Which Jesus?

 (by Lorie Codispoti)

If we claim to be Christians wouldn’t it seem reasonable to assume that we have a basic understanding of Christianity’s central figure, Jesus Christ?

Author, Randy Alcorn said, “If you get it wrong about Jesus, in the end it won’t matter much what you got right.”

SURVEY

I found the results of Ligonier Ministry’s 2020 TheStateOfTheology.com survey sobering. While there are some encouraging trends among the American evangelicals surveyed, when you factor in that these numbers are from those claiming to know and follow Christ, there is cause for concern.

Consider these responses:

~ 30% believe that Jesus was a great teacher, but not God.

~ 63% believe that “Jesus is the first and greatest being created by God.”

~ 46% believe that most people are good by nature.

~ 42% believe that “God accepts the worship of all religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.”

~ 60% believe that “God counts a person as righteous not because of one’s works but only because of one’s faith in Jesus Christ.”

~ 59% believe that “The Bible is 100% accurate in all that it teaches.”

~ 55% believe that “The Bible has the authority to tell us what we must do.”

~ 56% believe that “It is very important for me personally to encourage non-Christians to trust Jesus Christ as their Savior.”

~ 72% believe that “Jesus Christ’s death on the cross is the only sacrifice that could remove the penalty of my sin.”

~68% believe that “Only those who trust in Jesus Christ alone as their Savior receive God’s free gift of eternal salvation.”

~ 78% “Jesus Christ is the only person who never sinned.” (2018)

What does that say about the people sitting in the pews of our churches? What does it say about those leading and teaching these people? What does it say about some of our “churches”? If the majority believe Jesus was a created being, with some denying His deity and placing Him among sinners, then is it any wonder why they don’t believe the Bible is the inerrant authority in a believer’s life? If we don’t believe and teach the basic tenants of the Christian faith, then we shouldn’t be surprised to read of those among us who embrace heresies.

MISREPRESENTATION

The God of the Bible has not only made Himself known (in a general sense through creation), but He has done something no other god has ever done - He invites us to know Him on an intimate level. God wants to make our relationship with Him personal. Why? Because God IS love (1Jn.4:8). No other god can identify with or embody this attribute.

What’s worse than getting God wrong? Thinking that you’ve got Him right and then misrepresenting Him to others.

“Acquaint yourself with Him.” That’s what Eliphaz encouraged Job to do during his intense time of suffering and loss (J.22:21a).

On the surface, this might appear to be wise counsel, but remember, Eliphaz was one of Job’s three friends who got it wrong. As we near the end of Job’s story, God rebukes his friends, and speaks this to Eliphaz, "My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends; for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has." (J.42:7)

Misrepresentations of the one, true God are nothing new. They started with the serpent in the garden and will continue until everything is renewed by Christ.

Interestingly, if you study the major world religions (Muslim, Judism, Hindu, Buddhist), and some of the well known cults (Jehovah’s Witness, Mormon), you’ll find that each one honors Jesus. They don’t question the fact that He existed. The problem isn’t whether they honor and believe in His existence; the problem is that they misrepresent Him. Like Eliphaz, they are acquainted with Jesus, but the don’t really know Him.

Every good lie is interwoven with truth, otherwise you’d never believe it. Do you know enough about the Jesus of Scripture to differentiate Him from false representations?

GET IT RIGHT

In one Barna study that I read, two out of every three adults (random selection of Americans) claim to have an active and influential personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Wow! At first glance that sounds awesome. But then comes the question: which Jesus?

After Jesus warns His disciples of the false doctrine being preached by the religious leaders of His day, He asks them two questions: 1) “Who do men say that I am?” And 2) “Who do you say that I am?” (Mtt.16:13-16)

I find it interesting that the general populous identified Christ in much the same way as many of the false religions of our day, but when Jesus asks His inner circle who they think He is, we read that it’s Peter who responds with the correct answer: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (A survey in that moment might of said one out of twelve knew who He was. Thankfully, those numbers flipped, with only one out of twelve denying.)

There are many anti-biblical versions of Jesus. Some have reconstructed Him to fit an image of who they want him to be. Some serve an alternative Jesus, offered by those who have redefined Him. And some want to lump Him in with other gods (religious pluralism), thinking that He’s one of many ways to heaven.

What Jesus’ disciples got right went beyond their perceptions, and we can trust their eyewitness accounts.

