Not long ago, someone asked me the following question: “Can you give me some advice on how to handle criticism? I don’t think I’m doing a good job with it. Thanks.” Anyone who is making an impact is going to draw fire. It’s written in the bloodstream of the universe. An oft-repeated platitude is, “If you’re flying over the target, you’re going to catch flack.” Or as Elbert Hubbart stated, “To avoid criticism do nothing, say nothing, be nothing.” If you are someone who is putting (or will one day put) your hand to the plow of God’s work, you will invite criticism. And the more valuable your contribution is to the kingdom of God, the more severe the criticism will be. Just take a look at the long list of specific (and surprising) criticisms that were leveled at both Jesus and Paul during their lifetime. In answer to the above question, here’s what I believe the Lord has taught me about handling criticism. In short, there are three kinds of critics and each should be responded to differently. 1. The Supporters. These are people who love you and support what you are doing. Any criticism they bring your way is constructive. It is designed to make you a better person. Supporters want you to succeed and they are cheering for you and your work. For instance, if you’re a writer, a supporter may point out a typographical or grammatical error. They may also draw your attention to a factual error (perhaps you got a historical date wrong, for instance). Your Response to Supporters. Welcome their criticisms. They are doing you a great service by pointing out your blind spots and oversights. Always thank them for taking the time to draw your attention to such things. Sometimes it’s not easy for them to do so. 2. The Objectors. Objectors are people who have a genuine disagreement with you about something. They aren’t your enemy. Consequently, they aren’t contentious, mean-spirited, and they don’t misrepresent you or your work. None of us can claim immaculate perception; therefore, you could be wrong. So be thankful for these people. Your Response to Objectors. Be open to the objectors because they may be right in their disagreement. Give them an ear and investigate what they are saying. It may turn out that their objection is accurate and they have done you a service by correcting your thinking on something. On the other hand, by analyzing their argument, they may confirm that you are correct. I’ve found that in most cases when I have engaged an objector and we talked through the apparent disagreement, we discovered that we really didn’t disagree. (See So You Think You Disagree? 4 Reasons Why You May Not.) 3. The Trolls. Trolls are people who are set on your destruction. They are governed by hatred, usually rooted in envy or jealousy. Oftentimes, trolls will first deliberately misrepresent you. But if that doesn’t work, they will resort to personal attacks and character assassination. Trolls are dishonest and traffic in manufacturing lies, spinning the truth, and distorting facts. They do not receive correction from anyone, and they lose credibility quickly. Only the gullible and those who also operate by hatred and envy agree with and support them. Trolls usually attack those they don’t know personally. Another common characteristic is that they repeatedly lift themselves up while tearing others down. They are inflicted with an inflated ego that has never gone to the cross. For this reason they are toxic to others. Your Response to Trolls. All social media experts say the same thing: Don’t feed the trolls; ignore them. If you engage a troll and try to correct him/her, it will be in vain. In fact, it’s counterproductive because it simply makes them appear more credible and draws attention to their dishonest statements. The experts point out that trolls don’t dignify a response. They are being deliberately dishonest so there’s no use in trying to correct them. The wisest course of action is to ignore them. As Proverbs 26:4 says, “Do not answer a fool according to his folly or you will be like him yourself.” Eventually, trolls always end up dying on their own swords. Each of the three kinds of critics can be Christians (trolls are often professing Christians, sometimes claiming their Christianity quite loudly). When it comes to criticism, it’s important to remember that all things that come into your life – good or evil — have first passed through God’s hands (Romans 8:28ff.) So be thankful to the Lord for criticism. Receive the constructive kind with a spirit of gratefulness and ignore that which is rooted in falsehood, taking the high road as did your Lord when He was under attack: “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.” (1 Peter 2:23) frankviola.org . Used by permission.

