Was Jesus a Jedi? by Tony Cooke

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Was Jesus a Jedi?
By Tony Cooke

Biblical Texts: 1 John 1:5; Acts 17:16-34; John 14:6

Introduction and Overview

Very few people in this country are unfamiliar with the term, “Jedi,” but in case you are, let me give you some background.

The first Star Wars movie came out in 1977 and was followed by two sequels:
The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
The Return of the Jedi (1983)

After many years, three prequels in the same series were released:
The Phantom Menace (1999).
Attack of the Clones (2002)
Revenge of the Sith (2005)

The story line is one of good and evil. In many ways, it is similar to the old-time, medieval romances.

  • A tale of knights and chivalry
  • A princess being rescued
  • Battles with dragons and monsters
  • Epic wars
  • Imaginative fantasy and superstition

In King Arthur’s saga, you had Merlin the Magician, as well as the Knights of the Round Table. In Star Wars, you have Obi Wan Kenobi, Yoda, and Luke Skywalker. They are “Jedi Knights,” and they are a combination of Merlin (with his connection to supernatural powers) and the Knights (with their bravery in battle).

The Ewoks, furry little forest creatures, are somewhat reminiscent of Robin Hood’s Merry Men.

There is the storming of what seemed to be the impenetrable castle, only this time, the castle is a “Death Star” in outer space.

There are even sword fights, although these swords are made of laser rather than steel.

The Pervasive Influence of Star Wars

Shortly before the release of Phantom Menace, there was a survey of 16,000 15-34 year olds in which they were asked to identify their hero. The results were:

1. Luke Skywalker
2. Jesus Christ
3. Michael Jordan
4. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The significance of the first Star Wars movies was such that President Reagan borrowed terminology from the movie during a critical time in our Nation. In a speech delivered on March 8, 1983, President Reagan referred to the Soviet Union as “an evil empire.” Two weeks after his speech, the President announced his Strategic Defense Initiative, involving a proposed plan whereby the United States would be able to shoot down incoming missiles. This defense system was quickly called Star Wars.

Analyzing the Movie and Its Influence

What is it that separates Star Wars from a good, old-fashioned King Arthur or Robin Hood movie?

  1. There are high-tech special effects that are impressive and enjoyable.
  2. The movie is set in outer space, not in the middle ages.
  3. There is a spiritual dimension to the film that is presented as “The Force.” Many of the characters in the movie dismiss the Force as an ancient, outdated, and irrelevant superstition. However, the Jedi Knights learn how to tap into this supernatural power and use it to their advantage. To do so, they must follow their instincts, trust their feelings, quiet their minds, avoid their fears, etc.

Concerned Christians have correctly pointed out the following:

  1. The Force of Star Wars should not be confused with the God of the Bible. Nor should it be confused with faith as it is taught in the Bible.
    a. The Force is impersonal, but the God of the Bible is personal.
    b. The Force has both a good side and a dark side, but the God of the Bible “…is light, and in Him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).
  2. The concepts in Star Wars are predominantly those of eastern religions and the occult. There is a strong pull from Buddhism, pantheism, New Age philosophies, and even a sprinkling of Christian symbolism.

These observations have caused some to denounce Star Wars, stating that Christians should have nothing to do with something that is worldly, ungodly, promoting religious and even occult philosophies.

Another Perspective?

While I certainly do not embrace all of the philosophies that are communicated in Star Wars, I believe that Christians can have a much more productive response than, like turtles, pulling our heads in our shells and isolating ourselves from the outside world.

I believe the response of the Church to Star Wars should be identical to Paul’s response to the false religious views he saw in Athens.

William Barclay said of the religious climate in Athens: “It was said that there were more statues of gods in Athens than in all the rest of Greece put together and that in Athens it was easier to meet a god than a man.”

Acts 17:16-34

16. Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols.
17. Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the [Gentile] worshipers, and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there.
18. Then certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, “What does this babbler want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods,” because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection.
19. And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new doctrine [is] of which you speak?
20. “For you are bringing some strange things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what these things mean.”
21. For all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing.
22. Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious;
23. “for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you:
24. “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.
25. “Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.
26. “And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings,
27. “so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;
28. “for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’
29. “Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising.
30. “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent,
31. “because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”
32. And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, “We will hear you again on this [matter.”]
33. So Paul departed from among them.
34. However, some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

Consider what happened here:

1. Paul saw people in Athens searching for an answer. He saw empty people searching for something that would satisfy them, something that would genuinely meet their needs, and something that would truly answer the cry of their heart.

2. Paul found a point of common ground with these people. He saw that one of their many altars was “unoccupied,” that there was no statue behind the altar… only an inscription that said, “To the Unknown God.” Paul saw this as an opportunity to introduce them to the God they did not know, and the God he did know.

3. Paul did not attack and denounce their idolatry. Instead, he found something in their belief system that served as an entrance, an open door for the Gospel. He did not compromise the truth of God’s Word, but he found a way to present the Word of God to them in the framework of their existing mentality. In essence, Paul used their system, in spite of its flaws, to point them to the true God.

One reason I believe that people are drawn to Star Wars is that people have a hunger for the God they don’t know (just like the Athenians did). They crave supernatural reality.

They may have never seen genuine Christian spirituality. Perhaps all they’ve seen is dead religion and dead churches, but have never seen the true power of God in demonstration.

I believe that Star Wars asks the right questions; it just doesn’t have the right answers.
The Producer Speaks

In an interview with Time Magazine, George Lucas (the Producer of the Star Wars movies) said the following:

“I put the Force into the movie in order to try to awaken a certain kind of spirituality in young people – more a belief in God than a belief in any particular religious system. I wanted to make it so that young people would begin to ask questions about the mystery. Not having enough interest in the mysteries of life to ask the question, ‘Is there a God or is there not a God?’ – that is for me the worst thing that can happen. I think you should have an opinion about that. Or you should be saying, ‘I’m looking. I’m very curious about this, and I am going to continue to look until I can find an answer, and if I can’t find an answer, then I’ll die trying.’”

Lucas admitted that “…he is in that searching category, that he believes in a God but does not know who that God is.”

Lucas expresses his belief that one religion “is as good as another,” and directly states: “The conclusion I’ve come to is that all religions are true.” (Reported by Albert Mohler Jr. in World Magazine, “Faith vs. the Force,” May 22, 1999).

In an article entitled, “Seduced by the Dark Side,” Dr. Tom Snyder said:

“It’s really downright confounding how a man as smart as George Lucas can make the stupid statement that ‘all religions are true.’ They can’t possibly all be true.

…Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and all the other non-Christian religions disagree ENTIRELY with the New Testament’s view of God and Jesus Christ, and with the historic Christian faith. To pretend otherwise is not only just wishful thinking, it’s a big fat lie.” (From Movieguide / June A 1999).

Finding The Real Answer

Stop and think about it. Jesus did not say, “I am one of many ways.” He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father but through me” (John 14:6).

When Jesus was facing the prospect of Calvary, He prayed, “Father, if there be any other way, let this cup pass from me.” He didn’t get up from that prayer and run away from the Cross. He didn’t abandon God’s plan for man’s redemption and say, “May the Force be with you.”

  • Mankind’s need was not be get connected with some universal, cosmic, impersonal force.
  • Mankind’s need was to have sin—that which separates man from God—taken out of the way.
  • Mankind’s need was to be brought into relationship with a personal Heavenly Father. Jesus accomplished this through His death on the Cross, through the shedding of His blood, and through His resurrection.

I believe the best thing the Church can do is to use movies such as Star Wars to engage people and direct them to the One True God.

Shortly after Star Wars first came out, I was a freshman at Butler University. I used that movie to lead another student (a real skeptic) to the Lord. I found that the mystical emphasis of the movie really spoke to the spiritual hunger that he had on the inside. I explained that the Force wasn’t real, but it was a philosophical attempt to answer the true spiritual hunger that people have in their heart.

The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are the true realities that man’s empty heart yearns for.

Our God is Personal, and there is no dark side in Him.

Was Jesus a Jedi?

No. Jedi is a myth.

Jesus is a reality.

Jesus wasn’t trying to tap into some universal force. He was (and is) the Creator of the Universe and all of its laws.

He didn’t use mind control to influence people. He spoke the truth and allowed people to accept or reject.

He turned water into wine.
He walked on the water.
He calmed the storms.
He multiplied food.
He healed the sick.
He cleansed the lepers.
He raised the dead.
He bore sin of humanity.
He conquered death, hell, and the grave.
He rose triumphantly and is alive forevermore.

The dilemma of the first three movies is that of an evil empire that needs to be defeated. The focus of the second set of movies is on the evil within. In other words, how does a cute and seemingly innocent young boy named Annakin Skywalker become the sinister Darth Vader? How does one with so much potential begin his journey down the dark side?

Really, this is the story of the human race.

The hunger and the questions raised are universal. But the answer to these questions will not be seen on the big screen or on the videos.

  • The true answers will only be found in God’s Word, the Bible.
  • The answer will not be found in an impersonal force, but in a personal God.
  • The answer is not found in following your instincts, but in following the Holy Spirit.
  • The answer is not found in trusting your feelings, but by trusting in God.
  • The answer is not found in emptying your mind, but in filling your mind with the truth of God’s Word.

Conclusion

If you just want to go and enjoy the special effects and see the film for entertainment value, that is fine. Enjoy the movie.

But if you want to look deeper and see the “religious stew” that is assembled, please realize that a false view (“all religions are true”) underlies the film. This confusion reflects a confused society that is like the Athenians of old. Embracing a multiplicity of false gods while remaining ignorant of the one true God.

Realize that the spiritual hunger that causes people to be drawn to Star Wars is legitimate, but the answer to that spiritual hunger will never be found on the Big Screen. It will only be found in the Big Book!

To Christians, I recommend that instead of denouncing the movie because it violates your theology, use the movie as a touch-point for people who identify with its search, but take them a step farther and show them the truth that is only found in Jesus Christ.

Involuntary Heroes by Rev. Tony Cooke

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Involuntary Heroes Rev. Tony Cooke

John F. Kennedy is a great figure in American history, and is well-known as our thirty-fifth president.  After graduating from Harvard in 1940, he entered the Navy and was put in charge of a U.S. Navy Torpedo Boat, PT-109, in the Pacific.  When he and his crew were on a night patrol in August of 1943, their boat was rammed by the Japanese destroyer, Amagiri.  Kennedy (who had been injured himself) towed a more seriously wounded man as he led the survivors to safety by swimming to a nearby island.  Five difficult days afterward they were rescued.

As a result, JFK received the Purple Heart and other military honors.  Kennedy was later asked how he became a war hero.  Expressing his keen sense of humor, he said, “It was involuntary.  They sank my boat.”

When I read that, it made me think of how many situations we face in life that really are involuntary.  In other words, we all encounter circumstances that we never asked for (and probably never would ask for).  This leads us to a great truth in life: We don’t have control over all the situations we encounter, but we do have control over our reactions and responses.  In spite of Kennedy’s humorous twist regarding the question he was asked, it wasn’t his boat being sunk, but rather his response that made him a hero

The same principle is true of many of the great characters in the Bible:

  • Joseph didn’t volunteer to be sold into slavery or thrown into jail, but his response made him a hero.
  • Gideon didn’t volunteer to be one of those oppressed by the Midianites, but his response made him a hero.
  • Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego didn’t volunteer to go into Babylonian captivity, but their response made them heroes.
  • Esther didn’t volunteer to be raised as a Jewish orphan in a foreign land, but her response made her a hero.
  • Paul didn’t volunteer for a shipwreck, but his response made him a hero.

When confronted with great adversity, our natural instinct may be to despair, to complain, and to say, “This isn’t fair.  Why is this happening to me?” or even, “I didn’t sign up for this!”  But the Bible makes it clear that our response to negative circumstances needs to be the response of faith.

This is why James told us, “…when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.  For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.   So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing” (James 1:2-4, NLT).

James understood that certain challenges in life were inevitable, but we can respond to such inevitabilities with a great confidence in God.  When we do, great results occur.  Someone said, “A diamond is a chunk of coal that made good under pressure.” 

Author Zane Grey shared the following outstanding insight: “Recipe for greatness — To bear up under loss, to fight the bitterness of defeat and the weakness of grief, to be victor over anger, to smile when tears are close, to resist evil men and base instincts, to hate hate and to love love, to go on when it would seem good to die, to seek ever after the glory and the dream, to look up with unquenchable faith in something evermore about to be, that is what any man can do, and so be great.”

Something Else That’s Involuntary

We don’t only face involuntary adversity, but when we stop and think about it, we realize that our calling in life—the assignment that God’s given each of us—is also involuntary.  It’s true that we have a choice to accept it or reject it, to submit to it or rebel against it, but God has given us a calling according to His own choosing.  Consider the following Scriptures:

Jesus said, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you… (John 15:16).

2 Timothy 1:9 says that God “…has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.”

Paul, in Philippians 3:12, references the calling he received from the Lord and his response to that calling, and says, “…that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.”  Notice that he refers to his calling as having been “apprehended.”

It is true that God is a gentleman, that He does not override our free will.  However, He does issue commands and asks that we submit our will to his.  Even Jesus had to do this, as was evidenced by His statement, “…not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42).

Summary

We all face things in life that are involuntary.  We didn’t ask for some of the challenges we face, nor did we necessarily ask for God’s plan for our lives.  He loved us before we loved Him.  He sought us before we ever thought about seeking Him, and thank God that he also apprehended us!

There may be times in your life when you feel like JFK… that someone sank your boat, and now you find yourself dealing with the results.  You can bemoan the predicament, or you can become a hero through a positive and persistent response. 

William Shakespeare said, “Be not afraid of greatness; some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them.”  I believe that greatness is thrust upon us when we respond positively both to the trials of life and to God’s claims upon our lives.

We pray that this will be a tremendous year for you, and that regardless of the challenges that life brings, you will find great strength and courage through your relationship with Him.

 

Are Indulgences Making a Comeback?

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Are Indulgences Making a Comeback? Rev. Tony Cooke

One of the movies I’ve enjoyed in recent year was about Martin Luther’s ministry leading up to and through the Protestant Reformation (the title of this work from 2003 is “Luther”).  In it, his grief over the unscriptural practice of indulgences is clearly seen.  The “Pocket History of the Church” says that indulgences, “…authorized by papal authority in 1411, had begun in the eleventh century with the teaching that pious service, say, in the Crusades would reduce one’s stay in purgatory. In the fifteenth century, guarantees of shorter stays in purgatory in exchange for monies became a regular component of fundraising techniques for the papacy.”

The idea of “buying blessings” did not start, though, in the Middle Ages.  In Acts 8, Simon the Sorcerer made an offer to Peter that he could refuse (because of Peter’s integrity)!

Acts 8:18-22

18 And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, 19 saying, "Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit."

20 But Peter said to him, "Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! 21 You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. 22 Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.

The New Testament in Modern English translates verse 20, “To hell with you and your money!”  J.B. Phillips says that this “is exactly what the Greek means,” and the Message Version and the Good News Translation also provide similar renderings.  Even today, the term “Simony” refers not only to the practice of purchasing ecclesiastical offices, but also is used broadly to denote any kind of trafficking in sacred things.

We all know that tithing and giving is an important part of what the Bible teaches, and we know that it takes money for churches and ministries to operate, but there is a serious problem when the impression is given that every blessing, every breakthrough, every miracle, and every answer to prayer is contingent upon a financial gift being given.  Maybe we’re not trying to reduce our own time, or spring a relative from purgatory through financial gifts today, but isn’t it still a serious matter if people are led to believe that every blessing and breakthrough is somehow connected to money?

