Messages From Heaven: God Becomes Visible!

Messages From Heaven: God Becomes Visible!: “[Christ] is the image of the invisible God” ( Colossians 1:15 ). In Christ, the invisible God became visible. Sometimes I listen to d...

God Becomes Visible!

“[Christ] is the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15).

In Christ, the invisible God became visible.

Sometimes I listen to different preachers on the radio or watch them on television, and I get tremendously frustrated. That’s because so many of them present a confusing picture of who Christ really is. Since there are so many who distort the Christian faith, there should be in every believer a desire to defend it. The apostle Paul certainly had that desire. Since the heretics at Colosse viewed Jesus as a lesser spirit who emanated from God, Paul refutes that with a powerful description of who Jesus really is.
Paul describes Him as “the image of the invisible God” (Col. 1:15). The Greek word translated “image” (eikon) means “likeness.” Although man is also the eikon of God (1 Cor. 11:7), he is not a perfect image of God. Humans are made in God’s image in that they have rational personality. Like God, they possess intellect, emotion, and will, by which they are able to think, feel, and choose. We humans are not, however, in God’s image morally: He is holy, and we are sinful. We are also not created in His image essentially, since we do not possess His divine attributes.
Unlike man, Jesus Christ is the perfect, absolutely accurate image of God. He did not become the image of God at the Incarnation but has been that from all eternity. Hebrews 1:3 says Christ “is the radiance of [God’s] glory and the exact representation of His nature.” Christ reflects God’s attributes and is the exact likeness of God. That is why Christ could say, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).
By using the term eikon, Paul emphasizes that Jesus is both the representation and manifestation of God. He is the full, final, and complete revelation of God. He is God in human flesh. That was His claim (John 8:58), and it is the unanimous testimony of Scripture (cf. Col. 2:9; Titus 2:13). To think anything less of Him is blasphemy and gives evidence of a mind blinded by Satan (2 Cor. 4:4).
Suggestions for Prayer
Thank the Lord for removing your spiritual blindness so that you could “see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Cor. 4:4).
For Further Study
According to Romans 8:29, what has God predestined for all believers?

Messages From Heaven: Possessions and Affections!

Messages From Heaven: Possessions and Affections!: Since the beginning of time, people have made excuses. We can trace this behavior all the way to the Garden of Eden, where Adam made the...

Possessions and Affections!

Since the beginning of time, people have made excuses. We can trace this behavior all the way to the Garden of Eden, where Adam made the first known excuse. After Adam sinned, the Lord demanded an explanation. He simply said, "It is the woman You gave me." We're not really sure whether he was blaming the woman, God, or both. But essentially he was saying, "Lord, I was taking a nap, I woke up, I'm a rib short, and she is here. She got me into this trouble. I am not responsible."
Then God turned to Eve and also demanded an explanation. She said, "The serpent beguiled me." A modern translation would be, "The devil made me do it. I bear no responsibility in the matter. He just overcame me."
Luke 14 records a story Jesus told about three men who offered excuses for not attending a wedding feast. Here we find an example of the excuses people make as to why they will not follow God and obey His plan for their lives. But first, we need to understand something about the culture of that day. When a great feast was thrown, it was customary to extend two invitations. The first was given months beforehand. Later, a second invitation would remind guests of their commitment and the host's expectation that they would attend.
This was important, because the feast was given at a considerable expense, with a great deal of time and effort. It was a great honor to be invited. To decline would be considered offensive and could cause an international incident — a legitimate reason to wage war. We need to understand this as we look at the three men who turned down invitations to such a feast. It wasn't that they had other things to do. Rather, they had been invited, had agreed to come, and then made lame excuses at the last minute.
The first said, "I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused" (Luke 14:18 NKJV). In that day, purchasing property was a long and complicated process. This was a ridiculous excuse, because this man would have had many opportunities to examine the land before he bought it. Basically, he allowed his possessions to hold him back.
The next person said, "I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them" (v. 19). Like the one before him, this man was either a complete idiot or a blatant liar. Buying animals without testing them first would be like purchasing a car without test-driving it.
While the first guy was held back by possessions, this man was held back by his career. He would plow a field with those oxen. That's how he would make his living. Pursuing a career isn't wrong, but in this man's case, it kept him back from the Lord.
Let's look at the third and final excuse. "Still another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come' " (verse 20). He was saying, "I'm married. Life is over. That is it." I am sure he could have pulled a few strings and brought his wife along. Obviously, this too was an excuse.
The first two excuses related to material possessions, while the third had to do with affections. Possessions and affections cover virtually every reason given by men and women who will not put their faith in Christ.
Jesus is offering His kingdom — a perpetual feast of peace, help, guidance, friendship, forgiveness, joy, certainty in the midst of uncertainty, and the hope of heaven. Yet people turn their backs on this, preferring a visit with their possessions or affections instead.
This parable isn't a put-down of things and relationships. What it is simply saying is this: If good things keep you from enjoying the best things, then they become bad things. They are shallow excuses people hide behind.
To go back to the original context of this parable, Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees, essentially saying, "You had an engraved invitation to God's wedding feast, but because you have so missed the point, you are not going to get in."
Maybe excuses have kept you from coming to Jesus. In reality, it's an issue of what you will or will not do. My prayer is that you will come to Him today.

Messages From Heaven: Make Room for Jesus This Christmas!

Messages From Heaven: Make Room for Jesus This Christmas!: Have you ever had one of those birthdays when you wanted people to throw a party for you? You wanted them to buy some nice gifts. You h...

Make Room for Jesus This Christmas!

Have you ever had one of those birthdays when you wanted people to throw a party for you?
You wanted them to buy some nice gifts. You hinted at what gifts you wanted and even left maps to the places where you wanted them to shop. You were hoping someone would get the idea of throwing you a surprise party. You were certain that every time you went out to dinner with a friend that people were going to jump out and yell, “Happy Birthday!” You were looking forward to it with great excitement. But nothing happened. The party never took place. In fact, it seemed like people forgot your birthday. Or worse yet, they remembered it but failed to acknowledge it.
Christmas is a Birthday.
In theory, that is what Christmas can be like. It is supposed to be a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. In contrast to your birthday or mine, everyone recognizes it. Everywhere we go there are reminders that Christmas is coming. Merchants want you to shop till you drop and spend money. Shoppers, in turn, can get psycho about getting good deals.
The Reason for the Season.
We all need to just relax a little bit and remember what this season is about: it is the time when we celebrate Jesus’ birth. In the midst of our activities and preparations to celebrate Christmas, how often do we forget about the honored guest? We string our lights. We trim our trees. We talk about Christmas. We hear recorded songs mentioning the birth of Jesus. But how many people actually take time for Him? We run around the malls and buy things for everyone we know—and even some people we wish we didn’t know. But we can forget to make room in our schedules for Jesus.
Make Room for Jesus.
The fact there was no room for Jesus at the inn that first Christmas was indicative of the treatment that He would receive throughout His entire earthly ministry. One telling passage is found for us in John’s Gospel, where it says, “And everyone went to his own house. But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives” (John 7:53–8:1 NKJV). Everyone went home for the night, but Jesus went to sleep out in the open air on the Mount of Olives.
There was never room for Jesus. And today, there is just no room for Him in so many situations. Is there room for Jesus in your life right now? This Christmas, as we prepare to start a new year with new opportunities, will you make room in your life for Him?

