Going Back to the Beginning
John 16-21
“And Jesus said to them, ‘Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you will find a catch.’ So they cast, and they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish.” (John 21:6).
Sometimes, when we fail, the best place to start is not by picking up where we left off, but by going back to the very beginning. When Jesus was arrested and crucified, the disciples were devastated and disillusioned. They could not comprehend what had happened. In their view, the Messiah was a political figure who would come and restore the glory of Israel by freeing the land from the oppressive rule of the Romans. Therefore, when they came to arrest Jesus, Peter was ready to start the campaign by fighting. However, all their dreams and aspirations were shattered when Jesus went with the mob to face his crucifixion. If Jesus was the Messiah, surely he would resist. Instead, he went to his death, passively and submissively, like a lamb to the slaughter. In light of Jesus’ passive response, it is not surprising that Peter denied being associated with Christ. Even after Jesus appeared to them after the resurrection, they failed to grasp the true intent of Jesus. Not only was Peter disillusioned because Jesus did not lead the nation in a military assault against the Romans, but he had also denied knowing Jesus. For Peter, it seemed as if all his dreams were shattered and there was nothing more to do than to go back to his former life; to go back to the Sea of Galilee and go back to fishing. So he and his coworkers went back to what they knew.  
As they were fishing, again a man stood on the shore, just as had happened three years earlier when Jesus appeared to them. As before, they had been fishing all night and caught nothing. The man again told them to cast their nets, and when they did, they caught the mother lode. So great was their catch that they could not pull the nets into the boat. For Peter, it seemed just another coincidence. But when John told Peter that it was Jesus, Peter immediately dove into the water and swam to shore. We should not miss the parallel between this event and when Jesus first appeared to him and called him to be his disciple. There are times in our lives when we have miserably failed in our walk with Christ, when it seems that our sins are so overwhelming that God cannot and will not forgive, and we begin to wonder if there is no hope. This must have been what was going through Peter’s mind. He had fled in fear and disillusionment in the face of the mobs and even denied Jesus three times. To restore Peter, Jesus took him back to the beginning, when he first called Peter. Jesus’ selection of Peter had been initiated by Jesus rather than by Peter. So now, Jesus reminds Peter that it is not by Peter’s merit that he became a disciple in the beginning, and it is not by Peter’s merit that he is now being called to lead the church. Rather, it is solely based upon the grace of Jesus. Three times, paralleling the three denials, Jesus affirms his calling of Peter to lead the early church. Peter would become the primary leader in the establishment of the early church because of God’s grace rather than any merit on Peter’s part.
When we fail in our Christian walk, when it seems our sin is beyond redemption because of our failure to remain faithful to God, we need to return to the beginning of our salvation. We need to be reminded that we are not saved by our merit but by his grace. Furthermore, we can accomplish nothing for God in our own ability but must always remember that it is by grace and grace alone. When your guilt feels overwhelming, and God seems to have forsaken you, go back to the beginning of your faith. Remember that you were saved by grace and grace alone, and so now you live and serve him by grace and grace alone.

 The Test of Discipleship
John 11-15
“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.”
                  How do we distinguish between a genuine disciple of Jesus and a false disciple? Not everyone who claims to be a disciple is genuine. Judas was accepted into the inner circle of the disciples. He was likely well-respected by the other disciples, since he was chosen to manage the team’s finances. Yet we know that, in the end, he was a mere pretender, someone who claimed to be a faithful disciple of Christ but was motivated by his own ambitions rather than genuine faith. It is easy to give lip service to Christ and still fail to be fully devoted to Christ. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns, “Many will say to Me on that Day, “Lord, Lord…’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you’” (Matt. 7:22-23). This warning should stop us in our tracks and prompt deep reflection, for it is possible to be fully convinced you are a follower of Christ and, in the end, still be self-deceived. So how do we know we are a genuine disciple and not self-deceived in our faith?
                  Christ provides the answer by giving us the basis for our self-reflection and examination of the genuineness of our faith. In John 14-15, he repeats the same litmus test for genuine faith six times. While our salvation is based solely on faith and not on any works of righteousness on our part, genuine faith is always transformative because it is grounded in the acceptance of Christ’s redemptive work and his authority over our lives. To embrace that Jesus is God come in the flesh leads to the inevitable question: How are we to respond to him? Therefore, Christ makes it clear, “If you love me, you will keep My commandments.” The test for authentic faith is a transformed life. He becomes the basis for our life so that our life is now defined by him and his purpose. However, this is not something we accomplish by our own strength and abilities or by the resolve of our will. When we embrace Christ, he becomes the source, motivation, and empowerment for our transformed life. We do not change ourselves or accomplish anything in our own strength and might. Instead, we gain our life and strength from him. Christ uses the analogy of the vine and branches to illustrate this truth. If a branch is cut off from the vine, it quickly dies because it cannot sustain life in itself. Its life comes from the nutrients provided by the vine. This is true in our Christian life. We do not obtain life through our own strength; rather, we rely upon Christ and his life. This comes when we live by his word and live in dependence upon him.
His words are more than good moral teachings that are appropriate for life. The Bible is unique among all other literature. Its words are not static but active and penetrating. Every time we read from the Bible, the Spirit is at work, using the words to bring the transformation that God desires to achieve in us (Hebrews 4:12). This not only includes his words but also the words of all the Biblical writers (John 13:20). To obey Christ also involves obeying those he inspired to write his words (2 Tim. 3:16). Thus, if you want to examine your relationship with God and Christ, look no further than your attitude and obedience to his word. It is not just what we say that reveals our faith; it is our unequivocal submission to his word.  

Finding Hope when Hope is Gone
John 6-10
8:12, “Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”
If you have ever been in a cave with no light, you know what it is like to be in absolute darkness, a darkness so complete that you cannot even tell what is up or down. Your world is so dark that you cannot tell which direction to go.  It is both paralyzing and terrifying. It is one thing to be in physical darkness, but it is quite another to be in spiritual darkness, to be without any hope or any clear answer for life. Our culture is in a time of spiritual darkness. One reason our culture is so divided and polarized is that people lack clear perspective or hope. There is something deep within us that recognizes that something is wrong in our society and that we are rapidly descending toward a cataclysmic ending. But the crisis is not just in our fractured society; it is also resident deep within us. We want joy and inner peace, but they seem elusive and unattainable. We try to find satisfaction in joy by pursuing success, prosperity, and pleasure, yet the more we attain these things, the more empty we feel.  
In 6:26-40, we find the people longing for hope. When Jesus offered bread from heaven that would give them true life, they immediately responded by requesting such bread. However, they were thinking in physical terms rather than spiritual ones. What Jesus was offering was not just physical life, but spiritual and eternal life. The bread was not the physical manna God provided during the Exodus, but his own life. Throughout these chapters, Jesus continually offers what they could not obtain: life in the fullest sense. He was offering them freedom from the one enslavement they could not overcome, enslavement to their own sin and emptiness. In this passage, Jesus uses the analogies of food, light, and freedom to show what he could offer. He offered them freedom from the greatest tyrant of all: freedom from the enslavement to their own sinful desires (8:32, 36). He was offering them the hope of eternal life (8:51).    
In chapter 9, we find a story about one whose physical blindness served to illustrate the spiritual blindness of the people. For his whole life, he lived in absolute darkness, but everything changed when he encountered Jesus. Not only did he receive physical sight, but he also received spiritual sight (9:38). In the healing of the blind man, Jesus demonstrated to the people that he was the one who could give spiritual sight as well. In the darkness of spiritual blindness, Jesus is the light of the world, so that when we follow him, we no longer walk in spiritual darkness but in the Light of life (8:12).  When life seems overwhelming and there seems to be no hope or clarity in our life, there is one place we can turn.  In Christ, we find true clarity. If your life seems empty and the future seems dark and foreboding, Christ brings freedom and truth. All we need to do is to follow him with unwavering trust (10:27-30).  

