Faith is Being Certain

Ask yourself this question:  "Am I convinced that God will answer my prayers?"  Being convinced leaves no room for doubt.  I'm not convinced if I am 99% sure.  I am not confident if I think it might not happen.

Faith is being sure of what we hope for; certain of what we do not see (Heb. 11:1).  If you have doubt, then you are working from a potsition of "hope" instead of "faith".  Hope leaves room for the possibility that your prayer may not have been heard.  "I hope God hears me."  That is how most of us pray, I believe. 

It is beyond our ability to be "doubtless".  We are human and we are flawed.  We require the Holy Spirit of God, Himself, to help us believe and not doubt.  We have to choose to seek Him and His righteousness.  Sound familiar?

Read Matthew 6:33:

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

Have you ever considered that our faith grows when we actively seek Him? 

Makes sense...the more you know Him, the more you know what He is capable of, the more you will trust and believe in His power and willingness to answer prayer.

How is your faith?  What are you actively doing to seek God and His righteousness?  Are you a person of FAITH, or simply someone who HOPES?  According to James 5:15:

"The prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well."  May God empower all of us to truly be convinced that He hears us and wants to change our circumstances.

IS BELIEVING ENOUGH?

Does salvation come by “believing,” alone? 

⁸ But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: ⁹ That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. – Rom. 10:8-10

Clearly, believing is the key factor to becoming a follower of Christ.  According to this passage, believing is something that happens in our hearts, not simply our minds.  We would have to believe in someone to truly follow them; thus believing is indeed a vital part of choosing to follow Jesus.

It is a key factor to faith as well.  Hebrews 11:6 says that for us to come to God, we must believe that He exists, and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.  People of faith must first believe.

However, “believing” is a starting point, not an end…what about “confessing with your mouth that ‘Jesus is Lord’?”  What does that even mean?  If I confess that Jesus is “Lord”, do I not then have to let Him be “Lord”?  Can I claim He is Lord from my heart and not give Him Lordship of my heart?  That seems highly improbable on the integrity level, doesn’t it?

Repentance, then, is the other part of this “Salvation” experience.  If God is going to be Lord of my life, I have to repent of my sin.  I have to want to let go of sin and desire the change only God can bring. 

This is also shown in the following scriptures:

I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. – Luke 5:32

⁴⁶ He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, ⁴⁷ and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. – Luke 24:46-48

When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life. – Acts 11:18

I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. – Acts 20:21

First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds. – Acts 26:20

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. – 2 Peter 3:9

Is believing important?  It is imperative!  But apart from repentance, I believe that James would say:

You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. – James 2:19

The difference is, that the demons’ belief in Jesus doesn’t lead them to repentance.  They are not offered that option.  Only people, made in the image of God, have been offered this great salvation.

Good Friday...What Changed?

Many times we have heard the story of the suffering of Jesus on this day we call Good Friday:  The unrecognizably beaten form that was led down the Way of Suffering to the Hill of the Skull, Golgotha, and hung to die like a common criminal.  He suffered many kinds of pain that day:

1.    The pain of betrayal - Judas

2.    The pain of injustice – The Sanhedrin

3.    The pain of indifference – Pilate

4.    The pain of physical torture – Temple Guard and Roman Soldiers

5.    The pain of the nails and the crown of thorns – The Cross

6.    The pain of breathing while hanging – Survival

7.    The pain of humiliation – Hanging almost naked; The wine-vinegar

8.    The pain of mockery – The crowds, the priests, the soldiers and the criminal on the cross

There was a man who had watched this entire process.  He was there when Judas agreed to betray Jesus; when Jesus was tried by the Sanhedrin; when Jesus was sent to Pilate; when Jesus was abandoned by His own people; when people shouted demands for His crucifixion; and when Jesus was tortured and crucified.  He was a disciple of Jesus’, though not one of the Twelve.  He wanted to save Jesus, but in the end, his fear of what might happen to him overpowered his desire to save Jesus.

And after Jesus had said, “Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing;” after He had said, “My God!  My God!  Why have you forsaken me?!” after He said, “I’m thirsty;” after Jesus finally said, “It is finished!” – Right in the middle of the unusual darkness of that terrible afternoon – There he stood, left to consider it all.

