How should we pray for Israel and ourselves?

It’s been a busy week, filled with breaking news. Tensions are high, but so is the praise for those who planned and executed the attack on the nuclear facilities in Iran. Most of the world is grateful that Iran’s capabilities were minimized, but the future remains uncertain. We have many reasons to be in prayer during these tense days.

Israel has always known it needed the help only God could provide from his heavenly throne. Because of its key location, others have always coveted the land. Much of today’s news highlights the brilliance of the Israeli people and their military leaders. I’ve repeatedly said that David’s “genetics” can be seen in many of their war strategies. 

King David led many battles during his lifetime and was known for his keen ability to strategize. Why was David such a successful and powerful leader? The answer to that question can help us navigate our questions these days. We should consider praying like the Israelites were taught to pray for King David when we pray for Israel. Psalm 20 has some well-known verses that I find myself praying for Israel today, and those verses are essential for our own country as well.

The timeless wisdom of Psalm 20

Psalm 20 was written by David and used by his people as they prayed for him in times of battle. The psalm begins with the prayer, “May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you! May he send you help from the sanctuary and give you support from Zion!” (Psalm 20:1–2). 

Psalm 20 also says, “Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with the saving might of his right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God” (Psalm 20:6–7). 

A lot of news has explained the munitions of the countries involved, and many of the war plans are made with great consideration to those bombs, planes, etc., in mind. You might say that those munitions are the “chariots and horses” of our day. 

Most of us still trust in chariots and horses, but David’s psalm would encourage us to trust instead in “the name of the Lord our God.” God’s name is God’s holy, perfect character. When we trust in God, we trust him for his perfect help.

I’m grateful to live in a nation with powerful weapons that our enemies should respect and fear. I’m grateful that we can help discourage or prevent the world from engaging in nuclear war. I appreciate our “chariots and horses,” but choosing to carefully trust only in God is an effort. What are God’s plans for the world and all the people who are living in danger today?

Living in a Tom Clancy novel

Jim and I re-watched The Sum of All Fear, the movie based on Tom Clancy’s novel. When the movie was over, I was surprised at how relevant it felt. I didn’t feel like I was watching a work of fiction as much as I felt like I was viewing actual possibilities. I often feel the same way when I read a Joel Rosenberg novel. The images on the screen and the words of the novels depict nuclear explosions that bring harm to this country and others.

Recognizing that these possibilities are real isn’t comforting. However, living in fear of those possibilities would be wrong. God’s word clearly commands, “Do not fear.” It’s helpful when we can gain some comfort in our government’s ability to keep us safe. They have amassed many “chariots and horses.” But even advanced intelligence-gathering techniques cannot equal the amazing abilities of our Creator, God. 

God perfectly understands every moment of history, and the same “right hand” that created this world continues to accomplish his perfect will for it.

Everything on earth has a beginning and an end

God has made it clear that this world is not his permanent plan. He told the prophet Isaiah, “For behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind” (Isaiah 65:17). Jesus told John in the Revelation, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more” (Revelation 21:1).

Those important passages can give us an eternal perspective on everything we see on our screens. It is amazing to realize that when we get to heaven, the “former things will not be remembered.” God told Isaiah that they wouldn’t even “come to mind.” When we think of heaven, we think of it with earthly images and ideas. When the Bible describes heaven, the words used are limited to our earthly vocabulary and ability to comprehend. Heaven is so much more than we can understand today.

Everything on earth has a beginning and an end. Every world power, city, person, and tradition or practice will one day end. Some things will last longer than others, but nothing on earth was made to last forever.

How do we pray for Israel today?

We need to pray that Israel will turn to Almighty God for every answer they need. We also need to pray that Israel will seek a right relationship with God through their Messiah, God’s Son. We need to pray for those brilliant people to recognize their overwhelming need for God’s blessings through Jesus.

Psalm 20 is speaking about David’s enemies when it says, “They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright. O Lord, save the king! May he answer us when we call” (Psalm 20:8–9). Jesus taught us to pray to God, saying, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Jesus didn’t simply teach us to ask that of God. He taught us to pray those words so we would want Jesus, our Messiah, to be our King. All people involved in this war today need to choose that relationship so they can be Spirit-led in their prayers and ideas. We can and should pray that God will save our kings. The more necessary prayer, however, is to pray that the people of our world will make Christ their King and want his will and purpose for these days.

