This time I decided to compose a heartfelt podcast.
You can listen to it by copying this link into your browser.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2241585529208321&id=100000706886157
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Three Perspectives for the Week
1. My 1st Perspective concerns 1 Peter 1:3 which says "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead!"
Through a Youversion bible study I was directed to use this verse as a starting point for prayer. So often we begin our prayers with all our requests for ourselves and others. Instead, why don't we begin with praising God, righting acknowledging his great mercy? This will give us a better mindset as we present our needs, desires and requests to God.
2. The most meaningful verse for me lately, also in 1 Peter, is chapter 5: 6-7. Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
As we live out God's will in our lives we are going to have to go through some uncomfortable things. We have to humble ourselves and trust God's plan for our lives is better than our own. And whenever we feel weighed down by our daily burdens, we should always remember that we can cast them on Jesus whenever we choose to.
3. Finally, make sure you are getting into God's Word on a daily basis. I gained the knowledge for the 1st 2 Perspectives from material I read completing Youversion devotionals on their Bible app. I work on 2 simultaneously because most take only 5 minutes a day. I owe more time to God than that! For more serious study, check out the Blue Letter Bible, which is loaded with commentaries from many different Christian authors and theologians, along with a helpful concordance. And of course, there's are the good classic printed Bible along with a devotional book. Whatever you choose I greatly encourage to discover the wealth of wisdom, encouragement, and comfort found within God's Word. How else will you find out, as Paul says in Ephesians 3:14-15, "how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God?"
I hope these Perspectives were beneficial to you and I pray you would put them into practice.
Through a Youversion bible study I was directed to use this verse as a starting point for prayer. So often we begin our prayers with all our requests for ourselves and others. Instead, why don't we begin with praising God, righting acknowledging his great mercy? This will give us a better mindset as we present our needs, desires and requests to God.
2. The most meaningful verse for me lately, also in 1 Peter, is chapter 5: 6-7. Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
As we live out God's will in our lives we are going to have to go through some uncomfortable things. We have to humble ourselves and trust God's plan for our lives is better than our own. And whenever we feel weighed down by our daily burdens, we should always remember that we can cast them on Jesus whenever we choose to.
3. Finally, make sure you are getting into God's Word on a daily basis. I gained the knowledge for the 1st 2 Perspectives from material I read completing Youversion devotionals on their Bible app. I work on 2 simultaneously because most take only 5 minutes a day. I owe more time to God than that! For more serious study, check out the Blue Letter Bible, which is loaded with commentaries from many different Christian authors and theologians, along with a helpful concordance. And of course, there's are the good classic printed Bible along with a devotional book. Whatever you choose I greatly encourage to discover the wealth of wisdom, encouragement, and comfort found within God's Word. How else will you find out, as Paul says in Ephesians 3:14-15, "how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God?"
I hope these Perspectives were beneficial to you and I pray you would put them into practice.
Tuesday, September 18, 2018
Jonathan's Perspective on The Rock
Are you feeling happy today? Whether you answered yes or no, think about the top reasons in your mind as to why you feel that way. Your first response to that consideration tells a lot about what you base your happiness on.
Every one of us, whether young or old, trust in something to make us happy. For some it could be about money, relying on the assurance that they have a stable bank account to fall back on. For others it could be their health, throwing themselves into exercise programs to get their bodies into a reliable condition that they can depend on. I'm sure many would say they place their trust in people who love them, having confidence that they will be there for them when times get tough.
However, every single one of those foundations are fragile, crumbling swiftly and without warning. Your source of employment can vanish, or unexpected, sizable expenses can drain your bank account. An illness or injury can rob you of the energy and vitality that was once coursing through your body. And we all know our loved ones aren't perfect. They can annoy us, disappoint us, or even wrong us. What can we do in such a transient world in which everything material that we tend to put our trust in vanishes so quickly?
The best place to turn when you realize that, is to the arms of God, who the Bible sometimes refers to as The Rock. "Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal" (Isaiah 26:4). A rock is a strong, firm foundation upon which you can plant your foot confidently. Even more than that, God, loving and eternal, will never change. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). That reassuring fact means that when we remember the love God and His Son Jesus Christ have shown us in the past, we can be sure that He will continue to love us.
