Embracing life in sensible shoes

“Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” —2 Timothy 4:2

There comes a time in life when style can’t compete with comfort. I’m 67 years old, and according to AI, I’ve likely taken 183,534,375 steps in my lifetime. It is time I reward my feet for carrying me through life by providing them with arch support and a firm connection to the ground beneath me. I still enjoy looking at ads for pretty shoes, but when it’s time to buy a new pair, I check the box marked “comfort shoes.” This season of sensible shoes is also the season of enjoying the common-sense wisdom that 67 years has provided.

I am older, but I have never known this level of peace, quiet, and joy in my life. I want to embrace this season of life and enjoy my sensible shoes.

Celebrating 46 years of marriage this week

Jim and I were married two weeks after we graduated from college. We had a three-day honeymoon in San Antonio, came home, packed our meager possessions in a small U-Haul, and drove to our duplex in Arlington, TX. The next seven years were spent living close to the seminary so Jim could get his PhD and I could get my PhT…(Putting husband THROUGH!). During that time, we pastored one church, had our two boys, and then moved to Midland, Texas, to pastor there. 

We have lived a BUSY, full life for these forty-six years, and now we are enjoying our less busy, peaceful season of life in Tyler, Texas. People sometimes ask us when we plan to retire, and our only answer is, “When Jesus tells us to!” We love our life, our ministry, and we still love each other. Life together as husband and wife continues to be my greatest blessing on earth. 

Happy Anniversary, Jim! As the song lyric says, “You’re Still the One.”

Adapting to the changes

In each church we pastored, I’ve been blessed to know, appreciate, and grow to love people who were older and wiser. We were able to attend church functions that were designed for our “senior adults.” In every church I noticed and can still name the senior adults who made me think, “I want to be them when I get older.” 

I still remember the Sunday morning that Jim and I looked at the announcements and then at each other because we realized the announcement was for US! It’s strange to realize we are safely in the final quarter of our lives, our marriage, and our journey to heaven. It isn’t sad or scary because we both know where we are going. Heaven is mostly an unknown, but we know it is going to be eternal joy, peace, safety, happiness, and reward. I can’t wait to give Jesus my praise and gratitude face-to-face. 

I love the song I Can Only Imagine by MercyMe. When I consider the chorus of that song, I realize that I will likely dance with joy the day I get to see my Lord and Savior face-to-face. Until then, I pray that Jim and I can adapt to each change life brings with the same joy we will feel when we see Jesus that day. I hope we DANCE our way to the gates of heaven, together! I hope my mansion in glory has a wide array of beautiful shoes in the closet, none of which bother my feet at all. Who knows, maybe we will walk those streets of gold in bare feet, never needing shoes again.

We will need to adapt to the changes this earthly life brings until our earthly lives are done. But I bet if you read my article each week, you will dance your way into heaven too. Life with Jesus is the only way to live this season of sensible shoes.

Words from a saint who grew old

The New Testament doesn’t have many quotes from the elderly. John was the only apostle we think died a natural death. I love the book of Revelation for many reasons. It’s the only book in the Bible that promises a blessing to those who will read it. Revelation 1:3 says, “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.”

That verse has troubled Christians who focus on the phrase, “for the time is near.” It’s been more than two thousand years since John wrote down those words Jesus spoke to him. It is Scripture, therefore it has to be pure, complete truth! I read that passage differently now that I am older. We know that with God, a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day. (2 Peter 3:8) 

There is a phrase that most senior adults have said about their lifetimes, with a sense of wonder in their voice. Almost all have said, “Wow…how did we get here so fast!” Jesus told an elderly John, “The time is near.” John was imprisoned on the island of Patmos, not knowing what the next day would bring. When Jesus told him the time was near, those were words of encouragement intended to bring his beloved apostle joy.

There is another reason why the verse above is one of my favorites. Jesus said, “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words,” and “blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it.” How long has it been since you sat and read aloud the words of Revelation? We need to read those words, especially as we age, and share them aloud with others. Don’t worry about the passages you don’t understand. Do focus on and share the verses that you DO understand. Those words were encouragement to the apostle John, who was elderly and living a very difficult season of his life on Patmos. Jesus encouraged his friend, and his words can encourage us! In fact, his words promise to bless those who will read and share them with others.

But we also need to “keep what is written” in the book of Revelation. Revelation is the book designed for the fourth quarter of life. We don’t need to know when Jesus will return for the final time, but we do need to take notice of the people around us who don’t have the hope of heaven that Revelation has promised to Christians. We need to share that hope “out loud” and often with people, and live now with the hope and joy we look forward to. 

Shout joy to those around you

I have a wonderful life, and I’m living it with a wonderful man who is “still the one!” I feel like a blessed person almost every day of my life. It is a joy and a blessing to grow older and hopefully wiser. Senior adults have the opportunity to be the people, the married couple, the mature witnesses for those who are younger. We should look for opportunities to share the hope and truth of the Revelation with others. 

When Jim and I were on our honeymoon in San Antonio, we saw an older couple holding hands while walking on the Riverwalk. Forty-six years ago, I said to Jim, “That’s who I want us to be when we get older.” I’m smiling now and realizing we are likely older than that couple was in 1980!

I often think of June as the beginning of the summer season. How long has it been since you read the Revelation? The NIV study notes are the best help for the parts you don’t understand. The Holy Spirit is your best teacher as you read. Most importantly, this book has promised to bless us for reading its words, sharing its lessons, and obeying them with joy.

Are you hoping to have a blessed summer? Jesus and the apostle John would love to help. This season of sensible shoes has a lot to offer us. If we live it well, we will have a lot to offer the generations that will follow. If you are younger, watch for the joyful Christians who pass you wearing sensible shoes. Wisdom is a powerful goal, and most wisdom comes with age. Christians can live with John’s blessings and joy if we read and obey the wisdom in John’s Revelation from Jesus.

Wishing you a summer of blessing as you wear those comfort sandals and walk with joy!

Love the Author, and you will love his Word

“We love because he first loved us.” —1 John 4:19

I ran across a quote this week that I wanted to share with all of you. Dr. William Mounce is a well-known theologian who was chosen to serve on the teams for both the NIV and ESV translations of the Bible. Bill Mounce is brilliant in the Greek language and has taught at some of the finest seminaries. His website, BiblicalTraining.org, is an important biblical site. His dad was also a brilliant theologian, and his grandparents were ministers too. God has used his family to teach the Bible as truth for a very long time.