John’s historical account records Jesus identifying Himself in His seven “I Am” statements (Jn.6:35, 8:12, 10:9&11, 11:25-26, 14:6, 15:5). They confirm what we read throughout Scripture: that Jesus is part of the triune, one and only God - that He predates time and created all things - that His word is authoritative and true - that He, being sinless, became sin on the cross - that He rose from the dead by His own power to rescue us from eternal damnation - that He is the only way - and that out of His great love desires to have a relationship with us.

He is all this and more! In 1John 3 we read that when Christ is fully revealed to us “we will see Him as He is.” (There’s more to discover.)

John could write all of this, not only because He was an eyewitness, but because he had a relationship with Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

Unlike, Eliphaz, John got it right. Will you? In the end nothing else will matter.

Lightless Vs. Light Filled

(by Lorie Codispoti)

I was a fair-skinned child with lots of FRECKLES. I spent my childhood wishing those spots away, but all they did was multiply in the mirror. My mother tried to encourage me by telling me that they were angel kisses, and that one day my freckles would fade, like hers did. That helped a little, but for the most part I remained inconsolable.

Mom was right though! Over time, many of the freckles on my face faded away.

BLACK LIGHT TRAUMA

I’ll never forget the day we took our kids to a science museum and walked into a room with mirrors. All was fine, until the room went dark and they turned on the black light. I literally couldn’t believe what I was seeing with my 40 year old eyes. There they were - every single freckle that I thought had disappeared decades ago. It was like going back in time and staring at my childhood face in the mirror. I was shocked and horrified.

Black lights make what is invisible to the human eye visible. The science relates to ultra-violet light (what we cannot see) and phosphors (a substance that glows under an ultraviolet light).

What I learned from that traumatic event is that my freckles never completely vanished; they simply went into hiding.

LIGHTLESS

Lucifer’s name meant “light-bearer,” before he fell and was stripped of everything from his light to his name. Paul said that Satan (which means “adversary”) has the ability to transform himself into an “angel of light”(2Cor.11:14). Does that mean he can put on the same light that he lost? NO! It means he puts on a disguise and masquerades as light. He has the ability to pretend to be what he once was. In this passage, Paul is warning Christians not to be deceived by the appearance of a counterfeit.

LIGHT FILLED

The Bible tells us that God is Light (1John 1:5), He dwells in light (1Tim.6:16), and that He created light (Gen.1:3). The revelation of His word also gives light and shows us the way (Psa.119:130a, 105).

We know that Jesus said He is the Light of the world (Jn.8:12). He illuminated the world at creation, and was the Light that appeared at His incarnation (Jn.1:1-5). He is the Light that wakens the dead and calls us out of darkness (Jn.12:46). His Light serves as our armor (Rms.13:12), as well as being the Source that enables us to have fellowship with each other (1Jn.1:7). Jesus is the Light that both indwells us and radiates through us(Acts13:47). And in the New Jerusalem there will be no need for a sun because the Light of the Son will shine, as it did before God created our planet’s source of light (sun). (Rev.21:23)

The Holy Spirit is our Helper, sent to teach us and bring to remembrance all we learn as we walk in the Light (Jn.14:26, Psa.56:13). He is God’s light Who guides us into all truth (Jn.16:13). His light clarifies the word and directs our steps (Psa.119:11). The book of Revelation (4:5) describes the sevenfold Spirit of God as “seven lamps of fire burning.” When Daniel was presented to King Belshazzar, the king remarked, “I have heard of you, that the Spirit of God is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you.” (Dan.5:14)

OUR LIGHT

Not only were we created by the Light to be drawn to the Light, but as a result of being redeemed and renewed by the Light of Christ, we have been commissioned to walk as “children of the light” because His light shines in us (Eph.3:13-14). We are to be filled with God's visable Light.

Satan is a type of black light. He wants us to gaze into his mirror so that he can attempt to convince us that nothing has changed - that we look the same as we did before coming to Christ. But remember, Satan is the liar who lost his light when he fell. Don’t allow him to exploit God’s resident Light in you. The light of Christ is what covers and clothes you now. You may carry the marks of your sinful past, but they are nothing but dead scars that can neither receive nor remit light.

The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, and good news refreshes the bones. (Prov.15:30)

Did you know that our bodies are bioluminescent? That’s right - we glow in the dark! In fact, researchers have discovered that our glow shines the brightest when we’re burning the most energy. The significance is huge when you think about the spiritual war we are engaged in every day. We need Light in the dark places and God has given it to us.

