Your best help for 2024

It’s a new year! We are getting a lot of emails suggesting they have the corner on the market for shedding those extra holiday pounds. I can sum those emails up in one suggestion: Eat less and exercise more

We are getting a lot of advice and ads about simplification, de-stressing, getting organized, and living with more physical and mental energy. I would sum up most of those ideas by saying, “Put down the electronics and give yourself more time for chores and sleep.”

My helpful hint for 2024 is a bit different from a lot of those other articles. I would like to suggest that the best thing we can do for our lives in 2024 is to walk more closely with God led by his Holy Spirit. That one decision will do a lot to improve every other area of our lives.

How can we know we are walking with God’s Spirit?

It’s a common goal each January to make our spiritual lives a higher priority. Inevitably, life challenges that high priority. We can make every effort to walk with God’s Spirit, but we can know with certainty that Satan and his crew will be standing around a corner with an evil plan to trip us up. 

Our inboxes will be filled each day with helpful “advice” from Internet marketing and AI targeting. How do we discern which advice is consistent with God’s plans and which advice sends us in a different direction? 

I had to smile when I heard this from a friend. He was talking to my husband about discerning God’s wisdom when he said, “Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting a tomato in your fruit salad.” That’s a good picture for a lesson to remember: Not every word of advice in this world belongs in our lives.

I want to offer you a daily help for discerning God’s wise priorities. I wrote and recorded Wisdom Matters and it is yours, free of charge. You probably won’t get to it every day of the year, but it is available to you each day. I use a verse of wisdom from God’s word to apply it to the various areas of our lives. If you have not signed up for that daily devotional, you can do that today

Scripture tells us that God’s word “is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, or joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). 

When we fill our lives with God’s word, the Holy Spirit will make God’s word alive in our lives and give us the wisdom and discernment to know what belongs in our fruit salad and what doesn’t.

What did Jesus promise us for 2024?

I was watching Anne Graham Lotz’s Christmas message and knew I would need to include her thoughts in this first blog post of the new year. I love it when I hear a message from God’s word and gain a new, profound truth!

Anne was talking about the verses in Luke, chapter 1, when Mary learned from the angel Gabriel that the “Holy Spirit would come upon her.” She, a virgin, would conceive and bear God’s Son. From those verses, Anne discussed her own salvation and then said something I had never considered before.

She referred to Jesus’ teaching in John 16 when the Lord told his disciples that he was going away. Jesus could tell the disciples were confused and concerned so he gave them a hope-filled promise. Jesus said, “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).

Anne went on to teach that when she became a Christian she, like Mary, conceived the person of Jesus in her life, through his Holy Spirit. That’s why the Bible teaches us we are “born again” or “made new” in Christ. The Spirit came to indwell us, much like Jesus came to indwell Mary. Jesus told his disciples that it was to their advantage that Jesus would be going away. We are better off walking with the Spirit of Jesus within our lives than those in the first century who walked with Jesus physically.

If you are a Christian, you have received the same Holy Spirit that Jesus promised his disciples. The Spirit of Christ has been conceived within you. We who walk in God’s Spirit, walk with a very great advantage in this world.

Hold Jesus close in 2024

Our best help for the coming new year is already living in our lives. We carry the actual voice of Jesus to offer us wisdom and direction. We walk with Jesus within us, which is more powerful to our lives than those who walked beside him on earth. We are God’s child because we have received his Son in our lives.

Jesus indwells our lives, our thoughts, our hearts. 2024 will be our best year if we choose to trust the power and guidance of God’s indwelling Son. Galatians 5:25 says, “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”

I hope you will allow Wisdom Matters to speak God’s word into your lives each day. I hope gaining a message from God’s wisdom will help you “keep in step with the Spirit.” 

These are changing times, and this year looks to be volatile, divisive, and could be filled with a lot of unknown dangers. God knows what we can’t and would whisper in our ears, “walk with me and follow my direction.”

Your best help for 2024 is already yours because of Jesus. We can look forward to this new year with his joy, his peace, and his promise of hope. This world may throw a few tomatoes our way, but with God’s help we won’t let them alter the fruits of his Holy Spirit.

Happy New Year!

