They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years. -Luke 1:6-7

God had not given Zacharias what he had wanted, what he had prayed for throughout a good portion of his life, yet he remained faithful-totally faithful. He lived a righteous life. By righteous, I mean that he lived according to God's standards, "walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord" (Luke 1:6). He did what God says is right-without bitterness, without anger. He continued to serve God.

If this were your circumstance, if you didn't receive from God what you had asked for, what you had longed for, or, let's say, what was your "human right" - a legitimate need - would the same thing be true of you?

Have you understood, my friend, that . . .

God sees what you need-what you want. He is not blind.
God hears what you pray. He is not deaf.

But you say...

God could have moved sooner! Yet God is never late.
But God did not do what He is perfectly capable of doing if He's God! Right!

Yet, it's not because God didn't know-
because God is omniscient - all-knowing.
And it's not because God couldn't do it-
because God is omnipotent - all-powerful.
And it's not because God was occupied somewhere else-
because God is omnipresent - everywhere.
Although it wasn't done your way, the way you dreamed it would be, the way you longed for it to be, never forget - God is sovereign.

So does this mean He loves you any less because you suffered greatly in the process? No, God is love.

It simply means that God is God. We are man, and as man we, like Zacharias and Elizabeth in Luke 1, are to walk blamelessly before Him. And if God chooses then to utterly surprise us in this life, even as He did with Zacharias and Elizabeth, we will have our answer, our proof of just what God had in mind all the time. However, even if God does not choose to surprise us, we will have shown our Father that we love and trust Him for who He is - God.

In the very process of it all, my friend, the world will see and know the reality of our faith, the sufficiency of His lavish, extravagant grace, and the destiny of our soul - for we are His people.

And someday, as His people, we will have exceeding abundantly beyond what eye can see, ear can hear, and mind can comprehend-for we will have it all as heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ.

Do you have something to give thanks for? Thank Him daily and trust Him.

Our world is filled with bitter, angry, hostile, hurting people who, when it comes to relationships and eternal matters, do not really know their right hand from their left. Let's not join their ranks even for a second.

Cease striving, Beloved, and know that He is God. The Lord is in His holy temple-He never leaves His throne. You are secure. Now walk blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord by walking under the power and control of the Holy Spirit. Celebrate each new day with a grateful heart! Thank Him that you know these truths, and because of His mercy and grace in bringing you to Him, you can walk in them. Then live the way He says to live.

Like Zacharias and Elizabeth, you will find peace in the acceptance of His will.

The Kingdom: Serving the World, Loving Others

Michael Craven

Scripture is neither vague nor equivocal on the promise of Christ's return. A large portion (by some accounts, as much as one-fifth) of Scripture is prophetic, and perhaps a third or more of the prophetic passages refer to the Second Coming of Christ or events related to it. It is undeniably a major theme in the prophecy of both Old and New Testaments.

And regardless of what the scoffers say, Jesus is coming (2 Peter 3:3-10). World history is barreling toward the conclusion that God ordained. It isn't an end that will come as a result of nuclear war, environmental irresponsibility, or alien invasion; it is the one that comes by the purpose and plan of God, foretold in Scripture. Make no mistake--Christ will return!

Here are nine reasons from Scripture by which you can know that Christ is coming again.

The Promise of God Demands It

The Old Testament is full of Messianic promise--that promised is its main focus. From beginning (Genesis 3:15) to end (Malachi 4:2), the entire Old Testament is filled with prophecies of the coming Deliverer--at least 333 distinct promises, by one count.

Of the more than 100 prophecies dealing with the first advent of Christ, all of them were fulfilled precisely, literally. His riding on a donkey, the parting of his garments, the piercing of His hands and feet, and the vivid prophecies of His rejection by men in Isaiah 53--all these might have been interpreted symbolically by Old Testament scholars before Christ. But the New Testament record repeatedly reports that such things were fulfilled in the most literal sense, so "that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled" (Matthew 26:56; cf. 2:15; 4:14-16; 8:17; 12:17-21; 13:35; 21:4-5; 27:35; John 12:38; 15:25; 19:24, 28).

Scripture says God "cannot lie" and that He will not change His mind (Numbers 23:19; Titus 1:2). What He has promised, He will do. The truthfulness of the Bible is at stake in the Second Coming.

The Teaching of Christ Demands It

Christ's earthly teaching was filled with references to His Second Coming (Matthew 24–25; Luke 21). When He was on trial for His life, Jesus defended His own deity with a bold declaration of the Second Coming in the most triumphant terms. He told the High Priest, "You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven" (Mark 14:62).

On the night of His betrayal, Christ told the disciples, "I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself" (John 14:2-3). Not only is the credibility of God at stake in the Second Coming, but so is the credibility of His Son. If Jesus doesn't return, He's a liar.

