Josh McDowell's Blog, page 19
May 8, 2020
When Mother’s Day Hurts
On this Mother’s Day, I hope you are celebrating that your mom is a positive influence in your life; an advocate that you can trust with your thoughts, difficulties, and even secrets. But if this Hallmark holiday fills you with dread, I understand.
What does God tell us to do with our hurt and anger at not having the respectful and loving relationship that every child should be able to count on having with their parents?
Bridging the Gap 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.
Acknowledge the Pain
On Pinterest I noted a graphic that stabbed my heart: “Mom, I’m sorry I’m a disappointment to you. I’m sorry that I couldn’t make you prouder of me.”
Ugh. The finality of that statement hurts. But it is flat out wrong — and unhealthy — for us to make the mental jump that if we disappoint someone because of something we do (or don’t do), that we are defective people. Screw-ups. Losers. Failures. And that we deserve to be treated as such.
Don’t miss that in this quote the child internalized the burden of meeting the parental standard. But what if that standard was unhealthy? What if it was set to accommodate the parent’s needs and desires? What if it set the child up to fail?
If you have accepted that any negative labels pinned on you by your mom do define you, you need to back up the shame bus. And every time it circles back and invites you to take another ride, you need to shout, “NO!”
If you want to change how you feel, you have to change your thoughts. You must choose to think on what is true about you. What God says is true.
No person on this planet has the authority to assign your value. Not your friends. Not your teachers. Not your pastor. Not your boss. Not your parents. Not even YOU. God declared you precious and worthy and beloved the second He breathed life into you. Only God’s opinion of us matters.
God gave you personality quirks and talents that others might not appreciate to be used for His glory. Even if so far all you can see are your mistakes and bad choices and failings. Even if all you feel is shame.
As Christine Caine, international Bible teacher, author, and anti-human trafficking activist (who herself has overcome a childhood of sexual abuse and shame), says, “The Enemy will always try to shame you in the area that God wants to use you somewhere in your future.” Truth? I think so. The aspects of my personality that my mother shamed me for I am definitely now using as a writer and author for His glory.
Accept God’s Assessment
Our society asserts otherwise, but here’s the truth: we don’t have to “earn” the love of others. We don’t have to do or say what others want for us to be “acceptable.” We don’t have to think like others to be “good enough.” We don’t have to hold the same values (and prejudices) they hold to be considered “intelligent.”
Yes, we want to be our best selves — but other people don’t get to determine what our “best” is.
Christian speaker and author Joyce Meyer (“Mama Joyce”) has shared that she entered adulthood carrying a heavy load of shame — and chips on both shoulders.
Sexually abused by her father for years (her mother knew), Joyce saw herself as damaged goods with little value. When Joyce heard that God views her as having immense value, she smirked. What? And He unconditionally loved her, too? “Rigggggghhhhht.”
But one day Joyce used bright lipstick to scrawl “God loves me” on her bathroom mirror. She read the words for days, just rolling her eyes. She said the words aloud, and not a single syllable sounded true.
But slowly, over time, God used that inked message of love to jolt Joyce’s heart alive. One day she uttered those three words aloud — and realized she meant them. Because their truth got into her soul and stuck.
Healthy Actions To Start Today
Be reminded that the Maker of the sun and moon and the Milky Way didn’t create us to live small, under the weight of trying to please others. He made us to live large to echo the beauty of His glory. If your relationship with your mother is difficult right now, here are some healthy first steps:
>>> Let go of your desire to have a close relationship with your mom.
Is this easy? No. Because we want our mothers to like and love us. But we can waste years (and decades!) chasing after this approval, if we don’t release our expectation. In this article, a family relationship coach writes that when she began to stop seeking the acceptance, approval, kindness and love that her mother could never give her, her wounds began to heal as her frustration and disappointment faded.
With space, we can more clearly see where the negative messages projected onto us by our mothers aren’t really about us, but them. We don’t know all the factors and experiences that shaped our parents. I remember asking as a child and teen, “Why is she mean to me?” I now understand that my mom had unhealed childhood wounds of her own, which surfaced in her frustration at being a parent. As Dr. Henry Cloud wisely notes, “Hurting people hurt others.” Even when they don’t want or mean to.
>>> Offer grace, even if you don’t feel your mom deserves it.