This world will not last forever, but those who choose Jesus as their Lord will. God so loved this world that he gave us Jesus, and anyone who believes in him as Lord and Savior will be saved. The single greatest need anyone has is their salvation. 

Who needs you to pray those prayers for them today? May God bless our prayers in miraculous ways for our nations and the sake of his perfect name.

The power of fire

I lived in Thousand Oaks, CA, during high school and spent hours and hours at Zuma Beach. Zuma is the beach just north of Malibu. I watched the news coverage of the California fires, recognizing much of what the reporters described as “completely destroyed.” I can’t imagine what Malibu looks like today. Fox News called the fire damage “apocalyptic.”

I watched the flames and considered the number of times the Bible uses the word “fire” to describe an activity of God and even his character. The Bible uses “fire” more than five hundred times, ninety times in direct reference to God himself. Hebrews 12:29 says, “For our God is a consuming fire,” which refers to Deuteronomy 4:24.

The powerful Santa Ana winds drove the fire all the way to the ocean, destroying homes and lives, and I wondered why God chose to describe himself like that. 

A consuming fire

My high school prom was in Malibu. For my 17th birthday, my boyfriend took me to Moonshadows restaurant, where I ate dinner a few tables away from Ted Knight, a star of the Mary Tyler Moore show. I drove up and down the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) many times over those years, enjoying the restaurants and shops. The fire consumed everything but my memories. 

The fires raced through the area and skipped across PCH. Multi-million-dollar homes ignited, burned to the ground, and smoldered. What finally stopped the fire? The enormous power of the Pacific Ocean.

Is that why God called himself a consuming fire? God’s power is evident in fire, wind, and the vast waters that eventually stopped the devastation. The most powerful things in this world testify to the existence of the One who created all there is.

It’s probable to assume that one or more of the fires resulted from human error or intent. God honors the free will of those he created while working to redeem and restore the consequences of misusing that free will. I wonder if God’s plan to redeem includes the redemption of so many who feel like they have lost everything. I watched the news interviews and listened to what those affected were saying. Their grief was understandable, but I was struck by the fact that no one interviewed spoke about God or his saving grace. No one thanked the Lord for sparing their lives. It struck me how different those interviews would have been if the tragedy had occurred here in my hometown. We all grieve things in this life, but Christians can grieve with hope. 

Scripture clearly states that everything accumulated or accomplished on earth is temporary except the things we do that have eternal value and reward. We should “set our minds on things above” as often as possible to keep a biblical perspective on the “stuff” of this world.

Paul’s perspective on our earthly priorities

The church in Corinth was a fascinating, diverse group of Christian believers. Some were wealthy, while others were slaves. Some were of Jewish background, while most were Gentile. Paul told the church, “For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire” (1 Corinthians 3:11–15).

The Bible doesn’t say much about our rewards in heaven, but it does say that how we live on earth will impact our lives eternal. Works that have no eternal value will simply burn up. Christians who professed their faith in Christ will always gain their salvation one day, but some “only as through the fire.” Our souls will survive the fire, but what will happen to our works? It’s good to assess our lives with a biblical perspective. If we lost everything on earth, would we still be able to consider ourselves wealthy beyond measure? What choices have we made and are making now that will result in our eternal reward?

I’m praying that some Christians who can share that biblical hope with the world will be interviewed in California.

Is your faith “fireproof”?

Peter told the first-century Christians, many of whom were suffering “various trials,” that God would redeem the hard times for their good. Peter told them and us that God allows suffering “so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7).

God has always held “genuine faith” as his high standard. Isn’t it true that the strength of our faith is most often revealed during the fiery moments of this life? Sometimes, we fail, but we often discover the reality of the “peace that passes all understanding” when those hard times help us seek God’s presence and fully trust in his perfect character.

Faith becomes fireproof when it can withstand or simply survive the consequences of living in a fallen world. Leaning on God is a strength-building exercise.

The Spirit of Christ arrived with fire

God sent his Holy Spirit to the believers gathered in the upper room at the Pentecost celebration. Acts 2:3 describes the appearance of his arrival, saying, “Divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.” That day’s fire was an individual experience with a personal and powerful Savior. The Holy Spirit gifted those gathered and enabled them to share the gospel with everyone, speaking it in the languages the people needed to hear. That is the powerful fire of the Holy Spirit. More than three thousand people received their salvation that day.

