Insights Magazine: May 2013

May 2013

a good finish

In this issue

11

8 3

Three Cheers for Graduates Charles R. Swindoll

6 Finish What You Start Robyn Roste

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How can a loving God send people to hell?

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11 It Takes Grace to Get Along Dr. Terry Boyle 14 Q & A Steve Johnson

Laughing Matters Five Steps to Crazy Joy Phil Callaway

Copyright Š 2013 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. Insights is published by IFLC, the Bible-teaching ministry of Charles R. Swindoll. IFLC is an autonomous ministry and certified member of the Canadian Council of Christian Charities.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture passages are taken from the NASB. Unless otherwise noted, photography and illustration by IFLC staff. Printed in Canada.

Three Cheers for Graduates!

by Charles R. Swindoll

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f you are graduating soon, good for you! Graduation represents finishing…something most folks find hard to do. To broaden the words of the great Apostle Paul, you have “finished the course.” I, among many others, am proud of you. I congratulate you. Your IQ and your GPA do not interest me nearly as much as your gumption to hang in there to the end. You have my respect.

Normally, we tend to give great recognition to those graduates who have finished their university work, and give even louder adulation to those who have earned their master’s or doctoral degrees. Certainly, these are noteworthy accomplishments and deserving of everyone’s applause. But I would like to address the graduates who will return to more school work next fall— ugh! I realize you would rather not think about that with a full summer stretching out in front of you, but come September, the ol’ school bell will ring. So let me encourage you and, hopefully, dare you to make some changes as you accept the challenge of further academic pursuits. I will start with a simple statement.

What you become will be directly linked to three factors: 1. The decisions you make 2. The material you read 3. The friends you choose I have observed that things such as success, fulfilment, happiness, and contentment don’t just happen. They accompany those who make wise decisions, read the right material, and choose the best friends.

It is that third one I want to address. Think with me about friends and friendships.

Solomon’s book of wisdom, the Proverbs, has several things to say about the characteristics of wholesome friendship— four, to be exact.

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Three Cheers for Graduates! continued from p. 3

1. A friend consistently cares about you.

A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.

—Proverbs 17:17 Unlike those who come and go, depending on fickle moods and whether or not you have money or are becoming popular, true friends keep seeking your highest good.

They “love at all times.”

2. A friend is someone you can talk with openly, honestly, and confidentially.

Oil and perfume make the heart glad, So a man’s counsel is sweet to his friend.

—Proverbs 27:9 There is something especially delicious about the “counsel” that comes from and is shared with one’s friend. Even his or her criticisms can be trusted.

Wounds from a friend can be trusted.

—Proverbs 27:6 (NIV) Furthermore, when you talk with a friend, secrets remain secrets. No one—no one— hears about them later on.

3. Friends are loyal.

Do not forsake your own friend or your father’s friend.

—Proverbs 27:10 When you hit bottom, friends are there.

When you win, they celebrate. When you lose, they encourage. When you are troubled or angry or disappointed, they listen without preaching. Even when you are embarrassed about something you did that was dumb, friends don’t make you feel like a jerk. As Erma Bombeck, the late humourist, once said, when she gave herself a perm that left her looking too frizzy, her friend sat with her in the bathroom until it grew out.

4. Friends make each other better people.

Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.

—Proverbs 27:17

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graduates

© shutterstock.com/hxdbzxy

"I have observed that things such as success, fulfilment, happiness, and contentment don’t just happen."

As in water face reflects face, So the heart of man reflects man.

—Proverbs 27:19 What vivid images…iron and water. Both beautifully illustrate how another person “sharpens” us and “reflects” us. With a friend, we receive both. Without a friend, we get neither.

So then, in light of all the above, here are several “graduation tips” that will help your future years in school be better than those now in the past. Assuming you are going to choose several new friends— First, choose one teacher at school to admire.

You will have many teachers. You will be drawn to several. Select one you admire to be your mentor. Study, learn from, and spend time with him or her. You’ll never be sorry. A great teacher who becomes a mentor is one of life’s best gifts.

Second, choose a couple of leaders at church to model.

Your spiritual growth will be accelerated, and your life will be deepened. Best of all, you will come to realize that the Christian life is attainable…even by imperfect people.

Third, choose a few friends at school to have fun with.

Go places, do stuff, enjoy life, and try fun things with your school friends. Relax and laugh a lot. You can’t beat fun.

Fourth, choose to honour your parents.

You’re growing up. That means you need your parents less. And in a few more years, you’ll need them even less. But you will discover that a “need relationship” will be slowly replaced by a growing sense of respect. Let it happen. Don’t fight it.

Nobody is in your corner more than your mom and dad. Give them the honour they have earned.

Fifth, choose Christ to be your Lord.

