Insights Magazine: Issue Seven, 2024

These great lives stir our hearts and propel us to action.

Cover & Article Photo: Melissa Askew on Unsplash

What Does God Expect?

by Charles R. Swindoll

The pressures of life can seem overwhelming.

Sixty-hour workweeks. Razor-thin balances in the chequebook every month. Children who demand unending boundless bursts of energy. You’ve been there? Me too.

As we peer into the pages of the prophet Micah, tucked away toward the end of the Old Testament, we discover three qualities that give us practical direction for pressured days. Micah taught that God expects His people “to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly” with Him (Micah 6:8 NASB2020). Many of Scripture’s most memorable characters powerfully demonstrate these qualities of a life well lived. Let’s take a look at just a few. To Do Justice

Consider the Apostle Paul. Standing in chains before two Roman officials, falsely accused and well aware of his judges’ lessthan-stellar moral character, Paul determined to do what’s right and to speak the truth in a gentle, sensible manner. He began by hiding nothing about himself from his regal interrogators, explaining his blood-stained history and resisting the temptation to sugarcoat his past. He painted the canvas realistically for all to ponder—grit on display.

But he didn’t just expose his past. Paul added grace to grit and recounted his vision of the living Christ, who had called him to a new life. Although Paul once engaged in persecution, now his mission consisted of proclamation (Acts 26:12–16). And proclaim he did! Paul powerfully embraced Micah’s

directive to do what’s right...even in the face of a hostile audience.

To Love Kindness

Of all of the tough beginnings in the Bible, Joseph’s may have been the toughest. His brothers, tired of his visions of grandeur, threw him into a pit, sold him into slavery, and told their father Jacob that his favourite son had been killed (Genesis 37). How’s that for a dysfunctional family? The next few years brought Joseph a series of highs and lows: from a slave block in Egypt to the chief servant in a prominent household; from a filthy Egyptian prison to second-in-command of all Egypt (Genesis 39-41).

And when Joseph’s brothers travelled to Egypt for food during a famine, his high position afforded him the opportunity to repay their evil deeds with a boatload of revenge. But Joseph did just the opposite. He not only provided them food but also the choicest land in Egypt to sustain them during the lean years. Joseph understood that God sent him into Egypt to sustain his family during the famine, so he extended grace (Genesis 45:5–8, 50:20).

Talk about loving what’s kind!

To Walk Humbly

Maybe David learned humility from his early life as the youngest in a family of shepherds. Or it could have come when he had to depend upon the Lord to deliver him against the much stronger Goliath. Maybe he learned to walk humbly during his many years on the run from King Saul. Or after his

unbroken string of military victories—made possible only because of God’s work in his life. But true humility cost David much more.

In Psalm 51, we find David a broken and contrite man. On the heels of cataclysmic failure—not success—David discovered that circumstances had to turn against him before he learned the lesson of humility. And learn he did. Brought low before God and men, he realized his need for grace, cleansing, and renewal. David learned to walk humbly with his God. These great lives stir our hearts and propel us to action. And there are others. Esther humbled herself to save her people. Job rested in God’s sovereignty as the salve for suffering. Elijah did what was right in the face of great opposition. And Moses prayed for the mercy of God on behalf of His people.

The principles behind Micah’s words permeated the lives of these ancient saints. And despite their antiquity, their powerful examples continue to provide practical insight today. As the overwhelming pressures of life rise over your head, let’s draw upon these practical principles—and learn from these great lives—as we fashion our own life well lived.

Adapted from Charles R. Swindoll, Paul: A Man of Grace and Grit (Nashville: W Publishing Group, 2002), 276–284. Copyright © 2002, Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. | Adapted from Charles R. Swindoll, A Life Well Lived (Nashville: W Publishing Group, 2007). Copyright © 2007, Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.

Here Comes the King of Kings single CD message

Jesus Has a Question for You

by Charles R. Swindoll

At the zenith of His career, Jesus pulled away to the secluded area of Caesarea Philippi. On His mind was a crucial question for His disciples—and for us as well. Travel back with me to the scene as it unfolds.

The surroundings are impressive. Flowing springs. Lush gardens. Monuments and temples dedicated to the worship of the Greek god Pan line the pathways. A massive, white marble temple to Caesar looms tall. Perhaps standing in the midst of the monuments and the build-

ings and the shrines and the temples built to the gods, Jesus leans forward and says rather quietly to a small handful of men—knowing there was not one monument built in His honor, not one building erected to His glory— “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” (Matthew 16:13).

