Insights Magazine: Issue Five, 2023

2023 ISSUE FIVE

As Christians, most of us know that we fight on the frontlines of an invisible war. Unfortunately, there are many who do not realize that.

Cover & Article Photo: Photo by Kate Kozyrka on Unsplash

Let’s Live Courageously!

by Charles R. Swindoll

It’s simplistic to say that the only kind of battle going on today is the war against terrorism, though that is what the Enemy of our souls would love for us to believe. He would like to preoccupy our minds with the physical struggles around us and have us miss the spiritual conflict within that rages every day of our lives.

As Christians, most of us know that we fight on the frontlines of an invisible war. Unfortunately, there are many who do not realize that. They may have been taken hostage and not know it. They could be wounded, but nobody notices because they don’t actually bleed. The most spiritually bloodthirsty, wicked creature on earth, our adversary the Devil, wages an invisible war against you, your family, your church, and every other person who has been redeemed by the precious blood of the Lamb.

The Apostle Paul knew this conflict well and often wrote of it:

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. (2 Corinthians 10:3–4)

Never forget: we are engaged in a battle, not for our bodies, but for our minds. Please don’t think of the mind as just a brain inside the cranium. Think of the mind as the inner person, with intellect and emotions and closely connected. It involves the way we think...how we react.

It is in these vulnerable areas that Satan works. He battles through people or without people; he battles in events, in depression, in success, or in failure. He battles in money or in poverty. He is constantly engaged, forever bent on our destruction.

Why does he despise God’s people and fight so insidiously against us? The answer is that he’s consumed by his hatred of the mission of Christ. Knowing that he can’t overthrow it—because the gates of Hades will never accomplish that—Satan plays a wicked game of spiritual chess. He knows he’s doomed, but he’ll get your last man if he can. He knows Christ has already won, but he won’t give up without an intense fight.

So what are we to do? How do we engage such an enemy? I can think of two ways.

First, identify the Enemy’s tactics. Ponder 2 Corinthians 2:11: “So that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.” One of the Enemy’s most cunning tricks is to make you think you’re listening to your own voice inside your head, when it’s really him at work. Next time you feel discouraged or tempted, test each thought against God’s Word (1 John 4:1). Deception is exposed when held up against the truth.

Second, defend yourself in Christ . We can defend ourselves against the Enemy’s schemes by “taking every thought captive to

the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). What a grand verse! Since Satan makes our mind his battlefield, our best defense is to surrender our thoughts to Jesus Christ and ask Him to guard and protect us. When we release ourselves to our all-powerful Lord, He takes charge—and Satan backs off. I make this practical in my own life by regularly telling God, “Lord, I need You right now. This very moment, take charge of this situation. I need Your thoughts, I need Your strength, I need Your grace, I need Your wisdom, and I need Your very words. Protect me from fear. Hold me close. Get me through this violent storm.” He will; He will get you through—victoriously. Remember, “we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37). The battle rages. We will face many skirmishes in the months to come, both publicly and privately. But we have no reason

to fear—Jesus Christ has already won our spiritual victory. I challenge you today to step out in courage and walk in that victory. It is yours to claim in Christ Jesus. Don’t listen to the Enemy’s mind games anymore.

Let’s dare to live courageously!

Copyright © 2002 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission.

Here’s what to do when you have regrets

Ambassadors of Christ: Insight for Living Ministries Poland

by Insight for Living Ministries

So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:20–21)

We don’t speak on our own behalf but on Christ’s. It isn’t our message that we convey but His gospel. God is making His appeal to the world through us as ambassadors of Christ. —Pastor Chuck Swindoll

His phone didn’t normally ring at midnight. But the brand-new Bible-teaching broadcast, Pełnia Zycia, meaning “Fullness of Life,” ended at 11 p.m., so listeners assumed he was in the studio ready for their calls. Zygmunt, pastor of Insight for Living Ministries (IFLM) Poland, will never forget his conversation that night with a man feeling empty and ready to end it all.

