A Christian Hijab: Two signs that show you follow Jesus

I ran several errands in my local community the other day. While out and about, I noticed several women wearing a hijab (Muslim head scarf). My Christian friend wears a hijab since she lives in a Muslim country and works among Muslim people. She wears it as a sign of respect to their culture.

 

However, a woman only wears a hijab in the heart of Midwest America if she’s Muslim. She may wear the hijab out of a sense of obligation or the force of habit but – rather intentional or not – if she wears a hijab in my local culture, she is proclaiming her religious beliefs.

I stood in line at Target, considering one such woman in line behind me. I wondered to myself, “If I had to consistently wear something that so publicly declared my religious beliefs, would I do so? What would I wear?”

Would I wear my Christian hoodie with the clever tagline? Would I wear a cross necklace?

 

Would I wear it if my religious system made it a requirement? After all, I'm not very good at following the rules. Tell me I have to do something; it’s a sure fire way to keep me from doing it.

Here’s the reality, though. Following Christ doesn’t require any outer sign on my part. I don’t have to wear a head covering, fix my hair in a certain style, make any marks on my skin, or perform any other outer religious modifications to who I am.

I can be me.

You could place me in a line up with several other women and you’d see no distinguishing marks of my decision to follow Christ.

During the times of the Old Testament, God did require an outer mark – circumcision. “This is My covenant, which you are to keep, between Me and you and your offspring after you: Every one of your males must be circumcised” (Genesis 17:10).

Even during that time, however, God said that sign would eventually change. He later wrote of a then future time when “The Lord God will circumcise your heart and the hearts of your descendants, and you will love Him with all your heart and all your soul so that you will live” (Deuteronomy 30:6). We’re living in the midst of that fulfillment now, but that’s another article.

This verse from Deuteronomy sums up a lot about signs of our relationship with Jesus. We base our relationship on two signs – an inner circumcision of the heart and a little thing called love.

Inner Circumcision of the Heart

Paul recalled Moses’ words from Deuteronomy when he wrote, “circumcision is of the heart – by the Spirit” (Romans 2:29). A cross around our neck isn’t a sign of our salvation; the sign is the presence of the Spirit of God within us. “When you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed in Him, you were also sealed with the promised Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 1:13).

He marks us as a follower of Christ in a way that’s more impacting and permanent than any tattoo could ever be.

Going back to the idea of placing me in a line up to pick out the Christian… The presence of the Spirit of God within us isn’t very visible to the world is it? That’s where love comes in.

It’s all about love

God left us with another kind of sign. This one also comes from inside us – love for God and for each other.

Jesus emphasized this transition from outer signs to inner transformation when a Jewish rabbi asked Him which command from the Old Testament is the greatest. He answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and Prophets depend on these two commands” (Matthew 22:37-40).

Christianity doesn’t require me to wear a certain headscarf or any other outer modification or adornment. It asks that I love God. People aren’t able to see that one quite so easily, though, so it doesn’t end there. Jesus made it really clear when He said, “By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). When you look at love in the Bible, you quickly realize that God’s kind of love looks a lot like service and sacrifice.

It flows with generosity.

It aches with compassion.

It's exhausted by perseverance.

It dares with kindness.

What’s my sign?

Wear a cross necklace if you want. Enjoy your Christian t-shirts with clever taglines on them. But those things aren’t going to reach the world. Your waitress or store clerk might give you a little, “Hey, I like your shirt” quietly indicating that they are a believer as well. That’s probably all your outer sign is going to accomplish.

The world is changed and lives are transformed when people see us serving and sacrificing – in short, loving – in a way that’s only possible by the presence of the Spirit of God in our lives. The sacrificial love of God will mark us as different.

Good & Evil: What to do in a world of evil

The horrors of evil elicit many different responses when they fall upon our ears. When you read my article of Boko Haram butchering Christians in Nigeria last week, I’m sure your thought responses were as varied as is our reading population. I’m sure it was the same when you heard of ISIS beheading a second American journalist, Steven Sotloff. Or when you heard of any act of evil carried out on the innocent in recent days.

