Insights Magazine: Number Twelve, 2016

NUMBER TWELVE, 2016

When All is

SAID AND DONE

When All is

SAID AND DONE

In this issue

8

6 3

How to Cling to God When the World Caves In charles r. swindoll

6

My Lord and His Return charles r. swindoll

8

Running for the Prize steve johnson

11 11 30 Days to Understanding Heaven

steve johnson

Beyond the Broadcast 15 What If You Were to Die Tonight?

Insights is published by Insight for Living Canada, the Bible-teaching ministry of Charles (Chuck) R. Swindoll. Chuck is the senior pastor-teacher of Stonebriar Community Church in Texas. His international radio program Insight for Living has aired for more than 35 years. We hope this publication will instruct, inspire, and encourage you in your walk with Christ.

Copyright Š 2016 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 Laura Vanderwel. IFLC is an autonomous ministry and certified member of the Canadian Council of Christian Charities. Printed in Canada.

by charles r. swindoll

Step into the time tunnel with me and let’s travel together back to the distant land of Uz…

W

herever it was, Uz had a citizen who had everyone’s respect, because he was blameless, upright, God-fearing, and clean living. He had 10 children, lots of livestock, plenty of land, numerous servants, and a substantial stack of cash. No one would deny that he was “the greatest of all the men of the east” (Job 1:3 NASB). He had earned that reputation through years of hard work and honest dealings.

His name was Job, a synonym for integrity and godliness.

Within a matter of hours, without announcement, adversity fell upon Job like an avalanche of jagged rocks. He lost his livestock, crops, land, servants, and—if you can believe it—all 10 children. Soon thereafter he lost his health, his last human hope of earning a living.

I plead with you, please stop reading.

Close your eyes, set your imagination free, and identify with that good man who was crushed beneath the weight of adversity.

Now turn to Job 1:21, to an entry he made in his journal soon after the rocks stopped falling. With a quivering hand and a grieving heart he wrote: “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave.

The LORD gave me what I had, and the LORD has taken it away.

Praise the name of the LORD!” Following this incredible statement, Scripture adds: In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God. (1:22) Right about now, I’m shaking my head.

I’m asking myself, How in the world could he handle so calmly such a series of ordeals mixed with grief ? Think of the aftermath: bankruptcy, pain, 10 fresh graves…and the loneliness of those empty rooms. Yet we read that Job worshipped God; he did not sin, nor did he blame his Maker.

The logical questions are: Why didn’t he? How could he keep from it? What kept him from bitterness or even thoughts of suicide? At the risk of oversimplifying, I suggest three basic answers, which I’ve discovered from searching through the book that bears Job’s name.

First, Job claimed God’s loving sovereignty.

He believed that the Lord who gave had every right to take away (1:21). In his own words, Job stated such: “Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” (2:10) He looked up, claiming his Lord’s right

to rule over his life. Who is the fool that says God has no right to add sand to our clay or marks to our vessels or fire to His workmanship? Who dares to lift a clay fist heavenward and question the Potter’s plan? Not Job! He knew God’s sovereignty is interwoven with His love.

Second, Job counted on God’s promise of resurrection. Remember his immortal words?

“I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last.

And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God!” (19:25–26) Job looked ahead, counting on his Lord’s promise to make all things bright and beautiful in the life beyond. He knew that eventually all pain, sorrow, tears, adversity, and death would be removed.

Knowing that “hope will not lead to disappointment” (Romans 5:5), Job endured the brokenness of today by envisioning the beauty of tomorrow.

Third, Job confessed his own lack of understanding. What a relief this brings! Job didn’t feel obligated to explain why. Listen to his honest admission: “I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you….

I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me.”

(Job 42:2–3) He looked within, confessing his inability to put it all together. He rested his adversity with God without feeling forced to answer why.

Job’s story reminds me of many Insight for Living listeners whom we hear from regularly—people who’ve endured much and write to tell us thank you for helping them build the firm, biblical foundation they needed when calamity arrived.

Perhaps you are beginning to get bruised by falling rocks. Maybe the avalanche has already fallen…maybe not. Adversity may seem 10,000 miles away, as remote as the land of Uz. That’s the way Job felt a few minutes before he lost it all.

So, review these thoughts as you turn out the lights tonight, my friend…just in case. God’s power in Job’s life…and in mine…is the same power you can draw on in your life.

Charles R. Swindoll serves as the senior pastor-teacher of Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas.

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MY LORD and His Return by charles r. swindoll

O

ne evening my wife and I were enjoying a quiet conversation together. We were sipping some fresh-perked coffee, the house was unusually still, and there were no plans to go anywhere that evening. You know, one of those priceless moments you wish you could wrap up and reserve for later use when it's really needed again.

For some strange reason our discussion turned to the subject of Christ's return.