The Testimony of the Holy Spirit Demands It

Since "God ... cannot lie" (Titus 1:2), His promise guarantees Christ's return. Jesus is truth incarnate (John 14:6); so His teaching also infallibly confirms the fact of the Second Coming. And the Holy Spirit, who is called "the Spirit of truth" (John 14:17; 15:26), also testifies of the Second Coming of Christ through the New Testament writers.

Whether the apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 1:4-7; Philippians 3:20; Colossians 3:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; etc.), the apostle Peter (1 Peter 1:13; 5:4; 2 Peter 3), or the apostle John (1 John 3:2), again and again, through the inerrant Scriptures, the Holy Spirit adds His witness to that of the Father and the Son--Jesus is coming.

The Program for the Church Demands It

God is currently "taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name" (Acts 15:14) and gathering His elect into one great body, the church. The church's role is to be like a pure bride for God's own Son, ready to be presented to Him at His Second Coming.

Paul uses that wedding imagery in 2 Corinthians 11:2: "I am jealous for you with godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin." Marriage is a beautiful metaphor that pictures Christ's love and care for His church (Matthew 25:1-13; Ephesians 5:25-27; Revelation 19:6-9). And that's why we can be certain He will return to claim her, just as He promised (John 14:2-3). He will come back to get His bride.

The Corruption in the World Demands It

The world is a very wicked place, and when the "Son of Man [comes] in the glory of His Father with His angels ... [He] will recompense every man according to his deeds" (Matthew 16:27). "An hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment" (John 5:28-29).

That blessed hope of every believer (Titus 2:13) is the terror of the world. For unbelievers, His coming means immediate, impartial judgment (1 Thessalonians 1:7-10; Jude 14-15; Revelation 19:11-16); for believers--unmitigated joy! Jesus must return in order to execute just retribution on sinners and carry out the judgment He has promised.

The Future of Israel Demands It

In Paul's day Gentiles were coming into the church in greater numbers than Jewish converts, and in Romans 11, Paul reminded them, "You, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them and became a partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree" (v. 17). But the time is coming when the natural branches will be grafted back into the olive tree (vv. 23-24), a phenomenon that Paul expressly connected with the return of Christ (v. 26). That is the day when Israel will mourn over the One whom they pierced (Zechariah 12:10), and God will save them all (Romans 11:26).

The Vindication of Christ Demands It

It is inconceivable that the last public view the world would have of Jesus Christ would be that of a bleeding, dying, crucified criminal, covered with blood, spit, and flies, hanging naked in the Jerusalem twilight. Did you realize that after His resurrection, He never appeared in a public venue before unbelievers? Plenty of believers saw Him, touched Him, spoke to Him, and gave unanimous testimony that He was risen from the dead. But there is no record that unbelievers ever saw Him.

But the unbelieving world will see His glory displayed to everyone. Scripture says, "Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him" (Hebrews 9:28; cf. Matthew 24:27). The Savior who was humiliated, taunted, and put to death in a public display of humanity's hatred of God will return as conquering Lord in view of the entire world (Luke 21:25-27). And every eye will see Him (Revelation 1:7).

The Destruction of Satan Demands It

Satan, though an already-defeated foe as far as Christians are concerned, still exercises a kind of dominion over this world (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2; 6:12; 1 John 5:19). But Christ is the only rightful ruler of this world, and when He returns, He will overthrow and destroy Satan completely.

In Revelation 5, when Christ receives the seven-sealed scroll, the title deed of the earth, He unleashes judgment with the crack of each seal (Revelation 6-7). The seal judgments give way to the judgment of the seven trumpets (Revelation 8-9); the trumpet judgments lead to the judgment of the seven bowls (Revelation 16). Finally, after one last-ditch effort by Satan to retain his unlawful dominion over the earth, Christ Himself returns to vanquish the foe--He chains him, casts him into a bottomless pit, and finally confines him to an eternal lake of fire (Revelation 19). With that, Christ's victory over Satan the usurper is complete.

The Hope of the Saints Demands It

Only Christ's glorious, triumphant return can fulfill the hope of the saints--every true believer longs for that day. Paul characterizes Christians as those who "love his appearing" (2 Timothy 4:8). The apostle John says, "Now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is" (1 John 3:2). The return of Christ will instantly usher in the fullness of our glorification.

John then adds these words: "And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure" (v. 3). This is the test of a healthy eschatology: Is your hope a sanctifying influence on your soul? Are you looking beyond the commotion of this world with the realization that you could soon meet Christ face to face, and are you preparing your heart and soul for that? Are you eager and watchful? Are you filled with joyful hope and expectation? That is the attitude to which Scripture calls us.

