Take that Step: Healthier, stronger, and moving forward

Jimmy recently downloaded a fitness app on his phone. Among its many “smart” capabilities, it tracks the number of steps he takes each day. I guess we can add pedometer to the list of many gadgets now replaced by smartphones. The health and fitness app guided him through setting up a series of health goals, including how far he’d like to walk each day. He set the goal at 10,000 steps/day.

Health and fitness aren’t going to just happen in our lives. We won’t wake up some morning and find we’ve arrived at a certain weight, cholesterol level, or body mass index unless we take regular, active steps to make them reality.

We all know walking is a good, safe option to help us achieve our desired health and fitness goals. As we walk, we become stronger, healthier, and reach our destination.

I started thinking about these three outcomes that walking has on our lives after I posted last week’s article, Don’t Stand Still. The American church is familiar with a phenomenon we call pew sitters. They are people who come to church, sit in the pew for the sermon, and leave again with no real impact on their lives. Well, last week I classified another group of us – the standers. We’re involved in a few activities, have some Christian influence outside the church building, and try to live a fairly good life.

Maybe you read that article. Maybe you thought, “Isn’t that what we call the Christian walk? Isn’t that what we’re supposed to do?” Maybe you’re right.

But I think there’s more.

Think about that app Jimmy downloaded on his phone. After several weeks of use, yesterday he finally reached his goal of 10,000 steps in one day. It didn’t happen because he sat at his desk all day nor did it happen because he stood around talking. He reached that goal because he was up, moving, getting things done, and being active.

When we walk, we become healthier, stronger, and we move forward. That’s why I see a difference between those who are spiritually standing still and those who are spiritually walking. I see lots of us doing a lot of Christian things each day but we’re not becoming healthier, stronger, or moving forward.

Healthier

We all deal with stuff; you know, the baggage we carry around due to bad experiences in our past. We have those experiences because we live in a messed up world that does everything it can to fight God’s design.

God’s Word doesn’t lay out a twelve-step program for overcoming drug addiction. It doesn’t give us three steps to recovering from divorce. You can’t turn to a certain page and find out exactly how to deal with various forms of child abuse, depression, or negative self-image.

But, if we’re walking with God – rather than sitting or standing still – then we’re going to become mentally and spiritually healthier as we learn to let go of the baggage that weighs us down. We’re going to be in an active, growing relationship with the one who can bring health through prayer and an understanding of various Scriptures. We’re going to see truth in His Word come to life in a way we never would have believed possible.

Stronger

We’re all unsure; we all have doubts. We all look at the path that lies before us and feel inadequate to the job. Our weakness overwhelms us.

The Bible doesn’t give us a mathematical formula to incorporate faith into our life. It doesn’t promise trust will come to those who say a certain prayer. The Bible doesn’t give power to those who at most skim through its topics.

But, if we’re walking with God – rather than sitting or standing still – then we’re going to become mentally and spiritually stronger. We’ll see God work in our circumstances even in the midst of our hard times; our faith will grow as we realize His strength will be sufficient for us in future trials. We will face impossible situations with the recognition that our only option is to trust Him. It will make us almost sick to our stomachs as we empty the situation of our own ability and trust completely in Him. And yet, we’ll look back and know that is when the trust in our relationship grew stronger. We will face insurmountable odds; rather than become weak and overwhelmed, we will remember a Bible verse we studied and claim its power and authority for that moment. We will see the power of God work mightily in our lives to conquer and destroy that which would hold us back from all God desires.

Move Forward

We all want to stay where we are because everything is safe, secure, and familiar. We know what to expect and how everything works in our current location. It’s easy to stand still because it doesn’t require us to stretch ourselves or step out into the unknown.

But, if we’re walking with God – rather than sitting or standing still – then we’re going to move forward. We’re going to look back 5 or 10 years and realize we’re closer to God now than we were then. Our spiritual illnesses and weaknesses will be fewer and farther behind us than they once were. We’re going to look forward with excitement, trust, and faith at where God might lead us. We’ll look forward and see that God didn’t seem as far away as He once did.

Take that Step

God gave us everything we need to start a revolution of love… an overflow of hope… an explosion of faith. But we’re not going to see any of it until we change some things in our own lives. God gave us a message of faith, hope, and love with which to transform the world, starting with ourselves. We won’t have the privilege of seeing that message go anywhere until we stop standing still and start walking – to become healthier, stronger, and closer to Him who gave His life to deliver us.

Martyr's Blood: Finding the nerve to speak out

I’m in a mood.

You’ve been warned.

Someone hit a nerve and I’m going to have to go off on it a little bit.

