Colin S. Smith's Blog, page 77

A Savior Who Knows What It Is to Weep

Video Transcript:

The Bible tells us that Jesus wept. When Lazarus, who Jesus loved, died, our Lord came to Bethany. When he arrived, Martha came out to meet him, and later her sister Mary. These two women were grieving the death of their dearly-loved brother.

“When Jesus saw her [Mary] weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled” (John 11:33).
And he said, “Where have you laid him?” (11:34).
They said to him, “Lord, come and see” (11:34).
Jesus wept (11:35).

Why did he weep? Christ knew that in five minutes he would raise Lazarus from the dead – the resurrection is five minutes away for this brother! He told Martha, “Your brother will rise again” (11:23). But he did not say to Martha, “Don’t grieve.” He did not say that. He is the Resurrection and the Life, but he weeps with Martha and Mary over their loss. Jesus wept!

God is always intimately involved in the grief of his people. There is a beautiful verse in the book of Psalms that speaks of God gathering all our tears in a bottle. If you don’t know it, I hope you will note it, so that you will remember it.

You have kept count of my tossings;

put my tears in your bottle.

Are they not in your book? (Psalm 56:8).

Every tear you have ever shed is completely known to your heavenly Father. Not one of them is ever forgotten by him. The tears of God’s children are precious to God. They are part of why he sent his Son into the world.

There are many wonderful statements in the Bible of why Jesus Christ came into the world. In one of them the Messiah says, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to… bind up the brokenhearted… to comfort all who mourn… that they may be called oaks of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:1-3), so that you may be able to stand and not be destroyed in your grief.

Our Lord was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief (Isaiah 53:3). In the Garden of Gethsemane, our Lord said, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow” (Matthew 26:38 NIV). When your soul is overwhelmed with sorrow, your Savior has been there. You have a Savior who knows what it is to weep!

You have a Savior who knows what it is to weep!
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You also have a Savior with whom you can talk. There is a great gulf between this world and the next. You cannot talk to your loved one who has died. But if your loved one was in Christ, he or she is with the Savior, and you can talk to the Savior about your loved one who is now in his house. You can tell the Savior how much you miss them and how much you love them. You can bring the pain of your loss to this Savior who is familiar with sorrow and grief.

One day Christ will wipe away all tears from your eyes. Literally, the Bible says he will wipe all tears “out of” our eyes (see Revelation 21:4), as if he would take away not only the tears, but the tear-ducts themselves (in the resurrection body), because they would no longer be needed. It is not only the tears that God will take away, but also the sorrow and loss that gave rise to them. Lord, hasten that day!

Now that day has not yet come. And until then there will be tears. But there is also the Man of Sorrows, acquainted with grief, who says in this book, “See if there is any sorrow like my sorrow” (Lamentations 1:12). He plumbed the depths of sorrow when he suffered on the cross. And no one is more ready or more able to walk with you through the valley of grief, sorrow, and loss than Jesus Christ.

[This sermon clip is an excerpt from the sermon “Tears and Talk” from the series, For All Who Grieve: Light and Hope in Lamentations.]

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The post A Savior Who Knows What It Is to Weep appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

Trust God With the Spiritual Gifts He Gives

Do you trust God in the area of spiritual gifts?

While talking to my brothers and sisters at church or scrolling social media, I want what other people have—specifically, their spiritual gifts, opportunities, and influence. I hear about that wonderful ministry event she spoke at, or I see how widely she’s influencing other believers, and I think, How did those doors open for her? Why haven’t I had that chance?

Or in moments of total pride: What she’s doing isn’t as neat as what I just got to do.

Five Truths to Help You Trust God

In our sinful state, our hearts wander into covetousness, comparison, and criticism when it comes to the gifts God gives his people. Instead of seeing what God has graciously given—our spiritual gifts, opportunities, and influence—we often fixate on what he hasn’t given us.

But we can trust God with the gifts he gives. Because of Christ, we’re free to celebrate the diverse spiritual gifts within his body and rest in what God has given each of us. This is the better way—and Paul draws it out for us in 1 Corinthians 12. Here, he gives us five truths that will help us trust God as he distributes spiritual gifts.

Truth #1: God’s gift of salvation propels our gifts and opportunities.

Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:3)

Paul wrote to the Corinthian church because some people had been abusing their spiritual gifts for selfish purposes, rather than building up the body. “This church was rich in gifts, but there were many things scandalously out of order in it,” says Matthew Henry [1]. Their situation teaches us how necessary it is for us to take hold of Christ’s finished work of salvation before we work out our spiritual gifts—for a right use of our spiritual gifts is rooted in the gospel!

Gratitude for Jesus’ once-for-all sacrifice will motivate us to serve his church, not ourselves, through our gifts. And humility before his resurrected and ascended glory will propel us to meekly accept whatever opportunities come our way, knowing we deserve quite the opposite because of our sin.

Why do you use your spiritual gifts? Are you propelled to our Lord’s work because of what he’s done for your soul? We may not necessarily say, “Jesus is accursed”—but we should examine why we’re exercising our spiritual gifts: for our glory, or his? For our good, or the good of the church?

