As I read these words this morning, I thought of all the painful “nights” in my life that led to eventual triumphs. For King David, his dark nights included danger from his foes (Ps.30:1), disease (Ps.30:2), and near death (Ps.30:3).

The way David triumphed over his difficult “nights” is the same way we must. When David was overwhelmed, he immediately stopped escalating the situation and retreated to cry out to the Lord (Ps.30:6-10).

As a result, David can praise God for rescuing him (Ps.30:4-5) and turning his mourning into joy (Ps.30:11-12).

Friend, what do you do when things become “too much”? Do you, like David, retreat to cry out to God? If you do not you will damage your relationships. You will switch from inclusive words like “us”, “we”, and “ours” to “me” and “I”. And your destructive high horse that you will climb on and use to hurt your loved one will be “Criticism, Contempt, Defensiveness, or Stonewalling” (t.ly/z529).

Never forget, “Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning” (Ps.30:5b).

We cannot be disciples without discipline. As with anything in life, we cannot succeed at it without some form of discipline. In order to play the guitar well, it takes hours and hours of practice and the development of callouses. In order to learn a language, it takes consistent exposure to that language over a long period of time. In order to be a successful athlete, it takes years of training as well as mental and physical discipline in and out of season.

Our faith is no different. In fact, Paul uses athletic metaphors because faith and athletics are similar in this way. Paul, as he encourages Timothy to avoid silly myths and gossip, he encourages him to discipline himself for piety or godliness, “Rather train [gymnazō] yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Tim 4:7, 8; ESV). Even if we train our body so that it is powerful and healthy, it is even more important to train our spiritual muscles in order that they might endure hardships and the fiery trials of sin.

How are we to train ourselves in godliness/piety? The two most basic spiritual disciplines which serve as the foundation of our relationship with God are (1) Bible intake and (2) prayer. Bible intake does not just mean reading your Bible. It also includes meditating on, memorizing, and studying it in-depth. Likewise, prayer is more than just saying grace before a meal or asking God for stuff. It also entails being honest with God about your spirituality and your emotions, praising God for his deeds, and thanking God for what he has done for you.

However, we ought to engage in several other spiritual disciplines like service, evangelism, solitude, giving, simplicity, worship, celebration, and fasting. While I hope to teach a class on these spiritual disciplines, next week I will write on the last of these – Fasting – and why it is extremely important for the Lord’s people to practice this habitually.

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.  Acts 2:42

Thirty-five of us spent last weekend in Pigeon Forge at the Challenge Youth Conference.  For most of us, it was the single, largest gathering of any kind that we had been to since 36 of us went to CYC last year.  Who could have imagined at this time last year what the next 12 months would bring?  Limited worship services, bible classes on zoom, non-traditional instruction for schools, no concerts, limited sporting events, quarantines, social distancing, and on and on.  CYC 2021 had limited capacity with social distancing, so there were only about half as many people as usual.  We still assembled with nearly 3,500 others in our session, for a total of nearly 7,000 Christians coming together to learn, sing and worship.

We so needed a mountain top experience like CYC to bring some of us back together.  I saw friends that I had not seen since last CYC.  As if I didn’t know it before, I realized just how much I missed the connectedness of God’s family.  The lessons were outstanding.  Many of the activities were inspiring and thought-provoking. But, singing with the saints, masks and all, was phenomenal.  The family of God coming together from all over the country and uniting in song was moving – “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord”, Eph. 5:19. It reassured me of the importance of the family of God coming together physically, regularly. Seth Godin wrote recently, “Time is priceless. But the moments when we have a chance to connect, to be in sync, to bring out the best in each other – that’s time that’s worth cherishing.”  I cherish the time that I had with the 34 others from Summit, and the thousands of others from all over, at CYC this year. 

Let’s all cherish the times that we have to come together to sing, to study, to worship and to fellowship.

This pandemic has burst many a bubble. Our society was under the illusion that people really care. However, they have found out the painful truth that they are all alone in this world. And it hurts!

Now, of course, I am not referring to the faithful few who have continued to be blessing by actively serving their fellowman. Christians have been taught not to be a burden but rather to be a blessing. As Paul the Apostles says in Acts 20:34–35 (ESV) “You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘IT IS MORE BLESSED TO GIVE THAN TO RECEIVE.’”

Most self-indulgent individuals seek not to serve our Lord Christ, but rather their own appetites (Romans 16:18). Unfortunately, “their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things, (Phil.3:19).

Friend, I know this counsel is counterintuitive. But why not give it a try. If you cannot find happiness, try being the blessing.

This pandemic has certainly affected the way that I dress. With the exception of church services on Sunday, I wear sweatpants almost every day because I have nowhere to go and no one to see (at least, in person). However, on those rare occasions where I actually get to visit with someone, I may throw on a pair of blue jeans.

Usually, when we are going to meet someone important, we try to dress presentably out of respect for ourselves and for the other person. If you were going to meet with Donald Trump or Joe Biden, you probably would not be wearing your old, chili-stained Pete Rose or Joey Votto jersey. You would likely wear a button-up and tie or a dress. In a similar way we ought to present ourselves before God in a worthy manner.