It’s true that forgiveness is more for ourselves than it is for the other person(s). Forgiveness gives us freedom. This mantra helped me a lot with learning to forgive my mom: “She did the best she could.” Meaning she did the best she was capable of. People change, and when they do, we may decide to tentatively try again.
If we can find grace to give others, we don’t focus on judging them — and we judge ourselves less. Ah, yes, the ugly little detail of our own self-judgment. Yet another reason to learn to forgive as early as we can. Again, forgiveness does not mean condoning behavior. We’re not “letting someone off the hook” when we choose to offer them grace. We’re simply not allowing their influence to determine our future.
>>> Own your own junk.
If your own words and actions are fueling your difficult relationship with your mom, only you can stop them. You have to strive to bring your best self — again, at your current capability — if you want to request that others bring their best selves. If ugly, disrespectful communication has been the style in your home, you will have to do the work of unlearning those bad habits.
An excellent resource for this is Dr. Henry Cloud’s online Boundaries workshops. Dr. Cloud also hosts a private group on Facebook called Dr. Henry Cloud’s Boundaries with Parents Peer Group. Setting boundaries for yourself is a critical first step to creating a positive and respectful relationship with either parent.
No relationships is perfect, or always easy. The mom/child relationship is super complex. The way we have been parented has a lot to do with how our mothers were parented.
But if you feel unloved and unaccepted by your mom, don’t let that affect how you view God’s love for you. The two have absolutely no connection: God is perfect, and your mom, well, she’s a work in progress, just like you.
It has taken many years of my digging in deep with God for Him to convince me that His love for me is high, wide, deep, and endless. That there is NOTHING I can do to stop Him from offering me His love and grace every single minute. Even when I don’t deserve it.
My faults and weaknesses don’t both Him, and neither do yours. Because He made us and will use us, just as we are now, and as we grow into our best selves. I’m praying Ephesians 3:16-21 over you! Look up, Child!
NEXT STEPS:
Do you want to have a relationship with Jesus? Start here.
Read our How God Sees You blog series.
Engage in our new initiative, Resolution Movement, which focuses on healthy wholeness.
Watch Undaunted , the powerful story of Josh’s own recovery from a difficult childhood.
Sheri writes and edits for Josh McDowell Ministry.
The post When Mother’s Day Hurts appeared first on Josh.org.
May 6, 2020
How Do We Count the Number of Fulfilled Biblical Prophecy?
In this post Matt Tingblad gives a brief overview of the two types of prophecies, answering the question of whether the Bible continues to prove itself reliable. Read on!
Prophecy: Several Factors to Consider
Calculating the number of fulfilled prophecies in the Bible is difficult for two reasons. Here’s what I mean:
1. Not all prophecy is the same.
When most people think of prophecy, they think of predictive prophecy. That is, they think of prophecy that foretells the future. The prophecy predicts what will happen. Another kind of prophecy is called forthtelling prophecy. Forthtelling prophecy is when God speaks a word concerning the present hour.
When we talk about the number of prophecies fulfilled, we are interested in predictive prophecies — prophecies that will be fulfilled in God’s timing.
Yet predictive prophecy is not always easy to identify. For instance, in Psalm 22:1 David writes, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?” This doesn’t initially sound like predictive prophecy, but we see Jesus alluding to its fulfillment when He cried these same words from the cross (Matthew 27:46).
Prophecy shows us that God has a plan for this world. By the foretelling of persons, places, and events — even hundreds of years before they are fulfilled — Scripture gives a strong testimony to its own inspiration.
2. Not all fulfillments are the same.
Some predictive prophecies concerning Jesus can be easily understood. But many predictive prophecies about events after Jesus are difficult to understand. So scholars continue to debate whether these prophecies were fulfilled in the events of the late first century, are progressively being fulfilled across history, or are yet to be fulfilled in a cataclysmic event immediately preceding the return of Christ.
Regardless, we can say that a lot of prophecies in the Bible have been fulfilled, with some of the clearest ones about the life and ministry of Jesus. The number of fulfilled messianic (Jesus-related) prophecies is over 300. This is truly remarkable, as Josh McDowell demonstrates in this video. Christians, as far back as the Bible authors themselves, have rightfully stressed these fulfilled prophecies to show Jesus to be the Messiah.