Who Was Jesus
John 1-5
“He (Jesus) said to them, ‘Come, and you will see.” (1:39).
The question has confronted humanity for the last 2000 years and remains the most fundamental of all questions. The question that confronts us is, “Who is Jesus?” How we answer the question not only determines our response to the message of Jesus but also our eternal destiny. This was the question John confronts us with at the very start of his gospels. While the other gospel writers began with the historical narrative of Jesus’ birth, John begins with a different perspective. Instead of asking where Jesus came from, he focuses on the question “Who was Jesus?”  
Historians agree on the historical reality of Jesus: he was born, and through his teaching, the Christian religion was established. But the real question is who Jesus was. Was he just a religious teacher and a wise man, or was he the Son of God come in the flesh?
John begins his gospel with a simple statement, one that is profound in its implications. The words themselves are simple to translate from the original Greek, but their implications have eternal consequences. In very simple language, John asserts that Jesus was not just another prophet or another religious teacher; rather, he is the revelation of God and is in fact God himself. He entered the world to reveal the fulness of God’s glory to us so that we might receive eternal life (1:12). Unlike every other human being, his life did not begin at conception. Rather, he existed from eternity past, for he was God himself. Having made this assertion, John goes on to describe how Jesus’ early life served to confirm his deity and lay the foundation for our response. Having given us the invitation to come and see, John then provides the proof through his miracles and teaching that Jesus was the Son of God. Through his actions and words, Jesus made it clear that he was more than a prophetic voice; he was equal to the Father. He was God himself in the flesh. John points to four witnesses or proofs of Jesus’ claim. First was the testimony of John the Baptist, whom the people regarded as a prophet of God (5:33). The second witness was the works and miracles that Christ did. The miracles of turning the water into wine, the healing of a loved son who was on his deathbed, and the healing of the sick at Bethesda, along with his claim of equality with God, all pointed to Christ’s claim to be from the Father (5:36). The Father himself further testified of Jesus’ claim through his prophetic words (5:37-38). Finally, the number of prophecies that pointed to and were fulfilled in Jesus testified that Jesus was indeed the Son of the living God (5:39-47).  
If Jesus is God, then we are left with only two choices: we must either reject him as a liar and a deceiver, or we must accept his message as from God. If he is from God, then the only appropriate response is to accept his message and obey him completely. If Jesus is God, then we must not only believe him, but we must also obey all his words (5:24). The proof of our faith is not in what we say, but in how we live. Are we living in obedience to his word, and are we accepting that he is the only way of salvation, or are we rejecting his word and thus facing the certainty of eternal judgment (John 3:16-21)? There are only two options, which have two eternal consequences. Which will we choose?                                      

The Danger of Distractions
Luke 21-24
“But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
The number one cause of car accidents is not reckless driving (4th), drunk driving (3rd), or even speeding (2nd). For most, these are the three things we are most careful to avoid. However, the #1 cause of accidents is something we are all guilty of doing almost every time we get behind the wheel. The #1 cause of accidents is distracted driving: answering a phone call, checking a text message, fiddling with the radio, turning our head to talk to someone behind us, and the list goes on. A person who would never dream of breaking the law regarding drunk driving or reckless driving can easily fall into the greatest trap of all: just being distracted!
The same can be true of our spiritual lives. We would never dream of committing one of the “big” sins. We would not be tempted to break our marriage vows, attack someone, or even gossip about them. Yet we can easily become distracted in our spiritual lives. We get caught up in the affairs of the day to the point that God gets pushed aside. It is not that we don’t believe in God or reject his word; we just lose sight of him and his purpose for us as we get caught up in the doldrums of life.
In the final week before his ascent to the cross, Jesus opens the veil of the future and reveals the future to the disciples (and to us).  With a troubling warning, he foretells a time when people will turn against him and his followers.  It is a time when fear can easily paralyze us in our faith.  However, he gives us the assurance that he will watch over and protect us so that not even a “hair of your head will perish” (21:18). The basis of hope and our confidence is not the freedom from adversity, but the assurance of God’s protective care and his watchful eye in the midst of the adversity we face. However, we cannot become complacent in our faith.  Adversity and trials test our faith and trust in God. But even more dangerous is when life seems to be going well and we are not facing any struggles, for then we let our spiritual guard down.
In light of the threats to our faith, both internal through complacency and external in adversity, we need to remain vigilant. The command “Be alert” suggests both the ongoing nature of the threat as well as the ongoing temptation to become complacent.  Instead, we need to be constantly vigilant, guarding our soul from the danger of spiritual neglect.  We become complacent when we no longer are reading our bible, spending time in prayer, and being faithful in fellowship.
Protecting ourselves from spiritual complacency and distraction begins with recognizing the danger. Conduct a spiritual assessment of your spiritual health: Are you guarding your soul against the infiltration of spiritual apathy? Are we allowing the busyness of the day to distract us from seeking God? It is not that we reject God or deliberately rebel against him; it is that we lose sight of him as the activities of the day push him into the background.

Self-Reliance or Self-Denial
Luke 16-20
“I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
There are always two questions we are confronted with when we pray. The first is, does God answer prayer? The second is, what prayers does he answer? We all struggle with prayer, for our prayers often seem ineffective, and we wonder whether God listens. In Luke 18, we find Jesus addressing the struggle we all face. Not only do we struggle to pray, but it often seems as if our prayers are ineffective. In verse 1, Jesus tells us a parable to encourage us in prayer. The phrase "lose heart" refers to one who has lost motivation and given up in prayer, for there are times when it seems as if our prayers go unanswered and, even more troubling, unheard! We pray continually and deeply for the issues we encounter that cause us distress, and yet heaven seems indifferent to our plight. In response, Jesus tells a parable. At first glance, it seems as if he is painting God as an unrighteous judge who cares little about the plight of the helpless widow. However, Christ is using the negative to point us to the positive. In the story, the widow continues to hound an unconcerned judge about her plight. But the widow’s persistence pays off: he finally listens and responds to her need. Thus, if the unrighteous and uncaring judge responds to the widow’s persistent plea, how much more quickly will God, who is righteous and caring, respond to those who cry out to him? God’s apparent indifference is merely that, "apparent." He does care, and he does respond to those who cry out to him. God is never indifferent.
This brings us to the next issue.  If our ineffectual prayer is not caused by God’s indifference, then what is the reason for our lack of seeing results in prayer?  Christ provides the answer: it is because we often ask with the wrong motivation and attitude.  Christ points to two individuals: the self-righteous Pharisee and the guilt- and sin-ridden publican.  The self-righteous did not see his need for God’s grace.  Like many people today, he felt his righteousness was enough to earn him heaven.  But his assurance and confidence were a false illusion.  For when we see no need for God’s grace, we are demonstrating the worst of all sins: the sin of self-worship, in which we take pride in ourselves and trust in ourselves rather than submit to God.
However, the tax collector had no such self-righteousness.  He only recognized his extreme unworthiness of salvation.  This brings us to the heart of prayer.  Prayer is not affirming what we think we deserve from God, it is the deep awareness that we deserve nothing and we are completely reliant upon him.  Effective prayer begins with the recognition of our spiritual bankruptcy and need for grace.  The ultimate lie of Satan and the ultimate self-deception is when we think we are worthy of eternal life.  The more righteous and worthy of heaven we think we are, the more self-deceived we become.  In the end, we usurp God by placing ourselves upon the throne of our self-destiny.  Prayer begins by recognizing we deserve nothing from God, and we can only rest in his grace.  Faith is not trusting in ourselves but trusting solely in God. The starting point of effective prayer is the abandonment of self-righteousness and the cry for God’s grace and mercy. That is a prayer he will always answer.

