Two Camps

(by Lorie Codispoti)

Even those who claim no religious affiliation believe in something, because faith is universal. The fact that there are over 10,000 distinct world religions supports this idea.

If you are an Omnist it means you possess a belief in many gods.

Famous actress Ellen Burstyne says, ”I am a spirit opening to the truth that lives in all of these religions…” and notes that she prays to many gods, including Jesus, depending on her need. An Omnist recognizes that Jesus is God, but that He is one among many to chose from.

Ms. Burstyne’s cover-all-the-bases approach is nothing new. It’s simply a repackaging of “enlightened” beliefs that have been around for centuries. I call it the alphabet soup approach - mixing all the gods together and spooning up whatever one feels palatable.

POSSESSION

History records a fascinating story in the book of First Samuel.

The Israelites had just lost 4,000 men in a battle with the Philistines. As they were evaluating what went wrong, they concluded that the reason they lost the battle was because they didn’t have the Ark of The Covenant in their possession. So they determined to retrieve it for the next battle.

As they witnessed the Ark coming into their camp they began to shout. The noise was loud enough that the Philistines could hear it from their camp. The Bible notes that the noise was so powerful that it literally caused the earth to shake.

Throughout the Philistine camp, terror spread quickly, and out of fear they began to proclaim, “God is come into the camp…” (1Sam.4:7)

Question: Does this mean that the Philistines were shaking in their sandals from a newfound fear of Israel’s God? One might get that impression, but the next verse confirms that this was just another god to them.

“Woe to us… who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods?” (1Sam.4:8) The word used for “gods” here is “Elohim,” which is a generic term used to describe any disembodied spiritual being.

The Philistines were afraid because they sensed a company of Elohim. (Author and scholar, Michael Heiser, in his book, Demons: What the Bible Really Says About The Powers of Darkness, says this about the Elohim: “Yahweh is an Elohim, but no other Elohim is Yahweh.”) This insight is helpful to understand the next puzzling thing that happens in the story.

SOMETHING WENT WRONG

Not only was Israel’s army pummeled in the next battle - losing 30,000 foot soldiers - but the Philistines captured the very thing Israel thought would secure their win (The Ark of The Covenant).

If the Ark represented God’s presence, and the Israelites possessed it, what happened? Surely, securing it meant victory over their enemy, like it always had, right?

Not this time! Something significant made this battle different.

Israel lost to the Philistines because they had embraced the worship of many gods. Yahweh and His Ark had become an iconic symbol they had added to their collection of good luck charms.

MAKE IT RIGHT

Thankfully, God did not leave them to self-destruct. He sent the prophet Samuel to call them out and he rebuked their omnistic behavior (1Sam.7:3). The Israelites paid a hefty price for their sin, but they also heeded Samuel’s word and repented of their idolatry.

When we assume that God’s presence is with us, simply because we possess a religious icon, we’ve deluded ourselves. I’ve known people who believe that if they wear a cross necklace or hang a St. Christopher from their rear view mirror, nothing bad will happen to them; as if these icons have some kind of mystical powers.

The Ark of the Covenant was a representation of God’s presence in the Old Testament; it gave the Israelites access to Him. It was a type of what was to come - Jesus Christ. God’s presence now dwells inside every believer, giving us access to a holy God, who maintains the same desire He’s always had - to be with us and have a relationship with us. (That fact alone should blow your mind.) No other god, from any other religion, can say that.

No one knows what happened to the Ark, and from the time it was lost people have been searching for it (and making movies about it). But, did you know that we will see it again? At the end of the age, when all the nations are judged. Revelation 11:19 says, “Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the Ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.”

What do you know - another ground shaking!

There may be over 10,000 world religions, but there is only One God who can hear you. And He responds to everyone who cries out and puts their faith in Him.

Which camp do you reside in?

If you possess a belief in many gods (Omnism), and think you’ve secured your fate by incorporating a little of this religion and a little of that religion; if you’ve bought into the idea that an “anointed” handkerchief is going to secure your victory over whatever ails you; if you think kissing the feet of a statue, twirling a drum, or offering sacrifices to Mother Earth is going to secure your position on the winning side, I implore you to heed the words of the prophet Samuel, “If you return to the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.” (7:3)

Don’t wait any longer. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2Cor.6:2)

GloryUsGate.blogspot.com

Two Trees

(by Lorie Codispoti)

Pride is the largest tree in the forrest, dwarfing every other resident within miles. 

