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We love to summarize and simplify.  Interestingly, in researching that thought, my mind went to the illustration of CliffNotes.  How many of my classmates, back in the day, far preferred reading the CliffNotes for a book rather than the book itself?  A funny thing happened as i Googled the question, “When were CliffNotes first published?”  i was looking to confirm whether they were of my era, but discovered something far more interesting.  i discovered that i had actually been summarizing and simplifying them!  Wikipedia notes the following in the very first line:

CliffsNotes (formerly Cliffs Notes, originally Cliff’s Notes and often, erroneously, CliffNotes)

“… and often, erroneously,” … It appears that i (along with many others) even summarized and simplified the name!  How perfectly ironic is that?!

We do this with the Bible, too.  In trying to say too much too simply (give someone the 30,000 foot-view, as if that is how far up we’d need to go to show someone the full expanse of God’s love story) we say things like, the Bible is made up of two parts — the Old Testament and New Testament.  True enough, yet we don’t stop there.  We think or say the Old Testament is really more about God, while the New is more about Jesus.  The Old Testament is The Law, and the New Testament is grace.  The Old Testament God is about God’s judgement and anger (that’s how He deals with the mistakes of His people), and the New Testament is about redemption and the love of Jesus.  We think or say that the Old Testament is probably not the place to start reading if you’re curious about God or new to faith.  No, you should definitely start with the soft and squishy Jesus part.

But it’s not that simple, right?  Those kinds of summaries might help reduce the Bible, our thoughts about God, and our journey of following Jesus into manageable, bite-sized pieces that can be communicated or consumed a bit “easier” or fit “better” into our busy lives, but they are nowhere close to the true and full story.  And they are nowhere close to what the broken and lost need to see in us and hear from us.  Those kinds of summaries separate God’s anger from His love, as though they are conflicting emotions or mutually exclusive characteristics that live and act in perpetual conflict.  They are not.  And in the events of Monday, we see a clear illustration of God’s anger as an expression of His love.

There are two significant events which define this day.  The first happens early in the morning as Jesus and His disciples begin their journey from Bethany back to Jerusalem.  Jesus is hungry and spots a fig tree off in the distance which is in full leaf.  A fig tree in leaf is a fig tree with fruit — well, all except this particular one.  When Jesus inspects the tree and finds no fruit, He curses it.  The exclamation mark which punctuates the curse suggests severe agitation or anger.

Then Jesus said to the tree, “May no one ever eat your fruit again!”
Mark 11:14a (NLT)

This, no doubt, caught His disciples by surprise and made them take notice.  It must have seemed like a terribly disproportionate response to what they likely saw as unsatisfied hunger.  The disciples would have to wait a day, but they would soon learn why Jesus’ anger was right and proportionate.  It was just their first lesson that day about the evils in things that give the appearance of.

We all know the next story well … the overturned temple tables.  Jesus’ fit of righteous rage in “discovering” the corruption that had infected His house of prayer.  But we also now know well that Monday was not a violent reaction to something He just saw.  Mark 11:11 clearly indicates Monday’s trip was His second, not His first.  He carefully observed on day one, then returned on Monday to display His love in ripping out the cancerous root of corruption from His house.  How do we expect love to act?  If you love your child and see them running out into the street to retrieve a ball, do you stand idly by or whisper words of encouragement?  No!  In my experience as a parent, love is not always soft and squishy.  Sometimes it is hard and painful.  Whether you’re a parent or not, you’ve experienced this to be true as well.  Sometimes God’s love is hard and painful.  Sometimes His anger is the only loving response.

But here is one truth that must be understood in regards to God’s anger … it is ALWAYS directed at sin.  God’s anger is never aimed at us.  It is always laser-focused at sin and what sin does in separating us from Him.  In cursing the fig tree and driving the vendors from the temple, Jesus directs his anger at the sins of dishonesty, greed, cheating and concealing.  In His condemnation of the fig tree, He attacks the eternal consequences of one who proclaims His name to others, when their heart and life are far from Him.  And in the Court of the Gentiles, He drives out the wolves who wait near the gate to steal His sheep.  What better way to stop the work of His Church than by corrupting the churches?

May we see Jesus’ anger clearly today.  May we not skip over it or put an asterisk next to it as something other than an expression of His deep love for us.  May we see that it is ALWAYS directed at sin, and that sometimes His anger is the only loving response.

