Training Camp

Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.”

– Mark 8:34-35

When it comes to competitive sports, there’s always something appealing about rooting for the underdog. It just seems right for the Little Guy to beat the odds and win. So maybe that helps explain the lasting popularity of the movie Rocky and its many sequels.

Filmed in 1976, Rocky is essentially a re-telling of the Old Testament story of David and Goliath — but set in run-down 1970’s Philadelphia. The main character (Rocky Balboa) is a washed-up, down-on-his-luck fighter, who gets his once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fight the world heavyweight champion (Apollo Creed). The match is merely a publicity stunt dreamed up by Creed’s handlers, and no one gives Rocky (played by Sylvester Stallone) much chance.

But Rocky takes the match — and his chances — quite seriously. And as he begins his training and reaches milestone after milestone, even his skeptical girlfriend, co-worker, and trainer begin to see that there just might be a glimmer of hope.

Some of the movie’s most memorable scenes involve Rocky’s unorthodox training regimen. We see the prizefighter working out in the local meat processing plant, strengthening his body by drinking raw eggs, and then building his endurance by jogging through the mean streets of The City of Brotherly Love. The sequence ends triumphantly as Rocky races up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, raises his arms in victory, and surveys his beloved hometown.

Rocky’s theme might seem to be good’s ability to overcome evil. But the less-obvious New Testament message — revealed through the apostle Paul’s writings in 1 Corinthians — is the value of disciplined training:

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”

As Christ-followers, we’re called to develop and use the gifts and talents God has given us to make a difference in our homes, community, and the world. Likewise, we must also be prepared to explain the basis of our faith to anyone who asks us. But how can we do that without the discipline to set aside time for Bible study and gathering with other Believers? It’s this type of practical, spiritual training that helps us grow closer to God by developing our ability to hear His voice and do His will. And in turn, that helps us to discern right from wrong when facing one of those difficult situations that never seem to be black or white.

If you haven’t seen the movie, here’s a spoiler alert: Rocky’s disciplined training pays off through his victory over Apollo Creed. Similarly, Christ-followers like you and me should train to become the Spirit-filled champions our Creator envisions us to be.  

Touching the Untouchables

Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

– Mark 5:33-34

The Bible reveals that Jesus performed several amazing, life-changing miracles. He enabled the lame to walk, the blind to see, and the sick to regain their health. On multiple occasions he even brought the dead back to life — and the crowds were amazed and praised God for what they had witnessed. But in one notable instance, our Savior went a step further.

In Biblical times, a person afflicted with the skin disease leprosy faced a death sentence. Not only were they forced to experience their body’s painful disintegration, their social lives were cut short. Declared untouchable by the priests, lepers were banished from all contact with their family members, friends, and business associates. Never again could they experience a warm hug, a firm handshake, or even a tap on the shoulder. Considered unclean, lepers were literal walking curses. And according to Old Testament guidelines:

The priest is to examine the sore on the skin, and if the hair in the sore has turned white and the sore appears to be more than skin deep, it is a defiling skin disease. When the priest examines that person, he shall pronounce them ceremonially unclean.

All that changed one day when Jesus healed a leper. It’s in Matthew’s gospel that we read how he did the unthinkable by touching the untouchables:

When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

Jesus could have cured the ailing man through a simple word or prayer. But instead, he physically contacted the shunned outcast. The healing itself revealed the miracle of God’s love. And not only did Jesus restore the leper’s health, he also reinstated the victim’s dignity and place in society. 

Let’s now fast-forward about 2,000 years to the present. Modern medicine has largely eradicated leprosy, but there are still conditions — medical, social, or otherwise — that can subjugate or even banish their victims. And while we can’t heal them with a mere touch, Christ-followers can help restore them in many ways by using our gifts and resources to serve as our Savior’s hands and feet on earth. 

