Haritha

The Best Is Yet To Come

My mother and I went on a trip to Hawaii the summer before my senior year in high school.

In those days, Hawaii was a far-off destination reached after a ten-hour plane ride from the West Coast in a noisy propeller plane.

My father didn’t want to go but gave this trip to me and my mom as a generous gift.

1 Corinthians 2:9 The Best Is Yet To Come

I didn’t know a single person who had been to Hawaii, so my daydreams about it were conjured up from movies or magazine pictures I’d seen.

I couldn’t wait to sit on the beach at Waikiki and imagine its delights for months prior to our departure.

We arrived in Honolulu on a sunny morning in June, and I headed for the beach the minute I unpacked my suitcase. It was beyond my wildest imagination.

Diamond Head rose majestically in the distance and the water sparkled with sunlight dancing off the coral reefs below the surface.

1 Corinthians 2:9 Meaning And Interpretation

Hawaiian music drifted from the stage of the outdoor patio cafe and breezes rustled palm branches.

1 Corinthians 2:9 Commentary

In those days before Waikiki became a crowded tourist destination, it was idyllic.

There were no crowds, the pace of life was slow, the people unhurried in their interactions with visitors, and the natural beauty a visual feast.

Eye Has Not Seen, Nor Ear Heard KJV

God tells us that he has something far richer and deeper to enjoy than anything we can even attempt to comprehend. And this precious gift to us is not limited to the afterlife but begins when we invite Jesus into our hearts.

Though we cannot experience all God has for us this side of heaven, when we are living in deep communion with the Holy Spirit we have a taste of what this verse offers.

I had underestimated the beauty of Hawaii before I arrived there.

God’S Promises For The Future (1 Corinthians 2:9)

How much more do we all underestimate what heaven will be like? And even though this verse tells us that we won’t be able to imagine what God has planned for us, it is often comforting to allow our minds to wander to the heavens.

There is a saying: “You’re so heavenly-minded, you’re no earthly good.” I think we are so earthly-minded that we are no heavenly good.

We don’t enjoy the reality of eternal life in paradise with God forever. We are often so practical and focused on earthly cares that we miss the wonderful anticipation of heaven.

Part of our lack of anticipation is understandable given that death stands between us and heaven. But God has overcome death.

The Best Is Yet To Come Bible Verse

Paradise is actually easier to reach than Hawaii! Believing faith in Christ opens the gates of heaven to us.

We have only to think about a place of peace and beauty to sense a longing for heaven.

I was raised in the city but now enjoy walks near our home in the Colorado countryside. The sounds of birds and running brooks replace the noise of urban life.

1 Corinthians 2:9 Sermon Outline

The beauty is natural, not manufac¬tured. Just being outside gives me a glimpse of heaven. And to think that God’s wonders here are minimal compared to what he has in store for us in heaven.

Father, set our minds free to enjoy all you have for us, today and in the future. Season our earthly sorrow with the joy of knowing you and anticipating being with you eternally.

Can God Really Restore Me?

Became a widow when I was thirty-four years old. Since I had married when I was not quite twenty-one, I had no experience as a single adult in the Christian world.

A dear girlfriend warned me about my outgoing behavior and how it could get me into trouble.

She told me that a lot of men, married and single, would think that I was flirting with them.

I dismissed her warning with a laugh. Then her words proved to be true.

“Can God Really Restore Me?” Bible Verse

What does Psalm 40:2 mean in the Bible?

It became evident that some men were more than willing to relieve my loneliness and to excuse immoral behavior with a belief that God “understood.”

I stopped hugging men I didn’t know well and prayed for a spirit of discernment about my own motives in relationships.

Psalm 40:2 Meaning

About the same time, I started speaking at women’s conferences and retreats. Because the women I met were anonymous to me they openly shared their stories.

I was shocked to hear how many Christian women and men were involved in sexual entanglements. The mud and the mire seemed impossible for many to avoid. So many times I heard the words, “God can never forgive me.

