Insights Magazine: Number Eleven, 2018

NUMBER ELEVEN, 2018

THE GIFT FOR THE PERSON WHO HAS EVERYTHING charles r. swindoll

CHRISTMAS FORETOLD: AN ADVENT JOURNEY THROUGH THE PROPHECIES AND PERSON OF CHRIST

PROMISES steve johnson + more

In this issue 3 The Gift for the Person Who Has Everything

charles r. swindoll 5

Called to Pass the Baton of Truth

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Christmas Foretold: An Advent Journey through the Prophecies and Person of Christ

11

The Angel Connection

Carlos A. Zazueta

insight for living canada annalisa Patenaude

Coming to Terms 12 Promises

steve johnson

Beyond the Broadcast 15 Our Greatest Reassurance Insights is published by Insight for Living Canada, the Bibleteaching 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 2018 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 NLT. Unless otherwise noted, photography and illustration

by Tim Schellenberg. IFLC is an autonomous ministry and certified member of the Canadian Council of Christian Charities. Printed in Canada.

by charles r. swindoll

Cover and artilce Images: Guilherme Stecanella on Unsplash

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n our pocket of society where pam- is the umbrella of kindness. Kindness pered affluence is rampant, we are braids mercy and grace, humility and often at a loss to know what kind of gentleness all together. Kindness gives gifts to buy our friends and loved ones on grace, requires humility, and asks that we special occasions. For some people (espe- think of others before ourselves.

Ever notice that kindness is most cially those who “have everything”), the standard gift won’t cut it. Nothing in the appreciated when life has gone sideways?

When you’re having “one of those days,” shopping mall catches our fancy.

I have a suggestion. It may not seem kindness speaks that thoughtful word that expensive or sound very novel, but and draws you back like a lifeline.

Who should the world look to as a believe me, it works every time. It’s one of those gifts that has great value but model of kindness but the body of Christ? no price tag. It can’t be lost nor will it Unfortunately, ask the man on the street ever be forgotten. No problem with size, how he would describe the Christians he knows and I dare say kind either. It fits all shapes, any In the words of would not be his first or even age, and every personality. his second response. I say we This ideal gift is...yourself. Ephesians 4:32, be Don’t forget the unusual kind. My sister Luci change that.

Kindness is something value of kindness. paraphrases this you and I can do today. A That’s right, give some of verse, “Just be nice.” gentle response. Being the yourself away: first to forgive. Giving the gift of time, • Give an hour of your time to someone compassion, and thoughtfulness. In who needs you ordinary ways, we can give ourselves • Give a note of encouragement to away and, by doing so, model God’s someone feeling down agape love. Remember 1 Corinthians • Give a hug of affirmation to someone 13:4—“Love is kind.” in your family Look for ways today to give ordinary • Give some time to someone who is lonely kindness, and you’ll find there’s nothing • Give a meal to someone who is sick ordinary about it.

• Give a word of compassion to someone who has suffered a loss • Give a second chance to the fallen Charles R. Swindoll serves as the senior pastor-teacher • Give a deed of thoughtfulness to of Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas. someone who is often overlooked Taken from Charles R. Swindoll, “The Gift for the • Give a gentle response to the frustrated Person Who Has Everything,” Insights (June 2001): In the words of Ephesians 4:32, be kind. 1-2. Copyright © 2001 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All My sister Luci paraphrases this verse, rights reserved worldwide.

“Just be nice.”

Covering all the one another commands of the Bible (and there’s a lot of them!)

by C arlos A . Z a zue ta

Image: Jonathan Chng on Unsplash

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n high school, I participated in a few It’s easy to imagine Paul’s having in mind a athletic competitions. My favourite was relay race as he penned those words! the relay race, where four team members The aged apostle asked young Timothy take turns passing the baton from one racer to internalize the teaching model Paul to another until the last one crosses the finish had taught him—the same one Paul had line. The winner of this race isn’t the first run- received from Christ—and to contextualize ner who crosses the finish line. It’s the team it for the changing needs of Timothy’s conof the runner who first crosses the finish line gregation. In the same letter, Paul ordered with the baton firmly in hand. When he or Timothy to strengthen himself in the grace she does, the entire team is rewarded. of Jesus and pass on biblical truth to trained The Christian life is like a relay race. people who would, in turn, do the same: We’re each called not only to be disciples Be strong through the grace that God of Christ but to “make disciples” (Matthew gives you in Christ Jesus. You have 28:19–20). Each new disciple must grasp heard me teach things that have been tightly the “baton” of biblical truth and pass confirmed by many reliable witnesses. it on to another, who passes it to another, Now teach these truths to other and so on. To win the race—to influence trustworthy people who will be able to future generations—we must intentionally pass them on to others. (2 Timothy 2:1–2) live for Christ in the present.