He is posing an opinion-poll question about Himself. “What’s the buzz?” He asks. According to verse 14, the disciples respond spontaneously, “Some say John the Baptist.” Now remember, John’s dead. He’s been beheaded by

Herod Antipas. Some people are saying that Jesus is John the Baptist raised from the dead. That’s why He has miraculous powers.

The disciples continue, “Some say...Elijah.” Elijah had died hundreds of years earlier. For centuries the Jews viewed Elijah as the prince of the prophets who would be the forerunner, but not the Messiah. And a third answer comes: “Some say...Jeremiah, or one of the prophets” (NASB1995). British scholar Alfred Plummer describes these on-the-street opinions as “wild and fluctuating guesses.”1 But they all boil down to this: “He’s a man.”

Then Jesus narrows His gaze and personalizes the question for His men: “But who do you say that I am?” (16:15, emphasis added).

In Matthew’s original text, Jesus emphasizes “you”— and it’s plural. He’s asking each man who they think He is.

There can be no greater question you could answer. “Who is Jesus Christ to you?” Your reply must be, “The Son of the living God, my Saviour, and my God.”

NOW IMAGINE FOR A MOMENT THAT JESUS TURNS HIS GAZE FROM PETER AND THE DISCIPLES...TO YOU. HE HAS A QUESTION FOR YOU ALSO: “WHO AM I TO YOU?” HE ASKS.

I don’t know how much time passes between verses 15 and 16, but Peter can’t stand the silence any longer. And even though the question was addressed to the group, Peter speaks for all of them. That’s like Peter, isn’t it? I love his answer:

“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16)

We have at times laughed at Simon Peter. But here’s a moment when we must salute him. He’s never had a greater moment than this. Christ is the flesh-and-bone God, not a fixed-in-stone god. And notice the definite articles. This isn’t a generalized series of wild guesses. This isn’t public opinion talking here. This is a specific answer about the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Can you picture the scene? Peter didn’t always get it right, but he nailed it this time! How great is that!

Now imagine for a moment that Jesus turns His gaze from Peter and the disciples...to you. He has a question for you also: “Who am I to you?” He asks.

Who else could He be? There is no one else qualified to grant forgiveness but Jesus. There is no one other than Christ who will stay closer to you when everyone or everything is stripped from you. There is no one else who can turn your bitterness into relief or turn your grief into joy. There is no one else you can trust with your deepest and most scandalous secret, only Jesus. Only He can relieve the abuse. Only He can erase the bitterness and remove the scars. All other counsellors and friends can simply put arms around you, weep with you, and point you to Him. But only He can change you!

And that’s just what He can do in this life. When you’ve taken your last breath and you step into eternity, having answered Jesus’ question with faith, there is not a soul who has ever lived who will be by your side but Jesus. He alone is qualified to escort you from the grave to glory. He alone is God.

Jesus has a question for you. Aren’t you glad you have the answer?

This article is adapted from the sermon “Who Do People Say the Son of Man Is?” by Charles R. Swindoll, in the series Issues and Answers in Jesus’ Day. Copyright © P 1989 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.

1. Alfred Plummer, An Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel According to S. Matthew (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1960), 225.

Elijah: Courageous and Prayerful Prophet

by Insight for Living Canada

Elijah was an Old Testament prophet remembered for his courage and commitment to prayer. His story is relatable for anyone who doesn’t understand God’s plan for their life!

Name

Elijah has been translated as “Yahweh is my God,” or “Yahweh is my strength.”

Outstanding Characteristics

Courage and prayerfulness.

Summary

Elijah was a courageous and prayerful prophet active during a time when Israel opted

to worship Baal instead of the Lord. King Ahab married Jezebel in order to form an alliance with Sidon and Elijah was sent to confront Israel, calling out their sin and encouraging them to return to the Lord. His ministry is presented in six episodes, most of which focus on the clash between the true God of Israel and the false god Baal. When the foreign princess Jezebel, who supported the worship of Baal, oppressed and executed the prophets of God, Elijah pronounced a drought and went into hiding for three years. He then returned, challenging

Article Photo: Bartholomeus Breenbergh, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

and defeating the prophets of Baal in a contest on mount Carmel when the Lord answered Elijah’s prayer with fire from heaven. Elijah escaped to Horeb where the Lord encouraged the disheartened prophet. God called Elijah to a showdown with Ahab when Jezebel, disdaining the pro-family Mosaic law, murdered Naboth for his vineyard. When Ahaziah, Ahab’s son, became king, Elijah confronted him over his decision to consult a false god. Finally, Elijah’s life and ministry end when the Lord took him to heaven in a whirlwind, leaving his successor Elisha to carry on.

