“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” — Matthew 11:28 We all have those times we wish the voice of God would audibly speak so loudly there’s no way we could miss it: “This is the direction I want you to go.” Then we’d know whether to stay the course or head in a new direction. Have you ever wished for this kind of certainty? I have. Most of us want to know what to do. Without that confidence, sometimes we stay in a place too long. But the greater loss happens in those times we quit too soon. Then, we can live with this nagging sense of “what if?” What if I’d persevered one more year, one more month, one more day? Knowing when to stop and when to keep on keeping on is a crucial life lesson. One I want to learn well. Often, the more I struggle on my own, the less confident I am with the right next step. It’s exhausting!But the truth is, I don’t need to be confused or tired. There is one central place I can go for direction and rest. In Matthew 11:28 Jesus encourages us, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” I used to get so frustrated with this verse because I thought, I don’t want rest. I want reassurance! I’m burdened by this decision I have to make. I don’t want to mess up by missing a cue from You, God. But the rest Jesus offers is not a spiritual sleep aid. The Greek word for this kind of rest is anapauo, which has as one of its definitions, “of calm and patient expectation.”In other words, Jesus is saying, If you come to Me, I will take your exhaustion and uncertainty and turn it into a calm expectation. But how? My friend Jennifer Rothschild does this enlightening exercise at some of her conferences. She tells the audience to imagine her writing two different words on a large chalkboard. She then speaks the letters as she draws the first word into the air . . . R-E-S-T. She does the same for the second word . . . R-E-S-I-S-T. Then she asks what is the difference? The difference is, of course, “I.”“I don’t know what to do.”“I can’t figure this out.”“I’m worn out.”“I’ve tried everything I know to do.”“I’ve given all I have to give. ”I’m familiar with these “I” statements because I’ve said them myself. We can only find anapauo rest—fresh hope—as we stop running ragged and simply take on the next assignment Jesus gives. In verse 29 of Matthew 11, Jesus gives us the assignment: to take on His yoke and learn from Him. Ask Jesus to show you how to rest in Him. It might mean sitting quietly, asking others to join you in prayer, or clearing your calendar to read the Word. Once you’re still, take the next step. Not ten steps. Not the whole path. Not the Google map with the highlighted route. Just the next step.Complete that step with excellence and an open, humble heart. Listen and look for all Jesus wants to teach you in this next step.This is your part of the equation. But after the assignment comes the reassurance in verse 30, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” We don’t have to have all the answers. We just have to stay connected to the One who does. Where our strength ends is the exact point where His will begins. This is God’s part of the equation.I must do all I can do. Then trust God will do what only He can do.Should I stay? Should I go? Maybe the better question is, “God, what is the next step I’m to take today? I’m going to do my part. And trust the rest to You. ”Dear Lord, I am tired, and I can’t figure things out. Please help me see Your part in this equation. Where my strength ends is where Your will begins. Help me, Lord, to look to You for my very next step. I will wait in calm expectation. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. https://lysaterkeurst.com . Used by permission.

Share 0 How your teenager will respond has everything to do with respect-your kid’s respect for you, and your respect for your kid. Respect begins from the earliest of stages and builds up over your years of relationship together. The battles between will-what I call developmental carnality-usually start when your child is about 18 months old, figures out he has a will of his own and realizes he can exert it. What happens after that point has everything to do with you, parent, because your child’s attitude and behavior were created within the space of your home. From this early stage, it’s crucial that you parents pick your battles carefully, and that as situations come up, you don’t react but act. Reacting takes you out of the driver’s seat and flings you right onto the moment-by-moment emotional roller coaster with your child. Acting allows you to sit back, relax, say things once and hold firm, and remain calmly in control, letting the chips fall where they may. So when your two-year-old spouted off, how did you respond? You said, “Oh, Johnny, you shouldn’t talk that way. It’s not nice. I’m going to give you one more chance to be nice.” You said, “Young man, you’ve just earned yourself a time-out. Get in the corner for the rest of the morning.” You turned, walked into another room, and ignored him. Later, when he wanted to play with his favorite toy, you said, “No, you may not play with the toy today. Mommy doesn’t like the way you talked to her.” No amount of blue-eyed pleading changed your mind either. Which scene played out over and over in your house? Your child didn’t morph overnight into this alien teenage creature. Guess whom he had help from? How you’ve acted as a parent and how you’ve run your home has everything to do with the person your teenager is now. Take three-year-old firstborn Shannon. When she was being stubborn and disrespectful about eating her lunch, her mother put her in a time-out. She calmly picked up the high chair—with Shannon strapped in it—and moved it around the corner of the kitchen into the hallway, where Shannon couldn’t see her mother. Those five minutes seemed like an eternity to the child who didn’t like to be separated from her mother. When her mom at last appeared, Shannon said quickly, “All done, Mom, all done.” To this day, 12-year-old Shannon remembers that life event and laughs. “I guess I figured out, ‘Hey, that didn’t work very well.’ I was a smart kid, so I never tried it again. That was the first and last time my mom ever had to put me in a time-out. I knew she meant business and that she wouldn’t back down.” Today Shannon and her mother have a very close relationship build on respect, and they have already weathered two of the early and intense hormone-group years. Contrast that with Jarrod, who is 15 and treats his mom like she’s the slave dog of the family. “Where are my gym shorts?” he blurts out a minute before he heads out the door to school, and Mom, trying to please him, had let him get away with his tantrums, then gave him whatever he wanted. Those two examples show clearly what I call “purposive behavior.” How many of you have used the word purposive today? I’m looking for hands here. I see none. Okay, so how about this week? Uh, there’s a hand. How about this month? A couple more. This year? A few more. Purposive isn’t one of those words you hear a lot, but it’s important for you as a parent to understand what purposive behavior is. Purposive behavior serves a person; it meets a need. We all engage in it. What is the purposive behavior of a child throwing a temper tantrum in a toy store? A good guess would be that Mom or Dad has given him a small dosage of vitamin N and said no to the “I want, I need” three-year-old. The three-year-old’s way of saying, “You’ll do exactly what I tell you to do,” is throwing a temper tantrum grand enough that folks six aisles over hear it and peek around the corner to see what’s up. So what does that parent do to shortcut the embarrassment of this child’s behavior? “Okay, okay, I’ll get you the toy this time. But this is the last time I’m going to buy you a toy…. Don’t surrender to the demand. Stop reacting and act purposefully. Your teen will thank you for it. Excerpt from “How to Have a New Teenager by Friday” by Dr. Kevin Leman. Used by permission.

