“There are two seas in Palestine. One is fresh, and fish are in it. Splashes of green adorn its banks. Trees spread their branches over it and stretch out their thirsty roots to sip of its healing waters. ...The River Jordan makes this sea with sparkling water from the hills. So it laughs in the sunshine. And men build their houses near to it, and birds their nests; and every kind of life is happier because it is there. The River Jordan flows on south into another sea. Here is no splash of fish, no fluttering leaf, no song of birds, no children’s laughter. Travelers choose another route, unless on urgent business. The air hangs heavy above its water, and neither man nor beast nor fowl will drink. What makes this mighty difference in these neighbor seas? Not the River Jordan. It empties the same good water into both. Not the soil in which they lie; not in the country round about. This is the difference. The Sea of Galilee receives but does not keep the Jordan. For every drop that flows into it another drop flows out. The giving and receiving go on in equal measure. The other sea is shrewder, hoarding its income jealously. It will not be tempted into any generous impulse. Every drop it gets, it keeps. The Sea of Galilee gives and lives. This other sea gives nothing. It is the named the Dead. There are two kinds of people in this world. There are two seas in Palestine.”  These are lines from The Man Nobody Knows by Bruce Barton.   I first read this quote in the book “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens” by Sean Covey. Me and my family are reading the book together. It really stood out to me. As Christians, we are to be givers. Our great God is a giver. Consider the following passages to consider what God gives and provides. Genesis 2:7 : “Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” God gives us life. Psalm 24:1 : “The earth is the LORD’s and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it.” God has created all things and yet freely gives to us wonderful blessings from His creation to enjoy. He gives to both the righteous and the unrighteous the sun and rain.”, Matthew 5:45 ; Acts 14:16-17 . John 3:16 : “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” God has given us the greatest gift: Salvation through His Son Jesus! Salvation through Jesus is the free gift God provides to those who obey Him, Romans 6:23 . His grace is a gift to us, Ephesians 2:8 .   Just as God gives, we too are to be givers! The saints in Macedonia begged to be give of their means to help needy saints. “Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.” - 2 Corinthians 8:1-5   What a great example for us to follow! Like the Sea of Galilee, these saints freely gave what had been given to them by God. Even when they had little, they took it upon themselves to give. How did they do it? It was because they had given themselves to the Lord. There was something bigger behind their actions. Their “Why” was their love for God. So it should be for us as well.   God is a giver. God loves cheerful givers, 2 Corinthians 9:7 . Let us look for opportunities to give to others. It may be a listening ear. It may be time to visit them when they’re sick. It may be sharing the gospel. It may be some financial assistance. Let us be givers and share the blessings God has given us.

In Acts 3 , the apostle Peter preaches the gospel to a large audience in a place called “Solomon’s Portico.” There are many people there, which attracts the attention of many politically powerful families, who make Peter and John answer questions before the Jewish Council in Acts 4 . One of the foremost reactions we see from the council is shock and awe at Peter and John’s boldness in preaching about Jesus Christ, a message they knew would be extremely unpopular with the council. Acts 4:13 tells us, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.”   Notice the impact that they have on the people they are talking to: because of their boldness in talking to this council of highly educated, social elite Jewish officials, these men can easily recognize that they had been with Jesus. We are likely familiar with the experience of being around someone so much that you start to act or talk like them, or have some of their mannerisms. This type of influence, except even more bold and obvious, is the type of impact we see from these apostles having been with Jesus. Think about all that they had “heard and seen” by this point: being called from being fishermen, innumerable miracles and parables, and then the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus! All of these factors should give any believer boldness, but especially so for Peter and John who were able to be there and experience those events. Clearly, being with Jesus changed their lives, and their words and actions showed this. Seeing the apostles preach with this boldness would have been inspirational to the disciples around them, and we see their desire for continued boldness, combined with the same desire in Peter and John, as they pray together in Acts 4:24-30:   “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, ‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed’—for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness,  while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”   Think about this: in Acts 5 , the apostles are arrested. In Acts 7 , Stephen is martyred for preaching the gospel. In Acts 8 , we are told Saul (who later became the apostle Paul) was “ravaging” the church. Christians have been persecuted since the beginning of the church in Acts 2 , and there will be people who hate Christianity as long as time continues. However, the Christians here are inspired by the boldness they had been witness to and want the Lord to grant them boldness as well to continue to obey Him and preach His Word. Being a Christian is difficult and unpopular in many ways, but we see in the example of the apostles, Jesus Himself, and others throughout history that God is always with His people, even when they are being persecuted. He demands boldness, but He also gives us boldness though His Word, His love, and the examples He has given us.   Notice also how the disciples pray with a clear view of God’s sovereignty, status, and control. They have no fear about Him being defeated, and they are confident in the power of the gospel. They are relying on their Sovereign Lord and King, not only to “look on the threats,” but to “grant [His] servants” the strength to continue their work, despite the worsening persecution. They also do not view the persecution as an attack against themselves, but against God Himself. It is incredible to see how they are focused on the good news of Christ spreading, rather than being concerned with their own safety and welfare.   When we pray, do we pray for our lives to be easier and more comfortable, or do we pray for the boldness to endure whatever this world throws our way? While it is not wrong to ask God to change our circumstances, sometimes rather than a different situation, we should pray like the disciples did in Acts 4 : “Lord, you are Sovereign, and we are your servants! Help us serve well.”