Joseph of Arimathea: 

1.    Until now, a proud, prominent member of the Jewish ruling Council. – Mark 15:43

2.    Until now, wealthy and yet of strong character. – Matt. 27:57; Luke 23:50

3.    Until now, watching and waiting for the kingdom of God to come. – Mk. 15:43; Lk. 23:51

4.    Until now, unwilling to be known as a disciple of Jesus. – John 19:38

5.    Until now, divided in his allegiances between Jesus and His own position in the culture.

But now:

1.    Regretting his silence in the trials

2.    Reliving the shouts of the crowd to crucify this innocent man

3.    Reconsidering his position and the value of it in the scheme of things

4.    Remembering how Jesus spoke of love, of commitment, and of following Him

5.    Realizing his own fear and weaknesses

Joseph decided that it was time to be strong and courageous.  He went directly to Pilate and boldly asked for the body of Jesus (Mark 15:43) so that he could give Him a proper, Jewish burial.  He went, himself, up to the cross and took the body of Jesus down – enlisting the help of another Pharisee-disciple; Nicodemus (John 19:39-40) – and taking the body to a brand new tomb (John 19:41); one that had recently been carved out of solid rock for Joseph (Matt. 27:60).  Nicodemus brought along 75 pounds of myrrh, aloes and spices (John 19:39) to wrap in the linens in which Jesus would be entombed.  Joseph and Nicodemus personally wrapped Jesus’ body, placed it in the tomb, and rolled the stone over the entrance (Matt. 27:60; Mark 15:46).

Joseph could not go back and make things right.  He couldn’t go back and stand up for the Truth in the trial with the Sanhedrin.  He couldn’t make any speeches before the crowds who were shouting to have Jesus crucified.  He couldn’t order the temple guard to stop abusing Jesus.  He couldn’t go back and do what he should have done. 

But he could treat Jesus like royalty in His burial.  He could come forward and confess that he believed Jesus was worthy of better than what He was given.  He could draw that line here and make the statement:  Jesus is, in His death, as He was in His life:  My King!

What about us?  As we stand here today, considering the brutal miscarriage of justice that led to the death of the Savior we claim to love, how does it affect us?  Will we continue to live the life of an “Undercover disciple,” in fear of what might happen if we told others that we believe in Jesus?  When He died for us in this way, will we remain unchanged?

What can we do, now?  We cannot go back and undo all of our mistakes made in weakness and fear.  We can’t bring back things, “the way they should have been”.  But we aren’t done, yet.  There is still today.  How will we show Jesus our deep love for Him?  How will we let the world know that we believe?  What will we do?

Bosses Who Get Great Results

A good boss understands that relationships matter.  People will work harder for someone they like. 

Too many bosses simply try to "rule" their employees.  No one likes being "mastered".  Being "commanded" is even more demotivating.  Using your position of authority to force someone into action is not the most effective method of leading.

In the church, we have a great challenge.  Bill Hybels has said that the church is one of the most leadership-intensive organizations in the world, because we have to find a way to motivate people to serve of their own free will.  We don't hold a paycheck over their heads; they don't get promoted, so there is no advantage to themselves for working extra hard; and threatening to terminate them would be - some days - like setting them free. 

People are internally motivated when they believe that what they are doing is important.  Bossing a person around like a slave makes them feel belittled and insignificant.   

People want to be respected.  Deriding someone who went through strict training and is a professional at what they do is even less effective.

People need to be equipped.  People are motivated to do what they believe in when they are given the tools they need to succeed.  Even when working with professionals, the "boss" has specific expectations that are unique to his or her style of leadership.  No employee should be automatically expected to know how to please their boss.  The boss should:

1.  Communicate clearly - Make your expectations known.
2.  Avoid playing games - Employees want to trust their boss.
3.  Stop gossip - Do not promote it by having "spies".  Dividing your workers kills morale.

Whether you use the word, "boss," or "leader," these are valuable things to remember.  Ultimately, the old addage stands true:  "Leadership is Influence."  You can "Influence" by being an overbearing, command-giving tyrant.  You will always have a lot of turn-over, low morale and dissatisfied employees. 

The best employees will be working for someone who appreciates them as professionals , as colleagues, and as people.  When you can influence quality, solid and exceptional people to work toward a common goal, you will have a business, a church or a school which will produce high-quality results.

