(This has been one of my most visited posts within the last year.  It was originally posted 12/31/2010.  I’m re-posting it with a few new comments.)

My desire is that everyone’s New Year’s resolution is to read the Bible daily in 2011.  The Word of God is so powerful in its transformation that it’ll likely also accomplish all those other resolutions you’d think of making.  Yesterday I wrote about reading the Bible in a year.  Today I’d like to share some tips on how to be successful at doing that.  (Note: Justin Taylor has a great post on various Bible reading plans here if you are still looking for one.  We are doing the One Year Bible Plan.)

1.  Treat your reading as Relationship Time

All of us tend to read like we were taught in school, which is to seek information and learn.  There is a time to do that with the Bible, but not in your daily time.  That is not the time to view the Bible as a textbook or manual, instead that time to – through the Word of God – connect with God, be guided by His Spirit, and be conformed into the likeness of Jesus.  If you see it as relationship-building time with your God who loves you so much that He sent His own Son to die for you, you’ll be more compelled to keep on the reading.

2.  Read only the day’s reading.  DO NOT play “catch-up”

This is so drastically important I cannot stress it enough.  Everyone who attempts to read the Bible-in-a-year and fails does so because they miss days and get behind and then get weighted down by trying to catch up.  But given #1 above, the point is not simply reading all of the Bible, the point is to hear from God and yield to His Spirit.  So if you miss a day, LET IT GO!  Just read the day’s reading that is assigned.  If you have more time after doing today’s reading, you can go back to yesterday’s.  But no stress!  Do today’s first and focus on hearing from God in that text.

(Update:  I have talked to some people who try to make it through all of the Bible – like using the Navigator’s Bible reading plan – but just not do it in a whole year but instead try to do it within 2 or 3.  I think that is another reasonable approach that does not set oneself up for failure.

3.  Pray

Pray before and after you read.  Seriously.  You can read this great post from John Piper on how to Pray for your Soul using his IOUS method (reposted on my friend Ryan’s blog).

4.  Consider the Reading Medium (Be Hesitant to use a Study Bible or an Electronic Bible)

I recommend not using a study Bible for your daily reading when you’re by yourself.  Why?  In my experience, you’ll tend to get sidetracked reading the notes.  Plus, instead of seeking God’s Spirit for the hard things in Scripture (again, we’re trying to hear from God first and foremost here) we all will tend to seek the notes for answers instead.  (By the way, I love study Bibles and, as I have written, I recommend the ESV Study Bible.)  That said, I WOULD recommend using a Study Bible if doing your reading with other people, as that time will involve more discussion, or if you are newer to the Bible and the notes may help you better orient and guide you through the reading.

I also am not keen on reading the Bible electronically (on computer or phone).  I grew up reading things on the computer and have read whole books on a computer.  The problem is, almost all of us (myself included) tend to read differently on an electronic device.  We tend to skim and not really think deeply.  In addition, in my experience people who read on an electronic format will spend less time reading and will be more anxious to “get done” with the reading so they can jump on their e-mail.  Now it may work for some of you, but I would advise you to really consider it first.  If that is your best option given your circumstances, then great!  The Word of God is powerful no matter the form.  However, when you have flexibility you should consider the medium and the atmosphere that will best help you focus on God and His Word.

(Update:  I tried to do some of my Bible reading on my Android phone this year.  I simply do not concentrate as well for long passages.  It is really handy to maybe read the Psalm of the day or the Proverb or to do Bible memorization.  By the way I highly recommend the Fighter Verses app for iPhone or Android.

5.  Keep your reading plan in your Bible

Get a small enough print-out to keep in your Bible that you use for reading.  If you have to go look for it, you may get distracted or will likely simply not read.

6.  Incorporate Journaling

I love journaling.  I am irregular at it, but it has been one of the key things that has helped drill God’s Word down into my mind and heart.