Dear Roger, My husband and I would like to be cremated after our deaths. Our families do not approve. Is there scripture that will back us in our decision? What does the Bible say about cremation? Sincerely, B Dear B, It may not give you the confirmation you need, but here is your answer about what the Bible tells us about cremation - as best as I can tell, there is no Bible passage that attempts to give guidelines regarding acceptable burial procedures. No matter which burial practices one follows, the results are always the same: “Dust to dust, ashes to ashes." Job reiterated the final disposition of the body in Job 34:14-15: “If it were his intention and he withdrew his spirit and breath, all mankind would perish together and man would return to the dust." The ancient Egyptians embalmed bodies to delay decay and to prepare for the afterlife. In first-century Israel, bodies were buried on the day of death! A 60-foot length of one-foot-wide cloth was wrapped around and around the deceased while all sorts of spices were sprinkled in the wrappings in order to reduce the stench of decay. The bodies were then placed in caves or stone sepulchers. In more recent times, it's customary to embalm a body before burial in order to delay decay long enough for the family to mourn the deceased and to give time for out-of-town friends and relatives to arrive before the funeral. Burial procedures are rapidly changing in today’s culture. Many people are turning to cremation as the body disposition of choice. One of the primary drivers in this change is the astronomical cost of having a "traditional funeral." The costs for embalming, buying a casket and purchasing a piece of ground to put the casket in is cost prohibitive for too many families. The only long-term difference between embalming and cremation is time. Cremation just speeds up the process. Biblical Perspective on Cremation You may do well to investigate why your family doesn't approve of your cremation choice. Perhaps they consider cremation as not Biblical. However, as we have seen, cremation is never a Biblical issue. Here are some other concerns of Christians about cremation. 1. Perhaps they are worried that when Jesus returns at the Rapture and the bodies of long-dead Christians are resurrected and transformed into spiritual bodies — that you won’t have a body to resurrect. Frankly, since the first century, most (if not all) bodies are now dust anyway. Since God is big enough to produce a world-wide resurrection, He certainly can make a spiritual body from only a speck of dust -- or less. 2. Perhaps your family wants you in a casket-filled grave so they can have a place for remembering you and your lives together. This desire is natural and normal. Recently, I've observed families foregoing the expensive caskets and burial plots by choosing cremation. They then purchase a small cemetery plot in which to bury the ashes. Others scatter the ashes over a prearranged place meaningful to the deceased. Some save a few ashes in a small locket as a token reminder of their loved one. Some ashes reside in burial urns over fireplace mantles. With all that being said, remember that your body is still your body. Discuss openly with your family that you want to dispose of your body in the way most comfortable to you. In your case, that is cremation. My mother just traded in her outdoor burial plot for an indoor mausoleum space. She decided that she was uncomfortable with the idea that she would be down in the ground with the “worms and maggots!” Then, she got to worrying that above ground a tornado could hit the mausoleum! She wanted to change back; but, she finally decided that worms were worse than tornadoes. If you are more comfortable with cremation then I recommend that you do so. Personally, I want my body cremated. I've picked out four golf courses where I want my family to spread my ashes. I think. Recently, our church erected a columbarium with small niches for burial urns of ashes. It's on an outdoor wall of the new chapel. Recently, Julie and I exhumed our first daughter's ashes from Evergreen Cemetery and placed them in an urn in the niche in the far-left top row of the columbarium. I'm thinking about changing my mind. I just might have my ashes placed in the niche with Jessie. After all, the chapel wall sounds like a great final resting place while we wait for the sounds of the resurrection trumpet. Jessie and I could even hold hands together on the way up! Psalm 103:15-17 is a Bible passage that gives us a great perspective on cremation -- or on any other burial practice: As for man, his days are like grass,He flourishes like a flower of the field;The wind blows over it and it is gone,And its place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlastingThe LORD's love is with those who fear him,And his righteousness with their children's children… Well, B, I hope this helps. Have a great talk with your family. Love, Roger

as the fall of Lucifer really discussed in Isaiah 14? What can we learn about Lucifer from this passage? This passage in Isaiah contains a prophecy against Sennacherib who proclaimed himself king after conquering Babylon. (Isaiah 14:4). Though he is mighty now and able to inflict suffering and turmoil on his subjects (vs. 3), he shall be brought down to the grave and mocked (vss. 9-11). Although the passage refers to the king of Babylon, the church has also seen in the following verses the fall of Lucifer. Lucifer is Latin for “morning star” (vs. 12). Lucifer is the symbolical representation of the king of Babylon in his pride, splendor, and fall. Satan is the head of this present world system and the invisible power behind the successive world rulers of Tyre, Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome. This far-reaching passage goes beyond human history and marks the beginning of sin in the universe and the fall of Satan. The rule of Satan is not confined to his own person. All those who are dead in their trespasses and sins follow “the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient” (Ephesians 2:2). Satan operates his kingdom through a hierarchy of evil spirits and unregenerate people. Just like the rule of God is not confined to His own person. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12). As long as Jesus remained in earth, His kingdom rule was confined to himself. After being glorified, the Holy Spirit is present in every believer. They will do greater things, because the presence of Christ is manifested all over the world in the lives of believers. God rules His kingdom through ministering angels and through the lives of His children who are filled (controlled) by the Holy Spirit. Caught up with his own beauty, Lucifer challenged the throne of God. He expressed his pride by saying five times “I will.” But he was only a light bearer and not the source of light. As a created being, Satan could only reflect the glory of God. His pride and rebellion resulted in his expulsion from heaven. Now he is totally devoid of light. Satan is not some shady character who is naughty at times. He is the epitome of evil, the total absence of anything good. In contrast, “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). At one time we were darkened in our understanding and separated from the life of God (Ephesians 4:18). Then came Jesus. “In him was life, and that life was the light of men” (John 1:4). “For you were once darkness, but now you are the light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)” (Ephesians 5:8-9). www.ficm.org . Used by permission.

