A Reason to Laugh: Sometimes the biggest service is small

Grow Barefoot had the privilege of helping a young woman take her first short-term mission trip recently. Elizabeth’s parents wanted to give her a special gift for her college graduation gift, as most parents do. For this family, a special gift meant a trip to serve in an orphanage in rural Haiti. It may be tropical but it’s a far cry from Cancun, Nassau, or even South Padre Island, Texas.

I caught up with Elizabeth after her trip and asked her to share some thoughts about her trip, life in Haiti, and how the trip impacted her.

The following is her response…

Haiti was my first mission trip. I’d had a desire to go serve at Haiti Home of Hope for several years but the timing never worked out until this year. I was excited to find a wonderful group of people at the last minute. Though I’d never met any of them before this trip, I felt very welcomed into their group. I loved talking and getting to know them over our time together.

I’m a very hands-on person and like to work on projects when I’m with a group. It can be anything ranging from building something to organizing stuff in a room. When we left for Haiti, we had no idea what we were going to be doing and that made me a little bit apprehensive. I like to have a plan and know what is going to happen. When we arrived, Bill and Jennifer told us there weren’t any big projects that needed done at the moment so our main job was to entertain the kids while they were on break from school. We had Bible lessons and craft projects for the kids which they used as decorations for their Christmas party and in their rooms. While to some this may not seem as important as providing people with filtered water or a roof over their heads, it was the need that needed met at this time. I hear parents at home talk about having their kids home on break – usually only 2-3 kids per house. Imagine having 40 kids hanging around, all wanting attention. The real needs may not be the most newsworthy or glorious but we were there to serve others, not ourselves. What good is planning to do all kinds of monstrous projects if that is not where the need lies?

Many people come back from a mission trip with some new insight or this awesome lesson that they’ve learned. I didn’t come back with either of these. What I did come home with was the joy of having served Bill and Jennifer, the kids, and some of the local people. I experienced a different culture and saw the happiness the people receive from a simpler lifestyle. The kids at the orphanage were smiling, laughing, and so excited we were there. The girls asked all day long if we were going to sing and dance with them in the evenings. They loved to do so and no other group had done that with them.

People in America get so caught up that we lose sight of the importance of little things. I loved my trip to Haiti and definitely would like to go back or do something similar in the future.

Elizabeth’s words remind me of the verse, “And the King will answer them, ‘I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me’” (Matthew 25:40). We so often think our service has to be big…and amazing…and professional…and beautiful.

Sometimes service in God’s kingdom is helping a friend take care of her kids. Sometimes it’s singing a song with a lonely child. If we do what God calls us to do, then it’s all big, amazing, and beautiful.

Look to the Future: Praying for the work to be done

Jimmy and his team are home; Africa 2014 is over. But that doesn’t mean the work is finished.

Despite the delays in luggage and the resulting shortage of tools, they installed the solar panel system in the home of a doctor and his family. One thing North Africa has in abundance in sunshine; a solar panel electrical system makes a huge difference for those serving in this region! We received this note yesterday from Doc, “Every day we think of you guys and cherish our fridge and freezer and power…I have not turned on the generator since you left!! Amen!!! Now the battery to the generator is dead…need to charge it. It’s a great problem to have. The system is running beautifully!”

You may recall that Jimmy flew to visit missionaries serving in a different location after they finished installing the solar panels. Grow Barefoot worked with this family two years ago to provide them with solar power as well. He flew in to find the village surrounded by floodwaters; they are a community entering a time of disease, food shortages, and inaccessible medical care. I don’t have any miraculous updates for you on this issue but we continue to trust the One who is the worker of miracles. Please join us in praying for this village as they recover from this debilitating natural disaster. Their national government told them they would not provide any assistance. Floods may have cut off all roads to the outside world, but the road to Almighty God – paved in the prayers of His people – is never cut off.

We didn’t know until Jimmy began his journey home that his friend there, Kap, is also suffering from severe malaria. Despite the lack of available medical care, he continues to improve quickly. Again, God answers prayers.