There IS no friend like Jesus. Take Him with you…deliberately. Seek His will and read His Word…regularly. Proverbs 18:24 tells us of “a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” That’s Jesus.

Those are my “tips” for both honoured graduates and continuing students.

Remember: success, fulfilment, happiness, and contentment will be directly linked to wise decisions, healthy reading material, and a tight circle of good friends. Choose only the best friends, since you are inviting them to join the inner, crucial core of your life. You’ll never be sorry. ▪ Photograph of Chuck Swindoll © 2012 by Luke Edmonson

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Finish Start

what you

by Robyn Roste

couple months ago I decided I wanted to become a morning person.

After years of battling my alarm clock and dragging myself out of bed I finally had enough. Weary from the prolonged war I proposed a truce.

But I didn’t want to be grumpy about losing the battle. Instead I wanted to wake up each morning and leap out of bed like it 6

was the thing I wanted to do most.

Honestly, I’m not sure if it’s possible.

I’ve tried everything I can think of: going to bed earlier, waking up to music instead of an alarm, exercising more, even putting my coffee maker on auto so the aroma of fresh-brewed coffee would start my day off right. While I’m getting up on time I’m still not happy about it.

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When I began this challenge I was enthusiastic and motivated. But after weeks of struggle and little improvement I’m feeling discouraged and thinking about giving up.

The more I think about quitting the more Paul’s words to the Corinthians come to my mind: “Now you should finish what you started. Let the eagerness you showed in the beginning be matched by your giving. Give in proportion to what you have,” (2 Cor. 8:11 NLT). Now, this advice isn’t about getting up early and being happy about it—in fact it’s about money—but I’m starting to recognize a parallel in my situation.

First:

I’m making decisions based on my feelings.

My initial idea to become a morning person was not based on emotions—I thought it would make my life better. But as I become more frustrated my enthusiasm is fading and I’m forgetting my original goal.

By making excuses for why I can’t become a morning person I’m not being honest with myself. I’m in effect letting myself off the hook because it got hard— I’m revelling in being a victim and feeling sorry for myself instead of pressing on.

Paul’s words encourage me to finish what I’ve committed to.

SECOND: There is a cost.

Sure getting up on the right side of the bed doesn’t cost me money but it does cost something. Once I really started giving cost some thought I made a quick list: What it will cost me to quit: • I will miss sunrises, quiet reflection, and time to organize my thoughts for the day • It will be easy to become lazy

• Instead of embracing the day I will resent it and be a pain to be around What I could gain by continuing: • My days tend to go better when I get a good start • When my attitude is positive I am more productive • My energy level is higher when I’m not getting out of bed at the last minute When I think about why I wanted to become a morning person I realize it’s because I know my days go better when I have a good start, and when my days go better I get more done. And I’m nicer. So to quit just because it’s a lot of work isn’t a good enough reason for me. Counting the cost is helping me refocus and recommit to my original goal.

"By making excuses for why I can’t become a morning person I’m not being honest with myself."

Starting is always easier than finishing, which is why follow through is a reflection of character. Besides, God doesn’t quit on us, so why should we give up when the going gets tough?

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. (Phil. 1:6) I’m learning if I tell myself the truth about why I started a task and count the cost of not finishing versus what I’ll gain from following through it will make me that much stronger to resist the temptation to give up. ▪ Robyn Roste is the Living Bridge Media manager at Insight for Living Canada.

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by Phil Callaway

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Laughing Matters

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friend of mine loves to tell me jokes.

He says, “Don’t run behind a car, you’ll get exhausted. What do you call cheese that isn’t yours? Nacho cheese.” Did you get it? Me neither.

He finds acronyms funny. Here are some that seniors use when they text: GOML (Get Off My Lawn). BTW (Bring The Wheelchair). LMDO (Laughing My Dentures Out).

What makes little sense is that he’s laughing in the face of great difficulty— the tragic loss of his only child in a car crash. Yes, he has questions for God, but he has joy that circumstances can’t limit. Those whose lives are marked by illogical, outrageous joy seem to display five characteristics that form an acronym for GRACE:

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rateful. When I was 10, a conference speaker came to stay at our house. I groused when asked to abdicate my room so this skilled surgeon would have a place to stay. After all, I would miss my Styrofoam bed. Though a movie was being made about her life and her books were selling briskly, she gratefully gobbled a meagre ham sandwich at our table and thanked me repeatedly for her humble accommodations.

A 10-year-old rarely attends church willingly, but her life so captivated me that I skipped playing football with friends to hear her speak. Raped twice during

the Simba uprising in Africa’s Congo, Dr. Helen Roseveare had survived unspeakable horror, yet her words and attitude brought laughter to our home.

