DID GOD TURN HIS BACK ON JESUS? WAS JESUS CONFUSED WHEN HE SAID “WHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN ME?” Psalm 22:24.

The answer to the title question is no. When Jesus says “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?,” it does not mean that God turned his back on Jesus. It also is not evidence Jesus was confused or somehow felt abandoned in that moment.

Instead (as Voddie Baucham has argued) Jesus is using the custom, common to readers of the Hebrew scriptures in the first century—when the Psalms were not yet numbered—of naming a Psalm by stating its first line. This custom is still common today, such as when your English teacher refers to a poem as “Let me not to the marriage of true minds,” rather than calling it Sonnet 116 as Shakespeare did. (Who can keep those numbers straight?)

When Jesus says “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?,” He is saying to everyone around him “hey look—what you see here is the fulfillment of the prophecies contained in Psalm 22.”

BOOKENDS.

Jesus began His ministry by reading Isaiah 61:1-2. After He read it, He looked at the crowd and said, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” Luke 4:21. On the cross, Jesus ended His ministry by referencing Psalm 22 in a manner that announced to the crowd, today Psalm 22 has been fulfilled in your hearing.

Moreover, verse 24 of Psalm 22 directly refutes the notion that God turned his back on Jesus. “For he [God the Father] has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; HE HAS NOT HIDDEN HIS FACE FROM HIM but has listened to his cry for help.”

Therefore, Jesus’s question “Why has thou forsaken me?” is actually not the question of a confused Son of Man, heartbroken because of his inability to see His Father. In fact, it is not a question at all, but a deliberate reference to Psalm 22. And that Psalm contains textual evidence to prove it.

But what about those who argue, God had to turn His back on Jesus because God cannot look on sin?

Why not? Doesn’t He look on sin every single day? And if Jesus, God the Son, can “become sin for us,” then God the Father can certainly look at it. God is One. A Holy Trinity, yes, but God is One. When Jesus suffered on the cross, God suffered. “All” of God suffered (for lack of a better term). God is a big boy. He can see your sin, and He can see Jesus on the cross carrying the shame of all the sins of history. God is infinite, and His mind is the only mind that can comprehend the gravity of all of history’s sins.

He does not have to look away, like a blushing bride, made squeamish by the sight. God has always seen evil, understood evil, and judged evil. God has no fellowship with sin, because God is holy, and His holiness requires Him to judge sin. But if He can judge evil, He can certainly look at evil. In Christ, He bore that evil so that He might also bear our judgment and impute to us His righteousness.

Jesus knew he was “born to die” as the old Tim Sheppard song puts it. The cross was his mission, not the tragic result of events that snowballed out of control. This was not a man tossed about on the waves of chance, like a Styrofoam cup circling the drain after a storm. He knew his terrible destiny. He chose it. The book of Hebrews says He chose it because of the joy that waited on the other side: the joy of saving every soul willing to come to him. Because He saw the joy set before Him, He “endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” Hebrews 12:2.

Thank God for the power of the life of Jesus. Ask Him to give you a sense of His plan for your life. Ask Him to reveal your destiny, ask Him to show you what He has planned for you. Ask Him for the courage to follow Him no matter where it may lead. Ask Him to help you love Him more than anything else. Ask Him for the power and courage to stand alone, even when your friends turn against you. Ask Him to give you some of the boldness and courage that He had when He walked on this earth.

Read Psalm 22.

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Though for years, Voddie Baucham was the only person I had heard discuss this, I have found a note in my study Bible that confirms the notion: Jesus knew what was going on and did not necessarily feel abandoned as much as He was announcing to the crowd that His crucifixion was the fulfillment of Psalm 22. “Jesus did not ask this question in surprise of despair. He was quoting the first line of Psalm 22. The whole psalm is a prophecy expressing the deep agony of the Messiah’s death for the world’s sin” The Chronological Life Application Study Bible: King James Version, Tyndale House, Carol Stream, 2004, p1432, note on Mark 15:34.

Amazing, Miraculous Grace. Luke 23:13.

Remember the parable of the Prodigal Son? Is it better to be the mostly obedient older brother, or the completely selfish younger brother?

Is it better to make good choices and need less grace, or to make bad choices, and experience a great deal of God’s grace? Or could we maybe argue that because of grace, both options are equal? Maybe the life of the obedient older brother is blessed because of a lifetime of good choices, and maybe the life of the disobedient younger brother is equally blessed because after all his bad choices, his father restored him through grace?