I recently heard a minister on television extolling the virtues of the number “seven” as it is used throughout the Bible.  Somehow, he drew the conclusion that since this is 2007, that meant that his viewers were being instructed by God to give a certain monetary amount to receive their breakthrough.  Somehow, though, I didn’t hear him suggest that anyone send in a $7 offering (which would have seemed logical if there really was even a remote connection to what we’re supposed to give relative to the calendar year).  Somehow, $77, or $777, and $7,777 were the suggested amounts.  His line of thought made me wonder if no offerings would have been expected in the year 2000. 

As I listened to this slick presentation, I couldn’t help but wonder if Martin Luther wasn’t questioning if he had published his Ninety-five Theses in vain.  I thought to myself, “I’ve heard of the ministries of encouragement, edification, and exhortation, but this is nothing more than extraction—extracting money out of the peoples’ wallets!”  Further, I wondered why all of these presentations on television always end with the phrase, “Go to your phone,” and never, “Go to your church.” 

Recently, I heard of a minister who said, “You can receive information from anyone, but you can only receive revelation from a minister that you sow into.”  I thought to myself, “If that’s the case, then none of us would be able to receive revelation from any of Paul’s writings, because none of us ever gave financially to him.”

As much as I dislike some of the things I’m seeing and hearing (and I know that these are just a couple of examples among hundreds), it reminded me of how grateful I am for the pastors, missionaries, and other fine ministers who share the Gospel and the Word of God in a straightforward manner, with simplicity and sincerity.  Thank God for those who are keeping the waters pure!

Blessings Without Money

I was refreshed as I remembered Isaiah 55:1-2:  Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.  Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance.

Please know, though, that I’m not against giving!  Churches, missionaries, and ministries all need finances to operate, and to fulfill the Great Commission!  As long as we hold to the understanding that God’s greatest blessings are free gifts, then we can give from the right heart and the right motive, and we can avoid being pressured, manipulated, or taken advantage of!  What are some of the healthy New Testament principles of giving?

  1. Believers are to give PERSONALLY.  In 2 Corinthians 8:1-5, Paul described the great generosity of the Macedonians, and he said (verse 5), “…they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.”  Giving wasn’t just a religious ritual, but it was a reflection of a life totally given to God.
  2. Believers are to give SYSTEMATICALLY.  Paul said (1 Corinthians 16:2), “On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside…”  Systematic and regular giving produces stability in churches and promotes maturity and responsibility in believers.
  3. Believers are to give PROPORTIONATELY.  If you read more of 1 Corinthians 16:2, it says, “On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper…”  Giving was to be in proportion to how much the people had prospered.
  4. Believers are to give GENEROUSLY.  Proverbs 11:25 says, “The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself.”  Keep in mind that this doesn’t just apply to money.  We can also be generous with our time, our talents, our encouragement of others, etc.
  5. Believers are to give WILLINGLY.  In Exodus 35:5, Moses said, “Take from among you an offering to the LORD. Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as an offering to the LORD…”
  6. Believers are to give PURPOSEFULLY.  One of my favorite verses on giving has always been 2 Corinthians 9:7, which says, “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart…”  Giving should be deliberate and intentional, not because of pressure, hype, or manipulation.
  7. Believers are to give CHEERFULLY.  The last part of 2 Corinthians 9:7 says, “…for God loves a cheerful giver.”  The word cheerful here is the Greek word hilaros, from which we get our English word hilarious.  Giving truly should be a joy!
  8. Believers are to give RESPONSIBLY.  There is a principle of responsibility when it comes to finances.  We need to be responsible not only with the 10%, but also with the 90%.  We are to be responsible to tithe to our local church and we are responsible to see to it that the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) is carried out.
  9. Believers are to give EXPECTANTLY.  Many Scriptures (e.g., Ecclesiastes 11:1-3, Luke 6:38, etc.) address the blessing connected with giving, and we should give with a heart of expectancy.
  10. Believers are to give WORSHIPFULLY.  True giving is far more than a financial transaction; it is an act of worship unto God.  In Deuteronomy 26:10-11, God’s people were instructed (regarding their giving), "Then you shall set it before the LORD your God, and worship before the LORD your God. 11 So you shall rejoice in every good thing which the LORD your God has given to you and your house…”

Coming Full Cycle

Wrong teaching or practices should never keep us from doing the right thing!  There was a time in the Old Testament, when God instructed Moses to make a brass serpent and put it up on a pole (Numbers 21:8-9).  It symbolized Christ on the Cross, and everyone who looked on it was healed.  However, that symbol was later abused.  In 2 Kings 18:1-8, King Hezekiah destroyed the bronze serpent because the children of Israel had begun to worship it instead of God.  What God intended to bless the children of Israel became an idolatrous stumbling block to them!  Later, though, Jesus said (John 3:14-15): “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,  that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Jesus didn’t throw out the baby with the bathwater!  Even though a godly king had to destroy what had been corrupted, Jesus was able to see beyond the distortions, recall God’s original purpose, and reclaim the truth of what God had originally brought forth.  May we all be very strong in seeing through the clutter and distractions as we walk out God’s original purpose of who He has called us to be and what He has called us to do!

 

Image vs. Substance: Avoiding the ‘Saul Syndrome’ and Cultivating a ‘David Heart’

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Image vs. Substance: Avoiding the ‘Saul Syndrome’ and Cultivating a ‘David Heart’
By Tony Cooke

image versus substance by Tony CookeThere wasn’t anyone who seemed to be better “kingly material” than Saul. Scripture tells us, “…There was not a more handsome person than he among the children of Israel. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people” (1 Samuel 9:2).

Saul not only looked good, but he was also humble. When Samuel declared to him that God’s hand was upon his life, Saul replied, “…Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak like this to me?” (1 Samuel 9:21).

Unfortunately, the humility that marked Saul’s early days evaporated with his ascension to the throne and his subsequent usurping of inappropriate power. Through impatience and presumption, Saul foolishly intruded into the priestly office — an office to which he was not called (see 1 Samuel 13:8-14).

Later Saul disobeyed God’s command to “…attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them…” (1 Samuel 15:3). When the prophet Samuel encountered Saul, Saul lied and said that he had, in fact, carried out the Lord’s command. Saul tried to make himself look good in Samuel’s eyes, but the prophet didn’t buy it (see 1 Samuel 15:13-23).

What was God’s response to Saul’s presumption, rebellion, and disobedience? Samuel said to him, “But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you” (1 Samuel 13:14). There was even a reference to Saul’s humility in days gone by: “…When you were little in your own eyes, were you not head of the tribes of Israel? And did not the Lord anoint you king over Israel?” (1 Samuel 15:17).

I don’t want to focus on the negative, but I’d rather learn from the mistakes of others than have to learn unnecessarily from my own mistakes. In fact, we learn from First Corinthians 10:11 that many of the things recorded in the Old Testament were written as examples, admonitions, and warnings to us so we wouldn’t have to experience the same disastrous results as others have suffered before us. Regarding Saul’s life, one of the things we learn is that something can begin with great promise and potential and yet end in great heartache and tragedy.

No Substitute for Substance

Having said all that, let’s turn to the positive. God did reject Saul as king, but He didn’t give up; He sought out David, “a man after His own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22). What does it mean to be a man after God’s heart? It’s obviously not something that’s found in a façade — in someone’s external image or appearance. Saul had every appearance of being kingly, but his character eventually revealed serious flaws.

Before David was anointed to be the next king, even the great prophet Samuel was almost misled by the wonderful “appearance” of one of David’s brothers.

…He [Samuel] looked at Eliab and said, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him!’ But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’
1 Samuel 16:6,7

I want to discuss the identifying traits of a person after God’s own heart. But first, let’s talk about the dangers of magnifying image and appearance while ignoring substance and content.

We live in a day of “image management,” and that’s not entirely a bad thing. We all want to put our best foot forward, have a good reputation, and present ourselves well. However, a problem develops when image becomes a substitute for substance — and especially when the image is so doctored, practiced, and polished that it presents a misleading and disingenuous portrayal of reality.

Perhaps the harshest words that came from the mouth of Jesus had to do with those who focused on projecting an outward appearance of righteousness but were internally corrupt.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”

Matthew 23:25-28

Likewise, Paul had some very stern words for those whose focus was merely on their appearance. He spoke of such people as those who “…exalt and furnish testimonials for themselves…” (2 Corinthians 10:12 AMP).

Paul went on to describe those who project one image outwardly but possess an entirely different character internally. He said, “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).

The Greek word that Paul uses here for “transform” is not always used negatively in the New Testament. However, here it means to assume an appearance; to disguise, masquerade, or pose.

Injured by betrayal that came under the guise of friendship and trust, David was painfully reminded of this truth that “all that glitters is not gold.” He wrote: “The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords” (Psalm 55:21).

We Must Value What God Values

God values honesty, truth, and sincerity; therefore, we must avoid deception of every kind. Consider the following instances in Scripture where we are admonished to avoid focusing on appearance and image.

  • “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them…. They [hypocrites] love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men…. For they [hypocrites] disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting…” (Matthew 6:1,5,16).
  • “But all their works they do to be seen by men…” (Matthew 23:5).
  • “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment” (John 7:24).
  • In addressing the church at Sardis, Jesus referred to an entire congregation that seemed to be enjoying a great “image.” However, Jesus indicated that their internal state of affairs was far less healthy. He said, “…You have a reputation for being alive — but you are dead” (Revelation 3:1 NLT).
  • Paul spoke of those who “…boast in appearance and not in heart” (2 Corinthians 5:12).

It’s not that appearance is irrelevant; we should certainly avoid the appearance of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22). But substance is what ultimately matters. Dwight L. Moody said, “If I take care of my character, my reputation will take care of itself.” John Wooden observed, “Your character is what you really are. Your reputation is only what others think you are.”

If we don’t cultivate and maintain a godly character, we can easily end up leading a double or secret life. Charles Spurgeon said, “We have all heard the story of the man who preached so well and lived so badly that when he was in the pulpit, everybody said he ought never to come out again, and when he was out of it, they all declared he never ought to enter it again.”

We must be on guard lest we end up becoming a public success but a private failure!

It’s easy to sit back and point a self-righteous finger at those wicked hypocrites who live behind a mask of diabolical deceit — but is it only “the other guy” who gets caught in a trap of focusing on image and appearance? I wonder how many “good-hearted” ministers have struggled with the fear of man and with “approval addiction.” What about us? What about me, and what about you? Have we ever allowed these to cause us to act less honorably than we should?

Consider the following characteristics that might cause us to be less than genuine and sincere for the sake of appearance.

  • Exaggeration. Has insecurity or the fear of disapproval (or the craving for approval) ever caused us to exaggerate a claim to make us look a little better?
  • Name-dropping. Have we ever name-dropped to impress others and to make them think we are important?
  • Flattery. Have we ever flattered someone in hopes of obtaining some kind of favor from that person?
  • Rationalization. When we made a mistake for which we should have apologized, have we ever rationalized or minimized our mistake instead in an attempt to save our image?
  • Criticism. Have we ever spoken badly of someone, thinking that it somehow made us look better?

It seems from Scripture that it is sometimes simply insecurity, fear, or a desire for approval that causes people to be untrue to their inner convictions. Peter and Barnabas weren’t bad guys, but they violated their convictions in Antioch because Peter didn’t want to displease James’ representatives from Jerusalem (Galatians 2:11-14).

Consider some of the rulers from Jesus’ day (John 12:42,43): “Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.”

Those rulers didn’t wake up one morning and decide to be evil; they just wanted to be accepted, approved of, and in favor with the people they thought were important. However understandable that may be, it still caused them to miss out on a vital relationship with God.

So what was it about David that differentiated him from Saul? What was it that caused David to be called “a man after God’s own heart”? Let me share five observations.

  1. David truly desired God more than anything else (Psalm 63:1-8).
  2. David loved the Word of God (Psalm 119:47,48,103,127-131,162,167).
  3. David was willing to confess his sin and repent with his whole heart (Psalm 51:1-12; 119:11; 101:2,3).

Part of the contrast between Saul and David is revealed in the way they each responded when they were confronted with their respective sins. Saul acknowledged the sin but seemed rather flippant about it, merely asking Samuel, “…Please pardon my sin…” (1 Samuel 15:25).

David, however, seemed to have taken the seriousness of his sin much more deeply and personally. He didn’t simply ask Nathan the prophet to pardon him; instead, David said directly to God, “Against You, You only have I sinned…” (Psalm 51:4). David realized that he hadn’t merely transgressed a commandment — he had sinned against God Himself. However, although forgiveness was granted, the social and relational consequences of David’s sin reverberated throughout his life. As Nathan said, the sword never departed from David’s house after that (2 Samuel 12:7-15).

It was perhaps the way David repented in spite of his failings and sins that substantiates the next point.

4. David was a man after God’s own heart because he was a man of integrity (1 Kings 9:4,5; Psalm 26:1; 15:1-5)

5. David was a man after God’s own heart because he was a man of gratitude and a man of praise (Psalm 34:1; 119:164)

I believe that God is still seeking people who are after His heart! Second Chronicles 16:9 (NASB) says, “…The eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His….” Jesus confirmed this when He said that the Father is seeking those who worship Him “in Spirit and in truth” (John 4:23).

We need to keep in mind that God has not called us to be the judge of anyone else’s motives; rather, our job is to focus on the motives of our own hearts. Paul even admonished us, “So don’t make judgments about anyone ahead of time — before the Lord returns. For he will bring our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. Then God will give to each one whatever praise is due” (1 Corinthians 4:5 NLT).

Paul further elaborated on his own personal commitment to keep his heart right and his motives pure when he said, “For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts. Never once did we try to win you with flattery, as you well know. And God is our witness that we were not pretending to be your friends just to get your money!” (1 Thessalonians 2:4,5 NLT).

Purity of heart and motives is huge with God. It was important to Him in Saul’s day, and it’s still important today. If we want to avoid the failings of Saul in our own lives — and to cultivate a heart like David’s — we need to examine our hearts regularly and be brutally honest with ourselves. If we do, we’ll maintain a clear conscience throughout life and reap wonderful rewards throughout eternity.

 

In Memoriam Barbara Bennett Cooke (1923 – 2011)

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In Memoriam
Barbara Bennett Cooke (1923 – 2011)

While sitting at the breakfast table on Monday morning, January 24, Barbara Cooke slipped peacefully into eternity. Like many of her era, she was born in the family home in Boonville, Indiana on September 23, 1923.

Barbara Bennett Cooke MemoriamIn her youth, mom was very athletic. She played softball, tennis, and basketball competitively, and was a Physical Education major at Hanover College in Madison, Indiana. She held the record in discus there for some time. Her studies at Hanover were cut short because of Rheumatic Fever, and the doctors told her mother that she would only live for four or five more years. Mom always took pride in being strong, and even in her mid-80’s as she was recovering from injuries sustained in the car accident that took my dad’s life, she periodically would challenge her doctors to an arm-wrestling match.

Barbara met Kenneth Cooke while attending Hanover, and following WWII (my dad served in the Navy), they were married on August 22, 1946 in Scottsburg, Indiana. Dad began pursuing what would become his lifelong career as an educator, and in 1949, they had the first of four sons (I was number four).

When it came to manners, doing things properly, and speaking properly, mom would have made Emily Post and Noah Webster very proud. When my dad passed away in 2007, mom was unable to attend the memorial service because she was still in the hospital recovering from her own injuries. Shortly after that, I showed her a DVD of the funeral service, and mom watched with great interest – not only because it involved her husband’s memorial service, but because she was very interested in etiquette, dignity, and decorum… she wanted to make sure things were done right. The only “suggestion” she offered from her hospital bed – as she lay there recovering from multiple injuries – is that it would have been more appropriate for me to have referred to him as “father” instead of “dad.”