Gratitude is a discipline, which must daily replace our sense of entitlement and our desire to reside in whine country.

Helen Keller thanked God for her handicaps. She wrote, “Through them I have found myself, my work, and my God.” Thanksgiving turns a ham sandwich into a feast, a Timex into a Rolex, and a small boy into a lifelong fan. When I got my room back from Dr. Roseveare, two gifts sat atop my pillow: Two bucks—a veritable fortune for a 10-year-old kid—and a kind note I kept for years.

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ustproof. Some of the youngest people I know are elderly folk who have decided to die young.

As old as they can. That’s the secret to being geezer-proofed. An older guy at church loves to offer me advice. He says, “You know how to avoid parking tickets?

Leave your windshield wipers on full speed.” That’s rustproof living. No matter what your age, keep a childlike spirit.

When I grow up I’d like to be a kid.

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mazed. They’re amazed and amused by gifts large and small.

By sunsets, dryer lint, and dogs with sweaters. We all live surrounded by God’s creation. But like the guy who works

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in a grand cathedral and spends his day staring at the floorboards, we’re in danger of taking things for granted. Those who celebrate the laugh of a child or the roar of an ocean hear God whisper, “Hey! I’m here. I’m wild about you.” More than anything, they are amazed by grace, by a God who according to Psalm 103, “does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.” They read Hebrews 8:12, “Your sins I will remember no more” and they can’t help but snicker at the logic of this. A God who keeps the universe humming yet keeps no record of my wrongs. Amazing!

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ompassionate. When I visit a dentist I really hope he’s had a root canal. Not that morning, but at some point in his life. I never trust a mechanic who hasn’t had his car towed. Or a preacher who hasn’t busted his knuckles on a wrench. Diplomas on walls impress me, but I’m more impressed to know that a doctor has felt some pain himself. If so, he’s earned something school won’t teach you: compassion. Compassionate people take an uncommon interest in others.

They serve. They stand out in a selfish age.

Compassionate people are never short of visitors. This compassion reaches clear down to their wallets. They look for needs and meet them. They know that money can accomplish fantastic things when held in their hands, but never in their hearts.

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xpectant. A Sunday school teacher had been teaching her kids about heaven.

“If I sold my house, had a big garage sale, and gave all my money to the church, would that get me into Heaven?”

“No!” the children answered.

“Well then. How can I get into Heaven?”

A five-year-old shouted, “YOU GOTTA BE DEAD!” Where would we be without the hope of Heaven?

I’m sometimes asked, “Callaway, how can you laugh with all the trouble in your life?” It’s simple. I believe that the rewards for serving God are out of this world. This is not an excuse for unplugging, quite the opposite, it gives me a desire to bring grace to others all the way home. ▪ Phil Callaway is a best-selling author and fan of Insight For Living. Visit him at laughagain.org

on the air in JUNE

Dropping Your Guard In a world that focuses on images and quick impressions, we have forgotten how to really know one another. Many of us recoil from true intimacy. In this series Chuck Swindoll delves into God’s Word to reveal strategic principles for building open and authentic relationships.

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Upcoming Messages Include: Authentic Love Needed: Shelter for Storm Victims The Necessity of Accountability A Hope Transplant: The Essential Operation

Grace It Takes

to Get Along

by Dr. Terry Boyle

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n Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi joy is one of the main themes, along with perseverance and hope. These make Philippians one of the best-loved of the New Testament letters. Quarrels don’t readily spring to mind. But chapter four specifically names two women who were at odds. Paul names them, and recruits help to work things out between them: I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. (Phil. 4:2-3 ESV) Often we overlook that context when we read on from verse four. What Paul has given us in these few verses is a step-bystep introduction to practical grace.

“Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say rejoice.” And then a little further: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” While these lovely words have certainly sustained the saints through the ages as free-standing devotionals, they are part of a systematic approach that addresses a dispute between two friends. In Philippians 4:4-9 Paul shows us three principles in sequence.

The first principle is to be at peace. It has two components. It starts when we adopt the right perspective. Paul describes this right perspective in verses four to seven.

Verse four encourages us to be joyful in the Lord. This implies that our perspective should be broader than the troubles of the

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It Takes Grace to Get Along continued from p. 11

day. Perspective has to do with how close things appear. When we are very close to a problem, we are tricked into thinking it’s much bigger than it really is. Take a step back from the immediate source of aggravation, and remind yourself that God is still in control.

Verse five calls for the right approach— to be known to everyone as being peaceable and controlled. Christians are watched very carefully by the world at large. Remember that we serve a God who is neither spiteful nor unreasonable in His ways. Just as a side note though, to be known as reasonable does not mean the same thing as to be known as boring.

"Take a step back from the immediate source of aggravation, and remind yourself that God is still in control."