First, though, let me tell you about my day yesterday. I said good-bye to my husband and teenagers as they left in the morning. I started the day with my two youngest – breakfast, dressed, school lessons. We talked about converting improper fractions into mixed numbers, keeping a steady tempo on the piano while practicing scales, and Marconi’s invention of the radio over a hundred years ago.

Later in the day I sat down to write this week’s section in our current study through the book of Hebrews. Oddly enough, it’s a section on hope. Ironic, but you’ll understand that more in a little bit. Also ironic, it’s an article most will never read for a myriad of reasons.

And oh yeah, I watched men saw the heads off other men. Yes, I watched it – only a few seconds but it was enough. Here’s the link; it’s a short clip in the midst of a Glenn Beck report. Heed the graphic warning he gives but watch it if you can.

It was a surreal moment as my kids played happily in the background, trees budded and flowers bloomed outside, and I sat in my comfortable chair with a cup of coffee. My pond outside my window rippled in the breeze while the ocean waves in the video washed the blood out to sea.

Shift Gears

The Grow Barefoot team has been praying about upcoming service projects. Our vision is to serve missionaries so they may better serve their people groups. However, that’s a broad vision; knowing how to carry it out is more complex. We’ve also always had a desire to motivate the American church to, um, well, get out of their pews and do something. Although for some, maybe it’s more accurate to say get yourself out of bed and into a pew. Sorry if that sounds harsh. I’ve learned to control my words most of the time but it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen today.

A GB team member sent me a follow-up link today. It was Matt Walsh’s article, “Here’s What You Can Do about the Persecution of Christians: Stop Being a Lazy Coward.” As always, Matt gets it and he’s not afraid to call it like it is. Read his article; it’s worth it. This was the scraping away of my last layer of protection to expose my raw nerve.

Matt gives three practical suggestions for how we can help the persecuted – pray, give, and get off your lazy backside and do something.

Pray
Matt writes, “We forget that prayer isn’t some kumbaya exercise in sending good vibes.”

It took a months-long study on prayer for me to finally start figuring this out. It took the discipline of starting each day alone on my knees for as long as it takes to get the job done, even knowing that sometimes tears will be involved. Sometimes yelling. Sometimes silence. Life-long church attendance didn’t teach me nor did my years in Christian school. Maybe someday I’ll get that study posted on here or available in a book but I remember three key points from it.

• We need to pray all the time.
• We need to pray for everyone.
• We need to pray for everything.

We thank God for the day and the food in front of us but have we thanked Him for the testimony of those men whose blood still mingles in the Mediterranean Sea?

We pray for the sick and those in the hospital but have we prayed for the souls of those separated from God who risk an eternity in hell?

We pray so we find comfort from the stresses of life but have we realized our stresses would be someone else’s abundance of blessing?

Can we get out of bed a few minutes earlier to kneel in His presence? Can we stay up a little longer at night? Can we humble ourselves before Him rather than try to throw out a few words after our head hits the fluffy pillow and before the peaceful breathing of sleep falls upon us?

Read more on prayer:
Dear Lord: A prayer for today
Prayer Shouldn’t add Stress!
Life Sucks: What are we going to do about it?
The Hand of God

Give
To quote Matt again, “We can also lend material support to organizations that are out there trying to help these people.”

Someone accused me of wanting to be Rambo after last week's article because I asked myself, “What would I have done if I had lived in Nazi Germany?” I laughed at the accusation. I was wondering if I would have been willing to open my home to protect the persecuted. Would I have helped move people to safe locations? I still don’t know the answer but I do know Rambo-type actions weren’t ones I considered. Likewise, Grow Barefoot doesn’t feel a call to enter Libya or Syria with guns blazing. That’s nowhere close to how we operate.

We do hope to partner with some groups on the ground if we can, though. This is a public forum so that’s all I’m going to say about that.

Do Something
This is where Matt hit me in the heart as he proclaimed the message I’ve been saying for years. “We can honor their courage and sacrifice by not being such lazy, selfish, apathetic cowards.”

Our road turns onto a major highway. Monday through Friday mornings, it’s a hard turn to make as traffic backs up with many people headed to work. It’s a hard turn on Friday evenings and Sunday evenings as lake traffic backs up the other direction. However, come Sunday morning as we head to church, we make the turn out onto the highway without a moment’s hesitation. I can look several miles in both directions; not a single car will be in sight. Sometimes I comment to my husband, "I wonder how many of us would make it to church if we had to walk ten miles to get there" or some other snarky observation.

I remember rural Haiti where people walked miles to go to church in a hot, crowded room lit only by a single bulb hanging from the ceiling. I remember the songs the people sang loud and powerful despite the fact they were completely off tune.

