DECEMBER 2014
In this issue
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A Gift Too Wonderful for Words charles r. swindoll
6 Why I Don't Make Resolutions robyn roste 8 ĘťTis the Season to be Expecting phil callaway
What are the Keys to Answered Prayer?
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11 New Beginnings scott tolhurst 14 Q & A: How can I avoid and overcome the post-Christmas blues? steve johnson
Insights is published by Insight for Living Canada, the Bible-teaching ministry of Charles (Chuck) R. Swindoll. Chuck is the senior pastor-teacher of Stonebriar Community Church in Texas. His international radio program Insight for Living has aired for more than 35 years. We hope this publication will instruct, inspire, and encourage you in your walk with Christ. Copyright Š 2014 Insight for Living Canada. All rights reserved. No portion of this monthly publication may be reproduced in any form without prior written permission from the publisher. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture passages are taken from the NASB. Unless otherwise noted, photography and illustration by Laura Vanderwel. IFLC is an autonomous ministry and certified member of the Canadian Council of Christian Charities. Printed in Canada.
by charles r. swindoll
ong ago in a quiet, crude place where animals sleep, Mary gave birth and felt the soft, human skin of her firstborn. The humanity of this scene appropriately pulls us in for a closer look. We can identify with Joseph’s confusion, with Mary’s wonder, and with the shepherds’ amazement about the Son of God’s quiet arrival in such an inhospitable world. All of those thoughts are magnificent to ponder. But we cannot stop there. These are only an introduction to wonders far deeper, far more significant. Just beneath the soft, newborn skin of this beautiful story is the flesh and bone of a theological truth that is older than creation: God planned to send a Saviour long before time began. At its heart, Christmas is the celebration of a promise God had made to provide a Saviour and King. That Person is His Son, Jesus—God-Man, conceived miraculously, taking on human flesh, living among us in order to die in our place. The incarna-
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A Gift Too Wonderful for Words continued from p. 3
tion—God becoming flesh—is a doctrine that remains foundational to everything we believe as Christians. In telling the story of God the Son’s incarnation, the disciple, Matthew, expresses it this way: An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’” (Matthew 1:20–23 NLT) God’s promise to send a Saviour reminds us of the reason we need a Saviour in the first place. When the original man, Adam,
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plunged all of humanity into sin because of his disobedience in the Garden of Eden, evil entered the bloodstream of humanity, polluting all who live in it. And each of us has endorsed Adam’s tragic choice by adding our sin to his. The result is a world subject to pain of every conceivable kind: hunger, thirst, sorrow, weariness, temptation, disease, prejudice, grief…the list would be endless if it didn’t end with the ultimate evil: death. That’s the world we live in.
“God’s promise to send a Saviour reminds us of the reason we need a Saviour in the first place.” In light of such bleak conditions in the world—and especially in our lives—it’s not hard to wonder: How can a good God allow evil to continue? The surprising answer: because He loves us. He could have ended all evil before the fruit of the forbidden tree digested in Adam’s stomach. Let’s not forget that the evil we would have God put an end to includes you and me. We brought, and we continue to bring, evil upon ourselves and the world, and He would be entirely justified to condemn us to suffer the twisted and tangled mess we made of His creation. But…He loves us. He is patient with us. Why? The Apostle Peter tells us: “He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent” (2 Peter 3:9). Just as one man (Adam) led all of humanity into rebellion, another man (Jesus) must reconcile us to God. Who among us does not deserve the penalty of death because of sin? And if one sinless person could be found, what mere mortal would have the power to die the death you and I deserve yet be resurrected from the
dead so that He could continue to represent us? The answer is clear: only a human who is also God could do that! Two millennia ago in a small, rugged Bethlehem barn, God the Son became Immanuel, “God with us”—God incarnate. He lived as we live, suffered as we suffer, died as we die, yet without sin. And He, being the God-Man, overcame the power of death in order to give us eternal life. Who but Jesus possesses “the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” (Philippians 2:9–11)? No one, living or dead, has transformed the human heart and mind or changed the course of history as Jesus has. How could He accomplish what so many before and since have failed to accomplish? The answer is both simple and profound: through the miracle of the incarnation, our God became like us so that we could become like Him. As you ponder the humanity of the first Christmas, remember that it is an invitation to walk slower and think deeper. I invite you to touch the infant skin of the God-Man with your imagination. I invite you to wonder as the shepherds wondered and to worship as the wise men did. I urge you to imagine the infinite God in the body of a finite baby—just as Mary and Joseph saw. You are the reason our God became incarnate—and so am I. The best gift we have ever received came on that first Christmas—delivered in a Person from God the Father…to us. “Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!” (2 Corinthians 9:15). Charles R. Swindoll serves as the senior pastor-teacher of Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas.
