Hope and Healing Are on the Horizon

All the way around shall be eighteen thousand cubits; and the name of the city from that day shall be: THE LORD IS THERE. Ezekiel 48:35

Do you want to get to Heaven someday? I'm sure your answer is yes, but why do you want to get there?

I imagine that there are a lot of different answers that people would give to that ques-

tion. Some people want to get to Heaven because they think all their loved ones will be there. They're sad that their loved ones have died and they want to be reunited with them.

Or some people know that Heaven is a place where pain and death are no more, where every tear is wiped away, and where sickness and disease aren't even a memory. With good reason, every person who has experienced pain, sickness, or loss in this world (i.e. everyone) would want to go to Heaven for these reasons.

For many Christians, there is yet another reason we look forward to Heaven. Reaching Heaven means that all fleshly struggles are over and that we enter the everlasting joy of an undivided existence. We'll never have to ask whether something is right or wrong again, because there will never be any sin in Heaven.

There is one more reason we should want to go to Heaven, and it is that the Lord is there. A lot of us might be afraid of that part of Heaven-that God is there-but here's why it's good: He's the reason for everything else that's good in Heaven.

God is the One who will wipe away our tears, heal our diseases, set us free from sin and death forever, and take away all our sorrows. More than that, Psalms tells us that in His presence is the fullness of joy!

But it's important for us to begin living for Jesus here and now, and I'll tell you why-the only way to Heaven is through Him. We can't get to Heaven just because we want to. We only get there because we believe in Jesus, letting Him take away our sins and give us everlasting life in return.

It's a good trade, I'm telling you, but it's not one that everyone will make. In fact, I have to warn you-those loved ones you long to see in Heaven, you'll only see them there if they believed in Jesus.

Heaven is a wonderful place, as the song says, but the best part about it-and the only way to get there-is Jesus.

Prayer Lord Jesus,

Thank You for offering me life in Heaven forever! I want to go to Heaven, and I know You're the only way to get there. Please save me from my sins and save all my loved ones, too, so that we may all experience the wonders of You in Heaven together!

Amen

Better Christians

Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart, and so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man. Proverbs 3:3-4

What did your daddy teach you growing up? Many dads teach their children the manly things in life, like how to skip stones, tie fishing knots, or change a car's oil. We can remember back to those moments with our dads and hear their voice calling out to us today, And whatever you do, don't forget to _________.

Our verses for today are this kind of statement. It is a father's words to his son, saying, Above all else, do this. Within this father's command we find a conundrum, for he tells us to bind both mercy and truth around our necks, to write them on our hearts.

I don't know about you, but the last time I checked, mercy requires us to move past the truths of harmful things people have done. In order to grant someone mercy, we have to acknowledge that painful truth, but then move past it. How is this supposed to work?

Actually, it works a lot like simple addition. Think about the equation 2+3=5. Two is a fact. Three is a fact. But both two and three together create a different fact altogether.

Let's say that the two is something terrible that you or someone else has done, and the three is mercy, granted either by God to you or by you to that someone else. Both the truth of the terrible action and the mercy are real, but here is where I think most of us think about it the wrong way.

We think of the mercy as a negative instead of a positive in a mathematical sense (2[sin]()2[mercy]()=0), meaning that the mercy takes away from the terrible act, working to cover up the truth of what happened. In reality, this is not the way mercy works, for mercy comes upon a terrible deed and transforms it into a completely new reality. Without the three, the two would never have become a five.

Or to say it a different way-You (sinner) + Mercy = You (saint). When God added His mercy to your life, He broke you out of the truth-prison in which you had been bound and set you free into a greater reality than you could have ever accessed without it.

It does the same thing for the people around us when we grant them mercy. It does not simply cover up the truth of what they have done; it goes beyond that to transform them into something new.

Who can you give mercy to today?

Prayer Lord Jesus,

Thank You for giving me mercy through the cross! Help me to understand truth and mercy and to choose to give mercy to the people around me.

Amen

Better Families

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother,' which is the first commandment with a promise: that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.' And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. Ephesians 6:1-4

Think carefully before you answer this question. Are you ready? Alright, then tell me, who is in charge of your home?