We gripe because the service starts too early, the thermostat is set a little high, and the praise team didn’t play our favorite song. And by the way, why is 9:00 or 10:00 too early on a Sunday but we can make it to work other mornings by 8:00 or even earlier?

My husband remembers northern Africa where a local man travels to twenty different areas every week so others can listen to the Word of God on his player. He does so despite high fuel prices but even more despite the risk of persecution. He’s already been kicked out of his tribe.

And we gripe because we moved closer to our job and church is too far away now. We complain because the pastor went a few minutes too long or talked about the meaning of too many Greek words.

I remember the countless stories we've heard through the years from missionary friends around the world. Everyone had stories of those who traveled far to hear the Word or find Christian friendship, those who labored endlessly to copy God's Word by hand so they could keep a copy, or those who lost all they had for the chance to know Jesus.

The Irony of Hope
Do you remember the beginning of this rant when I mentioned I was working on a Bible study when that video came across my desk? A Bible study many will never read?

Why do very few care to study His Word? “His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness” (2 Peter 1:3). God’s given us everything we need if we know Him. How do we know Him? Through His Word! Yet it’s too hard, or we’re too busy, or it doesn’t matter, or it’s boring.

And yet, I found myself writing about a message of hope found only in the Word of God when this horror presented itself before my eyes.

Ok, my rant is over

I don’t know exactly what I’m going to do to help our brothers and sisters who are suffering around the world. I don’t know exactly what I’m going to do when persecution hits our land, our towns, even our local streets. I do know that I’m going to keep praying, I’m going to give of my time and my resources as much as I can, and I’m going to continue trying to know Him and make Him known. I’m going to walk in faith that God is mighty to work through my meager efforts and that in the end, maybe He'll choose to make a difference through me.

Read more at:
ISIS and Christians: Why do we care?
Good and Evil: Who we are in a world of evil
What's the Point: Living Hope in a Violent World
Religious Extremism: Why it's a good thing

What's the Point: Living hope in a violent world

Stories of horror at the hands of ISIS’ members continue to pour out of the Middle East. In fact, what began as a trickle of atrocities has grown into a raging river as incidents increase in frequency and barbarity. This week, they reportedly kidnapped approximately 150 Christians from a region in northeast Syria. Early reports put this number at about 90; subsequent reports have increased it to 150. I say with a prayerful sorrow the future is bleak for those followers of Jesus. News reports have also surfaced that ISIS funds their operation in part through harvesting organs, such as kidneys, from prisoners. An alternate source of their income is selling young girls and women into sex trafficking.

My older two daughters asked me the same question at different times last week. “Is this it? Is our world falling apart? Is this the end?”

My daughters were two and newborn when Al-Qaeda flew airplanes into the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania. I realized the world they grew up in would look very different than did my childhood environment. I realized that was their reality – better to help them deal with it than sugar coat their exposures. I answered, “We don’t know for sure. ISIS’ behavior is consistent with biblical prophecies of the end times. Many Christians are sensing that this will lead to that time soon.”

They both responded in similar ways; basically, “Then what’s the point?”

What is the point?

Our purpose doesn’t change
God gave us signs to watch for which indicate the end is drawing near. However, He chose to withhold exactly when those events would begin. I believe one reason why is because our job doesn’t change whether we know the exact time or not.

• Love God with all your heart, soul, and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5).
• Love other people as much as you love yourself (Matthew 22:39).
• Love faithfulness, act justly, and walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8).

It doesn’t matter if Jesus returns today, in a decade, or in a century, our call as Jesus’ followers is the same. We are to know, love, and serve God. We are to love and encourage a hurting world. We are to behave in a way that honors God and glorifies His name.

We have a message of hope
Current events in the Middle East may or may not lead to the fulfillment of biblical end-time prophecies. Either way, we have a message of hope for the world. I don’t know about you, but the number of hurting people in my life is increasing. Economic problems, family relationships, drugs, unemployment, and many others are all surface indicators of hard times. Below the surface, though, much bigger problems arise under names such as fear, depression, rejection, bitterness, insecurity, disbelief, and deception. Followers of Jesus, we have a message of unconditional love, strengthening joy, unsurpassable peace and gentleness, limitless patience, sacrificial kindness and goodness, unwavering faith, and supernatural self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). We have everything we need to accomplish the task to which He calls us – the task of reaching the world with His gospel of grace (2 Peter 1:3, Philippians 1:6, Matthew 28:19-20).

We have hope even in midst of persecution
I can’t speak for the hundreds of Christians held captive in Syria right now. But I can speak for countless others throughout history who’ve faced persecution for following Jesus. I can speak the words of Paul who endured a lifetime of persecution, “For me, living is Christ and dying is gain” (Philippians 1:21).

