A Spiritual Workout

by Ryan Duncan

“So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.”- 2 Thessalonians 2:15

In some of my previous devotions I’ve written about my habit of working out during the week, and my time at the gym has taught me a few important lessons. First, never go running after eating Mexican takeout unless you want to experiences some excruciating gastro-intestinal distress. Second, always know what a machine does before you try using it or you may end up looking like a complete idiot. Finally, and most importantly, all exercise takes commitment and perseverance. You see, we live in a world that is obsessed with immediate results.

Don’t believe me? Look at the TV commercials that promise rock hard abs in thirty days, or the diet plans that promise to slim our waistline after a week of light work. We are all looking for an easy way out, but if you really want to become strong and healthy, it takes many days of hard work. The same is true for spiritual workouts, just read 1 Thessalonians 5,

And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. Brothers, pray for us. Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. – 1 Thessalonians 5:14-28.

I don’t know about you but I’m exhausted just reading that passage. Unfortunately, that doesn’t stop it from being true. Save for the grace of God, there are no magical fixes in life. If you want to get physically healthy it means running, dieting, and doing a whole lot of heavy lifting. If you want to become stronger in Christ, you can’t just rely on going to Church each Sunday.

Growing closer to God means forgiving your enemies, encouraging others, and praying continuously day after day. It’s some serious work, and there will be moments when you may get discouraged, but over time when you look back at the things it has allowed God to do in your life, you will know that it was all worth it.

I’ll Forgive You, If …

By: Anne Ferrell Tata, cbn.1

 

“Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 18:18 (NIV)

Catherine Marshall in her 1974 book, Something More, wrote a chapter titled “Forgiveness: The Aughts and the Anys.” The Chapter references Matthew 18:18. Reading this chapter was a game-changer in my life with respect to the relationship between answered prayer and forgiveness.

The chapter addresses our need as Christians to fulfill Christ’s expectation to forgive, period. Like many of us, Catherine Marshall admits to attaching conditions to her forgiveness. She says, “if the other person saw the error of his ways, was properly sorry, and admitted his guilt, then yes, as a Christian, I was obligated to forgive him.”

She soon discovered Jesus’ words in Mark 11 said something entirely different. Jesus said,

“And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” Mark 11:25(KJV)

“Any” meant anybody and everybody. Catherine Marshall’s commentary on this truth is fascinating as she unpacks the notion of our prayers being hindered by our un-forgiveness.

She references South African-born minister David du Plessis’ explanation of the Matthew 18 verse. He explains that when we hang on to judgment of another person, we bind that person to the very conditions we want to see changed. By our un-forgiveness, we stand between that person and the Holy Spirit’s work in convicting and ultimately helping him.

Dr. du Plessis says, “By stepping out of the way through releasing somebody from our judgment, we’re not necessarily saying, ‘He’s right and I’m wrong.’ Forgiveness means, ‘He can be as wrong as wrong can be, but I’ll not be the judge.’ Forgiveness means that I’m no longer binding a certain person on earth. It means withholding judgment.”

A Biblical example is from Acts 7 when Stephen was being stoned to death. Saul of Tarsus stood watching, holding the garments of the witnesses. The Bible tells us Stephen’s response to his attack is one of forgiveness,

“Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” Acts 7:60 (HCSV).

Just two chapters later, Saul is on his way to Damascus when he encounters Jesus, and his world is turned upside down. Stephen, by releasing the group from his judgment stepped out of the way, therefore allowing the Holy Spirit to work.

After reading the “Aught Against Any” chapter, I applied this principle to my own life. Like Catherine Marshall, I systematically released my “aughts against all the anys” in my life, and the result was incredible. I have many examples, but I will share one involving one of our daughters. I realized I was holding on to resentment about decisions she was making while away at college. It was causing strain on our relationship. I tried talking to her. I prayed. I sought Godly counsel. Nothing worked. After reading this chapter, I confessed my judgment. I actually prayed the prayer Catherine Marshall suggested, “Lord, I release (name) from my judgment. Forgive me that I may have bound her and hampered Your work by judging. Now I step out of the way so that Heaven can go into action for (name).”

It wasn’t long before our daughter called to share she had met a few Christian friends and started attending a Bible Study. I watched her grow in her faith. Over time, our relationship healed. I did what was required of me as her mother. I loved her, and I prayed and released her.

Jesus tells us in John 16:8 that the Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin which was not and never was our job. Our job is to love and leave room for the Holy Spirit to work.

I encourage you to apply this principle in your life!

Hidden Treasure

by Dave Johnson

Money may not buy happiness, but we’d all like to find hidden treasure! Yet are we looking in the right place? How do we discover what’s truly valuable in life?