Messages From Heaven: Today's Bible Reading!

Messages From Heaven: Today's Bible Reading!: Galatians 4 1 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a serva...

Today's Bible Reading!

Galatians 4

1 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; 2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. 3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: 4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. 8 Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. 9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? 10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. 11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain. 12 Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all. 13 Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first. 14 And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. 15 Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me. 16 Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth? 17 They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them. 18 But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you. 19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, 20 I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you. 21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? 22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. 23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. 24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. 25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. 26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. 27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. 28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. 29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. 30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. 31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

Lamentations 3

1 I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath. 2 He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light. 3 Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his hand against me all the day. 4 My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones. 5 He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail. 6 He hath set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old. 7 He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy. 8 Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer. 9 He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked. 10 He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places. 11 He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate. 12 He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow. 13 He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins. 14 I was a derision to all my people; and their song all the day. 15 He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood. 16 He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes. 17 And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgat prosperity. 18 And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD: 19 Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. 20 My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me. 21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. 22 It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. 24 The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. 25 The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. 26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD. 27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. 28 He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him. 29 He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope. 30 He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach. 31 For the Lord will not cast off for ever: 32 But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. 33 For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men. 34 To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth, 35 To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the most High, 36 To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord approveth not. 37 Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not? 38 Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good? 39 Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins? 40 Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD. 41 Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens. 42 We have transgressed and have rebelled: thou hast not pardoned. 43 Thou hast covered with anger, and persecuted us: thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied. 44 Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that our prayer should not pass through. 45 Thou hast made us as the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the people. 46 All our enemies have opened their mouths against us. 47 Fear and a snare is come upon us, desolation and destruction. 48 Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people. 49 Mine eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission, 50 Till the LORD look down, and behold from heaven. 51 Mine eye affecteth mine heart because of all the daughters of my city. 52 Mine enemies chased me sore, like a bird, without cause. 53 They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone upon me. 54 Waters flowed over mine head; then I said, I am cut off. 55 I called upon thy name, O LORD, out of the low dungeon. 56 Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry. 57 Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not. 58 O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life. 59 O LORD, thou hast seen my wrong: judge thou my cause. 60 Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their imaginations against me. 61 Thou hast heard their reproach, O LORD, and all their imaginations against me; 62 The lips of those that rose up against me, and their device against me all the day. 63 Behold their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their musick. 64 Render unto them a recompence, O LORD, according to the work of their hands. 65 Give them sorrow of heart, thy curse unto them. 66 Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the LORD.

Lamentations 4

1 How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street. 2 The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter! 3 Even the sea monsters draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones: the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness. 4 The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them. 5 They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills. 6 For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her. 7 Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire: 8 Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick. 9 They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field. 10 The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people. 11 The LORD hath accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured the foundations thereof. 12 The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem. 13 For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her, 14 They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments. 15 They cried unto them, Depart ye; it is unclean; depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, they said among the heathen, They shall no more sojourn there. 16 The anger of the LORD hath divided them; he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the elders. 17 As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save us. 18 They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come. 19 Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness. 20 The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD, was taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen. 21 Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz; the cup also shall pass through unto thee: thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked. 22 The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry thee away into captivity: he will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will discover thy sins.

Psalm 146:1-11

1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul. 2 While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being. 3 Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. 4 His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. 5 Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God: 6 Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever: 7 Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The LORD looseth the prisoners: 8 The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous: 9 The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down. 10 The LORD shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the LORD.

Messages From Heaven: The Meaning of the Cross!

Messages From Heaven: The Meaning of the Cross!: A true story was reported about a couple visiting a jewelry store. As the jeweler showed them various cross necklaces, the woman commen...

The Meaning of the Cross!

A true story was reported about a couple visiting a jewelry store. As the jeweler showed them various cross necklaces, the woman commented, “I like these, but do you have any without this little man on them?”
That’s what so many people want today: a cross without Jesus. They want a cross without any offense . . . one that will look cool with their outfits. But if we could travel back in time and see the cross in its original context, we would realize that it was a bloody and vile symbol. It would have been the worst picture imaginable to see someone hanging on a cross.
The Romans chose crucifixion because it was meant to be a slow, torturous way to die. It was designed not only to kill someone, but to utterly humiliate them as they died. Crucifixions outside Roman cities served as warnings to anyone who would dare oppose the rule of Rome.
If there were any other way, do you think that God would have allowed His Son to suffer like this? If there had been any other way we could have been forgiven, then God surely would have found it. If living a good moral life would get us to heaven, then Jesus never would have died for us. But He did, because there was and is no other way. He had to pay the price for our sin. At the cross, Jesus purchased the salvation of the world.
Listen to the apostle Paul’s description of the divine transaction that took place in those terrible moments when Jesus suffered for our sins: “God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross” (Colossians 2:13–15 NLT).
If you were ever tempted to doubt God’s love for you, even for a moment, then take a long, hard look at the cross. Nails did not hold Jesus to that cross. His love did.
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18 NKJV).

Messages From Heaven: The Nucleus of Civilization!

Messages From Heaven: The Nucleus of Civilization!: According to the Bible, God himself ordained the family as the basic building block of human society, because He deemed it "not good...

The Nucleus of Civilization!