In studying Paul’s testimony, along with others in the New Testament, I discovered seven aspects of persecution that seem contradictory to human thinking…

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

You may read more in depth on this area in Everything We Need: God’s Path to Know Him Better.

The point is Jesus, the Messiah

I’d like to give you rose-colored glasses through which to view the world. I’d like to give solutions for defeating ISIS and promises that bloody religious persecution will never reach America’s shores. Just like I realized when my daughters were babies, that isn’t the world in which we live anymore. We can ignore it or deny it; reality doesn’t change.

But I can give you a point – a reason – to endure it. I can give you a message of hope. Our hope and reason are both in the name of Jesus. One day, after seven years of tribulation, He will return and reign peacefully over the entire earth. Until then, we have a purpose that doesn’t change. We are to love and serve God, love and encourage others to believe in Him, and live in a way that glorifies His name. In the midst of all the turmoil, only Jesus’ followers have a message of hope found in salvation through faith in Jesus. He alone has the power to bring comfort, encouragement, patience, rejoicing, and more out of barbaric persecution.

Generations: Valuing the legacy of a godly heritage

December may be the month we celebrate Jesus’ birth, but apparently it’s also the month of death.

The passing of four people in my life have warranted mention on my blog – all of them died during the month of December. Perhaps the glow of Christmas lights on homes and trees paled in comparison to the opportunity to experience the enveloping and penetrating light of the glory of God. Perhaps heartfelt tender Christmas carols dulled when given the chance to hear the angelic choir of heaven. I’ve shared the passing of all four with you because each one had a profound spiritual impact not only on my life but on the lives of hundreds around them.

Each one had a story – a reason for which I shared their life with you. For one, her life was a testament to Christ’s power in breaking us free from the confusion of abuse. For another, his story reminded us that the hope of heaven reunites us with loved ones. The third revealed lessons learned from one who lived life serving God.

Yesterday I attended the funeral of Jimmy’s granddad.

None of us are born holy; Granddad was no exception. In fact, quite a few of life’s years passed by for Granddad before the message of God’s salvation started to pierce his soul and transform his life. Somewhere, someone reached out to him as a young man and shared the message of hope.

 

Granddad later became a preacher himself; I would venture to guess that his fifty years behind the pulpit have changed thousands of lives. But even that isn’t the impact I want to share with you.

As I’m spending time with Jimmy and his family, I see a different kind of lasting impact – the impact of a godly heritage. It may not extend far but it runs deep. Granddad was already married when he humbled himself before God to receive forgiveness for his sins. He and Granny would have raised a family, worked their jobs, and lived their lives even if Granddad had never accepted Christ. It would have looked different but they would have made it happen.

But Granddad’s life changed when he accepted Christ. He studied God’s Word so he knew its message and power for his life. He shared God’s Word so others may know that same message and power. He prayed God’s Word because he knew therein is our power.

He studied for, shared with, and prayed for his children. His influence led them to accept Christ as their Savior. The transformation of this one man spread to the lives of his two children.

It led his children to find godly spouses when they grew up and create Christian homes of their own. Within time, four grandchildren were born and raised in godly homes. What was one became two and then doubled to four.

God decided one of the granddaughters could come to heaven early; her short life ended in her teens. Even in the midst of such a painful tragedy, however, the message of the gospel promised the hope of resurrection and eternal life for the young girl. Salvation was already a truth in her life, despite her young years.

The remaining grandchildren grew to adulthood, married Christian spouses, and started families of their own. One man’s influence became two, which doubled to four, and now has grown to ten great-grandchildren. All ten greats (as Granddad always called them), are being raised in three different godly homes where they also are hearing the message of salvation and the importance of a life transformed in service to God. One by one they are responding to that message. While some are still babies and toddlers, almost all of them have claimed the name of Christ and accepted His salvation in their own lives.

My oldest daughter was the first of that generation. Granny and Granddad drove halfway across the country to visit her when she was only a few weeks old. He held her in his arms and spoke that he never expected her to remember him. He thought God would call him home before she would form any memories. Yet, God blessed him with a long life. That same great-granddaughter is now 16. She wrote on her Facebook wall when she learned of his death, "Today my Great Granddad got to go to heaven. He was the one person who no matter how he felt would always have something to say about God's grace and how much he loved his family. Though I don't have many memories with him, because of long distances, I can't wait to make some with him in heaven. Have fun Great Granddaddy. Love you!"

If Christ waits a few more years before His return, who knows what might happen from those ten greats. Will they all accept Christ? Will they begin ten different Christian families of their own? What impact will they leave on the world? How will God answer the powerful prayers of the Great-Granddad who left a legacy of a Godly heritage for them?

In our instant society, we want to see results now. We want to see broad impact. But let us not forget, we do some of the most important ministry in the home to an audience of our children.