I have shared in years past, how important and sacred this specific week has become in my journey of following Jesus.  As we stand at the dawn of the most incredible week in human history and look forward, how could it not be?  The people, places and events of this week are unlike any other in the earthly life of Jesus.  And before the sun is high in the sky this same day next week, the plan of redemption created in eternity past will find final fulfillment!

As i sat down with my proverbial pen in hand this year, ready to consider what God might choose to speak through it, i was met with the truth that there is another week that has come to mean just as much … the week prior to Holy Week.  For that is when i begin to immerse myself in the steps and stories of Holy Week so that articles are ready to be posted at the proper time.  i sometimes wish i could write in the “offseason.”  The time when there are no deadlines and i could sit with things a bit longer or revisit them if there was need.  But that is not who God has made me to be.  It is my way to stay intensely present in the moment.  And, for me, that means writing just before the dawn of the approaching moment.  i thank God for the inspiration each year that allows me to be true to my created core – my true self.  This year, in the days leading up to sitting down with my proverbial pen, God whispered a deep desire to see Jesus more truly and fully in the events of this week.  There is so much which can be drawn out of what He says and does, but i wonder sometimes whether that shifts the focus away from Him to the “lesson” or the truth itself.  On each occasion of sitting down to write this week, i will begin with a prayer that i see Jesus more truly and completely.  i pray that you will as well.

Today is coronation day.  “All Hail King Jesus!” is what the multitudes who have gathered in Jerusalem for the Passover are saying with their presence and palm fronds.  Their audible cries are “Hosanna!” — “Save us, Jesus!”  Word has quickly spread that Jesus is coming to town and the normal bustle of Passover prep spills over to one of the main gates and roads leading into and through the city.

As Jesus and his traveling company neared Jerusalem, He stopped to give instructions to two of His disciples to go ahead of them to a nearby village and retrieve a young donkey.  In the same manner He entered the world, He will enter the city.  Not as a king of royal stature, but as a King of the least-shall-be-first sort — a message He has consistently lived and taught for the entirety of His earthly life.

i was gripped, in reading the handful of verses which tell this story, by the suggestion of what Jesus must have been thinking along the road to Jerusalem, and then into and through the city.  He was fully man, yet He was also fully God, so the road ahead was crystal clear.  He knew what He was walking toward, and it wasn’t a coronation of the sort the crowds planned today.  He would eventually be nailed to His earthly throne, and the crown placed on His head would draw blood.

If you or i had ridden into Jerusalem that day on the back of the young donkey, what would our gaze and demeanor have spoken to the throngs who shouted, “Hosanna!”?  i would suggest our stare would have likely burned a hole through each heart.  Yet when i try to picture Jesus in that moment, i can only see audacious mercy and scandalous grace.  If you or i had been one in that crowd who caught the glance of the Savior, what would we have seen?  i suppose that could also lead me to ask, what do you see right now?  If you were to, as the old hymn says, turn your eyes upon Jesus and look full into His wonderful face, what do you see?  Do you see a stare that burns a hole in your heart, a stare of condemnation for the miserable sinner and daily failure you are?  Or do you see eyes that seem a thousand miles deep and reveal a heart that is broken for what sin has done to this world, and to you?  Eyes that say, “I know what you’ll shout just a few days from now, but I am not here to condemn you.  I have come to save you!”

Are you not overwhelmed with what Jesus did for your?!  Can you see Jesus today, standing and waiting for the disciples to return with the young donkey, with the full extent of what He is walking toward in full view, and saying “Yes. I will begin walking, and I will finish what my Father has sent Me here to accomplish!”?  Can you see that He sees your face as He stops, waits, and then rides into Jerusalem?

As we stand at the dawn of the most incredible week in human history, i pray that you can see Him seeing you.  And i pray that as we navigate this week together, you choose to allow the faces and places of this week to fade to the periphery and focus only on Jesus.  May we see Him more truly and completely this week.  He is Risen!

— SPECIAL NOTICE: Holy Week Reading and Article Schedule —
We will be continuing the Journey onWord tradition of publishing intentional articles for every day of Holy Week from Palm Sunday through Resurrection Day. Our goal has always been to help all our readers reflect on the events of the week which begins with Jesus’ celebrated arrival in Jerusalem and culminates with the redemptive work of His crucifixion and resurrection. The daily reading will depart from the normal schedule temporarily and focus on passages related to each day’s events.