Biblical Things to Be Thankful For Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to reflect on the blessings in our lives. For Christians, some of the greatest blessings come straight from God’s Word. The Bible is filled with reminders of what we should be thankful for—not just once a year, but every single day. 1. God’s Creation - The beauty of the world around us points to God’s creativity and care. From the vastness of the heavens to the smallest detail of a flower, creation reminds us of God’s power and love. Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” 2. God’s Promises - Throughout Scripture, God makes promises to His people—and He always keeps them. From His covenant with Abraham to His promise to never leave us or forsake us, God’s faithfulness gives us reason to trust and hope. 3. God’s Guidance - The Bible is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path ( Psalm 119:105 ). In a world full of uncertainty, God’s Word gives direction, clarity, and wisdom to navigate life’s challenges. 4. God’s Love - At the core of everything is God’s love for us. His love is unchanging, unconditional, and everlasting. Romans 5:8 reminds us, “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 5. Jesus and His Sacrifice - Of all the blessings we have, the greatest is Jesus. His sacrifice on the cross changed everything, giving us hope, forgiveness, and the promise of eternal life. Because of Him, we can approach God with confidence, knowing we are loved and redeemed. As we gather with friends and family to celebrate Thanksgiving, let’s take time to thank God for these incredible blessings. Most of all, let’s thank Him for Jesus, who gave everything so that we could have life and hope.

Jesus is an example to believers in many ways: He lived a sinless life, was the epitome of a servant leader, and exemplified everything that He taught to others. One specific way in which He serves as an example that we may not often think of is in His prayer life. Not only does He often go off by Himself to pray to the Father, but He also prays with an appropriate balance of vulnerable intimacy and humble respect that can be hard for us to understand and maintain in our prayers. Consider His prayer in the garden of Gethsemane, the last night before His crucifixion:   “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will” (Mark 14:36). Shortly after this, we are told that “again He went away and prayed, saying the same words” (vs. 39). We can tell by the context of His intense emotional state and what we know happens the next day that Jesus is under immense pressure, needing to spend the night talking with His Father and pouring His heart out, even repeating the same words multiple times to drive home His anguish and the seriousness of His request. However, we can tell from the way He speaks to His Father that He is clearly being respectful and humbling Himself before the Father’s plan. He knows that there is no other way for humanity to be saved, and that He will go to the cross. However, as a human being who can feel pain, sorrow, and intense anguish, He is terrified of the cross. In His final hours, there is nothing else He can do but pray.   One of the most remarkable lessons about Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane is that He fully acknowledges that His Father is capable of setting Him free. There was another very real way out of being crucified, but that clearly would not have been the will of the Father.  We see a demonstration of this shortly after Matthew’s account of Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane, where He reprimands Peter for drawing a weapon against the group that has come to arrest Him, saying, “Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels” (Matthew 26:53)?   He knows what the plan is, and He wishes there was another way, but still, He prays, “not my will, but your will be done.” As a faithful Son, He submits Himself to the Father’s plan. This is just one aspect of the immense sacrifice Jesus made in going to the cross. Even though He wished for another way, He still allowed Himself to be killed for us.   By reading and meditating on Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane, we learn something extremely important about our own prayers: sometimes, “the cup” will not pass. In Jesus’ case, the “cup” of His crucifixion was a source of immeasurable distress. He was alone, afraid, and knew that He would experience emotional, mental, and physical pain that is impossible for us to imagine. However, He knew that it was very possible that the Father would not in fact remove the cup. Think about this: 1.        He did not lose faith in the Father’s power. 2.        He did not lose faith in the Father’s plan. 3.        He did not lose faith in the Father’s love.   Jesus knew that His Father was capable of removing the upcoming trial, but would not. He knew that the Father’s way was the best way, and He knew that the Father would not abandon Him. Jesus’ words in Gethsemane are an incredible encouragement for us when we find ourselves praying that a situation end, be avoided, or come out favorably. The reality of living in a broken, sin-filled world is that there often will be “cups” of suffering, sadness, and anxiety that will not be removed. When we find ourselves in these situations, we must ask ourselves, “what if the cup does not pass?” The answer?   Our Father is still able, our Father still has a plan, and our Father still loves us. He did not abandon His Son Jesus, and He will not abandon us. Praise God for listening to us, being with us, and providing us comfort an strength, even when the fearful cup remains.