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by robyn roste
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esolutions. They’re a secular tradition but most of us have had a brush with them at some point, promising to make an effort at self-improvement or to—at the very least—become a nicer person in the coming months. I’ve had an on-again, off-again relationship with resolutions over the years. Mostly off. I could pretend I’m super spiritual and tell you it’s because I spend my days deep in prayer and make a regular habit of look-
ing inward and asking the Lord to reveal what I need to work on. But it wouldn’t be true, although I wish it were. No, my reasons are much more shallow, and I have a hunch I’m not alone. Why I don’t make resolutions, summarized in three simple points. 1. I’m cynical I’ve been here before…making resolutions. Resolutely resolving to be different this year. To break the bad habits and
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create good ones. To be better than I was, to commit to an idea longer than a few months. To make good on my promises. Only to break them and fail miserably, now not only having to deal with the sting of failure, but the guilt of it. Do I really want to endure the bad feelings again? 2. I’m afraid of commitment Wait a second, the resolution lasts for a whole year? I don’t know…that’s a long time. Maybe I’ll try it out for a couple weeks and see how it goes. Or better yet, maybe I’ll work up to it…think about it for a few months and then slowly engage in my resolution mid-summer. You know, when I know better what’s in store for the year.
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3. I’m used to instant gratification Let’s be honest, we’re more Mr. Noodles than “make it from scratch” people these days. Well at least I am. And resolutions are a lot of work! Breaking a bad habit? That takes at least a month. Maybe more! And keeping resolutions? That’s hard work! And it’s thankless! And boring! Maybe if resolutions paid off quicker I’d be more motivated to make them. Reviewing my excuses and comparing them against what the Bible says leaves me compelled to revise my stance on resolutions. True, the practice is secularized, but the concept is biblical. Lamentations 3:40 says, “Let us examine and probe our ways, and let us return to the Lord.” Maybe the real reason I don’t like making resolutions is because it forces me to acknowledge how sinful I still am. It’s much easier to ignore the parts I need to work on and live in mediocrity. A new year is a great time to make a change. Christmastime often sets our minds and hearts back on track. We think
of the reason we’re all here, the incredible sacrifice Christ made on our behalf, and then we compare it with the way we’ve lived for the past 12 months. And then we feel fresh inspiration to live our life more meaningfully. With more gratitude. And with less excuses.
“Maybe the real reason I don’t like making resolutions is because it forces me to acknowledge how sinful I still am.” I’ve done some research on setting resolutions and have a few tips I’m going to implement in order to maximize my chances of keeping them. • Make realistic goals. Often I set lofty resolutions without creating a plan on how to accomplish them. If I can make a plan it will help me recognize if my goals are realistic or not • Ask God for help. It’s so obvious but I know I spend more time trying to keep my resolutions on my own strength and forgetting all about God • Be positive. If I make resolutions assuming I’ll fail then I’m sure to fail. If I set goals trusting God to help me reach them I have a much better chance of succeeding If I take an honest look at my life asking God what needs improving, what needs eliminating, and what needs adding, resolutions become a wonderful opportunity to see God’s blessing in my life. I think my stance on resolutions is changing. Robyn Roste is the Living Bridge Media manager at Insight for Living Canada.
by phil callaway
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Here we are in our early fifties and, I kid you not, we’re expecting.
