Actually, it’s an old name for God, but one that I’ve never heard or used before. Abraham, the founding father of the Hebrew nation, gave this name to his Sovereign God when he realized how awesome His power is: Yireh. It’s Hebrew, and it means “The LORD will Provide.”

How awesome is that? It sums up God’s character and person perfectly, doesn’t it? No matter what troubles are surrounding us – the LORD will provide. No matter what insane amounts of studying we must do before the week is out – the LORD will provide. No matter what difficulties we face in our nation now and to come – the LORD will provide.

What a comfort to weary souls.

Be encouraged by this premise, brothers and sisters in Christ. Our God is right here! He’s working everything – every single little detail – to glorify Him and sanctify us…to make us more Christ-like. We can’t worry about anything when we realize the full, glorious extent of what that really means.

You’ll see this theme in each of the articles this issue. We didn’t plan it this way, of course…but God did. He – not we – wants you to be challenged by the life of Todd Beamer, a man determined to give his all for the safety of his nation, throwing himself into the sovereign arms of God on Flight 51. He – not we – wants you to read personal stories of how God worked strange circumstances out for good, like rMag editor Emily Sather’s An Accidental Writer, and inspiring challenges by Moriah Davis and Megan Brouk in their articles, An Attack of the Devil and If We Do Not Give Up.

Perhaps most poignantly, He – not we – wants you to be reminded of His sovereignty in the political realm, by reading Anrew Branch’s A Pilgrim at Peace.

Learn, too, how to pray without ceasing in Katie Nelson’s article, and more about God’s incredible provision in our adoption with Part 2 of guest writer Steve Gambill’s series.

Whichever articles you read, whatever difficulties you’re facing, wherever our country is headed, He has it all under control, and knows exactly what He’s doing. Trust Him. He is the LORD who provides. He is Yireh.

If you want to judge how well a person understands Christianity, find out how much he makes of the thought of being God’s child, and having God as his Father. If this is not the thought that prompts and controls his worship and prayers and his whole outlook on life, it means that he does not understand Christianity very well at all.

We considered how the Scriptures teach us that adoption assumes a previous break in our relationship to our Creator, as well as the amazing facts that God does not adopt because He does not have a child, nor does He do so because we have proven ourselves to be be “worthy” children.

In this segment, we will look at three things that are necessary for a person who was previously separated and at enmity with God to become a child of God through adoption. They are election, new birth, and faith in Jesus Christ.

ELECTION

The concept of election is often debated and frequently misunderstood even within the Christian community. That there is such a teaching in Scripture is indisputable. All one has to do is look up passages such as Luke 18:7, Romans 8:33, and 1 Thessalonians 1:4 (a few among many) to see that the Bible teaches something about election. What is disputed, however, is what election is.

Everybody agrees that the Bible’s doctrine of election has something to do with what God did in reference to those who will be saved from all the nations before time. The basic meaning of election is “to choose,” and in the various passages, God is the Chooser while the Christians are the chosen.

The point of disagreement has to do with the basis of God’s choosing. In other words, why or on what basis does God choose people for salvation? There are basically two answers. The first is that God chooses a certain person because of something that person is or does. Because this election takes place before time, it must obviously be foreseen by God long before that person is or does what is necessary for God to choose them.

The second major answer is that God chooses not because of what a person is or does, but despite these things. In other words, God chooses to show mercy even though a person is at enmity with Him, being born sinful and rebellious in heart. What is necessary for this to happen, as well as the subsequent results, will be seen under the next two sections.

My desire here is not to try to once and for all settle this debate (though I have through study come to understand the second answer to be my own). What is clear is that there is a connection between election and adoption. For this I will consider with you Ephesians 1:5:

…having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will…(NKJV)

There is a larger context, both before and after this verse, which I will not take time to look into. Let me simply point out that this entire section is what is known as a eulogy, or high praise to God. The Apostle Paul is expressing to the Ephesian believers what things he praises God for, particularly in relation to their salvation. After mentioning that, he praises God for choosing them before the foundation of the world, writing that they have been predestined for adoption as sons. So what God did in choosing them was not merely to save them from hell, but to put them into a new and blessed relationship with God. This was done not because He foresaw that they would be faithful or worthy, but rather it was “according to the good pleasure of His will.”

This is certainly good news when we are feeling our unworthiness, our failures, our sin. We know that God has saved us not because we are good enough, but because He is working in us out of His own good pleasure and desires. This is what gives us strength to carry on.

NEW BIRTH

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12-13 NKJV)

In this text we have a connection between the right to become a child of God and a new birth. A discussion of this birth is also found in John 3, in the well known account of the meeting between Jesus and Nicodemus.

John tells us that this birth is not because one’s parents are believers (“not of blood”), nor because one just decides to become a believer (“nor of the will of the flesh, nor the will of man”), but rather because of God. This is a birth which is supernatural, and effected by the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit.

What God does for one who is in need of salvation is not merely to legally adopt them, but also to give them this new birth. This changes their nature from being merely fallen and sinful. Peter uses surprising language when he describes Christians as being “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). This doesn’t mean we become little gods, but rather that by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit our natures are renewed according to the image of Him who created us (Ephesians 3:10).

When God does this miraculous work in a person, there is change and transformation. One is given a new heart, a renewed mind; and out of a liberated will, one who was previously at enmity with God joyfully begins to submit to and pursue after God. This is not forced conversion, but new life.

So what God does in choosing a person from the foundation of the world guarantees new life when that person hears the Gospel and is born again by the Holy Spirit. This changes everything. Now they are not only adopted into legal status as children, but are being renewed in likeness to the Lord Jesus Christ who is the image of God (Hebrews 1:3).

FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:26 NKJV)

I have focused primarily on God’s work in making us children of God. This is a right emphasis, because it is a Biblical emphasis. However, this doesn’t mean that in the whole process there is a passivity, or inactivity, on our part. While election and the new birth are a sovereign act of God for us and in us, there is another thing necessary for adoption, which is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is clear in this Galatians verse that there is a connection between our faith or belief in the Lord Jesus and our being adopted as a son (or child) of God. Faith is the instrumentality or means by which we are adopted.

Unlike the adoption of our children, there was a proper response of faith on our part. In our day, adoption typically happens for a minor and often for a very small child who has little or no say in the process. When a person has been elected (before time) and then regenerated by the Spirit (in time), this regeneration is connected to the preaching of the Gospel of the Glory of God in Jesus Christ. His righteousness is declared, as well as the need for repentance and faith. The proper response for the one who was once a child of wrath just as the rest (Ephesians 2:3) is to believe the Gospel. Now they have the ability to believe, and because of new life, they actually do believe. Like Lazarus in the tomb, the Word of Christ not only gives them life, but calls them to come out of darkness. And they do.

CONCLUSION

If you are a Christian, this is some of what is entailed in your coming to know the Lord Jesus Christ and being made right with God. Without these three things you and I cannot become children of God.

Surely these things should cause us to worship, honor, and praise God for His abundant grace. It is He who has saved us, and not we ourselves. We love Him because He first loved us. It is by grace we have been saved through faith, and this not of ourselves, it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8).

In the next segment I want to begin to consider what God says about present blessings of our adoption. God should be praised not only for what He has done in our salvation, but also for our present benefits as children of God.

As the election approached, my mind became increasingly dominated by politics, and this constant immersion in the mudpit of the 2008 elections has left me drowning. 

I am constantly daydreaming about what I would say to that House Speaker, that presidential candidate, that party, or that Congress if I ever had the chance to give them a piece of my mind. The state of the union has not just been dominating my mind, however, but it also has been weighing it down. 

As a Christian, I fear the direction that the country is going—and not just in the paranoid, doomsday, socialism/loss of freedom light. America is rapidly turning into a modern day manifestation of the Pilgrim’s Progress’s city, Vanity Fair.  No one needs to look farther than the political scene to see this. However, on the possibly more alarming ideological note, Christianity is rapidly losing favor in the eyes of the populous, some radicals in academia terming it “intellectual terrorism” (courtesy of a scientist interviewed in Ben Stein’s Expelled, in reference to teaching Christianity to children).

I am addicted — and there needs to be an intervention. I need — perhaps we all need — a change in perspective. 

A Biblical Outlook on Current Events 

In the tribute to faith section of the epistle to the Hebrews, we read:

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. (Hebrews 12:1)

How can we do that when so much in America is looking bad for the Christian? Two chapters before, we read that “the just shall live by faith” (Hebrews 10:38). By faith, Abraham left the great and prosperous America of his day and set out on a journey, not knowing where he was going, but trusting God (11:8). He confessed that he was but a stranger and pilgrim on the earth (11:13). Can we learn from his example? Certainly.

The times are truly dark. To me, the American Dream hangs by a thread. All the freedoms that our founding fathers fought for — and which we take for granted — are on a shifting and unsound foundation. I worry for my grandchildren. However, Abraham teaches us this: this world was not his home. Neither is it ours. Here are some things that we too often forget.

First, as I said, this world is not our home. Abraham looked “for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Heb. 11:10). So should we. Abraham, as Paul in Philippians 3, recognized this and gave up everything to follow God. Abraham even more, did not receive the promise in his lifetime.

Secondly, although I love this country and hate to see its downturn, we are commanded, “Do not love the world or the things in the world” (I John 2:15). Abraham did not esteem his country over God’s and trusted God to fulfill his promise. America is temporary, not eternal.  As John said, “The world is passing away” (I John 2:17).

Finally and perhaps most importantly, we must remember that God is in control. We often forget that we are still blessed more than anyone ever has been in history — and everything we do have is a gift from God in the first place. Regardless of where we fear things are going, the Bible still tells us that God raises up leaders and brings them down. We read that “all things work together for good for those who love God” (Romans 8:28). We read that God will “supply all of our needs” (Philippians 4:19). Abraham, Paul, and all our “great cloud of witnesses” recognized this.  So should we.  

Where Our Focus Should Be

Don’t misunderstand. This by no means authorizes us to be Corinthian Christians: to quit our jobs and do nothing but wait for Jesus. We can and should, as Christians, stand up for what is right.  In America, we are given the opportunity to freely speak out.  This election is passed.  How can we be used of God in future elections — and even now — to fulfill our duty to be salt and light in the world?  There are two major ways that we can do this.

First, we can be active in the political arena.  I’m not advocating giving a biblical mandate to support a political agenda, but the principles (i.e. abortion and homosexuality, among others) are very important.  Those of us who are old enough can help out on future campaigns.  There are opportunities for Christian teens to get involved in local organizations that campaign for Godly leaders.  Other avenues of involvement include what you are now reading — be creative.  In a free country, with a free discussion of ideas, it’s hard to fine a real excuse to not speak out somehow.

Second, while we can be active in the political arena, we perhaps have a greater responsibility. 1 Timothy 2:1-4 says:

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

We are to pray for our leaders.  However, verse four implies that we should not just pray that God would lead them to make the right decisions — we are to pray for their salvation.  This is very important.  I think we often times treat the symptom rather than the disease.  Can we expect people to change their minds on homosexuality, a sin against God, if they do not even believe in God?  People are going to hell.  Do we care?  The biggest agent for “change,” as we have been hearing lately, is the Gospel.  Preserving our freedom may seem important, but a person’s vote isn’t nearly as significant as his eternal destiny.  As Christians it is vital to keep this foremost in our hearts and minds.

Summing It Up

We can love our country and care about it. We can stand up for what is right, as our responsibility is in being salt and light, aided greatly by the voice we have in a free country. We are also instructed to pray for our leaders and even more to be preaching the Gospel, living, and serving — not sitting or, as my case was, sulking — for the glory of God.