Once in a blue moon

Sometimes it really pays to be a morning person. My husband and I were out walking early last Thursday morning and were able to witness the very rare super blue moon. It was an amazing sight, especially because it is a sight that will not occur again until 2037.

Jim and I discussed the fact that we will be seventy-nine years old on that day. It was an interesting and somewhat sobering thought. We are getting older! (Notice I didn’t say “old.”) 

“Blue Moon” 

I must not have paid very much attention to the blue moons of the past. I didn’t know until Jim told me that those moons originated the phrase, “Once in a blue moon.” My mom used that phrase often while I was growing up and I had never associated it with an actual event. 

Those thoughts led me to wonder whether or not the song “Blue Moon” had anything to do with the lunar event. The song was written in 1934 but became a number-one hit by the Marcels on the Billboard 100 chart in 1961. It was covered by a long list of people, including Elvis Presley. I liked the Frank Sinatra cover, and here’s a video link with the lyrics so you can listen if you would like.  

I don’t know whether Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, the men who wrote Blue Moon, were inspired by an actual blue moon, but they wrote a good song that became an international hit. 

Why did God create a blue super moon? 

The lunar event was fun to experience, and Jim and I had a fun walk that morning. Later I found myself wondering, “What might God have been thinking as he created a moon like this for us?” This moon is rare and beautiful. What did God want us to know about him through his creation? 

Paul teaches in the book of Romans that God’s “invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made” (Romans 1:20).  

The apostle John reminds us that Jesus, the Word, “was in the beginning with God” (John 1:2) and that “all things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made” (v. 3). I wonder what God the Father and God the Son wanted to say to all of us when they decided to create a lunar event that would only occur every ten to fifteen years. 

The holy uniqueness of our Creator

Paul’s words about the creation from Romans 1:20 conclude with these words: “So they are without excuse.” Paul was saying that all people, throughout time, are without excuse if they lack belief in their Creator. 

How can we be sure there is a Creator God of the universe? 

  • Sunrises and sunsets
  • Seasons
  • Mountains, valleys, rivers, streams, canyons, deserts, forests, beaches, and millions of species of plants and animals
  • Hurricanes, droughts, rainstorms, warm breezes, winter snows, spring rebirth
  • Infants, toddlers, tweens, teens, adults, and the aged
  • Time itself is marked by God’s creation

People “are without excuse” if they can exist in this amazing world and choose not to glorify the One who created all there is. As I watched the blue super moon sink on the horizon, I knew I served a great and mighty God who is holy, perfect, and unique.  

Why is there unbelief? 

Paul’s wisdom answers that question as well. He wrote, “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things” (Romans 1:21–23.)  

Paul began Romans, his comprehensive book of theology, with those thoughts for a reason. Museums throughout the world display ancient artifacts that men created and called their gods. The evidence for God’s existence is everywhere unless people are focused on lesser things. That’s why Paul could say they have “no excuse” for their unbelief. 

Once in a blue moon? 

There is a lot of rhetoric about climate change, but scientists are still hypothesizing about it. Christians can point out that God created our climate and gave human beings the responsibility to care for it. There is a lot of news about the damage caused by the hurricane. We can point to the power of God’s redemption in the actions of the people who have rushed in to help with rebuilding. Many of those people are people of faith. It’s time for the created to acknowledge and honor their Creator. 

A lot of people wonder if there is a God. Christians can lead people to faith in their Creator, and our witness should occur more often than “once in a blue moon.” Everything God created, including each of us, has a purpose. The forward direction of our world is an indicator that this magnificent creation is only a hint of what we will experience in heaven’s perfection. Others deserve to share our hope. 

The phrase “once in a blue moon” is only for planet Earth “for such a time as this,” to borrow a phrase from Esther 4:14. People won’t see a blue moon in heaven because “night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever” (Revelation 22:5). 

Imagine standing with Jesus on the Day of Judgment when God asks, “How often did you share the gospel?” 

None of us will want to respond, “Once in a blue moon.” 

Will you watch for the opportunity to glorify your heavenly Father today? 

It could make all the difference in someone’s life.  

The created need to honor the Creator. If you don’t know how to start, just focus on his creation. 

 

Do you have faith for the future?