The giant crown is supported by a massive trunk. The expanse of its canopy is quite impressive and would not be possible without the numerous and sturdy limbs that help to showcase its wonder among the neighboring trees. Thousands of tiny leaves decorate the branches, each one sporting a different shape, with the collective modeling a dazzling display of bright colors. When the wind blows it’s as if you can see the tree dancing. A cacophony of voices blend harmoniously as each leaf sings its own song. From a distance Pride is perceived to be the most beautiful tree in the forrest. It’s distinct features arouse the curious and invite the viewer to come a little closer.

However, there’s something deep within the heart of each person drawn to the mesmerizing beauty of Pride. One might describe it as an eerie sense that something isn’t quite right. Might this be a warning?   

In the Garden, the serpent enticed Eve to question the Truth God had given her. He offered her a beautifully crafted pair of lenses that would bring clarity to her vision as she approached the tree that was blurred by distance. Promising that if Eve partook of its fruit, the tree would enable her to  see things like her Creator. Even better - she’d be a god, like Him.

Every good lie contains an element of truth; otherwise it wouldn’t have the ability to deceive those it entices. The serpent was correct when he said “your eyes will be opened…” (Gen.3:5,7), but that opening was something very different than what was expected. Eve took the bait that pride offered and Adam joined her. Sin entered their perfect world and produced its sentence of death to all mankind.

C.S. Lewis said, “Pride is the complete anti-God state of mind. It is the sin that leads to all others.. “ 

THE LIE

LGBTQIA+? 

What happens when you keep adding letters to your self-imposed identity? You get alphabet soup. The letters have no ability to form and reflect words of truth. All they do is float around in a sea of chaos. And in the end, they’re gobbled up by the ravenous one who captures them in his spoon. 

I’m ashamed to confess that in my early Christian walk I could have cared less who you chose to have sex with. I knew it was wrong, but I excused it thinking that it was a private choice that had no effect on me. I worked closely with a homosexual, and when he introduced me to his live-in partner I thought their sexual preference was gross, but I kept that opinion to myself because I cared for him and didn’t want to appear unloving. 

Was I wrong? Yes. I bought the lie that mixed a counterfeit love with my “own understanding” (something we’re warned not to lean on). I surmised that all was well, but all was, in reality, far from well. Our enemy was quietly collecting the fruits of his tree for a big pot of pride soup.

In her article, “Are We Living Out Romans 1?” Rosaria Butterfield points out the three exchanges homosexual people make in order to embrace a lie. They chose to suppress truth, and as a result: exchanged glory for corruption (1:23), exchanged knowledge of God for falsehood (1:25); and exchanged the creation ordinance for a dysfunctional sexuality that is “contrary to nature” (1:26-28). She points out that no sin is private, and that these exchanges are a progression that will deaden the conscience and sear the soul.

We needn't be surprised by Pride. From the onset, Satan has been on a mission to re-image humanity and deceive people into identifying themselves based on themselves. If he can convince you that you can have a different identity than the one you were created with, you’ve just landed in his spoon.

THE TRUTH

If I truly care for people who have exchanged their God-given identity for this lie, then I will do what I can to expose it (Eph.5:11). To love someone with the same love Christ has for us (Jn.15:12) means that, for the sake of their eternal soul, I need to be willing, ready, and able to share truth with them and pray they will embrace it. If the Bible tells me that pride is not a virtue, and that it precedes a great fall, wouldn’t I want to see those trapped in a lie set free?

In John 8 Jesus tells His followers that He is the Light of the world, and that they need not walk in darkness (8:12). If they abide in His word they will “know the truth, and the truth will set you free (8:31-32).

It’s past time to throw away the artificial lenses that give us a distorted view of reality. The god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers (2Cor.4:4), but our Creator (Truth) commands light to shine out of darkness (4:6). His unfathomable love for us desires for us to “walk in the light as He is in the light” (1Jn.1:7).

Taking the blinders off can be a very difficult choice, but it’s a necessary one if you want to see the Pride tree for what it really is - a death trap. While it continues to claim to be the largest tree in the forrest by those who boast and promote their godless ideology, a very different view is observed when you look through the lens of Truth. 