According to the Bible, God himself ordained the family as the basic building block of human society, because He deemed it "not good that man should be alone" (Genesis 2:18). That verse stands out starkly in the biblical creation narrative, because as Scripture describes the successive days of the creation week, the text punctuates each stage of creation with the words, "God saw that it was good" (Genesis 1:4,10,12,18,21,25, italics added). The goodness of creation emerges as the main theme of Genesis 1, and the statement "God saw that it was good" is repeated again and again, like the refrain after each stanza of a lengthy song. Then finally, after the sixth day of creation, we're told with emphasis, "God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good" (italics added).
But then Genesis 2:18 takes us back to the end of day six and reveals that just before God ended His creative work, just one thing was left that was "not good." Every aspect of the entire universe was finished. Each galaxy, star, planet, rock, grain of sand, and tiny molecule was in place. All the species of living things had been created. Adam had already given "names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field" (v. 20). But there was still one glaring unfinished aspect of creation: "For Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him" (v. 20). Adam was alone, and in need of a suitable mate. Therefore God's final act of creation on day six — the crowning step that made everything in the universe perfect - was accomplished by the forming of Eve from Adam's rib. Then "He brought her to the man" (Genesis 2:22).
By that act, God established the family for all time. The Genesis narrative says, "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh" (v. 24). Jesus quoted that verse in Matthew 19:5 to underscore the sanctity and permanence of marriage as an institution. The same verse is quoted practically every time two believers are united in a Christian marriage ceremony. It is a reminder that marriage and the family are ordained by God and therefore sacred in His sight.
So it is no mere accident of history that family relationships have always been the very nucleus of all human civilization. According to Scripture, that is precisely the way God designed it to be. And therefore, if the family crumbles as an institution, all of civilization will ultimately crumble along with it.
Over the past few generations, we have seen that destructive process taking place before our eyes. It seems contemporary secular society has declared war on the family. Casual sex is expected. Divorce is epidemic. Marriage itself is in decline, as multitudes of men and women have decided it's preferable to live together without making a covenant or formally constituting a family. Abortion is a worldwide plague. Juvenile delinquency is rampant, and many parents have deliberately abandoned their roles of authority in the family. On the other hand, child abuse in many forms is escalating. Modern and postmodern philosophies have attacked the traditional roles of men and women within the family. Special interest groups and even government agencies seem bent on the dissolution of the traditional family, advocating the normalization of homosexuality, same-sex "marriage," and (in some cultures nowadays) sterilization programs. Divorce has been made easy, tax laws penalize marriage, and government welfare rewards childbirth outside of wedlock. All those trends (and many more like them) are direct attacks on the sanctity of the family.
These days whenever families are portrayed in films, television dramas, or sitcoms, they are almost always caricatured as grossly dysfunctional. Someone recently pointed out that the only television "family" who regularly attend church together are "The Simpsons" — and they are cartoon exaggerations deliberately saddled with the worst imaginable traits, designed mainly to mock and malign both church and family. It's no joke, though. A relentless parade of similarly dysfunctional assortments of people assaults us on television and in the movies. Hollywood has defined a broad new meaning for the word family.
Meanwhile, traditional nuclear families with a strong, reliable father and a mother whose priorities are in the home have been banished from popular culture, made to feel as if they were the caricature.
Although many Christian leaders have been passionately voicing concerns about the dissolution of the family for decades, things have grown steadily worse, not better, in society at large. Secular social commentators have lately begun to claim that the traditional nuclear family is no longer even "realistic." An article published not long ago by the on-line magazine Salon said this: "The 'ideal' American family — a father and a mother, bound to each other by legal marriage, raising children bound to them by biology — is a stubborn relic, a national symbol that has yet to be retired as threadbare and somewhat unrealistic."¹ The nuclear family simply won't work in 21st-century society, according to many of these self-styled "experts."
I know those voices are wrong, however, because I have witnessed literally thousands of parents in our church who have put into practice what the Bible teaches about the family, and they and their families have been greatly blessed for it.
As society continues its mad quest to eliminate the family, and as our whole culture therefore unravels more and more, it becomes more important than ever for Christians to understand what the Bible teaches about the family, and to put it into practice in our homes. It may well be that the example we set before the world through strong homes and healthy families will in the long run be one of the most powerful, attractive, and living proofs that when the Bible speaks, it speaks with the authority of the God who created us — and whose design for the family is perfect.

Messages From Heaven: Some Thanksgiving Thoughts!

Messages From Heaven: Some Thanksgiving Thoughts!: Thanksgiving is finally upon us. And that means Christmas is closely following. Often we put so much of our focus on Christmas, we miss...

Some Thanksgiving Thoughts!

Thanksgiving is finally upon us. And that means Christmas is closely following. Often we put so much of our focus on Christmas, we miss this important American Holiday.
I like that fact that thanksgiving is not about buying presents or decorating trees and homes, but it’s about getting together with family and friends and doing what we all love—eating! And more importantly, it’s about giving thanks.
Thanksgiving was established by President Washington on November 26, 1789. It is a religious holiday started by the Pilgrims. The first Thanksgiving lasted three days, during which the Pilgrims feasted with their Indian guests.
The Bible says to us as believers:
Psalm 106:1 – “Praise the LORD! Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever” (NKJV).
Hebrews 13:15 – “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name” (KJV).
Yes, praise and worship can sometimes be a “sacrifice” because we don’t want to give it. That may be because we are down or depressed, or things aren’t going all that well. Or it may be that hardship or tragedy has hit your life and you don’t want to thank God.
The Bible does not say, “Give thanks unto the Lord when you feel good,” but rather, because “He is good!” So, I encourage you to give thanks in this special holiday time.
May God bless you, and I hope that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends.

Messages From Heaven: Grace Upon Grace!

Messages From Heaven: Grace Upon Grace!: The movie character Forrest Gump became famous for saying, “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.” In i...

Grace Upon Grace!

