A Moment of Hope

by Marilynn Chadwick A staggering 400 million people in India have never even heard the name of Jesus! Some people worship over 300 million gods. They are often overwhelmed by fear, bondage, and darkness. If I ever wondered whether the spiritual forces of darkness are real, I became thoroughly convinced after I met Pastor Jay, a church planter in a remote village in central India. One small photo of a little family in this village stays in my Ebenezer Box as a reminder of how one ordinary woman was set free from the power of darkness that held an entire village captive. Pastor Jay told us the story of Nisha, a young wife and mother of three. She and her husband Bhag were farmers. Strange things started happening in their village—people were afraid to go out after dark. They called the place haunted. Some claimed to hear screaming at night. Men and women would fall unconscious while simply walking down the street. According to Pastor Jay, Nisha and her husband tried to get peace through sorcery and black magic, but all their attempts failed. So, they went to different places to worship demon gods. They offered chicken, goats, and pigs as sacrifices. When the sacrifices failed to bring them peace, they consulted fortune-tellers and palm readers. Their spiritual darkness and suffering increased by the day. Nisha and her husband lived in such fear that they wanted to sell their land and move. In fact, Bhag's older brother suddenly died one day. That same evening the brother's wife fell over dead! People were terrified and stayed away from them, believing the family was cursed. Day after day, Nisha and Bhag continued to visit temples and observe rituals to please the gods. They consulted gurus and temple priests and wore all kinds of magic charms. They worshiped other demon gods. Pastor Jay knew the village was in desperate trouble. He himself was only a recent believer, but he had experienced such joy and relief when he heard the Gospel that he hoped to preach that same Good News and plant a church in the village. Jesus had truly set him free! During Nisha and Bhag's dark and terrifying days, he tried to tell them about Jesus Christ and the power in his name. But they refused to listen. One afternoon, Nisha suddenly fell over unconscious. She was unresponsive and could not open her mouth. She had no pulse—it was clear to everyone that she had died. At that point, her husband Bhag lost faith in all his idols and demon gods. Finally, he was desperate enough to cry out to God for help! Bhag decided to give this Jesus one try and called on Pastor Jay to pray. Pastor Jay prayed a simple prayer in the name of Jesus. Nisha was suddenly revived and came back to life within five minutes! Awestruck at the mighty power of God, the villagers marveled that Nisha had been raised from the dead—a miracle! Nisha's entire family put their faith in Christ that day. Immediately they removed all idols and worship material from their home. They all received water baptism and publicly professed Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. They opened their door for a house church in their village and as Pastor Jay put it, "Now the whole family is happy in the Lord!"

by Marilynn Chadwick Life was exciting at the large, southern university I attended in the 1970s. I was more absorbed with fun, football games, and finding myself than I was with finding God. But when I accepted Christ the summer after my junior year, my whole world shifted. Until then, I had dated a number of perfectly nice guys. But now I began to yearn for a man who had a passion to serve God. I confided in the Lord about my hunger for a companion with whom I could share my spiritual life. After college, I moved to Atlanta and started my corporate dream job. I had yet to find my spiritual soul mate, but had considerable time to formulate my "checklist." I wanted him to be handsome. Tall and athletic would be nice, as would a sense of humor, maybe even musical. But I was adamant about one thing—his heart for God. When I invited God to take control of my life a year earlier, I didn't know where to go or what to do next. I went to a local bookstore and looked under the Religion section to find some answers. I stumbled upon A Man Called Peter, the story of Peter Marshall, the famed Scottish-born preacher and chaplain to the United States Senate. The author, his wife Catherine, tells the wonderful story of their romantic meeting and life of adventure as they served God together. I had always said I'd never marry a minister. But after reading Catherine and Peter Marshall's story, a thought flashed through my mind, "I have this strange sense that I'm going to marry a minister." For the first time, that thought did not terrify me, which in itself was a little scary. Soon after moving to Atlanta, a friend set me up on a blind date. David Chadwick, I would learn, was a former college basketball player. He had a wonderful sense of humor, played the guitar, and happened to be very handsome. He was also studying to be a minister. Steve, the guy that set us up, kept pestering David to ask me out, insisting that our "auras matched." You have to remember—this was the seventies! An old high school friend, who was now a member of the college ministry David was leading, called to fill me in on this David Chadwick. "You are really going to like this guy," she assured me. "He played basketball at the University of North Carolina and pro basketball in Europe. He has traveled a lot and done some pretty incredible things—plus, he stayed humble in spite of it all." As David tells his side of the story, Donna called him and simply said, "Are you ready to fall in love?" The first time I visited Columbia Seminary in Decatur, where David was a student, I noticed a brass plaque on the brick wall of his dorm. I glanced at the inscription and caught my breath. The plaque was dedicated in loving memory to a noteworthy man of God who had prepared for the ministry at this historic seminary. He had lived in that very dormitory. His name? Peter Marshall. If I was looking for a sign from God, this surely seemed to be it! David and I were married on May 20, 1978, almost ten months to the day after our first date. We have Donna and Steve to thank, but it was really God who was in the matchmaking business! I always go back to a memento from this story in my Ebenezer Box so as to never forget.

by Marilynn Chadwick To hold onto hope, we must learn how to guard our minds against "hope killers"—those pesky predators that seek to destroy our God-given dreams as well as our peace of mind. One of the most troublesome hope-killers is anxiety. Like a slow leak, anxiety drains our faith. It fills us with a low-grade dread that steals our joy. Mental health experts are disturbed by the growing numbers of those suffering from anxiety—now the most common mental illness in the United States. I've discovered a simple prayer that helps quench my anxiety and build hope. I call it "praying beyond" the problem. It goes something like this: Lord, I trust you to answer my prayer in a way that goes beyond what I even know to ask. In other words, "Surprise me with more than I can imagine." This prayer is right in line with the Bible's encouragement to trust the One "who is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we ask or imagine" (Ephesians 3:20 MEV). Praying beyond the problem helps me take my focus off the obstacles and fix my mind on God's promises. Once I was out of town for one of our son Michael's swim meets, I happened to read Ephesians 3:20 before going out for my morning run, this time in a different Bible version. The words put a fresh twist on my "praying beyond" concept: "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think..." (Ephesians 3:20 NKJV). Above all. Another way to "pray beyond." While running, I reflected on Michael's dreams to be a collegiate swimmer—a dream which looked like a long shot. The competition for scholarships was fierce. Lord, maybe you're encouraging me to pray as though I'm high above my problems, looking down on them from your vantage point. I was reminded of another verse that promises God has raised us up "with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 2:6 NIV). I continued talking to God as I ran. Lord, from where you're sitting, I imagine my dreams seem easy. I believe that nothing's too hard for you. I truly want to believe you're able to do above all I can ask or think. I rounded the corner and jogged by several swim team charter buses. I nearly laughed out loud as I looked at the name on the side of one of the buses: Above All Charters. Another sign from God? I'm pretty sure he was making his point loud and clear. He is able to do exceedingly above all I could ask or imagine. So why do I ever need to worry? I wrote down "Above All Charters" on a notecard and stuck it in my Ebenezer Box as a gentle reminder to squash "hope killers" and to trust. A simple, but profound lesson that God taught me while going for a run one day. Keep your eyes open. You never know what you might see.