Let none of us forget, however, that God is sovereign and everything is in His hands. Let none of us forget that America won’t last forever and that what happens to America has no bearing on eternity.  Most importantly let us remember that we are looking forward to something more wonderful than can be expressed!  The Bible says that a just weight and balance are the Lord’s delight, and as Christians it is important that we balance these perspectives.

This world is not our home. We are “just passing through.” May it be said of us as it was said of Abraham and his family: “But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them” (Hebrews 11:16).

It must have been God that picked me up off the rug, opened my eyes, and gave me life every morning, because I was powerless alone.

Last year, I had more responsibilities than ever before. I had a job, an online class, and a new violin teacher who expected me to do my best. It was tough, but I survived, and I grew spiritually. At the beginning of the year I tried to fulfill responsibilities by myself. That failed. I realized that if I was going to meet these expectations, I needed help. After all, I could hardly get out of bed. I began asking God for help whenever I felt tired or worried or discouraged, which was almost all the time. Then, I learned about diligence, I discovered that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, and I glimpsed the sheer power of praying without ceasing. Everything I did ceased to be something “I” did and became something “God and I” accomplished. All this was because I was forced to pray continually.

I stumbled upon something that year. I had been neglecting a part of my prayer life, the part I needed in order to live like a Christian. Prayer every evening was a habit I seldom skipped,  but I did not communicate with God during the day. Praying continually is talking to God all day. This is not lengthy, meditative prayer. I’ll call this practical prayer. These are the little prayers that don’t demand much concentration that we say through the whole day. It’s how we walk through life. Short, frequent, practical prayers are like breathing. Breathing might seem simple, but it is vital. Prayer, connecting us to God, is the Christian lifeline. If we stop breathing, we die. Similarly, when we stop praying we become weak, and eventually, spiritually paralyzed.

I do not think that when Paul tells us to “pray without ceasing”(1 Thessalonians 5:17 NKJV), he means that we should be on our knees 24/7, meditating on deep theological truths, grappling with emotions and experiences, incessantly offering words to God. That kind of prayer, while wonderful in its own season, is impossible to maintain indefinitely, and I do not think that is what the verse means. Neither should one choose a prayer and make it a kind of mantra methodically repeated over and over again. If one’s heart and mind are not involved, then in my opinion, one is not really praying. I think Paul was referring to practical praying, the only kind that humans can perpetually maintain.  A different kind of prayer deals with the future. Another kind deals with the past.  They each have their place, but practical prayer, the kind I am talking about here, deals only with the present.

Occasionally, it is appropriate to pause our practical prayers. Sometime we should be singing or laughing or just thinking. “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms” (James 5:13 NKJV). Life contains calm times and wildly joyful moments as well as day-to-day drudgery. Thoughts are for the quiet days. Songs are for the joy-filled days. Practical prayers, in all their glorious simplicity, are for the grinding days.

I think that the reason we end up praying constantly is because there are many more grinding days then there are quiet hours or moments of celebration. It’s like comparing sand to seashells. The beach of life contains many beautiful shells, but mostly, it’s just plain sand. Ask for God’s help when there is need of it. There is no other guideline for practical praying. No one can say that to pray constantly, you have to pray “every five minutes” or some other similar rule. I know I need God when I’m tempted to go back to bed, avoid work, or complain (which is constantly). It’s the little things that are the hardest, not the big things. The beauty is that practical prayer makes all the little things possible, if we learn how to pray at the right time.

It’s not enough to wake up on Sunday morning, fold your hands, and put in your spiritual orders. Suppose someone went to church and requested patience from God. They have just uttered the kind of prayer that deals with the future. The trick is to also pray on Tuesday night after their sick sibling pukes on their bed when they washed the sheets just that morning. Patience is a different story then, isn’t it?

If you felt like being kind and patient in stressful times, there wouldn’t be a problem. Ask God to help you do the right thing when you feel like you can’t do the right thing. Yes, it’s hard, but if you don’t pray for patience while you need it, don’t blame God when you don’t get it.

Imagine there was a little girl who loved the wind and the sky. She would go out to fly her kite even if there was only a hint of a breeze. At the beginning of the windy season, she asked her dad if he would come to her aid if the kite got tangled or caught. Of course, her father said he would be ready to assist her at any time. Well, a day came when the wind was strong and the frail kite was tossed into a tree. The girl could climb well, and she was soon up in the maple’s branches. The girl almost reached the kite. She came close to grasping it, but her farthest reach fell short. She gave up and waited while the fluttering kite was shredded on the branches. Then she climbed down, disappointed. The girl ran to her father and cried, “Daddy, why didn’t you come when I needed your help?” Daddy answers, “Daughter, you didn’t call for me when you needed me. If you had just called my name, I would have come running.”

Our heavenly Father might say something similar to us. After all, He always comes when we call His name. He knows we need help, but He wants us to ask, and it’s our fault if we don’t.

Picture spiritual battles as a big game of tug-o-war. Satan is on one end of the rope. He’s had thousands of years to exercise. You are holding on to the other end. If you try to fight by yourself, you’re going to lose. If you ask God to fight for you, He will bring victory by a landslide. It’s kind of like a wimp asking a professional body builder for help.

With prayer, entire armies have been defeated.  Although we don’t charge into holy wars with spears and chariots anymore, we are still in a spiritual war. Prayer is the most powerful weapon God has given his people.

Practical prayers are the weapons that Satan doesn’t want you to use. Without it we will fail every challenge that comes along, and with it we will change the world. Prayer  has long been likened to a weapon. What is a weapon, but warrior’s tool? All Christians are soldiers. Don’t go to work without your tool. Friends, I urge you to pray—without ceasing.