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he news came without warning at a Thai restaurant one Friday in April. I was halfway through a mouthful of #34 (lemongrass chicken—easy on the spice) when she grinned and handed me a gift bag and a congratulations. Inside was a coffee mug. On the side it read, “Don’t mess with me, I’m the Grandpa!” My wife Ramona held up a daintier mug (“Promoted to Grandmother”) and let go a muted scream. Were it not for the lemongrass chicken in my mouth, I might have screamed too. “Raelyn, you shouldn’t have,” was all I managed. My son Jeff sat beside his wife looking like he’d just scored an overtime winner at the World Cup. There was hugging and congratulations and more hugging. Jeff and I high-fived and I said, “Waytago!” So there you have it. Lord willing, this will be our first Christmas as grandparents. Everyone is telling me how wonderful it will be. I listen to grandfathers my age, many of whom still have their original teeth, and they say, “You just wait it’s the bestest thing ever you will not believe how awesome they are you just feed ‘em chocolate and licorice and send them home and let their parents deal with it and I hope you have 25 the more the merrier I have two dozen myself did I men-
tion they’re the bestest?” And then they faint because they haven’t taken a breath in a minute and a half. When this happens, I think three thoughts. 1. Over-enthusiasm often indicates someone is hiding something. 2. What does a grandparent do? My own grandfather lived at the airport. We picked him up there each Christmas, which gave him time to stock up on chocolate and presents. 3. I really should help resuscitate this poor fellow. Off the record, I can’t shake the feeling there’s less here than meets the eye. I have spent years around little kids. They’re cute. But they make messes and noises and trouble. Of course they bring joy, but they also bring frogs, insomnia, and poverty. Will having more of them around help this? My wife just laughs when I talk like this. “You’re such a big softy,” she says. “You just wait. They’ll melt your heart.” But this is coming from one who cannot be trusted to think rationally now that grandchildren are in the picture. One day I was sipping from Ramona’s mug when Raelyn called. I think she said, “I’m taking a water break.” When I passed this along, Ramona lunged to her feet and wrestled the phone from me. Admittedly, we men could improve at relaying per-
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tinent information about children. Two weeks after my niece gave birth, my wife confronted me. “You KNEW about Patricia’s birth? The name and the WEIGHT? You didn’t TELL me?” “I’m sorry. I forgot,” I said, as she brought a blanket and pillow and pointed to the sofa. “Sleep here.” I love this girl dearly, but the prospect of becoming a grandmother has her making blankets and rearranging furniture and talking complete nonsense. Here is an actual transcript of a breakfast table conversation. Me: “They want me to speak at a conference in November.” Ramona: “November? You know what November is.” Me: “Yes. It’s a conference.” Ramona: “No. It’s when The Baby is due.” Me: “Due?” Ramona: “Yes, due! To be born.” Me: “Oh, that’s right. November. Well, what am I supposed to do in November? Sit around in a snowdrift and wait for the baby?” Ramona: “Some pastors take six-month sabbaticals.”
Along about noon, Raelyn emailed us a video. I clicked on it and my heart completely stopped. I was watching a grainy image of a tiny little person moving about. My grandchild. I turned up the sound and listened to its heartbeat. I couldn’t stop grinning. And every single morning now I pray for this baby. Sometimes at lunch. Often at bedtime. Last night I read Psalm 139 to Ramona, about how God is forming this child, body and soul. It’s awesome, breathtaking work. There’s nothing in the world that surpasses the wonder of having a child around at Christmastime. I told my friend James this. He doesn’t know much about grandchildren. In fact, I’m not really convinced he thinks they’re that great. I told him I was pretty sure this one was a boy and that the heartbeat sounded a lot like mine and that I can’t wait for Christmas because the kids are coming and that I’ve bought the little guy a cool little hockey jersey and if she’s a girl I doubt she’ll mind because sometimes girls like to wear them too. Next thing I knew, James was trying to resuscitate me. Phil Callaway is the editor of Servant magazine.
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by scott tolhurst
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ook at your datebook. Something has changed. The next month has a new year. It will take you a while to catch up as you write a cheque or record the date, but a new year is beginning and is already ahead of you! You have probably made a couple of safe resolutions or purchased a new wall calendar for the kitchen. You might even have looked at the blank days to come and wondered how they will be filled in. So much is possible. So much is longed for. The eve of a new year shouts to us, “This is a new beginning!� But new beginnings do not only come with the flip of a calendar page. New Beginnings continued from p. 11
Fresh starts knock on our doors daily. Graduations, the first day or retirement, a moving truck in the driveway or carrying your first born out of the hospital doors. Life is filled with new beginnings and they happen all year long. Every new start arrives as a mixed blessing. With one hand we welcome them but pull back with the other. A clean page is welcomed because there are things on the previous page we might like to forget. No one is immune to the regrets, disappointments, wounds, or failures of life. A different job, community, or relationship offers opportunity to adjust or correct. We hope to learn and move on. Since we want
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tomorrow to be better than today, we crave new beginnings as a means of growth. And yet, beginnings frighten us as well. The mystery of tomorrow and the uncertainty of circumstance combine to elevate our anxiety. Not knowing. Not seeing. We hesitate to embrace the very thing we long for, an opportunity to begin again. How do we resolve our regrets of yesterday and our fears of tomorrow? There is good news. God is the Lord of new beginnings. The One who set the earth to spin from night to day offers a gift of time and space to each of us. There is always a place to begin again—maybe here. There is always time for a fresh start—maybe now.
