Do I have a multigenerational vision for discipleship?

“And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” 2 Timothy 2:2

As I drive back and forth visiting supporters and attending meetings, I am able to listen to a lot of radio talk shows and news reports. The predominant focus on the radio (and other channels of communication), is the Coronavirus. Governments and public health organizations in the USA have been working together to prepare for this virus since its outbreak in China. I am thankful for those who have the foresight to make wise decisions about how to respond to this health concern.

I am even more thankful for those in the spiritual realm who have the foresight to prepare for the future with regards to the development of Christian leaders. One such person is the apostle Paul who wrote a second letter to a young pastor named Timothy. Even though Paul was in prison near the end of his life, he wanted to encourage Timothy to persevere in the ministry. He begins by assuring Timothy of his continuing love and prayers (1:3-4), and then reminds him of his spiritual heritage and responsibilities (1:5-18). Beginning in chapter two, Paul admonishes Timothy to “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2:1). How does one do this? Paul explains an important way in the next verse.

“And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2:2). Paul is giving Timothy (and us) a multigenerational vision for ministry. There are four generations in view in this one verse. The first generation is represented by the pronoun “me.” Paul represents the first generation of Christ-followers. Notice that Paul did not keep the gospel message that God entrusted to him to himself. He shared it with the next generation of Christ-followers seen in the pronoun “you” and “witnesses.” Timothy and these witnesses were to “commit” what Paul taught them to the third generation represented by the phrase “faithful men.”

Why is it important that these men (and women and children) be “faithful?” So they “will be able to teach others also,” the fourth generation of Christ-followers. If they are not faithful to pass on what they have been taught, there will be no future generations of Jesus’ disciples.

It is important that Christians understand that the church is not a building or a place of worship, it is a body of believers in Jesus Christ. And like any living organism, if the church does not reproduce (spiritually) through the making of disciples, there will be no future generations of gospel-preaching, Bible-believing, disciple-making churches for our grandchildren and great grandchildren.

While it is important for you to be preaching the gospel to others and then training those who believe in Christ to follow Jesus as His disciple, it also important that you do not stop there. The ultimate goal is that you not only lead people to faith in Christ and train them to reach and teach others, but that they also will reach and teach others, who will also reach and teach others (2 Timothy 2:2), forming the nucleus of a new grace-based church!

When Jesus prayed the high priestly prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before His crucifixion (John 17), He also focused on future generations of believers when He prayed, “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word” (John 17:20). Jesus had not only prayed for His present disciples (John 17:6-19), but He also prayed for future generations of believers as well (John 17:20-26). Are we doing the same? Are we being intentional about developing future generations of Christian leaders?

God has given all of His children the responsibility to make disciples of Jesus (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15). Every Christian has the potential to take part and to bear much fruit for God. Every Christian has the potential to witness to others and to train them. However, not every believer in Jesus will do this. This is what James talks about in his letter. “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22). Not everyone will be a faithful “doer” of the Word (James 1:22). Not every Christian will preach the gospel and make disciples. Many will be “hearers only.”

But as we preach the gospel and teach new believers to follow Jesus as His disciple, we are to look for the “doers” of God’s Word. These are the “faithful” ones Paul talks about in 2 Timothy 2:2 that we will want to pour our lives into.

How can we discover who the “doers” are? Train everyone who believes the gospel. The “doers” will quickly emerge. Those who are “hearers only” will tend to drop out of the discipleship process (John 6:60-69). But that can be a good thing! It leaves you with more time to devote to the “doers” of God’s Word!

I want you to ask yourself the following questions based on 2 Timothy 2:2:

– “Am I listening to God’s voice of truth?”

– “Do I have an older Christian who speaks God’s truth into my life on a regular basis? If not, whom shalll I ask to begin doing this in my life?”

– “Am I currently investing in a younger believer’s life with my time and with God’s Word? If not, with whom shall I begin doing this?”

– “Is this younger believer beginning to reach and teach others? If not, please show me, Lord, what You want me to do.”

God wants us to “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 2:1). One of the best ways to do this is to multiply disciples of Jesus Christ who are grounded and saturated in the grace of God. Then and only then, will lives be transformed for Jesus’ glory.

The Lord Jesus could have appointed angels to make disciples on earth until He returns. But He didn’t. He has entrusted broken sinners, like you and me, to accomplish His mission. And He has given us everything we need to do this, including His presence in our lives: “And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20b).

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the godly men who have invested Your grace and truth in my life during the forty-one years I have been a Christian. I would not be here today were it not for them. Help me not to keep to myself what they taught me! But rather, empower me to share Your grace and truth with faithful men who will also reach and teach others. I ask You Lord to raise up an army of faithful Christ-followers who will transform this world by reaching and teaching one person at a time for Jesus’ sake. In His name I pray. Amen.

What made David a man after God’s own heart?

“21 But You, O God the Lord, deal with me for Your name’s sake; because Your mercy is good, deliver me. 22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.” Psalm 109:21-22

The Bible tells us that even though King David was an adulterer and a murderer, God still assessed his life “as a man after My own heart” (Acts 13:22). What was it about this man that led God to speak so highly of him? I believe part of the answer is found in Psalm 109.

In return for his love for them, a group of people caused great pain to King David by falsely accusing him (109:2-5, 20-25). Instead of getting even with those who had hurt him, David got honest with God and asked Him to severely judge his accusers (109:4-29).

David prayed, “But You, O God the Lord, deal with me for Your name’s sake; because Your mercy is good, deliver me. (109:21-22). David is asking the Lord to “deal with” him in harmony with His “mercy” for the “sake” of God’s own reputation, not David’s. People might begin to question God’s mercy if He did not “deliver” David from this difficulty. David is more concerned about how the Lord is perceived in this situation than he is about his own welfare.