It was a conversation I wish I could have been a part of. I’m referring to when Nicodemus went to Jesus at night. It’s recorded in John 3:1-5 . “Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, ‘Rabbi, we know that you have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ Nicodemus said to Him, ‘How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?’ Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. This which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”   The gospel of John shows us the journey of faith Nicodemus would take after this conversation. In John 7:44-52 , Nicodemus seems to be standing up for Jesus as the other Pharisees and chief priests spoke against Him. In John 19:39 after the death of Jesus, it was Nicodemus “…Who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and ales, about a hundred pounds weight.” We don’t have the rest of the story regarding Nicodemus, but I hope he obeyed the gospel.   What we do know is what Jesus taught him. One must be born again if they are to see the kingdom of God. What exactly did Jesus mean and what did this look like in the first century? The book of Acts is a great book to see exactly how people were born again. See my blog “Salvation Stories.” Another great place is in the book of 1 Peter . The apostle spoke about the saints who had been born again. Notice the following passages: 1 Peter 1:3 : “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…” 1 Peter 1:23 : “… For you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God…” What is that God has done so that we might be born again? What is it that we must do to be born again? Peter gives us the answers. Notice what God has done. “…Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you.” 1 Peter 1:18-20 . God sent His Son Jesus to earth. Jesus lived a sinless life, 1 Peter 2:21-25 . He bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might be redeemed. God raised Jesus up from the dead. Notice what we are to do. The apostle reminds the scattered Christians what they had already done to be born again. They heard the good news of Jesus preached to them , 1 Peter 1:12 . Through the preaching of the gospel, they heard of the grace of God that had been foretold by the prophets about the Messiah. The word of the Lord had been preached to them, 1 Peter 1: 23-25 . They heard about the life of Jesus and what He did for the sake of the world. They loved and believed in Jesus, 1 Peter 1:8 . They had never seen Jesus, but they could still believe in Him because of the word of the Lord preached. They repented of their sins, 1 Peter 2:11 . When one hears the gospel, they will also hear about repentance. Repentance (turning away from our sins) is necessary to be saved. The apostle continued to urge them to turn away from their sins. They were baptized to be saved, 1 Peter 3:21 . “Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you – not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience -through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is how they were born again. We too must hear, believe, and obey the gospel. Notice in 1 Peter 1:22 where Peter says, “Since you have in obedience to the truth, purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart…” They had obeyed. The gospel can be preached. The gospel can be heard. The gospel can be believed. The gospel can be obeyed. Peter shows us how people in the first century were born again. Have we been born again?