Verses six and seven give us the sum of right perspective added to right approach: …do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:6-7) This passage really gives us the sense of being comfortable in Christ—thankful, safe, and peaceful is a spiritual place,

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not an earthly one. True peace is elusive on this earth. True peace— the Peace of God—is found in Christ, the Prince of Peace; the One who was sent to bring peace to mankind. So a right perspective, added to a right approach gives us the first principle in Paul’s strategy for soothing difficult relationships: be at peace within yourself. And that helps us to move ahead with the second principle.

True, dignified, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy.

These are the noble virtues, and we are encouraged by Paul in verse eight to dwell on them in our thinking. They are all part of the image of God, so perhaps an easy way to summarize this principle is to look for signs of God at work. Try to see some merit; wilfully focus on what is good over against what is bad. Don’t waste your thoughts lifting every rock looking for the wicked and the base in everyone. We become bitter and resent-

ful and mean-spirited if we do this. And that never helps if we already have a bone to pick with someone.

Finally, having sought peace and made an active choice to dwell on the positive, Paul admonishes us to do something about the situation. Practice these things he says in verse nine. Put your good intentions into action. What kinds of actions flow out of right perspective and right thinking? Forgiveness of grudges, building of bridges, and mending of fences. Do whatever you can to be at peace with all those around you. Practice forgiveness. Be helpful. Do little things, such as write letters of encouragement, or make a phone call or two. Ephesians 2:10 says that God has already prepared the good works for us, we just have to get on with it. ▪ Dr. Terry Boyle serves as pastor for Insight for Living UK. He holds a Th.M. in Pastoral Ministry and a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary.

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by Steve Johnson

Question:

How can a loving God send people to hell?

Answer: Scripture teaches that at death the redeemed go to be with the Lord in heaven, and the unredeemed are separated from Him (Matt. 25:45-46). Those who are separated from the Lord go first to a place, which in English is called hell.

They are held there until the Great White Throne judgment at which time they will be cast into “the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:15) where they will stay eternally. Jesus taught that hell was a place of torment (Matt.

18:9; Mark 9:44, 48).

Hell is not an easy doctrine to believe. We have difficulty with the thought that a God who is supposedly loving could send people to hell forever. It seems inconsistent.

Besides teaching God is perfectly loving Scripture also teaches God is perfectly just. His justice is that characteristic by which He gives everyone that which is due—reward or punishment. Every person will receive absolute justice.

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But that’s where the problem comes in.

The Bible says that every person has failed to live up to God's moral law and is therefore guilty before Him. “’There is none righteous, not even one… All have turned aside,’” and “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:10,12, 23). So nobody measures up. Nobody deserves heaven. The fact is that all deserve hell. “For the wages of sin is death…” (Rom. 6:23).

But God is perfectly loving too. So He calls sinners to turn from their sinful ways.

The Lord is “not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance." (2 Pet. 3: 9). He “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."

(1 Tim. 2: 4). God’s justice demands He must punish sin. His love demands forgiveness and reconciliation.

He satisfied these demands by putting Christ to death on the cross. Christ became our substitute. All who place their faith

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in Him are forgiven and no longer need to face the just punishment of God. Jesus endured hell for us so we wouldn’t have to endure it for ourselves.

But those who reject God’s loving provision of Christ must themselves take the punishment for their sin. If we reject Christ, then we reject God's love and must face His justice. To reject Christ is therefore to choose hell. In that sense God does not send anyone to hell. He allows each of us to follow our hard heart and face the consequences of our own choice.

But is it justice to condemn someone to hell forever? Why not just a limited time and then cease existing or be released to heaven?

These questions assume that sin is somehow finite and while an individual sin such as theft might have a finite punishment as a consequence, the sin of rejecting Christ is of infinite consequence. Hell is the consequential destination for rejecting God’s Son, not the consequence of committing individual sins during a finite lifetime. To reject God and Christ as His provision for

eternal life is a sin requiring eternal separation. The individual sins committed by the sinner determine, not eternal destiny, but the degree of punishment, which is also a reflection of God’s justice. The punishments fit the crimes (Matt. 11:21-24; Lk. 12:42-48).

We also shouldn’t assume that once in hell people suddenly have a change of heart. They would continue to hate and reject God and thereby continue to sin against Him. In that case God has no choice but to leave them where they are.

No one has to go to hell. God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezek. 18:23; 33:11). Christ was ransomed for us (1 Tim. 2:4). He paid a debt He did not owe so that we could live forever in the presence of our Creator (Matt. 25:46).

rollercoaster

© shutterstock.com/GOLFX

“Jesus endured hell for us so we wouldn’t have to endure it for ourselves.”

I hope this helps.

- Steve Steve Johnson is the executive director at IFLC.

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