Truth #2: God’s Spirit assigns us our gifts and opportunities.

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone….All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. (12:4-6, 11)

Our gifts and opportunities aren’t distributed at random, nor do we choose them; rather, the Spirit perfectly and purposefully assigns them to us:

May [the Spirit of God] not give to what persons he pleases, and in what proportion he pleases; one gift to one man, and another to another; to one more, and another fewer, as he thinks fit? Is he not the best judge how his own purpose shall be served, and his own donatives bestowed? It is not as men will, nor as they may think fit, but as the Spirit pleases.

God always does as he pleases, in unmatched wisdom.
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God always does as he pleases, in unmatched wisdom. He alone knows exactly why you and I have been given the gifts we’ve been given. He knows why pastors preach and teachers teach; why some men and women are great encouragers; how others are gifted at showing mercy; and why some individuals give as generously as they do. These are divine assignments!

Truth #3: God’s sovereign choice means we needn’t covet, criticize, or compare ourselves to others’ gifts and opportunities.

If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. (12:17-18)

This is where the rubber meets the road for us: If it’s true that our gifts begin with our salvation (with God, not us!) and the Spirit assigns them, then what are we doing when we covet, criticize, or compare ourselves to what others have? Aren’t we saying that God hasn’t done his job well, and that we’ve got better ideas than him?

When I’m quick to desire the influence another female teacher or writer has been entrusted with, when I’m puffed up about my own gifts, when I’m frustrated by an opportunity that’s passed me by and gone to another person, I’m questioning God’s sovereign choice. Within my heart, I’m saying to him, What you chose isn’t good.

In these moments, God in his grace points us back to Truth #1: Everything we have, whether our salvation or our spiritual gifts, comes from God through the Holy Spirit; and therefore, if we’ve declared “Jesus is Lord,” we have every reason to trust that his lordship extends even to our gifts and opportunities. He knows what he’s doing, and he’s always good.

Truth #4: God’s purpose for our gifts and opportunities is love.

But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. (12:24-25)

The Corinthian church’s spiritual shenanigans were causing rifts within the congregation, even though God had called them to use their gifts to “care for one another.” I wonder how different our churches and ministries would be if we trusted the way God gave out his gifts, and then sought to use them in love. Often, we’re so busy competing with each other that we miss out on the beauty of God’s perfect composition! Rather than enjoying what he’s made, we envy it. Rather than looking for opportunities to love each other with our gifts, we’re looking at the gifts, themselves; they become an end—often a selfish end—rather than a means to God’s end.

But what if we viewed our gifts and opportunities as instruments of love? What if, every time I wrote something or spoke at an event, I prayed for God to use it to care for his people? How then would our perspective of other people’s gifts change?

Truth #5: God’s plan for our gifts and opportunities is unity within diversity.

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. (12:27-28)

God has put together a variety of gifts within his church, and his plan is that we’ll display Christ to each other and the world. That’s our goal! Diversity of gifts and opportunities is God’s plan, and when we remember this truth, we’ll more readily rejoice to serve him in our respective ways.

God hasn’t messed up in not making me like my brother or sister—he’s done so on purpose, for the sake of his Son. And how much more will the world take notice when we’re all beautifully loving one another through the use of our spiritual gifts, ultimately displaying the glory of our Savior, who first loved us?

Jesus Is Lord Over Your Spiritual Gifts

This high calling is all the more reason we return, again and again, to the first truth: “No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit.” Our gracious Lord and Savior offers us mercy and help in time of need. We can ask him to cultivate in us a deeper trust in God’s design for our gifts and opportunities by his Spirit—

And we can pray for great joy and freedom to use what God has graciously given each of us.

[1. Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 2265). Peabody: Hendrickson.][Photo Credit: Unsplash]

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The post Trust God With the Spiritual Gifts He Gives appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

The Power of Our Criticism

One weekend, I was on a spiritual high after a church event and couldn’t wait to share my joy and excitement with a friend. Before I had the opportunity to fully express this joy, I was interrupted: “Did you have to pay for the event?”

I replied, “Yes.” Her response included a heavy sigh, eye roll, and what I can only describe as a hailstorm of criticism. She expressed passionately, “See, I don’t understand why they have to charge you to go to an event. What if someone can’t afford to attend, but really wants to grow in their faith? Did they have food? I wonder how much of our giving to the church has been put toward food that I’m sure they threw away afterwards. Was there any pressure to buy books?”

Though my friend was sharing her opinions, it altered my understanding and emotions. I began analyzing the seemingly negatives of the event: cost, which scriptures were read, how many people attended, the “pressure” to buy books, and the like.

In a moment, the air in my joyous spiritual balloon was squeezed out. My joy was killed by a powerful and polluting force: criticism.

Four Characteristics of Criticism

When we criticize our brothers and sisters in Christ under the guise of insight, we pollute the Church. Consider these four characteristics of criticism:

1. Criticism masquerades as insight.

We may not initially recognize the destroying power of criticism because it disguises itself as insight. Certainly there is nothing destructive about our opinions and critical thinking, right?

