71 Hours

It only takes a quick google search to find out that the 'real time' it takes for an average reader to read the Bible from cover to cover is under 72 hours. One site says 70 hours and 40 minutes. I saw a tweet just this morning where Don Whitney said it can be done in 71 hours.

71 hours.

Say you are a Christian for 50 years (age 25 to age 75 and then you pass on into glory). You will have lived 438,000 hours as a Christian. Knock off 50 hours a week for work, 56 hours a week for sleep, and say another 50 hours a week for family, church, and other things, that leaves you roughly 12 hours a week of 'free time'. Yeah, I know: often that 'free time' is used for ball games, or volunteering, or mowing, etc. But still, go with me here.

12 hours every single week. 

If you are a Christian for 50 years, that's something like 31,200 hours. At that rate you could read through the bible 439x in 50 years! But that's not realistic for the vast majority of us is it? But what if you just gave a mere 10% of your time to focused Bible reading? Actually, not even 10% of your entire time, but just 10% of your free time. What would that look like?

Over the course of 50 years, that's 3,120 hours.

How many times could you read through the entire Bible in that amount of time?

44 times.

And that's just giving 10% of your free time to the Lord to read Scripture. How does that translate to 'real time' every day?

Here's the math: 12 hours a week divided by 7 days a week = 1.71 hours a day of 'free time'. Divide that number by 10 to get your 10% and that equals = 0.171 hours a day to give to the Lord in reading His Word. Multiply that by 60 to see how many minutes that would be: 10.26 minutes. Or about 10 minutes, 15 seconds every day.

Yup. 10 minutes, 15 seconds every day and in 50 years you'll have read through the bible over 40x.

Now, here's the sad thing. Many Christians today feel as though it is a great accomplishment if they have read through the entire Bible even 1x in their life. But I've just shown how if you give the Lord only 10 minutes every day, you can read through the Bible 44x! And many Believers in the Bible Belt are Christians longer than 50 years and they can give the Lord more than a mere 10% of their free time. It's honestly a travesty how little we know our Bibles.

Of course, nowhere in the Bible are we commanded to 'read through the Bible'. But Jesus tells us (quoting Deuteronomy 8:3) that 'Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God' (Matt. 4:4). And King David tells us that Scripture is to be more desired "than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb" (Psalm 19:10). 

Do we think God breathed out (2 Tim. 3:16) any of His words arbitrarily? Do we think we need books like 'Jesus Calling' to make God's words more relevant and personal? (We DON'T!). Is Scripture a treasure to you? Is it worth at least 10 minutes and 15 seconds of your focused attention every day? 

And of course, I know some will be reading this post and say "Hey, but I'm not an average reader. I read really slow." Well, chances are, you don't read twice as slow as everyone else, but let's say you did. 10 minutes a day would still have you reading through the Bible 22 times in 50 years! Not to mention all the time you have when in the Bible at your local church during Sunday School, Preaching, and Small Groups (all the more reason to make those!).

Truthfully, there are other valid alternatives to reading Scripture than just beginning in Genesis and reading 10 minutes 15 seconds a day all the way through Revelation and then starting over. You may focus on just a few books of the Bible for a season and read them over and over to get to know them better (see this post by Jim Elliff). But, even then, over the course of your walk with Jesus you would have still read through all of the Bible multiple times. 

The main point in all of this is that we aren't as busy as we think when it comes to Bible reading. I'm not trying to tell you how to read your Bible, just that you do have the time to invest if you'll take the opportunity to do so. In fact, if we set our alarms just 10 minutes earlier every day, we could accomplish this and really not miss the sleep all that much. And another factor to consider is that I think the Bible is worth more than just 10 minutes a day! But, even at just 10 minutes, you can accomplish way more Scripture intake than you probably thought you could. Don't look at just here and now. Look at 5 years down the road. Look at 10 years down the road. Look at 50 years down the road. Do you really want to get to age 75 and realize that you neglected so much precious time that you could have spent in God's Word? 