Key Scripture

want. Rather, it expresses our willingness to conform the desires of our hearts to the desires of His. Prayer invites God to work so that others might see that He is real and turn to Him.

3. Courageous dedication: never underestimate the power of one life courageously dedicated to the Lord

THE COURAGEOUS AND PRAYERFUL PROPHET

ELIJAH

REMINDS US

THAT EVEN IF WE FEEL ALONE, WE CAN STILL TRUST GOD TO SHOW UP IN OUR TIME OF NEED.

Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!” But the people were completely silent. Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only prophet of the Lord who is left, but Baal has 450 prophets.” (1 Kings 18:21–22)

Lessons Learned

1. Committed allegiance: divided allegiance is as wrong as open idolatry

The easiest thing to do when outnumbered or facing the world’s evil is to assume a mediocre stance of non-commitment. But if you try to straddle a religious fence, as the Israelites did, you court the danger of falling off on the wrong side.

2. Effective prayerfulness: our most effective tool is prayer

In contrast with Baal’s prophets, Elijah simply prayed. He didn’t do anything flashy. He didn’t draw attention to himself. He didn’t try to take on the false prophets in his own power. Eljah just prayed that God would affirm what he had been telling the people so they would know the Lord wanted them back. Prayer doesn’t manipulate God into doing what we

The 850 prophets of Baal and Asherah were no match for Elijah because his life was wholly devoted to the Lord’s service. God works, even through frail people like us, when our hearts are completely His. Elijah’s courageous faith encourages us to live in a way that reveals to others the reality of God. Our task is to help them comprehend God’s truth and feel His love so much that they too turn their hearts to Him.

4. Feeling discouraged: being a person of faith does not mean that we will never feel discouraged

Elijah’s story is both comforting and encouraging. God’s plan didn’t make sense to Elijah and he felt discouraged and alone. Even still he searched for God when he faced adversity. In return, Elijah saw God’s power displayed: when He brought the widow’s son back from the dead, when He triumphed on Mt. Carmel, and when He rained down fire from heaven upon the king’s men.

The courageous and prayerful prophet Elijah reminds us that even if we feel alone, we can still trust God to show up in our time of need.

Bible Basics: Canonization and Choosing the Books of the Bible

by Steve Johnson

If we believe that God exists as an almighty God, then revelation and divine inspiration are clearly possible. If we believe in such a God, it is also probable that He would, out of love and for His own purposes and designs, reveal Himself to men. Because of man’s obvious condition in sin and his obvious inability to meet his own spiritual needs, special revelation in a God-breathed book is not only possible, logical, and probable, but also a necessity.

Therefore, a significant question arises: which books are divinely inspired and how were they chosen? Historically, it was important for the people of God to determine which books God had inspired and were recognized as authoritative. Inspiration indicates how the Bible received its authority, whereas canonization tells how the Bible received its acceptance. It is one thing for God to give the Scriptures their authority, and quite another for men to recognize that authority.

The English word “canon” (Greek kanon ; Hebrew qaneh ) means “reed or cane”—a measuring rod, which could be used as a standard or rule. It came to be used to describe those chosen books recognized as inspired by God and therefore authoritative. It refers to the list of books contained

in Scripture—the list of books recognized as comprising God’s inspired Word.

Discovering Canonicity

The question that arises is, “who or what determined which books were canonical?” The answer is that a book is canonical because God inspired it. It’s not inspired because people made it canonical. Thus, canonicity is determined by God’s inspiration of the writings, and then this inspiration and the writing’s authority was recognized by humans.

To put it another way, God determines whether a book is inspired and thus canonical. Churches, councils, and people do not. God gave the books of the Bible their divine authority and God’s people recognized this authority.

In general, there were basically five guiding principles or questions used to determine whether or not a book is Scripture.

1. Is it authoritative? Did it come from the hand of God as in a divine “thus saith the Lord” inspiration?

2. Is it prophetic? Was it written by a man of God?

3. Is it authentic? They originally had the attitude of “if in doubt, throw it out”

4. Is it dynamic? Did it come with the lifetransforming power of God?

5. Was it received, collected, read, applied, and accepted by the people of God?

The Old Testament Canon

The 39 books in our English Protestant Bibles correspond exactly to the books of the Hebrew Bible and its designation as the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings. As God’s revelation unfolded progressively throughout the Old Testament era, the Jews recognized it as inspired and authoritative and collected them. Later Old Testament books quote earlier Old Testament books as authoritative.