As you likely know, it's election week. I want to preface the message of this post by noting that I’m writing this before the election. Therefore, I don’t know who wins. I think this is important to point out because I want to emphasize that this message is not contingent on who wins the election. These are universal truths taught in Scripture that we need to keep in mind this week, regardless of the outcome of a presidential vote. God is Our Supreme Ruler “But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than men.’”  — Acts 5:29 Our loyalty is first to God and all that He commands. At times, decisions made in this country, and many others, do not align with the commands of God. We, as Christians, must remain strong in these situations and abide first by the laws and commands of God over those of men. However, the Bible also makes it clear that we are to... Submit to Our Government Second to the laws of God, where they do not conflict, the laws of men are to be followed. We are to subject ourselves to the government. The God-inspired writers in our Bible make this very clear. Here are a few excerpts from Scripture that discuss this very point: “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment... For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.”  — Romans 13:1-7 “Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good... Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.”  — 1 Peter 2:13-17 “Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work.”  — Titus 3:1 Notice that this is not conditional upon which party wins the seat of authority. We live in a country where democracy allows for a vote of the people to choose who is in power. Whether the candidate you voted for is declared the winner or not, these scriptural truths apply to you all the same. These are the terms set forth in this country for all who live within it, Christians and others alike. Therefore, whoever is chosen by the vote of this election will be our president. This doesn’t mean I have to agree with everything they do, but I am called to submit to them with respect. Let’s Pray for Our New President “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.”  — 1 Timothy 2:1-2 We should pray for our new president. Pray that they find within themselves the ability to lead this country in a way that best serves the people as well as God. Regardless of the winner, our president is a created child of God with a God-given free choice to pursue their own will or God’s. That is a decision that every person has to make daily. Our president is no different. So let’s remember that, as humans, we have all fallen short of the glory of God and should be praying daily that each one of us has our hearts open to God’s will and His desires for our lives. Today, I will be praying for the president and those surrounding them. I pray that their path might be directed in any way that aligns with God’s will. I hope you will join me in that prayer. Be Respectful . In the 1 Peter 2 passage I mentioned earlier, Peter instructs the brethren to: “Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the [president].”  — 1 Peter 2:17 The text says “emperor,” but Peter’s writing would apply to any leader in an authoritative role, such as that of an emperor. We should honor our president and elected officials in the same way that we “love the brotherhood.” As Christians, we are called to honor and respect everyone. Peter also says: “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.”  — 1 Peter 2:16 One direct application of this verse is that, although we might have freedom of speech in this country, we cannot use that freedom to violate God’s law by speaking evil of our president. Remember our first point: we are subject first to God’s law. We are to “honor everyone.” Keep this in mind as we engage in conversations in the days and weeks to come. We Have Nothing to Fear At times like this, fear is a common topic. People fear for the future of our country, for those who live here, and for Christians and what our fate may be under any given leader’s influence. But again, Scripture speaks to this issue. “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”  — John 16:33 While we are here in this world, we will face difficulties. As years pass, we will cycle through times of greater or lesser difficulty, but we will never rise above them while still alive. The world can be a tough and challenging place. When we remember that the leaders of our nation are imperfect people, who will falter and fail like anyone else, it’s no surprise that no nation can run perfectly or smoothly forever. Problems and challenges are inevitable in a nation governed by people. But we must remember that our true residency is in a nation not governed by human hands. Christ came and overcame all the challenges of this world, establishing a kingdom that cannot be affected by the choices of worldly leaders. As Christians, we are citizens of an incorruptible spiritual kingdom, and because of this, we should not be troubled by the failings of earthly nations. We will find ourselves forever distressed if our focus is on worldly failings and pitfalls. So let's stay focused on God. On days when I fear for the future of myself, my family, and those around me due to the direction and decisions of our nation’s leaders, I am reminded of what Jesus said to the church of Smyrna in the book of Revelation: “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.”  — Revelation 2:10 Jesus did not tell those Christians they would no longer suffer. In fact, He acknowledged that they would, but He urged them not to fear it. Because, in reality, the suffering could not harm them. They were protected—not physically, but spiritually. It is in death that we receive our crown of salvation. The only thing that can take that from us is our own unfaithfulness. So, if we remain faithful, regardless of who is president and what decisions they make, we have nothing to fear. “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?”  — Psalm 56:3-4 In the coming days, pray for our president. Pray that decisions are made that will minimize trouble and tribulation in our nation and in our world. Pray that decisions will be made that will honor God. But if those things do not come to pass, remember that, thanks to your faith, you do not have to fear what will come to pass.