I have received a deep and steadfast love from Him, especially when I trust in Him. He has shown his grace and mercy to me, revealing his true nature. "Truly He is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will never be shaken" (Psalm 62:2). As long as I don't fail to remember who I know Him to be, I can call out to him confidently whenever I am in need. "From the ends of the earth I call to you; I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the Rock that is higher than I" (Psalm 61:2).
When we are led to the Rock, we ought to build our lives on the eternal, immovable foundation we find there. It is a secure, trustworthy place that can support us through the fiercest storms of life.
Recall the famous parable told by Jesus about building a house on a stable foundation. “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash” (Matthew 7:24-27).
Jesus Christ, God in human likeness, said this at the end of a series of teachings on what the behavior of true believers should look like. At the end of the 7th chapter of Matthew, it says the crowd who heard this message was amazed at the authority and power of his preaching. In the light of that, we should indeed put His words into practice, knowing we can trust in the truth of Jesus' words.
Furthermore, let us not only build our house on the Rock, but let's make sure we don't move our house back onto the shifting sands of what this world has to offer. "Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life" (Jude 1:21).
To paraphrase Hebrews 6:11, let us remain diligent for however long God permits us to live on the Earth, in order for us to receive all the good things He has promised us in the life to come.
Every one of us, whether young or old, trust in something to make us happy. For some it could be about money, relying on the assurance that they have a stable bank account to fall back on. For others it could be their health, throwing themselves into exercise programs to get their bodies into a reliable condition that they can depend on. I'm sure many would say they place their trust in people who love them, having confidence that they will be there for them when times get tough.
However, every single one of those foundations are fragile, crumbling swiftly and without warning. Your source of employment can vanish, or unexpected, sizable expenses can drain your bank account. An illness or injury can rob you of the energy and vitality that was once coursing through your body. And we all know our loved ones aren't perfect. They can annoy us, disappoint us, or even wrong us. What can we do in such a transient world in which everything material that we tend to put our trust in vanishes so quickly?
The best place to turn when you realize that, is to the arms of God, who the Bible sometimes refers to as The Rock. "Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal" (Isaiah 26:4). A rock is a strong, firm foundation upon which you can plant your foot confidently. Even more than that, God, loving and eternal, will never change. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). That reassuring fact means that when we remember the love God and His Son Jesus Christ have shown us in the past, we can be sure that He will continue to love us.
I have received a deep and steadfast love from Him, especially when I trust in Him. He has shown his grace and mercy to me, revealing his true nature. "Truly He is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will never be shaken" (Psalm 62:2). As long as I don't fail to remember who I know Him to be, I can call out to him confidently whenever I am in need. "From the ends of the earth I call to you; I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the Rock that is higher than I" (Psalm 61:2).
When we are led to the Rock, we ought to build our lives on the eternal, immovable foundation we find there. It is a secure, trustworthy place that can support us through the fiercest storms of life.
Recall the famous parable told by Jesus about building a house on a stable foundation. “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash” (Matthew 7:24-27).
Jesus Christ, God in human likeness, said this at the end of a series of teachings on what the behavior of true believers should look like. At the end of the 7th chapter of Matthew, it says the crowd who heard this message was amazed at the authority and power of his preaching. In the light of that, we should indeed put His words into practice, knowing we can trust in the truth of Jesus' words.
Furthermore, let us not only build our house on the Rock, but let's make sure we don't move our house back onto the shifting sands of what this world has to offer. "Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life" (Jude 1:21).
To paraphrase Hebrews 6:11, let us remain diligent for however long God permits us to live on the Earth, in order for us to receive all the good things He has promised us in the life to come.
Tuesday, September 4, 2018
Jonathan's Perspective on the Answer to Anxiety
Many people deal with anxiety on a daily basis and I am certainly not immune to worries that can weigh me down. Speaking from recent experience, holding onto my worries has led me to moments of despair. Those are not fun places to be and should be avoided at all costs to protect the mental health of both yourself and those around you. The only lasting solution is found in the conscious act of placing your worries on the shoulders of the God who made you.
