one noticed. Switch Method With this method a would-be hijacker not only performs a heist but also leaves behind a worthless replica in place of the original. The goal is to make it look like the real jewel continues to be in place and there’s no reason for alarm. Sometimes repentance gets switched with a counterfeit. Think 2 Corinthians 7:10 where godly sorrow that leads to repentance gets replaced with worldly sorrow that produces death. Of course 2 Corinthians teaches us that genuine repentance has its roots not merely in behavior or intellectual change, but in the affections or emotions. Repentance arises from seeing God in his holiness, seeing our sin as a personal affront to him, and really grieving the grievousness of sin such that we change in the power of the Holy Spirit. “Repentance” gets hijacked when people produce sugary substitutes and we settle for it. Extortion Method Okay, last one. Perhaps this is what “Chocolate Knox” had in mind. I’m not sure. But extortioners steal one thing by holding you hostage to another. They perhaps bilk small business owners for “protection money” by holding a serious threat over the business owners’ heads. It’s coercion not repentance. It’s lording it over the faith of others (Matt. 20:25) rather than demonstrating that kindness that’s meant to lead to repentance. The apostles did not practice such tactics but worked together with the saints for their joy. Think 2 Corinthians 1:24. Or think 1 Thessalonians 2:6-7 where the apostles refused to make demands of the churches but were gentle like parents. These are all ways I suppose someone could “hijack repentance.” Of course, “Chocolate Knox” asserted that a hijacking of repentance occurred at the MLK50 Conference by conference speakers. In context, I think he was referring to the notion that anything might be required of white brethren in Christ before reconciliation could occur with black brethren in Christ. He seemed to suggest that the addition of those requirements nullified the reconciliation we have in Christ and the repentance that brought us to faith in Christ. I hope I have not misunderstood him. If so, I’m sure he’ll correct me. But if I have understood his response, then I would offer a couple of quick thoughts. There are many ways repentance can be hijacked. But before we can recognize those methods we first have to be clear on repentance itself. First, as can be seen by many texts of Scripture, repentance toward God requires subsequent repentance toward any we have wronged . We don’t get to say, “I’m repentant and have placed my faith in Christ” and thereby absolve ourselves of any responsibility for any needed repentance in relationships with neighbor. Zacchaeus demonstrates that point marvelously. He proves his repentance toward God by returning fourfold anything he’s taken unrighteously from others (Luke 19:8). He was, of course, repenting in precisely the way the law required in such cases. These were his “deeds in keeping with repentance.” So “hijacking repentance” would mean defining repentance in such that repentance leaves off restitution for wrongs. I can’t speak for the MLK50 speakers (I’ve only heard two talks), but if they called for restitution for wrongs then they were not the hijackers. Those who unhitched such deeds from claims of repentance are the hijackers. Second, some people seem to be making a category mistake in the discussion of repentance. Some (I don’t lay this accusation at “Chocolate Knox’s” feet) seem to be suggesting that the position of reconciliation we have in Christ somehow dissolves the practice of reconciliation in Christ. The claim seems to run along these lines: “Since we have been reconciled in Christ (Eph. 2, for example) then there are no longer any problems requiring reconciliation and not even any distinctions between people groups in the body of Christ. So, calls for repentance of racism and the like essentially rebuild the dividing wall of hostility.” That’s a pretty significant category mistake. It is true that we are positionally reconciled in Christ, joined together in a spiritual union in him. It is true that the law and commandments that formed a dividing wall and produced hostility in sinful men have been torn down. Praise God. But those spiritual and positional truths have to be worked out in relational and practical ways. That’s why the apostles held the Jerusalem Counsel in Acts 15, why Paul rebuked Peter to his face for the ethnic favoritism that had him out of step with the gospel in Galatians, and why we get so much instruction about reconciling and reconciliation itself in the pages of the New Testament. The practice must follow the position, otherwise we’re not living out what has been achieved for us in Christ. Insisting on the practice (in this case repentance and relational reconciliation where necessary) is not hijacking repentance but proving it. Those who conflate positional and practical categories attempt a heist or a switch we should avoid. Finally, it’s important to note that the citation of both tragedy and kindness are meant to lead us to repentance. The Lord Jesus called his disciples to repent at the tragic news of a collapsing tower and a madman murdering worshipers (Luke 13). Though they had nothing to do with those events, the lesson was made painfully clear: Unless you repent, the same could befall you. The apostle Paul tells us that the goodness of the Lord is meant to lead to repentance (Rom. 2:4). There’s a sense in which all our observations between the tragic and the beautifully good are designed by God to turn us back to him. Some think that pointing to the sins of other generations and calling this generation to suspect problems of their own amounts to hijacking repentance. But it’s not. Naming sins and calling onlookers to tragedy to repent is entirely consistent with biblical strategy. In the face of tragedy or goodness, we’re not supposed to “keep calm and carry on,” getting to the next thing on the agenda. The announcement of the tragedy should excite us to turn to God. So should reminders of this country’s sinful past. That’s not hijacking repentance. Anyway, thanks to “Chocolate Knox” for the phrase. Now that I have cited you, the next time I use it I will preface it with “As I always say . . .”! www.gospelcoalition.org . Used by permission.