Some people stop listening / reading as the pain and suffering are more than they can bear.

A need to fight for justice overcomes other people in the face of evil.

Others bury their heads in the sand as they deny such evil could possibly exist.

For some, frustration mounts as a lack of resources or opportunities squelches the desire to help in any way possible.

Hopefully at least a few whisper prayers for those who hurt in the hands of evil.

Psalm 37 – Good & Evil

Last week we began a study on Psalm 37. We considered some characteristics we should have as we live as children of God in a world of evil. Ok, “considered” is such a gentle word – it’s more like those characteristics plunged into our soul. They reminded us we aren’t of this world; we’re made to live different. This week we’ll pull out some parts of Psalm 37 that help us know what to do before we read next week what God promises to do. Then, we’ll wrap it up comparing the outcome that awaits both the good and the evil.

What to do in a world of evil

37:3 – Trust in the Lord and do what is good. Trusting God empowers us to do what is good. Our excuses become weak in the presence of His truth. I came across a verse a few weeks ago when Jimmy was in Africa. I’ll admit it; I was stressing a little over some stuff. I had to write it out and post it where I’d see it often, “God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8).

We can trust Him in the face of evil; we can even step out and do good in the face of evil. We can trust and do good because God has the situation under control. We will always have everything we need to excel in every good work.

37:4 – Take delight in the Lord. You can be happy in His presence; you can smile when you think about Him. Excitement can come over you at the thought of talking to Him. You can find a true relationship.

King David, who wrote Psalm 37, knew how to delight in the Lord. For example, he also wrote “I rejoiced with those who said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the LORD’” (Psalm 122:1). The ancient Israelites rejoiced to ascend to the Temple in Jerusalem because the Spirit of God dwelt there. For us, the Spirit of God dwells within each of us as followers of Christ. We can rejoice in a relationship with God even in the midst of an evil world.

37:5 – Commit your way to the Lord. Commit means “to roll” (Hebrew: galal) which may seem odd but is highly significant. It’s more than I can get into here. In short, let’s think of it this way… Go full circle with God. Allow Him to mark you as His child, hold fast to His truth, totally believe Him, and not just in Him.

“The LORD then said to Joshua, ‘Today I have rolled away (Hebrew: galal) the disgrace of Egypt from you.’ Therefore, that place is called Gilgal to this day” (Joshua 5:9). Friend, God has rolled away the disgrace from your life. An adequate response is to roll away your own plans for your life. Commit your way to Him instead and allow Him to act even as evil abounds.

37:7 – Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for Him. God doesn’t need us to tell Him what to do or how to solve a problem. He needs us to be a willing vessel through which He can work to accomplish His plan. He needs us to wait on His plan; not make a mess even messier by jumping in with our own plan. “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psalm 46:10 NIV).

37:9, 34 – Put your hope in the Lord. That’s the HCSB version but almost all others translate this as “those who wait for the Lord.” It’s a figurative term that loses something in our English translations. The Hebrew word, qavah, literally means to collect or bind together. It’s the same idea as strands of string bound together to make a rope. In a world of evil, we can bind ourselves to God. We can tightly intertwine our lives with Him and His Word. “Wait for the Lord and keep His way, and He will exalt you to inherit the land” (Psalm 37:34).

37:27 – Turn away from evil and do what is good. We can’t do all these things if we haven’t turned away from the evil in our own lives. We’re not perfect; no one expects us to be. But, we can make a conscious effort to remove the evil in our own lives while also making an effort to do what is good. "Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God" (3 John 1:11).

So,

As it turns out, we can do something in a world overrun by evil. We can trust God who is in control. We can do good to those around us in our own corners of the world. We can delight in God; after all, He loved us enough to give Himself for us even though we were part of that prevalent evil. We can roll away our own plans for our life and commit our plans to Him because we know He will act in our lives. We can wait for Him to speak rather than try and tell Him what He should do. We can intertwine our lives with Him so that all we do and say is for Him and His glory. We can do our best to not live like those who spread the evil upon our land.