by Marilynn Chadwick Back in 1976, after I made the giant leap from unbeliever to believer, I was surprised to find I could actually sense God's presence—he was real! What's more, I discovered that if I was alert, I might catch tiny glimpses of his work all around me. The Bible calls these signs. The word sign means "direction, evidence, working" or even "fingerprints." Signs reassure us that God has our life—including our problems—in his hands. Nowadays, smartphones make it easy to capture a photo when we notice a sign from God. A printed photo can easily become an "Ebenezer Stone." A few special photos have made their way into my Ebenezer Box. One reminds me of a time years ago when I was worried about our youngest child. Michael had just gotten his driver's license—that in itself makes most moms worry. He was moving up to an elite division of his swim team to train with the older, more experienced swimmers. This meant he had to drive across town every afternoon on our city's busiest interstate to a local university for practice. He was a young and inexperienced driver and the afternoon traffic hour was especially busy. I prayed for the Lord to keep Michael safe and alert—especially when he was exhausted after a tough practice. One day, I was having a hard time releasing this worry into God's hands. I had let my imagination run wild with "what if'" scenarios. What if he had a wreck, or ran out of gas, or got lost? I worried all that day and must have carried my anxieties to bed with me because I had a fitful night's sleep. I was worrying in my sleep when an audible voice whispered these words: "I can be trusted." First person, singular. "Who was that?" I wondered, now half-awake. "Did I just imagine that voice?" I thought to myself. I drifted back to sleep but the next morning, I distinctly remembered the voice and began to reflect on whether it was possible that God had been talking to me. During my usual morning quiet time, I happened to be reading the book of John. I was struck by Jesus's words to his disciples: "Trust in God. Trust also in me" (John 14:1 CEB). There it was again. Trust in me—first person singular. Could that have been Jesus talking to me the night before in my sleep? I desperately wanted to release my anxieties into God's hands and trust him to care for our son. Why was this so hard? A few days later, I was worrying again. Suddenly, an inner voice—this time, not audible but very real—interrupted my anxiety with a question: "When are you going to trust me?" It was a gentle, but stern, rebuke—the same tone of voice I used with my kids when they weren't listening to me. This time, I sensed right away it was the Lord. Our family left later that day for our vacation at the beach. We arrived after dark. I went out for a quick grocery store run, still having my ongoing conversation with God. Lord, can I really trust you? Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, like a beacon of light, flashed this sign in front of a small beach chapel. I had to smile as I wheeled into the parking lot to snap a photo. God must have a sense of humor because the sign simply said: "Trust Me –God." You had better believe that photo now sits inside my Ebenezer Box as a wonderful reminder. Maybe you have a photo you need to add to your box? If not, keep your eyes open for one!

by Marilynn Chadwick I don't know about you, but my faith grows when I hear stories of God's power. And when I personally experience a miracle, my faith soars! Over the years, I've collected mementos of my own spiritual victories—I call them my "Ebenezer Stones." Photos, small artifacts, scraps of paper, pages of my journal, little bits of "this and that" all point me back to times when God showed himself strong by interrupting the ordinary flow of daily life with a miracle. Any time I find something, I pause and thank God. I preserve the evidence as a reminder. Then I go back often to remember. It's not enough to witness God's miracles. We must remember them. No wonder the word remember occurs over 200 times in the Bible! The Bible tells the story of how the Children of Israel came back to God after many years of wandering. After copying the evil behavior of the pagan people around them, worshiping the demon gods of their enemies—and sometimes sacrificing their own babies, they finally had enough! They were sick and tired of the consequences of their rebellion. They asked their leader, Samuel, to pray for them because they were desperate and had forgotten how to pray. First, Samuel called them together to confess their sins. Then, he challenged them to commit to following God with their whole heart. Above all, he warned them to stop their wicked worship of pagan idols. While Samuel was praying, their mortal enemy, the Philistines, launched a surprise attack. But instead of fighting back, the people pleaded with Samuel to keep praying. The Lord rushed to their rescue and brought fierce thunder and lightning from heaven that day. The entire Philistine army was terrified and thrown into such confusion that the Israelites defeated them and won a thrilling victory. Samuel took a large stone and placed it as a monument in their town. He named it Ebenezer (which means "the stone of help"). "This marks the place where God helped us!" He wanted them to always remember how God gave them victory and never drift from Him again (1 Samuel 7:12, MSG). Over the years, I have collected my "Ebenezer Stones" in a special box I call my "Ebenezer Box." Not much bigger than a shoebox, it looks like one of my grandmother's old hat boxes. My oldest granddaughter became fascinated with the stories, so I encouraged her to start her own Ebenezer Box. I would encourage you to do the same. Create your own Ebenezer Box and begin to collect reminders of God's work in your life. It can be a great project for your whole family! My Ebenezer Box is full of collected treasures that remind me that God is still in the miracle business. Some of my spiritual victories have been dramatic. Others have been subtle, more like whispers. Join me over the next two weeks as I give you a glimpse into my Ebenezer Box. I pray these stories stir your faith and inspire you!

by Marilynn Chadwick Resist him, standing firm in the faith... (1 Peter 5:9 NIV). A man who had just returned from visiting members of the underground church in China was asked how the believers were able to cope with continued trials. "These brothers and sisters know this is not the end of the story," he explained. "They expect God's glory to come at the end of their trial. And they do believe the trial will end in victory." No wonder the Chinese church is often referred to as "the joy force." Are you going through a trial in your life today? Peter invites us to stand strong against the devil: "Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering" (1 Peter 5:9 NRSV). We've looked at several ways God makes us strong. He helps us stand our ground through his Word, prayer, and joining forces with other believers. Often, our strength grows during times of weakness—especially during seasons of suffering. Life can be hard. It's not like Jesus didn't warn us. "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart!" he reminds us, "I have overcome the world" (John 16:33 NIV). I need to stay connected to Jesus if I hope to stay strong in the spiritual fight. To stand one's ground during trouble is to endure. Endurance is a special kind of spiritual strength. Hypomeno, comes from two words: hypo or "under", and meno, "to remain." To endure is to "remain under" a painful trial. It's bearing up under a load of trouble with a tranquil mind. Meno is the same word Jesus uses when he tells us to "abide" in him (John 15:7). Endurance is an important weapon in the arsenal we're building to grow strong in the Lord. Will you be able to stand your ground when trouble hits? Remember, you can't endure apart from Jesus, so abide in him daily. Rely on the Holy Spirit. Stay filled up with God's Word. Pray always. And don't travel alone. Here's a special reminder to help you stay strong: If you don't abide in the light, you can't endure in the dark. "Consider it nothing but joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you fall into various trials. Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace]. And let endurance have its perfect result and do a thorough work, so that you may be perfect and completely developed [in your faith], lacking in nothing" (James 1:2-4 AMP).