I have messed up my whole life. I will never be restored again.”

In Psalm 40 we read one of the many laments of David, and we have good reason to be encouraged. David’s sins were many, and yet God restored him.

I have had so many conversations with women who find themselves in a pit they never anticipated. Their lives have become so entwined with wrongdoing that they see no way to unravel the mess.

Psalm 40:2 Bible verse

But God’s power working in their lives can bring them back up out of that pit. They, like David, will suffer consequences for their sins, but also like David, they will be able to praise God for turning their lives around.

How does he do that?

It is really beyond our ability to comprehend the love of God that cleanses us of our sins by the death of his Son on the cross.

The cross is the scalpel that cuts out the disease in all of us and replaces it with the healing touch of God.

Bible Verses About Restoration And Hope

When we admit our faults, turn from them, and ask God to forgive us, we find ourselves able to make wise choices as never before.

We will still struggle, but we will be standing on a firm foundation.

God’s Power To Restore In Psalm 40:2

Psalm 40 NIV study guide

It isn’t an easy transition but it is possible, and it is worth the effort.

We can embrace the power to see ourselves from God’s perspective: as forgiven and loved.

Father, protect us from the dangers of the many pitfalls in life that can cause us to sin against you.

Contrary To Culture

This verse expresses two truths that can absolutely revolutionize the life of the believer who grasps them: we can be changed so much that we are actually transformed, and as a result, we can discern God’s will.

The first part of this verse confronts us with “the pattern of this world.” Certainly one of the glaring realities of our world today is the pluralism that insists any belief is equal to any other belief.

Because of this acceptance of all things as true, the establishment of moral absolutes seems too rigid for our culture to tolerate.

The “pattern” of ever-growing self-actualization has elevated individualism to a place of honor in the ranks of desirable human characteristics.

As long as any individual’s beliefs do not hurt others, society considers them valid and acceptable.

There is no common measure of what is true and what is false, allowing a multitude of philosophies and doctrines to coexist.

The problem with this attitude for the Christian is that the claims of Christ render judgment—an appalling word in a world that values personal prerogative above all else.

The pattern of today’s world insists on multiple views of a greater power that often resembles God, but God is the loving grandfather in the sky.

We as believers in the powerful God of Scripture must wrestle with this tempting image and embrace God as we know his Word reveals him.

And we can do that because the amazing characteristic of God that coexists with judgment is grace.

Grace, most dramatically displayed in the cross, is what beckons our thoughts toward renewal—toward a “renewed mind.” The verb renew comes from a Greek word that means to “remember again,” as in thinking back to the moment we understood and accepted the gospel.

It is the comprehension of God’s grace and mercy that transforms our thinking from self-centered to Christ-centered.

The very fact that we can change our minds while living in an environment that so counters Christianity is a powerful and exciting truth.

And the bonus that transformed thinking brings is to be able to “test and approve” what the will of God is.

We can navigate our lives in ways that give discernment, think in ways that are informed by the Holy Spirit, and live renewed, transformed by God’s power operating in our lives.

This kind of change doesn’t happen quickly. There is no formula that assures immediate success.

It requires the discipline of continuously going to God’s Word, reflecting, seeking counsel, and interacting with God and the Holy Spirit through prayer.

Father, thank you for access to changed thinking that transforms us into a closer reflection of your Son. Help us to be gracious to others who think differently.

The Two Main Things

As Jesus walked the earth teaching about the kingdom of God and caring for the people he met, he attracted all kinds of followers and curious onlookers.

His disciples were his inner circle. They ate, walked, and lived with their master, and heard more of his lessons than anyone.

At times, Jesus attracted people the Bible calls “the crowds.”

Whenever he performed a startling miracle or fed five thousand with some loaves of bread and a few fish, people followed him as they would a traveling sideshow, waiting to see what kinds of new and exciting things he would do next.

A third group of people who kept track of Jesus was the Jewish religious leaders, who were called teachers of the law, Pharisees, Sadducees, and other terms.

