Josh McDowell's Blog, page 15

Why Would God Command Our Worship?

Reading Time: 4 minutesPeople often say that the most frequent command in the Bible is do not fear. Although I have never counted, I suspect this is wrong. It seems to me that a more frequent command is to worship God.

Throughout the Bible we are beckoned to praise Him. In fact, every instance of the word “Hallelujah” is an invitation into this life of worship. (“Hallelujah” is a Hebrew phrase which means “Praise Yahweh.” Yahweh is God’s sacred name.)

In light of this, we could wonder if God is self-absorbed. What’s His deal?

It’s one thing if people worship God as they please. It’s quite another if it’s expected of them. So should we take offense when God commands us to worship? Or should we joyfully enter into praising Him, simply because He’s requesting His due?

Why God? blog #hurthealedwhole  Image from Pixabay

We’re Already Worshipping

If you’re a skeptic reading this, it may help to begin with a little bit of perspective for how Christians understand worship.

The way we see it, worship is not unique to God or religion. Though we in the Church often use the term in a religious context, worship is the most natural thing humans will ever do — religious or otherwise. It is hardwired into our DNA. 

Look at rock concerts, football games, and red-carpet events. People go to extraordinary lengths as they flock to those they admire, hands raised high. Even our bank accounts, our reputation, and our level of prestige or power can easily become objects of obsession for us. In that sense, we worship them. 

So God isn’t asking us to do something that is unnatural for us. Rather, He is asking us to redirect our focus onto Him. 

With this perspective in place, here are three reasons I can offer for why God asks us to worship Him.

First, the Bible doesn’t just state that God calls us to worship Him. It says that God is worthy of our adoration.

To correctly think about God’s commandment to worship Him, we must keep this in mind. It may help you to understand that the English word “worship” derives from “worth-ship.” 

The idea here is that any object of worship must have the condition or quality of being worthy. This is the resounding message of the Bible from cover to cover. If the Bible is true and God really does command our worship, then it’s also true that God is worthy of it.

In a magazine interview Christian worship leader and artist Micah Lang put it this way:

“When we understand the greatness of God, the stability of His character, the perfection of His justice, the depth of His grace, the limitless nature of His love, the wonder of His holiness, and the sacrifice of His Son, it should not be difficult for us to be moved greatly in our desire to worship God, and worship Him passionately.”

Praising God, then, is far more appropriate than lavishing it on our favorite athletes or actors or artists.

Second, the call to worship God is to be understood like any other command of the Bible: It is for our good.

We might say that throughout the Bible, human flourishing is presented as worshipful life in the presence of God. Additionally, worship is connected with blessing (Exodus 23:25-26, Deuteronomy 11:13-15), guidance (Acts 13:2-3), deliverance (Acts 16:25-26), and especially joy (Psalm 43:4, Psalm 47:1, Psalm 95:1; Colossians 3:16). If all of this is true, why wouldn’t a good God repeatedly invite us to direct our adoration toward Him?

Third, God does not merely ask us to worship Him, but opens our hearts that we might receive Him gladly.

We see this in Jeremiah 32:39-40, where God says, “And I will give them one heart and one purpose: to worship me forever, for their own good and for the good of all their descendants. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good for them. I will put a desire in their hearts to worship me, and they will never leave me.” 

I find this to be true in my own life and in the lives of other committed Christians. When I see the Bible calling the Church to praise God, something inside of me says, “Heck, yes!” and I gladly participate. I do this because God deposited and nurtured that desire within me when I first placed my trust in Him.

God Invites Us Into Worship

Some people just don’t like it that God commands us to worship Him. I can sympathize with their difficulty; I suspect a great deal of their struggle occurs as they imagine God’s request within their own experience of how humans are to relate to one another. If any person demands our worship, we write him or her off as arrogant, prideful, and self-centered. That’s putting it mildly!

But the Creator/created distinction between God and humanity is very different. We will never understand God’s commandment until we come to terms with His supremacy over all that He has made. This uniquely gives Him the right to ask this of us.

I urge you to consider the weight of what this means. If Christianity is true, as I believe it is, one day we will all stand before God and be asked to give an account of who and what we worshipped. Was it people … material things … ourselves? Or did we wholeheartedly worship God, because He alone deserves it? 

God has given us the gift of worship to be a blessing upon us. He is willing to open our hearts that we might receive Him gladly. Are you already honoring Him in this way?Next Steps:We’d love to pray for you! Please send us a prayer request via this form.Is something keeping you from loving and worshipping God?Want to start a relationship with God? Click here! Matthew Tingblad is a communicator at Josh McDowell Ministry with a seminary education from Talbot School of Theology.

The post Why Would God Command Our Worship? appeared first on Josh.org.

Why God? New Year, New Habits

Reading Time: 4 minutesWhen you pause to think about it, our daily lives are just a string of habits.

Some habits are conscious and intentional, others just seem to happen. A perfect example: We jump onto Facebook for “just for a minute” — and realize, with a start, that we’re still scrolling an hour later. Those sixty seconds we decided to give to Facebook easily stretched into sixty minutes because we didn’t stay intentional. (Intention, by the way, only takes us so far.)