I watched the GOP presidential debate last week with hope. After the debate, I realized my hope for our country isn’t based on any certainties. America will always be one election away from better times, worse times, troubling times, or times of peace and satisfaction. 

The older I get, the more I realize that my trust isn’t in my government, it is in my Lord. I will always vote my conscience, and I will always try to vote for the person I think is most able to handle the job. I won’t treat the presidential election like a beauty pageant, voting for the person I think “looks” the best. The most important part of a beauty pageant should be the questions asked and answered, not the dance in the evening gowns that starts the show.  

I will watch all the debates and vote for the person I think has the best answers. But, I live in a country where the majority of people might vote for the person who was funny on a late-night talk show, or who had the best commercials on TV or social media, or who looks like the most popular person at the moment. We shouldn’t jump on a bandwagon until we know where the wagon intends to go. 

How do we have faith for the future if faithful people aren’t deciding the future? 

Stick with me on this one and read this blog post all the way to the end. 

A Forbes magazine article 

I ran across an article in Forbes written in May of 2022. The title caught my eye because it was about key predictions for 2050 (Note: You may need a Forbes subscription to read it.) It was about an interview with a man named Jacques Attali who has written over eighty books and has been involved in several financial and technology companies. He is also seen as someone whose predictions for the future are invaluable to those in business. 

To sum it up, Attali was asked to predict what he saw coming for the United States and the world in the coming decades. 

It wasn’t encouraging. 

Attali predicted the continued decline in America and doubted that the US would remain the world’s dominant superpower. He then said that the decline of this country would be similar to the decline of the Roman Empire. When Rome fell, no “successor” was ready to step in and take its place. He noted that no other nation is able to step into America’s leadership roles. 

Attali also noted that when Rome fell the “Dark Ages” followed because there was a “deceleration of human progress, declining living standards, and a bleak period in the development of art, literature, and culture.” 

Christians should note that the Dark Ages was also the period of time many in the Catholic church called the “Golden Ages.” The church became the leader in education and the preservation of cultural values. Some historians call this the “Age of Faith.” The Protestant Reformation followed in the sixteenth century.  

The thing to remember

I have to admit, I was getting pretty low as I read this article. Attali’s words made perfect sense based on the realities seen in the evening news. Then, I read these statements in the article that gave me pause. 

The article said, “It’s no longer inconceivable that we might one day transcend our mortality by overcoming the effects of aging or replacing parts of our bodies with artificial or mechanical components. But if we are heading towards an eternal life (or at least, greatly increased longevity) where we will live as mindless consumers or slaves to a corporate hierarchy, is there any point?” 

That is the moment in the article when “man’s truth” denied the truth of God’s word. Man will never be immortal or eternal here on earth. The consequences of the first sin took care of that. We should never read an article like this one in Forbes apart from the light of Scripture. Attali is a brilliant man with a lot of knowledge. His predictions have validity based on the realities in our world.  

Christians need to remember this: God is still on his throne. His word is proven truth. Our Creator is always king of his creation. 

More things to remember

Most, if not all of my readers are students of God’s word and people of faith. We know what the Bible says God can do, and we know what the Bible says God will do. We know God and we know world history. 

The knowledge we have is balanced by this biblical wisdom: God is the king of his creation but honors the free will he created in humankind. We know God is able to change the course of history, but we also know that he allows history to be impacted by the choices and consequences of man’s free will. We know we serve a God of miracles who is above the ways of this world and can intervene at any moment. We also know we serve a God who has promised to intervene at some point as the world fails and comes to its end. 

When we read predictions from a man like Attali, we do that remembering to evaluate his words by the truth of God’s word.  

What is the point? 

Referring to Attali’s predictions, the author of the article rhetorically asked, “Is there any point?” 

Attali said, “There is no simple answer to that, but if you want to avoid a life which is absurd, I would suggest it is to say simply and with humility that we don’t know the reason why mankind is here on Earth, we don’t know the reason that a million years ago an entity arose which can ask the question ‘why am I here?’” 

He then said, “The only thing we can do here in the middle of the universe is to have a better mankind and to hope one day to find the answers to these questions.” 

God gave us the answers to those questions. Christians need to make certain others know how to find the answers they need. 