When people misrepresent us, are we more concerned about ourselves or how others may perceive God? A man after God’s own heart cares about God’s reputation more than his own. He wants to see God’s character exalted among the people, not misconstrued or misrepresented. David was willing to sacrifrice to see God glorified.

A second thing about David that makes him a man after God’s own heart is seen in the next verse. “For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me” (109:22). David appeals to his own brokenness and neediness before God as another reason for the Lord to deliver him. A man after God’s own heart is willing to be broken, open, and raw before the Lord.

David was not perfect by any means. But he was very honest and open before the Lord. And God was so impressed with David’s honesty and vulnerability in the Psalms that He refers to him as a man after His own heart.

Are we willing to admit our own brokenness and neediness before the Lord? God already knows our inner condition. We are not hiding anything from Him when we act tough on the outside. He knows where we are hurting and struggling. And He wants to soothe us with His mercy and grace. But for this to happen, we must be willing to face our brokenness and neediness. If you are like me, you may be pretending to have it all together on the outside as a way of protecting yourself. But God wants you to know that His mercy provides a safe and soothing place to begin the healing process. Will you embrace His mercy and let Him heal your brokenness? You won’t regret it.

Prayer: Merciful Father, thank You for showing me what it means to be a man after Your own heart. I want to be that kind of a man. I want to care more about Your reputation than my own. Please forgive me for thinking more of myself when I am misrepresented instead of thinking more of how if effects You. For the sake of Your own reputation, Lord, please have mercy upon me and deliver me from that which dishonors You. Help me to see You as a merciful Father before Whom I can be broken and honest about my own neediness. I have spent much of my life trying to protect myself from more pain. But now I come to you in childlike faith to soothe me and comfort me with Your grace. Being held in Your everlasting arms of mercy takes away all the tension and stress of trying to protect myself. Thank You that I am totally understood and accepted in Your presence because of the Lord Jesus Christ. In His name I thank You. Amen.

I was created to enjoy living waters

“For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.” Jeremiah 2:13

The prophet Jeremiah was writing to God’s people, the Israelites, who were being carried away from Jerusalem into captivity in Babylon. The Lord said to His prophet, “My people have committed two evils.” It is important to understand that they were God’s redeemed people. They were believers in the coming Messiah. We are not talking about unbelievers here. These were members of the community of God.

The first evil that God’s people had committed was that they had “forsaken” or turned away from the Lord, Who like a “fountain of living waters,” had provided for their deepest needs and longings (2:13a; cf. Psalm 36:9; John 4:10-14; Revelation 21:6). God was the source of “living water” – water that gives life.

Since God is the source of living water, then our thirsts and longings are good. There is no such thing as an unholy thirst or longing. But our thirsts and longings can become holy desires that get misdirected. This is what happened to the Israelites. Instead of turning to the Lord to be comforted, connected, known, and soothed, they committed a second “evil” by turning to idols (2:5), which like “broken cisterns,” could not even “hold … water” – much less provide it (2:13b). The most reliable source of water in Israel was a natural spring, and the least reliable was a “cistern” or well.

One author writes, “The best cisterns, even those in solid rock, are strangely liable to crack, and are a most unreliable source of supply of that absolutely indispensable article, water; and if, by constant care, they are made to hold, yet the water, collected from clay roofs or from marly soil, has the color of weak soapsuds, the taste of the earth or the stable, is full of worms, and in the hour of greatest need it utterly fails. Who but a fool positive, or one gone mad in love of filth, would exchange the sweet, wholesome stream of a living fountain for such an uncertain compound of nastiness and vermin!”

These cisterns were often carved out of rock which became filled with cracks so they could not hold any water. These wells which were dug by human hands and could not hold water, became tombs for the dead. Isn’t this a profound analogy!?!

Imagine being extremely thirsty on a hot and humid day, and you have a clean and wholesome natural spring of water to satisfy your thirst. But instead of drinking that cool and refreshing water that is free, you exchange it for sewage water? Sounds repulsive, doesn’t it !?! But this is what God’s people did when they turned away from the Lord to worship idols. What they thought would bring life to them actually brought them death.

Where do we turn when we are in pain and need comforting? Where do we turn when we are stressed and need to be soothed? Where do we turn when we are lonely and need to connect? According to recent studies, more and more Christians are turning to modern-day idols like pornography and other sexual sins (see Josh McDowell’s video at https://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=3723&fbclid=IwAR0gUSqTICO9Z1R2IniX0jaG98XHDFfIxwAj6XsDqrYzwJdzRdR_tWTWKSc. Scroll down to find Josh’s 37- minute video.). How do we know it is an idol? Because it replaces God. Instead of turning to the Lord when we hurt or are lonely, stressed, or even wanting to celebrate, we go to our idol.

When a man or woman, a boy or girl, views porn or has sex outside of marriage, what is his or her holy desire or longing? To be comforted, connected, known, or soothed. It is not wrong to have these desires. God created us with these longings. But to turn to an image on a computer instead of to the living God, is like drinking sewer water instead of pure and wholesome spring water. And the devil will use this broken cistern to destroy your life.

One of Satan’s strategies is to use the beauty of a woman or a man to draw sons and daughters of God away from their Father in heaven. The enemy is fully aware of how addictive and destructive pornography is to God’s people – or any person for that matter. This is why he is making it so easy to access online.  