Almost out of the blue, I found myself tracking that thought further than I had for months. Cynthia and I chuckled at some

comments each one made about letting the folks in the tribulation worry about the hassles that we have to handle now—like cleaning out our garage or landscaping the backyard! We also smiled together, contemplating the joys that will be ours to share our lives throughout eternity with family and friends in the Body of Christ.

As the evening slipped away, I kept returning to the thought, "He is coming back. What a difference it will make!" It is remarkable, when you stop and get specific about it, how many things we take for granted will suddenly be removed or changed drastically.

© unsplash.com carpentry

Think about that.

Is it a waste to focus on the Lord's descent?

Quite the contrary. It's biblical; it's the very thing Titus 2:13 says we ought to do: Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus. (NASB) When's the last time you—on your own— meditated on that fact? If you're like me, it's been too long. People who are more practical than mystical, who are realistic rather than idealistic, tend to shove that stuff to times like funerals or near-death experiences. Most of us are more oriented to the here-and-now than the then-and-there.

But Scripture says we are to "comfort one another" (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) with information about Jesus' return for us. It says these truths form the very foundation of a "steadfast, immovable, always abounding" lifestyle (1 Corinthians 15:50-58).

Listen, this Bible of ours is full and running over with promises and encouragements directly related to the return of our Lord Christ. I just checked. The Second Coming isn't just hinted at, it's highlighted— it's an obvious theme of New Testament truth. You can't read very far without stumbling upon it no matter which book you choose. In the New Testament alone the events related to Christ's coming are mentioned over three hundred times. It's like white on rice.

Critics have denied it. Cynics have laughed at it. Scholars have ignored it. Liberal theologians have explained it away (they call that "rethinking" it), and fanatics have perverted it.

"Where is the promise of His coming?" (2 Peter 3:4) many still shout sarcastically. The return of the Saviour will continue to be attacked and misused and denied. But there it stands, solid as a stone, soon to be fulfilled, ready to offer us hope and encouragement amidst despair and unbelief.

"OK, swell. But what do I do in the meantime?" I can hear a dozen or more pragmatists asking that question. First, it might be best for you to understand what you don't do. You don't whip up a white robe and buy a helium-filled balloon with angels painted all over it. And, if you're a Californian, you don't quit work and move to Oregon for fear you'll miss Him because of the smog. And for goodness' sake, don't try to set the date because of the "signs of the times!"

“As the evening slipped away, I kept returning to the thought,

‘He is coming back. What a difference it will make!’”

You do get your act together. You do live every day (as if it's your last) for His glory.

You do work diligently on your job and in your home (as if He isn't coming for another 10 years) for His Name's sake. You do shake salt out every chance you get...and do shine the light...and remain balanced, cheerful, winsome, and stable, anticipating His return day by day. Other than that, I don't know what to tell you.

Except, maybe, if you're not absolutely ready to fly, get your ticket fast. As long as they are available, they're free. But don't wait.

About the time you finally make up your mind, the whole thing could have happened, leaving you looking back instead of up.

What good is a ticket if the event is over?

Charles R. Swindoll serves as the senior pastor-teacher of Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas.

Excerpted from Come Before Winter and Share My Hope, Copyright © 1985, 1994 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission.

by steve johnson

“LET THIS SINK IN:

art work by tim schellenberg

I

n a race many compete but only the top few receive awards. Is the Christian life of obedience similar? How much does your obedience as a Christian matter and why?

The Bible is clear that “...we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body” (2 Corinthians 5:10). As believers, the good or evil we have done will be the basis of our judgment. The Lord who is perfectly just says, “...I am the one who searches out the thoughts and intentions of every person. And I will give to each of you whatever you deserve” (Revelation 2:23).

This judgment is not about entrance into heaven; heaven is not a believer’s reward for doing good things. Our belief in Christ settles entrance into heaven. Romans 8:1 says “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.”

Our behaviour as Christians determines our heavenly rewards. We’ll be judged for our stewardship of the gifts, talents, opportunities, and responsibilities given in this life.

our obedience in this life matters now and counts forever. Life in heaven will echo with the consequences of the lives we lived on earth.”

Paul spells this out in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15. Every believer must build on the foundation of Jesus Christ, but the reward depends on how one builds. The builder whose work survives the test of fire will receive a reward. The one whose work fails the test will suffer the loss of a reward. In other words, rewards reflect the quality of a believer’s life.

The Bible outlines different rewards for different things including doing good works (Ephesians 6:8), denying yourself (Matthew 16:24-27), showing compassion to the needy (Luke 14:13-14), and treating your enemies with compassion (Luke 6:35).

God also grants rewards for sacrificial and generous giving (Matthew 19:21).

What are the rewards? The Bible indicates that some people will be rewarded with rulership over the world (Revelation 20:6) or over angels (1 Corinthians 6:3).