How will you invest your time? 10 measly minutes every day to know Scripture better than you ever have in your life. But guess what? It's not just knowing Scripture is it? It's knowing the God of Scripture! You see, the Bible is how we grow in our knowledge of who God is! And through His Word He grows us into the likeness of Christ (John 17:17). You want to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18)? Think about what you'll do with those 10 minutes every day (and then some!). As Americans, we really have no excuses for not knowing the Bible better than we do.

As I wrap this up, isn't it a very comforting thought to know that Jesus died even for the sin of neglecting Scripture? No one can 'read the Bible' into heaven; rest in the finished work of Jesus. But resting in Jesus isn't sleeping our way through life. If you've been neglecting your Bible, pick it up, dust it off, repent and trust that Jesus' blood is enough to cover that sin too, and then take it up and read it. Every day. 10 minutes or more.

You won't regret it.

P.S. Dr. Don Whitney has a helpful Bible Reading Record that you can print off. It will help you keep track of what chapters of the Bible you've read. This isn't just to 'show off' but to keep a record so you can make sure and read through every word of God multiple times over the course of your life.

The Bible vs Common Sense

Last week we looked at King Jehoiakim’s wicked act of cutting up the Bible. Not too long after that, the prophet Jeremiah pleaded with Jehoiakim's uncle, King Zedekiah, to also heed the Word of the Lord.

Several years ago I was in a deacon’s meeting where a man said, “I know we have the Bible, but God has also given us common sense.” I don’t disagree with that, but I wonder, what do we do when the Bible and common sense seem to contradict?

Zedekiah had a choice to make. “Thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: If you will surrender to the officials of the king of Babylon, then your life shall be spared, and this city shall not be burned with fire, and you and your house shall live” (Jeremiah 38:17). 

Surely this can’t be right! You want me to surrender to Babylon? Surrender!? Give my life into the hands of this wicked king and I will live? That goes against everything that makes sense to me. And so, Zedekiah makes a disastrous choice. He chooses to listen to ‘common sense’ (and perhaps a little peer pressure as well) instead of the Word of God. 

The result?

The king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah at Riblah before his eyes, and the king of Babylon slaughtered all the nobles of Judah. He put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him in chains to take him to Babylon. The Chaldeans burned the king’s house and the house of the people, and broke down the walls of Jerusalem. (Jeremiah 39:6-8)

The point?

I believe there is definitely application here for us as we read Scripture. Sometimes we see that God’s Word contradicts the latest church growth book. Sometimes we are tempted to listen to the counsel of others even though it appears to detract from Scripture’s sufficiency. Sometimes it may seem like we are surrendering and that just goes against all plain reason. Or sometimes, if we are honest, what the Bible compels us to do is just hard and it would be easier on us if we simply disobeyed. 

But let me exhort you today: take heed of Zedekiah’s folly. Listen to the Word of the Lord no matter what. When we understand Scripture properly in its context and we see it’s plain truth before us, don’t let anything else convince you to act contrary to it. Not your spouse, not your friend, not the newest book, and not your common sense. Bow to Scripture as your highest authority and obey even if it initially seems like it would bring you more harm than good. Disobedience to Scripture is never the right move. Scripture is always right no matter who stands in opposition to it. Let no friend, teacher, cultural position, or even your own brain convince you that obedience to the Word of God is not the best choice.

This issue is, you may not always see immediate results of disobedience. Zedekiah chose in his heart to not heed the Word of the Lord, but it would be months later before he would see the disastrous consequences. Sometimes disobedience doesn't show its full fruition for months or years later. But we can be sure: we will reap what we sow. Disobedience is never worth it.

Thankfully, we have another King to look to. King Jesus did go to the enemy and gave Himself into his hands in obedience to the Father. And this wasn’t so He could save His own skin, but ours. In the most epic example of something going against common sense, the obedient Son was nailed to a wooden cross by Roman soldiers. No way this could be the right thing for Jesus to do. Oh, but it was! Death brought life. Our obedient King, perfect Prophet and great High Priest bore our sins in His body on the tree. In one act that would appear to go against all human reason, the Lord of glory accomplished our redemption. He didn’t meet the wrath of His enemies on that old rugged cross but the wrath of God against our sin. And by His wounds, we are healed. The obedient One gave Himself for the disobedient. Christ condescended to rescue us from the coming wrath of God. And in that rescue is big, wide, and deep enough to not merely 'get us to heaven' but to free us to follow the Lord's will today. The gospel frees us from the folly of trusting ourselves as infallible sources.