Here is the method I use:
Request – I pray to ask God to guide my reading
Read – I do my reading
Rewrite – After the reading or while I am reading, I copy down (yes word for word!) the verses that stand out to me.  Sometimes it is one or two, sometimes I feel compelled to write down a couple paragraphs.  Rewriting a verse is HUGELY helpful in remembering it and meditating upon it!
Respond – Then I write out a prayer to God telling Him what I believe He is showing me and how those verses relate to me at the moment (this is very helpful to look back on!).
Release -  I then write out quick petitions to God for all the things I am concerned about in my day.  I then release those to God, knowing God has heard and He will respond (see Phil. 4:6-7 and 1 John 5:14-15)

7.  Don’t Get Distracted!

Satan hates it when we read Scripture.  He WILL try to distract you.  Your flesh will also yearn for distraction and will push you to think about the concerns of your day rather than God.  For those that read in the morning, read BEFORE looking at e-mail.  It might be helpful to keep some 3×5 cards and a pen handy to write down notes in case you remember something that you need to do later.  Write it down then move along with your reading.

8.  Set aside time and Establish your routine

I have a completely different schedule every day, so I understand the difficulty of finding a set time.  I have a few set things early morning two days a week and I always read during that time.  On other days, I try to read in the early morning.  If not, then I read in the later morning before lunch.  If not then, I read later in the day.  But when I get a window, I seize that time!  So while I do not set aside a specific time, I make sure there is time set aside.  For those of you who have a more consistent schedule due to job or school, I recommend doing a consistent time, especially the morning if possible.

(Update:  After talking to many people about when they read during this year, I think that morning is really the best time.  I have yet to meet someone who has a consistent and engaging evening reading time instead of a morning time.  I do know people who read consistently both morning and night and are able to keep that up.)

9.  Find a buddy to read with you

If you are married, try to read together as a couple.  Kaelin and I have been reading in the evening together and it has been wonderful!  If you live in a house with other people, try to get some people to read with you (either at the same time or to be doing it together).  Or get some friends to read with you and meet together to talk about it once a week.  Or at very least, ask someone to keep you accountable.  We need to all be encouraging one another daily (Heb. 3:13)!

(Update:  For couples, I would recommend not only reading together.  Given changes of schedules and the inevitable days when you both cannot do it together, this can lead to neither of you reading.  I also think we do need personal time with God as well as community time with God.)

10.  Read Scripture on Why the Bible is so Important

When you start slacking doing reading, seek verses in the Bible that impress how important the Bible is, such as Hebrews 4:12, 2 Timothy 3:10-17, 2 Peter 2:16-21, Psalm 119, Proverbs 30:5, Matthew 24:35, James 1:21, and Isaiah 55:11.

Word.

Jesus, quoting Moses, said:

‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

What do you live on?

This question has been bugging me lately.  Do I spend as much time ingesting my true food (the Bible) as bread?  Do I spend as much time reading and memorizing the Word as I do ingesting movies, blogs, Facebook, and everything else?  What am I really living on?

Don’t waste your life. Right now I am listening to Lecrae’s “Don’t Waste your Life” (watch the video!).  I loved John Piper’s book by the same title.  I need this reminder continually.  So quickly my flesh wants to live for itself, for my own glory, and not for God’s.  The ONLY way I can be sure I am not wasting my life is allowing God’s Spirit to refocus me on what matters.  And that happens through the Bible.

You should read through the Bible in a year.  The last few years I have been doing a Bible-in-a-year plan.  It is WONDERFUL.  God SO often meets me with exactly what I need for the day in the scripture for that day.  It is really quite amazing.  Plus it continues to keep the Word fresh in my heart, which helps keep my flesh at bay.  God never commands a way to ingest His Word, but scripture resounds with the importance of the scriptures in our daily lives.  I really like Psalm 143:

Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,
for in you I trust.
Make me know the way I should go,
for to you I lift up my soul. (Psalm 143:8)

I really do need to hear from God in the morning.  I need to be reminded of how great a God we have, how wonderful of salvation Christ has given me, and how amazing is the grace God gives me daily.  I need to listen to His voice and not millions of ones coming from the world at every step through my day.