You simply cannot go wrong when praying Scripture. To be honest, as I look back over my life of prayer I must admit there have been times when I simply did not know what to pray – blank mind, no words. There have also been times when my prayers seemed mechanical – rote, repetitive, even dull. On occasion my prayers have even felt powerless – ineffective, as though they made no difference. Can you relate? Ever feel like you are praying “wrong” or your prayers are of no benefit? Over the past year or so, I have discovered that there are many ways to “breathe new life” into my prayers when faced with any of these scenarios. Just what do we mean when we say, “PRAY SCRIPTURE?” According to Evan B. Howard, author of Praying the Scriptures, “To pray the Scriptures is to order one’s time of prayer around a particular text in the Bible.” This can be done in one of several ways including: Praying Scripture word-for-word as you read a chosen portion of Scripture in a prayerful manner. Personalizing the Scripture by inserting your own names or names of your loved ones as you pray. Reading through a passage or verse several times emphasizing a different word each time. Praying through topics using Scriptural texts. PRAYING SCRIPTURE is not only one of my favorite ways to “breathe new life” into my prayers, it is one of my favorite tools for praying for my grandchildren. Some Scriptures especially suited to praying for grandchildren are Numbers 6:22-27, Ephesians 1:15-23, Ephesians 3:14-21, Philippians 1:9-11, Colossians 1:9-12, Psalm 91, Psalm 139, and The Book of Proverbs. Let’s take a closer look at PRAYING SCRIPTURE using one of these passages as it might be prayed for a grandchild: For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the S pirit of wisdom and of r evelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is t he hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to t he working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. — Ephesians 1:15-23 (ESV) One way to pray this Scripture for our grandchildren would be to personalize it by reading it as though it were written specifically for one’s own grandchild. Additionally, the pray-er could personalize it even more by making personal petitions on behalf of their grandchild as they read/pray. For example, at “give thanks” a grandparent could stop and take a few moments to thank God for a grandchild or all of their grandchildren by name. While giving thanks, a praying grandparent might also want to offer thanks for the privilege of being a grandparent and for God’s very gracious blessings. At “may give you the Spirit of wisdom,” ask God to give your grandchildren spiritual wisdom for the purpose of making godly decisions. Pray that your grandchildren would develop a sense of holy reverence and awe of the Lord. As you pray for “the revelation in the knowledge of him,” pray that God will help your grandchild to grow in knowledge of and love for Christ. As you continue, pray that each of your grandchildren will have the eyes of their hearts enlightened; that they will get understanding and hate every false way (Psalm 119:104). When you pray “that [your grandchild] may know what is the hope to which he has [been] called,” ask God to help your grandchild live with an eternal perspective. Pray that your grandchild would come to know Christ, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). Thank God for the eternal inheritance He has in store for your grandchildren (Ephesians 1:14, Colossians 3:24, Hebrews 9:15, 1 Peter 1:4). Ask God to enable your grandchildren to live obediently through the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank Him for the life-from-death power that is accessible to your grandchildren. Pray that the Holy Spirit would provide strength to enable your grandchildren to resist temptation and to live brave. Finally, pray that your grandchildren would be established in love and grasp the love of Christ. Ask God to help your grandchildren love others, walk in love, and live in the freedom of Jesus’ unconditional love. If you have never PRAYED SCRIPTURE before, why not begin here? Then try praying some of the other passages for your grandchildren. As you become more comfortable with the practice, you might even pray Scripture for others or yourself. PRAYING SCRIPTURE: Provides us with the WORDS to pray. Allows us to use the emotions of the Bible as we pray. Strengthens our “prayer” confidence. Teaches us how to communicate with God. Deepens our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Makes us pliable to His shaping. Combines the spiritual discipline of engaging with Scripture with the spiritual discipline of praying to provide more benefit to the soul. I’d love to hear how PRAYING SCRIPTURE has impacted your life or how you might choose to pray Ephesians 1:15-23 for your grandchildren. www.deborahhaddix.com . Used by permission.

No matter how long you’ve been in leadership, it still hurts when people leave your church. It’s somewhat easy to understand people leaving when things are going poorly— when there’s conflict, division or dysfunction. But what most leaders aren’t prepared for is the reality that people will leave when things are going well. Even when they’re going really well. In fact, some people leave because things are going well, or because you’re getting healthier. As surprising as this sounds, every time you make progress as a church, you’ll lose people. This comes as a shock to most leaders. And it can be very disheartening, especially if you don’t realize some loss even in great seasons is ‘normal’. So why do people leave even when you’re making progress at your church? Simple. The people who are at your church today are there because they like it the way it is. Change that (even for the better), and some will leave. It will shock you. It will disappoint you. It will leave you scratching your head. And it’s unavoidable. But you need to keep moving or else you’ll be paralyzed by focusing on who you want to keep, not who you want to reach. So why do people leave when things are going well? Here are 5 rather startling reasons people leave your church when you’re least expecting it. 1. YOU CAST TOO BIG A VISION What? Casting a big vision can cause people to leave? Absolutely. A big vision is inspiring. It’s also threatening. Vision threatens people because, inherently, vision challenges the status quo. It calls out the best in people. It asks people to think bigger, to think beyond themselves, to push past the status quo and to sacrifice. And not everybody’s up for that. As a leader, it’s critical to sift through you motivation every time you cast vision. If the vision is really about you, your ego, or your insecurities (you need to grow bigger to feel good about yourself), healthy people will resist it. (Wise, godly people can help you sort through your motives and see them accurately.) But you can have a beautifully motivated, compelling vision and still have people walk out the door. As exciting as the future is, some people prefer the present. Others live in the past. You can’t build the future church on people who live in the past. 2. YOU GREW Growth can be an awesome thing. Healthy growth means you’re reaching new people, baptizing people and seeing hope beat in the hearts of people who never knew hope, and so much more. But growth is threatening. You’ll see a few patterns emerge. First, people who love being a big fish in a small pond will immediately get uncomfortable. They’ll want more say…more power, more control. Others won’t be comfortable with the crowds or the parking issues or having to wait in lines when they were used to accessing everything instantly. And you’ll probably hear vague comments like “it’s just not the same anymore” or “we simply like it better when it was smaller.” So what do you do with that? Well, first, empathize. They’re right…things have changed and it’s not the same as it used to be. Second, ask them to invite their friends and get in on what’s going on. What you’ll likely discover is that some do, but most (or at least many) don’t. And for them, it might all boil down to this: the church isn’t really about accomplishing a mission. It’s about meeting their needs. The challenge, of course, is that the heart of the Christian faith isn’t about satisfying