Dr. Mounce was interviewed by Jonathan Peterson at BibleGateway.com, who asked the theologian, “Why do you love the Bible?” His response made me smile, then think. Dr. Mounce answered, “I love the Bible because I love its Author.”

I’ve taught the Bible for many years, but have I taught people what the Bible says and taught them to love the Author? That was food for thought, and I imagine I will think about that often in the days to come.

It’s natural to care about what our loved ones think and say. Maybe the best way to teach people to trust God’s word is to help them learn to love the Author.

Do you love Jesus as God?

My favorite definition of Jesus is that he is God with skin on. I cannot accurately explain or teach the Trinity. There are thousands of volumes of theology on the subject. If there were a perfect explanation of the Trinity, then we would all have memorized it. In fact, the Trinity is one of the reasons the Muslim faith considers Christianity a false religion. We teach that God became a man. To them, that is heresy. 

We shouldn’t be frustrated that we can’t explain the Trinity. If we could define God in human terms, we would have reduced him to less than the supernatural Creator that he is. I wonder if one of the main reasons God became man was to help us truly learn to love him. It’s hard to love what cannot be known or experienced in this world. God so loved everyone that he became Jesus so that it would be easier for the human mind to comprehend and experience his love. If we know Jesus as our Savior, we have only begun to know our eternal God. Human beings cannot fully know God this side of heaven. That’s why Paul wrote, “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known” (1 Corinthians 13:12).

Jesus taught us how to love God

Our hearts and our souls learn to love God through faith. Love occurs when we place our faith in a person and trust them. We love people even though we know they are imperfect and will, at some point, let us down. How much more should we love God! We can trust him, and all that he allows in our lives, because we know our God is incapable of imperfection. Our faith in God’s perfection is the basis for our trust in his word. 

The Bible is the inspired word of God. When Jesus spoke, he was speaking God’s word, God’s thoughts, to those around him. When others like the apostles and the prophets wrote the books in our Bible, their words were inspired. We often study the people behind the words when what matters most is that their words were given by God’s Holy Spirit to teach us. The words are not their own thoughts; they are God’s. We call the Bible “God’s Word” for a reason.

Jesus taught that the most important commandment was to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). Then Jesus said, “This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:38–40).

Jesus taught you to love the Lord your God “with all your mind.” Dr. Mounce said, “I love the Bible because I love its Author.” Do we echo those words in our own hearts and lives? 

The next time you pick up your Bible, take a moment to love the One who wrote it to you. Our first and most important “commandment” is to love our God. It is that love that enables us to love others as we should.

Our legacy of faith and love

I’ve often hoped that when people remember me at my funeral someday, they will say, “She taught me to love the Bible.” Now I have another hope. I also want them to say, “She taught me to love God more deeply.”

I want to close this blog post with Dr. William Mounce’s words. Dr. Mounce’s father lived to be ninety-seven and was a brilliant theologian, like his son. Bill Mounce wrote a blog post after his father died that is simply profound. I hope you will take a minute to read the entire message. Dr. Mounce closed his post saying, “As my grandma used to quote, ‘Only one life will soon be past, and only what’s done for Jesus will last.’ If my legacy is a family and group of friends who love Jesus more because I was in their life, then that is enough.”

I doubt many of us will achieve Dr. Mounce’s level of theological expertise and cultural impact. Each of us will create a unique legacy for others. We all have an individual calling and gifting, and we are accountable only to God for our obedience to what he assigns us. As Mounce wrote, if our legacy is a group of people who love Jesus more because of us, that is enough. We need to love the Author, and we need to love his Word. That is our daily witness to others.

Who will know and love God more because they knew you? If that is the purpose of this day and each day that follows, we will have spent our lives well.

Your supernatural normal

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” —Ephesians 2:10

When is the last time a stranger asked, “Are you a Christian?” How often does someone say, “I could tell you were a believer before we even spoke”? 

I’ve always enjoyed observing others. Discernment is one of my spiritual gifts, and I often notice someone and think, “I’ll bet he or she is a Christian.” There are a lot of people who can speak like a Christian when asked or interviewed, but I’m always more interested in hearing from those who exhibit the character of Christ in random, unplanned situations. Those moments often reveal the power of Christ’s Spirit at work.

A supernatural normal

I’ve always been an average, normal person. I am average height, average IQ, and average in my lifestyle choices. I’ve often said I am a “one-person marketing opportunity.” If I really like something, chances are most others will, too. I was watching Shark Tank the night when Lori Grenier bought the Scrub Daddy sponge and said, “That thing is going to sell!” According to a recent Fortune article, the little sponge company is now a $220 million empire. 

The Scrub Daddy began as a sponge with one shape, one color, and one purpose. Now, there is a wide variety of products that share a similar purpose. Scrub Daddy sponges exist to make things cleaner. 

You could say that about the wide variety of God’s children as well. 

Christians are uniquely unique in this world. We don’t look like any one region of the globe. We have different customs, foods, languages, gifts, and abilities. There really isn’t such a thing as an “average Christian.” How could there be? Each of us has been filled with a holy Spirit, who is the presence of the supernatural God in our lives. And each of us exists to use our witness to make our world “a little cleaner.”

Each Christian life has been gifted and filled with a supernatural normal to fulfill a divine calling.

Created to be uniquely unique

If someone were to ask me what a “normal Christian” looks like, I would have no real answer. We truly are created to be uniquely unique. What do “most Christians” look like? How do most Christians worship? How do most Christians dress, live, work, or enjoy their lives? What is a normal day in the life of a Christian? Where do Christians live?

According to a Wikipedia article, “Christians made up 2.3 billion of the worldwide population of about 8 billion people in 2020 according to a 2025 Pew Research Center study. This represents 28.8% of the world’s population. Christianity is the largest religion in the world.” If you have time, glance at the article and notice how many countries are listed as having Christians in their population. What will the citizens of heaven look like? The only answer is “the whole world.”