Which Bible-in-a-Year reading plan?

There are a lot of good ones.  Here’s a helpful graphic of various plans.  This year we are  going to go through the “One Year Bible” (which was recommended by my Mom’s church).  This has a New Testament, Old Testament, Psalm, and Proverb reading each day.  Here’s a printable version of the reading plan.  I like this one because it spaces out the Proverbs, so we can read a few each day with my family.  I also like that it includes New Testament as well as Old, which is more friendly to people who are new or not yet Christians.  Pick a plan and invite your friends! I invite you to join me in reading God’s Word through 2011!

My biggest tip: Forget missed days, Read just for that day

In my experience, everyone who fails to keep up with their Bible-in-a-Year does so because they miss a few days.  The reading then stacks up and they never return to it.  I cannot stress enough: forget about it.  Really!  Just read the passages for the day you’re on.  God will meet you there.  If you start worrying about “catching up”, you won’t and then you’ll be worse off by not reading.  Just read the day’s reading!  God will meet you there. I also highly recommend journaling daily (which I’ll write about in another post).

Jesus on trial before the Sanhedrin where Jesus claimed to be God and received a death sentence.

One day when I was walking on the University of Minnesota campus, I got into a great conversation with a guy who is Muslim.  We shared many things back and forth.  Then he said to me:  ”If you can point me to where Jesus said he is God, I will believe” (Muslims believe that Jesus is a prophet but is not God).  And so I showed him a couple of my favorite verses on the topic.  He still didn’t believe, although I do believe the verses are quite clear, see for yourself:

1)  Jesus was killed on the cross for claiming to be God

Jesus took the name the “Son of God”.  The Jews at that time knew that such a term was a claim to divinity.  As it says in John:

18 This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. (John 5:18)

The reason the Pharisees were trying to kill him was not simply because they hated him (which is what a Jehovah’s Witness told me) but because they believed Jesus was blaspheming God by claiming to be God.  The death sentence Jesus received was for blasphemy, as we see here:

63 But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” 64 Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” 65 Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy. 66 What is your judgment?” They answered, “He deserves death.” (Matt. 26:63-66)

Jesus WILLINGLY condemned Himself to death.  They had no evidence against Him until he made the clear claim to divinity, as shown in the passage above, which earned him a death sentence (see Leviticus 24:16).

2)  Jesus clearly applies God’s name to Himself

Jesus applies God’s name (I AM, see Exodus 3:14) to Himself a number of times in the book of John.  I have two favorites I like to point out:

58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” 59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple. (John 8:58-59)

Here Jesus both claims to be eternal and to have God’s name.  The Jews picked up stones in order to kill Jesus because they rightly understood this to be a claim of divinity.

4 Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” 5 They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I AM.”  Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. 6 When Jesus said to them, “I AM,” they drew back and fell to the ground. (John 18:4-6, footnote translation used and emphasis added)

The Jews standing there “fell to the ground” when Jesus applied God’s name to Himself.  Whether this was out of worship or reverence, either way it is astounding!  They then arrested Jesus to later crucify Him.  It makes you realize who was really in control

3)  Jesus calls Himself Equal to God

Jesus very clearly equates Himself with God the Father:

30 I and the Father are one.”

31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. (John 10:30-31, emphasis added)

Pretty straight forward here.  He makes this claim a number of times, see also John 10:38, John 14:10.

4)  Jesus allows others to worship Him

This one is very important, as allowing others to worship you is agreeing with what they are doing, which is idolatry if the object of worship is not God (Ex. 20:4-6).  We see in Revelation that John bowed down to an angel but the angel told him “You must not do that!” and said instead to “Worship God” (Rev. 22:8-9).  The Apostles Paul and Barnabas were being worshiped as gods in Ephesus, but said to the people, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you…” (Acts 14:15).