"Know that Yahweh your God is God, the faithful God who keeps His gracious covenant loyalty for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commands” (Deuteronomy 7:9).

Immanuel: All He ever wanted was to be God with us

Christmas isn’t about Santa, $5 gift exchanges at endless holiday parties, and elaborate trays of special cookies and candies.

I think we all know that.

Christmas isn’t about family either, though. It’s isn’t the blessing of being together with loved ones. It’s not a child’s eyes as she bursts into the living room on Christmas morning. It’s not dinner around the table with aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents.

I’m not sure we all know that, though.

Perhaps that’s why the holidays disappoint for many year after year. We dread that one relative that will point out everything wrong in our family relationships. We stress over the one child who eagerly tears open the gift only to be upset he didn’t get what he wanted. We worry the table may not look like the pictures on Pinterest. We remember the family members who aren’t with us as bitterness and unforgiveness have pulled us apart.

We invest a lot of time, money, and energy trying to find fulfillment in areas that can’t fulfill. We place expectations on people and situations that can’t live up to them.

So What’s the Point?

Enjoy the blessings of Christmas – the joy of giving, the comfort of a special meal, the connection of beloved family members. You can enjoy these moments when you don’t enter the holiday expecting them to fulfill your dreams of a magical holiday.

We find the joy, the comfort, the connection, and the abundance of blessings when we focus first on Christmas as seen in one biblical word – Immanuel.

 

Immanuel

It’s a Hebrew word only used a few times in the whole Bible. God inspired Isaiah to call the awaited Messiah by the name Immanuel. Later, Matthew confirmed the fulfillment of the prophecy in his gospel when he wrote of Mary’s baby, Jesus. Matthew wrote, “Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name Him Immanuel” (Matthew 1:22-23).

Immanuel; it translates to English as “God with us.” Hebrew is a pictorial language so sometimes we can see another level of significance in the letter pictures the ancient Hebrews used to form the words. This one has given me reason to sit and reflect as I write this article. The Hebrew shows pictures of a God who experienced chaos, life, and nails. Wow.

You see, God was in heaven enjoying the glory of ultimate, sinless beauty and perfection. Yet, He chose to leave that place of divine triune intimacy and experience the chaos of a world thrown out of whack by sin. He chose to experience life. The experience of life meant He would also experience death because of the permeation of that same sin corruption. He chose to experience the nails pierced through His hands and feet because of the condemnation of sin. He chose to be God with us in the midst of all of our chaos, sin, pain, life, and death.

God with us

That had been the plan all along, though. In the beginning, the plan of God with us didn’t include the chaos, death, and nails brought in by sin. In the beginning, He was God with us in a perfect garden free from the destruction of sin. It was there that God walked with Adam and Eve as they experienced relationship together. However, what was a place of peaceful interaction became a place of fear and hiding as Adam and Eve chose the pleasure of a sinful moment (Genesis 3:8). From the beginning, God desired to be God with us. We blew it.

So God inspired Isaiah to write that the Son of the virgin would be Immanuel. That way He could be God with us once again. Even if being God with us meant joining us in our own chaotic mess of life to experience the nails.

He became God with us in our mess to restore the peaceful interaction of our former garden relationship; to create the opportunity for that relationship once again in the glory of eternity. He became God with us to experience our chaos so that one day we will experience “God’s dwelling is with humanity, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will no longer exist; grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer, because the previous things have passed away” (Revelation 21:3-4).

God experienced the chaos, life, and death of the nails so that we wouldn’t have too. He experienced them so that He might remove them from our lives and someday wipe away our tears, grief, and pain. He became God with us so He could be the fulfillment of all our hopes and expectations.

“The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

Good & Evil: Where will we live after a world of evil

“Boko Haram has emerged as one of the world's most dangerous and violent Islamic terrorist sects.”

This quote is from an article entitled Photo prompts speculation Nigeria’s Boko Haram leader killed in battle  at FoxNews.com (Warning: Link contains graphic images). We’ve talked about the atrocities of Boko Haram a lot over the last few weeks as we consider some aspects of Psalm 37. As you can probably guess by the title, the leader of this brutal terrorist group may be dead. But if you read the article, you’ll find that authorities don’t know for sure if he’s dead or alive. The man in the gruesome photos may be a body double. To further increase suspicion, neighboring militant groups have reported his death before only to be proven false later.

Perhaps he is dead, in which case I mourn for the state of his soul. Heaven doesn’t await those who reject the message of Jesus. Perhaps he is still alive, in which case hope remains for him. It’s happened before.

Either way, Scripture assures us of the outcome of the evil among us. That’s what we’re going to read about today in this final section of our study on Psalm 37.