The only son of David and Peggy Beamer, Todd Morgan Beamer was born in Flint, Michigan on November 24, 1968, into a devout Christian family. Along with Todd, David and Peggy Beamer also had two daughters, Melissa and Michele. In his elementary school years, Todd attended Wheaten Academy, which was based in a prosperous suburb of Chicago. During those years at Wheaton Academy, teachers had often noticed that Todd Beamer was a quiet young man with an inner strength in life. As a boy, Todd Beamer had accepted Jesus Christ’s simple plan of salvation for mankind for his life. As a result, that faith in God gave him the courage and inner strength to respond with character to life’s crises.

Throughout his short lifetime, Todd Beamer had multiple interests, but in his early years of life, sports was the main one. Todd played baseball, basketball, and soccer whenever he had the opportunity. One of his coaches always said that Todd was the type of guy you wanted in a tough situation. Although the coach was talking about sports then, his statement proved to be prophetic. While in seventh grade, Todd played basketball for his school. In one of those games, there were two seconds left to the game with the other team ahead by one point when Todd was fouled. With just two shots to take before playing the final two seconds of the game, there was no time for a mistake. Todd didn’t make one; he scored both points and his team won the game. After completing his highschool education at Los Gatos High School, Todd went on to attend Fresno State University.

Todd originally chose to attend Fresno State University so that he could play baseball, and perhaps even go on to play professionally. However, that was not to be. Shortly, thereafter he returned home to Illinois and started attending Wheaton College. While pursuing a degree in business, Todd met Lisa Brosions. Todd and Lisa hit it off from the start and went on their first date on November 2, 1992. Within a few short years, their good friendship developed into a close relationship. Todd and Lisa were married on May 14, 1994. Within a few years, they were raising a family of their own.

To support his growing family, Todd worked at Oracle Corporation as an account executive. As part of his job, he often flew around the country on business trips where he sold systems applications and database software. Upon starting his career at Oracle, Todd and his wife Lisa moved to Princeton, New Jersey. While in New Jersey, Todd and his family attended Princeton Alliance Church where Todd and his wife were faithful members. Although there were many things that Todd could have been proud about in life, there was little he was more proud of than his two sons, David and Andrew. In September of 2001, Todd’s sons were four years old and two years old. His wife Lisa was due with another child in January.

Todd spent the final days of his life on a second honeymoon with his wife Lisa. Since he had been working so hard at Oracle, Todd had earned a five day trip to Italy. After spending five final days together, Todd and Lisa returned home from their vacation on September 10, 2001 at 5:00 p.m. The young account executive from Oracle could have headed out that evening for his business meeting in California, but instead he decided to spend the evening at home with his family. The following morning he left at 6:15 a.m. for the airport. Shortly thereafter he was on his way to California. However, within a few minutes after take-off, Todd realized he wasn’t headed to California for a business meeting.

Four men armed with knives and a bomb were hijacking his flight, Flight 93. Sensing he might not live through the flight, Todd had to let someone know what was happening. He wanted to call his wife but since she was due with a baby in January, he didn’t want to startle and scare her with the news. Using the airplane phone, Todd placed a call to the GTE air-phone operator. He got through to Lisa Jefferson. They talked for a few moments as Todd told her his name and the other passengers’ intentions to overcome the hijackers. Then after reciting the Lord’s prayer, the 23^rd Psalm and praying together, Todd set the phone down. Turning to some other courageous passengers, Todd calmly asked, “Are you guys ready? Then let’s roll!” Then using a food cart as a battering ram, Todd, along with all of the other courageous passengers of Flight 93, attacked the hijackers.

What happened after that is hard to say, but it is presumed that while the passengers and hijackers fought, the plane went down with no one in control. Flight 93 crashed at 9:58 a.m. in a field in Pennsylvania. Lisa Jefferson was still on the phone at 10:00 when a co-worker told her that Flight 93 had crashed. Lisa knew the brave man on the other end of the line had perished. She also knew that she wouldn’t be able to console Todd’s wife with anything other than God’s word, and that’s exactly what she did when she talked with Lisa Beamer a few days later.

Although Todd was a determined, competitive, noble man, in the end it was his faith in God that gave him the courage to respond the way he did. Attesting to this fact, Steve Clum, Todd’s fifth grade English teacher stated that “When his character and courage were tested, Todd responded in a way that honored the God he loved.” Todd Beamer had only celebrated thirty-two years of life when he died.

In closing, ever since the terrorist attacks of 911, Todd Beamer is considered one of the three most popular heroes ever. Even with death staring him in the face, Todd Beamer remained faithful to God and his country. However, Todd Beamer not only died as a hero; he also lived as a hero. Lisa Beamer, Todd’s wife, said that “Just knowing that when the crisis came up he maintained the same character we all knew, it’s a testament to what real faith means.” From birth to perhaps the most trying moments of his life right there at the end, Todd Beamer did what was right. Almost more heroic than the legacy he left in his death, is the testimony that Todd Beamer had throughout his life. Todd Beamer truly was a hero’s hero.

___________________

¹ McKinnon, Jim. The phone line from Flight 93 was still open when a GTE operator heard Todd Beamer say: ‘Are you guys ready? Let’s roll’. September 2001.

² Jefferson, Lisa. Taking Todd Beamer’s Call from United 93 Changed My Life Forever. Christianity Today, 2006.

“Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8, KJV*).

We’ve all felt it at times: Nothing good is going to happen to you this week.

You’re a failure; you let someone down again.

No one wants your help; you’re getting in the way.

How could you mess that up? You just blew the entire project. Way to go.

Do you really think God will forgive you for that? You’re too far gone.

Why do these thoughts haunt us time and time again? Why do we berate ourselves even when the situation is past, when the person we’ve offended or let down has forgiven us, or when a problem wasn’t even our fault? Because it is at times like these that Satan attacks us.