In C.S. Lewis’ book, Mere Christianity , he addresses a common question that people may have about Christianity: if Christianity is true and the God described in the Bible is real, why is He not more “obvious”? That is to say, why has He not made Himself more evident to us? There are several possible responses to this question, but look at what Lewis says:   “Why is God landing in this enemy-occupied world in disguise and starting a sort of secret society to undermine the devil? Why is He not landing in force, invading it? Is it that He is not strong enough? Well, Christians think He is going to land in force; we do not know when. But we can guess why He is delaying. He wants to give us the chance of joining His side freely…But I wonder whether people who ask God to interfere openly and directly in our world quite realise what it will be like when He does. When that happens, it is the end of the world. When the author walks on to the stage, the play is over. God is going to invade, all right: but what is the good of saying you are on His side then, when you see the whole natural universe melting away like a dream and something else…comes crashing in; something so beautiful to some of us and so terrible to others that none of us will have any choice left? For this time it will be God without disguise…That will not be the time for choosing: it will be the time when we discover which side we really have chosen, whether we realized it before or not. Now, today this moment, is our chance to choose the right side. God is holding back to give us that chance. It will not last for ever. We must take it or leave it.”   In this quote, Lewis almost directly echoes and expounds on 2 Peter 3:9-13 , where Peter explains what the Day of the Lord will look like: “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”   There are many lessons to learn from this passage, but as it relates to our initial question, think about this: God has revealed enough of Himself for us to believe in Him in four primary ways: Nature ( Psalm 19:1 ), Our minds ( Ecclesiastes 3:11 ), Direct revelation ( 2 Timothy 3:16-17 ), and His Son ( Hebrews 1:1-4 ). Each one of these could take up quite a bit of time, but the point is this: God has made Himself abundantly evident for the time and circumstances He created us to inhabit. In the times of the patriarchs and prophets, God communicated with His people in a certain way. In the New Testament, He sent His Son Jesus. After Jesus ascended, He poured out His Spirit on the apostles, who spread it to early Christians as the Bible was recorded, and now we have His inspired Word. To put it more concretely: God has communicated Himself to us quite explicitly throughout history. The only next step, as Lewis puts it, is for the Author of Life to “walk on to the stage” in all His glory, so to speak. That, as Peter describes it, will be the end of the world.   While it can be intimidating and overwhelming to think about the Day of the Lord, it helps us quickly put life into perspective. We make decisions every day about whether or not we are going to choose God. Whether we are going to choose right now or eternity. Whether we are ready for God Himself to “land in force.”   As Christians, I hope we want that to happen. “Lord come quickly,” as we often say. However, until He does, we must make sure we live with God’s revealed will for us in mind, and put it into practice every day. Remember, that Day will not be a time to decide, but the time when God makes clear to us what we already decided for ourselves…

When we talk about someone’s “mindset,” we use it as one word, talking about someone’s general attitude about something. If someone has an optimistic mindset, they will always assume that a given situation will work out favorably. If someone has a more traditional mindset, they may be more resistant to change or feel more nostalgia for “the way things used to be.” While the Bible certainly talks about what our mindset should be, think for a moment about where our mind should be set.   The what and where of our mindset are clearly correlated: a pessimistic mindset is focused on the worst-case scenario. If someone has a “business mindset,” they are likely going to view issues with some form of cost-benefit analysis. What about a Christian though? What should our mind be set on, and how does that affect our mindset?   Romans 8:5-8 addresses this idea with Paul writing, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” Paul clarifies the distinction between a Christian mindset and a non-Christian one. A worldly mindset is just that: a mind that is set, or focused, on the things of this world. If we are constantly thinking about physical comfort, status, pleasure, wealth, etc. then of course it will be difficult for us to focus on spiritual things! Paul says simply, “the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God.” So how do we manage these two mindsets?   A poignant example of the conflict between these two mindsets is the rich young ruler in Matthew 19:16-22 (see also Mark 10:17-22 and Luke 18:18-23 ). We are told of a young man who was evidently an obedient follower of the law of Moses. He also happened to be young, successful, and rich. From a worldly perspective, one might say “he had it all.” From a spiritual perspective, Jesus tells him he is lacking something serious. Jesus tells him that he needs to sell everything he has and give it to the poor. Even for those who do not have “great possessions” like this man did, that would be difficult! We are then told that this man went away distraught, because he did not want to do what Jesus had asked him to do. While some people may debate whether or not Jesus literally intended this young man to sell everything he owned, the point is this: he was suffering from a split mindset. As the saying goes, he wanted to have his cake and eat it too. He wanted to follow Christ and have eternal life, but he wanted to stay rich and successful. Just as we read in Romans, this young man is feeling some hostility toward Christ’s demands because his mind is stuck on his worldly possessions.   Romans 8 has a lot to teach us about what is truly valuable in life and what our mind should be set on every day. Are we more worried about financial gain or spiritual gain? Economic stability or the hope of heaven? Networking and ladder-climbing or spreading the gospel far and wide?   As Jesus says in Matthew 6:21 , “for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”   Finally, here are a few ways to set our minds on the Spirit today: 1.        Check your focus on material things. Are you worried about money even though you know you are well taken care of? Are you constantly wishing you had more stuff or nicer stuff? Remember the rich young ruler and remember you can’t take it with you! 2.        Set your mind on Scripture. What better way to focus on the Spirit than to focus on His words? Read a chapter. Write a verse on a sticky note and put it on your mirror. Come up with a list of 5 encouraging verses to read when you are having a rough day. However you can, get in the Word! 3.        Make sure you are surrounded by good influences. If we are constantly surrounded by people who do not care about spiritual things, it will be easy to slip into their mindset. If we are consuming media that promotes sensuality, materialism, or some other form of worldliness, we are not setting ourselves up for success!