Which is why I appeal to you today

God does answer prayers. So, I’m asking you to pray for Grow Barefoot as we consider how to work in this region in the future. Some projects we are considering include –

• Doc would love to have a medical team come in to do a clinic. The surrounding villages and tribes need so much in basic medical care and education.
• Doc would also like to begin a milk clinic for babies whose mothers are unable to nurse or are just not available, perhaps due to death. GB has worked with a milk clinic in Haiti; perhaps we can combine knowledge gained in Haiti to help begin a program on the other side of the world.
• Kap is already working on digging three or four wells in outlaying tribal areas so the people may have access to water. This is an immediate need.
• Kap would also like to start a training center in his area. They would teach English, water cleanliness, and job skills for people to develop a trade, earn a living, and create jobs in the community. This is a great method to build relationships with the people, which in turn leads to great discussions and opportunities to share the message of Christ.
• Kap and Chica would also like for me to come and lead a conference based on “Seven Roles, One Woman” for the local women in their area. The Muslim population accepts the book of Proverbs so this study based on Proverbs 31 may be a great way to build relationships, help women understand their value in God’s eyes, and share Christ with them as well.

Please pray for our continued ministry in these areas as we desire to follow where God leads.

Missions: Debunking the myth of the hyper-spiritual

Some people think missions’ involvement is too hard. It’s something they could never do.

It’s only for the hyper-spiritual.

It’s all about preaching, …and saving lives, …and Bible translation.

It’s all about mountain-top power moments where the Spirit moves radically in our lives.

When it comes to missions, sometimes people do those things. Sometimes people have those moments. But most often, international missions is doing what you do here – only you do it there.

Jimmy has sent me several text messages from their current project in Africa over the last few days. They don’t contain any radical salvation stories or mountain top moments. I hesitated to share them with you because of that lack of emotional, spiritual impact.

But then I realized that part of what we at Grow Barefoot want to teach people is that missions is doable for everyone. And I’m guessing a lot of you can identify with these stories because they’re a lot like what you do everyday – you go to work and do your job. If you're doing it to God's glory, doing it in Africa instead of America doesn’t make it any higher of a calling.

So, here’s a compilation of those messages.

Day 3 – Out to the village

We woke up in the city at 5:30am and headed to the airport to fly a small 4-seater plane out to the village. We met Coffee – a coordinator for that region – but he had eaten something the night before that, um, let’s just say it didn't agree with him. He was unable to take us to the airport. So, a strategy director over north central Africa who had come in the night before took us to breakfast. We ate at the same bakery we had eaten at two years ago.

After breakfast, we went to the market to pick up some fresh vegetables to take out to the village. We got to the airport and bused to the hanger with the small plane. We had a smooth flight as we again overlooked a barren wasteland of dry desert alive with fresh grass and flowers. In the desert, the promise of the rainy season is the promise of hope that God will provide.

The flat land reminded me of driving through Kansas on I-70. We could see scattered rain showers as we dodged weather and clouds. We arrived in the village with a greeting of over 40 people and a huge cardboard welcome sign that the missionary children had made from the solar panel boxes. The rest of the welcome party was for a sick woman very high up in town that had needed medical attention in the city.

Details have been blurred for their protection

We started working after lunch at 1pm; we worked until 10:30. I held a brief class on solar power and what we were going to do first.

ü  Get the control panel set up on the wall.

ü  Get the cables set up and wired.

ü  Get the batteries set in place and hooked up for charging.

It was a good day’s work. Despite the early start and the long workday, sleeping was a bit difficult even though it was very cool in the 70’s.

Day 4 – Making progress

We have all the cooling fans up and running. We’ve been working from 7am to 8pm every day. Everyone is getting tired. But we are about finished. God is good. It rained today and brought 70° winds that felt like air conditioning. It’s humid but comfortable at 82°. We just have half the house lights to go before they’re complete. We should have that done tomorrow. We’ll run the outlets but not hook them up. I trained Doc today how to wire the dc and he did all the lights. It took a little longer but he was excited to know how to do it. We are staying at the clinic guest house so we only see the area in the morning. We will be going to the village and market on Saturday. 

More to come...

Moved by Compassion, I... did Nothing

During college, a group from our Baptist Student Union went on a mission trip to New York City. We prepared and delivered meals to AIDS sufferers, served in a homeless shelter, painted some rooms at a Baptist associational office, and many other things.

We stayed at a church in a section of New York known as Hell’s Kitchen. Although this region of the city is currently being refurbished, at that time even many New Yorkers avidly avoided the filthy, unsafe area. New York natives’ eyebrows rose when we answered questions about the locale of our accommodations. We watched as they mentally crossed off their classification as “tourist” and replaced it with “respected” as we willingly laid down our heads there each night.

