Colin S. Smith's Blog, page 79

God Works Through Courageous People in Dark Places

Video Transcript:

God works directly, but he also uses means. He restrains evil in this world through people who are positioned in dangerous and strategic places. God used Hushai, who had the courage to sign up for this dangerous mission that took him to the heart of Absalom’s palace.

Thank God for courageous people in strategic places who act as a restraint — for those who serve as policemen and women, for those who serve in our army, navy, air force, and marines, for those who serve in our security and intelligence services, and for those who serve as teachers, social workers, nurses doctors, psychologists, and psychiatrists and every person who bears the name of God’s anointed King.

God works through courageous people in strategic places, like Pharaoh’s daughter who saved the life of Moses, like the widow of Zarephath who saved the life of Elijah, like Hushai who saved the life of God’s anointed.

What can you do to restrain evil and to help the cause of God’s anointed King?

David’s return, the return of God’s anointed king (that we will look at next time, God willing), points forward to the day when King Jesus comes in power and glory. This is the ultimate answer to evil.

The Bible speaks about the last battle, Armageddon. But don’t imagine for one moment that this is some kind of titanic struggle in which Jesus barely wins. He will overthrow all the powers arrayed against him “with the breath of his mouth,” and “by the appearance of his coming” (2 Thessalonians 2:8). Imagine all evil focused in one place, and God blows on them, and they’re gone.

One breath from him, and all his enemies are overthrown. When you know how the story ends, it isn’t hard to decide whose side you want to be on.

This sermon clip is taken from Pastor Colin’s sermon, “Counsel”,  in the series, The Life of David.

RELATED POSTS:

Counsel
Encourage Each Other With These Words
Four Reasons to Be of Good Courage in Suffering

The post God Works Through Courageous People in Dark Places appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

The Man With Two Names: How Jesus is the Fulfillment of Immanuel

We celebrate and sing the name “Immanuel” at Christmas, and rightly so. “Immanuel” means “God with us,” and in one sense this is the story of the entire Bible. It is certainly the story of Advent.

But a Bible search for the word “Immanuel” doesn’t return many results. Aside from its appearance in Matthew 1, we only find this name twice in the early chapters of Isaiah.

Matthew 1

When the angel of the Lord visits Joseph in Matthew 1, he tells Joseph to name Mary’s baby Jesus, “for he will save his people from their sins” (v. 21). Matthew comments:

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us).” (vv. 22–23)

Since “all this” which took place must include the angel revealing Jesus’ name to Joseph, then the name “Jesus” fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy. But in Isaiah’s prophecy, the son would be called “Immanuel.”

This passage raises a question: How does the name “Jesus” fulfill the prophecy that this son would be named “Immanuel”?

Isaiah 7

We need some background before we land on an answer. After King Solomon’s reign, the nation of Israel splintered. The 10 northern tribes formed their own country with the capital of Samaria. This country was then referred to as “Israel” while the two southern tribes formed the country called “Judah.”

During the time of Isaiah, the Assyrian empire was gaining power, and the other nations in the area were scrambling. Israel joined Syria in a pact of mutual defense against Assyria, and they pressed Judah to join them. As Ahaz, king of Judah, resisted, Israel and Syria threatened to attack Judah and replace Ahaz with their own king.

Isaiah 7:10–17 is one of the best-known passages in all the Prophets. God told Ahaz to ask for a sign that God would protect Judah from their enemies. Ahaz refused, so God promised his own sign—the sign of Immanuel.

We know that the prophecy about the virgin bearing a son (v. 14) is fulfilled when Jesus is born. Matthew says so! But many biblical prophecies have both immediate and ultimate fulfillments. Is this prophecy fulfilled before Jesus is born?

Isaiah reveals the answer as we read on. One key is that the Hebrew word often translated “virgin” can also be rendered “young woman” or “maiden.” Thus, a miraculous birth is not necessary for an immediate fulfillment. Verse 16 also contains language pointing to a not-long-from-now fulfillment. And the beginning of the next chapter brings this first fulfillment into focus.

Isaiah 8

In Isaiah 8:1–8 we read of the way God will bring about his thorough judgment.

One of the striking features of this passage is the strangeness of Isaiah’s son’s name: Maher-shalal-hash-baz (v. 4). This name means “the spoil speeds, the prey hastens.” Through this name God was communicating his plan to break the Israel-Syria alliance by the coming of Assyria.

Isaiah was used to giving his children names with messages. In Isaiah 7:3, God told Isaiah to take his (older) son Shear-jashub with him to speak to Ahaz. This name means “a remnant shall return.” This son carried his name as a reassuring message to Ahaz, designed to give him confidence in God.

Jesus is God with us, and this is news worth celebrating, not just at Christmas but all year long.

It’s impossible to miss the parallels between Isaiah 7:16 and Isaiah 8:4. The birth of Maher-shalal-hash-baz is tied to the victory of Assyria over Israel and Syria. As Immanuel comes, Judah will be free from the immediate threat of these nearby nations.

But how should we understand the meaning of “Immanuel” in Isaiah 8:8?