In addition, a prophetic chain links the books of the Old Testament together. For example, Moses wrote the Pentateuch. Then, Joshua, the author of Joshua and perhaps the very end of Deuteronomy (which records Moses’ death), took over for Moses in writing inspired Scripture. This goes on throughout the Old Testament. Each prophet, from Moses through Nehemiah, contributed to the growing collection, which was preserved by the official prophetic community stemming from Samuel.

Testament, often refer to the Jewish Scriptures in general, and to many of the individual books as having the authority of God. In the New Testament we find 160 different quotations from the Old Testament Scriptures. These are found in 20 of the 39 Old Testament books

There is good evidence to indicate that by the time of Jesus, the canon of the Old Testament had been set. In Luke 24:44 the canonical writings, according to Jesus, are composed of the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms. This threefold division is equivalent to the three divisions of the Hebrew scriptures—the Law, the Prophets and the Writings.

The New Testament Canon

THE OLD TESTAMENT

BOOKS IN OUR BIBLES

ARE

THE SAME ONES ACCEPTED BY THE HEBREW PEOPLE, GOD’S CHOSEN PEOPLE AT THE TIME IT WAS WRITTEN.

The early church was also interested in collecting those books that were inspired. The works written by the apostles and prophets were considered valuable and worthy of preservation. The believers needed to know which books should be read in the churches as the Word of God and could be used to determine God’s will for doctrine and living.

Some of the criteria, which contributed to the recognition of certain Old Testament books as canonical are:

• The well-established tradition that many of the books came from Moses or one of the other acknowledged prophets

• Spiritual authority of the books themselves as they were used in public or private reading and in exposition

• Recognition in the Temple as sacred

• The opinions of religious leaders and common convictions of the people about the books were considered

• For Christians, there was the additional consideration that Jesus Himself and His apostles, in the pages of the New

As heresies, philosophies, and other religions developed, the need to preserve the foundations of the faith became the basic motivation toward the realization of the New Testament canon. This became more acute after the demise of the first generation of eyewitnesses.

The early church also needed to know exactly which books were canonical because certain heretics were coming up with their own canons. Around AD 140, the heretic Marcion, had his own “canon” that excluded most of the New Testament canonical writings we possess. Montanists and gnostic groups were also threats to the early church.

In addition, the persecution of Christians from AD 303–306 included the confiscation

and destruction of New Testament books motivating the church to sort through and settle on which books were really Scripture and were worth suffering for.

Certain criteria were used by the early church in discovering the New Testament Canon. As with the Old Testament, canonicity of New Testament writings was based on divine inspiration. Only those works that had been inspired by God were to be part of the canon.

They had to have apostolic authority, meaning they were written by apostles or close associates of the apostles or Jesus. Not everything the apostles wrote was inspired.

Books also needed to belong to the apostolic era. Writings from a later date, whatever their merit, could not be included among the canonical books.

No works could be canonical that contradicted the apostolic faith—the faith set forth in the authoritative books. The church also did not accept any works that were known to be written by someone with a fake name.

The Old Testament books in our Bibles are the same ones accepted by the Hebrew people, God’s chosen people at the time it was written. We also know that the New Testament books that we have in our Bible have, from the fourth century onward, been accepted as a “fixed” canon in the eyes of most churches. It is also important to observe that the list of chosen books is not the product of any single person or church council, but many people down through time have been involved in working to establish it. Because of what we have seen, we can have confidence that the Bible we have is as God intended it to be: divinely inspired and authoritative, and we can study it to find God’s will for our lives in this day and age.

Our vision is to reach Canadians with the truth of God’s Word. We believe this is the first step to helping people understand and apply God’s Word.

Learn more at insightforliving.ca/vision

Steve Johnson is the executive director at Insight for Living Canada.

THE INTEGRITY OF A BOLD VISION

insight for living ministries

The following mini-study is presented to familiarize you with Pastor Chuck’s method of Bible study and provide an opportunity to study the passage yourself.

“Jabez prayed for a bold vision despite the fact that he came from obscurity. He is a classic example that obscurity need not overshadow any life.”