The Second Coming is not supposed to make you stop what you're doing to wait for the Lord's return. And neither should it motivate you to focus all your attention on the events and political developments of this world. Instead, it should prompt you to holiness as you direct your heart toward Christ, whose coming every believer anticipates with joy.

When I was a boy, my grandfather had a painting of a sailing ship on his living room wall. Sometimes I would stare at the picture for a long time, looking at the ship, its masts and lines and the rolling waves.
Then I noticed something strange.
I found that I could make the ship disappear! If I stopped looking directly at the ship and focused instead on the wall or frame around the ship, then I would no longer notice the painting. If I did it long enough, the ship would seem to disappear. It would still be there, but I would no longer notice it.
It’s an old magician’s trick—getting people to focus on the edge of something, instead of what is happening in the middle. But there was no magic here. When I lost my focus on the ship, my mind simply overlooked it. Once concentration on the picture was lost, the ship seemed to disappear.
Something like this is happening in our pulpits every Sunday. The cross, which is central to our faith, is too often overlooked and ignored to the point of disappearing. The central tenet of the Christian faith is being ignored to a large degree.
Of all the world’s great religions, none is so focused as Christianity. Other religions are defined by a general philosophy of life. Christianity is focused on the deity of Jesus, His death and resurrection and the grace that flows from that divine sacrifice.
Everything we believe about God, life and the universe connects through this single event. The cross really is the intersection of all worlds.
Paul recognized this fact in Galatians 6:14, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (NIV). And again in 1 Corinthians 1:18, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” The cross to him meant the same thing it does to us today—the atoning sacrifice of Christ.
Something has happened to those who preach Christ week after week—something terrible: We’ve gotten used to it. The
scandalous truth of the cross, which Paul calls its “offense,” is lost on us. Shorn of the cross, Christianity is not much different from Judaism or Islam. Without realizing it, our messages have become sub-Christian.
The effect of this disappearing cross in the pulpit is felt with devastating force in the pew. In a previous church, I visited a man who was sick with a terminal illness. He was in his 80s and a pillar of the local church. He had served his church as a deacon, elder and trustee. Now he faced his own death, and he was concerned that he was not good enough to go to heaven.
Here was a man who had been in church every Sunday, yet he did not understand the cross. He had memorized the Catechism, the Apostles’ Creed and the Ten Commandments; but the assurance wasn’t there. How was it possible that he had missed the significance of the central event of the Christian faith?
Over the years, talking to other men and women his age, I discovered that he was not alone. A significant number of congregants do not understand the cross either. They keep going back to the idea that there is something they must do or not do to earn a place in heaven. The grace of the cross has not gotten through.
It is a mystery why one person understands the gospel and another does not. After many repetitions of the same message, we begin to wonder if it is necessary to keep repeating it. Instead, we concentrate on the less-scandalous aspects of the faith. We preach that we are for love and caring and against sin. After decades of this kind of preaching, a congregation could tell you all about the evils of drinking and why they are against abortion or for the environment; but they still do not know if they are going to heaven or why.
Preachers preach what interests them. If we like history, we preach history. If linguistic studies are our forte, then we fill our sermons with Greek and Hebrew. If we enjoy a clever turn of the phrase, we find clever hooks to gain our congregation’s attention. This may impress, but alone it does not get the job done. The central message must be clear. We may be preaching the Bible, but are we preaching Christ?
There are many subjects that can obscure the cross. Here are some of the worst.
1. Moralism. It is important to preach the Ten Commandments and the other decrees of God. The problem with preaching them, however, is that they are not particularly Christian. We could go through all 10 of them, accurately exegeting each one, and never mention Christ.
2. Cultural commentary. A pulpit is a dizzying height from which we may freely display our egos. It is easy for us to assume that our opinions on all matters are more informed than they actually are. But there is no justifiable reason to think a preacher would be any more informed about the world than the average well-read person in the pew. When we presume with our limited knowledge to speak outside of what the Bible says, we should not be viewed as an authority. Even so, many preachers will speak at length on non-revealed matters without any mandate to do so. The Bible was not written as a book on politics or health. Preaching on such subjects leads us in a straight line away from the cross.
3. Self-help. Modern society has passed from the age of moral certainty and entered the age of psychology. This is true in the church as well. In this age, preachers are not so much tempted to tell our congregations what they should be doing as we want to tell them how to get ahead. Pulpits are rife with prosperity preachers who deliver the message that if we believe and persevere, we can grow rich, successful and famous.
Preachers are attracted to self-help thinking because people like to hear it. We hope we will be able to attract them to Christ by promises of prosperity and happiness, of fixing their marriages and improving their finances. In an effort to reach the lost, we can easily put the cross in the background and move pop psychology to the front.