A few evenings we arrived home a little late. We’d take the subway to the Port Authority Bus Terminal on 8^th Avenue and then walk the last couple of blocks home. The later we arrived each evening, the more people we saw lined up along the buildings; homeless persons curled up asleep, some sitting around talking. Occasionally we even had to step over a passed out or sleeping person in order to continue walking on the sidewalk.

I remember one such incident remarkably well. While walking to a project, we came to a woman curled up on the ground at the foot of one of Manhattan’s towers. This moment stands out in my mind as one of those times that molded me into who I am today. This woman was unique. And not in a good way.

This woman wasn’t in Hell’s Kitchen…she was in a more prominent area of the city.

Although she lay on the street, it wasn’t late in the evening…it was the middle of the day.

She didn’t have the worn, crumpled, dirty clothes of a homeless person…she lay there naked except for a box. She lay huddled inside the box which reached from her chest to part way down her legs.

I would have kept my straight-ahead-no-eye-contact New York gaze except, in her case, I wasn’t worried about making eye contact. Her eyes were shut as she lay there shaking. Shivering? Trembling? Convulsing? Overdosing? I’ll never know.

Regardless of why she lay there in such a condition, I was moved with compassion for her.

And I did nothing except walk on by.

Fast forward to now – this month.

Grow Barefoot focuses on a theme each month for all of our social media. Everyone focuses on love for the month of February, and indeed, that has been our focus during this month for the last two years. This year I wanted something else. Prayer led me to the word compassion. Follow us on Facebook, Google+, or Twitter to see what we’ve been posting.

I looked up all the verses that use the word compassion and was quickly convicted by what I saw.

Jesus told stories about people who were moved with compassion. In each of those stories, when compassion overcame the person – they did something. In the parable of the unmerciful servant, the king’s compassion led him to forgive the servant’s debt (Matthew 18:22-35). In the story of the good Samaritan, the Samaritan man’s compassion caused him to treat the wounds of the injured man and take him to a place to receive care (Luke 10:25-37). In the story of the prodigal son, the father’s compassion made him run to his rebellious son and lavish him with gifts and affection (Luke 15:11-32).

But wait, there’s more.

Jesus didn’t only tell stories about people who acted when compassion overwhelmed them.

Jesus lived it.

Jesus saw a large crowd; He had compassion on them – so He healed their sick” (Matthew 14:14).

Jesus had compassion on a crowd of thousands who hadn’t eaten in three days – so He fed them (Matthew 15:32).

Compassion moved Jesus when two blind men came to Him seeking their sight – so He gave them sight (Matthew 20:34).

A man with leprosy asked Jesus to make him clean. Compassion filled Jesus – so He cured the man (Mark 1:40-42).

Jesus saw people lost as sheep without a shepherd – so He taught them (Mark 6:34).

Jesus felt compassion for a man possessed by demons – so He cast them out (Mark 5:18-19).

Jesus experienced compassion at the sight of a widow grieving the death of her only son – so He comforted her. (Luke 7:12).

Jesus had compassion on so many people needing so many things – so He commanded us to pray for them (Matthew 9:36-38).

Jesus had compassion – so He did SOMETHING.

We may have the tenderest heart of anyone we know. We may weep for starving children, abused women, victims of sex trafficking, people without a home, broken marriages, and those caught up in the world’s deceptions. Compassion requires us to finish the sentence though; we have to add our own “so I…”

I have compassion for my neighbor whose husband just left her so I…

I have compassion for my child’s friend who doesn’t have any food in her home so I…

I have compassion for the people I pass in the street who have nowhere to go so I…

I have compassion for people in countries closed to the gospel message so I…

Power and Light

I walk in a dark room; without even thinking I flip on the light switch. My hands are dirty; I turn on the faucet to wash them. I’m thirsty so I push my glass against the spout on the door of the refrigerator. Cold water fills my cup. Behind the refrigerator door, my milk, eggs, fruits, and vegetables stay cool without fear of spoiling quickly. The room is a tad stuffy so I turn on my ceiling fan.

I doubt if many of us take time to consider the convenience of a light switch, refrigeration, or a ceiling fan. I doubt if many of us would even consider them to be a convenience; we view them as mandatory.

Move to the tribal villages of North Africa, however, and your perspective changes the first time you walk into a dark room and no switch awaits to flood the room with light. Even if you’re ok with that, the first day you spend – the first night you try to sleep – in a 120° climate will make you wish for a chiller fan or ceiling fan to cool you off.