Some say ‘The Best Testimony is No Testimony,’ meaning walking in obedience all along and thus having no salacious sins to talk about is better than telling a scandalous story of God dramatically rescuing you from a life on the streets.

But the degree of your own sinfulness is not the issue. We all sin. A testimony is your report of God’s grace—and if you have confronted your own sin at all, then you have probably also discovered God’s amazing grace. And it really is amazing. Consider the older brother in the parable: he was selfish, proud, resentful, and unforgiving. He was a faithful son and a hard worker all his life. But he was also sinful. And if you are like him, God will bring your sin to your attention. When He does, and you repent and change your ways, you will be astounded by the depth of God’s grace.

His grace is not simply amazing. God’s grace is miraculous. There is no other word for it—when many of us look at our lives before and after, we can hardly believe God’s miraculous grace.

And I’m speaking for those whose sins appear to be “small” and sort of “normal”—(though there is nothing normal about sin. It is common. Sin is incredibly common, but let’s not consider it normal).

My point is, even the most obedient among us are often amazed at the way God’s grace restores us in spite of our sins and failures.

In contrast to the older brother, there is the younger brother who “squandered his inheritance with riotous living” Luke 5:13. In other words, he blew it. He took everything he owned in the world or ever WOULD own and wasted it. But the father loved him and restored him. And we KNOW the younger brother considers grace to be amazing.

Grace really is amazing. And you know why? Because grace so completely exceeds our own abilities, that God receives all the glory.

Does that make sense? Whether God is restoring you from being a math flunky by helping you make grades you could never have dreamed of, or whether God is restoring you from a life as a paid hitman, His grace is simply breath-taking. It will take your breath away! It will blow your mind. And you will KNOW it is all Him, because He will forgive you, cleanse you, change you, and use you in ways you could never imagined—and that causes Him to get the glory.

God’s grace is amazing because amazing grace glorifies God.

But back to that original question. Is it better to be the mostly obedient older brother or the hard-partying younger brother who finally repents? Remember—God’s grace is miraculous, so He can do amazing things with very little.

But I have to encourage you to make better choices–be the older brother. In spite of grace, the younger brother will suffer some of the consequences of hard living, while the older will suffer the consequences of “hard thoughts.”

The older brother’s path will be much easier and more peaceful. His life is closer to the wholeness of true integrity.

And there is another issue: TIME.  Consider the thief on the cross. After a lifetime of burglary and robbery, he gave his life to Jesus. Jesus said, “Today you will be with Me in paradise” Luke 23:43. He is going to heaven TODAY. That does not leave a lot of time for storing up treasure in heaven. That does not leave a lot of time for bearing fruit for the kingdom. When a person gets saved, he wants to serve the Lord. How can the thief serve? He is literally nailed down. He can’t do anything.

If you are living a good, clean life, if for you, ‘the best testimony is no testimony,’ then rejoice and thank God for His amazing grace. If you identify more with the prodigal son, you too can rejoice and thank God for His amazing grace.

And finally, if you are the prodigal who is still on the run, remember TIME. God’s grace is amazing. He can bless you, restore you, and redeem you. He can forgive you and give your life purpose. But He will not turn back the clock.

What are your goals? Will you do well in college while partying like a sailor in a foreign port? Can you be a good parent while you are running from God? Will you blow your best chance at love because you are living for yourself?

God’s grace is amazing, miraculous even. But He will not turn back the clock. The time to repent is now. “Behold now is the accepted time. Today is the day of salvation” 2 Corinthians 6:2.

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P.S.–the picture above of Korn’s Brian Head Welch is associated with his video testimony available online in an IAMSECOND video. https://www.iamsecond.com/film/brian-welch/

SEPARATION OF POWERS. Matthew 27:24.

One of America’s great achievements is the SEPARATION OF POWERS, that is, the way our government separates the executive, judicial, and legislative powers.

This separation prevents massive, nation-destroying corruption. Imagine if a president had the power to outlaw guns, the power to prosecute you for owning a gun, and the power to judge whether you are guilty? Such a system allows the executive to make any law he wants, and to jail anyone he wants. Most kingdoms were run that way. If your king was corrupt, your only hope was to stay off his radar; avoid becoming his next target.