Christians need to view the American culture today like Paul taught the Corinthians to view their Roman culture thousands of years ago. Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, an important city in the Roman Empire, saying, “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16–18). 

Do you have faith for the future? 

Christians need to remember to see our culture like Paul taught the Corinthians to view theirs. We don’t lose heart because we don’t lose our faith. Everything on planet Earth is transient. We are called to live our earthly lives with an eternal perspective. 

I will always vote my convictions and place my hope in a president who shares those convictions. I love this country, but my faith is in God. I will serve this country because I feel like America is called to be an example to the world. But I want to be careful not to place my faith or hope in a country instead of in God. This is a democracy and the popular vote, the vote that reflects our citizens’ free will, is going to win.  

The decline of the world is the promise of Scripture. My hope for all of us was Paul’s hope for the church in Rome: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (Romans 15:13).  

Rome did fall. The church did rise up. Eventually, the world improved. That is the pattern of world history. That pattern won’t change until Jesus returns. Until then, we have the power of God’s Holy Spirit and the hope of an eternity in heaven.  

I don’t know what will happen in America, but I have great faith for the future. The “God of hope” fills me with “all joy and peace in believing.” Let’s choose to walk in his Spirit and we will “abound in hope.” 

 

His most important book

My husband, Jim, and I were on our daily walk last summer when he told me he thought he had written his most important book. I asked him why.

The title of his book, The Coming Tsunami, surprised me, and we started there. 

I’m usually the one in our relationship who gets the most “worked up” over the evening news. There are days Jim walks in the back door and I warn him, “Caution . . . I’ve been watching Fox News for two hours.” (Yes, I confess, FOX is my network of choice these days.) 

Jim is the most objective Christian “thinker” I know. That’s why the title of his book surprised me. 

Why does Jim think there is a coming cultural tsunami? 

Who is the tsunami headed for? 

What is a cultural tsunami?

A tsunami is a massive wave caused by earthquakes far beneath the ocean floor. You probably remember the devastating tsunami in the Indian Ocean that occurred on December 26, 2004. 

The underwater earthquake registered an estimated magnitude of 9.1 and created waves more than one hundred feet high. Those waves reached the shores of more than fourteen countries, killing an estimated 227,898 people. That tsunami was one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history. 

Why does Jim believe we should expect a cultural tsunami in America?

He believes some significant happenings are going unnoticed or unreported that will create waves our culture is unprepared to escape. 

I asked Jim, “Do you think you might be acting a bit dramatic?” 

His answer: “Sadly, no.” 

He had my attention

I wanted to know what Jim believed was going to cause the incoming waves. He has prepared a press kit for those who will interview him about his book. This is how Jim summarizes the four earthquakes and the coming impact of the cultural tsunami: 

Caused by four cultural “earthquakes,” the cultural acceptance of four specific ideologies has seismically shifted our world. With the rise of a “post-truth” culture, the expansion of the sexual revolution, the attraction of Critical Theory, and the advance of secular religion, Christians are increasingly labeled as intolerant, irrelevant, oppressive, and dangerous—the antithesis of the life Jesus calls Christians to live. These tidal waves are threatening to submerge Christians in America and the biblical morality they proclaim. And the ultimate repercussions of these issues—the coming tsunami—have yet to be fully experienced.

What is our Christian response?

Jim gives those answers in his book. My point today is this: Are we, the body of Christ, ready for this? 

The most common question we have received from Spring 2020 until now is this: “Is the virus a sign of the end times, the last days? 

If you have read my blog for a while, you know I don’t spend much time speculating on the things Scripture has made clear already. Jesus told his disciples, “Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming” (Matthew 24:42). The only people I’m certain are wrong about the timing of Christ’s return are the people who think they know when it will be. The point Jesus was making was to live “awake” to the reality it will happen. 

A lot of talk is going around about who and what is “woke” in our culture today. They are borrowing an idea from Jesus at that point, but not usually borrowing his message. 

I can honestly say, “Christians should be the most woke people in our culture, but not in the way that term is commonly defined.”  

A passage to ponder today

Paul, knowing he would soon die, sent Timothy a letter. He wanted his young protégé to be prepared. Paul’s words to Timothy should be God’s word to us today. 