If you have become enslaved to porn or other sexual sins, please know that there is a way out. God still loves you with an “everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3). Out of infinite love for you, He died in your place on a cross to cleanse you of all your sin and shame (Romans 5:8; Colossians 2:13-14). Jesus wants to walk with you through the pain and shame so you can experience His abundant life once again. Your longings to be comforted, connected, known, and soothed are from Him. You were simply misled by God’s enemy to turn to “broken cisterns” which cannot meet your deepest needs and longings. In actuality, they will lead to death. Please know that Jesus is calling you to come back to Him to enjoy His living waters (John 7:37-39). All He asks is that you confess your sins to Him (I John 1:9), and walk openly and honestly in the light of His love (I John 1:7). As you learn to follow Him, He will never lead you into darkness, but into a deeper experience of His love (John 8:12; I John 4:16).

If you do not have Jesus Christ in your life, He invites you right now to recognize that you are a sinner who cannot save yourself (Romans 3:23; Ephesians 2:8-9). Christ took your punishment when He died in your place and rose from the dead (Romans 5:8; I Corinthians 15:3-6). He now asks you to believe or trust in Him alone and His finished work on the cross (not your good life, church attendance, or baptism) to give you everlasting life (John 3:14-16). The moment you do, Jesus gives you everlasting life which can never be lost (John 10:28-29). He comes to live inside you through His Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11-13; Galatians 2:20) to give you the power to live for Him now and enjoy His living waters.

Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, forgive me for turning away from You to meet my needs to be comforted, connected, known, and soothed. I am so sorry for the pain I have caused You. Thank You for reminding me that You still love me despite all my sin and shame. You are still proud of me even though I have done so many shameful things. You still believe in me even though I had lost hope. Lord, I want to drink from Your life-giving waters once again. I give You permission to walk with me through the mess I have made of my life. Please heal me of the many wounds I have tried to medicate with broken cisterns. And please lead me in Your everlasting way. Thank You for hearing my prayer. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Is viewing porn harmful to one’s body?

“Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.” I Corinthians 6:18

A growing epidemic among evangelical Christians has to do with sexual and porn addiction. A 2017 study indicates that 60-70% of men, 50-58% of pastors, and 20-30% of women in evangelical churches in America are sexually addicted (Conquer Series, Vol. 1 Study Guide, 2017, p. 21).

God wants His children to “flee” from “sexual immorality” because it is harmful (“against”) to their physical bodies (6:18). The word “flee” (pheugō) means “to run away from danger, to seek safety by flight.” Just as I would never think of staying inside of a burning house about to implode on itself, God does not want me to hesitate to run away from sexual sin whether it be on a billboard, a TV show or movie, a computer, on Facebook, or in a hotel.

Like the Corinthian believers, we may think that sexual sin doesn’t harm us physically, but it does. Based on advances in the field of neuroscience, we now know that when you have a sexual release, your brain is flooded with neurochemicals that are as strong as drugs. So when you are sexually acting out, you are restructuring your brain and setting yourself up for sexual bondage.

For example, when a husband and wife have sexual intimacy, bonding hormones are released that bond them to their spouse during sexual release. But outside of God’s will, these hormones will impair our judgment. These same chemicals are released when watching pornography or indulging in sexual fantasies, bonding you to those images. These images become your sexual triggers which actually impair intimacy with your spouse.

Brain scans reveal clear similarities between a cocaine addict’s brain and a porn addict’s brain. Repeated viewing of pornography damages the pleasure centers of the brain, sears one’s conscience, and makes a person attracted to what is synthetic instead of what is real. It physically alters the structure of the brain. The only way to reverse the damage is by going through the process of renewing your mind.

One of the best ways to preserve our physical body is to run from sexuality that is contrary to God’s design. And the best way to avoid sex outside of God’s design is to cultivate a more intimate relationship with the Maker of sex itself – God. The closer we grow to the Lord spiritually, the more satisfied and secure we will be with ourselves and the world around us.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding me of Your design for sexuality. You never intended for sexual intimacy to take place outside of marriage. When it does, it only causes pain and damages our physical body, especially our brain. Please help me to honor You with my spirit, soul, and body by running away from any form of sexual immorality and cultivating a more intimate relationship with You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

I AM A BLESSED CHILD OF A GOOD AND GENEROUS FATHER

“7 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” Matthew 7:7-11

When I was about 5 or 6 years old, my father and mother gave me a very special and unexpected gift at Christmas. My father painstakingly built a miniature Noah’s ark out of wood and my mother hand-stitched stuffed animals to place in the ark. It wasn’t until I was much older that I came to appreciate how much of a labor of love this must have been for them to carefully construct and create such a wonderful gift. We did not have a lot of money in those days, so they used what they had to express their love for me.

As I write this article, I am wondering how many children today have parents who are basically good and generous to bestow good gifts upon them? I also wonder how many people in Jesus’ audience in Matthew 5-7 had experienced the goodness and generosity of their earthly fathers when it comes to the bestowal of good gifts upon them? Before I get ahead of myself, let’s back up to this scene on a mountainside where Jesus was teaching His disciples surrounded by a multitude of people (Matthew 5:1-2).

Christ had just talked to His disciples about sharing the good news of His Kingdom with unbelievers. He compared their unbelieving audience to “dogs” and “pigs” (7:6). Pigs in Jesus’ day were unclean, wild, and vicious animals. Likewise, the dogs in that day were not domestic pets like we have today. They were also unclean, wild, and despised. Jesus warns His messengers that unbelieving people may respond to the good news of the Kingdom like pigs that “trample under their feet” the “pearls” thrown before them or like dogs who “turn and tear you in pieces” when you give them special gifts (7:6b). Christ is cautioning His messengers to be discerning when sharing the good news of His Kingdom with a lost world. Some people will reject their message and turn against them. Therefore, they must be wise about approaching hard-hearted people and rely on the Holy Spirit to prepare those people before sharing more of the message with them (cf. John 16:8-11).