The movie character Forrest Gump became famous for saying, “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.” In its simplicity, that statement is profound in its accuracy. It is true, like a box of chocolates that we open and try the various fillings and flavors to pick a favorite piece; we don’t know what each day of our lives will hold. But as believers in Jesus Christ, we have an assurance that He is with us, and the knowledge that all that is good comes from Him. The Bible says that He opens His hand and satisfies His children with good things (Psalm 104:28).
John 1:16 drives this home with an unusual phrase: “And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.” When you read that verse the first time, it sounds as though some words are missing.  But the actual Greek phrase is grace “anti” grace. The word anti is a Greek preposition that can have several meanings. The New King James Version translates it for, but most linguists prefer using the word upon. Out of the fullness of His own grace, Jesus gives us grace upon grace, grace on top of grace.
Think of the ocean surf—one wave coming after another in endless succession.  In his commentary on John, F. F. Bruce says that the followers of Christ draw from the ocean of divine fullness grace upon grace—one wave of grace being constantly replaced by a fresh one. “There is no limit to the supply of grace which God has placed at His people’s disposal in Christ,” observes Bruce.
It’s like the clouds of Noah’s day that kept pouring out rain; the granaries in Joseph’s days that held endless reserves of grain; the rock in the wilderness that kept pouring out the water; the cruise of oil in Elijah’s time that kept issuing oil; the cup in Psalm 23 that kept overflowing.
Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates can’t compare with that!
The New International Version simply says:  “From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another.”
Ephesians 1:3 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.”
Psalm 68:19 says similarly, “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits.”
Shame on us for moping around all day like desolate wanderers in the bleak woods or barren moors. We can’t always be happy, but a rod of joy should run down the backbone of our attitudes. Though life has its share of burdens, God has an endless variety of ways to bless us.
            We’re blessed, for example, with friendly people. Yes, there are plenty of grouches around in just about every setting; but someone is smiling right now not far from you. It might be at the corner market, in the softball bleachers, at a church function, or across the counter at Starbucks. But if you’ll look for a smile, you’ll find one pretty easily. And if you’ll smile yourself (it happens when you tell the corners of your mouth to relax and twist upward), you’ll discover a good many more smiling people.
We’re blessed with natural beauty around us. Lift your eyes from this page and glance out a window. See the clouds or sunshine; or if it’s evening, the moon and stars? The wonder of God’s creation is there for us to consider and appreciate. If there’s a houseplant nearby, take a moment to study its leaves—perhaps you will note for the first time how each one is uniquely designed for a specific purpose. Listen for a bird’s song or look for flowers along the walkways as you go about your day. They were created for you to enjoy.

This is my Father’s world,
 the birds their carols raise,
the morning light, the lily white,
 declare their Maker’s praise.

We also see God’s goodness in His providential alignment of life’s circumstances. How wonderfully He weaves together the good and bad—the sad and glad—into a tapestry of praise. Look back over your life and notice how seemingly bad events have worked for your good.
Let’s savor the moments we are given and thank Him for providing us with all things richly to enjoy.

Messages From Heaven: Who Do You Think You Are?

Messages From Heaven: Who Do You Think You Are?: But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of ...

Who Do You Think You Are?

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy (1 Peter 2:9–10, esv).
If you could use just a few words to describe who you are, what words would you choose?
Some people would say, “I’m my past. My bad choices hang over my life like a dark cloud.” Others would say, “I’m my performance. My parents raised me to think I had to be perfect, and I’m still trying.” Others admit, “I’m my problems,” or “I’m alone,” or “I’m a loser.”

“The Lord wants you! He chose to set his love upon you.”

But God describes you in a whole different way. First Peter 2:9 identifies you as: “a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
Do you belong to God? If so, He calls you His own! Will you let that truth bind itself to your heart? Maybe you’ve never truly felt wanted by anyone. Listen: the Lord wants you! He chose to set his love upon you, and apart from that you would not know God. That word “possession” literally means “to make around.” It’s the idea that God enclosed you for himself. He built a little jewelry box and put you in it. This one is mine. It’s an awesome thing to think about.
Now, let this truth filter down into your identity. I know that words fall immensely short of the healing you may need from years of hurt, but let your new perspective begin here. Let this truth silence the message of your past, your performance, your parents, or whatever. You are who God says you are!
The purpose of believing what 1 Peter 2:9 says about you isn’t just to feel better about yourself. The reason follows immediately in the next phrase: “that you may proclaim [his] excellencies.”
Your goal in rejecting those false identities is so you can tell people how awesome God is, not so you can tell people how awesome you are. He’s “called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” Live fully in the power of who God himself has declared you to be.
God has changed your identity in His grace so you can proclaim to others the excellencies of His identity. Do it today.
Journal

• How would you describe your identity?
• What false identities do you need to exchange for who God says you are?

Pray
Lord, there’s great security and rich assurance of identity found in 1 Peter 2:9. I belong to You! Will You help me to see myself the way You see me, and to live out of the strength of that reality? I pray that as I rest in my true identity as Your child, You would empower me to proclaim the excellencies of You who called me out of darkness. Thank You for Your marvelous light! Thank You for Your mercy! I pray this in the redeeming name of Jesus, amen.

Messages From Heaven: Possessions and Affections!

Messages From Heaven: Possessions and Affections!: Since the beginning of time, people have made excuses. We can trace this behavior all the way to the Garden of Eden, where Adam made the...

Possessions and Affections!

Since the beginning of time, people have made excuses. We can trace this behavior all the way to the Garden of Eden, where Adam made the first known excuse. After Adam sinned, the Lord demanded an explanation. He simply said, "It is the woman You gave me." We're not really sure whether he was blaming the woman, God, or both. But essentially he was saying, "Lord, I was taking a nap, I woke up, I'm a rib short, and she is here. She got me into this trouble. I am not responsible."
Then God turned to Eve and also demanded an explanation. She said, "The serpent beguiled me." A modern translation would be, "The devil made me do it. I bear no responsibility in the matter. He just overcame me."
Luke 14 records a story Jesus told about three men who offered excuses for not attending a wedding feast. Here we find an example of the excuses people make as to why they will not follow God and obey His plan for their lives. But first, we need to understand something about the culture of that day. When a great feast was thrown, it was customary to extend two invitations. The first was given months beforehand. Later, a second invitation would remind guests of their commitment and the host's expectation that they would attend.
This was important, because the feast was given at a considerable expense, with a great deal of time and effort. It was a great honor to be invited. To decline would be considered offensive and could cause an international incident — a legitimate reason to wage war. We need to understand this as we look at the three men who turned down invitations to such a feast. It wasn't that they had other things to do. Rather, they had been invited, had agreed to come, and then made lame excuses at the last minute.
The first said, "I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused" (Luke 14:18 NKJV). In that day, purchasing property was a long and complicated process. This was a ridiculous excuse, because this man would have had many opportunities to examine the land before he bought it. Basically, he allowed his possessions to hold him back.
The next person said, "I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them" (v. 19). Like the one before him, this man was either a complete idiot or a blatant liar. Buying animals without testing them first would be like purchasing a car without test-driving it.
While the first guy was held back by possessions, this man was held back by his career. He would plow a field with those oxen. That's how he would make his living. Pursuing a career isn't wrong, but in this man's case, it kept him back from the Lord.
Let's look at the third and final excuse. "Still another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come' " (verse 20). He was saying, "I'm married. Life is over. That is it." I am sure he could have pulled a few strings and brought his wife along. Obviously, this too was an excuse.
The first two excuses related to material possessions, while the third had to do with affections. Possessions and affections cover virtually every reason given by men and women who will not put their faith in Christ.
Jesus is offering His kingdom — a perpetual feast of peace, help, guidance, friendship, forgiveness, joy, certainty in the midst of uncertainty, and the hope of heaven. Yet people turn their backs on this, preferring a visit with their possessions or affections instead.
This parable isn't a put-down of things and relationships. What it is simply saying is this: If good things keep you from enjoying the best things, then they become bad things. They are shallow excuses people hide behind.
To go back to the original context of this parable, Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees, essentially saying, "You had an engraved invitation to God's wedding feast, but because you have so missed the point, you are not going to get in."
Maybe excuses have kept you from coming to Jesus. In reality, it's an issue of what you will or will not do. My prayer is that you will come to Him today.