He said, “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people” (2 Timothy 3:1–5).  

The sobering truth of those words is that Paul wrote them about the false teachers in the church. 

False teaching was impacting the early Christians and threatened the advance of the truth of Christ, the gospel message. False teaching has always been the greatest threat, and it still is. 

If we don’t stand firm in the truth, the waves in the culture will knock us down and destroy our witness. 

How “woke” are you today?

Jesus’ words to his disciples hit home today. We own God’s word, his perfect direction, and you can probably glance at a copy from where you are sitting. You are reading a blog post that teaches God’s word. You obviously want to live “awake” to what God is doing and allowing in our culture. 

Is Jesus’ return imminent? 

Quite possibly. 

And my grandma, my great-grandma, and my great-great-grandma could have said the same. That really isn’t the point. The point is: 

  • Are we ready?
  • Are those we love ready?
  • Have we done all we can to help people get ready?

How “woke” are we, according to Jesus’ message? 

A book worth reading

Jim writes a LOT of books. I will be straight-up honest and tell you I have read a lot of what my husband has written. (I only wish right now I could have said “all.”) 

I’ve known since that walk last summer that I will read The Coming Tsunami. Jim has never before said, “I think this is my most important book.” Jim and I have been married forty-one years and I know that if he said that, he means it. 

You can pre-order the book here, or on Amazon, if you want to read it as well. Also, if you provide evidence of your pre-order at TheComingTsunami.com, you’ll be invited to Jim’s live digital book launch event on January 25 at 7 p.m. where he’ll discuss one of our culture’s hot topics: Is CRT biblical?

For all of us, let’s stay awake to all that God is doing and allowing in our culture so that we can do our part in this world. The last request Jesus made of his disciples before his ascension was to “go and make disciples” of others.  

To live a “woke” life as a Christian is to live aware of God’s presence in your life so that you are able to live your kingdom purpose in this world. The waves are coming, and some are already here. Let’s stay awake and stay prepared.  

We should be “about the Father’s business” until Jesus returns.

How do I teach God’s word?

What is a teacher’s role?

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:3-6

When we teach the Bible, we are partnering with all the saints of the gospels across the ages in communicating the words the Lord left us to study and know so that we could know him and make him known.

See yourself as a partner with other saints in the past.

Who is in your classroom or small group?

Think about why your Bible study group or class comes to see you each week. 

  • Do they need nurturing?
  • Where are they in their knowledge of the Lord?
  • How do you teach those who are seasoned students of the Bible as well as those who sit quietly, still trying to determine if Christianity is right for them?

It is crucial that you create a lesson that works for everyone. 

What is the central purpose of Bible study?

As a teacher it’s your job to focus on the central reason people are there — to study God’s word, but never lose sight of the other reasons people come to the room.

Understand your lesson might be the only Bible study some people in your class experience that week. Know their faces and names, making sure you provide them a lesson from God’s perfect word.

God has a plan for you every time you teach. When we teach God’s word, God accomplishes his purpose through us. 

 “…so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11

The key is in knowing what God’s purpose is for the day. Make it your goal every time you teach to remember that you have a high and holy calling. You are partnering with the saints from the past in teaching his word. His word is what matters; ours are secondary.

Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” John 17:17

God’s word stands forever, God’s word is truth, and God’s word never returns void. It has a purpose that God wants to accomplish through his Holy Spirit.

Called and Equipped

Teachers are simply humans with a high calling.

Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.” James 3:1-2

  •  A person should be called to teach God’s word and gifted by the Holy Spirit to accomplish the task.
  • If we teach God’s word, we are held to a higher level of responsibility for how we live our lives.
  • Remember though, to give yourself grace. No one is perfect and no one will ever teach a perfect lesson. But trust that anything God teaches through you is perfected.

Mountaintop moments

I spent a week in the mountains with my whole family and rarely watched the news, looked at Facebook, or thought about the world’s events. I was too busy watching my grandkids laugh and play with one another. There were a lot of things to do, see, and experience in the mountains. 

A week later, it was time to come down from the mountain and get back to work.

I knew my first job was to write a blog post for the week, and this one began to write itself on the way home.  