It was sometimes hard to figure out what members of this group thought about Jesus.

Some of them listened closely to what he said because they believed he might be the fulfillment of ancient prophecies about the coming Messiah.

Others dismissed most of what he said because they didn’t like how he was demolishing their en¬trenched religious traditions.

In Mark 12, Jesus had a series of conversations with various groups of Jewish leaders. After skillfully answering a number of tough theological questions, Jesus faced yet another.

A teacher of the Law asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” (v. 28)

This is the kind of question most theologians could spend their lives debating. Their deliberations might even yield a series of arcane books that spend as much time avoiding the question as answering it.

But Jesus responded in a way that was simple and direct. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

The man who asked the question was impressed with Jesus’ answer and concluded that such love was more important than even sacrifices.

In our day, things seem so complex. There are so many conflicting voices vying for our attention and allegiance. But Jesus says our goals in life are really straightforward.

Of course, knowing what we need to do doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll always do it, but at least we know what our goal is. If we focus on loving God and loving our neighbor, everything else will fall into place.

Father, help me love you and my neighbor in everything I do.

Running From God

Only four chapters long, the Book of Jonah is one of the shortest in the Old Testament.

But it packs a wallop. Jonah’s story is one of the most cinematic of the Bible, and it could easily serve as the plot for an action-packed movie.

Jonah’s life is a memorable one, even for people who last heard about it in Sunday school decades ago.

The book opens with God calling Jonah to serve as a foreign missionary to the wicked city of Nineveh. Jonah heard God’s call, then turned and ran away as fast as he could.

He couldn’t outrun God, though. Jonah boarded a ship, but God sent violent storms that caused the veteran sailors to take notice.

The sailors cast lots to see who might be responsible for the storms and the lot fell to Jonah, whom they reluctantly threw overboard.

Once he was off the ship, the seas calmed. But things were just getting exciting for Jonah. God sent a great fish to swallow him.

They say there are no atheists in foxholes or fish bellies, and sure enough, Jonah prayed to God once he was imprisoned in the stomach of the whale.

The call of God came a second time:  This time Jonah didn’t argue. He obeyed God’s call.

Billy Graham would like to have had more evangelistic rallies that were as successful as Jonah’s crusade in Nineveh.

The people of the city believed God’s words, declared a fast, and put on sackcloth as a sign of their repentance.

Their response so impressed God that he decided not to destroy the city as he had promised.

But this made Jonah mad. He wanted God to zap the once-wicked city. Jonah was so upset that he even asked God to take his life.

God didn’t zap Nineveh—or Jonah. Instead, he tried to show Jonah that he cared for those people and would rather see them repent than go to their deaths.

The Jonah story contains plenty of stunning plot twists and special effects but stripped of all these elements, it remains a classic story of God’s love for humanity, even when we try to thwart his purposes.

God may not call you to preach to a wicked city, and he may not send a big fish to eat you if you disobey.

But think about how much better things would go if you did what he asked the first time!

Father, I want to serve you. Help me hear and obey your call on my life.

Down But Not Out

Would not it be a pleasant world if we were never “hard pressed” or “perplexed”? Living in and with our unpleasant circumstances can be so tiresome, so frustrating, so constant.

We are weary from the drain of enduring difficulties. No matter what we do, life continues to present one challenge after another.

Perseverance Through Faith (2 Corinthians 4:8-9)

Is it possible that we are missing the means to alleviate stress and pain . . . or are we focusing on the wrong goal?

We Are Hard Pressed On Every Side But Not Crushed”

What was the apostle Paul pursuing in this letter to the Corinthians? The verses that surround 2 Corinthians 4:8 tell us that he didn’t seem intent on getting out of the places that caused pressure or perplexity.

Rather he had comprehended that there was a darkness in the world and when he found himself in the middle of it, he had a choice: to fret about the darkness or to reflect the light that life with Jesus breeds.

But how does that work? How do we, still living in the midst of spiritual darkness that disrupts our peace, shines? How do we suffer as Paul did but not slide down the spiral of negativity that leads to despair?

