Choose to Believe

“¹⁶For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16 (ESV)

This morning I was taken to what is likely the most well known verse in God’s Word, John 3:16. It is so well known that it has been seen at all types of public events, sports games, concerts, and countless others. People will have it with them for all to see, but how many are clued into fully the weight of this verse.

In my study this morning, James MacDonald writes, “The key word that unlocks the door to John 3:16 is believe. And believe always includes choice.”

Isn’t that true. We have to choose in order to believe. I was reminded in my study that even being undecided is a choice. Choices are not binary but have additional options that are not really considered. For example, believe or not believe or just walk away from the idea altogether. There are three options, not just the two initially thought. So therefore, being undecided is a choice just as the other two.

Too often, we find something to carry as a badge. Whether a verse, a quote, a poem, a way of doing things, or any number of others. We have chosen to carry the badge and in a lot of cases, we believe in our heads that it is quite the good thing. And where that badge may be powerful in your head and impacts other when seen, is it in your heart as well as your head.

I choose God’s Love. I have seen in my study the value and impact of God’s Love. I have taken it to the point where it is firmly implanted in my head. I have believed in my head. Where that is a great place to start, I have to be honest with myself in applying my belief to my heart as well. I have to connect the two. I have to take the intellectual belief and infuse emotional belief to gain the full value and impact of God’s Love.

I am not saying that I have not done so. What I am saying is that I have to be conscious of my belief. I have to choose to connect my head and my heart through belief in God’s Love. I have to know that whether situations are good or hard, leaning on God’s Love is that which will get me through.

Let’s go back to John 3:16. Look closely at this verse. See that God’s Love is demonstrated in what He did for you and me. He gave His Son to die so we would not have to. Jesus, His only Son. And why did He send Jesus, because He loves us. He chooses to love us. He chose to save us from our sin. The sin that we brought upon ourselves and have no escape on our own. He chose to afford us eternal life with Him. God’s Love is for us and I choose to believe.

Where is your belief? Do you choose belief, unbelief, or are you walking away? What if you made the choice to believe with both your head and your heart to know that you can lean on God’s Love regardless of the situations you find yourself in?

Choose God’s Love

“⁸Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” – 1 John 4:8 (ESV)

If God is love, then how could He allow difficult things to happen to us. Well, that is a good question and one that burns up the airwaves when there is a tragedy. I am sure that everyone has thought it at some point, I know that I have which now sends me right to His word to understand.

Here’s the thing, James MacDonald says it well, “God’s love is a protecting love, but it’s not a preventing love. God doesn’t always keep hard things from happening. Here’s why. He has a higher purpose for our pain:” He is right. There is a purpose in God’s plan for us and He will stop at nothing to have that purpose fulfilled by us.

MacDonald lists three reasons God allows the hard things, to humble us, to restore us, and to refine us. We are God’s precious creation and He demonstrates it through His hard love for us.

God is in it for the relationship He has with us. That relationship is not there if/when we are not close to Him. Yes, He is still our Heavenly Father, but He wants to interact with us and not just be there. Sometimes He allows things to happen to bring us back to Him. When those hard things happen He is getting our attention and we should look straight at Him and let Him know that we hear Him and need His guidance and love in dealing with it. And then we should be asking Him about what else He wants from us.

Hard things happen to us and it is just that, hard and I am sorry for the difficulty we experience. I am human and will continue to be hurt when these things occur. In dealing with it, we have to remember to turn to God and jump in His loving arms. It is okay and expected to grieve. It is okay and expected to feel hurt. And, it is also expected that we turn to Him and allow Him to show us the way through it. Was He bringing us back to Him after some time of our drift away or was He strengthening our faith in Him to resolve.

God is love and that is it. He spreads that love to us in different ways. It may be comfort and guidance or it could be through restoration and refinement. Either way God loves us and wants the best for us. I choose God’s love.

What is your view of God’s love? Do you expect all comfort and grace? What if you see God’s love as His strengthening you in your relationship with Him through comfort and guidance and restoration and refinement?

Choose the Right God

Yes, that is correct. One must choose the right God. There are a lot of gods out there that we tend to lean to, but there is only one God. James MacDonald indicates, “When someone tells you he believes in God, as him to clarify which God he believes in.” This will allow them the opportunity to not only give you there belief, but also give them a chance to reflect for themselves which God they choose.

MacDonald, in the study I am doing, gives 4 “fake gods” that we tend to believe in. The gruff God, the game God, the guessing God, and the genie God. Each of them we attribute to God Himself and as such are skewed by who God really is.

The gruff God is the one that is always irritable and in a bad mood. I will say that I am currently in a season of being this way personally, but God is not gruff. He is kind to the ungrateful and the evil and is merciful.