One week later 

It seemed almost shocking to watch the evening news the night I arrived back home. COVID was the first news segment because our hospitals are filling up again. The politicians are making a stand and hoping to get it right. The problem is, everyone is right and wrong in different ways. 

How do we make choices when right and wrong blend together? 

People who didn’t get a vaccine are losing their jobs, privileges, and freedoms. People who did get a vaccine are losing their immunity, their freedoms, and their sense of safety. People who have had COVID have the most immunity but still need to get a vaccine anyway?  

Whom do we blame for the spread of a virus? How does a country founded on freedoms limit freedom? How do we replace rhetoric with resolutions? 

We recognize the realities and the fact that God is still on his throne, and always has been. 

The mountaintop moments 

I loved our week of vacation with our family. It was sweet chaos. It was a change of pace for all of us and a reminder of why God created the concept of family in the beginning. We are supposed to belong to other people in a unique bond of love. The Lord created us to need and enjoy the gift of family. 

I got home, unpacked, and settled into my normal routine. I worked on emails, checked on Facebook, and turned on the evening news. The mountaintop felt far away from the “real world.” It is tough to keep a mountaintop perspective when you head home. 

Part of me wishes I could just live “separate” from the evening news. Someday I will. For now, God has called us to have mountaintop moments but live “in the world.” 

A new perspective that isn’t new

I was driving home when I began to think about writing this blog post. I drove through small towns and big cities. I drove past estates, homes, apartments, and trailers. I drove past people who had everything they owned in a backpack or shopping cart. I drove past people in masks and people without them. I drove past prosperity, poverty, and everything in between. 

I watched the evening news and heard different opinions but few facts. I wished for the mountaintop but was glad to be home. I missed the chaos but appreciated the quiet. And I realized that the trip had given me a new perspective that isn’t new. 

This world will always be “mixed up.” Truth isn’t found on the evening news because that isn’t where truth is valued—or defined. 

If you completed last week’s homework assignment, reading all of Psalm 119, you read, “Your righteousness is righteous forever, and your law is true” (Psalm 119:142). You also read, “Forever, O Lᴏʀᴅ, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens” (Psalm 119:89). 

When will our culture put itself back together? The answer to that question is made clear in Scripture.  

We will calm down, heal, be kinder, and be better when we live according to God’s righteous laws. That has always been true, and it always will be true. 

What is the new perspective that isn’t new? The culture is not going to walk with God’s values. God’s people are called to do that. Some in the culture will eventually follow what “works,” but most will not. Jesus said, “For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:14). 

Biblically, we shouldn’t hope for something that God has told us will never be true. Biblically, it is God’s people who prove his reality, not the world. 

Our family of faith 

One of the sweetest memories I have of our trip to the mountains was listening to my seven-year-old granddaughter talk about God with her brother and cousins. I’m so grateful that my sons and their wives want their children to be faithful and are raising them with God’s word as truth.  

I love that my family has chosen to be faithful. I hope and pray that all of them will continue to make biblical choices for the rest of their lives. 

But, it is important to remember that Jesus didn’t say everyone in the world is our family. Our brothers and sisters are the people who share our faith and our future in heaven. Every Christian has a BIG family, and our Father would like for it to continue to grow even larger. 

Make your dad proud 

We had a great week in the mountains with our “family.” It is a sweet joy to see my grown sons and their wives parent their kids. There were several times I thought, “My cup runneth over,” even as my grandkids were “running over” each other! It was sweet chaos, and I’m grateful we had that time together. We are proud of our family. The Lord has a similar perspective on his kids. He has always seen us as his family. We are dearly loved and cared about. 

Night is coming

Our kids put their kids to bed each night while Jim and I picked up the toys, swept the crumbs, and straightened the chairs. We wanted it to be ready for everyone when morning came. 

When the world seems chaotic, remember that Scripture promised “the night is coming” (John 9:4). It’s time to get ready for whatever the next day will bring. There will always be chaos and things that need to be cleaned up and straightened out. That is the world we live in. The Christian’s job is to work hard to keep this messy world a little cleaner. Our “joy comes with the morning” (Psalm 30:5). 

Family is my great joy. One day the morning will come and one day I will live forever on the mountaintop with the Lord, surrounded with all of you who are family too. The chaos in the world is real, but God’s peace and love are real as well.  

