What a privilege and responsibility is implied in these few words, some of the last spoken by the resurrected Jesus before His ascension. We know them as “The Great Commission,” where Jesus sent out His followers (both the ones living on earth at that time and all of us to come) to preach the gospel to every nation, tribe, and tongue on the planet, and to train and teach new converts to become disciplined followers of Christ. But today I want to focus on the second word in that statement: therefore.

            Many of us have heard the admonition that when we come across the word therefore in the Scriptures, we should go back and see what it’s “there for.” This instance is certainly no exception. When Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples,” He was instructing His listeners to go because He (Jesus) had been given “all authority…in heaven and on earth.” That pretty well sums it up, doesn’t it? What other authority is there? None! He was given it ALL by His Father in heaven, and He was explaining to His disciples that they too could call on that same authority as they went forth to fulfill the Great Commission.

            That’s a powerful thought, isn’t it? We aren’t preaching the gospel or discipling people on our own authority (and if we’re trying to do so, it’s not going to work); we are commissioned to do it in the very same authority that was given to the resurrected Savior. The fact that He was already resurrected makes His power over death a given within that authority.

            And that’s the key, beloved. How often have we as believers, when called to some area or aspect of fulfilling the Great Commission, felt completely inadequate to do so? Good! That’s exactly as it should be. You and I have no power, no authority, no talents or gifts or abilities to fulfill that calling. But when we understand that the word therefore was placed in that sentence to remind us that we are to go forth in the same authority that rested upon Jesus—that same authority that includes triumph over death—the feelings of inadequacy melt away        and we step out in faith and joy.

            May it be so in whatever God has called you to today, dear friends. He does not expect you to attempt to answer that call in your own strength—in fact, He doesn’t want you to! He expects you only to humbly submit to His call and His power and His authority…and then rejoice in His victory as you behold His mighty hand at work in and through you.

 

            I have five new books—all fiction—releasing between April 2010 and April 2011. Four of them are part of the Extreme Devotion series, New Hope Publisher’s first-ever venture into fiction. The four books are set in foreign countries, and each is loosely based on the lives of modern-day martyrs of the Church. The fifth is a stand-alone historical (third century) novel, co-authored with my dear friend Susan Wales, and also deals with those who chose to forfeit their lives rather than deny their Lord.

            The writing of these five books has required that I spend a lot of time learning about those who serve God under the most difficult of circumstances. As a result, I’ve had to battle feelings of intimidation and condemnation, realizing that my own life could one day come to a similar conclusion and wondering how I would hold up under such dire circumstances.

            To be honest, in comparing my life to those whose lives (and deaths) were models for my books did not leave me feeling very good about myself. I had to confess to God (who already knew, of course) that I am a coward of the worst sort and that I would probably cave at the first sign of persecution. But then He lovingly reminded me that it wasn’t the personal strength of those martyrs who enabled them to make it through their ordeals, but God’s strength in them. And that strength is birthed and sustained through a love relationship with the Savior.

            One of the first songs I heard, learned, and sang as a new believer included the words “I love Him, I love Him, because He first loved me….” Oh, what a timely reminder! None of us can manufacture love for God. It comes only as a response to receiving His love for us. And how great is that love!

            I pray that you and I are never put to the test in the manner of many of the martyrs of old (and yes, even today in many countries). But whether our trials are of the life-and-death sort or simply the everyday challenges that we all face in our day-to-day lives, if we want to be found faithful then we must remember that only God’s perfect love can cast out the fear that would hold us back from living (and even dying) in a way that honors our Lord.

            Our own strength and courage will never cut it, friends, but being immersed in His perfect love will carry us through anything we will ever face as we complete our earthly journey and pass into the eternal presence of God. May His perfect love overwhelm you with joy this day and always….

 

            Have you noticed that the world doesn’t measure things from God’s viewpoint? Even as believers, we often fall into the trap of thinking that more is necessarily better, despite the fact that the One we claim to follow said otherwise. As a result, we may become intimidated and fail to give anything at all.

            The poor widow in Mark 12 gave such a small amount that it would scarcely be noticeable when the offering was counted. But Jesus noticed…and He counted it as worthy and the widow as faithful.