The devil will creep in when we’re lonely. Late at night when we overanalyze our lives and convince ourselves that we haven’t a friend in the world, that no one truly loves us, that no one could. He attacks when we fail, when we make a thoughtless mistake, when we don’t try hard enough, or when we fail to live up to certain standards. Satan also plays on our weakness when life disappoints us: we didn’t get the job we were hoping for, our friends have turned out to be less than loyal, our lives aren’t going as planned, and it seems that everything is falling apart.

Granted, these are all real-life possibilities, and they can hurt – a lot. But one of two things can happen: Satan can cause us to despair, or we can recover with God’s help and healing.

When your friends change in a way that strains your relationship, or circumstances cause you to be separated from those you are close to, or maybe when you’re having trouble making friends in a new setting, Satan attacks. He can make you feel as if you have no friends, that you’ll never make any friends, or that you couldn’t trust anyone to be a good friend anyways. It’s a very lonely and painful position to be in.

Satan loves to creep in when we slip up in our Christian walk, or even before we accept God’s salvation. He plants thoughts in our minds that what we’ve done is unforgivable; or at the very least, we’re not good enough to earn God’s love or salvation. Satan causes panic attacks when life doesn’t go as we planned. He is the master of the opinion that we need to be in control, to make sure everything turns out just so.

Perhaps the most dangerous of Satan’s attacks is depression when everything seems to be going wrong. Our relationships are strained at best, fading into nonexistence at worst. We didn’t get the promotion we wanted at work, or the grade we hoped for at school. There are more and more demands on our time every day, and we are so overwhelmed that we want to simply give up. 

Why does the devil do these things to us? 1 Peter 5:8 answers this question: He – our enemy – is like a roaring lion, constantly seeking whom he may devour. Satan delights in making us feel insecure in our salvation, insecure in our God. He wants us to be convinced we’re alone in the world, that nothing – certainly not faith in the Lord – can give our lives lasting meaning.

When you battle Satan’s lies, what can you do? You can confront those lies with truth. The Bible contains promises the Savior has made to all of us, promises that will never fail: “Your word, oh Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. Your faithfulness continues through all generations” (Psalm 119:89,90, NIV).

“You have no friends, you’re on your own.”

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).

“. . . Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20). 

When we are lonely – at a single point in time or perhaps during a long-term time period – we should remember that God is with us all the time and is our friend, even if the whole world truly turns against us. We can always trust Him to be there for us; He will never abandon or betray us.

“Why would God care about you? You’re worthless, you’ve broken his rules one too many times, and you don’t deserve His Salvation.”

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1, NIV).

“For the Lord shall be thy confidence . . .” (Proverbs 3:26).

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

God loves you! He sent his only Son, Jesus Christ, to take the punishment for your sins. Not just the general sins of the world, but your sins. He died for you; even if you were the only person on earth, He would have died for you. He wants to take the punishment for your sins and save you from the life of this world.  

Jesus’ willing death was the ultimate sacrifice for Him to give; it was the ultimate demonstration of His love and compassion. No, you can’t earn His love. But for God, no one is unlovable, and nothing is unforgivable.

“God’s plan isn’t working! You have to stay in control.”

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5,6).

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV).

It’s very easy to think we have it all under control, to make plans as if it is our opinion alone that matters. However, God sees the big picture, and chances are He has a much better plan for your life than you could have ever laid out yourself. When struggling with “Let go and let God,” remember that He knows what He’s doing. When you trust Him, He will direct your paths. 

“Face it: your life is falling apart. You’ve lost your job, your marriage is suffering, and your dog just got hit by a car. What is there to be joyful about?”

“Surely He hath born our griefs, and carried our sorrows… He was bruised for our iniquities… and with His stripes, we are healed” (Isaiah 53:4,5).

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).

Yes, life is hard sometimes. It may seem like the hardships will never end. But Scripture holds a message far more meaningful than the cliché “light at the end of the tunnel.” Jesus has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. He knows where we are, He fully understands what we’re going through, and He offers to carries that burden for us, leaving in its place His perfect peace. Joy is not a constant happiness; rather, it is a God-given grateful attitude. It remains inside even when circumstances are less than pleasant. God’s peace is the difference between joy and despair. 

Finally, perhaps you know someone who is going through a hard time, and you can see that they are being overtaken by the lies of the enemy. What can you do for them? If they don’t know Jesus Christ as their Savior, you can share with them the hope and comfort that He offers. If they already have a relationship with God, you can remind them of the truths they may have forgotten. In either case, be an example of Christ’s love to them and pray.

*Unless otherwise noted, all verses are quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.

“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26b).

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness’” (1 Cor. 12:9a).

If you’re anything like me, you can likely think of at least one thing that you’re absolutely, hopelessly bad at – probably several things. There are a number of areas in which I’ve felt that way, and some in which I still do. But, gradually, my perspective is changing. God seems to be taking great delight in proving to me that I have very silly ideas of what is or is not possible for me – and that His plans can’t be predicted or confined by what skills I think I do or do not have.

I am an editor and a writer. That may not sound surprising, but not so long ago I would never have expected those titles to apply to me. My interests lay elsewhere, as did my talents. When I look at my life today, it’s nothing like anything I had dreamed God might have in store for me. In fact, if I had known only a few years ago that this would be His plan, I would probably have been horrified. But now, even though I don’t yet see His plans fully, I love the work He has given me. It’s not easy, but it’s far better than anything I could have come up with on my own. 

I became an editor about four years ago, almost without realizing it. Ever since I could remember, I had hated writing, and everything to do with it. In all my years of school, I have never completed a writing course. Oh, it wasn’t for lack of trying. I truly did put effort and thought into it. But even the highly-recommended courses we tried, I loathed. I was so very, very bad at it. I read voraciously, adored good literature, could recognize good writing. But for myself? No. Writing was cruel and unusual punishment. When it was required, I did it, but it was a slow and painful effort.