In addition to messianic prophecies, the Old Testament continually prophesies about events that have happened: Israel’s future into exile, nations that will be destroyed, Israel’s kingdom being restored, etc. These predictions further demonstrate that we can trust the Bible as truly inspired by God.
The Bible itself gives the purpose of prophecy: “Remember the former things long past, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things which have not been done… ” (Isaiah 46:9-10, NASB).
NEXT STEPS
Interested in knowing God personally? Get started with this really good info.
Need prayer? Contact us. We would love to pray for you!
To grow your knowledge of the Bible, read 77 FAQs about God and the Bible by Josh and Sean McDowell.
Also read Josh and Sean’s recently revised apologetics classic, Evidence That Demands a Verdict .
Matthew Tingblad is a communicator at Josh McDowell Ministry with a seminary education from Talbot School of Theology.
The post How Do We Count the Number of Fulfilled Biblical Prophecy? appeared first on Josh.org.
Who Recorded Events in the Bible?
How was Moses able to write about creation, Adam and Eve, Abraham, Isaac, etc. when he was not there?
Who recorded the long dialogue between Job and his friends? Was there a scribe with them documenting their conversation?
How is it that we have a record of the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness? Wasn’t that a private meeting between him and Satan?
Let’s address these questions!
To understand the formation of the Bible, we have to understand the world of the Bible.
Question 1: How was Moses able to write about creation, Adam and Eve, Abraham, Isaac, etc., when he was not there?
The Ancient Near East was an oral culture; they passed down information through spoken word. Today we’re not good at this because we rely on print. But the ancients were very good at oral storytelling. Because of this, most books of the Bible simply used information that was passed down through the oral tradition.
For instance, Adam could have told his son Seth what it was like in the garden, and Seth passed it along to his son Enosh. Since the story was so significant and meaningful, it’s quite reasonable that an oral culture would preserve it until Moses committed the information into writing.
Question 2: Who recorded the long dialogue between Job and his friends? Was there a scribe with them documenting that conversation?
We don’t have much historical data on Job. The author and the date of writing of this text are unknown. But judging by the structure and message of the book, we understand that Job belongs in the category of “Wisdom Literature.” Thus, the narrator of Job is telling a lesson/story. This means we should read Job like a parable of Jesus. The story is created to teach us a lesson, not provide historical data. Even if the story of Job is a historical event, dialogue in the ancient Near East was understood as paraphrased conversation, not precise quotation. This would have made it easier for Job, or someone close to him, to recount the story and capture its essence.
Question 3: How is it that we have a record of the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness? Wasn’t that a private meeting between Him and Satan?
This may sound like a difficult question, but it’s not difficult to propose a solution. Jesus probably shared the event with His disciples. He was their teacher, after all, and he taught with stories. Why not use one of His own?
Let us not forget that with this story and the others we addressed earlier, God helped the authors of Scripture to convey His message. As it says in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
As you now understand how this works, you can apply it other questions of similar nature.
NEXT STEPS
For more information on how the Bible came to be, check out God Breathed by Josh McDowell.
To grow your knowledge of the Bible, read 77 FAQs about God and the Bible by Josh and Sean McDowell.
Also read Josh and Sean’s recently revised apologetics classic, Evidence That Demands a Verdict .
Matthew Tingblad is a communicator at Josh McDowell Ministry with a seminary education from Talbot School of Theology.
The post Who Recorded Events in the Bible? appeared first on Josh.org.
May 5, 2020
Resolution: Reaching a Generation with Wholeness
What Josh McDowell and Ben Bennett Have Discovered
Generation Z (those born between 1999 and 2015) are struggling today, and few understand why or what to do about it. Research reveals five common challenges, and though they’re nothing new, recent data shows that young people experience them in greater numbers than ever before:
Mental Health Issues
Shame and Emotional Wounds
Porn Use
Loneliness
Lack of a Biblical Worldview
At Resolution (a new initiative from Josh McDowell Ministry), Josh and I have started the Resolution Podcast to deal with these issues directly. We reexamine what God says in His Word, along with what we’ve learned from brain science, to find ways to help young people learn how to heal, thrive and live in wholeness.
Below are key takeaways from our first conversation. You can watch it here in this video, or listen to it wherever you like to listen to podcasts.
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Let’s look at the five issues and explore how they’re impacting Generation Z.