“You are the light of the world,” Jesus told his disciples through his famous Sermon on the Mount. “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

 

Justice of the Peace

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

– Mark 4:39-41

California might come to mind when we think of states with earthquakes. But did you know that Yellowstone National Park, which straddles Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana, experiences hundreds of earthquakes each week? What’s more, the area sits atop a so-called supervolcano, and it’s been 70,000 years since it last erupted. Then there’s the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ), which covers parts of seven states from Illinois to Mississippi. During the Winter of 1811–12, it experienced 15 tremors with estimated magnitudes of 6.5 to 8.0. That’s on par with the 1989 San Francisco, 1994 Los Angeles, and 1995 Kobe, Japan, earthquakes. Seismologists report that the NMSZ appears to be about 30 years overdue for a magnitude 6.3 quake, which would likely cause billions of dollars of damage and perhaps thousands of injuries and deaths.

Disasters, whether natural or manmade, happen every day. They’re often unpredictable. And there’s no guarantee that we could save ourselves, our family, or property from the resulting destruction — even if we recognize their warning signs. But today, there are cautions of a much greater world-changing event that could strike in 100 years, 20 years, two weeks … or maybe even tonight.

God promises us through the Bible that one day, a Savior (Jesus) will call his followers home. Then later, he’ll return to right all the wrongs of this world, reward those who believe in him, and direct all others to an eternity of torment. Many of the Bible’s prophesies about the matter have already been fulfilled, such as the relatively recent prediction about the re-birth of the State of Israel. There’s nothing to stop his Second Coming in our lifetimes.

Yes, Jesus could return in five minutes or in 500 years. But either way, we must be prepared. That’s because none of us knows when our own time on Earth will expire. Check the headlines, and you’re bound to read stories about people killed suddenly in an accident, during a crime, or through a sudden health crisis, such as a stroke or heart attack. Like the estimated 230,000 people in 14 countries that perished in the December 26, 2004, tsunami, they had no idea that the day would be their last.

This brings us to the obvious question: Are you prepared to meet your Maker? Your answer has eternal consequences. 

“So you also must be ready,” Jesus warns, “because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

Our God is a God of justice. And since we’ve all failed to live up to his standards, we all deserve the penalty that Jesus endured on the cross — for our sakes — about 2,000 years ago. So, whether we leave this life from a natural disaster or naturally through old age, the question remains: How can we rest assured that we’ll spend eternity with God rather than forever without him? The answer is not a particular action we can take, but rather a certain Person we must trust:

“I am the way, the truth, and the life!” Jesus assures us through John 14:6. “Without me, no one can go to the Father.”

At Your Service

He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that,

“‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’”

– Mark 4:11-12

Back in 2020, the nation’s economy lost millions of jobs following the forced shutdown of businesses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But as people from coast to coast sheltered in place and worked from home, demand soared for residential deliveries of products and services ranging from groceries to exercise equipment to pet supplies. The result was that companies like Amazon, FedEx, and UPS were constantly hiring more workers to handle the demand.

Now fast-forward about five years, and Amazon vans remain a familiar sight in neighborhoods across the country. Walmart has also entered the in-home delivery business, and FedEx and UPS still enjoy considerable market share. But the logistics industry doesn’t have a monopoly on personalized service. The church, in fact, has 2,000 years of experience with it. So, whenever you see a package hand-delivered to your neighbor’s porch or front door, think about Jesus’ declaration about serving others: 

“In the same way, the Son of Man did not come to be served,” the Savior proclaims. “He came to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many people."

It’s here that Jesus turns the notion of greatness on its head by emphasizing the server over the one they serve. That means Christ-followers are to be Jesus’ hands and feet on earth while we wait for him to call us back home. Until then, we’re to help prepare God’s kingdom by making the most of the different gifts and talents he’s given us to serve others. 

And when we serve, it’s important to remember that it’s not about us. It’s instead about our Creator and his creation. With this in mind, let’s turn our faith into action by accepting Jesus’ invitation to be a ray of light amidst a dark and gloomy world.

“Make your light shine,” he says, “so that others will see the good that you do and will praise your Father in heaven.”

That’s a prime level of service that Amazon will never deliver.

Changed

On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

– Mark 2:17

Early followers of Jesus were called Little Christs because their newfound faith had transformed their lives for all to see. This odd group of people from all walks of life — rich and poor, male and female, slave and free — were markedly different from the rest of society. They somehow had grown more caring and generous toward both neighbors and strangers alike, and they willingly sacrificed their time and resources to ease sorrow and correct injustice. Ultimately, they had abandoned their old, selfish tendencies in favor of something much greater.