One day our mountaintop moments will last forever.

The Future Looks Good

I saw a picture of a college worship service and had to smile. Many of the stories we see about young people have to do with something like vaping, phone usage, or maybe the lone child who sets up a charity to help others. 

Have you been worried about the next generation? 

If so, look at a photo of the Breakaway service at Texas A&M. Maybe we should feel proud and confident instead. Each week, a crowd of more than ten thousand students gathers to worship the Lord together. 

I wish stories like that one made the evening news!

The “dying church” is a myth

My husband, Jim, just read The Myth of the Dying Church: How Christianity Is Actually Thriving in America and the World by Glenn T. Stanton. According to Jim, Stanton “is the author of nine books and one of the most insightful commentators on American culture today.” 

The point of the book is to encourage us that much of what we see on the evening news does not accurately reflect the truth of our faith. Things are actually looking pretty good—if you look in the right places. If you are in a conservative, evangelical church, then you are probably going to see your membership grow. The dying churches have compromised their theology in order to be more “culturally relevant.” 

In other words, they lost the message of Christ because they started preaching for people instead. 

The Holy Spirit always has the same plan 

The Holy Spirit always draws a crowd. 

The Breakaway service at Texas A&M has one objective. Their mission statement says they exist “to help any and every college student take either their first or next step with Jesus Christ.” 

Their mission statement should serve as an example for every church and every Christian. 

Our calling is to help people know Christ. If you are a Christian, the Holy Spirit indwells you. If you are inspired by his priorities, you are helping people take either their “first or next step with Jesus Christ.” 

It really is that simple. 

In The Myth of the Dying Church, Stanton points out the many places in our country, and especially the world, where the Holy Spirit is using people to accomplish the purpose of Christ. We have been living with the impression that the “numbers” are waning and the mission is faltering. That is true in some churches, but it is not true for many others. 

The Holy Spirit is highly successful anywhere Christ is invited and honored. 

Why is the myth easy to believe? 

This is the part of the blog post that might sting just a little. 

If it helps, I had to get stung a few times in order to write it. 

I was reading the Core Values of Breakaway on their website, and “humility” was the first value listed. Under that heading is written, “We trust in a powerful God and recognize the truth in John 15 that ‘apart from me you can do nothing.’” They go on to say, “We will lean completely on Jesus and His Spirit for wisdom and provision.” 

The myth of the dying church is easy to believe because that is what Satan wants us to believe. C. S. Lewis said, “Like a good chess player, Satan is always trying to maneuver you into a position where you can save your castle only by losing your bishop.” In other words, we try to save things of lesser value only to realize they have cost us something of higher value. 

I think there are a lot of churches that are trying so hard to save buildings and budgets that they have forgotten they exist to save souls. Jesus wants to use the buildings and budgets for the sakes of the people who aren’t in the building and don’t contribute to the budget. 

Are we working hard to save the castle while losing our bishop? 

Jesus said, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” 

Nothing is a definitive word. 

The future can look good for ourselves and our churches 

  • If the Holy Spirit is active, people will come.

    We often think of Pentecost as an historical event rather than a current possibility. Acts 4:31 says that the disciples prayed and “the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.”

    It looks like many who attend the Breakaway service are experiencing what those early disciples did after Pentecost. 
  • Godly leaders are followers. 

    If your committees are led by people who know, then your committees might not be led by the people who follow. Our earthly tendency is always to choose the capable.

    Jesus said, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” Abilities completely submitted to the Holy Spirit’s direction and wisdom will produce godly leaders.

    All other advice is worth nothing, but imagine what will happen when the Holy Spirit is allowed to lead.
  • The Holy Spirit we are given is the Spirit of Christ.

    Do we really understand the potential in being fully submitted to the Holy Spirit?

    Isaiah 11 is a prophecy of Christ. Isaiah wrote, “And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, and the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord” (Isaiah 11:2).

    That is the same Spirit God gave you when you became a Christian. He is available every time you humbly remember that, apart from his help, you can do nothing for God. With his help, you will accomplish things you would never have considered possible.

The future looks good

The reason the future looks good is that there will never be a day the Holy Spirit isn’t at work in the lives of those who know they need him. 