The same lack of intentionality can hinder our developing a daily “God habit.” If we don’t set a boundary for daily time with God (whether that’s prayer, Bible reading, listening to Christian podcasts, or other), the sun will rise and set without our giving Him a single minute of our focus. We default to a habit of no God time. There’s nothing positive about that. Oops, God, our bad.

Let’s discuss!

Why God? blog #hurthealedwhole

For 50+ years, Josh McDowell Ministry has been leading seekers into a deeper knowledge of God’s truth and power. We offer you our accumulated knowledge and research to help you find truth and encouragement to live a healthy and whole life in Christ.

The Why and Reward of Habit

One of the best business books I’ve read lately, by superstar development coach Brendon Burchard, is titled High Performance Habits: How Extraordinary People Become That Way. I don’t think it’s a stretch to suggest that we can apply Brendon’s levels of effort — from “Dabbler” to “High Performer” — to our daily Christian walk.  

The truth is that our maturity in Christ is built through habit. Christianity is not about our sitting in a church pew for a single hour each week to listen to a 20-minute sermon. It’s about the daily habits that build our life around Jesus’ teachings. The habits that allow Him to be Lord in our life.

So how do we create habits that move us from dabbler to high performer, so we’re all in for God?

Experts suggest that habits are most easily formed when we start small with an action we can easily repeat, over and over, until it becomes our norm. Something we do as automatically as, say, floss or brush our teeth. Attaching a reward to the habit helps to keep us motivated. The reward answers the “Why?” of our commitment and focus.

Does flossing my teeth make me happy? No. I actually hate flossing. But I feel happy that my smile looks great in photos. That could be my reward, but it’s not. I floss my teeth to ensure that I spend very little time in my dentist’s examination chair! That is my real reward.

High performers are steady. “Motivation,” says Jim Rohn, “is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.”

Do you have a reward tied to your daily God time habit? If not, this alone could be what’s holding you back. Your lack of habit could also be due to a “story” you’ve told yourself. One story could be that the Bible is boring.

Here’s an easy fix: grab a children’s Bible, one of those hefty 3-inch-thick ones that use full-color illustrations to bring the Bible’s key players and events to life. As you reread the stories, your knowledge of God’s plan and great love for you will grow. Eventually you’ll build the desire to move to an adult Bible.

Perhaps the “story” you tell yourself is that you don’t have time. Dude, life is just soooooo hectic!

Sorry, dear, but research proves that we somehow find the time for everything we want to do. So lack of time is really tied to our mindset, not our available minutes. Perhaps start your daily Bible habit by reading a single Psalm or Proverb. Or read through one of the awesome YouVersion app daily reading plans. You get to pick the topic!

>>>>> Don’t forget: Tie a reward to your investment in God time so your action becomes habit. And know that you’re not tied to a habit that won’t “stick.” You get to keep trying habits and rewards to find the ones that work for you. There is no “one size fits all” when it comes to our Christian growth.

Dr. Henry Cloud, one of the world’s leading experts on mental and relational health, asserts that our present habits determine our future self. It is our small, daily habits that create the individuals we become 10, 20, 30 years down the road. We’re compounding, just like money in an investment account.

As the musical group Steve Miller Band is famous for reminding us, “Time keeps on slippin’, slippin’, slippin’ into the future.” Every day matters. So every moment matters. The habits that form our daily 24 hours matter.

When it comes to our Christian walk — which is all about our growing to look like Jesus — we can set those habits by asking, “Where do I need to change to be like Jesus?”

Do we want to get to the end of our days barely out of spiritual diapers? Ugh, no. What we should want is to hear our amazing Creator say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant!”

Yeah. That. That’s the best reward I can possibly imagine.

God designed us ALL to be high performers. Grow your daily God habit, to become like Jesus. Everything else you could possibly achieve in your lifetime is second-best.Next StepsPerhaps you don’t have a relationship with Jesus. Begin by clicking here!Perhaps you doubt that God really, truly loves you. Learn about His nature by clicking here!Perhaps you have guilt and shame that is stopping you from leaning into His love. Check out our Resolution Movement!Sheri Bell writes and edits for Josh McDowell Ministry.

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Why God? He Gets Our Act Together

Reading Time: 5 minutes“Why God?” Welcome to our new blog series where we dive in and answer that question! In this first post, we are reminded to rely on His power, not ours, to get our act together.

In his book The Imperfect Disciple, Jared C. Wilson writes that even now, nearly 40 years later, his spiritual state often feels akin to his trembling, 6-year-old self, when the notes of the church organ thundered around him as he waited on the “welcome to get clean.” His baptism (which he repeated several years later, just in case) didn’t squash the shadow of guilt that still overlays his thoughts.

Perhaps, he wonders, the blame is his? Despite being saved by grace, and a committed Christ-follower, perhaps he’s spiritually dysfunctional? “I have that ominous organ playing inside of me,” notes Jared. “My heart is a haunted house — broken, ramshackled, weathered and boarded-up and filled with the mournful sound of the Hound of Heaven howling through the slats.”

Should we carry such a heavy burden about not having our act together? Let’s discuss.

“Why God?” blog #hurthealedwhole

For 50+ years, Josh McDowell Ministry has been leading seekers into a deeper knowledge of God’s truth and power. We offer you our accumulated knowledge and research to help you find truth and encouragement to live a healthy and whole life in Christ.