We can make a difference. We can live the difference.

Click here to read the previous article in this series.

Click here to read the next article in this series.

ISIS & Christians: Why do we care?

Internet circles are abuzz with the atrocities committed by ISIS against Christians. We’ve all read of the horrors. We’ve wept, prayed, written, questioned, and spoke out. But I have one remaining thought that I haven’t yet seen addressed…

Why do we care?

Before you think I’m as cold and ruthless as ISIS, let me continue. China has been oppressing the church for decades. Muslims have been killing Christians for centuries. Syrian forces have killed 170,000 in recent years, many Christians among them. Egyptian forces burned churches to the ground only a few years ago. Boko Haram recently kidnapped hundreds of Christian girls and the secular world expressed more outrage than did the church.

Grow Barefoot has friends working in places around the globe whose names and locations we can’t put in our articles. To do so would put their lives in danger. We have friends whose governments gave them 24 hours to leave the country or be imprisoned for the mission work they were doing.

This stuff has been going on since the time Christ walked on this earth. So, why do we care now? Why is the American church seeing these things with fresh, raw eyes? Why are we collectively feeling that nag in the pit of our stomachs that says something is wrong? Why are the silent now speaking? Why are the stingy now sacrificing?

I might know the answer

“Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s sanctuary and that the Spirit of God lives in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16).

Here’s the answer – the Spirit that dwells within each of Christ’s followers has said, “It is time.” You don’t get to ride the fence any longer. You don’t get to attend the Country Club Church on Sunday morning and not care the rest of the week.

You get to experience life as did the Apostle Paul who wrote, “My eager expectation and hope is that I will not be ashamed about anything, but that now as always, with all boldness, Christ will be highly honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For me, living is Christ and dying is gain” (Philippians 1:20-21).

Paul knew something about persecution. He experienced it repeatedly. I can’t write the way he did as I’ve never been through the sufferings he endured.  And yet, as I write about more extensively in Everything We Need, Paul wrote about seven benefits of persecution…

• Serves to advance the Gospel
• Encourages others and reduces fear
• Causes rejoicing
• Promotes patient endurance
• Teaches us to trust God and the power of prayer
• Is a source of comfort
• Brings us to maturity

We do care

We care not because ISIS is any more horrific than countless other persecutory murderers in the past. We care not because the lives of the Iraqi Christians are more valuable than the millions slaughtered for their faith in centuries past. We care because the Spirit tells us it is time – time to care, to pray, to speak out, to share, to love, to grow, and encourage.  He tells us He has a plan to carry out in this time and place and we have a part to play in it. And our response is to humbly fall to our knees – not only to pray for the innocent lives suffering in another part of the world but to also pray how we might serve and love during such a time as this.

Kindness in an Unkind World

My mom had entirely too high of expectations for my brothers and I. She expected us to talk nicely, be polite, be respectful, be kind, etc. It seemed no one else did those things; why should we?

Now I’m all grown up though.

Now I see the results of a society where those behaviors aren’t as valued as they once were.

Now I endure the struggle of teaching my children to talk nicely, be polite, be respectful, and be kind.

The last one in that list has popped up on my radar a lot this past week. Kindness; it’s such a hard word to define, let alone implement! Fortunately, God used Paul to teach us a few things about how to be kind.

Be ye Kind

“And be kind and compassionate to one another” (Ephesians 4:32).

Thankfully – if we take the time to consider the context of Paul’s words – he gave us some clues as to what it means to be kind and compassionate.

Being kind includes…

• Careful word choice, whether our words are spoken or typed online (Ephesians 4:29). Our words shouldn’t be corrupt or of poor quality; they should encourage and benefit other people.
• Listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit within you (Ephesians 4:30). Yes, it’s possible to be unkind to God. One key way is to ignore Him.
• Don’t be bitter and angry. Don’t fly off the handle at people. Don’t fight and tell lies about other people. In short, don’t be mean (Ephesians 4:31)!
• Forgive people. Not because you were right and they were wrong. And don’t forgive to be the better, more upright person. Forgive because God forgave you. Period. And He forgave some pretty messed up stuff in you. I know He did because He did the same in me.