Unfortunately, we are up against one who delights in destruction: the enemy. Satan, the father of lies (John 8:44), seeks to make us believe the lie that our opinions are harmless—or rather, that our opinions are beneficial for the Church. We think, Surely commenting on the worship leader’s song choice cannot hurt anyone. Or, If I don’t agree with how the church is spending its money, telling others about it certainly would change things.

Jesus tells us that “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). When we fail to acknowledge the sin rooted in our hearts before we speak, our reckless words have the power to destroy, no matter how seemingly small.

2. Criticism is contagious.

Perhaps like my experience, you enjoyed a church service in every aspect, but a friend began picking apart what they did not like. Initially it may feel minute and insignificant: a song choice, what the usher was wearing, the length of the pastor’s prayer. However, your eyes are being opened to areas of weakness. Soon, you adopt this pattern of thinking and begin agreeing with the issues of your critical church family. Rather than rejoicing and participating in blessed worship, you focus on what you didn’t like.

Your critical words may be a stumbling block to your brother or sister in Christ.
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Just as Jesus warned his disciples about being on guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matthew 16:6), so must we recognize the power of criticism to spread, take root, and grow in our hearts.

3. Criticism causes others to stumble.

Have you considered that your critical words may be a stumbling block to your brother or sister in Christ? Consider Romans 14:13, “Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.” Your opinions could cause a brother or sister to be hindered in spiritual progress, and this should be a swift warning to us.

4. Criticism slanders and kills.

When we criticize and complain about our church, its leaders, and programs, we are breaking two of the Lord’s commandments: “Do not murder” (Exodus 20:13) and “Do not bear false witness” (Exodus 20:16). We are effectively killing and destroying what God has set in place when we foster cynicism. Not only can it murder our own spirit, it has the power to murder the spirits of those around us. And though what we say critically may not be false, a deceptive light may be cast upon the situation.

Imagine your day of judgment before the Lord, and he declares you guilty of deceiving and murdering your brothers’ and sisters’ spirits. Surely if we knew the power of our criticism could dry up bones (Proverbs 17:22), destroy (1 Corinthians 10:10), and feel like sword thrusts (Proverbs 12:18), we wouldn’t open our mouths.

Good News for Critical Christians

Though these offenses grieve the Lord, we have been given the free gift of grace through our Savior Jesus Christ. He is willing and able to rid us of our toxic attitudes. Victory can be ours through confession and repentance, an active role of faith we must take to grow in Christlikeness.

We must faithfully fight to do all things without grumbling or questioning (Philippians 2:14) or corruption (Ephesians 4:29). Our attitude and speech should be for building up (Ephesians 4:29), giving thanks (1 Thessalonians 5:18); it should be hospitable (1 Peter 4:9), humble (Philippians 2:3), loving and self-controlled (2 Timothy 1:7), gentle and courteous (Titus 3:2), and we are to maintain unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3). Ask the Lord to turn your critical spirit into whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8).

Consider Paul’s words as he meditated on the character of our beloved Lord Jesus:

We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus. (Romans 5:1-7)

[Photo Credit: Unsplash]

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The post The Power of Our Criticism appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

Key Connections (April 6, 2018)

If They Fell, So Can You: How Sin Seduced the Strongest, Wisest, and Godliest (Garrett Kell, Desiring God)

If Satan cannot tempt you into a great sin, he will settle for a small one, because he knows that small sins pave the way to greater ones. Callousness grows in small degrees.

Let’s Rethink Our Language of ‘Calling’ (Greg Handley, International Mission Board)

It isn’t that we have a possible remedy for sin in the gospel. We have the only remedy. This good news must get to sinners—all of them. The objective reality of gospel sufficiency alongside global lostness must compel us.

When It’s Hard to Forgive (James Wilson, Servants of Grace)

Perhaps you’ve heard the saying, “Unforgiveness is the poison we drink, hoping others will die.” We think we are ‘getting them back’ for what they’ve done to us, but in reality, we are simply troubling our own soul and hurting our fellowship with the Lord.

The Christology of the Thief (Cameron Buettel, Grace to You)

But the thief made no appeal to the Romans for exoneration, nor to the Jews for spiritual absolution. Mustering what little remained of his strength and consciousness, the thief made his only appeal to the crucified Savior.

Four Things People Often Miss About Judas (and What We Can Learn from Them) (Colin Smith, Unlocking the Bible)

This story is telling us that even the finest teaching, the best example, and the most compelling evidence—the ultimate environment for incubating faith—cannot, in and of themselves, change the human heart.

The post Key Connections (April 6, 2018) appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

Four Things People Often Miss About Judas (and What We Can Learn from Them)

James tells us that the “double-minded man [is] unstable in all of his ways” (James 1:8). That is a very good description of Judas. He was double-minded, and in the end, the faith that he once professed he abandoned completely. Here are four things that are commonly overlooked when it comes to Judas.

The Commitment He Made

Judas had made a commitment to Jesus. There was no reason to think he was anything but sincere in his faith. Like the rest of the disciples, he had left everything to follow him. Judas had been actively involved in ministry. He had been given remarkable spiritual gifts.

Luke tells us, “[Jesus] called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal” (Luke 9:1-2).



