More on what the Bible teaches about Heaven

1 Corinthians 2:9 "but just as it is written, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him.”

Introduction:
In yesterday's post we began considering what the Bible has to teach on the subject of Heaven. The focus yesterday was on John's particular vision of heaven in Revelation 4-5. We had noted that before diving into that vision, we were going to explore in brief the scripture's teaching on heaven. Today's post will aim to discover what the scriptures have to teach us on this subject. My thoughts veer towards Heaven today in light of the two-year anniversary of my father's passing. His love for Jesus will ever resonate in my mind. My prayer is that this current series of posts encourages people and makes us all think more closely about eternity.  

The Bible teaches that there are 4 places called heaven.
The subject of heaven in the Bible is immense to say the least.  According to Dr. John MacArthur, the Bible uses the word "heaven" 582 times in 550 verses.1 Obviously we won't be able to cover all of those instances, however we can glean a fundamental sense about what the Bible has to teach about the four main places or "realms" called heaven.  When the Bible says God "created the heavens and the earth", the word "heaven" in the text is rendered plural - telling us that there are multiple realms (physical. non-physical and future) with the designation "heaven". 

A. The 1st heaven - the sky

In Genesis 1:8 we see reference to what is called "The first Heaven" or, what we know to be "the sky" - i.e "And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day."  The word translated "firmament" comes from a Latin root, "firmamentum", which is a translation of the Hebrew original meaning: "a stretched canopy or covering".  

This idea of a stretched canopy give the sense of pitching a tent and stretching the canvas over a frame. In making the sky or "1st Heaven", God took the atmosphere of Nitrogen, Oxygen and other gases and stretched them around the globe he had made.  Psalm 147:8 reminds us - "Who covers the heavens with clouds, Who provides rain for the earth, Who makes grass to grow on the mountains." Already He had set the earth rotating about its axis as it was illuminated by His glory.  With the first heaven, the sky, now in place, Earth would be ready for the Sun He would create on day four and the birds He would create on day five. 

B. The second Heaven - The Universe

The first picture on the left was taken by the Cassini spacecraft orbiting the planet Saturn on July 19, 2013.  The picture captures the "pale blue dot" of earth suspended in the blackness of the universe nearly a billion miles from the Cassini probe's location.  This photograph is a fine example of what we could call - the second heaven - the universe. In Genesis 1:14 we see the first reference the details of second Heaven or "universe" - "And God said, Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens, to divide between the day and the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years". 

The second heaven is the domain of stars, planets, moons and space itself. By the time of Genesis 1:14, God had already created the space in which the earth was suspended. (Job 26:7-10)  

In continuing the stretching forth of the universe, God made the sun, the moon and later on the stars (Genesis 1:16). Astronomers estimate our earth and moon, along with the seven other planets and other objects going around the sun, with their attendant moons, are sweeping through our Milky Way Galaxy at 500,000 m.p.h.  Our Galaxy is composed of over 100 billion stars, with over 100 billion galaxies populating our universe.  If you were to take a spaceship and travel at an average speed of 17,000 m.p.h, it would take you several days to reach our moon and nearly a year to reach our sun. To get to Saturn at the same rate of speed (like the Cassini Space probe above) would take you over five years!  

To measure the distances in space, the ruler used by astronomers is what is called "the light year", which measures the distance traveled by light in one year.  Any signals sent by spacecraft such as Cassini travel at the speed of light, and take on average 80 minutes to reach receiving stations here on earth.  To get to the nearest star traveling at the speed of light (670 million m.p.h) would take you four years (or over 100,000 years in the space shuttle!)  However as you travel deeper into space, even the light year (some 6 trillion miles long) begins to lose significance, with our Milky Way Galaxy alone being 100,000 Light Years across, and our visible universe being composed of an estimated 100 billion such galaxies of smaller or greater size! As you study each of these "heavenly realms", each one gets larger and more different from common, everyday experience. 