Even when defeat looks near and the Assyrian army is filling the land, it is still Immanuel’s land. God will not abandon his people, even in their darkest hour. Assyria will come in like a flood, sweeping Syria and Israel away. But Assyria will eventually fade from history. Judah will remain in the land of Immanuel. God will be with them.

There is one final mention of Immanuel in this chapter. Though not a title, Isaiah specifically refers to “God with us” in verse 10:

Be broken, you peoples, and be shattered;

give ear, all you far countries;

strap on your armor and be shattered;

strap on your armor and be shattered.

Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing;

speak a word, but it will not stand,

for God is with us. (Isaiah 8:9–10)

Isaiah was speaking to those who would attack Judah in the future. He dared them and warned them that they would be broken and shattered. The reason all their counsel will come to nothing and none of their words will stand is because God is with them.

Putting It Together

What does this background to the name “Immanuel” add to our reading of Matthew 1?

“Immanuel” in Isaiah is a sign for God’s people that they will see victory over their enemies. Despite the doom and devastation, God will be with them, and they will be victorious. Isaiah’s son was a first, imperfect version of Immanuel, pointing to God’s victory over military enemies through his presence.

Notice how the announcement to Joseph fulfills this prophecy. Jesus will “save his people from their sins.” For God’s people then and for us now, our sins are an enemy. They are worse than any menacing country. We are no match for them on our own, and we dare not make peace or an alliance with these scoundrels.

Sometimes our sins seem overwhelming and damnable. These rise to our necks and threaten to drown us—

But Jesus is Immanuel, God with us! He will save us from our sins!

For those who trust in him, he has taken away the punishment our sins deserve. And he will strip our sins of their power over us, taking away their allure, appeal, and longevity.

The more we see the strength and rebellion of our sin, the more we see the glory and love involved in the work of Jesus for us. He is God with us, and this is good news worth celebrating, not just at Christmas but all year long.

[Photo Credit: Lightstock]

RELATED POSTS:

The Good News of the Ascension of Jesus
Jesus Is Good News if You Want to Know God
God with Us

The post appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

How Do You Guard Your Heart?

I was 12 when I took my first self defense class. But I’ve been protecting myself a lot longer than that; we come out of the womb with an aversion to pain.

Beyond learning to avoid situations that would bring physical pain, I protected everything I cared about from my favorite stickers, to my prized Michael Jordan basketball. Nothing was safe unless I carefully watched it.

So when my parents taught me to guard my heart, I caught on quickly.

Guard your heart, guard your heart, guard your heart. Not only have I been told that my whole life, but also I spent years drilling those three words into the middle and high school girls I discipled. But as my teens melted into my twenties, guarding my heart turned into imprisoning it.

What does it really mean to “guard your heart”? To protect your emotions, affections, and soul? I’ve been forced to reconsider my definition and my role in the process. I’ll tell you what it’s not.

It’s not kissing dating goodbye.

It’s not self-protecting.

And it’s not encasing your heart in lead so no one can get in to break it.

In fact, when I took this question to Scripture, I was surprised by the life-giving answer I found.

What “Guard” Really Means

Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. (Proverbs 4:23)

While Proverbs 4:23 is the go-to verse about “guarding” your heart, could it be possible that it’s not all there is to the story?

It wasn’t until recently that I discovered “guard” doesn’t mean bar, seal, or coat in a shield of lead. In the Hebrew, “keep” (interchangeable with “guard”) literally means “to set a watchman over it” — but not just any watchman.

I’ve been driven by fear to guard my heart, scared of the consequences if I didn’t. So, instead of setting a watchman over it, I locked it up out of panic that it would escape. I feared that it would lead me to sin, and that I would be to blame for the prison break.

The Watchman

As I pored over Scripture, light bulbs were flipping on right and left; for nowhere in the Bible does God command us to keep or guard our hearts in our own strength. The Lord means for us to guard our hearts by filtering our emotions, desires, thoughts, and responses through his Word.

He is the watchman that protects our souls. And what’s his primary means of defense? The sword of Scripture.

The task is simple: We are commanded to keep ourselves in his Word, and he keeps our hearts.

…keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. (Jude 21)

This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. (Psalm 18:30)

How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. (Psalm 119:9)

He holds success in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. (Proverbs 2:7-8, NIV)

The Real Prisoner

“You have barbed wire around your heart.” That’s what my pastor has told me for years. Fear held my heart captive and I wouldn’t let anything in or out.

That’s why Proverbs 4 is so significant for those of us who are prone to keeping our emotions and heart on lockdown. It breathes peace into anxiety and tells us what the real prisoner should be.

My son, be attentive to my words;

   incline your ear to my sayings.

Let them not escape from your sight;

   keep them within your heart. (Proverbs 4:20-21, emphasis mine)

Why the command to keep these words of truth as prisoners in our hearts? Because, as the passage goes on to say, they are inmates that bring growth and the cure for our fear-drenched soul.