That’s what John the Baptist meant when he preached, “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matthew 3:11).

God is a consuming fire, and through the power of his Holy Spirit, we have been gifted to carry God to people who have experienced the worst moments this life can bring. People who think they have lost everything on earth can gain the hope of owning everything eternal. 

Does your witness need a little more fire or a little more power? Does your evangelism need to become a higher priority? Those are good questions to consider as we listen to the needs of the people around us. I look at those grieving, lost faces on my television and realize that, except for a move to Texas, I could easily have been one of those people. 

Let’s pray for their souls—that God will redeem the hardest times for his great glory. He wants to help them, and we should, too. 

Jesus paid it all

Recently I was at a restaurant enjoying lunch with three new friends. We waved at a man from our Sunday School class who came in while we were eating. Later, our server told us that he had picked up the check for the whole table. His gift made us feel grateful and gifted by his kindness.

Tomorrow is Maundy Thursday which, for me, has always been the most holy and profound day of the Easter season. That is the day Jesus sat with his disciples for the last time, before he gave his life for theirs. Jesus was gifting their lives that day, only they couldn’t yet comprehend all that he was doing. 

Later, Judas would be devastated to the point of suicide for his betrayal of Jesus. 

Peter would be shamed and grieved when he heard the rooster crow the next morning. 

John would sit at the foot of the cross with Mary, and both were likely grieved with thoughts of “What could I have done to stop this?” 

Earlier in the upper room, Jesus had washed the feet of his disciples as yet another way to say, “I would do anything for you because I love you with God’s great and perfect love.” 

Jesus was born to die, and on Good Friday he “paid it all.” 

“Jesus Paid it All”

Churches would often sing the hymn “Jesus Paid it All” as an invitation for those worshiping in the congregation to come profess their faith in Christ. Others would join the church or simply use that time as a reminder of the sacrifice Jesus made. For some, the King James vocabulary or simplicity of the music might keep them from experiencing the profound truth of the lyrics. 

I have included a link to one of my favorite versions of the great hymn. I’ve been blessed to see Fernando Ortega lead worship many times. He sits at the piano and shares his gift of music with people. He isn’t there to perform. He is there to help those listening experience the Lord’s presence and power through worship. 

I hope you will pause, turn off all distractions, and spend some time immersed in this version of that great hymn.  

Jesus Paid it All answers the question, “Why Easter?” 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5DyeCx8H4U

I wish you a happy and holy Easter 

I will enjoy all the moments of Easter Sunday. I love the crowds in church, the smiles, the spring flowers, and the new Easter clothes—especially the new clothes on the children that day. If ever there was a time for ruffles and patent leather shoes, it’s Easter Sunday.  

The music proclaims the joy of Jesus’ resurrection and the hope that is ours in Christ. The tomb was empty and proved Jesus has power over earthly death and the ability to provide eternal life. We all love the celebration of Easter, but it’s so important not to miss the holy purpose of the day. 

Jesus came to save souls and make disciples of all nations. Easter isn’t Easter unless we understand the entire purpose of Christ’s life.  

Who will come for an Easter service this year and meet Christ? 

There will be several in your church this Sunday

Some interesting facts from my husband Jim’s Lenten message this week: 

  • 63 percent of Americans say that they are Christians. 
  • 81 percent of Americans say they will celebrate Easter. 
  • 43 percent of our population is planning to attend an Easter service at church. 

Jim’s point: The difference between those who say they are Christians and the number who will celebrate the holiday means many millions of people are celebrating a holiday they don’t truly understand. 

The pews this Sunday 

Jesus was about to raise Lazarus from the dead. He told Lazarus’ sister Martha, “‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?’ She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world’” (John 11:25–27). 

It is safe to say that several people will be in your church this Sunday who will come to celebrate Easter and who identify themselves as “Christian.” It is likely that many of them may not understand what is necessary to actually become a Christian. They have never said to Jesus, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, and I know I need you to forgive my sins, and, as the old hymn states, I trust you can ‘wash me white as snow.’” 