In a word, they were changed.

And that says a lot for their leader — an obscure rabbi from a distant corner of the Roman Empire who just happened to be God’s own Son. Few recognized that at the time. But because some did and led changed lives while following Jesus, millions in future generations would in turn help to change the world for the better. 

Like those first disciples transformed by the words of the Sermon on the Mount, modern-day Believers like you and me should recognize that Jesus the Leader was also Jesus the Follower. Christ spoke constantly with his Father (God) in prayer and always sought his guidance: 

“I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing,” explained Jesus, “because whatever the Father does the Son also does.”

Whether you’ve followed Jesus for five days or 55 years, grasp every opportunity to become more like him, walk in his ways, and see the world through his eyes. What’s more, ask God to work through you with the Holy Spirit — that personal, loving Power, who makes it possible to leave your old self behind and transform into a new creation. 

That’s the change that makes all the difference. And gradually, through the trials of life and the whispers of his leadings, we’ll become the men and women our Creator always intended us to be. 

Forgive and Forget

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

– Mark 2:5

The U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that nearly 70% of adult smokers want to quit the habit, but fewer than one in 10 succeeded over the past year. However, author and humorist Mark Twain once quipped that it was the easiest thing he ever did. “I ought to know,” he explained, “because I’ve done it a thousand times.”

The same goes for Christ-followers when it comes to temptation and sin. Even though we’ve accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior — and asked him for forgiveness and received it — we still tend to backslide into those same errant words and deeds that we thought were far behind us. 

Doesn’t the Bible proclaim that if anyone is in Christ, they’ve become a new creation? Indeed, it does. But this transformation is a work in progress that runs on God’s timetable. That often means it’s happening little by little, day by day. What’s more, the pathway along our faith-journey is narrow, twisting, and full of unexpected hairpin curves. And when we don’t keep our eyes on the destination, we can end up in a ditch.

But we shouldn’t be surprised. Jesus even told his disciples to expect obstacles: 

"Things that cause people to sin are bound to come,” Christ explained. “But woe to that person through whom they come.”

Let’s also consider a life-lesson taught by the apostle Paul — the Christ-follower who wrote much of the New Testament. In his 2,000-year-old lament that still rings true to modern-day readers, Paul complains that he continues to do the very things he despises. And at the same time, he fails to do the things he knows he should accomplish. So, here’s the question: If one of history’s greatest Christians had so many problems with sin and temptation, what hope is there for us?

Paul’s struggles were nothing less than spiritual warfare — the same ugly conflict that we all fight every day in one way or another. But he has some good news for us in Romans 8:1:

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.”

As Believers, we don’t have to accept sin’s dominance in our lives. But when we do fail and surrender to temptation, we can freely ask our Savior for forgiveness. As Psalm 103:12 puts it:

“… as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”

A-ha Moment

The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching — and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits, and they obey him.”

– Mark 1:27 

An a-ha moment is that split second when our eyes are opened to a spiritual truth that changes everything. As Christ-followers, we can experience an a-ha when God shows us that we're going down the wrong path in some crucial area of our life. It's then up to us to respond and turn in the right direction.

Then there's the ultimate a-ha: when a non-believer finally sees the light regarding their need for Jesus. Unfortunately, most people choose to remain blind, enjoy the darkness … and then attack those who don’t embrace their example. There’s no shortage of politicians, Hollywood celebrities, or other "progressive" thinkers, who are quick to label others as close-minded or intolerant.

But depending on the context, is intolerance always a bad thing? After all, Jesus doesn't turn a blind eye to sin. What's more, he declares himself to be the exclusive pathway to God:

"I am the way, the truth and the life," we read in John's gospel. "No one comes to the Father except through me."

That's anything but tolerant. And Christ’s bold proclamation defies today's inclusive, politically correct environment. After all, it hurts feelings and declares that one faith is better than all others. But society's demands for open-mindedness and equality are irrelevant. Jesus has no tolerance for false, second-rate gods and allegiances. And as God’s own Son, his authority is absolute.