It’s Light verses darkness and Christ is illuminated in the heat of the battle (not on the sidelines), where I'll burn the most energy and shine the brightest for my King.

I have no reason to fear the black light of the Dark Knight; for the Creator of Light Himself promises to empower me, fight for me, and give me victory. (Isa. (Ex.14:14, 2Chron.20:17, Deut.20:4, Deut.3:22, Rms.8:37) He says that no weapon formed against me will prosper. (Isa.54:17)

If that isn't enough, I simply remind myself that I’ve been kissed by angels!

GloryUsGate.blogspot.com

Inspiration

 (by Lorie Codispoti)

I’ve never bought into the idea that only a small percentage of people are creative. I think every human being has been endowed with a measure of creativity. Some may be more visibly creative than others, but creativity has never been limited to a small set of talents.

Pablo Picasso said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”

So the question isn’t whether or not you are creative. The question is about discovering, or rediscovering, what’s always been there.

THE BACK STORY

At the front of every creative endeavor is a back story:

~ Did you know that the woman who invented roll on deodorant was inspired by the way the ink flowed from a ballpoint pen?

~ After a dinner party, Josephine Cochrane noticed that some of her heirloom dishes were chipped. Her desire to find an alternative way to clean dishes, coupled with her desire to relieve tired housewives, is what inspired her to invent the automatic dishwasher.

~ My daughter and her husband built their new home with hospitality in mind. Her interior design reflects an atmosphere of welcome. I asked my daughter what inspired her creativity and she replied, “When I see a cold void I want to soften it.” That not only fits their home, but the way they love everyone God sends their way.

MOVE FORWARD BY GOING BACK

If we want to fully understand the nuances of inspiration, the best place to start is by going back - to the beginning.

The word “inspiration” is derived from a word that means “God breathed.” Think of that in light of the creation of man. God created us “from the dust of the ground” (Gen.1:27, 2:7). The interesting part of this passage is that until God “breathed into his nostrils” there was nothing but the clay model of a human. It was God’s inspiration that started man’s heart. It was His breath that gave birth to humanity.

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God….” (2Tim.3:16) Take time to ponder that statement for a minute. God breathed life into us at creation, and out of His great love, He gave us His word to inspire the way we live. And, as if that weren’t enough, when Jesus commissioned His disciples (and us) He infused them with inspiration when “He breathed” new life into them and said, ‘Be filled with the Holy Spirit.’” (John 20:22)

Inspiration originated with God. Without Him everything would revert back to the dark void that came before His breath of life.

The book of Job tells us that “If God were to take back his spirit and withdraw his breath, all life would cease, and humanity would turn again to dust.” (Job34:14-15)

THE CATALYST

Many ordinary things have served as catalysts for some of our favorite works:

~ J.R.R Tolkien’s Middle Earth is said to be based on a 14 acre mystical woodland he frequented.

~ After being caught in a violent, midday storm, and then experiencing the beauty of birds singing in the bright sunshine afterwards, Swedish preacher, Carl Boberg fell to his knees “in humble adoration” giving birth to the nine-stanza hymn, How Great Thou Art.

~ The inspiration for the hit series The Chosen, emerged after a devastating career disappointment for its creator, Dallas Jenkins.

~ Thomas Kinkade’s paintings were filled with light, partly inspired by his impoverished childhood, but he also credits the supernatural light was inspired by his encounter with Christ.

STIR IT UP

And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works.” (Heb.10:24)

The writer of Hebrews is telling us to motivate each other. This word figuratively speaks of both sharpening the mind and stimulating each other to love and good works. Well, you can’t stimulate something that isn’t innately there, right?

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Eph.2:10)

Your inspiration may never produce a world famous work of art, best seller, or a famous hymn. You may never invent a travel machine that takes you across the country to Grandma’s house (My six-year-old grandson’s goal.), but you were born with an ability to create. When God breathed life into our bodies He inspired us to copy His creative nature and reflect His beauty. No other creature shares this unique expression.

So, what are you waiting for? Get busy creating and showcasing your astounding ability. And don’t forget to stir up inspiration in those around you. We could use some more of God’s beauty on display in our world right now.

GloryUsGate.blogspot.com

War Cry

(by Lorie Codispoti)

Does it feel like things are spiraling out of control? 