In the prophetic book of Zechariah, he sees a vision of Joshua the High Priest standing in judgement before Satan and the Angel of the Lord. He is dressed in his priestly garb, but Satan accuses him of wearing defiled, stained clothing, which was against the regulation for priests. Satan, the Accuser, is rightly condemning Joshua in this instance. This presents a real problem for the Israelites. If Joshua cannot approach God because he is defiled, then on the Day of Atonement, Israel will still remain in their sins! Thankfully, the story does not end there. The Angel of the Lord rebuke’s Satan and then gives Joshua new clothes so that he can go before God blamelessly.

This vision was a shadow of the blessings to come. While on our own, our righteousness before God is but filthy rags (Isa 64:6). On our own, we have no chance. On our own, we will be condemned. But thanks be to God for our Lord Jesus Christ, “who is able to keep you from stumbling and present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy” (Jude 24; ESV). With Him, our righteousness is pure and beautiful. With him, we have abundance. With him, we have salvation.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’ – Revelation 2:17

Revelation overflows with images that remind Christians just how much we are loved and how much security we have in Christ.  Nowhere is that truer than Jesus’ promise to our brothers and sisters at the church located in the city of Pergamum to give them a white stone. 

This imagery is unfamiliar to our modern eyes but was full of comfort for the original recipients who lived in a city that was referred to as where Satan’s throne is and where a brother in Christ had just been martyred.  A white stone was given for a few reasons:

1) To signify innocence after being judged not guilty of a serious crime, that likely would have carried the death penalty.

2) To signify freedom granted to a person who had been an enslaved person.

3) To celebrate a military victory over a dangerous foe.

The promise of receiving that white stone gave weary and frightened Christians a solid reason to hope for better days ahead.  They would be innocent of all sin and above all accusation, free from spiritual and physical captivity, and victorious over the forces of Satan trying to snuff out their light. 

Then to make the image even sweeter, the stone would have a new name written on it.  The new name signifies a brand-new reputation that is free of stain or accusation.  It also indicates a purpose in God’s kingdom that is like Saul/Paul, Simon/Peter, or Jacob/Israel.  God gives new names to servants who have a tremendous purpose ahead of them. 

Take a moment and reflect on what the hope of receiving a white stone from the hand of Jesus means to your life this week.  Don’t let Satan deceive you, victory is assured!

For those who know me, I am what you call a sports fanatic. As a sports fan, one of my favorite times of the year is around the corner. Every year, I enjoy the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, also known as March Madness.

With March Madness fast approaching, I think back to former college basketball coach Jim Valvano. In 1992, Coach Valvano was diagnosed with Cancer. During the 1993 ESPY Awards, Coach Valvano was awarded the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. The award presented to individuals in sports who show courage during adverse times. During his acceptance speech, he said, “Don’t give up…don’t ever give up.” His words still resonate with me to this day.

It is a simple yet powerful message. There are times I find myself wanting to give up. This message from Coach Valvano is an excellent reminder for us all. As Christians in a fast-paced society, we have a place to turn when things get tough.

Life can change in an instant and unexpectedly. When this happens, what do we do? Where do we turn?  In the book of Jeremiah, we find comfort in knowing there is a plan for each of us.

Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Things do not always go according to plan. There are times we feel the weight of the world is on our shoulders. At times, we may feel we have nowhere to turn. When we feel like throwing in the towel, we need to remember God is in control and cast our burdens to him.

Psalm 55: 22: “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.”

2 Corinthians 12:9: 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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

The way to never give up is to realize we are not alone and must rely on God’s strength. We must never give up. 

Past generations of Americans grew up in a country that was proud of its culture. It had a rich heritage filled with the Statue of Liberty, Baseball, and Apple Pie.

The first need we experience as humans is the need to belong. During times of difficulty, culture helps us overcome by giving us a sense of structure, ritual, and habits.

Unfortunately, many of our “clever” thought leaders have forgotten this. They have not only underestimated how much humans need this – they have actively taught against it. Some are teaching us to feel ashamed of our heritage. Some even go further to tell us we need to be ashamed of our gender, ethnicity, and religion.

The solution is not to go to the opposite extreme – post-election I have noticed that many Americans are extremely angry. “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ” (Ephesians 4:15 (ESV).

While it is essential that we raise self-confident children, we should also teach them that “in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26–28 (ESV).

And, finally, we should not aid the ignorant to step into eternal damnation by neglecting to tell the truth on uncomfortable topics. It is a fact that God only created two genders – male and female (Gen.1:27). If we give up on this image of God (Rom.1:23) by “creating” a state of dysphoria then God will give us up in the lusts of our hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of our bodies among
ourselves (Rom1:24-27).

Friend, what would our world be like if everyone were kind – only speaking the truth in love?

If I had to choose a favorite bible passage, it would probably be Romans 8. It discusses almost every major theological doctrine in the span of a chapter all while being beautifully crafted. One of the teachings in this chapter is the redemption of creation. Paul writes “For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will also be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (8:19-21). Like us, Paul knows that this world is a broken place. After the fall of mankind in Genesis 3, destruction, decay, destruction and, ultimately, death has been a part of existence (Rom 5:17a). However, it has not always been this way and it will not always be this way. According to the verses just quoted, God subjected creation to futility knowing that it will one day be
“set free.”

We, along with creation are longing for this time that the Lord will redeem his children and the rest of his creation. It is because of this hope we are able to say along with Paul, “that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (8:13). I look forward to the day when we can live with each other and with God on a “new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13). A place where the wolf will dwell with the lamb (Isa 11:4). A place where there is no sound of weeping and only rejoicing (Isa 65:19). May we never forget this hope that we have in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!