This passage describes Paul’s mentorAwaiting death in a Roman prison, Paul ing plan for training disciples, which wrote a farewell letter to his spiritual includes three essential components: son, Timothy. With the tenderness of a content, purpose, and context. seasoned mentor speaking with a timid • The content is the gospel. It’s what rookie disciple, Paul wrote: we should focus on and pass on to the Hold on to the pattern of wholesome next generation—not our own beliefs teaching you learned from me—a and perceptions pattern shaped by the faith and love • The purpose is multiplication. It’s not that you have in Christ Jesus. Through only about our making disciples but also the power of the Holy Spirit who lives training them to make other disciples within us, carefully guard the precious • The context is relationship. It’s a protruth that has been entrusted to you. cess that involves close relationships.

(2 Timothy 1:13–14) Books and sermons, letters and articles,

In Guatemala and other Latin American play a wonderful supplementary role in countries, this pastoral training goes farther. the discipleship process. But no distant Hundreds participate in our pastoral semiwriter, speaker, or preacher can help nars, where topics such as preaching, biblical you apply biblical truth to your life as a counselling, and developing leaders are dismentor who personally knows you can Visión Para Vivir, the Spanish-language cussed. We not only seek to answer practical ministry of Insight for Living Ministries, questions about ministry; we also provide solid, biblical resources is more than a Bibleto help pastors grow and teaching radio program; We wish to foster the teach them to train other it’s a ministry that facililegacy Paul left to leaders to do the same. tates biblical mentoring.

Timothy, but above all, we We wish to foster the Through conferences and strive to fulfil the Great legacy Paul left to Timoworkshops, we encourthy, but above all, we age pastors and leaders Commission that Jesus strive to fulfil the Great in Latin America and the issued to His disciples.

Commission that Jesus Caribbean with the Word of God and provide them with translated issued to His disciples. We want to be parInsight for Living Ministries’ resources to ticipants, rather than spectators, in this relay race of faith that all believers should run. This help them disciple others.

In Cuba, for example, we hold pastoral is what Vision 195 is all about—all of Insight training workshops where many pastors for Living Ministries staff members and each receive biblical motivation and printed mate- one of you reading my words being on the rials to help them better disciple others. One same relay team for Christ! Only by running with endurance today, intentionally making of those pastors shared the impact: Pastor Carlos, in Cuba we have many disciples for tomorrow, can we influence needs, but what we lack the most is future generations...who will keep running printed materials that help us make until the last racer crosses the finish line with disciples. Thank you for providing us the baton of truth firmly in hand. with these resources that Visión Para Vivir produces.

Carlos A. Zazueta is the pastor of Visión Para Vivir.

For ordering information visit insightforliving.ca or view enclosed flyer.

Image underlay: Dan Calderwood on Unsplash

What If God Chooses You to Do Something Great? SINGLE CD MESSAGE

Jesus’ birth fulfilled the prophecies and promises of a Messiah who would come.

Understanding its significance requires reading and reflection. This Advent reading plan will help you to better understand and appreciate these events and help you prepare for Christmas.

Day 1

Day 5

The Seed of the Woman A Spokesman for God “And I will cause hostility between you and “I will raise up a prophet like you from the woman, and between your offspring among their fellow Israelites. I will put and her offspring. He will strike your head, my words in his mouth, and he will tell and you will strike his heel.” (Genesis 3:15) the people everything I command him.”

(Deuteronomy 18:18)

Day 2

The Son of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob “I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:3)

Day 3

Day 6

The Son of God “The king proclaims the LORD’s decree: ‘The LORD said to me, “You are my son. Today I have become your Father."’” (Psalm 2:7)

Day 7

The Sceptre, Shiloh The Son of David “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, “Your house and your kingdom will continue Nor the ruler’s staff from between his before me for all time, and your throne will feet,Until Shiloh comes, And to him be secure forever.” (2 Samuel 7:16) shall be the obedience of the peoples.”

(Genesis 49:10 NASB) Day 8 The Sovereign Lord “You gave them charge of everything Day 4 you made, putting all things under their A Star “I see him, but not here and now. I per- authority.” (Psalm 8:6) ceive him, but far in the distant future.