It is in this context that Jesus instructs His followers to pray to their heavenly Father Who is the exact opposite of their persecutors. Christ says, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (7:7). The words “ask” (aiteō), “seek” (zēteō), and “knock” (krouō) are all present imperatives which would be translated – “keep on asking … seeking … and knocking.” Do not give up no matter how strong the opposition. Jesus is saying to “ask” your Father in heaven for what you need. “Seek” your Father for what you need. “Knock” on the door of Your Father’s house so He will open and give you what you need. God has a huge storehouse of blessings in heaven to give you, but you must ask Him for them to receive them. And these blessings are not necessarily monetary. They may be in the form of favor with those you witness to. He may bless you with protection or boldness as you share the gospel with the unsaved. He may give you assurance when you are plagued with doubts or security when you feel extremely vulnerable.

Christ emphasizes the certain results of persisting in prayer, “Ask, and it WILL BE GIVEN to you; seek, and you WILL FIND; knock, and IT WILL BE OPENED to you. For everyone who asks RECEIVES, and he who seeks FINDS, and to him who knocks IT WILL BE OPENED” (7:7-8). There is no doubt in Jesus’ mind that persistent prayer “WILL BE” answered. His promise allows no room for uncertainty. He does not say they “might be” or “may be” answered. He says they “WILL BE” answered! Why is Jesus so certain of answered prayer? Is it because of our performance or godliness? Our worthiness? Not at all. It it because of the character of our heavenly Father.

Jesus asks His audience, “9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent” (7:9-10)? As I read these verses,I wondered if Jesus may have paused for a few seconds after He asked these questions to scan the faces of His audience. Might there have been some faces that winced in pain? Faces that were covered with confusion because they did not have a father who was there to meet their needs? Or if their father was there, he did not give them wholesome (“bread”) or nutritious (“fish”) food for them to enjoy. Instead he used his resources to buy things to medicate his own pain such as alcohol or a prostitute.

Some of you reading this article may be fatherless. You did not have an earthly father who displayed any degree of goodness and generosity towards you. This has left you with deep father wounds in your soul. The idea of a loving and generous father seems foreign to your thoughts and experiences. It is difficult for you to approach your Father in heaven with any sort of expectancy that He will hear or answer your prayers.

Whether our earthly fathers were good and generous or not, Jesus wants His followers to know that their heavenly Father exceeds the goodness and generosity any decent father on earth displayed. Jesus turns to look at the fathers in His audience and He says to them, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him” (7:11)! Jesus’ point is if our selfish and self-absorbed (“evil”) earthly fathers did not give disappointing (“rock”) or dangerous (“serpent”) gifts when asked for what is wholesome (“bread”) and nutritious (“fish”), how much more will our Father in heaven Who is perfect in goodness and generosity, “give good things to those who ask Him?” (7:11b).

This is why He encourages us to persist in “asking … seeking … and knocking.” Not because of our goodness, but because of the good and loving nature of our Father Who is in heaven. He delights in giving His children good gifts.

Notice the phrase “your Father in heaven” (7:11). Before you can pray like this, you must know God as your Father. Not know about Him, but know Him personally. How? The Bible says, “If the law could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying it. But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin…” (Galatians 3:21-22a NLT). We cannot become God’s child by obeying God’s laws. God’s laws actually reveal our sinfulness and that we are slaves of sin. No matter how much good you have done, you are still a sinner. You fall short of God’s standard of perfection and deserve to be punished. When we realize we cannot save ourselves from sin, then we will be more open to receiving the promise of eternal life through faith in Christ who died for our sins and rose from the dead (I Corinthians 15:3-6).

“So we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ… For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:22b, 26 NLT). To know God as your Father requires faith in Jesus Christ. For example, just as you trust a chair to hold you up through no effort of your own, so you must trust Christ, through no effort of your own, to give you everlasting life. Once you do, it does not matter when Jesus returns, you will have a home in heaven with Him. You won’t have to panic when some preacher starts predicting the end of the world because you have the assurance you will live with Jesus forever because of your faith in His promise to give eternal life to whoever believes in Him (John 3:16).

Child of God, if you are not asking your Father in heaven to give you good things you are living below average!But when you ask the Father for more and more blessings, you are asking Him to engage in one of His favorite activities. After all, God loves to give and He has a storehouse full of blessings to give you, but You must ask Him for them. When we ask our Father in heaven to bless us, we step forward into another life. And as God blesses us, He wants us to share those blessings with others.

Prayer: Loving Father in heaven, when I awake in the morning, it is with eagerness that I enter into Your presence to soak up Your goodness and grace towards me through Jesus Christ. So many things on earth have distorted my perception of You as my Father in heaven, but I am learning to trust what You say about Yourself in the Bible. I need Your grace to renew my mind in such a way that I may see You as You truly are – a good and loving Father Who delights in lavishing His children with good and perfect gifts from above. It is a fairly new thought for me to think that when I ask You to bless me, I am asking You to engage in one of Your favorite activities. With Your help Father, I am committed to persevering in prayer knowing that You are perfect in goodness and grace. You delight in lavishing me with Your many blessings. Please lead me to the people You want me to share Your blessings with. Oh, how I praise You for being my Father in heaven! And I thank You for loving me more than I ever thought possible. I look forward to talking with You again. With much love. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

I am my Father’s treasured son

“ ‘Is Ephraim My dear son? Is he a pleasant child? For though I spoke against him, I earnestly remember him still; Therefore My heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him, says the Lord.’ ” Jeremiah 31:20

When I was a young boy growing up on a dairy farm in Illinois, one of my most treasured memories was playing catch with my Dad. He nicknamed me Tiger as I learned to throw a football with a spiral and catch it with both hands. With each word of affirmation from my father, I felt seen and valued.