First, we can take heart that one of the greatest of Scripture’s authors lived a life of continual hardship and still penned the words of this verse.

The tone Paul used was not one of complaining but one of encouragement. He was telling the Corinthians that he endured persecution for the sake of others, like the people of Corinth, so that they may know Jesus.

Second, we see that Paul had an ability to withstand difficulty with an attitude that preserved his emotional well-being. That ability came from his relationship with Jesus.

Since we have a relationship with Jesus, we, too, can sustain emotional health in the midst of trying times.

Faith In Hard Times Bible Verses

It is a supernatural reality that we cannot learn or achieve by performance.

We comprehend it by focusing on this relationship with God through his Son instead of focusing on alleviating hardship.

Third, we do not resign ourselves to misery and become martyred victims.

We choose to believe that Jesus comes into our lives and infuses our thinking, feeling, and volition in ways that allow for a truly overcoming view of the circumstances of our lives.

We don’t have to be happy that we suffer, but we can experience the peace of God in the midst of pain.

We, like Paul, point to Jesus when others ask how we can endure suffering and keep going. We don’t take credit for exceptional ability. Job is a leading member of the Suffering Hall of Fame.

But we don’t have to look that far back in time for examples of endurance and faith in the midst of suffering.

Today and every day around the world, thousands of Christians are suffering for their faith.

During the 1990s, the U.S. State Department reported that persecution of Christians was a routine occurrence in more than 70 countries around the world.

Voice of the Martyrs, a ministry in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, is one of many groups that track down reports of persecuted believers worldwide and encourage Americans to pray for them.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 Devotional

Some of the reports, like one that detailed the 2002 massacre of a Pakistani pastor and members of his flock, are shocking. But there’s another side of the persecution coin.

As has been the case for centuries, the blood of the martyrs is the fuel for the growth of the church.

In Pakistan and other countries, persecuted Christians are standing firm by living out their faith and passing it on to others. In many of the countries where persecution is worst, the church is growing at a rapid rate.

Biblical Encouragement For Difficult Times

And we are not shocked that darkness touches us. We understand that darkness is here because of rebellion against God and that the Light that overcomes the darkness is ours to embrace.

It is in Jesus.

Father, please give us your comfort in trying times, and allow us to experience your peace.

A Ready Resource

In the early days of my Christian life, I memorized a lot of Scripture.

I have to admit that I am much less diligent in memorizing than I used to be, but I am also often amazed at the words of Scripture that come to mind.

These words are reminders of God’s love, commands, promises, and wisdom. They pop into my thoughts and redirect them or suggest a new way to consider a problem.

Their power is surprising. Considering them can actually prompt me to more godly action.

Our hearts are the starting points of life. Healthy hearts are essential for life to go on, and that health applies to our spiritual well-being as well as our physical.

We know that sin damages our relationship with God. It comes in and works its darkness, drawing us away from the Father and deceiving us. Sin is powerful.

Counterfeit light often cloaks its darkness and lures us into thinking that we are in God’s will when we are not.

The Word of God is more powerful than sin. It protects us from all manner of evil and directs us in the ways that we should live. We have this magnificent resource right at our fingertips.

It is most likely that anyone reading this book has a Bible. In fact, most of us have many copies and versions of the Bible.

But life’s temptations often present themselves when our Bibles are not at hand.

Suppose our hearts are not spiritually healthy. Suppose that at the very place from which all life begins, we are weak.

How will we know what God wants us to do when facing a confusing choice? How will we even be able to discern whether what crosses our path is from God or not?

The answers are in His Word, and there are many ways to study that Word. We hear it in sermons, read it when preparing for Bible studies, listen to it on the radio, and meditate on it during times of devotion.

But one of the most powerful ways to maintain access to the Word of God is to memorize it.

When it resides in our hearts it sits ready to be called forth at a moment’s notice.

We don’t have to find a Bible and then go to a concordance to locate Scripture to answer our questions. God’s Word is in us and fills our hearts with his love and wisdom.