For they are life to those who find them,

   and healing to all their flesh. (Proverbs 4:22, emphasis mine)

Are you like me, longing for life and healing? It’s found in the Word of Truth made flesh, the Lord Jesus who gives life and heals all wounds.

Are you like me, longing for protection and security? It’s found in the Lord Jesus who gives eternal protection and security to all those who are his (1 Peter 1:5).

The devil may hate me with all the vehemence of his malicious nature; but ‘love is strong as death,’ and the love of God in Christ is my everlasting safeguard. (Susannah Spurgeon)

Guaranteed Protection

We must remember that God’s way of guarding of our hearts may differ from our idea of how he will do so. We see in Scripture that God will not protect us from pain, hurt, or anything that will make us look more like Jesus (1 Peter 1:6-9). And he will not keep us from any circumstance or situation—no matter how brutal—that will lead us into a deeper knowledge of his heart.

The Lord, through his Word, is the guard, shield, and protector of our hearts. This doesn’t mean pain doesn’t come, but that when it does we can rest (and ultimately rejoice) because we know who has allowed it. This process, like everything else, goes back to either believing or disbelieving God’s character.

He who gave us a new heart can be trusted to protect it (Ezekiel 36:26).

The Lord, through his Word, is the guard, shield, and protector of our hearts.
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Our tender new hearts are not guaranteed protection from wounds; not even Jesus was kept from that. But they are guaranteed protection by a Savior who filters everything that comes to us through his nail-scarred hands that were pierced for our transgressions (Isaiah 53:5). What comes to us must first pass through him. Because he took our worst threat upon himself and saved our hearts from the wrath of God, we can trust him to continue keeping our hearts for eternity.

This truth speaks peace to the winds and waves of my storm-tossed mind and gives this fear-prone heart immediate rest.

If through a broken heart God can bring his purposes to pass in the world, then thank him for breaking your heart. (Oswald Chambers)

Application

What does this mean for us? Consider the following questions as we seek the Lord for his Spirit’s help in aligning our lives with his Word.

Are you actively setting the Word of God as a watchman over your soul by reading it and hearing it preached?
Are you filtering your circumstances, decisions, thoughts, and responses through what God’s Word says?
Do you prayerfully seek the Lord, trusting the One who gave you a new heart to protect it?
Are you trying to guard your heart in your own strength, or acknowledging your weakness and trusting the all-sufficient One to be your defender?

[Photo Credit: Unsplash]

RELATED POSTS:

Guard Your Heart
How the Gospel Redeems Our Past
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The post How Do You Guard Your Heart? appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

Key Connections (March 9, 2018)

Three Ways to Disciple Our Children in an Age of Confusion (Jenna Fleming, The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention)

The lifelong “when you sit in your house, walk by the way, lie down, and rise” diligent teaching of faithful parents to their children is the call of Christian discipleship in the home.

When You Can’t See God Working (James Williams, Gospel-Centered Discipleship)

Whether it’s reading Esther or looking at our own lives, we might overlook the work of God simply because it’s ordinary. While we’re keeping our eyes open for something extraordinary, we miss the everyday movement of his invisible hand.

The Tension of Influence and Humility (Daniel Darling, Danieldarling.com)

We should embrace influence as a good gift from God and steward it wisely. Love and humility, flowing from our identity in Christ, will help us redeem that influence and leverage it for the service of others and the glory of God.

The Missing Word in Our Modern Gospel (Kevin DeYoung, The Gospel Coalition)

If we want to give people a message that saves, instead of one that only soothes, we must preach more like Jesus and less like our pop stars.

Scripture Fuels the Christian Parent (Joey Turner, Rooted Ministries)

Make known God’s faithfulness in your household. Remember your captivity in sin? Remember your enslavement to this world? Remember how Jesus pursued you while you were running away? His grace to us is now our story to tell, that it may be his grace to those in our household as well.

Five Ways Exercise Can Become an Idol (Jaquelle Crowe, Unlocking the Bible)

Exercise can morph into an altar of false devotion to achieve a personal sense of self-fulfillment. We think that if we sacrifice for and serve it consistently, we’ll get what we want. But the Bible repeatedly warns Christians of the perils of seeking fulfillment and delight in any good gift instead of its Giver.

The post Key Connections (March 9, 2018) appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

How to Rejoice in Hope When Life is Hard

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. (Romans 12:12)

In any walk of life, there will be times of great blessing and times of great difficulty. There will be times when you feel full of joy, and there will be times when you feel quite desperate.

In his Word, God calls us to steady tenacity, sticking at it, persevering over the long haul. The hope that Paul speaks about here is what the New Testament calls “the hope,” the great and glorious hope that is ours in Jesus Christ. This hope is located, not in this world, but in the new world, into which Christ will bring us at the time of his second coming.

How to Rejoice in Hope When Life Is Hard

Whatever our circumstances today, God says to us, “Rejoice in hope.” The question of course is, How are we to do that, especially when life is hard?

1. Stop indulging false hopes.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick. (Proverbs 13:12)

If you keep thinking something is going to happen, and it doesn’t, you end up feeling sick. It breaks your heart. So don’t put yourself in that position. Don’t live your life in such a way that you set yourself up to be disappointed.

