Year: 2022

Nobody loves music more than my wife, Lisa. Within five minutes of waking up in the morning, she’ll have a song playing in the background.
 
Whether it’s Christmas hymns or 1970s-era trumpet solos, I’m convinced that music is one of the greatest gifts God has given to us. It has the power to lift, inspire, encourage, and teach.
 
Martin Luther thought so, too. Often, he would say, next to Scripture itself, the best weapon against the devil is good music… the enemy hates music because he despises our joy.
 
Luther wrote,

“Music is a beautiful and lovely gift of God which has often awakened and moved me to the joy of preaching . . . Music drives away the Devil and makes people joyful . . . Next after theology I give to music the highest place and the greatest honor. I would not change what little I know of music for something great. Experience proves that next to the Word of God only music deserves to be esteemed as the mistress and governess of the feelings of the human heart. We know that to the devils, music is distasteful and insufferable. My heart bubbles up and overflows in response to music, which has so often refreshed me and delivered me from dire plagues.”

(Here I Stand, 266)

In a similar vein, Mary Slessor (missionary to China) used to say, “I sing the Doxology and dismiss the devil.”
 
Amy Carmichael, missionary to India, agreed when she said, “I believe truly that Satan cannot endure it and so slips out of the room — more or less — when there is a true song.”
 
Again, Luther comments:

“When sadness comes to you and threatens to gain the upper hand, then say, ‘Come, I must play our Lord Jesus a song. For Scripture teaches me that he loves to hear joyful song and stringed instruments.’ Strike the keys with a will, and sing out until those thoughts disappear, as David and Elisha did. If the devil returns defend yourself and say, ‘Get out devil, I must now sing and play unto my Lord Jesus!”

Recently, I’ve been reading through the book of Acts and noticed distinctly what Paul and Silas were doing while in prison for their faith:
 
“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them…”(Acts 16:25 ESV)
 
Interestingly, when we come to the last book of the Bible it reads, “And they sang a new song…” (Revelation 5:9).
 
The Apostle Paul tells us in Colossians,
 
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Colossians 3:16 ESV).
 
By way of reminder, the Psalms were Israel’s songbook. This prompts us to realize that worship is theology sung. It’s proclaiming truth through music.

All this brings me to the title of my article, A Thrill of Hope, the Weary World Rejoices.
 
This line comes from the first stanza of the well-known Christmas hymn, O Holy Night.
 
I can’t help but get choked up, as joy fills my heart, when I come to this line. It’s pregnant with meaning.
 
Because Christ has come, there is hope!
 
Because Christ has come, a weary world can rejoice!
 
The sting of death has been defeated because of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:50-58).
 
In the midst of our broken and sinful world, we can rejoice. Why? Because we have Hope. Not the “I hope so” kind that comes to mind in our culture today. But rather, the Scriptural concept of hope, which is a confident assurance of what God has promised in the future.
 
Do you ever read the news and feel weary?
 
Do you feel hope slowly leaking out of your emotional tank?
 
Scripture reminds us there is always reason to have hope (confident assurance in God’s promises for the future).

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23 ESV)
 
“We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope…” (Hebrews 6:19a ESV)
 
“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ…” (Titus 2:11-13 ESV)
 
“For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God…” (1 Timothy 4:10 NASB)
 
“Since we have such a hope, we are very bold…” (2 Corinthians 3:12 ESV)
 
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” (Romans 15:13 ESV)

During this Advent season, it would be a wise practice to stop and think about the lyrics to many of these thoughtfully-written Christmas songs and hymns as we celebrate the birth of Christ.
 
All too often, we sing Christmas songs mindlessly, but my challenge for you is to ponder the words and take time to engage your mind.
 
Let God use the music of this season to bring refreshment to your weary soul.

O holy night! the stars are brightly shining;
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope – the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!
Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!
 
Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
Here came the Wise Men from Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger,
In all our trials born to be our Friend.
He knows our need— to our weakness is no stranger.
Behold your King, before Him lowly bend!
Behold your King, before Him lowly bend!
 
Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother,
And in His name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we;
Let all within us praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! O praise His name forever!
His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim!
His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim!
 
(O Holy Night – 1843)

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“Never doubt in the darkness what God has told you in the light.”

(Victor Raymond Edman)

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“Brands are for cereals.
Platforms are for divers.
Market Shares are for retailers.
Towels and Basins are for Churches/Christians to wash feet.”