And this was the problem Jesus faced. Pontius Pilate had a SEPARATION OF POWERS problem. The emperor appointed Pilate Governor of Judea—a post that allowed him to pass laws, enforce laws, and punish law breakers. And what did the emperor want from Pilate in exchange? Keep the peace. Control the rabble, put down riots, and keep plenty of tax money flowing back to Rome.

When Jesus stood before Pilate, Pilate KNEW HE WAS INNOCENT: Jesus said so little in His defense, Pilate was “greatly amazed” Matthew 27:14. Pilate’s wife warned him not to get involved after God warned her in a dream.

Pilate KNEW the Jewish leaders were jealous of Jesus. He tried to set Jesus free, but the crowd chose Barabbas. So Pilate said, “I find no grounds for charging this man” Luke 23:4. Then he tried to get out of it by sending Jesus to Herod. Herod sent him back. So Pilate complained again, “I have found in Him no grounds for the death penalty. I will have Him whipped and released” Luke 23:22. But the crowd screamed for blood and “a riot was starting, so he took some water, washed his hands, and said, ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood. See to it yourselves’” Matthew 27:24.

Pilate caved because his integrity as a judge was corrupted by his responsibility to keep the peace. The Separation of Powers prevents such corruption.

Say a prayer of thanks for your amazing nation.

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P.S. By contrast, consider the story of Gallio the proconsul of Achaia who, when faced with accusations against Paul, answered:

“‘If it were a matter of a crime or a moral evil, it would be reasonable for me to put up with you Jews. But if these are questions about words, names, and your own law, see to that yourselves. I don’t want to be a judge of such things.’ So he drove them from the judge’s bench.” Acts 18:14-16.

THE PONTIUS PILATE DILEMMA.

Pilate had too much power. Too much power can get you into trouble with God and Man.

America’s politicians are insulated by the Separation of Powers doctrine. Our system separates the executive from the judge and legislature. That way, those who make the rules do not also enforce the rules and judge the accused. The system prevents fraud of all sorts, but also protects those in power from the pressure to make bad decisions—such as sending history’s only truly Innocent Man to His death.

Following the arrest and sham trials of Jesus, Pilate questioned the accused. Then Pilate offered to release Jesus but the crowd screamed for Barabbas.

“When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd saying, … ‘If these are questions about words, names, and your own law, see to it yourselves. I don’t want to be a judge of such things.’ So he drove them from the judge’s bench.” Pilate commanded the guards to release Jesus, and everyone went home. Matthew 27:24; Acts 18:15-16.

Wait, what?

Sadly, this mixed-up quote is not how it happened. In Acts 15, Gallio, the proconsul of Achaia, told those who falsely accused Paul to get lost: “I don’t want to be a judge of such things.”

Pilate should have done the same years earlier and “drove them from the bench.” Of course, Pilate faced a mob larger, more vicious, and perhaps supernaturally evil, and he did not have the courage to dismiss their case. But a judge who was NOT also a governor WOULD have easily dismissed the trumped-up charges.

“With great power comes great responsibility.”–SPIDERMAN.

Pilate had too much power, thus history holds him responsible for the unjust death of Jesus Christ. No man should have unchecked power—not in government, business, or the church.

Does anyone you know have unchecked power?

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INCITE. Matthew 27:24-25.

On June 1, 2020, London’s DAILY MAIL reported pallets of bricks that “showed up” in US cities when riots were expected. No one knows who left the bricks, but police believe they were put there to make the riots worse.* There are terrorist groups, rogue nations, and others who want to see America collapse. They will use any opportunity to create havoc and INCITE VIOLENCE. If Americans are burning cities and destroying businesses, history, and the economy, then America’s enemies are happy.

I witnessed riots in high school, and the violence draws you in like a magnet—it is hard to resist the pull of anger that washes over the crowd. But what if a riot does not happen naturally, but is the work of a puppet master with a secret agenda? Do we really want to be manipulated?

The crowds of Israel were also manipulated. When Jesus stood before Pilate, the crowds—some having shouted “Hosanna” for Jesus the week before—fell under the spell of their leaders:

“The chief priests and elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to execute Jesus” Matthew 27:20. “And the chief priests STIRRED UP the crowd so that Pilate would release Barabbas instead of Jesus” Mark 15:11. “When Pilate saw that a riot was starting,” he released Barabbas and turned Jesus over to be crucified, Matthew 27:24-25.

There is nothing wrong with passionate debate. Let’s welcome vigorous discussion and healthy conversation.