C. The Third Heaven - God's Throneroom
Clearly we don't have any photographs of what the Bible terms "the third heaven" in 2 Corinthians 12:2.  No other book in the world but the Bible gives us the necessary, sufficient and accurate description of this third realm. As we travel through Genesis, we see another 30 or so mentions of the word "heaven" with most references to either the first heaven (sky) or second heaven (universe).  

In Genesis 28:12 we read: "And he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to the heavens. And behold, angels of God ascended and descended upon it."  Though scripture up to this point indirectly alludes to the existence of a distinct realm in which God occupies as Sovereign and Lord over His creation (Genesis 2:1-3), as well as the existence of angels, yet this verse shows the activity of the third heaven touching down here on earth.  

According to John 1:51, what Jacob saw was none other than an Old Testament appearance of Jesus Christ.  It is in 2 Corinthians 12 that the Apostle Paul refers to this realm as the "third heaven" (hence the reason for terming the first two realms as "1st heaven" and "2nd heaven"). From what we see in the Bible's descriptions of the third heaven, that realm of God's abode must be far larger and more grander than the second heaven - the universe.  It is to the third heaven that believers go who die in the Lord.  2 Peter 1:10-11 includes this phrase: "for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you."  

What John will be describing in Revelation 4-5 confirms this notion - being that from the present third heaven, the Father and the Son are and will be orchestrating all of the events and coming judgments that will impact both the second heavens and the world living under the first heaven in Revelation 6-19.  More could be said but for now we must move on to the the fourth major type of realm, a realm that is referred to as "the New Heavens".

D. The "Fourth" place called Heaven -  The New Heavens
Admittedly the the "New Heavens and New Earth" described in many Old and New Testament passages is a realm that is in one sense future to us, and yet in another sense is impacting our current lives as Christians.  Its main time of manifestation will occur when Christ has ruled and reigned for 1,000 years and sets up the Great White Throne Judgment. 

Bible Scholar George Eldon Ladd summarizes how the reality of the "New Heavens and New Earth" is partially impacting us presently as a result of Jesus' resurrection from the dead in the following chart:2


Many Bible teachers call this Biblical pattern an "already/not yet" experience, meaning that we are "already" experiencing a foretaste of the age to come, even though it is clearly "not yet" here. We can also say that when we as Christians experienced the New Birth, that greatest of all realities described at the end of the Bible is being "previewed" in us, since the Bible describes the Christian as a "new creation in Christ" (2 Corinthians 5:17). 

The Bible tells us in Revelation 20-22 that following the Great White Throne Judgment, a New Heaven and a New Earth will be established by God. Some have suggested that God will do away with this present order completely and re-create a whole new earth and a whole new Heaven.  However it appears, from other scriptures such as Romans 8:21-25 and 2 Corinthians 5:17, that God will somehow (in a way we don't completely comprehend) transform our current world and perhaps the third Heaven into that incredible reality spoken of at the end of Revelation.  More could be said on these two thoughts, but I want to hasten onto the main point of Revelation 21.

God's goal in the Bible: for heaven and earth to be together
The point of Revelation 21 is that the New Heavens and the New Earth are no longer separated from one another.  The Glory of God will indeed flood the New earth and Heaven will touch down upon our planet.  All those who by grace through faith have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ will be in that august company of the redeemed as ordained by the Father and promised by the Son (John 14:1-3; Jude 24-25). Just as the second heaven exceeds the first, and the third heaven far exceeds the second, this "New Heaven" will exceed them all. The "New Heavens and New Earth" will be saturated with God's unending glory (Habakkuk 2:14; Revelation 21-22).  Furthermore, the "New Heavens" will saturate the "New Earth" with God's unending glory, literally fulfilling His ultimate will of "the earth being filled with His glory". (Habakkuk 2:14) 

Endnotes:

1. John MacArthur. "The Truth About Heaven, Angels and Eternal life". 

2. George Eldon Ladd. "The Gospel of the Kingdom."

Considering the Bible's teaching on Heaven

Revelation 4:1-2 After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.” 2 Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne.