If we all were to speak with complete honesty and full disclosure, there are some individuals in our lives who are thorns in our side, or pains in our neck. It’s that person who always seems to get your goat and who you find yourself going out of your way to avoid. The issue even gets thornier when that particular person is a member of your family. You repeatedly tell yourself, “I am not going to let them get to me,” but they always seem to push the right buttons. Yet, as much as we struggle with people who are thorns in our side, I believe the bigger battle is with the thorn in our flesh.

It is easy to name those who irritate us, and very easy to identify the thorns in our flesh. We may not speak often of our thorns, but I believe we all have issues that become an irritant. There is nearly universal identification among Christ-followers with Paul’s admission of his thorn. Although it is not spelled out (many believe it to be an eye ailment), we understand why Paul would plead with God for it to be removed. There are times when we would do anything for our particular thorn to be taken away. But we must conclude that God knows best, and then glory in our own weakness as Paul did.

To keep from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
II Corinthians 12:7-9

God chose to let Paul live with his thorn when He could have removed it. Satan used it to torment him. In the Father’s design for Paul, He knew a thorn was needed. He knows what you and I need as well, and evidently thorns are part of His oversight. Satan wants to torment us, but God’s grace is as sufficient in our lives as it was in the life of Paul. No matter what thorn you continually battle, there is grace for the moment, and the power of Christ is available.

Today you may be struggling with a thorn in your flesh. You may even be a bit weary on the journey. Do not lose heart, my friend, grace is available. Paul embraced his weaknesses and has been used for centuries to encourage those with thorns. In conclusion to my challenge, please meditate on the passage noted above in the words of The Message …

Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn’t get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan’s angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn’t think of it as a gift and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me, My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness …

Enough said!

It happened two Fridays ago, and I am still aggravated with myself. The source of my irritation was a momentary emotional response. One of the participants in our Friday Bible Study had stopped to get coffee at a local Dunkin’ Donuts. While getting his coffee, Ritchie encountered a homeless man who had missed his bus. It was 6a.m. and Ritchie, being kind, bought the man coffee and a donut as they chatted. Somewhere in the conversation, the homeless man asked Ritchie if he could come to the Bible Study. Ritchie felt he should honor the request, so he loaded the man in his car, and entered a secured building with his new-found friend.

One of our attendees mentioned there was a homeless man coming to our study. As the leader of this BIBLE STUDY, my less-than-spiritual emotional response was, “Ritchie, what in the world are you doing?” Thank goodness I did not verbalize my first thoughts. Immediately, the Holy Spirit convicted me of my wretched Pharisee kind of attitude. How quickly we judge.  How quickly we forget what Christ has done for us and move from giving money to homeless shelters to avoiding the very lives of those they serve.  How quickly … how easily!

Yet this story is not only about the homeless man and his deeply wounded life. He came to the study, stayed awhile, then Ritchie took him on his way. It is also about Ritchie and his sensitivity to what he believed the Lord wanted him to do. My wife often talks to me about listening to the gentle nudges from the Lord and then acting on them. After leaving our study, Ritchie took the man to his home, found several articles of clothing to give him, and eventually dropped the man off … probably to never see him again.

This interaction struck me in different ways. Mainly, it reminded me of how quickly my (our) attitude can be less than spiritual, but also how important it is to be sensitive to loving others in the moment … even, and especially, when it is inconvenient. Ritchie simply modeled the attitude and life of Christ.  After the interaction, while doing some reading in I Corinthians 15, I viewed a particular verse in a new light.

So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.
I Corinthians 15:58 (NLT)

My focus has always landed on the first part of the verse. But, this time, the last phrase caught my attention in light of what my friend Ritchie did for His Lord. The words, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless, are true.  We serve a risen Savior, and that makes everything we do for Him useful.  And even if the homeless man never fully understands how he was loved that day, Ritchie’s efforts were not useless, especially to me and the men in our study.  And I am sure Ritchie’s sensitivity to promptings (nudges) from the Spirit has been heightened.