Issue #1: Mental Health Issues
Last year, Pew Research found that 70 percent of teens say anxiety and depression are major issues among their peers. Another study from JAMA Pediatrics reported that between 2007 and 2015, emergency room visits for suicidal thoughts and attempted suicide doubled among children and teens.
There’s no one root cause, but two things have happened that at least correlate with this statistic.
First, the introduction of the iPhone isolated children and gave them unfettered access to potentially damaging information. Second, kids with a disconnected father tend to have higher rates of depression. When taken together, the situation is potentially explosive.
Issue #2: Emotional Wounds
We recently asked close to three hundred pastors and leaders about common issues the teens in their ministries face. They told us, overwhelmingly, that these young people deal with emotional wounds, a negative self-image, and above all, shame.
As Josh began to see these trends, he spent an entire year thinking deeply about why young people experience so much shame. He saw that shame diminishes a child’s respect for authority, their desire to spend time with friends, and even the normal drive to connect with the opposite sex.
Issue #3: Porn Use
We’ve come to believe that, among other isolating factors, the pervasive use of porn drives these emotional wounds higher. Porn affects how young people view themselves, and increases the struggle for acceptance already prevalent during the teen years.
The majority of men and women — 91.5 percent of men and 60 percent of women — regularly seek out porn at least once monthly! When Josh and I spoke all over the world, we discovered that the majority of all teens, Christian or not, are caught in the grips of porn.
In our experience, too many parents and Christian leaders ignore the issue. Josh recalls, “Parents come to me and say, ‘Look, Josh, you don’t understand. My kids are good kids … they’re not going to look for porn.’”
But if kids have access to smartphones, porn can too easily find them! The porn industry is aggressively targeting our kids, even when our kids aren’t looking for it.
Issue #4: Loneliness
Cigna, a major health insurance company, recently found that members of Gen Z are lonelier and feel more left out than Millennials, Baby Boomers, and the Greatest Generation. Young people can connect freely through the Internet, yet they feel more isolated than ever.
Compared with the youth of previous decades, today’s teens are socializing less in person. They are less likely to go to movies or parties, hang out with friends, or date. Instead, often they’re alone on a Friday night on their smartphone.
Issue #5: Lack of a Biblical Worldview
Finally, we learned that today’s youth are growing up with the least biblical worldview in American history. Barna Group found that only 4 percent of Generation Z have a truly Christian worldview.
As Josh says, “A worldview is simply how you view the world.” Our worldview, then, affects how we see ourselves and others. It affects every relationship we have. It affects how we behave and the choices we make.
And this generation doesn’t view truth as objective — but entirely subjective, based on every person and every situation. The result? What Josh calls “spiritual individualistic morality.”
Christians know that it is God, alone, who defines truth. We need His truth to operate effectively in this world. Living our lives from subjective truth will do us irreparable harm. We must correct our view to gain God’s perspective.
Parents and Leaders: You Can Help
Some believe Gen Z to be the most broken generation in American history. But brokenness isn’t a barrier for God — it’s a bridge to Jesus’ healing work. We must help this generation, through practical steps, to understand how Jesus brings healing.
Parents and Christian leaders, intentionally engage with the young people in your life:
Listen to young people carefully and without judgment
Ask questions and let them respond
Stay involved in their lives
Find things to do together
Be a safe person and share truth in love
As you can see, these issues are huge. That’s why Josh McDowell Ministry has jumped into this arena to do something about it through Resolution. We need to help our youth to learn who God says they are, and to experience wholeness. We can help them to love God, themselves, and others. To develop healthy relationships.
We invite you to join us in the Resolution Movement!
Ben Bennett
Director, Resolution
Subscribe to the Resolution Podcast wherever you listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or YouTube. In the coming weeks we’ll be discussing healing through the Bible and brain science!
The post Resolution: Reaching a Generation with Wholeness appeared first on Josh.org.
May 1, 2020
Quote Test
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– Lorem Ipsum
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– Lorem Ipsum
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– Lorem Ipsum
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April 30, 2020
How to Pray with God in our Pain
Yet many believers are stuck in a perpetual state of pain. Perhaps that pain is loneliness, depression, anxiety, or a combination of these hurts. How should we understand these struggles, and how do we pray with God in the midst of pain?