Think about the last several decades of world history: 14 years into the 20th century, we had the First World War. People said it would be “the war to end all wars,” but it was only a matter of 20 years before the Second World War. After that came The Cold War for 50 years, but then we ended the 20th century with the tearing down of the Berlin Wall. Less than 20 years later, we are immersed in a whole new kind of war: “the war on terror.”

People say, “When are we going to see the kind of world we had hoped for?” The answer is: You aren’t going to see it here! All visions of utopia are doomed to failure in this world. It is in the nature of the human spirit to think we can redeem the world, but a brief look at world history shows us that we never have, and we never will.

2. Recognize short term uncertainty.

Listen to what God says in the letter of James: “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit’—yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring” (4:13-14).

It is good to have plans, but remember, when you plan for the future, you don’t even know if you will be here tomorrow! “What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes” (James 4:15). Everything we hope to do depends on God’s grace and strength; therefore the wise person says, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that” (Romans 4:15).

I don’t know what will happen tomorrow, but I do know the final outcome of my life.

3. Rejoice in long term security.

…our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. 

(Titus 2:13)

In heaven, sin will be no more. It will not be in you, and it will not be around you. Never again will you grieve your Savior. You will be a joy to him, and he will be a joy to you forever.

You will serve the Lord as you always wished you could. Never again will you be tired, weary, or discouraged. You will explore the joys of the new earth, freed at last from the curse—no floods or raging fires, and no storms, earthquakes. or mudslides. You will enjoy the blessings of a world where every person truly loves his sister and brother—no violence, no hatred, no fear.

Place all your troubles into the hands of Jesus Christ, and look in hope to him.
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You will enjoy this life in a resurrection body (modeled after the resurrection body of Jesus), in which the dark cloud of depression can never cast its shadow over you, the strong pull of temptation will never rise from within you, and the sharp anguish of pain will never torment you.

You will be at home and at peace. All tears will be wiped from your eyes. There will be no death, no mourning, no crying, and no pain. And then you will see the King in his beauty. Your eyes shall behold him. In your flesh, you shall see God, and in his presence you will find fullness of joy.

What Rejoicing in Hope Produces

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. (Romans 12:12)

As you learn to rejoice in hope, you will not be overcome by life’s hardships. Instead, you will overcome them with good:

You will learn to have patience in tribulation.

“Tribulation” means to be crushed, pressed, squeezed, stressed, burdened, or troubled. If your hope is in this world, then when your life in this world is crushed, your hope will be crushed with you. But when your hope is in another world, when you are crushed here and now, you will have the capacity to endure it with patience. Rejoicing in hope makes it possible for you to be patient in affliction.

You will learn to be constant in prayer.

There is more here than praying once in a while when you feel the need. Make prayer the habit and pattern of your life. The more you believe that God is merciful, the more you will be drawn to come to him in prayer. We have a merciful High Priest, Jesus, the Son of God. He knows what it is to suffer. He is able to sympathize with us because he has been through it himself. Therefore let us come confidently to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16).

Hope in Hard Times

Do you have a hope in which you can rejoice? Do you have a patience with which you can endure? Do you know the help of God on whom you can call? Because all of this is offered to you by God in Jesus Christ!

When your hope is in him, and in all that he holds in store for you, your hope will touch and change every area of your life. Place all your troubles into the hands of Jesus Christ, and look in hope to him.  

[This article is an adaptation of Pastor Colin’s sermon “Overcoming Evil with Steadiness.”]
[Photo Credit: Unsplash]

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Is Hope Perched In Your Soul?
How to Avoid a Hardened Heart
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The post How to Rejoice in Hope When Life is Hard appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

Five Ways Exercise Can Become an Idol

Last summer I got a gym membership, and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I knew it was good because exercise is good; now I’ve never been stronger or felt better. But in another, more subtle sense, getting a gym membership was dangerous—

It exposed obsessive tendencies in my heart to idolize exercise.

Like food, family, or sex, exercise is a physical, embodied gift from God that should be used to worship him. But just like food, family, and sex, it can be worshiped. What’s the difference? And how do we embrace this gift without elevating it as a god?

Exercise as Worship

Exercise is fundamentally and foundationally good. God created humans to move—to walk, work, run, dance, clap, stomp, skip, jump. And for most of history, exercise and movement were baked into the fabric of human society. Standing desks and 7-minute workouts would have been inconceivable to agrarian or pre-automotive societies.

No one had to be told to exercise. It was simply ingrained.

Of course, our way of life in a technology-advanced, desk-dominated culture is different. We have more freedom to be lazy and undisciplined. For most of us, exercise takes work—hard work. Because we’re focused on its difficulty and lack of fun, we’re often not intentional about worshiping through exercise. But this is missing a critical opportunity for the child of God. If our lives are meant to be marked and motivated by worship, exercise can be an act of joyful surrender and praise to God.