But before we point fingers at those who haven’t yet had their a-ha moment, let's all take a long look at ourselves in the mirror. Are our own words, thoughts, and actions beyond reproach? Jesus was right on the mark when he said that we must remove the plank from our own eye before we can remove the speck from our neighbor's eye. 

The point is that Christ-followers must answer to the ultimate authority and let God be the judge of others outside the faith. He knows the whole story, and we're hardly in a position to condemn anyone.

Let’s consider that today’s a-ha moment.

Help Wanted

After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

– Mark 1:14-15

The news is filled with stories about job layoffs, empty storefronts, and companies fleeing big cities. But Help Wanted signs are still out there, and some businesses can’t fill their open positions.

If you’re in the job market, your first hurdle is to demonstrate that you’re available and can do the work. What’s more, employers must decide if they like you. Even if you’re well-qualified, you probably won’t get the job if they think you lack the right chemistry. And they also want to know if you’re a risk. In other words, do you have a reputation for being difficult to manage? And finally, you must be affordable. Employers will drop you from consideration if your salary demands are unreasonable.

Fortune 500 companies aren’t the only ones with high standards for their team members. For example, Christ-followers are tasked with preparing God’s Kingdom and being a bright light in a dark, troubled world. And since it’s such an important job that can yield eternal, life-changing rewards, only certain candidates are considered. If you’re up for the challenge, be aware that you must be available on an as-needed basis. (Expect to work weekends and holidays.) You also must be obedient and follow the Boss’ (Jesus) instructions — even if they don’t make sense at the time. Humility is likewise important, so you should share the credit whenever it’s due. Expect overtime and sacrifice. And to top it off, you must take the initiative and be on the lookout for opportunities to help your customers (neighbors), both local and foreign.

Here’s Jesus’ admonition to his would-be employees (disciples) as recorded in Luke’s gospel:

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.”

Landing a job can be difficult — even in a vibrant economy. But here’s some good news: Jesus is hiring right now for his organization’s growing team. And many of his highest producers started with no experience in the field. The working conditions aren’t always ideal. But there are plenty of rewards along the way ... and the retirement plan is out of this world!

Believe It or Not

 And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, 

“Surely this man was the Son of God!”

  – Mark 15:39

Can we really believe what's in the Bible? And is all that stuff true about Jesus being God-in-the-flesh and rising from the dead? 

Those are lofty questions with eternal implications. But who really knows for sure? After all, many people say the Bible is no greater than the scriptures of other religions, and that Jesus was just a good man or a wise teacher.

The truth is, however, that the Bible and Christ are both unique and extraordinary. 

First, the Bible claims to be God's word — and then backs it up with hundreds of prophesies (predictions) about events that happened decades or centuries later. For example, the Old Testament records God's plan for saving mankind through a Messiah. The prophet Micah wrote that the Savior would be born in — of all places — an obscure backwater of the Roman empire called Bethlehem. And as we read in the New Testament, Jesus fulfilled these prophesies to the letter through his birth, ministry, death, and resurrection!

Historically and scientifically accurate, the Bible is also the most studied and critiqued book in history. Try as many have, no one has been able to disprove its claims. Luke, the physician who wrote the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles, also wanted the real scoop. So, he interviewed the people who knew Jesus best and could attest to his words and deeds. Let’s consider the opening passage of Luke's first book:

"Many people have tried to tell the story of what God has done among us. They wrote what we had been told by the ones who were there in the beginning and saw what happened. So I made a careful study of everything and then decided to write and tell you exactly what took place. ... I have done this to let you know the truth about what you have heard."

The apostle Peter — someone who knew Jesus personally — also gave us his own testimony recorded in the New Testament’s book of 2 Peter:

"When we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, we were not telling just clever stories that someone invented, but we saw the greatness of Jesus with our own eyes."

With all of this in mind, IS the stuff in the Bible about Jesus really true? That’s the ultimate question. So, let’s consider this answer from the apostle John, one of Jesus’ closest friends, through 1 John 4:14:

“And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.”

It’s up to you and me to believe it or not.

The Rock

Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

– Matthew 26:38

It was a place of suffering and despair called The Rock.

It's Alcatraz, the infamous maximum-security prison situated on an island in San Francisco Bay. Originally a pre-Civil War-era military outpost and later a military prison, Alcatraz became the last stop for society's worst-of-the-worst when it re-opened in 1934 as an escape-proof penitentiary.