A passage that has given me clear insight into this issue was 1 Peter 5:6-7. "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." I came across this passage in the Answering Anxiety devotional on the Youversion Bible app and I will be using some of the material from that study to "unpack", as my Pastor would say, the truths within.
God's mighty hand is His sovereign will over all of creation. I am grateful His will is decidedly benevolent toward me as a follower of Christ. That incredible blessing assures me that He will indeed "lift me up in due time." When I hear that phrase, in view of my declining health, I instantly think of God's promise to take me to Heaven one day. Oh, the joy I feel when I imagine that arrival. I will be able to walk again, unencumbered by any impairment. I will lift my hands in praise and shout for joy to my God and Savior, Jesus Christ! Enjoying all the beauty of Heaven will be wonderful as well.
The latter verse contains an instruction that is relevant every day. The following explanation was contained in the Answering Anxiety devotional on the Youversion Bible app.
"What does it mean to cast our cares upon God? The same word translated “casting” is used in Luke 19:35, when Jesus was about to enter Jerusalem, and the disciples had obtained a colt. They brought it to Jesus, and they threw their cloaks on it. This is a transfer, just like throwing a blanket onto something.
You gather up all the things that are troubling you right now – you bag them up, you throw them onto the Lord." (1)
This process is not easy and involves daily action on our part to purposefully surrender our cares and worries to God. I say it isn't easy because of our all too human tendency to temporarily throw our burndens onto the Lord only to take them back again. We must battle against this temptation with steadfast effort and why wouldn't we? When we choose to take our worries and place them back on our shoulders, we are basically saying, "God, I can handle these better than you can." Really? Can we honestly think our limited power and short-sighted view on the future gives us better ability to handle these things than our Sovereign God who holds the future in the palm of His Hand? Once we humble ourselves by acknowledging the obvious answer to that question we gain fuel for a daily effort to let our God and Savior handle our worries. You will find that your anxiety will dissipate quickly when those things aren't weighing heavily upon you.
Through it all, remember that God is good and is our loving and faithful Shepherd. "Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." (Psalm 23:4, 6)
God will surely lead us to the Promised Land where we won't have ANYTHING to worry about. All we have to do is to choose not to give up, not to despair, and not to worry. Let us cast all our anxieties on the Lord today!
(1) Taken from Day 5 of the Answering Anxiety devotional on the Youversion Bible app. Originally appeared on the Straight Truth Podcast with Pastor Richard Caldwell and his guest Pastor Ken Ramey.
A passage that has given me clear insight into this issue was 1 Peter 5:6-7. "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." I came across this passage in the Answering Anxiety devotional on the Youversion Bible app and I will be using some of the material from that study to "unpack", as my Pastor would say, the truths within.
God's mighty hand is His sovereign will over all of creation. I am grateful His will is decidedly benevolent toward me as a follower of Christ. That incredible blessing assures me that He will indeed "lift me up in due time." When I hear that phrase, in view of my declining health, I instantly think of God's promise to take me to Heaven one day. Oh, the joy I feel when I imagine that arrival. I will be able to walk again, unencumbered by any impairment. I will lift my hands in praise and shout for joy to my God and Savior, Jesus Christ! Enjoying all the beauty of Heaven will be wonderful as well.
The latter verse contains an instruction that is relevant every day. The following explanation was contained in the Answering Anxiety devotional on the Youversion Bible app.
"What does it mean to cast our cares upon God? The same word translated “casting” is used in Luke 19:35, when Jesus was about to enter Jerusalem, and the disciples had obtained a colt. They brought it to Jesus, and they threw their cloaks on it. This is a transfer, just like throwing a blanket onto something.