You may find it easier to give to those who are hurting, rather than getting personally involved. It doesn’t have to be a homeless man at 6am on a Friday. It could be a family member whose life is out-of-sorts, a work associate with alcohol problems, or a friend who has made bad choices. My purpose is not to tell you how to help, but to simply say, if the Father nudges you, listen and act.  You can be sure that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.  Thanks Ritchie!

“Oh, If I could just_______________!”  What skill do you see in others that you would love to possess? It may be to sing with perfect pitch, speak with great eloquence, hit a golf ball perfectly straight, fly an airplane, or play the piano … the list could be endless. Everyone admires and would love to imitate some skill outside of their natural talents. It’s simply human nature.

To be honest, from our earliest days as infants and adolescents, we begin the tendency toward imitation. Can you remember following dad around the garage or making cookies with mom in the kitchen? We all started young with a desire to be like someone. In all areas of life, whether it is talents, skills, or even character qualities, others have attributes we want to possess.

What about you? What are the special qualities in your life which are worthy of imitation? Maybe you feel more “normal” than special and reject the suggestion that anyone would care to mimic you. But then what do you do with the words of Paul in Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) when he writes, “For we are God’s masterpiece…” Does that not also mean you?  So, God decided to knit you together in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13) with less care and intention than everyone else? Absolutely not. And, without question, the quality of your life can be worthy of imitation, especially the spiritual attributes. Just think about the opportunity for others to see life working for you, even in the midst of complete chaos. There is no doubt those same people would love to imitate the great patience, or humility, or steadfastness exhibited in your life.

But who in the world would ever willingly volunteer the words, “imitate my life?” We are all too afraid of failing or hindering someone. And even before that, how profoundly arrogant do the words imitate my life sound?! But there was a prominent man in ancient times who made a couple of “imitate me” kind of statements. Was he arrogant, or just confident enough in his relationship with Christ to speak his true feelings? Listen to the words of the mentor/leader, the apostle Paul.

Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. Therefore I urge you to imitate me.
I Corinthians 4:15-16

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God–even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
I Corinthians 10:31-11:1

What courage! What confidence! But let’s also be quick to clarify.  I believe what Paul wanted was for others to imitate him as he followed the example of Christ and in his role as a spiritual father. We may never say those words, but our hearts should beat so strong for Christ that our lives are worthy of imitation. Could others say your love for Christ makes them want to mimic that love? I may be preaching now, but our kids (even adult children), friends, and work associates need to see a life worthy of imitation. Paul may have had the courage to speak strong words, but let us join him also in the courage to live strong lives. The results will matter eternally.

When all is said and done, may it be said of you and me, “That was a life worth imitating.”

Each day is filled with a myriad of people, activities, thoughts, expectations and a good dose of the unexpected. How often have you thought to yourself, “This day certainly didn’t turn out the way I had planned.”?  It’s interesting to me how, amid all the twists and turns of each day, I can easily miss lessons from God — moments with Him and miracles from His hand. It’s easy for me (and you) to want Him to part our Red Sea, write His will in the sky or dramatically heal someone whom we love. And in the process of wanting Him to fit into our plans, we miss moments and miracles from the Father’s hand. Often, we look for the BIG moments and miracles. Today, be reminded with me of the day-by-day moments and miracles.

It has been three years now since my wife Genel was called to her aunt and uncle’s home due to a serious illness. Her uncle was taking care of his wife, who was near the end of a nine-year battle with cancer. He couldn’t handle the physical part alone any longer and reached out to Genel. Her first visit to the home lasted about forty-five minutes and was very stressful. Later the same week, Genel spent another couple of hours in the house preparing to receive a hospital bed and organizing things for her aunt to come home. A few days later, her aunt fell and Genel spent the night on a sofa beside her. I am sure many of you reading this article have done the very same things, but helping a family member was not the miracle or moment of which I am speaking.

If you knew my wife well, you would know that she is highly allergic to cats. She can be in a room with a feline for as little as five minutes and be highly congested, sneezing with her eyes watering. Do you relate?  Genel’s aunt and uncle have always loved cats and two of them rule their house!  I had expressed concern to my wife about her severe allergy, but we both knew she was going to step in and help anyway.  The cats even seemed to take a liking to her.  On the evening mentioned above, as she spent the night sleeping on a sofa beside her aunt, Genel woke to find a cat lying beside her head and the other on a close-by chair! Amazingly, during that stressful time, when Genel had to be taking the lead on serious life issues, her allergies basically went away!  No sneezing!  No itching eyes! Nothing! But in the emotion-filled days before her aunt’s passing, we missed seeing God’s miraculous protection and provision.