by Marilynn Chadwick I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one (John 17:22 NIV). If we want to grow strong, we need to stick together. We are better and stronger when we're part of a team—a body of believers. Who would dream of fighting a war alone, or playing against an entire basketball team by ourselves? I heard a statistic recently that made me pause. Guess why most missionaries leave the field? Not poor living conditions, lack of creature comforts, fear of threats like Ebola or ISIS, or attacks from the locals; not even family issues. The reason most missionaries leave their assignment is because of conflict with other missionaries. Perhaps this is true for local church pastors leaving the ministry, too. Internal conflicts, like family squabbles, are the most destructive and painful of all. Maybe you've trusted someone close, only to be deceived. Deception is as old as time itself. The deceiver works his or her magic by flashing one set of motives, while armed with another. We'd agree that those who know us best can wound us the most deeply. Why does this stealth attack among Christians happen so often? Most likely because it works. We're unaware and therefore don't properly guard against the threat. The evil one is very good at what he does. After all, the word translated "devil" is diabalos, which means "divider." Division is his name—and his job description. It's how he incited the angels to cause a rebellion against Almighty God. I imagine most divisions are secretly animated by the devil and his minions. The "divider" is also called the "accuser of the brethren" (Revelation 12:10 KJV). Division is the sordid work demons know and love most. Like any opponent, the enemy plays to our weakness—our natural pride and selfish ambition, envy and competitiveness (James 3:14-16). He also exploits our sense of self-righteousness. Our awareness of being "wronged." He strategically stirs up wounds from our family dysfunctions. Moreover, he usually does this dirty work in secret, so we don't see it until it's too late. Jesus knows the importance of unity in the body—it's the kind of love reflected in the Trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. One of Jesus's most powerful prayers for the church reflects this divine call to unity. "I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me" (John 17:22, 23 NIV). We must resist strife like the plague it is. The battle begins in our mind. The stakes are eternal, for our success or failure in this conflict is lived out before a watching world desperate for the Good News of the Gospel.

by Marilynn Chadwick May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus... (Romans 15:5 NIV, 1984 version). I love going to the beach. Everything about a trip to the ocean inspires, refreshes, and amazes me! Of all the oceanic animals God created, I am most fascinated by bottlenose dolphins, the most intelligent creatures in the ocean. Dolphins are easily trained. They can reason, solve problems, think abstractly, and even recognize themselves in a mirror! Dolphins can also swim up to 35 miles an hour. They're incredibly strong and can use their snout as a high-speed battering ram. No wonder they have virtually no natural predators. We can learn a few lessons about strength from these powerful and magnificent creatures. Stories abound of dolphins protecting humans against sharks. My dad happens to be one of the few living World War II submarine veterans. While on long, hot tours in the South Pacific, the sailors hoped to see dolphins swimming close by so they could dive off the sub for a refreshing swim—sure to be safe from sharks. Sharks steer clear of dolphins for another reason: Dolphins don't travel alone. They find safety in numbers by sticking together in groups or "pods." Like dolphins, our teammates can help us gain strength in prayer, which in turn, helps us defeat our spiritual enemies. Jesus said it this way: "If two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven" (Matthew 18:19 NIV). The Greek word translated "agree" is symphone, which comes from two words which mean "together" and "voice." When believers gather for prayer, they are like a "symphony" of powerful prayer. This principle was reinforced by a Marine who saw lots of combat duty in Iraq. He shared a lesson I'll never forget. "When danger hits," he explained, "I'm trained to run toward the danger. But my second response is to look around for my men." "So you can protect them?" I asked. "No," he said firmly. "I look around for my men because I know I cannot do this mission by myself." Much like dolphins, marines know they need to stick together to be strong. Are you connected with other members of the body of Christ? In prayer, in Bible study, in fellowship, and in service to others? Our mission—the Great Commission—is too important and too dangerous to be accomplished alone.

by Marilynn Chadwick If God be for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31 KJV). We've been exploring practical ways to grow strong in the Lord. Earlier, we saw how King David strengthened himself after a devastating attack by the Amalekites. He got alone and "strengthened himself in the Lord" (1 Samuel 30:6 ESV). Then he courageously obeyed God's instructions. David had experienced God's power in battle before, so he was certain God could be trusted again. David's obedience resulted in a thrilling victory. In Hebrew and Greek, the original Bible languages, the words for listen and obey are virtually the same. Hearing God implies that I will obey his marching orders. If I want to grow strong in the Lord, it's vital that I learn to both hear and obey. Young William Wilberforce was discouraged one night in the early 1790s after another defeat in his 10-year battle against the slave trade in England. Tired and frustrated, he opened his Bible and began to leaf through it. A small piece of paper fell out and fluttered to the floor. It was a letter written by John Wesley shortly before his death. Wilberforce read it again: "Unless the divine power has raised you up...I see not how you can go through your glorious enterprise in opposing that [abominable practice of slavery], which is the scandal of religion, of England, and of human nature. Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils. But if God be for you, who can be against you? Are all of them together stronger than God? Oh, be not weary of well-doing. Go on in the name of God, and in the power of His might." Much like William Wilberforce's fight against slavery, sometimes God asks us to do very difficult things. Do we change our lives to conform to God's call or take the easy way out? Remember, we have an advantage even over King David when it comes to hearing God. As believers in Christ, we have the gift of his Holy Spirit who dwells in us. This means we have access to God's voice in a much more intimate way. We also have the entire Bible available to us. Imagine how David would have felt if he had the whole Bible in his hands—complete with his own book of Psalms! We must give God time to speak to us. A few minutes each day to read and reflect on God's promises—letting them sink down deep—these are nourishment to our soul. God's Word sharpens our inner hearing of God's voice. Jesus said believers will recognize his voice. "My sheep listen to my voice. I know them and they follow me" (John 10:27). Has God ever asked you to do a hard thing? Did you say yes? How did obedience to God's Word help you grow stronger? Perhaps he is asking you to do a hard thing today. Maybe God has raised you up for this very assignment. And as Wesley said to Wilberforce, "If God be for you, who can be against you?"

