https://briannalambert.substack.com/p/i-know-gods-a-writer

It happens every day. A husband refuses to forgive his wife, because she just can’t see all the sins he ascribes to her. A wife won’t reconcile with her husband until he fully endorses her view of reality. A marriage teeters on the brink of ruin because one spouse has marked the other’s motives as irredeemable.”

Whenever a high-profile case of disqualifying sin comes to light, it is easy to wonder how such a catastrophic fall was even possible. The incredulity is especially pronounced in cases of sexual sin. We think to ourselves, or say to our friends, ‘What was he thinking? How could he have been so foolish? Didn’t he know that he would get caught? Why would you sacrifice so much for so little?’

https://clearlyreformed.org/sin-makes-you-stupid

Today, a journey into our imaginations. Let’s apply some of the devil’s strategies to today’s leaders. Your aim as a faithful demon? To destroy the spiritual health of a local church. How would you go about this?

https://www.livingleadership.org/post/subtle-strategies

Asking thoughtful questions might be one of the most simple yet powerful ways to cultivate deeper fellowship with other brothers and sisters in Christ.

Is your church patient with the development and growth of those more difficult or trying?

https://www.reformation21.org/blog/discipleship-in-the-reformed-world

https://kuzaapp.com/why-not-tomorrow

In most African worldviews, God isn’t bothered with human affairs. So we have ancestors and spirits. But the true God loves us. And he’s near.

Brothers, awake to the wild glory of marriage. Awake to the glory of a wife. Stop just thinking about it, and go to it right merrily.

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/go-get-her

Cuneiform inscriptions record the boastful words of the famous Babylonian king, which appear to be strikingly similar to things recorded by Daniel.

https://www.humbleskeptic.com/p/archaelogical-discoveries-related

How well do you know your pastor? I don’t mean where he went to seminary and what his weekly schedule looks like. How well do you KNOW your pastor. I’m afraid that many times, we don’t actually look after the soul of the man leading our church; we ask too few questions and make too many assumptions.

https://www.paultripp.com/articles/posts/do-you-know-your-pastor

Christians who help other christians become better followers of Jesus tend to find that they grow more than those who don’t.

https://johnmusyimi.com/blog/f/disciple-that-you-may-grow

Whenever our chief goal goes from glorifying God and enjoying him forever, to glorifying ourselves, bad things always result.

Have you ever considered, truly considered, this glorious reality? You, dear reader, and I, and all who are in Christ, will enjoy life abundant without end throughout all of eternity. A trillion ages shall pass and we will yet still be rubbing shoulders with one another as though the day has only just begun to dawn. Such a thought is enough to make any man tremble for a moment; we cannot possibly grasp the sheer enormity of it.

https://www.joshuabudimlic.com/post/rubbing-shoulders-throughout-eternity

To the rest of the world, I may live in the Middle of Nowhere. But in God’s estimation, I live right smack in the Middle of Somewhere. And that is a beautiful place to be.

We must embrace both God’s love AND His sovereignty—not one instead of the other. If you only embrace His love, you will be confused and hurt when life gets hard. If you only embrace His sovereignty, you will resign yourself to thinking your life is driven by a cruel, impersonal, and distant God, and you’ll forget His plan to work in your best interests.

https://www.epm.org/resources/2025/Jan/24/good-do-what-want

Don’t give up on the hard relationship. Persevere in the work and in the hard. You never know what God might do!

We have three daughters and one son now. As so many parents can tell you, much of my advice for my children about relating to the opposite sex begins with ‘Don’t do what I did.’ But in advising my daughters and other single gals on how to relate to single men, four major principles come to mind.

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/love-your-brothers-in-christ

You don’t have to be around churches very long – particularly if there are any children around – before somebody insists it is a bit boring. Can it be boring? I think we’re liars if we don’t admit, at least some of the time, it is. Some of our churches may tend more regularly in that direction than others. The question is not whether it is boring, but why are we going?

You’re not an island. Your phone habits are never just about you. Our digital choices reflect our priorities. Our online actions have downstream effects.