He Gets Our Act Together

Let’s admit it: some of us find the Christian walk a challenge. Walking in defeat on some days can do a mind job on us.

Are we, as Jared wonders, somehow spiritually defective? Is our material that God has to work with subpar? Like, we think we’re sleek sports car material … but perhaps the best we’ll ever be are carousel ponies, continually circling but going nowhere? Should we be devastated that our good so often feels defeated by our bad?

Oh, friend, put your focus on God’s grace!

How comforting it is to read that the apostle Paul, the world’s greatest evangelist, also struggled with our internal “careening,” as Jared calls it. In Romans 7:18-23 Paul writes:

And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.

But Paul doesn’t leave us in the dumps. After pointing out the sin that undergirds the human condition, he quickly jumps to our hope: God’s unending grace! We need to daily remind ourselves that Jesus knows that we are rascals — but we’re His beloved rascals, fully understood and fully accepted, no matter what.

God already knows our individual struggles to be changed to look like Jesus. But God’s response throughout our sanctification isn’t condemnation, but grace. And His patience is endless! This promise in Romans 8 should be our comfort when we’re flailing in self-blame and shame:

There is there now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.

>> Lean Into God’s Grace

It’s hard to wrap my mind around the magnitude and magnificence of God’s nature. So I always go back to what the Bible tells me about Jesus, to grasp how much God loves me. Jesus sought out the sinners who sought Him — and He loved them into change. Imagine those face-to-face encounters!

I try to picture myself as the woman caught in adultery, whom the Jewish leaders wanted to stone. I feel her awe in my own chest at her bewilderment at His grace. I feel her mind-blowing gratitude at being offered respect and worth, despite her sin. 

Why did Jesus focus on the sinners, the outcasts, the misfits, the criminals? Those that the pharisees and other religious elite viewed as “losers”? Because they gave Jesus access. They didn’t bolt their doors, they invited Him into their mess, recognizing how much they needed Him. They trusted Him, captured by His amazing grace and love.

“What Jesus has done is good news only for losers,” asserts Jared. “If you’re not a loser, in fact, you can’t have Jesus.”

Let that sink in. 

>> Lean Into the Gospel 

God is not impressed by our self-reliance or our pretense of perfection. He wants us to get real and to admit that we need His help. Our own power is not enough, not even if we follow the guidelines of a thousand self-help books. 

In Jesus we gain the freedom to fully expose our messy selves to His tender care. He already knows every bit of our mess, and how He wants to work in us to get our act together. Make no mistake: you and I have to do the hard work of becoming the people He wants us to be. But our focus shouldn’t be on how long the process takes — or how often we fail — but on the promise of continual God’s love and acceptance as we trudge onward.

Jared puts this perfectly when he writes, “My soul is not much to look at, but it is safeguarded by my loving Heavenly Father.”

“I take a look at my messed-up soul every day,” he adds. “I feel completely overwhelmed and under equipped. And so I hold on to the gospel. I pour some gospel into my soul. I am good to go another day. I might be crawling that day or I might be balled up in my bed, unwilling to charge the Valley of Elah that is my life, but the smile of God is over me continually. Day and night His steadfast love sustains me.”

I love that! It gives me hope for the days I beat myself up. (Note to self: why do I allow Satan to suggest that God’s grace can’t be trusted?!)

As a fresh year opens up before us, friends, let us commit to cease making our fumbling attempts at getting our act together the gauge of our spiritual walk. Let’s drop the shame, the blame, the pressure for perfection. The truth: we’re all imperfect disciples fully covered by God’s grace. That’s the Good News that should give us daily hope, relief, and joy.

Why God? Because He’s for us and with us. Trust Him.

Next Steps:We’d love to pray for you! Submit a prayer request to us here . Do you want to have a relationship with Jesus? Start here.Do you have heart wounds that keep getting triggered? Check out our Resolution Movement. Healing is possible!Sheri Bell writes and edits for Josh McDowell Ministry.

The post Why God? He Gets Our Act Together appeared first on Josh.org.

Why God? He Gets Our Act Together!

Reading Time: 5 minutes“Why God?” Welcome to our new blog series where we dive in and answer that question! In this first post, we are reminded to rely on His power, not ours, to get our act together.

In his book The Imperfect Disciple, Jared C. Wilson writes that even now, nearly 40 years later, his spiritual state often feels akin to his trembling, 6-year-old self, when the notes of the church organ thundered around him as he waited on the “welcome to get clean.” His baptism (which he repeated several years later, just in case) didn’t squash the shadow of guilt that still overlays his thoughts.

Perhaps, he wonders, the blame is his? Despite being saved by grace, and a committed Christ-follower, perhaps he’s spiritually dysfunctional? “I have that ominous organ playing inside of me,” notes Jared. “My heart is a haunted house — broken, ramshackled, weathered and boarded-up and filled with the mournful sound of the Hound of Heaven howling through the slats.”

Should we carry such a heavy burden about not having our act together? Let’s discuss!