Bridging the Gap blog #hurthealedwhole
What Happened to Lament?
First off, I want to be clear that the primary mode of existence for the Christian life ought to be one of joy, not the pain of a fallen world.
The subject of joy is all over Scripture, and it is presented as a blessing that God graciously gives to believers (Luke 1:14, John 15:11, Nehemiah 8:10, Psalm 16:11, 1 Peter 1:8, Philippians 4:4). Joy characterized the early Christians (Acts 8:7-8, Acts 16:34), even in periods of persecution or hardship (Acts 5:41, Romans 5:3, James 1:2). Joy is considered a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22).
The problem is when we have that nagging feeling that we should be happy all the time, or something is wrong with us.
Here’s the thing: The Bible recognizes that there is pain in the Christian life. When we read the Psalms, we see both prayers of praise and lament. In fact, the prayers of lament comprise the largest section of the Psalms! If you want to learn how to pray with God in your pain, try praying some of the laments. Examples include Psalms 22, 39, 59, 74, and 109.
Take note: You will struggle praying the laments, if you think you must present a cleaned-up version of yourself to God lest you offend Him. The prayers of the lament Psalms do not reflect this. The psalmist is giving himself in prayer to God; not a happy fake avatar of himself. He is expressing his honest feelings. He is being real.
Asking the Right Questions
When we experience pain in life, sometimes we just need to talk it out with someone. Many of us already do this with other people, as we should. But God is also available. Prayer is not a one-way conversation, but a dynamic engagement with the God who speaks.
Consider Psalm 139:23-24: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts, See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” The psalmist is asking God to run a diagnostic on his heart and direct his way accordingly.
In light of this, we may find it helpful to ask God some questions and then spend time attending to His voice…
Lord, why was this so hard for me to deal with?
Lord, why am I downcast?
Lord, how do I process what just happened?
Lord, why do I feel this way about this person?
Lord, where are You in this situation?
Lord, how do I be with You in the midst of this?
Lord, what do You have for me here?
Give these questions time — perhaps 10 or 15 minutes for each question you choose to ask. If you don’t hear anything, don’t worry; just sit with God in silence. Either way, you are with God, and God can use that in powerful ways. If you do hear something in your mind, process those thoughts and use your own God-given wisdom to discern if your thoughts are good and biblical. It could be that God has just spoken to you, or that God brought something to your mind that was there all along.
Will this practice heal you of depression and anxiety? I expect it will help. But the purpose of this exercise is primarily to learn how to pray with God in your pain. It’s not about results; it’s about relationship. If you are with him, you are doing well.
Next Steps:
We’d love to pray for you! Please send us a prayer request via this form.
Do you want to have a relationship with God? Start here.
Print out these Bible verses about prayer! Read them. Memorize one or two that speak to you.
Catch up on our Bridging the Gap posts. Experience God in a deeper way!
Matthew Tingblad is a communicator at Josh McDowell Ministry with a seminary education from Talbot School of Theology.
The post How to Pray with God in our Pain appeared first on Josh.org.
April 29, 2020
Is Apologetics Biblical?
It’s the activity of providing a rational basis for belief in the Christian faith.When we seek to demonstrate that God exists, that the resurrection of Jesus actually happened, or that the Bible is historically reliable, we are doing the work of Christian apologetics.
Is Christian apologetics a good thing for Christians to be doing? If you’re reading this post and you know anything about what we do here at Josh McDowell Ministry, then you are safe to assume that we give a resounding “Yes!” Christian apologetics is good and important. But more than that, it is biblical.
The Word “Apologetics” In Scripture
The word apologetics comes from the Greek word apologia, which refers to a speech of defense, typically for one’s own self. The word appears eight times in the New Testament.
Sometimes it is used generally (Acts 22:1, 25:16; 1 Corinthians 9:3; 2 Corinthians 7:11, 2 Timothy 4:16), and other times it is explicitly connected to a defense of the Gospel (Philippians 1:7, 16; 1 Peter 3:15). Most notably in 1 Peter 3:15, when Peter says, “Always be prepared to give an answer [apologia] to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”
In context, it is the means by which we honor Christ as Lord in the midst of holy suffering, and is demonstrated through our gentleness (1 Peter 3:13-18). Today, in a world where Christianity is viewed as intolerant and offensive, people are going to wonder why we continue to hold onto our faith. Are you and I ready to give them an apologia when they ask?