Perhaps you've bought into the idea that sleeping with your boyfriend or girlfriend before you are married 'just makes sense' so you can see if you are truly compatible. Maybe you've thought that you have to be a little dishonest in the workplace, or you'll never make the next promotion. It could be, that you are tempted to abandoned preaching the Word of God in your Sunday gatherings because other things will draw a bigger crowd. In all of these scenarios and numerous others we could discuss, you must listen to Scripture over and above common sense. See, our common sense is affected by sin, and therefore, it's not always a trustworthy source. But the Bible is! It is the very voice of God in written form. It is truth. Always. (John 17:17). 

Obedience to Scripture must always be grounded in the finished work of Christ. It's not our perfect obedience that gets us to heaven because our obedience is always tainted with sin. Christ has finished the work on our behalf! I hope you’re resting there. And I hope that in resting there you remember that the gospel has opened the door for us to crucify our common sense when necessary. No, I am not saying to lay it aside altogether for that would be foolish! Common sense and plain reason are good gifts of God! But know this: when Scripture seems to contradict them, the Word of God is undefeated. It proves the true and right thing to do 100% of the time. Of course, this implies, we must regularly be in the Word doesn't it? (Providentially, I watched a great 5 minute exhortation to biblical mediation this morning. You can watch it here.) 

Listen to the Bible, even if it initially seems that not listening would produce more favorable results. The Lord’s ways are better. Always. 

A Gas Station Parable

Our little town of 1,500 people currently has a little problem - at least until December 15, 2017. You see, we've always had, for as long as I can remember, at least two gas stations. Growing up there were three, but one ended up closing simply because of the rising gas prices. The other two have managed to stay in business, and depending on the time of day either one can be somewhat crowded. When I was a teenager I had a job in each of these places, and for the most part, neither one has changed all that much.

That is until March of this year. You see, one of them sold to Casey's General Store, thus leaving our community with only one gas station. I don't have a for sure date on when Casey's will open up but word on the street is it won't be until December 15 of this year. In my opinion, it can't get here fast enough!

Now, this is not because there is anything wrong with the other gas station. It's a great place to get gas, a Milky Way, Icee, or some fried chicken. But here's the problem that we face: this poor little station can't support the whole community. First of all, it doesn't have diesel, so those needing that now have to go out of town. And secondly, this gas station was never set up to bear the weight of all the petroleum needs that 1500 people, not to mention the people in surrounding areas, have.

I just got back from filling up the church van and boy, was this place packed. I thought I was going at an off time, avoiding both the lunch and before/after school traffic, but it was still packed! You have to wait in line to get gas, you have to maneuver around people, cars, and sometimes animals (after all, we are in Perry County, and that's how we roll!), and if you want to avoid someone honking at you, you have to fill up and get out of the way as quickly as possible. It's sort of put an added bit of stress on us all every time we need to fill up the tank. Bottom line: We need more than one gas station here because this one is getting overworked. I can't imagine what it must be like for the employees and the management to stay at full capacity, every open hour during the week!

As I drove back to the church building, I couldn't help but think how this too often serves as an analogy of the reality in many churches. 

How so? 

Consider one verse from the text I'm preaching this Sunday:

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace (1 Peter 4:10)

You've heard of the 80/20 rule, haven't you? That is, that typically in a standard church, 20% of the people are doing 80% of the work. I have no official data to back that up, but from my experience, this does prove to be the situation in too many places. 

Many gifted people are coming on Sunday mornings but leaving the work of the ministry in the life of the church to only a select few. And honestly, the select few can't support the whole community. There's nothing wrong with the few, and this is no indictment upon them whatsoever. It's just that the reality is that the entire Body is mean to use the gifts God has given them in order to serve one another. When the task of ministry is left to only a few, often burnout ensues. Maybe not immediately, but eventually, the sheep feel overburdened by the load that they are carrying. And for good reason! They were never meant to shoulder it by themselves. 