A star will rise from Jacob; a scepter will Day 9 emerge from Israel.” (Numbers 24:17) Separated for our Sin “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help?” (Psalm 22:1)

Day 10

Scorned by Men “But I am a worm and not a man. I am scorned and despised by all!” (Psalm 22:6)

Day 11

A Stone Rejected “The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.” (Psalm 118:22)

Day 12

A Sign “All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).” (Isaiah 7:14)

Day 13

A Stone of Stumbling “He will keep you safe. But to Israel and Judah he will be a stone that makes people stumble, a rock that makes them fall. And for the people of Jerusalem he will be a trap and a snare.” (Isaiah 8:14)

Day 14

Day 16

A Shepherd “He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young.”

(Isaiah 40:11)

Day 17

The Servant of the Lord “Look at my servant, whom I strengthen. He is my chosen one, who pleases me. I have put my Spirit upon him. He will bring justice to the nations.” (Isaiah 42:1)

Day 18

Set Apart “I, the LORD, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness. I will take you by the hand and guard you, and I will give you to my people, Israel, as a symbol of my covenant with them. And you will be a light to guide the nations. You will open the eyes of the blind. You will free the captives from prison, releasing those who sit in dark dungeons.” (Isaiah 42:6-7)

A Son for Us Day 19 “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us.” The Sorrowful One (Isaiah 9:6) “He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.We turned our backs on him and looked the Day 15 other way. He was despised, and we did not The Sovereign King “The government will rest on his shoulders. care. Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, it was our sorrows that weighed him down.”

Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of (Isaiah 53:3-4) Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

Day 20

Day 24

The Sacrifice for Us The Son of the Most High “But he was pierced for our rebellion, “You will conceive and give birth to a son, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we and you will name him Jesus. He will be could be whole. He was whipped so we very great and will be called the Son of the could be healed.” (Isaiah 53:5) Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will Day 21 never end!” (Luke 1:31-33) Spirit-Empowered “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me, for the LORD has anointed me to bring Day 25 good news to the poor. He has sent me to The Saviour of All comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim “But the angel reassured them. ‘Don’t be that captives will be released and prisoners afraid!’ he said. ‘I bring you good news that will be freed.” (Isaiah 61:1) will bring great joy to all the people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of Day 22 David!’” (Luke 2:10-11) Stable-Born “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Download this Advent reading guide at Judah.Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins insightforliving.ca/advent. are in the distant past, will come from you on my behalf.” (Micah 5:2)

Day 23

The Sun of Righteousness “But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture.”

(Malachi 4:2)

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THE CONNECTION

by �nnalisa �atenaude

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f only we could peek into the spiritual • Has an angel stepped into a situation to protect me from danger? world. How marvellous it would be to Psalm 91:11-12 says, “For he will order pull back the invisible curtain separating heaven and earth. I’ve always fantasized his angels to protect you wherever you go. about what my eyes would see: Jesus at the They will hold you up with their hands so right hand of God, our Lord at work in the you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.”

This verse reminds me of the reassurance heavenly realms, angels among us.

As a child, my parents taught me a the Bible holds for us of God’s authority over all things. I have reassuring prayer to Pondering who angels questions, which may help me feel safe. Like are and what their never have answers many little kids, falling asleep wasn’t easy when purpose is, I’ve realized here on earth, but God wants us to find peace everything in my room we share an intimate in His ability to direct seemed spooky and evil connection with them. all things, including in the darkness. With hands folded carefully I would repeat, His angels to intercede according to His “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the plan for each of us.

Pondering who angels are and what Lord my soul to keep. Angels guard me through the night to keep me safe till their purpose is, I’ve realized we share an intimate connection with them. Like us, morning’s light. Amen.”

Reciting the “angel prayer” each night angels were created to praise and glorify served as reassurance of their existence God. And although we are of different and protection. It’s been years since I’ve worlds and assigned to different jobs, used this childhood prayer. As an adult miraculously we join in the rich purpose who enjoys thinking through concepts of surrendering to His perfect will in and formulating questions, sometimes I worship. It encourages me to focus on feel plagued by the many unknowns sur- living for God despite the unanswered questions we all have. It’s about being rounding angels and the spiritual world. stewards of God’s purposes joined with I wonder things like: all of creation.

• What do angels think or feel?

• When angels sing and praise God what Annalisa Patenaude is the Living Bridge Media does it sound like? assistant at Insight for Living Canada.

PROMISES

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A Promise is an assurance What is the first Promise in Scripture? the Promise of the Holy Spirit

By Steve Johnson

Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash

Terms in the Bible are specialized words of particular significance. In Coming to Terms we explore the significance of these terms to deepen our understanding of biblical truth through a question and answer format.

Unpacking the term

A promise is an assurance that one will or will not undertake a certain action.

Although the term doesn’t appear in Scripture right away, the promise motif arises early on and runs throughout Scripture, becoming intertwined with other terms, expanding and giving it depth.

What is the first promise in Scripture?