But Jesus was worshiped by the wise men as a baby (Matt. 2:11) and worshiped by His disciples after He rose from the dead (Matt. 28:17).  Jesus also was worshiped as God by a man Jesus healed of his blindness:

35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” 38 He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. (John 9:35-38)

5)  Jesus claims to be Judge

God is the righteous or just one.  God is the standard of what is good and just.  Thus, God is the only judge, especially for people’s eternal salvation or damnation.  Jesus claims to be that judge.

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

…

46 And these (the goats) will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous (the sheep) into eternal life.” (Matt. 25:31-32, 46; comments added)

Jesus claims a role that is clearly God’s, which is also affirmed in 2 Timothy 4:1.

6)  Jesus claims to be King

One of the main messages of of the Old Testament, especially in the Pentateuch, Joshua, Judges, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, and 1& 2 Chronicles is that God is the only true King.  Anyone familiar with the Old Testament would know that God is the one who is King.  Jesus claims that Kingship:

33 So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” …
36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” 37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered,“You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” (John 18:33, 36-37, emphasis added)

7)  Jesus claims to be the Messiah

Jesus clearly claimed to be the Christ (the Messiah or Anointed One).  The Messiah was predicted to be God Himself (see Jeremiah 23:5-6; Isaiah 7:14, 9:6; Micah 5:2).

13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. (Matt. 16:13-17)

So YES, Jesus did claim to be God!

What if someone claimed to hate Star Wars but had only seen the Phantom Menace trailer? Is that legit?

Let’s say someone came up to you and said, “Oh man, Tron was a great movie!”.  And you ask, “You saw it?”.  And they say, “Yeah, I just watched it on my computer.  I watched the trailer.”  What would you say?  Is it legitimate to claim to have seen a movie by watching the trailer?

How about with books.  If someone says “I read George Bush’s new book” but only read the back cover and glanced at the introduction would that be a realistic claim?

No.  And we don’t usually take that as acceptable.  If someone hasn’t seen a whole movie they say “well, I’ve seen parts” or “I fell asleep during the movie so I missed a lot of it”.  They acknowledge they haven’t seen the whole thing.  But for some reason, people do not do the same with the Bible.

Take this example conversation that reflects my dialog with many atheists:

Me: So have you ever actually examined the claims of Christianity and read the Bible?
A: Oh, I’ve read the Bible.  I’ve read what it has to say.
Me: Oh really?  What did you read?
A: Um.  I don’t really remember.
Me: Okay.  Well what did it have to say?  What was the message?  What was the message you disagree with?
A: … Uhh.  Well I know its wrong because it contradicts with science…
Me: That’s interesting.  I thought science simply examined the created things God made.  How does God contradict with science?  What specifically does the Bible say that contradicts with what science has proven?
A:  ….

So many people claim they have “Read the Bible” but have not really.  I know, because I was one of them! I had studied maybe three paragraphs, read the beginning of Genesis, and yet still said “Oh, I read the Bible.  It’s wrong.”  (This was back when I was an agnostic/atheist convinced by evolution but mostly convinced by my own desire to sin.)  Most people, like me back then, have seen just a couple verses of scripture and maybe started to read Genesis (first book of the Bible).  Yet despite that very limited information, they’ve made a judgment about God and about God’s Word (the Bible).

Are you one of those people?  I challenge you to examine the claims of scripture yourself. Don’t take my word for it or anyone else’s, take God’s Word.  Start off reading the books of John and Matthew.  Challenge God to reveal Himself.  This is what I did just over four years ago.  I started flipping through the Gospel of Matthew, telling me about what Jesus said and did.  I realized that God’s Word held more truth than all the empty claims I had believed.

