Tag: faith

Why Read the Bible in a Year?

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional3 Comments

The Bible is a massive book. Actually, it’s a library of 66 different books of various genres, written by around 40 different authors from wide-ranging backgrounds. Nevertheless, the Bible is one complete story about reality. From Genesis to Revelation, the careful reader will notice a unified narrative that follows the story arc of four main themes: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration.

So, the Bible is a story—a true story!—but it’s a story that beckons the reader to step into the plot and participate in what God is doing in and through the people He has called to Himself, out of a spiritually dark and lost world. Most importantly, this story is all about Jesus Christ. He said so Himself:

“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me.” (John 5:39, ESV; cf. Luke 24:27, 44)

By immersing oneself in Scripture, our minds and hearts are formed after the image of our King and Redeemer, Jesus Christ (Romans 12:1-2). As we step into the story, we are also learning what it means to follow our king.

It is for this reason that I believe one of the most important investments of time and energy a follower of Jesus can make is to spend each day reading the Bible. The Bible is straight from the mouth of God and “able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15-17). Many Christians are intimidated by the idea of reading the entire Bible in a year, but, really, this shouldn’t be the case.

Did you know that if you invested a mere twelve minutes a day to reading Scripture, you could complete the entire Bible in a year?

Twelve minutes! Consider how much time you spend watching the latest hit show on Netflix or some compilation of hilarious cat videos on YouTube. The average American adult spends 168 minutes a day watching TV.[1] That could be on your phone or on your big screen, but either way, that is an exorbitant amount of time to be spend absorbing the messages our culture wants to send. In other words, even if you did spend only 12 minutes a day reading your Bible to finish it in a year but still watched even half as much TV as the average American (84 minutes/day), you would still be spending far more time in front of a screen than you would absorbing the words of the living God. Now, some of what you watch might be profitable, but all of it?

If this all sounds very judgey, I promise I don’t mean it to. God has been convicting me about how much time I’ve spent in the last year in front of screens. And one resolution I have for myself this year is to intentionally have less screen time (phones included) and more time doing other fruitful activities (like going on a run, taking my family to the park, learning and playing instruments, and reading Scripture and other books).

Every Christian I have ever asked has indicated that they want to grow closer to Jesus. Now, at the beginning of 2025, is a great place to turn that desire into a commitment.  If you want to grow closer to Jesus, spending at least 12 minutes a day reading His Word is a perfect way to start. Don’t let a day go by when you don’t listen to your Father’s loving guidance and learn what it means to be a Spirit-empowered disciple of Jesus. Remember, you have been put on this earth to make an eternal impact in the lives of others for the glory of God.

Here’s my bold challenge for you: Commit to reading (and even studying) the Bible this year on a daily basis. The enemy will try to convince you that it’s not worth your time, but that’s because Scripture is the very Sword of the Spirit that slices through his web of lies (Ephesians 6:17). And it is always worth your time to invest in reading and studying God’s love letter to you. You can do it!

Some suggestions:

  • Begin each time in prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to give you clarity and understanding, and to apply what you’re reading to life.
  • Consider investing in a study Bible, like the ESV Study Bible or The Gospel Transformation Bible, that helps you focus on understanding context.
  • Set a daily reminder on your phone or purchase a habit tracker to help you remember to stay committed to reading each day.
  • As you read, ask questions such as: “What does this say about God/Jesus?” “What does this say about me/the people of God?” “Is there something in my life that needs to come into greater alignment with what I’m reading?” “How is what I’m reading here something that can encourage someone else in my life?”

Have thoughts on this post? I’d love to hear from you!

[1] https://www.oberlo.com/statistics/how-much-tv-does-the-average-american-watch

The Man Jesus Called “Dad”

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional2 Comments

If there is one truth that Christians have always believed about Christmas it is that Jesus was conceived not by natural human means, but supernaturally in the womb of a virgin named Mary.

The Nicene Creed of AD 325 states, “For us men and for our salvation He came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.” And yet, this same Jesus of Nazareth was known during His lifetime as the son of Joseph of Nazareth. Joseph was not the birth father of Jesus, but he was his father by adoption. Not only do Mary and other Nazareth locals call Joseph Jesus’ father, Scripture itself speaks this way: “The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him” (Luke 2:33, ESV).

In every culture, children are inevitably known through their parents. After Jesus baffled His hometown with His profound teaching, many asked, “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?” (Matthew 13:55). In other words, “How did old Joseph’s boy learn to talk like this?”

We don’t always consider how central Joseph was to Jesus’ upbringing. Joseph would have been there for all of Jesus’ firsts. Because Jewish men at this time were more likely to be literate than the women, it was likely Joseph who lifted the boy Jesus on to his lap and read Him the Torah.[1] As a blue collar worker,[2] Joseph was the man working hard to provide for his family. What little we do know about Joseph is that he was willing to make sacrifices to care for his family (see Matthew 2:13-23). And given what we know about that culture, Jesus would have spent vast amounts of time alongside Joseph, learning the trade of carpentry from His father.