Not only are we seeing a rise in personal and family issues, but our world, at large, (wars, natural disasters, health concerns, social, educational, financial, religious, governments, etc.) seems to be on a trajectory of disaster. While most Christians understand that this is all part of the fulfillment of prophesy, we still battle fear, anger, and other emotions, as we witness the avalanche of destruction.

What do we do?

The simple answer is to pray. However, the kind of prayer I’m talking about is anything but simple. It's NOT the … "Lord, I need a parking space.” or “Let this new hair color work.”  or “Please let there be some chocolate left.” kind of praying. Goodness knows, chocolate is important, so those prayers have their place.

The kind of praying I’m talking about is much more intense. It looks like Elijah stretching himself across the body of a dead boy and crying out to the Lord (1Kings17:19-21). It’s the kind of praying that sounds like the “sons of Israel” as they groaned so loud over their bondage that their cries reached the ears of God (Ex.2:23-25). It’s Hannah, willing to be misunderstood for a drunk woman because of the intensity and volume of her desperate pleas. 

This kind of praying postures kings, like Asa, on their faces as they cry out, “Lord, there is no one besides You to help in the battle between the powerful and those who have no strength; so help us, O Lord our God, for we trust in You, and in Your name have come against this multitude. O Lord, You are our God; let not man prevail against You.” (2Chron.14:11)

Can you hear it?

“Let the horn be sounded in Zion, and a war-cry in my holy mountain; let all the people of the land be troubled: for the day of the Lord is coming.” (Joel2:1)

“Rak Chazak Amats!” (“Be strong and courageous.”) Throughout history, this has been the Hebrew war cry. 

Rak = tender, delicate, soft (A reflection of our humble heart toward God and our gentle spirit toward others.)

Chazak = strength, courage (“Possessing a resolute and growling resolve for the glory of God. A flush of spiritual fervor.” (Erik Ludy))

Amats = strong, alert, brave, bold (“Rushing headlong into the most hazardous and impossible battles without pausing to consider the impossibilities.” (E.L.))

Before he dies, Moses commissioned Joshua and the Israelites to cross over the Jordan and take the Promised Land, “Be strong and of good courage” (Deut.31:6). Then God reminds Joshua to “be strong and courageous” three times in Joshua 1. Understandable when you consider he was facing 31 hostile empires. But, when the God of all creation goes before you and assures you of the victory, your heart beats to the cadence and your voice trumpets the war cry of the King. 

Will you take action?

Jesus invited His disciples to join Him in a Rak Chazak Amats time of prayer, the night before His crucifixion. They heard the cry, but they opted to sleep through the blood sweating battle before the battle. 

May it not be said of us. 

Have you seen the commercial where the athlete says, “Train what’s under the armor”? The first time I heard it I immediately thought of Paul’s description of our spiritual armor.  He sounds an alarm in Ephesians 6, when he tells believers to armor up and prepare to wrestle with principalities that have neither flesh nor blood. And before he describes each piece of our King’s armor, he tells us to “be strong” (Chazak). At the end of his description he reminds us of the importance of bold prayers - prayers that hold nothing back. 

Prayer is the skeleton under the armor. What good is it for us to put on our spiritual armor if we’re not prepared to support it? “Train what’s under the armor” so that when we hear the war cry of our King we are armed and ready to fight the battle.

If we live in the danger zone, why do we prefer to pray it safe?

Only the brave (Amats) will venture into the danger zone, and only the courageous (Chazak) will remain until the task is complete.

Wake up, Church! We are the redeemed. Hostile empires may outnumber us, but the same God who went before Joshua goes before us. The same God that filled the disciples with His Spirit at Pentecost fills us to do the same thing they did - take back what the enemy has stolen.

Rak Chazak Amats!

Reborn There

(by Lorie Codispoti)

Most of us have a birth certificate. It verifies who we are and is needed for things like a passport and a driver’s license. It includes our name, gender, time and date of birth, parent’s information, and birthplace.

However, if you’re doing any kind of genealogical research, they say that birth records are not the place to start. Why? Well, before 1946 it was not the state, but the local church that recorded the births (and deaths) in their communities. And for a variety of reasons, not every birth was registered. According to History.com, “If a child did not live to be baptized, was enslaved or moved from place to place, its birth might not be recorded at all—or its memory might live on only in a family Bible or its mother’s memory.”