After the passing of her aunt, Genel visited her uncle in his home … with the cats. Within five minutes of her arrival, Genel’s allergies flared severely. She had to get out quick! It was then when Genel realized what God had done during that critical time when He needed her to provide grace and help to her aunt and uncle. After living her entire life with cat allergies, Genel knew God had gifted a miracle.  And we almost missed it!

You may call it a coincidence or no big deal, but for my wife it was nothing short of miraculous.  And in God’s timing, the allergy returned. Never forget that He is in control! No detail is beyond His notice or ability to provide.  He wants us to see Him in the myriad of activities, stresses, and unexpected twists of life. Nothing is too small for us to sense His presence and see His miracles. Note the words of encouragement written by Frederick Buechner in his book, The Alphabet of Grace:

“Morning, afternoon, evening—the hours of the day, of any day, of your day and my day. The alphabet of grace. If there is a God who speaks anywhere, surely he speaks here: through waking up and working, through going away and coming back again, through people you meet and books you read, through falling asleep in the dark.”

Today, don’t miss the special moments, and even miracles, God may give you!

Another spring has officially “sprung” and I am ready to start golfing. I have always had great fondness for trying to master the sport. There are friends in my life who are not just fond, but passionate about golf (and that’s why they always beat me). My wife and I are fond of walking on long trails, but not passionate enough to do it regularly. You are probably no different. There are things you are fond of, which never reach the level of a passion. It seems fair to say that today’s Christian America has a fondness for God, but not the passion to sacrifice comfort for His cause. A logical question for all of us is, “Would a greater passion for God bring a greater sense of purpose and fulfillment in my life?” If not, why would He desire it of us?

In my meditation on the subject, I remembered a relevant quote from a great Christian of days gone by… “Each of us is as close to God as we choose to be.” ~ Dr. Oswald Sanders. Combined with an honest evaluation of our spiritual passion, I believe this quote gives clarity to where many of us are on the journey. If you are a Christ-follower, there is no doubt you love God and can absolutely be used greatly for His cause. Since yesterday ended at midnight, don’t be concerned about yesterday’s lack of passion. What is His purpose for you today? Looking for spiritual purpose without seeking to know God will only lead to frustration. To know God and His purpose, the Word has to play a vital role in your life.

A favorite author of mine, Beth Moore, writes in Believing God, “An ongoing relationship with God through His Word is essential to the Christian’s consistent victory!” I don’t know that I have ever met a person whose faith I would want to emulate who was not also a student of the Word. Make no mistake; consistent intake of the heart of God will change you. You will learn His perspective on life, and that insight will guide and reshape you. There is a burden in my spirit that modern American Christianity treats our relationship with God’s Word as I treat my golf game: Fondness, but no passion! Far too many errors are made because we just don’t want to invest the time in reading and practicing. But in matters eternal, the stakes are much higher than in a game.  Every relationship that you and I have is affected by our relationship with God through His Word.

So if you have chosen today to be close to God, choose to be close to His Word. We all have a decision before us – fondness or passion. If you desire to consistently have His perspective, start today with a fresh view of the Word and its power in your life. Yesterday really did end at midnight, and the Creator of each new day wants you to know Him more.  When you do, there will be no doubt about purpose and fulfillment.

It never ceases to amaze me how reminders in Scripture, which were given to the ancient’s, speak so specifically and rightfully to us today.  It is undeniable proof that “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9)

I’m wondering if you felt that way last Friday in reading the words of 1 Corinthians chapter ten, where Paul was charging the believers in Corinth to not forget their ancestors in the wilderness long ago (verse 1).  The same cloud led them all.  They all ate the same manna.  Yet God was not pleased with most of them (verse 5).

Paul characterized the experience of their ancestors as a warning to the believers in his time. We should equally hear them as a warning to us in ours — Craving evil things and worshipping idols, feasting and drinking, pagan revelry, sexual immorality, testing God, grumbling … nothing new under the sun.