New Testament scholar Gary Burge writes:

“Like other boys in his village, from the age of six to ten Jesus became literate in Hebrew through the study of the Torah in the Nazareth synagogue, and he memorized vast quantities of Scripture.  From ages ten to twelve he became acquainted with the oral laws under the direction of the synagogue teacher and custodian, the hazzan.  At this point he ended his schooling and began working full time with his father.”[3]

Jesus would have called Joseph Abba (“Dad” or “Daddy”) from a young age. When Joseph had something to say, Jesus would listen. When Joseph needed Jesus to run an errand for him in town, Jesus gladly obeyed. The Bible says Jesus was obedient and submissive to both Mary and Joseph (Luke 2:51). As the One who fulfilled the Law of God, Jesus honored both parents perfectly.

In a first century Jewish culture that prized father-son relationships highly, the local townspeople couldn’t help thinking of Joseph every time they saw Jesus. He was His father’s son—not biologically, but in every other sense, humanly speaking.

Interestingly, we don’t have a recorded word from Joseph in Scripture. Joseph may have been the strong silent type, but we know he was a man of action. Scripture describes him as “a just man” who kept the law of God faithfully (Matthew 1:19). You can imagine the hurt Joseph felt when he learned that Mary, his betrothed, was pregnant. Yet even in his anguish, he was “unwilling to put her to shame,” one more clue that Joseph was a man of both integrity and compassion.

When God sent an angel to reveal the truth—Mary had conceived Jesus by the Holy Spirit—Joseph stepped forward to fulfill his calling of taking Mary as his wife as God intended.

“When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son.” (Matthew 1:24-25a, ESV)

As the legal father, Joseph even had the privilege of naming his son “Jesus,” just as the angel had instructed (v. 25).

Despite the scandal of marrying a pregnant woman in that culture, Joseph stepped up to the challenge. He was willing to bear the shame along with Mary, and together they submitted to God’s glorious plan of raising His incarnate Son—a daunting task difficult to fathom.

Joseph’s role in the story of Christmas is not peripheral. Although he is a silent character in the narrative, his part is crucial to everything that unfolds. The angel calls him “Joseph, son of David” to remind him of his royal ancestry and to foreshadow the messianic claims that will be granted to Jesus, his legal heir. Joseph is a strong and faithful man—a true knight of his day who honors women, protects the vulnerable, loves his family, and courageously follows the orders of his King.

In a culture that often devalues the role of husbands and fathers, we need to see again the impact that Joseph had on the life of Jesus. Although he was put in his role by God’s grace alone, everything we know about Joseph tells us that Jesus was raised by a good man and was honored to call him “Dad.”

[1] While New Testament skeptics have said things like “Jesus was an illiterate peasant,” these skeptics underestimate how essential it was for Jewish boys to go to synagogue from a young age and learn the Hebrew Scriptures, often from their fathers (see Deuteronomy 6:4-9). Do we really want to suppose that the same Jesus who often prefaced a quote from Scripture with the question, “Have you not read?” was Himself not reading that very Scripture? This is why blatant skepticism of Jesus cannot be taken seriously; it ignores the evidence and crafts a Jesus with which skeptics are more comfortable.

[2] The Greek word tekton can mean both carpenter and craftsman.

[3] Gary M. Burge. The New Testament in Antiquity (Zondervan, 2009).

Praying When God Seems Distant

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional3 Comments 
“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” (Romans 12:12, ESV)

For many people, the only prayer they practice is a kind of formal, perfunctory prayer that is done at family gatherings. Such people struggle with prayer because they’ve never viewed prayer as an intimate conversation with God. Jesus warned us not to be like religious hypocrites who use prayer as a chance to win the admiration of others (Matthew 6:5). At its heart, prayer is about experiencing relational nearness to our Lord and Shepherd.

Prayer Is Essential

The number one reason so many Christians lack spiritual vitality in their life is because of neglect of private prayer. “On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased” (Psalm 138:3).

It’s fascinating to study the accounts of great men and women throughout history and how consistently each one of them was a person of fervent and consistent prayer.

George Muller, who helped care for more than 10,000 orphans in England and provided education for more than 120,000 children had a daily habit of beginning each day with several hours of prayer. Charles Simeon rose at 4 am every day, so he could spend the first four hours in prayer. Susannah Wesley, the busy mother of 19 children, would sit in a rocking chair with an apron over her head praying passionately for her children. And her prayers were no doubt effective, because two of her sons Charles and John went on to make a tremendous difference for Christ.

Now, on the one hand, it’s inspiring to hear such stories. But if we’re honest, we can also feel a little guilty that we devote so little time to prayer. Such stories might inspire us while simultaneously making us feel like spiritual failures.

But what if we began small? What if we committed to set aside only ten minutes per day to nothing but sitting in the presence of God, opening up our hearts, communing with our Lord, and interceding on behalf of others?

Zondervan conducted a survey of 678 respondents about prayer, and only 23 felt satisfied with the time they were spending in prayer. In his book, Prayer, Philip Yancey recounts some of the struggles he has had with praying to an invisible God. He writes, “In theory prayer is the essential human act, a priceless point of contact with the God of the universe. In practice prayer is often confusing and fraught with frustration.”

We pray because prayer speaks to a universal human need. We are dependent creatures. We were not made for life without God. As Thomas Merton put it, “Prayer is an expression of who we are… We are a living incompleteness. We are a gap, an emptiness that calls for fulfillment.”

If you don’t know how to pray, our Lord Jesus tells us to begin with acknowledging who God is and what He calls us to be (Matthew 6:9-13). In fact, while many view prayer primarily as a way to get things from God, prayer should be first and foremost about intimacy with God.