But Mom was far from stuffy. She loved having fun, and could be a real cut-up at family gatherings. Barbara enjoyed antiques, church activities, decorating, gardening, painting, arranging flowers, and playing bridge. Mom was also a life-long learner; not only was she a reader, but she also took various courses at the Indiana University extension campus in Kokomo.

At her memorial service (January 29, 2011), I shared what I believed were the three most important things in my mother’s life.

1. Friends

Mom absolutely loved being with people. Whether it was her bridge club, small groups through her church, or volunteering in service and philanthropic organizations, Mom was always involved with people. She loved entertaining, and always gave events a special touch with decorations and other expressions of gifted hospitality.

Mom formed friendships that lasted decades, and in some cases, a lifetime. She often spoke of her childhood friends from her hometown, and it was obvious that she treasured these relationships greatly. The value that Mom placed upon friendships, and the fact that she had so many friends, was indicative of a sense of community, loyalty, and interest in others.

2. Family

The second thing that was valuable to Barbara Cooke was family. All the way back to her Boonville roots, she spoke frequently of her family, of her parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. My brothers and I heard countless stories from generations past. She highly valued her roots. Later in life, she even bought the house that sat on the corner opposite her birthplace, and remodeled it.

As a mother, she was extremely conscientious and diligent in raising her kids. They could have easily patterned the June Cleaver character after her. We were always cared for extremely well, and probably the most-oft heard question in the Cooke household was, “Did you wash your hands?” After we said yes, the next statement was, “Let me smell your hands.” Verbal confirmation was not enough. Many people have credited President Reagan with the phrase, “Trust, but verify,” but I’m pretty sure he got that from my mom.

As we all grew up and moved out, no visit to Mom and Dad’s house was made without hearing multiple times, “Are you sure you don’t want something to eat?”

Mom absolutely loved her kids, she adored her grandkids, and she really, really loved her great-grandkids.

3. Faith

Barbara often spoke fondly of a godly, Methodist grandmother that regularly taught her Bible stories when she was a little girl. Mom made sure that all of us were in church when we were little, and she taught us important morals and values.

There are two statements I remember hearing mom make when I was young, and both of these made an impression on me. The first statement that stands out to me is when she said, “If you can believe any of the Bible, you can believe all of it.”

Another time (we must have been talking about Christians in other nations being persecuted for their faith) she said, “I’d let them cut my fingers off before I said it wasn’t true.”

In the last several years, mom spoke of God, the Bible, and Heaven often. Even within the last year, when her memory became more and more challenged, she would sometimes say, “Let me see if I can say the Lord’s Prayer,” or “Let’s see if I can say the Apostle’s Creed.” Remarkably, she did extremely well in reciting them verbatim. These seemed to be deeply ingrained in her, and even when other details were fading from her memory, these remained very precious to her.

When I was with mom in early December of 2010, we were preparing to leave to go back to Oklahoma… my wife said, “Why don’t you pray for your mom before we leave?”

I did, and I concluded my prayer with the words… “In the Name of Jesus, Amen.” Even though it was a challenge at that point for her to recognize her own children, as I said those words, she repeated them almost simultaneously with me – “In the Name of Jesus, Amen.” Those were the last words I heard her say.

Weeks and months prior to last December, mom had expressed to me on different occasions her desire for Heaven. She said she was looking forward to seeing her mother and father, and even asked for me to pray that she go to Heaven soon.

Of course, that got me thinking more about the reality of heaven, and I was reminded of some wonderful statements…

“Has this world been so kind to you that you should leave with regret? There are better things ahead than any we leave behind.”
– C.S. Lewis

“If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”
– C.S. Lewis

“Thoughts of heaven quicken our faith. Our only sure and solid foundation is the hope of heaven. The only solution to earth’s mysteries and the only righter of earth’s wrongs is heaven. We need an infusion of heaven into our faith and hope that will create a homesickness for that blessed place. God’s home is heaven. Eternal life and all good were born there and flourish there. All life, happiness, beauty, and glory are native to the home of God. All this belongs to and awaits the heirs of God in heaven. What a glorious inheritance!”
– E.M. Bounds

My mom has made the transition that all of us must make. I am thankful today that the mother who raised me was a person who loved friends, loved family, and was a person of faith.

Gurus, Groupies, and Gullibility by Tony Cooke

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Gurus, Groupies, and Gullibility
Tony Cooke

gurus, groupiesIf you are my age or a bit older, you may remember the hysteria surrounding the Beatles when they first became popular. In addition to “Let it Be” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” you may recall teenybopper fans who were beside themselves, screaming, crying, and swooning in their presence.

This phenomenon of being caught up and carried away in a frenzy of unthinking enthusiasm is not restricted to teenage girls and rock stars. Sometimes it is far more sinister with deadly results. Adolf Hitler said, “What luck for rulers that men do not think.”  One of Hitler’s leading henchmen, Herman Goering said, “I have no conscience. Adolf Hitler is my conscience.”  The ability and courage to think clearly in the context of truth is essential if one is to avoid being deceived in large or small matters.

The very word “gullible” is thought to have been derived from “gull” – the bird. The words “gull” and “gullet” refer to swallowing and the throat. Gulls (as in seagulls) were said to swallow anything that was thrown at them. Likewise, a gullible person is easily deceived, accepting the thoughts of others without intelligent consideration as to their veracity.

Believers sometimes become enamored with certain charismatic leaders and blindly embrace every word they say, putting them on pedestals, and forgetting all of the Bible’s admonitions about our need to operate with keen discernment and scriptural intelligence. Not only does it take spiritual insight to discern the truth, but it also takes courage to stand up for the truth and not be swept away with the swooning masses. It is important to remember that not everything that is popular is principled.

I have been reading “Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy.”  This is a biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German pastor and theologian who was executed for his opposition to Hitler and his policies during WWII.

In the Forward of the book, Timothy J. Keller addresses the capitulation of the German church to Hitler. “How could ‘the church of Luther,’ that great teacher of the gospel, have ever come to such a place?  The answer is that the true gospel, summed up by Bonhoeffer as costly grace, had been lost. On the one hand, the church had become marked by formalism. That meant going to church and hearing that God just loves and forgives everyone, so it doesn’t really matter much how you live. Bonhoeffer called this cheap grace. On the other hand, there was legalism, or salvation by law and good works. Legalism meant that God loves you because you have pulled yourself together and are trying to live a good, disciplined life.”

Bonhoeffer demonstrated what it meant to be an independent thinker. Educated in the midst of extreme theological liberalism, he defied many of the “academic giants” of his day and later actively withstood the evils of Nazism as well. I am not writing this to endorse all of Bonhoeffer’s theological positions, but I do admire his courage and the deliberateness of his thought processes.

Bonhoeffer’s independence reminds me of Paul’s tenacity and stand for the truth in the light of what he saw in the church at Antioch. Galatians 2:11-13 says, “But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile Christians, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. As a result, other Jewish Christians followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.”  The Phillips Translation of verse 13 says, “…the force of their bad example was so great that even Barnabas was infected by it.”

Peter and Barnabas were no doubt good men, but in this unfortunate moment, they became “groupies” who were simply following the crowd. In this particular situation, they lacked the insight and/or the fortitude to stand up for what was right.

The Bible provides numerous admonitions about the need to not be gullible, but to use study, wisdom, and discernment in our lives.

Proverbs 14:15 (MSG)
15 The gullible believe anything they’re told; the prudent sift and weigh every word.

Romans 16:19 (MSG)
19 I want you also to be smart, making sure every “good” thing is the real thing. Don’t be gullible in regard to smooth-talking evil. Stay alert like this…

2 Corinthians 11:3-4 (NLT)
3 But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent. 4 You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed.

1 Thessalonians 5:21 (AMP)
21 But test and prove all things [until you can recognize] what is good; [to that] hold fast.

1 John 4:1 (NKJV)
1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Not only does all of this involve knowing the Bible and being led by the Holy Spirit, but it also involves a skill known as “critical thinking.”  A few of the many definitions of critical thinking include:

    1. “Critical thinking is reasonable, reflective thinking that is focused on deciding what to believe and do.”
    2. “…interpreting, analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing information to form a good understanding, judgment, or solution.”
    3. “…an ability to evaluate information and opinions in a systematic, purposeful, efficient manner.” 

Being a “critical thinker” does not mean you are a critical person. We typically think of critical in the sense of someone who is always negative, griping, tearing others down, etc. This is not what we’re saying. Neither does critical thinking mean that you are narrow-minded or unwilling to consider other points of view. I remember a spiritual leader sharing about a time when he was listening to another minister preach, and he recalled that he disagreed with some of the things the minister had said. Instead of shutting him off because of a disagreement, the spiritual leader continued listening (even though he was filtering as he listened), and later, said this minister communicated an outstanding truth that answered a question he had been wondering about for years. He said he was so glad that he didn’t shut that minister off just because he’d said some things earlier in the message that he disagreed with.

Job 34:3 says, “The ear tests the words it hears just as the mouth distinguishes between foods.”

While we must be careful not to exalt our reasoning above God and His Word, God does want us to use our minds (guided by His Word and Spirit) in discerning truth. In Isaiah 1:18, God said, “Come now, and let us reason together…” Notice that we are to reason with God, not to reason against Him. Logic and reason certainly are not our gods, but they are tools to be used in establishing our beliefs and practices. This is why Paul said, “Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth” (2 Timothy 2:15, AMP).

As leaders, God has not called us to be gurus. As followers, God has not called us to be groupies. And God has certainly not called any of us to gullible. May God help us all as we seek to discern, embrace, and proclaim truth.

The God of the Hills, Plains, and Valleys by Rev. Tony Cooke

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The God of the Hills, Plains, and Valleys
By Rev. Tony Cooke

In the Old Testament, the enemies of God’s people made a serious miscalculation.  Having lost a battle against the Israelites, the advisors to the king of Syria said, “Their gods are gods of the hills. Therefore they were stronger than we; but if we fight against them in the plain, surely we will be stronger than they” (1 Kings 20:23).

When they were ready to attack God’s people using their new strategy, God had a surprise in store for them: “Then a man of God came and spoke to the king of Israel, and said, ‘Thus says the LORD: Because the Syrians have said, "The LORD is God of the hills, but He is not God of the valleys," therefore I will deliver all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the LORD’” (1 Kings 20:28).

The Syrians had the idea that God was a “territorial” God, that He was restricted in His ability to deliver His people.  They thought that their God was only a God of the hills, but God wants us to know that He is the God of the hills, the plains, and the valleys!

How does this apply to our lives? 

The God of the Hills

Figuratively speaking, the hills represent the high points in our lives, the mountaintop experiences, the times when we feel like we’re on top of the world. 

Certainly, it’s easy to relate to the idea of God being the God of the hills.  After all:

  • God revealed Himself to Abraham as Jehovah Jireh on Mount Moriah.
  • God gave the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai.
  • God spoke to Elijah in a still, small voice on Mount Horeb.

Even in Jesus’ life, victory over the greatest temptations occurred on a mountain.  His most glorious moment was on the Mount of Transfiguration, and he ascended from the Mount of Olives

Mountains were used by God for times of visitation and revelation, when His glory was poured out in a special way.  These become landmarks and milestones in our lives—they are events and experiences that empower us and launch us into the plan of God.

The God of the Plains

But God isn’t just with us when we’re on top of everything.  He’s also the God of the plains.  The plains speak of what we consider to be the routine, ordinary, day-to-day aspects of our lives.  Richard J. Foster said, “The discovery of God lies in the daily and the ordinary, not in the spectacular and the heroic. If we cannot find God in the routines of home and shop, then we will not find Him at all.”

God is just as interested in the “plains” in our lives as He is in the hills of our lives!  Don’t let impatience and a lack of contentment with where you are cause you to think that you’re missing it!  The grass isn’t greener on the other side!

The God of the Valleys

And what about the valleys?  We know what they represent.  The valleys represent the low times, the difficult times, the challenging times.  Thank God that He is with us in the valleys!  He doesn’t abandon us when we hit the hard times.  Always remember what Psalm 23:4 says, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”

Remember to emphasize the “through” part of that!  Winston Churchill said, “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” 

Sometimes in the difficult times, we can be tempted to feel that God is no longer with us.  Imagine, for a second, the letters, N-O-W-H-E-R-E.  What did you see when you saw those letters?  Some will see the word, “Nowhere,” but others will see the words, “Now Here.” 

No matter what you’re going through, God is “Now Here” with you!  He is not just the God of the hills, but He is the God of the hills, plains, and valleys.  He is God in all times and during all seasons of our lives.

Grace, Repentance, and Confession

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Grace, Repentance, and Confession
Tony Cooke

I recently had the privilege of doing some extended meetings at Pastor Jerry Weinzierl’s church in Sterling Heights, Michigan, and was able to teach in-depth on the topic of grace. One of the areas I taught related to how God’s grace affects whether believers need to confess sins or repent. Some have the distinct impression that being under grace means that it is unnecessary to repent of or confess sins we commit. Instead, it is thought, believers simply need to recognize that they were already forgiven.

grace and repentanceBefore addressing this, it is vital to define our terms scripturally. The words “repent” and “repentance” do not mean that we anxiously wallow in guilt, hashing and re-hashing our failures, or that we walk perpetually in sin-consciousness. Here is what some of the most respected Greek scholars have to say about the Greek word for repentance:

“The Greek noun metanoia literally means, ‘a change of mind.’ It is more than an emotional sorrow, which too often does not produce any change of life. Rather, it is a change of mind, or attitude, toward God, sin, and ourselves” (Ralph Earle).

“…the change of mind of those who have begun to abhor their errors and misdeeds, and have determined to enter upon a better course of life, so that it embraces both a recognition of sin and sorrow for it and hearty amendment, the tokens and effects of which are good deeds” (Joseph H. Thayer).

In his outstanding work, A Light in the Darkness: Seven Messages to the Seven Churches, Rick Renner writes: “When the words meta and nous are combined together; the new word depicts a decision to completely change the way one thinks, lives, or behaves. This doesn’t describe a temporary emotional sorrow for past actions; rather, it is a solid, intellectual decision to turn about-face and take a new direction, to completely alter one’s life by discarding an old, destructive pattern and embracing a brand new one. True repentance involves a conscious decision both to turn away from sin, selfishness, and rebellion, and to turn toward God with all of one’s heart and mind. It is a complete, 180-degree turn in one’s thinking and behaving.”

Resolutions are not the same as repentance. William Douglas Chamberlain wrote, “The Christian faith turns men’s faces forward. Repentance is the reorientation of a personality with reference to God and His purpose.” Further, he states that in order for believers to enjoy the kingdom of God, they must “undergo a mental transfiguration, which we call ‘repentance.’ Repentance looks ahead in hope and anticipation while remorse “looks backward in shame and forward in fear.”

Jesus Preached Repentance
The very first words Jesus preached (according to Matthew 4:17) were “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Notice that Jesus didn’t simply advocate people turning from the negative, but He wanted people to awaken to the positive – the kingdom of heaven – that was becoming available to them. In this sense, we can say that repentance is really prophetic preparation; it is the preparation of our hearts for something wonderful that God is making available to us.

Repentance occurs when we awaken to God’s glorious potential for our lives. In the light of God’s goodness and good intentions toward us, we recognize the deficiency of our selfish perspective and the destructiveness of our sinful behavior. Thus, we turn from them in order to embrace a new, better, and higher life offered by the God of grace. Like grace, repentance involves both attitude and action. There is the discontinuation of wrong behavior based upon a heart and mind that have turned completely toward God and His ways.