The only true similarity amongst Christians is the Holy Spirit within. Christians are uniquely unique in that we are the children of the Creator God, whom we call our Father. Most moms I know have said something like: “I raised my kids in the same house, taught them the same lessons, yet each of my kids is very different in their own ways.” God would say that about his adopted children as well. 

We aren’t supposed to be “cookie-cutter Christians.” Human beings are created in the image of God, and what does God look like? Sound like? Act like? No wonder we are “uniquely unique!”

The potential of our supernatural normal

I enjoy picking out Christians in a crowded airport. These people come from every country and speak every language. How then can I pick them out in the crowd? 

  • The fruit of the Spirit – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22–23). None of us gets this completely right, 100 percent of the time. But it’s surprising how often we overflow with God’s fruit just because we spent time with him that day.
  • The ability to endure hardships with peaceful, unshakeable faith and joy. “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope” (Romans 5:3–4). Why does God allow his children to suffer the same difficulties as everyone else? Because it is likely our suffering will provide our greatest rewards in heaven. Our sufferings often give us our greatest opportunities to share God with others as well.
  • “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8). A Spirit-led Christian thinks differently about so many things in this world. Our Christian perspective is often a powerful witness to others. When we think like God, we are likely to act like God’s child.

The potential of our supernatural normal can change our lives and the lives of those around us. There is a reason that Christianity exists in almost every country in our world. Jesus told his disciples, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14). How close are we to the fulfillment of Jesus’ words?

Live as a unique, supernatural, normal child of God

Jesus promised his return someday. The internet has enabled God’s word to travel throughout the world, and people are now coming to know God in great numbers. AI is also an interesting addition to the spread of God’s word throughout the world. 

Who do you know that still needs to know Jesus?

How often does someone say, “I could tell you were a believer before we even spoke?” If you don’t hear that very often, ask God to help you turn up the volume of your witness. In the end, living your normal life with your unique, supernatural witness will be what adds the most value to your eternal life. 

Who will see you today and think, “I’ll bet he or she is a Christian”? You will rarely know when that happens this side of heaven. Once we are in heaven, though, we will get to meet those we helped to know Jesus.

I hope you will enjoy a supernatural, normal day today!

What did American Idol teach God’s children?

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so thatthey may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” —Matthew 5:14–16

The Lord gave his children a powerful message through American Idol this year. My husband and I tape the show so that we can watch it each week. (To be honest, we often fast-forward the parts we don’t want to see.) This year’s finale was remarkable, and I had to write about it. Jim also wrote about it this morning as well. You can read that article here.

All three finalists this year were talented singers, but, more importantly, they were evangelical Christians. What does that say about America and our values? Is evangelical faith making a comeback? What lessons should all of us be reminded of for our own lives? Are Christians being called to publicly stand for Jesus with fearless faith, unconcerned with consequences?

Keyla, Jordan, and Hannah

American Idol actually had an episode this year titled Songs of Faith. Not all the songs sung that night were Christian songs, but the three finalists all sang for the Lord and, notably, sang to the Lord.

Keyla sang Jirah. Jordan sang I Can Only Imagine. Hannah sang At the Cross (Love Ran Red). 

My point today is not to lift up these three talented people, though each of them was fully deserving of the trophy at the end. Each of these people lived for the bigger trophy they had already been promised through Christ. 

Keyla and Hannah have sons who sang the words of these songs with their moms. Jesus wasn’t just lifted up in their homes for an episode of faith music. Jesus was obviously part of their homes and their daily lives. All three contestants sang to the audience, but it was obvious throughout the competition that they were also singing for a higher purpose.

In the finale, each of these contestants sang their faith as their song of choice. Keyla sang I Love the Lord. Jordan sang, Goodness of God. Hannah sang an original song she wrote titled Married Into the Town. Her song was about living a life rich in faith and love, without much material wealth. She wrote the song and sang the song with heartfelt joy. All three of these people could have won. I believe Jordan had the greatest vocal talent. Performance-wise, Keyla had the greatest talent. Heart-wise, people were drawn to Hannah’s story, and she was the winner of the season finale. 

From my perspective, all of them lifted up their Lord, and all of them will receive their greatest blessings in heaven.

What should American Idol teach all of us?

There have been 24 seasons of American Idol, and I have often quit watching mid-season. Some of the finalists were not appealing to me. This year, I didn’t miss an episode because I was fascinated by what I saw on stage and in the culture because of the show.

As I’ve said before, God has given me discernment, and I often watched the show for what was happening in the background rather than the performances. When these three contestants worked with the various artists the show brought on as coaches, I saw these three minister to these famous musicians as they sang. Several times, one of them would say, “You took me to church!” 

I was also drawn to the face of Luke Bryan, one of the Idol judges. I found myself praying for him several times this year. Carrie Underwood has a deep faith in the Lord, and she often sang along with the songs that were sung. I would catch Luke Bryan watching her. He didn’t know the words of the faith songs, and from his face, I don’t think he truly knows Jesus. Luke’s face said something like, “I really like what I see, but I don’t really get it.” 

That is the lesson we need to learn from American Idol this year. 

Our most important witness doesn’t have words

Jesus told his disciples, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” (John 12:32). Jesus was talking about his death on the cross; the crucial sacrifice God accepted and gave for the sins of all mankind. Jesus gave everything to bring people into a saved, restored relationship with God. 

Jesus still draws people to God today, when Christians lift him up as our Lord and Savior. Those who watched American Idol this year saw these three young people display the power of Christ in their lives. Those who saw their family members and friends in the audience saw the love of Jesus between them. Those who studied the faces of the others on the show who didn’t get it often saw the faces of people who wanted to know Jesus the way these three did.

A final lesson: Those who voted for these three showed America that there are a LOT of people in this country who wanted God’s children to win. We don’t have as public a witness as these three young people on a popular show, but we can have their courage. We can have a public witness as well. These three probably all wanted to win, but none compromised their faith to do so. Their most important witness wasn’t found in their words so much as in their quiet convictions.

What do you sing to the Lord?

When you sing in church this Sunday, will you sing for the Lord and to the Lord?. Does your public worship draw people to want to know Jesus as you do? Do people hear your conversations and wish they knew Jesus as well as you do? Do people see your generosity, your compassion, your patience, and your faith in difficult times, and wish Jesus were at work in their lives like Jesus works in yours?