Isn’t that sad? A human life. An eternal being. Erased from history because there was never a record of the fact that they were valued and born with a created purpose.

There are important genealogies in both the Old and New Testaments. The average reader may choose to skip over these sections, but they exist for more than simply challenging your pronunciation skills. (Can you say Mahershalalhashbaz?)

The begats are recorded for several important reasons: 1) They help to substantiate the historicity of the Bible. These were real people, and the records verify their existence. 2) They confirm prophecy; specifically, that the Messiah would come from the line of David. (Scripture records 4,000 years of Jesus’ ancestry.) 3) They speak of God’s divine purposes - like the fact that He used both the reputable and those with sketchy reps in Jesus lineage to communicate that everyone is redeemable, and that no human can thwart His plan of redemption for mankind.

“Modern genealogy is primarily reserved for hobbyists. In contrast, genealogies were a deeply integral part of Jewish society at the time of Jesus. Land was inherited based on family lines, and those who could not prove their ancestry in Israel were considered outsiders.” (Erik Lutz)

To think that most Americans cannot trace their lineage beyond their grandparents is lamentable for many reasons. The greatest melting pot in the world and not only have we lost some very interesting characters, but their stories have followed them into the great unknown.

I am thankful for the little I know of my heritage. I had the privilege of knowing all my grandparents, and most of my great-grandparents. I loved hearing their stories, especially the ones connected to another relative. But, it wasn’t until one of my sisters became interested in our ancestry that I learned much more. Thanks to her efforts I can link myself to some interesting people, like Henry VIII, Booker T. Washington, Jesse James, and Bonnie Parker. (I do hope she can unearth a few more good guys, but I want to know about all of them - the good, the bad, and the ugly - because it reveals the hand of God and His transformative work in my life.)

What have we lost as a result of not knowing who came before us? Might Hitler have thought differently if he knew he had both Jewish and African ancestors? Might Barrack Obama and George W. Bush find more common ground if they knew they were distant cousins? Might Meghan Markle be persuaded to return to Europe since her pedigree includes Winston Churchill and William Shakespeare? Who knows!

While many recorded births have regrettably been lost to the abyss of the unknown and are long forgotten, there is a book that records every person born into the Kingdom of God. Throughout the ages, this undeniable, undisputed record has carefully recorded all who have surrendered to the lordship of King Jesus.

Jesus said, “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.” (Rev.3:5)

Psalm 87 mentions the glories of God’s city to come. Verse six says, “The Lord will record, when He registers the peoples: ‘This one was born there.’”

In our world, searching for a birth certificate may not be the place to start, but in the Kingdom of God, a record of your re-birth is the first thing consulted.

Might your life look different if your name was recorded in His Book? Might your relationships look different if you were found to be related to the King of Kings?

I have two birth certificates. How many do you have?

Hold Fast In Confusion

(by Lorie Codispoti)

Confusion has saturated our culture, and biblical compromise is at the root of it.

I hear it in media reports, and in the disjointed lyrics and chaotic rhythms of modern “music.”

I see it in educational materials, and in political and social agendas that make no sense.

I smell death and decay as people are subject to a medical industry that cares more about money than people.

I taste it in the processed fake food being falsely marketed as both “healthy” and “nutritious.”

I feel it as I engage with people whose twisted psychology has caused great harm to themselves and others.

If this confusion sounds familiar, that’s because it is. The God who created us, with our five senses to aid in bearing His image, is hated by the “author of confusion.” It has always been Satan’s goal to destroy everything God established and called “good.” His modus operandi hasn't changed since the garden, but his destiny will.

TODAY’S CONSENSUS

Every couple of years Ligonier Ministries conducts a survey; in it, they ask Americans what they think about Jesus Christ, the Bible, truth, and ethics. Their 2020, pre-Covid19 findings are telling, but what I find most interesting is the trends that have emerged since they began compiling their data in 2014. (https://thestateoftheology.com)

“The most consistent and concerning trend is the increasing rejection of the literal truth of Scripture among the U.S. population.” (48%)

“Evangelicals, while exhibiting some hopeful movement in the direction of biblical fidelity, also seem to be influenced by the culture’s uncertainty about what truth is, who Jesus is, and how sinners are saved. These results reveal an urgent need for clear biblical teaching on the person of Christ, the gospel of grace, and the way that the truth of God informs our ethical decisions in everyday life. There is much work to be done in this age of confusion…”

Notice the correlation between our cultural confusion and the growing denial that God’s word is the standard for everything “good.”