Do you make and keep friends? How do you love your near ones? Lysa TerKeurst wisely advises us: “I remember sitting in the smelly middle school gym like it was yesterday. I’d survived the awkward and much dreaded moments of changing into my PE uniform in the girls’ locker room. And now I sat on the hard bleachers listening to the squeak of tennis shoes, the uneven cadence of bouncing balls, the teacher’s sharp sounding whistle, and the girls laughing behind me. They weren’t laughing with me. That would have meant I was accepted and wanted and invited in to be a part of their group. No, they were laughing at me. This meant I was not accepted, not wanted, and not invited in to be a part of their group. I was the subject of their gossip. I was the punch line of their jokes. And it hurt. I imagine you know that hurt too. Change the scenery and the people and this same hurt can be found in most of our lives. When your coworkers all make plans to go out to lunch but somehow your name was left off the email chain. When that other preschool mom said, “Several of us moms are concerned with how your child seems so aggressive on the playground.” When everyone else’s social media makes marriage look dreamy and uber-romantic as you’re crying yourself to sleep at night feeling like the loneliest married woman alive. Then a friend steps in with a gentle smile and a few simple words of encouragement and suddenly, you’re not alone. I want to be that friend for you today. In the midst of whatever it is that’s made your heart feel a bit knocked off-kilter, can I whisper what I believe are the five best things one can say to a friend? You’re wonderful. Me too. I’ll pray. I’ll share. Come over. These aren’t incredibly profound but oh so needed. You know what I mean? And if we need to hear these simple kind words, then might we dare to believe someone near us needs to hear them as well? I think a lot of us girls are terribly lonely. So, imagine what good these words could do. Loving someone else is one of the most God-honoring things we can do today. After all, we’re reminded in Scripture that all the commandments can be summed up and fulfilled if we will love others (Romans 13: 8-10). I came up with this list of 5 best things to say to a friend from Romans 12: 12-13 in a section appropriately titled, “Love.” 1. “You’re wonderful.” (Romans 12:12, “Be joyful in hope…”) What a loving thing it would be to infuse joyful hope into your friend’s life by reminding her of ways you think she is wonderful. The world is quick to tell us girls of all the many ways we fall short. We are hyperaware of our faults and frailties. So, what a precious gift to remind a friend of specific ways you notice that she’s a wonderful friend, a wonderful mom, a wonderful Jesus girl, a wonderful wife, a wonderful coworker, a wonderful person. 2. “Me too.” (Romans 12:12, “…Patient in affliction…”) What a gift it is to remind our friend that we all have afflictions, hurts, faults, and tender places. We all get sick both emotionally and physically. The patient friend is one who freely gives grace because she so desperately needs it herself. “Me too” acknowledges that I’m no better than you but together we can get stronger. It is such a loving and disarming admission that we’re all in this together. 3. “I’ll pray.” (Romans 12:12, “…Faithful in prayer.” Wouldn’t it be wonderful to express to a friend that you will absolutely be faithful in your prayers for her? I have a friend that prays for me so faithfully. She texts me Scriptures that she prays over my life. But here’s what I really love about her. She doesn’t just pray about my situations. She prays me through them. She’s willing to circle my circumstances over and over with her prayers. I honestly don’t know how she hasn’t gotten tired of praying for some of my same issues for so long. I get so tired of me… but she never does. What a gift. A gift I know I must pass on by being faithful in my prayers for others. 4. “I’ll share.” (Romans 12:13, “Share with God’s people in need…”) When we notice a need in a friend’s life, might we be willing to step in and at least be a small part of the solution? I have a friend who literally lost every possession she owned due to a chemical spill in her home. So, we threw her a “Job (like the man in the Bible) Party.” Each of us brought a few things to help her family start over. We didn’t even come close to fully meeting their financial needs. But we helped build a foundation of restoration and gave this family the assurance that God was working on their behalf. 5. “Come over.” (Romans 12:13, “Practice hospitality.”) Throwing open our front door to welcome a friend inside the sacred space of our home is such a needed gesture. There’s just something about relationships that are less pixilated where we get eye-to-eye, voice-to-voice… and talk. Really talk. Over broken bread we share broken hearts. And then we celebrate the parts of us that are still intact. We reach across the table and across our differences to grab hold of the glorious bond of friendship. Yes, these are 5 great things, maybe even the best things to say to a friend. Yes? You’re wonderful. Me too. I’ll pray. I’ll share. Come over. So, today, I pause and say them to you. Now, I haven’t quite figured out how to do that last one. It would be such a hoot trying to fit you all in my kitchen, but I sure am dreaming about it. What a crazy fun time we’d have. My only request is that you bring one of those awful pictures from middle school you keep hidden away in the back of your closet. Then we can laugh and bond and wonder together why we ever thought it was okay to do our hair that way.” www.lysaterkeurst.com. Used by permission.