“³⁵But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. ³⁶Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” – Luke 6:35-36 (ESV)

The game God is the one that is playing games with you. He is hiding from you. It may seem as thought He is this way, leading you a certain way only to bring you hardship on you way. But God is not here to trick you. He is here to lead you in the righteous way through teaching and experiencing.

“¹⁶All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” – 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV)

Then there is the guessing God. This is the God that would seem to change with the wind and keep you off balance, not knowing which way to go. But God does not change and there are no variations of Him. He is the same today as yesterday and will be the same tomorrow.

“⁶For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.” – Malachi 3:6 (ESV)

“¹⁷Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” – James 1:17 (ESV)

The genie God is the one who we take out when we need Him. We find ourselves with a need of some kind and take Him out so that He will grant us a wish and then put Him away for next time. The thing is that God is with us always and provides for our needs and He is there when we need Him most, likely doing all of the heavy lifting for us. See the end of the poem by disputed authors “Footprints in the Sand” to see where God is.

“The Lord replied, ‘The times when you have seen only one set

of footprints, my child, is when I carried you.’” – disputed authorship

I choose God. Not a conditional God. I choose God with the greatest of all descriptors, Love. God is love and that is the only God I need, and frankly the only God that matters.

“⁸Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.” – 1 John 4:8-9 (ESV)

Which God do you choose? Are you even aware that we may find ourselves believing in a fake God? What if you were to believe in the kind, merciful, teaching, unchanging, always present, loving God?

Facts Leading to Faith in God

Faith – 2 a (1): belief and trust in and loyalty to God (2): belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion b (1): firm belief in something for which there is no proof (2): complete trust – Merriam-Webster Online

I think it is interesting that the definition of faith above indicates that there is no proof, yet we ignore facts that are true and cannot be explained. And those facts lead to our faith.

In my study this morning I was pointed to evidence for faith in God. Cosmological, evidential, and moral. Each makes a case for having faith in God, and the question is asked by James MacDonald, to choose whether or not you believe them or not. Again with another choice. It is up to us to choose.

“³All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” – John 1:3 (ESV)

The cosmological evidence is that all things in this world are based on an effect with a cause. God created all things, even the universe, which may be too big for us to fathom. But read the verse above once again and think it through. Isn’t it proof.

“¹The heavens declare the glory of God,

and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”

— Psalm 19:1 (ESV)

The evidential evidence is that all things made for our existence are perfect. Our place in the solar system is perfect for us to live. Our distance from the sun. How fast we go around the sun. The moon we have. The atmosphere. All things point to proof that we were not an accident. Isn’t that proof.

“¹⁴For when Gentile, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. ¹⁵They show that the wok of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them” – Romans 2:14-15 (ESV)

And then there is the moral evidence. We know right from wrong and we do not have to be taught it. It is in our DNA. Other creatures created by God do not have that in their DNA as it was us that were created in God’s image, no other. God is the moral right and as we are created in His image, we have the moral right as well. Isn’t that proof.

Well there you have it. Three examples of facts that point to proof for having faith in God. When you look up the significance of the number three, you will find that it points to balance and completeness. It has long been my favorite number and as such I choose to believe the proof leading to my faith in God.

What evidence to you have to have faith in God? Did you even know that there was evidence? What if you look to all of the evidence, will you choose to believe the proof?

Choose God

Did you know that we choose God? I started a new study this morning on choices and the first choice that is pointed out is the choice to choose God.

It seems like a pretty simple thing and why wouldn’t we choose God. But there is a little more to it than first thought. James MacDonald writes, “He is less like the options on a new car and more like the person you decide to marry.” Now that is an interesting point when it comes to choosing God.

How often are we in the business of choosing God in a time of crisis. The wall of the house has a crack and we choose to pray that the damage is only on the surface as opposed to deeper in the foundation. Or, we are at the doctor and get some less than favorable news and choose to pray that God will take the challenge away. I know that I am in the prayer closet when things are not going great.

But, what about when things are just pressing along. Are we choosing God for those decisions that are not based on crisis? Did you choose to pray for God to provide you with your spouse for a lifetime? As you look to what church to attend, are we choosing to pray for God’s direction? Are you in a place where things are going well and are you choosing God’s direction on what is next?

I have a prayer list that I work through daily and on that list is everything from worship of God, to thanksgiving for His provision, to what is next for me and us as a family. When I look a the list, I see that I am choosing God for the purpose of His leadership. I have chosen to have Him be the guide for me. But, this morning I was convicted to whether or not I choose Him for my dependence. Am I choosing God as the author of my life or to get me through the decision I have made in my life. What a difference.

“¹³You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. ¹⁴I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.” – Jeremiah 29:13-14

I chose God, and yet, as seen in the above verses, am I reliant on Him to take me were He would have me go and be or, am I expecting Him to get me where I want to go and be. I have to choose more definitively. I have to be all in with God at the top of my priority list. I have to choose to serve God in all that I am and do.