Exercise with Stewardship and Thanksgiving

The central way we worship through exercise is by good stewardship. We recognize that our body is not our own, and then we reflect praise to our Creator by stewarding this body well. The apostle Paul tells us this in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

We also worship through exercise by receiving it with thankfulness (1 Timothy 4:4). Many of us take for granted that we can walk 30 minutes or run down the street. As a child, I had severe asthma, which kept me from running or intense exercise. (I still remember having an asthma attack during a school sports day.) By the grace of God, that asthma has almost disappeared, and I’m able to run and exercise more strenuously. That is a blessing. Yet I can often forget this and consider exercise a curse when it’s a marvelous gift.

Five Ways Exercise Can Become an Idol

Like so many good gifts, exercise can reveal ugly, unfaithful tendencies in our hearts that lead to idolatry. Instead of exercising as worship, we begin to worship exercise. Exercise can morph into an altar of false devotion to achieve a personal sense of self-fulfillment. We think that if we sacrifice for and serve it consistently, we’ll get what we want.  

Instead of exercising as worship, we begin to worship exercise.
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But the Bible repeatedly warns Christians of the perils of seeking fulfillment and delight in any good gift instead of its Giver. The Bible tells us to flee from idolatry (1 Corinthians 10:14) and guard ourselves against it (1 John 5:21). But first we have to understand how and when exercise becomes idolatrous.

1. When exercise is about physical perfection

The contemporary fitness industry has created a system where exercise is motivated by body-shame and self-loathing. Retouched magazine covers, models, and movies all subversively convince us that the goal of exercise is physical perfection, not health. If it doesn’t matter to us if we’re getting stronger and feeling better; if we’re relentlessly dissatisfied with our stomach or arms; if we hate our bodies, and we’re exercising only to achieve cultural standards of beauty, exercise has become an idol.

2. When exercise is about comparison

Body-shame is frequently fueled by comparing ourselves to others (often the beautiful people we see on screens, but also people we meet regularly). We envy them. So we might force ourselves to exercise just to look like them. Sure, being motivated by someone else’s health and fitness accomplishments isn’t bad, but when comparison itself is our motivation, we’ve entered into idolatry.

3. When exercise is about control

Like food or sex, exercise is easy to weaponize and wield over us. Most of us love control, yet realistically feel the painful lack of control we have over the majority of our lives. Exercise is an area we can over-invest in and abuse to feel powerful and trust in our strength. All of us crave sovereignty, and if we exercise to achieve that, we’re seeking to play God over our health: that’s idolatry.

4. When exercise is about punishment

Exercise can also become idolatrous when we use it as punishment instead of self-discipline. Pushing our bodies, denying them, stretching them even when they don’t feel like it can be good. But doing that out of self-hatred and despair is unhealthy and ungodly. If you despise your body, you’re still thinking too much of it and thus, in a twisted way, worshiping it.

5. When exercise is slavery

Ultimately, when you are enslaved to exercise, you are worshiping it. If you feel compelled to exercise every day without rest; if you exercise at the expense of relationships with your family or friends; if you invest outrageous amounts of money in exercise; if exercise is constantly on your mind; if you feel self-righteous because you exercise; if exercise is your life, it’s idolatry.

Jesus Died for Idolaters

I am guilty of idolizing exercise. And I know that idolaters are worthy of the severest punishment: death (Revelation 21:8). But there was One who willingly, lovingly laid down his life for idolaters (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). The One against whom idolatry is an affront died for his idolatrous enemies (Romans 5:10). Jesus Christ, the only human who was perfectly faithful and never idolized, gave his life so that any idolater who repents and trusts in him will receive forgiveness and eternal life.

So when I go the gym this week, I’m going to preach this gospel to myself:

Instead of being driven by my physical imperfections, I’m going to be thankful for my body.
Instead of comparing myself to the women around me, I’m going to be thankful for the ability to exercise my body.
Instead of wielding exercising as a weapon to gain control over my life, I’m going to be thankful for God’s sovereignty and loving care over my circumstances.
Instead of using exercise to punish my body in shame, I’m going to be thankful for my eternal identity as a child of God.
Instead of giving into the slavery of idolizing exercise, I’m going to be thankful for the freedom I have in Christ.

And I’m going to worship my Savior and Rescuer through it as a gift.

[Photo Credit: Lightstock]

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The post Five Ways Exercise Can Become an Idol appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

The Battle Every Christian Wages

Civil war is devastating.

Millions of refugees have fled their homes to escape it. Families, many of them Christian, have been surrounded by death and destruction for years [1]. Missile attacks come by surprise as terrorists target helpless villages. Local men, women, and children have no resources or weapons with which to fight back—

And after years of continuous assault, they are defeated, weary, and without hope. Christians in these war-torn regions are often forced to choose between corrupt dictators and violent rebel forces as new regimes are often just as wicked as the ones being overthrown.

For those of us living in Western societies, civil war is distant and seems unreal. Yet another war is being waged—the unseen spiritual battle for our souls, a cosmic conflict that’s more real than we may think.