The problem with self-help is that self comes first. It is a mixed message. We attempt to draw people by promises of riches and motivation, and then we expect to teach them that God is their source rather than themselves. The more we convince people they are the source of their own happiness, the more we convince them God is not. This strategy is counter-productive in the end, leading people away from the cross—not toward it.
4. Entertainment. We all know that preachers are not entertainers. However, preachers often used entertaining methods to help a sermon go down smoothly. There is nothing wrong with this. The problem comes when our clever methods distract from the message.
In a megachurch I once attended, the preacher gave a five-point sermon, mostly centered on self-help. On the third point, the drama team presented an entertaining skit as an illustration. It was enjoyable, but the problem was that the illustration had little to do with the point. It appeared that the drama team had a clever skit they wanted to use; so the preacher decided to use it, even though it ruined the balance of the sermon. The use of drama distorted that one point out of proportion to the others. The message became the drama; the drama did not serve the message.
Moralism, cultural comment, self-help and entertainment have a place in preaching; but that place should be behind the cross—not in front of it. When we major in minors—poof!—the cross disappears.
Bryan Chappell makes this point in his excellent book Christ-Centered Preaching.  
Messages full only of moral instructions imply that we are able to change our fallen condition in our own strength. Such sermons communicate (although unintentionally) that we clear the path to grace, that our works earn and/or secure our acceptance with God. However well intended, these sermons present a faith indistinguishable from that of morally conscientious Unitarians, Buddhists, or Hindus.¹
After reading this, I went through my old sermons—and cringed!
For example, there was that lovely Mother’s Day sermon, “What Your Mother Wants You to Know.” It went over well. Everyone loves it when you talk about mothers, but this was not a Christian sermon. It was not even biblical.
Then there was that series on “The Leadership Secrets of Moses.” Dr. Haddon Robinson once remarked about a similar series by another preacher, that if we want to really follow Moses’ leadership path, we should kill an Egyptian and bury him in the desert! It was not Moses’ perseverance or genius that made him a leader; it was his moral bankruptcy changed into graceful obedience by the mercy of God. Only when Moses received the grace of God was he ready to be used as a leader.
Moralistic sermons are easy and popular. But if all we do is hand out moral advice, how will our people ever keep it? It takes a life transformation to live by the moral standards of Jesus. That transformation can only come through the cross.
That is how the cross disappears from our messages. But how do we get it to reappear?
We do not have to. The cross is already there on every page of the Bible. All we have to do is to display and highlight the message of redemption that is inherent in every passage we preach.
The cross is there in biblical prophecy and symbols. The Old Testament presents pictures of Christ to us in many places. He is the rock that followed the Israelites in the desert, the cloud by day, the brazen serpent. He is there in the pattern of the tabernacle, the suffering servant, the fourth man in Daniel’s furnace, and so on.
But ultimately, typology is not the best way of showing Christ. Typological associations with Christ are welcome additions to a Bible story, but they are not the story itself.
A better place to see the cross is in the pattern of sin and God’s redemption. We see examples of redemption in the stories of the Bible—in Boaz’ redemption of Ruth, in the sacrifice of Isaac, in the prophetic suffering of David in Psalm 22, in the prodigal son, and in the good Samaritan. In these stories we see parallels to His nature, revealed in Christ.
The cross is also revealed by the incompleteness of our morality. We should never preach moral behavior as if it can save us or even make us a better person. The more we understand biblical morality, the harder it is to keep without God’s help.
The Law is an incomplete sentence, a subject without a predicate. If we name the sinner—“murderers,” for example—we must fill in the rest or we have not finished: “Murderers are forgiven on the cross.” The condemnation of the sin of murder leads to the murderer’s redemption in Jesus.
Likewise, when looking to the future, our hope is in God’s redemption—not our own perfectibility. The mistake of self-help and positive-thinking preachers is not that they are wrong but, again, that they are not complete. Christ alone will bring in the millennium. Until then, we live in a messy world where good people are treated unfairly, bad people are rewarded for being bad and whistling in the dark does not keep bad things away. The only thing that will keep us from disaster is God’s grace.
One thing above all will make the cross appear in our messages—if it is embedded in our own lives. The real reason the cross disappears from our sermons is because we allow it to slip out of the central place in our own lives.
Inside every evangelical Christian preacher is a legalist who wants to get out. Evangelical culture contains more than its fair share of legalism. Preaching the cross and the cross alone is never entirely comfortable to us. This is why we need the cross so much—because we are sinners like everyone else.
As the world becomes more complicated, our need for the cross becomes more necessary. Temptations are greater, inter-personal relationships are more difficult and the issues of the world are increasingly difficult. The one certainty we have in an uncertain world is that Jesus loved us and died for us on the cross. It is the one, true hope for change in an ever-devolving world. 
 If we keep the cross before our congregations, we will see lives changed. If we leave the cross out, or obscure it through concentrating on peripheral issues, then we will lose all possibility of positive change. The cross is the one, true remedy we have to offer a broken world. Let us be sure to display it proudly.