Our public witness is our song for the Lord when it is our song to the Lord. American Idol drew a crowd of people toward these three young Christians who meant what they sang. We should never underestimate the power of Jesus to draw others to himself if we will just teach them why Jesus chose the cross. People around us need to know how much they are loved by the One who created them.

How will you lift up the cross of Christ today? He told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). Let’s run this race, carrying our cross, all the way to the finale. We are all promised a crown when we reach the end.

Photo by Free Walking Tour Salzburg on Unsplash

The music of heaven

“For God alone my soul in silence waits.” Psalm 62:1

Today I am writing this article from a comfortable chair on my back patio. This isn’t my normal spot to work, and right now I’m wondering why not!

I live in Texas and know that May is when temperatures start to climb. Soon, I will need the cool air from the A/C to maintain my concentration. But this morning, the temperature is perfect, the breezes are so pleasant, and the only sounds I hear besides my typing are the many birds who are enjoying this moment as much as I am.

God did not tell us very much about heaven, but I’ve often wondered what eternity will sound like when I arrive. Will I hear familiar voices? Will the angel’s praises fill the air? Will heaven have the joyful sounds of these birds calling to one another? What will heaven sound like? 

According to C.S. Lewis, “In heaven, all that is not music is silence.” That is a quote from Screwtape Letters, his famous novel about the work of Satan in our world. What did C.S. Lewis mean? I enjoyed studying that answer!

What is the “music” of heaven?

Freelance journalist and author Erin Rebar wrote a wonderful article about Screwtape Letters. She explained the C.S. Lewis quote, “In heaven, all that is not music is silence,” in this way:

I love this quote because it feels so applicable to our modern world. The quote comes from a section in the novel where Screwtape is explaining to his nephew the importance of filling the world with Noise. Certainly, noise is everywhere these days, found in the honking of horns, the squealing of tires, the buzz of meaningless conversation, the endless binging of Netflix shows and the hours spent on Facebook. Noise doesn’t have to be merely auditory: in this context noise is whatever distracts us from the most important things in life and draws us away from God.

I had never considered the idea that in heaven, there will be nothing that can distract us from God. According to Rebar, there is no noise in heaven.

Stop and listen to your surroundings for a moment. What might be distracting your ears or your thoughts right now? Are you reading these words in a crowded room filled with voices? Are you reading in the quiet right now? Are you thinking about the rest of the day or reading with the TV on in the background?

Our world is a noisy place, just as Erin Rebar said. A lot of our noise isn’t perceived through our ears as much as it is heard in our thoughts. The sounds in heaven will be very different than the noises of earth.

The silence of heaven

We live in a day of 24/7 programming on our televisions, satellite radio in our cars, and endless podcasts to listen to, many of which can add value to our lives, but often don’t. The decision to be silent is the choice to step away from the noise in order to be alone with God’s thoughts.

Proverbs 17:27–28 (NIV) says, “The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered. Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent and, discerning if they hold their tongues.” Our culture would greatly improve if we took this wisdom to heart. We have come to value the quantity of new ideas and their popularity rather than their quality.

Will Rogers said, “Never miss a good chance to shut up.” Lewis Carroll, in his famous novel Alice in Wonderland, wrote, “‘Really, now you ask me,’ said Alice, very much confused, ‘I don’t think——’ ‘Then you shouldn’t talk,’ said the Hatter.” And Leonardo DaVinci once said, “Nothing strengthens authority so much as silence.”

There are many wonderful quotes from intelligent, creative people about the great value of remaining silent. Why then are we tempted to fill our lives with the sounds and noise of this world?

All that is not music is silence

If we want to find more of heaven on earth, maybe we should heed the wisdom of the biblical proverb. We can use our words with restraint, measuring our wisdom by the moments we remain silent. We can choose to “be still and know” who God is. Or, as Will Rogers said, “Never miss the good chance to shut up.”

There is a lot of power in learning to discern the noise of this world from the voice that God has placed within us through his Holy Spirit. Jesus comforted his disciples with the words in John 14:26 saying, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

If Jesus were sitting next to you right now, he might want to ask you, “How often do you consult the Holy Spirit during your day?” He might remind us that “his thoughts are not our thoughts.” He might want to encourage us by reminding us that we have a Helper.

The noise of earth will fade to silence

I don’t think there are very many things in heaven that will remind us of earth. The sounds, the smells, and the comforts of heaven cannot exist in the imperfections and noise of this world. I began typing this article with only the sounds of the birds as I enjoyed the morning quiet. Now, as I finish my thoughts, I can hear the increased traffic on the road outside. I heard the trashmen come, and I need to bring the can up from the street. My phone has interrupted my work three times since I began. That said, the birds are still singing in the trees. I’m still on my patio, enjoying some time to listen and type for God’s purpose.

I agree with Meister Eckhart, who wrote, “The very best and utmost attainment in this life is to remain still and let God act and speak in thee.” The sun is chasing me off my patio right now, but if I’m smart, I will take the blessed silence of this morning with me throughout this day.

How will you keep the noise of this world at bay today? How will you pursue the music and silence of heaven? For now, silence can draw us into the music of God’s voice. One day, we will know all the sounds of heaven as we live undistracted lives in God’s presence.

And all these birds around me are saying, “Amen to that!”

Photo by Caleb Woods on Unsplash

What has become spiritually obsolete?

“He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.” —Daniel 2:21

My husband sent me an article about popular products from the 1960’s that are now obsolete. I used some of the items listed when I worked at some of my first jobs. Here is the list of those products:

  • Typewriters
  • Rotary phones
  • Carbon paper
  • Phone books
  • Adding machines
  • To their list, I would add the once-and-absolute-necessity Rolodex.

My husband and I enjoy wandering antique stores and often comment on how the things we used and enjoyed years ago are now considered “retro” or “antique.” On the other hand, if we experience a technology apocalypse, our generation’s obsolete stuff will come in handy! 

What has become obsolete in your church?