yourself, it’s about dying to yourself. So what do you do? If you’re going to make progress on your mission, focus on who you want to reach, not who you want to keep. The moment you focus on who you’re trying to keep, both the present and the future slip away from you. 3. YOU’RE REACHING DIFFERENT PEOPLE As a church realizes its mission, it means that you’ll reach your community, which when fully realized, means you’ll have a cross-section of your entire community. Rich and poor. Professional and blue collar. Republicans and Democrats. Black and white. Latino and Asian. It means you’ll have people in your church who are sober, and others who are working on it, and others still whose addictions are far from under control. Which is exactly what the church should be. The New Testament church was all those things. If you’re not convinced it was, please re-read 1 Corinthians. This can be really threatening for people who think church is for the righteous and for people who have all their issues worked out, which of course, is none of us. Tim Keller gets to the heart of the problem with modern Christianity in recounting this conversation he had with a woman about her self-righteous faith: I asked her what was so scary about unmerited free grace? She replied something like this: “If I was saved by my good works — then there would be a limit to what God could ask of me or put me through. I would be like a taxpayer with rights. I would have done my duty and now I would deserve a certain quality of life. But if it is really true that I am a sinner saved by sheer grace — at God’s infinite cost — then there’s nothing he cannot ask of me. (Tim Keller, Prodigal God) If everyone in your church looks like you, acts like you, votes like you, believes like you and thinks like you, you’re probably not the church. 4. YOU GOT HEALTHIER When I look back at over two decades of leadership, I realize that so much of my journey has been toward greater and greater emotional and spiritual health. I’ve seen counselors over the years, hired coaches, read books, gone on retreats and done whatever I can to become more emotionally, spiritually and relationally healthy. And like every leader, I’m a work in progress. But here’s the good news. Leaders, when you get healthier, your church gets healthier. But it also means that sometimes, people who don’t want to get healthy leave. In the same way that healthy people are drawn to healthy leaders, unhealthy people are drawn to unhealthy leaders. Gossipers love other gossipers. Troublemakers love other troublemakers. Selfish people feel better around other selfish people. You get the picture. As your church gets healthier, unhealthy people really have two options: get healthy, or find a less healthy environment. It’s quite possible that the vast majority of your church will get healthier with you, particularly if you lead and teach out of what you’re learning. But some won’t want to make that journey. They’ll leave. And sometimes they make a scene when they go. Let them go. That’s what healthy people do…they invite, they encourage, and when refused, they move on. So…keep moving your church toward health. 5. YOU FINALLY MOVED INTO THAT NEW FACILITY So many people think a move into a new building is a positive step that will only cause growth. For a church that has momentum, that’s almost universally true. (Although a move into a building will not cause a declining church to grow…I explain why here. ) But even when things are going well, you will lose people. Some people will love the portable days even better. Some won’t like the new location. Others may not like the design. Others may feel displaced. For some people, there’s also a sentimental association with past places of worship as well. Maybe the sentiment is because they became Christians there, were baptized there, or even got married there. For sure, that’s understandable. Most people get past the sentiment, but some don’t. And they’ll leave. The church has to keep moving though…advancing the mission. After all, you cannot build a future by living in the past. WHY DOES THIS MATTER? All of this can leave you feeling discouraged unless you realize one core truth. Even if the handful of people who might leave aren’t unappeasable, t he people you need to reach are far greater in number than those you’re trying to keep. The people you might lose always have other churches they can go to. The unchurched people you will reach by changing…don’t. Don’t burn bridges with those leaving (be gracious…thank them for their time with you), but don’t sacrifice the mission for the sake of a handful of people who don’t like the future. The challenge, of course, is to reach more people than you lose and to keep unnecessary departures to a minimum. www.careynieuwhof.com . Used by permission.

Life can be very challenging. We are constantly facing stressful situations at work, home, school, in the car…you name it. In many cases, our reactions to these situations can make things worse. If we let our thoughts and emotions get the best of us, we can negatively impact both our mental and physical wellbeing. As I discuss in my book Think, Learn, Succeed, uncontrolled thoughts and emotions run rampant through the brain, creating neurochemical chaos that can make us anxious, affecting our ability to think clearly and process information. This is one of the major roadblocks to success, and can allow other toxic thinking habits and mental health issues to take root. So what are some of the major mental health mistakes that may be making your life harder, and what can you do about it? · Spending too much time defining the problem and not enough time on formulating and executing a solid plan of action. When it comes to any situation we face, we often spend too much time focusing on the problem, and too little time focusing on the solution. Essentially, we can be quite good at recognizing what we need to change, but not the how, what and when. People often tell me in depth what they are going through, with but I rarely hear a plan of action. You do not need to have the answers all figured out, but too much talk and not enough action will not solve a problem. In fact, if we spend too much time ruminating on the problem we can get caught up in the emotions associated with the toxic thinking pattern, which can lead to emotional burnout, mental fatigue, and increased anxiety. When dealing with a situation, or just life in general, it is best to spend a limited amount of time of defining what the issue is, and focus more time on a plan of action. It is also important to be open minded about changing the plan as you go along, as life can be unpredictable! Think of different ways a situation can work to your benefit, so you don’t get stuck if one possibility doesn’t work out (I call this the “possibility mindset”, which I discuss in greater detail in my book Think, Learn, Succeed ). I personally try to stick with a “one third plan” when it comes to dealing with a negative thinking pattern or a stressful situation: one third of my time I use to define and talk about the issue, one third to plan the solution, and one third to transform the solution into some kind of positive action. This is based on my 5-step process which I discuss in my book Switch on Your Brain , and which makes up the core of my SWITCH app. This 5 step process is designed to help you identify and eliminate the root of your mental health issue, and rebuild a healthy new neural network. · Trying to change too fast. In today’s quick-fix culture we often want change to happen in an instant, but I cannot stress this enough: it takes time to change, so give yourself a break! Trying to change yourself too fast can cause unnecessary stress, making us more anxious and setting us up for what I call the “shame spiral” (for more information see my podcast episode on this) because we feel like we keep failing and are not able to change. But it takes a minimum of 63 days to change a negative thinking habit—when it comes to the mind, there really are no quick fixes and most people give up on day 4, so be patient! For more information on how to cultivate the correct “time mindset” see my book Think, Learn, Succeed. · Comparing yourself to others. Comparison is a killer, plain and simple. It will keep you focused on