You gather up all the things that are troubling you right now – you bag them up, you throw them onto the Lord." (1)
This process is not easy and involves daily action on our part to purposefully surrender our cares and worries to God. I say it isn't easy because of our all too human tendency to temporarily throw our burndens onto the Lord only to take them back again. We must battle against this temptation with steadfast effort and why wouldn't we? When we choose to take our worries and place them back on our shoulders, we are basically saying, "God, I can handle these better than you can." Really? Can we honestly think our limited power and short-sighted view on the future gives us better ability to handle these things than our Sovereign God who holds the future in the palm of His Hand? Once we humble ourselves by acknowledging the obvious answer to that question we gain fuel for a daily effort to let our God and Savior handle our worries. You will find that your anxiety will dissipate quickly when those things aren't weighing heavily upon you.
Through it all, remember that God is good and is our loving and faithful Shepherd. "Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." (Psalm 23:4, 6)
God will surely lead us to the Promised Land where we won't have ANYTHING to worry about. All we have to do is to choose not to give up, not to despair, and not to worry. Let us cast all our anxieties on the Lord today!
(1) Taken from Day 5 of the Answering Anxiety devotional on the Youversion Bible app. Originally appeared on the Straight Truth Podcast with Pastor Richard Caldwell and his guest Pastor Ken Ramey.
Saturday, August 25, 2018
Jonathan's Perspective on Heaven
I have to be honest about why I chose this topic. As my disability robs me of more and more of my strength, my thoughts have often turned to what life after death looks like. I am eternally grateful that because of the incredible gift of mercy that I have been given through receiving Christ into my heart, Heaven is now my eternal home, and my physical challenges make me long for it.
I do not fear death or what comes after it. Much of my confidence comes from Jesus' promise of one day taking his followers to the place where He lives. "My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am" (John 14:2-3). Discovering what it feels like to see Jesus face-to-face and to have close fellowship with Him will certainly be too wonderful to put into words. I have often imagined what that moment will feel like, and it always brings a smile to my face.
Additionally, I am very much looking forward to enjoying a perfect heavenly body, when "the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality," as 1 Corinthians 15:54 says. The ability that I will have to walk again is thrilling to say the least! I will be able to dance and lift my hands in praise to the One who gave me back what Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy took from me.
But that's not all! Unlike some inaccurate pictures people have of Heaven, it is not all clouds and singing angels. Rather, it will be filled with the vibrant beauty of much of what is beautiful on the Earth. There will be trees, wonderful vistas, and peaceful places that we will be able to lie down in. There will be no more danger or hardships, no more sadness or despair, no more fighting or war. God always meant for the world to be this way, but sin has corrupted everything. However, by the grace of God, He will redeem what was lost.
Randy Alcorn, in his book titled Heaven, dispels myths about that wonderful place and provides an in-depth look at how glorious the Lord's plans are for those who love Him.
Here is a small section from the book that spoke to me:
"Jesus came not only to rescue people from ultimate destruction. He came also to rescue the entire universe from ultimate destruction. He will transform our dying Earth into a vital New Earth, fresh and uncontaminated, no longer subject to death and destruction.
“The Curse is real, but it is temporary. Jesus is the cure for the Curse. He came to set derailed human history back on its tracks. Earth won't be put out of its misery; it will be infused with a greater life than it has ever known, at last becoming all that God meant for it to be.
“We have never seen the earth as God made it. Our planet as we know it is a shadowy, half-tone image of the original. But it does whet our appetites for the New Earth, doesn't it? If the present Earth, so diminished by the Curse, is at times so beautiful and wonderful; if our bodies, so diminished by the Curse, are at times overcome with a sense of earth's beauty and wonder; then how magnificent will the New Earth be? And what will it be like to experience a new Earth in something else we've never known; perfect bodies?
...
“Without Christ, both the earth and mankind would be doomed. But Christ came, died, and rose from the grave. He brought deliverance, not destruction. Because of Christ, we are not doomed, and neither is the earth. Earth cannot be delivered from the Curse by being destroyed. It can only be delivered by being resurrected." (1)
Combine this more accurate glimpse of Heaven with a firm promise from God and you begin to understand how amazingly glorious the eternal dwelling place of believers will be. "He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The Lord has spoken" (Isaiah 25:8). I love how the verse ends: "The Lord has spoken!" Although God hasn't yet established his perfect Kingdom on Earth, you can be certain He WILL one day.