What trials are you facing in life right now?

Maybe it’s a financial challenge. Or maybe you have stuff going on in your marriage or at work. Perhaps you’re grappling with emotional issues… or some familiar sin… or an issue of illness… or maybe something’s going on with your kids or grandkids.

Whatever stress or challenge you’re facing today, I want to share something with you that could be the single greatest factor in seeing the tide turn against that situation in your life. I really don’t think I can overestimate the importance of what I’m about to share.

It all starts with Romans 12:2, which says,

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

The first step in dealing with the challenges you may be facing is not to be conformed to this world.

The word conformed literally means to be squeezed into a mold. And that’s the problem with many Christians today. They have allowed their thinking about marriage, their business, their ministry, and their personal lives to be conformed to the way this world thinks. They’ve been contained. They’ve been squeezed into a mold.

The result is they’ve never lived that large, expansive, broad, expressive life that God wants them to live.

You see, God has put something on the inside of you and me. But the things that are in us, many times, don’t end up matching our outside experience because we have failed to renew our minds!

What God is saying in Romans 12:2 is that if you are going to be blessed, if you are going to break out of the limitations that the world would put on you, you’re going to have to change the whole landscape of your thinking. You’re going to have to knock down some of those old thinking patterns that have been erected in your mind and replace them with new thoughts.

Second Corinthians 10:3-5 says this,

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

More than anything else, the warfare we face has to do with our thinking. The battleground of the ages is the human mind. And what Paul gives us here is a progression from the end result to where everything begins.

It starts with “bringing every thought into captivity.” Literally, it means taking hold of the thoughts in your mind… the things that you’ve embraced, the things that have inspired you to believe the things that you believe, the things that have influenced your behavior, actions, and emotions… and capture them.

You need to capture a thought and say, “Wait a minute. Where did that come from?” Turn it over and take a look at it and examine it and ask, “What’s the origin of this thought?”

If you don’t do that, a wrong thought can grow to the next stage, which is an argument. And an argument is dangerous because it exalts itself against the knowledge of God. It’s not consistent with Scripture. The “arguments” spoken of in these verses are uncaptured thoughts that have gained momentum and force in your mind.

If an argument is not cast down, it grows to another stage, which is a stronghold. This is where the enemy can work in your life. And strongholds can be painful and difficult to deal with as they have to be pulled down.

As I mentioned before, the battleground of the ages is the human mind. It’s not necessarily your marriage… your business… your kids… or your relationships. So you need to ask yourself, “What thoughts do I need to capture and cast down? What thoughts from God’s Word can I replace those wrong thoughts with?” 

That is the starting point. I pray you will take time today to carefully consider the areas where you are struggling and see if your thinking is aligned with God’s thoughts. 

Here’s how you can live the words you pray in the Lord’s Prayer:

“Our Father”:  Pray for a healthy image of God that reflects Jesus’ experience as “Abba” – an affectionate term for a Father who loves deeply and unconditionally.  God isn’t a cold, aloof Creator who has abandoned His people; nor is He an insensitive judge who nonchalantly rules creation heartlessly.  God is close to you, pouring out His love into your life no matter what, and offering you strength and courage whenever you need them.  Let your gratitude for God’s deep love in your life motivate you to perform selfless acts of sacrificial love for others – just as Christ has done for you.  Recognize that you’re part of a huge spiritual family: All people are made in God’s image, and fellow believers are your brothers and sisters in Christ.  Since God is “our” Father, spiritual formation is about God, others, and you.  Ask God to give you the love He wants you to have for other people.   Intercede in prayer for them regularly.  Pray for opportunities to use what you’ve learned through your own suffering to help other people who are struggling in similar ways.  Welcome and accept all people – no matter how different they are from you.

“Who art in heaven”:  Since the God who lives in heaven has taken on human flesh as Christ, He has made it possible for you to experience the extraordinary in the midst of the ordinary.  Ask God to help you be alert to what He’s doing in your life right here and now.  Don’t try to limit God to just what you can understand of Him.  He transcends all images and descriptions people use to represent Him.  Expect that you may learn something valuable about God from interacting with the people He has made in His image.  Avoid judging people based on superficial attributes like their appearances.  Get to know them and look for the Holy Spirit at work within their souls.  Keep in mind that God is just as much at work in people who our culture tends to ignore – such as the disabled, the elderly, and the poor – as He is in other people.  Look for reflections of God in every person you meet.