“Why God?” blog #hurthealedwhole

For 50+ years, Josh McDowell Ministry has been leading seekers into a deeper knowledge of God’s truth and power. We offer you our accumulated knowledge and research to help you find truth and encouragement to live a healthy and whole life in Christ.

He Gets Our Act Together

Let’s admit it: some of us find the Christian walk a challenge. Walking in defeat on some days can do a mind job on us.

Are we, as Jared wonders, somehow spiritually defective? Is our material that God has to work with subpar? Like, we think we’re sleek sports car material … but perhaps the best we’ll ever be are carousel ponies, continually circling but going nowhere? Should we be devastated that our good so often feels defeated by our bad?

Oh, friend, put your focus on God’s grace!

How comforting it is to read that the apostle Paul, the world’s greatest evangelist, also struggled with our internal “careening,” as Jared calls it. In Romans 7:18-23 Paul writes:

And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.

But Paul doesn’t leave us in the dumps. After pointing out the sin that undergirds the human condition, he quickly jumps to our hope: God’s unending grace! We need to daily remind ourselves that Jesus knows that we are rascals — but we’re His beloved rascals, fully understood and fully accepted, no matter what.

God already knows our individual struggles to be changed to look like Jesus. But God’s response throughout our sanctification isn’t condemnation, but grace. And His patience is endless! This promise in Romans 8 should be our comfort when we’re flailing in self-blame and shame:

There is there now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.

>> Lean Into God’s Grace

It’s hard to wrap my mind around the magnitude and magnificence of God’s nature. So I always go back to what the Bible tells me about Jesus, to grasp how much God loves me. Jesus sought out the sinners who sought Him — and He loved them into change. Imagine those face-to-face encounters!

I try to picture myself as the woman caught in adultery, whom the Jewish leaders wanted to stone. I feel her awe in my own chest at her bewilderment at His grace. I feel her mind-blowing gratitude at being offered respect and worth, despite her sin. 

Why did Jesus focus on the sinners, the outcasts, the misfits, the criminals? Those that the pharisees and other religious elite viewed as “losers”? Because they gave Jesus access. They didn’t bolt their doors, they invited Him into their mess, recognizing how much they needed Him. They trusted Him, captured by His amazing grace and love.

“What Jesus has done is good news only for losers,” asserts Jared. “If you’re not a loser, in fact, you can’t have Jesus.”

Let that sink in. 

>> Lean Into the Gospel 

God is not impressed by our self-reliance or our pretense of perfection. He wants us to get real and to admit that we need His help. Our own power is not enough, not even if we follow the guidelines of a thousand self-help books. 

In Jesus we gain the freedom to fully expose our messy selves to His tender care. He already knows every bit of our mess, and how He wants to work in us to get our act together. Make no mistake: you and I have to do the hard work of becoming the people He wants us to be. But our focus shouldn’t be on how long the process takes — or how often we fail — but on the promise of continual God’s love and acceptance as we trudge onward.

Jared puts this perfectly when he writes, “My soul is not much to look at, but it is safeguarded by my loving Heavenly Father.”

“I take a look at my messed-up soul every day,” he adds. “I feel completely overwhelmed and under equipped. And so I hold on to the gospel. I pour some gospel into my soul. I am good to go another day. I might be crawling that day or I might be balled up in my bed, unwilling to charge the Valley of Elah that is my life, but the smile of God is over me continually. Day and night His steadfast love sustains me.”

I love that! It gives me hope for the days I beat myself up. (Note to self: why do I allow Satan to suggest that God’s grace can’t be trusted?!)

As a fresh year opens up before us, friends, let us commit to cease making our fumbling attempts at getting our act together the gauge of our spiritual walk. Let’s drop the shame, the blame, the pressure for perfection. The truth: we’re all imperfect disciples fully covered by God’s grace. That’s the Good News that should give us daily hope, relief, and joy.

Why God? Because He’s for us and with us. Trust Him!

Next Steps:

We’d love to pray for you! Submit a prayer request to us here . 
Do you want to have a relationship with Jesus? Start here.
Do you have heart wounds that keep getting triggered? Check out our Resolution Movement. Healing is possible!


Sheri Bell writes and edits for Josh McDowell Ministry.

The post Why God? He Gets Our Act Together! appeared first on Josh.org.

“Why God?” Good Question!

Reading Time: 4 minutesHappy New Year! Here’s to peace, goodwill, and joy in 2021! 

As you look toward 2021 how would you like it to be? Even if our circumstances don’t change, we can be certain that God will be with us, constant and aware. But what if we don’t know God? What if our circumstances are so hard and confusing?

With God, we can have hope, stability, and peace. The path to getting there begins with our choosing to walk in a committed relationship with Him, trusting that He is who He says He is. Our faith isn’t groundless or naive. It’s not a crutch or a fairy tale. It’s based on historically vetted truth. We really can know who God is — and why we matter so much to Him.

Join us in our new 2021 blog series, Why God?, launching this month, in which we will dive deep into who God is, and how a relationship with Him brings assurance to our lives 24/7.

Why God? blog #hurthealedwhole

For 50+ years, Josh McDowell Ministry has been leading seekers into a deeper knowledge of God’s truth and power. We offer you our accumulated knowledge and research to help you find truth and encouragement to live a healthy and whole life in Christ.