There are four basic needs of every human being from the womb to the tomb and they are to be seen, safe, soothed, and secure. When I played catch with my father, I felt seen. I felt treasured in his eyes. When these four needs are met, there is trust.  We feel loved and cared for. We learn to depend on God and others to meet these needs. 

But when a man does not have these four basic needs met especially from his earthly father, it leaves him with gigantic holes or wounds in his soul. And he may try to cope with these wounds by medicating them with various behaviors, emotions, and substances called addictions. Addictions are really the pursuit of intimacy. But they fail to deliver. They actually leave us more broken and wounded. But when we experience God’s love in the depths of our souls, the wounds in our souls can be healed.

With this in mind, I want to focus on a single verse in Jeremiah 31. In this chapter of Jeremiah, God is speaking to His broken people whom He was carrying from Jerusalem into captivity in Babylon because of their rebellion against the Lord. But in this chapter He affirms that He still loved His chosen people with an “everlasting love” (31:3a) and would restore them back to the Promised Land in the future (cf. 31:4-40).

What got my attention in this chapter was what God said to the Northern Kingdom of Ephraim in verse 20: “Is Ephraim My dear son? Is he a pleasant child? For though I spoke against him, I earnestly remember him still; Therefore My heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him, says the Lord.” This verse speaks to those of us who long to be fathered by God. You are a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ (John 1:12), but you have been wounded and you want to know that God sees you and values you. 

When God asks, “Is Ephraim My dear son?”, the implied answer in this context is “Yes!” The word “dear” (yaqqir) means “very precious” or “treasured.” This may seem surprising to us when we realize that the tribe of Ephraim had been “chastised” by God “like an untrained bull” for their sins (31:18a). Yet they cried out to the Lord to “restore” them and acknowledged that He was their God (31:18b).

You were not a perfect child growing up. Nor was I. But your earthly father may have been absent (physically or emotionally) or abusive. And this deeply wounded your heart and soul. And you may project your feelings toward your earthly father onto your heavenly Father. But God now says to you, “You are My precious and treasured son (or daughter).” Latch on to this truth and repeat it to yourself often. Get alone with Your heavenly Father and listen to His still and gentle voice whisper this truth in your ear. You are not a mistake nor are you worthless. You are God’s precious and treasured son or daughter. The more you focus on this truth, the more your brain will develop neurological pathways containing this truth. And the less you pay attention to the lies that degrade and shame you as a person, the weaker those neurological pathways will become that contain those lies.

When God asks, “Is he a pleasant child?”, again the implied answer is a resounding “Yes!” This word for “pleasant” (shaashuim) refers to being “a delight” or “an enjoyment” to God. This may seem surprising to you if you did not get your basic need to be seen met when you were growing up. You have perceived God to be distant and uncaring because your earthly father was distant and uncaring.

I want to talk for a moment about the importance of facing this wound in your life before God can heal it. I have met many Christians who have been conditioned by evangelical Christianity to deny any negative feelings towards a parent because we are supposed to honor them, right? Passive aggressiveness (ex. silent and withdrawn when angry, etc.) is often perceived by evangelicals to be more spiritual, but open and honest expressions of anger are the mark of immaturity to them. But let’s remember that God experiences and expresses anger (cf. Numbers 25:3; 2 Samuel 6:7; Psalm 2:5; 95:11; Matthew 21:12-13; 23:13-36; Mark 3:5; John 2:13-17; Romans 1:18; Revelation 16:19; 19:15), so anger in itself is not wrong. One of Jesus’ most angry expressions was toward those who mistreat children (Matthew 18:6-9). God says you are to “be angry and not sin” (Ephes. 4:26; cf. Psalm 4:4). Denying our anger or pushing our anger down inside of us is what leads to sin. Admiting our anger (or hurt) even toward an absent or abusive father (or father figure) is when we begin to take control of that anger and heal.

God’s next words in Jeremiah 31:20 say, “For though I spoke against him, I earnestly remember him still. Therefore My heart yearns for him.” Even though God spoke against Ephraim as He disciplined him, He still remembered him with great affection and grace. The word “heart” (meeh) refers to one’s internal organs. The word “yearns” (hamah) means a deep-felt compassion or sympathy. God’s heart is breaking forth with a gut-level compassion and longing for His child!

The verse concludes with God saying, “I will surely have mercy on him.” The word “mercy” (racham) means “to have love or compassion.” This word is derived from the name of the most motherly organ in the human body: the womb. This is where the strongest connection of compassion and love are bonded between the mother and the baby, respectively. God’s mercy is much like the womb – it provides safety and soothing for God’s children. Softly and tenderly, God waits for Ephraim to return so He can pour His affection and love upon Him.

Let’s personalize this verse a little more. Substitue your name in place of the name “Ephraim” (a name for God’s people which includes you) and the pronouns referring to him. “Is _____ My dear son [or daughter]? Is _____ a pleasant child? For though I spoke against _____, I earnestly remember _____ still; Therefore My heart yearns for _____; I will surely have mercy on _____.”

Imagine God’s heart bursting with longing and love for you!?! This is the message that Jesus gave when He spoke of our Father in heaven (Matthew 7:7-11; Luke 15:20). We have a Father in heaven Who treasures each of His children. He cares so deeply and passionately for you. He yearns to be your Father now if you will let Him. No matter how old we are now, our true Father in heaven wants us to experience being His treasured sons (and daughters). But this requires the opening of our hearts to the Lord. Perhaps we shut our hearts down years ago as a means of protecting ourselves from the wounds we had from our earthly father or a father figure. God graciously and tenderly waits to draw near to us if we will let Him (James 4:8a).