My poor mother, who had always loved writing, wondered what had gone wrong. How could a child of hers not love writing – never mind hate it? Had she failed as a teacher? Or was there, perhaps, something seriously wrong with me?

But through a number of “coincidences” and circumstances (which are an entire story in themselves), my love of reading led me into reading stories for more than simple enjoyment. It began with my sister – she wanted me to look at her stories, and correct the mistakes in them before she showed them to anyone else. Well, it wasn’t as if I knew what I was doing, but I agreed to help her.

Much to my surprise, I found I was good at it. And, even more astonishing, I liked it. Eventually, other friends gave me their writings to read as well, and even my mother began asking me to read her articles before she sent them to magazines. Sometimes they just wanted a general opinion, sometimes they wanted me to correct their mistakes or make suggestions.

The more I edited, the more I enjoyed it, and the more I wanted to learn the rules and art of language so that I could improve. I sought out books, reading and learning more through experience, and by the time I put a title to it and began working professionally, I had actually been an editor for some time.

At the time I had no idea where I was going, but in hindsight God’s direction has been almost laughably clear, gently turning me away from my own dreams, and replacing them with something even better. Out of something I had always hated and been inept at, God has given me work that I love, and opened countless doors for ministry, giving me the ability to help and encourage my family, my pastor, missionaries, and many other brothers and sisters in Christ. As far as a “productive” career is concerned – I’ve never yet had to apply for a job. Again and again, He’s brought opportunities right to me, without any initiation on my part.  

Despite all of that, some things didn’t change. Writing… ah, there was an area where I was truly beyond hope. I might like editing, but writing was still a different matter entirely. I would never be a writer. It surprised some people – writing and editing were supposed to go hand-in-hand, weren’t they? But I still hated it. 

And then, completely by accident, I started writing a book. 

It started out as simply a short article for an online writing community. As an editor, certain common writing mistakes really bother me, so I wrote an article on the proper and improper usage of exclamation marks in fiction. It was actually quite fun. One article turned into two, and then three. Not only were they well-received, but when I shared them with friends and family the universal response was that they were helpful – and that they should be expanded into a book.

Honestly, I was stunned – and kind of scared. I wasn’t a writer! I couldn’t write a book! But enough people had said the same thing that I started to wonder if God might be trying to tell me something. It seemed strange – how could writing advice about fiction be a way to serve God? It was perfectly legitimate and reasonable as something a person might want to do, but could it really be something He wanted me to do? But in the end, I surrendered.

So now, I am not only writing a book, but I’m writing a book on writing. I don’t have any idea what I’m doing, and I still have plenty of doubts. But I am confident that it was God who started me down this road, and He’s the one who will give me the abilities I need to walk it. It is certainly pride and folly to trust in our own abilities, but I’m learning that it is equally so to refuse to trust in His ability to enable us to do the tasks He has for us. His strength is made perfect in our weakness, and I truly think He delights at times in giving us tasks we feel completely unfit for, so that through us His greatness can shine all the more.

Sometimes, even though in our minds we know differently, it can feel like we have to be doing something really “spiritual” in order to serve God. The truth is, God calls us to serve Him wherever we are, and anything we do can be for His glory.

In the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30), even the servant with only one talent was expected to do something with it, and the Master was very displeased when he buried it. It’s all too easy to listen to the voices of doubt and insecurity saying, “I can’t do that. I’ve got no talent for this. This is impossible.” This talent may feel like a very little, weak, and useless one, but who knows what God can do with it?

I do know that I’ve got to be a whole lot more careful about what I decide I’m hopeless at, because I never know when it might wind up being in the center of God’s plans for me. When first asked if I would be interested in being involved with Regenerated Magazine, I told Veronika, the head of our editing department, that I would like to edit, but that I doubted I’d ever write anything for the magazine. After all, I am most definitely not a writer. I didn’t even intend to write this article, but I think it’s quite obvious what God thought of that idea. 

Where are you hopeless? Is there something that God’s been bringing into your path, but you’ve been hesitating because you don’t think you’re up for the task? When we are weak, He is strong: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

It might not be easy, but if it’s something God wants for us, we can do it. And you never know: you just might be surprised when God gives you “the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4) and you find it’s something you once thought you hated.

I will admit that I am a bit of a procrastinator. I once took a personality test that summed my dilemma up quite nicely: I get bored easily. I am super excited about a project at the outset, but seeing something through to completion has never been my strong suit. I could feel that aspect of my personality coming out in full force as I sat in front of this stack of Advanced Placement study guides. I had decided to take three of these tests—two months before the test dates. This wouldn’t have been a huge problem if I had taken these courses recently, but it had been a couple years. I had a lot of reviewing to do.

I finally reached the point where I just didn’t want to study anymore. No matter how much I studied, there was still so much more to do! It seemed like I’d never be able to make a dent in that massive amount of studying … especially in such a short time frame.

Sometimes I feel this way about life. I get sick and tired of “being good” and doing what is right. Sometimes it looks as though it’s never going to pay. It’s as if I am working toward nothing. If I am overwhelmed and discouraged when there are only a couple months of intense studying, I guess I should not be surprised when I become discouraged in life. There are so many things that I want to do … so many dreams I want to see fulfilled … but they all require some “if-then” commitments. If I work, if I improve, if I wait, it will all come together. But, like I said: I get so discouraged. What if I am doing all this for a reward that will never manifest itself?

Apparently, I’m not the only one who has felt this way. Paul addressed some tired and discouraged people in Galatians 6:9: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

This is a promise I am learning to lean on everyday. Though I cannot see it now, there is something in the bigger picture that is going to make all this work worth it! My experience with the AP tests taught me a lot—not only about the subject matter, but also about the confidence and blessing that come with perseverance.

Pressing On

Knowing that I struggle has brought me to another realization: there is something causing me to struggle, something holding me back from my goal.