What can you do?

First of all, realize that we live in a 'me-first' culture. The idea of using your gifts to serve someone else is quite contrary to the way the world thinks. But they are not actually your gifts, are they? They are God's gifts to you. In a way, this is a beautiful picture of the gospel. You see, the greatest gift God has ever given us is His Son. This is Paul's argument for encouraging Corinth to give financially. "Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift!" (2 Cor. 9:15). So, when we serve one another, not only are we doing what God has instructed us to do, but we are also mimicking our Heavenly Father who gave us the greatest gift. When we fail to serve, we make a mockery out of the gospel because no only do we show that it has no power to effect real change but we also give the false allusion that God is not generous. 

Secondly, if you feel overburdened, don't carry that by yourself. Talk with your pastor(s) before it gets to a point where you feel like you have to give up everything. Don't be afraid to share the load. What if someone else gets the credit? So what? This is for the glory of God (1 Peter 4:11).

If you are just a 'pew sitter' you must consider what God has given you and what he has told you! He has gifted you particularly with His varied grace, and He has told you to use those gifts to serve one another. Who are we to use God's gifts in a way not intended? I often think about those talented in the world using their talents for the kingdom of darkness, when they could be using them for the glory of Christ. But, Christians are just as guilty (if not more so!) when we refuse to use the good gifts God has given us to serve the local church. Perhaps you've been blessed financially, or can teach, or can be an encourager, or a prayer warrior, or can sing, or are creative, or are technologically savvy, or the list goes on and on. There are literally thousands of ways that you can be serving in the local church from helping at VBS to calling someone who missed in order to check on them. The point is, don't overburden your brothers and sisters by neglecting 1 Peter 4:10. Use your gifts to serve the body!

When we fail to serve one another, it makes the ones serious about serving essentially serve at full capacity with no real breaks during the year. That might can be sustained for a period of time, but overall it's not healthy. It's not healthy to the church because those serving are shouldering more than they need to. It's not healthy to the ministry because inevitably those serving are doing things less efficient than they could be done (i.e. if they are an 'eye' trying to do the work of an 'ear'). And finally, it's not healthy to those not serving since they are sinning by not obeying the clear instruction of God to use His gifts to serve one another in love.  

Perryville, AR wasn't meant to have only one gas station, and your church wasn't meant to only have a few people serving. That ministry mindset is unsustainable. Serve one another as that is part of loving one another earnestly (1 Peter 4:8). 

If you are already are serving, pray that the Lord would continue to give you the strength He supplies to serve well for His glory (1 Peter 4:11). If you are a pastor, encourage and teach your people to use their gifts to serve one another. And, if you aren't serving, repent and ask the Lord to show you in what ways you can use His gracious gifts to serve your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ in your local church for the glory of God.

Good Enough

***Pretty excited to share this guest post with you from Aleigha Israel. This is an excerpt from her book Hidden Treasures. Thanks, Aleigha for being willing to share this! Read through to the end to learn more about her and how you can purchase a copy of this book.***

“It’s good enough.”

How many times do we, as Christians, utter that phrase? We tackle a task, only to say towards the end, “that’s good enough.”

But good enough for what? And good enough for whom?

If a football player is required to do warmups for 20 minutes, and he only does 15 (because he gets tired) and declares, “that’s good enough,” is it really? Good enough for what? And good enough for whom?

This morning I made my bed as usual. (If there’s one thing I used to have OCD about, it’s my bed.) I had strict instructions and goals when making my bed. The comforter hangs over the bed only so much. The pillows must be fluffed (and there are six of them); you get the picture. I’ve instilled this OCD in my 8-year-old sister. That’s probably part of the reason why I don’t have it anymore.
In fact, she’s the one who brought to my attention this morning that the comforter wasn’t hanging perfectly straight over the side of the bed. And because I didn’t feel like fixing it, what was my response? You guessed it.

“It’s good enough.”