In the apostle Peter’s first epistle, he reminds the scattered saints of who they are, what God has done for them, and the living hope they have. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” 1 Peter 1:3-5   These are some of the most comforting words in scripture. These words would provide great comfort for the disciples of Jesus who were about to face persecution. Peter often reminded Christians of what they already knew to be true (see 2 Peter 1:12-14 ). We too need to be reminded of the living hope we have in Jesus Christ. Let’s consider a few thoughts as we think about this living hope.   As we consider this living hope, it’s not to be confused with how so many use the word hope. Sometimes people say, “I hope it will rain.” Or “I hope the Cowboys will win the Super Bowl this year.” Rather, the hope Peter speaks of is the idea that conveys an expectation, a certainty of something to come that is rooted in Jesus Christ and what He has done for us. That’s what we see in this text.   Christians have reason to rejoice because of the hope that’s found and is through Jesus. Let’s make some observations about our living hope. This hope is real . It’s rooted in Jesus. It’s active . Notice he says, “living hope.” It’s active and alive, not dead. This is not some kind of false hope established on things that are not true. It’s established on the truth of Jesus and what He’s accomplished. The source is Jesus and the resurrection . The fact Jesus died but rose from the grave on the third day is the reason we can have hope. It’s the reason we can face death with confidence that one day we will rise from the dead. Courage to endure . This living hope is to be an anchor for our souls, Hebrews 6:19 . The saints would need endurance to face the sufferings that awaited them. They would be able to find it in their hope in Jesus. The object of this living hope is our resurrection and heaven ! We have an inheritance that awaits us. We don’t have to worry about our reward being destroyed. Our reward will not fade away, but the earth one day will, 2 Peter 3:9-10 . This living hope is obtained when one is born again . This letter is written to people who were born again, 1 Peter 1:23 . As a result, they now had hope. What great joy this should bring to us. This hope is reason to bless God ! As a result of this hope, it should drive us to worship Him and to proclaim the excellencies of Him! This living hope is where our joy is found . It would still be possible for the saints to rejoice even during suffering, 1 Peter 1:6 . We can do the same. Because of this living hope, we are livings stones, 1 Peter 2:5 . As living stones, we are to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.   Christians are blessed! Those outside of Jesus don’t have this living hope.   “…Remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world…” Ephesians 2:12 .   That’s the bad news. The good news is that one can be obedient to the truth to receiving this living hope!

I heard a song once that went, “sometimes I pretend we never met, because it’s harder to forgive than to forget.” Pretty sad, right?   If I were to ask you if you are currently harboring any ill will towards someone in your life right now, what would you say? We have all been mistreated, and we have all mistreated others. So how does the Bible suggest we handle this? Should we just simply “forgive and forget”? Is that what God does when we sin against Him?   Forgiveness can be defined as “stop feeling angry or resentful toward someone for (an offense, flaw, or mistake)” or “cancel (a debt).” Think about how final and clear these definitions are. If a debt is cancelled, the balance is zero. There is no debt. If you “stop” something, it does not happen anymore. To paraphrase Newton’s first law of motion, “if a thing is stopped, it stays stopped unless acted on by an outside force!” We can think about forgiveness two ways: God’s forgiveness of us, and our forgiveness of one another.   To understand what the Bible says about forgiveness, we have to understand what it says about sin. Sin is often described as “falling short,” “missing the mark,” or “committing a trespass.” When we sin, to put it simply, God has a mark against us! We have a debt that must be paid or a grievance that needs to be cleared. The beautiful thing about God’s grace and forgiveness is that He will forgive us!   1 John 1 speaks clearly about how God views sin, but also what He has done about it:   “…if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” ( vss. 7-10 )   Here, we learn several things: first, all have sinned (see also Romans 3:23 ). Second, it is the blood of Jesus that cleanses us. In this way, we learn that we cannot wash away our own sins. God is the judge of our righteousness, meaning the debt is to Him. Just like financial debt, we cannot cancel it ourselves. Third, while we cannot declare ourselves righteous, there is something we can (and should) do in order for our sins to be forgiven: confess! While God already knows that we have sinned the moment it happens, He wants us to confess our wrongdoings to Him, and thankfully, we can rest assured that “He is faithful and just to forgive us.”   We get more insight into what God’s forgiveness looks like in passages like Hebrews 8:12 , (“For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more”) and Isaiah 43:25 (“I am He who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins”). Now, it can be easy be confused by the idea that a sovereign, omnipotent God can “forget” something, but this is not as if our misdeeds just slip His mind sometimes. The idea of forgetting I think is meant to show the completeness of His forgiveness. If something is forgotten, it is simply not there! God is so just and exacting in His measurements of righteousness, that if He is going to declare us “forgiven,” He is going to forgive us completely, as if He has forgotten the sin ever happened.   