Author: mmccullum

God is With Us in Our Doubts

Are you so familiar with the Christmas story that you skip through the details without really thinking about them? Since we know how it unfolds, we don’t let the drama of the events really sink in. Take Joseph, for example. Here’s what Scripture tells us about him:

“This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.”

Before reading what comes next, we need to pause. At this point in the story, it’s clear Mary had already told Joseph she was pregnant. Although she’d probably assured him her pregnancy was an act of God, it seems Joseph had his doubts. Being an honorable man, he decided to end their betrothal without drawing attention to Mary’s status as an unwed mother (which would have been incredibly shameful and punishable by death if he’d chosen to accuse her formally). We don’t always stop to consider the doubts and questions he must have wrestled with before making the painful decision to leave her.

While none of us can identify with Joseph’s unique situation, we can all relate to the idea of struggling with doubt.  Yet so often, we grapple with it silently because we worry what others would think of us if we did share. This is especially true when it comes to doubts about God or a life of faith.

There is nothing wrong with struggling with doubt. However, problems arise when we let it linger indefinitely–when we stop wrestling and allow it to take up permanent residence in our minds. This happens when we don’t press on to pursue answers. If we stop searching for clarity and peace, we acquiesce to being in a state of constant uncertainty.

Sometimes, we hide behind our doubts because it’s easier to stand on the outside and remain critical of things we don’t understand about faith. We feel smart being cynical and shy away from digging deeper and finding  answers to our difficult questions. Sometimes we even develop a sense of identity in being labeled as a skeptic.

I love the example set by one of my favorite doubters in the Bible. His story appears in Mark 9 when he asks Jesus to heal his son. He says, “If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”  Jesus responds: “If you can?  Everything is possible for him who believes.”  The man replies honestly: “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:22, NIV) Who can’t relate to that? We want to believe, yet doubt lurks in the background. It’s so much better to admit it and  to be honest before the Lord than to hide it or ignore it.

Contrary to what we may feel, doubt doesn’t need to be a hindrance to knowing God. In fact, when we pursue Him for answers, He delights in revealing Himself to us. The Bible assures us, “Come near to God and he will come near to you.” (James 4:8a, NIV)

If you’re in a season of doubting, press into God instead of turning away from Him. Seek the wisdom of someone who is further ahead of you on the journey. Let your hunger for answers lead you on a quest for truth. Some of the greatest thinkers in the Christian faith started out as skeptics and have written impactful books inspired by their journeys for answers. (C.S. Lewis, Lee Strobel and Nabeel Qureshi are a few who come to mind).

If you know someone who is doubting, don’t be unsettled by their questions. Instead, offer yourself as a safe person to help them process their thoughts. It’s unlikely you’ll have all the answers, but you can commit to looking for them together. What’s most important is that you listen and share what you’ve learned on your faith journey. Be willing to engage in fearless conversations with them and don’t be upset or shocked when they share things that are contrary to what you believe. Giving a person time and space to explore doubts is one of the best ways to show God’s love. And don’t forget, God is with you as you walk with them. He will supply the wisdom and resources you need to help them. All you have to do is ask.

Let’s circle back to Joseph’s story for a moment. Before he let his doubts about Mary’s pregnancy determine his course, the Lord provided the reassurance he needed:

“But after [Joseph] had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with us’).” (Matthew 1:18-23, NIV)

Joseph awoke from his dream with a sense of peace and purpose. He put his doubts aside, followed the angel’s directive, and took Mary as his wife. He rested in the knowledge that God was with him.

The angel’s declaration that the child growing in Mary’s womb was “God with us” was good news not just for Joseph, but for all of us. The truth of those words is so simple and yet so profound. God came to earth in the form of a human so that we could know Him and find constant companionship through His Holy Spirit. Don’t let your doubts or the skepticism of someone you care about be a hindrance to connecting with  God. Remember even in the midst of doubt, He is with us.

The song “A Strange Way to Save the World” sung from the perspective of Joseph gives an example of what it looks like to wrestle before God with honest questions. Listen and let it give you a fresh perspective on the Christmas story.

This post was inspired by a December sermon series at CPC Danville entitled “With Us.” Click here to watch the first sermon by Pastor Tyler Scott.

“With Us” banner on the header provided by CPC Danville.

The Gateway to God

Turning the pages in old photo albums recently, I discovered a picture I’d taken on a trip to Europe many years ago.  There’s no doubt, the Eiffel Tower is one of the most widely recognized structures in the world. Of course, Paris isn’t alone in having a noteworthy landmark– many cities are identified by their famous towers. It’s just part of human nature to want to create a structure that gives a place a distinct identity. For citizens who live there, it’s often a symbol that evokes a sense of pride.