Seeking Renewal

Living in a warm climate has many benefits, but snow isn’t one of them. So on that rare occasion when I do get to experience a snow storm, the world feels fresh and new. I can momentarily forget the demands of the world, as my soul soaks up the pristine beauty and quiet. I could really use some snow right now!

Who of us doesn’t feel the need for a renewal after the beatdown of 2020?

2020 was tough, with its ushering in of the pandemic, job losses, natural disasters, isolation, and more. And right now, 2021 feels just as uncertain. We might be feeling low on hope, especially if we’re struggling with depression, hardship, or addiction. We might be asking, “Where is God? Does He really care? Is He really good?” 

Don’t take the world’s viewpoint on this, because it’s proven itself to be self-absorbed. Rather, let’s kick the tires of the Christian viewpoint, which points to a Creator who loves humanity so much that He was willing to take human form and die a horrific death to prove it.

Why God?

God’s Word isn’t a dusty old book of made up stories. It’s truth and power. And the greatest love story ever told. It’s the explanation of why we’re here — and why the world is the mess it is. (Us. We’re the problem.)

Historical research continues to validate its contents, including the fact that Jesus was a documented historical figure. He was crucified because He claimed to be God, and seen by hundreds of witnesses in His resurrected form. The writers of the New Testament boldly proclaimed these truths, not recanting their witness even when it cost them their lives.

The Bible tells us who God is, but it also tells us how He views us: Seen. Heard. Loved. We matter, because He birthed each of us intentionally, for specific purposes that honor Him and serve others.

Just some of the verses that encouraged me greatly during 2020:

Love the LORD, all his faithful people! The LORD preserves those who are true to Him, but the proud He pays back in full. Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD. Psalm 31:23-24
There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. Psalm 31:23-24
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:19
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Revelation 21:5

God Controls the Future

Only God knows what’s in store for each of us in 2021. But whatever challenges await, we are assured that God will walk through each fire with us as we lean into His strength and wisdom. I love this quote I recently read: “When Jesus said, ‘I am with you always,’ He didn’t make a promise — He stated a fact.” Truth!!

As this song by the Christian group Passion reminds us, God is good and kind, He never leaves us, and is faithful every time. He is our refuge. His arms are open wide, 24/7, no matter what.

If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that we’re not in control of life, though we certainly like to think we are. But there is One who controls not just time, but life itself. Now that Someone is worth exploring, right? Let’s dig deep into God!

Our new blog series, “Why God?” launches this month! We look forward to your being part of it! Want to submit a guest post? Read our guest blogger guidelines here.

Resources

Prayer is simply talking to God. Here’s a free, 14-day prayer guide and daily emails to get you started.
Don’t know God? Today is the perfect time! Read here or contact us.
We’d love to pray for you! Submit a prayer request to us  here .
Do you have junk you want Jesus to help you unload? Check out our Resolution Movement!


CHRISTINA IS PART OF THE LEADERSHIP TEAM AT JOSH MCDOWELL MINISTRY.

The post “Why God?” Good Question! appeared first on Josh.org.

Why Tell Lowly Shepherds?

Reading Time: 3 minutesChristmas greetings! What makes this a wonderful time of year, when so many are hurting and struggling in this difficult time? 

Simply this: our problems are not the complete picture. Our Lord Jesus entered a world in turmoil, too. His coming gives us the hope to deal with our present challenges, and the glorious eternity that awaits!

God sent His angels to announce Jesus’ arrival to a select group of individuals. First to Zechariah, a temple priest and the father of John the Baptist (Luke 1:5-25). Then to Mary, the mother of Jesus (Luke 1:26-38), and to Joseph, Mary’s husband (Matthew 1:18-25). Then to a select group of shepherds (Luke 2:8-20), to Simeon at Jesus’ circumcision at 8 days old (Luke 2:21-35), and to those present at Jesus’ baptism by God Himself (Luke 3:21-22). But this Good News is for all of us! As recorded in John 1:12, “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.”

I’d like to share some insights I have gleaned during my pastoral studies of the announcement to the shepherds. I think you’ll find the information compelling. 

Bridging the Gap blog #hurthealedwhole

Why Tell Lowly Shepherds?

Many ask, “Why did God announce His coming to lowly shepherds and not others we would consider more likely candidates to receive the news of the long awaited Messiah?” 

Let’s start with examining our perspective of “lowly” shepherds. Some suggest that the shepherds were temple priests. The Bible doesn’t confirm this. But even if they were not, these shepherds were likely tasked with caring for and protecting sheep ear-marked for sacrificial offerings. By Jewish law, year-old male sheep used for temple sacrifices could have no blemish or defect, which means the shepherds would have been vigilant in their daily care of them.

Our traditional Christmas telling, in which angels appear to simple shepherds, glosses over a fact that make the story of Jesus’ arrival really compelling!

Luke 2:12 tells us that an angel of the Lord said to the shepherds, “This shall be a sign unto you, you shall find the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” We have read this statement for years, but have we wondered about this “sign?” What was it?

Swaddling newborn babies wasn’t unique; was the manger more so? On first glance, nope. It was an item any shepherd would have used and been quite familiar with. Though they were probably quite surprised to hear that a newly birthed, cleaned, and swaddled baby had been placed in one!  