Our response to this should not only involve heartfelt gratitude and thankfulness but also include a change in our behavior. "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory" (Colossians 3:2-4). For believers, Christ is indeed our life. So, how could we think anything less than living a life FOR Christ would be a proper response? Let us then pursue Jesus in our daily lives in such a way that the world can see how thankful we are to our Lord for preparing such a wonderful future for us. Use your conversations to point people to God. Praise Him verbally when things go well for you. And of course, don't neglect daily Bible reading and study which is necessary to become more like Christ.
It is easy to think, "Won't we have all eternity to become more like Jesus?” I believe a good biblical response to that can be found in 1 Timothy 4:8: "Godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." A belief that has stuck with me lately is that the depth at which we can know Christ in Heaven is proportional to how well we get to know Him on Earth.
The key is to remember all the joy and peace that awaits us in the new Heaven and new Earth. "Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes’” (Revelation 7:16-17). I will remain devoted to knowing God more and more every day because of how devoted He is to ensuring my eternal future is filled to overflowing with good things.
In the last chapter of Revelation, Jesus Himself says, “Look, I am coming soon!" (Revelation 22:7a). So, I hope and pray everyone who reads this has their faith built on the rock of Salvation, Jesus Christ. He alone is the one who can grant entrance to the place we all long for.
Bibliography
1. Alcorn, Randy C. Heaven. Tyndale House Publishers, 2008.
I do not fear death or what comes after it. Much of my confidence comes from Jesus' promise of one day taking his followers to the place where He lives. "My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am" (John 14:2-3). Discovering what it feels like to see Jesus face-to-face and to have close fellowship with Him will certainly be too wonderful to put into words. I have often imagined what that moment will feel like, and it always brings a smile to my face.
Additionally, I am very much looking forward to enjoying a perfect heavenly body, when "the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality," as 1 Corinthians 15:54 says. The ability that I will have to walk again is thrilling to say the least! I will be able to dance and lift my hands in praise to the One who gave me back what Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy took from me.
But that's not all! Unlike some inaccurate pictures people have of Heaven, it is not all clouds and singing angels. Rather, it will be filled with the vibrant beauty of much of what is beautiful on the Earth. There will be trees, wonderful vistas, and peaceful places that we will be able to lie down in. There will be no more danger or hardships, no more sadness or despair, no more fighting or war. God always meant for the world to be this way, but sin has corrupted everything. However, by the grace of God, He will redeem what was lost.
Randy Alcorn, in his book titled Heaven, dispels myths about that wonderful place and provides an in-depth look at how glorious the Lord's plans are for those who love Him.
Here is a small section from the book that spoke to me:
"Jesus came not only to rescue people from ultimate destruction. He came also to rescue the entire universe from ultimate destruction. He will transform our dying Earth into a vital New Earth, fresh and uncontaminated, no longer subject to death and destruction.
“The Curse is real, but it is temporary. Jesus is the cure for the Curse. He came to set derailed human history back on its tracks. Earth won't be put out of its misery; it will be infused with a greater life than it has ever known, at last becoming all that God meant for it to be.
“We have never seen the earth as God made it. Our planet as we know it is a shadowy, half-tone image of the original. But it does whet our appetites for the New Earth, doesn't it? If the present Earth, so diminished by the Curse, is at times so beautiful and wonderful; if our bodies, so diminished by the Curse, are at times overcome with a sense of earth's beauty and wonder; then how magnificent will the New Earth be? And what will it be like to experience a new Earth in something else we've never known; perfect bodies?
...
“Without Christ, both the earth and mankind would be doomed. But Christ came, died, and rose from the grave. He brought deliverance, not destruction. Because of Christ, we are not doomed, and neither is the earth. Earth cannot be delivered from the Curse by being destroyed. It can only be delivered by being resurrected." (1)
Combine this more accurate glimpse of Heaven with a firm promise from God and you begin to understand how amazingly glorious the eternal dwelling place of believers will be. "He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth. The Lord has spoken" (Isaiah 25:8). I love how the verse ends: "The Lord has spoken!" Although God hasn't yet established his perfect Kingdom on Earth, you can be certain He WILL one day.