After reading the story of the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11, it’s clear people have been doing this since ancient times: “Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. They said to each other, ‘Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.’ They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.’” (Genesis 11:1-4)

By the time construction on this tower was underway, these descendants of Noah were showing signs of drifting from the path of righteousness. The most obvious example of this was their reason for building the tower—they wanted to make a name for themselves. The tower wasn’t meant to bring honor to God, but to bring them glory. Instead of following the Lord’s mandate to expand His kingdom on earth, they used their God-given skills and intellect to further their own agenda.

The underlying issue here is the sin of pride. While some positive forms of pride help us to have self-respect or to put forth our best effort, the sin of pride takes this to an unhealthy level. It’s more about elevating ourselves. It lacks the humility to see how God makes our success possible. One definition describes pride as “a feeling or deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one’s own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired.” Saint Augustine describes it as “the love of one’s own excellence.”

Those constructing the Tower of Babel set out to build something that would be widely admired. Author Florence Littauer explains, “Although the word Babel means ‘gate of God,’ our God knew this tower was not a doorway to his holiness but instead a step toward the reverence of humanity.” A quick look at Scripture reveals that pride and self-glorification are not the gateway to God:

  • Proverbs 16:18 
    “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”
  • Isaiah 57:15
    “For this is what the high and exalted One says—he who lives forever, whose name is holy: ‘I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.’”
  • 1 Peter 5:5-6
    “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.”
  • 1 John 2:16-17
    “For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”

While it’s clear that the true gateway to God is through humility, even those who follow Him are susceptible to the sin of pride. Anytime we want “credit” for something good we’ve said or done, we’re elevating ourselves and slipping into a prideful mindset. (That’s really convicting for me). We can also unintentionally tempt others to become prideful. For example, when we put gifted pastors or leaders on a pedestal and overemphasize their personal qualities, we’re inviting them to view themselves as special or superior. If we’re not giving God the glory for the good in ourselves and others we admire, the sin of pride is not far away.

Rather than making a name for ourselves, we would be wise to heed to words of Proverbs 18:10: “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.” (NKJV)

Casting Crowns’ song “Only Jesus” has one of the best messages I’ve heard for combating the sin of pride. It’s a bold proclamation to reject self-glorification and to point people toward Jesus instead.

Florence Littauer, Journey to Jesus, p. 58, Hensley Publishing, 2004.

Jen Wilkin, God of Creation, Week 10, Lifeway Press, 2018.

All Scriptures quoted from the New International Version except where noted.

Defiant Thankfulness

Smoke hangs thickly in the air, making my throat dry and my eyes burn. Looking out my kitchen window, I can’t even see the outline of the hills across town that are usually in plain view.  An enormous wildfire rages about 150 miles from my home, but its effects can be detected all around us. People seem heavy hearted, both from the stifling air and the sadness of knowing so many lives and homes have been lost.

And yet, the holiday season is fast approaching. A few days ago I pushed my cart through a store as an employee loaded plump turkeys into a refrigerated display. It feels paradoxical to be preparing for Thanksgiving when there is so much grief and sadness in our world. And yet, expressing thankfulness in times of distress is exactly what the Bible calls us to do.

Throughout the Psalms, we see laments followed by thanksgiving and praise. One of my favorites says, “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” (Psalm 42:5 NIV)

I love the resolve of the downcast Psalmist who says, “I will yet praise him.” It takes effort and intentionality to look beyond our difficult circumstances and to praise God anyway. But the act of giving Him thanks causes us to remember His faithfulness and to rest assured that He’s still in control. The Psalmist didn’t wait until his situation was resolved, but thanked God in the midst of his troubles. He didn’t know how the circumstances would turn out, but he knew he served a good God who deserved praise and thanksgiving, no matter what.

I think there’s a lesson for us in our own trials. Smoky air may obscure my view of the mountains, but it doesn’t mean the mountains have ceased to exist. Similarly, there are seasons in life when God feels far away, when His plans and purposes seem veiled. When we’re not careful, we can let those feelings alter our perception. Fear, uncertainty, or bitterness may cloud our vision and cause us to think He’s not there for us, even though His Word promises He will never leave us or forsake us.