The story of a King who was fascinated by heaven on earth
The story is told of how the King of Russia, Vladimir the Great, brought Christianity to his Russian homeland in the year 988 A.D.  With a mixture of truth and fable, historians recount how this immoral, pagan prince was looking for a way to unite the empire over which he ruled. Vladimir felt the best way to achieve his goal was to select a singular religion. 

Vladimir dispatched ambassadors to investigate major world religions at that time. Upon their return, each of Vladimir's ambassadors relayed their findings.  Some noted that they saw laws and prohibitions on what to eat and what not to eat.  Another said that the religion he witnessed did not seem to convey any real benefit to the people one way or another.  However there was one ambassador who is recorded saying these words to King Vladimir: “We knew not whether we were in heaven or on earth, for surely there is no such splendor or beauty anywhere upon earth. We cannot describe it to you. Only we know that God dwells there among men, and that their service surpasses the worship of all other places. We cannot forget that beauty.” 

In our 21st century post-Christian culture, I wonder sometimes that whenever people visit our churches, should they not come away with a similar response: "We knew not whether we were in heaven or on earth". How often have you heard it said: "That person is so heavenly minded they're no earthly good." The only response I can give to that is this thought: "Unless a Christian becomes more heavenly minded they cannot accomplish God's earthly good" (Matthew 5:16; Colossians 3:1-3). Why is Heaven and immortality so central to understand life in general and Christianity in particular? Today we will explore what the Book of Revelation and other scriptures have to teach us about Heaven.

Seeing Heaven unfold in the Book of Revelation

We could nickname the Apostle John as the man who saw heaven by virtue of the fact that no less than eleven heavenly visions are recorded through the book of Revelation.1 Out of all the 66 books of the Bible (with the exception of Matthew), the book of Revelation exceeds all other Biblical books, accounting for roughly 10% of the total times we find heaven mentioned in the Bible.   The Apostle John is transported in vision by the Holy Spirit to behold the court of heaven. In that vision, we see God the Father on His throne in Revelation 4. In Revelation 5 we then behold the Lamb of God is seated in equal glory with the Father in Revelation 5.  

If we were to characterize Revelation 1-3 as being about Christ and His church, we could assign Revelation 4-5 as referring to Christ and His Heavenly Throne. John's particular vision of heaven here in Revelation 4-5 is the second heavenly vision of the book.  Before diving into the vision that will follow in Revelation 4-5, we will explore the Bible's overall teaching on Heaven in the next post. 

Endnotes:

1. Revelation 1; 4:8-11; 5:9-14; 7:10-13; 11:15-17; 12:10-12; 14:2-3; 15:3-4; 19:1-10; 21:1-9 and 22:16-21. 

Understanding the first six chapters of John's Gospel

John 20:31 “but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that believing you may have life in His name.”

Introduction:
The aim of today's post is to summarize the first six chapters of John's Gospel. In times past we have explored John's Gospel is various posts. In recent months we have periodically worked our way through the first six chapters. Today we want to pull together what we can understand about Jesus and His identity, ministry and mission in John chapters 1-6.

I. The Son of God is God the Son

John 1:1-9.