In 1 Corinthians 10:4-5, Paul seeks to clarify his mission with these words: “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedience to Christ.”
Evidently, the act of demolishing arguments against the knowledge of God, done rightly, is a holy endeavor of divine power. But what does this look like?
Apologetics in Acts
The book of Acts gives us a closer look at Christian apologetics in action within the early church. Acts 17:2-4 says, “As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. ‘This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,’ he said. Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.” Verse 17 adds, “So [Paul] reasoned in the Synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.”
The Bible mentions the value of public debate for the Gospel. In Acts 18:27-28, an evangelist by the name of Apollos “was a great help to those who by grace had believed. For he vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah.”
Within these verses, we see the work of Christian apologetics as having evangelistic impact, as well as beneficial value for those who already believe. It is no wonder that Peter encourages Christians to always be prepared to give an apologia.
Apologetics in the Gospels
Jesus was always willing to help people believe, and occasionally used persuasive techniques to build His case as Messiah. For instance, Jesus used logical rigor against the Pharisees in Matthew 22:41-45, showing how their own views lead toward absurdity. Note that it was an argument He initiated.
In John 5, Jesus appealed to the testimony of John the Baptizer (verses 33-35), His own testimony expressed in miracle-working (verse 36), the testimony of the Father (verses 37-38), and the testimony of the Scriptures (verses 39-40), appealing to all of this “so that you may be saved” (5:34).
We see the resurrected Jesus helping all of His disciples — not just Thomas — to believe (John 20:19-20), inviting them to see the holes in His hands and feet, to touch His body, and observe Him eating physical food (Luke 24:37-43). Jesus was privy to the fact that His own resurrection carried enormous persuasive power to confirm His identity as God (John 20:27-28).
Further, As theologian D. A. Carson argues, Jesus’ response to “doubting” Thomas was probably not a rebuke, as some translations erroneously suggest, but a confirmation followed by a beatitude (See Carson’s treatment of John 20:26 in the Pillar New Testament Commentary).
In Matthew 13:21, Jesus explains the parable of the sower, saying that the seed that fell on rocky ground is the Word of God which people received with joy. Yet because they had no root, persecution came and they withered away. The text isn’t clear, but I suspect that this “root” has something to do with a confident knowledge of God. Christian apologetics can help get us there. May we never forget this important piece as we seek to proclaim the whole counsel of God.
NEXT STEPS
Many Christians have shied away from apologetics, concerned that the use of persuasive reason trivializes faith, or that it gets in the way of God’s work. These concerns do deserve attention, because they can have a level of truth to them, especially if we don’t recognize the limitations of what apologetics is able to do for evangelism and for our own spiritual wellness.
I encourage you to check out this post, in which I engage with those objections.
Need some tips and creative ideas for sharing your faith? Check out this post.
Looking for a way to share Christianity with your friends? You can purchase Josh’s apologetics classic, More Than a Carpenter, from our online store.
Matthew Tingblad is a communicator at Josh McDowell Ministry with a seminary education from Talbot School of Theology.
The post Is Apologetics Biblical? appeared first on Josh.org.
April 24, 2020
Romans 8: Chapter of Assurance
These 39 Bible verses are packed with God’s promises of care and provision. Let’s look at some of them!
Bridging the Gap 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.
Peace of Mind
The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. ~ verse 6
As John Piper, a gifted Christian author and speaker notes, “If we don’t have the hope that Christ is for us then we will be engaged in self-preservation and self-enhancement. But if we let ourselves be taken care of by God for the future — whether five minutes or five centuries from now — then we can be free to love others.”
A worried mind is a self-absorbed mind. And a self-absorbed mind doesn’t have the bandwidth to be mindful of the needs of others. But God says that when we center our mind on Him, we can have peace. Peace that He has us, despite our circumstances. Blessed assurance!
In this stressful time, the world needs all the love we can wrap around it. We have people in our lives who need us to share our hope and peace, to help them find their own. Thanks to the internet, we can even be a force of good in the lives of strangers, perhaps clear around the globe.