Grow Barefoot is thrilled to once again partner with the International Mission Board to provide a solar electrical system for a family serving in these types of circumstances. A group of men are preparing now to travel to Africa sometime in the middle to late part of 2014 and make this life-changing difference in the ministry and the life of a family.

Late last summer, volunteers helped pack and load shipping crates full of supplies that are currently sailing across the ocean. Once those crates arrive safely in their destination, final preparations will begin for the men to also journey across that same ocean and begin the installation.

To be honest, the men who travel on these trips have a hidden agenda for going. Despite their skills in electrical wiring to provide power and light, they also have a heart to share a different kind of Power and Light - "To open their eyes and turn them from darkness to LIGHT and from the POWER of Satan to GOD, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Me [Jesus Christ]" (Acts 26:18).

They have a desire to invest in the lives of people.

They have a desire to provide a little help and comfort for those who gave up life in the land of light switches and air conditioning to go and make disciples of all nations.

These trips aren’t cheap, however. If you’d like to help cover the cost for the men, please mail your donation to:

Grow Barefoot

ATTN: Africa 2014

11520 S Alley Jackson Rd

Grain Valley MO  64029

Or, give securely online through Paypal:

For their safety, we do not publish the names of the men participating in this trip. If you know one of them, and would like your donation to credit toward their account, please make a note on your check or in the special instructions of your Paypal donation.

UPDATE: Grow Barefoot was recently approved by the IRS as a 501c3, not-for-profit organization. Donations are now tax-deductible.

Live Free: Away from Religion and into Relationship

Hopefully you joined us last week for my review of the book Memory’s Door by James L. Rubart. Some of you might have wondered why I did a book review – I’ve never done one here before and, in general, they don’t fit within the purpose of the Grow Barefoot blog.

Moment of honesty here – I’m not doing this because the book is so wonderful (although it is) nor am I doing it to help the author sell more books (although that would be ok too).

I’m doing it because I believe in Jim Rubart’s personal ministry.

Jim’s heart is to bring people into an intimate, freeing relationship with our awesome God. That same God also happened to give Jim an incredible talent for story-telling; Jim uses that gift as an avenue to bring people into the freedom of Christ’s love.

Along these lines, I asked Jim a few more questions about his newest book, Memory’s Door, and his personal ministry.

Religion vs. Relationship

From the book, “For one Christian to weigh another down with rules and regulations that are not their own…that is the greatest enemy of Christianity. Religion. …

“The spirit of religion is an enemy who is crushing churches, dividing fellowships and friends, turning God from a person into a manifesto of dos and don’ts that crush the spirit and turn Christianity into a program devoid of true godly power and devoid of love.”

Q: Religion versus relationship is a strong theme in this book. How would you distinguish between a religion-based faith and a relationship-based faith?

A: Simple. A religion-based faith is about what you should and shouldn’t do. Don’t smoke, don’t drink, don’t swear, don’t go to R-rated movies. Do read your Bible, go to church, pray a lot, give 10% of your money away.

A relationship-based faith is all about the relationship. Let’s hang out. Get to know each other. Have conversation. Tell the other how amazing they are. Almost sounds like a friendship, doesn’t it? Almost sounds like two people in love. Maybe that’s why Christ calls us His bride. Maybe that’s why there’s going to be a wedding feast at the end of the age.

Live Free

Q: Apart from the books, the tagline for your ministry is "Live Free." What does that mean to you?

A: There’s only one path to absolute freedom – absolutely dying to self. The more I throw off the old worries, wounds, cares, and idols I still try to hang onto, the more I press into friendship with Jesus, the more free I am.

The more I don’t care what people think of me, and simply live out of my true self, the freer I am.

So in the end, “Live Free” means immersing myself in the person of Jesus so completely that I don’t exist anymore; I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. But understand – this new person that Christ lives inside of is not an annihilation of me, but is the birth of a new being, the one Jesus purposed me to be from before the beginning of time (2 Corinthians 5:17). The new person is a glorious, perfected James L. Rubart that is holy and true and pure. In that state we live without walls, without boundaries, without rules, but in perfect relationship with the Trinity. That is living free.

A huge thank you to Jim for taking the time to share his thoughts with us.