Which got me thinking. Good enough for what? And good enough for whom? Who do we make our beds for? Who do we cook our meals for? Who do we do the laundry for?  The answer’s not me, or us. It’s not our husbands or our families.

The answer is Christ.

We work for Christ.
We play for Christ.
We do everything for Christ.
We don’t (or shouldn’t) do things to receive praise from man. We should do everything with only one figure in mind, Christ. Those aren’t my words either. Take a look at this verse in Ephesians:
“Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people,” EPHESIANS 6:7

And a few more speaking on this topic:

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”      COLOSSIANS 3:23

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
1 CORINTHIANS 10:31

This one right here is humbling:

“Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” GALATIANS 1:10

Paul tells us in his letter to the Galatians, that if we are serving man rather than God, we aren’t servants of Christ. I don’t know about you, but I would never want to fall under that category! How do we make certain that we aren’t serving man rather than God? And if we are, how do we stop it?

Do we even know the difference? How do we know for sure if we are serving man rather than Christ? Well, for starters, serving the Lord means we are not serving ourselves.

Serving the Lord means we are not primarily serving others.

Don’t get me wrong, serving others is definitely not a sin, in fact, we are commanded to serve others:

“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” GALATIANS 5:13 

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” 1 PETER 4:10 

“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” ROMANS 12: 9-13

In fact, when we’re serving others, we are serving God! “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” MATTHEW 25:40

What brings us pleasure? How do we please ourselves? It could be ice cream, movies, food, shopping, reading, the possibilities are endless. These are some of the ways we serve ourselves rather than God. Am I implying that it’s wrong to shop? Wrong to eat? Wrong to watch movies? No, we would die if we didn’t eat, and we should definitely wear clothes!

What I am saying is this: Enjoying a bowl of ice cream is not necessarily wrong (unless we’re being gluttons, which in that case, it’s sin) but often, we aren’t serving Christ while doing so.

Imagine yourself with a mop in one hand, and a mop bucket in the other (for some people, this may be difficult). Now imagine yourself mopping a floor and doing the best job you’ve ever done before.

Why are you doing this? Because your boss is going to be looking over it later. You stand back and admire your work. The floor shines so brightly you almost have to look away. It looks better than it ever has, if you do say so yourself.

Then your supervisor comes to look it over.

Maybe it’s your father, maybe it’s your mother, maybe it’s a sibling or a boss. Whoever it may be, you’ve been waiting for this moment with great expectation.

What are you waiting for?

Praise. Adoration. Encouragement.

After receiving it, you go happily on your way, rejoicing in another task well done.

But let’s rewind for a minute, back to where we were before the supervisor came to look over your work. Let’s say he comes, but he doesn’t offer you any praise, adoration or encouragement.

Let’s imagine he doesn’t say anything at all. He glances at your work, gives a half-nod of approval and goes on his way. How does that make you feel?

Broken.
Discouraged.
Upset.
Unappreciated.

Why would his reaction have such an effect on you? Because you were mopping the floor for him. You were working for him, you were serving him, and when you didn’t get the reaction you’d expected, you became discouraged.

You see, if you would have mopped the floor for Christ, doing your best, not expecting praise, or anything else in return, you would have had no reason to grow discouraged because of your overseer’s reaction.

Children could win the prize at being the best man pleasers in the world. They do things to please their parents and they blossom under praise and encouragement. It’s a part of who they are.

But as they grow older, they must be taught they aren’t doing these things to please their parents, but they are doing it to please the Lord. And when children do things to please the Lord, it also pleases their parents! Even the best, most sacrificial things (if done to please men) are worth nothing in God’s eyes.

I love to give gifts. I love seeing the smile spread over a little child’s face, or the joy on an adult’s. Gift-giving is contagious, and I can truthfully say I love giving gifts much more than I enjoy receiving them.

But I didn’t use to have such a good attitude about giving gifts. In fact, I used to give gifts to please man, rather than God.

An exciting idea formed when I was around twelve-years-old. I wanted to collect Bibles to give to people in need. I started out using my own money, but the Lord soon blessed me by other family members and friends who mailed Bibles and sent money. I was ecstatic!