If you’re in a season of personal discouragement or fretting over the latest string of tragedies in our world, it’s time to draw near to God with a thankful heart. Author and teacher Lysa TerKeurst suggests using the following prayer strategy when you’re struggling through a dark time and need God to shed His light on it:

  1. Thank God for the prayers that have already been answered about the situation. Pay attention to small changes and things you might have taken for granted.
  2. Thank God for the strength you (and others) are gaining in the process. Thank Him for each time you’ve gone to Him to shed light on your situation. Thank Him for trading your struggle for His strength.
  3. Thank God for the reality that a black hole isn’t a black whole. The whole isn’t all bad—there are still some good things happening despite the hard ones. Thank Him for specific things going on in your life or in the world around you that are still good.*

Turning our laments into prayers of Thanksgiving reminds us of God’s goodness and enables us to reaffirm our trust in Him. When we trade our struggles and fears for His strength and hope, our minds are renewed and our spirits are rejuvenated. I’ve found this to be true personally as I’ve journaled prayers using Lysa’s strategy. Over the past few months it has given me clear direction for praying through specific challenges in my life.

This Thanksgiving, stand firm in the face of hopelessness and discouragement. Instead of focusing on what’s wrong in your life or in the world, boldly proclaim, “I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”

Listen to Ellie Holcomb’s song “Find You Here” and make it your prayer of defiant thankfulness in spite of difficult times.

*The three points above are adapted from Lysa TerKeurst’s Finding I Am: How Jesus Fully Satisfies the Cry of Your Heart, Lifeway Press 2017, page 59.

A Quick Look at Covenant and Atonement

Whenever I see a rainbow in the sky, I’m reminded of the ending of the story of Noah. After the flood waters receded and the ark came to rest on dry ground, Noah built an altar and made an offering to the Lord to atone for his personal sins. Then the Lord said to Noah: “I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”(Genesis 9:13-16, NIV, bold print added)

The concept of a covenant appears throughout the Bible starting with Adam and Eve and continuing until all of God’s promises are fulfilled by Jesus. Covenant is defined simply is “a binding relationship based on a promise.”  In his book The Marriage Ref, pastor and author Tyler Scott explains: “The old covenant first began to take shape in Genesis 2.  There, God makes a covenant with Adam in language that is strong, clear and definitive: The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.’” (Genesis 2:15-16, NIV)

God continued to make covenants with people in stories recorded throughout Scripture, in spite of their sinfulness. In the Old Testament, the two parties of a covenant would cut animals in half and walk between the divided carcasses. This was the symbol of stepping into a covenant relationship with one another. “When the parties of a covenant walked between the pieces of bloodied animal flesh, they were saying, in effect, ‘I will fulfill this covenant—and if I break it, may I be cut into bloody pieces like these dismembered animals.’” God made a covenant like this with Abraham in Genesis 15 when He promised to give him descendants and to bless the world through them. He did this “knowing full well that Abraham and all human beings were incapable of keeping the covenant.” (Tyler Scott, The Marriage Ref p. 34-35)

Many years later, Abraham’s ancestors were instructed by Moses to make animal sacrifices to God to atone for their sins. Author Florence Littauer explains, “There was no access to God without first making a sacrifice. Sin could only be forgiven by the substitution of an animal for the sinner himself—an innocent animal had to die in the place of the guilty man.” (Journey to Jesus, p. 210) These animal sacrifices would be made in the tabernacle (and later in the temple) by a high priest.

When Jesus came as the Messiah, He served not only as the ultimate high priest, but also as the perfect lamb to be sacrificed. Through His death, He made atonement for the sins of humans for all time. The book of Hebrews explains:

“Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son [Jesus] also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying…he came to help the descendants of Abraham. Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people.” (Hebrews 2:14-17, NLT)

The writer of Hebrews goes on to say: “[Jesus] is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven. Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins.” (Hebrews 7:26-27 ,NLT)

The final blood sacrifice for the atonement of sins was made in the New Testament with Jesus’ death on the cross: “God, through His Son, allowed himself to be torn to pieces—not because He broke the covenant, but because we did. He knew we couldn’t keep our end of the bargain, so he said, ‘I’ll do it for you.  I’ll pay the debt you can never repay.’ God fulfilled both the old covenant and the new covenant.”  (Tyler Scott, The Marriage Ref p. 34-35)

It’s amazing to recognize the seamlessness of Scripture and to see that it all points to Jesus. As graphic and awful as the description of blood covenants and sacrifices for atonement sound, our sin is even more horrific to God. Yet, in His mercy, Jesus made it possible for us to be washed clean and made new.