Most of us experience this struggle. What holds you back from your goal can be anything from your past to your concerns of the future, but we all have something that hinders our pursuit of righteousness. It can be as “simple” as an inundated schedule or as complex as a broken, guilty heart. What preoccupies us doesn’t have to be something inherently bad; in fact, it can be something good and godly.

However, we are called to move past what stands in our way. Hebrews 12: 1-5 charges us with this:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

It is both comforting and a bit alarming that verse three warns against becoming weary. It is comforting in that I know I am not alone in this struggle and alarming because clearly this Christian life is going to be anything but easy. Actually, it’s going to be extremely tiring! We’re reminded in verse five that we have not struggled to the full extent. We cannot give up; we must continue to press on toward the goal.

Verse one tells us to throw off what is hindering us—just get rid of it. The recipients of the letter weren’t the only ones who needed to do this; the author included himself as well. “Let us,” he states. Clearly, the author of Hebrews had a thorough understanding of the Scriptures, but he still had to keep pressing forward.

It is a constant struggle, but we are not alone! The Author and Perfecter of our faith comes alongside us in this struggle, making it possible.

I wear a reminder of this on my finger every day. Most would call it a purity ring, but to me it is more than that—it is my own Ebenezer. In 1 Samuel 7, after the Israelites had miraculously defeated the Philistines, the prophet Samuel set up a rock as a reminder of the Lord’s intervention and mercy: “Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying ‘Thus far the Lord has helped us’” (1 Samuel 7:12).

To me, my ring is my Ebenezer. It is a reminder that my life has been surrendered to God, not only in the area of sexual purity, but in every other area as well. It also reminds me that this surrender is not easy, and that I struggle with it on a daily basis. But I do not struggle alone. To think that the Author and Perfecter of my faith is there to help me is one of the most comforting thoughts in the world.

Finding Support In the Body

We also should find support from our Christian brothers and sisters. The Christian life is not intended to be lived on your own. Far from it! It is too difficult. We are here to help each other along. This is not to be some passive, “Hey, great job.” It is to be creative and driven by innovative thoughts. The writer of Hebrews instructs us in this way:

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

We are to actively push one another to God. This requires a few things. We have to be real with one another, we have to be open to confrontation, and we have to be involved in one another’s lives. In being real, we cannot hide what we are struggling with from the church. For some of us, this means trusting our brothers and sisters with the burdens and secrets of our souls. For others, it means creating an environment of trust and security. It means abstaining from all pretenses of judgment. Also, we must be open to confrontation. Instead of becoming defensive, we must learn to accept confrontation with grace. Perhaps most importantly, we must be involved in one another’s lives. How can we hope to help one another if we don’t share our struggles and triumphs? It is not going to be easy, but we already knew that!

So, the next time a mountain of books is set in front of you, before you start counting the hours remaining before your untimely demise, remember that the reward will come … if you do not give up. And when it comes to life, know that you are not alone. Remember that you are held by your heavenly Father and that He has provided the family of believers to come to your aid. Most importantly, remember that our reward is sure. We must press on and not give up the fight.

I have been struck by that acutely this month. I may neglect, ignore become bored with God, but He never does with me. Ever and always, His hand supports me and holds me up, even if I forget that they’re there at all.

It’s really our pride that makes us forget about and neglect God. Pride is Satan’s watchdog, waiting for the opportunity to snag onto a leg or a hand and bite down, if even for an instant. In these moments, we think we can do it all. Everything’s in our control.

Not.

But still, with all our malicious pride and self-importance, with all our willful independence and “accomplishments,” God still shows us pity. He knows it is our nature, our way … and yet still He gives us special attention. He still answers our prayers, forgives us our sins, and works all things together for good.

We should do anything but ignore Him.

In this issue, be reminded of God’s goodness by our new mini-series on spiritual adoption. Guest speaker – and personal friend – Pastor Steven Gambill shares his experience with adoption, both physical and spiritual, pointing us to the beautiful Fatherhood of God. It should crush our instinctive pride and instead cause us to fall down in humble adoration for our Father’s mercy and grace.

What should that humbling cause us to do? Dedicate our entire life to God. Be challenged to use your current sphere to be a witness for Christ by Joanne Lu’s article, Oranges, Church, and You, and by Lauren Shirley’s call, Answering the Commission.

View also the life of William Borden, a young man whose dedication led him to the mission field … and a seemingly “unsuccessful” life. But there’s so much more to it than that….

Finally, wrap things up with the second, and last, part of our environmentalism “debate” – David Ketter’s rebuttal, The Whole Creation Groans: A Case for Biblical Environmentalism.

Be challenged to give God your all. He certainly gives you His.

In the beginning, this was by choice. We both had the attitude that children would just get in the way of our dreams, our careers, and our freedoms. We wanted to experience life, and having little ones in tandem was not our idea of a good time.

Because neither one of us were Christians in the beginning, our relationship was very rocky. We were actually married for two and a half years (if one could call it a marriage), then divorced for another year and a half. In one sense I am thankful that we didn’t have children who had to go through those difficult days because we were really just children ourselves.

After we became Christians our hearts began to change. Through the faithful and loving witness of a church that had learned what the Bible says about children being a heritage of the Lord, and our observing the fruit of biblical parenting, we began to have a desire for children of our own that only increased with time.

This was initially not to be. For several years we tried to figure out why we were not getting pregnant. After doctors’ appointments, fertility pills, and much prayer, we came to realize that we needed to look for another option.

Through much prayer and counsel, we eventually decided to pursue adoption. We entered into the somewhat lengthy and probing application process which included physical exams, background checks, recommendations, and home studies. We worked through a Christian agency who sought to ensure that the children they placed were being put into a home where Jesus Christ is loved.

Eventually, God granted us two children through this process. We are now so thankful that the Lord prevented our having children the ordinary way so that we could experience that which is extraordinary.