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevin-wax/phone-habits-not-just-you

The digital mirror offers us the ultimate fulfillment of Narcissus’s delusion: to discover an image of ourselves that we can fall for.

https://bradlittlejohn.substack.com/p/narcissus-in-public

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/is-it-good-that-you-exist

So don’t mask or bury your fear and anxiety. Don’t reserve them exclusively for the counselor’s office. While professional help can be valuable, it’s not a substitute for the collective strength and encouragement we find in the community of believers. Expect God to work amid your struggles with fear and anxiety. Expect God to work through his people as you share your struggles in community.

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/take-anxiety-church/

However, these are the times when I must rely on what I know and not what I feel. The words of the Bible that I have spent years of my life reading and absorbing and memorizing mean nothing if they do not affect how I live my life. If the truth of the gospel isn’t true in the hardest of circumstances, for the worst of worst case-scenarios, it isn’t true at all. So even though I feel like God is far away, he cannot be, for he is always with me. Even though I feel like he is not good, he must be, for he is goodness itself. Even though I feel like he doesn’t love me, he must, for he sent his only Son to die for me. He clothes the lilies of the field; he will surely care for me. He is not withholding good from me. He doesn’t hate me; he delights in me. When I feel isolated and alone, thinking that no one can understand how I feel, I remember that he numbered the very hairs on my head and knows and loves me more than I can fully understand.

https://erinmount.substack.com/p/how-jesus-helps-my-unbelief

“I’m glad you found something that works for you.” No, I found something far better. I found Someone that finally makes sense of me, that overwhelms and terrifies me and comforts and loves me with a love that is larger than the unaccountable galaxies spinning beyond imagining and sharper than the iron nails on a wooden cross and stronger than the grave. I found the Way, the Truth, and the Life. I found Reality himself. And nothing can ever be the same.

https://sethlewis.ie/2025/01/22/god-doesnt-work-for-me/

No, our good is the nearness of God. He is near to us when we are broken in our sin. He is near to us in our loneliness. He is near to us in our sickness. And He is near to us when we weep over lost loved ones.

https://tillwearehome.com/2025/01/20/the-promises-of-god-in-his-word/

Are your natural desires are interfering with your ability to be content? Try focusing on the blessings outlined in scripture that relate to actions and attitudes rather than material possessions or family status.

https://www.loisflowers.com/when-everyone-else-is-getting-the-blessings-you-want/

What would be rarer than the actual act of rest is to think of it in biblical terms. To posit that scripture is concerned with our physical rest may seem like a reach for some.  This can partially be because of a faulty view that God is concerned only with the spiritual and not the physical. Additionally, it can be that in looking forward to eternity and glorified bodies some Christians see no importance to pay attention to their physical body.

But is this the case? Is the issue rest of any importance in scripture? Does God care if we rest? Is there any spiritual relevance to rest?  Briefly, in this article, it is my contention that the answer to each of these is in the affirmative. Let’s look at some of the reasons why.

• A Scriptural Pattern of Rest

And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. (Genesis 2:2)

We see God resting on the seventh day of creation. After creating all things and seeing that they were good God rests. Now, it is important to clarify something here. God doesn’t rest because he is tired or needs to rejuvenate his strength. He is God almighty. Isaiah 40:28 makes clear that God is incapable of growing faint or weary.  What then does it mean that he rested? The Hebrew word ‘shabat’ used here mainly communicates cessation of work. This coupled with the context communicates God’s rest as a cessation of work rather than a reinvigoration of strength.

It is on this basis that later the Sabbath day is given as a day of rest (Exodus 20:8-11). Though we do not observe the Jewish Sabbath as it has found its fulfillment in Christ, there is a pattern of rest set here for us that is worth retaining, a day of rest. We see a rhythm of working six days and resting on the seventh. Though not for purposes of keeping a sabbath law rest at least one out of the seven days a week is good and biblical pattern of rest.