And now I could say I’ve “read the Bible”, as I’ve read through all of it a number of times.  It is truly the most wonderful book ever written.  I highly recommend doing a “Bible in a year” reading plan, like a Chronological Bible Reading Plan (printable copy: http://www.westnewbury.org/Bible/Bible-chronological.pdf).  But although I can claim I’ve “read the Bible”, in reality I will never be done reading it.  As long as my flesh exists and sin is possible, I need the Word of God to transform me through God’s Spirit to make me more into the likeness of Jesus.  As Jesus (quoting Moses) said:

‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ (Matt. 4:4, cf Dt. 8:3)

Those who believe in reincarnation think Stalin will just come back as a lower life form. I rest in the fact that God will judge him for his works and that he is likely enduring eternal punishment for it.

I saw an ad today for a “LIVE” manager scene.  I was wondering what made it live.  Christmas celebrates the incarnation – when God came to earth to become a man to live a sinless life and willingly die for our sins on the cross.  So if it is a live manager scene, is it a re-incarnation?  (To answer my own question:  no.  Jesus was not.)

Speaking of reincarnation, my friend Ryan and I had an interesting conversation with a woman who came up to us on the street and starting talking to us.  Ryan shared some of his story and she shared about her beliefs.  Reincarnation was center-point.  She said essentially that her faith is in reincarnation.

What an odd thing to have faith in!  Now I know a lot of people believe in reincarnation, even those who claim to be Christians.  Here is why I do not think it makes sense:

1)  Who wants to be judged by an impersonal judge?
In reincarnation, we die and we are “judged” and then are sent back as a better or worse life-form based on our performance.  In Christianity, we believe God is judge, and this God is personal and even loves us – demonstrating that love by coming to earth Himself and then dying for our sins in our place.  That’s a personal God!  But reincarnation believes that some kind of amorphous karma will judge our performance.  This is kind of like replacing judges in all our court systems with computers that simply give judgments based on some kind of formula.

2)  How do you know what to do?
What is interesting about “karma” is that it doesn’t actually define what you should do.  People who say they believe in karma can’t actually tell you why you should or should not do anything, except when looking back at the effects.  It is frightening to look forward to being judged on your life’s performance when you are not even sure by what standard you are being judged.  In Christianity, God has clearly given us a measure:  His law as lain out in the Bible.

3)  What assurance do you have of where you are going ?
Let me answer this question:  none.  No assurance.  Reincarnation is very scary.  You have absolutely no idea what will happen or why it will happen.  I have no idea why anyone looks at that as hopeful.  In total contrast, look at how Paul introduces himself in the letter to Titus:

Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, 2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began 3 and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior;  (Ti. 1:1-3, emphasis added)

God promised eternal life to those who have faith in God.  That is some good assurance.  As Paul says later in Titus:

3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Ti. 3:3-7)

If Jesus was QB, he's win by getting sacked. God plays by totally different rules.

There’s quite a lot in common between God and Football.  The most obvious is that people gather on Sundays to worship.  I asked a guy the other day if he goes to church and he said “oh no!  Football is on Sunday, that is my church.”  We can also see a lot of similarities in their fan base.  There’s the non-fan who does not even know who is playing but came because they got invited and got a free ticket.  There’s the fair-weather fan that comes when it is convenient and when they think things are going the way they want them to.  Then there’s the devoted fans, who will show up no matter what is going on.  Then there’s the intense fans who paint their bodies and go shirtless when it is snowing.  Oh wait, maybe that last one doesn’t bridge well.  Anyway…

But there is a major notable differences as well:

A Football Team will threaten to leave to a different city if they do not get enough revenue (fan support) or if the state won’t cough up for a new stadium (ahem, Vikings).  But God sticks with us irrespective of His fan base:

13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself. (2 Tim. 2:13)

This is because NFL Teams are motivated by profit.  They are the “hometown” team as long as it is convenient.  The majority of the players are not even from that area and have little loyalty to the city or people there.  In other words, the team is not really “of” the people.