Father, help us to visit again the discipline of memorization of your Word. We thank you for its ready access and realize, too, that the safest place for your Word is “hidden” in our hearts.

Abiding In Christ Branches of Christ’s Vine

It had been an amazing three years. Jesus had emerged, seemingly out of nowhere, to preach the message of God’s kingdom.

He had called twelve men to follow him and be his disciples, and this small band had walked alongside Christ, listening as he taught and watching in amazement as he performed many miracles.

Bible Study on John 15:5

Now their time together was growing short. Jesus had to die, and he tried to explain this to his disciples.

He wouldn’t be with them any longer, at least not physically, but he would be with them supernaturally to show them the way to the Father.

His lecture met with little success. His disciples didn’t understand why he had to die and leave them. who boldly claimed he would lay his life down for Jesus.

Thomas was equally puzzled.

Amidst much sorrow and confusion, Jesus carefully explained his mission on the cross, his resurrection, and how the Holy Spirit would be a constant presence in the disciples’ lives, teaching them about the ways of God.

Abiding In Christ – Jesus as the vine John 15:5

Jesus then used a simple illustration to help clear things up.

This seemed to make some sense, so he continued his lesson. God is a grand Gardener, he told them, who trims his vines to get rid of the dead and unproductive branches.

Christ Abides In Believers – Bible Study Guide on John 15:5

“If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit,” said Jesus.

The darkness of incomprehension began to lift, so Jesus explained further. “

Jesus was telling his disciples that the message he brought wasn’t a series of rules and regulations, but a living, supernatural relationship with God.

Sometimes we are like Jesus’ disciples. We just don’t get what he is saying. But as long as we cling to him, we will have life and produce much fruit.

Father, help me remain connected to you and live a fruitful life.

Matthew 7:15-18 Bible study – Testing The Spirits

The attractive nine-thousand-square-foot mansion was located in the ritzy Rancho Santa Fe area north of San Diego. It had a manicured lawn and gardens full of colorful, blooming flowers.

But inside, a grisly scene greeted San Diego sheriffs. There, thirty- nine bodies in varying states of decomposition were laid out on simple bunk beds.

False prophets in the Bible – Understanding Matthew 7:15-18

The victims were eighteen men and twenty-one women. Their ages varied from twenty-six to seventy-two, but there was no variation in the way they had died.

Each victim wore black pants, black shirts, and new black Nike gym shoes.

Purple cloths covered their faces and torsos. And to make things easier for those who found them, each body had identification papers nearby.

The grand master bedroom held a body, too. It was the corpse of the unusual group’s spiritual leader.

His legal name was Marshall Herff Applewhite, but he went by the nicknames “Do” and “Bo” from the “Bo Peep” nursery rhyme.

Applewhite had promised his followers that they would reach a “level above human” if only they would shed their “containers” (or bodies) and rendezvous with a spaceship waiting for them behind the Hale-Bopp comet.

“Planet Earth is about to be recycled,” said Applewhite in a videotaped message delivered in his clipped, robotic-sounding voice. “Your only chance to survive—leave with us.”

Bible Verses Warning Against False Prophets

Each victim left a packed suitcase and a farewell statement. “I look very forward to this next major step of ours,” said one, “shedding these creatures . . . (and) moving on to the next evolutionary level.”

Another said, “I don’t have any choice but to go for it, because I’ve been on this planet for thirty-one years, and there’s nothing here for me.”1

Testing the spirits in Christianity

Unfortunately, the tragedy of Heaven’s Gate is only one of numerous deaths related to cults in recent years.

In April 1993, men, women, and children who followed a man named David Koresh and lived in his Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas, died when the place went up in flames.

In March 1995, a Japanese group named Aum Shinri Kyo released the nerve gas sarin into the Tokyo subway system during the morning rush hour, killing twelve people and making more than five thousand ill.

It was because of false prophets like these that Jesus commanded his followers through the apostle John to “test the spirits.” Not everyone who comes preaching a message of hope and salvation means well.