We’ve already studied who we are as children of God in the midst of an evil world. We looked at what we should do and what God will do for us – His children – in an evil world. Today, we wrap up the study by comparing the final outcome of the children of God with the outcome of those who reject His message of salvation. Where will each group live for eternity?

Outcome for God’s Children

37:3 – Live securely. As a shepherd watches over his flock, God will watch over His children. That’s the message here; it’s a familiar one in the New Testament. “I am the good shepherd. I know My own sheep, and they know Me, as the Father knows Me, and I know the Father. I lay down My life for the sheep. But I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd” (John 10:14-16).

37:4 – Obtain our heart’s desires. If we delight in Him, He grants our heart’s desires. The first half is the balance to the second half. God doesn’t give everyone everything we want. But for those who delight in Him – who make Him their reason to be happy – He will grant you your heart’s desires. A key factor here is that when He is our reason to be happy, then the desires of our heart align themselves with what He would want as well. “The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:17 NIV).

37:11 – Enjoy abundant prosperity. I’m not sure about the word “prosperity” here. The Hebrew is the common word shalom which can mean prosperity but is more commonly translated as peace. In our world of war, I like the idea of abundant peace in the end for God’s children. “And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).

37:19 – Won’t be disgraced; will be satisfied. A reality of life is that hard times are going to come. Quite often, the presence of evil in the world causes those hard times. And yet, God’s children won’t be ashamed or disappointed during those times. They will be satisfied. “Then Jesus took the loaves, and after giving thanks He distributed them to those who were seated – so also with the fish, as much as they wanted” (John 6:11).

37:24 – Won’t be overwhelmed. The idea behind this phrase is something causes you to be hurled or thrown down. God’s children fell; we’ve all sinned. Satan sinned too and the result for him was to be cast down from heaven. We sinned but God sent a Savior so that we won’t be overwhelmed – we won’t be cast down from God’s presence in the end. “Anyone not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15).

37:37 – Will have a future. This phrase is similar to the ones we read in verses 11 and 24. When the end comes, the child of God will know peace. The evil will be cast into the lake of fire but the child of God will rest in His presence. “Look! God’s dwelling is with humanity, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will no longer exist; grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer, because the previous things have passed away” (Revelation 21:3-4).

37:3, 9, 11, 18, 22, 27, 29, 34 – Inherit the land and dwell in it forever. I saved the best for last; isn’t it amazing how these are building one on the other? What an example of God’s perfect word! God promised the land to Abraham for his descendants. This physical Promised Land symbolizes a spiritual Promised Land that awaits each of Abraham’s descendants – an eternity in heaven! You can read all of Romans 4 to see this but for now, “Abraham believed God and it was credited to him for righteousness. … This is why the promise is by faith, so that it may be according to grace, to guarantee it to all the descendants – not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of Abraham’s faith. He is the father of us all” (Romans 4:3, 16).

Outcome for the Evil

37:2, 10 – Will wither and wilt. The evil have no lasting place. They’re like a plant that is here today and gone tomorrow. “The grass withers, the flowers fade when the breath of the LORD blows on them; indeed, the people are grass. The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the word of our God remains forever” (Isaiah 40:7-8).

37:15 – Pierced by their own swords. Their own actions – their own choices – will bring them to destruction in the end. “The LORD has revealed Himself; He has executed justice, striking down the wicked by the work of their hands” (Psalm 9:16).

37:15 – Bows will be broken. God will not allow their wars and evil to continue. In the future, He will return a second time to reign in peace. At that time, He alone will be exalted among the nations. “He makes wars cease throughout the earth. He shatters bows and cuts spears to pieces; He burns up the chariots. ‘Stop your fighting – and know that I am God, exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth’” (Psalm 46:9-10).

37:17 – Arms (or power) will be broken. The Hebrew word for “arms” is often symbolic of power throughout the Old Testament. It is even translated as such a few times. The power of God and the light of His truth are foundations for followers of Christ. Yet, for those who reject Him and choose evil, “Light is withheld from the wicked, and the arm raised in violence is broken” (Job 38:15).

37:20 – Will perish and fade away. They come to nothing. No one remembers the wicked in grandeur. The hopes of the wicked die with them. “As smoke is blows away, so You blow them away. As wax melts before the fire, so the wicked are destroyed before God” (Psalm 68:2).

37:9, 22, 28, 34, 38 – Will be destroyed. Wicked, evildoers, cursed, children of the wicked, and future of the wicked; God brings all of it to destruction. The outcome for God’s children ends with our freedom to inherit and dwell in the land forever. It’s not so for the evil. “For the upright will inhabit the land, and those of integrity will remain in it; but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous uprooted from it” (Proverbs 2:21-22).