  • The Sunday statistics board. There used to be a board at the exit from the worship service that showed how many people attended Sunday School, how much was given in the offering, and how many were in worship that day. That board required some volunteer church members each Sunday to gather the envelopes, count heads, count money, and, of course, drink coffee during the Sunday School and worship hours. Then came the “mega church,” which made this board obsolete.
  • The nosy offering envelopes that offered weekly accountability. We used to get mailed these offering envelopes that asked us to check boxes that said: “Read my Bible daily,” “attended Sunday School,” “Attended worship,” “Shared my faith with someone,” and “Gave my offering.” They should have included a box that said, “And I didn’t fudge my answers on any of these boxes.” 
  • Church programs? Some churches still produce weekly printed programs, but most use screens to display announcements and guide the worship service.
  • The need to bring a Bible to worship. The Scripture for the day is usually on the screens or available on our phones and tablets. If our Sunday school teacher is tech-savvy, we have it on a screen in Sunday School as well. The need to locate the book of Amos in short order has greatly diminished. (I say that as a preacher’s wife who purchased a Bible with the tabs because I was greatly embarrassed one week to be the LAST one in my pew still flipping the pages of my Bible as I desperately searched for the book of Amos! That memory STILL haunts me!)
  • Lastly, what about our great need to be living a witness of biblical truth and living with that truth as our spiritual authority?

What has quietly become spiritually obsolete for living a biblical witness?

Have we included some areas of biblical truth in the same category as typewriters and carbon paper? In other words, are there some things Christians believed and taught in the sixties that we know still exist, but we have obsoleted them from our normal, daily lives?

  • When was the last time you counseled a young person, possibly a family member, that sex apart from marriage is a sin? (Hebrews 13:4)
  • When was the last time you considered your tithe as an option? (Malachi 3:10)
  • When last did you explain to an unbeliever that only those who believe in Christ have the hope of an eternal life with God instead of an eternity in hell? (John 14:6)
  • Have you ever believed that abortion was the better solution or enabled an abortion for someone you love? (Psalm 139:13–16)
  • Have you quietly grown accustomed to seeing two people of the same gender act as if their sexual relationship should be celebrated? (Romans 1:26–27)
  • Have you allowed your talk to become slanderous, tarnished, or unloving? Have you allowed your silence to give approval to things God cannot approve? (Ephesians 4:31–32)

My point was to step on ALL of our toes a bit, mine included. Satan’s hand has been on the dimmer switch for decades now. He has learned to take his time so that our eyes can adjust gradually to the growing spiritual weakness in our lives and in our culture. “A rising tide lifts all boats,” but the reverse is true as well.

Some timeless wisdom from C.S. Lewis

Normally, I use Scripture for us to consider. I included the Scripture passages above for that purpose. For today, I have a different suggestion. C.S. Lewis wrote a book called The Screwtape Letters, first published in 1942, and it has never left our bookstores. At least it hasn’t become obsolete yet. That said, I rarely hear it quoted these days. I plan to reread the book this summer. It isn’t just food for thought; it’s a feast. 

Consider these important words of advice from Screwtape to his servant about how to influence the world. Screwtape is the name Lewis used for Satan, and the following quotes are his advice from Lewis’ timeless, important book. 

“Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one–the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts,…Your affectionate uncle, Screwtape.”

“It is funny how mortals always picture us as putting things into their minds: in reality our best work is done by keeping things out.”

“Suspicion often creates what it suspects.”

“Prosperity knits a man to the world. He feels that he is finding his place in it, while really it is finding its place in him.”

“A moderated religion is as good for us as no religion at all—and more amusing.”

Will you consider C.S. Lewis for your summer reading?

If you feel like some of your spiritual resolve has been obsoleted, consider adding books like Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, or The Chronicles of Narnia to your summer reading list. It will be impossible to read and ponder these profound books without being changed. 

If we have chosen a “moderated religion” in order to fit the current standards of our culture, have we chosen something that is “no religion at all”? We don’t want to be “amusing” to Satan; we want to be pleasing to God. The apostle Paul wrote, “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10).

The need for spiritual servants will never be obsolete in God’s kingdom. Let’s give our lives a spiritual tune-up this summer by considering the timeless wisdom of C.S. Lewis. He has a unique way of pointing our hearts and minds toward God.

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

Why we believe in God

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” —Romans 1:16

God led me to write this article after a long morning walk. It had rained a LOT during the night, and when my husband and I went out to walk, the world was sparkling as a result. I looked at the sun reflecting off the clouds and onto a pond and wondered how anyone could miss the fact that only God can create this kind of natural beauty.

Great artists can paint God’s glory, but they can’t create the scene they are painting.

Great musicians can try to fill our thoughts with God’s glory, but they can never completely describe it.

Great theologians can try to teach about God’s glory, but they can never convince everyone.

I’m married to a Christian apologist, someone who defends the Christian faith with sound theology. I think these current days represent the greatest opportunities in my lifetime for evangelism and defending the Christian faith. People are searching for God in increasing numbers today. God’s people need to be ready to speak boldly for God. Are you able to readily answer a friend or family member who asks, “Why do you believe in God?” When that moment happens, we don’t want to wonder about an answer.

I hope this article will help serve as a preparation or reminder of how we can be ready to “make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15).

Why is our world asking about God right now?

It’s important to consider the timing of our witness. We need to answer biblically, but also recognize that a small, personal point of view could cause us to miss the greater work of God in our world today. 

  • We have a generation whose lives were traumatized during the COVID years. They heard the angst but didn’t really understand. They felt the confusion of those days, but answers were hard to come by. Their lives were impacted by their experiences and feelings. That is the generation asking the most questions right now.
  • Politics have NOT provided adequate solutions to their questions and concerns.
  • They rightfully question what they read, knowing that they live in an era of partial, unobjective truth from most teachers and leaders.

We need to be prepared to answer people’s questions, but we might also need to be sensitive to those moments when people need a better answer than their own. There are times to be bold, times to be adamant, and times to be understanding and careful. So, if we are asked about our faith, the first thing we need to do is pray and know that we don’t have the ability to answer faith questions. It isn’t our job. That is why God gave us his Holy Spirit. If we pray before and during our times of evangelism, we won’t speak our own thoughts or give our own answers; Jesus will speak his answers through us. 

Our world is asking about God right now, and God’s children need to allow him to answer. Evangelism requires our humble reliance on God’s Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will speak if we will trust our thoughts to his.

What do we believe about God?