We might ask ourselves, “Did I have a father with whom I felt safe and seen? Did I know I was treasured as his son or daughter?” Take some time to write out your answers and then answer the question, “Why or why not?” It is important that you tell your story, at least to yourself or even to God. He is waiting and He is listening. God is willing to go to great lengths to bring us back to the longing in our hearts to be His treasured son or daughter. Let’s pray.

Prayer: Father God, I have a deep need to know that I am Your beloved and treasured son in the depths of Your heart so much so that no one else can replace me there. I long to experience Your love deep inside the wounded areas of my soul. Please raise up the lonely and ashamed boy in me that longs to be held and prized by You. Give me the eyes to see and the ears to hear how precious and special I am to You. Thank You for Your mercy which soothes me and comforts me. Pa Pa, please heal and restore my soul as Your beloved and prized son. Honestly, I am going to need a lot of grace to believe it. Thanks heavenly Pa Pa. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

I am transformed by Christ’s unlimited love

“14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17  that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge.” Ephesians 3:14-19

In Ephesians 2:1-3:21, the apostle Paul expounded upon the unsearchable riches of God’s grace through the Lord Jesus Christ. He expresses his appreciation of this grace in his concluding prayer (Ephes. 3:14-21). Bowing one’s knees “to the Father” expresses surrender and submission to Him (Ephes. 3:14). If you were abandoned or abused physically, emotionally, or spiritually by your earthly father, it may feel very vulnerable or unsafe for you to take a knee before Your heavenly Father. It is okay if you do not kneel because He understands your struggle and He still loves you.

To “bow … to the Father” suggests an intimate face-to-face contact with one’s heavenly Father. Paul uses a play on words from the word “father” (patera) in 3:14 to the word “family” (pateria) in 3:15. A father is the head of a typical “family.” God the Father is not only the Father of “the whole family” of Jewish and Gentile believers in one body, the Church (Ephes. 3:1-6), He is also the Ultimate Father over all families on earth. Every human family exists as a family because of God’s relationships as a “Father.” Much of the brokenness in our world today is due to the wounds connected to one’s relationship or lack thereof with his or her earthly father. God wants to heal our brokenness with His love.

Paul asks God the Father that his readers “be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man” according to His vast resources (“the riches of His glory”) “that Christ may dwell” in their “hearts through faith” (Ephes. 3:16-17a). The purpose of this request for intimate fellowship with Jesus and for power is so these believers who are already secure (“rooted” like a plant and “grounded” like a building) in Christ’s “love … may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height” of “the love of Christ” (Ephes. 3:17b-19a). The words “comprehend” (katalambánō = to lay hold of so as to make one’s own) and “know” (ginṓskō = to know especially through personal experience) in Ephes. 3:18 and 19 refer to more than understanding Christ’s love intellectually. They refer to knowing His love experientially.

Paul refers to the four dimensions (“width … length … depth … height”) of Christ’s love to show just how unlimited (“passes knowledge”) His love is. First, we see that Jesus’ love is wide (“width”) enough to include all people (“Jew” and “Gentile” – Ephes. 2:11-3:7), regardless of one’s color, culture, or country. Christ’s love is not partial toward any particular ethnicity or political persuasion. He died for “all” people (cf. 2 Cor. 5:15; I Tim. 2:6; I John 2:2), including you and me. Perhaps other people have rejected you or treated you as an inferior, but make no mistake – Christ deeply loves you and He proved this when He shed His blood for you on the cross (Rom. 5:8). 

Christ’s love is long (“length”) enough to transform Gentiles “who once were afar off” from God (Ephes. 2:13) and Jews “who were near” to God (Ephes. 2:17). His love reached back to eternity past when He was planning His relationships with you and me before He created the universe (1:4-5; 3:9-10). His love also reaches to eternity future when we will be with Him in heaven – free from sin, shame, and Satan (Ephes. 1:10, 14; cf. Rev. 20:10-22:21). It does not matter how far you have gone from Him, Jesus loves you and He welcomes you to come home to Him and His Father (Luke 15:20). When terrible things happened to you in the past, Jesus was there watching with tears in His eyes, compassion on His face, and love in His heart. His love for you is not limited by time and circumstances.

The love of Christ is deep (“depth”) enough to rescue sinners from the depths of their sin and shame, and save them from eternal punishment in hell when they come to Him in faith (cf. Ephes. 4:9-10; cf. Mark 9:43-48; John 3:16; Acts 16:31; Rev. 20:11-15). You may have spent more time in jail than in church, but this does not diminish Jesus’ love for you. Christ died for us when we were still His ungodly enemies (Rom. 5:6, 8, 10). If Christ gave us His best when we were at our worst, how much more will He give us now that we are God’s beloved children (John 1:12; Rom. 8:31-32)!?!

Jesus’ love is high (“height”) enough to seat us next to Him in the heavenly places “far above” all His opponents, including the devil and his demonic armies (Ephes. 1:20-21; 2:5-6). Before we were saved, we were under the power and authority of Satan and his world system (Ephes. 2:2), but now we are seated next to Jesus in a position of power and victory “far above” all the enemies of God (Ephes. 1:20-21; 2:5-6). Therefore, we can live victoriously for Jesus because in Him, we are winners, not losers. The Bible tells us, “We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Rom. 8:37). Jesus’ love leads us to victory over Satan and all his lies so that God is glorified “forever and ever” (Ephes. 3:20-21).