It is found in Genesis 3:15, of an offspring who would crush the head of the serpent. This seedbed promise is unpacked throughout the rest of the Bible.

One term that becomes intertwined with promise is “covenant.” A covenant is an agreement between persons to do or not do something specified.

The book of Genesis outlines Abraham’s covenants with God. What makes the Abrahamic covenant the covenant of promise is God promises, among other things, that through Abraham’s seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed (Genesis 12:2,3; 15:4-6; 17:1-8). “And

Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD counted him as righteous because of his faith” (Genesis 15:6). This is carried into the New Testament as the pattern of those who receive the promise of God and are saved by faith.

Did the fulfilment of God’s promise to Abraham depend on Abraham? No, the promise was firm and fulfilled in spite of Abraham’s lapses in faith.

In 2 Samuel 7 God makes a covenant with David promising an eternal dynasty.

This is expanded through the rest of the Old Testament and carried into the New Testament. A Davidic king is expected.

Matthew ties Jesus into this at the beginning of his gospel by delineating Jesus’ genealogy through David and back to Abraham (1:1-17).

Another promise connecting to the Davidic promise of kingship is in Micah 5:2, that the Redeemer in David’s line would be born in Bethlehem. Matthew picks up this promise as he recounts

Jesus’ birth in Matthew 2, revealing that this new David is the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Jesus’ birth fulfilled the promises of a Messiah who would come, which is the Christian focus at Christmas.

Are there other ways the idea of promise is shown in Scripture? Yes. Typology, where something represents or is a picture of something else, is another way the idea of promise is shown in Scripture.

For example, the Passover feast looks back on the first Passover when the angel of death passed over all the households whose doorposts had blood smeared on them. It pictures the ultimate sacrifice of the Lamb of God sacrificed once for all to turn aside the wrath of God. This connects with the term because we see the nature of the promise in the repeated pattern of the Passover. In foreshadowing the death of Christ it is in one sense a promise of His coming. Thus, Paul would write, “Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7).

The New Testament picks up many Old Testament promises: the promise of priesthood, promise of atonement for sin, and the promise of the Holy Spirit to name a few. This tells us that there was a beginning at creation and it progresses

until we get to the end of the Bible and a new heaven and earth. In between that God is bringing about His purposes in line with His promises.

There are both prophecies and promises in the Old Testament. A prophecy is a divinely inspired prediction—which may or may not be a promise—but where God is actively involved is understood later as a promise. Isaiah 7:14 prophesied the birth of a son named Immanuel to the house of David. In a case of single prophecy with multiple fulfilments, Matthew, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, applies this to Jesus’ birth (Matthew 1:23).

How should we respond to this term?

Recognize that God is both a promise maker and promise keeper and can be trusted. He alone has the power to fulfil what He promises and is sovereignly at work fulfilling all His promises according to His purposes and plan.

God’s promises are made with our good and salvation in mind. We should learn which promises apply to us and claim them. Just as God keeps His promises perfectly so should we (Matthew 5:48).

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

Our Greatest Reassurance

“I don’t know of a better statement in all the Bible to reassure us of God’s involvement in our lives than the 139th psalm.”

- CHUCK SWINDOLL The great doctrines of the Bible not only provide a solid foundation for our faith but offer to us genuine comfort during difficult times. That is especially true of the many attributes of God—those divine characteristics that mark His nature and His ways. Psalm 139 uniquely explores many of those expressions of divine nature, leaving much to mystery, but also signalling to us the personal and powerful care that God offers His children, providing our greatest reassurance in times of doubt.

God’s people, the Hebrews, enjoyed a rich history of song-making and worship, both personal and corporate. The Old Testament presents in all its genres a treasure trove of songs, hymns, and spiritual songs, composed and sung by the faithful, from Genesis to the end of Malachi. A significant concentration of

those worship hymns found a permanent home in the Hebrew psalter—the book of Psalms. Not unlike the hymns and praise songs of today, the Psalms gave expression to the struggles of the faithful as well as to the deep truths of God as revealed in creation (Job 38:7), through the ministry of His servants (Deuteronomy 32:1–43), and often accompanied by angelic antiphony (Isaiah 6:2–4).

Psalm 139 stands out as one of the psalms that not only captures some of the most profound attributes of God but also how those doctrines ought to undergird the rhythmic meter of faith.

Perhaps nowhere else in Scripture are the attributes of God more clearly on display than in the refrains of Psalm 139.

Study this psalm and write out your own prayerful response to what you discover about Him.

“Our Greatest Reassurance” is from Chuck Swindoll’s series The Greatest Words. You can stream this message online anytime at insightforliving.ca/audiolibrary.

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