RESOLVING HYPOCRISY: Most of us are unaware of how hypocrisy controls our lives. Here is a list of symptoms that will identify areas you need to address in your integrity in relationships toward others, toward God and in your morality. Neil Anderson, president of Freedom in Christ Ministries, has provided this powerful, helpful tool. LIST each way, either in the past or present, that you have pretended outwardly something that is not true inwardly. . HYPOCRISY TOWARD OTHERS Pretending to obey parents while being inwardly rebellious. Criticizing other’s failures when my spiritual problems are similar. Pretending to care for others while being bitter, resentful and angry. Saying one thing with my lips outwardly, but thinking differently in my heart. Saying I love someone when, in reality, I really hate them. Only telling the things about myself that I want others to know, instead of what is true. Being afraid of what others would think if they knew what I was like on the inside. Projecting myself as having it all together (no problems) out of fear of rejection from others. Dishonesty in sharing my weaknesses with others for fear of being rejected. Lying about things that happen, to cover up what I do. Lying to gain the acceptance of others. Identifying the problems that others have but not seeing my own. Matthew 7:5 Asking others to do things I am unwilling to do (i.e. clean house, wash dishes, etc…). HYPOCRISY TOWARD GOD Pretending to be close to God, when not desiring or enjoying a relationship with Him. Practicing religious activity to be seen and praised by men. Matthew 6:2,5,16 Pretending to be excited about fellowship with other believers, when in reality only wanting to impress them with my spirituality. Giving money to gain the praise of men. Matthew 6:2 Praying to impress others with my spirituality. Mathew 6:5 Fasting to impress others with my spirituality. Matthew 6:16 Pretending to be excited about service for the Lord, when merely doing it out of obligation. Pretending to live a holy life, but inwardly wishing I didn’t have to. Pretending to be a spiritual person when I’m really not. Saying I love God, but not obeying what He commands in His Word. Luke 6:46 Saying I have an intimate relationship with God, but seldom seeking Him in prayer. Obeying God because of a fear of what others will think of me. Making spiritual decisions based on other’s expectations of me. MORAL HYPOCRISY Pretending to have pure moral thoughts while yielding to lustful thoughts. Telling my spouse I am morally pure when being unfaithful in desires, thoughts or actions. Once you have allowed the Holy Spirit to convict you of hypocrisy, pray this prayer to be freed from Satan’s foothold in this area of your life. “Lord, I acknowledge and renounce my hypocrisy as evidenced through my evaluation listed above. I thank you for your forgiveness for my hypocrisy and choose to respond with openness, truthfulness and honesty from my heart.” Re-printed from FREEDOM IN CHRIST MINISTRIES, Dr. Neil Anderson, founder. Used by permission.

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

Dad, did you know that your relationship with your daughter is the most important relationship in her life? It is. Enjoy it. Encourage her. She is seeking your approval. A good dad in the home makes everyone’s life better! If your daughter feels loved and valued by her dad, she won’t go seeking love in the wrong places. If you don’t put away your critical eye and flaw-picking, you will destroy your daughter. Here are some helpful tips: The key relationship for your daughter is your daughter’s relationship with her dad. If not dad, then a male like grandfather or a much older brother can take that role. You, Dad, represent all of masculinity to your daughter. Dads can bless their daughters by talking about how young men view girls, how her outfits effect boys and how boys are affected by her actions. It doesn’t take long for a daughter to get inside her father’s heart. If you have a critical eye, or are a flaw-picker, stop before you make her life miserable. Give her lots of encouragement. She is looking to be accepted by YOU. She needs to feel valued by her dad. Wives, never put your husband down in front of your daughter. It shows her that she can tear into her own husband some day. A good dad means taking an interest in what your daughter is interested in, encouraging her, being a steady hand in her life, and listening to her heart. She needs to know that you love her no matter what. Taken from Be the Dad She Needs You to Be. Used by permission.