Christ is Working ALL Things Out
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him ~ verse 28
There is nothing worse than experiencing long-term limbo. We humans aren’t particularly good at waiting; I think because God hardwired us to be doers. So when we can’t “do,” we lose perspective and meaning. And when meaning exits, so does purpose. Like, what’s the point of even making the bed, brushing our teeth, or showering? What’s the point of getting off the couch to turn off the boob tube?
Here’s why: Because God is working for our good — so we should be working for it, too.
We can choose, because we have a mind governed by the Spirit, to not sink into a dark funk. We’re not stuck here forever. We’re just momentarily stalled on the track of life (yet once again), as we wait for our next train to show up. But what assurance we can have in knowing that Jesus is the conductor.
For sure, COVID-19 containment and isolation stinks. But when we put it into perspective — by comparing our discomfort to the truly evil and bad events in history — we can see that we don’t have it all that bad. We’re not suffering under a dictator. We have not been forced from our homes. We’ve not been caged behind barbed wire. We have access to well-stocked grocery stores and other resources to fill our basic needs. We are free to take walks and run errands. We have Zoom!
Friends, we are not victims. We’re simply inhabitants of a world where bad (and good!) things happen. COVID-19 has given so many people the opportunity to do so much good. Gain hope from seeing that generosity, love, and self-sacrifice! And remember that these actions give us just a glimpse of the goodness and love that are God’s character.
God Works for Our Good, Because He Loves Us
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. ~ verses 38 & 39
For some, it’s a real struggle to believe in a loving God. Perhaps because Christians have let them down, or they were raised by unloving parents, or been taught bad theology that promotes the idea that God primarily focuses on their failings and flaws. They’re unable to do life with the assurance of the above verses.
Do you overeat? He loves you. Addicted to porn? He loves you. Cheat on your taxes? Yell at your kids? Steal supplies from the office? He loves you. Sure, He wants to help you to not do those things — but not by shaming you with condemnation. That’s the devil’s job. Jesus came to give us the assurance of God’s endless grace!
You’ve heard the phrase “No pain, no gain,” right? And you probably hate it, because none of us likes discomfort. But we have to recognize that it’s in our discomfort that we grow. But when we acknowledge God’s goodness in the midst of our pain, we can walk with Him in trustful, hopeful expectation. We can believe that the Creator of all sees and cares about all of our big and little problems.
God will not always give us what we want, but He promises to give us what we need to accomplish His purposes in us and through us. The hard part of this is being okay with how and when and where He chooses to move in our life.
An amazing truth: every person that I know who has turned to God in their darkest moment has come out of it grateful for the deeper relationship forged with Him. The exit their dark valley with the conviction that He is, indeed, with them and for them. They gain strength from the proven assurance of His deep love. They find conviction and purpose and joy in living for Him.
Are you likewise convinced that nothing can separate you from God’s love? If not, be bold: tell Him you want that assurance! God loves that prayer. God delights in showcasing His majesty, for our ultimate good and His glory. Even as He uses hard moments to forge our strength and flex our faith, He wants us to face each day with hope and steady assurance!
Next Steps
Do you want to have a relationship with Jesus? Start here.
Catch up on our Bridging the Gap posts. Have hope!
We invite you to read Josh’s book, More Than a Carpenter , to examine evidence about Jesus.
Sheri writes and edits for Josh McDowell Ministry.
The post Romans 8: Chapter of Assurance appeared first on Josh.org.
April 23, 2020
7 Ways to Minister to Others From a Distance
Healthy relationships are important to our emotional and physical well-being. Especially during a global health crisis like COVID-19, which feels so incredibly isolating. Here are seven ways to safely reach out to encourage and connect with friends, family, neighbors, co-workers — even strangers. Your thoughtful gestures might be just the hope they need to keep going!
If you can think of other ways to brighten the days of others, please share your suggestions in the comments below. We’d love to hear them!
Bridging the Gap 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.
Seven Meaningful Ways to Connect and Minister to Others
>> Schedule video chats. Online apps like Zoom make it possible to bring groups of people together from multiple locations. You can use it for family chats, or to play games with your friends. Or use it to help a schoolmate with his homework. The possibilities are endless with this timely technology.
>> Write handwritten notes. Whether mailed or delivered to someone’s house, handwritten notes are deeply appreciated. The more personal you make your note, the more meaningful it will feel to your recipient.