All this brings us to our sins against one another. We desperately want forgiveness when we sin against God, and we do not like to offend or hurt others. I do not know about you, but when I know I have done something wrong against someone, I get all panicked until I know I have made it right. However, admittedly, sometimes when the roles are reversed, I am not as eager to forgive as I am to seek forgiveness. We cannot blot out memories of wrongs done. Some sins against us personally hurt very badly, and may cause major chaos and drama in our lives. Even “smaller” slights can completely change the way we view certain people and tempt us to hold on to those things for years. So what are we to do?   Jesus says to His disciples, “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” ( Matthew 6:14-15 ). People can hurt us in a multitude of ways, and hurt us badly! But at the end of the day, we serve a God that is gracious, merciful, and forgiving. When He forgives, He forgives completely. When I find myself “remembering” past grievances I thought I had forgiven others for, I remember the forgiveness of sins I have by the grace of God through baptism. I remember His faithfulness and justice in forgiving His people, and that helps put any wrongs that I have a hard time forgiving into perspective.   Somethings we may not be able to forget, but we are called to forgive.

How would you respond if someone called you Satan?   That would be quite a shock, right? Did you know that at one point Jesus called His apostle Peter Satan?   This may sound like Jesus lost His temper or misspoke, but He did not! Why would He say such a thing? To understand this, we need to go back to the very beginning of Scripture, to the garden of Eden. Consider Genesis 3: 1-5 :   “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God actually say, “You shall not eat of any tree in the garden”?’ And the woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, “You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.”’ But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’”   At his core, Satan’s main purpose is falsehood, chaos, and rebellion. If God says something is one way, the Devil will say it is another. If God says you should go right, Satan will do everything he can to make you go left. If God says something will kill you, Satan will make you think it will enlighten you. The thing about Satan though, is that while circumstances and world landscape may have changed, his tactics have not. There are so many sins in modern times that people think may them enlightened or brighter than those around them in one way or another, but God has always made it clear: if we do something He says not to do, we WILL surely die! Satan’s game in Genesis 3 is to make the fruit look “good,” “delightful,” and “desirable,” to Eve, by outright lying about what God had told her. Unfortunately, as we well know, he succeeded; she ate, her husband ate, they were expelled from Eden, and the rest, as they say is history.   Which brings us to the New Testament. Again, all throughout the ages, Satan’s tactic of sowing doubt, sorrow, and lies where God has planted surety, hope, and truth has not changed. When Jesus comes to earth and begins His ministry, Satan not only attacks Jesus directly (Matthew 4:1-11 ), but does what he can to get at the apostles as well. Luke 22:3 and John 13:27 for example, both describe the moment Judas decided to betray Jesus as “Satan entering into him.” Other than the example of Judas’ betrayal though, one of the clearest moments we see Satan’s influence on Jesus’ inner circle is in Matthew 16:21-23 , which says:   “From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, ‘Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.’ But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.’” (See also Mark 8:31-33 )   Now, returning to our original question: why does Jesus call Peter Satan? Is that language too strong? I do not think so. Do you notice what Peter is doing here?   Jesus said multiple times that He was going to die. As His ministry continued, in fact, He was even clearer about what was going to happen, even indicating above that it would be the Jewish leadership that was primarily responsible for having Him killed. Mark 8:32 even tells us that “He said this plainly.” Jesus often used parables or metaphors to teach, but His prediction of His death was a prediction, not an analogy. But how does Peter respond? Similar to Satan in the garden, saying, “you will not surely die.” God said that if Adam and Eve ate the fruit, they would die, and they did regardless of how Satan tried to twist what God had said. With Peter and Jesus, what Peter lost sight of in that moment, was that difficult as it may be, if Jesus said He was going to die, then He in fact was going to die, no matter how upset Peter got, no matter how much he tried to rebuke Jesus for saying such a thing. Jesus had to come to earth to die for our sins, and not even Satan himself would stand in the way of Jesus accomplishing His Father’s will.   Jesus’ summation of Peter’s shortsightedness is that his mind was set on earthly things, not the things of God. The “things of man,” are pride, fear, anger, revenge, and self-preservation. The things of God are humility, sacrifice, service, and love. When we look at our lives and how we can be tempted to react when Scripture says something difficult, counter-cultural, or counter-intuitive, we must remember Peter and Jesus’ interaction here. As Christian’s, we take the route of sacrifice. We pick up our cross and follow Him, without letting anyone or anything stand in our way.   When trials, temptations, and bad influences cloud our vision of the cross, we have to recognize where those obstacles come from and say what our Lord said: “Get behind me Satan!”   And then keep moving forward. Onward and upward.