“How do we resolve our regrets of yesterday and our fears of tomorrow? ”
Read God’s Storybook. It’s crammed with accounts of people who got more than a second chance. Moses’ career in Pharaoh’s court came to an abrupt end as he ran into the wilderness. He may have assumed that after four decades of being a shepherd, his resume was full. But one morning he awoke as the leader of a people looking for a home, looking for their God. Moses had his share of new
beginnings. So did Ruth. She went from widowhood and wanderings to a husband and home. She became great grandmother to King David. How about the Apostle Paul? On the road to Damascus he had such a dramatic reboot of his life that his name was changed from Saul to Paul. And Peter received so many restarts from Jesus he probably feared his quota was filled. But on a beach at breakfast Jesus commissioned him, “Feed My sheep.” God is the Lord of new beginnings. Jeremiah points to the sunrise and reminds us that God’s love and compassion are new every day (Lamentations 3:22-23). I mentioned that God offers something new in the time and space given to us all yet it’s a mistake to attribute the commencements of our lives to location and calendar. Time and space are simply the vehicles—grace invites us to begin anew. Grace covers the regrets of yesterday. Grace opens opportunities to match our heart’s desire. New beginnings are not made of wedding vows, newborn cries, or mortgages paid in full. It is grace that infuses each of these occasions. It is grace that saturates every moment and everything in our living. Without grace, every return to the starting line ends up with exhausted runners going in circles until collapse. Beginnings come by grace. They come repeatedly. This moment is an invitation. And now this one. And then the next. In every instant and instance, grace is the love of God that whispers, “Let’s start again.”
Scott Tolhurst is the lead pastor at Richmond Bethel Church in Richmond, B.C.
by steve johnson
How can I avoid and overcome the post-Christmas blues? Christmas is a very stressful time. All the things we do leading up to, during, and following Christmas stress us. Even the good things—shopping, cooking, gifts, family gatherings, spending, eating, and extra church, work, and school events—stress us emotionally, physically, and spiritually. And as with most times of high stress there follows a time of backlash we refer to as the blues. We can minimize and even avoid the post-Christmas blues by keeping Christmas simple and saying “no” more often. By cutting back on our activity the stress and subsequent blue backlash is reduced. Feeling blue is not uncommon. Even such Bible greats as Moses, Jonah, Paul, and Elijah faced times of discouragement and despair. From their experiences we can learn some things about beating the blues. Elijah’s story in 1 Kings is particularly helpful. He experienced a huge spiritual victory and the emotional high that went with it when he defeated the prophets of
Baal (1 Kings 18). After the victory he outran Ahab and his chariot the 51 kilometres to Jezreel. When Jezebel threatened to kill him—another stressful situation—Elijah ran to Beersheba in the south, another 180 kilometres. Leaving his servant behind he walked another day’s journey into the wilderness to hide. All of this stress left Elijah exhausted spiritually, emotionally, and physically. While Elijah hid the Lord found him and helped him recharge (1 Kings 19). What can we learn and do based on Elijah’s experience? 1. Take time to reflect. Identify and acknowledge those spiritual, emotional, and physical stresses, which may have contributed to the blues. Ask the Lord to help take appropriate steps to deal with them. Like Elijah we too need the Lord’s help beating the blues. 2. Take time to recharge. Do you know what recharges your spiritual, emotional, and physical batteries?
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To recharge, Elijah was directed to do several things that impacted him emotionally, spiritually, and physically. He rested, ate, was given a new ministry partner, and set out on a new ministry (1 Kings 19:19-21). Spiritually recharging means spending time in the Word, in worship, and in prayer. Reading Scripture, listening to worship music, and talking to the Lord about how we feel recharges and refuels our souls drained by the stresses of Christmas. Laughter can be a good way to recharge emotionally. Laughing through a funny movie or book does wonders for raising spirits. Spending time with people who give and resource us rather than drain us is important. Doing something creative to move our mind in a different direction also rejuvenates. For physical recharging we need to eat healthy, restore sleep patterns, and engage in exercise. Staying fit helps reduce stress and boost moods. 3. Take time to refocus. The Lord refocused Elijah’s attention on Himself in a new way since his gaze had turned inward and toward self-pity (1 Kings 19:9-14).
God revealed Himself in a gentle whisper instead of a wind, earthquake, or fire. The Lord also gave Elijah a new purpose: he was to go anoint Hazael, Jehu, and Elisha (1 Kings 19:15-18). He also gave him Elisha to train and keep him company. After the stresses of Christmas we also need to refocus on the Lord. We need to let go of the events now past and seek to know the Lord in a new way. We also need to focus on the new year with its challenges and opportunities. Are there events beginning in the new year? Is there a ministry to engage in? Focus on that. We should expect to enjoy, not dread, the year ahead. Planning for interesting and fulfilling events throughout the year is a good way to calm our blues. Thinking ahead to the sorts of things we'd like to do and be part of as the year moves on helps shifts our focus. Then doing something about it is a good next step to leaving the Christmas blues behind. I hope this helps. Steve Johnson is the executive director at Insight for Living Canada.
Names of Jesus answers this question and explains the significance of 30 of His names. Visit insightforliving.ca or view flyer for more details and to order your copy of Names of Jesus.
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