This article was originally published in Israel My Glory magazine in the May/June 2020 issue.
John was the lead pastor of a medium-sized church for 10 years. Things had been running relatively smoothly until the news broke that John’s daughter had been physically abused by her husband, a young man who grew up in the church. Many sided with the young man’s family, and soon John and his wife felt the pain of rejection. Suddenly they were jobless, with no church, no money, and no hospital insurance. John and his family were in the middle of a crisis. Yet John clung to the promises of God’s Word, particularly God’s commitment to provide for and protect His children. Consequently, divine peace guarded his heart and mind through Christ (Phil. 4:6–7). Not surprisingly, the Lord showed Himself faithful. All the bills got paid, including John’s daughter’s tuition for Bible college; and eventually the Lord brought the family to the vibrant church John pastors today. John’s story is one of millions over the years that testify of the faithfulness of God. Scripture overflows with similar accounts of how God keeps the promises He has made to His people. Although He made many to Israel, He also has made many to the church. Two big ones are the promise of His presence and the promise of redemption. The Promise of His Presence Throughout the Old Testament, the Spirit of God came upon individuals temporarily (1 Sam. 10:10; 11:6; 16:14). A unique promise God made to the church, however, was that His presence not only would dwell with Christ’s followers, but that it would be in them: “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27). The Lord promised His disciples that, after His death, the Father would give them “another Helper, that He may abide with you forever” (Jn. 14:16). The reality of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit runs throughout the New Testament (Rom. 5:5; 1 Cor. 2:12; 6:19; 2 Cor. 5:5). In fact, God seals believers “with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory” (Eph. 1:13–14). If we have placed our faith in Christ alone, not in our good deeds, for the forgiveness of our sins—if we sincerely believe Jesus took the punishment we deserve, died in our place because He loves us, and arose from the grave—God seals us with the Holy Spirit. Everywhere we go, the Lord is with us because He lives in us. This means there is no doctor’s visit, no job interview, no tragedy, and no graveside where the Lord will leave us alone. But wait, there’s more! Not only is He always with us, but He also ministers to us continually. The Holy Spirit bears witness to us of our salvation (Rom. 8:16); teaches us the Bible (Jn. 16:13); intercedes for us in prayer (Rom. 8:26); comforts us in time of need (2 Cor. 1:3–4); empowers us to serve Him (Eph. 3:16); and even lovingly chastens us when we sin, as a father chastens his children (Heb. 12:6). God’s commitment never to leave true believers is a precious promise that should encourage us to live holy lives for Him. The Promise of Redemption The term redemption intimately relates to the imagery of slavery. We are in bondage to the Evil One until we are born again, when He delivers us from the power of darkness and places us “into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:13–14). The apostle Paul reminded his protégé Titus that Jesus “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” (Ti. 2:14). Using His own blood as payment, Jesus bought us off the auction block of sin—He redeemed us—to be a special people for Himself. Not only can we look back at our redemption from slavery and our insertion into the family of God, but we also can look forward to a future redemption. We have been sealed “until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory” (Eph. 1:14). The word guarantee refers to a down payment someone would make when purchasing land or another commodity. The Holy Spirit constitutes that down payment. He guarantees that one day we will be fully redeemed—body and soul/spirit. The final redemption of our bodies will occur when Christ returns for His church (1 Cor. 15:51–52). Even though believers are free from bondage to sin, we still possess old natures that are susceptible to temptation and sinful behaviors (Jas. 1:14–15). We still live in a world where cancer and heart disease and dementia exist, and chances are good that at least one of these ailments or others eventually will afflict us. But this world is not all there is. One day the trumpet will sound, calling us home to be with Him: For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord (1 Th. 4:16–17). In a split second, the graves of believers around the globe will burst open and release the dead in Christ, and those living will be caught up with them in the air. Clothed in the righteousness of Christ, they will have new, glorious bodies that will be eternally free from sickness, disease, and sin. Best of all, we will be physically with the Lord forever (v. 17). The Promise Keeper Most promises are plentiful, cheap, and often broken. Mercifully, we have a God who always keeps His promises. Time does not fog His memory or diminish His faithfulness. He is the same “yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb. 13:8). He has been faithful to His promises to the nation of Israel, and He will be faithful to His church. Regardless of the hardships we suffer, as John and his family did, we know we have a God who keeps His Word. He has promised the Holy Spirit and redemption to those who call on His name, and those are promises worth building our lives on. This article was originally published by The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry.