I am negotiating a season of my life where nearly all my correspondences begin with, “I’m sorry for the delay in responding.”  This comes right on the heels of a brief period where there was a place for everything and everything was in its place.  The obedience that resulted in order and peace snuck away at some point, absent my notice.  Paul’s reminder to the believers in Corinth seemed particularly timely for this believer, and I’m guessing the Spirit’s prompting to pen this confession means there’s value in it for one or more of you.

Idols rarely present themselves in the wolves clothing of something like sexual sin (and even that can appear soft and white and wooly sometimes).  And how long does it take the essentials of our relationship with God (reading the Bible, talking to Him in prayer, serving and loving others) to get crowded out of our busy lives?

In response to the crowding, it’s common to hear the suggestion of things like “balance” and “margin.”  While those things sound good (and might, on some level, be good), I would confidently suggest that the answer can be found in becoming more like Jesus.  And the last time I read the stories of His life here walking among us, I wouldn’t have used either “balance” or “margin” to describe it.  I do remember reading that He stole away to pray (repeatedly).  I do remember reading that His food was doing the will of his Father (John 4:34).  And I do remember reading that Mary chose better (Luke 10:42).

My experience with the “truths” of balance and margin are that they are most typically rooted in self — the thing we are supposed to be dying to.   They’re a product of human wisdom and I can find no clear evidence of them in Scripture or Jesus’ earthly life.  The definition and pursuit of “balance” is very much, I think, like that of being “good.”  They are both things which God does not define.  So then, who defines them, and by what basis of truth do they define them?  And what is “margin’s” purpose?  Is it for things like stealing away to pray and Sabbath rest, or is it, for us, more like a comfortable spot on the couch for March Madness?

My purpose is not to single out “balance” and “margin” and attack them as evil.  It is simply to suggest that when we find ourselves convicted about having put the things of this world ahead of God, or discovering the essentials of our relationship with Him have been crowded out by the busyness of life, the answer can always be found in becoming more like Jesus.  The God-breathed books, chapters and verses of the Word are useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right (2 Timothy 3:16).

I pray there has been value for you in the mention of Paul’s reminder about our ancestors in the wilderness.  I pray for God’s will to be done in and through your life and mine.  I pray we will be busy … busy doing our Father’s will.  I pray we will choose like Mary.  I pray that God opens our eyes to the idols which have already taken residence in our hearts and lives, and the wolves (who don’t look like wolves) who’ll forever (in this life) be knocking on our door.

It’s Thursday morning.  Has it been a stressful week? If so, words that were meaningful to me years ago may help to re-calibrate your thinking as they did mine. Accept them from a fellow struggler that needed what Philippians 4:4 has to say.

Have you ever used the old adage, never say never? We have all used those words because circumstances that we think may never happen, often do! Another phrase that has been running through my mind this week is never say always. There are many things in life that I would like to always do; such as always eating enough of my daily fruits and vegetables, always working out consistently every week, always being sensitive to my wife and daughter and always living without worry or anxiety. You can probably relate to my never say always agenda of living. But words mean something, and my mind and heart were drawn this week to a place of always.

Before I state the passage that relates to always, it must be said that Scripture is not a hope-so book that is full of good motivation, but lacking in reality. Is it God’s Word, true for every situation and can be applied with success. The reason for my short diatribe is my belief that most Christ-followers struggle to believe that certain principles can work for them. It is not that we deny the principle, but somehow we just don’t think certain mandates will really work for us. However, when God gives us a Biblical mandate to follow, never doubt His ability to make it work in your life. He knows we aren’t perfect, but His Word is perfecting.  It’s absolutely and always true, and we can live it. But what if Scripture declares that we should do something always?

In my reading this week, I came upon a verse from Philippians chapter four. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Wait a minute! I want to be an obedient Christian, but rejoicing always is a little over the top for someone who never says always. However, I also know that Scripture is true, so I can live with a rejoicing heart. It’s also a difficult principle to wrap my arms around over the last few days; I have seen lots of pain in the lives of others. To just give them the platitude to rejoice always can come across as insensitive and even uncaring. But Scripture is true, and we can live rejoicing … always.