Messages From Heaven: The Nucleus of Civilization!

Messages From Heaven: The Nucleus of Civilization!: According to the Bible, God himself ordained the family as the basic building block of human society, because He deemed it "not good...

The Nucleus of Civilization!

According to the Bible, God himself ordained the family as the basic building block of human society, because He deemed it "not good that man should be alone" (Genesis 2:18). That verse stands out starkly in the biblical creation narrative, because as Scripture describes the successive days of the creation week, the text punctuates each stage of creation with the words, "God saw that it was good" (Genesis 1:4,10,12,18,21,25, italics added). The goodness of creation emerges as the main theme of Genesis 1, and the statement "God saw that it was good" is repeated again and again, like the refrain after each stanza of a lengthy song. Then finally, after the sixth day of creation, we're told with emphasis, "God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good" (italics added).
But then Genesis 2:18 takes us back to the end of day six and reveals that just before God ended His creative work, just one thing was left that was "not good." Every aspect of the entire universe was finished. Each galaxy, star, planet, rock, grain of sand, and tiny molecule was in place. All the species of living things had been created. Adam had already given "names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field" (v. 20). But there was still one glaring unfinished aspect of creation: "For Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him" (v. 20). Adam was alone, and in need of a suitable mate. Therefore God's final act of creation on day six — the crowning step that made everything in the universe perfect - was accomplished by the forming of Eve from Adam's rib. Then "He brought her to the man" (Genesis 2:22).
By that act, God established the family for all time. The Genesis narrative says, "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh" (v. 24). Jesus quoted that verse in Matthew 19:5 to underscore the sanctity and permanence of marriage as an institution. The same verse is quoted practically every time two believers are united in a Christian marriage ceremony. It is a reminder that marriage and the family are ordained by God and therefore sacred in His sight.
So it is no mere accident of history that family relationships have always been the very nucleus of all human civilization. According to Scripture, that is precisely the way God designed it to be. And therefore, if the family crumbles as an institution, all of civilization will ultimately crumble along with it.
Over the past few generations, we have seen that destructive process taking place before our eyes. It seems contemporary secular society has declared war on the family. Casual sex is expected. Divorce is epidemic. Marriage itself is in decline, as multitudes of men and women have decided it's preferable to live together without making a covenant or formally constituting a family. Abortion is a worldwide plague. Juvenile delinquency is rampant, and many parents have deliberately abandoned their roles of authority in the family. On the other hand, child abuse in many forms is escalating. Modern and postmodern philosophies have attacked the traditional roles of men and women within the family. Special interest groups and even government agencies seem bent on the dissolution of the traditional family, advocating the normalization of homosexuality, same-sex "marriage," and (in some cultures nowadays) sterilization programs. Divorce has been made easy, tax laws penalize marriage, and government welfare rewards childbirth outside of wedlock. All those trends (and many more like them) are direct attacks on the sanctity of the family.
These days whenever families are portrayed in films, television dramas, or sitcoms, they are almost always caricatured as grossly dysfunctional. Someone recently pointed out that the only television "family" who regularly attend church together are "The Simpsons" — and they are cartoon exaggerations deliberately saddled with the worst imaginable traits, designed mainly to mock and malign both church and family. It's no joke, though. A relentless parade of similarly dysfunctional assortments of people assaults us on television and in the movies. Hollywood has defined a broad new meaning for the word family.
Meanwhile, traditional nuclear families with a strong, reliable father and a mother whose priorities are in the home have been banished from popular culture, made to feel as if they were the caricature.
Although many Christian leaders have been passionately voicing concerns about the dissolution of the family for decades, things have grown steadily worse, not better, in society at large. Secular social commentators have lately begun to claim that the traditional nuclear family is no longer even "realistic." An article published not long ago by the on-line magazine Salon said this: "The 'ideal' American family — a father and a mother, bound to each other by legal marriage, raising children bound to them by biology — is a stubborn relic, a national symbol that has yet to be retired as threadbare and somewhat unrealistic."¹ The nuclear family simply won't work in 21st-century society, according to many of these self-styled "experts."
I know those voices are wrong, however, because I have witnessed literally thousands of parents in our church who have put into practice what the Bible teaches about the family, and they and their families have been greatly blessed for it.
As society continues its mad quest to eliminate the family, and as our whole culture therefore unravels more and more, it becomes more important than ever for Christians to understand what the Bible teaches about the family, and to put it into practice in our homes. It may well be that the example we set before the world through strong homes and healthy families will in the long run be one of the most powerful, attractive, and living proofs that when the Bible speaks, it speaks with the authority of the God who created us — and whose design for the family is perfect.

Messages From Heaven: The Most Important Choice!

Messages From Heaven: The Most Important Choice!: You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the L ord ” (Jeremiah 29:13–14a, ESV...

The Most Important Choice!

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 29:13–14a, ESV).
The most important choice you will ever make in your life is to choose God. To choose to connect with the God who made you and me and everything in this twisted universe. Not that He made it twisted—He did not. He made it perfect, and we snarled it up with bad choices. But we can still have most of what we have lost just by choosing God again, on His terms.

“You can put your whole weight down on God’s love as your identity.”