So, as His followers, what should our response be to this amazing news? I couldn’t say it any better than the writer of Hebrews: “Let us hold firmly to what we believe… [and] let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” (excerpts from Hebrews 4:14-16 NLT)

Phil Wickham’s song “Living Hope” celebrates Jesus as the One who fulfilled God’s covenant and made atonement for our sins. Why not have a worship moment right now? Praise God for fulfilling His covenant promise and making the atonement we weren’t capable of making for ourselves.

Jen Wilkin, God of Creation week 9, Lifeway Press, 2017.

Photo courtesy of pixabay.com

Between Flood and Fire

Disconcerting news headlines featuring stories about hatred, divisions, and acts of violence constantly demand our attention. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that the world was even worse in ancient times. And yet, Scripture tells us:

“The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So the Lord said, ‘I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.’” (Genesis 6:5-7, NIV)

Thankfully, in the midst of pure evil, one man stood apart: “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord…Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.”  (Genesis 6:8-9b)

Many of us know the story because of its fantastic imagery and outrageous events. We marvel at the thought of an enormous ark roughly the size of a football field, the pairs of animals that came to Noah to be herded onto it, and the deluge of rain that lasted forty days and forty nights.

What we don’t think about is that the earth will be destroyed again. In the New Testament, we find a parallel between the first destruction by flood and the future one by fire: “Long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.” (2 Peter 3:5b-7, NIV)

Before you start to panic, be encouraged by what Peter says next: “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:8-9, NIV)

Rest assured, God isn’t gleefully rubbing His hands together counting the days until fire rains down on the earth. He’s waiting patiently, hoping as many people as possible will choose to seek forgiveness for their sins, accept Jesus as their savior, and begin a relationship with Him. He’s merciful and longs for all people to choose the gift of grace He offers. And while the eventual destruction of the earth sounds upsetting, the good news is that God will create a new heaven and a new earth.

So, what are we called to do during this season between the flood and the fire? Here’s what Peter says:

“Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him…Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:11-14. 17-18, NIV)

Although we live in a depraved world, we can be thankful that there are many who still seek God and that the inclinations of all people aren’t “only evil all the time.” Together, we can follow Noah’s example of obedience and heed Peter’s warnings. Here are three things to keep in mind:

-We should be people whose priorities reflect our beliefs. If we believe what the Bible says, we know the world is temporary and we should live for the One who is eternal. We need to ask ourselves regularly if we’re living for things that will fall away or things that will last forever. If we are consumed with what we have and don’t have in this life, our hearts and minds are blocked from focusing on things that are of eternal significance.

-We shouldn’t delay in receiving the Lord’s forgiveness and beginning a personal relationship with Him. If we know Him, we should be intentional and prayerful about sharing Him with others. God is patiently waiting for as many people as possible to come to Him, but there will come a day when the waiting will end.

-We should keep growing in grace and knowledge. If we’re not moving forward in our faith journey, we’re slipping backward. We must guard what Christ has given us and continually nurture our new nature.

Click on the link and enjoy the final words of 2 Peter 3 in “The Benediction” by Timothy James Meaney.

Jen Wilkin, God of Creation Week 8, Lifeway Press 2017

The three bullet points at the end of the post are a compilation of a sermon by John Durham, Lead Pastor of Highland Church in Waco, TX (Nov. 4, 2018).

Keep Walking

The Old Testament book of Genesis mentions a man named Enoch whose greatest claims to fame were that he “walked with God” and that he didn’t experience death (Genesis 5:21 & Hebrews 11:5). While Scripture doesn’t clarify how the rest of us can circumvent physical death and be taken straight to heaven, it does have quite a bit to say about walking with God. The physical act of walking doesn’t involve tremendous skill or fitness, but it does require forward motion. Turns out this is also true of our spiritual walk with the Lord. The pages of Scripture include many words of wisdom–here are a few things I’ve learned about walking with God:

    • Talking about God’s Word is meant to be a regular part of daily life. The Bible isn’t intended to be a reference book on the shelf, but a daily guide for our actions, choices, and relationships with others. It’s meant to be shared and discussed, not kept to ourselves: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”(Deuteronomy 6:5-7, NIV, italics added)
    • God wants to walk with us through our hardships and challenges. His constant presence guides us through our fears and difficulties. He comforts and protects us in painful seasons: “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right path for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:2-4, NIV, italics added)
    • Constant acknowledgement of God and awareness of His presence leads to blessing. Staying closely connect to Him keeps us grounded in truth and walking in the right direction: “Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, Lord.” (Psalm 89:15, NIV, italics added)
    • Walking with God enables us to draw strength from Him continually: “Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:30-31, NIV, italics added)
    • Walking with God consistently helps us keep our priorities in the right order. It enables us to align with God’s agenda instead of expecting Him to align with ours, reminding us that He is sovereign and we are His humble servants. His constant companionship helps us determine where to invest our time and attention: “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8, NIV, italics added)
    • Walking with God keeps us out of the darkness of evil, confusion, ignorance and sin. Life is truly fulfilling when we walk in the light of God’s love and grace: “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” (John 8:12, NIV, italics added)
    • Walking with Jesus purifies us from sin and connects us to fellow travelers on the road of faith: “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7, NIV, italics added)
    • Walking with Jesus enables us to be obedient to Him and frees us to love others as He’s called us to do: “And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.” (2 John 6, NIV, italics added)

The idea of “walking by faith” means that we are striving to see the world through the lens of our belief in God and what we learn by studying the Bible. Instead of taking things at face value, we look for the spiritual implications and opportunities for growth that exist within them. We continually ask God to show us what He wants us to learn through the situations we face.  We expect to see Him at work in our lives and are open to letting Him change us into better versions of ourselves: “So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight.”  (2 Corinthians 5:6-7, ESV, italics added)

Ultimately, we don’t just want to be people who talk about faith philosophically once or twice a week at church and Bible study.  We want to display faith through our actions, decisions, and lifestyle.  This happens as we grow in our understanding of God and learn to trust Him more

If any of these things are new concepts for you, don’t fret!  Learning and growing is an ongoing process, not a one-time transaction. Whether you’re taking the first step in your faith walk or continuing the next leg of a long journey, you’re headed in the right direction if Jesus is your constant companion.

“Walk by Faith” by Jeremy Camp provides a great reminder for us to walk consistently with God, no matter what.

God of Creation by Jen Wilkin (week 7), Lifeway Press 2017.

Artwork by Jen Murphy

Outward Show, Inward Resistance

Teaching our boys how to give a sincere apology was a big priority for my husband and me. We never wanted them to say a flippant “sorry” just for show or to appease us. So, we stressed the importance of sincerity, of having the words that came from their mouths be consistent with what they were really feeling in their hearts.

After one especially heated argument, we separated the boys to cool down before encouraging them to reconcile. A few minutes later, our older son pulled himself together and tried to smooth things over: “I’m sorry, will you forgive me?” Still simmering with anger, his brother spat back, “Those are just words from your mouth, not feelings from your heart.” Even at that young age he understood the importance of authenticity and integrity.  (Honestly, I can’t recall whether my older son’s apology was sincere or my younger son was just lashing out because he was still mad).

I think this idea of consistency between our interiors and exteriors applies to our interactions with God also. It matters to Him that our words and actions align with our hearts. He values pure motives and selfless intentions, not hollow acts done to fulfill obligations. The first time we see this idea is in the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4. The brothers each present an offering before the Lord, but only one is found acceptable. Reading the story, we can make some educated guesses about why Cain’s offering didn’t find favor with God:

“In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.” (Genesis 4:3-5, NIV)

While Abel offered the firstborn of his flock, Cain brought “some of the fruits of the soil.” Based on other passages in Scripture, it seems the fact that Cain didn’t offer the first fruits was significant (See Deuteronomy 26:10, Exodus 13:2,12). Offerings were meant to honor God; giving the first and best demonstrated this. It also showed gratitude for the Lord’s provision and trust that He would continue to provide beyond the first yield of a crop or first birth of an animal.

Secondly, Cain’s reaction to the Lord’s explanation reveals there was no heart behind His offering: “Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.’” (Genesis 4:6-7, NIV)

Instead of having a contrite heart and being grieved that his offering didn’t please the Lord, Cain grew angry. He had gone through the outward show of honoring God, but his negative response betrayed an inner resistance. He was attempting to fulfill an obligation instead of truly worshiping the Lord.

So, what can we learn from Cain about bringing offerings before the Lord, whether it is our time, our gifts, our skills or our material resources? How can we avoid being like him and giving offerings that are unacceptable in the Lord’s sight?

The most important thing we can do is to engage our hearts when we give. Responding to the love of God and desiring to show Him honor and gratitude should always be the motivators for our giving. Maybe this story can prompt us to take inventory on what’s motivating us to give our time, talent and treasure to God.