II. The Son of God is God the Son in the flesh. John 1:10-18

III. Amazing Testimonies about Jesus – John 1:19-51

A. Lamb of God = Son of God’s Mission.   1:19-36

B. Christ = Son of God’s Ministry. 1:37-42

C. King of Israel = Son of God’s Majesty. 1:43-49

D. Son of Man = Son of God as Mediator.  1:50-51

IV. The mediator, a wedding, a miracle & you. John 2:1-11

V. Jesus’ cleansing power – John 2:12-25

VI. The enabling power of the New Birth
John 3:1-21

VII. Enjoyment of Jesus Christ. John 3:22-36

VIII. Treasure, Lord, Savior. John 4:1-43

IX. The Miraculous Jesus. John 4:44-54

X. Where Jesus works and your response. 5:1-18

XI. Four truths that save the soul. 5:18-30

A. One Sovereign God, Who is Father.   John 5:18-24

B. One Lord Jesus, equal to the Father. John 5:19-30

C. One revealed book(s) - the Bible. John 5:31-47

D. One Gospel. John 5:24,33-34,40

XII. The Glorious Provider: Jesus Christ
John 6:1-14

XIII. He is Lord before, in and after your storm. John 6:15-21

XIV. God's bread from heaven. John 6:22-70

Closing thoughts
Today we considered the first six chapters of John's Gospel. As we close out today's post, why ought someone study John's Gospel as a whole? In considering the key verse of John 20:31 (see the opening of today's post), we can note five such reasons:

1. Increases trusting confidence in Him
2. Knowing Jesus is the Christian life
3. Persuading others about Jesus 
4. Growth in sanctification or the process of becoming more and more like Jesus

5. Defeating doubt

The doorknob of faith

Romans 1:5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake

Introduction:
What does it mean to have faith in Jesus Christ?  As the Apostle Paul begins his great letter to the church at Rome, the mark of genuine saving faith is demonstrated by the willingness to live out God's word.  When you see that phrase "obedience of faith", that little word "of" tells us that there is a relationship between "obedience" and "faith".  The relationship in this verse is that of a specific effect arising from a particular cause.  The effect in this case is obedience - willingness to follow Jesus Christ in what He says in His word.  So what is the cause?  Faith. We are saved by grace alone through faith alone unto a walk of faith that is never to be alone - but rather accompanied by works flowing from faith.

Faith is the doorknob of the Gospel that God points me to enter into a saving relationship with Him
The idea of "faith" being described by the great Apostle Paul is that of "saving faith". Faith in the original language refers to "firm persuasion" or "trust" in the truth of a matter. Ephesians 2:8-9 describes this saving faith as a gift that is expressed as a prompt response on our part to the voice of Jesus calling us to Himself by the Word of God. The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 describes what takes place at saving faith:

"Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God's grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace. Repentance is a genuine turning from sin toward God. Faith is the acceptance of Jesus Christ and commitment of the entire personality to Him as Lord and Savior."

Passages such as Psalm 19:7, Romans 10:17 and James 1:18 detail how faith occurs by the agency of God's word.  

To illustrate this point, we could liken God's grace brought to me by the Holy Spirit as the setting up of a doorway  - a doorway called "grace through Jesus Christ". The Holy Spirit points out to me in my sinful condition that there is a doorknob on that door called "faith". He informs me that unless I turn the doorknob of faith, I cannot enter into salvation. 

The Apostle Paul writes in Galatians 3:23 "But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed."  Adherence to morality or clinging onto one's self-made righteousness will not gain access into salvation. At our home we have a door through which we gain entry into the house. If we have groceries or some other item in our arms, we have to lay such items down to use the doorknob. If we don't "let go" of what we have, we'll be stuck outside. 

Once the Holy Spirit shows me the door marked "grace through Jesus Christ" with its doorknob marked "faith", the response necessary to turn the doorknob is left to me. Letting go of one's self-confidence, self-righteousness and plain-old reliance on self is involved in saving faith. Once I act in response to His working and turn the knob of faith, I immediately begin participating in the very life of God (2 Peter 1:3-4). What God then does is take the doorknob of faith and places it in my hand. 

From the moment of saving faith, every opportunity will be presented to me whether I will follow through in obedience to God or try to go at it on my on strength. As long as I apply the doorknob of faith, which God tells me is now mine to use and develop, I can walk through any doorway of challenge, opportunity and trial that stands on God's ordained pathway of Christian growth. 

Why the Gospel is so powerful - introducing Paul's Letter to the Romans

Romans 1:16-17 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.”