The Rock's ultra-strict code of discipline helped the facility earn its Hellcatraz nickname. In the prison’s notorious "D" block, inmates lived in 4' x 8' cells and were allowed out just once per week for a 10-minute shower. "Harsher punishments," reports the Legends of America website, included "solitary confinement, in total darkness, for days without any release, or confinement in the dreaded steel boxes."

Alcatraz closed its doors in 1963. But today — over 60 years later — there are millions of people suffering through a different type of solitary confinement: loneliness. Even in our crowded nation of over 340 million residents, many of our neighbors are on their own without close friends or family. They know all too well that it's possible to be lonely without ever being alone. 

This was never our Creator's plan. But to some extent we all have trouble forming relationships, whether it's with each other or with him. The first book of the Bible (Genesis) reveals that God placed the first man and woman in a perfect, care-free existence called Eden. There were no job deadlines, traffic jams, illnesses, or broken marriages. It was a place where God literally walked with his creation. But when the couple intentionally disobeyed his instructions and sinned, things were never the same. Adam and Eve's eyes were opened, and they realized the damage they had done. Then they tried to hide from their Creator.

Some things haven't changed. In addition to fleeing from our own transgressions, we also avoid relationships because of what others have done to us. We don’t want to be disappointed or hurt again. It's too easy to be let down. And it's much easier to run away.

The good news is that God has a two-part solution. First, he re-established our relationship with him through the death and resurrection of his Son, Jesus. Since Christ personally paid the penalty for our many sins, Believers are considered God's sons and daughters, and an unimaginable inheritance awaits us. And second, he built the Church, which is composed of all the Christ-followers around the world. It's a body of imperfect people like you and me who are all looking for the same thing: a safe place to rest from the world, heal our spiritual wounds, and make life-long relationships.

Are you imprisoned in spiritual solitary confinement? You're never alone through a relationship of faith in Jesus — the Rock of Salvation.

 

Benefit of the Doubt

Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.”

– 1 Kings 19:3-4

It’s said that if you have enough faith to believe the first four words of the Bible (“In the beginning, God …”), the rest of Scripture is easy. Still, even the most seasoned Christ-follower can have their moments of fear and doubt — particularly in times of crisis — such as from a lost job, a serious illness, or the death of a loved one.

But trusting in God’s promises extends well beyond our employment, health, or relationships. His guarantees found throughout the Bible are eternal. And we can take them all to heart because of our Creator’s proven record of reliability. For example, J. Barton Payne’s Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy lists more than 1,800 promises from God. And no doubt the greatest was fulfilled through the birth of the world’s Savior (Jesus) in an obscure outpost of the Roman Empire. It was then that God came to Earth to personally experience the human condition … and later pay the sin-debt that we never could.

What’s more, it’s through Jesus that the devil was defeated, and Christ-followers were given the power to live victorious, Spirit-filled lives. So, with that in mind, let’s consider these words of assurance that are still relevant 20 centuries after Christ’s death and Resurrection:

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?” Jesus asked some of his earliest followers. “Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

Our Creator’s promise to you and me is that he cares deeply for us. And he also knows each of us intimately — even before we were born. In fact, the book of Isaiah tells us that our very names are written on the palms of his hands! 

As Christ-followers, fears and uncertainties will come and go. But without a doubt, we worship a God who loves us and has a wondrous plan for both now … and for eternity. 

Who's #1?

 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.

– Deuteronomy 6:4

The media has long recognized the public's love of lists. Check out the magazine racks in any supermarket and you'll see headlines for the Top 10 Muscle Cars, Best Ways to Renovate Your Home, and the Year's Nastiest Celebrity Breakups. Websites have year-end posts about the nation's biggest political scandals and the most-costly business failures. And cable TV embraces this popular genre through shows like the Top 100 Heavy Metal Videos of All Time, Best Caribbean Beach Resorts, and the Greatest Engineering Disasters of the Century.