Obligation: If we give because we “should,” we often do the bare minimum required. Maybe it’s using a food drive to offload some expired canned goods or buying the most inexpensive gifts you can find for the underprivileged family you adopted for Christmas. If you’re looking for the easiest and cheapest ways to give, you might be meeting an obligation rather than offering God your first and best.

Guilt: If you’re giving your time or resources because you feel bad or someone coerced you into it, the focus is on making yourself feel better or satisfying another person’s demands. There isn’t much room for honoring God with either of these attitudes.

Personal Agenda: If you’re motivated to give because it makes you look good or elevates your status with a group of people, then your giving is purely about you. If you want to be sure others know you’ve given (and how much) that should be a red flag that you’ve lost the right focus.

Getting Something in Return: If the only motivation for giving is getting a tax write off or the chance to win a prize or to receive a gift, then something is out of balance. If you give your time to make a business connection or to feel like you’re part of the “in” group or to receive special treatment from others, you’ve lost sight of the point of giving. Sometimes there are perks to offering our time and resources to God, but if they are our main motivation, then it’s honoring us, not Him.

Pleasing Others: Occasionally our giving is purely motivated by wanting to please others. Our offerings can sometimes be a result of peer pressure. We’re worried we’ll look bad if we don’t give/serve/participate. Ministries and good causes are typically started by people with passion and heart. When we forget the main purpose for our involvement and do it for ulterior reasons, honoring God is lost in the shuffle.

When we go through the motions of giving to God without engaging our hearts, our offerings become obligations to fulfill rather than acts of gratitude born out of love. It’s easy to look good on the outside by offering our time, talent and treasure to God. It’s more difficult to maintain authenticity with each gift we offer Him.

How important it is to remember “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7b, NIV)

Feeling convicted by something on the list above? Why not take it to God in prayer? Use Matthew West’s song “The Motions” to inspire you.

Jen Wilkin, God of Creation: A Study of Genesis 1-11 Week 6, Lifeway Press, 2017

Reclaiming Your Spiritual Authority

Glancing in the rearview mirror, my heart skipped a beat as I saw the police car’s flashing lights. A quick look at the dashboard showed that I wasn’t speeding before I eased the car onto the shoulder. I’d been taking a shift behind the wheel as my husband and I made the 1700-mile drive to our son’s college halfway across the country.

Leaning into the passenger side window, the officer scanned my license and registration and asked where we were from and where we were going. His heavy boots crunched in the roadside gravel as he returned to his police cruiser to check my information. There was nothing we could do but wait. He had total authority over the situation. Eventually he returned and explained I hadn’t been following a driving law that was unique to his state. Thankfully, he let me off with a warning. (But not before my husband snapped a photo in the sideview mirror to rat me out to our son…)

I hadn’t even realized I was doing something wrong because the rules of the road are different where I live. Nonetheless, the police officer had authority over me as I drove through his jurisdiction.

It may sound strange, but that incident came to mind as I was reading Genesis 1 & 2 recently.  God created the world and then gave Adam and Eve authority to rule over it. (Their authority and “jurisdiction” were a bit more significant than the officer who pulled me over.) God gave them free will, allowing them to choose His way or to follow their own path.

Everything He had given them was good, but it wasn’t long before Satan came in the form of a serpent and enticed Eve to doubt God. By tempting her to disobey Him and eat the forbidden fruit, the enemy implied her Creator might be withholding something desirable from her. He mocked the Lord’s warning that eating from the tree would lead to death:

“‘You will not certainly die,’ the serpent said to the woman. ‘For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.” (Genesis 3:4-6, NIV)

By choosing to disobey, Adam and Eve unknowingly relinquished the authority God had given them at creation. They were too naïve to understand that everything under their authority would fall when they fell. Their actions brought a curse on all of creation and gave Satan authority over all that God had given them. The world would be under his jurisdiction from that point forward.

Because of this, Satan could legitimately claim authority over the earth when he tempted Jesus many years later: “The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, ‘I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours’” (Luke 4:5-7, NIV). Fortunately, Jesus refused the enemy’s temptation and succeeded in obeying His Father where Adam and Eve had failed. During Christ’s life on earth, He set aside His nature as God and lived as a human so He could pay the penalty for the sins of humankind:

“[Jesus] Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:6-8, NIV)

When God resurrected Jesus from death, Satan was defeated and stripped of his authority: “For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive… Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet” (1 Corinthians 15:21-22, 24-25, NIV).

Jesus commands ultimate authority and respect and, as His followers, we have access to that same authority. Jesus said to His disciples: “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you” (Luke 10:18-19, NIV). He returned us to the original place of authority for which we were created. He also gave us the Holy Spirit to guide and empower us (see Acts 2:38-39).