“You are the last person I will ever speak with,” he told Zygmunt, “because I am ready to hang myself.” Zygmunt, however, knew this phone call signaled that the caller sought for a reason to live. So Zygmunt kept the listener on the phone and soon learned the man’s name and address. During the call, Zygmunt used another phone to call a pastor friend, who quickly travelled to the caller’s address and extended Christ’s comfort. In those dark hours, a ray of hope shined. The caller lived.

Ambassadors of Christ rarely know the details of His mission for them. They simply go.

They proclaim. They serve, give, listen, build, organize—moving long-term initiatives forward while responding to the urgent needs of the day. It is the ever-present King who governs the ambassador’s time and orchestrates the ambassador’s schedule. The whole mission is carried out in faith, hope, and love while representing the Lord of Life and following His leading.

From the beginning, the IFLM regional office in Poland has operated with that biblical attitude and posture. Christ faithfully raised up its leaders. He is using them to expand the presence and influence of clear, accurate, relevant, practical Bible teaching in the Polish language across the world. God’s faithfulness is encouraging. The fruit is nourishing and inspiring. Our goals are God-sized because the needs are God-sized.

Preparation

Zygmunt Karel did not begin his ministry with the aim of teaching God’s Word on such an array of platforms like we do at IFLM. IFLM did not have in place some strategic three-year plan for finding an evangelical Polish-speaking pastor, establishing a Poland office, and launching a Polish-language Bible-teaching ministry. Christ, however, prepares His ambassadors through immediate assignments and partnerships for later assignments and new partnerships—all to accomplish His unfathomable plan by His own manifold wisdom.

In 1955, when Zygmunt was only five years old, he and his family witnessed communist

police beat his father, a pastor, in their living room. In those days in Poland, it was a crime to evangelize. Zygmunt lunged toward his father to help him, but his mother held him back, “If we attack them,” she warned, “...they will put your father in prison, this time, for good.” Authorities harassed preachers to spark retaliation. But there was none in the Karel home that day. The police left disappointed. Zygmunt’s father gathered the whole family in the living room where they all knelt and prayed for those who had just abused him.

In 1964, while travelling on a streetcar with his father, Zygmunt read about the need for personal faith in Christ. Immediately, he committed his life to the Lord Jesus Christ and desired to serve Him in full-time vocational ministry. Zygmunt’s mom and dad were reluctant about his career decision because they knew the hardships of such a life. Zygmunt’s father had been arrested numerous times and Zygmunt, too, would spend nights in jail for preaching the Gospel. Yet, God’s call was undeniable. In 1973, Zygmunt began pastoring his first church, and he married his sweetheart, Maria. This year marks both their 50th year in full-time vocational ministry as well as their 50th wedding anniversary. God is faithful!

In 1982, Zygmunt met an American missionary and Bible teacher named Mark Young. The two immediately realized they shared the desire to train pastors, so they developed curriculum and travelled across Poland conducting seminars from 1982 to 1986. During this time, they began dreaming of starting a Polish evangelical seminary. Earning a doctorate degree took Mark back to the states from 1986 to 1988 until he received a call from Zygmunt to move back to Poland and launch a seminary—underground! Communism still ruled Poland in 1988, so authorities would have never allowed an evangelical seminary. In their eyes, it would have been “too Western...too American.”

By April 1988, Mark completed his PhD and returned to Poland. As they developed their plan for the seminary in 1989, the first free Polish parliamentary elections occurred. The overthrow of communism and the overhaul of Poland’s key institutions shortly followed...including nation-wide upheaval.

The abolition of communism enabled Zygmunt and Mark to publicly launch Biblical Theological Seminary, now called the Evangelical School of Theology, in the summer of 1990. Zygmunt served as president from 1990 to 2005. Mark served as dean from 1990 to 1995 before moving to Texas to teach as a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary.

Zygmunt transferred the baton of leadership into new hands at Biblical Theological Seminary in 2005. Then, God led him to Brooklyn, New York, to pastor a Polish-speaking congregation until 2008. In fact, it was in 2008 when Mark invited Zygmunt to Texas to connect with Pastor Chuck and Cynthia. The Swindoll’s invited Zygmunt to serve as IFLM’s Polish translator and pastor. Zygmunt’s family history, education, ministry, leadership experience, and kingdom partnerships prepared him for and led him to his next ambassadorial undertaking. With joy, Zygmunt said, “YES!”