Scripture says that the Lord left nations in the promised land “to test Israel by them (that is, all who had not experienced any of the wars of Canaan); only in order that the generations of the sons of Israel might be taught war” (Judg. 3:1-2). To complete our spiritual maturity, the Lord must “test” us with enemies; like Israel, we must be “taught war.” I realize that most of us prefer peace. Yes, as much as it depends on us, we should live at peace with all men (Rom. 12:18). Our fight is not against flesh and blood, but we are in a worldwide conflict with principalities and powers (see Eph. 6:12). You see, there is a “time for war” (Eccl. 3:8). As Christians, we must accept and adjust to this truth. To stand victorious, we need to expand our understanding of who Jesus Christ is. The Bible says Christ “will go forth like a warrior, He will arouse His zeal like a man of war. He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry. He will prevail against His enemies” (Isa. 42:13). Even the rapture must be understood in military terms: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thess. 4:16). The imagery of the Lord’s coming is explosive: He comes with a “shout” (or “cry of command,” a “war cry”). He’s followed by the stunning “voice of the “archangel,” then a blast of the “trumpet of God,” so loud, so undeniable that the powers of the heavens are confronted and collapse! Finally, the very “dead in Christ” begin to rise! The whole operation is fiercely militant in nature. One may argue, yes the Lord is coming to war, but His first goal is to rescue us. Well, I am certainly not against being rescued, having been rescued many times by the Lord! But the picture of the church is also one of militancy. Remember, Jesus said, “I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it” (Matt. 16:18). Consider again the imagery: it is the church that is advancing against the gates of hell, and it is hell that is not prevailing! The Need for War Truly, I am for peace, but I recognize that I cannot have peace unless I am first trained for war. It is my training for war that secures my ability to have peace. Indeed, it was during the times of warfare – of struggle and battle – when I have grown the most in courage, in faith, in sacrifice, and in love. The battle stretched me beyond the boundaries of my spirituality. Yes, when I was fighting for my family, church or community, it was the fight itself that defined and established my spiritual growth. Indeed, as I have grown older, I have come to understand that every generation is ordained to confront and defeat the enemies of its era. In the last hundred years, men and women fought in WWI; then came the Great Depression, and poverty and fear were conquered. WWII began, and again a generation rose and saved the world from unspeakable tyranny. Next, America rose to stand against the spread of godless Soviet communism. You see, every generation, at some point, will face a war that must be won. In that fight we learn lessons of courage. Do we see this generational warfare? Thus, we cannot interpret the fallen conditions of our world and assume the end of the world is upon us. No! What we are seeing in our world is the battleground of our war against the godless enemies of our times. Remember, I believe in the rapture; I also believe we are in the season of the end. But I cannot excuse myself from facing the giants of today’s wars. As our forefathers had to succeed on the battlefield against great and highly trained enemies, so we too must overcome the radical agenda of those who seek to mainstream perversion into our society. Some of us have fought in physical wars-and we must pray righteous conclusions for these wars as well. Others are fighting to see our nation returned to Christ. I know some are weary, yet it is time that we too “might be taught war.” Regardless of the battle before us, no matter how dark the spiritual atmosphere becomes, we must fight for the purposes of God in the earth. We cannot relax our intercession nor surrender our vision for our nation’s future. We have not entered the day of irreversible darkness. You are no doubt familiar with the Lord of the Rings trilogy written by J.R.R. Tolkien. Tolkien, an Englishman, denied that his work mirrored the realities of World War II. Yet much of his manuscript was written during the height of that great conflict, when entire kingdoms were at war. He was clearly influenced by his time. His book is a metaphor for all times and conflicts, especially highlighting the role of common men to attain uncommon levels of valor and victory against forces of evil. In a scene from the third Lord of the Rings movies, The Return of the King , King Aragorn seeks to inspire his outnumbered men to fight in spite of what seems like sure defeat: Hell’s swarming legions have amassed before them and the courage of Aragorn’s fighters is weakening. Riding along the front lines of his gathered, but lowly army, he shouts: I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship. But it is not this day. . . . This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good earth, I bid you stand, men of the West! Let us also put aside our fears and especially the burden of a passive, prayerless existence. Let us take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. And let us fight for all we hold dear in our times and culture. Yes, a day may come when the world will fully succumb, for a sprinkling of years, to the forces of evil. But it is not this day. This day we fight!