You sit down across the table from someone you just met. You just happened to strike up a conversation in a public setting and decide to sit down together to talk some more. After just a couple of minutes, the conversation takes a turn, and this person starts telling you your own life story! Imagine they make a comment about your past, so specific that you are stunned because there is no way this stranger could have known that. In fact, it is something that very few people know about you, and you do not talk about often because it is embarrassing. How do they know? Why do they bring this up? What could all this mean?   Two thousand years ago, just outside of a town called Sychar in the region of Samaria, there was a woman, whose name we are not told, who had an experience quite similar to the one mentioned above when she met Jesus at a well. First, it is important to note the social dynamics at play between these two people. Jews and Samaritans had great social tension between them that went back centuries. They did not like each other at all. Jews especially viewed Samaritans with intense hatred, and would go to great lengths not to have to travel through Samaria. As John puts it in John 4:9 , “Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.”  Despite this, Jesus takes His apostles through Samaria, sits down at a well to rest, and sends His apostles into town to buy food (4:6-7). The woman quickly acknowledges the unexpectedness and abnormality of Jesus addressing her at all, much less striking up a conversation with her, when she says, “How is it, that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” ( 4:9) . Jesus answers by referring to “the gift of God,” and “living water,” and His comments seem to confuse the woman at first, but over time, she becomes convinced that He is the Christ. Her main reason for believing He is who He claims to be? As she puts it, “He told me all that I ever did.”   What happened was, after speaking to the woman about eternal life, Jesus asked her to go get her husband and come back to Him to talk some more. She had not mentioned this ahead of time, but He knew (as the Omniscient God Incarnate) that she had in fact been married five times and was currently living in a sinful relationship with a man she was not married to. We are not told why she had been married five times or what the exact situation is with the man she is currently with is, but we can imagine that her past would have been a source of great shame and heartache for her. Imagine the awkwardness, sadness, bitterness, and pain that would come from five failed marriages. Then add to it the guilt associated with her current relationship. Beyond all of that, though, her painful past is being trudged up all of a sudden by a man who from her perspective, does not know her at all! The truth, though, is that He knew her before she was born! What a powerful thought!   We all react different ways to feeling guilty. I would imagine for many of us, if our past sins were brought up unexpectedly in a conversation with a stranger, we might take offense to that and not want to keep talking, or just be so embarrassed and ashamed that we look for an escape. However, as this woman talks with Jesus, she is appropriately convicted of her sin, and His talk of eternal life and God’s gift to mankind starts to make sense. He was here to save people from their sins, not by sweeping them under the rug, but by addressing them head-on and overcoming them with His own blood! She certainly did not understand all that that meant just from their interaction at the well, but the ball was rolling. All because He told her all that she ever did.   As we look at the skeletons in our closets and the shameful parts of our pasts that only God Himself fully sees and comprehends, may we first be convicted of the high price that sin has, but also find overwhelming comfort in the fact that Jesus died for us, “while we were yet sinners” ( Romans 5:8, 6:23 ).   It is only when we look at Jesus’ description, price, and payment for our sin that we can fully acknowledge that He is “indeed the Savior of the world” ( John 4:45 ).