Satan, the father of lies, has deceived many spiritual leaders and those who follow them as well, even if they don’t die in the process.

Beware Of False Prophets Bible Verse – Bible Study On Matthew 7:15-18

John tells us to test the spirits, but curiously, he doesn’t really explain how we should do so.

The examples cited in this chapter may appear extreme, but the people who became members of Heaven’s Gate, the Branch Davidians, or Aum Shinri Kyo didn’t think these groups were dangerous when they joined up.

Nor did the hundreds of poor souls who committed mass suicide in 1978 at Jonestown, Jim Jones’ authoritarian commune located in the jungles of Guyana.

Matthew 7 commentary

Jesus provided some helpful advice in his comments on false prophets found in Matthew 7:15-18.

Like a shopper who goes to the grocery to get a melon, we must probe and test groups that claim to be speaking for God.

A group may look fresh and shiny on the outside but check beneath the surface to see if members talk about abuse and authoritarianism.

Also, be on the lookout for genetically modified fruits that claim to be better than the original.

Bible Verses About Discernment – Matthew 7:15-18 Bible study guide

For example, some groups claim that no one has really understood the Bible for the past 20 centuries until their fearless leader arrived on the scene and explained it all for the first time.

Watch out for charismatic leaders who offer novel explanations of the biblical passages. Such novelty got David Koresh and Jim Jones into deadly trouble, along with all their willing followers.

Believe in God, but don’t follow every self-proclaimed prophet who claims he has the truth. What may appear beautiful might actually mask a horror beyond imagining.

Father, help me to test the spirits and to separate your truth from the spiritual falsehood that is so plentiful in the world.

God Knows Us Completely

MY (Lois) daughter Lara was never very good at covering up her wrongdoings. She couldn’t bear the guilt and would turn herself in before I caught her.

I remember finding a note outside my bedroom door when she was about eleven years old that read, “Don’t ask me what Mary and I did today at her house.”

Hebrews 4:13 Meaning: “Nothing In All Creation Is Hidden From God”

Now I know that isn’t exactly a confession, but it certainly was an indication that she wanted to get a bad deed off her chest. As it turned out, she and Mary had watched a movie that I had forbidden Lara to see.

Often our sinful human natures cause us to automatically attempt to hide our faults or at least try to disguise our motives to reflect more innocence than we possess.

Nothing Is Hidden From God (Hebrews 4:13 NIV)

How often have most of us repeated a juicy piece of gossip wrapped in the guise of a prayer request, knowing that our motive was really to be the one who had the scoop on someone else? We love to see the shock on the faces of our listeners as we reveal privileged information.

It’s a frightening thing to be completely uncovered before God, before the one “to whom we must give account.”

Hebrews 4:13 Explained: All Things Exposed To God

We won’t suffer in heaven (Rev. 21:4), but we will stand before God on the day of judgment with all of our deeds exposed to him.

God’s Omniscience And Hebrews 4:13

That truth is a powerful motivator to seek godliness in all aspects of our lives. God knows everything: not only what we do in secret but what we think, and what we ponder in our hearts.

His knowledge is not that of some cosmic killjoy, but rather the insight of a loving father who desires only the best for his children.

Bible Verses About God’s All-Seeing Nature

As his children, we are disobedient and suffer the consequences. If we could hide from him, think how much more tempting it would be to do those things that cause us harm.

Hebrews 4:13 And Divine Judgment

The inability to hide from God is a good thing. It keeps us safe and helps us grow if we truly want to be the people he has called us to be.

My daughter knew as a little child that my restriction on her with regard to movies was for her own good.

She faltered on at least that one occasion in obeying, but she did want me to know about it.

All Things Laid Bare Before God (Hebrews 4:13)

May we live in ways that desire God’s watchful monitoring.

Father, sometimes we tremble to think that we cannot hide anything from you. Help us to live more and more in the light of your love, with no desire to avoid your loving eyes.