Introduction:
Today we are considering what is arguably the most important New Testament book outside the Gospels: Paul’s letter to the Romans. The Bible Knowledge Commentary notes on the importance of Paul's letter to the Romans:

"This letter is the premier example of the epistolary form of writing, not only in the Pauline body of material and in the New Testament but also in all of ancient literature. It stands first in every list of the Apostle Paul’s writings though it was not first in time of composition. This bears witness to the importance of the work both in its theme and in its content."

A suggested theme for this great Bible book is: "God’s powerful Gospel". The key verse: Romans 1:16-17, gives us the core of this theme: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.” 

As we consider the introduction to this magnificent literary masterpiece, today’s post is going to answer why the Gospel is so powerful to change your life. To answer this, we can first note that the Gospel is 

1. Based on powerful living words.   Romans 1:1-2
The scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the words of God revealed and written by the prophets and apostles. 2 Peter 1:10-12 notes: "As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, 11 seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look." 

When one considers the words of the Bible, and specifically, the Gospel message of which they compose, we discover that God has ordained the scriptures as His tool for the conversion of sinners. James 1:18 states: "In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures." Such words spiritual raise the dead sinner in the event of saving faith.

We understand from God's work of creation that He verbalized existence into being. Such an act was demonstration of His power as seen in Psalm 33:6 - "By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, And by the breath of His mouth all their host." 

As one traces other instances of God's power and His speaking forth through the Bible, we begin to witness a correspondence between God's speaking and power. For example, we find God's power and word at the Exodus described in Psalm 106:8 "Nevertheless He saved them for the sake of His name, That He might make His power known." 

We find further evidence of this relationship with respect to God's word in power in how He preserves the believer's salvation. The Apostle Peter notes in 1 Peter 1:5 "who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." Or again, 2 Peter 1:3 "seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence." These many examples ought to convey how powerful God's words are. His words, whether spoken over the creation or in written form, are powerful. Such words bring life and light. The Gospel is composed of such words and is powerful because of its basis in God's words. But notice why else the Gospel is so powerful...

2. Bringing forth of the powerful Christ to you. Romans 1:3-7

The marvel of Paul's opening to Romans is that he explains how Jesus Himself is brought to the sinner in salvation by the Gospel. Unlike all other religions in the world, only Christianity claims that at the verbalization of its core message (the Gospel), its founder (Jesus Christ) is brought to the sinner. 

Christ is brought not only in the salvation of sinners, but He is furthermore committed to remaining with the Christian throughout their post-conversion life (what we call sanctification). When we break down Romans 1:3-7, we gain understanding concerning who Jesus is , and why He is so powerful.  

A. First, He is the Divine Son in Romans 1:3a. Titus 2:13 reminds us that Jesus Christ is the "great God and Savior". John 1:1 rejoins with the emphasis upon the Son being co-eternal with God the Father. When Jesus Christ is brought forth in the Gospel, we instantly are brought into contact with the Personification of omnipotence itself!  

B. Secondly, we find that this Son came to be the man, Christ Jesus, in Romans 1:3b. In having the eternal Son, we now have Him as He is in His glorified humanity. His perfect humanity is accessible to our ever-perfecting, still-needing-to-be-completed humanity. We have the "right man on our side" as the hymn of Martin Luther proclaims.

C. Thirdly, this Son, who became man, came to die and rise from the dead to achieve salvation accomplished, as noted in Romans 1:4. Theologians often speak of Christ's overall redemptive work in two distinct ways: salvation accomplished and salvation applied. The former refers to His once and for all death and resurrection achieved in history (see 1 Peter 3:18). The latter occurs the moment the sinner responds in saving faith to His call in the Gospel (see John 5:24-25; Colossians 3:16).  

D. Fourthly, we find that this Jesus calls us by His Spirit to experience salvation applied in faith. Such saving faith in turn ought to lead to a changed life lived out in daily obedience to His Lordship. These realities are spelled out most plainly in Romans 1:6-7. 