Truth reveals Pride’s massive trunk to be one that emits an intense heat from the fire that burns within its core. As you approach it you notice an inverted crown, which indicates a loss of prestige, power, and authority. The limbs that showcase the canopy are a disturbing sight, as they reveal the dismembered human appendages that were torn off by the traps that ensnared them when they touched the tree. And what first appeared to be a variety of multi-colored shaped leaves is actually the disfigured faces of all those who painted themselves to look like something other than what their Creator designed. As you focus your lens of truth, a visible chain reveals all those who are bound to the tree. And when the wind blows, what originally appeared to be dancing and singing is, in reality, each prisoner writhing in pain as their cries of despair echo through the empty darkness that surrounds and engulfs Pride.

When seen through the lens of truth, this loathsome object of disgust is exposed for what it really is. However, the most vile thing you will find when Truth exposes Pride is the serpent who sits under its dark canopy. He meticulously milks all the “leaves” of their tears and collects the “fruits” in his evil caldron. He then bottles his poison and markets it the same way he did in the garden by convincing his targets to question God’s goodness. He plants the idea that they are missing out, and an ungodly desire takes root and secures another prisoner to his tree of death. 

HOPE FOR THE LOST

“I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life…” (Jn.14:6).

Jesus Christ is the only one who can rescue us from Satan’s snare. He said that He came to “seek and save” those who are lost“ (Lk.19:10). He regularly visits the forrest where the Pride tree resides. To all its residents He proclaims, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed…” (Lk.4:18)

How can He do this? Because the tree that He willingly sacrificed Himself on exposed the lie and bought back what the serpent stole. 

The chains of the bound fall away for every prisoner who responds to His voice. The freedom restores them to live as the men and women God created them to be.  

It’s the tree of Truth whose crown is upright, revealing genuine prestige, power and authority. Early every morning, the Son rises and the rays of His glory reflect off of the dew-like living water on each leaf. The bounty of color is unlike anything you’ve ever seen. And when the Wind of His Spirit blows through the canopy, each leaf detaches for one purpose - to encircle the tree, filling the air with dancing and singing praises to the One who created them for this very purpose.

Reject Pride! It may rise up for 30 days every year, spouting a fountain of lies in hopes of capturing more victims, but it is marked for destruction. Don’t be caught in Pride’s snare on the day it implodes. 

Truth has no expiration date. It offers every weary soul renewal and joy forevermore. 

Choose Truth and live!

Perception Isn't Enough

(by Lorie Codispoti)

I like dandelions! I’d be fine if my whole yard was filled with them.

A few days ago I appealed to my husband to wait another week before mowing the grass because I thought the polka-dotted lawn was pretty, and I enjoyed watching the bees go from flower to flower. Given that he’s allergic to bees that probably wasn’t the best way to frame my appeal. As a result, the yellow beauties fell fate to the decapitating mission of the lawn mower blade, forcing our bees to find more socially acceptable flowers for their honey-making business?

Did you know that up until the 1800s people would pull the grass from their lawns to make room for dandelions (and other “weeds”)?

So, what happened to change their status and dethrone these crowned jewels?

Simple. Perception.

To perceive is to “receive impressions of external objects through the medium or instrumentality of the senses…” (Webster’s 1828) It’s what you interpret from your senses. I might see a lawn of maintenance-free flowers while someone else sees weeds that will choke out their grass. It’s a matter of perception.

I recently listened to a conversation between a christian and an atheist. The atheist noted that humans are “sense making beings.” He posited that our brains use our senses to observe how our world works, and asserted that because of this process no one can know truth. This might sound reasonable IF I thought that perception was the only tool in our toolbox.

Perception is important, but it is not enough.

Why? Well, for one thing our perception is limited. Compared to the heightened senses of the animal world, we’d be at a loss if this was all we had to evaluate reality.

Look at the bees. Because they were created with the ability to sense the Earth’s magnetic fields, they never get lost. Imagine that! Buzzbee’s queen always knows he’ll be home on time for dinner. Perhaps if I had the ability to sense magnetic fields I’d never have to experience the fear of getting lost (something I’m really good at).

Perception is also limited because it makes us the center from which everything is interpreted. “If I say dandelions are pretty, who are you to say otherwise?”Can you see how the atheist would come to the conclusion that we can’t know truth when you have everyone concluding something different? Without an objective approach (something that allows us to evaluate our surroundings from an outside-looking-in perspective) reality is up to individual interpretation. How confusing is that?

Thankfully, God didn’t leave us to ourselves. He created humans with an exclusive feature that no other creature possesses.

His likeness. (Gen.1:27)

We have a nature that resembles our Creator - characteristics that enable us to tap into more than what our limited perception allows.