Love is Kind

God also told us that “love is kind” (1 Corinthians 13:4). This helps us understand kindness a little more. In God’s Word, love is all about sacrifice. It’s about putting other people first even when we don’t want to do so.

I admit it – I’m not very good at that type of kindness. I don’t like it when I feel like I should do something but it requires me to let go of what I want so I can focus on someone else. Yet that is what Christ did for us and that’s the love and kindness He wants us to show others.

Make a Difference

Can you imagine the difference we could make if we as Christians started choosing our words wisely, listening to the Spirit of God, stopped being mean, started forgiving people who hurt us, and put others before ourselves?

As a people group, we’re not really known for those kind of behaviors, are we? Maybe if we acted these ways more often, then it might be easier to show people the incredible advantages of being a follower of Christ. 

original photography by Deborah Cook

Be Ready...The Parable of the Ten Virgins

We are part of the kingdom of heaven but do we really know anything about it? Jesus taught frequently about the kingdom but He did so through encoded parables. He did this for some “because looking they do not see, and hearing they do not listen or understand.” The eyes of others, however, “are blessed because they do see, and [their] ears because they do hear” (Matthew 13:13, 16). I want to be one of the blessed who sees and hears the messages of His parables!

Some of Jesus’ many parables are referred to as kingdom parables. They begin with either the phrase kingdom of heaven or kingdom of God, depending on which gospel you read. I wrote extensively about seven of them from Matthew 13 in the book “Everything We Need: God's Path to Know Him Better.” However, space didn’t permit me to examine all of them. So, here we are – considering them on the Grow Barefoot blog! 

We’ve already looked at the parables of the unmerciful servant, the workers in the vineyard, and the wedding banquet. If you haven’t read the article on the parable of the wedding banquet yet, I encourage you to do so before finishing this article. The imagery in this parable of the ten virgins is the same as the parable of the wedding banquet.

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

Matthew records this story in Matthew 25:1-13. Just prior, throughout Matthew 24, Jesus described the events of the end times in detail. That context is important to remember as we read the first line of this parable. “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom” (Matthew 25:1). All of the kingdom parables begin with wording similar to this. With this parable, though, the verb tense shifts from present tense to future tense. This shift is also seen in the opening “At that time” as it says in the New International Version. At that time – the time of the tribulation that Jesus just spoke about – the kingdom of heaven will be like… Like what?

Some aspect of this parable is going to reveal something about the kingdom of heaven that will be different at that time than it is now.

Set the Stage

Some translations use the word bridesmaids instead of virgins; either way, they are a group of women who wait with the bride until her groom comes and then walk in the processional from the bride’s home to the wedding banquet. They carried lamps – although a better understanding would be torches – to help light the way for the procession.

In Jesus’ story, the bridegroom came so late during the night that the bridesmaids fell asleep. When they awoke, their torches had burned out. Five of them were prepared with more oil to relight their torch but five were unprepared. The prepared women didn’t have enough to also share with those who were unprepared so the unprepared women had to go find more oil. By the time they had done so, it was too late. The groom had already come for his bride, the procession to the wedding banquet was finished, and the banquet door locked.

Who are the ten virgins?

This is when I’m hoping you’ve already read my thoughts on the parable of the wedding banquet. Just like there, this wedding-themed parable doesn’t mention the bride. Like we also saw there, the unmentioned bride is symbolic of the church. The bridegroom, of course, is Jesus Himself. The bridesmaids have to symbolize a group of people who are invited to the wedding of the Lamb but aren’t the bride or the bridegroom. Again, just as in the parable of the wedding banquet, this would have to apply to believers outside the timeline of the church – either before or after.