You will be astonished at this information. Christians should not be ignorant of God’s plans for His chosen people in His Word. Jews are, biblically speaking, the “chosen people of God” and dearly loved by Him. Another reason for Christians to support the nation of Israel is because of the Abrahamic Covenant. We read of God’s promise in Genesis 12:2-3, “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (see also Genesis 27:29; Numbers 24:9). Here are a few extraordinary facts about Israel: Geography: · Israel is only 1/6 of 1% of the landmass of the Middle East. · Israel is roughly half the size of Lake Michigan. · The Sea of Galilee , at 695 ft. below sea level, is the lowest freshwater lake in the world. · The Dead Sea is the lowest surface point on earth, at about 1,373 feet below sea level. · Israel is the only nation in the world that entered the 21st century with a net gain in its number of trees. · Jericho is the oldest continuously inhabited town in the world. · The Mount of Olives in Jerusalem is the oldest, continually used cemetery in the world. Demographics: · Israel ‘s population is half the size of Metro New York City. · Israel has only 2% of the population of the Middle East. · Israel has the highest ratio of university degrees per capita in the world. · Israel produces more scientific papers per capita than any other nation in the world – by a large margin. · Israel has the highest number of scientists and technicians per capita in the world – by a large margin. · Israel has the highest number of engineers per capita in the world. · Israel has the highest number of PhD’s per capita in the world. · Israel has the highest number of physicians per capita in the world. · Israel has the largest percentage of its workforce employed in technical professions in the world. · Israel is the largest immigrant-absorbing nation in the world, per capita. · Israel is the only country in the Middle East where the Christian population has grown over the last 50 years. · Israel is the only country in the Middle East where Christians, Muslims and Jews are all free to vote. · Israel is the only country in the Middle East where women enjoy full political rights. Economics: · Israel has the largest number of startup companies per capita in the world. · Israel is the world’s largest wholesale diamond center, finally surpassing Antwerp in the 1970’s. · Most of the cut & polished diamonds in the world come from Israel. · Israel has the largest number of NASDAQ listed companies outside of the US and Canada. · Israel was the first country to have a free trade agreement with the United States. · Apart from the Silicon Valley, Israel has the highest concentration of hi-tech companies in the world. · The cell phone was developed in Israel at Motorola’s largest development center. · The Voice Mail technology was developed in Israel. · In the early 80’s, IBM chose an Israeli-designed computer chip as the brains for its first personal computers. · The first anti-virus software for computers was developed in Israel in 1979. · Most of the Windows NT and XP operating systems were developed in Israel by Microsoft. · Both the Pentium-4 and Centrino processors were entirely designed, developed and produced in Israel . · The Pentium MMX Chip technology was designed in Israel at Intel. · Israel has the highest number of home computers per capita in the world. · The technology for the AOL Instant Messenger and ICQ was developed in 1996 by 4 young Israelis. · Israel was the first Middle Eastern country to launch a satellite, the Ofek 1, on September 19, 1988. Culture: · Hebrew is the only case of a dead national language being revived in all of world history. · Hebrew had not been spoken as a native tongue by anyone for centuries. · Today it is the native tongue of millions of people. · Israel has more museums per capita than any other nation in the world. · Israel has more orchestras per capita than any other nation in the world. · Israel publishes more books per capita than any other nation in the world. · Israel publishes more books translated from other languages than any other nation in the world. · Israel reads more books per capita than any other nation in the world. · The most independent and free Arabic press in the Middle East is in Israel Military/Security: · Israel has the largest fleet of F-16 aircraft outside of the US . · Israel has the world’s most impenetrable airline security. · Israel spends more money per capita on its own protection than any country in the world. Other: · Israel’s dairy cows are the most productive dairy cows in the world. · They average 25,432 pounds of milk per cow per year, compared to just 18,747 pounds from American cows; 17,085 from Canadian cows; 13,778 from European Union cows; 10,207 from Australian cows; and 6,600 from Chinese cows. · Israel has more in-vitro fertilization per capita than anywhere in the world, and it’s free. · Israelis, per capita, are the world’s biggest consumers of fruits and vegetables. · Of the 175 UN Security Council resolutions passed before 1990, 97 were directed against Israel . · Of the 690 UN General Assembly resolutions voted on after 1990, 429 were directed against Israel. So what must we do to support God’s people, even today? Listen to the words of the psalmist: Psalms 122:6 “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, they shall prosper that love you.” Jewish Federation of the North Shore 39 Norman Street, Suite 302 Salem, MA 01970 978-224-4900 info@jfns.org

How should Christians relate to a secular society that does not know Jesus? Paul’s letter to Titus sheds light on this scenario, showing us how God’s grace should motivate Christians to be good citizens and neighbors. Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. Titus 3:1–8 Christians are a minority in our secular culture, which largely doesn’t honor Jesus. That’s not going to change, but there’s an ongoing debate among Christians about how we approach a secular culture that doesn’t agree with us about Jesus. As we think about our relationship with our society, it’s important to remember we too were once far from God, but he saved us through his grace. It’s with this grace in mind that Paul teaches us, through his letter to Titus, how we should respond to a secular society. Grace results in good citizens The first way Christians should engage a secular culture is the same way we always have. We’re to be good citizens, obey the law, submit to authority, and not cause rebellion, strife, or insurrection. We are to be obedient to the law except for when it would require us to disobey Jesus. Christians need to live under the law of the land—it’s one of the ways we manifest our faith in meekness through Jesus Christ. Remember we too were once far from God, but he saved us through his grace. Grace results in good works Christians should care about the people living around us in our city, and we should be active in working toward the common good. We have a responsibility according to this text that goes beyond the walls of the church. Yes, our priority should be the people in the church, but we are also responsible for the well-being of our neighbors and our city. Grace results in good words Christians shouldn’t speak evil of anyone. We may disagree with someone, but we can still respect them. This is one of the ways we reflect the goodness of God. It’s not that we don’t call out false doctrine, but we do it in a respectful and loving way. Christians should care about the people living around us in our city. We have more opportunity than anyone in the history of the world to use our words negatively on the Internet. Words are critically important. When Jesus’ disciples were criticized for not ceremonially washing their hands, Jesus emphasized that it’s not what goes into our mouth that makes us unclean—it’s what comes out of our heart. If the gospel, through the power of the Holy Spirit, washes us from sin and gives us a new identity, then good words can flow out of a good heart. Grace results in good manners Christians should be courteous to all people. Good manners are very important, because the basic posture of a Christian is that we see others as more important than us. That means we treat them with respect, dignity, and honor. Christians shouldn’t speak evil of anyone. We may disagree with someone, but we can still respect them.