“¹⁴Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.” – Joshua 24:14 (ESV)

Who do you choose? Are you choosing God when you are in crisis or you “need” Him? What if you were to choose God knowing that He chose you and you devote yourself to Him?

Do We Really Want to Reign

What a great question, and one that I can identify with. It seems as though what I see from “leaders” in this world is not really something that I would want to do or be. I will say that I am leader in my house and in my role in my work. Yet, what I see in “leaders” in the world is not what I expect. And, frankly, when I am in the New Heaven and New Earth, I am told that I will be able to rest, being a leader does not seem like rest.

“²⁸Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28 (ESV)

Yes, Jesus says the above, and if you only look a the one verse, you will get the sense that rest is indeed what we will have. But we would be looking at things from a very narrow perspective.

Think of it this way. What is it that you like to do more than anything else and you seem to get lost in yourself and that thing to the tune that time seems to pass quickly. You may be completely worn out at the end of the time, but you look forward to that thing again and again and again. This is the idea that if you love what you do, it is not work. You find joy in the actions and want to do them more and more.

Well, this is what it will be like in the New Heaven and New Earth. I will be focused on the joy of God that whatever role I am tasked to take on will be glorious and I will find much joy in it. It will be light work from the perspective of on my soul. It may have difficulty in the task, but it will bring joy that I am working for the LORD. See below the next two verses from Jesus.

“²⁹Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” – Matthew 11:29-30 (ESV)

Jesus tells us that when we are in with Him, all things will be lighter since He has taken the heavy load upon Himself.

Reigning in the New Heaven and New Earth will not be a burden. We will be doing so from a position of the “family business” as Randy Alcorn indicates in my study. And since we are in the family of God, we are rulers with Him and each other.

But what about the challenges that come with ruling? A truly valid question. Well, there will not be any. Why you say. As we are all there to do the will of God, only need someone to direct us of where and what. Remember, there is no sin in the New Heaven. There won’t be any animosity. There won’t be any push back. There won’t be any insubordination. There will only be getting the work done in worship to the LORD so we can get back to worship of the LORD.

But, I don’t want people to be telling me what to do. I hear you, and that will not be the case. We will be receiving direction not orders. We will know of what needs to be done, and there will be someone there to direct us as to where it is to be done. And we will be directing others of where.

The New Heaven and New Earth will be filled with rulers (us) and filled with subjects (us). “We’ll be governed by Christlike rulers, and all of us will be under the grand and gracious government of Christ Himself” – Randy Alcorn

What view do you have of ruling? Are you of the school of slave driving authoritarians? What if you embraced ruling in the New Heaven and New Earth as doing that thing that brings you joy, bringing glory to God?

So, We Will Reign with Christ?

In short, YES.

“²⁸And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’” – Genesis 1:28 (ESV)

Here we go. We, as man, were always supposed to reign and rule on the earth. God created man in His own image to have dominion over all on the earth. But, Adam and Eve failed, falling into sin thanks to the evil one and his deception. Adam and Eve were to be the king and queen of earth and they did not make it.

Then, God sent Jesus to demonstrate to the world, how it was supposed to play out. Jesus reigned on the earth in the way that God intended. He loved and cared and protected and healed in this world showing His dominion. And then He died giving us the path back to righteousness. Jesus reigned in this world, and died to show us the way back to where we would again reign.

How is it that we do not see that we will reign over the New Earth? Well, I don’t know the answer to that, other than I am blinded by the sin in my life and know that it is one of the tactics of the evil one. What I can say is that when we turn to the Word of God, we will find the truth throughout. Whether introduced, mentioned, discussed, and repeated, there are many places where we will find what our role is and will be in the New Earth.

“³Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life!” – 1 Corinthians 6:3 (ESV)

Here in Paul’s letter, he makes it clear that we will be reigning and ruling in the New Earth over all. We will be returned to out place of dominion that we lost with the fall. Jesus provided us the way back to our rightful created place in God’s Kingdom. We will indeed reign with Him forever.

“⁵And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.” – Revelation 22:5 (ESV)

What do you think about reigning? Are you of the thought that you will simply be a subject in the Kingdom? What if you review God’s Word and know that not only will you be a member of the Kingdom of God, but you will be returned to the place of dominion that you were intended for?

God’s Eternal Kingdom

This morning I was reminded that the eternal kingdom of God will be just that, a kingdom. He will be seated on the throne as King of Kings. There will be us as the subjects in the kingdom. There will be the territory of rule. There will be a culture of worship. I forget that it will be a physical place, and not just some sort of spiritual realm.

Without getting too deep into the rest of this final week of study of Heaven, there is more. We will be elevated to priests and will reign also.

“¹⁰and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,

and they shall reign on the earth.”