Why Does God Sometimes Seem Distant?

And for us to have an intimate relationship with God, we need to acknowledge the ways we have turned away from God and repent. Through the prophet Isaiah, God even tells the nation of Israel that because of their national sins, God has turned away from hearing their prayers.

“When you spread out your hands in prayer,
    I hide my eyes from you;
even when you offer many prayers,
    I am not listening.
Your hands are full of blood!
Wash and make yourselves clean.
    Take your evil deeds out of my sight;
    stop doing wrong.
Learn to do right; seek justice.
    Defend the oppressed.
Take up the cause of the fatherless;
    plead the case of the widow.” (Isaiah 1:15-17, NIV)

The way back to God begins with owning our sin and repenting. That’s a sobering warning. God does not tolerate sin in the midst of His people. He says, “You’re lifting up hands in prayer, but those hands are covered in the blood of the innocent. You’re crying out for Me to listen to you, but you haven’t listened to those most hurting around you.”

This is a warning for all of us. Are we treating others fairly? Are we staying faithful to our marriage vows? Are we treating those who look and think differently from us the same way we treat those who look and think like us? Are we sharing food with the hungry? Are we showing compassion for both the preborn baby in the womb, and also for the unwed mother who feels abandoned and alone? Are we acknowledging the sin in our past, repenting toward God, and seeking the forgiveness that is offered through the finished work of Jesus alone?

Sin is not the only reason God can seem absent in prayer. Even spiritual giants such as King David, Asaph, Ethan the Ezrahite, and the prophet Habakkuk lamented times when God seemed distant (Psalm 13:1; 80:4; 89:46; Habakkuk 1:2). Scripture would urge us to not give up in prayer even when God feels far away. It’s often during the “dark night of the soul,” as John of the Cross put it, that God is doing His deepest work in our souls.

But whatever you do, don’t give up! The Holy Spirit will help us to pray even when we have no idea what to say in prayer (Romans 8:26).

“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” (Romans 12:12, ESV)

Praying to a Loving Father

If God were a cold and aloof deity, we could hardly bear the thought of praying to Him, considering how we have all failed Him. But here’s why Jesus taught us to begin by addressing God as “Our Father in heaven” (Matthew 6:9). Think of how a good father will do anything to protect and provide for his children. Consider how quickly a good father is willing to lift his little child in his arms and hold them close to his chest, even after that child has rebelled countless times.

“As a father shows compassion to his children,
    so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.” (Psalm 103:13, ESV)

This is why Jesus said God is “our Father.” He loves His children beyond words. In one sense our unrepentant sin is indeed the obstacle to intimacy with God. On the other hand, the primary hindrance to prayer is a failure to see God as a Father who loves us with an unshakable and undying love and is eager to forgive His repentant children. Not only that, but God even delights in you!

If we begin here, knowing that our God is a loving and compassionate Father who willingly takes back the prodigal son or daughter and showers him or her with kisses, we will be willing to repent and ask for forgiveness for the wrongs we have done. In prayer, we approach the Father through the Son, who fully paid for all our sin on the cross. That is why the Book of Hebrews says we can boldly approach the throne of grace, knowing that He is a Father who loves us dearly (Hebrews 4:16).

Have thoughts on this post? I’d love to hear from you!

The Nations Rage, but Jesus Reigns

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life3 Comments

With the 2024 U. S. presidential election fast approaching, many people are feeling anxious about our nation’s uncertain future. Who will lead our country for the next four years? Donald Trump or Kamala Harris? How will this shape our nation’s future, both at home and abroad? Around this time, political opponents amp up their disdain for one another while simultaneously putting themselves forward as the savior this nation needs in order to once more have freedom and justice reign in the land.

During this time, Christians feel a collective longing for the return of our Savior, King Jesus, who will ultimately do what every political figure only attempts to do in their own way but always fails to do.

The Bible lays out the reality that until Jesus’ soon return, there will be two kingdoms vying for our allegiance in the world. The church father Augustine called them “the City of God” and “the earthly city” (or the City of Man). The City of God is marked by those who have centered all their hopes on the rule and reign of the King of kings, who, unlike every human leader, will rule with perfect justice, truth, and grace. The City of Man opposes the rule of Jesus and seeks to establish a kind of secular humanism utopia on earth, undistracted by threats of divine judgment.

As a follower of Jesus in America, I look around at a culture that is sinking deeper and deeper into moral corruption and arrogance. I know that only King Jesus can set things right and rescue His world from the curse of sin and death. I am thankful to be an American citizen and for the sacrifices that have won the freedoms my family and I enjoy. But first and foremost, my “citizenship is in Heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:19). Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me,” not Congress and not the person in the White House (Matthew 28:18).

Some Christians, distraught over the state of the culture, have decided to politically disengage and not vote this November. They refuse to vote because they dislike the choice of either candidate. I’ve heard one young man say, “I don’t like either one. What’s the point?”

In some ways, I can understand his frustration. I probably wouldn’t disagree with many points he might raise. However, I believe that Christians should still be politically engaged, even when a vote may feel like a vote for the lesser of two evils.

It’s always been true, not just in 2024, that no political candidate will ever measure up to Jesus. It is for His rule and reign that we long. Nevertheless, until the fullness of His kingdom has arrived, we are left with fallen politicians in a fallen world. Simply by voting, you are not putting your hope in a flawed candidate. But you are seeking to influence the world around you—even in some small measure—by prayerfully voting for an administration with policies that most closely aligns with the truth of God’s Word.