But Do Believers Have to Repent?
Some believe that confession of sin and repentance is important for unbelievers, but becomes unnecessary once a person has become born-again. After all, it is reasoned, if Jesus already died for and has already forgiven all of our sins, why would we need to acknowledge them or confess them if they’re already under the blood?

Long after His ascension, Jesus addressed believers in various congregations throughout Asia Minor (Revelation 2-3). He told five out of seven congregations that they needed to repent of certain sins, and specifically told the Laodiceans: “Those whom I [dearly and tenderly] love, I tell their faults and convict and convince and reprove and chasten [I discipline and instruct them]. So be enthusiastic and in earnest and burning with zeal and repent [changing your mind and attitude]” (Revelation 3:19, Amplified).

Jesus was not telling these believers that they needed to earn their forgiveness by repentance, but He certainly wanted them to acknowledge the areas where they needed to make adjustments and align themselves with His Word.

The Apostle Paul certainly believed that it was important for believers who had missed it to repent before God and, with the help of God, to get their lives in order. In 2 Corinthians 12:20-21 (NLT), he said, “For I am afraid that when I come I won’t like what I find, and you won’t like my response. I am afraid that I will find quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorderly behavior. Yes, I am afraid that when I come again, God will humble me in your presence. And I will be grieved because many of you have not given up your old sins. You have not repented of your impurity, sexual immorality, and eagerness for lustful pleasure.”

Paul has often been called “The Apostle of Grace,” and yet he obviously believed that repentance is important for Christians who get off-track. I believe the clear teaching of Scripture is not that grace makes repentance unnecessary, but that grace makes repentance possible. Because God is gracious, He doesn’t reject us or cast us out when we struggle or fail, but He invites us to, “…come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). In 2 Corinthians 7:10, Paul said that, “godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.”

What About Confession?
When we understand what confession (of sin) really entails, we realize that it is THE first step in the repentance process. The Greek word “homologeo” is derived from two words meaning “same” and “to speak.” Hence, it is typically defined as meaning to speak the same thing. Confess also means to agree with, to concede, to admit, and to acknowledge. If a person doesn’t first acknowledge that there is a problem, how or why would they bother to change their mind, their attitude, or their conduct about that problem? A person will never repent unless they first confess (or acknowledge) that the issue is a sin.

It is unfortunate that some have endeavored to diminish the significance of confession by claiming the 1 John 1 was not written to Christians, but to unbelievers or gnostics. Many epistles were written against backdrops of doctrinal error, but every New Testament epistle was written to Christians. 1 Corinthians was written against a backdrop of antinomianism, Galatians against a backdrop of legalism, Colossians against a backdrop of asceticism, and 1 John against a backdrop of gnosticism, but ALL were written TO Christians.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary states: “In modern times some have occasionally denied that a Christian needs to confess his sins and ask forgiveness. It is claimed that a believer already has forgiveness in Christ (Ephesians 1:7). But this point of view confuses the perfect position which a Christian has in God’s Son (by which he is even ‘seated…with Him in the heavenly realms’ [Ephesians 2:6]) with his needs as a failing individual on earth. What is considered in 1 John 1:9 may be described as ‘familial’ forgiveness. It is perfectly understandable how a son may need to ask his father to forgive him for his faults while at the same time his position within the family is not in jeopardy. A Christian who never asks his heavenly Father for forgiveness for his sins can hardly have much sensitivity to the ways in which he grieves his Father. First John 1:9 is not spoken to the unsaved, and the effort to turn it into a soteriological affirmation is misguided.”

Grace does not eradicate or make unnecessary any other New Testament teaching or discipline. Grace does not do away with the need for repentance, obedience, holiness, church involvement, or giving. Rather, grace provides forgiveness when we have fallen short of His directives, and if we will respond to His grace, we will find the power to obey Him in all things. Grace is not an excuse; it is enablement. Grace is not a cop-out; it is a catalyst. Grace is not divine permission to do wrong; it is divine empowerment to do right!

May you find great strength in His all-sufficient grace!

 

Great Missions Quotes by Tony Cooke

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Great Missions Quotes

"God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply."
– Hudson Taylor

 

"God isn’t looking for people of great faith, but for individuals ready to follow Him."
– Hudson Taylor

 

"The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed.”
– Hudson Taylor

 

"If I had 1,000 lives, I’d give them all for China."
– Hudson Taylor

 

"God uses men who are weak and feeble enough to lean on him."
– Hudson Taylor

 

"Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God."
– William Carey

 

"The spirit of Christ is the spirit of missions. The nearer we get to Him, the more intensely missionary we become."
-Henry Martyn

 

"He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”
– Jim Elliot

"We are debtors to every man to give him the gospel in the same measure in which we have received it.”
– P.F. Bresee

 

"In the vast plain to the north I have sometimes seen, in the morning sun, the smoke of a thousand villages where no missionary has ever been."
– Robert Moffat

"If a commission by an earthly king is considered a honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?"
– David Livingstone

 

"Sympathy is no substitute for action."
– David Livingstone

 

"Lost people matter to God, and so they must matter to us."
– Keith Wright

 

"The Bible is not the basis of missions; missions is the basis of the Bible."
– Ralph Winter

 

"Some wish to live within the sound of a chapel bell; I wish to run a rescue mission within a yard of hell."
– C.T. Studd

 

"If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him."
– C.T. Studd

 

"No one has the right to hear the gospel twice, while there remains someone who has not heard it once."
– Oswald J. Smith

 

"Any church that is not seriously involved in helping fulfill the Great Commission has forfeited its biblical right to exist."
– Oswald J. Smith

 

"The mission of the church is missions.”
– Oswald J. Smith

 

"We talk of the Second Coming; half the world has never heard of the first."
– Oswald J. Smith

 

"This generation of Christians is responsible for this generation of souls on the earth!"
– Keith Green

 

"There is nothing in the world or the Church — except the church’s disobedience — to render the evangelization of the world in this generation an impossibility."
– Robert Speer

 

"If God calls you to be a missionary, don’t stoop to be a king."
– Jordan Groom

 

"If you found a cure for cancer, wouldn’t it be inconceivable to hide it from the rest of mankind?  How much more inconceivable to keep silent the cure from the eternal wages of death."
– Dave Davidson

 

"World missions was on God’s mind from the beginning."
– Dave Davidson

 

"In our lifetime, wouldn’t it be sad if we spent more time washing dishes or swatting flies or mowing the yard or watching television than praying for world missions?"
– Dave Davidson

 

"Let my heart be broken with the things that break God’s heart."
– Bob Pierce

 

"No reserves. No retreats. No regrets."
– William Borden

 

"If ten men are carrying a log — nine of them on the little end and one at the heavy end — and you want to help, which end will you lift on?"
– William Borden

 

"The reason some folks don’t believe in missions is that the brand of religion they have isn’t worth propagating."
– Unknown

 

When James Calvert went out as a missionary to the cannibals of the Fiji Islands, the ship captain tried to turn him back, saying, "You will lose your life and the lives of those with you if you go among such savages." To that, Calvert replied, "We died before we came here."

 

"Someone asked, ‘Will the heathen who have never heard the Gospel be saved?’ It is more a question with me whether we — who have the Gospel and fail to give it to those who have not — can be saved."
– Charles Spurgeon

 

"The gospel is only good news if it gets there in time.”
– Carl F. H. Henry

 

"Our God of Grace often gives us a second chance, but there is no second chance to harvest a ripe crop."
– Kurt von Schleicher

 

"God is pursuing with omnipotent passion a worldwide purpose of gathering joyful worshippers for Himself from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. He has an inexhaustible enthusiasm for the supremacy of His name among the nations. Therefore, let us bring our affections into line with His, and, for the sake of His name, let us renounce the quest for worldly comforts and join His global purpose."
– John Piper

 

"Go, send, or disobey."
– John Piper

 

"You can give without loving. But you cannot love without giving."
– Amy Carmichael

 

"Only as the church fulfills her missionary obligation does she justify her existence."
– Unknown

 

"As long as there are millions destitute of the Word of God and knowledge of Jesus Christ, it will be impossible for me to devote time and energy to those who have both."
– J. L. Ewen

 

"The command has been to ‘go,’ but we have stayed — in body, gifts, prayer and influence. He has asked us to be witnesses unto the uttermost parts of the earth … but 99% of Christians have kept puttering around in the homeland."
– Robert Savage

 

"People who do not know the Lord ask why in the world we waste our lives as missionaries. They forget that they too are expending their lives … and when the bubble has burst, they will have nothing of eternal significance to show for the years they have wasted."
– Nate Saint

 

"We must be global Christians with a global vision because our God is a global God."
– John Stott

 

"Believers who have the gospel keep mumbling it over and over to themselves. Meanwhile, millions who have never heard it once fall into the flames of eternal hell without ever hearing the salvation story."
– K.P. Yohannan

 

"Tell the students to give up their small ambitions and come eastward to preach the gospel of Christ."
– Francis Xavier

 

"The mark of a great church is not its seating capacity, but its sending capacity."
– Mike Stachura

 

"The true greatness of any church in not how many it seats but how many it sends!"
– Unknown

 

"’Not called!’ did you say?  ‘Not heard the call,’ I think you should say.  Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear Him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the gates of hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father’s house and bid their brothers and sisters and servants and masters not to come there. Then look Christ in the face — whose mercy you have professed to obey — and tell Him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish His mercy to the world.”
– William Booth

 

"It is not in our choice to spread the gospel or not. It is our death if we do not."
– Peter Taylor Forsyth

 

"If God’s love is for anybody anywhere, it’s for everybody everywhere."
– Edward Lawlor

 

"Never pity missionaries; envy them. They are where the real action is — where life and death, sin and grace, Heaven and Hell converge."
– Robert C. Shannon

 

"People who don’t believe in missions have not read the New Testament. Right from the beginning Jesus said the field is the world. The early church took Him at His word and went East, West, North and South."
– J. Howard Edington

 

"It is possible for the most obscure person in a church, with a heart right toward God, to exercise as much power for the evangelization of the world, as it is for those who stand in the most prominent positions."
– John R. Mott

 

"In no other way can the believer become as fully involved with God’s work, especially the work of world evangelism, as in intercessory prayer."
– Dick Eastman

 

"What’s your dream and to what corner of the missions world will it take you?"
– Eleanor Roat

 

"We can reach our world, if we will. The greatest lack today is not people or funds. The greatest need is prayer."
– Wesley Duewel

 

"Love is the root of missions; sacrifice is the fruit of missions."
– Roderick Davis

 

"Missionary zeal does not grow out of intellectual beliefs, nor out of theological arguments, but out of love.”
– Roland Allen

 

"I have but one passion: It is He, it is He alone. The world is the field and the field is the world; and henceforth that country shall be my home where I can be most used in winning souls for Christ."
– Count Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf

 

"If you take missions out of the Bible, you won’t have anything left but the covers.”
– Nina Gunter

 

"If the Church is ‘in Christ,’ she is involved in mission. Her whole existence then has a missionary character. Her conduct as well as her words will convince the unbelievers and put their ignorance and stupidity to silence."
– David Bosch

 

"Missions is not the ‘ministry of choice’ for a few hyperactive Christians in the church. Missions is the purpose of the church."
– Unknown

 

"The concern for world evangelization is not something tacked on to a man’s personal Christianity, which he may take or leave as he chooses. It is rooted in the character of the God who has come to us in Christ Jesus. Thus, it can never be the province of a few enthusiasts, a sideline or a specialty of those who happen to have a bent that way. It is the distinctive mark of being a Christian."
– James S. Stewart

 

"The average pastor views his church as a local church with a missions program; while he ought to realize that if he is in fact pastoring a church, it is to be a global church with a missions purpose."
– Unknown

 

"The Christian is not obedient unless he is doing all in his power to send the Gospel to the heathen world."
– A. B. Simpson

 

"The will of God — nothing less, nothing more, nothing else."
– F. E. Marsh

 

"If the Great Commission is true, our plans are not too big; they are too small."
– Pat Morley

 

"If missions languish, it is because the whole life of godliness is feeble. The command to go everywhere and preach to everybody is not obeyed until the will is lost by self-surrender in the will of God. Living, praying, giving and going will always be found together."
– Arthur T. Pierson

 

"The history of missions is the history of answered prayer."
– Samuel Zwemer

 

"A congregation that is not deeply and earnestly involved in the worldwide proclamation of the gospel does not understand the nature of salvation."
Ted Engstrom

 

"To stay here and disobey God — I can’t afford to take the consequence. I would rather go and obey God than to stay here and know that I disobeyed."
– Amanda Berry Smith

 

"I believe that in each generation God has called’ enough men and women to evangelize all the yet unreached tribes of the earth…. It is not God who does not call. It is man who will not respond!"
– Isobel Kuhn

 

"To know the will of God, we need an open Bible and an open map."
– William Carey

 

"God is a God of missions. He wills missions. He commands missions. He demands missions. He made missions possible through His Son. He made missions actual in sending the Holy Spirit."
– George W. Peters

 

"The best remedy for a sick church is to put it on a missionary diet."
– Unknown

 

"The Church must send or the church will end."
– Mendell Taylor

Building God’s Dream Team by Tony Cooke

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Building God’s Dream Team
by Tony Cooke

The Apostle Paul used athletic imagery on occasion to emphasize certain aspects of the Christian life and of ministry work.  I’ve enjoyed seeing the many parallels that exist when it comes to those who excel and become true champions in their given fields, whether it’s in the natural arena of sports or the spiritual field of ministry and working for God.

The following are thoughts from those whose coaching and athletic careers demonstrated that they understood what it took to be successful, and implementing these same principles will also help produce strong believers and churches.

  • Regarding the value of everyone’s contribution, Brooks Robinson said, “To make a ball club a champion, the effort has to start with the bat boy and move right up to the owner.”
  • Concerning maintaining focus and persistence, Bear Bryant remarked, “Don’t give up at halftime.  Concentrate on winning the second half.”
  • Regarding adaptability, Patrick Ewing noted, “The greatest players fit with the team.  They play within the team’s style, rather than asking the team to change its style.”
  • Babe Ruth advocated the importance of being teachable when he said, “Don’t be afraid to take advice.  There’s always something new to learn.”
  • The importance of self-motivation was advocated by Lou Holtz, who stated, “Nobody is going to wind you up every morning and give you a pep talk.  So be a self-starter.
  • Often, it’s what happens behind the scenes that matters most.  The great boxer Joe Frazier said, “You can map out a fight plan or a life plan.  But when the action starts, you’re down to your reflexes.  That’s where your roadwork shows.  If you cheated on that in the dark of the morning, you’re getting found out now under the bright lights.
  • Basketball legend, Bill Walton highlighted the importance of teamwork when he commented, “The nicest thing people ever said about me as a basketball player was that I made the players around me better.  To me, there’s no higher compliment.”
  • And finally, Johnny Majors said, “The first thing any coaching staff must do is weed out selfishness.  No program can be successful with players who put themselves ahead of the team.”

While we admire the accomplishments of athletes, naturally speaking, we need to remember that earthly trophies and championships pale in comparison to the exploits and rewards of those who are building God’s Kingdom and whose efforts are impacting the landscape of eternity.  Paul said (1 Corinthians 9:25), “They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.”

Jesus Built (and is still building) a Dream Team!

One of the noticeable things about the Dream Team that Jesus assembled (the original twelve) is that they were all completely ordinary.  They were common people with regular lives.  They had not distinguished themselves as great philosophers, scholars, orators, or achievers.   

They ultimately became a great team through their association with Jesus and by the influence of the Holy Spirit, but they had to overcome problems common to all: inferiority, pride, jealousy, foot-in-mouth disease, doubts, fear, failure, etc.  Scripture does not try to conceal the complete humanness of the disciples, and a key lesson from the lives of that band of twelve is that if God can use them, then God can use us.