Treasure found

In November of 1992, a farmer near Suffolk, England, lost a hammer. He felt he had lost it somewhere in the fields of his farm; so after an unsuccessful search, he asked a friend who owned a metal detector for some help.

The search with the metal detector uncovered some silver tableware—and some ancient coins. So they notified the authorities, and an archaeological team came in to excavate the site.

When the excavation was complete, nearly 15,000 Roman coins from the fourth and fifth centuries had been recovered, along with silver tableware. The assessed value in 1993 was about 1.75 million pounds (approximately $3.5 million)! The value in today’s currency would be considerably more.

Treasure lost

The story of Jesse Lauriston Livermore has a far different outcome. Jesse Livermore was a financial trader and investor during the early 20th century. He made most of his money by using a trading technique called “short selling.” Essentially, when a trader expects the market to go down, he can borrow shares and sell them while the price is high. He hopes that by the time he has to return the shares he will be able to purchase them at a lower price so he can make a profit.

Livermore made about $3 million using this method during a market panic in 1907. This fortune, however, pales when compared to the fortune he made during the great market crash of 1929.

In the months leading up to the crash of October 1929, Livermore noticed market conditions he felt were similar to those in 1907. He began short selling stocks and continued to build on those market positions. After the market crash was complete, Livermore was worth around $100 million. After accounting for inflation, that fortune would be worth much more than $1 billion in today’s dollars!

But by 1934, Jesse Livermore was bankrupt. We don’t know exactly how the fortune was lost, but we do know he continued to trade the market after 1929, and he suffered the second of two divorces in 1932.

Livermore slipped into a clinical depression from which he never recovered during the late 1930s. On Nov. 28, 1940, at the age of 63, he committed suicide in a hotel room in New York City.

What about the rest of us?

Though stories of treasures found and fortunes lost aren’t that uncommon, most of us experience neither of those extremes during the course of our lives. But we all face decisions about what we will value in life. Perhaps we are also sitting on a hidden treasure—or in danger of losing one.

If something isn’t lasting, how valuable is it? Even if we manage to achieve or inherit a fortune in this lifetime, we can’t “take it with us,” as the saying goes. Any fortune, no matter how large, becomes worthless to its owner on the day of his or her death.When determining what is truly valuable in life, consider the relationship between time and value. If something isn’t lasting, how valuable is it? Even if we manage to achieve or inherit a fortune in this lifetime, we can’t “take it with us,” as the saying goes. Any fortune, no matter how large, becomes worthless to its owner on the day of his or her death.

Time and treasure

Jesus Christ had some advice for those in His day about what makes something truly valuable: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).

Jesus was describing the ways riches were acquired and measured in His day, as well as the ways those riches could commonly be lost.

Garments could be very valuable in those times, especially if they were acquired by trading and brought by ships from foreign lands. Garments, though, could be destroyed by moths. Valuables might also be represented by coins or precious metals. Those same coins and metals were subject to becoming corroded or defaced. It was common for treasure to be buried in fields or hidden in houses. In both cases, thieves could discover and carry away the treasure.

(What did Jesus Christ mean when He said “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven”? Learn more about this in the articles on the Life, Hope & Truth website titled “What Is Heaven?” and “Do We Go to Heaven When We Die?”)

Today, we have many other ways to acquire and measure wealth, along with several new ways to lose that wealth. But the basic principles remain the same.

The book of Hebrews gives similar advice about the enduring nature of true treasure. The author sought to encourage these early New Testament Christians who had experienced many trials. He wrote: “But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated; for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven” (Hebrews 10:32-34).

Both of these biblical passages tell us that something truly valuable lasts beyond the human lifetime. Both statements tell us that true treasure merits more of our time and effort than temporary riches.

What is a real treasure worth?

Jesus had further words of wisdom concerning what true treasure—treasure that lasts beyond a lifetime—is worth. Notice Matthew 13:44: “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”

The image again is of the practice of that time: burying treasure in a field. The treasure that is described here, though, is worth everything a person owns.

The parable that immediately follows contains the same message: “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it” (Matthew 13:45-46).

The “kingdom of heaven” is described as the real treasure—a treasure worth more than we can possess in this lifetime. The analogy in the parables is one of trading personal valuables for lasting treasure. The lesson is that seeking the Kingdom of God should be the No. 1 priority in our lives (Matthew 6:33).

Supernatural Power for Those Who Don’t Fit In

JARED C. WILSON, crosswalk.com

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13(CSB)

The young man approached me with tears in his eyes.

I’d spoken about God’s amazing love for us and how His love gives us freedom to walk humbly and confidently amid life’s difficulties. I shared my personal story of always feeling like an “alien” no matter where I lived and my perpetual wrestling under a shadow of assumed disapproval and exclusion.