Some will be given “many more responsibilities” (Matthew 25:21-23).

Although all believers will be with Christ not all will reign with Him, at least not with equal responsibility and authority. There are stated conditions for reigning, “If we endure hardship, we will reign with him...”

(2 Timothy 2:12). Christ promises, “Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne” (Revelation 3:21).

This means not everyone’s experience in heaven will be the same. While all will experience the joy of heaven and the presence of the Lord, not all will have the same capacity to experience it.

And here is where rubber meets the golden street. We will have differing rewards in heaven (1 Corinthians 3:12-15) depending on our actions and choices here on earth. Not all Christians will hear the master say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23). Not all of us will have treasure in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21). Not all of us will have the same position of authority in heaven (Luke 19:17, 19, 26). Scripture even suggests that some Christians will be ashamed at Christ’s coming (1 John 2:28).

An even more sobering warning is this: “Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be

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rewarded fully” (2 John 8, NIV). Salvation can’t be lost because it is Christ’s work (John 5:24), but our rewards can be lost because they are our work and based on our behaviour. When we commit sins or neglect doing righteous acts we should have done, we are not doing what we could to lay up precious stones on the foundation of Christ.

Therefore, these sins contribute to our suffering loss of rewards. We can be disqualified (1 Corinthians 9:27), lose them (1 Corinthians 3:15), have them taken (Matthew 25:28-29), or forfeit them (Matthew 6:5-6). We will simply be receiving our due for our works, whether good or bad. What we do as believers in this life has eternal consequences.

Let this sink in: our obedience in this life matters now and counts forever. Life in heaven will echo with the consequences of the lives we lived on earth.

One final concern, what if we’ve messed up and wasted many years? Where there is life there is hope. It’s never too late to start doing the right thing and laying up treasures in heaven.

Start running today for the prize.

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

angel

© unsplash.com

TO UNDERSTANDING HEAVEN

This inductive study is designed to create a better understanding of heaven.

For the next 30 days read the questions and allow them to spark deeper personal reflection and life change.

S

cripture uses numerous images and metaphors to depict what heaven is like.

However, we can only comprehend heaven dimly, “...like puzzling reflections in a mirror” (1 Corinthians 13:12). We understand “...no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). Ultimately heaven is about the Person, not the place.

DAY 1

Read John 14:2,3; Psalm 14:2. If heaven is a real place, where is it? Is heaven literally above or is it a metaphor conveying a higher reality of existence?

DAY 2

Read John 3:16, 36. Do you have assurance you will go to heaven when you die? Who gets into heaven? What does it mean to believe in Jesus Christ?

DAY 3

Read Luke 23:26-43. Good works won’t get you into heaven.

How is this demonstrated when Jesus told the thief he would enter paradise?

DAY 4

Read 2 Corinthians 12:2-4. Paul describes heaven as paradise where God is and which is a place of bliss. Which description appeals to you more?

DAY 5

Read Revelation 2:7. What did Adam lose that will be regained in heaven? Why is the use of the word “paradise” (NLT) in this verse significant?

DAY 6

Read Psalm 11:4; 73:25. Heaven is God’s dwelling place and heaven is identified with Him. Why is this central to all your conceptions of heaven?

DAY 7

Read 1 Peter 3:22; Revelation 5:11. Does heaven sound like a crowded place to you? Who else is in heaven and what are they doing?

DAY 8 DAY 9 DAY 10

Read 1 John 3:2; Revelation 22:4. What other great experience is promised to those who are saved? What will that mean to you?

Read John 14:2. What characteristics does the phrase “Father’s house” suggest to you? To what would you contrast it and what is appealing about it?

Read Luke 16:9. What does this say about how the righteous will be received into heaven? What will they receive once there? Why is heaven home?

30 Days to Understanding Heaven

DAY 11

Read Luke 16:22-23. How do you relate this imagery of Abraham at the heavenly banquet to John 13:23 where John lies next to Jesus at the table?

DAY 12

Read Revelation 19:1-9. What does the imagery of the great wedding feast indicate will be the experience of believers in the presence of Christ? What’s appealing about this to you?

DAY 13

Read Genesis 17:8; Hebrews 11:9-10. How does this show that New Jerusalem, which will be part of the new earth, is a fulfilment of the promise to Abraham?

DAY 14

Read Revelation 21:1-4. New Jerusalem, the dwelling place of God, descends to the earth. How does this show that believers while in heaven will dwell on the new earth?

DAY 15

Read Revelation 21:1-4; 10-27. What are the characteristics of New Jerusalem? What’s indicated by the vastness? What do the metaphors indicate about the glory of the city?

DAY 16

Read Revelation 21:12-13. If there is no evil why is the city guarded by angels? What might this suggest about the safety and security of heaven?