Does God Answer Prayer?
Luke 11-15
“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (11:9).
How can we pray effectively so that we know God will hear and answer our prayers? This is a question we all struggle to understand. We believe in God and believe that he answers prayer, yet when it comes to “my” prayer, it seems as if heaven is silent. We hear the testimony of others and how God miraculously answered their prayers, but it seems we never experience such miracles in our own lives. So, like the disciples, we wonder if it is because we do not know how to pray. We read James 4:3, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your own pleasures,” and wonder if the problem is our lack of faith or improper motives. Even worse, we begin to question the legitimacy of the promise. We wonder if God is holding a carrot out, only to snatch it away when we reach for it.  
As we read through the promise of God to answer prayer in Luke 11, we often miss an important statement. We often pray for our physical needs, our health, and the struggles we face in life. It seems the harder we pray about these things, the more silent heaven becomes. As a result, the promise of Christ that God will answer our prayers can feel like a wish rather than a promise. However, there is an important statement he makes in verse 13 that reorients everything. The most important answer we need is not deliverance from our adversity, but the strength to maintain our faith and our witness in the midst of our struggles. God bestows the presence of his Holy Spirit so that we might be empowered to obtain his salvation and the realization of God’s kingdom in our lives. It is through the Holy Spirit’s empowerment that we can endure all circumstances and live with the hope of eternity, despite the present circumstances. This is far greater than deliverance from the present, for the present will ultimately pass. But what is most important is the hope we have for the future. It is this hope that enables us to see beyond the present struggles of life and see God’s hand in all circumstances, so that we know that “All this works to the good for those who trust God” (Romans 8:28). This is the prayer that God richly answers. God’s greatest gift is perspective and the assurance that our eternity is secure. Heaven may seem silent, but heaven is never indifferent. In the midst of our struggles, God deeply cares and gives us the one thing we need most: Hope, assurance, and the promise of eternal life.   What we need most is not the change of circumstance, but the change in our perception of our circumstances and that is the prayer God answers whenever we cry out to him.

Losing Focus
Luke 6-10
Luke 10:41-42, “But the Lord answered and said to her, 'Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

We are easily distracted by the trivial and sacrifice the eternal for the present. How often are we driven and governed by what is temporal and insignificant? What we believe to be so important today is often discarded and rejected as inconsequential and worthless tomorrow. In our quest to follow the crowds, we spend countless amounts of money to purchase the latest fashions and popular brands, only to discard them in the Goodwill bin tomorrow because they are no longer in vogue.

In Luke 10:38-42, we find a common scene in a household. Jesus had entered the home of Mary and Martha. The honor of such a guest required the host to prepare a lavish feast; anything less would be a social faux pas. This, at least, was the thinking of Martha and her contemporaries. During this time, it was incumbent upon the host to honor an important guest with a lavish dinner and entertainment. Martha, feeling such pressure, quickly set about the task of preparing the feast. However, much to her chagrin and irritation, her sister Mary remained at the feet of Jesus, listening to his teaching. The more Martha busied herself with preparation and the more Mary remained inactive, the more irritated Martha became. One can easily hear the frustration of Martha in her words, as she asks Jesus to rebuke Mary for her perceived laziness. However, to her surprise, Jesus does not rebuke Mary; instead, he rebukes Martha for focusing on the wrong thing.

However, the story is not about the proper way to entertain guests. The story serves to confront us with the priorities of our lives. We are either Mary or Martha. Martha is like many today who become driven by social pressures. More often than not, she represents us. We spend our lives in pursuit of the temporal and inconsequential. We focus on the activities, priorities, and possessions that provide temporal pleasures and recognition. But these things always prove fleeting. We spend our lives trying to climb the career ladder, only to find that once we get to the top, it still leaves us empty and void of any sense of fulfillment. We pursue being culturally relevant by purchasing popular brands, only to have those brands replaced by new lines. We strive to gain recognition for our accomplishments, only to find the praise of men empty and meaningless.  

Christ confronts Martha and us by realigning our priorities with what is truly important and significant. What is truly significant is not the outward appearance but the inward transformation of the heart. What we were is not important, but who we are becoming. The temporal is just that: temporal. Only what is eternal is genuinely lasting. Mary received praise from Jesus because she focused on the eternal and transformative. She recognized that the next meal was not nearly as important as the words and teaching of Jesus that bring eternal transformation in our lives. Character and spiritual transformation are far more important than accomplishments and recognition. Are we becoming like Christ? Are we growing in our knowledge and obedience to God? It is our relationship with him that is eternal, and that is what we must pursue. Thus we are left with the question: Are we Martha or are we Mary? What is our focus in life?

 The Cost of Discipleship
Luke 1-5
Luke 5:11, “When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.”
                  We read the words and actions of people in the Bible and often accept them without really stopping to reflect on the significance of their actions. This is true of the disciples’ response when Jesus called them to follow him. Until their encounter with Jesus, they knew little about him. They had heard stories and news that there was a young itinerant preacher performing miracles and preaching to the people. In this, they were no different from the rest of the people of that day. The miracles and teaching of Jesus were undoubtedly the talk of the villages surrounding the Sea of Galilee. Like all rural communities, news of something unusual traveled fast. So when Jesus first appeared to Peter and asked him to take him a little ways into the water so the crowds could hear him better, it is not surprising that Peter did so. Yet what happened after this changed Peter’s life. After Jesus finished teaching, he instructed Peter to take the boat out and do some fishing. Peter was reluctant, for obviously Jesus was not a fisherman and did not know these waters like Peter did. Peter knew the lack of the catch of the day was an indication that the fish were elsewhere and that it would be some time before they came back into the waters near Peter’s home port. However, he complied, and the catch exceeded anything he had ever experienced. So great was the catch that his boat and the boat of his partners, James and John, were so weighted down that they were at risk of sinking.  
                  After they got the catch into the boat, Jesus made a statement that changed their lives. Jesus told them that instead of fish, they would become fishermen of men. It is one thing to follow Jesus when he makes no demands on our lives, when he gives us what we desire and pours out his blessings upon us. But it is quite another to follow Jesus when he demands that we change our whole course of life. We want to follow a Jesus who is safe, who blesses us and gives us comfort and security in life. We want to follow a Jesus who allows us to continue to follow our own agenda and goals. What we do not want is a Jesus who disrupts our lives, changes our focus, and demands radical obedience and surrender to his will. To become his disciples, Peter, John, and James left everything. They left the financial security of their careers; they left their family and friends; they gave up everything to follow an upstart itinerant preacher. When they chose to follow Jesus, they had no idea of the cost it would bring to their lives, for not only would it require them to give up their careers, but eventually it would lead to unspeakable deaths because of Jesus. Do we only follow Jesus when he is safe and he blesses us with what we want, or do we follow Jesus regardless of the cost? To become a disciple of Jesus, we must give him control of everything: our present, our dreams, our goals, our future, and even our lives. Are we this kind of disciple? Do we follow Jesus when it is convenient, or do we follow Jesus even when it becomes costly?