I like to look for those people on Easter Sunday. I like to pray specifically for the uneasy, unfamiliar, and sometimes uninvolved. Easter is an important Sunday. If we will pray, speak to, invite, and encourage people, we might get to enjoy seeing God change their lives before the next Easter Sunday.  

Easter is a powerful day of important truth. Jesus didn’t die so that one day we could enjoy our eternal life. Jesus died so that we would enjoy our eternal life from the moment of our salvation. Christians live each day knowing they will never die. We just stop breathing on earth one moment and start breathing in heaven’s air the next. That’s what it means to place our hope in Christ. 

 

Jesus paid it all—and we can live with eternal gratitude 

Maundy Thursday is my moment each Easter season. I like to dwell on those upper room words of Jesus and the garden moments spent in prayer for and with his disciples. You might want to spend some time reading about the Easter moments from John chapters 12–20. John was the beloved disciple, and his words reveal the heart of Easter through the disciple who loved Jesus, stood by him, and spent his entire life serving him. 

Take a few moments to listen again to the holy purpose of Easter through Fernando Ortega’s version of “Jesus Paid it All.”  

Easter is summed up in the words of that hymn: “Jesus paid it all. All to him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain; he washed it white as snow.” 

I pray you will have a happy and holy Easter Sunday because you have had a holy and profound Maundy Thursday. 

Let’s live as blessed Christians, enjoying our certain hope of heaven today. We serve Jesus because he has served all of us. He paid it all. Now, we owe him our all. 

May your Easter be filled with joy and purpose as you worship the One who paid it all. 

 

The gift Jesus gave his mom

Jesus didn’t celebrate Christmas, and neither did the early Christians. Jesus wasn’t born in the winter either. There are several theories as to why we celebrate Christmas on December 25, but the most common belief dates the holiday back to the third century.

The Roman Empire marked the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, by celebrating the “rebirth” of the Unconquered Sun (Sol Invictus) on December 25. People feasted, exchanged gifts, and celebrated the birthday of a deity called Mithra, a god of light and loyalty.  

The church in Rome began formally celebrating the birth of Christ on December 25 in 336 AD. Rome was ruled by the emperor Constantine, whose mother was a strong Christian. It is believed that Constantine hoped to distract Rome’s citizens from the pagan celebration on that same day. Constantine’s efforts were not widely accepted, and Christmas did not become a major Christian holiday until the ninth century. 

How did Jesus celebrate his birthday? 

There is an easy answer to that question: he didn’t. Jesus was likely born in the spring, but birthdays weren’t remembered or celebrated by the Jewish people. There was one spring, however, when Jesus gave others, including his mom Mary, gifts for his birthday. 

Jesus had been crucified and was near death on the cross when he uttered the words, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). I’ve often heard that those words mark the moment when Jesus took on the sins of the world, our sins, and as a result experienced separation from his heavenly Father. But, I also like to consider those words as a gift of hope for his mother Mary and encouragement for his best friend John.  

Matthew 27:46 is a direct quote from the first words in the twenty-second psalm, a psalm of David. David’s psalms would have been memorized and sung by the Jewish people of the first century. Jesus would have known this psalm very well. We know Mary and John were at the cross because Jesus instructed John to care for his mother. It is a safe assumption to think that both Mary and John were deeply grieving all they were witnessing. Jesus loved these two people and, even in his own pain, would have felt theirs as well. 

So, Jesus gave his mom and his best friend a gift on the cross. He said, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani,” the first line of a well-known psalm. Jesus knew his beloved mom and friend would know the rest of that favorite psalm of King David. 

The gift Jesus gave

If you have time, read all of Psalm 22 with this perspective. Consider what these words would have meant to the two people who were sitting at the foot of the cross. Jesus knew he was about to die and gave the gift of hope to these two people he cared about. Psalm 22 is a reminder that God delivers his people and can always be trusted, even in the most difficult of times.  

I like to picture Mary reciting that psalm to herself in the days that followed Jesus’ death. What did she feel when she came to the words, “Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts. On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother’s womb you have been my God” (Psalm 22:9–10)? Had Jesus thanked Mary from the cross for all she had done to give him life and raise him in the knowledge of God? 