We have jurisdiction over the earth– it is ours to reclaim, if only we will recognize this and act upon it.  Satan was defeated at the cross, but he will continue to wreak havoc on the earth until Jesus returns. There’s no need to fear, however, because we know how the story ends: “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you” (Romans 16:20, NIV).

Do you understand the authority God has given you? Are you using it to combat the enemy and to expand the Lord’s kingdom in your spheres of influence?

If you want to learn more about these concepts, consider reading Charles Kraft’s book I Give You Authority, which provided the inspiration for this post. The information here is only a brief overview of this weighty topic.

Jen Wilkin, God of Creation: A Study of Genesis 1-11, Lifeway Press 2017

Be Fruitful and Multiply

If my kids ever decide to map out their family tree, they’ll discover that the branches aren’t balanced or symmetrical. Some of their ancestors came from enormous families and produced limbs that were laden with bountiful fruit. Some stand alone, signifying the final offspring of a branch. Until recently, I never thought about why we use the symbol of a tree when we depict our ancestry visually. Maybe it has a connection to God’s language  when He delivers His plan for humanity in the opening pages of Genesis. Moments after creating man and woman in His image, God gives them some clear instructions, usually referred to as the Cultural Mandate:

And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Genesis 1:28, ESV).

At first glance, the mandate He gives seems straightforward and practical: they need to “be fruitful and multiply” by procreating to populate the earth. Their job is to bring order and structure to His creation and to oversee it according to His plan. However, I think there is also a deeper meaning to His words. Along with multiplying the number of people in the world, God was calling Adam and Eve to advance His kingdom on earth—to rule with, wisdom, love, and justice. He wanted them to carry out His will so that others on the planet could know and love Him as they did. Unfortunately, their choice to sin complicated this plan, but it didn’t thwart it entirely.

Throughout the Old Testament we see God’s people in a continual cycle. It would start when they rejected His way and sinned, which led to their decline as a people. This would be followed by consequences allowed by God’s hand. Eventually this would lead to them to repentance, renewed obedience, and restored relationship with Him. In between failures, the Israelites fitfully furthered His kingdom at different points in history. But it isn’t until Jesus arrives on the scene that we fully recognize the magnitude of God’s plan. “From the beginning, humanity was mandated to represent God, build culture and bring shalom to His world. Although compromised by the Fall, the mandate remains in place and is in fact fulfilled in Christ, the true God and true man who will ultimately restore His creation.” (“The Cultural Mandate: Living as Divine Image-Bearers” by Subby Szterszky. Click here for the full article.)

With Jesus’ birth, God renews His plan for His people to be fruitful and multiply to expand His kingdom—only this time it’s not so much about increasing the population as it is about changing the culture one heart at a time. His goal was for us to view ourselves and the world from His perspective instead of our own, which is why Jesus says: “No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again” (John 3:3, NIV). It is not until we are spiritually transformed that we can recognize God’s kingdom all around us and participate in advancing it further. Jesus explains, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst’” (Luke 17:20-21, NIV).

God’s kingdom has always been present in the world. And once we identify the places He’s moving and join Him in His work, He uses us to impact our surroundings. That’s what we’re inviting Him to do when we say: “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” in the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:10, NIV). Those words reveal our longing for God to carry out His will on earth so that His kingdom will continue to expand. This prayer acknowledges that we’re putting aside our wills and aligning ourselves with God’s agenda.

In the final days of His ministry, Jesus commissioned His followers to continue multiplying and bearing fruit when He said: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20, NIV).

He assured them of His constant presence with them, reminding them that multiplying and bearing fruit was only possible by staying closely connected with Him. Perhaps they recalled His earlier teaching:“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5. NIV).

Every follower of Jesus represents another branch on God’s family tree. And by abiding with Him, we’re equipped to share His love with others so that the branches will multiply and continue to bear more fruit in His ever-expanding kingdom.

When we walk consistently with Jesus and allow His love to flow through us, we’re doing the work of advancing God’s kingdom in a world that desperately needs Him. One of my favorite songs describing the impact we can have on our surroundings is “Build Your Kingdom Here” by Rend Collective.  Listen and make it your prayer today.

Jen Wilkin, God of Creation: A Study of Genesis 1-11, Week 4 Lifeway Press, 2017

Note: the cycle of God’s people described in paragraph four is a commonly held truth among Bible Scholars.  This particular statement is paraphrased from Gideon: Your Weakness. God’s Strength by Priscilla Shirer.