The Most Difficult Verse in the Bible
Mark 11-16
Mark 15:34
“At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI!” which is translated, “My God, My God why have You forsaken me?”
There are many verses, passages, and teachings in the Bible that have given rise to much debate among biblical scholars. Each offers a perspective on what the passage means and the arguments that support their view. But there is one verse in the Bible that we cannot fully understand this side of heaven, perhaps even in eternity, for its meaning and significance are so profound, so deep, that they defy any explanation. The verse is not difficult to understand grammatically, but the significance of the words is beyond our capacity to perceive, and the implications are so profound that we cannot even begin to comprehend. The statement consists of only 4 words in the Hebrew (or Aramaic, depending on the quotation in the different gospels) in which they were stated. They are a quote from Psalm 22:1. However, in light of the intrinsic unity within the Trinity that has existed from eternity past, the significance of these words confounds us. How can the Son, who has enjoyed unaltered and unbroken unity with the Father in all aspects of his being, be abandoned and forsaken by the Father? The words confront us with a paradox. How can the Son, who from eternity past and will continue into eternity future experiences perfect joy, harmony, and communion with the Father, be at this moment in time alienated and abandoned by Him? For a moment in time, the impossible occurred: the communion between the Father and the Son was mysteriously broken. It is a mystery that defines our understanding and ability to comprehend. But in these words, we see the true depth of our sin and its judgment. During this moment in time, Christ experienced the full weight of God-forsakenness, which sinful humanity will experience for all eternity and from which we needed to be saved. The full weight of hell is not the torment of everlasting fire, but the eternal state of being separated from God. We understand the significance of Christ’s separation, nor can we understand the significance for us. Hell and its consequences are not a myth, nor are they a fabrication of humanity to incite fear in people. They are real and eternal. Christ confirms this in Mt 25:46, where he affirms both the eternal nature of heaven and the eternal consequence of Hell, “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
These words should arrest our attention and fill our hearts with fear. However, the story does not stop there. Christ’s death on the cross was redemptive. Through his death on the cross, the payment was made so that our sin might be forgiven. He did not experience this abandonment because of his own sin. He experienced it to satisfy the justice of God so that we might be freed from sin’s judgment. He paid the penalty for our sin so that we might be forgiven. The only condition is that we accept this salvation. To be the recipients of his death on our behalf, we need to turn from our sin rather than justify it. We need to recognize it for what it is: not a minor mistake, but an act of deep rebellion against God and an abhorrent affront to his character. Then we need to accept his forgiveness by surrendering our lives to him and living in obedience to his word. Then Jesus’ cry on the cross becomes our cry of victory and forgiveness. We will never fully understand what happened on the cross, but we can be the recipients, by faith, of its results, which are the forgiveness of our sin and the attainment of eternal life. How have you responded today?

Radical Faith
Mark 6-10
Mark 8:34-38 , “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me….For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?”
We all recognize the need to believe in God, but we want a God who is safe, one who conforms to what we want.  We want a God who is manageable, one who provides for our needs, comes to our aid, but one who remains in the shadows and does not interfere or make demands.  We desire a God who affirms us and our beliefs and our life choices rather than one who confronts us with our sin and makes radical demands for change in our lives.
In reality, we are no different from the people of Jesus’ day. They wanted a God who would heal their sicknesses but also one who would follow their rules. They wanted a God they could worship, but one who would allow them to live as they pleased. They wanted a messiah who would save them from the rule of the Romans but not radically change their lives. Consequently, they found Jesus too demanding, too radical, and too upsetting. We often condemn the people for their rejection of Christ and their refusal to accept Christ, yet we often display the same attitude. We want a God who is safe and affirms our beliefs, lifestyle, and choices. We want a God who conforms to our views but does not radically demand that we change.  
However, Christ does give us this option. In Mark 8:34-38, Jesus lays it on the line. He makes it clear that those who genuinely surrender everything are worthy to be his disciples. Christ affirms that if we desire to receive his salvation, we must be willing to “take up his cross.” In other words, the only ones who are his disciples are those willing to give up everything, including life itself, to him. To take up his cross is to go with him to his death. This points us to complete surrender. We no longer dictate the terms or determine how we should live. Instead, we bring every aspect of our life under his lordship and rule. It is easy to give up what we do not want. But giving up every facet of our life, including our dreams, hopes, desires, beliefs, and how we live, is much more daunting. Yet this is what Christ demands. To hold back anything from his sovereign authority is ultimately to lose everything. Tragically, many people today sacrifice eternity for present pleasures and desires. However, in the end, they lose everything, including their own eternal life.  
To be a follower of Christ requires that we give up everything and submit to Christ completely in all things. But in the sacrifice of our lives, we obtain a life far greater. This is the paradox of faith. When we hold fast to our dreams, aspirations, wants, and control of our lives, we ultimately lose them all. But when we surrender all these things to Christ and seek him and his will, we discover the true joy of life. It is the ultimate paradox. The more we give up, the more we gain; the more we seek to keep, the more we lose. Are we holding on to our lives, our dreams, and our desires, or are we giving up everything to Christ’s sovereign rule? This is the meaning of radical faith.

When Everything Changes
Mark 1-5
“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth onto an old garment; otherwise the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear results.”
When Christ enters a life, everything changes. There are times and events in our lives that are so dramatic that they become defining moments, when everything about us and how we live changes. We can reflect upon how our marriage or having children results in a dramatic shift of priorites.  This is what happens when we accept Christ. Throughout the first five chapters of Mark, we find a number of people who encounter the person of Christ. We first find two fishermen, Simon and Andrew, fishing along the Sea of Galilee. Yet when they were confronted with Christ, everything immediately changed, for Jesus gave them a whole new purpose in life. No longer would they be fishermen on the Sea of Galilee. They would become fishermen of people, and their ministry would extend far beyond the region in which they grew up. A leper was not only healed but became an unstoppable witness for Christ. Levi was a despised tax collector for the Romans and so was seen as a traitor to the people. Yet when Christ commanded him to follow him, he immediately got up and followed, and began to be a witness to others who were seen as outcasts. Throughout the Gospels, we see over and over again that when people have a direct confrontation with Christ, it completely and radically transforms their lives. It changes their character, their purpose, and their relationships with others.  
Tragically, today people often encounter Christ but remain unchanged. They attend church and may even read their Bible, but they continue to live the same way they did before. They give verbal assent to the teaching of Christ, but they do not change their conduct. When we read through the Gospels, we find over and over again people who had a genuine encounter with Christ, and when they did, they were changed. Embracing Christ brings about a change in one's outlook on life. In Mark 2:21-22, Christ points to the importance of this change. Christ did not come merely to rearrange a few areas of our life. This would be like putting a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment or putting new wine into old wineskins. The result would be disastrous, leaving the person in a worse condition than before. When we embrace Christ, he desires to make us new, to radically change every aspect of our life, including our desires, goals, wants, and the direction of our life. A relationship with him is not based upon external: who we are related to or how often we attend church. Our relationship is grounded in our submission to him (3:28-35). In the parable of the Sower, the fruit of the harvest is not just how much we do in ministry for God; it is also the change in life that God brings about in order that we might serve him.
This leads us to the question each of us is confronted with. How much does Christ make a difference in your life? How much does your relationship with him change your priorities, purpose, and desires? Do you merely know about Christ, or are you radically changed by him?