“Hallowed be thy name”:  As you walk in God’s constant presence with you, you become aware of your own sinfulness contrasting with His holiness.  That leads to humility, in which you recognize just how much you really need God.  Recognize your own unworthiness, and remember that God is the source of all of your gifts, accomplishments, and talents.  He gave you life and salvation.  You owe everything to God, so live each day to please Him, as a way of expressing your love and gratitude.

“Thy kingdom come”:  God wants to use you to help bring more of His kingdom to our fallen world.  Your words and actions can help bring about God’s intentions for the world.  When you pray for God’s kingdom to come, you help answer that prayer by engaging the world and bringing peace, love, and justice to it – one person and situation at a time.  Whenever you respond to God’s call in the midst of ordinary moments by planting seeds of peace, love, and justice, they grow and blossom, expanding God’s kingdom on earth.

“Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”:  Discerning God’s will isn’t about figuring out exactly what God is thinking about every decision you face.  Instead, it’s about learning how make faith-based decisions – to let your faith guide your decision-making process so you can choose what’s best.  When you become aware that you’re approaching a critical juncture in your life that demands that you make a wise decision, aim to respond thoughtfully and prayerfully, rather than simply react.  Try to distance yourself from your ego (your obsession with self-concern, self-image, self-preservation, and self-gratification).  Remember and respect the commitments you’ve previously made to God, other people, and yourself.  As you reflect on various options, reject ones that will feed into a self-centered agenda and seriously consider those that will help you draw closer to God.  Think about which options are consistent with your values and the direction in which your life has been moving.  Let Scripture inform the process by reminding you of what God calls you to be.  Dialogue with other believers, asking questions and discussing how you and others may be affected by your decision.  Consider your energy and passions – whether or not you have a natural inclination to pursue a particular option.  Do you want to do it, and are you capable of carrying out that decision?  Then take action at the right time (when you’re not experiencing too much emotional stress).  Expect that, when you’ve made a wise decision, God will often respond by giving you peace afterward to confirm that you’ve chosen well.

“Give us this day our daily bread”:  When you pray for God to provide for your daily needs, you recognize your absolute dependency and existential poverty before God.  He has given you everything – from your looks and personality, to your friends and job, and even the air you breathe when you take your next breath.  Through teaching you to pray for something as ordinary as bread, Christ teaches you that no concern is too trivial to place before God.  Pray about everything that concerns you – no matter how insignificant it may seem – trusting that God cares and will answer in His way and in His time.  Pray for humility and childlike faith in God’s providence.  Then seek to become what you receive, by serving others every day so God can use you to help meet their needs through your life.  Volunteer at a food bank or hospital.  Visit lonely people in nursing homes.  Tutor children who are struggling in school.  The possibilities for you to help bring “daily bread” to others are endless.

“Forgive us our trespasses”:  God will free you from debilitating guilt when you pray for forgiveness.  No sin is written in indelible ink.  God’s mercy has no limits.  He will respond to your prayers for forgiveness by forgetting the past, welcoming you home with arms opened wide, and giving you the strength to help you move forward well.

“As we forgive those who trespass against us”:  Let your gratitude for God’s forgiveness of your own sins motivate you to obey His call to forgive others who have hurt or offended you.  Pray for the ability to avoid judging and condemning others, and the grace to break free of poisonous bitterness.  Rely on God to help you through the forgiveness process; remember that it’s always possible to forgive – despite your feelings – with God’s help.  Pursue inner healing by: remembering that Christ is always with you offering love and compassion, taking a fresh look at the past event and the feelings it raised inside of you (through praying about it and talking about it with people you trust, like friends, a counselor or a support group), step through your pain to temporarily put yourself in the place of the one who hurt or offended you so you can better understand that person’s heart and the brokenness in his or her life, asking Christ to do His healing work in your heart, and letting your healing lead you to greater compassion for others who are struggling and motivate you to reach out to them to help.

“Lead us not into temptation”:  Resist evil thoughts that attack your mind, affecting every part of your life.  Pray for the strength to counter tempting thoughts with corresponding saving virtues, turning the temptation of food to self-control, sex to chastity, material things to generosity, anger to patience, dejection to diligence, laziness to perseverance, vanity to humility, and pride to charity.  Scrutinize the motivations behind your feelings and desires.  Overcome evil with good through the power God will give you when you pray.

“Deliver us from evil”:  Encountering spiritual darkness can purify you from your ego and help transform you into a person who’s more like Christ.  When your faith is tested, you’re challenged to surrender to God with trust, and when you do, He will give you greater faith.  Respond to despair by crying out to God for the hope He offers you.  You can always count on God to deliver the hope you need in any situation.