To some people, God is just some vague, foggy notion. Have you bought into the idea that either you believe in God or you don’t and that nothing can alter your current condition? Maybe you’ve thought, I have never had faith, not genuine faith, not like my sister/friend/dad/other. Sometimes I'm drawn to a bit of the vertical in a crisis: “Oh God, save me from that truck that just swerved into my lane!” Then He does, and the feeling passes, and the spark of faith fades into numbness. Is that your experience—crisis faith for a moment and then nothing?
Perhaps you suspect that the faith-in-God thing is a trait you’re born with (or without), like blue eyes, brown hair, or a family membership at the country club. Have you concluded that belief is a characteristic you may or may not have, and that’s out of your control? God is most assuredly someone you choose, and choosing Him makes all the difference. Choosing God is less like the options on a new car and more like selecting a person to marry. Faith is for people who want it and are willing to go for it with passion. In fact, God only shows up for people who are looking, and He chooses to reveal Himself exclusively to people who really want to know Him. “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord.”
God advertises! “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge” (Psalm 19:1–2). God’s Word and God’s world are full of advertisements about Him, but as with even the best-marketed product, you still have to choose what God is offering.
Yes, you can choose God. Don’t let some stale seminarian talk you out of it. We’ve all heard the well-worn argument that we don’t choose God but that He chooses us. So which is true—do we choose God, or does He choose us? Both! Just as I chose my wife, and she chose me. There’s little point in arguing over who chooses first. Let’s go at this from the only angle we actually experience: our own. We choose God. That’s the way it feels, and that’s the way it functions, and until you climb out of your armchair or descend from your ivory tower and choose God for your own life, you will always be missing the main ingredient for human happiness.
Of course God is completely in charge. But let’s not use His original choice as an excuse for human apathy. We must not lose our sense of responsibility in the ocean of God’s sovereignty. When God planted our ancestors in the Garden of Eden, He gave them the capacity to make significant choices. Adam and Eve got to choose names for the animals and pick which of a wild assortment of fruit to eat, save one. The rest, as they say, is history. Constant choices.
So what will you choose? Will you choose to believe with your whole heart that there is a God who knows you perfectly yet loves you unconditionally? You can put your whole weight down on God’s love as your identity.
Journal

• Where do you find yourself at this moment—clueless about God, wondering, interested, hesitant, or ready to choose His love (for the first time or yet again)?
• Why is choosing the God who loves you the foundation of your identity?

Pray
Father, thank You for Your love. Thank You that You love me with an everlasting love. Thank You that the God of the universe—who doesn’t need me, who is not diminished by my absence or increased by my presence, who is complete in Himself—has chosen to set His love upon me. I respond to Your choice with a choice of my own. I choose to believe there’s a God who loves me, and that settles my eternity and my identity. I pray in the name of Jesus, who loved me and gave Himself for me, amen.

Messages From Heaven: The Character Crisis!

Messages From Heaven: The Character Crisis!: Character. It has an old-fashioned sound to it, like a faded relic of the Victorian era. We live in a materialistic culture where pres...

The Character Crisis!

Character. It has an old-fashioned sound to it, like a faded relic of the Victorian era. We live in a materialistic culture where prestige, prosperity, and popularity are valued more than genuine integrity. In fact personal character hardly seems to matter very much at all nowadays — at least in the realms of mass media, entertainment, politics, and pop culture.
Only a few select moral qualities are still prized by society at large. They are chiefly liberal community values such as diversity, tolerance, and broad-mindedness. Sometimes they are even called virtues. But when traits like those are blended with hypocrisy or employed to justify some other iniquity, they become mere caricatures of authentic virtue.
Meanwhile, genuine individual virtue — the stuff of which true, timeless, praiseworthy character is made — has been formally relegated to the sphere of "personal" things best not talked about openly. These days, even an elected national leader's personal character is supposed to be treated as a wholly private matter.
As a result, our society's most prominent celebrities include countless people who actually are known best for gigantic character flaws. Notice, for example, the people who usually grace the covers of celebrity magazines. Very few are decent role models. Often they are actually people who exemplify the worst kinds of character traits. No morally sane, thinking parents would ever hope for their own children to emulate the lifestyles or embrace the values of most of our society's best-known figures. Big personalities are highly revered anyway, because celebrity itself counts more than character in a society without any moral anchor.
In fact, over the past few decades so many famous people in our society have been charged with serious crimes that a cable television series is devoted exclusively to covering stories about the legal problems of some of our culture's favorite figures. Still, both the public and the media continue to confer celebrity status on more and more bizarre characters.
How have we come to this? The greatest cultures throughout human history have always reserved the highest positions of eminence and respect for true heroes — people who distinguish themselves by great self-sacrifice, moral excellence, or some truly great accomplishment. They only societies that confer celebrity status on immoral and villainous people have been cultures in serious decline and on the precipice of utter ruin.
One of the universally understood rules of thumb that governed western society until a few short decades ago was that people who achieved fame had a duty to be wholesome role models. Even men and women who weren't really of sterling virtue in private sought to keep their character flaws hidden from the public — because if their moral defects became known, they lost their star status. Political figures could not remain in office if they were found culpable for any scandalous moral indiscretion.
That is no longer the case. Today's celebrities proudly flaunt their decadence. With the rise of a massive entertainment industry in the second half of the twentieth century, celebrity became a cheap and shallow commodity. Honest character is now seen as totally optional — or worse, hopelessly unfashionable. As a matter of fact, in certain segments of today's entertainment and music industries, authentic virtue would be practically incompatible with fame and success. Some of the best-known figures in the recording industry, for example, are avowed gangsters who openly glorify evil in their lyrics. It is frightening to contemplate the future of a society where so many people so badly lacking in character can attain celebrity status so easily-and often hang onto their fame and influence no matter what crimes they commit.
The Bible says that is exactly what happens when a society rejects God and thereby incurs His righteous judgment. Romans 1:21-32 describes the downward path of a culture abandoned to sin. Take note of the roster of evils that finally overwhelm every fallen society. The list closely resembles everything currently fashionable in the world of entertainment and celebrity:

Even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. (Romans 1:28-32)

That describes our culture to the letter, doesn't it? People today literally entertain themselves with iniquity, heedlessly applauding those who sin most flagrantly. Society today makes celebrities of people who in our grandparents' generation would have been deemed the most contemptible rogues. Almost everything that used to be considered shameful is now celebrated. We therefore live in a culture where personal character and individual virtue are rapidly evaporating at almost every level. Virtue and infamy have traded places.
According to the Bible, God designed us to be men and women of exemplary character. He repeatedly commands us to pursue what is virtuous and shun what is evil. From cover to cover in Scripture, iniquity is condemned and virtue is exalted.
Clearly, we are supposed to be men and women of excellent character. We're commanded to "hold fast what is good [and] abstain from every form of evil" (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22).
But where do we go to learn how to do that? Popular culture will not point the way for us. Scripture alone is a reliable lamp for our feet and light for our path (Psalm 119:105). God's Word points the way in the quest for character.
The Bible contains numerous lists of positive character qualities. 2 Peter 1:5-8, for example, gives a catalog of virtues and urges us to add to our faith. The fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5, the qualities of authentic love in 1 Corinthians 13, and the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 all list similar traits that describe true excellence of character.
Truly excellent character is actually a reflection of the moral nature of God Himself. For that reason, all virtues are interdependent and closely related. And all of them are the fruit of God's grace. As you study biblical virtue, may you perceive the true beauty of Christ's character and desire to see it reproduced in your own life.