Eternal Life Or Eternal Death
Matthew 25-28
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always even to the end of the age.” (Mt. 28:19-20).
How do we know the Bible is true and that Christ is the only way to heaven? Why can there be only one way to heaven? How do we know that not everyone will go to heaven? These are questions people have asked since the church's formation in the Book of Acts. To answer them, we need to ask the one question upon which everything hinges. Paul points us back to that question when he addresses the same issue in his letter to the church at Corinth. The critical question upon which everything hinges is the resurrection of Christ. Paul points out that if the resurrection is merely a story invented by the disciples, then the whole message of the Gospel is false (1 Corinthians 15:13-19). The resurrection of Christ is not a mythical story to convey a spiritual truth. It is the linchpin upon which all of Christianity and the whole message of the Gospel stand. This then raises the second question. If the resurrection is false, why would Paul and the rest of the disciples be willing to die for something they knew to be false? For Paul and all the disciples, the resurrection was the prerequisite for the Gospel. To prove its authenticity, Paul pointed to over 500 witnesses who testified that Christ was raised from the dead and seen alive after the crucifixion. If Christ was raised from the dead, it proved he was who he claimed to be: the one sent from God to be his spokesman and bring salvation to all humanity. The reason Christ is the only way to heaven is that he is the only one who died for our sins and rose again from the dead. Christ makes it clear that he is the only way to heaven.
This then takes us to the second critical question, is there hell? Will God condemn people to hell? Again, we go back to the words of Christ. In Matthew 25:26, Christ unequivocally states that the righteous go into eternal life. But in the same breath, he states that those who reject him will go away into eternal punishment. When I talk with people, everyone affirms the existence of heaven, but many want to deny the existence of hell. Yet Christ does not give us this option. Christ makes it clear that the existence of heaven and hell are bound together. If there is no hell, then there is no heaven either. Likewise, if there is eternal life, there is also eternal punishment. The two truths are bound together. Therefore, the question that confronts us is where we are going: Are we going to heaven, or are we destined for hell? The answer lies in our acceptance and surrender to Christ. Through Christ’s death and resurrection, he paid the penalty for our sins. All that is necessary is that we accept his gift of life and surrender to his purpose and plan. If you were to face God tonight, do you know for certain where you are going?  

The Danger of Being Misled
Matthew 21-24
“For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.”
Matthew 24 is a pivotal chapter in our understanding of what is happening in the world today and where the world is going. We live in a world and culture that many have characterized as a culture of fear. Something sinister seems to lurk in the future, and causes us to be fearful. Everywhere we turn, there are signs that our world is moving toward an impending crisis. For some, it is the geopolitical world, where international tensions seem to rise even as the economy becomes more global than national. Others fear our environment is on the brink of turmoil because of misuse. Others point to the collapse of our nation's political unity. And the list goes on. As a result, people live in fear: fear of international war, environmental disaster, and economic collapse.
However, for the student of the Bible, none of this should be surprising. Two thousand years ago, Christ predicted that these things would happen as the world continued to rush headlong in its pursuit of sin and its abandonment of God. The crisis facing the world is not political, economic, or environmental. Rather, the crisis is spiritual. As the world continues to decay because of the effects of sin, it will increasingly be plagued by these disasters. However, for the Christian, this descent toward destruction is not without hope. The turmoil is a sign that we are moving toward the ultimate solution, the return of Christ, when he will establish his kingdom and restore the world to God’s original intent (24:29-31). Therefore, instead of being fearful, we live by faith in the promises of a future salvation and restoration that will come when Christ returns.
The greatest danger we face is rejecting the truth of the gospel and being misled by false prophets and teachers. Our greatest threat is false teachers who reject the Bible and its warnings, and teach what people want to hear. Many today claim to speak for God but reject his word and reinterpret the Bible to fit their own desires. They proclaim that God is loving and will not judge, even as they rush headlong to their own destruction. God Christ reminds us, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away” (Mt. 24:35).  This includes the promise of his return to bring salvation as well as his promise to come and bring judgment upon those that reject him.
The greatest threat today is not the events of the world but the false teachers we follow, who reject the truth of God’s word and promise peace and safety rather than warn of the coming destruction (1 Thess 5:3). We need to remember that God is a God of love and mercy, but he is also a God of holiness and justice. He offers salvation to all who will accept his grace, but warns of judgment upon those who reject him. The question we must ask is not: “How do we stop the destructive forces in the world?” Rather, we need to ask, “Have I accepted the salvation that Christ offers?” Are we fearful of what is happening in the world, or are we trusting in God, who controls the universe?

The Lost Art of Forgiveness
Read Matthew 16-20
“Then Peter came and said to Him, 'Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”  Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”
Our society continually affirms that we are to stand up for our rights and oppose those who wrong us in any way. When someone mistreats, hurts, or wrongs us in any way, our society states that we are to stand up for ourselves and our rights. To not do so is a sign of weakness. Not only has forgiveness been withheld, but we see it as a sign of powerlessness. The Jews regarded themselves as more pious than others and stated that we should forgive a person up to seven times. Beyond that, a person was under no obligation to forgive.
We are no different today. We quickly judge and condemn others for only slight wrongs they have done against us. The  greater the offense and the more severe the hurt, the more likely we are to withhold any forgiveness. This was equally true in the time of Christ. When a person was deeply offended, the more they demanded some form of restitution. Thus, Peter raises the question of the degree of forgiveness we are to offer. How often can a person wrong us before we need to stand up for our rights and demand some level of restitution and repentance?
In a surprising twist, Christ shares a parable that turns everything upside down. In the parable, a servant is indebted to his master for ten thousand talents. Each talent represented 15 years of income for the average laborer. In other words, the slave owed a debt that would require him 150,000 years to pay off. The point is that the wrong and the debt are incalculable, yet the master shows compassion and forgives him of the debt. Rather than be humbled by such forgiveness, when the slave departed, he encountered a fellow slave who owed him a hundred denarii. A denarius was the typical wage a laborer received for a day's work. Thus, the debt was equal to 100 days of labor. When his fellow slave pleaded for patience, the forgiven slave felt no compassion and threw his fellow servant into prison. The whole point of the story is to illustrate that in our relationship with God, the offense of our sin is far beyond our ability to repay. Yet God, in an incredible display of mercy, forgives our sin through the work of Christ. How much more should we then be willing to forgive others of any offense they have done against us? When we hold a grudge, when we fail to forgive others, when we demand some level of restitution, we are demonstrating our failure to understand the forgiveness given to us and the depth of our sin. We have no justification for holding a grudge against others, for their offense against us is incomparable to our offense before a holy and righteous God. Forgiving others starts by recognizing our own need for forgiveness and the depth of our own sin. If you have a difficult time forgiving others, then no longer look at them and their offense; rather, take a look inward and see the offense and sin you have committed against a holy God.