  • We believe in a Creator of our universe. We believe that science proves God’s existence.
  • We believe that the psalmist was correct when he said, “The heavens declare the glory of God,
    and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (Psalm 19:1).
  • We believe that Jesus Christ is God’s Son, and our faith in Jesus enables our forgiveness. We have the chance to be made holy and righteous in God’s sight. John 3:16 is the gospel message.
  • We believe in the sacrificial death of Christ and in his resurrection. Romans 8:11 is truth.
  • We believe that if Jesus was raised from the dead, God will raise us to eternal life as well. John 11:25–26 is our powerful hope.
  • We believe that Jesus will return for each of God’s children one day and usher us to an eternal home in heaven. Jesus promised his disciples in John 14:1–3, and that promise is biblical truth.

Why do you believe in God?

This is the part of your witness to prayerfully consider today. Every child of God has doubted their salvation at some point. Do we just believe what our parents taught us? Do we just enjoy the culture of church people? Do we just decide faith was our best option? How confident are you that Christ is the only way to eternal life?

God allows and redeems the difficult moments in life to enable our faith. When was your faith tested, and how did you come to an overwhelming trust in the existence of God? When did God reveal his love for you and pour his strength into your life? At what moment did you step fully into your faith in God? 

The important truth to emphasize in any evangelistic conversation is faith. The author of Hebrews wrote a blunt truth that is necessary to understand: “Without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). No one can believe in God without acknowledging the fact that our belief requires faith. We cannot prove the existence of God. No one can believe unless they accept the fact that faith is required by God. No one can share the truth of God without the faith and trust his Spirit provides. 

Our faith is our best witness. Has your faith been strengthened and sanctified throughout the moments of your life? If so, the Holy Spirit within you will be a great evangelist to others. 

Some help to forward to others, after you have shared your faith

What does a person need to know to place their faith in Christ? A webpage written by a pastor about a great song has witnessed to millions of young people. The song is I Believe by Phil Wickham. The videos and lyrics are a perfect testimony about what Christians must believe to receive Christ.

What does it mean to live a life of faith in God? My favorite testimony song is The Goodness of God by CeCe Winans. Her voice and her life are a testimony to the unique power of God’s Spirit. She uses her gifting for God’s good purpose.

How does faith provide God’s strength, even through the hardest times? The song Even If is written and sung by Bart Millard and describes his choice to continue to believe even when he didn’t understand why God had allowed his son’s chronic illness. Another powerful song is Blessings by Laura Story.

Finally, how can we live our lives on earth with the hope of heaven? Bart Millard also wrote the song “I Can Only Imagine,“ a song we often hear at Christian memorial services today. That song speaks to our confident hope of heaven, found through our deep faith in Christ.

Finally

Every evangelistic opportunity will hopefully lead to the moment we ask the person, “What are you going to do about the answers you have heard today?” Every person needs to know that faith in God is an informed choice. They must make the same choice that Joshua gave his people thousands of years ago. Joshua explained that everyone would be influenced by the ideas of the world, and that they would need to choose to live faithfully for God. Everyone must choose either faith in God or something less. Joshua said, “But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15).

Then ask the person, “What do you choose today?” Tell them, “I hope you will choose to believe in the Creator God of the universe.” A blessed life on earth is our best life, and we can only imagine how great our eternal life in heaven is going to be! 

Finally, assure them that you hope he or she will spend their eternity with you in heaven. They simply need to ask Jesus to be their Lord and Savior in order to step into a living faith, led by God’s Holy Spirit.

Who needs your confident witness today? Pray for the opportunities to be an evangelist this week. God wants to answer that prayer and use your life for his kingdom purpose. People are asking. Are they asking you? 

Photo by Vitalii Abakumov on Unsplash

How would Jesus spend our taxes?

“For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.” —Romans 13:6–7

Taxes are the talk of the day. Do you think you pay too much? Are your tax dollars being spent honestly, in ways you would approve? Those subjects are the debate in today’s news. But maybe the better questions to ask are, “Do you wish you lived somewhere else?” “Do I wish the country I love had better spending policies?” Finally, maybe we should be asking ourselves, “Who can I vote for that will do the best job with the dollars we send?” I wish we could vote for Jesus. Then we would know our taxes were being spent properly.

If Jesus were in charge of our tax dollars, how would he spend them?

Jesus spoke often about money

About 15 percent of all the recorded words of Jesus in Scripture mention money. About 40 percent of his parables addressed the subject. Jesus knew that money was a significant aspect of our earthly lives, so he provided important teaching on the subject.

Money can be an idol in our lives, but it can also purchase our idols as well. Jesus was preaching his Sermon on the Mount when he taught, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). 

Jesus wanted his followers to have the right perspective on their possessions. To understand what Jesus taught, we need to examine the word “treasure” in its original language.

We should “treasure” things as Jesus taught

According to Strong’s Concordance, the Greek definition for “treasure” in the Sermon on the Mount describes “the location of treasure,” which “reveals the object of affection, shaping attitudes, priorities, and behavior.”

In other words, Jesus was describing our treasure as the places where we invest our money, but also our time, emotions, and values. I’ve heard preachers say, “If you want to know what you treasure, look at the monthly withdrawals from your checking account.”

If you are an active, Spirit-led Christian, you can probably feel pretty good about your spending. I’ve often said that if every Christian tithed, we would never need sermons about budgets or building campaigns. The money would just be there for everything the church needed to do. There is a reason God said, “10 percent.” That would be more than enough if everybody tithed.

The same is true at the national level. If everybody in our country went to work and paid their taxes, we would never have a pothole in the road, inadequate health care, or a person who was cold and hungry. If everyone paid their taxes and tithes, our world and our churches would function as God intended. Of course, we would still need to treasure the same things Jesus treasured. We would need to spend and prioritize our lives as Jesus taught. 

Do we spend our money on the things Jesus wants us to have?

You might think I’m about to tell you to give up your expensive cup of coffee, your nice car, or your designer clothes. Those things might be just fine if they don’t reflect your treasure. How high a priority is having costly things in your life? If you lost your ability to purchase those things later this year, what would you do, think, or feel? Does wanting those things keep you from paying your “taxes to Caesar” or from giving your “tithe” to God’s kingdom work?

My husband and I were married in 1980, two weeks after we graduated from college. We combined our checking and savings accounts, paid our moving expenses and rental deposits, went to the grocery store for necessary items, and, after balancing the checkbook, we were in really bad shape financially. 