Judas was a gospel preacher! He had been given a special gift of healing. He had exercised authority over demons. Active involvement in ministry is a good and a wonderful thing, but it is not, in itself, a sign of spiritual life or spiritual health.

The Opportunity He Was Given

Judas walked with Jesus for three years. He saw the greatest life that has ever been lived, up close and personal. You can’t have a better model of faith than Jesus or a better environment for forming faith than Judas had in walking with Jesus.

He was a direct witness to the miracles. When Jesus fed the 5,000, Judas was there. He took the bread and distributed it along with the other disciples. When Jesus calmed the storm, Judas was there. And he was there when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. You can’t have better evidence for faith than Judas had.

Judas heard all of the teaching of Jesus. He heard the Sermon on the Mount, so he knew that there is a narrow road that leads to life and a broad road that leads to destruction. He heard the warnings that Jesus spoke to the Pharisees, so he knew that there is a hell to shun and a heaven to gain. He heard the parable of the prodigal son, and he knew that Christ was ready to welcome and forgive those who had wasted themselves in many sins.

With his own ears, this man heard the finest teaching. With his own eyes, he saw the clearest evidence. In his own life, he had the best example. And yet this man betrayed Jesus.

How deep the problem of the human heart is! It “is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick;” (Jeremiah 17:9). Do you understand your own heart?

Can you understand how a young person who is raised by godly parents in the context of a healthy church, taught the truths of Scripture from an early age, and grounded in apologetics can end up abandoning the faith that he or she once professed?

There is an important truth here for parents, leaders, and friends who grieve over someone you love who has abandoned the faith they once professed. You say, “Where did we go wrong? What more could we have done? Did we fail in our teaching? Did we fail in our example? Should we have immersed our son or daughter or friend in a different environment? Perhaps that would have made a difference.”

This story is telling us that even the finest teaching, the best example, and the most compelling evidence—the ultimate environment for incubating faith—cannot, in and of themselves, change the human heart.

The Choice He Made

Satan made a relentless assault on the soul of Judas, as he makes a relentless assault on everyone who chooses to follow Christ. There is nothing unique about the experience of Judas here.

“Then Satan entered into Judas Iscariot…He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them” (Luke 22:3, 4).


“The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son to betray him” (John 13:2).


“Satan entered into him” (John 13:27).

The Bible’s clear statements about Satan’s activity have led many people to say, “Well, poor Judas, he didn’t have a chance. Satan entered into him. What could he do about that?” But that evaluation overlooks the fact that Judas opened the door of his life to Satan.

Judas had been stealing from the bag. And when he kept this sin secret, Satan entered into him. He made a deal with the chief priests and then sat down at our Lord’s Table with a known sin that he would not confess, and Satan entered even further into his life. Unconfessed sin always opens the door to Satan’s power.

Satan does not gain a foothold in the lives of people who are walking in the light with Jesus. He only has access when we open the door. Klaus Schilder says, “It is the peculiar majesty of Jesus that He can conquer man without man’s first approaching Him. But Satan’s frailty is proved by this, that he cannot approach a soul unless that soul has first turned to him” (Christ in His Sufferings, 185).

Sometimes in the church, we get this the other way around. We are afraid that Satan will somehow have secret access to us, but Jesus, he can do nothing unless we ask him to. No, the Bible teaches us precisely the opposite.

The Outcome He Embraced

Judas went out into the darkness he had chosen, “and it was night” (John 13:30). When you get close to Jesus, one of two things will happen: Either you will become wholly his, or you will end up more alienated from him and more antagonistic toward him than if you had never known him at all.

Among those who hate Christ the most are not a few who once professed to trust him. Christ’s claims are so exclusive, and his demands so pervasive that, in the end, you must either give yourself to him completely or give him up altogether. There is no middle ground.

Only those who have never known him can remain indifferent to him. For those who get close, the only outcomes are full devotion or eventual antagonism and every day, each of us is heading in one direction or the other.

Worth Any Cost

In a day when many people are abandoning the faith that they once professed, the story of Judas warns us to guard our hearts, lest we drift away. The story of Judas also equips us to reach out to others who may be close to walking away from faith. Christ calls us to “be merciful to those who doubt. Save others by snatching them out of the fire” (Jude 22-23). Finally, the story of Judas reminds us that nothing good can come from giving up on Jesus Christ. He is of supreme value, and following him is worth any cost.

[This article originally appeared at The Gospel Coalition.]
[Photo Credit: Unsplash]

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Why the Psalms Make Me Worship

“I always compare this Psalm to a lark,” Charles Spurgeon wrote about Psalm 23, “It begins on the ground among the sheep, but it goes up till you may hear its blessed notes echoing among the stars.”

What are the Psalms if not blessed notes that sing of a limitless God who is more glorious than the brightest star? The Psalms make me worship. They move other believers to worship too, such as the musicians who have written the numerous songs I sing at church, whose lyrics originated in the Psalms.

“Forever,” written by Chris Tomlin, quotes Psalm 136, which says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. For his steadfast love endures forever” (v.1)

“As the Deer,” written by Martin Nystrom, is lifted directly from Psalm 42:1, “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.”