what is happening externally, and allow things to go amuck internally, which can impact both your mental and physical health. You can never be like someone else, because the law of the brain is diversity : there is no one way of doing life or dealing with a situation. If you try to be like or act like another person, you will make yourself more and more anxious because you are setting yourself up to fail. You make a lousy someone else, but a perfect you, because you think in a completely unique and wonderful way. It is up to you, therefore, to design your own blueprint for success. When you find yourself comparing yourself to others stop, write down your thoughts, examine them, and think about what you are passionate about and what you have done in your own life. Think about who you are and where you want to be in life. If jealousy and comparison is something you struggle with, practice being intentional about not comparing yourself for 21-63 days to break this habit. · Not exercising your brain every day. When it comes to mental ill-health, few people focus on the importance of learning for developing mental resilience and improving cognitive health. In my book Think, Learn, Succeed, I talk about how to build your brain correctly so as to improve memory and mental health! When we build our brains in the correct way, we increase our intellectual capacity, cognitive clarity and mental flexibility, which improves our physical and mental health and our memory. When we do not build memory correctly, on the other hand, we build toxic structures into our brains, which can lead to feelings of anxiety, intrusive thoughts and even psychotic breaks. So how can you exercise your mental muscles? Spend at least an hour every day on something that challenges your mind, whether it is reading a book, learning a language, or studying something that interests you. The more you build your brain, the more confident, and less anxious, you will be when faced with a challenge! It is important to plan ahead and choose something that will help you expand your knowledge base and develop mental resilience on a daily basis, so set aside a few hours every morning, evening or afternoon to read something, listen to a new podcast series, or learn a new sport or skill. · Falling into the “if only” hole. We have all been there: we start thinking about how we could have acted differently in a situation, what we should have said or done and if only we had not said so and so. Consciously controlling our thought life means that we must not allow such thoughts to rampage through our minds. Instead, we need to learn to engage interactively with each of these thoughts, taking control over and learning to enjoy the moment we are in. I have always struggled with this—it often steals the joy from a moment or results in hours of stress and anxiety after something has happened. However, I did a 21-day detox reset focusing on this toxic thought, and it really helped me change this negative thinking pattern.

Hebrew professor Dr. Julia Blum shares her insights about the Last Supper from Jewish history and the Hebrew translation of the Gospels: THE ROOM FOR THE LAST SUPPER Jerusalem was swarming with people who had come for Passover. Every house had additional guests, every room was packed, yet Jesus seemed strangely unconcerned about a place to eat the Passover meal. Confidently He told His disciples, “As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters.” How did Jesus know they would meet a man with a water jar? A man with a water jar was a very unusual sight, as this was ordinarily women’s work. Why would a man be carrying a water jar in Jerusalem? The only group of Jewish men that traditionally did carry water jars were Essenes. Since Essenes were mostly celibate, their men did women’s work. Essenes had their communities, not only in Qumran, but in various towns. They also had a community in Jerusalem. Josephus tells us that one of the gates of Jerusalem was called “the Gate of the Essenes”. Apparently, it was through this gate that they entered their community. A man carrying a water jar could only have been an Essene. From Jesus’ words, his disciples understood they had to enter Jerusalem through the Essene’s gate. Since Essenes used a different calendar, their guest rooms were still available. That’s why the Teacher knew that a room would be available for the Last Supper. ENTERING JERUSALEM Today, Christians all over the world know that Palm Sunday is the beginning of Passion Week, but do you know why Jesus was entering Jerusalem on that particular day? We can find an answer in the first verses of Exodus 12, where God instructed that the lamb that was to be slain on the eve of the Exodus, be separated out four days beforehand: In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb… Your lamb shall be without blemish… And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. So, on the 10th of Nisan, the Passover lamb was chosen and set apart and preparations began for its slaughter. This is the reason Jesus had to enter Jerusalem on Sunday the 10th of Nisan – the very same day when the perfect lamb was to be selected and set apart. We read in the Gospels that when Jesus entered Jerusalem, “the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David! … Hosanna in the highest!” What is the meaning of these words in Hebrew? What did people understand about Jesus, and what did they think about Him when He was entering Jerusalem that made them shout these particular words? The English word “Hosanna” transliterates Hebrew Hoshia Na (Literally: save, please). This word is taken from Psalm 118, one of six psalms (113-118) of the so-called Hallel (Hebrew: Praise), the songs of praise and thanksgiving. There are special occasions when we have an additional obligation to praise God – and on these special occasions we recite special psalms, known as Hallel. Psalm 118:25 reads: “Save now, I pray, O Lord”. According to the Jewish sages, one of the most fundamental themes of Hallel is acknowledging the source of salvation. Psalm 118 was recited on the way to the Temple and in the Temple on Passover Eve, Erev Pesach , at the time of the slaughtering of the Passover sacrifice (“korban Pesach”). Jesus entered Jerusalem as the ‘Ultimate Sacrifice,’ as the Passover Lamb, and these words from the Psalm 118not only confirmed that, but also acknowledged Him as the source of salvation. Understanding this background of the Jewish Hallel enables us to more fully comprehend the words from Matthew – “Hosanna to the son of David”. WASHING THE FEET He loved His own to the end In Genesis 18, when the Lord is about to announce the birth of the son of the covenant to Abraham, three men come to his tent and Abraham offers them water to wash their feet. In John 13, when the Lord is about to announce the new covenant to His disciples, He Himself washes their feet. Why did Jesus do that? Was it a Jewish custom? John 13 takes on even deeper meaning when understood against its Jewish background. The washing of the feet was the first act upon entering a tent or a house after a journey. Usually, the host provided the water, and the guests washed their own feet. Sometimes in the richer houses, the washing was done by slaves. With all his exemplary hospitality, Abraham didn’t wash the feet of his guests – it was probably not a proper thing to do. Instead, he said, You will wash your feet (rahzu). From Genesis 18, we see that it was not customary for the host to wash the feet of his guests. Thus, when Jesus washed his disciples’ feet, it could not be explained as necessity or custom. John said that Jesus “loved His own to the end": in washing their feet, He exemplified the most vital components of the New Covenant – love and humility. This act, so powerful in itself, becomes even more meaningful when seen against its background. What Jesus did on the last evening of His life, went far beyond the traditional customs – but we can only understand this when we know these customs. Understanding the Jewish background of the NT helps us, not only better comprehend those words and deeds of Jesus that belong to this background, but also to grasp the full meaning of those words and deeds that went beyond the traditional ideas and customs. www.eteacherbiblical.com . Used by permission.