(Scotty Smith)

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“Keep moving and have faith. This is when God usually works. Most of the time he does not give us the whole plan, the whole map, or even the end point. He just leads us, opening and closing doors as we go along. You won’t always see the next step, but if you keep moving, it will appear.”

(Dr. Henry Cloud)

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“The church needs to build sturdy walls to keep out false teachers and attractive bridges to bring curious people in.”

(Kevin DeYoung)

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“Pray, even if you feel nothing, see nothing. For when you are dry, empty, sick or weak, at such a time is your prayer most pleasing to God, even though you may find little joy in it. This is true of all believing prayer.”

(Julian of Norwich)

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“Heaven will come soon enough. We’re here to serve. Give yourself away to this world. Every cost will be worth it.”

(John Piper)

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“The doctrine of common grace is the teaching that God bestows gifts of wisdom, moral insight, goodness, and beauty across humanity, regardless of race or religious belief. James 1:17 says, ‘Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.’ That is, God is ultimately enabling every act of goodness, wisdom, justice, and beauty – no matter who does it.”

(Tim Keller)

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“The sin underneath all our sins is to trust the lie of the serpent that we cannot trust the love and grace of Christ and must take matters into our own hands.”

(Martin Luther)

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“The person is considered righteous by God not on the basis of what one does, but on the basis of what Christ has done. The act of God that justifies the sinner cannot be undone. It’s forever. It is received by faith. It is by grace alone. No mediators but Christ himself.”

(Augustus Nicodemus) 

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“For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.”

(John 1:17 NASB)

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“Living by grace, instead of by works, means that you are free from the performance treadmill. It means that God has already given you an ‘A’ when you deserved an ‘F’. He has already given you a full day’s pay, even though you may have only worked for an hour. It means you don’t have to perform certain spiritual disciplines to earn God’s approval. Jesus Christ has already done that for you. You are loved and accepted by God through the merit of Jesus, and you are blessed by God through the merit of Jesus. Nothing you will ever do will cause Him to love you any more or any less. He loves you strictly by His grace, given to you through Jesus.”

(Jerry Bridges – from Transforming Grace)

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Augustine asks, “What does love look like?”
 
“What does love look like? It has the hands to help others.
It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy.
It has the eyes to see misery and want.
It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men.
That is what love looks like.”

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“Church history and empirical evidence attest to this. Christians engaged the culture without excessive compromise and remained separate from the culture without excessive isolation,’ wrote theologian Gerald L. Sittser, in an essay exploring how the early church flourished as a minority movement. “Christians figured out how to be both faithful and winsome. They followed what was then known as the ‘Third Way,’ a phrase that first appeared in a second-century letter to a Roman official named Diognetus.”

(“The Early Church Thrived Amid Secularism and Shows How We Can, Too,” Christianity Today)

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“Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God’s grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God’s grace.”

(Jerry Bridges)

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“It is impossible to be happy without humility. Unless we have a true sense of our insignificance in the wider scheme of things, unless we experience gratitude for the small blessings in life—the little graces that bring joy precisely because they are unearned and undeserved, we will never know joy. The more towering the façade of our own importance, the more shrunken is our capacity for happiness. Entitlement destroys the virtue best equipped to bring happiness—gratitude.”

(Trevin Wax – The Gospel Coalition)

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“We don’t really ‘hold a grudge.’ Grudges coil around us like boa constrictors and slowly crush the life out of us.”

(Scotty Smith) 

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“When you open your doors on Sunday morning, a world of brokenness files in.”

(Jared C. Wilson) 

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“Many of us cannot reach the mission fields on our feet, but we can reach them on our knees. Solid, lasting missionary work is accomplished by prayer, whether offered in China, India or the United States.”

(J.O. Fraser) 

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“Death is like a great ocean, and we are on this shore seeing people depart. But every ocean has two shores, and every person we see depart is seen as arriving on that other shore. Death is not the end. Just as birth was our ticket to this world, so death is our ticket to the next. It is less of an end than a beginning. If I told you today I would move you from the slums to a beautiful country estate, you would not focus on the life you were ending, but the life you were beginning.”

(Randy Alcorn)

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“Joy is to be found in Heaven now by anticipation and later by realization. Joyful are those people who have two feet upon the earth, but who breathe Heaven’s air.”

(Steven J. Lawson)

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“If you dwell on your own feelings about things rather than dwelling on the faithfulness, the love, and the mercy of God, then you’re likely to have a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Our feelings are very fleeting and ephemeral, aren’t they? We can’t depend on them for five minutes at a time. But dwelling on the love, faithfulness, and mercy of God is always safe.”