by Marilynn Chadwick Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed (James 5:16 NIV). God loves us when we are weak, but he delights in making us strong. His power shines most dramatically through our weakness. We've been exploring the various ways God strengthens us. Last week we saw how structure and order can help us free ourselves from the things that rob our strength, enabling us to follow hard after Christ. God wants us to travel lean and light through this life. Light-hearted, that is. He knows that getting rid of the internal baggage that weighs us down helps us run our race of faith. That's why he provided a way to cleanse us of the overwhelming penalty of sin through Christ's death on the cross and his resurrection. Even after we have received God's free gift of salvation through Jesus, we sometimes find ourselves entangled in sin. Let's remind ourselves of the challenge from Hebrews 12:1 to "throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Confession is yet another way we can declutter our soul and grow stronger. We rid our soul of toxins that drain and weaken us by taking them to the cross. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). We confess. He forgives and purifies. If that seems too easy, just remember, it cost God everything. One area of my life that is mentally draining and weakens my faith is worry. Over the years, I've made a lot of progress in dealing with this unwelcome intruder into my mind. But I have to be ruthless. Worry is a robber and a thief. It steals God's peace. Let's face it. Worry is exhausting. A friend of mine developed this little acronym for W.O.R.R.Y: Worry-Only-Robs-Rest-from You. How true! But I must be alert, and when worry springs up, I confess it as sin. I take my thoughts captive, remind myself of God's power, and reflect on how he has worked in the past. Then I fill my mind with the promises in his Word. When I do this, my hope soars in proportion to my lighter mental load and I gain new strength. What areas of your life cause you to grow weak and weary? What robs your strength? Confess those to God and trust him to give you the strength to overcome. Remember, confession is good for the soul.

by Marilynn Chadwick We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure... (Hebrews 6:19 NIV). God's strength helps keep our hope alive. Hope, in turn, makes us stronger—like an anchor for our soul. Perhaps you're fighting today to hold on to your dream. The mountain of obstacles looks too big to overcome. It takes spiritual muscle to keep dreaming when circumstances look bleak. Strength is crucial to resist the aggressive intruders of discouragement and fear. I pray that you'll find encouragement today as we continue our theme "Strong in the Lord." Years ago, when I was walking through infertility, I experienced God's strength in several practical ways—lessons that are with me even today. But one thing's for sure. Waiting is hard work! One day, my husband David spoke words that helped me turn a corner. He looked at me and said quietly, "You know, we'll never be happy with a baby unless we're happy without one." We were on vacation at the time. So, I went for a walk to do business with God. Two hours—and a very long walk on the beach later—I returned. I had surrendered my dream to God; "buried" my dream to have a baby in the sand. But I still held onto hope that God had a plan for us that was good. I felt strangely empty and free at the same time. There was a new fire for change. I wanted to begin again. And this time, hold my dream for a baby with a looser grip. I took stock of where I was. What I had. What I lacked. Where I could grow. In short, I began to "clean house." This was part practical and part spiritual. I worked at redoing the fixer-upper house we had purchased a few years earlier. Paint, wallpaper, and yard work were doable. These, I could control. I also took stock of my physical body; my temple. My health had suffered from all the infertility drugs and treatments. Plus, I was somewhat of a "junk food addict." So, I zeroed in on my habits and began to eat organic and healthy, not easy or even embraced by most people forty years ago. I also found ways to discipline myself through exercise. I discovered that structure and order kept me mentally healthy. There was some comfort in controlling what I could control. I could not control when I would get pregnant. But I could make a conscious choice to declutter both my soul and my surroundings. Friends, we grow stronger when we lighten our load. The Bible encourages us to "throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us" (Hebrews 12:1). Is there anything in your life that's slowing you down? Let's pray this together: Lord, please reveal any sins, habits, or circumstances I need to "throw off" so that I can grow stronger. Empower me anew to pursue the dream you have placed on my heart.

by Marilynn Chadwick Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you... (Isaiah 26:20 NIV). I'll say it again. Some of God's best miracles happen behind closed doors. Jesus instructed his disciples to go into their room and shut the door when they prayed. Their Father, who "sees in secret," would reward them, he promised. We may discover God gives us strength when we're out of sight. Hidden from people. Away from distractions. We've been looking at some of the ways God empowers us and makes us strong. But occasionally, he puts us behind a closed door not just to strengthen us, but to protect us from a situation that is about to get dangerous. Sometimes, when God plans to judge sin, he tells us to shut the door to protect us from his wrath. "Wait a minute," you may be saying. "You mean God judges sin here and now—not just in eternity?" You bet. In fact, the Bible is filled with examples of people whose hearts grew so hard that they eventually got what was coming to them in this life. In real time. And in eternity. Think about the massive flood during the dark days of Noah. Or the incineration of the corrupt Sodom and Gomorrah. Remember God's instructions to the children of Israel while slaves in Egypt. "Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. None of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning" (Exodus 12:22 ESV). In other words, "Shut the door and stay put!" God was about to do two very dramatic things. First, he would judge the Egyptians for their refusal to heed his repeated warnings to release the Jews. He sent a destroying angel to strike down the firstborn son of each Egyptian home, passing over those homes that had blood on their door. The children of Israel could finally leave after hundreds of years of slavery—and begin their journey to the Promised Land. Second, he gave the Israelites a foreshadowing of the redemption which would take place through the coming Messiah. The blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus, would bring forgiveness of sin and protect people from God's wrath forever. God may shut the door for a season to protect us. The prophet Isaiah put it this way: "Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by. See, the Lord is coming out of his dwelling to punish the people of the earth for their sins" (Isaiah 26:20, 21 NIV). My friend, are you discouraged by that "shut door" in your life? Perhaps God seems to have knocked you off course in a relationship. Or a plan. Or a dearly held dream. But as my husband David is fond of saying, "Rejection is God's protection." God may temporarily take us out of the game. He sometimes strengthens us by shielding us while he cleans up a mess that is not of our making. So be patient. Seek the Lord. Use this time to grow strong. To prepare for the purpose that awaits you as soon as this storm is over. And don't forget to look for miracles behind closed doors. If you're sidelined, take heart. Perhaps God is calling you to "go to your room" to draw you to himself. Maybe he has put you into hiding and doesn't want you harmed. Always remember, "the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment" (2 Peter 2:9 ESV).