So,

We’ve asked a series of questions and looked to Psalm 37 for answers. We could probably ask several more. But we’ve seen the truth already; we must decide what we’re going to do about it.

Who are we in a world of evil? We’re those who live differently from the ways of the world as we follow the way God designed for us to live.

What should we do in a world of evil? We can turn our focus to Almighty God as we trust Him and intertwine our lives with Him.

What does God do in a world of evil? He is there for us in ways we can never imagine providing us with all that we need.

Finally, what are the outcomes for both the good and the evil? Where will they live for eternity? This is the question where we face a decision. We’ve talked about the evil of groups like Boko Haram and ISIS. But we’re all evil. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” and our “heart is more deceitful than anything else and incurable” (Romans 3:23 and Jeremiah 17:9, respectively). We are among the evil until we choose to surrender to Jesus and give Him our sinful heart by faith. In His infinite grace, He forgives the evils of our deceitful hearts and makes us one of His children. He brings us into the sheepfold and allows us to be among those who inherit the land, as we mentioned earlier in this article. Click here to read more about finding a relationship with Christ.

Click here to read the previous article in this series.

Good & Evil: What God does in a world of evil

As we enter the third part in this current series, the terrorist organization ISIS has given us a new consideration of evil this past week. After the previous executions of two American journalists, they broadcast internationally via YouTube as they beheaded British aid worker David Haines.

This trio of murders is both appalling and horrific. And yet, they represent only a small portion of the evil atrocities committed in our world even in just this past week. God alone knows the number of those who have suffered at the hands of the violent.

I don’t personally know John Yakubu or any of the Nigerian Christians slaughtered by Boko Haram this past summer. I’ve never met James Foley, Steven Sotloff, or David Haines. My daily life might be more comfortable if I ignored their stories along with the stories of all those who suffer. But every act of evil ripples out over the earth; eventually those ripples intersect with my life.

That’s why I need to know how to live as a child of God in a world of evil.

To that end, Psalm 37 is proving to be a great source of information. First, we learned some of the qualities we should have as children of God in an evil world. Second, we learned some of the things we should do as God’s children in a world of evil. Today we’ll see some of the actions God has promised to us before we wrap up next week with a look at the outcome for both the wicked and the righteous.

You might want to take a minute to read Psalm 37 before proceeding.

What God does in a world of evil

37:17, 24 – The Lord supports the righteous. He holds our hand. He sustains us even when hard times press in so close we fear they may knock us to our knees. Isaiah wrote during an era when the evil Assyrian empire was growing and Israel was declining. Yet He said of the Lord, “You will keep the mind that is dependent on You in perfect peace, for it is trusting in You (Isaiah 26:3).

37:18 – The Lord watches over the blameless. God is watching; He knows what’s going on. He sees that you have stayed strong even when evil permeated around you. Job knew about holding fast to our beliefs even when we endure suffering. Yet he wrote, “He knows the way I have taken; when He has tested me, I will emerge as pure gold” (Job 23:10).

37:23 – The Lord establishes our steps. He directs the way we should go; He knows the way that is best. David faced a lot of adversity in his path to the throne of Israel. But in the end, he looked back – and forward – and realized, “When your time comes and you [David] rest with your fathers, I will raise up after you your descendant, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He will build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (2 Samuel 7:12-13).

37:23 – The Lord takes pleasure in our way. When we follow in the path that God has established for us, He is happy about it! We please Him. The Israelites had their ups and downs as far as following in the path God had for them. However, after their 40+ year exodus from slavery in Egypt, they knew “If the LORD is pleased with us, He will bring us into this land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and give it to us” (Numbers 14:8). And you know what? We also have our own spiritual Promised Land waiting at the end of our journey if we follow in His way.

37:28, 33 – The Lord will not abandon us. God’s not going anywhere. He didn’t bring us this far just to abandon us here! Joshua journeyed a long ways with God under Moses’ leadership. When God called him to succeed Moses, He also reminded him three times, “The LORD is the One who will go before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged” (Deuteronomy 31:8; see also Deuteronomy 31:6 and Joshua 1:5).

37:28 – The Lord will keep us safe. He will be on guard over you just as He would guard Himself. He has cut covenant with us which He can’t and won’t forsake. Nehemiah knew God’s covenants; that’s why when he mourned over the crumbling of Jerusalem he could also say, “Yahweh, the God of heaven, the great and awe-inspiring God who keeps His gracious covenant with those who love Him and keep His commands” (Nehemiah 1:5).