If you ever had a great working situation, what was it about your boss that influenced the positive atmosphere?  What motivates you to give your best?

Kirk Cameron and Gay Marriage

WATCH THE VIDEO OF THE INTERVIEW HERE:


http://youtu.be/XcaNqecbtyk


Kirk Cameron has been getting slammed for his comments on Gay Marriage.  I have listened to his answers over and over.  I have listened to the questions he was asked, over and over.  Did he come across as hating anybody?  No.  Disagreeing with anybody?  Certainly. 


If someone asked you point blank, do you support gay marriage, what would your answer be?


What will you tell your children about homosexuality when the time comes?  It is a prevalent part of our culture, and will have to be addressed whether you want to or not.


If your child comes to you and tells you that he or she is gay, how will you respond to them?


Kirk Cameron didn't go out and force these opinions on anybody.  He didn't go on the show to attack anybody.  He simply said he believes that God designed marriage in the garden of Eden with Adam and Eve.


The strongest terms he used was when he was asked point-blank if he believed homosexuality is a sin.  He should have pointed to scripture, perhaps, and let God's word do the talking, but he tried to identify human reasons to show why homosexuality is not good for civilization.  Though I might have handled it differently, I believe his point was that history has shown the best set up for a home is a married man and woman to raise the children together. 


Children need both a mother and a father.  What is the argument against this?  The booming success of our culture today compared to...?


I guess I don't understand what the controversy is all about.  Don't ask a man what he believes, then accuse him of "attacking" someone by answering. 


"Do you like the Detroit Lions?  You don't?  Why do you hate Lions' fans so much?" 


NEWS REPORT:  "Man says he hates Lions' fans!  Hate speech must be silenced!"


Read the questions he was asked one more time.  What would you have said?

Bosses

What is the job of a good boss?  How do you measure the quality of someone who is in charge?


Results?  Are these the measure of success as a boss?  If so, what kind of results; "quality," "quantity," or "both of the above"?


Does it matter how you treat others, or are results all that matter?


Does it matter if you lack integrity, or is it all about results?


Does the morale of the place you work play into this?  If everyone hates their job under your leadership, is that their problem or yours, as the "boss"?  Does bad morale produce "quality" at work? 


Does the Bible have anything to say on this matter?  Is God concerned with how the boss behaves?


If you could say one thing to your boss - to help them be better; not for vengeance - what would you say?


Does a boss have the responsibility to set people up for success?  Should a boss equip his or her workers with all the tools they need to get the best results? 


I would love to hear your discussion on this, and then I am going to follow this post up with some ideas that I believe are very relevant and necessary to be a boss worthy of respect and honor. 


My first thought:  "Submission may be given, but honor and respect are earned."



Discuss!

Trouble Shooting

James asks the question:  'What is it that causes fights and quarrels among you?"  He goes on to answer it, according to what he was teaching, but I would love to hear from everyone who reads this; "What do you think is the main source of fights and quarrels in your life experience?  In your family?  In your marriage?  What is the cause of fights and quarrels in relationships in general?"

I have a few "one-word" answers.  Pride.  Selfishness.  Self-centeredness.

What about you?  What causes fights and quarrels in your life?

Who Are You?

Does what we do determine who we are, or does who we are determine what we do?

Is someone a thug because he treats people badly, or does he treat people badly because he is a thug?

Is someone a teacher because she passes information along, or does she pass information along because she is a teacher?

Is someone saved because he lives a holy life, or does he live a holy life because he is saved?

Does a believer love God because he obeys God, or does he obey God because he loves God?

The fact that you are a Christian means you behave a certain way, you don't act a certain way to be a Christian.  You have been saved by GRACE, but because you are saved, you LIVE LIKE IT.  

Because I am a Christian, I ___________________________.

Because I am God's child, I ___________________________.

Because I am loved by God, I __________________________.

What is the result of you being who you are?  

You are recognized by your fruit, according to scripture.  

In comparison:  Because you are an apple tree, you produce apples; you are not an apple tree because you produce apples.  You were always going to be an apple tree, because that is the kind of seed that was planted.  You grew up as an apple tree, before fruit appeared.  Now you are a full grown apple tree, so you bear apples on you.