For example: We’ve been given 1) A moral conscience. 2) The ability to think and reason in abstract ways. 3) And, like our Creator, humans have been endowed with the ability to create through invention, composition, art, etc.

With these universal tools, believers can then add the power of God’s indwelling Spirit, which gives us the ability to rightly align our perception to God’s perspective and see things the way they really are. This enables us to view things from the outside-in (objective) rather than the inside-out (subjective).

People may have thought dandelions were pretty before the 1800’s, but their value was derived from the medicinal properties God gave them. Perhaps if I’d of framed my appeal this way they’d of kept their heads.

Allowing perspective to rightly align my perceptions has another benefit.

It expands my capacity to feel empathy - for my friend who had two abortions, for the person who left their family to pursue their same-sex attraction, for the person addicted to a substance that is destroying their body, etc.

Hebrews 4:15 tells us that “We do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses…”

Jesus Christ came in the likeness of man and modeled God’s perspective to us. If we aspire to “be like Christ” then we have the capacity to love those who differ with us. With the goal of planting seeds we can challenge them to question the validity of their perceptions and consider God's perspective. It may not produce a field of dandelions, but if cultivated it will provide the medicine their soul craves.

GloryUsGate.blogspot.com

Listen And You Will Hear

(by Lorie Codispoti)

They call it the “death rattle.” It’s the very distinct gurgling sound that a dying person can make as they near death, and if you’ve ever heard it you will never forget it.

One care taker’s manual explains that the sound is the result of air passing through mucus that pools in the throat of a person who no longer has the strength to cough and clear them.

Watching her father die, one writer noted, “In death, you discover the body is baroque in its unintended flows and suppurations. It contorts and contracts until, finally, it returns to the clay from which it was pulled.”

I Can Hear It

I’ve always been very sensitive to sound. I’m practically blind without my glasses, however, I can hear things that many people cannot. I liken it to a super power, or the closest I will ever get to one anyway. The downside is that this ability comes fully equipped with an equal measure of kryptonite. Things don’t have to get very loud before I’m reaching for my earplugs.

Decibels are what we use to measure sound, and anything above 150 will burst your eardrums. (Like standing next to a jet taking off, or firing a shotgun without ear protection.) Many soldiers have even died in battle due to the “blast overpressure” from explosions. The most interesting thing about this kind of damage is that there is no external evidence of injury. It’s all internal: eardrums burst, lungs rupture, and the GI tract turns to mush.

But the sound I want to draw your attention to is one that extends beyond the measure of decibels. Most people cannot hear it, yet it’s the loudest noise of all. I can hear it, and If you pay attention you will be able to hear it too.

Horton Heard It

Just because we can’t hear it doesn’t mean it’s not there.

In my favorite Dr. Seuss book, Horton Hears A Who, the biggest creature in the Jungle of Nool is the only one who can hear the tiny creatures that live on a speck of dust. They are too small for Horton to see, but he vows to save them nonetheless. His jungle neighbors, however, can’t hear anything and don’t believe him, so they mount an opposition.

The story has a good ending, though.

Horton cared enough to risk the persecution of his neighbors, but the ultimate thing that saved Whoville were the people who rallied together, with one collective voice.

God Hears It

When God confronts Cain about murdering his brother He says, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.” (Gen.4:10)

Did you hear that (pun intended)? Abel’s blood “cried out” to God? Reading this sent a chill through me. It also sparked my curiosity.

Does blood have a measurable sound? I’m not talking about the swishing noise we hear as it passes through the various chambers of the heart, but the cells themselves. Do they emit the kind of sound that only God can hear? Turns out, they DO!

An advanced form of ultrasound, called photoacoustics, harnesses the power of light to pick up the sound a blood cell makes. This is exciting news for cell whisperers, as it puts them on the edge of being able to identify factors that differentiate between healthy and sick cells.

(Imagine that? Science, once again, confirming what Scripture tells us.)

Can You Hear It?

Do You Hear What I Hear? This question was posed in a song written by a couple in 1962, as a plea for peace during the Cuban Missile Crisis. They were asked to write a Christmas song, but the couple was so burdened by the threat of annihilation that they found it difficult to harness their creativity…

...UNTIL this experience …

“In the studio, the producer was listening to the radio to see if we had been obliterated. En route to my home, I saw two mothers with their babies in strollers. The little angels were looking at each other and smiling. All of a sudden, my mood was extraordinary.” A glimpse of these babies filled Noel Regney’s heart with poetry. The little ones reminded him of newborn lambs. Thus, the song begins, “Said the night wind to the little lamb….”