We should explore both sides, but we should NOT let ourselves be pushed by those who manipulate our emotions. Pilate KNEW the priests were jealous of Jesus. But the crowd did not—so the crowd was manipulated by men with secret motives.

Have you been pushed into believing in things? Has a friend or even a movie changed your views by manipulating your emotions? Do not let people manipulate you or use your emotions against you so that you will join their cause.

For politics, morals, and values, seek answers 1)in the Word, and 2)from mature, wise Christians. When you receive good answers from those who do not love Jesus, use numbers 1) and 2) to confirm them.

Read Matthew 27.

*There are many news articles now claiming the bricks were placed in various locations in anticipation of future construction. However, is it common practice to deposit valuable (and easily stolen) construction materials on-site before the site is secured by fences and construction has officially begun?

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Sorry is Not Enough. Matthew 27:4.

Did Judas go to heaven?

“Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was full of remorse and returned the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders. ‘I have sinned by betraying innocent blood,’ he said. ‘What is that to us?’ they answered. ‘See to that yourself.’ So he threw the silver into the sanctuary and departed. Then he went out and hanged himself” Matthew 27:3-5.

Judas was sorry, but that did not result in salvation.

“But wait!” you argue, “Judas was different because he betrayed Jesus!”

No. Don’t assume Judas was in a different category because of the nature of his sin. The fact that he betrayed Jesus does not automatically disqualify him for salvation. Nor does his sin of suicide. People long believed suicide could not be forgiven because you were no longer alive to ask forgiveness–but true salvation redeems us from all sins, even those we will commit in the future.

In terms of sinfulness, Judas was just another man. (While some sins are worse than others[1], any sin renders us equally lost.)

Judas remained eligible for salvation. But we know he rejected it because of the words of Jesus. Not only did Jesus say in John 19:11 that the sin of Judas was worse than the sin of Pontius Pilate (again, not all sins are the same), but Jesus clearly stated in a prayer that Judas was lost:

“I protected them [My disciples] … Not one of them has been lost except the Son of Destruction so that the scripture would be fulfilled” John 17:12.

So what was in the heart of Judas after he realized what he had done? He felt remorse. He said he had betrayed innocent blood. He threw away a large sum of money—a good sign for a former embezzler. Then he went out and murdered himself.

(Strong words, huh? But taking a life does not stop being murder just because that life is your own–just as saying terrible things about yourself is not “okay” simply because the feelings you hurt happen to be your own–remember to factor God into things. Suicide is murdering a child of God, and excessive self-criticism is mistreating a child of God and criticizing the work God did when He made that child.)

Which of these actions of Judas could bring him salvation?

a) remorse and regret,

b) public confession,

c) attempting to partially right a wrong by returning blood money, and/or

d) punishing himself via suicide (which is murder), or

e) none of the above.

The answer is e) none of the above. Remorse over sin is good, confession helps, righting a wrong by returning money is a good idea (and suicide is always wrong). But none of these bring salvation.

Salvation is found in Christ alone. A few hours later, the thief on the cross—who had just met Jesus—got it right:

“Jesus, remember me, when you come into Your kingdom” Luke 23:42.

Unlike the thief, Judas had walked with Jesus for three years. He should have understood, but did not. I suspect his pride—often inflamed by guilt—made him choose suicide over repentance. But Judas had been there when Jesus said it:

“I am the resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me, shall never die” John 11:25-26.

“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” John 14:6.[2]

Being sorry is not enough. You must trust in Christ for salvation. You must give Him your whole life! Surrender.

Read Matthew 27.

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[1] All sins are not the same, and saying they are—a heresy called ‘sin leveling’—is wrong. See https://dadsdailydevotionals.com/2024/03/27/sin-leveling-luke-1013-14/

[2] See also https://www.livingchristian.org/bible-verses-blogs/15-bible-verses-about-jesus-being-the-only-way

**The painting above is JUDAS RETURNS THE PIECES OF SILVER, by Rembrandt (detail).

How Do You Get to the Place Called Happiness? Follow the Obedience Road. Hebrews 1:9.

When it comes to portrayals of Jesus on film, my favorite may forever by that of Bruce Marchiano in the Visual Bible’s film, “THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW.” Were I to choose one word to characterize that portrayal I would choose “joyful.” Through prayer and Bible study, Bruce became convinced joy was the key to the character of Jesus. It certainly makes sense when you consider the way children flocked to Him. The Bible indicates that joy follows a life of obedience:

“You love righteousness and hate wickedness. No wonder God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of joy more than all your companions” Psalm 45:7.