I like to picture John as he remembered the psalm Jesus quoted from the cross. How did John feel when he considered the words at the end of the psalm? David’s psalm begins with the words Jesus cried out to Mary and John, but the final stanza of the psalm says, “All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep himself alive. Posterity shall serve him;  it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation; they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it” (Psalm 22:29–31). 

The gift Jesus gave his mom from the cross was the gift of hope and the gift of knowing that both of them had fulfilled their highest purpose on earth. Mary gave birth to Israel’s Messiah.  

John had been called to be a follower of Jesus and would ultimately suffer for preaching the gospel. Yet John understood the “rest of the story” could be found in the final words of Psalm 22. “Posterity shall serve him” and “they shall proclaim his righteousness” to all people. 

How would Jesus celebrate Christmas? 

This is a big, busy, important week of the year. In the busyness let’s remember why we celebrate. Jesus celebrated the season of his birth by accepting a cross for the sins of the world. Jesus gave the gifts of love and hope to those at the cross. Jesus gave Mary and John, and maybe himself, the gift of encouragement as well. There is no greater joy for a child of God than to be blessed and rewarded for fulfilling our eternal, kingdom purpose.  

Jesus celebrated the season of his birth by gifting the world with his perfect sacrifice for every sin and the promise of eternal life. We who have received the gift of Christ have received everything Jesus was born to give. 

Merry Christmas! 

I hope you have a blessed and merry Christmas this year, filled with the joy and laughter of those you love. It is fun to give and fun to receive—but let’s remember to honor the One who gave everything so that we can celebrate with the hope of an eternity filled with everlasting joy, peace, and comfort. 

Merry Christmas to all of you, and blessings for the coming year!

Do you know about Jesus or do you actually know Jesus?

My thanks to Trace Kennedy for writing today’s blog. Trace is the very talented brand manager for our Foundations brand. We are blessed to have her at the ministry, and I think you will be blessed by her words this week. I’m grateful for her, and for you, our readers. —Janet Denison 

If you’re a baseball fan, you’re likely watching the playoffs and more than likely know who Adolis Garcia is. In case you don’t, he is the Cuban right fielder for the Texas Rangers who has a smile that can light up the field and enough power behind his swing to make baseballs soar to the top-tier stands. 

I have to admit I’m new to baseball fandom. My son graduated from college in May and is living with us for a season. I’ve gotten to know the Rangers through his love of the game and his enthusiasm for this particular team.  

Garcia has become my favorite because of his radiant smile, his obvious rapport with his teammates despite a language barrier, and his ritual of kissing his fingers and lifting them and his eyes up to the sky when he comes up to bat. To me, it looks like he is saying, “This one’s for you, Lord.” 

He must be doing something right because he ended the regular season with thirty-nine home runs (tied for seventh) and 107 RBI (tied for sixth). He was also awarded the ALCS Most Valuable Player after helping the Rangers earn a spot in the 2023 World Series.  

I’ve told people I adore him and have even asked for his jersey for Christmas. Yet if I encountered him in person, he might say hello, but he definitely wouldn’t hug me like a friend or a loved one. I could know every stat about him, his personal journey to the major leagues, and even how he grew up, but until I meet him face-to-face and develop a personal relationship with him, I only know things about him.  

Just one encounter with Jesus

We’ve been walking through the book of Matthew in the Bible study I attend, and a few weeks ago we were in Matthew 2. This very topic came up when we were discussing the magi.  

As you probably know, the magi, or the wise men, are only mentioned in Matthew. They were Persian kings who had traveled a thousand miles to meet the King of the Jews. They had seen “his star when it rose and . . . came to worship him” (Matthew 2:2). They traveled to Jerusalem, the capital of Judah, because it was the most likely place for a king to be born and asked the current ruler, King Herod, where they could find him. 

Disturbed by their inquiry, Herod called the religious leaders and teachers of the law together and asked them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem in Judea, for this is what the prophet has written: ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel’” (Matthew 2:5–6 NIV). 

In the next several verses, Herod finds out when the star appeared and tells the magi to go to Bethlehem, find the child, and then report back to him. He told the magi that he wanted to worship Jesus too, but Scripture tells us he, in fact, wanted to kill him. So the magi set out, and verses 10–11 tell us they were overjoyed when they saw the star and found the child with his mother: “They bowed down and worshiped him.”  

One encounter with Jesus, and they knew he was Messiah, Immanuel—God with us. They met the Savior of the world, and their lives were changed that day and eternally. 