Christ’s Provision

Upon returning to Poland in 2008, Christ soon connected Zygmunt with a fellow ambassador named Dorothy who worked as a lawyer and donated her time and expertise to establish IFLM Poland as a legal foundation, which occurred in January 2009.

“From day one, I was translating Pastor Chuck’s sermons!” Zygmunt recalls. Patiently and faithfully for more than two years, Zygmunt translated and recorded sermon after sermon after sermon. Often, a solitary and unglamorous endeavour...but vital if there is to be a proper storehouse of Bible-teaching messages for the program’s consistency and longevity. Amid

the production work, Zygmunt reached out to his close friend, Dr. Henryk Król, who owned Radio CCM, a Christian radio station in Poland.

In July 2011, Pełnia Z ycia hit the radio airways! To this day, Dr. Król serves on the board of IFLM Poland proving to be a vital partner in our shared faith and mission.

Kuba Cieslar joined IFLM Poland in 2013 as its first executive director. This young, dynamic leader helped Zygmunt expand the ministry’s presence on the airwaves and online. In 2021, Kuba transitioned to a pastorate, and Marcin Karel, Zygmunt’s son, stepped in as the new executive director. Marcin has now built on the foundation established by Kuba, taking the quality of their digital presence and the extent of their outreach to the next level. Marcin’s ambassadorial attitude shines through his recent statement, “I aim to do my work with excellence that God might be glorified in all we do!”

Christ wants His ambassadors to laugh a little. Regardless of the intensity of the mission, His joy enables them to have some fun. In the spirit of fun, Zygmunt likes to take visitors on “joy rides” in his car. When IFLM leaders, Bill Gemaehlich and Tom Hayes, travelled from the United States office to visit the Polish office, Zygmunt wanted to introduce them to Dr. Król who lived in Wisla—about a three-hour drive from Wrocław on the A4 motorway. In various sections, the speed limit is higher than in the United States. Wanting to give Bill and Tom the full experience on the motorway, Zygmunt once increased his speed to 125mph. Yet, sports cars were still blazing past them. Zygmunt recalls Tom’s grip on his seatbelt getting tighter and tighter as Bill’s eyes got bigger and bigger. Conversation froze. Zygmunt started to grin.

IFLM Poland would not be possible were it not for other ambassadors of Christ who pray for the ministry and fund its work. Consistent giving from the United States has enabled the continued operations of the ministry while

key supporters from within Poland also contribute toward special initiatives. Zygmunt says some of the most touching gifts come from elderly people who live alone and depend upon the reliable presence of the broadcast. They receive a meagre pension to live on, but they wish to help so they give a significant percentage of their livelihood to assist the ministry. “All of us at IFLM Poland are blessed by their gifts which we view as signs of God’s favour and direction to continue in this work as His ambassadors.”

An Urgent Assignment

On February 24, 2022, Russian military forces began attacking major cities across Ukraine. Quickly, humanitarian organizations marshalled their resources to meet this urgent crisis. Displacement is one of the disastrous effects of this war. Millions of people have fled Ukraine into neighbouring countries such as Hungary, Romania, Moldova, and Poland, which has received the most refugees—topping nine million. Many refugees in Poland have since moved to other countries, but approximately two million currently remain.

Zygmunt recalls in 2008 reading a surprising provision in IFLM Poland’s bylaws: to “help war victims.” Zygmunt questioned Dorothy about it, but she said it was necessary to keep. What prescience! With that legal authority, IFLM Poland has partnered with other churches and organizations to alleviate agonizing pain created by the war and to extend biblical hope and compassion to those who are desperate for comfort and light.

IFLM Poland helps support more than 70 refugees, mostly women and children, by giving them long-term housing and daily necessities like food and clothing. Furthermore, IFLM Poland has helped sustain more than 350 families by delivering goods across the border into Lutsk. While the war may not be at the forefront of people’s minds outside of Eastern Europe, it

remains an ongoing humanitarian crisis on the doorsteps of many in this part of the world.