Jesus calls His followers to be salt and light in the world, which means we are meant to have an impact for the kingdom wherever we live. Hitting the eject button and completely disengaging from the culture isn’t an option. As Jesus put it, lamps don’t belong under a basket, but on a stand to give light to all in the house.

Furthermore, many biblical convictions have a direct bearing in the political realm. For example, all Christians should agree that life is sacred and that we must do all we can to preserve the life of preborn babies. This is but one example, but protection of human life should be central to our convictions. For that reason, I intend to cast a vote that most closely aligns with my biblical convictions.

Ultimately, however, the election is a gospel opportunity to give reasons for our hope. For the Jesus-follower, the election is not a time to be anxious; it is a time to point others to the hope and peace found in King Jesus and His coming kingdom, not any earthly government or kingdom.

Psalm 2 speaks prophetically of how every political regime that sets itself up against the reign of King Jesus is destined for destruction.

Why do the nations conspire
    and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth rise up
    and the rulers band together
    against the Lord and against his anointed, saying,
“Let us break their chains
    and throw off their shackles.” (Psalm 2:1-3, NIV)

Notice that the political rulers of various nations are banding “together against the Lord” in a kind of godless globalism. They say, “Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.” For those who pridefully oppose the reign of God, His moral truth always feels like restrictive chains. But Jesus said, “The truth will set you free.”

The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
    the Lord scoffs at them.
He rebukes them in his anger
    and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,
“I have installed my king
    on Zion, my holy mountain.” (Psalm 2:4-6, NIV)

Political rulers may set themselves up as the saviors of this world, but God laughs at their folly. This is not the laughter of being pleased. God condemns them for thinking they can rule His world and reject His Messiah-King.

God the Father goes on to promise His Son, King Jesus, the nations as His inheritance (v. 8). As the hymn puts it:

Jesus shall reign where’er the sun
does its successive journeys run,
His kingdom stretch from shore to shore,
till moons shall wax and wane no more.

The nations rage, but Jesus will reign.

Psalm 2 is a warning to every national ruler who fails to acknowledge the supremacy of Jesus Christ over every nation and people. The nations today are but a drop in the bucket; the kingdom of God is eternal. But make no mistake. The reign of Jesus is not some graceless tyranny. We are called to “celebrate His rule with trembling” (v. 11). Salvation comes to those who bow the knee to the true Lord of the world.

But if you don’t humbly welcome His rule and reign over your life, “He will be angry and your way will lead you to your destruction, for His wrath can flare up in a moment” (v. 12). If you haven’t yet, this is a call to yield your life to the King of kings. The text says to “Kiss the Son,” which is another way of saying, “Give Him your absolute allegiance.” When you do, you will not fall prey to either misguided triumphalism when your candidate wins or overwhelming despair when your candidate loses. Instead, you will pray to God, “Your kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven.”

Have thoughts on this post? I’d love to hear from you!

How We Got Our Bible

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Why I Believe1 Comment 
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NIV)

Picture, if you will, living at a time when it is illegal to own or even quote an English translation of the Bible. In 1526 in England, those who owned an English copy of the Bible were under the threat of execution by order of the king of England himself. Many Christians today are not aware of the incredible sacrifices that were made for an English translation of the Bible to end up in their hands today.

Knowing what it cost others and how willingly they made those sacrifices is inspiring and motivates me to treasure my Bible more dearly. William Tyndale was one such man who gave up so much out of devotion to God and love for others. Prior to Tyndale translating the New Testament and much of the Old Testament into English, only scholars in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew could read and understand Scripture. Everyone else had to rely on their bishops to tell them what the Bible said.

This is hard for us in the 21st century to wrap our minds around, because today we have the Bible at our fingertips, a mere click or two away. But Scripture foretold times when there would be a famine—”not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord” (Amos 8:11, ESV).

Tyndale had studied Greek and Hebrew and knew the treasure of having a relationship with God based on Holy Scripture. He knew that Scripture was not merely the words of wise men, but the very words of the living God, which could be translated into any language (1 Thessalonians 2:13). His heart burned with a passion for the common people of his day to experience the Word of God in the same way.

At one point, a highly esteemed Latin scholar told Tyndale, “It would be better to be without God’s laws than without the pope’s.”

Tyndale courageously responded, “I defy the pope and all his laws! In fact, if God spares my life, I intend to make it possible for a common farmer, a plowman, to know more of the Scripture than you do!”

He spent the next ten years working tirelessly across Europe, fleeing persecution from one nation to the next, translating the Bible into the language even a plowman could read and understand. Tyndale was eventually betrayed and imprisoned. Although he couldn’t do the translation work in prison, he continued to preach the saving message about the crucified and risen Jesus. In fact, the jailer, the jailer’s daughter, and other members of his household surrendered their lives to the Lord Jesus.

Finally, on October 6, 1536, Tyndale was taken out of his prison, strangled to death, and his body was burned as a warning to all who would participate in his Bible-translating rebellion. Just before dying, William Tyndale prayed aloud, “Lord, open the king of England’s eyes!” That prayer was answered three years later when the king of England decreed that Tyndale’s New Testament be placed in every church in England!