• An Acknowledgement of Our Finiteness

Rest is an acknowledgment of our finiteness. Finiteness means naturally as human beings we have limitations. There is only so much we can do at any given point. Our physical, mental, and emotional capacities are not unlimited. We are creatures and as creatures we are finite.

You see, the only one who is infinite is our creator God. There is a creator-creature distinction here. While we as creatures have limitations, he has no limitations. While we get tired, he does not (Isaiah 40:28). While we need to replenish our strength, God has no such need. That while we need sleep God doesn’t sleep (Psalms 121:4). While we can only obtain and retain a limited amount of knowledge God knows all things (1 John 3:20) and his understanding is beyond measure (Psalms 147:5). He is the only infinite one.

Now, our sinfulness does not respond well to finiteness. We often try, even in subconscious ways, go against this creator-creature distinction. We, finite human beings, often want to be like the infinite God, a sin as old as the garden of Eden. We often live our lives as if we are not finite, yet we are.  Not resting is one of the ways we do this.

Resting acknowledges that we are limited in our capacities. That there is only so much we can do at any given point in time. That we need to replenish our strength. That we need to have an adequate cessation of work. That we are not infinite, only God is. By doing this we acknowledge what we are as creatures, finite.

Beloved, you are not God. You are not infinite. You need rest. Denying yourself that is denying a biblical reality. While the world often tries to pursue a form of infiniteness, pushing their capacities as much as possible, the believer should, while still being diligent, live in acknowledgement of their finiteness and thus make room for adequate and consistent rest.

• Good Stewardship of Our Body.

A steward is one who is given something which he is to take care of. For example, if I leave you my farm to manage on my behalf you will be a steward. The expectation is that you will take good care of it for me. It is something that I would require an account of from you.

The same principle can be applied to our bodies. As with everything else, the body is something God has given us and therefore not our own. A proper view of our bodies sees them as something God expects us to steward. Thus, we are expected, as much as we can, to take good care of our bodies. One of the ways we can do this is by giving our bodies adequate and consistent rest.

Our bodies get weary and tired. Good stewardship would require that we make sure that the weary body gets some rest to replenish strength. Additionally, denying our body rest especially for a long period of time opens us up to a variety of complications. Knowingly and actively doing this is not being good stewards of this earthly vessel God has given us.

Let us thus be good stewards of the bodies God has given us by giving ourselves the opportunity to rest.

• The Idolatry of Work and Productivity

We live in a world that has made an idol of work and productivity. Work is not sinful; it is God-ordained. Productivity is not a bad thing either. Nevertheless, as is typical of human beings, we make idols of the good things that God gives us. This has been the case with work.

Work has been put on a pedestal taking the place of God for some. It is a god that constantly demands our time and effort. It is for many such an important thing that things that should be more important, such as family, are often neglected. Even for believers, church attendance, the reading of God’s word and prayer are often neglected for the purposes of work. It is a good gift that has become so preeminent that it leaves no room for the enjoyment of other good gifts that God has given us.

In such an atmosphere then it is an expected result that rest will be neglected too. Theologian David T Williams counsels us never to be so bound to any activity that we cannot rest from it regularly. He further states that if anything consumes us to the point that we cannot set it down, it is an idol. Our attitude towards rest is not just of physical benefit but also of spiritual profit as it can be a revealer of our heart’s idols.

Dear Saint, check your heart. Have you bought into the idolatry of work and productivity that the world is selling? Have you done it so much so that you no longer enjoy God’s good gift of rest? Have you so idolized work and productivity that even when your body is crushing under the weight of tasks because you are finite you still deny yourself rest? Your denying of yourself rest could point to this form of idolatry in your heart. Examine yourself and if so, repent.

• Rest As An Act of Trust.

Rest also is an act of trust. A resistance to rest can be built on an anxiety to let things go. One can fear that when they rest things will fall apart. We can have this feeling that we have to constantly be on top of things otherwise if we leave them be to rest, they will crumble,

Resting is an act of trust in the sovereign Lord who holds all things. It is in a way saying that you trust that God will take care of stuff while you rest. That He will take care of you while you rest. It is an acknowledgment that it is not your busyness or activity that keeps you, but it is God who does. In resting we trust that the God who loves us and knows our needs even before we ask for them will take care of us while we rest. We need not be anxious. We can rest. Dear Saint, you can rest.