I could almost hear several of you say, Jesus. Technically, this should be the correct answer, but here's the problem that a lot of our households have-Jesus left your household in your care, so while you should be taking directions from Him, you are supposed to be in charge.

As a pastor, I see lots of families, and it amazes me how many parents somehow forgot they are in charge of their kids. I watch as the parents tell their kids to do something and then tolerate their child ignoring them. Parents and future parents, hear me now-you are in charge of your kids!

There is rank within the home, and while this is a huge revelation for a lot of people, you need to understand something more. You need to understand why your children should obey you.

Yes, because the Bible tells them to. Again, you're right, but why did God write that in the Bible? He had a purpose behind the words or He would not have said them.

Our verses today give us two answers to this question. First, God promises to bless children who honor their parents, causing things to go well with them and granting them a long life. Second, because you as parents-and, fathers, you go first in this-you have a mission to accomplish! God has given you your children and He doesn't want you to waste them!

Raise your children in the training and admonition of the Lord. This does not mean to simply teach them about God; it means to train them in His ways. Anyone can study a sport and the athletes who do it the best, but only those who train at the sport become successful athletes. In the same way, anyone can become a knowledgeable theologian, but only those who train in the pursuit of God will become strong Christians.

The trick is that your children have to honor and obey you as an athlete does his or her coach in order for you to train them. You have to be in charge or you cannot train them.

Do you want your children to walk with the Lord? Then be in charge and use your authority to gently train your children in the ways of God.

Prayer Father God,

Thank You that You are the perfect parent! I want to know the way that You parent us as Your children so that I can be a better parent to my children. Please train me, so that I can train my children!

Amen

Resolved: Fighting the Good Fight

Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear, but your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear...they have made themselves crooked paths; whoever takes that way shall not know peace. Isaiah 59:1-2,8

Have you ever been there? You know, you, or maybe someone leading you, are going someplace you've never been before and the conversation goes something like:

Just stop and ask for directions!

No, I know where I am. We'll find our road just around the next bend, I'm sure.

Finally, by the time you both agree that you are hopelessly lost, you are both deeply irritated.

All of us have been in this scenario at some point in our lives, though maybe not with another person. We have all been there because we have all done this to God.

No, I'm going to go my own way; it's better, really! Right. How did that work out for you?

The truth is that going our own way never brings a good result. It is a crooked way that robs us of peace. And this is especially true in marriage.

If you have ever tried to do marriage your own way, then you are failing 100 percent of the time because marriage only works when two people lay down their lives for the benefit of their spouse.

Are you seeking your own way in your marriage, or are you seeking God's way? Are you walking a straight way, or a crooked way? Are you on a way of peace, or a way of conflict?

Whichever way you are on today, I'm sure you know. You know by how peaceful your household is and how much you have conflict. All of us will have conflict in our marriages, but it should not be every day.

The good news is that, no matter how much conflict you have in your marriage, there is hope, because God's arm is never too short to save. All it takes is for us to repent, changing our mind about the way we're going to do things, and choosing to do things His way instead of a crooked way.

Prayer Lord God,

I admit that You have the best plan for marriages, and I need help. Please reach out and save my marriage from the crooked path it's on and put it on Your path of peace!

Amen

A Better Finish

Tychicus, a beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me. I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that he may know your circumstances and comfort your hearts. Colossians 4:7-8

What are you good at? No, I didn't ask you what you are good for; I asked you what you are good at.

Think about your life and find something that you do well, then think back and remember how you became good at that thing. Were you able to figure it out yourself? Did you read a book and master it with a little practice? Or was there someone else who helped you, showing you how to do it?

Chances are very good that, if you really are good at something, someone else had to help you get there. It's just too easy for us to read something and get a mental understanding of the subject, yet lack the practical ability to do what we have learned.

I remember this debate in college as the students looked among the professors for the ones who had actually done the stuff they taught about. They did not want to learn from someone who taught theory; they wanted to learn from someone who had tested theory with practice and could teach from experience.

But our learning goes beyond even this. Sitting under someone with experience is great, but nothing compares to walking with them through the methods they use and submitting ourselves to their hand, letting them craft our own methods after theirs until we, too, are masters.