Cosmic Conflict

Dr. Tony Evans describes our battle like this: “Spiritual warfare is the cosmic conflict waged in the invisible, spiritual realm but simultaneously fleshed out in the visible, physical realm…the root of the war is something you cannot see, but the effects of the war are clearly seen and felt.” [2]

The Bible describes the battle this way:

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12)

Some spiritual battles are physical. While we can’t claim that every challenge we face is an attack from Satan, some of his attacks cause seasons of illness or conflict. They did for Job who suffered great loss at Satan’s hand. Paul, too, was never relieved of his physical “thorn…in the flesh,” which he recognized as an ongoing attack by Satan (2 Corinthians 12:7).

Other spiritual battles are fought in our minds. Satan tries to tempt us (1 Corinthians 7:5), outwit us (2 Corinthians 2:11), and present us with ideas, arguments, and explanations that are contrary to what God says (10:5). If you suffer from a heavy spirit of oppression and condemnation, you may be buying into a lie that God is not who he says he is and that you are not who God says you are. If so, you may be experiencing a spiritual battle.

How Spiritual Warfare Is Different

Though spiritual warfare is as real as the civil war faced by refugees, the Christian spiritual battle is different in a few important ways.

We are not to be taken by surprise.

The families in towns under attack never know what to expect. Terrorists target groups of Christians without warning, and families are often taken by surprise.

But we should not be caught off-guard when we face spiritual battles:

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. (1 Peter 4:12-13, NIV)

Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. (1 John 3:13)

We’re not to drift through our days and months and years as though no battle is being fought. God prepares us for the battle by warning us that it’s coming. 

We are not without resources.

Unlike villagers under attack, we have divine resources. Our weapons are much more powerful than any weapon used against us:

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. (2 Corinthians 10:3-4)

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil….Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. (Ephesians 6:11, 13)

Dr. Tony Evans has a wonderful illustration for this reality:

Not long ago I was walking in New York City when it began to rain. I had seen the weather report, so I had my umbrella ready. Several other people must have seen the report as well because they had their umbrellas too. But a good number of people didn’t have umbrellas, causing them to rush around, looking for some place to find cover. Needless to say, they became miserable as the cold rain drenched them. Being underneath an umbrella doesn’t stop the rain—it simply stops the rain from stopping you. The umbrella doesn’t still the storm. What the umbrella does is change the way in which the storm affects you. Standing firm in the armor of God doesn’t stop the spiritual warfare from raging. It stops it from defeating you.

We too can stand firm in the storm when we put on the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, gospel shoes, the shield of faith, and the helmet of salvation.   

We hope in a trustworthy Commander.

We read stories of those who have fled their homes with nothing more than they could carry, only to find themselves rejected and living in squalor. No one defends them. Many have lost hope that life will ever get better.

Though we find ourselves in the midst of spiritual battles, we have a hope and a future because of Jesus Christ:

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful. (Revelation 17:14)

Our commander is trustworthy; the battle is won.

[God] disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in [Jesus Christ]. (Colossians 2:15)

Though Satan and his army fight against God’s people, in Christ, God has the ultimate victory. The battle for our souls was waged at the cross, and when Christ resurrected, the battle was won—though we won’t see its final consummation until Jesus comes again to claim his people and do away with Satan once and for all (see Revelation 20 and 21).

All the sickness, conflict, and hardship that comes our way—every weapon used against us—becomes a “light momentary affliction” when we see it in light of the “eternal glory beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:17), all because Jesus died for us.

Victorious in Christ

Imagine watching a suspenseful movie where you already know the good guys win. Or imagine facing a conflict at work where you already know the boss has your back and is going to defend you no matter what.

Now consider how you might respond to pain, heartbreak, conflict, and struggles if you grasped how God already knows the battles ahead and has secured the outcome.

Would you approach your daily conversations differently if you didn’t allow spiritual battles to take you by surprise? What about your battle against sin?
Would you be intentional about prayer and guard your thought-life if you trusted that God’s weapons were powerful enough to break down destructive patterns of thinking and other sins?

Will you allow the truth of God’s sovereignty and the hope of Christ’s resurrection to give you strength that far surpasses the struggles of today?

[1] World Vision, “Syrian refugee crisis: Facts, FAQs, and how to help” https://www.worldvision.org/refugees-news-stories/syrian-refugee-crisis-facts  [2] Evans, T. (2011). Victory in Spiritual Warfare: Outfitting Yourself for the Battle. Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 14. [3] ibid., 149.
[Photo Credit: Unsplash]

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The post The Battle Every Christian Wages appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

Turn My Eyes from Looking at Worthless Things

The eyes are the lamp of the body. It becomes what they behold.

Lured by desire and the passions of the flesh, the eyes look upon secret loves too dark for anyone but their Creator to fully see and know. Prone to wander, how they feel it—the pull to gaze upon worthless things…   

Worthless Vanity

She rolls out of bed and gets ready for the day, wrestling through outfits, but finally choosing the deep blue shirt. People say it compliments her eyes. Her friend, the mirror, is also her greatest foe, faithfully awaiting her gaze and reflecting what she wants to see—but only after it condemns her, only after she heeds its brutal, silent critiques.