In Revelation 1:4-5a we read: John to the seven assemblies located are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus the Messiah, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Are these seven spirits before the throne of God really one Holy Spirit? First, traditional interpretation connects the seven spirits in Revelation with the seven “aspects” of the Spirit in Isaiah 11:2: The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord (NASB). In reality there are six aspects, not seven, because the Spirit of the Lord is not one of the aspects. A better translation (Net Bible), however, is provided by the Net Bible translators, rightly showing that each pair is really one concept, reducing 6 to 3: The Lord’s spirit will rest on him – a spirit that gives extraordinary wisdom, a spirit that provides the ability to execute plans, a spirit that produces absolute loyalty to the Lord . (You can see that the count here does not get to seven at all). Second, in non-canonical Jewish books, such as 1 Enoch that has many references to the Jewish Son of Man traditions, we repeatedly encounter otherwise unfamiliar phrase “the Lord of the Spirits.” For example, we read in 1 Enoch 46:1-2: There I beheld the Ancient of Days, whose head was like white wool, and with him another, whose countenance resembled that of man… Then I inquired of one of the angels, who went with me, and who showed me every secret thing, concerning this Son of man; who he was; whence he was and why he accompanied the Ancient of days. He answered and said to me, This is the Son of man, to whom righteousness belongs; with whom righteousness has dwelt; and who will reveal all the treasures of that which is concealed for the Lord of Spirits has chosen him; and his portion has surpassed all before the Lord of spirits in everlasting uprightness. This common Enochean phrase – “the Lord of the Spirits” just may be connected with the “…the seven spirits who are before his throne” in Revelation (Rev. 1:4b). As a side note, it is interesting that the technical term Holy Spirit seems to be a phrase that characterizes many (sectarian) writings found in the Dead Sea Scroll collection. Dead Sea Scrolls predate New Testament, where the term Holy Spirit is used both freely and generously, showing its presumed full acceptance among its audiences. Israel’s God and His Messiah are described in New Testament as those who direct the Holy Spirit (otherwise impossible to control powerful and personal cosmic force) to do variety of things. Third, another interpretive possibility, however, presents itself when we once again compare the book of Revelation to 1 Enoch. The seven spirits may also be seen as seven angelic figures who serve before the throne of God, according to some such Jewish extra-canonical texts. It is significant that the seven do not only appear in Enoch, but also in other Jewish books both Biblical and para-biblical. While we may be tempted to make too much of this connection, we must keep things in perspective. Whether or not the names of the seven key angels are Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, Uriel, Raquel, Remiel and Saraquel as is stated in the book of Enoch, we do know, but it is at least conceivable that other contemporary Jews (including John, the Jew, who authored the book of Revelation) had a similar concept in mind when he spoke of the Seven Spirits that are before the throne of God (1 Enoch 20:1-8). In so doing, John, may have described the Heavenly Court assembled and ready to act: Israel’s God, His Anointed Messiah and the seven powerful angelic beings sending a message of both hope and challenge to the first century followers of Jewish Christ who struggled under much pressure to find their social identity in the unapologetic and forceful polytheistic Roman society (Rev. 1:4-5). www.eteacherbiblical.org . Used by permission.

How are we supposed to do our work “as unto the Lord?” I’d like to give some Bible tips for students, stay at home moms and dads, those who don’t like their job, those who love their job, and retirees. For students: Even though you’re not paid, you do have a job right now. You do have dominion. That dominion is being a student and taking care of your home with your parents. Don’t neglect your job. There isn’t an opt-in age for dominion, meaning we can all contribute, no matter how old we are. For the youngest, that might just mean helping to put away toys and empty the dishwasher. Even a toddler has dominion and is called to exercise it faithfully. For older students, lean into your dominion. Take more, not less responsibility at home. If you have a part time job, great! Treat it like it’s your career. No matter what your task is, you are ultimately working for God, not your parents. Paul says in Colossians 3:23-24, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” Cleaning your room? That’s dominion. Do it for the Lord! Picking up dog poop? Dominion. Do it for the Lord! The dishes? That’s your dominion. Own it. Do it for the Lord! Schoolwork? Dominion. Do it for the Lord! “But what about my career (future)?” you might ask. Often, the advice that is given to students is to follow your dreams and passions. That is half-true. If those dreams and passions are good and holy, it is very likely that God is calling you to exercise dominion in that area in some way in your life.[i] If you love art, develop as an artist. If you love football, be the best football player you can be. Even more so, find passion in whatever you do. Passion is a terrible master, but a good servant. Steward well the education God is calling you to have dominion over. Expand what those areas of dominion look like in your life. It’s likely that one of those areas become your paid vocation one day. God often calls us to paid vocations that are secondary areas of passion. For example, you might be gifted and have a passion for acting or for art, therefore God probably has an area he is going to call you into to exercise that dominion as an adult. In fact, often adults stop enjoying art and athletics. We shouldn’t! Those are areas God calls us to steward, even when we’re not getting a pay check for them. After all, we’re going to be using those gifts in eternity. However, statistically speaking, it’s a lot more likely that you’ll be paid to be a nurse or an engineer than an artist or an athlete. And that’s okay. Keep developing the gifts God has given you and keep an open mind about what God might have your paid vocation. God develops perseverance and holiness in us as we serve a need for dominion on this earth. For stay at home moms and dads: What I have to say to you is very simple: you are absolutely doing dominion. Regardless of a paycheck, what you are doing is work. You are doing some of the hardest, most meaningful work there is: parenting. From the bottom of my heart, thank you! Thank you for doing one of the hardest and most unthanked job in the world. Thank you! For those who struggle with their job: First, be encouraged. Know that just by working, you are fulfilling God’s good purpose in your life. Continue working hard. Paul exhorts the church at Thessalonica this way: “For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.”