DAY 17

Read Revelation 21:1-2; Hebrews 12:22-24; 13:14. Believers are already citizens of New Jerusalem. What does it mean for you to live in the world yet be a citizen of heaven?

DAY 18

Read 1 Peter 2:11. If you are considered a refugee and alien on earth, what does that indicate about what heaven is to you? How does that fact impact you?

DAY 19

Read Colossians 3:2. How often do you reflect on heaven? Does it impact your life now? How does setting your mind on heaven impact how you live?

DAY 20

Read Romans 5:2; 8:17. What does Paul say will happen to believers? What does this consist of? Will your body of limitations and weakness from sin be gone?

TIP: Keep your Bible handy and refer to it as you read the questions

DAY 21

Read Hebrews 9:15; 1 Peter 1:4. In contrast to the inheritance of the land the Israelites lost what are the characteristics of your heavenly inheritance?

DAY 22

Read Matthew 19:29. Have you given up much to follow Christ?

What does Jesus say you will receive for your sacrifice? How is eternal life a reward?

DAY 23

Read Matthew 5:11-12; 6:19-21; Revelation 14:13. The deeds done on earth will impact life in heaven. What are other rewards besides eternal life? How do you achieve them?

DAY 24

Read 2 Thessalonians 1:6-7; Revelation 14:13. What kind of rest is promised here? Why is this appealing to those who’ve struggled?

What experiences make you long for this rest?

DAY 25

Read Revelation 7:9-12; Psalm 16:11. What is the crowning wonder of your experience in heaven? What is the major activity in heaven?

DAY 26

Read Revelation 22:3. What experience will occupy you in heaven?

How will this be meaningful activity for you while fulfilling the goal of why you were originally created?

DAY 27

Read Jude 24; 1 Peter 1:8. Why do some Christians lack joy? Which emotion is a chief characteristic of heaven? If this is your hope does it affect your life?

DAY 28

Read Revelation 7:16-17; 21:4. What will not be present in heaven?

Does it make you homesick for your heavenly home? What things cause you grief now but will not be in heaven?

DAY 29

Read 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1. These verses foretell a new heaven and earth (universe) similar yet dissimilar to the old one.

What do you imagine it will be like?

DAY 30

Read 2 Peter 3:14. Believers are promised an inheritance of a new earth free from sin’s corruption. How does this (or how should it) motivate you to holy living now?

30 Days to Understanding Heaven

WHAT IF YOU WERE TO DIE TONIGHT? “God’s Word offers us the most accurate information to prepare us for the life beyond.”

- CHARLES R. SWINDOLL

Death. The topic is strewn with the litter of fear, ignorance, denial, and superstition.

For many, death is viewed as an unsolvable mystery, a vague departure from this life that leaves those who remain disillusioned and confused. Others hold erroneous beliefs about death, including soul sleep, reincarnation, and the possibility of making contact with the spirits of the departed.

For most, it’s one of those socially unacceptable subjects—something nobody wants to discuss. Therefore, it surprises many that the Bible—like no other book— faces death head-on. It offers reliable, Godinspired information that answers most of our questions and calms our fears. In fact, the Bible not only addresses heaven, the death-related subject everybody wonders about; it also speaks openly and authoritatively about the death-related subject most choose to deny altogether: hell. During His earthly life and ministry, Jesus taught clearly about both heaven and hell. In Luke 16:19-31 He brought both to the surface in an amazing story we cannot forget.

Once we understand that sin and death have been companions since they entered

the world through Adam’s disobedience, we can then begin to see the different destinations of those who believe versus those who do not. At death, bodies of believers and non-believers alike separate from our souls.

While our bodies go into the ground until the resurrection, our souls go to dwell in a place of comfort and paradise (for believers) or a place of torment (for non-believers).

Three significant lessons arise from the study of the story found in Luke 16:19-31.

First, God’s written Word is the most important evidence a person on earth can examine.

Nothing beats the Bible in lighting the way to the Lord—not supernatural occurrences, not miracles, and not visions.

Second, God’s written Word is the most compelling information to prepare us for the life beyond. Seeing miracles might excite the senses and get the adrenaline pumping.

But these don’t often penetrate deep within the heart, and they won’t often drive us to repent of our sin. God’s Word does just that.

Third, the person who ignores the Word of God in life will be rejected by the God of the Word in eternity. Don’t wait until it’s too late.

Will you follow Jesus Christ in faith today?

“What If You Were to Die Tonight?” is from Chuck Swindoll’s series What If...? You can stream this message online anytime at insightforliving.ca/audiolibrary.

S TA N D W I T H U S The people we serve still need to hear God’s Word and apply it to their lives every day of 2017. And the Truth we send out is timeless, always relevant, and powerful.

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