At Grow Barefoot, we seek to Live Free · Pursue Holiness · No Excuses. One of our goals is to help you grow in your relationship with God and His Word. Hopefully, you can now see why we appreciate Jim and his ministry.

Only by stepping away from the rules and regulations of man-made religion can we enter into a free, loving relationship with Him who created us and knows us better than we know ourselves. In that place, we find the power, love, security, and purpose for which we strive.

Volunteers Work to Ship Crates Overseas

Grow Barefoot volunteers spent the day Friday packing crates to ship to a remote location overseas. The bulk of the items was a solar panel system to be installed in the home of a missionary family. In cooperation with the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, a Grow Barefoot team will travel there after the crates arrive to install the panels.

Beyond the solar panel system, non-perishable foods, toiletries, pillows, blankets, school supplies, appliances, and more will provide a little comfort for four families living in places far away from the nearest Target or Costco.

My Picture of Freedom

Live free. It's no surprise that as Grow Barefoot developed, this powerful phrase became a tenet of our ministry. This aspect of the Christian life has always been important to me.

My grandpa did incredible leather work. When I received a new Bible as a teenager, he offered to make a leather Bible cover for it. I sorted through all of his patterns to select a design for the cover. I knew the right one as soon as I saw it; a horse running at full speed with his mane and tail blowing in the wind. The addition of my initials at the bottom completed the design. My grandpa and mom both seemed surprised. My mom asked, "Why did you choose that instead of a cross or something religious?" 

I answered, “Because it’s a picture of freedom and that’s what this book is all about.”

For those of us in America, this time of year reinforces our foundation of national freedom as we celebrate our independence. On July 4, 2010, I wrote that the fibers of American's national freedom and Christianity's spiritual freedom were once wound tightly together. (Click here to read that brief article.) However, that rope was unraveling then and the strands are looser now than even three years ago.

For our many readers outside of America, national freedom may be an unimaginable concept. Some Grow Barefoot readers live in places of tyranny and dictatorships. Civil rights are unheard of as oppression based on gender, religion, and social class abound.
The freedom offered through Christ surpasses all man-made situations, however. Freedom in Christ is available for those in America and nations that will never taste national freedom. Freedom in Christ abounds for men and women, poor and wealthy. He patiently waits to pour His freedom out on those with a history of Islam, atheism, or any other religion - including nominal Christianity.

Freedom in Christ goes much further than a promise of eternal life. Freedom in Christ transforms how we live right here and now during our life on earth. It helps us relinquish our control issues, overcome our fears, prioritize our lives, and even extend grace and freedom to others. (Click here for more on any of these areas.)

Grow Barefoot - What we do

Do you remember back to school days? Some days, we'd walk into the classroom and see some type of video playing device set up. We'd get all excited because the projector meant we'd watch a video that day instead of listen to the teacher. Well, today's video day.

Grow Barefoot participated in a local international festival earlier this week; we had a great time talking to many people in our local community about who we are and what we do. As I watched our video presentation I realized I wanted to share it with you as well. So this week, instead of reading an article you get to watch a video - I hope you're as excited to watch it as I am to share it with you.

Be sure to turn on your volume...

"Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples."

Psalm 96:3

How Do You Know You Are Free?

A girl asked that searching question of a friend a while back; he mentioned it to my husband and me in a later conversation. She may not have been asking me but I want to take a try at answering it. After all, Grow Barefoot promotes itself as a ministry to “Live Free · Pursue Holiness · No Excuses.” Besides, it’s a valid question for anyone who isn’t experiencing the freedom of a relationship with God.

The simple answer is that I know I’m free because Jesus told me I am as a believer in His truth. “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free…If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:31-32, 36).

That is a common, yet powerful, passage. But how does it play out in our lives? What does the life of a person living in freedom look like? I went through my past writing and compiled a list of attitudes that are evident in the life of such a person.

CONTROL ISSUES – 

I recognize that God is in control. If He is in control, then I’m not. Not having to control every issue frees me to rest and trust in His sovereignty. To read more on letting go of control issues…

• Either Way: Thoughts on the Election
• Not My Way
• Trusting God For...