We may not be facing off with the residents of Nool, or fearful of nuclear war. We may not have literally committed murder, but our hands are saturated with the blood of over millions of babies (3,000+ a day), and the blood of Christ is the only thing that can wash us clean.

“With a voice as big as the sea” their blood cries out.

Can you hear it? It’s the silent death rattle of murdered babies and the cacophony is deafening. Take out the earplugs and be sobered to action by what you hear.

I echo Horton’s plea, “Please don’t harm all my little folks who have as much right to live as us bigger folks do.”

Let us cry out with a loud voice! And may the collective sound reach the ears of our Father as we weep for the unborn and beg for His mercy.

GloryUsGate.blogspot.com

Which Version Of The Pilgrim's Progress Is Right For Me

After reading my last article (Faithful - found here: GloryUsGate.blogspot.com), several requests for a recommendation came to my attention. 

So, this week I thought I’d write a follow-up article addressing these requests & giving my thoughts on how to chose the right version of The Pilgrim’s Progress for your reading pleasure.

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Which Version of The Pilgrim’s Progress Is Right For Me?

It’s a great, but hard, question to answer, precisely because there are so many versions to chose from. It’s kinda like trying to decide which Bible to choose.

My simple, cheap, & quick answer would be to go to your local public library & check out several versions (children’s & adult) & scan them to see which one suits you best. 

For a more thorough response to your question, however, I’d suggest narrowing down a few parameters. 

Do this by asking yourself the following:

~ Who is my audience?

Personally, I can’t get away from children’s versions, evidenced by the fact that I have more of those than adult versions. I prefer them no matter my audience. I think I’d even choose one of these for my book club.

~ Is this for reading aloud or is it for personal, silent reading?

It makes a difference because if you plan to read the book aloud to your children, you want a version that flows. (The original is written in Old English & reads like a script.)

I enjoy silent reading, but I love audio versions. When I was homeschooling, we always read our history books together. One of my favorite things today is to read aloud with my husband. Whenever we take a car trip we read a book together.

~ Do illustrations matter? If so, do I prefer black & white, color - modern or antique?

I have two very old versions, (published in 1872) & the artwork is exquisite. There is such amazing detail that I could sit & look at the B&W paintings all day. 

The children’s versions very greatly. Some I like; others I could do without.

The version I’m currently reading to my grand-littles is Little Pilgrim’s Progress by Helen L. Taylor, & illustrated by Joe Sutphin. This may even be my all-time favorite children’s version. They completely hooked me with the illustrations, & proceeded to reel me in with the way the author used animals as characters. This volume includes a revision of John Bunyan’s accompanying story about Christian’s wife, Christiana, and her journey to the Celestial city. I basically told my husband I could not live without this version. LOL!

~ Do I plan to incorporate this into our curriculum?

If so, you may want to consider a version that has an accompanying study guide. Helen Taylor has another children’s version (same title as the one above), that you can use with Deanna Conrad’s LPP Adventure Guide. Unfortunately, my preferred version (above) does not come with any kind of study aids, so I use the Adventure Guide, along with a teacher’s edition of Pilgrim’s Progress I purchased, from A Beka Books, decades ago to help me formulate discussion questions for my littles. (See why I need all these versions. ;-) )

I should add that there are a variety of free online versions, both text and audio, if you prefer that route.

I hope this helps to inform your decision for the second-only-to-the-Bible best book ever published, printed, & sold.

Enjoy!   

Faithful

(by Lorie Codispoti)

Today’s the day I've been dreading.

It’s the saddest part of the book (The Pilgrim’s Progress, by John Bunyan), and I can hardly hold back the tears as we approach the chapter where Christian’s companion, Faithful, dies after being falsely accused, beaten, chained, and persecuted. Even the children’s version is difficult to get through.

So, why not skip over this part and spare my grand-littles the anguish? Because, while it’s a good thing to insulate children from some of the cruel injustices that fallen people meat out on one another, we cannot isolate them from trying to understand the broken world they live in. At some point they are going to be confronted with the reality that human beings can be incredibly evil. Who better to help them navigate those rough waters than the ones who can point them to the only Answer that makes sense?