We live in a time where parents feel they have to praise everything kids do; no matter what. Whether they make a good effort, a poor effort, a mediocre effort; they get praised. It’s the mentality that everybody on the team gets a trophy. “Everybody’s a winner,” nobody loses. We live in society where kids view reward as their right. Many want to start at the top and not at the bottom. And why wouldn’t they? Just look at the world they live in… Teachers asking their students to call them by their first name. Schools eliminating the honor of having a Valedictorian from graduation ceremonies. High school district policies that dictate a teacher can’t give a grade less than 61% Little leaguers that strike out, followed by the shrieking voice “Great at bat!” Today parents are driven to make sure their child is happy at every turn. Now, let me give you just a little quick teaching on praise versus encouragement. Your child has just walked through the door with all A’s on their report card: THE PRAISING PARENT The praising parent makes their child’s happiness the all-important goal of their parenting. We really believe in America that praise is good for children. These ideas of enforcing fairness and protecting feelings grew out of the “Great self-esteem movement.” We were dooped by social do-gooders, psychologists, and self-help professionals that it was imperative for kids to feel good about themselves! For proper development, the child must feel good regardless of his effort or ability. While it is important for children to have a healthy self-esteem, we have praised our children into weakness. They now expect that they will always win, always receive praise, and always be rewarded for trying (vs. succeeding). When the praising parent’s child comes home with all A’s, the response may look like this, “Oh, we are so proud of you–you are just the best kid in the world, thank you so much for doing that! Here’s $20 dollar bill!!” This is verbal praise combined with a financial reward. I can hear it now… “What’s wrong with that?” This is our society’s failed practice of assigning a dollar value to outcomes. You’re conditioning your child to choose activities that have financial reward, and developing the expectation that they SHOULD receive a financial reward when they do something they are expected to do! Praise goes right to the actor, where encouragement goes to the act. If you want your children to feel good about themselves how about a different approach? THE ENCOURAGING PARENT The encouraging parent promotes a child’s self esteem from the inside out. So this time when little Buford walks in the door with straight A’s, the encouraging parent says, “Wow good job! It’s clear to me that you really enjoy learning. It looks like all the hard work and studying you have done this past semester has really paid off! That must make you feel real good inside!” Do you see the difference. It’s subtle, It’s not, “Oh, what a wonderful kid you are.” It’s, “Your effort, your extra studying has really paid off.” That is the difference between praise & reward, and true parental encouragement. Your child needs that encouragement–Vitamin E if you will–and you are the best provider of it. This week look for ways that you can encourage your kids without going over the top and praising them. So next time, when Buford strikes out…you might greet him with a simple, “Hey, rough day at the plate, eh? 0 for 3. Hey, you know, I’m going to be home early on Thursday night and Wednesday night, too. Come to think of it, if you would like me to take you down to the park and throw you some pitches, I’d be more than glad to do that, if you think that would help.” Go be an encourager.

Share 0 The religious elite ignored Him as long as they could. Since Jesus sported no theological degrees and wasn’t part of the pastors guild, they didn’t take Him seriously. He was not credible in their eyes. But they could only follow this course for so long. His influence grew so large that they couldn’t ignore Him any longer. So they must extend to Him the credibility of engagement. They came out with all guns blazing, seeking to refute Him. First, their pushback was targeted at the content of His teaching. But after realizing that they couldn’t successfully discount what He said, they downshifted to an ad hominem assault. Personal attacks became their new weapon for dismissal: “He has no authority to say what He’s saying.” “He’s not seminary trained.” “He has no ordination papers.” “He’s not a scholar.” Then it escalated: “He was born as the result of fornication.” “He’s a blasphemer.” “He’s deceptive.” “He’s a glutton and a drunkard.” “He’s a false prophet.” And the ultimate attack: “Satan is working through Him!” Strikingly, this same story has been played out on virtually every bloodstained page of church history. And unfortunately the destiny of many who have followed in Jesus’ steps has been the same as His: persecution, suffering, and even execution. “Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.” Human nature changes not. Nor do the systems men create, be they secular or religious. The reactions are all the same. When men feel threatened, the evil they are capable of in the name of God (and while defending Him) defies sanity. Jesus was put to death chiefly because of jealousy. For he [Pilate] knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him. The favor and anointing of God will always garner the jealousy of those who do not possess them. Abel, upon whom God looked with favor, is not alone in those who were persecuted by a jealous Cain. Jealousy still lives and breathes in the hearts of the religiously ambitious and insecure. Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by evil spirits, and all of them were healed. Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying. Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women. But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. The ways of God changes not either. Fear not. Follow Him. No matter what the cost! This post is an excerpt from chapter 6 of Jesus: A Theography (Thomas Nelson, October 2012).