Someone related an imaginary story about the day that Jesus returned to Heaven. The angels gathered and asked Jesus to explain what had happened down there on earth.

They asked, “Did they make you King?” Jesus answered, “No.”

“Did they make you prince?” “No.”

“Did they worship you?” “Most of them didn’t.”

“Well then, what happened?” “They crucified me.”

“But after you rose from the Dead, everyone worshipped you, right?” “No.”

“So, what is your plan?” “I left my people down there.”
The angels looked skeptical.

“But if they fail —- What is your other plan?”

Jesus replied, “I have no other plan.”

What a defining moment it is in our lives when we realize that we are “Plan A,” and there is no “Plan B.”  God is depending on us—His Church!  Believers must embrace God’s assignment to not merely be consumers of His blessings, but to be distributors as well.  It’s our cooperation with Him and each other that will help bring the will of God to pass in the earth.  Remember that it’s teamwork that makes the dream work! 

A Gospel of Irresponsibility by Tony Cooke

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A Gospel of Irresponsibility?
Rev Tony Cooke

As I travel, I’m hearing more and more thought that is circulating in the Body of Christ regarding an “understanding” of grace that seems to be facilitating and promoting a sense of irresponsibility in people.  Some applications of this would include:

  • “Because I’m saved by grace, it doesn’t really matter if I sin or not, because Jesus has already taken care of all my sins – they’re already covered by grace.”
  • “I’m not under the law, so I don’t have to tithe.  I can just give whatever I want.”
  • “It doesn’t really matter if I attend or am a member of a local church or not, just so long as I’m a part of the Universal Body of Christ.”

Before addressing such lines of thinking, I believe it’s important to recognize that some have labored under wrong perceptions of God in the past.  They’ve been under a form of legalism—a bondage that causes them to think they are saved by faith in Christ plus never making a mistake, or faith in Christ plus tithing, or faith in Christ plus perfect church attendance or good works.  In doing so, they’ve never understood or rested in the fact that our salvation and forgiveness is not an issue of faith in Christ plus anything. 

They’ve never known the nature of God’s gift or the true rest offered by the One who said (Matthew 11:28-30): “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

When such an individual realizes, “I am saved by grace through faith, and that not of myself, it is the gift of God…” he or she may become resentful of any previously held perception of God as a taskmaster… of one who was “driving” them or putting them under compulsion to perform—to measure up—in order to be accepted by God.  As they throw off the chains of such legalistic thinking, they may end up in the ditch on the other side of the road and think that any form of discipline or obedience is a form of bondage that is to be rejected.  In short, they throw out the baby with the bathwater.

Paul taught a strong doctrine of grace, but it was not a grace that promoted irresponsibility or sinful living.  Grace, then as now, was misunderstood and distorted.  In Romans 6:1 and 6:15, Paul asked, “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?” and “Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace?”  To both questions, Paul responded with an emphatic “Certainly not!”

Paul was so misunderstood (I believe in particular about grace) that Peter referred to Paul’s writings in the following way: “Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction” (2 Peter 3:16, NLT).

The Galatians were greatly entangled in legalism, and Paul yearned for them to understand the grace of God (Galatians 2:16).  At the same time, though, he didn’t want them going to the other extreme.  He told this confused group of believers, “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13).

Titus has been called “The Book of Good Works.”  In this epistle to a young pastor, Paul reminded Titus that God’s grace alone is the source of our salvation (3:4-7): “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

This same book, which makes it so plain that works are not the cause of our salvation also makes it abundantly clear that works (good works) are a most appropriate result of our salvation:

  • Titus 2:7 – “…in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works…”
  • Titus 2:14 “…who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.”
  • Titus 3:8 – “…those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.”
  • Titus 3:14 – “And let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful.”

Was Paul—the man who said more about grace than anyone else in the New Testament —telling Titus to put the believers under some kind of legalistic bondage?  Absolutely not!  Paul understood that grace, while imparting the gift of eternal life to the believer based on the redemptive work of Christ, was not some kind of doorway into laziness and looseness for the believer, but rather, a springboard into a life of obedience.  Actually, grace (divine empowerment in our lives) provides the impetus for and is the very basis for our ability to obey God.

Paul also told Titus, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age…” (Titus 2:11-12).  The true grace of God is never divine permission to do what’s wrong.  Rather, it is divine empowerment to do what is right!

As believers, we rightly rejoice in the gospel… the good news… the declaration of the fact that, “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them” (2 Corinthians 5:19).  But what does that free gift usher us into?  A life of self-indulgence?  A life of irresponsibility?  Conformity to the world?  A life of fleshly gratification?

I think the best way to tell what Jesus had in mind is to go back to the Great Commission that He gave.  We’re all very familiar with the first part of that commission (Matthew 28:19)… “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…”   But the very next verse makes clear the type of life that Jesus intended for those who received his free gift… “…teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.”  Jesus didn’t say, “…teaching them that they don’t have to do anything at all because I’ve done it all.”  Yes, He did it all in terms of purchasing our salvation for us, but He then called us to lives of purpose, responsibility, and obedience.

It is 100% true that people don’t need to live holy in order to get God to love them; He loved us while we were yet sinners.  It’s true that people don’t need to tithe or go to church in order to get God to love them; He’s loved us with an everlasting love regardless of our performance of perfection.  But there are good works and a holy lifestyle that we are called to, not to earn salvation but to express salvation.

When Paul spoke to Titus about good works, He said, “These are good and profitable to men” (3:8).  We are responsible to live right so that others can see the nature and character of God.  We are responsible to tithe and give generously so that others can hear the gospel.  We are responsible to be vitally involved in a local church so that we have a place to serve and help others (as well as to grow personally).  It is absolutely true that it is grace that saves us and keeps us, but that grace will never lead us into leading irresponsible, self-indulging lives!

We would do well to remember the words of Dietrich Bonhoffer, the Protestant theologian and anti-Nazi activist, who said: “Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, communion without confession, absolution without personal confession.  Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.”

May you have wisdom in both receiving and expressing God’s indescribable gift!

The God of Increase by Tony Cooke

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The God of Increase
by Tony Cooke

God of IncreaseWhat do you think of when you hear the phrase, “The God of Increase?” Do you think of God simply helping you have more, or do you see Him helping you to become more and achieve more? God is vitally interested in developing you as a person – enabling you to become everything He wants you to be and empowering you to accomplish the things He wants you to accomplish.

I was recently inspired by the following:

2 Corinthians 6:11-13 (MSG)
11 …I can’t tell you how much I long for you to enter this wide-open, spacious life. 12 …The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren’t small, but you’re living them in a small way. 13 …Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively!

Something had been happening in the hearts and minds of the Corinthians that had caused them to be restricted and constricted in their relationship not only to Paul, but also to God. As a result, they were living below the vast grandeur and expanding goodness that God had for them. Paul wanted them to realize the full potential of all that God had available to them.

Consider God’s dealings with those He helped.

    1. God told Abraham (Genesis 12:2): “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing.” He later told Abraham, “I will… multiply you exceedingly” (Genesis 17:2).
    2. Luke 2:52 says, “Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” Speaking prophetically of Jesus, Isaiah said, “Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end” (Isaiah 9:7).
    3. Psalm 115:14 states, “May the LORD give you increase more and more, you and your children.

When we say that God is a God of increase, there are many areas of our lives this applies to:

We Are To Increase in Strength.
Proverbs 24:5 – …a man of knowledge increases strength…
Isaiah 40:29 – …to those who have no might He increases strength.

We Are To Increase in Power.
Psalm 75:10 (NLT) – For God says, “I will break the strength of the wicked, but I will increase the power of the godly.”

We Are To Increase in Resources and Generosity.
Proverbs 11:24 (MSG) – The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.

2 Corinthians 9:10 (NLT) – For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.

We Are To Increase in the Knowledge of God.
Colossians 1:10 – …that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God…

We Are To Increase in the Love of God.
1 Thessalonians 3:12 – And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you…

We Are To Increase Corporately as the Body of Christ.
Ephesians 4:16 (KJV) speaks of “…the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”

In Colossians 2:19, Paul indicated that as believers hold fast to Christ, the Head, that they grow “…with the increase that is from God.”

Paul also said, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:6-7).

It is important that we acknowledge and trust God as the God of Increase! I really believe He wants to increase our capacity to be a blessing in the earth. May our lives increase in every area that He desires, and may we be a vital part of the increase of His glory in the earth.

Getting Along By Tony Cooke

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Getting Along
By Tony Cooke

Getting AlongEvery book of the New Testament has something to say about how we are supposed to get along with other people. Every single NT book has at least one (and some have several) verses about getting along.

    1. How we are to love and treat each other (encouraging, edifying, etc.)
    2. How to proactively build positive relationships with each other
    3. We see individuals navigating through difficult relationships – sometimes well, sometimes not so well
    4. We are challenged to overcome the inclination to rip each other apart.

Let’s do a quick scan of the books of the New Testament to see what they tell us about “getting along.”  Sometimes the reference is a commandment. At other times it’s an observation or a description, but how we relate to others, and the significance of our interpersonal relationships, is a major theme of the New Testament.
        
The Gospel of Matthew
5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
5: 23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
18:15 Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.

The Gospel of Mark
9:50 Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.

The Gospel of Luke
17:1 Then He said to the disciples, "It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. 3 Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him."

The Gospel of John
13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
17:20 (NLT) I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. 21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. 22 I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. 23 I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.

Acts
2:1 …they were all with one accord in one place.
2:46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house…
4:32 Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul
20:30 Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.

Romans
12:18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
14:19 Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.

1 Corinthians
3:3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? 4 For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not carnal?
6:6 But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers!
11:18 …when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you…
13:4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

2 Corinthians
12:20 For I fear lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I wish… lest there be contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, backbitings, whisperings, conceits, tumults…
13:11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace;

Galatians
5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."   15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!
5:26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Ephesians
4:1 …walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4:31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Philippians
1:27 …stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel…
2:2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
4:2 I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.

Colossians
3:12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.

1 Thessalonians
5:12 And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves.

2 Thessalonians
1:3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because… the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other…

1 Timothy
1:4 …disputes rather than godly edification
5:1 Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, with all purity. 3 Honor widows who are really widows.
5:17 Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine.
6:1 Let as many bondservants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor…

2 Timothy
2:24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, 25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition…

Titus
3:1 Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. 3 For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.

Philemon
15 For perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him forever, 16 no longer as a slave but more than a slave — a beloved brother, especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

Hebrews
10:24 (Amp) And let us consider and give attentive, continuous care to watching over one another, studying how we may stir up (stimulate and incite) to love and helpful deeds and noble activities, 25 Not forsaking or neglecting to assemble together [as believers], as is the habit of some people, but admonishing (warning, urging, and encouraging) one another, and all the more faithfully as you see the day approaching.
12:14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: 15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;

James
3:16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.

1 Peter
3:8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous;   9 not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.

2 Peter
1:5 …giving all diligence, add to your faith… 7 brotherly kindness…

1 John
2:10 He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 11 But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
3:11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, 12 not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother.
4:20 If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.

2 John
5 And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another.

3 John
5 Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers, 6 who have borne witness of your love before the church. If you send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God, you will do well, 7 because they went forth for His name’s sake, taking nothing from the Gentiles. 8 We therefore ought to receive such, that we may become fellow workers for the truth.

Jude
16 (NLT) These people are grumblers and complainers, living only to satisfy their desires. They brag loudly about themselves, and they flatter others to get what they want.
19 These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them. 20 But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith…
Wilmington translates that, “Strengthen yourselves, and others as well.”

Revelation
2:4 (NLT) But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first!

The Bible recognizes that relationships are a two-way street. You may have noticed that Paul told the Romans, “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men” (12:18). Even in relationships that don’t work well based on the decisions and actions of others, we can still keep our heart right, stay positive, and walk in love. The bottom line is that we can do the right thing and keep a good attitude even if another person does not. Our assignment is to do the best we can at cultivating and maintaining the best relationships possible.

Getting the Right Results in Life

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Getting the Right Results in Life
By Tony Cooke

I was talking recently with a pastor friend, and he introduced me to a Hebrew word, achariyth (pronounced, ahk-ar-eeth). This word carries the idea of “the final result of one’s ways, thoughts, and behaviors.” Other implications of this word include, “the end, the outcome, the conclusion, the end result.” It’s the word that’s used in such passages as:

Psalm 37:37 – Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright; for the future (achariyth) of that man is peace.

Proverbs 14:12 – There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end (achariyth) is the way of death.

Jeremiah 29:11 – For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future (achariyth) and a hope.

This Hebrew word really captures the concept that Paul taught when he said, “whatever a man sows, that will he also reap” (Galatians 6:7). Some of the key points shared in this lesson include:

  • “The best way to predict the future is to create it.”
  • Show me your present – what you’re doing, and I’ll tell you your future.
  • Generally speaking, your future will be the sum total of your decisions and actions today.
  • People often want the right product, but they don’t want to engage in the right process.
  • Some Christians want a quick-fix to all their problems – they want what has been called “a drive-through break-through.”
  • Because of the law of sowing and reaping, many are praying for a crop failure (Thank God for His mercy and the new beginnings He offers us, but we can’t abuse that. We can’t continually sow the wrong words and actions and expect the right outcome).
  • One of the most important lessons we can learn in life is that actions have consequences.
  • Immaturity focuses on the immediate feeling and demands immediate gratification. Maturity focuses on the ultimate result… maturity is able to perceive a “due season” and is willing to wait (see Hebrews 11:24-27).

When Paul spoke to the Galatians, he encouraged them not to be weary in well doing (Galatians 6:9). God’s rewards don’t always come overnight, but His blessings are worth waiting for! May God bless you richly as you move toward your achariyth!

Freedom From Fear

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Freedom From Fear
By Rev. Tony Cooke

Click Here to order the audio CD where Tony preaches this message.

Dr. E. Stanley Jones, the great Methodist missionary, made the following outstanding statement:
“I am inwardly fashioned for faith, not for fear. Fear is not my native land; faith is. I am so made that worry and anxiety are sand in the machinery of life; faith is the oil. I live better by faith and confidence than by fear, doubt and anxiety. In anxiety and worry, my being is gasping for breath–these are not my native air. But in faith and confidence, I breathe freely–these are my native air. A John Hopkins University doctor says, ‘We do not know why it is that worriers die sooner than the non- worriers, but that is a fact.’ But I, who am simple of mind, think I know; We are inwardly constructed in nerve and tissue, brain cell and soul, for faith and not for fear. God made us that way. To live by worry is to live against reality.”

When Jesus responded to a question posed by His disciples (Matthew 24:4-8) about future events, Jesus indicated the following would occur:

* Great deception in the earth
* Wars and rumors of wars
* Nation would rise against nation
* Famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places

Amazingly, in the midst of that seemingly pessimistic forecast, Jesus gave an outstanding command: “See that you are not troubled!” One translation of that verse says, “Stop being alarmed,” and another says, “See that you are not frightened or alarmed.”

Before she passed away, Ann Landers (who at that time was receiving around 10,000 letters a month seeking advice) was asked about the most common topic of the letters she received. She answered that “most people seem to be afraid of something.” She indicated that people were often afraid even when there seemed to be no reason to be afraid and said, “Ours is a world of fearful people.”

Sometimes we think of fear as an intense, panicked feeling, the kind you would expect if a bear or lion attacked you. Far more people, though, are dealing with what we might call a seed of fear… a low-grade condition that annoys, irritates, and distracts, and keeps them from truly enjoying life. One person described that kind of condition as follows: “Worry is a thin stream of fear trickling through our mind. If it continues, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.”