John the Baptist referred to himself as the friend – the attendant, if you will – of the bridegroom in John 3:29. He is one, like our bridesmaids, who listened for the voice of the coming groom and rejoiced upon hearing it. The bridesmaids of our parable perform that same job and, like John the Baptist, are believers from outside the church era.

If you’re a number person like me, you may wonder why Jesus specified ten bridesmaids. Why not three, seven, or eleven? I’ve found that when a number is specifically included in Scripture, it’s significant. Otherwise, Jesus could have just said, “the kingdom of heaven will be like virgins who took their lamps.” The number ten in the Bible signifies a portion that represents a whole. For example, the Ten Commandments are a portion of the law but used to represent the whole law. We give a tithe (tenth) as an offering to represent a portion of our whole possessions used to serve God. In this parable, the ten virgins are a portion representing the whole group of believers who come to Christ during the tribulation.

What’s the deal with the oil?

Oil symbolizes the Holy Spirit throughout Scripture. All ten bridesmaids began with oil; unfortunately, some ran out. If the Holy Spirit seals us at the time of salvation – He can’t leave us once we’ve placed faith in Christ as our Savior – then how did some of the women run out? Here’s where we have to remember that this parable began with the future tense.

The Holy Spirit seals members of the church – the bride of Christ. Scripture doesn’t make that promise to believers outside of the timeline of the church. For example, the Spirit came upon King Saul in the Old Testament but He also left again (1 Samuel 16). If you’re familiar with Daniel’s 70 Weeks (Daniel 9:24-27), you know the last week hasn’t yet occurred. God reserved it for a future time also known as the tribulation – a seven year period immediately prior to the Second Coming of Christ. I believe one reason God gave Daniel the prophecy of the seventy weeks was to link the way things worked in the Old Testament and the way they will work during the Tribulation. The time of the church divides the two time periods.

So, in other words, the Spirit may no longer permanently seal believers who accept Christ during the tribulation. A person may have the Spirit at one point – they have oil in their lamp – but then later, they may not – they run out of oil.

So What’s the Point?

Jesus sums up the point at the end of His parable. “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour” (Matthew 25:13). Be ready because when the Bridegroom comes, it’s too late. This parable may speak directly to believers at that time – the time of the tribulation – but we can learn from it as well.

Even though those who accept Christ now rest in the security of their salvation, time will eventually run out for the church as well. We also don’t know when the rapture will occur and the tribulation will start. We can’t know how long we can safely put off accepting Christ as our Savior before it’s too late. Prepare now; be ready now. Don’t wait and also find out that you put it off too long. Click here to read more about what it means to accept Christ.

Click here for a free, downloadable study on more of the parables of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Full of Faith

OK, so, I had kind of a "duh" moment today. I was driving around town while running errands. While driving, I thought about the Grow Barefoot focus this month - Faithful. I post a verse and thought every day on Facebook and Twitter  focusing on being faithful to God and to our kingdom work.

Faithful. Faith - ful. Faith full. Full of faith. If someone asked me what the word faithful meant, I would answer something like, "Loyal, committed, you stick it out to the end." That's a valid definition. However, the word's history shows it was originally used of someone who was full of faith. This idea of faithful being "full of faith" made me start thinking.

I will stick it out to the end because...
I will commit to the call of kingdom work because...

because I am full of faith.

I am full of faith that the Spirit will penetrate a loved one's unrepentant heart and transform their life.

I am full of faith that God will work in a situation that seems beyond repair.

I am full of faith that He will meet every need I have.

I am full of faith that Christ will return and establish a kingdom of peace and justice right here on planet Earth.

I am full of faith that after that time of Christ's reign, He will allow me to live in Heaven with Him for eternity.

I am full of faith that His blood was sufficient to cover all the nastiness of my sin.

I am full of faith that His Word is absolute truth.

And since I am full of faith in these and so many things - I will stay loyal, I will stay committed, I will persevere to the end.

What do you think of to keep you going on God's path? When it's hard to persevere, what promise helps you push through the hard times? Finish this thought in the comment section below, "I am full of faith that..."