“10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord),” written by Matt Redman and Jonas Myrin, points to Psalm 103:1, which says, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!”

Finally, “The Lord is My Shepherd,” written by Jeremy Riddle, is a return to the beloved Davidic Psalm that Charles Spurgeon eloquently summarized. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1).

Just like the Psalms inspired these musicians’ lyrics and worship through song, so the Psalms provide a robust foundation for our worship. Here are three ways they direct our worship.

Three Ways the Psalms Direct Our Worship:
1. They give voice to our cries in prayer.

In a recent article for RELEVANT, pastor Cole Hartin spoke of how the Psalms helped voice his experience.

Everything changed for me when I started to pray the Psalms. They gave voice to the whole range of my experience and put words to nascent feelings I didn’t know I had. They taught me what it meant to be human and in relationship with a loving, intimate, mysterious God.

I wholeheartedly agree with Hartin. The Psalms capture the entirety of the human experience. They were penned by people who know the glorious joys and heartbreaking sorrows of life.

King David, who praised God for being his mighty shepherd in Psalm 23, cried out to the Almighty in anguish for forgiveness in Psalm 51, “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions” (v. 1). In Psalm 22, one psalm prior to his description of God as a kind shepherd who protects, David spoke of abandonment: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning” (v.1)?

David, a man after the heart of God, went before God with all the emotions that welled up inside of him. What emotions are lodged in your spirit these days?

What verse or Psalm from this book will you commit to memory today to fuel praise for God?
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Everything on our hearts can and should be brought before the Lord. For Psalm 62 says, “Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him” (v.8).

As professor Mark Talbot of Wheaton College makes clear, “The psalmists…model transparency, expressing their complaints to God as frankly as they can.” But Dr. Talbot also reminds us that, “The psalmists never complain about God; they always complain to him”(Desiring God). We, like David, must navigate the various seasons of life.

So, go to God with the full spectrum of your emotions. He desires to listen to us and assures us that he indeed cares for us. For, “God is a refuge for us” (v.8).

The Psalms serve as prayers  when we don’t know what to pray. In fact, when we are at a loss for a prayer, this may be an ideal time—in a world full of perpetual noise—to heed the words of Psalm 46:10. Be still. Be quiet. Be settled. And let God speak through the Holy Spirit as you read his Word in Psalms!

2. They reveal the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Psalms make me worship because they, like the other 65 books of the Bible, ultimately reveal the only One worthy of worship.

Jesus, the Son of God who dwelt among us and died for our sins on the cross, echoed David’s words in fulfillment of Psalm 22 as he drew closer to breathing his last. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (v.1).  Jesus experienced dejection in his final moments on earth, but he committed his spirit into God’s hands (Psalm 31:5). He knew that he would not be abandoned or see corruption (Psalm 16:10).

As the Psalms note the death of Christ, so they showcase his glorious resurrection from the grave. David writes, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (16:11). Verses like this one give us reason to pause and worship the Lord for interceding for the transgressors (Isaiah 53:12).

These Old Testament songs are revealing the New Testament Messiah.
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The Psalms stir our worship because they reveal Jesus. These Old Testament songs are revealing the New Testament Messiah.

Consider Psalm 2:7-8, which says, “I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, ‘You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.” This passage declares that Jesus, the only begotten Son of God (John 1:14), has been given all things by his Father.

How should we respond? Matthew Henry writes, “If God hath said unto him, ‘Thou art my son,’ it becomes each of us to say to him, ‘Thou art my Lord, my sovereign.’”

We worship him as Lord.

3. They stir our praise for God.

I’ve grown fond of reading Psalms daily. To illustrate, I read the first Psalm on the first day of the month, the second Psalm on the second day, and so forth. Any book of the Bible can be reread from day to day, but the Psalms are convenient short prayers that are easily committed to memory.

In my experience, many followers of Christ have a favorite psalm, or favorite verse from Psalms. Number 23 is certainly beloved, as is number one. What’s yours? As a runner who loves the outdoors, I’ve developed a fondness for Psalm 121:1, “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?” It’s a short verse that reorients my focus towards God as I run.

What verse or Psalm from this book will you commit to memory today to fuel your praise for God?

In summary, I wonder if the final psalm, Psalm 150, is the culmination of the 149 psalms preceding it. This psalm overflows with praise, underscored by the jubilation of those who put their trust in our grand and good G od. Though it’s a relatively short song at six verses, the call to worship could not be more direct:

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! (v.6)

In response, I encourage you to revisit Psalm 100 and listen to “ Shout to the Lord ” by Darlene Zschech.

[Photo Credit: Pexels]

RELATED POSTS:

Seven Biblical Reasons Why Singing Matters
Prayer and Praise
Eight Ways to Use the Psalms

The post Why the Psalms Make Me Worship appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

From Fear to Peace: Three Truths to Fight Fear

I sat in my car as monsoon rains poured down on our little island in the East China Sea, while my husband was on the other side of the world, preaching at his mother’s funeral.

A few years prior, ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease) set in, ravaging her young and vibrant body.