What follows are five steps we can take in conquering fear when we sense it affecting us. These simple points include:

1. ACKNOWLEDGE it!

Denying the existence of a problem doesn’t make it go away, and acknowledging it doesn’t create it. If you’re dealing with fear, you’re dealing with fear. Be open and honest with God. Don’t be ashamed of the problem and try to hide it from God. In Psalm 56:3, David said, “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.” In other words, David had a strategy in place for what he would do when fear presented itself to him.

Never let the fear linger in the subconscious where it will just gnaw away at you. Bring it to the light! Ephesians 5:13 (Amplified) says, 13 But when anything is exposed and reproved by the light, it is made visible and clear; and where everything is visible and clear there is light.

2. ANALYZE the Fear.

Analyze is not a bad word! In Isaiah 1:18, God said, "Come now, and let us reason together, says the LORD…” God wasn’t against us using our reasoning powers, but He wants us to reason with Him and His Word, not against Him and His Word. Romans 12:2 tells us that we are, “transformed by the renewing of your mind,” not by the removing of it.

Analyzing the fear will help us to know whether we’re dealing with a real or an imaginary problem. There is rational fear and then there is irrational fear, and most of the fears we face are not really grounded in reality. While we do want to analyze our fears in the light of God’s Word, we don’t want to do this exclusively. To spend too much time in this arena leads us into the “paralysis of analysis.”

3. ARM Yourself With the Word of God!

Find and embrace the promises in the Bible about trust, confidence, and overcoming fear! The word of God is “the sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:18).

Joshua 10:25
25 "Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage…”

Psalm 27:1-3
1 The LORD is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked came against me
To eat up my flesh,
My enemies and foes,
They stumbled and fell.
3 Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war may rise against me,
In this I will be confident.

Psalm 46:1-2
1 God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

Proverbs 3:24-26
24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.
25 Do not be afraid of sudden terror,
Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes;
26 For the LORD will be your confidence,
And will keep your foot from being caught.

Isaiah 26:3
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.

Isaiah 41:10
Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

Isaiah 54:14
In righteousness you shall be established;
You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear;
And from terror, for it shall not come near you.

Mark 5:36
…"Do not be afraid; only believe."

John 14:27
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Hebrews 13:5-6
5 He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
6So we may boldly say:
"The LORD is my helper;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?"

4. ACTIVELY Resist Fear.

We can resist fear with our thoughts, words, prayers, and songs. Notice what Isaiah said about resisting the verbal assaults of the enemy.

Isaiah 54:17
No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD,
And their righteousness Is from Me,"
Says the LORD.

Really, the best way to resist fear (a negative) is to be saturated with a positive: the love of God. 1 John 4:18 tells us that “perfect love casts out fear.”

5. ASSOCIATE with People Who Build You Up!

Fellowship with faith-filled people is essential. Paul drew enormous strength from others when he was facing difficult times, and we should too. Ultimately, our trust has to be in God, not in people. However, God is good to bring people into our lives who can encourage and help us.

One time, when Paul was going through a particularly difficult time, God used Titus to encourage him. Consider Paul’s words:

2 Corinthians 7:5-6
6 For indeed, when we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were troubled on every side. Outside were conflicts, inside were fears.
6 Nevertheless God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus,

Know that God fashioned you for faith, not for fear! The one who made you to live free from fear will certainly help you as you decide to live as God ordained.

Click Here to order the audio CD where Tony preaches this message.

Full Cycle: Where It All Starts & Where It All Ends

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Full Cycle: Where It All Starts & Where It All Ends
Rev. Tony Cooke

Full Cycle by Tony CookeMany Christians have a one-dimensional perspective of life.  They see God existing to bless man.  Period.  While God certainly desires to bless humanity, that’s far from a complete perspective of God’s overall plan.  Consider Romans 11:36 in these two translations:

  1. “For from him and through him and to him are all things.  To him be glory forever and ever.  Amen.” (English Standard Version)
  2. “Everything comes from him; Everything happens through him; Everything ends up in him.  Always…” (The Message Version)

Notice the three distinct dimensions: From God, Through God, and To God.

Some have seemingly had the impression that God bestows a blessing on us, and then He’s basically finished.  He bestows the blessing, and we enjoy the blessing.  The end.  Scripture, though, indicates that God is not only the source and origin of the blessing, but that he also wants to oversee and superintend the “through” and the “unto Him” parts as well.

If we perceive God’s system properly, there will be three different perspectives in how we see God, the Bible, and the life of faith.

  1.  FOR ME – This seems to be the easiest and most basic perspective for us to grasp.  This is summed up in statements such as, “Jesus died for me.”  “Forgiveness is for me.”  God has a wonderful plan for me.”  While all of this is true, if a Christian does not expand upon the “for me” mentality, he can remain a very self-centered individual.
  2. FOR OTHERS – Somewhere in our spiritual journey, we also realize that when God blesses us, He does so to make us a blessing.  God delights in getting blessing to us, but He further delights in getting blessing through us to others.  This is reflected in Jesus’ statement, “Freely you have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8).  Peter said, “What I do have I give you” (Acts 3:6), and “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another…” (1 Peter 4:10).
  3. UNTO HIM – In last month’s letter on the Jealousy of God, I made the statement, “It has been said that God gives gifts with ‘no strings attached,’ but I believe that every gift God gives has strings attached by which He can draw us unto Himself.”

Everything originates in God and everything consummates in God.  Everything that begins in God’s goodness was designed to find its ultimate destination in God’s glory.

The book of Genesis begins with everything – all of creation – proceeding from God.  The book of Revelation ends with everything – all of creation – returning back to God for its final and eternal disposition.  The book of Psalms opens with the words, “Blessed is the man.”  The book of Psalms concludes with the words, “Praise ye the Lord.”

The ultimate purpose of God was not simply for us to be blessed by Him, or for us to be a blessing to others.  While those are important parts, the ultimate purpose of God is that all of His creation glorify Him.

“For me” speaks of blessing and provision.
“For others” speaks of ministry and service.
“Unto Him” speaks of glorification and worship.

As we read through Scripture, it becomes clear how much God has done for His own glory and honor.  David understood this and expressed it clearly.

Psalm 23:3 – He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

Psalm 25:11 – For Your name’s sake, O LORD, pardon my iniquity, for it is great.

Psalm 31:3 – For You are my rock and my fortress; therefore, for Your name’s sake, lead me and guide me.

Psalm 50:15 – Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.

Psalm 79:9 – Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; and deliver us, and provide atonement for our sins, for Your name’s sake!

Psalm 106:8 – Nevertheless He saved them for His name’s sake, that He might make His mighty power known.

Psalm 109:21 – But You, O GOD the Lord, deal with me for Your name’s sake; because Your mercy is good, deliver me.

Psalm 143:11 – Revive me, O LORD, for Your name’s sake!  For Your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.

God doesn’t do what He does to gratify the greed of man, but rather, to promote His own glory and honor. 

God spoke through the Prophet Isaiah (43:7, 21, 25) and said:

    1. That He created us for His glory.
    2. That He formed us for Himself, and that we would declare His praise.
    3. That He blots out our transgressions for His own sake.

Isaiah (63:14) also said, So You lead Your people, to make Yourself a glorious name.

While we are the initial recipient of God’s blessings, God Himself is the ultimate recipient of all praise, glory, and honor that proceeds from us having been blessed by Him.  What else does Scripture say about God being the ultimate recipient?

Colossians 1:16 (NLT)
16 Christ is the one through whom God created everything in heaven and earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see — kings, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities. Everything has been created through him and for him.

Ephesians 5:25-27
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

When Paul said that, “Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her,” it seems like that was an entirely selfless act.  However, as we read further, we see that Jesus did this so that “He might present her to Himself…”  This is not to say that Jesus was not selfless in His giving, but there was another element involved; all that Jesus did, He did not simply for our benefit, but ultimately, for the glory of God!

Similarly, Titus 2:14 says that Jesus, “…gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people…”

All through Scripture, God is pouring out blessing, pouring out blessing… and in the book of Revelation, God begins to reap, in a very magnified way, all of the harvest that He has deserved for so long.  We are quick to rejoice about God having made us to be kings and to reign with Him (Romans 5:17, Ephesians 2:6, Revelation 1:6), but here we see the elders in heaven casting their crowns before the throne of God (Revelation 4:9) and saying (Revelation 4:11), “You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power.  For you created everything, and it is for your pleasure that they exist and were created” (NLT).

God blesses us, but He didn’t create us just so we could receive His blessings.  God wants to use us to bless others, but He didn’t just create us so we could be humanitarian.  God’s ultimate purpose in creating us is for His own glory and honor.  When our heart is totally His, and when we are totally committed to the glory of God, He is free to bless everything around us because He knows that He will only receive more glory.

Remember, from Him, through Him, and to Him are all things!

 

Fill in the Blank by Rev. Tony Cooke

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Fill in the Blank
Rev. Tony Cooke

God is ________________.

What is the first thing that came to your mind?  There are many “correct” answers.  Many people reading this probably thought, “God is love.”  You certainly can’t argue with that.  Others may have thought, “God is good.”  Correct again.  What about awesome, great, powerful, wonderful, or mighty?  Obviously, these and many other answers would be accurate.

But I wonder how many people completed that sentence this way?  God is happy.

I appreciate what Oswald Sanders said in “Dynamic Spiritual Leadership.”

“Paul acclaims the good news of Jesus Christ as “the glorious Gospel of the blessed God” (1 Timothy 1:11).  Rotherham appropriately translates it, “the gospel of the glory of the happy God.”  This rather beatific title describes God not as One who is the object of blessing, but as One who enjoys in himself the fullness of joy.  He lives in the sublime atmosphere of his own eternal happiness (Hebrews 1:9).  Jesus himself possesses a surplus of joy that he has bequeathed to his disciples, a storehouse which can supply us with unique blessings for our lives.”

Sanders goes on to say, “Thus Paul encourages Timothy to believe that the Gospel he is to preach arises out of an environment of joy – the happy heart of God, which is perpetually overflowing.”

So many people see God as anything but happy.  They see Him as angry, impatient, fault-finding, critical, demanding, upset, disappointed, irritable, and short-tempered.  They see God as One who is reluctant, grudging, and hesitant toward us.  However, the truth is that God is eagerly and proactively benevolent toward us.  He doesn’t miserably tolerate us; He joyfully celebrates us!

What Would He Say to You?

In talking with many people over the years who were struggling with guilt, condemnation, shame, etc., I have often asked the question: “If Jesus were to walk into this room, sit down, and speak to you, what would He say?”  Almost without exception, the individuals have said something like, “He would probably tell me how disappointed He is in me, and would point out all the ways I’ve failed, fallen short, etc.” 

While God certainly does correct us when needed, it springs from His heart of love (Revelation 3:19).  When He does bring correction into our lives, it is never to beat us down or denigrate us, but so that we might be partakers of His holiness (Hebrews 12:10).  God is not the accuser or the condemner, and we need to be fully convinced of His heart of joy and pleasure toward us.

Zephaniah 3:17 (NLT)
17 For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.

Luke 12:32 (NLT)
32 "So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.

Ephesians 1:5 (NLT)
5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.

We know that God the Father loved, accepted, and celebrated His Son, Jesus.  At Jesus’ baptism (Matthew 3:17), God declared from heaven, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”  We are inclined to think that was because Jesus had done so many wonderful works, but that was BEFORE Jesus ever preached a single sermon or healed a single sick person.  God’s love for Jesus was based on God’s own nature, not on Jesus’ works or performance.  Likewise, God loves us based on His own nature as well.  In John 17:23 (NLT), Jesus was praying to the Father, and He said about all of His disciples (including us), that “…you love them as much as you love me.”  What a staggering thought!  The Father loves us as much as He loves Jesus.  That’s not my doctrine or my idea; those are Jesus’ own words!

When I was a young Christian, I thought Jesus was the nice side of God while the Father was the angry side of God.  In other words, I saw the intercessory ministry of Jesus as Him trying to talk the Father into doing something the Father really didn’t want to do (accept us), or in trying to talk the Father out of doing something He really wanted to do (punish us).  But then I read what Jesus said in John 16:26-27 (NLT): “Then you will ask in my name. I’m not saying I will ask the Father on your behalf, for the Father himself loves you dearly…”

If God Himself is, in fact, “The Happy God,” then where does that leave us?  A phenomenal example of a believer’s attitude in life is found in Paul’s defense before Agrippa.  Circumstantially, Paul had experienced months and years of great challenge and difficulty, and yet he said (Acts 26:2, NKJV), “I think myself happy, king Agrippa…”  I love that phrase!  While most translations render it something along the lines of, “I consider myself fortunate,” I love the idea of “thinking myself happy.”

If we think God is always angry, perturbed, and frowning, what right would we have to be happy and full of joy?  But if God is smiling over us and rejoicing over us, it would seem right for us to do the same.  After all, we are His children, created in His image and in His likeness!  Having read this, our prayer is that you, too, will begin to “think yourself happy!”

First Things First by Tony Cooke

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First Things First
Tony Cooke

first-firstThe degree of fulfillment and success we experience in life is highly contingent on how well we establish and maintain our priorities. Someone said, “The main thing is to keep the main thing, the main thing.” When we accept Jesus’ Lordship over our lives, we are yielding ourselves to the authoritative influence of His Word and Spirit, and we are authorizing God to set the agenda for our lives and to establish not only our priorities, but also our pursuits.

Here are “Three Firsts” that God prescribes for believers.

1. First Love

After commending the Ephesian church for several positive traits and practices, Jesus said, “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your FIRST love” (Revelation 2:4). Having fallen from a high degree of love, Jesus admonished them in very intense terms to get back on track. “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the FIRST works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent” (Revelation 2:5).

When asked which is the greatest commandment, Jesus responded, “The FIRST of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the FIRST commandment. And the second, like it, is this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31).

The NLT captures both aspects of these two great commandments in its rendering of Revelation 2:4, “You don’t love me or each other as you did at first!” God’s priority for us is that we love Him and that we love each other. Let’s never forget, lose, or fall from our first love!

There is a legitimate journey of going “on to perfection” in which we progress from the “elementary principles of Christ” (see Hebrews 6:1). However, God’s priority is that we not neglect the first things—the foundational truths. We don’t go beyond our foundation; rather, we build upon it. We never outgrow love.

2. First the Kingdom

When Jesus spoke of how focused and obsessed people are with worldly things, he admonished His followers to, “…seek FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). Notice that Jesus taught that when you put God first, your provision—what you really need in life—will increase, not decrease. C.S. Lewis was right when he said, “When first things are put first, second things are not suppressed but increased.”

Having a “Kingdom First” mentality means that we see our lives in the context of Jesus’ Lordship and God’s will. God is not merely an afterthought to us, nor is He someone we turn to only when we are in trouble and in need of His assistance; His influence is preeminent in our lives. Proverbs 8:17 (AMP) says, “I love those who love me, and those who seek me early and diligently shall find me.”

Putting God first and trusting Him should precede (and preclude) complaining, worrying, murmuring, fretting, or anything else we might tend to do as a natural reaction to life’s challenges. That’s why we are instructed, “Therefore I exhort FIRST of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence” (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

When Paul was praising the generosity of the Macedonian believers, he said, “They even did more than we had hoped, for their FIRST action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do” (2 Corinthians 8:5, NLT). Money wasn’t the primary issue; their hearts were. Money that is given is to be a reflection of a life that has already been given.

When Proverbs 3:9 tells us to, “Honor the LORD with your possessions, and with the FIRSTFRUITS of all your increase,” it’s not just because God wants our stuff; it reflects the fact that our hearts are to be entirely His, and our giving is not only needful to bless others, but it is a continual reminder that we are completely His.

3. First… Your Brother

The Word of God places a tremendous emphasis upon our relationship with others.