It’s impossible to calculate the value of having God’s Word so readily available today.

When I hear about Tyndale’s devotion and sacrifice that led to me having a Bible in my hands, I am deeply moved and compelled to treasure these words and never take them for granted. I hope you feel the same way. God has spoken. And He intends for us to know Him through His Word.

“In the way of your testimonies I delight
    as much as in all riches.
I will meditate on your precepts
    and fix my eyes on your ways.
I will delight in your statutes;
    I will not forget your word.” (Psalm 119:14-16, ESV)

I pray that just because the Bible is so accessible in our day, it would not be overlooked as the precious gift that it is.

Have thoughts on this post? I’d love to hear from you!

Begin with God

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional2 Comments

What we prioritize determines the course of our lives.

There’s a simple law of reality that says, “If you don’t set your priorities, someone else will set them for you.” In fact, more often than not, the world will set your priorities. Busyness will set your priorities for you. Your long list of “To Dos” will set your priorities. But God wants us to begin with Him. He doesn’t want us to try and squeeze Him into our busy schedule; He wants to be involved with every aspect of life.

Jesus gave us a really helpful perspective for setting priorities: “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things [the basic necessities of life] will be added to you.”[1] For Jesus, the number one priority in life was the Kingdom of God. He didn’t drift through life passively. He began each day intentionally. “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”[2]

Jesus lived with the Kingdom in mind. He said His food was to do the will of God, His Father.

And that’s where Jesus would have us begin, too.

We tend to say things like, “There aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done.” But actually, there are exactly the right number of hours in a day. God ordained from all eternity that there would be 24 hours in a day. No more, no less. And it falls to each of us to determine how we will use those precious hours.

We say, “My days have been really full lately.” I think I said that to someone recently. But the truth is, every day is filled with something. It could be filled with working nonstop. It could be filled with chasing the next thrill. It could be filled with binging on Netflix with a bowl of popcorn on the easy chair. But every day is filled with something.

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:16, ESV)

Now, in one sense, we have zero control over unexpected events in life. But in another sense, we are the ones that get to set our own priorities. God gives us agency.

“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12, ESV)

These lives are finite. Live in light of eternity. Fill every day with what matters most. Begin with God.

Have thoughts on this post? I’d love to hear from you!

[1] Matthew 6:33, ESV

[2] Mark 1:35, NIV

Light in a Dark World

On By Jason SmithIn Theology for Life1 Comment 

“And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.” (John 3:19, ESV)

This last weekend, the 2024 Olympics kicked off with an opening ceremony that has garnered much attention, mostly negative. I hesitated to write anything about it, because honestly, I didn’t really want to draw more attention to it. But since a couple people have brought it up to me, I felt prompted to reflect on how the gospel speaks directly to cultural moments like this.

I don’t need to get into the details of what was portrayed, but it involved a very gross, in-your-face amalgamation of paganism, drag queens, and disturbing mockery of The Last Supper, Leonardo Da Vinci’s famous painting depicting Jesus with His twelve Apostles in their final meal together. The French Bishops’ Conference lamented that the act was a “mockery and derision of Christianity.” Bishop Robert Barron said the scene “mocked a very central moment in Christianity.” Apparently, there was debate about whether the scene was meant to evoke any connection to Christianity, but in the end the producers admitted “that it was in fact inspired by Da Vinci’s famous painting.”[1]

When Jesus walked the earth, He was both loved and hated. On the one hand, people who keenly sensed their spiritual emptiness were drawn to this miracle-working rabbi who proclaimed the kingdom of God’s arrival in and through His ministry. On the other hand, many despised Jesus because He is holy. Simply by being the Righteous One, Jesus exposed the paltry self-righteousness and hypocrisy of others.

“And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.” (John 3:19-20, ESV)

Jesus is the Light of the world (John 8:12). By coming into this world, His power and character exposed the darkness of evil and self-indulgence. So when people love the darkness, they hate Jesus Christ. But in Jesus’s first coming, He didn’t come simply to condemn the world. He came to save all who would trust in Him from condemnation (John 3:17).

“Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” (John 3:18, ESV)

The Bible teaches that it’s not just the world “out there” that has rebelled against God. We have all turned aside and gone our own way (Isaiah 53:6). We have all fallen short of God’s glorious standard (Romans 3:23). We all stand condemned until we look in saving faith on the One who was condemned in our place.

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” (John 3:36, ESV)

Rather than merely accuse or abandon the human race to its deplorable state of moral degradation, Jesus came in pursuit of us. He loved His own to the very end, willingly laying His life down for us and bearing the penalty we justly deserved. In and through Jesus, God was reconciling the world to Himself. On that cross, Jesus was credited with every sin I ever committed (2 Corinthians 5:21). He hung there, stripped and bleeding, because of the sinful and foolish things I have said and done. Scripture is even willing to say that Jesus was made to “be sin” so that I might “become the righteousness of God” through faith in His perfect atonement.

Jesus came to rescue a world caught in the web of satanic lies that have been around since the Garden of Eden. He came to deliver those who have been enslaved to their own lusts. He came to heal those who have been wounded by the pain of a broken world. This is the gospel followers of Jesus must proclaim to a dying world.