Often an indented rock, a manger is basically a feeding trough for livestock. Did Mary place Jesus in a manger to cradle Him because she was too tired to hold Him — or, perhaps, to make a point? The angel had been specific about this detail.

Notes Reverend Michael A. Van Sloun, “Jesus was not laid in a manger by accident. It is a major spiritual symbol. Animals go to the manager for physical food, but with Jesus lying on the hay, we can go to the manger for spiritual food.” Adds Christian author John Piper, “This is the sign. No other king anywhere in the world was lying in a feeding trough. Find Him, and you find the King of kings. And you will know something. Something utterly crucial about His kingship.”

Jesus came to serve, humbling Himself so low that He willingly endured a criminal’s death on the cross for us. 

Of significance: the altar upon which animals were sacrificed in the temple were typically made from rock. And bodies prepared for burial were swaddled or bound with strips of cloth. This gives us another picture of Jesus. In shedding His blood, Jesus poured out His life as payment in full for humanity’s sin. In rising, He proved His deity.

“This is how the Savior saves. This is how the Messiah fulfills all the promises. This is how the Lord reigns: from infinite deity, to feeding trough, to final torments on the cross.” ~ John Piper.

In this world, we face many hard, even seemingly impossible problems. But our God specializes in the impossible! In coming to the world in human form, He willingly took the full impact of the demands for justice, making a way for us to live a righteous life through our faith in Him.

Jesus, alone, is the reason for the season. Merry CHRISTmas!

Guest blogger Vernon Ball, a retired pastor, is 76 years young. In his 50 years of preaching, Vernon pastored five churches and served as interim pastor of four others. He is the author of the book, The Mystery of Faith . A great-grandfather of 12, Vernon is currently involved in international ministries in Eastern Asia.

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The Great Gift of Our Creator

Reading Time: 3 minutesOur Creator’s plan to reveal Himself to humanity seems an odd choice.

If you and I were the event planners for heaven, I doubt we would have coordinated God’s entry into humanity in the humble way it played out. Our plans would probably be more along the lines of a triumphant entry in honor, esteem, and the glory due a king. Likely with His angels escorting Him from heaven in a flurry of fire and thunder. Social media would have lit up!

But as a human baby, whose royal palace was a smelly stable with a trough for a bed, and whose royal entourage included shepherds and farm animals? Ridiculous!

Why would the Creator of all choose to come to the world in such incredibly normal, even mundane conditions?

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For 50+ years, Josh McDowell Ministry has been leading seekers into a deeper knowledge of God’s truth and power. We offer you our accumulated knowledge and research to help you find truth and encouragement to live a healthy and whole life in Christ.

The question echoing across the heavens must have been, “Why?”

God came to us in the most approachable way — as a helpless baby to an ordinary family. Philippians tell us that God emptied Himself of divine attributes so that He could — wait for it — be one of us.

It’s easy to read those words and not realize the magnitude of that concept. Can we even imagine what it meant for our Creator to become a lowly human?

I have 56 Christmases under my belt. It’s easy for me to become numb to the story’s significance; occasionally my sense of wonder needs to be refreshed. I try to focus on different characters in the Christmas story to gain their perspective. One group that often gets blended into the background is the angels.

We see them filling the night sky, joyfully proclaiming to the shepherds that God had become man. But I wonder what was going through their minds as they did so. They were continually in the presence of God Almighty, yet 1 Peter 1:10-12 tells they had no prior knowledge of God’s plan. It was as much a surprise to them as it was the shepherds!

When the angels learned that their Creator was to become a mere man, did they, like King David, wonder, “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?” (Psalm 8:3-4)

One of my favorite Christmas songs is “Born to Die” by Bebo Norman. Its chorus spells this out wonderfully:

The angels filled the sky,

All of heaven wondered why,

Why a king would choose to be,

Be a baby born to die.

When Jesus died for the sins of man, triumphantly resurrecting and proving His power over life and death, the angels clearly understood why God had come to us in human form. And they, like us, expectantly wait for Christ’s return — in all His glory! — to call His followers home. On that day, we shall join the angels in their worship of our Redeemer and King!

As we focus on the birth of Jesus this Christmas season, may you be filled with a new sense of wonder as you ponder the magnitude of your Creator’s love for you. Merry Christmas from all of us here at the Josh McDowell Ministry!

“Who are we, that our Creator would be mindful of us?”


Learn More About God

Want to know more about God’s character? Read about the attributes of God here.
Do you want to know Jesus? Josh’s book, More Than a Carpenter , offers a comprehensive introduction.
Want to learn about the historical facts about Jesus’ birth, ministry, death, and resurrection? Catch up on our Resurrection and Apologetics blog posts!


Dave Bottorff is the U.S. Publishing & Resource Coordinator for Josh McDowell Ministry.

The post The Great Gift of Our Creator appeared first on Josh.org.

Look Ahead, Leaning on God

Reading Time: 3 minutesIn a handful of days we can finally say, “See ya!” to 2020. Yay! Let’s finish strong, trusting God, as we look ahead with hope to the new year.