Faithful's Trouble

Faithful lived up to his name, as he refused to be influenced and enticed by false ideology. By exposing the real enemy and his deception, he drew the attention of the residents of the wicked prince's city. He wouldn't recant or compromise the truth, and for that he paid the ultimate price. But, what he gained can’t even be compared to what he lost.

“We know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” (2 Cor. 5:1)

The Driver

Tim Mackie (Bible Project) asks the question: What energizes faithfulness for God’s people when faithfulness means constantly swimming against the culture we live in?

Scripture is filled with examples of those who were faithful and those who were not. The reason the faithful ones were full-of-faith, remaining steadfast under bleak circumstances, is because they had a clear understanding that their human experience was temporary. They knew that whatever cruelty or injustice they faced wouldn’t last forever. And that energized them with the courage they needed to persevere and to the end.

But, if we’re honest, we know we need more than that. We need something more if we’re going to be faithful in our marriages, faithful parents, and faithful in every situation as we engage our culture and swim against its strong current. We don’t need less than a faith that enables us to see beyond the now; we need more to motivate us to dive into the storm. Our faithfulness is not enough.

What we need is the faithfulness of God. Armed with the assurance that He is steadfast we are fueled to engage the seemingly impossible.

In Deuteronomy 7, God calls His people to conquer the inhabitants of the land He promised them. The Hebrews were vastly outnumbered, untrained, and lacked the resources for battle. The odds were against them on every level, but Moses reminds them that they weren’t chosen for their numbers or ability. God had set His love on them, and He was keeping an oath that He swore to their fathers. Verse nine says, “Therefore, know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments.” It was the assurance of God’s faithfulness that drove their ability to faithfully discharge Moses’ orders.

Faithfulness Is A Fruit Of His Spirit, Not Ours

We cannot sustain our faithfulness to God apart from His help. Marriages fail, parents abuse and abandon, friends disappoint, and people exploit and betray one another all the time. Our ability to secure and maintain any kind of faithfulness hinges on one thing: God’s faithfulness. Even when we fail, His Spirit reminds us of the fact that He never will.

2Timothy 2:13 says, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.”

In this passage, the Apostle Paul knows he is about to be martyred for his faith in Christ, so he wants to admonish Timothy to remain faithful. Paul acknowledges Timothy’s “sincere faith” (1:5), but he’s also been with Timothy long enough to recognize his weakness (timidity) and he lovingly rebukes him. He wants to encourage Timothy to be faithful, so he tells him to“be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus,” “be a soldier,” “be an athlete,” “be a hardworking farmer,” “be a diligent workman,” “be a vessel for honor and flee youthful lusts,” and “be a slave of the Lord.” In chapters 3-4, Paul continues to infuse strength into Timothy by saying, “continue in the things you have learned,” and “preach the word.” He wraps it up by telling Timothy that he’s ready to die, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.” (4:7)

Paul remained faithful to the end, and he wanted to encourage Timothy, that with the help of God’s indwelling Spirit, he could do the same.

Separation Is Not Forever

Faithful and Christian were both warned that they would suffer at the hands of wicked people. They were even told they could lose their lives. But they believed the faithful words given to them by the King in the Good Book, and were assured that if they lost their lives they would be immediately transported to the Celestial City and live forever with the King.

Paul said as much to Timothy when he told him, “…For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him.” (2Tim.2:11)

No child goes to sleep dreaming of becoming a martyr, but they should be able to drift off thinking about all the heroes (real and fictional) of the faith, and how their lives made a difference for the Kingdom of God. The real super-heroes are the ones who are willing to dive into choppy waters, and with God's strength, swim against the evil current - all the way to the Celestial City.

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.” (Heb.10:23)

The angels came to escort Faithful into the presence of the King, where all His children will gather one day to celebrate His never-ending faithfulness.

I’m glad we didn’t skip this chapter.

GloryUsGate.blogspot.com

Our Present Comfort

(by Lorie Codispoti)

“Look how far you’ve come.”

“Everything’s going to be okay.”

If I had to pick two phrases I can hardly stand hearing, these would be listed among my top five.  

The words have a tendency to feel comfortable on the tongue, so I understand the tendency to invoke the familiar. But, it’s like the needle of a record player that finds a comfortable divot in a well worn vinyl record. (Remember those?) Like a broken record, it settles into the space and repeats over and over until you want to take a sledge hammer to the ensemble. 