— Revelation 510 (ESV)

So, God’s Eternal Kingdom is going to be a kingdom like what we as man can imagine, but it will be much more as we will be reigning there also with Him.

This is completely contrary to the thinking of this world. And why not. God’s Kingdom is not of this world.

“³⁶Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.’” – John 18:36 (ESV)

As God’s Eternal Kingdom will not be of this world, then it makes sense to me that it will function not as this world does. Oh, it will have the features of this world and this earth, but it will be different. Not like anything we have seen before. Imagine a place where all reign together. But again, I don’t want to get ahead of the study.

So, God’s Eternal Kingdom will be the best of all kingdoms. There will be the King (God) on the throne, there will be palaces and walls and gates. There will be land territories and subjects (us) working those lands. And there will be priests (us) reigning with God over all the land. Remember back to the beginning and know that we will return to there, as God intended.

“²⁶Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’” – Genesis 1:26 (ESV)

What is your view of the Kingdom of God? Are you of the view that it will have feature vastly different from what we know kingdoms to be here in this world? What if you looked at God’s Kingdom as having similar features, only better and in complete harmony?

Worshiping God

This morning I was hit hard by the questions in my MasterWork study that surround worshiping God. Where I am in full agreement with and look forward to what worshiping God will look like when I arrive in the New Heaven, New Earth, and New Jerusalem, I have been challenged with how I am worshiping Him now in this world.

The book of Revelation clearly points to what life will be like when we arrive and spend eternity in the New Heaven, New Earth, and New Jerusalem. It will be majestic and there will be singing and rejoicing and feasts and fellowship and all sorts of engagement as we worship the LORD and He dwells with us.

Where I was hit hard this morning was not in learning something new in the study or text from Revelation. I was struck by the simple question of how can I do that even now.

This was a gut punch to me. Not that I do not worship the LORD and spend time with Him, but what about the rest of the time in this world. Am I rejoicing always, praying continually, and giving thanks in all things. I am not so sure that I am.

I admit to getting caught up in the ways of the world and focusing on those things that are impacting me now, or at least that is what I am telling myself. I have my attention on work, finances, preparing for retirement, stability, and a whole litany of things that are of this world. Where they are things of concern in this world, I have to remember that the LORD will provide for all of them and that I should not worry about tomorrow as tomorrow will take care of itself.

“³⁴Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” – Matthew 6:34 (ESV)

“³³But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” – Matthew 6:33 (ESV)

My focus should not be on tomorrow, but on today and the filling of it with worship of the LORD. I am to be seeking His face each day all day. I am to be rejoicing always, praying continually, and giving thanks in all thing. I have to bring my expectation of worship in the New Heaven, New Earth, and New Jerusalem into this world and my all time here.

“¹⁶Rejoice always, ¹⁷pray without ceasing, ¹⁸give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV)

So, yes, we will be in constant worship of the LORD when we are in the New Heaven, New Earth, and New Jerusalem. In all that we do we will worship and celebrate the LORD and His life giving and sustaining grace and glory. I have to bring that into today and not just reserve it for later. I am to do as Paul indicates in 1 Thessalonians, rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all things. My relationship with the LORD is now and not just reserved for the eternal kingdom.

What is your view of worshiping God? Are you reserving the continual worship for the eternal kingdom? What if you were to follow the direction of Paul and even now rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all things?

God Will Serve Us

Yes, you read that right. God will serve us. When we arrive in the New Heaven and New Earth and New Jerusalem we will see God’s face, He will dwell among us, He will be personal with each of us, and He will serve us.

“³Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, ⁴rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. ⁵Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.” – John 13:3-5 (ESV)

“²In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? ³And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” – John 14:2-3 (ESV)

“11Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.” – Revelation 19:11 (ESV)

Jesus served His disciples in the upper room by washing their feet. He has prepared a place for us. He personally comes to make war against the evil one for us. All of these things He could have others do on His behalf, yet He demonstrates for us the service that we should all ascribe to.

It does not stop with what God has done for us, it leads into what He will do for us in the New Heaven, New Earth, and New Jerusalem. He will make meals for us, wipe away our tears, and remove disgrace. Again, all things that He could command others to do, but NO, He continues to demonstrate service and desires to do so.

“⁶On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples

a feast of rich food,…

⁸and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces,

and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,”

— Isaiah 25:6&8 (ESV)

I am overwhelmed by this realization that God will serve me when I arrive in the New Heaven. He will not just be at the top of the hill for me to see. He will not just dwell among me as I worship. He will not just meet with me personally. He will serve me. He will be my host at the greatest bed and breakfast there will ever be. If He will do this for me, the least of them, I can do the same and serve all.

What is your view of God’s actions when you see Him? Did you expect that He will sit on the throne while you worship Him? What about now, knowing that He will serve you himself and not just sit around waiting on you to serve Him?