—Pastor Charles R. Swindoll

Prepare Your Heart

Begin this study in prayer, asking God to reveal His bold vision for your life through the lens of Jabez’s example.

Turn to the Scriptures

“There was a man named Jabez who was more honorable than any of his brothers. His mother named him Jabez because his birth had been so painful. He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, ‘Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!’ And God granted him his request” (1 Chronicles 4:9–10).

Observation: Painful Past to Bold Vision

: O A Hebrew-speaking Jew reading, “There was a man named Jabez,” (1 Chronicles 4:9) would have immediately paused at Jabez’s unusual name because in Hebrew, it sounds like the word for pain. Drawing only from his name, what might the Jewish reader conclude about Jabez’s character?

: O How did Jabez get his name?

: O How did Jabez overcome the meaning of his name?

: O Identify the four components of Jabez’s prayer in 1 Chronicles 4:10, and write them in the spaces below.

1.

2.

3. 4.

Jabez’s heartfelt prayer moved the Lord’s hand of mercy: “God granted him his request” (4:10). By answering Jabez’s prayer, the Lord elevated him as an honourable, distinguished, and respected man in Israel.

Interpretation: Overcoming a Negative Self-Image

The chronicler was writing to Jews who had come back to Jerusalem many decades after the city was destroyed in 586 BC. These returning refugees could identify with a man named “Jabez,” because they, too, bore the pain of their past.

We’re not told the details of Jabez’s naming, but we can assume that each mention of Jabez’s name was a reminder that his existence brought pain. He must have grown up with a devastating and negative self-image.

:I Similarly, an equally dark cloud hung over the heads of the returning Jews who had been born in painful exile. Put yourself in their place, write down the principles that each of the four requests in Jabez’s model prayer might communicate to the returning Jews. Try to keep in the forefront of your thinking how the original audience would have interpreted Jabez’s statements.

:I Request for divine engagement: “Oh, that you would bless me” (1 Chronicles 4:10).

:I Request for divine enlargement: “Expand my territory!” (4:10).

:I Request for divine empowerment: “Please be with me in all that I do” (4:10).

:I Request for divine enablement: “Keep me from all trouble and pain!” (4:10).

“Jabez rose above his pain in his prayer to God. He said, ‘Oh, that You would come to my rescue. Engage Yourself in my life. I long for You to break through the cloud that has covered me and the pain and the shame that has surrounded me since birth. You can do that, God. I call out to You!’”

—Pastor Charles R. Swindoll

Correlation: God Hears Our Prayers

: C Like Jabez’s birth, the circumstances surrounding Ishmael’s birth was full of strife and pain. Read how “the angel of the Lord” comforted Hagar beside a spring in Genesis 16:7–12. What did the messenger from God say to Hagar about her son? What does Ishmael mean?

: C What did God say to Hagar regarding Ishmael, whose name means “God hears,” according to Genesis 21:17–21? How did God rescue them?

God also hears our prayers forged in the crucible of our pain.

Application: Three Lessons and a Question

If the painful patterns of Jabez’s past match yours, then consider the following three lessons his life models and one question it poses of us.

First, a struggling start doesn’t necessitate a limited life. God says to us, “You can live beyond your limitations through Me.”

Second, no measure of success is safe without God’s presence. We need to continually

recognize and rely upon God’s protective hand to shield us each step of the way.

Third, when God blesses a life, there is no reason for guilt. When Jabez occupied a place of honour, he had no need to feel guilt, as it was false guilt. As long as God is glorified in our successes, we don’t need to feel ashamed.

:A Now, here’s the question: What large thing are you asking of God? Ask the Lord to remove the pain of your past and replace it with a bold vision for the future.

My prayer for divine engagement: My prayer for divine enlargement: My prayer for divine empowerment: My prayer for divine enablement: Remember, limitations need not limit us when we serve a limitless God.

A Final Prayer

Father, bless me, indeed! Enlarge my world. Give me a bold vision. Help me overcome the pain of my past. Give me the courage to act in faith and go beyond the expected, so that I might serve You in a way that is only possible because of You. In Your Son’s name, amen.

Go to insightforliving.ca/bold to download the full-length Searching the Scripture Study and listen to Pastor Chuck’s message.

Thank you for supporting the work of Pastor Chuck Swindoll and Insight for Living Canada with your prayers and finances.

Of all the great ministries you could have given to, you chose us, and that means more to us than we can fully express. We’re inspired to stay strong in Christ’s work with all the focus and diligence God’s grace provides.