Living by God’s Words
Matthew 11-15
“And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.” (13:23).
Many people are familiar with the parable of the Sower. It is a story that is told often and one that we know but find difficult to apply. In the story, the farmer goes out and broadcasts the seed indiscriminately throughout the field. But the soil is not the same in every location. Each soil represents different levels of receptivity toward the gospel. However, it does not just apply to those who hear the gospel message of salvation; it applies to all of us whenever we hear the message of the Bible. It calls on all of us to evaluate our preparation and response when the message of the Bible is presented to us.
The first soil is the hard-packed pathway, where the ground is hard and stony, and nothing can take much root, so it is quickly taken away by the birds eager to find their next meal. This soil represents those who hear the teaching of the Bible, but it does not lead to any change. How often do we hear the message but either do not understand it or do not apply it to our lives? How many times do we attend church and walk away unchanged? How many times do we forget what the message is about by the time we arrive home? When we remain unchanged after encountering the message, we are the hard-packed soil. We may know what the Bible says, but it does not change our lives.
The second soil represents those who understand the message and even rejoice in it. We walk out of the church, shake the pastor’s hand, and genuinely remark on how wonderful and meaningful the message was to us. However, by the time we arrive home, our enthusiasm begins to wane. As soon as we get home, we become distracted by all the other activities of the day: the football game on TV, the picnic on a Sunday afternoon, and the demands of the job the next day. The message that was initially so moving to us is quickly pushed aside and forgotten, so that in the end we are not changed by it.
The third soil describes those who hear the message but because it contradicts their priorities and views, they dismiss it.  We become distracted by the events and philosophy of our world.  Instead of conforming our lives to the message, we conform the message to the way we desire to live.  Instead of being changed by the message of the Bible, we change the message to fit our own perspective.  Like the previous two soils, in the end we remain unchanged by the message of God’s word.
The only productive soil is the individual who not only hears the word but is transformed by it. When we are fruitful soil, we do more than gain knowledge of the Bible; we are changed by its message. It changes how we live in the world. This requires preparation and response. When we open the pages of scripture, are we reading to gain knowledge or to change our lives to conform to the message of the Bible? Do we respond in complete obedience? The fruit is the changed life one experiences. Perhaps the greatest tragedy of all is not just those who reject the Bible, but also those who are faithful to read the Bible, listen to it preached, yet remain unchanged by its message. When we read the Bible, we need to do so with an attitude of surrender and submission, as well as a firm commitment to be transformed by it. What type of soil are you today?

Anxiety and Faith
Read Matthew 6-10
“So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will care for itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
We live in a world described as a culture of fear. One reason there is so much conflict and anger today is that people are fearful of the future. There is a sense that our world is rushing headlong into self-destruction, so people become fearful in the present. A close companion to fear is anger, for anger is the emotional response to what we perceive as a threat. The word itself refers to the apprehension and anxiety one experiences when we encounter a danger or threat. In the world today, the great perceived threat is what will happen tomorrow. We live with a deep-rooted concern that disaster lies just around the corner, whether it be economic, political, or societal. Chapman University has been tracking, for the last 11 years, the fears that Americans have. The top three fears of Americans are 1/ Corrupt Government Officials (69.1%), 2/ People I love becoming seriously ill (58.9%), and 3/ economic/financial collapse (58.2%). In another survey conducted by the American Psychological Association, 77% of adults are anxious about the future of our nation, making it the most significant source of stress in their lives.
In Matthew 6:25-34, Christ addresses the paralysis of fear that can grip our souls, for fear arises when we lose sight of God’s sovereign control over the world and our lives. Christ reminds us that the future of our lives and the future of the nations does not lie in the control of chance or the wisdom of men. Our world is not governed by the arbitrary laws of chance and evolution. Rather, the universe is governed by a personal God who remains in control of the universe and of the events and circumstances that happen in our own lives. Nor is he an impersonal God who is unconcerned or uncaring in our lives. Instead, he not only cares for the whole of creation (vs 26), but he gives his special care to our lives and the circumstances we are facing (26b, vs 30). Every concern we have, every worry that plagues us in the night, every need we have—both real and imagined—he already knows, and he is already providing for us. So instead of being caught up in the worries and concerns of the day, we can focus on our greatest need, which is seeking to establish his sovereign rule in our lives (vs 33). The more we surrender to him, the more secure we become. When we are focused on Christ and following him, every concern or threat we might face is already addressed by the God who loves us.  

The Certainty of the Bible
Matthew 1-5
“For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest leter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” (5:18).
Where do we discover truth? Where do we find it, and to whom do we turn to discover what is morally right? This is the most fundamental question about life we can ask. Everyone will answer this question in their quest to determine how to live. Some turn inward and trust their own wisdom and understanding. They follow the adage, “Let your conscience be your guide.” To determine what is true, they look inward to their own reasoning. People thus say, “Be true to yourself.” However, we can easily be self-deceptive. Jeremiah warns us, “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; Who can understand it” (Jer. 17:9). So also Proverbs warns us, “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (14:12). To trust in oneself is to be self-deceived, for we fail to recognize the power of sin’s grip upon our life.
Others turn to society and the popular opinion of people. Morality and truth are determined by popular vote. What the majority believes determines what is true. Thus, morality is always shifting according to the popular opinion of people. What was viewed as wrong in previous generations is now considered right, for morality is shifting as the opinions and views of people change. But here again we find a fatal flaw: just as sin corrupts the individual’s moral compass, it also corrupts society's moral compass. Paul warns against the popular opinion of our culture when he writes, “Do not be conformed to this world” (Romans 12:2). So also John warns us that if we pursue the morality of the world and its values, then the love of the Father is not in us” (1 John 2:15).
So where do we turn to discover what is true? Christ provides us with the answer in Matthew 5:18-19. Some say the Old Testament law is invalid, written by men expressing their views. Therefore, the only standard of truth is the words of Christ, and the rest of the Bible is merely the opinions of unenlightened men. However, Christ does not give us this option. In his Sermon on the Mount, Christ makes it clear that the writings of the Old Testament law did not originate with man but came from God, and thus they are 100 percent true and accurate. We cannot reject them as outdated, for they originate from God, and those who reject the teaching of the law are not only false teachers but will face the certainty of God’s judgment.
This confronts us with the question: Do we trust in God’s word, revealed to us and recorded by the writers of the Bible, who wrote by the direct inspiration of God? Do we turn to the words Christ affirmed to be true or to the opinions of people? How we answer this question will determine our eternal destiny. Psalm 1 states, “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, but sin in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.”

Warnings and Hope
Malachi 1-4
“But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall.” (4:2).
Malachi was the last book of the Old Testament before Israel entered a period known as the 400 silent years. After Israel became a nation under Saul's leadership, God continually sent prophets to call the people back to him and to remain faithful to their covenant relationship with God. From the rise of Samuel during Saul's reign in 1070 B.C. to the end of Malachi’s ministry, a consistent prophetic voice directed people back to God. However, when Malachi passed from the scene, the prophetic voice went silent for 400 years until the arrival of John the Baptist and Jesus. As the last prophet, Malachi both condemned the people and offered the hope of salvation to those who would seek God. He begins by condemning the people for failing to worship God exclusively and walk in obedience to him. Just like today, many false teachers and prophets told people what they wanted to hear. They approved and justified sin rather than confronting it and calling for repentance. As a result, they turned many away from God in order to pursue their own desires (2:7-9). The people no longer sought instruction in God’s word; instead, they listened to those who justified their sin. As a result, they profaned the worship of God and faced his judgment. God does not change, and so His word does not change (3:5-6). Yet we see the same today. Instead of walking in obedience to God, we follow teachers who justify our sin by claiming that the God of the Bible is not the same as the God of today. We give lip service to God but not a heart of obedience.  
Even as Malachi gives his final warning of coming judgment, there is also an offer of hope and salvation. He proclaims that there will come one who will be “my messenger, and He will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming” (3:1). This messenger is none other than the Messiah, who will come and bring hope to people. This Messiah is not only the hope of Israel but also the Hope of all people. For those who fear God and seek him, instead of judgment they will “rise with healing in its wings and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall” (4:2). The Messiah will bring not only hope and salvation but also full restoration to God, and he will bring joy to those who seek him.
This is a message of hope for us when we are going through dark periods of our lives and when we face the struggle with sin. Christ came as the fulfillment of that so that we might not only have forgiveness but also have joy. When we walk with Christ, not only will we obtain vertical healing with God (4:2), but we will also enjoy horizontal healing in our relationships with others (4:5-6). If your life seems broken and there is inner turmoil, there is an answer. That answer is the Messianic king who came so that we might have life. Thus, Malachi opens a new doorway in history, a doorway that brings life. The question we must ask is this: Are we walking through that doorway, or are we still pursuing the wisdom of men? The choice is ours to make. Are we going to choose life?!  When we choose to follow Christ, he comes with healing in his wings to restore joy in our lives.