Under-Sabbathed

I’ve lived my entire life in busy metropolitan areas teeming with opportunities. My husband and I have raised our kids in a community where youth sports and extracurricular activities dominate the calendar seven days a week. For the most part, stores and restaurants are open every day too. And because of the internet, we have twenty-four-hour access to virtually everything we want or need. Life never shuts down unless we choose to remove ourselves from the normal flow of activities.

So, imagine our surprise when our son started college in another part of the country where Sundays actually look a little different from the rest of the week. The first time we visited, we were thrown off by the number of restaurants and local businesses that were closed all day. The town felt quiet and sleepy—and something about it was just so incredibly restful.

Recently I’ve been studying the account of creation described in Genesis 1 & 2. For six days God labored as He created things like light, land, stars, plants, sea creatures, animals and human beings. And at the end of each day of creation, Scripture tells us, “God saw that it was good.” This repetition continues until the seventh day: “God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done” (Genesis 2:2-3, NIV).

Other passages in Scripture tell us that God doesn’t slumber or sleep (Psalm 121) and that He will not grow tired or weary (Isaiah 40:28). So why did He rest? It wasn’t because He was tired, but because His work was complete and He saw that “it was very good” (Genesis 1:31).

Later in Scripture, after sin enters the world and God’s people have been enslaved in Egypt for 400 years, He delivers them under the leadership of Moses. The Lord gives them the Ten Commandments to instruct them how to relate with Him and with one another. His fourth commandment to them is this:

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God… For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy” (Exodus 20:8,9,11, NIV).

Is this an archaic commandment that no longer applies to us today? Was it abolished when Jesus fulfilled the law later in the New Testament? The simple answer is “no.” Times have changed, but the need for deep rest for our bodies, minds, and souls remains the same. There are many reasons to observe the Sabbath, but for the sake of brevity, I’ll touch on two highlighted by respected author, pastor and teacher Timothy Keller.

Keeping the Sabbath Reminds Us We’ve Been Liberated from Enslavement
God told the Israelites: “Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you” (Deuteronomy 15:15, NIV). When we fail to take a Sabbath rest, we are allowing ourselves to be enslaved to the tasks we’re compelled to accomplish. This could be a job, but it could also be any form of busyness that we do without ceasing. If we have the need to be productive constantly, something is out of balance and we are letting those activities enslave us.

Sabbath rest reminds us that our work and our accomplishments don’t define us, our relationship with Christ does. He liberated us from enslavement to sin and freed us from needing to find our sense of worth in anything other than Him. Observing the Sabbath helps us to put things back into perspective. It’s meant to remind us we’re free.

Keeping the Sabbath Reminds us to Trust God
Being productive makes us feel powerful and in control. It can also make us have a misplaced idea that we are indispensable. As much as it feels like it, everything doesn’t rest on our shoulders. The world won’t stop spinning on its axis and the sun won’t forget to rise if we take a day to rest. That’s why the Psalm says, “Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10 NASB) When we pause from the acts of achieving and accomplishing, we’re reminded that it’s God who holds all things together. We labor and strive in meaningful endeavors He’s given us, but ultimately it is the Lord who provides for us. We can rest because He is trustworthy. Everything doesn’t depend on us and taking a Sabbath is an act of humility that acknowledges this.

Few people would disagree with the idea that we are over-stimulated and under-sabbathed in our society today. But how should we spend our time when we change gears and downshift one day a week to let our souls catch up with us? Tim Keller suggests three things to devote ourselves to when we take a Sabbath day.

1) Enjoy an activity that is outside your usual daily routine/ occupation. Do something that re-charges and rejuvenates you. Don’t use the Sabbath to accomplish tasks on your to do list.
2) Make time for contemplation. This means taking your eyes off yourself and putting them on God. Start by attending a worship service. Add to it by spending time in prayer or reading Scripture. Set aside specific time to give the Lord the honor and praise He deserves.
3) Make time for inactivity. Let your brain and body rest. Give God room to speak to you by clearing your mind. For highly productive and capable people, doing nothing is often the one thing they struggle with most. (If this makes you squirm, know that I’m right there with you. Even writing these words is painful for me.)

Johnny Diaz’s song “Breathe” beautifully captures the importance of rest. If you don’t think you have time to watch the video, then you need to click on it right now!

Inspired by Timothy Keller’s sermon “Work and Rest” and
Jen Wilkin’s God of Creation, Week 3, Lifeway Press  2017.
Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com