As 2020 finally winds down and we close out our Bridging the Gap blog series, let’s remember to thank God for being with us through every up and down of this incredibly difficult year. He continually connected with us, helping us to move from hurting to healed to whole, just as His Word promises. God is our very good father, especially in bad circumstances. This truth gives us peace, regardless of what is happening around us. #HurtHealedWhole

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For 50+ years, Josh McDowell Ministry has been leading seekers into a deeper knowledge of God’s truth and power. We offer you our accumulated knowledge and research to help you find truth and encouragement to live a healthy and whole life in Christ.

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
Lean on God

During this blog series, as you’ve invested your time and heart in developing a closer relationship with Him, you’ve come to realize that God is completely trustworthy — even during a global pandemic. He knows and cares about what you are going through!

You’ve discovered that trusting in His love for you enables you to be confident in your purpose, in your relationships, and in working through tough life issues such as depression, loneliness, anxiety, and addiction. He’s there when you feel trapped with nowhere to go. You’ve also grown in your desire and ability to love like Jesus, and share your relationship with Him with others. The whole world needs to hear the Good News!

We find peace in embracing how deeply God loves us! He came as a helpless baby, to then show us how much. He died for our sins AND to help us to daily walk in peace and confidence. He is for us!
Look Ahead in Peace

We’re all praying that 2021 brings an end to the pandemic, as well as the other evils and woes that plague our nation and world. But however the new year plays out, one thing is clear: we desperately need God. We must continue to draw near to Him, to avoid hopelessness and despair. Remember God’s promise:

‘Because [you] love me,’ says the Lord, ‘I will rescue [you];

    I will protect [you], for [you] acknowledge my name.

[You] will call on me, and I will answer [you];

    I will be with [you] in trouble…’

             Psalm 91:14-15 (NIV)

So let’s continue to daily unplug from the world to spend one-on-one time with God to hear His words of comfort and power. And let’s meditate on Ecclesiastes 3:11, which tells us that “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens — a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.

Despite what culture tells us, our life goal should not be to seek constant happiness. God grows us in our moments of difficulty, so that we don’t remain self-absorbed, immature toddlers. So rise up and seek God’s help as you face life’s challenges.

How have you honored God by worshipping Him in your moments of worry and fear? As you prepare for Christmas, reflect on where and how God met you in your fears and hurts during 2020. And look forward to 2021 with expectation, assured that God is in control and working all things out for you because you love and follow Him.

Merry Christmas from all of us at Josh McDowell Ministry. As we look ahead, let’s continue to walk together in the new year!

Get ready: We’re launching our NEW blog series, Why God?, in January! As we focus on who God is and the relationship He wants to have with us, we’ll see how He connects with us in the defining and difficult moments of our busy, complex lives.

CHRISTINA IS PART OF THE LEADERSHIP TEAM AT JOSH MCDOWELL MINISTRY.

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How to Love Like Jesus

Reading Time: 3 minutesLove like Jesus. So hard to do … or is it?

Have you walked into church and, as you made your way down the hall, warmly greeted some but totally ignored others? I’ve done this. Many times. For a variety of reasons.

But what does Scripture tell us about how we are to interact with others? Well, 1 John 4:20 says, “… the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.” And Jesus told us to “… love your neighbor as yourself.’”

So who are my “brother” and my “neighbor”? And what does Jesus mean by “love?”

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Can We Really Love Like Jesus?

By “brother” and “neighbor” Jesus doesn’t just mean our family or the people who happen to live in our same neighborhood. He literally means everyone — our family, neighbors, strangers, even our enemies. Which means we have our work cut out for us.

I’m still struggling to love my brothers and sisters in Christ. But I’m supposed to love everyone? Why would Jesus give such a hard assignment? Because He knows we’re capable of doing so, with His help.

Is my casual friendliness “love?” Or is it just a warm and fuzzy feeling because I happen to know and like these people? How can I make sure I offer real love — His love — to all people?

In a very practical way, Mother Teresa provided a great example of how to love like Jesus.

In her work with the poor, the Nobel Peace Prize recipient followed Christ’s call to feed the hungry and clothe the naked, to visit the imprisoned, to care for the homeless and the sick. In doing so, she met their deeper need for love and dignity:

The hungry “hunger not only for bread, but for love. For the tender concern of someone who cares.”
Clothe the naked, “and not only with a piece of cloth, but with that beautiful dignity of a child of God. Dignity for someone who has been created to be loved and to love.”
Tend to the sick who are sick “not only in body, but sick at heart.”
The imprisoned are trapped “not only with a lack of freedom, but are limited in life. Bound by fear, by the mind, by the imagination.”

Can you imagine Jesus walking past you or me with just a nod or casual wave? No way! Jesus would look straight into our soul and pierce our heart with His love. We would have no doubt that He really saw us — and that in His eyes, we have immeasurable worth.

Jesus was continually moved by compassion … we should see what Jesus sees, so we can do what Jesus does. ~ Christine Caine, global activist

God Believes We Can!

So how can you and I be intentional in sharing His amazing love with others?

We can start by being attentive. We can really look at the people He places around us and see them. Like Mother Teresa, we can take the time to notice their need, to then tangibly share His love through our actions. This might be just sharing an encouraging smile or a compliment. Or offering someone our seat. Or even more of our investment; perhaps buying a bag of groceries or giving away our favorite coat.