• Rest As It Points Us to God.

By releasing us from all other business, [rest leads us] to more readily apply our minds to the creator of the world. In short, it is a sacred calling that snatches people from the world’s distraction in order to dedicate them entirely to God.

John Calvin

In the milieu of activities, it is possible to forget what’s most important, God. We can get so lost is activity that we do not pause to think of our wonderful God, to meditate on Him and to relish his goodness and grace. We can get so lost in activities that we neglect the means of grace that make him more known to us; prayer, reading of God’s word and the fellowship of believers.

Through rest our physical, mental, and emotional strengths are replenished and we can be more capable to focus on or Lord. Through rest we can look away from the gains of our labor and with more profundity focus on the pearl of great price.  Rest helps us shift our focus from created things to the creator. Rest helps us pause and consider God. O dear Saint, rest. Rest and let it be a means through which you find rest in Him.

Exceptions and Cautions

I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge given how dynamic life is sometimes consistent and adequate rest is difficult to maintain or not possible to have. It could be that you are raising a young baby and sleep is not something you can get within a preferred and/or consistent level. There could be a season where there are several tasks to perform that necessitate prolonged hours. These and other situations like them do exist and it is important to acknowledge them when considering this topic.

Nevertheless, even in such circumstances it is important to find ways to mitigate. Our finiteness does not cease to exist in these moments and the stewardship of our bodies is still required of us. Do not relinquish a proper attitude towards rest because circumstances have changed but seek ways to rest even amid your present circumstances. Even in strenuous circumstances let us strive to get pockets of time to rest as much as we can with the acknowledgement that rest is something we need and seek to make room for it.

It is also important to put in a caution here. In the name of rest, one can sink into slothfulness. One can become the sluggard who turns on the bed like a door on its hinges (Prov 26:14) and doesn’t want to go out because there is a ‘lion in the streets’ (Prov 22:13). Do not let laziness sneak its way into your life under the guise of resting. Scripture has some choice words for the lazy (Prov 12:24; Prov 24:30-34; 2 Thessalonians 3:10). Don’t let that be you.

Rest does not equate to laziness. In fact, the very essence of rest is that you are ceasing from work to replenish strength. It is folly to conflate the two, but such is the sinful folly of our hearts that we must be cautious of. Rest, yes, but do not become a lazy bone.[1]

Rest In Its Pointing to Eternity.

Our need for rest points to eternal rest in different ways. I’ll pick one. Rest is a reminder of our finiteness in these earthly bodies. It points us to the fallenness of our bodies. To the curse that was given in Genesis 3 of sweat and toil to get produce (Genesis 3:19).  We are therefore daily remined to even more look forward to the eternal rest that await us believers.  Where free from this fallen world of toil and strife we shall be. Where we shall be with glorified bodies that shall not know the strain and exhaustion we feel here. Where not only our bodies but our souls shall find rest for, we shall be in the presence of our savior. Oh, what a wonderful day that will be!

But to you who yet does not believe in Christ you do not have this day waiting for you. Instead, what will be eternal rest for the believer will be eternal torment for you. You have sinned against a holy God who must punish sin. The only way is through Jesus Christ (John 14:6). He takes the punishment for your sins that in him you may be counted righteous before God (2 Cor 5:21). This is only if you believe in him (John 3:18; Acts 16:31). Believe, O Sinner, believe in Him and you will be saved. Oh, you who are weary and troubled, weighed down by sin, look to the savior who says ‘Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest’ (Matt 11:28). Turn to Him and find eternal rest!

Footnote:

[1] This is a subject I shall explore more extensively in a follow-up article.

The whole Bible is inspired by God and has a purpose for our lives, as the Apostle Paul tells Timothy.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV

 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

The word of God is designed to train us for righteousness and equip us for every good work. Ponder on that a bit. The Lord loves His children so much that He has provided His word to grow believers as they walk in obedience and equip them to serve each other in the body of Christ. Our Lord prayed for believers that the word would be used to sanctify them.