What happened during the opening ceremony is a symptom of a world turned away from the light and toward the darkness. Paul wrote of those who “glory in their shame,” whose “end is destruction” (Philippians 3:19). Our message to this lost and confused world is: Look to Jesus—the real Jesus Christ of the Bible. See His spotless character. Watch Him take little children in His arms. See Him reach out and touch the “untouchable” leper. Look at how He takes notice of the man who has greedily lived for money, and He forgives the immoral woman who weeps at His feet. Look at Him hanging between two thieves, dying a criminal’s death for you. See Him gloriously raised to life!

Jesus was the only true Light in a sin-darkened world.

Don’t despise Jesus for coming in weakness and dying a shameful death outside the gate. Instead, “go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach He endured” (Hebrews 13:13). Fall down and worship Him. Because He’s no longer dead! And one day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. How terrible will be the day of His return for the unrepentant who have mocked Him and derided His authority.

Those who truly love Jesus are willing to bear the scorn heaped on Him. He is the True North for those who have lost their way. And apart from Him our world has no hope and will have to suffer the consequences of moral rebellion.

Have thoughts on this post? I’d love to hear from you!

[1] https://www.thewrap.com/paris-olympics-producers-last-supper-inspired-opening-ceremony/

Are You a Cultural Christian?

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional2 Comments 
“In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind” (John 1:4).

Recently, I heard someone use a phrase I often hear: “I’ve always tried to be a good Christian man.” Hearing this statement got me thinking. What do most people mean when they claim to be a “good Christian” or even a “Christian”? Just because a phrase is used all the time doesn’t mean we are all meaning the same thing. In fact, when people don’t clearly explain what they mean by a certain term, that often means there are a lot of hidden assumptions.

For so many people today, they think that being a Christian is about doing all the good, Christian things we’re supposed to be doing. They think that as long as they are listening to Christian music, going to church, occasionally posting a Bible verse on Facebook or X, then they must be a Christian.

For many, “Jesus” is more of an idea than a person. He’s a flannel graph character with a beard and long hair who likes to cuddle lambs. Others consider Jesus their “homeboy” or “co-pilot,” according to their T-Shirt or bumper sticker. It’s as if Jesus is merely this invisible guy that exists for them.

Jefferson Bethke is an author and songwriter who grew up thinking he knew what being a Christian was all about. In his book Jesus is Greater Than Religion, he talks about when he first started attending a Christian university, he tried to fit in with everyone else.

Jefferson writes, “So I decided to copy what ‘being a Christian’ was all about by watching others. I took off my earrings, stopped wearing basketball jerseys, tried my hardest to memorize Hillsong United’s greatest hits, and listened to the Christian radio station. I thought that if I did enough Christian things, it would bring peace to my life. It didn’t work.”

Jefferson eventually realized that though he called himself a Christian, he wasn’t really following Jesus, but an Americanized religious subculture. He came to see that the real Jesus of the Bible is far more powerful and radical than the Sunday School version he’d been taught.

He finally recognized his religious works were nothing but foolish attempts to try to buy God off. He understood now that God is holy, just, and righteous. Furthermore, he was everything God was not. That’s why he needed the cross. On “Skull Rock,” Jesus lovingly gave up His life so that he could have life. Jesus bore the penalty that God’s justice demanded for his sins, and on the third day, He rose in triumph from the grave.

Jefferson came to the foot of the cross and surrendered to the real and living Jesus for the first time.

In view of cultural Christianity, he adds, “In our subculture Jesus would have never been crucified—he’s too nice… The Jesus of the Bible is a radical man with a radical message, changing people’s lives in a radical way. In the Scriptures, Jesus isn’t safe.”

That reminds me of the line from C. S. Lewis’s book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. When Lucy asks if Aslan the lion (who represents Jesus) is safe, Mr. Beaver tells the Pevensie children: “‘Safe?… Don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.’”

The real Jesus is not tame and de-clawed. He’s more like a roaring lion in all His glory. He’s not just a “good feeling” to get you through the day. He’s not your “co-pilot.” In Him is life. We exist by Jesus and for Jesus. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end—not just the guy to help you get through the middle.

Listen to this description from Colossians 1:15-17:

“The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

In Jesus everything holds together. Every atom in the universe is bound together and ordered by Jesus! He is the Lord over all creation! He is the reason for your existence. Your very life exists by His continuing power. Jesus is not just a religious figure from long ago. He’s not just the most influential person in history. He is the God-man! And you were created for His glory.

So what about you? Have you encountered the real Jesus? Spend some time in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and carefully consider what you find.

Do you know Him as the sovereign King that He is? Have you bowed the knee and entrusted your eternity to Him? Have you taken up your cross, and are you now following Him?

Are you a cultural Christian? Or, are you a committed Christ-follower?

Have thoughts on this post? I’d love to hear from you!

Going Through a Rough Patch?

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional1 Comment

One of the biggest ways our enemy, the devil, will try to sabotage our walk with Jesus is through painting God as uncaring or incapable of helping us during the rough patches of life. And when it comes to “rough patches,” we’ve all had them, right? Those times where we feel like we just got sucker punched by life, and it’s like the wind has been knocked out of our lungs. The fresh joy and peace we were just experiencing in the Lord yesterday seems to have vanished. Our spiritual sails don’t seem to be catching wind anymore.

God knows our tendency is to go from scratching our head in confusion, “Where did that come from?” to “Oh, God, why me?” to “God… do you even care?”