I realized that the memorial service was just underway. Anguish forced its way up my throat and out, in body-shaking sobs.

Fear and anxiety accompanied my grief. My mother in law’s life was ended not just by ALS, but actually by FALS—Familial ALS. Her father was also taken by it nine years prior. When she was diagnosed, we had the crushing realization that my husband has a 50% chance of having FALS. And if he does, then so do our children.

Currently, there is no treatment, cure, or prevention for ALS. Victims are captive to their bodies, which deteriorate while their minds stay healthy. After three to five years, they die from being unable to breathe or swallow.

I didn’t just weep for the loss of my sweet mother-in-law, or for the sadness that my husband bore without me. I wept over the “what-ifs”. And I begged the Lord to not let them be so.

From Grief to Fear

Five years later, the anxiety that arrived the day of her death still threatens to take hold. I can easily spiral into a frenzy of “what-ifs”.

Grasping for reassurance, I’ve read the scientific research and the stories of other FALS-affected families. I’ve put my kids and husband through diets and regimens in hopes of staving off what can feel inevitable. I’ve wrung my hands and rechecked statistics. We even briefly considered genetic testing.

Yet deep down I know what Christians need to do when they are afraid. We need to rest in the Lord himself. More than prevention, more than science, more than our best efforts—in the face of what could be, we need a peace that surpasses understanding (Philippians 4:7). And we need a renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2). Both are ours by God’s Spirit if we only seek him and ask.

The Word of God and the Spirit of God stand ready to equip and empower believers in the battle against fear. Both are living and active. The Holy Spirit resides in us, giving us the strength and grace to fight our fears afresh each day. He also reminds us of truth when we wander into fear (John 14:26), helping us to wield the Word of God, our offensive weapon (Ephesians 6:17).

From Fear to Peace: Three Truths to Fight Fear

I want to share with you three biblical truths God’s Spirit arms me with when I’m tempted to be afraid.

1. My life is not my own.

You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:20)

When I surrendered to the Lord as a freshman in college, these words changed my whole perspective. I awakened to the reality that my life, my body, and my future did not actually belong to me. The Lord created me, and ransomed me with his precious blood; therefore, I belong to him and live for him (1 Peter 1:18-19).

The Word of God and the Spirit of God stand ready to empower believers in the battle against fear.
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In the years since then, Paul’s words inspired by God’s Spirit have sunk deeper into my soul: “For by him all things were created…through him and for him” (Colossians 1:16). My very existence is by God, through God, and for God. I am not untethered, required to conjure up my own meaning, purpose, and future. The Lord has already done that.

For the Lord is the one

who made the world and everything in it… he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind…having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. (Acts 17:24-27)

God himself determined when and where I would live. The Lord set me here in this very family with these genes, so that I may seek him and perhaps feel my way toward him and find him (Acts 17:27).

May the the things that cause us to fear lead us to seek the Lord and find him.

2. God will never leave me nor forsake me.

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

The fact that God promised this gives me tremendous courage. My kids and I have memorized Psalm 46. Together we rehearse that “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (v.10, emphasis added). I know him who walks with me—that his character is good and trustworthy and sovereign.

And I know what he has already done for me in Christ: He was forsaken on my behalf, hung on a cross in my place, endured wrath from the Father for me. Because we know him and we trust these promises from him, we can face any future.

Triumph in God’s promise to never leave or forsake you:

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

3. Even if…yet I will rejoice in the Lord.

Finally, I find rest from fear in the words of Habakkuk:

Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength… (Habakkuk 3:17-19)  

Even if this dreaded disease visits us again—even if I am forced to walk through this particular valley of the shadow of death, I will rejoice in the Lord.

We can rejoice precisely because he is the God of our salvation, because he has already given himself over to us. More than the gifts he gives, Jesus, the Giver, is our gift. Nothing—not sickness, not suffering, not loss—can separate us from this gift.

Behold, All Things Will Be Made New

When I think back on that sad day, when my grief returns and fear threatens to well up within me, God’s Spirit reminds me that my life is not my own, that God will never leave me nor forsake me, and that even if the worst comes, I will be able to take joy in the God of my salvation.

He is also the God who says, “Behold I am making all things new” (Revelation 21:5). God promises to those who have faith in Jesus Christ that,

“He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:3-4)

One day soon, and then forever, ALS will be no more. Whatever you may fear—school shootings, car accidents, separation from loved ones, the loss of a child, extended suffering at the end of life—it will not remain. Perfect love will cast it all out. You and I will be with our Lord, and scary diagnoses and suffering will be no more.

[Photo Credit: Pexels]

RELATED POSTS:

Let the Fear of the Lord Deliver You
The Secret to Peace
How I Found Peace in My Pain

The post From Fear to Peace: Three Truths to Fight Fear appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

Make a Fool of Yourself

April 1 exploits them.

The book of Proverbs warns against them.

The Apostle Paul says to become one—

But how exactly do we become fools for Christ?

I must confess that, while it can be fun with the right people, April Fool’s Day has never been my favorite holiday. It’s hard for me to find pleasure in making someone feel foolish, and I’ve never particularly enjoyed feeling stupid, myself.