He approached me cautiously. He said he knew God loved him but struggled … because he didn’t believe anyone else did.

Can you relate? The gospel he heard intellectually was not what he knew experientially. Although he was aware of God’s grace, his world still seemed steeped in a climate of measurement and merit.

I asked about his relationships to discern if perhaps he was in an abusive situation of some kind. He shared he just didn’t feel like he belonged anywhere. He identified with my testimony of always feeling like I don’t quite fit in. Maybe you do, too.

Growing up, he was immersed in a shame-based culture. Family and church relationships were inauthentic and superficial because nobody felt free to open themselves to criticism or stand out from the crowd.

Achievement and accomplishment were key, and anyone who fell short was treated as a failure. This pressure, coupled with a lack of affection and encouragement, had taken its toll.

Then he left for college. While he hoped things would change in a new environment, he found himself alienated again. An intellectual and theological sort, he considered most of his peers disinterested in deep discussions and thoughtful debates. Nobody read many books that weren’t assigned or seemed too concerned about the deep things of God.

This young man never had someone close enough to be his “me too” kind of friend — his young life was marked by solitude, grief and loneliness.

I understood all too well and followed the Spirit’s prompting to suggest he try reorienting his perspective. “Is it possible,” I asked, “that you enter every potential relationship wondering how that person might satisfy your need for companionship and solve your need to be loved?”

He agreed it wasn’t just possible, he was most definitely doing that. Influenced by his loneliness, without trying, he’d become the relational sponge in small groups, the hangdog sad sack at fellowships and the “Debbie Downer” among the few friends he still had.

This young man’s felt needs became his relational operating system, so he treated others like they existed primarily to show him love. This became a self-perpetuating cycle. If the primary way you relate to others is to get love from them, you’ll always be dissatisfied, because nobody can love you like God can.

If anything, recognizing his self-centeredness should have made him feel less alone, as we’ve all done relationships this way (since the fall of mankind!). We’re not alone. We’re all self-focused together! We seek in others what we can only find in God. Consequently, we never quite feel loved, and eventually, the people we want love from end up feeling used.

Christians want to be channels of the Holy Spirit at work in the world. We can’t do that, however, if we’re constantly worried about having others meet our needs. When we realize the Holy Spirit has already filled our cup through the gospel of Jesus, we begin to see ourselves more as need-meeters than need-takers.

Overflowing. Just like we see in Romans 15:13 … “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Of course, no amount of spiritual perspective makes the wrongs people do to us right, or the hurtful things they say to us OK. But following the Spirit’s counsel through these complex interactions can affect how we interpret, process and respond. Watching the Holy Spirit apply the Bible in our hearts is how we end up supernaturally loving our enemies and blessing those who persecute us.

When we’re filled with God’s Spirit, we worry less about fitting in and more about pouring out.

The Hope Of Christ's Return

From: jesuseconomy.org

Jesus is coming again. This incredible hope should prompt us to be people dedicated to making our world a better place—to the service of Jesus.

Read 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18. Reflect on 1 Thessalonians 4:16–18:

“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words” (ESV).

The great controversy surrounding this passage—and the arguments for or against the “rapture”—has led many people to lose sight of what this passage is all about. It’s about Jesus coming again as victor—to fully inaugurate his reign. And the theme of the overall book—how Christians should live for Jesus—suggests that Paul speaks of this matter to both inform and inspire the Thessalonian Christians. He actually makes this point clear in 1 Thessalonians 4:18: “Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

Paul’s point is not to create controversy or arguments—or to make it so that we can know precisely what will happen, in what order, upon Jesus’ return. Paul’s point is encouragement. And this encouragement is rooted in what is often overlooked in this passage—the resurrection of the dead.

First Thessalonians 4:13–15 shows that explaining the resurrection of the dead is Paul’s aim. Jesus’ return will bring about the resurrection of the dead. Thus, we do not need to worry for Christians who have died. This is Paul’s encouragement: Christ is victor over all of this world and all of this life, including death.

Resurrection glory will come to all who believe (compare 1 Corinthians 15:52–55; Daniel 12:2). Jesus’ resurrection makes it possible for all who believe to be resurrected.

Furthermore, 1 Thessalonians 4:16–18 shows the power of Jesus over evil. When Jesus arrives to earth as King, in all his glory, believers will be forcibly united with Jesus—evil forces will not be able to stop this action.

Jesus’ victory cannot be stopped. It should inspire us to take actions on Jesus’ behalf. It should make us believe that we can do all things through Jesus (Philippians 4:12–15). It should make us love more fully and truly—for love is what mends God’s plans together. Upon the clouds as victor Jesus will come.

In what ways does Jesus’ return inspire you and comfort you? What actions is God asking you to take today—on his behalf?