by Marilynn Chadwick But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you (Matthew 6:6 ESV). There is strength in getting alone with God. The Bible tells us Jesus "withdrew often" to be alone with the Father. How much more should we? There's no more important task on earth than seeking God. When trouble hits, I've learned to go into my room, shut the door, and seek God through his Word and prayer. Sometimes God may close a door in our life so we have time and space to draw close to him. We get alone to shut God in, and to shut other things—like distractions and discouragement—out. Think about it. Some of God's greatest miracles have happened behind closed doors. A man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, fell at Jesus' feet, pleading with him to come to his house. Jairus's only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying. While Jesus was still speaking to the group, Jairus received word that his daughter had died. Jesus said to him, "Don't be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed" (Luke 8:50 NIV). When Jesus arrived at Jairus's house, "he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John, and James, and the child's mother and father" (v. 51). In other words, Jesus shut the door. He shut some things—and people—in. And he shut others out. Then Jesus took the little girl by the hand and said to her, "My child, get up!" (v. 54). Her "spirit returned," and at once she stood up, fully revived (v. 55). We see another shut door in 2 Kings 4:20-37. A young boy had died, and his mother ran to the prophet Elisha for help. When the prophet returned, he found the boy dead on the couch. Elisha shut the door and went in with the mother where the two of them prayed for the boy. The prophet prayed fervently, and the boy was restored to life. Yet another miracle behind closed doors! (2 Kings 4:34-35). So, when you are weak, worried, or weary and need to strengthen yourself in the Lord, remember to go to your room and shut the door to be alone with God. God sometimes asks that we be quiet for a while, go to our rooms and shut the door. But take heart. Some of God's greatest miracles occur behind closed doors.

by Marilynn Chadwick Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue (1 Samuel 30:8 ESV). God is near to the broken hearted. He loves us when we're weak. But he wants to make us strong. It's not hard to embrace the concept that God is close to us when we suffer. After all, we love our own children and hold them close when they're in pain. We may secretly wonder whether God wants us to remain weak, so we'll be more dependent upon him. That's like saying that as a mom, I would rather my children be sick and wounded so they'll want to hang onto me more. Of course not! I want to help them return to strength so they can live their lives to the fullest. But I have to admit. I have experienced God's greatest strength during times when I am broken. I would never have known Jesus as healer if I hadn't gone through years of infertility and the subsequent healing that resulted in our three children. Nor could I have comprehended God's mighty power if I hadn't seen him set me free from stubborn fears. And of course, I could never have grasped his saving grace if I hadn't come face to face with my condition as a sinner. Perhaps you have your own stories. Over the next several days, we'll learn how others have experienced God's power during times of weakness. We can draw strength from their stories and practical tips from those who have experienced God's strength firsthand. Let's take a few minutes to reflect further upon David's encounter with God in 1 Samuel 30. We saw in yesterday's post how, upon returning from battle, David and his mighty men were horrified to find their village raided and burned, their wives and children taken captive by the violent Amalekites. David and his men "wept until they had no more strength to weep" (1 Samuel 30:4). Can you imagine the sound? The despair? The men were so distressed they talked of stoning David. What would you do under these circumstances? Where would you turn for strength? Let's look again at David as our example. One simple sentence says it all: "But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God" (v. 6). After seeking the Lord, David receives this answer from the Lord, "Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue" (v.8). Which is exactly what happened. David and his men defeated the Amalekites and returned with all their family members safe and sound, along with everything that had been stolen. Their victory was triumphant! I keep returning to this simple question: How do we strengthen ourselves in the Lord? Perhaps we can now better understand what Paul meant when he said, "When I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:10).

David and Marilynn Chadwick join Jenn Houston in a discussion about today's blog.

by Marilynn Chadwick The Bible says angels are God's "ministering spirits" sent to serve the followers of Jesus (Hebrews 1:14). They deliver his messages and give help when needed. But Scripture also reveals how they provide protection. Scripture reminds us how the angel of the Lord "encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them" (Psalm 34:7 NIV). One clue about whether we've encountered an angel might be if we are unexplainably delivered from danger. Many years ago, a mysterious helper showed up during a scary situation—just when I needed him. And while I cannot say for sure the man was an angel, neither can I say for sure that he was not. David and I had been serving our church for a couple years. This was well before we had children. I was driving my regular freeway commute to UNCC, where I was working on my master's degree in counseling. Our cars were old—so old we gave them names to add a little character. David drove "Big Blue," a high-mileage, oversized Oldsmobile. I drove a clunky, yellow Ford sedan, which I had nicknamed "The Banana." Speeding down the freeway in "The Banana" that morning, my mind was occupied with my big research paper that was due. All of a sudden, my car made a weird noise and smoke began to spew from under the hood. I quickly pulled over to the side of the freeway. I was afraid to get out—nervous as speeding cars whizzed by. This was before the days of cell phones. I tried to calm down. I would need to walk to the nearest exit and find a payphone. I tried not to think of stories I had heard of women being attacked by "helpful "strangers when their cars broke down. Suddenly a car pulled off the road right behind me on the freeway shoulder. A man got out and came around to my window. He immediately took control of the situation. I do not remember being one bit scared—even though I was a young woman in a vulnerable position. He said, "Miss, your water pump just burst. You can't drive far with that thing steaming like it is." He never opened the hood, so how did he know it was my water pump? He went on, "Good thing I have a friend who has an auto repair shop just off the next exit. Follow me." Waiting for a break in the traffic, he pulled his car around in front of me and I slowly followed him to the next exit. Sure enough, there was a small car repair shop at the end of the ramp. The man quickly hopped out of his car and went to find the owner. The mechanic on duty got me fixed right up. I had a brand new water pump—and everything was taken care of in plenty of time for me to turn in my paper at school. But where was the kind stranger? He was nowhere to be found, so I couldn't even thank him. It was only later, when I reflected on the series of coincidences, that I began to wonder about the man. How did he "happen" to be following along behind my car—and how did he manage to pull off the freeway so close behind me? How did he know my water pump was the problem when he never opened the hood of my car? How did he know the exit was nearby and how did he know a mechanic was available in the car shop? And why did he leave before I could thank him? Could he have possibly been an angel? I'll never know. Whether he was simply a servant-hearted human who happened to be in the right place at the right time or a heavenly "angel on assignment," the story reminds me that God loves me. He is in control of my life. And he is always a step ahead!