Some of us have been unidentifiable as to what kind of tree we are because we have failed to produce fruit.  Or, in the terms I began with, being a Christian has not led us to do anything, so no one knows what we are.  And a tree that does not bear fruit is not good for anything but to be cut down and thrown in the fire.  

Read John 15:1-17

In Your Anger Do Not Sin

Psalm 4:4 says this, and Paul repeats it in Ephesians 4:26:  "In your anger do not sin."  This statement is followed in both passages by the idea of not going to bed angry; or, while you are in your bed, quietly searching your heart.  So then, is anger a sin?

Colossians 3:8 tells us to rid ourselves of things such an anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language.  In this list, anger is connected to the acts of the sinful nature, and the opposite of the way "Children of the Light" should live.  Does this mean it is a sin to get angry?

James 1:19 says we should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because, "man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires."  Is anger a sin?

I am interested to hear what you all have to say in this regard.  Anger...is it a sin?

(Try to use scripture for your answers, because we all know our emotions can control us and seem right, even when they are wrong.  Saying, "I feel that..." to make a point is not going to hold water against scripture.)

Control Freaks

The story of the rich young ruler in Mark 10:16-22 is a story of control.  Ultimately, he was willing to obey the commands of God as far as he controlled them.  Jesus was pleased with his willingness to keep the commands, but found that this man had one flaw:  A lack of complete surrender to God and faith in His competence to control all things, including financial provision for him if he would follow Jesus.


When we read the words, "he went away sad, because he had great wealth," we tend to be judgmental of the man for turning away from Jesus.  But when it comes to issues of control, how often have we done the same thing? 


"One thing you lack,..." Jesus says.  What is it for you?


"Give me control of your future; your problems; your family; your finances; your actions; your will?"  What is it you keep back from Him?  Are you on the threshold of walking away sadly because you trust yourself more than God when it comes to one of these issues?  Are you unwilling to give any one of these areas over to His control?


Which area is the biggest challenge for you?  Why?  What are you afraid will happen if you give up control?  Is Jesus really Lord of your life if you don't surrender this area to Him?  Will you surrender, or walk away, sadly?

Anonymous Confrontation

I have a few opinions about things in life.  You know that if you read my blog, and you know it even more if you have had conversations with me for any amount of time.  I am opinionated.  I confess it, and I own it.  So let me give you my honest opinion about people trying to confront others by sending unsigned letters... 

1.  You are SELFISH.  I cannot think of a more selfish, self-preserving, self-motivated action than to write a letter of condemnation to someone else without letting them know who sent it.  

2.  You are a COWARD.  Writing the address in box letters and sending it from a generic place so no one can trace it back to you shows that you are scared and don't have the convictions of your words to stand behind them.

3.  You are UNLOVING.  In the church, this is one of the most damnable traits of all.  If someone is truly wrong, it would be a loving thing to tell them in a loving way.  A letter that looks like a ransom note is not loving.  By the way, the charge you are making better be scriptural sin if you plan to rightly confront an issue in the life of another Christian.

4.  I will IGNORE you EVERY TIME.  Because you are an unloving, selfish coward, it is not worth the time of day for me to actually take to heart anything you try to say to me.  If it was an important issue that was truly hurting my Christian witness, a truly loving brother or sister in Christ would lovingly address it to my face, with great concern for my spiritual well-being; not take pot-shots in a ransom note.

With that said...no one has sent me one of these types of notes - recently, anyway.  I am not referring to a personal attack or instance of this.  Someone on my worship team at my church had a cruel note sent to them by a gutless coward and I am filled with what I believe is a "Righteous Anger"!  It is not for myself.  It is not because my feelings were hurt.  It certainly isn't because I'm afraid that what they said was true!  It was an ignorant and non-scriptural "opt-ed  piece" being vomited all over one of my church family members. 

If this viper has the where-with-all to try to stick up for their act of cruel cowardice, I would be more than happy to explain to them exactly why they are nothing but wrong for this very stupid act.  Try to stick up for yourself on this, you disreputable snake.  I dare you!

By the way, you are not anonymous to God.  He knows who you are, and He will protect His people.  You will give account for every careless word spoken (or written).  I am ready to account for what I have written here.  My name is connected to it.  How about you?

Told you I was opinionated.

The Holy Spirit

We have been talking about the Holy Spirit in our church services for the last couple of weeks.  It is interesting that Jesus told Nicodemus he must be "born from above" to see the kingdom of heaven.  Jesus went on to call the experience, "Born of water and of the Spirit."