Look around. Is someone hungering for connection with others? Is someone struggling with fear, uncertainty, or doubt? If so, can you be their safe haven? We often hide our inmost trials from others, but in doing so, we miss out on the joy of serving those that God places in our daily path.

Break through the emotional boundaries that separate you from others. If you’re shy, you can bet that there are shy people around you that are hoping that you’ll greet them first. If you’re preoccupied with your own problems, take your thoughts off yourself and invite God to use you to pour His love on others.

It’s not easy making the effort, I know. Lately I’ve been trying to be super friendly at the grocery store. I smile and say hello to anyone I pass, if I can get their attention. Most people ignore me. Others give me weird looks. I get it. But isn’t this the good kind of weird that God wants in His followers? 

Go love like Jesus! Just don’t be too weird about it … or too shy, either. He’ll be so be proud of you. As Christine Caine reminds us, “Doing good is very hard work. But we can do hard things. We were born for such a time as this.”

God wants a relationship with you! Click here to learn about His holy nature!

Written by guest blogger Dan Muenchau, a retired engineer who now works to help bring the love of God to others.

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Changed By Our Worship

Reading Time: 4 minutes
As we worship with songs based in Scripture, we grow in our knowledge of who God really is. We are changed by our worship.

As a high school junior attending a youth group gathering filled with bright lights, loud music, and excited students, I distinctly remember taking a step back to consider what we were singing. Throughout my high school years, I began to realize that while so many of my favorite Christian songs contained some small ounce of biblical truth, they were void of depth. 

I would suggest that worship isn’t primarily about how we feel, but about who God is. 

In his book, A Heart for God, Dr. Sinclair Ferguson states, “The foundation of worship in the heart is not emotional … it is theological.” Ferguson is right; while worship should certainly engage our emotions, our emotions are not the foundation of our worship. Yet, somehow we’ve begun to care more about how the words make us feel than what they say about Him.

When we worship, we are acknowledging God’s greatness and our sinfulness. When we choose to sing songs with deep, rich lyrics, we are led to a greater understanding of and love for God. We are changed by our worship.

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3 Ways We Are Changed By Our Worship

Too often, we come to church and sing in worship to feel as if God is present … without listening to the words we are singing. When we do this, we may feel good in the moment, but we leave and enter the rest of our week unchanged.

When we listen to what the worship lyrics say about who God is, however, we can carry those truths with us throughout the week. We are changed by our worship when it leads us to love God for who He is. 

Worship Informs Our View of God

“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment” (Philippians 1:9).

As we express praise to God and declare truths about His character, we grow in our knowledge of who He is. Just as sermons and books teach us, song lyrics are lessons that stick in our head. Our view of God is undoubtedly shaped by the words we sing about Him.

As we sing songs rooted in Scripture, our minds gain a more accurate idea of who God is: the loving and incredible Creator of the universe.

Why would we sing songs that give us a shallow view of God, rather than this rich truth? 

Worship Grows Our Affection

If, like me, you grew up going to church camp, or you’ve been on a short-term mission trip, you know that the “spiritual high” quickly fades. But songs can have a lasting effect on us, as we continue to revisit the lyrics. 

In one of his sermons, noted pastor John Piper put it bluntly when he said, “Where feelings for God are dead, worship is dead.”

Our affection for God is motivated by our knowledge of God. We can’t worship Him rightly without knowing Him. This is why we should sing songs that remind us of what God’s Word teaches. As you grow in your understanding of who God is and how His people are to love one another, your love for God will deepen and grow.

Often, we sacrifice doctrinal integrity for an emotional experience. Worship should stir feelings within us, but the feeling is not primarily what we’re after. We’re after God. God is the goal.

Worship Unites the Church

Bob Kaufilin, in his popular 2008 book, Worship Matters, wrote: “Singing glorifies God by expressing the unity we enjoy through the Gospel.” When believers of different socioeconomic classes, generations, and backgrounds come together to sing the truths of Scripture, they are united around the historic faith they share.

In 2015 I stood with several dozen people in a bilingual church in the heart of Panamá, the tiny country that links Central and South America. As we sang to the Lord in our native languages, we were united not just by the feelings we experienced, but the truths we declared. God can do a mighty work through those who sing together about who He is and how He has transformed their lives.

The next time you sing along to your favorite worship song, stop and consider the lyrics. Do the words point you toward an accurate picture of God, as presented in Scripture? Our aim should be to exalt and adore God, who created everything and everyone. The One who has forgiven us despite our sin, through the sacrifice of the Son He sent to die for us.

I hope that the next time you sing a worship song, your love for God grows as you consider just how wonderful He really is. Be changed by your worship!

Worship the Lord!

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We invite you to read Josh’s book, More Than a Carpenter. This short apologetics classic examines the historical evidence about Jesus, God in the flesh, who is our anchor of joy and peace in this crazy world.

Written by guest blogger Cole Shiflet. Cole is a Junior at Samford University studying Journalism and Mass Communication. Originally from Dallas, Texas, Cole serves as the executive director of Anchored Passion. Cole writes regularly for Radical.net and Rooted Ministry.

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