            What else really matters? If we give the best we have to offer, then God counts our gifts as worthy and our hearts as faithful. God is not dependent on our worldly pittance, whether that pittance amounts to a few cents or a few million dollars. What He wants from us is everything—our money, our time, our talents…but most of all, our hearts. When we willingly give all that to Him, He multiplies it for His use and His glory.

            What a clear example I came across of that truth as I read from my Compassion magazine this morning! Faithful donors from around the world have now reached the 1 million mark, meaning that 1 million children worldwide are regularly being helped by our offerings. True, 1 million children may represent only a small number of those in need, but it’s a start—an offering from our hearts that God can and does multiply. And what excited me was to read that in the midst of economic troubles, God’s people are remaining faithful in their giving, even exceeding their commitments of former years.

            We’ve all heard the saying that “You can’t out-give God.” How true that is, beloved! The return on our offerings is always so much greater than anything we could ever gain by clutching our pitiful possessions to ourselves. God is much more interested in our willingness to give than in our ability to do so. He can as easily use our sacrificial dollar to accomplish great things as the billionaire’s thousand dollars.

            And isn’t that good news in a world seemingly flooded with bad news? Perhaps we would be more willing to give ourselves away in God’s service if we would refuse to get caught up in the bad news that will soon pass away and instead rejoice in the Good News that God has everything under control—and He is sending Jesus back for us very, very soon!

 

            Has there ever been a topic that has launched more books, songs—and yes, even ships—than love? Not a chance. Conversely, has there ever been a topic more blamed for such tragedies as broken hearts, devastated relationships, and destroyed lives? Again, absolutely not.

            Realistically, however, what sort of love most inspires songs and at the same time destroys lives? Certainly not the kind of love that is first characterized by selfless giving, as in God’s love so clearly depicted in John 3:16. The God of Love, who is Himself the only source of all selfless love, does not break hearts or destroy relationships. God’s love gives; it doesn’t take. And the result is everlasting life. That’s the sort of love that should epitomize our lives as self-proclaimed believers in and followers of the John 3:16 God of Love.

            But does it? Speaking for myself, I must admit that far too often the sort of love I model to others is not selfless or God-honoring, but rather a self-centered love that’s all about feelings and circumstances. And that’s the kind of love that will disappoint and let us down when we need it most. Selfless love, on the other hand, simply because it flows from the heart of a loving God, cannot be modeled in our lives apart from a vital, ongoing relationship with the Source of that love. We cannot manufacture it on our own. But as we grow in our appreciation of and recognition of our need for that love in our own lives, we will more readily exhibit it to those who also need it even as we do.

            And that’s everyone—friends and foe alike. If we want to meet that need for selfless love, if we truly want to be effective witnesses to a world awash in self-centered pursuits, then we must first immerse ourselves in God’s love and learn to walk in it daily. That is my prayer for each of you today, beloved—that His love will overtake you at every turn and that it will flood you to overflowing until there is no room left for anything else. For who can resist a love like that?

 

Today is the first day of October. I know autumn officially began in September, but October always signifies the changing of seasons to me. Summer is now officially over in my book, and because I live in the Southern California desert, that’s a change I enjoy.

There has been a lot of talk about change lately, though that in itself is nothing new. We who walk this planet in our temporal “body suits” know that change is just something that happens—good, bad, or indifferent. Just when everything seems to have fallen into place and we’re zipping along enjoying life—wham, we get broadsided and everything changes. Conversely, when circumstances are about as bad as they can get, we cling to the hope that eventually things will change for the better.

But isn’t it wonderful to know that in the midst of a world that changes with the prevailing winds, God never changes? The same God who promised the Jewish people in the Old Testament, “For I am the Lord, I do not change,” also says in the New Testament, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). If we are clinging to anything else, placing our hope anywhere but in the unchanging nature of a loving and merciful God, we are setting ourselves up for the worst disappointment imaginable.

The greatest benefit to us of God’s unchanging nature is that because of it, we will not be consumed, or destroyed. Do we deserve to be consumed? Absolutely! But God’s unconditional love and mercy, which does not change, so far surpasses our ability and propensity to separate ourselves from Him through sin that the chasm between us has been crossed. Our unchanging God walked across that bridge built by His own Son’s blood to reach out His hand in reconciliation and offer to walk us back across so we can sit at the very throne of the Creator and Ruler of the Universe. If we celebrate nothing else today, may we rejoice in the fact that God is good—and He never, ever changes!