Our response to this should not only involve heartfelt gratitude and thankfulness but also include a change in our behavior. "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory" (Colossians 3:2-4). For believers, Christ is indeed our life. So, how could we think anything less than living a life FOR Christ would be a proper response? Let us then pursue Jesus in our daily lives in such a way that the world can see how thankful we are to our Lord for preparing such a wonderful future for us. Use your conversations to point people to God. Praise Him verbally when things go well for you. And of course, don't neglect daily Bible reading and study which is necessary to become more like Christ.
It is easy to think, "Won't we have all eternity to become more like Jesus?” I believe a good biblical response to that can be found in 1 Timothy 4:8: "Godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." A belief that has stuck with me lately is that the depth at which we can know Christ in Heaven is proportional to how well we get to know Him on Earth.
The key is to remember all the joy and peace that awaits us in the new Heaven and new Earth. "Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes’” (Revelation 7:16-17). I will remain devoted to knowing God more and more every day because of how devoted He is to ensuring my eternal future is filled to overflowing with good things.
In the last chapter of Revelation, Jesus Himself says, “Look, I am coming soon!" (Revelation 22:7a). So, I hope and pray everyone who reads this has their faith built on the rock of Salvation, Jesus Christ. He alone is the one who can grant entrance to the place we all long for.
Bibliography
1. Alcorn, Randy C. Heaven. Tyndale House Publishers, 2008.
Sunday, August 12, 2018
Jonathan's Perspective on Having a Sense of Humor
It's time to switch gears and lighten things up a bit. As the Bible says in Ecclesiastes 3:4, "there is a time to weep, and a time to laugh." I believe strongly that God desires our lives to be filled with joy and laughter. In Psalms, when describing what it will look like when God ushers in His eternal kingdom, says "Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, 'The Lord has done great things for them.' The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy."(Psalm 126:2-3).
This wonderful feeling can be experienced in some small way when we laugh.
To be able to do that enough to get through the difficulties of life all begins with the lens through which we look at the world. Are you only able to complain about your circumstances or can you laugh about them? Better yet, can you laugh at yourself? I think we've all had those moments when we walk into a room and think: "What did I come in here for?" When that happens, I think the healthy response is to laugh at yourself and continue on with your day with a smile.
And now I'd like to share some things that I find especially funny. I will begin with some puns that hopefully will elicit more of a laugh than a groan.
1. Coffee has a rough time in this house. It gets mugged every single morning!
2. I asked a Frenchman if he played video games. He said Wii!
3. My girlfriend told me she was leaving me because I keep pretending to be a Transformer. I said, "No, wait! I can change."
4. Three conspiracy theorists walk into a bar... You can't tell me that's just a coincidence.
5. A man just assaulted me with milk, cream and butter. How dairy!
Another thing that makes me laugh is a limerick. A limerick is a humorous 5 line poem with a very specific rhyming sequence. The 1st, 2nd, and 5th lines all rhyme and the 3rd and 4th rhyme with each other. On a summer road trip back in 2006, my family and I came up with limericks to help pass the time during long hours on the freeways up to Illinois. We used names of cities we passed as inspiration. My favorite was inspired by the city of Paducah, KY.
There once was a woman in Puducah
Whose name was Commander Pestrucah
Who just for fun
Invented a gun
To shoot chickens out a Bazooka
Now, tell me that isn't funny!
Another series of jokes I revisit every few years are funny phrases or typos found on church bulletins. Here are a few of the best.
1. Miss Charlene Mason sang “I will not pass this way again” giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.
2. Helpers are needed! Please sign up on the information sheep.
3. Low Self-Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 to 8:30p.m. Please use the back door.
4. The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare’s Hamlet in the church basement on Friday at 7 p.m. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.