John 17:17 ESV

Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

Ponder again, dear Christian, the provision of God to produce glorious Christ-likeness in you as you feed on this spiritual food and, through His Spirit, help you obey and achieve that end. Does that encourage you to have an appetite not just to cherry-pick but to savor the whole counsel of God? I submit to you again to consider that knowing God in His true character can only happen as you savor His word and that helps you not just know about God but grow to know Him personally and trust Him (Psalm 9:10). You see, there is such a joy to be known by God; would you be encouraged to know the one who has fully known and loved you in Christ?

I also acknowledge it can be daunting when you think of all the books to read. Some books are not easy to read. However, you might use that coupled with other reasons to be slothful in diving through all of God’s word. I am here to tell you it is not impossible; it is doable. The best thing to resolve is to start today. Do you have a plan and a set time for Bible reading? Get one. Do you feel overwhelmed to do it all alone? Seek a friend or friends to read the Bible with you. Do you get stuck trying to understand one book and give up altogether? I encourage you to start by reading through surveying the whole Bible, then move on to study at least with a foundation of what it is about. Be creative with different plans so it doesn’t feel monotonous, and combine that with secondary resources like podcasts, articles, sermons, and the like.

Walk through it all, don’t cherry-pick, sit down with Moses and marvel as God creates the world, grieve as sin enters the world, follow through as God chooses one family, Israel, through Abraham to bring along the salvation to His people, see yourself in the lives of the Israelites and admit that the heart is the problem, watch their demand for a king, a divided kingdom, watch them go to exile after being warned through God’s prophets, see then come back and rebuild the temple and admit with God in Ezekiel that Israel needs a new heart that God needs to give through Christ, Ezekiel 36:26–27. Yes, Obadiah is also a book of the Bible—the shortest book in the Old Testament. Watch him pronounce judgement against the Edomites. Let your heart anticipate with the Old Testament of the Messiah. Sigh at the 400 years of silence, then behold ooh, behold with joy when Jesus Christ takes the scene in the Gospels, see Him in his life, death, and resurrection to save us sinners (Mark 2:17–19). See the Lord start the church with the apostles, especially Peter, who was restored after defiantly denying Jesus; be astounded as you are introduced to the persecutor of the church, who is changed by the gospel; and this Paul writes most of the New Testament, contend with Jude for the faith, see Hebrews shout that Christ is preeminent, see how to love believers in 1 John as the Apostle John ushers you in into the Revelation of Jesus Christ; and marvel that in the end, the King of Kings reigns over all and every knee bows to Him. Finally look up to the Lord and say with the Apostle John, “Come, Lord Jesus,“ and take your people Home, Revelation 2:20.

I hope I have encouraged you to savor the whole Bible and be dissatisfied with cherry picking.

“For behold, I am creating a new heavens and a new earth;
And the former things will not be remembered or come upon the heart.

Isaiah 65:17

When I was in college, I had a biology professor for two semesters in a row. This man, Dr. Nolan, was not a Christian. He seemed to very much believe in science and what he could see and make sense of in his mind. Well, Dr. Nolan, at the beginning of my first semester with him, asked our 300-student class this question: Is nature teleological? Honestly, I had no idea what he meant by this at first. To my memory, he gave us a chance to respond a week or two later to present what we believed to be true. His question about nature, I discovered, was not simply a question of science, but one of theology and philosophy. What he was really asking was “Is nature heading toward something? What is its purpose?” Braver people than me attempted to stand up before Dr. Nolan and the hundreds of other students and present why they believed all of nature is heading toward something—some of them were Christians, attempting to defend the stance that all things are created by a personal God and exist to worship Him. Dr. Nolan would debate with them, shut them down, and invite the next person up to try again. In order to find out his full beliefs regarding his question, we had to sign up for his second biology class, which I did. In the final weeks of the class, he revealed what we already predicted—that he saw nature and the universe as completely random and heading toward no particular end. I remember thinking: what a sad, hopeless conclusion. To him, and many others like him, the world is simply one chaotic thing colliding with other chaotic things until… who knows?