Pastor Training

Equipping church leaders for gospel ministry has been on Zygmunt’s heart for more than 40 years. That desire aligns well with IFLM’s vision. In 2018, IFLM began developing pastortraining curriculum to help church leaders who lack access to such training. The IFLM United Kingdom pastor, Terry Boyle, creates curriculum and seminars based on Pastor Chuck’s books, like Searching the Scriptures , to offer insight and practical tips from Pastor Chuck’s more than 60 years of ministry experience.

Zygmunt could not have been more thrilled to hear about this new curriculum and initiative. In fact, he began translating it, late into the night, the first day he received his copy! He finished translating the first volume in 2019. IFLM Poland has trained more than 100 church leaders since that time.

Your Prayers and Support

When you give to Insight for Living Canada, your money stays in Canada to support the Bible-teaching efforts in this country. However, people are able to support IFLM Poland through IFLM in the United States. Their global goal is to proclaim the truths of Scripture and the person of Jesus Christ to all 195 nations in the world.

We are deeply grateful for the ambassadors of Christ, who take seriously His Great Commission, by sending out God’s Word across the world through this Bible-teaching ministry.

Zygmunt and IFLM Poland ask you to pray for:

1. The spiritual impact of their Bible-teaching content

2. The funds to translate more of Pastor Chuck’s books

3. The expansion of our pastor-training efforts

4. A deeper desire in Poland for Christ and His Word

Spending any amount of time with the IFLM Poland team will make evident that these ambassadors not only carry the message of Christ but also represent His heart. They embody the Apostle Paul’s expression about his own ministry in 2 Corinthians 5:14, “For the love of Christ controls us.”

John Bunyan

by Bill Gemaehlich

Ahero of the faith who encourages me to draw near to God and pray as we wade through difficult seasons is John Bunyan.

PRISON PROVIDED BUNYAN THE OPPORTUNITY TO CULTIVATE A DEEP INTIMATE FELLOWSHIP WITH CHRIST.

John Bunyan served as a Puritan pastor and early in his ministry, he was imprisoned when he refused to stop preaching and submit to the laws against nonconformity with the Church of England. Consequently, Bunyan served 12 years in prison where he was separated from his second wife and four children.

However, his time in prison was not wasted—God provided time for him to study the Bible, pray, and to write, including his most famous work The Pilgrim’s Progress Prison provided Bunyan the opportunity to cultivate a deep intimate fellowship with Christ. His suffering drove him to cling to God’s Word and pray, which gave him strength and sustained him to persevere until he was pardoned by Charles II in 1672.

John Bunyan’s perspective on prayer, which he wrote while in prison, is summed up in his classic statement, “Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the soul to God, through Christ, in the power of the

Holy Spirit, for such things as He has promised, for the good of the church with submission in faith to the will of God.”1

As we come together to pray let us reflect on the perspective of John Bunyan and pray with a heart that is “sincere, sensible, and affectionate pouring out of our soul to God.”

For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father…that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:14–19 ESV)

1 Bunyan, John. Prayer. Waymarks Books, 2010

Bill Gemaehlich is the EVP/COO operations at Insight for Living Ministries

Citizens of Heaven on Earth

by Steve Johnson

When we were born into this world we became resident citizens of it. Planet earth is where we live and move and have our being. And this earth is also full of other people living, moving, and being.

The Bible uses the word, “world” in these two ways too. It may refer to the planet we live on (Romans 8:20), and it may refer to the people who live on earth (John 3:16–17).

The Bible also uses the word, “world” to refer to the system of values and attitudes of a soci-

ety that has abandoned God and is in opposition to Him. This world system is expressed through a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions (1 John 2:16).

But when we accepted Christ, God, “rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son” (Colossians 1:13). We were given a new status as citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20). Consequently, we’ve become “temporary residents

AS CITIZENS OF HEAVEN LIVING ON EARTH, WE’RE LIVING IN TIME BUT MADE FOR ETERNITY.

and foreigners” in this world (1 Peter 2:11). It’s no longer our true home and when we fold up this temporary bodily tent at death, we have an eternal house in heaven (2 Corinthians 5:1–4).