As one follows the argument of the Apostle concerning the powerful Christ brought forth in the Gospel, we find that He changes lives. If a person who has heard the Gospel proclaimed remains unchanged, it is due to their persistent refusal to respond in faith to the Gospel. They may very well had "heard" the Gospel with their physical ears. However, there must be an inward work done by the Spirit to where the sinner's "inward ears-of-the-heart" are unstopped. The Baptist Faith & Message 2000 notes concerning this work of the Spirit, called "regeneration":

"There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord. Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God's grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace."

Therefore, the second reason why the Gospel is so powerful is because of the Person of Jesus Christ brought forth in it. 

Closing thoughts:
Today we considered the introduction to Paul's letter to the church at Rome in answer to the question: "why is the Gospel so powerful?" We discovered two reasons: The Gospel is based on powerful living words and the Gospel brings forth the powerful living Christ. Whenever we consider these two reasons together, we understand that upon reception in saving faith, changed hearts and lives result.  

Defeating doubt, worry and fear this year

Romans 15:4 tells us: “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” 

Introduction:
It is usually after Christmas and into January that people begin to experience waves of worry, doubt and fear. Along with the New Year comes concerns about how one will overcome what can be sometimes the anxieties associated with mounting expectations for the upcoming year. 

So, what is the difference between doubt, worry and fear? For Christians, doubt has to do with resistance to past insights from God and His Word spoken to me in the past.  Fear has to do with my hesitation in responding to God and His Word in the present.  If doubt has to do with what God said in the past, and fear has to do with how I’m relating to Him in the present, then worry deals with my perceptions of what He will do in the future. These spiritual maladies lie in the background of many of the garden variety worries, doubts and fears we experience on a daily basis. Dr. Adrian Rogers has noted that worry is a mild form of atheism. When one really thinks about it - doubt, fear and worry are species of unbelief. 

Now in pointing these things out, I certainly do not claim to be immune from such maladies. I find at times such states of anxiety coming over me like the periodic waves that roll onto the beach due to the invisible tug of the moon's gravity in the patterns of tide. The anxious soul can drift into such states without hardly being aware. Experiencing such things is not a sin itself, as long as we don't entertain them and give into their lies. If we do, there are provisions of grace to overcome them. These three emotional and spiritual states are weaponry used by the enemy to plague the people of God.  The Christian's spiritual warfare includes battling these species of unbelief that want to run unchecked in the human heart. When left untamed, doubt, fear and worry will contribute to blurring our vision of God and His character.  

Thankfully, God has given us the indwelling Holy Spirit, the Sovereignty Lordship of Jesus Christ and the scriptures to combat these and other devices used by the enemy of our souls.  Thus we will considering some key passages from one of the great chapters in the Bible - Psalm 37.

Remember, use your sword in battling worry, fear and doubt

So where are you finding yourself doubting, worrying or fearing?  I would encourage you to read the scriptures out loud.  What Paul writes in Romans 10:17 concerning the beginnings of saving faith also applies to how one is kept in saving faith: “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”  I would encourage you to turn to Psalm 37 note some incredible verses that gives the believer the arsenal needed to defeat doubt, worry and fear.  

1. Warnings to heed

Psalm 37:8 states: “Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.”  Notice that underlined word “fret”?  At least three times we find it mentioned in this Psalm.  In the Hebrew language this word “fret” is translated for the term “chara”.  "Chara" refers to literally getting oneself all hot and bothered or stirring up oneself into a heated frenzy.  Does that describe how you are feeling and dealing with life?  Do you feel pressure building in your gut, like you are going to explode?  That’s the Psalmist's warning to us.  So what is the solution? Consider the next thought.

2. Walk in the rest of God

Psalm 37:1-8 acts as a series of bullets that you can use when that disturbing, troubling notion grips your heart.  Note how God gives a series of commands.  Commands are particularly important, since for every command in scripture there is always a provision of grace to carry them out.  God’s commands are not given because I’m simply able to do them.  Many people get discouraged when trying to carry out God’s commands.  They will say: “They are just too hard”.  Dear friend, the commands of God are not hard, they are impossible – that is, if you are not taking advantage of God’s provision of grace. 