The Apostle Andrew demonstrated a tremendous heart of selflessness when he made it a  top priority to bring his brother to Jesus. John 1:40-42 says, “One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He FIRST found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus.”

God’s heart for preferring and honoring others is expressed through Jesus’ teaching as well.

Matthew 5:23-24
23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. FIRST be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Remember what Jesus said: “…inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me” (Matthew 25:40). We can’t claim to be moving on with God if we are neglecting, alienating, or offending others—causing them to stumble. We can’t grow in God and be self-centered.

God’s emphasis concerning and priority for our lives relative to our relationships is seen in various places throughout Scripture:

  • It was after Job prayed for his “friends” that his losses were restored (Job 42:10).
  • Peter admonished husbands that if they didn’t treat their wives with honor and respect, that their prayers could be hindered (1 Peter 3:7).
  • James told believers, “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed” (James 5:16).

In these three situations, the receiving of the blessing was contingent upon the obedience of the individual making things right with the other person, or simply treating the other individual properly. I realize that when another person’s will is involved, we don’t have total control over the outcome of the relationship, be we are called to do everything within our power to promote wholeness in relationships (see Romans 12:18).

First things first. If we keep God’s priorities for our lives, we’ll stay healthy, balanced, and productive in our lives. Further, because His priorities have become our priorities, we’ll have His full support in all that we do.

Overcoming the Fear of Man

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Overcoming the Fear of Man
Tony Cooke

Proverbs 29:25 (NLT)
25 Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the LORD means safety.

Fearing man goes beyond fearing physical harm. Many fear rejection, ridicule, or disapproval.  Some even become “approval addicts,” obsessively pursuing human approval at whatever cost and anxiously brooding over what others think of them.  As a matter of fact, the Message version paraphrases the above verse, “The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in God protects you from that.”

That makes me wonder how much we in the Body of Christ – believers and leaders – have been paralyzed and had our potential minimized due to fearing man.  A classic example of “the fear of man” is found in the way certain individuals responded to Jesus.

John 12:42-43 (NLT)
42 Many people did believe in him, however, including some of the Jewish leaders. But they wouldn’t admit it for fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue. 43 For they loved human praise more than the praise of God.

When individuals are ruled by the fear of man, they will shrink from their convictions and violate their own conscience.  We can see from this verse (and perhaps from our own experiences and observations) that “peer pressure” doesn’t simply affect teenagers.  If we are overcome by the fear of human opinion, it is probably because we’ve magnified man and minimized God in our thinking.

Isaiah 51:12-13 (NLT)
12 “I, yes I, am the one who comforts you. So why are you afraid of mere humans, who wither like the grass and disappear?  13 Yet you have forgotten the LORD, your Creator, the one who stretched out the sky like a canopy and laid the foundations of the earth.

When we reverence God properly in our lives, and realize that His opinion is the one that ultimately matters, we will avoid the snare, disability, and paralysis that comes from cringing before the potential disapproval of man.  Paul’s maturity in this regard was evidenced in the following:

1 Corinthians 4:3-4 (NLT)
3 As for me, it matters very little how I might be evaluated by you or by any human authority. I don’t even trust my own judgment on this point.  4 My conscience is clear, but that doesn’t prove I’m right. It is the Lord himself who will examine me and decide.

Paul wasn’t arrogant, but neither was he apologetic.  He was assertive, though, in his walk with God, and this confidence was based on knowing God and not fearing man.

Commenting on these verses in “Growing Up Spiritually,” Kenneth E. Hagin said, “Paul had grown in grace to such an extent that he sought only to commend himself to God.  He was not influenced or affected by what others thought of him.  He did not get in bondage to anybody.  It was not a carnal independence – but a saintly dignity.”  He went on to say, “The mature believer is God-conscious.  And ever conscious of what God’s Word says about him and to him.  Because he is able to testify with Paul, ‘It is a very small thing that I should be judged of you or of man’s judgment,’ he is free to walk in and voice his convictions.”

Jesus followed this same pattern even when He was twelve years old.  When His parents finally found Him in the Temple, Mary really unloaded on Jesus with much emotion.  Luke 2:48 (NLT) records her saying: “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.”

Not everyone responds well to such a statement, but Jesus’ response reveals much.

    1. He did not respond with arrogance.  Arrogance would have said, “I’ll do what I want, when I want, and how I want, and I don’t want any lip from you.”
    2. He did not respond apologetically.  An apology would have said, “I’m so sorry.  I’ll never do anything ever again that upsets you.”
    3. He did respond with assertiveness.  Jesus simply said (Luke 2:49), “Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”  He was so secure, calm, comfortable, and confident in God’s acceptance and approval that He did not need to bristle with arrogance or cower in intimidation.

If we are insecure in the Father’s love and acceptance, we will often try to fill that void in our life by the approval of people.  The fallacy of this is revealed when we recognize that man’s love and approval is typically conditional, fickle, and temporal.  As a result, we are never truly secure because man’s love can be very subject to change.  However, the love of God is unconditional, unchanging, and eternal.  In Him we find true security.  That’s why it is so much better for us to walk in the reverential fear and awe of God than to be on the emotional roller coaster of seeking man’s approval.

Hebrews 13:5-6 (NLT)
5 …God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” 6 So we can say with confidence, “The LORD is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?”

This is the type of confidence every child and ever servant of God should have.

It is important to realize that this freedom from the fear of man does not mean that we should have the kind of attitude that says, “Bless God, I don’t care what anybody thinks or says about me.”

It is one thing to be so secure in the acceptance of God that you do not cringe before human rejection or disapproval.  It is another thing to have a rebellious, arrogant, and carnally independent attitude that leads one to disregard and disrespect others.

To properly understand what our position should be, we not only need to observe Paul’s perspective in 1 Corinthians 4:3 (… it matters very little how I might be evaluated by you), but we also need to hear the balancing wisdom he expressed later in the same book.

1 Corinthians 10:31-33 (NLT)
31 So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.32 Don’t give offense to Jews or Gentiles or the church of God.  33 I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved.

Did Paul just contradict himself?  We know that Paul said elsewhere (Colossians 3:22) not to be a people-pleaser, but now he’s describing how he always tries to please everyone.  This may be a bit paradoxical, but it is not contradictory.  Paul is actually talking about two entirely different issues.

In 1 Corinthians 10, Paul is not describing an insecurity or fear-based pursuit of approval for his own benefit, but rather, a love-based effort to serve others for their benefit.

Notice Paul’s qualifiers:

    1. First, he says we should do things for the glory of God.
    2. Second, he says we should avoid giving offense, or being an unnecessary stumbling block that would keep others from God.
    3. Third, we see he seeks to please others (not just himself).  He does this not for his own personal benefit (to meet a need in his own life) but for the benefit of others that they might be saved.

When we look at the harmonious blend of all these Scriptures, it becomes clear that we are not to insecurely fear man.  But having found our security in God, we are to proactively seek to remove stumbling blocks and express a love-oriented, confidence-based servant’s attitude toward others.  May God help this be realized in all of our lives.

 

False Predictions & Transcendent Faith by Rev. Tony Cooke

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False Predictions & Transcendent Faith Rev. Tony Cooke

Aren’t you glad that the experts aren’t always right!

  • Lucille Ball’s drama instructors wrote to the fifteen year old girl’s mother and told her that her daughter had no talent and was too introverted to make it in show business.
  • Albert Einstein’s Munich teacher told the ten-year old boy, “You will never amount to very much.”
  • A minor league manager watched Hank Aaron and commented, “That kid can’t play baseball.”  Aaron later went on to break Babe Ruth’s home run record.
  • An NBC television executive suggested to Gene Roddenberry, creator of Star Trek, “Get rid of the pointed ears guy.”
  • In 1962, the Decca Recording Company turned down the Beatles, saying, “We don’t like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out.”
  • Elvis Presley was fired after one performance in 1954, and was told, “You ain’t going nowhere.  You ought to go back to driving a truck.”
  • An MGM executive in 1929 noted in response to Fred Astaire’s screen test, “Can’t act.  Can’t sing.  Balding.  Can dance a little.”
  • “Dewey Defeats Truman.”  That was the headline of the Chicago Tribune on November 4, 1948.
  • A Chicago Time editorial in 1863 wrote of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address: “The cheek of every American must tingle with shame as he reads the silly, flat, and dish-watery utterances of the man who has to be pointed out to intelligent foreigners as President of the United States.”
  • Fred Smith, the founder of Federal Express, wrote a paper at Yale in which he proposed an overnight delivery service.  His management professor wrote on the paper, “The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn better than a ‘C’ the idea must be feasible.”

Countless people have had negative, restricting, and potentially crushing words spoken over their lives.  Thank God that there are examples of people whose faith transcended such “death sentences.”  The great men and women of the Bible were those who rose above criticism, scorn, and nay-saying:

  • Joseph and David were both ridiculed by their brothers.
  • Job had to overcome the condemnation and accusations of his “friends.”
  • Nehemiah was mocked by Tobiah, who said, "Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall” (Nehemiah 4:3).
  • Jeremiah was unpopular in his ministry, and said, “I am in derision daily, and everyone mocks me” (Jeremiah 20:7).
  • Jesus was called a blasphemer and Paul was labeled a troublemaker.

 

Lou Holtz, the former head coach of the Notre Dame football team said, “So what if someone wrote your obituary, that doesn’t mean you are obligated to die."  Isn’t it great that no one has the final word about our identity or destiny except God and us?  Psalms 119:69 in the Message Version says, “The godless spread lies about me, but I focus my attention on what you are saying.” 

The generation that God brought out of Egypt was full of doubt, murmuring, and complaints, and they “projected” that hopelessness toward their own children.  But God had a better plan for that new generation, and He said in Numbers 14:31, “But your little ones, whom you said would be victims, I will bring in, and they shall know the land which you have despised.”  That new generation had the potential to rise above the “death sentence” that others had spoken over them.  They had the opportunity to discover and seize upon a new destiny—a better future—through God’s ability and promises. 

Perhaps you’ve had people actually attempt to de-value you through destructive words, or maybe you’ve been bombarded by thoughts from “the accuser of the brethren” (Revelation 12:10).  Either way, as Romans 8:31 says, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”  Our faith really can transcend the false predictions and toxic words of others.

You are Fashioned for Faith, Not Fear

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You Are Fashioned for Faith
By Rev. Tony Cooke

Click Here to order the audio CD where Tony preaches this message.

Dr. E. Stanley Jones, the great Methodist missionary, made the following outstanding statement:
“I am inwardly fashioned for faith, not for fear. Fear is not my native land; faith is. I am so made that worry and anxiety are sand in the machinery of life; faith is the oil. I live better by faith and confidence than by fear, doubt and anxiety. In anxiety and worry, my being is gasping for breath–these are not my native air. But in faith and confidence, I breathe freely–these are my native air. A John Hopkins University doctor says, ‘We do not know why it is that worriers die sooner than the non- worriers, but that is a fact.’ But I, who am simple of mind, think I know; We are inwardly constructed in nerve and tissue, brain cell and soul, for faith and not for fear. God made us that way. To live by worry is to live against reality.”

When Jesus responded to a question posed by His disciples (Matthew 24:4-8) about future events, Jesus indicated the following would occur:

* Great deception in the earth
* Wars and rumors of wars
* Nation would rise against nation
* Famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places

Amazingly, in the midst of that seemingly pessimistic forecast, Jesus gave an outstanding command: “See that you are not troubled!” One translation of that verse says, “Stop being alarmed,” and another says, “See that you are not frightened or alarmed.”

Before she passed away, Ann Landers (who at that time was receiving around 10,000 letters a month seeking advice) was asked about the most common topic of the letters she received. She answered that “most people seem to be afraid of something.” She indicated that people were often afraid even when there seemed to be no reason to be afraid and said, “Ours is a world of fearful people.”

Sometimes we think of fear as an intense, panicked feeling, the kind you would expect if a bear or lion attacked you. Far more people, though, are dealing with what we might call a seed of fear… a low-grade condition that annoys, irritates, and distracts, and keeps them from truly enjoying life. One person described that kind of condition as follows: “Worry is a thin stream of fear trickling through our mind. If it continues, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.”

What follows are five steps we can take in conquering fear when we sense it affecting us. These simple points include:

1. ACKNOWLEDGE it!

Denying the existence of a problem doesn’t make it go away, and acknowledging it doesn’t create it. If you’re dealing with fear, you’re dealing with fear. Be open and honest with God. Don’t be ashamed of the problem and try to hide it from God. In Psalm 56:3, David said, “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.” In other words, David had a strategy in place for what he would do when fear presented itself to him.

Never let the fear linger in the subconscious where it will just gnaw away at you. Bring it to the light! Ephesians 5:13 (Amplified) says, 13 But when anything is exposed and reproved by the light, it is made visible and clear; and where everything is visible and clear there is light.

2. ANALYZE the Fear.

Analyze is not a bad word! In Isaiah 1:18, God said, “Come now, and let us reason together, says the LORD…” God wasn’t against us using our reasoning powers, but He wants us to reason with Him and His Word, not against Him and His Word. Romans 12:2 tells us that we are, “transformed by the renewing of your mind,” not by the removing of it.

Analyzing the fear will help us to know whether we’re dealing with a real or an imaginary problem. There is rational fear and then there is irrational fear, and most of the fears we face are not really grounded in reality. While we do want to analyze our fears in the light of God’s Word, we don’t want to do this exclusively. To spend too much time in this arena leads us into the “paralysis of analysis.”

3. ARM Yourself With the Word of God!

Find and embrace the promises in the Bible about trust, confidence, and overcoming fear! The word of God is “the sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:18).

Joshua 10:25
25 “Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage…”

Psalm 27:1-3
1 The LORD is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked came against me
To eat up my flesh,
My enemies and foes,
They stumbled and fell.
3 Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war may rise against me,
In this I will be confident.

Psalm 46:1-2
1 God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

Proverbs 3:24-26
24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.
25 Do not be afraid of sudden terror,
Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes;
26 For the LORD will be your confidence,
And will keep your foot from being caught.

Isaiah 26:3
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.

Isaiah 41:10
Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

Isaiah 54:14
In righteousness you shall be established;
You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear;
And from terror, for it shall not come near you.

Mark 5:36
…”Do not be afraid; only believe.”

John 14:27
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Hebrews 13:5-6
5 He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
6So we may boldly say:
“The LORD is my helper;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?”

4. ACTIVELY Resist Fear.

We can resist fear with our thoughts, words, prayers, and songs. Notice what Isaiah said about resisting the verbal assaults of the enemy.

Isaiah 54:17
No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD,
And their righteousness Is from Me,”
Says the LORD.

Really, the best way to resist fear (a negative) is to be saturated with a positive: the love of God. 1 John 4:18 tells us that “perfect love casts out fear.”

5. ASSOCIATE with People Who Build You Up!

Fellowship with faith-filled people is essential. Paul drew enormous strength from others when he was facing difficult times, and we should too. Ultimately, our trust has to be in God, not in people. However, God is good to bring people into our lives who can encourage and help us.

One time, when Paul was going through a particularly difficult time, God used Titus to encourage him. Consider Paul’s words:

2 Corinthians 7:5-6
6 For indeed, when we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were troubled on every side. Outside were conflicts, inside were fears.
6 Nevertheless God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus,

Know that God fashioned you for faith, not for fear! The one who made you to live free from fear will certainly help you as you decide to live as God ordained.

Click Here to order the audio CD where Tony preaches this message.

The Extravagant Dimensions of God’s Love

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The Extravagant Dimensions of God’s Love
By Tony Cooke

Paul prayed for the believers in Ephesus that they (along with all of us) would “be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height” and “to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:18-19). Have you ever stopped to think about the multiple dimensions of God’s love—the breadth, length, depth, and height— that Paul mentions?