I love that each week there is a stadium at a university that understands and teaches that truth to college students. The only “numbers problem” they have is trying to figure out where to put everyone!  

Your personal ministry will prosper for the same reason. How will the Holy Spirit lead you today? 

Apart from him you can do nothing—but with him, you will always do something. P. S. Every year, we ask our readers to consider donating to Denison Forum through North Texas Giving Day so that we can continue to build culture-changing Christians like you. North Texas Giving Day officially starts tomorrow, but you may click here to schedule your gift today. Also, we have a matching grant of $100,000, so every dollar you give will be DOUBLED! Give as you feel led—and thank you!

A “Grand” Time

There’s nothing quite like getting an email from your coworker that gently asks, “What are you writing about this week?”

After a brief moment of panic, I pulled out the computer. I thought I had already written this blog post!

My response: “I have no idea!”

So, this will be a short “Spring Break” kind of post because I’ve been busy with my grandkids. (And they are awesome, by the way.)

Our almost perfect celebration

I spent the weekend with one set of “grands.” We made a “happy birthday” banner for their parents and bought a pretty cake at the store that my two-year-old grandson picked out. I set it out on the counter and lit the candles.

It would have been a perfect celebration except for one thing: I was unaware that I had purchased an ice cream cake.

I sliced into it and said, “Something is wrong with this cake!”

Oh well. Good intentions?

It did taste good, even though it was a gooey, melted mess.

I am also spending a lot of time with my other set of grandkids. One is two months old and the other is three months old. One is interested in anything that has tires and the other is happy just to be held. These babies are pure joy, and I am a blessed grandma.

Why do we worry about them?

I look at these kids and wonder about the culture they will grow up to know. I often hear older people shake their heads with concern. But, I remember when my kids were babies and the older people did the same thing.

Why do we tend to worry about the next generation?

Is it that things are so different than the world we grew up knowing? Is it that things seem worse? Or, is it just the way one generation thinks about the future?

There is a lot of violence and darkness now on the television and in movies. There is a lot of bad information on computers. There is a lot of distraction with electronic devices. There is a lot of crime in the streets.

Did I catch most of your worries?

Now, remember with me.

Back in my day . . .

I was taught to crouch under my desk and put my hands over my neck in case of an air raid.

I could get in my car and drive off. I could be completely out of touch with anyone who might wonder where I went. (No cell phones in that day.)

I had to go to a library and look through volumes of books to find what my grandkids today can just google.

I had almost no knowledge of the larger world and had to trust the opinions or thoughts of others.

My grandparents endured World War II. My parents endured the Vietnam War. I saw 9/11, as it happened, on my television.

What will my grandkids see on theirs?

“Do not be anxious . . . .”

It is hard not to worry. It always has been. But, are things worse—or are they just different?

I often tell people who are worried about the future, “No one has ever knocked God off his throne, and no one ever will.”

There is a reason that Scripture says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6). Paul gives specific instructions to those of us who worry. He taught us to pray instead.

My favorite verse to remember when I worry is Isaiah 41:10. This one verse is the best lesson I ever learned on the subject. God said, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

The reason this is the best lesson on worry is because of the first two words. “Fear not” is written in the form of a command. God didn’t encourage us not to worry. He didn’t suggest we not worry. He commanded us not to worry and then he told us why.

We don’t have to worry about anything in our lives. God will always be bigger than anything that comes against us. He is “our” God and our Father. He doesn’t promise to remove the difficulty, but he does promise to make us strong enough to endure it. God will always help. God will always hold us. We are his children.

To fear or worry is to look at God and say, “I don’t think you are enough.”

God is always enough.

But, if you have fears or worries today, there is grace.

He is still enough

When our son, Ryan, got cancer, I used to say, “God is barely enough—but he is still enough.”

This world hands us some tough roads, and it will hand our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren tough roads too. They will have different roads to walk than we did, but God will always be on his throne—and God will always be enough.

So, what are you worried about today?

I was worried about this blog post! And now it is done.

I’m smiling now because “God is always enough.”

My grandson just woke up. I hear him talking to his teddy bear in the crib.

I’ll hit “send” to our editor and then go get him up.

Is God great or what!