To this day, there is nothing identifiably wrong with either of us as to why we could not have children naturally. God, in His sovereignty, had a plan with a specific purpose in mind. It was through this experience of adopting our children that we came to better understand a topic central to the Christian faith: the topic of our adoption as children of God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I have come to see, after years of not dwelling on it sufficiently, that this is a most important topic to understand as a Christian, and for me to teach as a pastor.

Just how important this topic is can be seen in the words of theologian J.I. Packer:

If you want to judge how well a person understands Christianity, find out how much he makes of the thought of being God’s child, and having God as his Father. If this is not the thought that prompts and controls his worship and prayers and his whole outlook on life, it means that he does not understand Christianity very well at all.¹

Did you notice the strong words? Essential to understanding Christianity is understanding what it is to have God as our Father and our place as God’s child. This understanding, according to Packer, is to “prompt and control” our Christian lives. If we don’t understand this, we don’t understand the Christian faith very well at all. That is a pretty big claim.

It is my prayer that this stirs in you interest, and eventually passion, to pursue this topic far beyond what I will be writing. I will be drawing primarily from Scripture, from more of Packer’s comments, as well as some of our personal experiences as adoptive parents in sharing with you something of this great biblical truth.

The first and primary thing that I want you to see is that adoption assumes a prior relationship of separation. What is adoption? It is an act of taking into one’s family a person who is to be considered as a child of that family, with all the benefits. The Greek word (found in places like Galatians 4:5) literally means “to place as a son.” In our own case, I vividly remember standing before the judge while we held our children (who were still infants) and we swore primarily two things: the giving of our name and the giving of our inheritance. In adoption, something is being declared that was not previously true about the children. Likewise, our being adopted as children of God assumes that before this adoption took place, we were not children of God.

In one sense, however, we are all children of God. All human beings, whether they are Christians or not, are unique when compared to the rest of creation. All people have been created in God’s image (Genesis 1:26; James 3:9), and though fallen, still bear that image in various distorted, but true ways. This includes creativity, morality, conscious self-awareness and the ability to think abstractly. Paul, quoting a pagan poet to a pagan audience, affirms that “we are also His offspring” (Acts 17:28-29). He isn’t speaking only about Christians, but is including his audience as well.

So in one sense, all people are the offspring or “children” of God by creation. But there is another sense in which all people, because of our sin and fallen nature, are not children of God. We can only become so by redemption. The evidence of this from Scripture can be found in several places, but I will look at an example by the Apostle John, both in his Gospel and in his first letter.

In the Gospel, he records the words of our Lord when He states some very unflattering things about His opponents:

You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. (John 8:44)

Any way you look at it, this is a shattering truth. There are those who are labeled by the Son of God as children of the Devil by virtue of the fact that the devil is their father. What does this mean? It certainly doesn’t mean that Satan created them. He doesn’t have that power. Only God can create human beings. C.S. Lewis reminds us that all the devil can do is distort evil. He doesn’t have the power to create something bad, but only to take what God has created as good and twist it. The Devil and evil in this sense are like a parasite that has no life in itself, and can only live as it feeds off of the life of another.

The Apostle John picks up on this theme through his first letter and makes clear distinctions between two groups of people. There are either the children of God or the children of the devil. Each of these two groups has distinguishing traits, including what they say about Jesus (1 John 5:1), how they love other Christians (1 John 4:7), how they love God (1 John 5:2), how they live in regard to righteousness (1 John 3:9-10), and how they overcome the world (1 John 5:4). In some of these verses the title “children of God” is used, but in others that they have been “born of God.” This “new birth” is part of the process being adopted, and to this we will also return in a subsequent article, Lord willing.

Consider the fact that as Christians we were once children of the devil and separated from God. We were, as the Apostle Paul tells us, “by nature children of wrath just as the rest” (Ephesians 2:3). We came into this world separated from the grace of God because of our sin. Every day we lived, as we became more and more aware of right from wrong, and the dawning of the awareness of God came upon us, we were increasing in our condemnation and God’s righteous wrath against us.

There is something remarkable here that I want you to see in contrast to common first century adoptions and Christian adoption. In the Greco-Roman world, adoption typically took place because a wealthy couple was not able to have children, and they needed someone to pass on their inheritance and the family name. For this reason, newborn children were not ordinarily adopted for this purpose, but a grown man (or young man) who had proven himself worthy. You may think of the scene in the movie “Ben-Hur” when Judah is adopted and given the ring from the Roman official. They would meticulously check into the man’s character, his background, and his trustworthiness. If he passed the test, then he would be adopted and made a son.

Pause in this very moment to contrast this with what God does with us. The moment we are newborn babes in Christ through the new birth, with God already knowing in His perfect omniscience all of our future sins and failures, all of our folly and pride, all of the ways in which we will fail Him … He unhesitatingly adopts and declares us as His children despite our unworthiness. That is the Gospel! That is the grace of God!

The second major contrast in comparison to first century adoption is that, while those couples adopted because of need in their circumstance of having no one to pass on their livelihood to, God does not adopt out of any need whatsoever. We should remember that from all eternity God already had a Son in whom He was well pleased and perfectly satisfied. God did not have, like my wife and I, an “emptiness” that needed to be filled. It was not out of need, but the overflow of His good pleasure that He determined to adopt children into His family.

So God adopts us, not to fulfill an unmet need in Himself, but to display His glory to us and meet our great need of redemption and reconciliation to the God of the cosmos.

I urge you to take the time to not merely to receive information, but to bask in the glory of God’s goodness to you if you are a Christian. Really … will you take time to bask, take pleasure in, be satisfied in this glorious truth by prolonged meditation and worship?

If you are reading this and you are not a Christian, then I urge you to look to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is through Him, and by His grace, that you too can know both the adopting grace and mercy through the forgiveness of your sins, and the beginning of a new relationship in which you can bask in the joy that comes from knowing the One who alone can satisfy you with the pleasure of Himself.

¹Packer’s Knowing God