The Coming Hope
Zechariah 11-14
“And the Lord will be king over all the earth; in that day of the Lord will be the only one, and His name the only one.”
The age of information has ushered in the age of misinformation. We turn to the internet for answers to the questions we struggle to find answers for. We turn to the internet to discover answers to the most mundane questions, such as: “What is the weather today?” We also turn to the internet to find answers to the most complex and personal struggles we face. For every issue, every struggle, and every problem we encounter, we can find a myriad of answers from several different sources. AI has brought a whole new solution to the struggles and questions we have about life. Yet for all the information and answers to the questions we have about any problem confronting us, the age of information has also become the age of misinformation, where we are fed the answers that the internet believes we want to hear. Search engines and AI track our searches to better predict what type of answers we are seeking. So, the greatest deception we face comes from ourselves.
In the final chapters, Zechariah, prophesying under the direction of the Holy Spirit, turns our attention to the end of time before the return of Christ. It will be a time when God brings judgment upon the world and its people for their rejection of him. One of the judgments will be the removal of the restraint upon false teachers. No longer will people seek the truth, but they will seek only the truth they want. As a result, they will follow teachers (and internet sites) that say what they want to hear to profit themselves (and get the most hits).
However, within the darkness of Zechariah’s final words, he ends with a ray of hope. In the end, God himself will dwell upon the world, and he will be established as the king over all the earth (14:9). When he reigns, the effects of the curse of sin will no longer be present, for God will be security to the world, and there will be universal praise and worship of God (14:20-21).
We look at the tragedies of this world not only on a global level, with hostilities between nations, but also on a personal level, as we feel the weight and effects of sin and its destruction in our own lives. As a result, it is easy to lose hope. However, the answer does not lie in the wisdom of men or the promises of AI. Rather, the answer is found in God and in the one he sent to die for us. Truth is found in God and in his word.
As we struggle with the challenges of life and the unending questions that plague us when we are going through tragedy and adversity, we must stop turning to the internet or the wisdom of men. Instead, we must turn to the wisdom of God. In Him we discover the answers we desperately need.

The Source of Hope
Zechariah 6-10
9:9:  Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with Salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
It has been almost two months since my last devotional.  In this time, my life has been turned upside down through the death of Becky.  Two and a half years ago we were told this day would come and that the cancer would eventually win and it would bring its destructive force.  From that day forward, we lived with this cloud over us.  Yet there was nothing that prepared us for the depth of pain it would bring when it finally gained the victory of its deadly grip.  Until that final day, death was still abstract and impersonal, something out there but something we seemed to be able to ignore.  But death always seems to win as the inevitable happens.  When death finally came and Becky breathed her last, the pain of loss became unbearable.  The pain of losing a spouse was unlike any pain and sorrow I had ever experienced.  Only those who have gone through the journey can fully relate to the emptiness and loneliness one experiences when a spouse is suddenly removed from this world.  Even the assurance of her presence in heaven does not dull the pain and emptiness.  It reminds us that life is temporary and that death is the ultimate pain and consequence of the Adamic fall.  In times such as these, we cry for hope and for some sense of healing.
But the pain we feel in the death of a spouse and loved one is not unique to us.  It has been felt by every individual who has ever walked the face of the earth.  It was a pain that Israel experienced when the invading hordes of Babylon brought death, suffering, and exile to the people.  However, just when it seems that there is no hope, Zechariah gives them a prophecy of hope.  Even though they had turned their back upon God and made their hearts lie flint so that they could not hear the law (7:12), God still responded with grace and salvation.  In the midst of their sorrow and pain, he tells them not to fear, for God will again restore the nation 8:15 and will bring them back to the land.  But then he makes an even more incredible prediction, one that would provide the basis for our hope today.  Their hope was in the arrival of a new King, one who “is just and endowed with salvation.”  He will be unlike the kings of the earth, for he will come as one who is humble in order that he might bring salvation.  The words of Zechariah 9:9 would be realized in the triumphant entry of Christ (Mt. 21:5).  
The one who would give hope to Israel, is the one who gives hope for us today.  For he would not only come as the king to restore Israel, but he came as the savior to give us the hope of eternity.  When we trust in him, death is no longer the great destroyer, for it has been defeated (1 Cor: 15:56-57).  It does not dull the pain of our loss, but Christ’s salvation gives us the hope of eternity.  Our grief and sorrow, while seemingly unbearable and overwhelming at times, is only temporary, for there is the promise of eternal life.  We still grieve the lose but now we grief with the hope that we will see them again because of what Christ has done (1 Thess. 4:12-18).

Fixing the Broken
Zech 1-5
“Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying. ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.”
For 70 years the nation of Israel had been exiled from the land and in bondage to Babylon.  Life seemed hopeless as Babylon maintained control.  However, there was a flicker of Hope when Darius had defeated Babylon, and the words of the Prophet Jeremiah had predicted that after 70 years the nation would return to the land.  As Zechariah comes on the scene, there was the hope of the return that had been prophesied by Jeremiah.  But how was Israel going to obtain their freedom?  They had no military, no political clout, nothing that would enable them to obtain permission to return to the land.
This brings us to the same issue we are confronted with today. How do we find hope in a world without hope? How do we fix broken lives? How do we fix a world marred by conflict, disunity, and confusion? The same questions the people of Israel asked are the same questions we face today. But it is more than just global and political; the brokenness of our world affects us individually as well. We face the uncertainty and struggles of life, and something deep within us cries for help and answers, yet they seem elusive. The more we try to fix our lives, the more we are confronted with how unfixable life seems. We wrestle not only with questions on a global level but also on a personal level.
The answer that God gave Israel is the same answer we need in our own lives. First, we cannot find the answers to life by our own power. This word refers not just to physical strength but also to the physical things of life we rely upon, including our wealth and property. We often think that if we get enough money, prestige, and influence, we can solve our problems and be free from the pressures of life. But wealth is deceptive, and power and status are an illusion. The more we have, the more empty we feel inside. The recognition we receive from others only makes us feel emptier. The second word can also refer to physical strength, but it can also refer to mental strength. Just as wealth is an illusion, intellectual and mental capacities are also an illusion. Friedrich Nietzsche suffered from severe mental health issues. William James Sidis is regarded by many as the smartest person who ever lived. He passed the entrance exam at Harvard at age 9 and by age 11 was lecturing at Harvard, but he died a penniless recluse at age 46.  The greatest thinkers of our world are powerless to change the world.
However, we are not hopeless, for God provides the answer for effective and lasting change and hope. It is found in the presence of God’s Spirit. God can accomplish what humanity cannot. If you are looking for answers in life, do not look to the world, to the great thinkers of our culture, or to the powerful politicians, for they will fail. Instead, look to God, for he never does.