37:33 – The Lord will not allow us to be condemned. We’re guilty; all of us are worthy of condemnation. But God denies any condemnation for His children. The psalmist Asaph recognized God’s enemies rise up against us to imprison and kill us. Yet, he also knew the source of redemption when he wrote, “May the groans of the prisoners come before you; by the strength of your arm preserve those condemned to die” (Psalm 79:11).

37:39 – The Lord gives us salvation. Victory is ours; deliverance will come. Solomon – the wisest man who ever lived – realized we rely only on God when he wrote, “No wisdom, no understanding, and no counsel will prevail against the LORD. A horse is prepared for battle, but victory comes from the LORD” (Proverbs 21:30-31).

37:39 – The Lord gives us refuge. He is our place of safety; He alone is a harbor of protection. Nahum prophesied against Nineveh for her evil, cruelty, and barbaric practices. Even in the midst of such atrocities however, Nahum recognized, “The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him” (Nahum 1:7 NIV).

37:40 – The Lord helps, delivers, and saves us. He will surround us in support. He will make a way for us to escape. He will bring us to victory. More than any other person in the Bible, Jesus knew unjust suffering. He felt the sting of His enemy in a way none of His followers will ever have to feel. That’s why the suffering of Psalm 22 is prophetic of His suffering. And yet, Psalm 22 includes “Our fathers trusted in You; they trusted, and you rescued them. … He relies on the LORD; let Him rescue him; let the LORD deliver him, since He takes pleasure in him. … Do not be far from me, because distress is near and there is no one to help. … Save me from the mouth of the lion!” (Psalm 22:4, 8, 11, 21).

So, …

Whether we choose to confront or hide from the prevalent evil, God promises that He will act. God will be there when the ripples of evil intersect with our life. He will support, watch over, and establish us. He will take pleasure in our journey toward Him. He will never abandon us and will keep us safe. He will not allow us to be condemned as He ensures our salvation. He alone will help us to a place of deliverance and refuge.

Thank you, Lord, for these powerful promises in the midst of an evil world.

Click here to read the previous article.

Click here to read the next and last article in this series.

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...

Find Hope in the Midst of Sorrow

On the day this article publishes, I’ll be attending a funeral for a friend of mine, the mother of one of my spiritual sisters. It’s going to be kind of a sad day but not nearly as sad as the last few weeks have been as she lay in a hospital bed, sometimes incoherent, always in pain, her body weakening by the day.

But it’s also going to be kind of a happy day, as well. We’ll talk about that more later, though.

My friend’s mom passed away a few days ago. That night, I took dinner to my friend and her extended family who had gathered at her dad’s house. As we sat – looking through old pictures and telling stories of favorite memories – my friend said something that resonated in my ears.

“I don’t know how people who have no hope do this.”

I said almost the exact same words to my dad the day before we buried my mom.

We’ve all lost loved ones. Many of us have even done so prematurely. Sometimes death comes at the end of many years after a life fully lived. Sometimes the loss comes with the warning of disease and suffering; other times shock overwhelms us as accidents or tragic events cause the loss.

Early or late in life, with warning or sudden shock; such are only two examples of differences that define the last moments of our loved ones.

One more difference defines the passing of our loved ones. One more difference separates anguish from bittersweet sorrow. One more difference defines the moment as full or devoid of hope.

Jesus is that difference.

The triune God is the God of Hope because Jesus' death and resurrection made hope possible. He is the God of Hope because the Holy Spirit empowers us to overflow with hope. Hope - made possible by Jesus, given by God, empowered by the Holy Spirit.

This was the difference in my mom’s death and the death of my friend’s mom. This was the difference for a couple who taught me about Him when I was a teenager. This was the difference for a man who lived a testimony of Him every day of his life. The rejection of the God of Hope has also made a difference for some I know who’ve passed on without Him.

There’s something you need to know about hope that comes from Christ. We use the word hope for an event or item that we wish or desire might happen. We hope to go on vacation this summer. Or, we hope doctors find a cure for heart disease. These things may or may not happen; we just hope they do. Scripture removes the uncertainty of hope, however.

Jesus never taught on hope because for Him the reality of the future is as certain as the reality of this present moment. He doesn’t wish He could return for us someday. He doesn’t aspire to offer us the same resurrection from the dead that He Himself experienced. He doesn’t dream of a kingdom on earth where He reigns in peace and righteousness. He is the reality and the surety of each of those coming events. His life and death guarantee their future fulfillment. So, in a relationship with Christ, hope is absolute and certain. It isn’t a wish, aspiration, or fanciful daydream.

My friend has the certainty of that hope for her mom just as I did years ago. The reason I spend hours writing my books and articles is so you also can know the certainty of the hope of a relationship with Jesus. Click here to read more about a relationship with Him. Use the comment section below or contact me on Facebook or Twitter if you’d like to talk even more.