Messages From Heaven: Teenagers Seeking Purpose!

Messages From Heaven: Teenagers Seeking Purpose!: You want your kids to fulfill every bit of their unique purpose in life. When you first hold your newborn, the future and its possibiliti...

Teenagers Seeking Purpose!

You want your kids to fulfill every bit of their unique purpose in life. When you first hold your newborn, the future and its possibilities flash through your mind. Will she be a doctor? Will he be a lawyer? I want her to do well. I hope he is like his dad.
As your children grow, you are able to direct their dreams for a while. Life is good. Then something happens. All of a sudden, seemingly overnight, everything changes. The once amiable child is now a teenager and is no longer following your road map! He seems to have developed his own direction, forsaking what you had imagined for him. How did this happen?
As kids mature in the teen years, they begin searching on their own for meaning in life, a purpose for living, something that makes their life worth living. And that may not at all match what Mommy and Daddy thought it should be.
Why Am I Here?
One of the most important life questions your teen will begin asking and wrestling with is, "Why am I here?" or "What's my purpose on this Earth?" Without a purpose, life becomes motion without meaning; trivial, petty, pointless, and founded upon whatever the culture offers up as the latest "must have" material thing or "must do" activity.
Pastor Rick Warren calls this pursuit for meaning the drive for purpose. In his blockbuster book "The Purpose-Driven Life," Warren offers the answer; "You were made for a mission. You aren't here just to wander around lost. And you aren't here simply to live for yourself."
I grew up in a time and home where people believed that God had a plan for each of our lives. I was taught that each person is as unique as the fingerprints stamped on their digits, and that God wanted a personal relationship with me. I learned that I was uniquely created, fearfully and wonderfully made, and that Christ died for "me." I was told that I was precious in God's sight.
So, why are kids so lost today? Are parents no longer passing on these same values to their children? I am convinced that if more kids knew their purpose, they'd have fewer struggles in the teen years. They'd feel a sense of meaning; they'd know where they are headed and concentrate on getting there.
When I look back at my own life, my work, and my happiness about fulfilling God's purpose for my life, I get excited all over again. It all started from a point in my life when I felt hopeless, lost, and not knowing where to turn. At that point I started asking questions about my own purpose in life, and I started listening to the answers God was giving me.
Showing Your Teen How to Find Their Life Purpose
A good place to begin the search for purpose is to understand that purpose is woven into every strand of the fabric of our lives. It has to do with God-given talents, the experiences in our life, and those things which give a person "goose bumps" or a tear to their eye when they think about them. Moreover, purpose has to do with using those talents to serve God and others, not one's self.
So, has your teen ever taken stock of their talents and gifts? Are they a great talker, or a great listener? Are they skilled at building things, or are they good with people? Is their talent more cerebral or more physical? I suggest they make a list of the things and activities that interest them and those in which they excel. There are a number of places on the Web that they can take online Spiritual Gifts Tests. They can also ask themselves, "What's the one thing that I do better than others?" This can clue them in to their God-given purpose.
The gifts God gives us need to be tested in fertile soil, so it's important for a teen to get a wide variety of experiences. As they do so, certain talents will sprout and blossom, others will wilt and die. Through these new experiences, God will reveal more about who they are and how God has called them to serve Him and others. One experience can literally change their life.
Unlike the Field of Dreams premise "If you build it they will come," teenagers shouldn't get stuck on developing just one purpose, even if for the moment they are convinced it is their true purpose in life. It is far better that they continue to experience new things. So, a better plan for finding life purpose is, "As they experience it, it will come to them." And keep in mind that they may have difficulty finding their purpose in the classroom or from books. So a parent should provide plenty of "field experiences" for their teenager.
Take a Simple Life Purpose Exercise
For teens (or parents) who have already had many experiences in life, and are still confused about their purpose, here's a good exercise. Take out a blank sheet of paper and write at the top, "What is My Life Purpose?" Then, have them begin writing answers. They should write any answer that pops into their head. It could be a word or two, or a sentence. Repeat until they write the answer that makes them cry - obviously not a sad cry, but a joyful one. Yup, if it makes a tear come to their eye, then it's a sure bet that this is their purpose, or at least associated with their purpose. They should do it in private and without any accompanying music or other distractions. It may take 100 or even 200 lines of potential "purposes" to hit the one that makes a tear come to their eye, but encourage them to keep at it until they do.
When God begins revealing their purpose, remind your teen that it may not be reached tomorrow, next month or even in logical steps. Instead, they may need to take some initial steps to get there and there may be detours along the way. But knowing the destination will help them build strength and courage to get there - often much more than we might expect they'll have.
It's a Lifelong Journey
Finding purpose is a lifelong journey. God doesn't give all the details at once, nor does He promise it will be a smooth ride. Instead, He often provides just enough information to help us move another mile down the road. It helps us to trust Him as our Navigator. As you progress along the road of your life's purpose, pay attention to the road signs He provides along the way and listen to Him speak to you.
Nothing matters more than your teen knowing God's purpose for their life, and nothing can compensate for not knowing it. Knowing their purpose gives meaning to their life and each step along the way. It motivates them to prepare for their purpose, to save themselves for that purpose, and to avoid anything that might get in the way. Knowing their purpose simplifies their life and removes confusion.
On the other hand, without a clear purpose, they have no foundation on which to base decisions, allocate their time, and use their resources. Without a clear purpose, they'll keep changing directions, jobs, relationships, churches, or other externals - hoping each change will settle the confusion or fill the emptiness in their heart.
The Comfort of Knowing God's Purpose
Isn't it comforting to know that God has a bigger purpose for each of us? If you believe it, then step in front of a mirror and look for areas in your own life that need to grow. Perhaps you're not following your own heart in finding God's purpose in your life. Aim this year to make some changes - with God's help.
As for me, I stand on His promises, I'm assured of His presence, I love His involvement, and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am living in the center of His purpose for my life.
"What's my purpose?" is probably the most important and empowering question you or your teenager will ever ask in this lifetime. So help them uncover their talents, their strengths, their values, their passion. Help them experience new things and develop a plan - any plan, even if it is just a first step. Find ways for them to live life with intent. This New Year is a great time to help your teen - and maybe even you -– begin a quest for purpose.