Setting Priorities in Life.
Haggai 1-2
“You have sown much, but harvested little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but no one is warm enough; and he who earns, earns wages to put into a purse with holes” (1:6).
The greatest tragedy is not failure but success in the things that do not matter. We are always pursuing elusive desires, thinking that if we get enough, we will be satisfied and content. However, the reality is that no matter how much we have, no matter how much we do or how great our achievements, we are always left with a feeling of failure. Contentment remains elusive. For the people of Israel, when they were able to return to the land of Israel after 70 years in captivity, they thought their greatest desires would be fulfilled. After longing to return to their homeland, they thought once they were back in the land of Israel they would have peace and contentment. However, the harder they worked and the more they pursued their desires, the more unsatisfied they became. They pursued all the things that we think will bring contentment but still remained empty and unsatisfied.  In 1:9 we find the reason for their dissatisfaction.  They were pursuing the wrong things for the wrong reasons and for the wrong desires. They, like us, were focused on the temporal and the personal rather than the spiritual and eternal. They were pursuing their own desires rather than seeking to serve God.  Temporal things will only bring temporal satisfaction that is not lasting.
In the last part of verse 9, we find the reason for their dissatisfaction: They were pursuing the wrong priorities. To find joy and satisfaction in life, we need to pursue the eternal rather than the temporal, and prioritize God’s will rather than our own pleasure. The people were pursuing the building of their own house but neglecting the house of God. In chapter 2, Haggai reminds them that their priority was to rebuild the temple of God, not because God needed a house to live in, but because the people needed to remember that their ultimate purpose in life is found in God, not in themselves. Even when they started to rebuild the temple, they still focused on the present and the physical rather than the eternal and the spiritual. Those who had seen the majestic Temple of Solomon were lamenting that the new temple was nothing in comparison. And so they discouraged the people.
As a result, God reminded them that it is not what we accomplish or how much recognition we receive that matters. It was not the size or greatness of the temple that made it adequate for a place of worship. What determined the greatness of the temple was that God was present and would be in the temple with his people. God does not need us, our wealth, or our abilities. Rather, we need to give to God and serve him, for it reminds us that genuine significance does not come from the things we desire but from our service and relationship with God. It is in the pursuit of the eternal that we find genuine fulfillment and significance. True joy and fulfillment in life come when we focus on God and his purpose for our lives (2:18-19). If life seems empty and without significance, refocus on serving God and his kingdom agenda for the world, and we discover what is genuinely eternal and fulfilling.

When God Shouts for Joy
Zephaniah 1-3
“The Lord your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior.  He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” (3:12).
Reading through the prophets is often difficult because it seems the prophets continually beat the drum of God's judgment. One of the greatest mistakes people make is believing that God will not judge us or condemn our sin. However, through the prophets, God makes it clear that there will come a day of judgment when God condemns sin and those who practice it.
However, as dark as the prophetic messages may seem, there is also interwoven throughout the prophets another message. It is a message of hope and affirmation for those who seek him. God never judges unjustly. He does not overlook sin. However, he also never judges those who have set their hearts upon him. Thus, we find in the prophets the delight God has for his people. This confronts us with the question, “Who are those that God delights in and will experience the blessing and salvation of God?” This is the most fundamental question we must ask. While God judges the proud, those who set themselves up as God or worship other gods, he delights in the humble and lowly. This is not a reference to one’s economic or social status, but to the attitude of the heart. In 3:12, we see that God saves and protects the humble. The person who is humble recognizes their moral and spiritual condition apart from God. The humble person recognizes their sin and unworthiness before God so that they no longer rely upon their own righteousness or trust in their own moral reason. They recognize the futility of sinful man to gain any merit before God. As a result, they rest solely upon God’s grace for their salvation. This is further highlighted by the word lowly. The lowly are those who have nothing to offer. The spiritual lowly recognize that they have no merit to gain favor with God. The humble and lowly realize that salvation is not based upon our merit or worthiness, but solely upon God’s grace. Instead of trusting themselves, they surrender completely to God.
When we recognize our spiritual and moral bankruptcy and trust only in the mercy and grace of God, how does God respond? The answer is found in 3:17. This verse presents a picture that is impossible for us to fully comprehend. When we trust in God, “He will exult over you with joy. He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” This should arrest our attention. The God of the universe shouts for joy because of us. Elsewhere we are told to rejoice because of God’s salvation with shouts of joy, but here the God of the universe shouts for joy over us! It is beyond our comprehension that the God of the universe would experience exuberant joy because of us. But this is what he does when we trust in him. If we refuse to accept his salvation and refuse to obey him, we should be terrified. But when we trust in him, we can find joy, for instead of his anger we experience his unrelenting joy over us. When we trust in God, he does not just remove his threat of judgment; he shouts for joy in the throne room of heaven as a loving father shouts for joy for his children. When you surrender your life to God and submit to him, God does not just indifferently write your name in his book of life, he shouts for joy!!!!

Where is God when We Cry in Sorrow?
Habakkuk 1-3
“Yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.  The Lord God is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, and makes me walk on my high places.”

Habakkuk begins with a cry of despair and ends with a song of praise.  What happened, what changed his perspective from hopelessness to praise? How do we likewise find the voice of praise when we cry out in despair?
Habakkuk cries out with a plea we also offer when we are going through times of trial and when we see the injustice in the world, where sin seems to be winning the day. “How long, O Lord, will I cry for help and you will not hear?” The words seem shocking coming from the lips of a prophet, yet they are the very words we often cry when going through times of difficulty. However, Habakkuk’s cry was not just for himself but for the world in which he lived. Everywhere he turned, he saw that sin seemed to be winning the day. He prayed for God to act, to bring justice into the world and to stop the reign of terror and sin. Yet heaven remained silent. Habakkuk could understand the presence of evil, for we live in a fallen world. What he could not understand was the silence of heaven in the face of evil. How could a holy and righteous God seem indifferent to sin when he is “too pure to approve evil” (1:13)?
We struggle with the same paradox. Every time we read the news, we are reminded that evil seems to be in control. People take advantage of others’ misfortunes to line their own pockets by charging exorbitant interest on loans (2:6). They establish their own security through bloodshed (2:9, 12). Instead of worshipping God, they turn to idols of their own making (2:18). We see the same thing in our country today. The rich gain their wealth at the expense of the poor. People in the streets turn to violence to force their rule over others. They kill the unborn because the baby is not financially convenient. In today’s world, those who proclaim God’s moral law are labeled evil, while we give approval to those who embrace sin. As evil increases, we wonder why heaven remains silent.
This is why the message of Habakkuk is so important. Habakkuk reminds us that the idols of man remain silent and powerless, while it is God who speaks. Instead of worshiping false gods of materialism and pleasure that remain silent in the face of our trials, we are to stand in silence before God because of his holiness (2:19-20). In chapter 2, God has spoken and affirmed that he will bring judgment. In chapter 3, we see that the splendor of God covers the earth (3:3-4), and he will come in judgment. Heaven may seem silent, but it never remains silent. There comes a time when God will bring his judgment and restore righteousness.
It is this assurance that gives Habakkuk a new sense of hope and confidence. As the book closes, Habakkuk’s circumstances have not changed. He is still in distress (3:16-17). Life is still marred by struggles and hardship. However, what has changed is his focus. Instead of being overwhelmed by the tragedy of his circumstances, he is overwhelmed by the assurance of God’s salvation. Even in the midst of adversity, he rejoices because God has given him new strength, and he will dwell in the high places with God (3:18-19). When we get frustrated, discouraged, or hopeless because of the sin in the world and the struggles we face in life, we need to remember that God may be silent for a time, but he is not indifferent to our plight. There will come a time when God will bring his salvation, and that is why we can still rejoice in the present.