Share 0 I had the most remarkable encounter with God today. I was meditating upon Jesus on the cross, and, after decades of being a Christian, God revealed to me an aspect of Jesus’ suffering that I never understood or even considered. What was it truly like for Jesus to experience “hell” on the cross? We know that all of the sins of every human in history were laid on Him. We know that Isaiah said the “chastisement of our peace” was experienced by Christ in those agonizing moments, but I believe the nails, the thorns and the ridicule were almost negligible to Jesus as He hung between heaven and earth in those hours. This was a young man who confessed to his closest disciples that He and the Father were one. (John 17:11) Uninterrupted fellowship. He never felt guilt for wrongdoing. Jesus said He only did what He “saw the Father doing.” (John 5:19) Such profound communion, unsurpassed joy and quiet peace are something most of us rarely experience in our fleeting days on the earth. But Jesus walked with His Dad every day, just like Adam chatted with God in the cool of the evening. His most precious relationship was cruelly ripped from His heart as His Father looked away. “Daddy, oh Daddy, why have you forsaken me here?” (Matthew 27:46) To have such intimacy ripped away as the Son of God suffocated on that rough-hewn cross was far worse than any insults hurled at Him by onlookers. In fact, I imagine He hardly noticed them. We know that every sin in all of history weighed upon His fragile form. I could see in my mind’s eye the rapid succession of thoughts racing through His brain. Bloody murders, sexual depravity, biting curses, regret and guilt as every rebellious act was replayed in His mind’s eye. Future holocausts, atrocities and broken lives poured deep sadness into His soul. Jesus had never felt any of this in His lifetime. It was a heinous baptism of evil for a spotless Lamb. Visualize the child molester caught in his prurient web of perversion. Jesus became that man. Picture the prostitute that sold her body, night after night, to abusive, disease-infested sexual partners. He lived her humiliation and despair. A friend of mine almost lost his life when his boat overturned on Lake Dallas in the middle of the night. As Bob Morgan plunged beneath the icy water and gasped for air, he felt the panic that these breaths were his last. Clutching to a large piece of wood in the wreckage that was once his fishing boat, he floated hour after hour, waiting for the light of dawn and hoping against hope for rescue. Bob did survive. But his story was incredible. As he came up for air, clinging to life, he said that in an instant, his whole life passed before him like a 3-D movie. His moments playing at recess as a child, his graduation from high school, the day he met his wife-not selected memories, but every memory was replayed in a split second. If a single life could be recounted as this man walked through the valley of the shadow of death, certainly Jesus could experience all the sin of all of humanity in those dark hours on the cross. God continued flood my mind with Jesus’ agony. Sin and separation weren’t the only horrors Christ suffered. He entered hell itself. The gaping mouth of Satan’s lair was opened to Him. Jesus had trounced Satan in the wilderness, but now the Devil had his heyday. Daniel the prophet wrote that hell is a place of shame and everlasting contempt. (Daniel 12:2) The demons tormented him. (Revelation 20:10) The laughter of the Evil One mocked his final breaths. The fires of Gehenna flamed around Him. We know that burning to death is one of the most excruciating ways to die, perhaps even more painful than execution by crucifixion. The fire of Tartarus flayed Jesus’ skin, but He didn’t burn up. He continued to writhe without relief. Those nails grew hotter and hotter. “I thirst” was an understatement. The rich man Dives begged poor Lazarus for a drop of water, but none came. (Luke 16:4) And no relief came to Jesus, even after a sponge of vinegar touched His parched lips. I now believe that the whips, the crown of thorns, and the derision of Herod were simply incidental to Jesus’ dark day of death. There was hell to pay. And He paid it. For you. For me. “Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains [of punishment], yet we [ignorantly] considered Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God [as if with leprosy] 5But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole. 6All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has made to light upon Him the guilt and iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:4-6 Amplified Bible

Why do we call people without Christ “lost?” Dr. John MacArthur teaches us why the cross is foolishness to the unbeliever: “Unregenerate sinners are completely lost. Unaided and unilluminated, in his natural condition and without the gospel, the sinner will never find a way to God. In fact, he won’t be looking for it to begin with. “A natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised” (1 Corinthians 2:14). He’s spiritually dead and blind, with no hope of finding God on his own. But even when sinners are presented with the gospel of the cross, they reject it. First Corinthians 1:18 says, “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing.” Even when a sinner has been shown the only way of salvation, he will ignore and dismiss it. On the other hand, 1 Corinthians 1:18 goes on to say, “But to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” Man’s supposed wisdom—the very thing that natural theology tells us will lead him to God—forces him to reject the message of the cross and the only power there is that can save him. What does God think of man’s wisdom? Paul continues in 1 Corinthians 1:19–20: “For it is written, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.’ Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age?” In other words, bring on the finest minds, the most articulate communicators, the best debaters—give me the elite, and I will show you a group of fools. In Acts 17, Paul is in Athens, and Scripture says, “His spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols” (Acts 17:16). In the Areopagus—the gathering place for all the philosophers and intellectuals of the day—he boldly confronted their laughable ignorance and proclaimed the only message by which they could be saved. Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects. For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, “To an Unknown God.” Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; . . . for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said. . . . Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead. (Acts 17:22-31) These were perhaps the finest minds in the world at the time, and the best they could do was put up a placard to serve as a safety net for any deities they had overlooked. That’s maybe the best you can hope for from natural theology—the guilty sensation that you might have overlooked the true God of the universe. Back to 1 Corinthians 1, and the pinnacle of the passage in verse 21: “For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.” That’s effectively the Great Commission in different words. The only hope of salvation is through the preaching of the cross. Paul acknowledges that such a message is a stumbling block to Jews, and pure stupidity to Gentiles (1 Corinthians 1:23), and he’s right. From a human perspective, believing that the horrific, humiliating death of a Jewish carpenter more than two thousand years ago has any impact on modern life—let alone offers any sort of substitutionary atonement for our sins—sounds like madness. But as Peter boldly exclaimed to the priests and leaders of Israel, “There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Why is that salvation found in Christ alone? Paul gives us the answer in 1 Corinthians 1:29-31, So that no man may boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.” Ultimately the gospel is not for the proud, the arrogant, or those who believe they can get to God by themselves. God intentionally chose a foolish message to humble us and to guarantee that no one would boast in his or her own intelligence. He chose the cross to stifle any inclination in us to think we got to Him on our own. All the glory goes to God.” www.gty.org https://www.gty.org/library/blog/B180919