Let me assure you. God cares. These times in life—which we, as followers of Jesus, all face—are intended by God to deepen our faith and, ultimately, our communion with Him. The devil’s intention, however, is to tempt us to doubt God’s goodness, love, and presence with us.

So, what do we do when times of testing come?

1. Stay humble.

    Whether we realize it or not, this attitude that says, “God doesn’t care about my situation. Why should I go to Him?” is actually incredibly arrogant. It indicates a lack of faith in His character and an unwillingness to listen to what He might want you to learn. It also plays right into the devil’s hand. The devil, you may remember, fell through the sin of pride, and he would gladly enlist you into the same plan of rebellion if you’re willing to sign on.

    In his first letter, the Apostle Peter reminds us that God looks with favor on the humble—not on those who puff themselves up in arrogance:

    “So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.” (1 Peter 5:6, NLT)

    Notice Peter says “at the right time” God will honor you. In other words, if you’re going through a rough patch in life, it’s not that God has neglected you. It does mean that He has a purpose in your distress and that His goal is to lift you up and honor you when the time is right if you stay humble.

    2. Cry out to God from the heart.

        “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” (1 Peter 5:7, NLT)

        Whatever is pressing on your mind—even if it’s some kind of sadness or fear that you can’t quite name—give it over to God. If you find yourself up late at night incapable of getting those worst fears out of your mind, come back to this passage. Be as open and transparent with the Lord as you can. Name the feelings of fear and frustration and anxiety, even if you can’t pinpoint the source. And tell Him how desperately you want to trust Him to handle these anxious thoughts and give you new life and peace in their place.

        3. Stand firm against the devil and his schemes.

        “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith.” (1 Peter 5:8-9a, NLT)

        It’s sobering to remember the devil is a “great enemy.” When we’re talking about the devil and what he’s capable of when he comes against a follower of Jesus, we aren’t talking about a chihuahua. We’re talking about a “roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

        Last year, my family went to a small game park that had several lions. At one point, one of the male lions let out a thunderous roar. Despite being about 100 yards away, I felt the sound in the pit of my stomach. I’ve seen The Lion King, but a Disney film just can’t convey how loudly they can roar. Were I ever to cross a wild lion in the African savannah, you can bet I would have a healthy fear of what that creature could do to me.

        To be clear, Jesus is infinitely more powerful than the devil. And by the power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, we have all the resources we need to “stand firm against him.” And yet, he’s still a drooling lion, on the prowl for his next lunch.

        So how do we stand firm in the faith and resist our great foe? We wield the very weapon Jesus wielded in His hour of testing in the desert (see Matthew 4:1-11). Get your mind into the Word of God, and those razor-sharp claws start to retract. Remember Daniel? Despite the very real threat of being the main course for the king’s pet lions, Daniel banked everything on God’s power to deliver. So he kept on praying to the God of Heaven when it was illegal. He learned that when your confidence is in God and His promises, hungry lions suddenly lose their appetite.

        Be so full of God’s Word that you lose that worldly flavor to which the devil is drawn.

        4. Remember you’re not alone in the battle.

        You are in a battle, no question about that. We are told to don the armor of God, because our fight is “against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12, NLT). Peter reminds us:

        “Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.” (1 Peter 5:9, NLT)

        Pick up a copy of the magazine Voice of the Martyrs and spend some time learning about the persecution many of our brothers and sisters are experiencing in other nations. And yet, in the midst of their trials, these suffering Christians often tell of how faithful Jesus has been even though they have lost their church building, their home, and even, at times, family members.

        Peter is not speaking from ignorance. He knows what it’s like to be mocked, derided, beaten, flogged, and imprisoned for the Lord Jesus (see Acts 5, 10). And how did Peter respond after being threatened with death and then flogged?

        The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus. And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they continued to teach and preach this message: “Jesus is the Messiah.” (Acts 5:41-42, NLT)

        Is that not incredible? With a blood-soaked back from the flogging they’d just endured, Peter and the other Apostles could only rejoice that “God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus.” Clearly, they had a countercultural perspective on what life is all about. Even if you’re not there yet, don’t you want to be?

        5. Seek first the Kingdom of God.

        And then what? They kept doing the very thing that earned them a flogging. They went right on telling people the glorious truth: “Jesus is the Messiah you have been waiting for! He is the Savior who died in your place so that you can be forgiven! He is the Lord of life who conquered the grave!” The more you are captivated by the bigness of the Gospel, the more you will be eager to turn whatever pain you’re enduring into gain for the Kingdom of God.

        In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. All power to him forever! Amen.” (1 Peter 5:12, NLT)

        Let that truth settle in. God Himself will personally restore, support, and strengthen you. If you remember God’s sweet kindness toward you and commit your battle to the Lord, you have nothing to lose and eternal glory to gain. Because “at the right time” He will set you on a firm foundation.

        I pray this encourages you. If you have any thoughts or questions about this, I would love to hear from you!

        Photo Credit: Mitsuaki Iwago

        What Does It Mean to Walk with God?

        On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life3 Comments
        Saddle Mountain, Oregon. Photo Courtesy of Ben McBee

        One of the best ways to get to know someone is to go hiking together. I mean, really, what better way to bond than trekking through the Oregon wilderness together? When you go for a hike, you aren’t just taking a quick stroll. You’re on an adventure! You’re crossing brooks, stepping over fallen logs, snapping pictures of stunning sights, gaining elevation.