Being labeled a fool doesn’t exactly cause the heart to erupt with warm fuzzies, does it? In fact, it typically causes the heart to pound with angry, defensive feelings that can swell into resentment, bitterness, and a critical spirit. There’s a reason Scripture, particularly the book of Proverbs, warns so strongly against forsaking wisdom and falling into foolishness.

But how do we reconcile what Solomon tells us in Proverbs with the Apostle Paul’s call for us to become fools for Christ? And how do we process that one of our chief callings as believers in Jesus is to become a fool?

Though we shudder at the idea of being called a fool, in 1 Corinthians, we find Paul wearing the title as a badge of honor. Perhaps, as we approach April Fool’s Day, the iconic day of hoaxes and fools, we should consider why.

Let Us Become Fools

Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. (1 Corinthians 3:18)

The Bible does not contradict itself. Therefore, in this case, we know that being a fool does not equal abandoning wisdom or reason (which is Solomon’s argument against foolishness in Proverbs)—it means embracing what is truly wise and noble, and then living and dying for it (1:26-31).

Here, Paul is telling the Corinthians, and all who read this epistle, to heedlessly become fools for Christ. No excuses, no compromises, no turning back. If Jesus calls us to come and die, we should do so with reckless abandon, for he who calls us is faithful and sets the standard for how we are to clothe ourselves in dignity and honor, despite how this may appear to others.

Jesus looked foolish. Even his disciples didn’t understand his methods or ways, and people thought him weak and passive even though he was the personification of wisdom and strength.

And for every believer, God is rewiring our hearts and minds to be conformed to the image of our nail-scarred King who was willing to become a fool in the darkness of death to give us understanding in the light of his glorious life.

When the Cross Is Folly

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18)

Why is the way of the cross considered foolishness for those who are perishing?

It’s foolish to think rebels could be reconciled.
It’s foolish to think true strength is found in weakness.
It’s foolish to think freedom is rooted in restraint.
It’s foolish to think a King could love a discarded peasant.
It’s foolish to think death could be reversed.
It’s foolish to think you could be fully known and fully loved.
It’s foolish to think another could pay your debt and remove your chains.

But this is the upside-down world the gospel offers.

This world, like the children’s game of 3D Magic Eye, must be viewed through a special lens. To see it, you must first receive new eyes. Because it can only be viewed with eyes of faith, our convictions and actions are sometimes misinterpreted by those who cannot spiritually see.

People don’t understand this new kingdom into which we’ve been placed. It seems foolish to those on the outside (and sometimes those on the inside) to see someone giving blessing when they are cursed, forgiveness when they are abused, and grace when they are hurt.

Scripture tells us true foolishness is found in gaining the whole world but losing your soul.
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It seems foolish to place the interest of others above our own, to lay down our lives for our enemies, and to submit to God and others when we’re wired for rebellion.

It seems foolish to lead our hearts when the world tells us to follow them, to sacrifice our income when the world says to hoard it, and to trust what we cannot see when the world says to walk by sight.

But this is the glory of the gospel, the light of salvation that glistens and glimmers with hope in a world sitting in darkness.

We have the light of Jesus. What are we doing about it?

Embracing Foolishness for Christ

For the advancement of the mission Jesus left us with, we are to embrace another upside-down principle of this kingdom of light: We become poor so others become rich.

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9, emphasis added)

… as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything. (6:3-10, emphasis added)

Paul understood this upside-down world. He understood that God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and what is weak, low, and despised to shame the strong, haughty, and applauded, so the only cause for boasting would be in Christ (1 Corinthians 1:27-29).

An outsider doesn’t comprehend these foreign ideas. How can one find riches in poverty? How can one find glory in humiliation? How can one find beauty in a bloody cross?

It’s folly to those who are perishing, but life to those who have died to their sins and found resurrection in Christ’s victory (1 Corinthians 1:18-24).

Make a Fool of Yourself

Scripture tells us true foolishness is found in gaining the whole world but losing your soul (Luke 9:23-25). May our lives, therefore, be spent extending the grace-filled gospel we’ve received in order to rescue from the flames those blinded by the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:3-4; Jude 23).

Pour yourself out for the redemption of others. Trust God in big ways. Live a life recklessly abandoned to God.

Make a fool of yourself.

It’s the wisest thing you can do.

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose. (Jim Elliot)

[Photo Credit: Unsplash]

RELATED POSTS:

Three Telltale Signs of a Foolish Christian
The Deceitfulness of Riches: Five Diagnostic Questions
The Power in the Blood of Jesus Christ

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Key Connections (March 30, 2018)

Comparison Is Not the Thief of Joy (Abigail Dodds, Desiring God)

The Bible even assumes that some will be more Christlike and mature than others. Noticing these things isn’t a sin, but a gift, and it need not lead to the evaporation of our joy, but can be the water for its growth.

How Can We Know That the Bible Is From God? (Miska Wilhelmsson, The Master’s Seminary Blog)

The Bible itself is all the proof that is needed; it is self-authenticating. There is no need for additional proofs or miracles to establish the authority of God’s Word. It stands on its own.