People can be like this. They hope to comfort by repeating familiar phrases, but it seldom works. I usually try to prepare myself and smile through the urge to scream when I hear these well worn, well intentioned cliches.

And, truthfully, there is a time and place for these statements. We all need to be reminded of how far we’ve come, and that there is a greater glory that awaits - a glory that will dwarf every bit of suffering we endure in this life. The reality of these truths, however, is not minimized by the fact that they bring no comfort whatsoever when spoken at the wrong time. Gasoline is needful, but not when poured on a fire. 

Here’s the problem: When you are in the middle of intense anguish, trying to fix your mind on the past (how far you’ve come), or the future (things will be okay) simply does not work. How many fire fighters do you know who bring a sqirt gun to a blazing house fire? 

My pain is present and the comfort I need must also be present if it is going to strengthen me for the battle.

Here’s the solution: Our ever-present Comforter. 

God knows when to remind us of how far we’ve come and encourage us with what’s ahead, but He also knows the importance of reminding us that He is present with us in the fire. 

Remember what happened when the fire was fueled for those three Hebrews who refused to bow to the king’s edict? Did their friends show up during visitation hours and point out how far they’d come, and assure them that everything would be okay? No. In fact, I only read about One visitor - the One who was their “very present Help in time of need.” (Psa.46:1) God is not the Friend who visits with empty platitudes. He’s the Friend who says, “I’ll get in there with you and whisper words of life into your spirit."

When God gets in the fire with us, His words of strength bring the needed comfort to our hearts. True, they are words that reflect the goodness of the past, and instill hope for the future, but the difference is that they are given while being present in the furnace with us. Only God has the power to do that. His is the only record whose divot I welcome. 

Before the risen Messiah ascended, He assured His disciples that He would always be with them. (Mtt.28:20) He could offer this assurance because He alone paid the price for it. He was willing to take our sin upon Himself, which would separate - for the first and only time - He and the Father, in order to guarantee that we never, ever, ever, have to experience that kind of separation from Him.  

"The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. (Zeph.3:17) (One of my very favorites to remind me that God is present and mighty “in the midst” of the flames.)

"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isa.41:10)

"The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." (Deut.31:8)

"I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken." (Psa.16:8)

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me." (Psa.23:4)

The next time you plan to visit a friend who is suffering through a tormenting trial, memorize the lyrics on this record. Set the needle in the groove so that it repeats over and over in their mind. These Words will get in the fire with them, remind them of “how far they’ve come,” and assure them that “everything is going to be okay” - all because of Who is present with them in the furnace. 

GloryUsgate.blogspot.com

Everyone Believes Something

(by Lorie Codispoti)

Everyone has a doctrine (belief system). And behind every doctrine is a god that is worshipped.

For Christians, our doctrine is based on Scripture; it identifies our God and articulates our beliefs.

God is the Author of Scripture; He inspired and produced it.

“All scripture is inspired by God…”( 2Tim.3:16) (The Hebrew word communicates that God literally breathed His word into the writers.) This inspiration is not subjective (based on human experience or interpretation). No. God’s word is Objective; its inspiration is inherent because of its Author.

Scripture is used to convert and sanctify us.

For example, look at how God uses one chapter of the Bible to express how it conforms believers:

In Psalm 119, God's Word... cleanses our hearts (vs.9), gives us direction (vs.10,24), protects us from sin (vs.11), provides strength & comfort (vs.50-52), gives us wisdom in relationships (vs.98), shows us how to be godly (vs.104-105), is our refuge in times of trouble (vs.114), and offers genuine peace (vs.165).

If one chapter has that much influence, imagine what the entire book has to offer.

So here’s my question to unbelievers: Have you taken the time to really consider the claims of Scripture? Would you be willing to use your skepticism as a launching pad to investigate those claims with an open heart? Most of the unbelievers I've talked to prefer to speculate rather than investigate. Are you willing to look at the historical evidence that verifies Biblical events? Because, whether you're agnostic (no-knowledge), atheist (anti-theism), or hold to some other non-Christian belief, you can’t park your reason in the spot marked: “not enough evidence.” That spot simply does not exist.

Friend, if your doctrine and your god fail to lead you to objective truth, then consider whether you’ve taken a wrong turn and parked your heart in a lot that is scheduled for demolition.

I am not a biblical apologist, but I can give you a reason for the Hope that we Christians have residing within us.

Don't delay. You only get one life to know Jesus as your Savior. After that you will only know Him as the Judge who extended the mercy that you rejected.