We may know of Jesus’ love intellectually, but do we know His love experientially in the depths of our “hearts” and souls? So many broken people in the world today are bound by fear and shame. Only Christ’s love can remove the fear (I John 4:18) and the shame (Isaiah 54:4; 61:1-3; Matt. 12:20; Heb. 12:2). Only His love can unite people from different backgrounds, cultures, and various depths of sin through His grace after He saves those who believe in Him alone for His gift of salvation (Ephes. 1:13-14; 2:8-9). What human governments have failed to do throughout history, Jesus Christ can do the moment we believe in Him. Know Jesus Christ and make Him known to a broken and ashamed world.

Prayer: Loving Father in heaven, I bow before You filled with thanksgiving for the unsearchable riches of Your grace. Please forgive me for looking at You through the eyes of sin and shame, instead of through the eyes of faith. Please grant me the strength in the depths of my heart to know experientially Your unlimited love for all people, including me. There was a time when I believed no one could love me as I am. But You have changed me with regard to this lie. Your love is wide enough to include all people, including someone who feels left out and “lesser than,” like me. Your love is long enough  to reach those who are very far from You (the worst of sinners) and those who are very near to You (the best of sinners). Your love is deep enough to reach down to the depths of my sin and shame; to go where no other person wants to go. Thank You my Lord that my sin and shame do not diminish Your love for me. I praise You that Your love is high enough to seat me next to You in the heavenly places far above all Your enemies. May Your Spirit enable me to be more than a conqueror through Your unlimited love so that all the glory is given to You. In the loving name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

I can come boldly into God’s presence

“In whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.” Ephesians 3:12

Is it difficult for you to draw near to God in prayer, especially after you have sinned? Do you perceive God to be too distant or unloving to approach Him with your problems? Does the thought of talking to God scare you? If so, listen to what God’s Word tells us in Ephesians 3:12:

“In whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him” (3:12).

The moment we believe in Jesus Christ for salvation from hell we are placed “in Christ” (Ephes. 1:13-14; 2:8-9). This phrase “in Christ/Him” refers to how God sees us. In the first three chapters of Ephesians, the apostle Paul has been focusing on how God sees us after we come to faith in Jesus. In our last lesson we learned that “the mystery of Christ” refers to the equality of Jews and Gentiles in the body of Christ which had not been revealed previously in the Old Testament (Ephes. 3:1-6).

As a member of Christ’s body, the church, I can approach God’s throne room in prayer with “boldness” and “confidence.” The word “boldness” (parresia) literally means “all” (pa) “speech” (rhesis) or freedom to say all. It conveys an attitude of openness that comes from freedom and a lack of fear. The word “confidence” (pepoithesis) refers to being persuaded that God is Someone I can fully trust and rely upon, much like the confidence that a beloved child has towards his gracious and loving father.

As a forgiven and saved sinner through “faith in” Christ (Ephes. 3:12; cf. 1:7; 2:8-9), I can approach God without any doubts, fear, or hesitancy, wondering if God will welcome me into His throne room. This bold approach to God is not based on any achievements or feelings of my own, but upon the finished work of Christ whereby He paid the full penalty for all my sins when He died in my place on the cross (John 19:30; I Cor. 15:3-4; Col. 2:13-14).

If I lack boldness approaching God in prayer, it could be because I have looked to my own efforts or feelings instead of Christ’s sufficient sacrifice for my sins. If I doubt or disbelieve that all my sins are forgiven and that I am totally accepted by God based on what Christ has done, I will have less boldness in prayer.

But what a wonderful privilege we have as God’s beloved children to take our troubles, our problems, our loneliness, our sadness, and our fears to our gracious and all-wise Father in heaven. This is all possible because of Christ’s finished work on the Cross.

Have you ever had a friend who knew a very famous and distinguished person? You would never have any right to enter that famous person’s presence were it not for your friend’s relationship with that person. This is what our Savior, Jesus Christ, does for us with the most distinguished Person in the universe – Almighty Father God! In the presence of our faithful Friend, Jesus Christ, there is always an open door into God’s throne room.

Prayer: Gracious Father in heaven, thank You for reminding me that I am always welcome to come into Your throne room because I am totally accepted and forgiven through faith in Your only perfect Son, Jesus Christ. Please remove the lies that keep me from approaching Your throne of grace without fear or hesitation. You are for me and not against me as demonstrated by giving me Your best when I was at my worst. I am still amazed by Your outrageous love for me which motivates me to know You more intimately and to make You more well known to a lost and perishing world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

I am an equal in God’s family

“That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel.” Ephesians 3:6

Throughout the history of the world there has been the “haves” and the “have nots,” the “greater thans” and the “lesser thans.” To be brutally honest, I have seen myself as one of the “have nots” or “lesser thans.” In large part I believe this is due to the effects of shame in my life. Much of my shame comes from believing lies about myself. Lies that say, “I am bad,” “I am worthless,” “No one would love me as I am,” or “I cannot depend on others to help me.” These lies were attached to wounds I acquired in my past, and they promote isolation and defeat.

But God wants to set us free from these lies so we may live the kind of life He created us to live. One of the ways God sets us free is by placing us in His family, the Church, where we can learn a new way of seeing ourselves and living as God intended us to live.

In the book of Ephesians, the apostle Paul talks about being “in Christ,” which has to do with how God sees us. We have learned that in Christ we are chosen (1:4), adopted (1:5), accepted (1:6), redeemed and forgiven (1:7), and many other wonderful truths depicting how God sees us.

Today we are going to learn that we are equals in the family of God. The apostle Paul was called by God to minister “the mystery of Christ” to Gentiles (Ephes. 3:1-4). The word “mystery” (mystḗrion) refers to a previously hidden truth that is now “revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets” (3:5). This mystery is explained in verse 6:

“That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel” (3:6).