(Elisabeth Elliot)

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“We have a Christian duty to encourage one another. Many a time a word of praise or thanks or appreciation or cheer has kept a man on his feet. Blessed is the man who speaks such a word.”

(William Barclay)

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“Patience means living out the belief that God orders everything for the spiritual good of his children.
Patience does not just grin and bear things, stoic-like, but accepts them cheerfully as therapeutic workouts planned by a heavenly trainer who is resolved to get you up to full fitness.
Patience, therefore, treats each situation as a new opportunity to honor God in a way that would otherwise not be possible, and acts accordingly.”

(J. I. Packer, Pointing to the Pasturelands)

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“For thousands of years, the pace of life was 3 miles an hour.”
 

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“Tolerance isn’t about not having beliefs. It’s about how your beliefs lead you to treat people who disagree with you.”

(Timothy Keller) 

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“Never describe the view of an opponent in a way he or she will not own. Rather describe their view so they say, ‘I couldn’t have put it better myself.’ Only then should you proceed to refute the view. If instead, you caricature your opponent – you persuade no one.”

(Timothy Keller)

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“Our culture has accepted two huge lies:
One: If you disagree with someone’s lifestyle, you must fear or hate them.
Two: To love someone means you agree with everything they believe or do.
Both are nonsense. You don’t have to compromise convictions to be compassionate.”

(Rick Warren) 

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“You can love without agreeing with someone. You can disagree without hating them.”

(Timothy Keller) 

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“I don’t trust anyone in politics unless they dish out warranted criticism to both sides.”

(Collin Hansen)

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“To live our lives and miss that great purpose we were designed to accomplish is truly a sin. It is inconceivable that we could be bored in a world with so much wrong to tackle, so much ignorance to teach and so much misery we could alleviate. It seems that ambition and avarice know no boundaries. Yet life goes on with too many living in a kind of shapeless idleness. Recreation becomes the goal of life. Pubs abound, sports are perpetually proliferating, gambling consumes many, and almost any form of entertainment is pursued to fill the void created by a meaningless life. Year after year goes by in unprofitable pursuit.”

(William Wilberforce, Real Christianity – 1797) 

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“You cannot impart what you do not possess. You will never preach or teach above your level of understanding.”
 

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“The artist knows he must be alone to create; the writer, to work out his thoughts; the musician, to compose; the saint, to pray.”

(Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Gift from the Sea)
 

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“Comparison is the thief of joy. It is a snare to compare.”
 

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“Above all, fear the LORD and worship him faithfully with all your heart; consider the great things he has done for you.”

(1 Samuel 12:24 CSB)

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As we witness again the deep brokenness of the world this week, we cry out with the psalmist, “How long, O Lord?” (Psalm 13:1).
 
Sometimes the online news cycle moves faster than a human heart can process and grieve the events that unfold.
 
Within 10 days, we saw tragedies at…

• Tops Grocery Store in Buffalo, New York.
• Geneva Presbyterian Church in Laguna Woods, California.
• Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

Our hearts break. We grieve for those that were senselessly killed. We hurt for each family’s unique and painful loss.
 
I just can’t imagine being one of the children in that 4^th grade classroom. It brings tears to my eyes, and a deep grief to my heart.
 
But tragedies do not get the last word. God will one day wipe every tear from our eyes, and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain. In the midst of hurt, there is hope.
 
In moments like this, I find comfort from Andrew Peterson’s recent song, Is He Worthy?
 
It’s well worth 3-4 minutes of your time. The song is based on Revelation 5:1-14 (I encourage you to read these 14 verses before you watch the video).
 
The song and Scripture passage remind us that this is not the way it is supposed to be. Sin continues to ravage our world.
 
“For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now.” (Romans 8:22)
 
But one day this world will all be made new.
 
No more sin, violence, death, war, hurt, pain, tears, sickness, or sadness.
 
Jesus – the Lion of the Tribe of Judah – has conquered the grave and will one day usher in this new sinless world.