If you study Philippians, you will concur that life wasn’t perfect for the people of Philippi. And the writer of the book, Paul, was in prison. So these words were not delivered in a perfect setting. And God still said through Paul; Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Trials and difficultly are no less stressful today than they were centuries ago in Philippi, and Paul’s words still ring true. We can live rejoicing in the Lord always. Note the following words from John MacArthur’s commentary on Philippians to help gain perspective on rejoicing always.

Some, wrongly identifying joy as a purely human emotion, find Paul’s twice –repeated command to rejoice puzzling. How, they ask, can people be commanded to produce an emotion? But joy is not a feeling; it is the deep-down confidence that God is in control of everything for the believer’s good and His own glory, and thus all is well no matter what the circumstances.

Life will always confront you and me with challenges. But when we choose to live each day (start today) with a deep-down confidence that God is in control, we can rejoice. And we can rejoice always when every day is filtered through that confidence. Sure, we will have some slip-ups, but rejoicing always can become our new pattern. Joy doesn’t deny our pain, but rather yields control of pain and circumstances to the One who is in control.

Remember, Scripture is true, and we can rejoice always, and again I say rejoice. And I promise you that this is one area in which I will never use the words: never say always.  How about you?

Reading about Paul last week in Acts and now in Romans has caused me to reflect on his passion for the Gospel. He was remarkable in his desire for people to know the Savior. Earlier in his life, however, he could have been on someone’s “least likely to accept Christ” list. Over the past week, I have written articles about Paul and the power of the gospel. At the same time, I was not living that power in my own prayer time. I was praying for a man, while doubting that he would ever come to Christ. Shame on me! So I want to give one more illustration of the power of the gospel that I wrote several years ago.

We all walk through life with strong viewpoints. One of the areas where this is especially true is in observing others. Think about it, you have opinions on everybody in your world. And one of our struggles is once we settle on an impression of an individual it usually sticks. How we view someone determines how we relate to them, how much we trust them, and whether we really enjoy being around them. And once the view of a person is cemented in our mind, it usually doesn’t change. Can a leopard change its spots? In our humanity, we’ve learned this “truth” from experience.  But is that truth absolute? Is it God’s truth?  As these questions play themselves out in your life of faith, are there people who you have mentally determined will never have a life-changing encounter with Christ?

I can remember it like it was yesterday. A young associate of mine shared that his dad was having heart issues. I responded with the obligatory, “I will pray for him” and received stunning words in return. He answered, “I’m an agnostic.”  So began our discussions about faith and salvation. Eventually, my friend came to a place of decision and was changed – eternally. On a long distance call just the other day, he relayed to me that he was being considered for a deacon position at his church. It has been almost nine years since he gave that initial answer, and his life, family, church and business have all been affected by his turn to Christ. God is in the life changing business, and He is not limited by our opinion that someone will never come to Christ. Don’t kid yourself; you and I struggle with doubts and observations of certain non-believers. I did not put my agnostic friend high on the ready to accept Christ list … but he did!

Saul (Paul) would have been viewed as anything but a candidate to be a follower of Jesus. He was ruthless with his opposition to the church, and had no qualms about persecuting Christians. That was, until the Road to Damascus. His life was forever changed when he was confronted and converted by Jesus. What Paul accomplished for Christ is well chronicled in Scripture. The way God used him literally expanded the gospel message throughout the world. But I doubt that many Christians of his generation would have put him high on the candidate for salvation list. God was not limited then, nor is He now, to our narrow views about a person’s redemptive readiness.

My thoughts are that you may have someone in your life who has yet to receive Christ as Savior. You may have already developed the viewpoint that they are not interested and probably will never accept His life-changing message. I struggle with the same misplaced notions about people in my life. But then I am reminded of my friend and the Apostle Paul. God loves all of us, and is not willing that any should perish. So why should we have such limited views about what He can do? Imagine what it would be like if that someone(s) in your life came to Christ? Are you willing to change your view and pray daily for their salvation?

Now back to my friend the agnostic. After he came to Christ, his wife (who I had never met) told me that she had been praying for nine years that her husband would accept Christ. I am sure glad she didn’t give up. I don’t know if Stephen or other believers were praying for Paul before his conversion, but in my heart I believe somebody was. I don’t know who you care about, but I know they deserve your prayers. And remember, God loves them, you can pray for them, and they just might be used of God in a mighty way.

Who are you praying for?