But let’s not forget the most-controversial lists of them all (at least in the minds of sports fans). They're the weekly Top 20 rankings of college football and basketball teams — often topics of heated discussion in office break rooms and across the Internet. Of course, everyone has viewpoints about what or who is number one in certain categories. And when it comes to entertainment and sports, we might have a favorite movie or a strong opinion about the NFL's greatest quarterback. But what about something a bit more substantial: 

Who (or what) is #1 in your life?

Is it your family? Your career? Money, vacations ... or perhaps the weekend? Or maybe the answer is as close as the nearest mirror. If it is, join the crowd.

Whatever your response, King Solomon — probably the wisest man who ever lived — could relate. In the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes, we read that he partook in every pleasure under the sun to find fulfillment in life. And unfortunately for him, his search in all the wrong places brought him emptiness and sorrow. But we can still gain much from the lessons Solomon learned the hard way: 

First, fulfillment in life comes about only when we live for the right person. And in our case, that means living for God by letting his son (Jesus) live through us. Second, we can find fulfillment only when we live by God's standards. After all, what good does it do if we say we're a Christ-follower on Sundays but live quite differently Monday through Saturday? And finally, we find fulfillment in life only when we live with the right focus. In other words, we must live with eternity in mind. Careers, money, vacations — and even sporting events — may seem important to us now. But they all pale in comparison against what we’re doing to help usher in God's Kingdom on Earth. After all, that’s every Christ-follower’s responsibility.

Now's the time to look again in the mirror and decide who (or what) is really #1 in our lives. And a great way to start is with another look at Solomon’s timeless observations through Ecclesiastes. In today's uncertain economic and political environment, his concise words of wisdom are remarkably relevant and reassuring:

Everything you were taught can be put into a few words: Respect and obey God! This is what life is all about. God will judge everything we do, even what is done in secret, whether good or bad.

Passing the Test

“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

– Genesis 22:12

There’s a scene in 2009’s Star Trek movie reboot where Captain Kirk — then a brash Star Fleet Academy cadet — had to complete a computer-simulation exercise called the Kobayashi Maru Test. Designed by Mr. Spock, this intense exam placed Kirk in a no-win scenario as a starship commander facing the overwhelming force of aggressive Klingon warbirds.

Kirk remained calm as the Klingons opened fire. He even munched on an apple from the comfort of the captain’s chair — all while his exasperated crew wondered aloud if their leader would respond to the barrage. Star Fleet Academy observers also questioned if the cocky cadet took the exercise seriously. But just as the protective shields of Kirk’s vessel were about to fail, the Klingon attack ground to a halt. Then thanks to a few well-aimed photon torpedoes, the enemy spacecraft were quickly destroyed. 

The Kobayashi Maru Test was designed to gauge Kirk’s response to impending defeat against tremendous odds. But since he had reprogrammed the simulation and re-written its conclusion, he could remain confident amidst circumstances that no previous cadet had overcome. 

“I don’t believe in no-win scenarios,” Kirk explained. And why should he? After all, he already knew the story’s outcome.

Maybe our world isn’t under attack from a squadron of Klingon warbirds. But a quick check of the news headlines reveals considerable turmoil in our midst. Thank God (literally) that we don’t have to rely on our own cleverness to overcome it. The good news is that our Creator is in control of the situation. His Word (the Bible) explains that he knew the outcome before the world was even formed. What’s more, he recognized long ago that you and I would need a perfect Savior to deliver us from the consequences of our misdirected lives.

As with Star Trek’s Kobayashi Maru Test, the timing had to be perfect. And so it was. Centuries after the Old Testament had promised his arrival, Jesus was born in an obscure village called Bethlehem — exactly as predicted. Later, Christ fulfilled dozens more prophesies through his remarkable words and deeds. The odds of that happening by chance are astronomical.

How does this relate to Christ’s’ modern-day followers like you and me? 

The takeaway is that when the world seems to be crumbling around us, God’s plans are always trustworthy and on schedule … even when we don’t understand what’s happening. We can’t see things through our Creator’s perspective. But since he wrote our life’s first chapter, last chapter, and everything in between, we can be confident that he already knows our story’s conclusion. 

It’s our faith in God’s timing and provision that builds our strength for the trials we’ll face. And let’s not be deceived: our faith in Him WILL undergo testing. But rest assured, God will always provide for us when we trust Him completely.