When the know-it-alls know the least

Isn’t it interesting that those who knew about the prophecy of the Messiah, those who studied Scripture and obeyed the Law—those who knew the most about him from what was foretold— chose not to go with these wise men and discover for themselves the King of the Jews?  

Over and over we read in Scripture that the people who should have recognized Jesus chose to believe their own narrative about who the Messiah would or wouldn’t be. Their pride and personal agendas got in the way of encountering Jesus, the Son of God, who stepped out of heaven to come and give us the abundant life (John 10:10).  

When was the last time you encountered Jesus and were so moved by your time with him that you responded with heartfelt worship? 

Do you go to church every Sunday, do a morning devotional, or attend Bible study without fully encountering Jesus? 

Do you walk away from church, your quiet time, and Bible study more informed about Jesus but not transformed by your time with him?  

The difference between knowledge and intimacy

I oida Adolis Garcia. 

Oida translates “know” but leans more toward a knowledge about facts. It’s the kind of knowledge acquired through observation. All that I know about Garcia has been acquired through other people or resources that report about him. Oida is knowledge that educates us, makes us smarter for sure, but doesn’t necessarily impact our hearts.

Ginōskō, on the other hand, describes the kind of knowledge that comes from developing an intimate relationship with someone over time. It means to perceive, understand, realize, come to know. Ginōskō impacts you deeply and personally, like how our most treasured relationships change us and bring value and depth to our lives. 

Ginōskō is one of my favorite verbs in the Bible because it describes the knowledge involved in building an intimate relationship with a person and beautifully illustrates a deeply personal, experiential, growing knowledge of God. 

Jesus chose ginōskō to describe the intimacy between the Father and the Son, as well as the connection between himself and his sheep: “The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice” (John 10:3–4 NIV). 

I seek to ginōskō the Lord.

Changed to be change-makers

The magi left from their encounter with the Messiah changed and more than likely took their newfound knowledge of Jesus back to their own lands, resulting in even more changed lives.  

That’s what Jesus does, and that’s why Jesus came to earth. He came to save and transform, to “give us life and give it abundantly.” He came to change our lives so we could then be used by his Spirit to transform the world around us.  

He wants everyone to know his peace, joy, and hope—for today and for life eternal. 

When last did you meet Immanuel, God with us, and walk away from that encounter renewed, restored, and known? 

Why not take a few minutes right now to meet the Savior of the world and allow his love to transform your day? 

It’s his great joy to get to know you more deeply, and he is waiting with open arms.  

_______________ 

If you would like to spend this upcoming Christmas season with a new focus on Immanuel, God with us, I want to encourage you to order Janet’s latest Advent book, The Gift of Immanuel. It’s the perfect devotional to fix your heart, mind, and soul on our greatest gift of Christmas—Jesus. An email that has “Discover the gift of Immanuel” in the subject line will hit your inbox this Friday around 10 am CST with all the details you need to order the devotional.

 

“Jesus: Got Questions?” is here

You might have been reading this blog for years, but maybe you don’t know my faith story.

I was about ten years old when I ran over a little book with my bicycle. I hopped off my bike to get a closer look. The cover was torn off, but the first page said something like, “If you want to be sure you are going to heaven . . . .”  

I rode around that park several times waiting to see if someone was going to return for their book.  After a while, I decided no one was coming for it, so I put that Bible tract in my pocket and rode home.

I have no idea if that is the day I became a Christian, but it could be. I had been raised to know who Jesus was, and I’d attended the classes at our church. I was sprinkled, congratulated, and sent home with a certificate.

I do know this: After I took that Bible tract home and read it cover to cover, I prayed the prayer of salvation printed on the last page. I wanted to be sure I was going to heaven. I either became a Christian that day, or I settled the choice in my own heart and mind.

I wish I knew what happened to that Bible tract. It got lost along the way. But, I’m grateful God drew my attention to that little book lying on the ground.  

When I was first drawn into God’s word

My dad worked for IBM. One day, during my sophomore year of high school, Dad came home and announced he had accepted a job in the Los Angeles area. While my friends were ordering their class rings, I was packing up my bedroom to move.

My youth pastor bought me a copy of The Living Bible, which had just been published. He had all the kids in the youth department write me a note on the back of the cover. He presented it to me and suggested I read the book of John first.