Is He Worthy?
By Andrew Peterson
 
Do you feel the world is broken? (We do)
Do you feel the shadows deepen? (We do)
But do you know that all the dark won’t
Stop the light from getting through? (We do)
Do you wish that you could see it all made new? (We do)
 
Is all creation groaning? (It is)
Is a new creation coming? (It is)
Is the glory of the Lord to be the light within our midst? (It is)
Is it good that we remind ourselves of this? (It is)
 
Is anyone worthy? Is anyone whole?
Is anyone able to break the seal and open the scroll?
The Lion of Judah who conquered the grave
He was David’s root and the Lamb who died to ransom the slave
 
Is He worthy? Is He worthy?
Of all blessing and honor and glory
Is He worthy of this?
He is
 
Does the Father truly love us? (He does)
Does the Spirit move among us? (He does)
And does Jesus, our Messiah hold forever those He loves? (He does)
Does our God intend to dwell again with us? (He does)
 
Is anyone worthy?
Is anyone whole?
Is anyone able to break the seal and open the scroll?
The Lion of Judah who conquered the grave
He is David’s root and the Lamb who died to ransom the slave
From every people and tribe
Every nation and tongue
He has made us a kingdom and priests to God
To reign with the Son
 
Is He worthy? Is He worthy?
Of all blessing and honor and glory
Is He worthy? Is He worthy?
Is He worthy of this?
 
He is!
Is He worthy? Is He worthy?
He is!
He is!

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*One final note – another resource that I have found helpful during crises is A Liturgy for a National Tragedy. 

“Asking yourself the question of your own legacy (what do I wish to be remembered for?) is the beginning of adulthood.” 

(St. Augustine)

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“Show me, O Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man’s life is but a breath.” 

(Psalms 39:4-5a NIV84)

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I was asked to speak recently at a memorial service for an extended family member, and in the process of preparing my talk, this key phrase stood out:

Memorial services are opportunities for us
to remember and to be reminded.

First, we remember the friend or family member that has passed on. We take turns sharing stories and memories about our loved one, which brings us comfort and joy in the midst of our grief.

Secondly, memorial services provide opportunities for us to be reminded about what really matters in life – things of lasting significance and eternal meaning. They remind us of the truth: one out of every one person eventually dies. 

And one day, each of us will have a memorial service of our own. It makes you wonder, What will people say about me after I’m gone?

When you come to the end of your life and have nothing but death to look forward to and nothing but memories to look back upon, what will you need to see to determine that your life was significant and well spent?

As someone once said, “Facing the reality of death has a way of ‘concentrating one’s mind.’”

It causes us to focus on the big questions of life:

• Why am I here?
• What is the meaning of life?
• Am I living for the things that really matter in the end?
• And what does really matter in the end?

Jesus provides an answer: “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” (Matthew 16:26)

There is a well-known Scripture verse that is almost always quoted at weddings, but I would suggest that it is equally important to quote at memorial services:
“Now these three remain: faith, hope and love.
But the greatest of these is love.” 
(1 Corinthians 13:13)

The Apostle Paul says all three are important – but the greatest of these is love.

Similarly, John wrote that we love “because he [God] first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

Memorial services should remind us to:

Live one’s life each day in such a way that we do not lose sight of that which is most important in the end.

Far more crucial than what people will say about us is what God will say:

• Did we steward our life and resources – time, talent, treasure (which all belong to him) in such a way that brings him honor and glory?
• Did we focus on those three things that remain?
  • Faith
  • Hope
  • Love

All three are important. But the greatest, according to Scripture, is love.

When questioned about “which is the greatest commandment” by an expert in the law, Jesus said:
“Loving God with all our heart, soul and mind.
Loving our neighbor as ourselves.”
(Matthew 22:36-40)

“I am the resurrection and the life.
The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live.”
(John 11:25)

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Quotable Quotes

“None of us knows when we will die. But any one of us, if we wish, may select our own epitaph.”

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“Teach us to number our days…
so that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.”

(Psalm 90:12)

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“Live life, then, with a due sense of responsibility, not as men who do not know the meaning and purpose of life but as those who do. Make the best use of your time, despite all the difficulties of these days.”

(Ephesians 5:15-16 – Phillips Translation)

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How we spend our time is how we spend our life.

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“Doest thou love life? Then don’t squander time. For that’s the stuff life is made of.”

(Scottish Poet and Novelist Sir Walter Scott – 1771-1832)

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“You have formed us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you.”

(St. Augustine – A.D. 354-430 – from “Confessions”)

Whenever I meet a believer in Christ who is discouraged with what they are seeing here in the West (primarily North America) in terms of spiritual decline, I like to encourage them with what God is doing around the world. And it is huge!
 
Here are a few stats on the growth of Christianity throughout Asia, Africa, and Latin America:

77,000 people are coming to Christ
every day around the world.
70,000 are in the global south
[primarily Africa, Asia, Latin America].
7,000 are in the global north
[primarily North America and Europe].