One Step at a Time: Learning to follow God

Total darkness filled the small space between the rock walls and my shoulders. The space was only slightly larger between the top of my head and the rock ceiling above. Frigid water came up almost to my knees.

Sometimes the walls on either side crept in close enough to require I turn sideways in order to squeeze through the passageway. Other times, even with my short stature, I had to bend at the waist to not hit my head on the rock ceiling. Now and again the water would rise to my hips.

I trekked through Hezekiah’s tunnel in Jerusalem with my husband six years ago. The encompassing darkness and stinging cold water are still fresh in my memory, however. Jimmy led the way in front with only our video camera to light the way as we hiked through the darkness. Although the narrowness of the tunnel prohibited our separation, I held on to either his shirt tail or rested my hand on his shoulder as I followed behind. With him between me and our light source, all I could see was the section of tunnel directly on either side of me. If I turned around behind me, all was utter darkness. The tunnel was so narrow I couldn’t see past Jimmy’s head to glimpse what lie in front of us.

Fast forward to current events… Grow Barefoot has a lot going on right now. We are growing faster than we are equipped to handle; at least equipped to handle on our own. Prayer is really the only way to handle life when things start to get overwhelming. As I recently prayed through the expanding list of writing and mission projects, God reminded me of one of His truths. When our circumstances seem overwhelming, we can trust Him to guide and provide one step at a time. The recollection of this truth led me to imagine myself clinging to God’s shirt tails as I follow Him step-by-step. This mental picture brought the long ago memories of our trek through Hezekiah’s Tunnel to the forefront of my mind.

As was the case in that dark tunnel, I don’t know what lies ahead. The hard circumstances I walk through might press in so close that I have to turn sideways in order to squeeze through at times. Looking back might offer little assurance other than the fact that I made it through that part of the journey which provides a little comfort for the rest of the journey.

“‘Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.’ By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive” (John 7:38-39).

The water in that cold, dark tunnel was the only thing moving; the only thing resembling life and the promise of an end. Likewise, the presence of the Spirit within our lives is sometimes the only thing that keeps us moving. He is the promise of the end. Even when the way is dark and we really have no clue where we’re going. We cling to God's shirt tails as He leads us through every step and rely on the movement of the Spirit within us to bring us to the end.

Do you ever cling to God’s shirt tails, just hoping to make it through? Have you ever allowed the Spirit’s power to flow through you and carry you to the end? I’d love to read your thoughts in the comment section below.

My Peace I Give You

I don’t know about you, but I’m still coming down from the high of celebrating Jesus’ resurrection this past weekend. I know I’m not the only one based on some comments I read on an internet article today.

My focus this particular spring holiday season seemed to have a different dimension. I’ve been an eschatology (study of the end times) fan for several years. I won’t get into all the particular instances but every observance of Jesus’ resurrection this year also reinforced in me the certain hope of His Second Coming.

Combine that with the high level of turmoil in our world right now. Some days I think I’m about ready to cancel my Facebook account because it’s often heart-wrenching to read through my newsfeed. Let me go check my feed right now and I’ll let you know what I see…

• Threat of North Korea attack
• Another shooting on an army base
• Death of a 17 year old kid
• Death of a legendary music composer
• Israel launches airstrike on Gaza
• West Coast newborns face thyroid problems due to Fukushima nuclear disaster
• The impact of media deception on our culture

That was in my first 30 news items. Yes, good stories mixed in with the bad; friends’ vacations, adorable pictures of little ones all dressed up for Easter, a Chick-fil-a picture, and high school kids having fun together. But I don’t think my point here is lost – we are in need of comfort and peace.

I pondered and prayed about these things earlier tonight; God reminded me of this passage. 

Let me give you a little context first; it’s so appropriate for this week. John chapters 14-17 are the most detailed account of Jesus’ Last Supper with His disciples. If you took all of my Bible and I could keep only a few chapters – these are the ones I would keep.

Here’s the thing – we are living in this passage. We are living in the time between His first coming and His second coming. Jesus left these final words for us - you and me.