Many times, as a child, our Thanksgivings would be spent serving the homeless in our community.  It was something we all looked forward to with great excitement. It was such fun to serve others and enjoy the feeling of purpose. It was around Thanksgiving when I first had the chance to give out some of these Bibles.

The gym was set up with tables to serve the homeless a hot Thanksgiving meal, and we had many volunteers. Timidly, I approached a table and handed a lady a Bible. My mother, not very far behind me, became my spokeswoman and talked with the lady for a few minutes while I listened.

Giving away Bibles became a favorite thing to do, and I found homes for every Bible that came into my possession. Family members and friends were quick to offer encouragement and praise, and I soaked it all in.

It wasn’t until a few months later, that I discovered something was wrong. Something wasn’t right. I didn’t feel like I did when I first started giving away Bibles. And then I noticed something else. The praise I had gotten from friends and family members had slowly waned, and with it, went my joyful desire to give away those Bibles.

That was when I realized something else.

My Bible giving days may have started out with an innocent motive. But I had let the praise of man enter my heart and turn my motives around. I had slowly, but surely, become a man pleaser.

So, I stopped giving away Bibles.

Why? Because my motive was all wrong. And until I could fix it, I decided to stop giving away Bibles.

That may not have been the wisest decision, but as a twelve-year-old, it was the best one I could think of. Since then, I’ve learned that giving gifts for God’s glory, reaps a much better reward than giving them to receive praise from man. Just as working for Christ, and working to serve Him, rather than man, is not only Biblical, but it also makes us feel better in the process.

(Oh, and we’ve also went back to giving away Bibles, in bags we put together for the homeless!)

Are we serving man, rather than God? If the answer is “yes,” then we must ask the Lord’s forgiveness and endeavor to change our perspective.

Here are a few tips to help in that process: 

v    Be quick to help others

v    Practice hospitality

v    Seek wisdom

v    Show forgiveness

v    Make time to worship Christ

v    Don’t work (or give gifts) and expect something in return

v    Stifle hidden motives when giving gifts. (In other words, don’t buy a gift because you are going to get something in return)

v    Love others without condition

If I find myself working for man instead of God, or if I’m being grumbly about having to do a certain chore (maybe because I’m too tired, or the chore seems redundant or too big) I think of the chore not as something I have to do, but something I get to do.

So instead of saying, “I have to go fold this load of laundry,” try saying, “I get to fold this load of laundry.” It will not only make you feel better, because you are taking the godly approach and being thankful, but you’ll also be amazed at what it does to you psychologically!

Let’s make it a daily practice to work on these things and endeavor to serve Christ with our whole heart. Let’s not do things “good enough” for Christ. Let’s do things to the best of our ability.

He deserves our very best.

ALEIGHA C. ISRAEL, writer of inspirational fiction and poetry, is an author of six books and enjoys sharing God's love through the powerful art of storytelling. Her novels are distributed through Grace and Truth Books and have been enjoyed by ages nine to ninety-three! With two amazing parents and five of the greatest siblings, there’s always another adventure just waiting around the corner!

To learn more about Aleigha and to sign up for her weekly blog post, visit:
http://thepenofthewriter.weebly.com/contact-me.htmlYou can purchase a signed copy of Hidden Treasures here:
http://thepenofthewriter.weebly.com/store/p9/Hidden_Treasures_%28devotional%29_.html

The Hope of King Jesus in the Midst of Sorrow

It has been one of the most intense 6-weeks stretches that I can remember- Houston, Irma, and now Las Vegas. I'm writing this morning mainly for myself, as I think through these sorrows, and for those I pastor, as we seek to process the events of last night at the Jason Aldean concert in Las Vegas, NV.

At breakfast, I actually felt it necessary to talk to my sons, not only about the sadness of this situation but also, what would we do if we went through something like this? You see, in 2017, it's not beyond imagination that my own family might not face something like this one day. I pray not, but it is the sobering reality of our day.