(Source:The Center for the Study of Global Christianity,
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary)

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“True Christianity has grown by more than 300 million believers in the past ten years. About 10 million of these new Christians are from North America and Europe, and the rest – 290 million – are from developing countries like Nigeria, Argentina, India and China.”

(Source:http://www.thetravelingteam.org/articles/growth-of-the-church)

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“Africa is critical for the future of global Christianity. In the next 10 years, Africa will likely grow to have the most Christians of any continent: 700 million.”

(Source:The Center for the Study of Global Christianity,
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary)

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Last week, we enjoyed another great Leadership Gathering with 120+ (of our 160+) Global Training Network staff in Scottsdale, Arizona (picture above) … who traveled in from all across the country and around the world. Our staff are some of the most highly experienced, well-educated, and yet humble, gracious, kind, and generous-hearted people I’ve ever had the privilege to work with (1 Corinthians 3:6-9).
 
#Blessed 
#Grateful 
#AllInAllTheWayToTheEnd
#CoramDeo
#Celebrating18years
#ExcitedForTheNext18years
#GodIsGood

The Comfort of God’s Promises

How do we respond when we’ve been wronged? Treated unjustly?
 
It’s natural to feel anger. To want to get revenge (whether in word or deed).
 
The Apostle Paul tells us how we are to respond:
 
“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19 ESV)
 
Did you ever think about this as one of the “promises of God?”
 
God promises, “Vengeance is mine. I will repay.”
 
How did Jesus respond when he was unjustly treated? Wronged? Reviled?
 
Peter tells us in 1 Peter 2…
 
“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.” (1 Peter 2:21-23 ESV)
 
John Piper writes the following:

“Who is a better candidate to take vengeance – you or God?
 
Consider God for a minute. No wrong ever committed against you, not in the darkest hour of any night, has ever been missed. It is written in a book in heaven. He knows every wrong committed against you. He sees the evil of the wrong far better than you see it. He hates the evil of the wrong 10,000 times more purely and righteously than you hate the evil of the wrong. He claims the right to settle accounts for you. And the big issue then is do you believe he will?
 
When you are wronged, God is saying to you:
 
I saw it. You’re right. They’re wrong. I hate what they did to you. You give me that anger. I’m going to settle this for you, and I will settle it better than you could ever settle it. Justice will prevail. Do you trust me?”

When we’ve been wronged and refuse to forgive, it’s easy for our anger to turn into bitterness – which ultimately poisons our soul.
 
It’s like the famous saying, “Refusing to forgive is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.” 
 
So how do we prevent bitterness from getting a foothold in our hearts?
 
Again, Piper writes…

Four ways to battle the unbelief of bitterness

1. Believe that what the Good Physician prescribes for you is good (Colossians 3:8)

2. Cherish being forgiven by God (Ephesians 4:32)

3. Trust that God’s justice will prevail (1 Peter 2:23)

     a. We must leave room for God’s wrath

     b. God hates evil far more righteously than you ever could

     c. Though absurd, Jesus entrusted himself to the Righteous Judge

     d. If you hold a grudge, you slight the Judge

4. Trust God’s purpose to turn the cause of your anger for your good (1 Peter 1:6-7)

Are we going to trust that God will, in the end, make things right? That justice will prevail? That he will carry out his promise in Romans 12:19 in his way and in his time?
 
Allow this seemingly strange “promise” to bring comfort to your soul. God promises that he will sort it out in the end. Trust him. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Did you know that if you spent just 7 minutes a day reading the Bible, you would read it cover to cover in 2 years?
 
That means that in 10 years, it would be possible to read through the entire Bible 5 times.
 
We all have 1,440 minutes each day. Can you find 7 minutes each day to get to know God better?
 
If you didn’t start reading through the Bible on January 1st, it’s never too late to start.
 
And when you get behind in your reading, don’t quit. Pick yourself back up, get back on track and don’t worry about the missed days. Just keep moving forward… one day at a time. Even if your 2-year plan ends up being a 3-year plan, it is still incredibly worth it.

“We must daily soak ourselves in the Scriptures. We must not just study, as through a microscope, the linguistic minutiae of a few verses, but take our telescope and scan the wide expanses of God’s Word, assimilating its grand theme of divine sovereignty in the redemption of mankind.”

(John Stott)

“It is blessed to eat into the very soul of the Bible until, at last, you come to talk in scriptural language, and your spirit is flavored with the words of the Lord, so that your blood is bibline and the very essence of the Bible flows from you.”

(Charles Spurgeon)