And I can't fail to mention the hilarious Tim Hawkins, whose zany humor can easily be found on YouTube.
https://youtu.be/ndeZ2rJk1Lw
Part 2: https://youtu.be/CBhyskisVNM
I will conclude by saying I think it is very important to surround yourself with people that make you laugh. I firmly believe that a large portion of the joy believers will feel in heaven, second to experiencing the glorious presence of our loving Savior Jesus, will be the laughter and pleasure of fellowship with fellow believers.
So, have a laugh, get a smile on your face, and enjoy life today!
This wonderful feeling can be experienced in some small way when we laugh.
To be able to do that enough to get through the difficulties of life all begins with the lens through which we look at the world. Are you only able to complain about your circumstances or can you laugh about them? Better yet, can you laugh at yourself? I think we've all had those moments when we walk into a room and think: "What did I come in here for?" When that happens, I think the healthy response is to laugh at yourself and continue on with your day with a smile.
And now I'd like to share some things that I find especially funny. I will begin with some puns that hopefully will elicit more of a laugh than a groan.
1. Coffee has a rough time in this house. It gets mugged every single morning!
2. I asked a Frenchman if he played video games. He said Wii!
3. My girlfriend told me she was leaving me because I keep pretending to be a Transformer. I said, "No, wait! I can change."
4. Three conspiracy theorists walk into a bar... You can't tell me that's just a coincidence.
5. A man just assaulted me with milk, cream and butter. How dairy!
Another thing that makes me laugh is a limerick. A limerick is a humorous 5 line poem with a very specific rhyming sequence. The 1st, 2nd, and 5th lines all rhyme and the 3rd and 4th rhyme with each other. On a summer road trip back in 2006, my family and I came up with limericks to help pass the time during long hours on the freeways up to Illinois. We used names of cities we passed as inspiration. My favorite was inspired by the city of Paducah, KY.
There once was a woman in Puducah
Whose name was Commander Pestrucah
Who just for fun
Invented a gun
To shoot chickens out a Bazooka
Now, tell me that isn't funny!
Another series of jokes I revisit every few years are funny phrases or typos found on church bulletins. Here are a few of the best.
1. Miss Charlene Mason sang “I will not pass this way again” giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.
2. Helpers are needed! Please sign up on the information sheep.
3. Low Self-Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 to 8:30p.m. Please use the back door.
4. The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare’s Hamlet in the church basement on Friday at 7 p.m. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.
And I can't fail to mention the hilarious Tim Hawkins, whose zany humor can easily be found on YouTube.
https://youtu.be/ndeZ2rJk1Lw
Part 2: https://youtu.be/CBhyskisVNM
I will conclude by saying I think it is very important to surround yourself with people that make you laugh. I firmly believe that a large portion of the joy believers will feel in heaven, second to experiencing the glorious presence of our loving Savior Jesus, will be the laughter and pleasure of fellowship with fellow believers.
So, have a laugh, get a smile on your face, and enjoy life today!
Thursday, July 26, 2018
Jonathan's Perspective on Encouragement
Have you ever been having a bad day when someone cheers you up with some encouraging words? It could be as simple as a compliment or as profound as a call to persevere. Whatever it is, a comment as short as a couple of sentences can completely change how you progress through your day.
Since our words have such power, we should all take advantage of opportunities to encourage those around us. It takes no weighty theology to understand the wisdom of the idea that we should treat others how we want to be treated. We certainly like to be encouraged so we should do the same for others. Going deeper, the Bible says, "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up."
(1 Thessalonians 5:11a) Earlier in the Bible Solomon described just how beneficial a kind word can be. "Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones."
(Proverbs 16:24)
However, I think we all know how easy it is to remain too focused on ourselves to remember to encourage others. But instead of trying to fix that that in our power I think it is far better to seek help from God to become more attentive towards those around us. The Apostle Paul, led by the Spirit of God, wrote in Romans 15:5: "May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had." So if we find in ourselves a tendency to neglect the all too important act of encouraging others, we should ask God to cultivate this attitude in us. I certainly believe God will answer this prayer with a definitive "Yes!" Then, it is our job to remember that prayer everyday and move out in faith believing that God will bring to our attention opportunities to encourage.