by Marilynn Chadwick The next day, I checked into the hospital. The surgery, we were told, could last up to four hours. But forty-five minutes into the operation, the surgeon called my husband for an immediate consultation. "Had they found something awful and simply closed Marilynn back up?" He feared the worst. Meanwhile, I awakened groggy in the recovery room, with a man in a white lab coat peering over me. He had striking red hair and a very kind voice. "You did really well in surgery," he said gently, his face close to mine. "Your tubes are perfect," he added. I especially remember the word he used—perfect. Deeply comforted, I dozed back off. Down the hall, the surgeon is telling David that the six-inch incision and invasive surgery had revealed something quite unexpected. That my tubes were perfect! The doctor closed me up after a few minutes. The fallopian tubes, which had been scarred completely shut, were now perfectly normal. Not simply improved. Perfect! Absolutely no sign of scar tissue anywhere. David was waiting by my bedside as I came to. Before he could say a word, I whispered, "I'm healed, aren't I?" I just knew it. I began inwardly rejoicing as he smiled. Strangely, no one at the hospital remembered seeing a red-haired man in a white coat in the recovery room. But I know he was there. I asked numerous nurses and technicians, and they were equally certain. There was no sight of a red-haired man working in the recovery room, or anywhere else on the hospital floor. I've come to believe the mysterious man with the kind voice was an angel, a messenger with good news from God. The Bible has lots to say about angels. As we've seen, the word angel means "messenger." This certainly wouldn't be the first time the Lord used an angel to deliver a message of hope! During my six weeks of recovery following the abdominal surgery, I experienced an unexplainable peace and complete assurance. I almost felt like I was "expecting." I even bought a cute blanket and portable baby bed at a garage sale. What's more, I began to paint the nursery in anticipation of the baby I knew would come. The following month I learned I was finally pregnant! I tore out the page from my journal, which documented the healing prayer, and took it to our surgeon. He and his wife eventually began attending our church—their own faith encouraged by our miracle. Almost exactly one year later, we went back to the same floor of that hospital. This time, we were on the maternity wing—where Bethany entered the world to the surprised joy of the same nurses who had cared for us during my surgery. The memory of my encounter with the red-haired angel in the recovery room is forever etched in my mind. I've saved my journal page—the one dated January 27, 1985, documenting the healing prayer. Now and then, I look at those hastily scribbled words. They remind me to trust him when things look hopeless—you never know when he may send us an angel with a message of hope! Exactly forty-eight months from the start of my infertility journey, we conceived our Bethany. Three years later, we had our son David. And just shy of forty, I delivered Michael. We now have ten grandchildren and counting. Guess it goes to show that with God, nothing is impossible!

by Marilynn Chadwick During our years of infertility, hopes to have a baby grew increasingly dim. David and I continued to "feed" on the promises of God's Word about healing—too many to count—day after day, month after month, year after year. Promises such as, "He settles the childless woman in her home as a happy mother of children" (Psalm 113:9 NIV). During those desperate days, I learned to hear God's whispers of encouragement, see little signs of his work, and trust his character. In short, I learned the secret of what the apostle John calls "abiding in Christ" (John 15:7). Near the end of our fourth year of waiting, we enlisted the help of a highly-recommended specialist with a reputation for remarkable success with hard cases like ours. During our first consultation, the doctor delivered the crushing news that my fallopian tubes were scarred completely shut. Our chances of getting pregnant, even with surgery, looked next to impossible. David and I sat there stunned, letting the news sink in. We left the office, hopes dashed. One thing was certain. We needed a miracle. David and I drew strength from each other. We sensed God whispering to press on and not give up hope. Looking to the example of Abraham and Sarah I purposed in my heart to keep believing. Even if I am old, like Sarah, I whispered to God, I will still keep believing your promise. And despite what the facts tell us, I still believe you have placed this dream for a baby in our hearts. It's now in your hands. I trust you, no matter what. The doctor scheduled major surgery—a last ditch effort. The night before surgery, something happened that even our doctor couldn't explain. As for me, I felt like a bit of heaven touched earth. Trying to keep my mind off the surgery, I was flipping through channels with the remote. We called it "channel-surfing" back then. I happened upon a Christian television show. The program host was praying for people to be healed. Curious, I listened as the camera zoomed in for a close up. As I watched, he had his head bowed and was praying for people to be healed of various conditions. Then he paused and looked right into the camera. "There is someone watching this program who has scar tissue. It could be in their lungs…no, it's in her abdomen. I sense I'm to tell you that God is healing you right now." Scar tissue in their abdomen—who could possibly care about scar tissue in their abdomen except me? That's got to be for me! I pulled out my journal and hastily scribbled the time, date, and words, writing down all the "evidence" in case this startling scenario proved true. To be continued…

by Marilynn Chadwick I think back to an incident that involved two curious strangers who showed up at our church one evening. I was a beginner in my ministry journey. David and I had only been married a couple of years. My own faith was still pretty new, but very real. I sensed God had a ministry calling on my life. How ironic, since I'm the girl who once vowed, "I will never become a Christian, and I most certainly will never, ever marry a minister." God must have chuckled. Our church back then was on a busy road, sometimes frequented by transients. It was 1980, and things were a little different. We did not have to be quite so worried about strangers back then. So, when a couple of strangers wandered off the street into our Wednesday Night Bible Study, we simply spread out our chairs and welcomed them into our circle of thirty or so people gathered in the church foyer. As I recall, they joined in the singing and stayed for the entire Bible Study. Afterwards, we asked if they needed anything. Nope, they said, they just felt like wandering into our church. "Could you at least use a few groceries?" we gently prodded. They looked like they could use a meal and reluctantly accepted. We drove them to the local Mini-Mart down the street where we filled up a couple of grocery bags. "Where would you like us to drop you off?" David asked. "Oh, you can just take us back to the church," they replied politely. "Then we'll be on our way." We drove them back to the very same doors where they'd entered our Bible Study. The two young men got out of our car and thanked us for the groceries. As they walked away, the blonde-headed guy suddenly turned around and headed back to our car. For the first time, I noticed what a nice face and kind expression he had. He walked over to the passenger side toward my window, which I had rolled down. He looked at me rather intently. Quietly, but deliberately, he spoke these words: "You have just entertained angels unawares." With that, he and the dark-haired one walked away. We never saw them again. David and I drove off. Were these two for real? And just what were "angels unawares" anyway? I kept thinking about this strange word unawares. It sounded too old-fashioned for a young, hippie-kind of guy. And angels—seriously? I did a little research and found out that "unawares" was an outdated expression meaning "unaware or unwittingly," from the old King James version: "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares" (Hebrews 13:2 KJV). Could these two young strangers really have been angels? I guess I won't know until I get to Heaven. What I do know is that this incident left me with a strange certainty that God was near. A few simple words of encouragement from our two unusual visitors affirmed my sense of calling into the ministry. They reminded me that God saw me. He had called me to serve him. And if God had called me, surely, he knew what he was doing. He would help me find my way. What's more God reminds us to serve others—sometimes even strangers. I'd like to think God was pleased we had shown kindness to two ordinary young visitors—who may not have been so ordinary after all.