What, then, for the Christian? What do we know to be true? Isaiah 65:17 says, “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.” Is nature (or all of creation) heading to bleak, hopeless nothingness? No, God has told us in Isaiah what the end of all things will be. He will create new heavens and a new earth.

Dr. Nolan, in all his atheistic thinking, was on to one thing: He could tell that the world wasn’t working right. He could tell something was off. Can you feel it too? What he believed to be a result of animals, plants, people, atoms, electrons, and cells competing for a higher place in the animal kingdom is actually a result of the fall that took place at the beginning of creation when Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit. Their mistake plunged the world into disorder, causing sin to enter into what had been a perfect world. God and man had previously walked together in a perfect relationship. They had been in the Garden of Eden, where they lived with God and interacted with Him. But their desire to be like God, knowing good and evil (Gen. 3:5), seemed good to them. Since then, the world has never been the same. We can still feel the effects of the fall, can’t we? Disease affects us, famine makes growing food challenging, floods and earthquakes cause devastation, and wars break out among fellow men, both made in God’s likeness. However, God gives us hope in Genesis 3:15, saying, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

Everything hinges on Christ

This is the hope in Christ that God gives us from the very beginning of the Bible. And all throughout the Old Testament, we see that all of human history is leading to Christ. As leaders come and go such as judges, kings, and prophets, we learn that all of them are insufficient to deal with our brokenness and sin. This fallen world needs a savior. Benefiting from living on this side of the cross, we know that all of history hinges on Jesus’ work on the cross. “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Gal. 4:4-5). Isaiah prophesied about our future with Christ in our passage. Without Christ, how can there be new heavens and a new earth? If there isn’t going to be new heavens and a new earth, then what is all of creation heading toward? Continued death, pain, suffering—forever? Without a sufficient Savior, what gives us hope for resurrection one day? Jesus’ death on the cross and subsequent resurrection gives us hope that, if we are in Christ, we will one day be with Him once again face to face. He bore our sins and God’s wrath that we rightly deserved. Because of Jesus, we no longer need to fear the coming judgment. We are justified by Christ, not because of our own merits, but because of His finished work on the cross.

So, the world that God created at the beginning of time—where God and man dwelt together, where there was no pain or sin or death—is going to happen once again. Isaiah writes this at a time when the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah are surrounded by other nations seeking to invade and cause them harm. They are experiencing the painful result of the fall at this time, just as we still are. God gives them hope that one day, God Himself will make everything right again. An all-powerful, all-loving, and good Savior will defeat the serpent that tempted Adam and Eve at the beginning of time.

Not only will there be new heavens and a new earth, but all of the pain and suffering from our past will not be remembered or come to mind. Can you imagine? Not only will our current suffering be no more, but we won’t even remember the pain. Every tear that was shed, every ache of our aging or imperfect bodies, every death of a child or loved one—all of it will not be remembered. Replacing those painful memories will be the goodness and radiance of our gracious God, who gave everything to bring us to Himself.

What to do till then?

As we await the day when all things are made new, here are a few exhortations or questions to consider from this passage:

Take heart that our suffering as strangers in a foreign land will come to an end.

There is an expiration date on our pain. Even as we continue to experience the brokenness of our fallen world, we persevere knowing that our reunion with God will make the difficult journey worth it. All of us have already experienced deep pain. But one day there shall be no more deaths. No more shall there be the struggle to provide for our families. No more shall there be pains in childbirth or children who die young. No more shall there be wars that lead to the death of thousands of people. No more shall we experience loneliness or heartache. No more shall we deal with our bodies getting sick or aging or getting in car accidents. No more—for God will make everything new and we will no longer remember these things.

Where is your hope found?