HOLD FAST

A standard is a form of measurement. It’s “a repeatable, harmonised, agreed and documented way of doing something.” (IRENA)

When any culture compromises their standards, things become subjective… “I’ll do what seems right to me, and you do the same.” Without a standard to validate “good,” there is no objective measurement. How confusing is that?

In Paul’s second letter to Timothy, he encourages him to hold fast to the standard of God’s word amidst the obstacles he faces in a world where the persecution of Christians continues to escalate.

“Hold fast the pattern of sound words, which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.” (2Tim.1:13-14)

The only way for Timothy (and us) to “hold fast” to the “pattern” (aka, standard), is with the help of the Holy Spirit. His indwelling presence acts as a Conservator of God’s word, both protecting and proclaiming its integrity. Through Him we are enabled to endure as we live out our faith - no matter what our condition.

In holding fast to God’s standard, I can use my five senses to glorify Him as an image-bearer. I can make sense of a crazy and confused culture by pointing others to the God who is sovereign over all (even this mess), and who promises that His kingdom to come will be void of all confusion because He has conquered its author.

GloryUsGate.blogspot.com

The Prison of Freedom

(by Lorie Codispoti)

A prison is a place of involuntary confinement.

I’ve often referred to the lift chair I sit in all day as a prison. It’s where I’ve spent the majority of my waking hours for the past two and a half years. Throughout the course of my sentence, I’ve tried everything within my power to escape, as well as exhausting every appeal process you can imagine. I’ve ridden the roller coaster of emotions and have prayers to match every unending series of twists and turns.

It's a love/hate relationship. There are days I’m grateful and days I curse the confinement. But, even on the worst days I end with a grateful heart for the God who is teaching me that the bars that confine me have been assigned the task of revealing true freedom.

EVERYONE IS A PRISONER

As much as we’d like to convince ourselves that we are free agents, with the ability to escape the limitations we don’t like, we aren’t.

Think about it. We don’t get to choose our birth day, gender, or age of death. Each of us lives in a temporary body (subject to all manner of pain and suffering), on a dying planet. We are bound by certain things we have no control over. Two examples: 1) I enjoy a good time travel movie, but the reality is that I can’t harness time. I have no power to stop, reverse, or push fast-forward on the universal clock. 2) I might have fanciful dreams of flying or breathing underwater, but I’m neither a bird or a mermaid, and it would be suicidal for me to test the laws of nature. We are not free agents with the power to will away our boundaries.

Adam’s sin exiled us from the freedom of God’s created confinement and His holy presence. On this side of Eden, we are all prisoners serving out a sentence of death.

But, that’s not the end of the story!

God became a man who willingly entered our exile. He incarcerated Himself in order to “set the captives free” (Luke 4:18). His finished work unlocked the prison doors and provided a way for us to re-enter into God’s presence.

YOU’RE NOT THE BOSS OF ME

When you are imprisoned by an inescapable circumstance, it can feel incredibly hopeless. Of all the biblical and post-biblical accounts I’ve read, the thing that determines whether a prisoner suffers with or without hope is completely dependent on who’s in charge. In this world we all serve time in circumstances we didn’t sign up for (financial, relational, health, persecution, etc.). We may not get to choose our prison, but we have the option of choosing between a warden who aims to destroy us and the One who uses our suffering to strengthen our hope and build our faith.

Did you hear that? If you feel hopelessly bound by your circumstance, YOU, Christian, have the power to change who’s in charge. You get to tell the devil, “You’re not the boss of me!”

HOPE RESTORES

In his great affliction, Job said, “My spirit is broken. My days are extinguished, the grave is ready for me.” (Job 17:1) In his despair he asks, “Where then is my hope? Who can see any hope for me?” (Job17:15)

I’m not sure you can be any more hopeless and broken than Job was. However, something happened in the prison of his suffering that changed everything. By the end of his story Job testifies, “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you.” (42:5) (FYI, this was before God healed and restored him.)

What was it? What broke into the prison of his pain and changed everything?

Hope!

