Just What the Doctor Ordered

Jesus was handed over to die for our sins, and he was raised from death to make us right with God.

– Romans 4:25

The Garden of Eden must have been quite a place.

And indeed it was. We read in Genesis that it was a paradise filled with beautiful fruit trees, gardens, rivers and animals. God created Adam to care for it, and later introduced Eve to complete the equation. There was no crime, violence, unemployment or any of the other realities of our modern existence. And the first man and woman communed with God in a world without pain or sickness. Or even death.

Then … everything changed. Adam and Eve’s disobedience through eating from the garden’s forbidden tree led to their permanent eviction from Eden. And ever since, human existence has involved toil, conflict, illness and mortality. It’s a price we’re still paying to this day.

Just how far has Adam and Eve’s sin taken us from that place of perfect health? According to current data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), our nation’s

annual health care spending has reached $3.6 trillion. That’s $11,172 per person, which is almost 18% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

It’s obvious that America — as well as the rest of the world — is in desperate need of healing. That’s why it’s a good thing that God sent us a Great Physician in the form of his own Son, Jesus Christ.

We read in the New Testament how Jesus — with only a touch or a word — healed lepers, the blind and the paralyzed. He even retrieved a man and a child from death: all incredible miracles that proved Jesus is indeed God among us. But if you think about it, these wonders were only temporary. All those whom Jesus healed or raised eventually died. Just as we all will one day.

But Jesus’ healing was much more than physical. It had (and still has) eternal, spiritual significance. In our 21^st century culture that worships vitality and outward appearance, Christ sees our real condition like an X-ray of our souls.

So what’s the prescription for true healing? It’s our simple faith in Him.

Christ-followers aren’t promised freedom from illness and death. That wonderful prospect disappeared with Adam and Eve. But we do have the promise of perfect health and happiness once we reach our eternal home with the Father. And it all starts with believing in Jesus’ power, asking for His help and having faith to the end.

Choosing Hope

But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.

-- Psalm 71:14

One of the great things about English is that a single word can mean so many different things. For example, we might say that we love going to church, we love our children and we’d love for our favorite baseball team to win the World Series.

The same holds true for the word hope. We say that we hope the coronavirus disappears. We hope we’ll make it to the office on time. And we also put our hope for eternal salvation in Jesus. But why should we hope for that? Isn’t Jesus just one of many religious figures out there?

During his brief ministry, Jesus cured the sick, raised the dead, forgave sins and became a living sacrifice to pay the price for all the wrongs of the world. Christ’s resurrection from the

grave — just as he predicted — proved his power over death. He fulfilled prophecies written centuries before his birth. And 2,000 years later, Jesus' words continue to change lives and deliver hope.

Jesus is hope personified. And he’s also the only way to God. In John 14:6,

Jesus proclaims that no one can come to the Father (God) except through him. And when his disciple, Philip, asked to see the Creator, Jesus reassured him that God was much closer than he suspected. In fact, very close:

  

"Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time?" asked Jesus. "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father?'"

This claim, of course, makes many people uncomfortable. It’s a claim of exclusivity. And it’s also much more than a politically incorrect notion. Popular culture condemns it — and anyone who dares to declare it — as intolerant.

But this truth in which Christ-followers hope is anything but exclusive. After all, Jesus' death and resurrection make eternal life available to EVERYONE who puts their faith in him! Christ won’t close the door on those who seek and ask. And unlike man-made religions, the true way to God isn't about keeping certain rules, saying special prayers or eating (or not eating) particular foods. Instead, it’s about having a personal relationship with Jesus, accepting what he's already accomplished and letting him live within. Religions are about doing. But our hope in Jesus is about what he’s already done.

To borrow the title of an old-time Gospel song, this news is nothing less than Blessed Assurance. We know without a doubt that Jesus has taken care of our past, present and future through his sacrifice on the cross. And in a world dominated by illness, tragedy and uncertainty, he's the only reason we can choose hope.  