by Marilynn Chadwick Have you ever wondered whether you've had an encounter with an angel? If so, you're not alone. Over 80% of Americans believe in angels and over half feel sure they've been helped by an angel—even those who claim to be non-religious! But how are we as Christians to understand these supernatural beings? With all the misguided fascination with angels, it's important for us to rely only on Scripture for our understanding of these mysterious beings. The Bible describes angels as "ministering spirits" sent to serve "those who will inherit salvation" (Hebrews 1:14, NIV). If we have trusted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, God has assigned angels to carry out his will and minister to us. They're always available to do God's bidding, whether guiding, encouraging, and even protecting those of us "lined up to receive salvation" (Heb. 1:14 MSG). In the Bible, angels delivered important messages from God, helped his people fight enemies, and announced the birth of Jesus. The word for "angel" in the original Bible languages—Hebrew and Greek—simply means "messenger." Sometimes these spiritual messengers take the form of humans, like the three angelic visitors who appeared to Abraham and Sara with a special message (Genesis 18:1-21). Other times they appear in full glory, like with Elisha, his servant, and the mighty angel army. These heavenly warriors far outnumbered the approaching enemy! You must read it to believe it (2 Kings 6:15-17)! Then in Revelation, the angel revealed the glorious message to the disciple John, who was so overcome by the awesome creature he fell face down at his feet. "Don't worship me!" the angel told John. "Don't worship me. I am a servant like you… Worship God!" (Revelation 22:9 ERV). Angels often do their work in secret because they want to draw attention only to the Lord. God, not the angels, is always the star of the show. But the Bible clearly reveals how God uses angels to carry out his purposes on earth. It's possible that somewhere along the way, angels have ministered to us. Perhaps we experienced something unusual or unexplainable. Often in looking back, we may wonder whether we were assisted by an angel. This week, I'll share several experiences that have caused me to reflect on this possibility of entertaining angels. If you follow Jesus, I imagine you, too, have stories of your own. If Hebrews 1:14 is true, then angels have been sent by God to minister to us—and most of the time, we were completely unaware of their presence!

by David Chadwick We are wrapping up our week with one more heresy: Marcionism. This heretical thinking became popular in the 2nd century. Marcion, an early Christian theologian, presumed that there is a difference between the God of anger and judgment in the Old Testament and the God of mercy and love revealed through Jesus in the New Testament. Marcion drew up a canon of 11 books in the New Testament that included the four gospels and a few of Paul's writings. He left out the entire Old Testament. Eventually, this was labeled a heresy, a wrong teaching. Take note of any leader or pastor today who is trying to discount the veracity and the importance of the Old Testament as they are dancing with Marcionism. In the Old Testament, one sees a God of anger and judgment, yes. But I would argue, and many others would as well, that a God of love, compassion, and forgiveness is displayed as well. Grace is woven into every part of the Old Testament and story after story gives whispers and glimpses of the coming King Jesus. Similarly, in the New Testament, Jesus rules and reigns with a message of humility, forgiveness, love, grace, mercy and compassion. But he also warns of the reality of hell and of eternal judgment. Jesus gives us more info about hell than about heaven! God's eventual judgment of this world is evident in most of the New Testament books. God is the same God of the Old and New Testaments. And as I mentioned earlier, Jesus is found throughout all of Scripture. He is even seen physically in Old Testament, pre-incarnate theophanies as well as the New Testament Incarnation. This refutes one popular preacher who recently encouraged Christians to "unhitch" ourselves from the Old Testament. Take heed of such thinking! It is wrong and will lead you astray! Strengthen yourselves in the Lord, my friends. Put your trust in him. See and understand the amazing storyline of the Bible, one common theme woven throughout all 66 books. Learn the historical truths of both the key doctrines of the Christian faith as well as the heresies that lead people into deception. Develop strong theological muscles that can withstand any storm! And always remember: Sound doctrine produces a sound mind and mental health.

by David Chadwick Understanding the heresies of the Christian faith strengthens our theological muscles. If you've spent any time at Moments of Hope Church lately, you've heard us talk about what we call the "Core 4": Scripture, Theology, Wholeness, and Outreach. These are 4 spiritual food groups, if you will, that we believe develop mature believers. Too much of one thing over another creates an unhealthy imbalance. Understanding heresies will help you to develop a strong theology. Today's heresy is Arianism. It's probably the longest standing heresy. It was dealt with repeatedly over several centuries. Its name came from an Egyptian priest who introduced it in the 4th century. The belief of Arianism is this – while Jesus was the son of God, he was not eternal, nor was he divine like the Father. Nor was he the same nature as God the Father. So, who was Jesus to those who support this heresy? He was a holy man. A good moral philosopher. An interesting and insightful teacher. He was fully man, but not fully God. See, what heresy does is that it allows the church to weigh false teaching against what has commonly been held by the church. Though a mystery, the Incarnation holds that Jesus was fully man and fully divine at the same time. Conceived by the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit. Remember Philippians 2:5-11 from yesterday? The same argument applies here. He suffered as a man, yet was fully God. He lived as a man, yet was fully God. This is the clear teaching in the Scripture. For example, look at Thomas when he finally saw the resurrected Jesus. He fell to his knees and worshiped him. Note that Jesus received the worship and didn't correct him! Also bookmark John 1:1-2, John 1:14, Colossians 1:15-20 and so many other verses. Don't be deceived by teachings that have historically been labeled heretical. Build strong theological muscles that allow you to stand in faith in the midst of wrong thinking. Always remember: Sound doctrine produces a sound mind!

by David Chadwick Heresies. They are the beliefs and opinions that are contrary to the Christian faith. As we move forward, let me first add how important it is to note that not every area of disagreement is a heresy. Unfortunately, in my many years of pastoral ministry, I have seen many who deem things they are uncomfortable with as heretical. Dear friends, please be careful. Unless it's a clearly outlined biblical and historical heresy, we should not toss this word around loosely. With that said, let's look at another one of the historical deviations from Biblical Christianity so we can learn more clearly what are considered true heresies. Docetism. It is the belief that Jesus is not human. The Greek word "to seem" is the root of the word Docetism. In this heretical thought, Jesus seemed human but is not. He did not have a real human body. It only appeared to be real. All of the suffering on the cross was not real. It only appeared to be real. So, according to this way of thinking, the crucifixion was an illusion of reality and Jesus, as a perfect spirit, only "seemed" to suffer and die. Don't fall for this heresy! Its logic is no better than a sleight of hand trick. Jesus was totally God and totally human at the same time (Philippians 2:5-11)! Both his body and his spirit were real. He was a flesh and blood person, conceived in a virgin's womb. He walked this earth and chose to suffer just like us, as a demonstration of love! He is able to help us because he knows everything we experience (Hebrews 2:18). Plus, he had to be fully human, the second Adam, to pay the price for the forgiveness of our sin (Romans 5:12-19). I find it interesting that Gnosticism promotes the separation of the spiritual and the material and Docetism encourages the separation of divinity and humanity. Oh how humankind loves extremes! But the profound message of the Gospel is found in the tension and mystery of extremes. A message that is profoundly material and mystically spiritual. A Savior who was fully God and fully man. This is the Gospel that saved my life! I pray it has saved yours as well!