“Hope is a revolution, a powerful Presence that breaks in from the future and transforms today. Jesus’ arrival has brought God’s destiny for humanity crashing into now—an explosion of life into a world marked by death. It changes everything.” (InTouchMinistries)

PRISONER OF HOPE

Zechariah was a Babylonian captive who returned to Jerusalem when the exiles were released. God’s people had started rebuilding the temple, but for over 12 years they were on a self-imposed hiatus, leaving the temple in a half finished state. They needed to be motivated to get off their buns and get back to work. God commissioned Zechariah to encourage them. He reminded them of the importance of finishing the temple - the Messiah is coming and will inhabit and reign in this temple - and they needed to be prepared to receive Him. It was imperative that they heed his instructions, as their future blessing depended on their present obedience.

“Return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope….” (Zech.9:12)

To be a “prisoner of hope” means the same thing for us as it did in Zechariah’s day.

The return of Christ is imminent. No matter how difficult our situation is, now is not the time to retreat and cower in the corner of our cell. It’s not the time to justify a self-imposed hiatus. Our greatest need during our most intense times of suffering, is to RETURN to the fortified place of Hope. Christ is our fortress of hope. It’s in Him, not outside of Him, that we “live and move and have our being.”

Do you want to survive? If so, “return.” Daily!

HOLD ON

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

I have the ability to “hold” on to Christ... to “return to the stronghold” in my daily affliction... not because I have a strong grip. (I can't even hold a cup without using both hands.) I can "hold" onto Him because Christ is holding on to me. And, because His “righteous right hand”(Isa.41:10) is very strong, I have no need to fear. I am safe and secure in the fortress of His presence.

I continue to lament the physical freedom I’ve lost as I serve time in this chair. There are days when it feels as if the bars are closing in on me, like a python slowly asphyxiating its prey. But, then I hear the Voice of Hope, calling me to return to the fortification of Christ. He reminds me that this is the place where His temple is being built. And if I surrender to His loving Oversight, He will crush the head of the snake, and the bars of confinement will give way to the greatest freedom I’ve ever known.

Rejoice

(by Lorie Codispoti)

Scripture reveals the way for us to rejoice, regardless of our circumstance.

“I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will rest in hope.” (Psalm 16:8-9)

The way to rejoice under any circumstance? “I have set the Lord always before me.”

The psalmist isn’t communicating a desire or a request. This is an absolute declaration, coming from a nonnegotiable position. “I have” (past tense) “set the Lord always” (not sometimes) “before me” (not beside or behind me). And because Christ is holding my “right hand,” and guiding me, “I will not be moved.” Do you hear the resolve in this proclamation?

The Hebrew word for “rejoice” in this passage means, “to spin round,” and carries with it the idea of making an abrupt, forceful turn - as if going against what you feel emotionally in favor of what you know to be true. This isn’t a sweet ballerina twirl while you’re doing a happy dance in your living room. This is a willful, militant, about-face in the middle of a dark and bloody battle, when everything in you wants to do anything but “rejoice.”

Our English word for “rejoice” means, "To make joyful; to gladden; to animate with lively pleasurable sensations; to exhilarate." (Webster's 1828 Dictionary) And, the Latin prefix, "re," means “to go back.”

I am not a person who is easily angered, but we all have our triggers and I would be a fool to think that I am slow to anger if the right buttons are pushed. The fact that there have been times when I was caught off-guard, and reacted to anger in the wrong way, is enough of a reminder for me, that without “setting the Lord always before me” I will default to the kind of ungodly behavior that requires a supernatural intervention.

Because Jesus is the source of every believer’s joy, we have been given the opportunity to reset our hearts - to “spin around” and “go back” to the Source of our joy when we fall into a hard place.

Both the Hebrew and English words for “rejoice” point to the same thing… We must “set the Lord before us” and purpose to rejoice in every circumstance. It may mean spinning our hearts around and going back to remind ourselves of the truth of God's word, but it will always result in us testifying … “my heart is glad, my glory rejoices, and my flesh rests in hope.” (Vs.9)

He Is The Tree Of Life

(by Lorie Codispoti)

Adam and Eve went from a world where they were warned to stay away from the one tree whose fruit produced death, into a world now saturated with them.

Jesus Christ willingly entered into the darkness of this densely populated forest, having strategically placed within it a single, life giving tree. And rather than warning us to stay away from it, He points us to it and invites us to consume its fruit.

Do you feel lost in this dark forest of death? Ask for help. Jesus cleared the path to the tree where He defeated death once for all, and He has provides the only Light that will lead you through the darkness. Everyone who seeks finds their way to the Tree of life.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened." (Mtt.7:7-8)