Note how we are given instruction on resting is God in the following verses: “Fret not” in 37:1; “Trust” in verse 3; “Delight in the Lord” in verse 4; “Commit your way” in verse 5.  With these commands we see the provision of grace in verse 6: “And He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.”  

So if you are in the midst of darkness, note that God’s word gives you provision to enjoy an open heaven, a noonday sun despite the midnight of your circumstance.  Psalm 37:7 tells us to “rest in the Lord” and in verse 8 to “cease from anger”.  We are not promised immunity from trouble, however we are given the “rest of God” whereby we can rise above doubt, worry and fear. So heed the warning and walk in God's rest as you battle doubt, worry and fear. But now notice one final strategy in overcoming worry, fear and doubt... 

3. Winning the battle (by knowing that God is fighting for you)

Psalm 37:40 states: “And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.”  What is remarkable about this Psalm is that it begins with the command not to fret, and it ends with the confidence of victorious faith.  This is not a “pie in the sky, sweet by and by” theology, this is real life doctrine for the "nasty now-and-now".  Knowing that God will never leave me, not forsake me, is more than enough to overcome doubt, worry and fear.

The importance of devotional books and Christian spiritual biographies in one's daily quiet time

Romans 15:4 "For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."

The place of devotionals in one's daily quiet time with God
Today we consider the importance and place of looking to the scriptures and to the insights of past saints in building one's devotional life. Particularly, whenever we want to fortify our personal time with God, certain so-called "devotional writers" can greatly deepen one's walk with God. As the Apostle Paul was composing the Book of Romans, he often quoted from the Old Testament. The Old Testament was not only used to make certain theological points in Paul's letter, but certain people from the Old Testament were used to reinforce his points. 

Although Paul is referring mainly to the value of the Old Testament scriptures in the above text, he nonetheless brings forth a general principle concerning insights from past generations of Christians. This principle of the spiritual lives of past saints can be used to add concrete to our personal devotional life. Today's post aims to offer some thoughts on the importance of devotional books and spiritual biographies in one's daily quiet time.

A dwarf standing on the shoulders of giants
Over the years I have used devotional writers to guide my thinking, praying and Bible reading. To me, whenever I read the insights of past generations, I feel like a dwarf standing on the shoulders of a giant. 

Recently I finished reading for a second time A.W Tozer's book: "The Pursuit of God." It amazes me how much the book affects me now versus when I first read it over ten years ago. My faith is still stretched by men like Tozer who walked in places with God that I have yet to walk. This year I plan on adding more Christian spiritual biographies to my devotional diet. Admittedly, I tend to oftentimes get too cranial in my Christian walk. What I need is a balance of the heart and mind. I have in my possession Charles Stanley's new autobiography. Even though I have only gotten into the first chapter, I'm already learning so much at the feet of this great man of God. 

Certainly there are several examples of devotional books and literature that could be mentioned. Oswald Chambers' classic devotional book: "My Utmost For His Highest" features one-page devotionals for every day of the year. This amazing book has been a blessing to me in times past. Chambers wrote in such a way as to be verging on the prophetic (meaning, he could penetrate the heart of the subject while penetrating the reader's heart as well, delivering personal, spiritually-illuminating exhortations). Other writers such as Richard Foster, St. John of Damascus, Augustine, Martin Luther, Jonathan Edwards and others will stretch the heart and mind when given full attention

Closing thoughts
As you and I hopefully aim to draw closer to God this year, we ought to consider utilizing a devotional in our quiet times. There will be those times of course when we find ourselves wanting to work our way through the scriptures unencumbered by the thoughts of others. Christian devotional books or autobiographies can add freshness to our daily walk with God. The principle of recalling what other saints of God of times past have learned can greatly inform our own Christian walk in this 21st century world.