He gave us His peace.

He left it here. He left us the peace of God that passes all understanding. He left it via the Holy Spirit that dwells within each and every believer. If I’m not at peace, something is wrong. Something in my life is squelching the peace available through the Spirit.

God’s peace isn’t like the world’s peace. 

God gives us peace “at all times and in every way” (2 Thessalonians 3:16). Any source of peace offered by the world will come and go. The world’s peace may be here today but it won’t last. It’ll be gone tomorrow.

Don’t be troubled. 

Don’t be agitated or stirred up. I wrote about this before in We've Got Troubles.

Don’t be afraid.

Don’t be timid. The same Spirit that gives you peace also gives you power. “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7).

He’s coming back. 

My list from my Facebook news feed reminds me that someday Jesus will abolish death, war, disease, and lies. That’s all I need to know. That’s enough to get me through.

The Bible Series - Passion

This final episode of The Bible series on the History Channel didn't disappoint. If anything, it exceeded the impact of the four previous episodes. The parts of the story are familiar to many of us but watching it on the screen instead of reading it in The Book made me think some new thoughts.

The Passion

• Caiaphas, the high priest who sought to kill Jesus, thought he was right. He knew he served the one true God of Israel. He served God the best he knew how - faithful to the Law. Yet, he couldn't see that God was doing something new. I hope I never cling so tightly to what God has done in the past that I can't see how He is working in the present or in the future.
• Peter denied knowing Christ three times. We know that part. But I wonder what I would have said if someone asked me if I knew Jesus? Right now, I'd agree eagerly and wholeheartedly. But what if I were as confused and unsure as Peter must have been that night? What if my life hung in the balance?
• I watched them flog Jesus and wondered, "Why was the beating necessary? Couldn't His death on the cross have been the extent of the horror? Why beat Him as well?" Maybe I'll find the answer... For now, I'll leave it that He was pierced for our sins and we are healed by His stripes (Isaiah 53:5).
• How would the people of Jerusalem have responded if they had known what they were witnessing that Passover day? Knowing what I know now, how would I have responded if I were there? I don't think I could endure the sight. Indeed, no words can describe - Hollywood will never fully portray - the extent of what happened that day.
• I can't imagine how the disciples must have felt as they waited those three days - unsure, confused, alone, doubting, questioning, anxious?

The Church

• Jesus said, "Go and tell. I am here." A few days later, Peter was empowered to say, "My brothers, my sisters. We have work to do." This line holds true to us today. Peter and the other disciples started the work; we are called to still carry it out today.
• I loved the epic portrayal of the coming of the Holy Spirit during Pentecost. The coming of the Spirit rocked their world and changed their lives. Yet it's no big deal for us; many Christians don't even know it happens or what it means! We are the temple - the dwelling place of God on earth. His power, His love, His grace flow through us to the world. Let it rock your world like it did the lives of the disciples!
• I was moved to see Paul's hatred - his vehement anger - for the Christians. Then, to know that God chose Him, forgave Him, and transformed Him. What a testament to the power of God. 
• God chose those men - the original disciples and the apostle Paul - to change the world. It doesn't stop there, though. He calls you to change the world as well. With the power of Christ, you can make a difference!

I've enjoyed sharing these videos with you. I appreciate Roma Downey and Mark Burnett's willingness to invest in their creation. Yes, they weren't perfect and have received much criticism because of it. Here's the thing, though. Neither am I, neither are you. Hopefully you've watched them and learned something new of God's epic plan for humanity.

It is a plan, a continuous story from Genesis to Revelation. God's love story stretches from His creation in the garden and will reach its fulfillment in the glorious paradise of eternity. So whether we're talking about Noah, Moses, David, Jesus, Paul, Martin Luther, Billy Graham, or one of us, His children, we are all part of the same love story.