I remember some things about the fall of 1987, but none nearly as vividly as our high school football team playing in the state championship. The whole city seemed caught up in the anticipation of what was happening. There was even a coach's quote that made it onto sweatshirts, bumper stickers and business signs: "never, never, never, never, never give up." Sadly, few in the stands wearing the shirts realized that they and the coach were actually quoting Winston Churchill. Nothing could deter our enthusiasm to cheer for our team! "NNNNNGU" was seen all over town. 

In the semifinal game, as time grew short and our team found itself behind, the chants from the stands came raining down on the field. "Never, Never, Never, Never, Never Give Up! Never, Never, Never, Never, Never Give Up!" Our team rallied to win and advance to the finals. It was all very cathartic for an entire town caught up in the exploits of its players. Those players would later say that hearing the cheers from the stands gave them encouragement to play well, but the truth is neither I nor anyone else sitting in the stands that night had any effect on the outcome of the game. The players had to pull it off. In fact, on the other side of the field was a group of fans equal in size and voice to our side. They cheered just as hard and just as loud – and their team went home defeated. We did all we could, but it was up to the team to pull it off... and they did.

Even though we would go on to lose the state championship, this great memory is replete with human drama and the glorious unknown. It makes for good inspiration. However, it parallels a disturbing trend I've noticed among followers of Christ to take this storyline and its exhilarating mystery and apply it to our spiritual lives. If I may oversimplify, I see two predominant schools of thought regarding how God is active in our spiritual lives. The core of the difference is who is central in the story. We love to be the center of the story and the focal point of God's affection. But when it comes to walking in the Spirit, is God my cheerleader, the one shouting "NNNNNGU" and praising my performance... or am I His? It may seem inconsequential, but what you believe about the roles in this scene has an impact on how the characters relate to each other, as well as how life's day-to-day events unfold.

In a recent devotional, beloved Christian author Max Lucado somewhat gave voice to the "God-as-cheerleader" viewpoint. In an excerpt from his book, Let the Journey Begin, Lucado, seeking to encourage the downtrodden, says:

"God is for you. Turn to the sidelines; that's God cheering your run. Look past the finish line; that's God applauding your steps. Listen for him in the bleachers, shouting your name. Too tired to continue? He'll carry you. Too discouraged to fight? He's picking you up. God is for you. God is for you. Had he a calendar, your birthday would be circled. If he drove a car, your name would be on his bumper. If there’s a tree in heaven, he’s carved your name in the bark. We know he has a tattoo, and we know what it says. 'I have written your name on my hand,' he declares (Isa. 49:16)." 

Now, obviously Lucado, who also authored a book titled It's Not About Me does not believe that we can find meaning by believing we are the center of the world. However, it sounds like Brother Max believes we can find value by believing that we are the center of God's affection. The logic would go something like this: Life is not about us, life is about God. And GOD is about us, so be encouraged. In this view, God's role in our life is as our biggest fan, perfect parent and consummate cheerleader. He wants your happiness even more than you do and he's cheering for it, so go out and get it!

To be sure, God has poured out His love on His children. He has loved us with an unfathomable love. He has demonstrated His love towards us by sending Jesus as our righteousness and our salvation. But whenever God occupies a grandstand in our lives and not a throne, we err terribly. At times (especially when time grows short and we find ourselves behind) we like to talk about God as our biggest fan. He cheers us on as we walk through life, telling us that we can do it – but ultimately having little to do with the final outcome. 

It feels good and right to be the center of the story and the focal point of everyone's attention. When we think of all that God has done in Christ for His children, it is easy to see how we can think that God is solely focused on doing all He can to cheer for us. The problem with that logic comes in what we have to do to God to fit him into a cheerleader uniform.

In a curiously antithetical article, John Piper states the counter-argument, what we'll call the "God-as-cheered" viewpoint, this way:

"God is the one Being in the entire universe for whom self-centeredness, or the pursuit of his own glory, is the ultimately loving act. For him, self-exaltation is the highest virtue. When he does all things 'for the praise of his glory,' he preserves for us and offers to us, the only thing in the entire world, which can satisfy our longings. God is for us, and therefore has been, is now and always will be, first, for himself. I urge you not to resent the centrality of God in his own affections, but to experience it as the fountain of your everlasting joy."

He WANTS us to choose him, to follow him, to know that we are special to him but that it is up to him to make things happen, to order our steps. The result of God-in-the-stands, however, has some serious personal and theological effects. It's tough to serve a cheerleader God. If he is in the stands and on the sidelines and at the finish line, then how am I gonna get there? If he carries me only when I am too tired, can I just admit right now that I'm tired? Out here running on my own, I keep going in circles. I have no idea where I'm headed. If he picks me up only when I'm too discouraged to fight, can I just admit right now that, if I'm fighting and he's cheering, I'm gonna get handled... and quickly.