[ii] God calls us to work, even when we don’t enjoy it. Blessed are those who work faithfully even when it is hard! Second, find your purpose in what you are doing. I know firsthand that it can be difficult to see God’s productive purposes in your work. There are, of course, some jobs, that Christians just shouldn’t do, because they don’t serve a redeemable purpose. However, a vast majority of jobs serve a meaningful and God-honoring purpose. It was hard to go to work when I was a Detention Officer. It is a thankless, hard, and dangerous job. Even then, I found that it has a holy purpose. More than protecting the public from inmates, your first job as a Detention Officer is to protect inmates from other inmates. As a Christian, we are called to treat every inmate as one who bears the image of God. We are called to respect and even love every human being. That truth anchored my purpose in my time as a Detention Officer. For those who love their job: I’m so grateful that I can now be counted in this group. Yet danger still lurks for us. Friends, you were made to work, but you are more than your work. Your identity is as a child of Christ. Christ has done the work for us. On the cross, Christ proclaimed “It is finished!” Those words speak to the finality of our salvation, yes, but even more than that; it speaks also to the work God will use us to do. Paul says these words of hope about not only our salvation, but our work in Ephesians 2:8-10, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Is work part of our call? Absolutely. But grace comes first, work is actually God’s grace to us. You are, first and foremost, a child of God. Purchased by the blood of Jesus, adopted by him. That is not a result of anything you’ve done. And the works too are prepared beforehand by God for us and given to us as a grace of God to walk into. Get your identity right. You are a child, not an indentured servant paying back your master. He has freely given you the gift of your adoption. Don’t be anxious. Don’t work as the world works. For those who are retired: Just because you’ve hit 65 doesn’t mean that God’s intention for you to have dominion has expired. While retirement can be a great and beautiful thing, it can also be deadly. Recent studies show that those over 65 spend nearly twice as much time in front of a screen than those under 50.[iii] There is nothing wrong with TV, but we need a purpose bigger than our TV’s. What is your purpose right now? What is your plan for today? One of the most significant engines of ministry at New Life are retirees who know exactly what their purpose is, and, in turn, pour themselves out in the good works that God has prepared beforehand for them. God calls you to partner with him and find a place where he is working and where your gifts lie. Finish strong. Live out God’s purpose for your dominion. This is the time to pour out your wisdom, not slouch into the sunset. For everyone: God has made us for dominion. “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” When the world looks at Christians, they should be astonished to find that Christians are the hardest working, most cheerful workers there are. We are called to embody the values of the companies we work for, we are called to go the extra mile and wow every employer. God has made us for work: let us work as he has called us with the passion we can bring with us. www.thebeehive.live . Used by permission. [i] Mike Rowe from “Dirty Jobs” has some great things to say about this. His TED talk is here: https://www.ted.com/talks/mike_rowe_celebrates_dirty_jobs#t-572671 [ii] 2 Thessalonians 3:11-12

he older I get the more intense I feel about this. I think we do things backwards in the Christian church. We do these amazing things for God when we’re 18 to 25 years old. But as we get older we tend to mellow out. We get more comfortable, and we do fewer things by faith. I look at that, and I think that’s so backwards. We’re in a race. There’s no time to celebrate, there’s no time to fight. Anything could slow us down. That’s what our lives should be like. But we do it backwards. We slow down as we get older. I get some of this. When we’re 18, we have nothing to lose. But as we get older, we get married, we have a career, we have some kids, and we don’t have the energy we had earlier in life. I don’t want to slow down. I don’t want to get comfortable. I want to take bigger steps of faith every year. To me, “Happily ever after” starts at my death, standing before God. That’s when I can celebrate. Look at Caleb. He was over 40 when he was sent to spy on the Promised Land, and he was one of only two who came back who was convinced that Israel could take the land. 45 years later, he’s 85, and he was ready to march in and take the land. That’s who I want to be. 2 CHRONICLES 16:9 – “The eyes of the Lord roam to and fro throughout the Earth, looking to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.” Do you believe this? God is looking throughout the Earth. He knows my heart. He knows my mind. He knows yours. He’s actively looking to give support to those whose heart is blameless towards him. He’s looking for someone to support. We ask, “God, please support me!” And he’s saying, “I’m looking. Is anyone’s heart really for me? Are you really seeking my kingdom?” Do you want my will?” God sees that. I want to be that person where God stops and says, “Okay, him. I’m going to strongly support him, like Caleb and Joshua. They just kept believing God and serving Him confidently and faithfully! What I love about this verse is the context — the real story of this verse. These words were spoken to a king named Asa. He was an amazing king. When there was a good king, good things happened. But that was rare. Early in King Asa’s reign, a prophet said to him, “Take courage. Do not let your hands be weak. Your work shall be rewarded.” As soon as