The Privilege of Serving the Lord

K. T. C. Morris, Southampton, .preciousseed.org

What a privilege it is to serve the Lord Jesus Christ! He Himself assures us, “if any man serve me, him will my Father honour”. The apostle John similarly says that in the coming day, “his servants shall serve him: and they shall see his face”. John is speaking of slaves bought with a price and who have served their Lord out of love responsive to His. They will have two privileges. They will continue to render Him priestly service, and will also have the high honour of unrestricted access to the holy presence of the King; cf. Esther 1.14.

The word “servant” is first used in the Scriptures in connection with the curse upon Canaan: “a servant of servants shall he be”. What is implied is a place of inferiority to his brethren, and a lack of liberty as a result of sin. To the Creator every creature must necessarily be inferior, and the liberty which God gives must necessarily be limited to the doing of His holy will. The Lord Jesus says, “If the Son there­fore shall make you free ye shall be free indeed”; that is, free to follow Him, free to serve Him. To serve the living and true God is not slavery, but true liberty; it is not a thing of shame, but an outstanding honour. Consider how God appreciates His servants. When appearing to Israel He promises him blessing “for my servant Abra­ham’s sake”. Reproving Aaron and Miriam He says, “wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?”. He promises pro­tection to Jerusalem “for my servant David’s sake”, and exclaims, “Thou art my servant, 0 Israel, in whom I will be glorified”, Isa. 49. 3.

“Behold My Servant”. To enable us to serve God acceptably, the Scriptures give us not only explicit instructions but picture after picture of the perfect Servant, our Lord Jesus Christ. “Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth”, Isa. 42. 1-4. As our attention is directed to the perfections of God’s Servant, we find in the four­fold description that is given us an example for all who would be ack­nowledged by God as His servants. First we read, “I have put my spirit upon him”. Christ did not embark upon His public ministry until He had been anointed by the Holy Spirit at His baptism. So our service, like our Lord’s, must be directed by, and empowered by, the Holy Spirit of God. The Lord Jesus promised that after His glorifica­tion everyone who believes in Him would be given the Holy Spirit within him to flow out like a stream to others. This is enlarged upon in later scrip­tures, John 7. 38-39; Acts 1. 8; 2 Cor. 1. 21 -22; Eph. 1.13. But the fact that we have been anointed with the Spirit is not sufficient. We must be careful that there is nothing to grieve him in our private life or in our business life, particularly in our feelings towards our fellow-men, Eph. 4. 30. Then, having “no confidence in the flesh”, we can count on the power of the Holy Spirit of God.

Apostasy In America

“They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us” (1 John 2:19a).

– 1 John 2:19

One of the greatest problems for those of us who affirm the perseverance of the saints is the fact of apostasy. All of us know at least one person who made a profession of faith but then later fell away and, at least from what we can see, never returned.

The reality of apostasy, the falling away from one’s profession of faith, is nothing new. It was even a danger during the apostolic age. Paul, for example, names Hymenaeus and Alexander as two men who had made shipwreck of their faith (1 Tim. 1:18–20).

It is certainly possible for professing Christians to fall away from faith. Determining whether this apostasy can be true of genuine Christians, however, requires that we ask two important questions:

1. Is the fall away from faith final or temporary? Just because someone appears to be fallen now, does not mean that his fall is permanent. All of us have known people who fall away for a season but then are later restored to faith. The New Testament teaching on church discipline (Matt. 18:15–20; 1 Cor. 5:3–5) indicates that discipline is undertaken with the hope of restoring the one who has fallen into sin. Keep in mind that it took a year before David repented over his sin with Bathsheba. These things indicate that a person who seems to have fallen away permanently may not have done so in actuality. When we see someone fall, it is not necessarily a final and permanent fall.

2. In the case where the fall is apparently permanent, is the person who fell someone who possessed true faith or someone who only professed faith? It is important to remember that just because someone claims to be saved, it does not mean they really are. Several passages in the New Testament (most notably, the parable of the soils) indicate that people who fall away are people who only professed faith outwardly. First John 2:19 is especially clear that those who are true members of God’s family are not the ones who fall away permanently.

These questions remind us of one important thing: we can never be sure of the state of another person’s heart. Only God can truly see the heart. There are some around us who claim to be saved but are not. There are some who appear to have fallen away finally but will yet be restored. When we get to heaven, we may just be surprised to see who was truly saved and who was really not (Matt. 7:21–23).

Coram Deo

Apostasy from the new covenant is a real and dangerous possibility. Members of the covenant community that do not have saving faith will receive harsher punishment than those unbelievers who never joined a church (Luke 12:35–48). If a church confers membership on unrepentant individuals, those responsible are only adding to their punishment.