Good News, Bad News

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good.

-- Psalm 53:1

Have you settled things with God?

No matter who you are — young or old, male or female — that's the question that everyone faces. Because one day or another, we're all going to leave this world, meet our Maker and answer to Him for the lives we’ve led. It’s the ultimate equalizer: we all either die in faith or die in sin. But for Christ-followers, having faith in Jesus means there's absolutely nothing to fear when we reach the end of our earthly existence. The Apostle Paul explains it this way:

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering."

That's good news with implications that many people either don’t know about — or say they don’t want to know about. And although the choice of spending eternity in either heaven or hell is

stark, it's apparently not a major concern these days. Recent findings from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life reveal that just 59% of Americans believe in hell and 74% in heaven. Meanwhile, a 2018 Lifeway poll says that only 54% consider hell to be a real place, while a mere 57% agree that only those who trust in Jesus alone as Savior receive God’s free gift of eternal salvation.

Why such low numbers? According to Kurt Selles, director of the Global Center at Stamford University's Beeson Divinity School, the real issue is reluctance in churches to portray Jesus Christ as the exclusive way to God. In two workshops held at the Beeson Pastors School, Selles asked the attendees if they had ever preached a sermon about hell.

"Nobody had," he reported.

Jesus, on the other hand, was not deterred by the prospect of offending others. It’s in John 14:6 that we read this clear-cut declaration from our Savior: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

The Gospels tell us that many people DID accept his blunt message, but most did not — particularly the religious leaders and supposed experts of God's Law. Now fast-forward to the 21^st century, and it’s plain to see that few things have changed. There are still plenty of "enlightened" people who claim that Jesus' message is both judgmental and intolerant. And besides — they're quick to assure us — everyone knows there are many ways to God.

At least that part is true: every path eventually DOES lead to God. But the devil is literally in the details since every path (except one) also leads to his judgment and eternal condemnation.

"Enter through the narrow gate," Christ warns us. "For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

Successfully navigating the human experience calls for putting our faith in Jesus alone. No matter how much the world disputes this politically incorrect fact, it remains the ultimate Good News that God first proclaimed in ages past — and invites us still to share today.

Trip of a Lifetime

I will turn all my mountains into roads, and my highways will be raised up.

– Isaiah 49: 11

Who are Christ-followers?

Simply put, they're folks on a life-long spiritual journey that started one day by accepting Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. And all along the way they seek to know him better and do God's will with purpose and vision.

If you're one of these special travelers, you already know that the journey can

be rough at times. And that’s a reminder of a remarkable trip taken by some other special Christ-followers long ago: one that covered thousands of miles through deserts and rugged terrain — all for the purpose of meeting Jesus in person.  

These followers were called Magi, but if you’re familiar with the Christmas story, you might know them better as the Wise Men or the Three Kings. It's thought that they were astrologers from Babylon (ancient Iraq), who were familiar with the Old Testament prophesies about the Jewish people's long-awaited Messiah. Then one evening they recognized a brilliant star in the nighttime sky. It was a sign that was both breathtaking and unmistakable. And the Magi would soon follow it at all costs to find the king of Kings.

The Magi's journey more than 2,000 years ago holds lessons for modern-day Christ-followers like you and me. One is that following God can be both dangerous and demanding. Our winding spiritual pathway is full of hairpin turns and steep hills rather than smooth stretches of superhighway. And to reach their goal, the Three Kings chose the difficult route rather than a clearly marked boulevard. How often do we choose the easy way out of hard situations rather than doing the right thing?

The Magi's trek also reassures us that as Christ-followers, we will indeed find him if we search diligently. Moreover, the Wise Men lived up to their name because they not only recognized his star from a distance, they stayed on the path until they reached the destination.

What about you?

Easter — the celebration of our Savior’s victory over death — is right around the corner. Now's the time to take that first step by setting your sights on Jesus and opening your eyes, mind and heart to God's will for your life. As the saying goes, Wise Men still seek Him.