This prophetic verse is repeated in the New Testament, and again applied to Jesus:

“You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of joy beyond your companions” Hebrews 1:9.

This passage is written as a cause and effect statement: BECAUSE you love to do the right thing, God has filled you with joy.

This is true for us as well.  When we make good choices, God gives us joy. You won’t always feel joy in the moment, but I believe the Bible shows a correlation between righteousness—good choices—and joy.

But what about the converse? Does sin make people unhappy? Yes.

The Bible calls Jesus the Man of Sorrows because He bore OUR sorrows—when He bore our sins.

In the Garden of Gethsemane He said, “My soul is swallowed up in SORROW” Mark 14:34, and “My soul is swallowed up in SORROW to the point of death” Matthew 26:38. Jesus had nothing to feel sorrowful about. Dying on a cross would be scary, even terrifying. But not especially sorrowful. And this is not a question of translation. As I noted elsewhere, I reviewed over 60 English translations on this point!

Jesus felt sorrow over the sins of the world which were about to press their crushing weight onto His holy and divine heart.[1]

“My soul is EXCEEDINGLY SORROWFUL,” “I AM NEARLY CRUSHED WITH GRIEF,” “My soul is deeply grieved, EVEN TO THE POINT OF DEATH,” “My heart is so heavy with grief, I FEEL AS IF I AM DYING,” “The sorrow in my heart crushes Me.”

Jesus was sweating blood over SORROW because He knew His heart would be carrying the burden of mankind’s sins. We know sin causes death, but what does death cause if not sorrow?  Thus, sin leads to sorrow. First, sorrow over mortal deaths, but then sorrow over the death of a relationship with the God Who loves you so infinitely, so passionately. Add to that the smaller deaths of hope, deaths of opportunities, deaths of better options and a blessed future. Sin steals, kills, and destroys, and the result is such great sorrow. Centuries of overwhelming sorrow and grief.  Bearing the sins of history means feeling the GRIEF of history—the SORROW of history.

Don’t try to duck the truth on this: OBEDIENCE BRINGS JOY.  DISOBEDIENCE BRINGS SORROW. 

Or to put it another way: if you want to be happy, make better choices.

Are there exceptions? Yes. Are there other factors in play? Of course. Do people find joy in sin? Sometimes. Can you be sorrowful, while righteous? Certainly.

But the simple truth is this—people who make good choices are happier than people who make bad choices.

Read Hebrews 1.

P.S. I met Bruce Marchiano (pictured) on March 20, 2020. He graciously signed my copy of his excellent book, IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF JESUS: ONE MAN’S JOURNEY, which I read over a dozen times, using it for inspiration every time I played Jesus on stage. I love this book!

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[1] I am quoting myself for the next two paragraphs, but without quotation marks. https://dadsdailydevotionals.com/2023/11/06/man-of-sorrows-jesus-was-not-fearful-but-sorrowful-matthew-2638/

Pontius Pilate: Man Without Integrity. John 18:38.

What sort of man was Pontius Pilate?

Bible scholars believe he was assigned to Israel, not a place any Roman hoped to be, and he was motivated to keep his superiors happy by keeping the peace. He was a politician, willing to do whatever looked best at the time, and if he had doubts, he would say, “I wash my hands of this whole affair,” though the first rule of leadership is that you can’t wash away responsibility. As Harry Truman said, when you are the leader, “the buck stops here.”

Pilate sent an innocent man to his death, and he knew it.

He was without excuse. Consider the points I picked up reading a single day’s entry in the Chronological Bible:

  1. Pilate knew the Jews handed Jesus over because of envy, Matthew 27:18, Mark 15:10.
  2. Pilate told the chief priests, “I find no grounds for charging this man,” Luke 23:4.
  3. He knew Herod likewise saw no grounds for charging Jesus with a crime, Luke 23:15.
  4. Three times he complained that he could find no reason to charge Jesus with a crime, Luke 23:22.
  5. After Jesus talked to Pilate and answered all his questions, Pilate “made every effort to release Him,” John 19:17. (He made “every effort,” but he still did not actually release him.)
  6. He freed Barabbas because “he wanted to please the crowd,” Mark 15:15. (Even leaders are vulnerable to “peer pressure”—particularly when they are greatly outnumbered.)
  7. Pilate’s wife warned him not to cross Jesus, saying, “Have nothing to do with this righteous man, because last night I suffered much in a dream because of him” Matthew 27:19. (This was probably the first and only time Pilate’s wife attempted to influence him in his work—what did she care about disputes between the Jews? But the Holy Spirit used a dream to get her attention.) Yet even though it was amazing and totally unprecedented, Pilate ignored the warning from his wife. (Every husband needs to learn when to LISTEN to his wife!)
  8. “When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, ‘I am innocent of this Man’s blood; see to that yourselves’” Matthew 27:24. Pilate knew Jesus was innocent and that this was a sham trial shedding innocent blood. Indeed, it was so bad that he literally washed his hands in front of the crowd. He knew it was wrong. He did it anyway.
  9. In ALL of these things, Pilate was motivated by crowd control and his desire to look good to his superiors. He didn’t want trouble with the locals because it would be reported and he would have trouble with his boss. So he fell back on every skeptic’s favorite question: “what is truth?” It was his way of arguing what so many argue today: there is no right and wrong, really, so I can do whatever works for me. There is no absolute ‘Truth,’ only what is true for me right now….” See John 18:38.

BEWARE of that line of reasoning. People have been falling for that for centuries, but it is particularly popular right now. Yet it is still false.

There IS truth.

There IS right and wrong.

Your choices DO matter. You WILL reap what you sow.

Jesus told Pilate He had come speaking truth and Pilate said, “What is truth?”

This is a fair question for a philosopher, for a lost unbeliever confused by the world of competing religions and philosophies. It makes a certain sense coming from a Roman, considering the mythological gods they half-heartedly believed in.

But on another level, this is a ridiculous question. The existence of truth is obvious to children, is it not? Only adults complicate it so they can hide from it, usually to justify their sins.

Pilate questioned the existence of truth because it is much easier to crucify an innocent man if truth does not exist or if you convince yourself that truth is unknowable. This is lazy thinking, and I suspect Pilate had rattled off the “What is truth” question hundreds of times before—every time someone pushed him to make an honest decision, but political pressures convinced him a dishonest decision would turn out better for him.

But Integrity means obeying the truth—doing what is right—not listening to the crowd.

That’s why integrity (which means “wholeness”) requires courage. Men without integrity are men with missing pieces inside. Often the biggest missing piece is the courage to do the right thing.

(As Gus McCrae says of Jake Spoon in LONESOME DOVE: “I think Jake’s always been too leaky a vessel for anybody to put much hope in.” Jake Spoon and Pontius Pilate have a lot in common–they are leaky vessels.)

Never let yourself question the truth. Read the Word—the truth—and trust it. Give the Bible the benefit of the doubt. Believe it and trust what it says. You are not Pilate. You are not here to doubt God’s word.

Never assume things in the Bible were written “only for back then” and don’t apply today.

Never. Are you God? Are you an apostle or a prophet or a pastor or missionary? Be honest—who are you to put your own logic above the Bible?

How can you elevate your opinion, probably based only on personal preference, above the sacred Word of God?

Humble yourself before the truth of God’s Word. Ask Him to show you how to read it and understand it. Tell God that you want to submit yourself to the authority of His Word, that you know that He is God and you are not. Ask Him to give you the courage to stand for truth, even when that means standing alone. Ask Him to fill you with the integrity that will make you whole.

Read Luke 23.

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Your I.Q. is NOT Your Most Important Trait. John 14:26.

We are obsessed with measuring, quantifying, and labeling.

The minute a child is born—literally the first minute—we give him a TEST!

The APGAR test allows nurses to evaluate a newborn’s health by examining his Appearance, Pulse, Grimace (reflexes), Activity, and Respiration. The APGAR test is given one minute after birth, and again five minutes after birth. What happens next? We measure the baby: how long is he and how heavy is he? Then we hand him to Mom and Dad and they count the fingers and toes.

From the moment a child is born, everyone measures everything. We measure reading ability, geography knowledge, whether he “plays well with others,” fluency with languages or mathematics, talents, personality, and more. We are obsessed with measuring. But some measures are meaningless. The APGAR test saves lives. But me? I like to look up how tall people are on television. Could anything be less important?

Unlike height, most are convinced intelligence is important—some would say intelligence is the most important thing about a person.

As soon as Intelligence Quotient or “I.Q.” tests were invented, they became “all the rage,” and we evaluate children by the numbers: an I.Q. below 70 traditionally indicates mental retardation (now re-categorized as “well below average”); an I.Q. of  100 is supposedly average; and an I.Q. of 140 traditionally denotes a genius.