FOCUS – 

I recognize it’s not all about me. It’s not even all about those around me. It’s all about God. Seeing God as the primary focus frees me to maintain a pre-determined order of priorities. I can let go of anything that doesn’t fit within those priorities. Those priorities give me a different set of standards and a different purpose which will be worth it in the end. To read more on maintaining your focus…

• A Purpose to Live Free
• Convergence
• I Pledge Allegiance
• Life...It's All About Jesus
• That Name

NO FEAR – 

I recognize persecution will come and I’m ok with that. I recognize God may call me to do something outside my comfort zone and I’m ok with that. Letting go of the fear frees me to do what God wants me to do. To read more about facing your fears…

• Eat Mor Chikin
• Entrapped in Fear
• I Pledge Allegiance

LIVE AND LET LIVE – 

I recognize other believers are going to be different than me. God didn’t make us all in one mold; He doesn’t want us to live in one mold. Rejoicing in other’s differences frees me to be who God created me to be. To read more about being yourself & letting others do the same…

• Living Free
• Getting the Work Done
• Eat, Pray, & Love the Truth of God's Word

GOD EXTENDS GRACE – 

I recognize that grace is fundamental to my salvation and to my relationships with others. This point really ties together the previous one and the next one. Once we’ve basked in the wonder of God’s grace, imprisonment is no longer an option for us. To read more about the foundation of grace…

• Saying Good-bye is the Hardest Part of the the Job
• Grace for Gravy
• Ewww...That Stinks
• Sylvester & Tweety Bird

I’M REDEEMED – 

I recognize that nothing I do merits entry into heaven; most of it merits eternity in hell. Despite that, God loves me. He initiated a plan to reverse my course. He sent His Son to die for my sin. With His resurrection, hell was defeated. Satan can now claim no right over me as a follower of Christ. Resting in the surety of my salvation frees me to live fully, both now and for eternity with Him. To read more about the freedom of our salvation…

• Visiting the Mount of Olives & the Garden Tomb
• Growing Barefoot is Painful
• Free Me
• Life...It's All About Jesus
• More Like Falling in Love

Here’s one more that I can’t narrow down to one or even two categories. It hits on all six of these points of freedom. She is a…a… Sinner!

If you’re a follower of Christ, you are already free. Hopefully this article has helped you reflect on whether or not you’re living like it.

A New Heaven; A New Earth

Life in Christ is all about new stuff. We looked at some of it in my previous article.

Grow Barefoot is also getting ready to release a new book, “Everything We Need: God's Path to Know Him Better.” I know many of you are looking forward to this release; please bear with us (and pray for us) as we work through some technical difficulties that are holding back the release.

In light of our focus on all things new, below are excerpts from the study where we discuss the new heaven and earth of eternity. Let your imagination wander and enjoy…

New Heaven and New Earth

Let’s enter the new heaven and the new earth together and see what awaits us in eternity. Other than some final closing remarks, the last two chapters of the Bible are dedicated to its description. The current heaven and earth may be good reference points for our imaginings of the new heaven and earth but we can’t limit ourselves to the nature of the current system. For example, we will read about a tree in these chapters. I see no reason to think the tree isn’t like a tree we have now. I also see no reason to limit its size, the intricacy of the leaves, the grandeur of its shape, or the vividness of its colors. We can’t know any of these things for sure, but we are free to imagine!

HOLY CITY

To get our imagination started, please read Revelation 21. A city may seem out of place in eternity but that is exactly where the description of the new earth begins. The Holy City, the new Jerusalem, is “prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband” (21:2). Scripture first mentions the current city of Jerusalem in Genesis 14:18 by the name Salem. Later, the name changed to Jerusalem. God dwelt in the temple in Jerusalem. The city itself was also the home of the kings of Israel, the site of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, and the capital of the modern-day country of Israel. Hopefully you can see that God didn’t randomly select Jerusalem as the name for the Holy City. The new Jerusalem will be the dwelling place of the final King of Israel, the resurrected Jesus Christ. Indeed, John, the author of Revelation, records a voice from the throne in heaven saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God” (Revelation 21:3).

GOD'S DWELLING

The new Jerusalem is also the place where God will once again dwell among His people. He did so in the Garden of Eden; after He restores all things, He will do so again. The Garden of Eden was a place of paradise before the curse of sin, death, pain, oppression, thorns, and unfruitful labor. Likewise, in the new heaven and the new earth, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

INHERITANCE

We studied several verses in this book which refer to our inheritance as believers in Christ. Even one of our key verses says that we “may know…the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints” (Ephesians 1:18). The inheritance promised Abraham in the book of Genesis, which we share in as his spiritual children, finally comes to fruition in the new heaven and new earth. John was inspired to write, “He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son” (Revelation 21:7).