        That last one is important. My wife Whitney recently took our boys for a “hike” with some other moms and kids, but the boys later told me, “That was a walk, not a hike.” The event had been dubbed a “nature hike,” but there was no elevation gained. I must agree with my boys.

        The best hikes always have as their final reward a grand vista where you can look out and see the wonders of nature—a lush valley, a snowy mountain range, or the Pacific Ocean glimmering in the sunlight. Throughout the journey, there is time to get to know your fellow travelers and discuss subjects that can’t be explored in brief, ordinary conversations. All the while, you are experiencing the beauty of creation together; shared experiences are nearly always exponentially better than solo experiences (that’s why watching a movie is far better with a friend, despite the fact that all you are doing is sitting and staring at a screen).

        The Bible often uses the metaphor of someone “walking with God.” From the very beginning, it is implied that God often walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:8). We are told that the antediluvian[1] Enoch—a guy who avoided death through his own private rapture into Heaven— “walked with God” (Genesis 5:24). “Noah walked with God” (6:9). God called Abraham to “Walk before Me and be blameless” (Genesis 17:1). On numerous occasions, God even tells all the people of Israel, “I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be My people” (Leviticus 26:12). The idea of walking with someone implies intimacy. It’s not me running ahead of God or me fighting to keep up with God, but me walking with God.

        And if you’re walking with God, you’re not running away from Him (like Adam and Eve in the Garden after they sinned), but seeking to be with Him continually. Rather than trying to push thoughts of Him away from your mind, you’re seeking to “practice the presence of God”[2] by regularly reminding yourself that all of life is meant to be lived before His face.

        “If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:6-7, ESV)

        The blood of Jesus cleanses us and through trusting in that blood, we begin a new journey of walking with Him by the light of His Word and filled with the energy of His Holy Spirit.

        I am no Hebrew scholar, but from what I gather, there isn’t exactly a word for “hike,” in contrast to “walk” in ancient Hebrew. One word would basically be used for both. So, while the word “hike” is not in the Bible, when I think about “walking with God,” I like to think about this in terms of hiking. Maybe it’s my personal bias; I love hiking. But a hike suggests a journey, one that will be marked by both challenges and delights. I also like how hiking gives us a picture of an upward goal we are progressing toward. Paul says, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).

        A long and arduous journey shared by companions with a common goal serves as the backdrop for many literary classics, including Lord of the Rings and Pilgrim’s Progress. Our walk with God is a lifelong journey, one in which we don’t always know what is ahead, but we are comforted by the fact that our Guide knows about every step along the way. In fact, He’s marked out the trail for us.

        Like a challenging hike, our walk with God won’t always be easy. There will be moments of testing, new difficulties to overcome, and times when exhaustion will set in and the temptation to turn back will be very strong. From a distance, it may look like we are wandering in the proverbial forest, lost and confused. Others may question our motives and criticize the path we’ve chosen, maybe even claiming they have found a more “practical” or wider trail with fewer bumps along the way. But if we faithfully follow our Guide and stay on the trail, He will lead us to new vistas of His glory and His grace that we never dreamed possible when we first began the journey.

        Our walk with God is not a brief stroll, but it is a shared experience. To use an old-fashioned (but good) word, life is meant to be lived in communion with God: He continually shows us more of His heart even as we open more of ours to Him. When we do wander off the trail, we quickly get tangled in those painful blackberry bushes of sin that tend to leave a mark, reminding us how foolish it was to try to carve a new path on our own. Thankfully, He’s always willing to wash us off when we come back to the Way. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, ESV).

        To walk with God is to daily surrender yourself to Him, letting Him teach you how life is meant to be lived. Jesus said that if you want to save your life, you first need to lose it so that it can be truly found in Him (Matthew 16:25). We were made for Him, so life will always be hollow until it is filled by His life. Whereas before God’s purity, goodness, holiness, and love were abstract ideas, as we walk with God, we begin to experience more of God Himself.

        The psalmist cries out, “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!” (Psalm 34:8). It’s one thing to believe your friend who tells you of a new dish that is to-die-for delicious, but it’s something else entirely to actually taste it for yourself. Similarly, while sound doctrinal statements about God are vital and give us a necessary map for our journey, they can never replace the intimacy of actually knowing God and experiencing the warmth of His love flooding your soul.

        As we are drawn into the life of God, we sometimes pause in our walk and think about how far we’ve come together. We briefly wonder, Where would I be if it weren’t for God? But only briefly. Because our eyes are on the goal ahead. We are traveling together with a destination in mind.

        This alone is what can satisfy our hearts—tasting the Lord’s goodness and seeing His glory.

        The church father Augustine had this to say:

        “So what should we do in sharing the love of God, whose full enjoyment constitutes the happy life? It is God from whom all those who love Him derive both their existence and their love; it is God who frees us from any fear that He can fail to satisfy anyone to whom He becomes known; it is God who wants Himself to be loved, not in order to gain any reward for Himself but to give to those who love Him an eternal reward—namely Himself.”

        Have you begun your journey with God? Walk with Him and enjoy the endless fruit of delight in knowing His love for you.

        I pray this encourages you. If you have any thoughts or questions about this, I would love to hear from you!

        [1] That’s an old school word for “pre-Flood” or “before the biblical Flood.”

        [2] Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God.