Knowing the wisdom and truth packed into the Scriptures will be a big help in this area. "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope." (Romans 15:4) Daily reading of the many uplifting passages in the Bible will allow encouragement flow more easily out of us.
Why don't you read some of those now! Here is one of my favorites.
"Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
(Isaiah 40:31)
Don't you feel more encouraged now? I do. So, like I've mentioned in previous posts, this is a great reason to make sure to do daily Bible readings, hopefully more than one per day. In my case, I like to read a topical devotional and Bible reading in the morning and a chronological reading in the evening.
Additionally, another important thing regarding Godly encouragement was written in the book of Hebrews. "Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." (Hebrews 10:24-25) God never wanted for there to be loner Christians separate from the larger body of Christ. Without consistent fellowship with believers, it is impossible to receive biblical encouragement or give it out. In other words, find a church that fits you, regardless of any bad experiences in the past. Neglecting this can produce Christians with skewed theology who do little to advance God's Kingdom on Earth. Trust me, I know a few.
In conclusion, I highly recommend you read a encouraging Bible passage every morning and pray that God would help you be aware of opportunities to encourage those around you. Step out in faith and the right words will come.
I will end with a prayer.
Dear Lord, please help me and all those who will read this post to start or continue the meaningful habit of receiving encouragement from Your Word every morning. Give us awareness to see when others need an encouraging word spoken to them and provide us with the right words to say. In Jesus' name, Amen.
(All passages are from the New International Version of the Bible)
Since our words have such power, we should all take advantage of opportunities to encourage those around us. It takes no weighty theology to understand the wisdom of the idea that we should treat others how we want to be treated. We certainly like to be encouraged so we should do the same for others. Going deeper, the Bible says, "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up."
(1 Thessalonians 5:11a) Earlier in the Bible Solomon described just how beneficial a kind word can be. "Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones."
(Proverbs 16:24)
However, I think we all know how easy it is to remain too focused on ourselves to remember to encourage others. But instead of trying to fix that that in our power I think it is far better to seek help from God to become more attentive towards those around us. The Apostle Paul, led by the Spirit of God, wrote in Romans 15:5: "May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had." So if we find in ourselves a tendency to neglect the all too important act of encouraging others, we should ask God to cultivate this attitude in us. I certainly believe God will answer this prayer with a definitive "Yes!" Then, it is our job to remember that prayer everyday and move out in faith believing that God will bring to our attention opportunities to encourage.
Knowing the wisdom and truth packed into the Scriptures will be a big help in this area. "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope." (Romans 15:4) Daily reading of the many uplifting passages in the Bible will allow encouragement flow more easily out of us.
Why don't you read some of those now! Here is one of my favorites.
"Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
(Isaiah 40:31)
Don't you feel more encouraged now? I do. So, like I've mentioned in previous posts, this is a great reason to make sure to do daily Bible readings, hopefully more than one per day. In my case, I like to read a topical devotional and Bible reading in the morning and a chronological reading in the evening.
Additionally, another important thing regarding Godly encouragement was written in the book of Hebrews. "Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." (Hebrews 10:24-25) God never wanted for there to be loner Christians separate from the larger body of Christ. Without consistent fellowship with believers, it is impossible to receive biblical encouragement or give it out. In other words, find a church that fits you, regardless of any bad experiences in the past. Neglecting this can produce Christians with skewed theology who do little to advance God's Kingdom on Earth. Trust me, I know a few.
In conclusion, I highly recommend you read a encouraging Bible passage every morning and pray that God would help you be aware of opportunities to encourage those around you. Step out in faith and the right words will come.
I will end with a prayer.
Dear Lord, please help me and all those who will read this post to start or continue the meaningful habit of receiving encouragement from Your Word every morning. Give us awareness to see when others need an encouraging word spoken to them and provide us with the right words to say. In Jesus' name, Amen.
(All passages are from the New International Version of the Bible)
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