The truth is, you don’t need to know your I.Q. number. Your intelligence fluctuates anyway. But there are two things you must know about intelligence.

First, you can improve your intelligence by using it.

Just as you can strengthen muscles with exercise, you can strengthen your mind by challenging it. Read harder books (okay, read ANY books). Watch deep films. Work puzzles. Talk to more smart people—and try to follow along. Never let boredom or frustration discourage you.  KEEP TRYING! Your I.Q. will go up with use and effort.

Second, intelligence is NOT as important as integrity and a good heart.

Evil people make mistakes because they do not realize their sin is clouding their judgment. Satan himself made a huge blunder: he crucified Christ, not realizing God would use the cross to redeem millions of lost souls. Satan is smarter than any man, but his hatred caused him to misread the situation, to misread scripture, and to misread the heart of a loving God.

The point is, even the most brilliant will make mistakes because of sin. Geniuses will misread situations, circumstances, human nature, and more when they are blinded by sins such as pride and a lack of integrity.

Remember: you can improve your I.Q. by exercising it. (Read books!) But remember that integrity and a heart for God are more important than intelligence. 

If you work hard and steward your mind, Jesus promises to help: “The Father will send the Holy Spirit and He will teach you ALL THINGS and remind you of everything I have told you” John 14:26.

Read John 14.

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Do You Have a Strategy for Dealing With Hard Times? James 1:2-3.

I hate to suffer. Don’t you? It’s the worst. But the Bible says “Consider it all JOY my brethren, when you encounter various trials, because the testing of your faith produces endurance” James 1:2-3.

Have you ever considered suffering to be joy?

When you lose or fail, do you think of it as a positive thing? James says you should. Usually we get so caught up in feeling hurt or angry that we do not stop and think it through. So stop.

Stop and remind yourself that God will use this challenge to teach you endurance. He will increase your faith. Every negative has positives attached. And transforming your attitude from despair and hurt to thankfulness and faith and trust is a HUGE win. It not only makes you feel better, but getting over the negative emotions and choosing positive emotions will actually make you more successful. We see this in sports every day: when losers choose a winning attitude, they become winners.

Here are more strategies for dealing with hurt:

1. Consider your problem (also translated as “think of it” or “reckon it”) to be joy, not sorrow. Write this one down in the win column. Or in accounting terms, call the problem a credit, not a debit. Think positive and be grateful.

2. Review and quote verses about struggles: Romans 8:28 says “we KNOW God causes all things to work together for good…” Remember that—and choose to believe it.

(By the way, you have to CHOOSE faith. You may not FEEL convinced, but you CHOOSE to trust God. So choose to believe that God will bring good from the struggle, and talk to God about it. Believe it, trust Him, thank Him, and you will begin to feel so much better.)

3. “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing and in EVERYTHING give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

4. Remember that you WIN. You are on the winning team. “In all these things we OVERWHELMINGLY CONQUER, through Him who loves us” Romans 8:37. You win. We win. Don’t get discouraged—God has a plan, God will provide, and we will win!

Hard times, trials, problems, adversity—there are many names for it. But it is one of the constants of life. Jesus even promised us hard times (did you know that?). He says “in this world, you WILL have trouble, but take courage for I have overcome the world” John 16:33. We will have trouble, sometimes every day, sometimes incredibly difficult. But “in all these things we OVERWHELMINGLY conquer,” through Him. And remember—no matter how bad things get, Jesus promises, “I am with you always,” (Matthew 28:20) and “I will not leave you as orphans, but I will come to you,” John 14:18.

So what do you do? You prepare for trouble. If we know problems are coming, we need to plan and prepare. Begin by learning these verses. Memorize them. I’m serious. If you want to handle the struggles and disasters life has for you, you must memorize the Word of God. When I began growing in my faith, the first thing I did was memorize verses about adversity. And what a huge help those verses have been!

Write down the verses above and start learning them. Then you will find yourself quickly becoming so much stronger in your faith.

Pray. Dear Jesus, thank you for being honest with us and promising us that trouble will come. Help me learn the Word so it can encourage me when I am down. Help me care enough to jot a few verses down and practice them in the car or something. Help me always to trust you, no matter how difficult the storms may be. Thank you that you are always with me, taking care of me. Help me to love you and to love your Word!

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