Compare that to God, who is motivated by His own Glory, which He maximizes not by trying to receive, but by giving Himself away.  And He does so by coming down and being “of” the people:

4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

As I said to the guy who considered Football his “church”, be sure you fully consider the god you choose to worship.  Football cannot save you from your sins and your team would leave you in a heartbeat if they could make more money elsewhere.

It Popped.

Was God surprised by the blizzard or the Metrodome collapse?  Well, here’s what I can affirm:

7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all deeps,
8 fire and hail, snow and mist,
stormy wind fulfilling his word! (Ps. 148:7-8)

The snow literally fulfills God’s Word.  What does this mean?  Here are some examples:

- God knew where each snow flake was formed, the path it would take floating down to earth, and where it would land.  God directed them to fall upon the Metrodome.  God knew it would collapse.  God knew the Vikings would have to play somewhere else for awhile.

- God knew that the piling of all those individual snowflakes would cancel plans and holiday parties.  God knew this would bless some people.  As our friend Jill said today on Facebook:  ”This snow was such a gift from God. It made us cancel all our plans on a busy holiday weekend and spend two peaceful days together inside. Sweet, sweet family time that wouldn’t have happened otherwise. I’m so thankful.”

- God also knew that others of us needed our plans to be ruffled in order to better seek Him instead of relying on ourselves.

- God knew OUR family holidays plans would be hampered and that it would cause our family stress.  God also knew we’d be stressed despite the numerous exhortations in scripture to not be anxious (Phil. 4:6, Matt. 6:25).  God knew I would sin by forgetting to trust in Him and instead be anxious.  God knew all that and yet still died for our sins on the cross and continues to give us grace and mercy when we fall.

- God knew that the snow would cause the woman across the street to park her van in front of our driveway.  God knew her van would die and unable to start.  God knew how that would shape our decisions – being able to drive anywhere – and how it would shape her decisions.

God knew about and directed each and every snowflake to bring Himself Glory and to work for the good of those who love God (Romans 8:28).

So given all that… do you think God was surprised?

Depending on when the Lord takes you, it is likely that more people will remember you as older and mature than as young. (Pictured is Roger Nicole 1915-2010, now enjoying God forever in Heaven.)

Today as I was reading a memorial post about the passing of a 95-year old man named Roger Nicole who has been a great pastor.

95 years old! That is more than three times my age!  And lately I’ve been feeling “old”.  I mean, all kids now look at me as an “adult”.  I often have aches in the morning.  I do not feel the same as when I was “young”.

I realized that (Lord willing) I will spend the majority of my life AFTER my body is done growing and AFTER it hits its physical peak.  If by God’s grace I live to 95, I’ll have spent almost as much time after retirement age as in my “working” years (although I will continue in the Lord’s work until I am physically unable).

For me this puts a lot of things into perspective.  This is how it has impacted me in a wholistic way:

• Physically
  We have been focusing a lot on eating high nutrition meals.  Instead of focusing on calories, fats, or whatever else, we try to focus on the positive – nutrients (see http://www.drfuhrman.com/).  Nutrients are what sustain our bodies long term.
  This also puts into perspective a lot of other parts of our bodies, like our teeth.  I want to have my teeth for a long time!  That’s why I use a Sonicare toothbrush and am more diligent about my chompers
  
• Mentally
  Both what I input into my mind and how I train my mind to think will have a great impact on the rest of my life.  Instead of filling my mind with useless sports trivia or plots from substance-less entertainment, I try to learn more that will be useful throughout my life.  I especially focus on learning about God and meditating/memorizing the Bible.
• Socially
  This helps me view people as long term.  This helps encourage me to be patient with people to see how God will change them (something God is still helping me with).  This helps me to invest in people knowing that investment will have long-term results in their life.  And most importantly, this encourages me to invest in my marriage – which may last another 60 years Lord willing! – and in my children.
• Emotionally
  We spend our time on what we care about.  How we spend our times shapes the trajectory of our lives.  Through setting my heart on God, I try to focus my emotional energy on the things that matter most, thus positively shaping my future toward these directions.  Instead of being overwhelmed, anxious, and negative (a state I naturally am drawn to), I strive to be peaceful and resting in Christ (which affects my physical, mental, and social states as well!).