It wasn’t a large toad: maybe two, two-and-a-half inches long. I was in the yard with my grandma when we found him hopping alongside the house. We caught him, put him in a Mason jar with holes in the lid, and dropped some grass inside for comfort. The next day, I took him with me to preschool for show-and-tell. This promised to be the best thing my fellow 4-year-olds had ever seen! As I waited with my mom in the small foyer outside the classroom door before class started, I slid the jar underneath my jacket, so no one could catch a glimpse before the great reveal. I stood there, proud of what I had found and so excited I could hardly wait. As it turned out, I wouldn’t have to wait long. Just as the door to the classroom opened, I lost my grip on the jar. It went crashing to the floor, shattering into several pieces. I’m sure my eyes were the size of saucers as I realized what had just happened. My toad friend went hopping crazily around as parents and children alike screamed and made quick jumps around the small foyer to avoid stepping on him. It was pandemonium. Eventually, my toad friend—shaken, but unscathed, after his fall—-was recaptured in a paper cup, and I showed him to the class. They loved him. I laugh about it now, but that memory is clear to me, because it was traumatic. One slip of my hand broke the jar and resulted in momentary chaos. It’s similar to what happened to our world and to the human race in the Garden of Eden. Things were good when Adam and Eve were created—very good. But when Adam sinned, it ushered sin and death into the world (Rom. 5:12). Poverty. Homelessness. Broken families. Confusion about gender and sexuality. Abortion. Economic tumult. Pollution of the creation. Greed. There is chaos and brokenness everywhere we look in our world today. What do we do about this? Many in the Jewish community seek to remedy these and other problems according to the rabbinic teaching called Tikkun Olam. Literally meaning “world repair,” at its root, Tikkun Olam assumes the world is broken. On a practical level, synagogues, religious and non-profit groups, and Jewish individuals regularly take part in hands-on activities that seek to carry out Tikkun Olam. They want to make the world a better place by taking part in humanitarian work that benefits their neighbors and the world. The Jewish community is not alone in this desire to bring healing to the broken world, though. Christians, too, are exhorted to alleviate suffering (Jas. 2:16), to care for the disadvantaged (Jas. 1:27), and to speak up for those without a voice (Prov. 31:8). Throughout history, the Lord has used believers to minister to the physical needs of others, believers such as William Wilberforce, Amy Carmichael, and modern evangelicals who lead the fight against sex trafficking and the abortion industry. As good as it is to seek to alleviate suffering, we must never forget that the Scriptures teach there is only One who will bring lasting healing to the world, and that is Jesus the Messiah. John, the beloved apostle, records the vision he saw of the day ultimate Tikkun Olam becomes a reality, when the new heaven and new earth are here: And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts” (Rev. 21:4-6). Seeking to make the world a better place and to alleviate suffering are noble and good things to pursue. But ultimately Tikkun Olam—world repair—will come when God Himself makes all things new. Like the jar my toad called home, this world and all its suffering will be disposed of, the chaos will be over, and the world will be permanently and wholly repaired. In order to take part in this, though, each person must drink of the fountain of the water of life by trusting in the finished work of redemption Jesus accomplished on the cross. So, what about you? Will you experience lasting Tikkun Olam? ![]() This article was originally published by The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry. Many centuries ago, King Solomon wrote that “The glory of young men is their strength, and the splendor of old men is their gray head” (Proverbs 20:29). Unfortunately, that youthful strength and aged splendor seldom come into meaningful contact with each other. Much has been written about the Western culture’s obsession with youth and its loathing of age, which undoubtedly contributes to this ever-widening gap between young and old. Our young are kept busy with the cares of the moment and our elderly are sequestered away in their retirement communities and nursing homes, and never the twain shall meet…well, almost never. A few years ago, I met Marton, a slight, blue-eyed, gray-haired man with a thick, Hungarian accent that often slips into Spanish, inadvertently. (Don’t we all have that problem?) Born in Mexico City to Jewish immigrants from Hungary, who moved to Mexico for work, Marton’s life has not been an easy one. When still a very young boy, his mother fled Mexico, taking him, his older brother, and their unborn sister back to Budapest. There they lived with Marton’s grandmother and shared in her deeply-rooted Jewish traditions, as well as her poverty. In 1944, Nazi Germany occupied Hungary, and Marton’s life changed forever. He and his brother were separated from the rest of their family, and experienced the tragic realities of the Holocaust. From the starvation that accompanied life in the Budapest ghetto to death marches across the the Hungarian countryside, Marton lost his innocence and his faith during this trial. Given Marton’s tremendously difficult past and my comparatively privileged life, not to mention the six-decade age gap, our friendship is an unlikely one; but friends we are. We play endless rounds of Uno, which Marton almost always wins, much to his delight. We go to events in the Jewish community and attend gatherings of other Holocaust survivors. And we go to lunch, always to lunch, where we talk about current events, politics, the Holocaust, God, the Bible, and—Marton’s favorite topic—my unborn daughter, Charlotte, to whom Marton will be “Zeyde” (Yiddish for “Grandfather”). As Marton ages, and as his mobility becomes increasingly limited, I have the privilege—and I mean that—of caring for him in various ways. Trips to the doctor, drop-offs and pick-ups at the pharmacy, reminders for him to take his medications, and even eye drop applications. Marton is quick to thank me for helping him in these ways, and does so often. But the truth is, his friendship has benefited me a great deal too, and has brought great joy to my life, as the Lord has used my friendship with Marton to teach me more about Himself. The apostle Peter reminds us that we should cast all our care upon the Lord, because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). In a small way, we are able to understand a bit better the love God has for us when we care for other people. When those we love need our help, there is no question of whether or not we have the time to care for them. We make time. We do it, even if it involves some small sacrifice on our part. We invite them to cast their cares upon us. From assisting with routine things like driving to doctor’s appointments and putting in eye drops, to more weighty matters, like listening to a friend whose haunting memories of the Holocaust make for sleepless nights, caring for others also reminds us of our own deep, spiritual frailty and weakness. The Scriptures remind believers that there was a time when we “were without Christ…having no hope and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12). The Lord cared for us in our hopelessness by demonstrating “His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8); and we, “who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13). There is, indeed, a surprising joy that develops in your heart, when you have the privilege of caring for another person, for in doing so, you are reminded of both your own helplessness and of the One who cares for your soul. And I can think of no better way to cultivate such a joy than for the strength of youth and the aged-splendor of the gray-headed to come together. This article was originally published by The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry.