I sat on the curb as our furniture was being loaded into the moving van, and I read the gospel of John from The Living Bible. It was the first time I had read Scripture from anything other than the King James Version. I remember being drawn into God’s word and the story of Christ. The book of John helped my fifteen-year-old soul face forward with hope, as I considered starting over again in a new place.

Forty-five years later I want to pay it forward.

I’ve written a new book titled Jesus: Got Questions?

Now, the girl who sat on the curb reading the gospel of John has written a little book that will help kids come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

I’ve taught Bible for a lot of years now, and I’ve often been asked questions about Scripture and the Christian faith. Jesus: Got Questions? provides answers to the things children most frequently ask about the Bible and includes an NIV version of the gospel of John.

In fact, I answered all the questions using age-appropriate vocabulary and quoting verses from the gospel of John so the kids could look up the Scripture themselves.

Sometimes I like to picture myself in heaven, meeting the person who dropped that Bible tract. Or maybe it’s the person who handed it to someone who later rejected it and threw it on the ground. I want to say thank you to whomever it was that helped a ten-year-old girl be sure she was going to heaven.  

I can’t remember my youth pastor’s name, but I look forward to telling him what his gift meant to a teenager who was feeling lost and overwhelmed with her circumstances. The book of John made all the difference that day.

I’ve been writing this blog for several years, and this is the first time I can remember asking my readers to help me with a project. But, this project is worthy of our best efforts. I prayed my way through each word. I chose phrases, thoughts, and theology with the help of God’s Holy Spirit. I didn’t want to write the answers; I needed him to author each word. And I believe He did!

How you can help share Jesus: Got Questions?

Jesus: Got Questions? is a little book that can lead a child to a saving faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

I’ve answered questions, and I’ve asked the reader if he or she wants to be sure about going to heaven. I’ve provided a prayer they can use to ask God for their salvation in Christ and the help they need to understand what they are doing at that moment.

ChristianParenting.org, our parenting website, in partnership with the Pocket Testament League, is giving copies of these gospels to anyone who wants to request them. This is a step of faith on our part, but we know that God has a plan for this little book.

We are sending ten copies of Jesus: Got Questions?, along with ten copies of Amy Simmons’ booklet, Amazing Grace.

We are asking people to share them with the children in their families and then teach their children to share the remaining copies with others. Kids are natural evangelists, and this will help them share their faith with confidence.

If you would like to order copies, you can click here.

But, if you have raised your kids, would you help me give this away to others?

We have reprogrammed the donate button from this site to send money for a while to fund this project. These little Bibles with Q&As cost less than fifty cents per copy and there are shipping costs. Still, this project gives a lot with our dollars. My husband and I have given the first gift. I wouldn’t ask you to do something I wasn’t willing to give toward myself.  

Our hope is to provide these to Vacation Bible schools, Christian camps, church groups, and to kids like I was, maybe just riding their bicycle through the park. I rarely ask for help—but can you pray about helping with this?  

All donations given for a while on JanetDenison.com will be used to print these little gospels.  

Pray that God draws a child to every copy, and then draws them to their salvation in Christ. I believe he will!   

Thank you for praying, and, if possible, for giving. I will keep you posted on the progress!

You can order and donate here.

Anna’s Thoughts on Flight 1380

Anna was watching a movie on Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 when the engine blew out. The next twenty-two minutes were filled with sounds and experiences she will always remember. Anna is twenty-three years old and has a lot to teach all of us. If you had to consider the end of your life, and all that truly matters, who and what would you think about?

Anna’s mom, Linda, is in my Thursday Bible study and we have known each other for a lot of years. Our sons were in high school band together and played in their own band, The Review, for a couple of those years. Linda was our real estate agent, and blessing, when Jim and I bought our home. So, I was shocked when I saw the Facebook post about her youngest daughter, Anna, who was on the ill-fated Southwest Flight 1380.