But something larger than this perspective has an even greater influence on my life.  I believe that after this mortal life, Jesus will raise me to a eternal life.  This eternal perspective has an even greater wholistic impact:

• Physically
  By realizing that this current body will one day be transformed into a glorified immortal body, I can focus on caring for and using this body to maximize its usefulness for the mission God has called me to in this life.
• Mentally
  I will eternally be in the presence of God.  Most of what I put my mind to on earth will be a waste.  But when I put my mind toward contemplating God’s Word, I invest mentally into eternity.  In light of eternity, I consider how to most wisely walk in this life, especially so I can give God the most honor and share the message of God’s love with the most people.
• Socially
  People are the only thing going to heaven.  Money and stuff will not last.  I focus my time as much as possible on people.  I see my social interactions with people not simply as a way to enjoy their company, but also as a way to continually point others toward eternity in God’s love.  This also means I invest time in shepherding my family to be oriented toward Heaven.
• Emotionally
  So much that happens that overwhelms me, stresses me out, or gets me angry really does not matter that much when contemplating that God will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom (2 Tim. 4:18).  Focusing on eternity helps push me to trust in God in all my circumstances and lean on His grace in times of need.

Heaven is a big deal.  Let it impact you.  For more on heaven, read Randy Alcorn’s post about “What does the Bible Say about Heaven?”

The Apostle Paul was greatly impacted by his eternal perspective:

12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. 16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained. (Phil. 3:12-16)

Adult bed bugs with smaller babies around them. They like to nest in tight spots, especially in the box spring. There are EXTREMELY resilient.

Have you ever had bed bugs?  I have.  That will teach you about suffering.  Let me tell you about that…

On one night two weeks ago, three different people asked me the question “if there is a God, why is there so much suffering”.  I think all of us ask this question at one point.  And it is a good question to ask, because we suffer and yet there is supposedly a good God in control of all this.  This is the question I asked when we got bed bugs.

The Bed Bugs Story

Well over a year ago, Kaelin and I started getting weird bites.  We had been outside in the evenings so we figured it was mosquitoes.  But we kept getting more.  Then I noticed some red streaks on the bed.  I googled about red streaks and bites… and to my horror found we had bed bugs.  I found out that bed bugs are thin tick-like bugs that get in your bed and feast on blood.  And I also found out that we were not supposed to sleep elsewhere in the house else they migrate, so that night I had to try to fall asleep knowing we had bed bugs.  (I later found out that a woman we were friends with had had them for quite awhile and was coming over quite often.  Usually they do not travel with people but if you’ve had them long enough they eventually lay eggs that stick to shoes and can be carried places… real nasty).

Anyway, long story short it was one of the most difficult times of our lives.  Yes, lots of suffering (although of a different kind than I had normally experienced).  We spent multiple weeks cleaning everything in our house, diligently taking our bed apart every night to kill stragglers, and going to bed overwhelmed with the seemingly impossible task of securing a safe place to sleep.  Through all this I prayed diligently to God, “take the bugs away!”  He didn’t do it right away.  And even a few months later they popped back up in a chair in another room.  But praise be to God they seem to be completely gone now.  (If you want info on how to get rid of them, contact me).

The Bible on Suffering

The Bible has quite a lot to say about suffering.  The problem is actually believing it.  I had read all those passages, but, at least initially, that understanding did not seem to help at all when confronted with the reality of suffering.  But soon God’s Word took root.  I realize that some of you may be going through a tough spot in life right now.  By no means am I or the Bible minimizing that.  There is, however, some important truths that help us through it.  Often God does not pull us out of our suffering, but He will pull us through it.

This is by no means all that the Bible says, but here are the big points that have encouraged me through suffering.  I would encourage you to meditate upon this Word from God (you’ll note a lot of these are from Romans 8, which is a chapter worth spending lots of time in).