What do you suppose that means?  How are we "born of water?"  How are we "born of the Spirit?"  If this is being "born from above," what part do we play in the whole thing?

I would suggest that baptism with water is a more important part of beginning a relationship with Jesus than we Wesleyans sometimes treat it.

I would also add that being born of the Spirit is not taught very well or addressed very much in our salvation messages.  We talk about believing, but Jesus said we will not enter the Kingdom of God without being "born of the Spirit."  How does that happen?  Do our churches reflect an understanding or experience of life-change that evidences a "New Birth" in our people? 

The Gospel

We like to summarize.  I believe we like it to an unhealthy extent, especially when it comes to the Bible.  We like to say, "That's what the Bible is all about," or "Isn't that really the whole Gospel?"  We want a bumper sticker to say it all.  I believe that if that were possible, God would have given us a bumper sticker, instead of 66 books of Scripture.

So, what is the Gospel message?  Is it simply, "Believe?"  Is it, "Let go, and let God?"  Is it possible to summarize?

Here are some vital aspects of the gospel.  Which parts are necessary for people to understand and accept to be saved?  Which parts do not need to be understood?  Read them all.  Tell me what to delete.

·         God is holy.  He wants holy people.  He created Adam and Eve in holiness; to be holy.

·         Adam and Eve disobeyed God, bringing sin and death into the world, tarnishing the holiness in which they were created.

·         Now, we in ourselves are unholy (worse than “not holy”, we are actively “unholy” - SINFUL)

·         Hell was created to punish Satan and the angels who followed him in rebellion before God.  The punishment fits the crime.  Sin in us has condemned all of us to hell. 

·         Because of God’s holiness, death has to be paid for my sin.  It is the wage my sin has earned.

·         Jesus is God’s Son (holy in character and action), and was without sin.  The spotless lamb.

·         Because of His incredible love and mercy, Jesus' death paid the wage of my sin.  No other payment is sufficient replacement for what I owe; Jesus redeemed me by His blood, and there is no other hope for freedom from hell.

·         The resurrection of Jesus was the greatest victory.  Because He defeated death, we have hope of eternal life, as well!  Without this truth, we are to be pitied more than all others.

·         When we realize all of these things are true (hear and understand the gospel), and we choose to believe it and receive the forgiveness available through Jesus, based on a desire to change the way we live so as to honor Him and submit to His authority as the author of life (repent), and receive the Holy Spirit through the cleansing work of submitting my life into His hands (as shown through baptism, where I died and He came alive in me); when we do this, we receive a new nature, eternal life, and become citizens of heaven.

·         When this has truly happened and you have genuinely believed, you will never be the same, again!  You are a new creation, filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit of God, dead to who you were and alive to what you are becoming.

·         Now, by faith, we live in obedience to God, by the power of the Holy Spirit.  When we blow it, we sincerely ask God for forgiveness, and He faithfully cleanses us.  Then we continue in obedience.  Our lives are His, and not our own.

·         The hope of heaven drives us to daily serve God on earth.

A Follow-Up to "Alcohol and Membership Requirements"

A lot of people viewed the article I wrote on this topic some months back.  One person asked a good question that I am afraid no one will read because it is an older post, so I am reprinting my response to his question here for further insight into my views on this.  I want to be honest about this and admit my views have changed immensely since I was a young minister.  The reasons are in this post.  Here is my response to the question regarding why the church would have expectations about alcohol now that would have omitted Jesus and the disciples from membership in the church today:

Since we are talking about a form of governance and not a heaven or hell issue, I do not believe we have to qualify why Jesus turned water into wine at Cana in Galilee.

We have seen such miserable and embarrassing failures in the leadership of the church over the last 30 years that I believe we need to go the extra mile to show that we are serious about integrity and character among our leaders. In Acts 21:26, Paul had some of the Gentiles ritualistically purified to appease the Jewish community even though they didn't have to be in God's eyes. He did this in order to appease people who thought Paul was getting carried away with his freedom in Christ. Sometimes it is better for leaders in the church to submit themselves to the expectations of the whole to create a peaceful environment in the body.