Messages From Heaven: Is My Teen’s Behavior Normal?

Messages From Heaven: Is My Teen’s Behavior Normal?: The culture has changed, but teenagers haven’t. They are still focused on trying to fit in with their peers and to make sense out of lif...

Is My Teen’s Behavior Normal?

The culture has changed, but teenagers haven’t. They are still focused on trying to fit in with their peers and to make sense out of life. But parents can get confused by their changes in attitude and the independence they seek, assuming their teenager is becoming rebellious.
It’s normal for teenagers to fail to do their chores without ten reminders, to put off their homework, to be emotional, to lose important things, to like music that is too loud, and to sometimes counter or question authority. That’s all pretty typical, though it can be aggravating to parents.
To compare, let’s look at what’s abnormal...sudden profound changes in personality, angry outbursts of profanity, extreme disrespect for people and things, addictions, sudden failing grades, not sleeping or sleeping too much, extreme weight loss, eating disorders, self-harm, running away, or self-imposed isolation.
Do you see the difference? Normal stuff has to do with being distracted, ditsy, trying to fit in, or flapping their wings of independence. It passes in time, as the teen matures. Abnormal behavior and true rebellion is represented by a growing darkness, hatred and anger in their soul, which tends to only get worse over time.
A young man we worked with described his own experience from normal to abnormal behavior this way. He said, “I felt like the things I was doing were pretty normal — schoolwork was boring, I often fought with my sister and spent most of my time hanging with my friends. But when my relationship with my parents soured, I began to think things were never going to get any better. I became suicidal. I intentionally got bad grades and got in trouble over little things like going out with friends when I wasn’t supposed to. Then, one day in the middle of a fight I started cussing out my parents really bad. I had never done that before, and I knew something wasn’t right, and getting worse.”
Rebellion can be a sign that something is seriously wrong in the relationship or that there has been damage to the teen’s feelings of value and self-worth. Another common cause for rebellion is when a teen is trying to exert their independence in a home where independence is not allowed. They feel boxed in, so they tend to explode. The best thing to do when you see rebellion in your teen is to first look at what may be impeding your relationship. Could it be that you are still treating them like a child, and need to give them a few more freedoms? Or, has something happened in your child’s life, even unbeknownst to you, that is affecting them?
A lady called me the other day. She said, “I’m struggling with my daughter who has suddenly become rebellious. For instance, she was to meet me after the third quarter of the basketball game, but she didn’t show up until after the fourth quarter and had gone to her locker, which I told her was off limits for the evening.” The mother was quite dismayed, wondering if she should get her daughter into counseling or send her to a therapeutic program like Heartlight for her “rebellion.”
My response was, “I really don’t think she is being rebellious. Yes, she is forgetful and acting irresponsible. She is impulsive and maybe gets a little distracted, but it doesn’t seem as though it was an intentional plan on her part to make you upset or go against your rules.” I went on to give her some ideas for helping remind her teen of the rules and established timetables.
Kids forget stuff. They get distracted. And by definition, they are still a bit irresponsible. Part of the new “normal” today is the shorter attention spans of young people. Yes, they need to obey the rules and remain inside the boundaries you have set, but I want to encourage you to put their behavior into the context of their lives and not label them as a rebel just because they are acting like a teenager. Parents need to recognize the difference between a distracted or foolish child and one who is making a bold “You can’t tell me what to do!” statement. Though both may seem rebellious, only the latter is trying to be.
Apply Boundaries and Consequences
When I was a teen, consequences for my “rebellion” usually took the form of my dad taking off his belt and whacking me. I’m not suggesting that for your teen (or for any teen). In fact, there is no need to use corporal punishment on a teenager who has the ability to reason and control their own behavior without the sting of physical pain. However there needs to be some “hurt” when they cross the important lines. For instance, turn off their computer, unplug the TV, take away their car keys, ground them for a week. If you have a good relationship and you’ve clearly identified the boundaries, they’ll be expecting some form of punishment. After all, they made the conscious decision to step over the line. Grounding them for a week can actually be a time where you can build your relationship — you can use the time to do things together. Express value to them and sorrow that they have to suffer the consequences, even as they are in the midst of experiencing it.
I sometimes say it this way, “You’re sixteen. I’d like to treat you that way, but if you insist on being treated like you’re twelve, I will! But you won’t like it because you’ll only have the privileges of a twelve year old.” To that end, perhaps the biggest tool in a parent’s arsenal of consequences today is taking away a cell phone. (I had a parent say, “My child doesn’t have a cell phone,” to which I replied, “Give them one so you can take it away.”) That’s an amazing way to change their behavior!
Don’t over-react or get upset. Kids change because of relationship, not due to your shaming them or your anger. Anger just shifts the attention away from their behavior, causing them to reflect anger right back at you. Shaming them just makes them feel like there is no hope of ever pleasing you. Instead, demonstrate your love by keeping your cool and keeping to the plan for applying appropriate consequences. And never cave in or lessen the consequences. That just backfires in the end, causing you to have to apply even more severe consequences later.
The important thing to do is to differentiate between normal and abnormal. If it’s normal stuff, strengthen your boundaries and apply consequences. If your teen’s behavior has become dark, secretive, explosive or otherwise abnormal, it’s time that you get them in to see a counselor.  Consequences may have no effect on such a teen. As I’ve pointed out, deep rebellion usually has deep causes, and it can take a lot of digging by a trained counselor to get to the root of it.
Restore Your Teen
I’ve worked with thousands of teenagers who have fallen short in life, but I truly believe I have never met a bad kid.  Most have broken just about every rule in the book. As a result, many of them think they have messed up so bad that no one — not even their parents or God — loves them any more. They’ve developed a “what’s the use of trying” attitude, which has gotten them into even more trouble. That thinking needs to be turned around before they will turn around. Where could they have gotten such an idea that they are “bad” beyond repair? Could it be how you or others have responded to them?
Psalm 71:20 says, “Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up.” It’s crucial that we never make our kids think they are damaged goods or black sheep.  Rather we must love them unconditionally, even through the disappointments and struggles. Think of it this way...instead of yelling at them for falling in a hole, it’s much more productive to lower a ladder, climb into the hole and show them the steps to get out.