God suffered for us

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, (2 Pet. 3:18)

45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. (Luke 24:45-47, cf Acts 3:18, 17:3,  26:23)

9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. (Heb. 2:9)

God bears with us in our suffering

18 For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. (Heb. 2:18)

16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. (Rom. 8:16-17)

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. (Rom. 8:26)

God’s people all suffer together

But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. (1 Cor. 12:24-26, cf. Eph 4:2, Col. 3:13)

God call us to suffer like Christ for Christ

29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake… (Phil. 1:29)

8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 10 and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 11 for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, 12 which is why I suffer as I do. (2 Tim. 8-12, cf, 2 Tim 2:3, 2:9, 3:11, 4:5)

Suffering can show Christ in our lives

8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. (2. Cor. 4:8-10)

Suffering can have positive results through God’s Love

3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Rom. 5:3-5)

God is working all things to Good

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Rom. 8:28)

We look forward to something better

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (Rom. 8:18)

16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. (2 Cor. 4:16-8)

Imagine doing a trust fall without anyone behind you to catch you. Faith without a grounding in something true is like seeing no one behind you and just deciding to fall anyway.

“Well, it’s good to have faith.”

I’ve heard that a lot.  When I would tell people (non-Christians) about training for ministry and being passionate about telling people about the love of God in Christ Jesus, they would remark “oh that’s nice, it’s good for people to have faith.”  I know they are just trying to be nice to me since they do not really share the same convictions.  And I do appreciate that.  But I do always want to ask, Is it really good to simply “have faith”?

So I am talking to this guy a few weeks back.  Let’s call him Simon.  Simon has young kids too and tells me how they go to a Catholic Church.  I asked him about it.

Simon: Well… eeeh.  I’m not really into that whole God thing.  I was raised Catholic, you know, and now we go for the kids.  It’s good to have faith in something.
Me: Huh.  That’s interesting.  Let me ask, what is faith in?
Simon: What do you mean?
Me: I mean, when I set this glass down on the table, I have faith that the table is going to hold it up.  I’m assuming it’ll stay there and not fall to the floor.  The faith is IN something.  For Christians, what is faith IN.
Simon: The Resurrection of Jesus.
(This answer really surprised me!  It’s a good one!
Me: Good answer.  Do you have faith in that?
Simon: Ehh… no.  Not really.
Me: Why not?
Simon: I just don’t think it really could happen.
Me: Then why is faith good?  Is it a good thing for your daughters to have faith in something that is a lie?  Do you know what scripture says about that?
Simon: No, what’s it say.
Me: “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. ” (1 Cor. 15:17-19).  If Jesus did not rise, then the Christian faith is foolishness.  And Jesus told us he would rise from the dead.  Jesus is then a liar, and he would be one of the most evil men of all time because of how he has deceived the world.
Simon: That’s really interesting… (and we continued in a great conversation)

Faith is WORTHLESS if it is not based on something real and true.  The book of Hebrews tells us what our faith is about:

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Heb. 11:1)

That is the Christian faith.  We have assurance of things hoped for.  What do we hope for?  We hope for sin to be fully vanquished, for Jesus to return fully as King of this world, and for us to be raised to eternal life to glorify Jesus in the new heavens and new earth.

A lot of people have “faith” in other things.  They have faith in themselves, faith in the earth, faith in technology, faith in spirits, faith in money, or whatever else gives them the appearance of security and comfort.  What assurance do any of those THINGS give?  Here’s what the Apostle Paul has to say about that:

29 Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. (In other words, stop having faith in stuff!) 30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:29-31, commentary and emphasis added)

Christians have assurance of what we hope for… why?… because Jesus rose from the dead! (For more proofs about that, read this article by Josh McDowell).  Faith in anything else, such as created things (stuff) or our sinful selves, is simply “ignorance”.

So yes, it is good to “have faith in something” if that something is Jesus.