One of the most powerful tools any grandparent can utilize is that of asking questions. This simple act reaps so many benefits. Asking questions of your grandchildren shows your interest in them and draws them into conversation. Your questions can help you learn more about your grandchild’s personality, their daily life, struggles, and feelings. Additionally, the conversations that flow naturally from your questions help strengthen your grandparent/grandchild connection and build deep relationship. Question asking is a powerful tool. However, like anything else, the better we understand this tool, the more effective its use. Practical Ways to Develop the Art of Asking Questions Be present with your grandchild. You’re asking questions because you want to connect with your grandchild. Your desire is to build deep relationships. This isn’t going to happen if you grandchild feels like they are part of an inquisition. Create a safe and comfortable atmosphere by “doing” something together as you talk – go fishing, work a jigsaw puzzle, cook dinner, take a walk. Do your homework. Then ask questions that connect. Listen when your grandchildren talk. It’s so easy to tune them out, paying absolutely no attention. But when we make the effort to listen, we will hear all kinds of things about their school day, their friends, and situations that are causing them angst. These are the things to ask questions about later. Other homework tips: Listen, as well, when the parents of your grandchildren are sharing things with you that your grandchildren are going through. These are also things to note and ask your grandchild about. Keep a pad of paper and a pencil by the phone. When you talk with your grandchildren, write down the things you want to remember for following up on in the future. Set reminder alarms on your phone to help you remember to ask your questions in a timely manner. (For instance, follow-up on a major test or cheerleading try-out.) Get to the heart of the matter. Just as there’s a place for “small” talk, there’s a place for “small” questions. Absolutely, use one or two “small” questions for easing into the deeper matters, but don’t waste your entire time together discussing the obvious. You want to ask questions that reveal something to you about your grandchild. “Small” questions, typically: Elicit a “yes” or “no” answer. Don’t require much thought to answer. Do not reveal anything new about your grandchild. Have obvious answers. Examples of “Small” questions: “What’s up?” “How ya doing?” “What about those (insert name of favorite sport’s team)?” “How was your day?” “What about this weather?” Fit your question to your grandchild. I have eleven grandchildren – eleven individuals, eleven unique personalities. They don’t all respond well to the same type of question. A few of my grandchildren are great with me jumping right into the heart of a matter. Others need a little warm-up time. There are a couple who are willing and able to respond to my questions right away. Then there are the ones who need some space (quiet time) to process the question before offering a response. It’s okay to have a stock pile of questions. However, it’s so important to know how to take those questions and reword them or modify your “asking” technique in order to make the most of your time with your grandchild. Ask open-ended questions. Rather than asking, “Do you like school?” Ask, “What do you like most about school?” You won’t learn much by a “yes” or “no” answer, but responses to open-ended questions can lead to enlightening conversation and provide a glimpse into your grandchild you might otherwise not have gotten. Better yet, ask for stories. Even better are questions that allow your grandchild to respond with a story. This is much for comfortable for them, and the story will reveal things to you that no “answer” ever will. Ask, then wait. As mentioned previously, some children need time to process the question, their response, or how they think you might react. Always give some wait time. And… listen well. A big part of developing the Art of Asking Questions, is to learn to listen well. Listen with your ears and your eyes. Give your grandchild your full attention. This means putting your phone away and removing all other distractions. Show them their importance by keeping your eyes on them while they speak. Use appropriate body language. Lean in! Smile. Nod. Let your grandchild know that you are listening through body language that communicates just that. They’re not going to be very interested in future conversations with us if our body language shouts, “I’m not listening!” Focus on understanding. How many of us are guilty of thinking about how we are going to respond WHILE our grandchild is speaking to us? When we do that, we are not really hearing what is being said. One of the best things we can do to develop the art of asking questions, is to learn to focus on hearing and understanding our grandchild rather than on planning how we will respond. Listen for what is spoken and what lies underneath. Learn to rephrase. One way to help with focus while listening is to learn to rephrase what your grandchild has said. Simply rephrase something your grandchild has said to show that you are listening. This can be done at an appropriate time during the conversation or when your grandchild has finished speaking. Another rephrasing strategy that helps you move beyond the spoken word to a place of understanding is to say to your grandchild, “What I think I hear you saying is….” Listen – without fixing, without preaching One common mistake grandparents often make when their grandchildren share something with them is that they’re too quick to try to solve the problem. Unless you are specifically asked, don’t try to fix the problem or give advice. If you are asked for advice, keep your words short and to the point. And, this is so important, do not preach at your grandchild. They get enough of that from other adults in their lives. You need to be a safe place. Remember, if you have lived an authentic life of faith before your grandchild, they know how you feel. Resist the urge to preach. Instead, bathe both your grandchild and the problem in prayer. The Art of Asking Questions is a skill worth honing. Ask a well-crafted question, and you can open up a closed-mouthed grandchild and gain insight into their life. Listen well, and you can learn to hear so much more than simply the words that are being said. www.deborahhaddix.com . Used by permission.