Jim was a seminary student, and I was looking for a teaching position that wouldn’t actually happen until three years later. Jim worked part-time while attending his classes. I worked full-time at a receptionist/secretarial position that didn’t pay well. Both of us found a second job, and we were able to make it, but not easily. I found out later that we could have qualified for some help from the government, but that thought never crossed our minds.

Those early years in our marriage were tough, but formative. We tithed because God told us to. This year, our first quarterly tax payment exceeded our combined annual income from that first year of our marriage. Our income has changed over the past forty-six years, but our priorities, our treasure, are still pretty much the same. Living in poverty is not the measure of spirituality. If that were the case, then we would have been stronger Christians in our first year of marriage. (Thankfully, we’ve grown some!)

How would Jesus spend our taxes? 

Living a life that God has directed and blessed is a witness to our treasure, our investment priorities. We don’t just invest our money in our personal priorities; we invest our time, our emotions, our energies, and our focus.

How would Jesus spend our tax dollars? Jesus was fully invested in those things that matter eternally. When God is King of our lives, we realize he is King of everything we own. Are we investing in things that matter for a moment, or matter eternally? Are we investing in possessions or people? Do we mistakenly teach others, especially our children, that their earthly lives matter more to us than their treasure in heaven?

Jesus would spend our taxes on things that prioritize people’s souls. Everyone has both an earthly life and a life eternal. If our priorities are eternal, we will spend our money, time, emotions, and focus on the things that will matter most forever. Everyone we meet today is either destined for heaven or hell; there is no third option. Does Jesus guide our spending with his priorities?

Jesus said:

  • To the tax collectors: “Collect no more than you are authorized to do” (Luke 3:13).
  • To the Pharisees: “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21).
  • To his disciple: “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tax? From their sons or from others?” And when he said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself” (Matthew 17:24–27).

Be encouraged today

Taxes have never been fair because not everyone pays them fairly. The tithe has never been given because some keep part of their 10 percent for themselves. Some will always pay more than others, and some will always pay less. Jesus knows all of that and reminds us that he will provide all we need to give if we live according to his will for our lives.

As Jesus told Simon Peter, “The sons are free.” God’s children live imperfect, earthly lives, knowing that things will never be fair because God gives people freedom to make choices. Jesus would tell us that we are free to choose what is best. We can live our earthly lives with his priorities, and our obedience will produce an eternal treasure. We can trust Jesus to provide us with all we need.

Pay your taxes with joy because we probably don’t want to live anywhere else. Prioritize the 90 percent that God has allowed us to keep and freely use. Invest with the priorities and direction of our King. When we asked Jesus to be our Savior, we also offered him our lives, including our finances. We asked Jesus to be our Lord and our Savior.

Americans will “render unto Caesar” today, but hopefully Christians will be reminded to “render unto God” today as well. Our taxes will be spent. Everything we give to God is invested eternally. Consider it your “401K-ingdom” account. Let’s spend our treasure as Jesus leads, investing in his kingdom priorities.

Photo by Mikel Mirjane on Unsplash

Jesus’ post-resurrection message

“And he said to them, ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.'” —Mark 16:15

Jesus’ teaching didn’t stop with the cross. In fact, Jesus has never stopped his ministry on earth. The body of Jesus spent a little while in the tomb, maybe just moments! It’s very possible that the stone was rolled across the entrance, and his body disappeared. Jesus had already handed his soul to God, but we don’t really know when his soul returned to earth. Many people who saw Jesus after his resurrection didn’t recognize him right away. 

We don’t know why that is true, but we know it is true. Jesus died, then Jesus lived again. The same disciples who had grieved his death saw Jesus, alive and well. The apostles were so convinced of his resurrection that all except John were executed for their belief. 

What did Jesus tell his disciples that caused their profound faith to change the world?

The disciples didn’t have to wait long to see Jesus

I love that the first people to know Jesus was resurrected were the group of women who went to the tomb to treat his body with their love and respect. They carried the spices to the tomb, and when they drew near, they realized the tomb was unsealed and open. Mary Magdalene saw the stone had been rolled away and hurried to tell Peter and John, assuming the worst (John 20:2). The other women in the group remained at the tomb. Those women, according to Matthew, Mark, and Luke, saw the angels who announced to them that “Jesus is risen, just as he said” (Matthew 28:6). Then the angels told the women to “go and tell” the disciples what they had seen.

Mary Magdalene returned to the empty tomb with Peter and John after informing the apostles that someone had “taken” Jesus, and she didn’t know where. Peter and John returned with Mary and found the tomb empty, as Mary had said. The men returned to the Upper Room, unaware of what had happened. Mary was heartbroken and weeping, grieving the loss of Jesus, when she looked up and saw him. She didn’t recognize him at first, but when Jesus said her name, she knew it was him. 

Jesus spent the next days in his resurrected body, appearing to his disciples. He met two of them on the road to Emmaus. These two men didn’t recognize Jesus and began to talk about all that had happened. They had believed Jesus to be the Messiah, but his death on a cross had shaken their faith and caused their confusion. The man said to them, “‘O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?’ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:25–27). They continued on the road and encouraged the man to stop and eat with them. Scripture tells us, “When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight” (Luke 24:30–31). Scripture tells us these two men hurried back to Jerusalem to tell the others what they had seen and experienced.

Jesus then appeared to his disciples, who were in a room, behind a locked door! He came back again, this time while Thomas was present, and Jesus invited the disciple to touch his hands and side. Jesus didn’t want any of his disciples to doubt his resurrection.

Soon after, the disciples were fishing on the Sea of Galilee. They saw a man on the shore who asked how they were doing, and when they told him they hadn’t had any luck, the man suggested they throw the net out on the other side of the boat. Immediately, the net was filled with fish. When John, the beloved disciple, saw the miracle, he recognized the man and said, “It is the Lord!” John told Peter, who then “threw himself into the sea” (John 21:7). John stayed in the boat and brought the net full of fish with him.

That was the day Jesus fixed them breakfast and then took Peter aside. Peter had denied Jesus three times the night of his arrest. On this day, Peter was allowed to confess his love for Jesus, once for each time he had denied him (John 21:15–19).