Is it in this world or in eternity with Christ? Think about how easily we tend to search for hope in this world. We work hard and pray for things that the world offers us: money, success, notoriety, health. It’s difficult to combat the impulse to seek after such things because we think that in them we find salvation. Our world throws everything it can at us to try to convince us that these things are worth pursuing. But all of those things leave us wanting more. Are we ever satisfied with how much money we can make, the exposure we have to the masses through social media, or how healthy our bodies are? No, never. Even as Christians, we can fall into these traps, believing that comfort and success are worthwhile pursuits as ends in themselves. But when difficult times come, where is our hope? In our money and health?

May we remember that our only hope is in eternity with Christ. We are not promised a comfortable life. On the contrary, we are told that in the world we will have tribulation. But, Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33). When hard times come, may we hold fast to our hope in Christ. By His grace, we will one day live in a world that has no more tribulation.

How should we spend our days?

Because of the great hope that we have in Christ, we should spend our days telling others about the hope they may have as well. Surely others can see that our world is in shambles. It doesn’t take much scrutiny to realize that things just aren’t right. We can share with others the creation of the world, the fall of man, the work of Jesus, and our future hope in Him. Even though faith in Jesus does not mean that pain and suffering end in this life, it is great hope that it one day will end. This may mean investing in other people’s lives for the long haul and sharing with them over a period of time. It also means that we should share with others as we go about our daily lives. Countless people are living their lives with no hope. Let’s tell them about our Savior who does give hope.

We also should spend our days encouraging one another. Hebrews 10:23-25 says, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.  And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,  not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” If one of us is going through a difficult time, may we take the opportunity to encourage them. Remind them of the gospel and that God will make the former things forgotten.

As people who live in the nation of Kenya, may we not seek our ultimate hope in the government and its many departments. No nation is without a great deal of brokenness and Kenya is no exception to that. That does not mean, however, that we should not seek the good of others. Even as we recognize that God will make new heavens and a new earth one day, it is still worthwhile to work to be faithful citizens and help make our country efficient, beautiful, and just. God intended His world to work in those ways, and striving to see our world as it should be, helps others understand a little bit more about our God.

Conclusion:

Although our world is broken and full of suffering, do not think as my old biology professor does. The universe is not simply a result of random chance but has been created by a loving God. Even from Genesis 3, we see the hope of Christ, and one day soon He will come again and all of the pain from this world will be forgotten as we dwell with God for eternity.

About a month before Keller’s demise, I remember having a conversation with Paul Carden, my ministry colleague and director of the Centers for Apologetics Research about the role and impact of Timothy Keller on our understanding of cultural apologetics. Paul had a copy of Collin Hansen’s Timothy Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation.’ In our conversation, Paul recalled how Keller had been impactful in understanding the postmodern worldview and the way to communicate the compelling gospel of Christ in a compassionate yet courageous way. This conversation reminded me of numerous sermons, articles, and books I had read that had influenced greatly my trajectory toward apologetics.

On the morning of 20^th May, I was privileged to have breakfast with Bruce Little, the Emeritus professor of philosophy from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. The breakfast meeting was spent recollecting the life and work of Timothy Keller. A student and scholar of the works of Francis Shaffer, Professor Little recounted how Keller’s work in cultural apologetics was inspired by C.S. Lewis and Francis Shaffer. His attempt at listening to contemporary realities and seeking to biblically respond formed the thesis for the conversation. Keller’s book Reason for God was a voice and model for apologetics in the postmodern world. These conversations continued throughout the week at the European Leadership Forum as I met various other Christian leaders among them Andy Bannister, Lindsay Brown, Paul Coulter, Andrew Fellows, and many others who recounted Keller’s influence on their ministries.

There are a number of biblical verses that come to mind when I think about Keller’s life. These would form the convictions that were embedded in my ministry philosophy thanks to interacting with Keller’s work.

a. “And do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not…”

Jeremiah 45:5

Paul David Tripp refers to Timothy Keller as both his peer and his hero. He recounts having met Keller a few times and the level of humility that was exemplified by Keller in normal conversations as well as in his sermons. The words of Jeremiah are a reminder that amidst the glamour and clamor of the ‘celebrity pastor’ mentality, many Christian leaders face the allure of self-exaltation.