Peace. The hippies sang about it. Congress tries to legislate it. And the United Nations wants to mediate it. And yet, in 2016, we look at our world and, if we are honest with ourselves, we see that our generation is no closer to achieving peace than any of the previous generations were. Civil war rages in Syria. ISIS wreaks havoc on all who stand in their way throughout the Middle East. Race riots and school shootings have erupted in the United States. Peace remains an elusive desire for mankind—technology may advance, law books may grow thicker, but true peace between nations and neighbors has yet to be seen. The peace that the Lord Jesus offers those who trust in Him is a penetrating peace. Unlike the peace the world tries to establish, the peace of God is planted within the heart of the individual. It is a peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7), the kind of peace that can look a pink slip or a grim diagnosis in the eye, not absent of questions or concerns, but a settled confidence in the One who knows the number of hairs on our heads and who takes notice even when a sparrow falls to the ground. As a little boy, when my heart was troubled by things like bad dreams and scary dogs, my first reaction was to run to my dad. I didn’t know how or why he could make everything okay again, but I knew that he could and he would. Our heavenly Father is the same. Jesus tells us not to be troubled or afraid because His peace is with us. Notice there are no qualifiers to Jesus’ statement about not being afraid. He doesn’t say, “…unless the stock market crashes,” “…unless you hear the word ‘cancer,’” “…unless you can’t see a way out of your dire circumstances.” Jesus’ words are those of the all-knowing God, the One who knows the beginning from the end. Before we were even born, God knew the trials we would go through. He knew how wicked our culture would be. And yet He gave the charge—“Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” In the world we are living in today, it is easy to be anxious about our circumstances, about the future of this world. But as followers of the risen Messiah, the peace of God is a “new birthright,” something we have access to through Jesus. It is our privilege and responsibility, not only to receive that peace, but to tell the tempest-tossed world how they might have it too. What a treasure I have in this wonderful peace, Buried deep in the heart of my soul; So secure that no power can mine it away, While the years of eternity roll. –W.D. Cornell This article was originally published by The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry.
Imagine what it would be like if God told you to leave your home, your family, and all you've ever known to go to a foreign land because He has some big plans for you and your descendants. Most people would be apprehensive about such a prospect! I’m always amazed, though, when I read about the time God issued such a charge to Abraham. Abraham was a very normal human being. He sometimes questioned God. He sinned. He was fearful. But when God called him to leave all he knew to move to a land he had never seen before, his response was one of simple faith: “So Abram (Abraham) departed as the LORD had spoken to him” (Genesis 12:4). In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul reminds believers that they are to “walk by faith, not by sight,” something Abraham did, literally. Walking indicates movement. It is not a standstill, waiting for God to move you. Rather, it is going forward, trusting in the sure promises made by a loving and unchanging God. Walking by faith means not allowing circumstances or feelings to dictate your reliance upon the truth. When God called Abram, He told him He would make him “a great nation” (Genesis 12:2), a promise reiterated later when God tells Abram that his descendants will be as numerous as the stars in the heavens. Such a promise must have seemed outlandish to the childless man and Sarah, his wife. Indeed, at one point, the faith of the couple falters, as they decide to take the matter of producing an heir into their own hands (Genesis 16). Their failure to walk by faith in this matter ultimately led to much grief for the Jewish people. However, the writer of Hebrews records that when it came time for Isaac, the promised son to come into the world, Sarah, “by faith… also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised” (Hebrews 11:11). How easy it is for us, too, to walk by sight, trusting our circumstances and feelings instead of God’s promises. Terrorism. Murder. Corruption. Just a glance at the morning headlines alone, can cause us to wonder if God is really in control. Indeed, one of the greatest snatchers of joy and confidence in the Lord is our feelings. One moment we feel that all is well. The next moment we feel doubtful about our security in the arms of Christ. But, like Sarah, we must walk by faith, looking past appearances and what seems likely; and instead clinging to the Word of God, which tells us that we are to live by faith “in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). Walking by faith is certainly contrary to the nature of humanity; but what a joy it is to know that our Guide is the promise-keeping God Himself. |
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