Jesus made Himself submissive to even death for the sake of saving His church. He could have exercised His freedom - and been right to do so - except that no one would have been saved. Now He has called us to be servants of all; submissive to the authorities that exist.

As the church has become larger and more organized, we have seen divisions happen for all kinds of reasons. We have seen false teachers and weak-willed believers create an atmosphere of doubt about the church, our sincerity and whether anyone really believes what we say, anymore. I believe this has changed our obligation to the Lord and to the world in what we expect of ourselves to live "above reproach" in our day. I think this is "What Jesus Would Do".

If God is Good, Why...?

This is the way many people who struggle to believe - and many who just plain choose to disbelieve - start their questions about Jesus and the Bible. The same questikon can have two completely different impacts on me. When someone is asking it sincerely looking for an answer or for help, it causes me to go right into intercessory prayer for them. When someone asks it to be confrontational and "prove me wrong", it causes me to go right into a prayer for wisdom and protection against what will obviously be an attack against me and my faith. One thing we can't let it do is turn into "fighting words", pitting me against the person I am trying to have a resaonable discussion with. I want to build a bridge for them to cross using wisdom and the word of God as the Spirit leads me, I do not just want to win the argument.

If God is Good, why is there evil? Why do babies suffer? Why do bad things happen to good people? All of these can be causes for genuine confusion for many, and I want desperately to be helpful to them. But some people are just asking these questions to make God appear to be a foolish fantasy, and they are asked with anger, mockery and pretension. This second group of people really tries my patience because they are immediately attacking my faith, assuming they already know what I believe.

In your discussions about your faith, do you find that more people are really trying to understand, or are they just trying to tell you why they don't believe and get you off their backs? Are they peaceful in their approach with you, or do you feel that they are instantly angry at the idea of God? I would love to hear from you how people have responded to your attempts to talk about Jesus with them.

What Style of Evangelism Works?

Many churches are struggling to get our message - the Gospel - out in a positive way.  Some are using food give-away's and mission works to "Evangelize", some are still trying to get people into the church to listen to the gospel, and others are going door to door with a "confrontational" evangelism.

I am interested to hear of successful methods of evangelism - ideas that are currently working.  I am not asking for how you were brought to the Lord, but how you ARE CURRENTLY, EFFECTIVELY reaching your community and seeing lives transformed.

ETERNITY; NOT THE MOMENT

The 73^rd Psalm was written by Asaph, and addresses an issue that could challenge all of us at one moment or another:

PS 73:2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold.

PS 73:3 For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

Have you ever felt like people who don’t care what God thinks are advancing in their lives while you, as a follower of Jesus, are suffering; struggling to get by? Asaph goes on to express how this made him feel:

PS 73:13 Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence.

PS 73:14 All day long I have been plagued; I have been punished every morning.

When we are trying to tell people how badly they need Jesus, they often don’t see it because of these very things. Visibly, they seem to have it all while we have very little, yet we are saying they should want what we have. Sometimes, we even struggle to believe that they can learn anything from us. We may “almost slip”; we may “almost lose our foothold” (v.2).

So what answer does Asaph come up with for us? How do we keep from “envying the arrogant” (v.3)?

PS 73:16 When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me

PS 73:17 till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.

We need to constantly come back to the Word of God, taught in the Sanctuary of God. We need to be reminded that this world is fading away, and what we are receiving has not yet been made completely known, or revealed. But the fate of those who are lost will not be changed by their money or power or fame, here on Earth. Only what we have – the Name of Jesus Christ – can change that for them.

PS 73:24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.

Asaph had the understanding of glory that waits for us after this life is through. While we are here, God guides us. When we die, He will take us into His glory. Meanwhile:

PS 73:27 Those who are far from you will perish;…

This is not something we rejoice about, but rather a reminder that we do have something that they need.

This life is not all there is. Better to suffer for a little while and then have an eternity of heaven, then to have it easy for this life, and suffer an eternity of hell.

And so, we say, along with the Apostle Peter, in Acts 3:6:

AC 3:6 Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. …the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth… ."

Hope is found nowhere else, but the Name of Jesus, and the Salvation He has brought us.

Maybe you feel like your life as a Christian has been harder than many who do not follow Jesus, but don’t let your foot slip; don’t lose your foothold. Follow God’s guidance throughout your life, and come to the Sanctuary of His Word, often, to remember that this is all about eternity, not the moment.