The final message Jesus left his disciples

Jesus gathered his disciples on the Mount of Ascension. They wanted to know if he was going to “restore the kingdom to Israel.” They were asking Jesus when he would step into his role as the “conquering King Messiah” Isaiah had described (Isaiah 63:1–6). 

The answer Jesus gave his disciples on the Mount of Ascension was profoundly important. He said, “It’s not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority” (Acts 1:7). Jesus didn’t tell his disciples then, and he hasn’t told his disciples since. Every person who has predicted the Second Coming of Christ has been wrong. We know that Jesus will return as the “Conquering King,” but the timing is known only to the Creator God.

Jesus did leave his disciples with the final message of Acts 1:8 before his ascension. Soon after, on the day of Pentecost, these men and women received “power” and “became” witnesses to the world.

Jesus’ post-resurrection messages were:

  • Go and tell.
  • Do you love me? 
  • If you love me, feed my sheep.
  • You won’t know when I will return.
  • Until I return, live as my witnesses and take the gospel message throughout the world.

They listened, have we?

The work of a disciple was made clear by Jesus before the ascension. The Holy Spirit was provided to all who would believe. The role of a disciple was made possible. Believers have the power to continue the earthly ministry of Jesus if we will submit our imperfect thoughts and wills to the leadership of his perfect Holy Spirit.

When or if the shelves begin to fill with chocolate bunnies next year, how many people will you have shared the gospel message of the resurrection with? 

He is risen. One day, we will rise to heaven as well. People deserve the opportunity to know Jesus as both Lord and Savior and live this life with the hope of eternal life in heaven. Those disciples obeyed Jesus and changed the world; we can too. The same Spirit that touched Peter at Pentecost is the Holy Spirit within believers today. 

Jesus’ last message to his disciples is still his message to you and me. “He is risen.” “Go and tell.” me. “He is risen.” “Go and tell.” 

Photo by Silas Baisch on Unsplash

Jesus prepared us for Easter

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” —Acts 1:8

Every Easter, we consider those moments in the Upper Room when Jesus prepared his disciples for his death and their future ministry. We typically apply his words only to his first-century disciples. This year, I applied the words of Christ to each of his disciples today and realized that the message Jesus spoke on the last night of his life remains his message to us this Easter.

How did Jesus prepare us for Easter?

  • Recognize our advantage in this world. Jesus told his disciples, “I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you” (John 16:7). I’ve often considered how amazing it would have been to walk and talk with Jesus, as his first-century disciples did. But Jesus told them that they would soon have a greater advantage than they had before. The “Helper,” the Holy Spirit would “convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:8). Jesus stood on the Mount of Ascension and told these same men, after Easter, that they would receive “power when the Holy Spirit comes” (Acts 1:8). On the Day of Pentecost, in the Upper Room, that power arrived. When we became Christians, we received the same Holy Spirit who was given to those first-century disciples. As we prepare our hearts for Easter, it is good to recognize our great advantage in this world. We have been given the power to serve and worship as someone filled with the Holy Spirit of Christ.
  • Recognize that our purpose is the same. Jesus then told his disciples that his Spirit, “will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you” (John 16:14–15). The earthly ministry of Jesus did not end with his Ascension. The Holy Spirit of Jesus entered the world at Pentecost, and now Jesus continues his earthly ministry through his disciples. Anytime you are Spirit-led in your choices, you are allowing Jesus to “declare” his message and ministry through you.
  • Recognize that when you pray, even in times of grief, you can ask Jesus to author his will in your thoughts and words, and his joy in your heart. Jesus said, “So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you” (John 16:22–23). To ask something in the Father’s name is to ask for God’s will to be your own. God will “give you the desires of your heart” through his Spirit. When you pray in the Spirit, you pray for “his kingdom to come,” which is for “his will to be done.” Jesus promised that our joy can be eternal because the blessings of obedience to his will are our heavenly reward and our earthly hope.
  • Recognize that this promise of Christ is for all disciples until Jesus returns. This is an important message from Christ that is rarely preached during our “Easter” celebrations. Jesus said, “I have said these things to you that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Often, the difficulties of life can cause even Spirit-filled Christians to feel as if Jesus has let them down. There are people who will not want to celebrate Easter this year because they are disappointed with Jesus. It is important to always recognize that Jesus promised we would have trouble in our earthly lives. The Holy Spirit doesn’t usually keep us from tribulation; he strengthens us for tribulation. The first Easter wasn’t a celebration for his disciples, and sometimes it won’t be a celebration for his disciples today. One of our jobs is to teach the truth of Scripture. Who do you know that needs to understand that Jesus promised the tough times would be a very real part of our earthly journey? Our joy isn’t because we escape tribulation in this life; it’s the hope of no tribulation in heaven. 
  • Recognize we aren’t home yet. The great promise of Christ is that the road trip we call life has a final destination. One day we will exit these broken-down, well-traveled, dinged-up vehicles because we are home! The front door will swing open, and Jesus will be standing there with his arms open wide and our eternal family behind him. Until then, we have been filled with the power of Jesus to be his disciples during our earthly road trip home. We can fulfill his purpose each time we allow him to use our lives to do his earthly ministry. We can survive whatever this life throws at us, until we aren’t supposed to survive anything else on earth. We can be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit of Christ until we stand in the actual Presence of Christ.

Who needs to become a disciple this Easter?

As you heard Jesus speak to those first-century disciples in John 16, how did his words speak to you, his disciple? 

Who have you discipled that will spend their first Easter worshiping Christ this year? If you don’t have a name or names for that question, how can you give the Spirit of Christ access to your life and ministry before next Easter?

How will you use the power you have received through the Holy Spirit to be an uncompromised disciple for the One who gave everything for the sake of your eternal soul?

We wish you Easter blessings

I’ve said many times, “We need to live a life God is able to bless.” Jesus spent his last moments, the moments before Easter, teaching that room full of ordinary people how they could live as his disciples.

His message to the first-century disciples is still his message for every disciple today.

I wish you an Easter filled with his Holy Spirit, so that you can worship, serve, pray, and live in obedience to his will. You have the power to live a life God is able to bless. That joy is eternal because of Easter.

May your Easter be a blessed and holy celebration of our Lord.

Happy Easter from all of us at the Foundations ministry.