I think maybe I'm tempted to put God in the stands when things aren't turning out quite how I'd hoped. If God is cheering but I am the one running, then I can always blame it on me when things go bad – thereby absolving God of any possible egg on His face and paying the price for my own failure. You see the problem there, no? Relegating God to a fail-safe and fall-back will always get you to the same place, failing and falling again and again until you see that it is God who wills and works, God who makes alive, God who remembers based on His own choice, not your ability to perform. 

For His own name and glory - God has created, worked, efforted, miracled. Now, needing fans, he has taken, among others, a washed up, tired, slow white kid named Jay and put HIM in the bleachers while placing himself on the throne of the victor. The race is over. The battle is won. The champion is seated on a throne... always has been. And, look at that, he does have a tattoo – only it's on his thigh... and it isn't MY name... it's his – King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 19:16) – and all us tired cheerleaders in the bleachers are going WILD.

In the final analysis it's fair to say that there is something of a "both/and" thing going on here, similar to the quote from that sage Forrest Gump when he said, "Maybe both is happening at the same time." There is a time to know that God is your biggest fan, that he has all your successes and hopes in mind, that he doesn't want you to lick the trash can. Our name is written on his hand, and his greatness is written on his robe and thigh. But it truly seems from both general and special revelation that God has no bigger cheerleader than himself – and he has invited you and I to have a seat in the bleachers and join in the celebration.

Or, as a popular website reminds us these days, God is First. I am Second.

J.H. Jowett once said, "The real measure of our wealth is how much we would be worth if we lost all our money." He was right. Earthly riches or the lack of them has nothing to do with real wealth. The only treasure that matters is the treasure you lay up in heaven.

Jesus taught, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matt. 6:19-21). That is a mandate, not a recommendation. Invest in eternity!

What an appropriate message for a culture like ours. People in our society are wealthier than any civilization in the history of man. Sadly, they rapidly squander their blessings on things that cannot last. If our treasure reveals the condition of our hearts (v. 21), this generation is in serious spiritual trouble. Our buying habits show little concern for anything of eternal value.

Americans are spending a significant portion of their incomes on luxury items and recreation—and they are spending it fast. Why wait until you can afford something, if you can charge it and have it instantly? Outstanding consumer debt in this country has skyrocketed, leaving many in financial shambles. They pursue the "good life," the so-called "American dream."

But there is no "good life" you can buy no matter how much money you have. The "American dream" is nothing but an illusion and chasing the dream can become destructive. Statistics indicate the more money you have the more likely you are to commit suicide; life expectancy decreases as income increases. Money adds to stress, and that in turn takes years off your life. One study shows that wealth also intensifies moral decline and family disintegration. Marital infidelity and divorce rates rise with income levels. Obviously, money cannot buy happiness.

The apostle Paul was on target when he wrote, "Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a pang" (1 Tim. 6:9-10).

While obsession with money incites crime, destroys families, and wrecks lives, the ultimate price for loving temporal things is eternal damnation. Jesus hinted at this when He asked, "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?" (Mark 8:36).

Perhaps the saddest observation of all is that the spending habits of people in the church differ little from those of the world. The lifestyles of most professing Christians are not substantially different from anyone else's. Too many in the church have adopted the world's indulgent attitude toward money. Almost every form of materialistic extravagance and excess has found its way into the fellowship of believers. It is as if the church has forgotten Jesus' mandate to invest in eternity.

When money-lovers creep into the pulpit to steal from the treasury, it's an obvious scandal. But isn't the money-lover in the pew—the person who refuses to at all—just as disgraceful?

One study of several denominations revealed a gradual decline in giving over seventeen years, though average income increased sharply in that time period. Material riches are proving to be a spiritual liability. Christians now have more money at their disposal than at any time in human history, but they proportionately invest far less in the kingdom. The same study further revealed that almost half of all charitable giving in the United States comes from households with annual incomes under $30,000. James 2:5 comes to mind: "Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?"

Hosea 13:6 sums up this tragic disparity: "Being satisfied, their heart became proud; therefore, they forgot Me." When we become prosperous, we become proud. Then we forget God. Frankly, for most people persecution is easier to endure than prosperity. In other words, there is a clear connection between your attitude toward money and your spiritual health. Where you invest your treasure reveals where you have set your trust and affections. That is why the Lord had so much to say about money.

Do you want to take your spiritual temperature? Look at your checkbook. Where are you investing your treasure? That's where your heart really is.

God does not give you riches to hoard, but to use for His glory. True enjoyment of wealth comes not from possessing it, but from investing it as God intended—in things that count for eternity.