The Message Version renders this verse: “…you’ll be able to take in with all Christians the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.

The Breadth of God’s Love
The Psalmist speaks of having been in calamity and distress, but then being delivered into a broad place (Psalm 18:19; 118:5). 1 Chronicles 4:40 speaks of those who, “…found rich, good pasture, and the land was broad, quiet, and peaceful.” When I think of breadth, I think of a place that is accommodating, where there is ample space and room to breathe. Sometimes I hear preachers who share very simple truths; they deliberately stay away from trying to be complicated. What they are sharing is not deep, but the simplicity of their message has wide appeal and draws many people. A church that is strong in expressing the breadth of God’s love will provide ministry that is very relevant and meets people where they are.

The Length of God’s Love
The concept of length has to do with how far something reaches. When it comes to the love of God, we know that He is longsuffering, and that He is able to save people to the uttermost (Hebrews 7:25). Isaiah 59:1 (NIV) says, “Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save.” David perceived the long arm of God’s love when he said, “If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me” (Psalm 139:9-10). A church that is strong in expressing the length of God’s love will have a tremendous heart for missions and evangelism.

The Depth of God’s Love
1 Corinthians 2:10 speaks of how the Holy Spirit reveals “…the deep things of God.” Romans 11:33 says, “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!” Daniel said that God “reveals deep and secret things” (Daniel 2:22). If you’re building a great building, you don’t want a superficial, shallow foundation—you need one that is very substantive. While we never want to neglect the basics, neither do we want to perpetually stay in shallow waters with God. We want to encourage people to launch out into the deep! A church that is strong in expressing the depth of God’s love will have a robust emphasis on the Word and the Spirit—they will have strong teaching and fervent prayer.

The Height of God’s Love
This dimension of God’s love—the height of God’s love—isn’t simply high over us, but it draws us upward in worship toward God. Throughout Scripture, we are admonished to lift our eyes, our hearts, and our hands in praise, worship and adoration to God. The fact that God is continually referred to as “the Most High” indicates that He wants us looking up! A church that is strong in expressing the height of God’s love will be a worshipping church, one that exalts and adores God from the heart.

These different dimensions are meant to be complementary, not contradictory. A pastoral perspective might emphasize breadth, an evangelistic perspective might focus on length, a teaching perspective might emphasize depth, while a worshipper’s perspective might emphasize height. May God help all of us to appreciate, experience, and express the extravagant dimensions of God’s love! May we do exactly what Paul admonished us to do: “Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.”

Faith and Medicine

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Faith and Medicine
by Tony Cooke

Faith and MedicineQuestion: I was diagnosed with a certain disease and have been taking medicine for that condition. I have recently been learning about Divine healing. I am very excited about what I am hearing, and I am trusting God for healing. My question has to do with the medicine I am taking. Should I discontinue my medication as an act of faith? Is taking medicine a contradiction to my faith? I am a little bit confused as to what I should do along these lines.

Answer: The questions you present are very good ones. Actually, many people have had questions and experienced confusion about these very same issues. It seems that no matter what subject is being discussed, people tend to go to one extreme or another. It is like a driver who can’t keep his car out of the ditches on either side of the road. On the subject of faith and medicine, some people teach that God no longer heals, or if He does, it is very rare. They state that the age of miracles has passed away. Others go to the opposite extreme and state that not only does God still heal, but that it is a sin for a Christian to use doctors or take medicine in pursuit of healing.

The problem with the first teaching is obvious. It denies the Bible truth that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). The Bible simply does not teach that God’s power was to be relegated to a certain time frame. We serve the same Jesus who lived and healed nearly 2,000 years ago. We have the same Holy Spirit who anointed Him to do the wonderful works He did. The compassion and mercy of God have not changed, and neither have His promises.

The danger of the second extreme is also clear. Much reproach has been brought to the Body of Christ by individuals who have preached against doctors and against the use of medicine by Christians. I have collected a number of articles from newspapers over the years relating how people have suffered and even died needlessly because of this type of approach. In some cases, parents have withheld medical help from their children on religious grounds. Beyond the public spectacle and the physical suffering this creates, many people have suffered emotionally and spiritually because of the guilt, shame, and condemnation heaped upon them by those who have embraced and advocated this erroneous ideology.

I believe it is unfortunate that some people have chosen to pit medicine against faith as though they were somehow adversarial. I believe these two forces should be seen as complementary, not as contradictory. After all, both your faith and the doctor are aiming at the same goal: your wholeness and healing. My persuasion is that medicine and faith can be integrated. They do not need to be isolated from one another.

Please consider the following as you seek to resolve this issue in your own thinking:

1. In Luke 10:30-37, Jesus related a story about a man we call "The Good Samaritan." In this story, the Samaritan man came across an individual who had been beaten badly and was seriously injured. He treated the man’s injuries with oil and wine (the best medicines he had access to in that day) and bandaged his wounds. Further, he made sure the man had time to recuperate and recover from his injuries. Jesus commended that man for his merciful actions, and said that his was an example worth emulating. Apparently Jesus was not against the use of medicine when it was necessary.

2. Proverbs 3:27 says, "Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in the power of your hand to do so." There are times where we have something at our disposal that is good and helpful. The Bible tells us when we have the means, the resources, and the wherewithal to do good, we should not withhold it from the person in need. Would the principle conveyed in this Scripture apply when a parent has access to medicine that will help an ailing child? I think so.

3. In the Septuagint version (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures) of Proverbs 18:9, we read: "He who does not use his endeavors to heal himself is brother to him who commits suicide." This is a powerful verse! In this, we see that God expects us to do what we can do to help ourselves. If you accidentally put your hand on a hot stove, you will instinctively and quickly pull your hand away. Why? When God designed us as human beings He built instincts within that cause us to do whatever we can to protect ourselves and keep ourselves safe. A person would have to override his God-given instincts to not do what he could to help himself.

4. 1 John 3:17 says, "But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?" The Amplified Bible here refers to "…resources for sustaining life…" While John may not have been speaking specifically of medicine here, I believe the principle still applies.

5. The Apostle Paul advocated the use of something "natural" for a chronic physical problem that was experienced by his young assistant, Timothy. 1 Timothy 5:22 says: "No longer drink only water, but take a little wine for your stomach’s sake, and your frequent infirmities." The New International Version Bible Commentary says this about Paul’s comment: "Apparently for medicinal purposes, Timothy is told not to restrict himself to drinking water but to ‘use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.’

6. Ask yourself the question: "Who gave the doctors and researchers the wisdom to be able to develop medicines and treatments that help the sick?" I believe it was God Himself.

7. Remember that faith does not imply denying the existence of a problem. David did not deny the existence of Goliath. He believed that God would help him overcome that challenge. In the same way, trusting God for healing does not mean that we deny the existence of a physical problem. When Paul’s friend, Epaphroditus, was sick, Paul was very realistic about the situation. He did not play word games and deny the existence of the problem. He said, "For indeed, he was sick almost unto death, but God had mercy on him" (Philippians 2:27a). Some people have gotten into trouble because they thought that it was an act of faith to deny the existence of a problem.

8. Keep in mind that Paul said we are transformed by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2), not by the removing of the mind. God is not against people using good sense when dealing with the challenges of life. It seems good to me that when a challenge comes, to hit it with every weapon we have available. Don’t neglect the practical and the physical by focusing only on the spiritual, but neither should you neglect the spiritual while trusting only in the practical and the physical. Use the good that the world has to offer, and benefit from whatever help is available in the natural realm, but make sure that you are trusting God first and foremost.

If you use medicine or have surgery, continue to trust God, and look to Him as your Great Physician. Use good sense in bringing every tool available to your aid. Trust God to not only work through the natural means available, but trust Him to work above and beyond whatever help man can offer.

In closing, let me offer a few pastoral thoughts. In more than three decades of ministry, I have seen many people healed as a result of faith and prayer. I believe strongly in God’s goodness and His mercy, and I believe He is still in the healing business.

I have also seen situations where it seems people operated in foolishness or presumption by electing to disregard or neglect medical advice. I have seen situations where a medical condition had advanced to an acute, critical stage that could have been taken care of had the person acted earlier. I believe it is very unfortunate when a person neglects available care or a prescribed treatment, especially when a condition is at a very treatable stage.

As a general rule I encourage people to work with their doctor, to receive medical care, and to follow their doctor’s counsel. At the same time I encourage people to trust in God and look to Him as their Healer. Saturating yourself with God’s Word and God’s promises concerning healing is the way to build your faith and to keep your faith strong. Your physician may or may not believe in Divine healing, but he can tell when a change has taken place in your body. Whether this change occurs by natural means, by supernatural intervention, or by a combination of the two, your doctor can recognize this and modify or discontinue whatever medications or treatments he has prescribed for you. In my opinion, this approach reflects the wisdom of God. It does not put faith and medicine in opposition to one another, but integrates them into working together for the good of the people whom God loves.

An Exalted View of God by Tony Cooke

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An Exalted View of God
Tony Cooke

Exalted View of GodIn Psalm 50, God addressed those we might call pseudo-believers. He said they were reciting His decrees and pretending to obey His covenant (verse 16, NLT), but He addressed their compromise and worldliness, saying, “You thought that I was altogether like you; but I will rebuke you, and set them in order before your eyes” (verse 21, NKJV).

That phrase—You thought that I was altogether like you—has captured my attention over the years, and it raises some vital questions. How do we perceive God? Do we see God for who He really is, or do we fabricate a “god” that is compatible with the “comfort zone” of our flesh?       

We do ourselves a great disservice if we fail to see God’s greatness, majesty, and awesomeness. God, who wants to elevate our vision of Himself, said, “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts, says the LORD. And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9, NLT).

A.W. Tozer said, "So necessary to the Church is a lofty concept of God that when that concept in any measure declines, the Church with her worship and moral standards declines along with it. The first step down for any church is taken when it surrenders its high opinion of God."

I remember a popular song in the mid ‘70s called, “Jesus is Just Alright With Me.” One of the vocalists said that no one in the band was religious or anti-religious. He said, “We weren’t anything. We were just musicians out playing a gig. We didn’t think about that kind of stuff very often.” Believers need to know that Jesus is not “just alright,” He’s the Savior of the World, Redeemer, Healer, and Lord! Believers should shun any glib attitude that makes Jesus anything less than, “…holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and… higher than the heaven” (Hebrews 7:26, NKJV).

I recently heard a country song about having a beer with Jesus. While the person was seemingly respectful, it made me think about how superficial and shallow perspectives can be when it comes to seeing a Holy and Majestic God. When Isaiah saw the Lord, he didn’t consider ordering up a couple of tall ones (as the song says). Instead, he was awestruck and overcome with the holy presence of God when he encountered His glory and awesomeness.

Isaiah 6:1-8 (NLT)
1 …I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. 2 Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3 They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!” 4 Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke. 5 Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. 7 He touched my lips with it and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.” 8 Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.”

Having been cleansed by the coal from the altar, Isaiah went on to convey messages from a God of holiness to the people of Israel. For example:

Isaiah 57:15 (NLT)
15 The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this: “I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts.

Consider John’s encounter with the majesty of Jesus on the Isle of Patmos.

Revelation 1:12-17 (NLT)
12 When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. 13 And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. 14 His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. 15 His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. 16 He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance. 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead…

When Isaiah and John encountered the Lord, they were awestruck. There was no sense of flippant familiarity, no treating Him like a good ole’ boy. As John’s “revelation” continued, we have continuing glimpses of Jesus’ majesty.

Revelation 5:11-12 (NKJV)
11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!”

Yet There Remains Great Approachability

Scripture leads us progressively toward an exalted view of Christ and of God, yet in the Incarnation, we encounter both the humility and the approachability of God. We could not access God in our fallen condition, so He came to us in the Person of Jesus Christ.

“[Jesus] …made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:7). The Living Bible says that Jesus, “…laid aside his mighty power and glory, taking the disguise of a slave and becoming like men, and he humbled himself even further, going so far as actually to die a criminal’s death on a cross.”

“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone” (Hebrews 2:9).

“Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God” (Hebrews 2:17, NLT).

In the Incarnation, God accommodated us. In His humility, Jesus said (and says) to everyone, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). Jesus was so approachable that parents brought their children to Him to be blessed, and contrite sinners found freedom from shame and condemnation through His compassion.

Through the Incarnation (including His death, burial, and resurrection), Jesus became the Door and the Way. But before He left this earth, He prayed something very interesting. “And now, Father, glorify Me along with Yourself and restore Me to such majesty and honor in Your presence as I had with You before the world existed.” (John 17:5, AMP).

It is right and good when we see the humility and approachability that Jesus exhibited in His earthly life, but it’s even greater when we follow Him into His glorification and exaltation. Perhaps that is why Paul said, “At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now!” (2 Corinthians 5:16, NLT).

Jesus met us where we were, so He could take us where He is. John 17:21,23 (NKJV) says, “And the glory which You gave Me I have given them… Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me…”

He came to redeem the sinner, not to condone the sin. Hebrews 2:10 (NLT) says, “God… chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation.” Did you notice that? God has chosen to bring us into glory!

If the God you serve allows you to rationalize carnality, make light of disobedience, and feel comfortable in sin, you are serving a god of your own making; not the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Don’t fabricate a god that your flesh is comfortable with. Let’s get—through the enablement of the Holy Spirit and through the Word—an exalted view of God. That simply means to see Him as He really is. Then, we’ll do what Psalm 34:3 has declared through the ages: “Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.”

Expectancy + Action = Results

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EXPECTANCY + ACTION = RESULTS
By Rev. Tony Cooke

God wants us to live with a great sense of expectancy. However, we need to keep in mind that great things don’t just happen. They occur when we walk with God and cooperate with Him. The Apostle James was known for being a very blunt and outspoken minister, and he had some powerful things to say about the Christian not merely saying he believes, but acting on his faith!

James 2:19-25 (The Message Bible)
19 Do I hear you professing to believe in the one and only God, but then observe you complacently sitting back as if you had done something wonderful? That’s just great. Demons do that, but what good does it do them?
20 Use your heads! Do you suppose for a minute that you can cut faith and works in two and not end up with a corpse on your hands?
21 Wasn’t our ancestor Abraham "made right with God by works" when he placed his son Isaac on the sacrificial altar?
22 Isn’t it obvious that faith and works are yoked partners, that faith expresses itself in works? That the works are "works of faith"?
23 The full meaning of "believe" in the Scripture sentence, "Abraham believed God and was set right with God," includes his action. It’s that mesh of believing and acting that got Abraham named "God’s friend."
24 Is it not evident that a person is made right with God not by a barren faith but by faith fruitful in works?
25 The same with Rahab, the Jericho harlot. Wasn’t her action in hiding God’s spies and helping them escape—that seamless unity of believing and doing—what counted with God?

There are a couple of phrases here that I really like – the “mesh of believing and acting” and the “seamless unity of believing and doing.”

All of us periodically have certain opportunities that enable us to act on our faith… to take a step in the direction of our dreams. We need to make certain that we don’t let these opportunities pass us by. I trust you are inspired by the following:

“When one door closes another door opens, but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the ones which open for us.”
– Alexander Graham Bell

“For of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: ‘It might have been.’”
– John Greenleaf Whittier

“The lure of the distant and the difficult is deceptive. The great opportunity is where you are.”
– John Burrows

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”
– Thomas Edison

“I prayed for twenty years but received no answer until I prayed with my legs.”
– Frederick Douglass

I remember hearing Brother Hagin preach a message years ago in which he presented a very simple and profound truth. He said, “Missed opportunities bring regret.” Our prayer for you is that you will miss no opportunity that God sets in front of you—that you will truly seize each day and live life to its fullest for His glory!