>> Do helpful tasks. Perhaps mow your neighbor’s yard, or retrieve your neighbor’s trash can after the trash gets picked up. This would even be a great gesture for a neighbor you’ve never met! What a great time to do so.
>> Order online gifts. Order a mug and coffee from your favorite online retailer to be delivered to someone special. You may not be able to meet in person for coffee, but this gift will rock their day. If you can, shop local!
>> Deliver homemade goodies or meals, or grocery shop. What a terrific way to support medical staff working overtime, parents now juggling work and homeschooling, a friend who has lost her job, or a neighbor who lives alone. Want to really blow their minds? Don’t let them pay you for the grocery costs!
>> Publicly display encouragement. You could decorate your yard with homemade signs that shout, “Have a nice day!” or “Stay positive!” Or, if you have chalk, get busy adding positivity to your street or sidewalk! Some people are even tying white bows around their yard trees to show healthcare workers that they are appreciated. Love!
>> Honor special events. It’s discouraging that some of us are having to forgo birthday parties, graduations, and other highly anticipated events. But where there’s a will, there’s a way! Here are just a few ways people have been creatively getting around the imposed social isolation: drive-by birthdays, virtual dates, online proms, weddings, and even this jaw-dropping gesture. Is that amazing, or what?!
Keep these tips in mind:
Be personal. Choose a method that will feel special to your recipient.
Be a good listener. Don’t assume you understand what others are feeling. Ask considerate questions, and listen well.
Respect others’ boundaries. Some people have more fear and stress than others. So however you decide to help and comfort others, respect their boundaries. This will really show that you care!
Remember how hard the social isolation has been on kids. From teacher parades outside of student’s homes, to scavenger hunts for kids to spot teddy bears in home and shop windows, an outpouring of creativity has helped to make this time easier for them. How can you buoy the spirits of kids in your life and neighborhood?
Want to download these tips as a shareable PDF? Click here: 7 Ways to Minister to Others From a Distance.
The post 7 Ways to Minister to Others From a Distance appeared first on Josh.org.
April 20, 2020
Why does God Keep Satan Around?
To answer this question, it helps for us to know about the story of redemption that God began writing since the creation of the world.
Somewhere in history (presumably at the fall, when Adam and Eve first sinned) Satan was given a “legal right” or “dominion” over the earth.
In Ephesians 2:2, Paul talks about Satan, calling him: “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience.”
Certainly, God was still in control. But consider this:
In Luke 4:6-7, Satan shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and tempts Jesus with this offer: “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” (Emphasis mine.)
I don’t think Satan was lying. If he were, Jesus would have known his bluff, and the temptation would not have been legitimate. But then everything changed! Jesus died and rose from the dead, destroying the powers of darkness (Colossians 2:15). He triumphantly declared, “All authority on heaven and earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18).
Yes, Satan continues to exert power — but without authority. His power is illegal.
So why is Satan still around?
This brings us back to the original question: Why does God keep Satan around? Because a much greater plan is unfolding!
God has given the ministry of building His Kingdom to us, the Church. It’s our role, as His sons and daughters, to live for God and exercise His rule in the name of Jesus. Don’t miss this free Mp3 download of Josh’s excellent teaching on the authority God has given you!
Could God instantly end Satan’s power? Sure. But God is maximally glorified as we, His Church, exercise His authority in our fight against the powers of darkness (Ephesians 6:12). All authority has been given to us on heaven and on earth. We can be confidently fervent, knowing the power we hold because of Christ Jesus.
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, who shed His blood for us, Satan is already defeated! Let’s believe it and act like it.
Satan works hard to blind Christians to the authority they hold over him. The bold authority that God delegates to all believers upon their salvation.
We may likely experience great pain during this intense battle. But let your trials serve to heighten your ability to worship God now, and even more when you finally get to see Him face-to-face!
NEXT STEPS
Interested in knowing God personally? Get started with this really good info .
To grow your knowledge of the Bible, read 77 FAQs about God and the Bible by Josh and Sean McDowell.
Also read Josh and Sean’s recently revised apologetics classic, Evidence That Demands a Verdict.
Don’t miss this free Mp3 download of Josh’s excellent teaching on the authority God has given you!
Matthew Tingblad is a communicator at Josh McDowell Ministry with a seminary education from Talbot School of Theology.
The post Why does God Keep Satan Around? appeared first on Josh.org.
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