Asa heard these words, he took courage. Think about that. “Take courage.” It’s something we have to take. We see in 2 Chronicles 15 what Asa does. He rebuilds the altar, he removes the idols, and he makes a covenant with the Lord along with all the people. He even removed an idol that his own mother had made. Don’t you want to be a man or woman of God like that? God rewarded his faithfulness. For 35 years, there was no war. But in the 36th year, the King of Israel started a war. At this point, Asa made a deal with the King of Syria, to help defend his kingdom. Most of us would think that this was a good idea. But in verse 7, Hananiah the prophet came and told Asa that because he had relied on the King of Syria and not on God, that Asa had acted foolishly and that there would never be an end to war. Asa had changed his ways from his earlier years because he had gotten a little success. He’d gotten comfortable. It wasn’t like the early days when he cried out to God, and this prophet was reminding him of that. God’s looking for people who always seek him throughout life, but what does Asa do? He’s been a king for 35 years, and he’d made other king buddies, so they’d join him. Asa was told that this was a very stupid thing to do. He would be at war from then on. The really sad thing is, after hearing this, did Asa change his ways? No. He got angry at the prophet and had him imprisoned. In Asa’s 39th year, God gave him a disease in his feet. He still refused to pray to God, and he died. I’ve seen this happen in my life. I speak to so many college-age kids, and they’re all longing for an elderly mentor whose life makes sense to them in light of the Gospel. I want my kids to model the same intensity that they see in me. I want my two-year-old to see an even more intense me than my 18-year-old did. If I can hear “Well done” from God, that’s all I want. I want that for you. Is there anything you’re going to care about that’s more important than when Jesus says, “Well done”? Older saint, Join me! I’m going to take courage. I’m going to turn around. I’m going to live for God for the rest of my life, and I want to hear God say, “Well done.” God will say, “You know I had something better for you, so come in and enjoy the riches of my kingdom.” There’s that “Happily ever after.” Live life faithfully and seek God’s rewards. Taken from “Finish Strong: Caleb” by Francis Chan

Share 0 Same-sex marriage, transgender orientation, and bisexuality fill movies, television and social media. It’s everywhere. So should Christian parents remain silent, or do they help their children understand what the Bible says about marriage and sex in a way they can understand? Dr. Russell Moore address these issues eloquently: “Some Christian parents wonder how they ought to explain all of this to their small children. How does one teach the controversy, without exposing one’s children to more than they can handle? First of all, you should, I think, talk to your children about this. No matter how you shelter your family, keeping your children from knowing about the contested questions about marriage would take a “Truman Show”-level choreography of their lives. That’s not realistic, nor is it particularly Christian. The Bible isn’t nearly as antiseptic as Christians sometimes pretend to be, and it certainly doesn’t shirk back from addressing all the complexities of human life. If we are discipling our children, let’s apply the Scriptures to all of life. If we refuse to talk to our children about some issue that is clearly before them, our children will assume we are unequipped to speak to it, and they’ll eventually search out a worldview that will. This doesn’t mean that we rattle our children with information they aren’t developmentally ready to process. But we know how to navigate that already. We talk, for instance, about marriage itself, and we give age-appropriate answers to the “Where do babies come from?” query. The same is true here. There is no need to inform small children about all the sexual possibilities in graphic detail in order to get across that Jesus calls us to live as husbands and wives with fidelity and permanence and complementarity. Some parents believe that teaching their children the controversies about same-sex marriage will promote homosexuality. Christians and non-Christians can agree that sexual orientation doesn’t work that way. Moreover, the exact opposite is true. If you don’t teach your children about a Christian way of viewing the challenges to a Christian sexual ethic, the ambient culture will fill in your silence with answers of its own. You can tell your children that people in American culture disagree about what marriage is. You can explain to them what the Bible teaches, from Genesis to Jesus to the apostles, about a man and a woman becoming one-flesh. You can explain that as Christians we believe this marital relationship is different than other relationships we have. You can then tell them that some people have relationships they want to be seen as marriages, and that the Supreme Court is addressing that. You can then explain that you love your neighbors who disagree with you on this. You agree that they ought to be free from mistreatment or harassment. But the church believes government can’t define or redefine marriage, but can only recognize what God created and placed in creation. Explain why you think mothers and fathers are different, and why those differences are good. Find examples in your own family of how those differences work together for the common good of the household, and point to examples in Scripture of the same. Don’t ridicule or express hostility toward those who disagree. You might have gay or lesbian family members; be sure to express your love for them to your children, even as you say that you disagree about God’s design for marriage. You probably have already had to do that with family members or friends who are divorced or cohabiting or some other situation that falls short of a Christian sexual ethic. If your children see outrage in you, rather than a measured and Christlike biblical conviction, they eventually will classify your convictions here in the same category as your clueless opinions about “kids these days and their loud music.” The issues at stake are more important than that. Marriage isn’t ultimately about living arrangements or political structures, but about the gospel. When your children ask about the Supreme Court, be loving and winsome and honest and convictional and kind.” www.russellmoore.org . Used by permission.