Let Us Never Grow Weary of the Cross (Kevin DeYoung, The Gospel Coalition)

Let us not tire of singing the same old songs. Let us not be bored in preaching the same good news. And let us never grow weary of the same rugged cross.

25 Quotes from Matt Chandler That Will Give You Courage in an Age of Unbelief (Joe Henegan, The Good Book Blog)

We do not wring our hands over the progress of some culture war if we know the result of the cosmic war.

Moralism is Not the Gospel (But Many Christians Think It Is) (Albert Mohler, AlbertMohler.com)

Clearly, millions of our neighbors believe that moralism is our message. Nothing less than the boldest preaching of the Gospel will suffice to correct this impression and to lead sinners to salvation in Christ.

Don’t Waste Your Western Comforts (Jennifer Brogdon, Unlocking the Bible)

You’re asking not to be hungry, yet not full either. You want the middle ground—enough. And since you know it’s God—the Ultimate Giver—who chooses to give whatever he pleases to you, you trust that whatever you have comes from his will.

The post Key Connections (March 30, 2018) appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

The Resurrection Creates Immovable, Unstoppable Christians

Do you remember this story from when it hit the news?

An Australian missionary named Graham Staines had served in India for 34 years. In 1999, Graham and his two sons were sleeping in their car outside an Indian village when Hindu extremists surrounded the car, doused it with kerosene, and set it on fire. Graham and his two sons died in the fire, and their remains were found clinging to one another in the car. It was a horrible tragedy and made headlines around the world.

Graham’s wife, Gladys, and their 13-year-old daughter, Esther, were not with Graham, and they were unharmed. But you can imagine how devastating it must have been for them to hear the news. What was their response to this horrible tragedy?

I have only one message for the people of India. I’m not bitter. Neither am I angry. But I have one great desire: that each citizen of this country should establish a personal relationship with Jesus Christ who gave his life for their sins…let us burn hatred and spread the flame of Christ’s love.

Gladys went on to found a hospital for lepers in India in Graham’s name. And this incident gave many Indians greater openness to the gospel.

Now I have a number of reactions to a story like that. I feel horror for what this family suffered. I feel great admiration for Gladys and Esther. I feel inadequate, realizing how little I am willing to sacrifice and suffer for the Lord.  And I feel inspired. Something in me says I want more of what they’ve got. I want that kind of immovable, unstoppable faith they have.

What about you?

The Resurrection Enables Us to Stand Firm

After elaborating on the resurrection of Christ in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul writes: “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (v. 58).

To “stand firm” is the meaning of the word translated “steadfast.” It means to be firmly established and grounded; picture someone taking a very solid stance, physically speaking. In the act of standing firm, however, a person must have something solid on which to stand. Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is that “something solid.” It proves that the gospel we believe is actually true. It validates our faith.

The fact is, there is compelling historical evidence that Jesus rose from the dead. And if Jesus rose from the dead we have a historical basis for believing Christianity. It can no longer just be considered your opinion or my opinion. It’s a historical truth claim that everyone must reckon with at some point or another during the course of their life. So believing the resurrection means we have a very firm stance in the gospel, and our faith is therefore validated.

But we not only stand firmly in the faith, we are made immovable by God’s Word.

The Resurrection Empowers Us to be Immovable

Our world is fraught with the always-blowing winds of culture. Picture someone standing firmly on the gospel, but winds of increasing speed and intensity are trying to move them. That’s what it’s like to live in this world. There are always new winds, new ideas, new challenges to the Christian worldview. And they are constantly assaulting us and trying to get us to move off the gospel.

Paul wrote the above passage for the Corinthian Christians, who were being swayed by the winds of Greek thought. The Greeks believed that the soul was released from the body at death, so Christians also began to deny that their bodies would be raised from the dead.

Today we face different cultural winds. Our winds tend to come from the direction of tolerance and sexuality. But the resurrection empowers us to stand against them through its validation of the Bible as truth. The Bible gives us God’s perspective on all these cultural issues. We have a standard by which to judge the ever-changing philosophies swirling all around us.

The Resurrection Spurs Us to Work for the Lord

Lastly, the knowledge that all believers will be resurrected from the dead one day gives us an eternal perspective on ministry. It expands our horizons in ministry from this life unto eternity. 1 Corinthians 15 reminds us that the here-and-now is only the beginning.

Think about your ministry. It is not only having an impact on others in this life. It is making an eternal impact. Whether you are serving the Lord as an usher or as a Sunday School teacher, you are part of God’s work to bring people to himself and transform them to be like Christ. And the resurrection reminds us that our ministry has repercussions forever. Remembering the eternal scope of all we do spurs us on to abound in work for the Lord.

Be Immovable, Be Unstoppable

Gladys Gaines was immovable and unstoppable because her hope was in the resurrection of the dead. She abounded in the work of the Lord because she saw each person as an eternal soul who would rise again one day.

Christian, rejoice in the resurrection of Jesus! Rejoice in the resurrection of believers! For the resurrection enables you to be steadfast, immovable and abounding in the work of the Lord as well.

May it be so for all of us.

[Photo Credit: Lightstock]

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