Do people see how hard she’s working to maintain her figure and erase her years? And if they did, would it matter?

Would the mirror be any gentler, any kinder to her?

Worthless Attention

The bright screen bores itself into his brain. A constant barrage of entertainment, his phone never leaves his sight or lacks for his attention. He fears missing out—yet he doesn’t hear the flesh-and-blood voices around him when they call his name.

A like outweighs a life.

But it’s never enough; the attention feels like an endless black hole. He’s not even sure who he is anymore since he can change his reality at the touch of a button, with the swipe of a screen—  

He’s got others fooled. He’s even got himself fooled.

Or does he?

Worthless Lust

It’s destroying him, the brazen image he can’t get out of his mind. It’s one in a series, and it’s shriveling his soul. He knows this—but he can’t seem to win the fight. The allure is too much, the immediate pleasure too sweet…

The nagging conviction too strong to ignore.  

He knows he needs to tell her, to confess everything. But he also knows the outcome, that he fully deserves whatever happens…

Worthless Ambition

Success is her drug. That promotion? The applause and respect? The best high. She’s addicted, though she won’t admit it. She works to live and lives to work, even though her Bible tells her this will never satisfy her.

On any given day, her circumstances rule her. Failures sap her confidence and spoil her mood, while success fills her with pride and delight to keep going—  

But how unreliable. She’s controlled by something she can’t control, and she knows it.

She wants out of ambition’s grip.

Looking to Death

But him—

He sets his face like a flint to Calvary, refusing to turn back. He will do his Father’s will, even if it means torture and brutality, the hatred and venom of men. Even if it kills him.

Even if it means his Father’s wrath.

He has her in mind, her obsession with vanity weighing upon his shoulders; and him, as he carries his selfish desire for man’s approval. He takes his addiction to lust, and suffers the punishment for her idolatrous ambition.

For all their worthless loves, he loves them unto death.

Looking to Jesus

…let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely…looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2)

My brother, My sister, My friend: You will become what you behold. Look to Me. Take in My goodness and perfection, and see what I endured—for you. Behold My sacrifice, My life-blood spilt for you, the nails in My hands, and the anguish in My soul.

Weep and mourn for what your worthless loves cost Me.

But don’t stop there.

Look to the empty grave. See how I disarmed death and triumphed over it. Behold how the chains of your sin hold Me no longer. Because I’m alive, no longer do they hold you.

I died to give you life in My ways, to turn your eyes from worthless things…to Me.

Behold Me, and as you do, your whole body and soul will be full of light.

[Photo Credit: Lightstock]

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The post Turn My Eyes from Looking at Worthless Things appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

Key Connections (March 2, 2018)

The Most Important Time to Go to Church (David ‘Gunner’ Gundersen, The Gospel Coalition)

We meet because God builds up his people through our meeting every time, in every place, without fail, no matter how we feel.

Books Christians Read (Michael Kelley, For The Church)

We asked Michael Kelley, Director of Discipleship at LifeWay Christian Resources, “Why do the books Christians buy the most tend to not be the best for them?”

70 Prompts for Adoring God (Lianna Davis, Unlocking the Bible)

Help me to know you, to love you for who you are, and to value what you value, my God.

To Mom Well Is to Know Christ Well (Dianne Jago, Risen Motherhood)

Is our striving in motherhood flowing out of a relationship with Christ, or is it formed by earthly wisdom?

‘Larger Than Life’ A VIDEO TRIBUTE TO BILLY GRAHAM (Desiring God)

The post Key Connections (March 2, 2018) appeared first on Unlocking the Bible.

70 Prompts for Adoring God

I worship you, my God, because of who you are:

Eternal, immortal, and invisible, you alone are God (Psalm 90:1-2; 1 Timothy 1:17; Isaiah 45:5).
You are Spirit (John 4:24).
You are living (Joshua 3:10).
You are one able to create ex nihilo, or out of nothing (Hebrews 11:3), in six days, and resting on the seventh (Genesis 1).
You are independent of all creation, and have life in and of yourself (John 5:24).
You are known to all (Romans 1:19-20).
As self-existent Yahweh, you are self-revealing to your people (Exodus 3:14-15).
You are omnipresent, or everywhere, always (Psalm 139:7-12).
You are omniscient, knowing everything (Proverbs 15:3).
You are omnipotent, or all-powerful (Matthew 19:26; Hebrews 1:3).
You are omnisapient, or all-wise (Romans 16:27).
You are sovereign (Ephesians 1:11, 20-21).
You are one God in three Persons (Matthew 28:19; 1 Corinthians 8:6).
Each Person of the Trinity is fully and equally God; in appearance and outworking, the Father begets the Son (John 1:18), and the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son (John 14:26; 16:7).
Jesus Christ was preexistent before the incarnation (John 6:38; John 17:5).
Jesus Christ humbled himself (Philippians 2:5-7).
Jesus Christ became incarnate in the flesh (John 1:14), conceived by the Holy Spirit without a human father and born from a virgin (Matthew 1:18).
Jesus Christ, with a human nature, experienced the weakness and growth that are a part of the human experience (Mark 2:15; 14:33; 15:34; Luke 2:40; 7:9).
Jesus Christ was tempted and overcame (Luke 4:2); with a divine nature, he could not sin.
Jesus Christ is God—the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15) and the one of whom deity is claimed (Luke 1:43; John 1:1; Matthew 22:44; Hebrews 1:10-12).
Jesus Christ’s omnipotence is displayed through his miracles over nature (Matthew 8:26-27; Matthew 14:19; John 2:1-11).
Jesus Christ’s eternality is known through self-revealing statements (John 8:58; Revelation 22:13).
Jesus Christ’s omniscience is displayed through perceiving hidden thoughts (Mark 2:8; John 1:48), and in knowing all things as attested to by his disciples (John 16:30).
Jesus Christ is omnipresent, as seen in his claim to be with the disciples always (Matthew 28:20).
Jesus Christ is sovereign, as demonstrated in his authority to forgive sins (Mark 2:5-7).
Jesus Christ is worthy to be worshipped and adored (Philippians 2:9-11; Revelation 5:12).
Though not relinquishing any divine attributes, Jesus Christ gave up the outward appearance and radiance of his glory in order to complete the mission of the Father (Philippians 2:7), using his divine attributes only as necessary for his mission and ministry, out of submission to the Father.
Jesus Christ is one Person without separation, including two natures without confusion—human and divine—in hypostatic union (Hebrews 1:3).
The Person of the Holy Spirit has intellect, emotions, and will. With intelligence, he knows the things of God (1 Corinthians 2:10-11); with emotions he can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30), and according to his will, he distributes spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:11).
The Holy Spirit is deity with omniscience (1 Corinthians 1:11-12), omnipresence (Psalm 139:7), and involvement in creation (Psalm 104:30); blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is blasphemy against God (Matthew 12:31-32).  
Father, Son, and Spirit—one God—you are unity (Deuteronomy 6:4).
You are Elohim, sovereign and transcendent over all the earth (Deuteronomy 2:30; 33; 3:22).
As El-Shaddai, you are God Almighty, powerful and strong (Genesis 17:1).
As El Elyon, you are God Most High who reigns supreme (Genesis 21:33).
As El Olam, you are God Everlasting and changeless forever (Genesis 21:33).
As Yahweh Jireh, you are “The Lord Will Provide” (Genesis 22:14).
As Yahweh Nissi, you are “The Lord Our Banner,” the victorious (Exodus 17:15).
As Yahweh Shalom, you are “The Lord is Peace” (Judges 6:24).
As Yahweh Sabbaoth, you are “The Lord of Hosts,” the commander (1 Samuel 1:3).
As Yahweh Maccaddeshcem, you are “The Lord Thy Sanctifier” (Exodus 31:13).
As Yahweh Tsidkenu, you are “The Lord Our Righteousness” (Jeremiah 23:6).
The way you relate to your creation can be described by many images, like the image of Father (Matthew 6:26; 2 Corinthians 6:18; 1 John 3:1).
The image of Mother (Isaiah 66:13; Isaiah 49:15; Matthew 23:37; Luke 13:34).
The image of Husband (Isaiah 54:5; Hosea 2:19; Revelation 21:1-7).
The image of Friend (John 15:12-15).
The image of Shepherd (Psalm 23; John 10:11)
The image of Teacher (Psalm 32:8; Isaiah 48:17).
The image of Ruler (Psalm 103:19; 1 Timothy 6:15).
The image of Judge (Isaiah 33:22; 2 Timothy 4:8).
The image of Deliverer (Exodus 6:6; Matthew 1:21).
And the image of Justifier (Romans 3:26).
You are a preserver of all you have made (Nehemiah 9:6; Colossians 1:17).
You are one who gives decrees that are all-encompassing, or inclusive of all creation (Ephesians 1:11).
Your decrees are for your own glory (Psalm 19:1), and they are based upon your sovereign contentment (Daniel 4:35).
Your decrees are best because they are based upon your infinite wisdom (Psalm 147:5; Psalm 104:24).
You are morally pure and set apart (Leviticus 11:44-45).
You are holy (Revelation 4:8).
You hate sin and are angered by it (Joshua 7:1).
You are perfectly wrathful (Romans 1:18; Nahum 1:2).
You are compassionate (Psalm 103:13-14).
You are patient (Romans 2:4).
You are love (1 John 4:8, 16).
You are good (Psalm 25:8).
You are just (Genesis 18:25).
You are righteous and gracious (Psalm 145:17).
You are rich in mercy (Ephesians 2:4).
You are immanent, near and active (Jeremiah 23:23-24; Acts 17:27-28).
You are immutable, or unchangeable (Hebrews 13:8; James 1:17).
You are true (Isaiah 65:16).

Help me to know you, to love you for who you are, and to value what you value, my God.

Amen.

[Photo Credit: Unsplash]

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