These words from Jeremiah 45:5 were spoken as the last words from Keller to his secretary Baruch. These were not just words of counsel from a successful pastor, but these words reflected the character of Keller.

As a young Christian leader, having gotten my seminary education at a fairly young age, the allure of intellectual pride is a dangerous snare. I have been tempted countless times to consider myself higher than others. The postmodern world continues to encourage us to manufacture idols from within ourselves and to require the world to worship us. Whether it is from the posters with our faces and names on them, whether it is the books we write, whether it is the social media presence that we have acquired, all this is a danger we must continue to not only be aware of but confidently and constructively confront.

b. “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”

Ephesians 5:15-16

It was until the age of 58 that Timothy Keller started writing books. He served faithfully as a Pastor at Redeemer for 35 years. There are many accomplishments we can talk about regarding Keller’s life. One thing is clear, his life was spent for the Kingdom. One of the greatest resources we have benefitted much from is The Gospel Coalition (TGC). The resources here enabled many to access reformed theology and to be equipped with basic theological tools to serve their communities.

Keller’s life is a reminder that the life we live is a gift from God to be stewarded. Even though Pancreatic cancer, Keller continued to produce videos on Biblical Theology on his channel as well as do meetings and correspondences with people across the world encouraging them in the Lord. As a young Christian, I must always be reminded of the words of C.T. Studd, “Only one life twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.”

A Certain Hope for the Resurrection

To say that Keller was a perfect man will be a lie, he surely had his fair share of weaknesses. He also had his fair share of suffering to endure. The prospect of a coming death and the reality of it at his demise was the ultimate height of his suffering. However, the life and teaching of Keller was filled with the hope for the resurrection of Christ Jesus.

Keller in His book On Death, published in 2020 said this about death, “If we live to old age, we can feel our bodies (and our beauty) fading, yet if we are growing in God’s grace, our souls, as it were, are becoming stronger and more beautiful. At death this reversal becomes complete. Our bodies disintegrate and we become blindingly glorious. Comfort yourself with these words.”. Death is not an enemy we must fear. Timothy Keller faced death head-on and conquered it into eternal life because he had Christ, his resurrection as his savior. Today, he joins many others who have gone before us saying, ‘Christ is mine forevermore’.

Cults have been an issue not just in Kenya but all over the world for millennia now. To make sense of the issue Danson and Tim sat down for a conversation on them which will be released in three parts with this being the final part. In this, they endeavor to show how cults divide their followers’ loyalty so that they can put their loyalties not on God but on the leaders. Also, it concludes with a wonderful gospel presentation. Hope it edifies you.

For more on this and other topics visit https://www.infalliblejoy.com.

While you are at it visit https://www.acfar.com for more on Counter-Cult Evangelism.

Also for more of Danson search The Christian Life Podcast wherever you find your podcasts.

As for Tim here’s a link to his YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@UCrd_0HXmygYxLf0t5FKltMA

Cults have been an issue not just in Kenya but all over the world for millennia now. To make sense of the issue Danson and Tim sat down for a conversation on them which will be released in three parts with this being Part 2. In this, they endeavor to show how cults subtract from scripture as well as why salvation can’t be works based but only by grace. Hope it edifies you.

For more on this and other topics visit https://www.infalliblejoy.com.

Also for more of Danson search The Christian Life Podcast wherever you find your podcasts.

As for Tim here’s a link to his YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@UCrd_0HXmygYxLf0t5FKltMA

Cults have been an issue not just in Kenya but all over the world for millennia now. To make sense of the issue Danson and Tim sat down for a conversation on them which will be released in three parts with this being Part 1. In this, they introduce what cults are exactly and what fruits one is supposed to look for in true Biblical teaching, and how cults obfuscate that. Hope it edifies you.

For more on this and other topics visit https://www.infalliblejoy.com.

Also for more of Danson search The Christian Life Podcast wherever you find your podcasts.

As for Tim here’s a link to his YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@UCrd_0HXmygYxLf0t5FKltMA