It was just another day at the office for me. Morning counseling sessions had gone well, and it’s a rare day that I ever hear anything new. Well actually after over 30 years of counseling, I hear something new maybe once a year. Even though everyone’s situation is different, there is usually a sense in which clients’ counseling issues are “generic” or similar to other situations. Here’s an interesting situation that seemed at first to be generic. It would be another year before I understood how close a young woman came to ruining her life. I counseled a woman who was afraid to let her husband know that she was in my counseling office. Married for only a few months, she couldn’t stop weeping. She had suffered from so much controlling behavior on the part of her new husband that she couldn’t stand it anymore. From all I could gather, this man was a professional invalidator, not so much a friend as a “frenemy.” As I do in most such cases, I asked if the husband would come in for marriage counseling. Of course, if the husband is knocking her around, I won’t see the couple together, and I often won’t see the husband alone, either. It depends on the wishes of the wife and my estimation of the value of seeing him alone. Anyway, this tearful, fearful soul would not allow me to call the husband. No way. She was way too scared. She would also never tell him that she was coming for counseling. Of course, because she was my client, I had to respect her wishes. Here’s something she didn’t know, and I never told her. About one year before, I counseled a different young woman who was thinking of marrying this same man. She described how he raised his voice with her, continually telling her how to drive, how to eat, how to talk, how to shut up, you name it. He played an updated version of “Simon Says,” fancying himself as Simon; and if someone did something that Simon didn’t way, watch out! Although I rarely say this to anyone, I advised that she run from this man as fast as she could. Which – thankfully – she did! I think she saved herself a life filled with pain. She saved herself from being the other woman in my office. As unfortunate fate or naiveté would have it, the woman who was weeping in my office had not received premarital counseling. She married the man that the first woman I counseled wisely broke up with. I hate to say this, but the professional invalidator’s behavior was pretty much a run of the mill “red flag.” At the end of most of the divorce recovery groups I’ve facilitated, I ask for a list of red flags from the group members. I’m trying to help them remind each other what to “look out for” in their next relationship. The list assembles itself very quickly because – at this point – I’m talking to a group of relationship specialists. They have gained new strength from their relationships in the group and they’ll probably never miss seeing the red flags again! Many red flags are less obvious than controlling behavior, of course, and some are more obvious. Be on the lookout and learn exactly what to do once you’ve seen those flashes of red that you think must be your imagination. But, hey, guess what? You’re not simply seeing the best color, perhaps, to accent a wardrobe, as red is said to be. You’re probably seeing the real enchilada. The real cape of the matador. What does a red flash that’s more than an accent to an otherwise buried personality look like? A real warning sign? Here’s one simple example: I heard someone say that if someone tells you he’s not good enough for you, believe him! ‘Nuf said. That’s an example! Run! The brightest and largest of red flags that are proudly carried by classic toxic flashers. I mean red flag flashers! These Don Quixote’s run to the battle! (Oh, if the person’s last name is Quixote, run from that person, too.) I’ll introduce you first to these most obvious of self-deceived deceivers. Some have subtle characteristics and simply wear a small red flag pin in their lapel. The latter group may simply be carriers of toxicity. They might not even know that they’re carriers. They don’t run to the battle. They’re snipers on an adventure. You can’t understand what’s happening to your identity. Even the snipers may think that you’re both on a romantic lark! But just as a bad flu can take you out for a month or so, less diagnosable toxicity can also subtract you from the land of the living for months at a time. It can take quite awhile to believe your friends who keep asking why you’re standing on your head. You are certain that you’re right side up. Stupid friends! What do they know? They’re just jealous because they don’t have someone as much as the sniper loves you! Learn be an excellent diagnostician of all manner of relationship traps…and of red flags….and of flashers…I mean red flag flashers! Become a black belt in red! Learn to be wise and discerning in all your relationships! Notes: “Author Ankush Modawal ?Chintan Yes, there are a lot of she devils out there as well! Beware, like the warning on car’s side mirrors, they might be closer than they appear.”

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

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

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

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