There are a myriad of emotions that swirl around our hearts in moments like these. Anger, sadness, fear, etc. As Believers, how should we feel? How can we respond? What can we do? I'd like to offer a few thoughts.

1. Pray -

First and foremost, pray. Pray for those affected by this tragedy and their families. Pray for the family of the shooter. Pray for those who have had to respond to this shooting, including those in leadership positions. Pray for Las Vagas. Pray for our Nation. Pray that God would give you the wisdom, compassion, and love needed to discuss a situation like this with those around you.

2. Remember the gospel -

This is why a firm understanding of the gospel is so important, The gospel isn't just about individuals being saved. It is about that, but it's way more. The gospel has a cosmic focus. The Seed of the woman has crushed the serpent's head. He comes to make His blessings flow far as the curse is found. He has triumphed over the powers of evil. Jesus has set in motion the undoing of all bad things.  And one day He is coming to set all things right. Maranatha.

3. Pray -

Pray that those affected by this horrendous act would find their hope in Christ. I said the gospel wasn't merely about individuals being saved, but I need to revisit that. Because it certainly is about individuals being saved (even if it is more than just that). Pray that churches in the Las Vegas area and around the United States would offer the only true hope we have during a time like this: King Jesus. Jesus, the Righteous One, has died in the place of the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18). He has taken the wrath of God upon Himself so that anyone who would look to Him in faith might find full and free pardon for his or her sin against a Holy and just God.

4. Compassion -

The Son of God became Son of man, which reminds us that all mankind is made in God's image. The loss of any human life is a tragedy, but especially via murder as it's not just an attack upon man, but upon God Himself. The people of Las Vegas aren't worse than the people of Arkansas...or Houston, or Florida. The reality is that we live in a fallen world. A world that has been broken by the Fall of man. A world that we too often forget is permeated by sin and sorrow. And while it is true that mankind is in rebellion against God, it's not ok to be smug about that. Situations like Las Vegas should break out heart. Ultimately, this situation isn't about politics, but people. People. Over 50 people have entered into eternity who thought they were just going to enjoy a concert. People who were made to glorify God and enjoy Him forever have passed in the blink of an eye because of a senseless and evil killing. In times like this may we shine the light of Christ from hearts of compassion. May we remember that more important than defending or taking away our 2nd Amendment is that people's lives have been forever changed because of a mass killing. I'm not saying there's not a time to talk about those things, but we are really good at taking a situation like Las Vegas and quickly turning it into something else. Let's not make this a situation about us. We can't undo what has happened, nor can we provide answers to questions that are unanswerable. But we can pray that even in the midst of a tragedy such as this, God can bring good. After all, did He not bring good from the death of His own Son? Pray that hope will permeate the speech of Christians as we respond. Let mercy triumph.

5. Remember the gospel -

It really is our only hope. Christ is King and one day He is coming to judge the living and the dead. The Judge of all the earth shall do right. And for Believers, He will wipe every tear from our eyes. Christ has entered into humanity and suffered with us. He was the Man of Sorrows. Jesus knows the reality of human death from a human perspective because He clothed Himself in human flesh and entered our turf. He knows about senseless killings and loss of life. But more importantly, He has suffered for us, and He has suffered as us - bearing the wrath of God that we deserve for our sins on the cross. But He has risen again, victorious over death, hell, and the grave. The only real hope we have for the United States and the world is if people's hearts are changed. They won't be changed in any other way than the power of the gospel. And while it is true that God is the one who changes hearts, it is equally as true that He only does it through a gospel that is proclaimed. So, don't merely remember the gospel during times like these, but share it. Sin will be judged. But there is hope! King Jesus has paid the penalty due our sin for all those who will look upon Him in faith. May we love our fellow man enough to compel them to repent and believe the gospel. We are not promised tomorrow. We are not promised 10 minutes from now. Share this message of hope with those around you and let this message of hope be the fountain from which all of our responses to a tragedy such as this flow.


I'm not sure how much these ramblings have helped you, but even if no one reads this, they have been somewhat therapeutic for me. God is good. I'm going to take a moment to share this, and then I'm going to spend some time with the Father in prayer. I hope you will have the same opportunity today.