hen the disciples screamed in the face of a storm, Jesus slept (Mk. 4:37-38). When Jesus screamed in the face of a cross, the disciples slept (Mk. 14:37,41). Why could Jesus sleep so peacefully through a life-threatening sea-storm, and yet is awake all night in the olive garden before his arrest, crying out in anguish? Why are the disciples pulsing with adrenaline as the ship is tossed about on the Galilee Lake, but drifting off to slumber as the most awful conspiracy in human history gets underway? Peter, James, and John rebuke Jesus for falling asleep on the boat: “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” (Mk. 4:38) Jesus rebukes them for falling asleep as he prays before the cross: “Could you not watch one hour?” (Mk. 14:37) Jesus isn’t the anxious sort. He tells us, remember, to be anxious for nothing, to take no thought for tomorrow (Matt 6:25-34). So why is he awake all night, “greatly distressed and troubled” (Mk. 14:33). In the storm, Jesus dismisses the disciples’ terror with a wave of the hand. In the garden, he screams, with loud cries and tears (Heb. 5:7), until the blood vessels in his face explode. It is because Jesus knows what to fear. Jesus knows to fear not him who can kill the body, but instead Him who can cast both body and soul into hell (Matt. 10:28). Jesus doesn’t fear the watery deeps, which can be silenced by his voice. But he knows that is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Danger doesn’t keep Jesus awake; the judgment of God does. The disciples are just the opposite, and I fear I am too. They are worried about relatively meaningless things, things that need only to be given over to the attention to Jesus. But they are oblivious to the cross that overhangs the cursed world around them, and within them. I lose sleep quite often over the things Jesus tells me I should not worry about: my life, my possessions, my future. Such is not of the Spirit. Why is it easier for me to worry about next week’s schedule, and to lose sleep over that, than over those around me who could be moments away from judgment? Why am I more concerned about the way my peers judge my actions than about the Judgment Seat of Christ? The Spirit of Jesus joins us to him in his Gethsemane anguish. We groan with him for the revealing of the sons of God, for resurrection from the dead (Rom. 8:23-27). We like him, through the Spirit, come to terms with the crosses we must carry. And, through it all, we cry with him, “Abba, Father!” (Mk. 14:36; Rom. 8:15). The next time you find yourself unable to sleep due to worry, ask whether you’re in the Galilee waters or the Gethsemane garden. Ask yourself whether your wakefulness is of the weakening flesh or the awakening Spirit. www.russellmoore.com . Used by permission. A version of this article originally ran on April 21, 2011.

Share 0 What is the most powerful way to worship here on earth? A good pattern for earthly worship is heavenly worship. If we study Revelation’s description of heaven, we can truly give God the glory He deserves. Christ taught us in the Lords Prayer to pray for “…your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” We should begin our heavenly worship while we are still on earth. So let’s take a look at heavenly worship! Read Revelation 4 and picture the Throne Room of God. 1. Preparation for worship is important. Although John was in a distressful situation, “I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos” (1:9), he was honoring the Lord’s day “On the Lord’s day” (1:10), and was spiritually prepared for worship, “I was in the Spirit.” Most of us, when we’re in an unpleasant environment, find an excuse to neglect spiritual matters. But the aged apostle was ready for church, even though he was going by himself! 2. God initiates the call to worship. “I heard behind me a loud voice… before me was a door standing open in heaven” (1:10; 4:1). God always initiates; we simply respond. It was so in our coming to God (1 John 4:19, John 6:44), and it is so in worship. The beautiful call to worship extended in Revelation 3:20 begins with God’s initiative: “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock.” God is the catalyst in worship. 3. There is only one object of our worship – God and His Son Jesus. “And there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it” (Revelation 4:2). Our God is a jealous God; He has declared, “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3) and “Do not bow down before their gods or worship them or follow their practices. You must demolish them and break their sacred stones to pieces” (Exodus 23:24). Other religions are not so exclusive but Christianity is; there is only one object of our worship – Jesus Christ. 4. We’re all going to gather around the throne as one. Around the throne, the worshipers are not referred to as Methodists, Charismatics, Baptists, or Presbyterians, just blood-bought saints. We will all discard our denominational credentials, prejudices, and predilections when we gather around the throne. Worship is the call of unity among the body of Christ. 5. Worship involves our bodies, souls, and spirits. Heavenly worship is physical – they sing, cast crowns, fall down, cry out, play harps; it is soulish – they worship God willfully, emotionally, and mentally; and it is spiritual – they worship Him in spirit. The psalmist has declared that “we were formed for the praise of His glory.” Our entire being has been fashioned as an instrument of praise. Just as a master violin maker designs an instrument to produce maximum aesthetic results, so God tailor-made our bodies, souls, and spirits to work together in consonance to produce pleasing expressions of praise and worship. 6. In worship we should concentrate on what pleases Him. There are some unusual sights and sounds around the throne: four living creatures full of eyes and with heads of an eagle, ox, lion, and man, each with six wings; flashes of lightning, and peals of thunder. It sounds like a horror movie to us, but obviously God enjoys it. I’m not suggesting that we dress up church members in costumes and have them run around our auditoriums during the worship service; I am saying that worship is for God and we shouldn’t worry so much about what pleases us as we do about what pleases Him. 7. The closer we get to God, the more we want to worship. I believe the book of Revelation shows us a picture of the throne room of heaven. Obviously there’s more to heaven than just the throne room because Jesus said, “In My Father’s house are many rooms” (John 14:2); and there are probably other things to do in heaven besides worship, but the closer everyone gets to the manifest presence of God, the only appropriate thing to do is worship. Likewise, earthly worship will become more intense and real when we make a concerted effort to acknowledge His omnipresence and to seek His manifest presence. 8. Worship is our natural response to God. What is the appropriate thing to do when you meet God – ask questions? golf? plan? No! Worship. Worship is the most natural and appropriate thing to do in His presence. 9. We should worship God because He is God. We were created to worship Him. But the praise of heaven is prompted by distinct revelations of who God us and what He has done. We worship God because He is: Holy (4:8) God Almighty (4:8) Eternal (4:8) Creator (4:11) Preserver (4:11) We worship Jesus because: He has purchased us by His blood (5:9) He is worthy to receive power, wealth, thanks, wisdom, and strength (5:12) He sits upon the throne (5:13) Salvation belongs to Him (7:10) He has all power (19:1) His judgments are true and just (19:2) He has conquered the enemy (19:2) He reigns (19:6) He is our groom and has prepared us for marriage (19:7,8). Excerpt from “A Heart Aflame” by Don McMinn. Used by permission.