he pattern of servant leadership didn’t originate in the New Testament. It was woven into the fabric of creation, all the way back to the original relationship the Lord designed and established between Adam and Eve. Paul emphasizes that cooperative relationship when he described his own care for the church at Thessalonica. Yesterday we looked at the maternal side of Paul’s leadership. But obviously, the affectionate, self-sacrificial traits of motherhood don’t exhaust what it means to be a leader. The other side of the leadership coin is equally important, and often what people associate with leadership. While true leadership exhibits nurturing, maternal care, it is anything but effeminate. There’s an indispensable balance to the equation, and it is embodied in manly attributes such as strength, valor, and boldness. Accordingly, as the apostle Paul describes his own approach to leadership, he compares himself not only to a gentle nursing mother, but also to a watchful, concerned father. In 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12 he writes: You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. Paul sets the mother-father analogies side by side deliberately. He is stressing the importance of a balanced approach to leadership. He is also vividly affirming the most vital principle of Jesus’ teaching about leadership: that the tyrant who wants to exalt himself and be served rather than care for his people is no true leader at all (Matthew 20:25-28; 23:8-12). What do tenderhearted mothers and loving fathers have in common? The motive that drives them is a desire for their children’s maturity and well-being. A good father is no less self-giving than a nursing mother. But his role is different. The mother tenderly nurtures the infant; the father is the principal guardian and guide. It ought to be obvious to all but the most determined feminist that the differences between men and women go beyond merely physical distinctions. Characteristics like compassion, gracefulness, and gentleness are commonly found in greater abundance among women; while qualities like courage, stamina, and strength of conviction are the hallmarks of masculinity. Scripture recognizes and affirms these gender differences. In 1 Corinthians 16:13, Paul writes, “Act like men.” The full verse makes his meaning clear: “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” Watchfulness, strong convictions, and strength are the kinds of characteristics Paul has in mind. The context indicates the strength Paul has in mind is not merely physical strength but toughness of character, courage and stamina, fortitude. Those are of course the very features human societies have traditionally associated with masculinity. And those are likewise vital characteristics of every truly godly father. When Paul speaks of the paternal aspect of leadership in 1 Thessalonians 2:11, such qualities are precisely what he has in mind. Paul introduces the father analogy by reminding the Thessalonians how he and his associates in ministry had behaved in their midst: “You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers” (v. 10). Paul’s motives were clearly not self-serving. All could see that his goal was the advancement of the gospel among the Thessalonians, not personal gain for himself at their expense. His conduct reflected the highest level of holiness and integrity. That is every father’s duty: to set the standard of integrity in the family. That is also every spiritual leader’s responsibility. Paul uses three significant adjectives in that statement: “holy and righteous and blameless.” Holiness has to do with the purity of one’s life before God. Righteousness has a dual focus, encompassing one’s duty to God as well as one’s duty to fellow humans. Blamelessness refers to one’s reputation—how others perceive his character. Paul’s behavior among the Thessalonians was the very model of what every leader’s character should be: before God, holy; before God and men, righteous; and before men, blameless. But being a true leader (and a good father) is not just modeling; it’s also teaching. Therefore, Paul says, “Like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory” (1 Thessalonians 2:11-12). Like a wise father, the godly spiritual leader lives the virtuous pattern his children are supposed to follow. But he doesn’t stop with that. He carefully instructs and exhorts them—individually when necessary. He also encourages them and helps them along. There is obviously a large element of authority in the father’s role, but a godly father doesn’t wield that power in an authoritarian way. He is patient, encouraging, and personally involved with his children, showing them love in the process—even when it is necessary to rebuke or discipline them. This balance is absolutely crucial to all spiritual leadership. Christ embodied it. Paul modeled it for us. Every spiritual leader ought to aspire to maintain the balance, and not lean too far to one side or the other. The true spiritual leader is at once tender and loving like a nursing mother, as well as firm and courageous like a confident father. He maintains on the one hand a concern for the person, on the other hand a concern for the process; on the one hand a concern for kindness, on the other hand a concern for control; on the one hand a concern for affection, on the other hand a concern for authority. He is on the one hand embracing, on the other hand exhorting; on the one hand cherishing, on the other hand challenging. It is a beautiful, robust balance that God has designed right into the fabric of our families. It is the perfect epitome of what all leaders in the church should aspire to be. And where there is that balance in our leaders’ lives, the church is greatly blessed. www.gty.org . Copyright June 1, 2012.

My first encounter with my daughter’s guardian angel was on a sunny summer afternoon in the back bedroom of our house. Curly-haired, chubby-cheeked Brianna was 10 months old. Brie could crawl like a speed-demon and had insatiable curiosity. Saturdays are hectic at a pastor’s house. I limped toward the bedroom dresser with a boatload of boxer briefs, t-shirts and socks. The Barrier family needed to look clean and pressed for Sunday morning services. Roger, my husband, was polishing his Sunday sermon as he rocked in his chair on the back porch. Brie happily shoveled sand into her sand pail and mouth (Oh, dear!) while Daddy studied. All was quiet on the home front. Suddenly, I heard Roger shout, “Julie, get to the bathtub NOW!!!” There was an unusual urgency in his voice. I dropped the laundry and sprinted toward our sunken tub. We had a large tile sunken tub in the back of the house that was about four feet deep. As I bounded through the bathroom door, little Brie was precariously teetering head-first toward the cement floor. I scooped my baby up and pressed her tightly to my chest. Roger ran toward us just as I carried her to safety. “Oh, honey,” I sighed. “What would we have done if you hadn’t warned me?” “I didn’t call you, Julie,” he replied, astonished. “I heard YOU scream, ‘Roger, get to the bathroom. Hurry!” We looked at each other, speechless. Neither one of us had spoken a word of warning, yet we were clearly summoned to avert the disaster. That was the first time we met Brie’s guardian angel. We thanked God for sparing our baby daughter. I was reminded of Psalm 34:7 “The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.” NIV C. Fred Dickason provides excellent information regarding guardian angels: Matthew 18:10 states, “See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.” In the context, “these little ones” could either apply to those who believe in Him (v. 6) or it could refer to the little children (vs. 3-5). This is the key passage regarding guardian angels. There is no doubt that good angels help protect (Daniel 6:20-23; 2 Kings 6:13-17), reveal information (Acts 7:52-53; Luke 1:11-20), guide (Matthew 1:20-21; Acts 8:26), provide for (Genesis 21:17-20; 1 Kings 19:5-7), and minister to believers in general (Hebrews 1:14). Brianna’s guardian angels have always had to work overtime. One balmy spring afternoon, Brie donned her baggy P.E. shorts and tennis to join her classmates on the soccer field. Shortly after the game ensued, a dark sedan pulled into the school parking lot. The driver lowered his tinted window, aimed his rifle, and pulled the trigger. He fired two shots at the girls and sped away. One of the bullets hit Brianna in the leg. Fortunately, the bullet grazed her thigh and she sustained no permanent damage. Once again her angel intervened. The bullet had hit the goal post and ricocheted into her leg. If the shooter’s bullet had hit her directly, she might have been killed or crippled. I was on a concert tour in Portland when I received the news. Roger left his cell phone at the office and couldn’t be reached for a couple of hours. When he finally reached the ER, Brie was unnaturally calm. She sensed her invisible protectors all around her. God and His angels were there. Brianna toured South America with the Continental singers the summer before her sophomore year in high school. She contracted tuberculosis in Guatemala, a disease that has ravaged her lungs ever since. Two years ago, Roger stood in the hospital hallway near her isolation room. Brie had succumbed to a virulent strain of pneumonia. The doctor spoke in hushed tones. “Prepare yourself, Roger,” the doc warned. “Tonight Brie may become a statistic.” We called every prayer team we knew and begged God for a miracle. That night, Brie felt the healing warmth of God’s presence and sensed the bevy of warrior angels who surround her bedside. They were there. Brie knew it and we knew it. She miraculously survived. Our “grown up” girl has suffered many brushes with death in the last few years. A compromised immune system, multiple infections, hospital stays and surgeries have filled her days. As her nurse, I can most assuredly say that God has sent holy angels countless times to protect my precious daughter. God-dispatched angels are always here. Surrounding us, protecting us at every dark moment. Before her last surgery, Brie was surprised to discover her surgeon, anesthesiologist, and operating room nurses were all Christians. To Brie’s amazement, the medical team circled around her to pray for God’s protection. The Scripture verses the doctor quoted were Brie’s life verses, the ones she requested I read to her every night at bedtime. He prayed Psalm 91:11-14: “For God will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. “Because she loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue her; I will protect her, for she acknowledges my name.” NIV Brie said at that moment she experienced the peace of God unlike anything she had ever known. Now my sweet girl faces great challenges, yet her spirit is stronger than ever. Heavenly hosts have provided an invisible fortress day by day. At night, as I conclude my prayers and close my eyes in sleep, I hear their fluttering wings. And one day, I will join them around God’s throne singing “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come.”

“Who knows, perhaps you have come to your royal position for such a time as this.” Esther 4:14b [Mordecai speaking to Esther] Beloved, absorb this with your whole heart: You are royalty. Not figurative royalty. Not just spiritual royalty. You are in the most literal sense possible the daughter of the universe’s King. You have royal blood in a way that even Esther did not. The crimson bloodline of Christ flows through your veins. For now the kingdom of God on this earth resides within you, but one day your eyes will spring open to the most brilliant reality sight can behold. The kingdom of God will surround you, complete with palace, mansions, streets, and horses. In ways incomprehensible now, you will reign there with Him. All that we now call “reality” will be a mere shadow of the vivid world we have coming. Right now you are representing the King on official business in another land, but you are no less royal than the Queen of England would be if she visited the White House. Or the Bronx. She is queen regardless of where she is and how she is treated. Her status is secure. So is yours. When she’s cut, she bleeds royal blood. So do you. Not only are you royalty but you also have been placed in your sphere of influence, regardless of the size you perceive it to be, “for such a time as this.” Ecclesiastes 3:2 tells us there is “a time to be born and a time to die.” God cut out those exact perimeters for you and me on the kingdom calendar so that we would be positioned on earth right now. Likewise, Acts 17:26 tells us unflinchingly that God “determined the times set for [us] and the exact places that [we] should live.” You see, even your current location is part of the set-up for your kingdom destiny. As we learned in one of our earliest verses on providence in this series, in Christ “we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works everything in conformity with the purpose of His will” (Eph. 1:11). These realizations should be stunning and marvelous to us, exploding our lives with significance. The hard truth of Mordecai’s exhortation to Esther also applies to us. We can refuse to walk in obedience to God or cower in fear from our calling and He will undoubtedly still accomplish His agenda. As for us, however, we will pass up the fulfillment of our own entire life-purpose and we—and perhaps even “our father’s family”—will miss a mighty work. Frighteningly, perhaps even a mighty deliverance. One of our biggest obstacles in our most important moments “for such a time as this” is the difficulty of the destiny-serving task. It’s tough being a woman thrown a giant-size weight. Know the feeling? So do I. Every giant-size weight drops into our laps right on schedule. None of our purposes will be fulfilled easily. All of them will require the most difficult decisions we think we can make. Decisions that we may feel will practically kill us. Then God does something miraculous and we become something we’re not. That’s when “who knows?” becomes “I know.” At some of the hardest times in my life, I have been able to make the more difficult choice out of pure blind-eyed, bent-kneed acceptance that it was somehow part of a greater plan. I was beaten by a conviction that throbbed relentlessly against my strong self-centeredness. As much as my flesh wanted relief, I knew that when all was said and done, I’d sit on that side of glory having much rather fulfilled my calling than served myself all the way to meaninglessness. I had to accept that I was not called to an easy life. I was called to a purposeful life. At strategic times of internal war I stop and ask myself, “What if this is a critical moment? What if this very thing, this very decision, is the most important piece of the puzzle comprising my purpose?” God has profoundly used the conviction that those heightened times of decision in my toughest trials could be “make it or break it” moments in my destiny. Much like Mordecai suggested, I always knew God would accomplish His will and do what He intended, but if I made a man-ward (vs. Godward) decision, I’d be left out of a divine loop that would eventually mean everything to me. Beloved, in the times of greatest struggle when you make the Godward decision over convenience, earthly comfort, or carnal pleasure, you too have come to a critical moment in the fulfillment of your destiny. A defining moment. A war is being waged over your head in the unseen realm, and a great cloud of witnesses is cheering you on. You have no idea what’s at stake. This article was adapted from Esther by Beth Moore