Anna wrote an essay about her experience. What does a twenty-three-year old think about when she is wearing an oxygen mask on a plane that appears to be crashing? Her thoughts have a lot to say to all of us today. The things that matter most in those moments are the things that matter most right now. Here are Anna’s thoughts, in her words:

My mom’s face, and how she would cry when she found out I had died.
How my baby nephew wouldn’t remember Aunt Anna.
How my family would cope with the loss of their littlest.
If a plane crash would hurt, or have immediate effects.
If I would be received in Heaven with my God, or otherwise.
I thought of my friends attending my funeral.
If there was a chance someone could survive a plane crash.
If we could land on water somewhere, knowing we weren’t far from New York.
Young, young, we’re so young.
Take me to your glory, take me to your glory.

Family. Friends. Faith. Life. Eternal life.

The plane was surrounded by clouds for most of its descent and Anna said the “white noise” of the engines was deafening. But then came the moment when the plane cleared those clouds.  Anna described those moments like this:

Seeing the earth was a comfort. There was not a feeling of landing assurance really, but I think just getting to see your home one last time was somehow significant. Once we got closer to the ground, I looked out the window and saw water and started to cry. In my mind, we had reached a river and were going to land on it, Sully style. The flight attendants began screaming “Brace” and then a crew member came onto the overhead speaker, yelling “heads down, stay down” on repeat. I braced and braced and wondered if there was a better way I should be positioning my feet and if I should bend my legs or keep them straight or hold Connor’s hand or just keep looking at his feet. I didn’t feel a thing and then I heard cheers. When I looked up and saw that we had LANDED- ON THE GROUND- AT AN AIRPORT- I was absolutely overcome with the most blatant and undeserved gratitude and joy. There will never be a joy that will match that. I began sobbing very uncontrollably and unashamedly. I remember repeating over and over again “we don’t deserve it, we don’t deserve it”.

Anna and her friend Connor

I read Anna’s words with my own tears of gratitude. A woman lost her life on that flight and I would never want us to forget there is a family who is grieving today. At the same time, there are hundreds of families that are living with a new sense of gratitude for life.

A lot has been said about Tammie Jo Shults, the navy veteran pilot that landed the plane. She is being called a hero who walked the aisle of that plane after it landed, comforting the passengers with smiles and hugs. The crew keeps speaking about her “calm” in those moments. I’m waiting to read the article or book she will write someday. We know that after landing the plane she sent this text to her friend and fellow navy pilot: “God is good.”

God is good. He heard the cries of a twenty-three-year old girl who needed his promise of heaven. I imagine God listening to the prayers of the pilot who felt responsible for each of those lives on the plane and the prayers of other passengers of faith. And I know God was pleased with Anna’s priorities as the plane was descending. Family. Friends. Faith. Life. Eternal life. The matters that matter most.

None of us will probably ever experience what Anna and the others on that plane felt during those life-changing twenty-two minutes. But all of us will need to ask Anna’s question: Will we be received in heaven with God, or otherwise? There is no reason to live another day on earth without knowing your answer.

Romans 10:10 says, “For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” Acts 16:31 says, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.”  Salvation is God’s gift of grace, purchased for us through the death of his Son, and available to anyone who chooses to receive it in faith.

Statistically, only a very small number of people will die in a plane crash and statistically, everyone will die someday. Statistically, not nearly enough of us understand what Anna understood as the plane was crashing. At the end of our lives we want to say, “Take me to your glory. Take me to your glory.”

The pilot texted, “God is good.” Anna wrote, “There is no way I could have found peace and calmness in what was destined to be a plane crash without knowing that I was a believer, and that I believed in Heaven, but even then, there was this real desperate sense of helplessness and doubt in myself. I felt disappointed in myself that I wasn’t more sure in that moment. I KNOW I am assured by God, but these minutes were fast and scary. It’s indescribable that I get a second chance at getting to know my God. NOBODY DESERVES LIFE, MUCH LESS A SECOND LIFE.”

Heaven is real and everyone should want to spend their eternity there. You can make the choice today by simply praying, “God in heaven. Thank you for loving me and for sending your Son, Jesus, to die for my sins. Forgive me for those sins and come into my life and my heart. I receive your gift of salvation with grateful praise. Thank you for your forgiveness, for saving my soul and for your gift of eternal life. May I live this life with your peace, purpose and priorities until I step into my eternity. In the name of Jesus, my Savior, Amen.”

God is good and able to save. Don’t live another moment of this life without the promise of heaven. Anna, Tammie Jo Shults and this blog writer want you to know the joy and assurance of your salvation today.