This is real discipleship, and it's why Paul was not content to just send his letter to the Colossians. He wanted to send it with someone who could demonstrate the things about which he wrote. He wanted to send it with someone who could take the theoretical and make it practical, who could transform students of a letter into disciples of a Way.

Do you have someone in your life who can do this for you? What person has that place in your life, demonstrating the what's, why's, and how's of the Christian life, discipling you into the image of Christ?

And for whom are you doing this? Who are your disciples?

We have a responsibility to learn from others and to find others who will learn from us. This is how the kingdom of God will grow, and how we become more than students-this is how we become disciples.

Prayer Father God,

Thank You for giving us examples of discipleship in Your Word! I want to have those kinds of relationships in my life, but I am not sure how to build them. Please help me to find the right people, and use me to build Your kingdom!

Amen

Vision Testing

So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything. And he looked up and said, I see men like trees, walking.' Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everything clearly. Mark 8:23-25

It is a good idea for us to regularly visit the eye doctor to make sure our eyes are healthy. It is an even better idea for us to daily check our spiritual eyes to make sure that our vision is clear.

When Jesus ministered to the blind man in these verses, the healing came as the blind man looked up. We must do the same thing to be sure that our vision is clear we must look up to God and examine whether our vision is in line with Him.

How do you do that? Here are four tips that will help you.

First, our vision cannot go against what God has already revealed in His Word. God will never guide us somewhere that contradicts His Word or His character, no exceptions.

Second, use common sense. God did not give us this gift just so He could contradict it every time He led us somewhere. When we use the brains God gave us then our vision will stay on track as we move closer to fulfilling them.

Third, for our vision to truly be of God, it must require faith. This is huge, and I want you to see how faith does not contradict common sense. Faith means to have vision for your life that is big enough you cannot do it alone. It means you will need God's help. It means to dream big, not to dream crazy.

Fourth, if your vision is of God, then He will provide for it. This will require leaps of faith where you count the cost, yet jump anyway. It means being a faithful steward of what we have, all the while knowing that it is God who provides for us to take the next step.

These tips will help you to look up and keep your vision clear.

Prayer Lord Jesus,

Thank You for Your vision for my life! Please help me to see clearly what Your vision for my life is and to use wisdom in following You.

Amen

Knowing God's Plan

The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. Isaiah 11:1-2

God wants us to understand Him-how wild is that!

This is why He reveals Himself to us. He does this in many ways, most of all through Jesus. Our verses today tell us quite a bit about Jesus, showing us what it meant that God filled Him with the Holy Spirit.

First, Jesus had the Spirit of the LORD-the very Spirit of God. This was fulfilled when the Spirit descended upon Jesus when He was baptized, and it's significant for us today because Jesus promised that the exact same thing would happen to us.

Second, Jesus had the Spirit of wisdom. Wisdom is knowledge applied-it's what to do with what you know. This is how Jesus always knew just the right way to answer every difficult situation He faced.

Third, Jesus had the Spirit of understanding. Can't you just see this one all the way through Jesus' ministry? He was always hanging out with the drunkards and sinners-because He understood, and so He had compassion on them. He still understands us today and still works to save us.

Fourth, Jesus had the Spirit of counsel. Do you need some advice? Jesus has the counsel-the Spirit of counsel, which is one of the characteristics of the Holy Spirit who lives in you. Ask Him and let Him counsel you today.

Fifth, Jesus had the Spirit of might. Jesus won the greatest victory of all time in His death and resurrection, defeating all the unseen forces of evil. His Spirit is mighty in us to walk in this victory.

Sixth, Jesus had the Spirit of knowledge. He knows everything! Surely, we can trust Him with anything and everything.

Seventh, Jesus had the Spirit of the fear of the Lord. The role of this aspect of the Holy Spirit is to bring a respect and honor toward the Lord, what He says, and His role in our lives. Jesus had all seven of these active in His life, but then He gave His Spirit to us, which means the Holy Spirit is all of these things for us, too.

Come understand God, and let Him be who He is in your life.

Prayer Holy Spirit,

Thank You for all that You do in my life! I invite You to come and manifest these seven aspects of who You are in my life. Come and have Your way in me!

Amen