In keeping with our new status and identity we are to hate and shun the ungodly world system. This is what James meant when he wrote, “friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God” (James 4:4; cf. Philippians 2:15). It’s also what John wrote, “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you” (1 John 2:15). And Peter writes, “Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul” (1 Peter 2:11 NASB1995).

So that is our tension: believers are citizens of heaven living on earth. We’re temporary residents and foreigners among the nonbelieving citizens of the earth and their world system, which runs counter to God’s will. How do we live with that tension?

Here are a few specific guidelines to help us. By faith, keep your mind focused on heavenly things

Meditate on heaven regularly. Value Christ supremely. As citizens of heaven is it is important to, “set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:1-3 NIV).

“So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” (2 Corinthians 4:18 NLT)

Recognize that we will suffer for the cause of Christ because we are “temporary residents and foreigners,” striving to live godly lives and opposed to worldly values.

The world does not know God or love Him and because it hated Him it will hate us.

“Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 2:3)

Live as a citizen on earth obeying the laws of the land and fulfilling your responsibilities toward your government, community, family, vocation, and church

“Athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules.” (2 Timothy 2:5)

“Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. Then people who are not believers will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others.” (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12)

Don’t get tied up with things of this world

“No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.” (2 Timothy 2:4 NIV) In Romans 12:2 Paul wrote, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” Jesus prayed that all His followers who are in the world but not of it would not be overcome by the world. (John 17:11)

Work hard and enjoy your life and the fruit of your labour

“And hardworking farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor.” (2 Timothy 2:6)

“God...richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” (1 Timothy 6:17 NIV)

As citizens of heaven living on earth, we’re living in time but made for eternity. And as the old song, “This World Is Not My Home,” by J.R. Baxter goes, “This world is not my home, I’m just a-passing through…. And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.”

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

“Job never saw calamity coming, but he was ready for it. He had spent his entire life preparing.”

—Pastor Charles R. Swindoll

When Calamity Crashes In

If you could choose your life’s course, which one would you choose—the rocky course or the smooth?

The answer is obvious. We’d select the smooth path—the flower-lined lane filled with an assortment of sights, smells, and pleasurable diversions. No jagged rocks or steep hills to climb. Only soft grass to soothe the feet and soft winds to cool the brow.

The problem-free life sounds inviting, doesn’t it? No worries about money. No hassles with the kids. No headaches at work. No stress, no friction, no pain.

Unfortunately, only in over-the-rainbow dreams does such a life exist. Down on earth, no matter how hard we work to attain a life of ease, an avalanche of losses may wipe us out at any moment. How do we spiritually prepare for disasters that we don’t see coming? To what hope do we cling to when calamity crashes in? The ancient patriarch Job has a few answers, and we turn to his account of suffering in this study.

Satan may have set out to destroy Job, but that was not God’s intent. God permitted Job’s trials to display Job’s faith, the quality that God knew Job had. Through his years of devotion to God, Job had been preparing his heart, so that when

suffering came, Job’s character shined through. The trials proved the genuineness of Job’s faith. The same is true for us through our suffering, and someday, a bountiful reward will come.

Peter confidently pointed to the light at the end of our dark tunnel:

There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. (1 Peter 1:6–7) Job’s life teaches us three points of wisdom:

• Trials are inevitable . Expecting a problem-free life leads to disappointment

• Our world is fallen . Until Christ returns, we inhabit a war zone. Good people suffer

• God is sovereign . The wisest posture through life is humble submission to God

How does believing these truths help you prepare today for whatever suffering may come to your life tomorrow?

“When Calamity Crashes In” is from Chuck Swindoll’s series Clinging to Hope. You can stream this message online anytime at insightforliving.ca/audiolibrary.

Puzzle — Code Word Puzzle

Citizens of Heaven on Earth

Difficulty ■ ■ □ □

Each letter in this puzzle is represented by a number one through 26. Can you crack the code to solve the Bible verse found in the New International Version (NIV)? Two letters are already in place to get you started.