There are three aspects to this mystery:

1. Gentile and Jewish believers are EQUAL HEIRS (“fellow heirs”) of the “unsearchable riches of Christ” (3:6a, 8). All the spiritual blessings that Paul has written about up to this point in Ephesians belong to both Jewish and Gentile believers. Our inheritance is the same. Therefore we do not need to think we are lesser than others.

2. Gentile and Jewish believers are EQUAL MEMBERS in “the same body” of Christ, the Church (3:6b). From the very beginning of the church age, the Church has consisted of all people who believe in Christ alone to save them from hell forever. One believer is not more loved or valued than another believer. We are all loved and valued the same. Therefore, there is no need to work hard to improve our status in the Church.

3. Gentile and Jewish believers are EQUAL PARTAKERS of the “promise in Christ through the gospel” (3:6c). The gospel message was not limited to Jews, but is also for all people to believe (“whoever” in John 3:16 includes everyone). Hence, we do not need to isolate or withdraw from others in the Church because we were all saved by grace through faith (Ephes. 2:8-9).

In each of the three Greek words that Paul uses to describe our equality in the church, they all begin with the same prefix “sun” – a preposition that means “with.”

– “fellow heirs” = sun + kleronomos.

– “same body” = sun + soma

– “partakers” = sun + metochos

“Sun” however differs from “meta,” the other Greek preposition meaning “with,” in that “sun” describes a more intimate relationship.

Let me give you an illustration that distinguishes these two words… making biscuits. Take all the ingredients and put them out on a cookie sheet. Measure out the flour, the shortening, the baking powder, etc. Put each ingredient on the sheet. All of those ingredients can still be separated, but at the same time they are with each other— that is a picture of the meaning of the word “meta.”

Now take all of the ingredients and mix them together. Cut the dough and put it in a pan and bake it. After it has baked, it comes out as a biscuit. Once the ingredients are baked together, the biscuit serves as a perfect picture of the meaning of the preposition “sun.” No scientist can separate the ingredients of that biscuit because they are united together in intimate union! That’s the idea of the preposition “sun.”

All Christians are joined together in unity by our common spiritual DNA – the indwelling Holy Spirit. Every believer shares a position of equality in the body of Christ because of God’s grace, not because of their heritage or achievements. In God’s eyes we all are equal in our inheritance, our membership, and in our partaking of the promise of Christ through the gospel.

Prayer: Thank You Father God for showing me my true value in the body of Christ, the Church. I am an equal in Your family because of Your grace. Please apply this truth to my soul so I can see myself as an equal among the members of Your family and preserve the unity that Christ established through the cross. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

I am God’s holy temple

“…20b Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” Ephes. 2:20b-22

The apostle Paul sees believers in Jesus as a magnificent temple created by God with Jesus Christ as “the Chief Cornerstone” (2:20-21). At the time Paul wrote these words, the “cornerstone” was the essential part of the foundation of a building. It was the stone with which the builder squared up all the other stones to give the building stability and strength. The “Chief Cornerstone” of this temple is Jesus Christ (2:20b; Matt. 16:18; I Cor. 3:11; I Peter 2:4-7), and all the other stones represent Jewish and Gentile believers who are “being fitted together” much like a building under construction (2:21a; I Peter 2:5), with God continuing to add (“grows”) new believers as the gospel is preached (2:21b).

Today God does not inhabit a physical temple like He did in Old Testament times (I Kings 8:10-13; 2 Chron. 7:1-2). He now indwells His church which is a spiritual and “holy temple in the Lord” spreading all over the earth (2:21b). The church began on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2), and it will continue until the day of the Rapture when it is removed from the earth (cf. Matt. 24:36-51; I Thess. 4:13-5:11).

The moment a person believes in Jesus for His gift of salvation, the Holy Spirit seals him and places him in the Church through the baptism of the Holy Spirit (2:22; cf. 1:13-14; 2:8-9; Acts 10:43-48; I Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:26-27). God’s Spirit lives inside us now and our purpose is to reflect the glory of God (I Cor. 3:16; 6:19-20), not to draw attention to ourselves or to other Christians. We can reflect God’s glory by relying on the Holy Spirit to empower us to live a holy life; a life that pleases the Lord Jesus.

But when we choose to sin, we are acting in a way that is contrary to who we are in Christ. For example, if we see ourselves as an alcoholic at the core of our being, what will be the most natural thing for us to do – stay sober or get drunk? Get drunk. What will be the most unnatural thing to do? Stay sober. But if we see ourselves as a holy temple of God, what is the most natural thing for us to do – stay sober or get drunk? Stay sober.

Satan wants to convince us that we are sinners at the core of our being. Why? Because sinning is accepted as a natural expression of our true selves. But if we realize that at the core of our being we are a holy temple of God, we will come to the conclusion that sinning compromises who we are. Sin hides who we truly are in Christ.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, I praise You because I am not alone. You live inside me now and promise never to leave me nor abandon me. I am no longer a piece of trash or a dirty vessel because You indwell me, and that makes me holy. You are my Comforter and Teacher Who heals me and instructs me. I am now a part of a spiritual temple that continues to grow exponentially all over the earth as the gospel is preached. I now have many brothers and sisters in Christ who love me and whom I can love. Lord Jesus, You are the Chief Cornerstone of this expanding spiritual temple, and I can look to You for the stability, security, and strength I need to live a holy life which reflects Your glory to a lost and perishing world. Thank You, Lord Jesus, and Holy Spirit, for healing my broken and wounded heart so I can experience the fullness of Your love. Help me to see myself as Your holy temple so I may be and live holy for You. In Jesus’ powerful name I pray. Amen.