END OF THE PATH

The outcome of the two paths we have studied throughout this book is also completed. A few verses earlier, in Revelation 20:15, the lake of fire awaits those who chose not to follow God’s path. Therefore we read in Revelation 21:8 that “the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars” have no place in the new heaven and earth. God created the lake of fire “for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41). Satan attempted to exalt himself above God, and thereby lower God’s position. Neither angel nor man will lower God; therefore, He condemned Satan and the angels who followed him to the lake of fire. Every man since who, in effect, does the same thing by rejecting His need for a Savior, receives the same destiny. Those who reject are those who have no place in eternity with God. Those who believe and follow have a place in the new heaven and earth. Later, in Revelation 21:27, John reiterates again, “Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”

THE BRIDE

I’m sure many of us, if not all, have attended a wedding ceremony. In many cultures around the world, nothing compares with the beauty and elegance of a wedding. In an American wedding, the tension and excitement mount when the music shifts to Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March.” Heads tilt and necks stretch as attendees strain to catch a glimpse of the bride as she enters the room. Adorned in the most beautiful gown she will probably ever wear, she is stunning as she slowly proceeds down the aisle to her waiting groom. In this passage, one of God’s angels says to John as part of his revelation, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb” (Revelation 21:9). John describes what the angel showed him, “It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal” (Revelation 21:11). If you skipped the reading of Revelation 21 earlier, you’ve got to go back and read this part now. Verses 11-21 describe the bride in all her beauty; you’re missing out if you don’t stretch your neck so you might also catch a glimpse of the bride.

THE TEMPLE

Throughout history, the temple has dominated Jerusalem’s skyline. Virtually nothing surpassed the grandeur and beauty of the temples built by Solomon and Herod. Even now, with no Jewish temple, we recognize the city by the Temple Mount. Yet we read in Revelation 21:22, “I did not see a temple in the city.” The lack of the temple must have surprised John’s first-century mindset. Earlier I wrote that God allowed the Romans to destroy the temple in AD 70 because Jesus’ crucifixion was the final sacrifice and God the Spirit now dwells within man. Likewise, in the new heaven and earth, the temple is non-essential; God Himself is the temple.

THE LIGHT

Many of us are probably used to a city with no temple. However, I guarantee this next omission will be new and amazing for all of us. The city has no need of a sun or a moon to light the way. “The glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp” (Revelation 21:23). God created light and darkness, day and night, on the first day of creation. He didn’t create the sun, moon, and stars until the fourth day. Similarly, John separated the sun and moon from day and night in this passage. Later, in verse 25, he wrote, “On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there.”

Hopefully you’ve enjoyed this excerpt from “Everything We Need: God's Path to Know Him Better."

Lasting Friendships: A benefit of Bible study groups

I recently taught Everything We Need: God's Path to Know Him Better to a group of women at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. We crammed the whole study into nine sessions! Needless to say, this pace was much too fast. Despite the hurried pace, though, the group of us grew into a close group. Conversation, prayer, and the study of God’s Word brought us into community. After the last session ended, one of the women sent me an instant message, “I really enjoyed the study and getting to know everyone in the group. How come some good things are only for a short time?"

I agreed with her rhetorical question.

In my thoughts, I started comparing that short class with two other classes I have taught for several years and one my husband has taught. In all three groups, members came and went. Overall, though, lasting relationships and enduring friendships typified each class. We have studied together, prayed together, and grown together. We have extended grace, celebrated, mourned, forgiven, admonished, and loved.

A couple of weeks ago, a member of one of those groups sent a text message asking for help with a project on the coming Sunday afternoon. I know she sent the text to many people although I don’t know how many. I do know who showed up to help though – the members of our group. Every single one of them came to help. For whatever reason, no one else did.

Twelve years ago, when my mom died, I was part of a similar type of Bible study group. We had met every other Thursday for a few years by that time. After hearing that the emergency room doctors hadn’t been able to save my mom, I came out of the hospital room to find those friends sitting there in the hallway. They had already heard and had already come. After a hug, they were ready with these words, “What do you need us to do?” They ended up going to my mom’s house; they hand-washed all of the china that was still sitting on her kitchen cabinets from Christmas dinner the night before.

Long term Bible study classes build community like nothing else can. I hope all of you can experience that type of group, whether it’s in your church, your home, or here online.