Other articles in this series

The Bible Series - Beginnings (Episode 1)
The Bible Series - Homeland (Episode 2)
The Bible Series - Hope (Episode 3)
The Bible Series - Mission (Episode 4)

Our God is the Fire

Permit me to set the stage a little for today's post. I received an email a few days ago from a missionary friend in West Africa. He told the story of Komlan and his wife who recently accepted Christ as their Savior. Under the Spirit's leading and protection, they desired to burn the idols of their former beliefs.

Joseph's story reminded me of the stories of Abraham, Moses, Elijah, and the disciples. I had studied these biblical stories the day before receiving the email. In each one, God appeared as a fire. Inspired by their story, I sensed God leading me to sculpt Joseph's letter into a poem - my first attempt at poetry in twenty years. I hope you are inspired by it...

Our God is the Fire
by Joseph Akakpo and Kathi Woodall

Praise the Lord, Amen!
It was done for God;
done for God's glory.

Brother Komlan stood,
stood before the Lord,
stood with gods in hand.

Komlan’s wife, she came
to know the New Lord,
Lord of her husband.

I am ready too;
ready to follow
Lord of my husband.

For this year I pray
freedom for our souls.
We suffer too much.

Suffer too much in
the hands of Satan
I… I want freedom.

Her declaration,
our praise to the Lord,
give Him the glory.

Our God can do more –
abundantly more –
more than what we think.

Brother Komlan brought,
brought his fetishes.
Gods dug from the ground.

He had many gods
for such a young man;
too much at that age.

Psalm one fifteen speaks,
Not to us, O LORD
Your Name be glory

Why do nations say,
Where, where is their God?
God is in heaven.

Idols made by men.
Eyes but cannot see;
Hands but cannot feel.

Pow’r in Jesus name,
put fire on these gods.
Gods became ashes.

Abram testifies
Near a flaming pot,
Our God is the Fire.

Moses testifies
Near a burning bush,
Our God is the Fire.

Elijah proclaims
Near to Baal’s altar,
Our God is the Fire.

Disciples proclaim
Under tongues of flame,
Our God is the Fire.

Cast your idols down.
Throw them in the fire.
Our God is the Fire.

My partner in pray’r,
My holy fam’ly
Of our one Great God,

Lord Jesus the Christ –
One consuming Fire –
Jehovah is God.

Prayer Shouldn't Add Stress!

My friend is going through a hard time. You name it, she's probably dealing with it right now.

A few times I've started to pray for her and my words fall short. I mean, how do I begin when so many problems are calling for attention? Do I pray for surface issues or root causes? What if I don't even know the root causes?

Prayer shouldn't add stress! And yet, I can get all worked up over how to pray.

I'm so thankful God knows we don't even know how to pray. I'm glad He knows I'm an idiot when it comes to how everything should be done; my weak words can't compare to His infinite wisdom. Even through all of that, He works through our prayers. That's a whole other article, though.

"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will" (Romans 8:26-27).

Why Does the Spirit Intercede for Us?

• It's His job.

This passage is right in the middle of a section that talks about two jobs of the Holy Spirit. The first one is to guarantee our future physical redemption. The second one, the one we're talking about here, is to intercede for us in prayer.

• We are weak on our own.

"The Spirit helps us in our weakness." The Spirit has to come along side us and partner with us in prayer because we lack the strength to do so without Him.

• We don't know how to pray.

"We do not know what we ought to pray for." We don't grasp God's holiness and sovereignty. We can't fathom His perfection and the intricacies of His law. Needless to say, then, we don't know how to pray in accordance with those things.

• He does know how to pray.

"The Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." God searches our hearts, or in other words, He knows our intentions. God also knows the mind of the Spirit because they are One. He then knows how to make it all work together. He knows how to take our intentions that led us to prayer in the first place and make them fit with the perfect will of God.

What's my response?

I'm not going to stop praying for my friend, even though I'm weak and ignorant. I am going to rest in the fact that God knows my intentions in prayer and He has a sovereign, perfect plan for my friend. I'm going to rest in the fact that if He can bring the universe together out of nothing then He can bring my prayers, my friend's problems, and His plan all together in perfection.

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."