by David Chadwick Theology is one of our "Core 4" at Moments of Hope Church. Scripture, Theology, Wholeness, and Outreach are 4 pillars we believe create a healthy diet in maturing Christians. Developing a strong understanding of theology is a crucial part of living as a mature Christ follower. It is important to understand the key doctrines of the Christian faith. But it is also important to understand the key heresies, which is what I am teaching you this week. Today's heresy is Gnosticism. This is the belief that the material world is bad and the spirit world is good. Therefore, God had to place many different "emanations" between him and the fallen, evil world. What are emanations, you might ask? Think of them as abstract layers in between God and this world. They become degrees of separation, distancing a perfect spiritual God from this evil world. So, following this consistency of thought, Jesus had to be only spiritual in nature, not material at all. And salvation is only achieved through esoteric knowledge. The term "Gnosticism" comes from the Greek word "gnosis," which means "knowledge" or "to know." It implies that there is a spiritual knowledge that only a few can actually attain. Paul addresses Gnosticism in the book of Colossians. Take a look at Colossians 2:18, for instance, where he corrects the wrong thinking that only a few really understand and attain a certain level of spirituality: "Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God." Bottom line is this - earth and matter is good because God created it. It's the Lord's earth (Psalm 24:1)! Yes, it's tainted by sin, but still lovely in its beauty, productivity, and livability! Moreover, concerning Jesus, he was totally God and totally human at the same time–the major Christian tenets Gnosticism could not grasp nor believe. May we never partner with this heresy of Gnosticism that creates an unhealthy chasm between the spiritual and the material. May we never teach a Gospel that is unattainable and unreachable, granting oversight to only a few elites. Finally, may we followers of Jesus always live as ambassadors of the Kingdom of heaven, who reveal the many displays of the wonder of God in the midst of this broken world!

by David Chadwick We recently looked at 15 key doctrines of Christianity. Doctrines are the deeply held beliefs of the Christian faith that have withstood time and testing. Each day, I urged you to think of each doctrine as a key, creating a collection of keys to use when faced with resistance, questions, or confusion. Heresies, on the other hand, are the beliefs and opinions that are contrary to the Christian faith. I want to share some of those with you this week so you can see where the ever so slight deviations can cause people to stray from the pure and simple Gospel. Let's begin with two heresies found in the New Testament: legalism and antinomianism, two extremes of one another. Legalism is seen in the work of the Judaizers. They were supposed Christians who believed that one is saved by grace AND by circumcision. Circumcision was the outward evidence of entrance into the Jewish community of faith. The Judaizers believed identifying with Jewish heritage in this way was required to be saved. Paul vociferously argued that if you have to add anything to grace then it's not grace. He wrote Galatians 1 largely to refute the Judaizers who followed him after he planted the Galatian church. As you read this chapter, you can sense Paul's frustration and anger toward the Judaizers. Another example of the Judaizers' influence on the early Christian church can be found in Acts 15 and what's called the Jerusalem Council. This meeting was called to determine if Gentiles needed to be circumcised for salvation. After much debate, the answer was a resounding, "No!" Paul and Barnabas were then sent out on their second missionary journey after this victory, inviting Gentiles to receive Jesus by grace through faith alone. Antinomianism, on the other hand, is the opposite of legalism. Another word for this would be licentiousness. It's the belief that because we are saved by grace and because the law has been canceled, we can keep on sinning and not worry about judgment from God. People use this heresy as a means to sin. This could not be farther from the truth! And Paul loudly refuted this in Romans 6:1: Can we purposely sin knowing grace saves us? Paul answers, "Absolutely not!" A right understanding of grace motivates Christians not to sin. May we never misuse the grace Jesus gave on the cross to err on either extreme of legalism or antinomianism.

by David Chadwick Who moved the stone? Our last proof of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is found in this question. In fact, it is essential to answer this question. Let me ask it again. Who moved the stone? It wasn't the Romans. They wanted a dead body behind the one ton stone. It wasn't the Jews. They had the same motivation as the Romans. They wanted Jesus dead. His body in the tomb forever. It wasn't Jesus's disciples. The tomb was surrounded by Roman guards and there was no way they would have been able to bypass all of them and move the stone. So, who moved it? Here is the truth of what happened to that stone. The power of God pushed the stone away! Maybe it was even an angel. The soldiers ended up in a trance. Dumbfounded. And Jesus walked right out in resurrection glory! Politely folding his head coverings on the way out. Frank Morrison, a noted lawyer and spiritual skeptic, put the Resurrection on trial. He set out to disprove the Resurrection of Jesus. He knew it was the heart of the Christian faith. Disprove it and Christianity is proven to be false. After all his examinations, Frank became a Christian. Devoted his entire life to Jesus. He went on to write a powerful book entitled, "Who Moved the Stone?" to prove his findings. It's a worthy read even today. And always remember: God didn't move the stone to let Jesus out, but to let us in. He wanted us to see the tomb empty! To have marked evidence of the Resurrection. To always enjoy and celebrate our risen King. The King of Kings. Lord of Lords. Ruler over all. In Jerusalem today, there are supposedly three different possible tombs for Jesus. We don't really know which one was Jesus's, if any of them were! But they all have one thing in common: they are empty! That's because Jesus is alive. Forever and ever alive! _______________ Our "10 Proofs of the Resurrection" series was originally released in 2023. For additional resources on this subject, please visit our website.

by David Chadwick There are many proofs of the Resurrection. Proofs give evidence to the reality of something. I want you to walk in confidence that Jesus is God and is our risen Savior. Here is a significant proof to examine. Produce a body and Christianity dies. What do I mean by this? Well, it's pretty simple. If anyone could produce a dead body of Jesus, the game's over. Finished. Movement stopped. That is all it would have taken to crush the so-called "bogus lie" of Jesus's deity. One person could have stopped Christianity immediately by producing a body. The Christian faith is based entirely on the fact that Jesus's earthly body was raised from the dead. The Jews and Romans concocted a story that Jesus's disciples had come and stolen the body. But how? The tomb was sealed with a Roman seal. It could not be broken. There were Roman guards surrounding the burial place, knowing that the disciples might try to go and do something like this. They ruthlessly guarded the body knowing that if the body were to go missing, they would experience death on a cross like the dead prisoner within the tomb. And these were crack Roman guards. Their entire job training was to do this very job! Yet…the stone is removed. The body is gone. How did the disciples elude the Roman guards? Break the seal? Move the stone? The authorities never could produce a body. This one thing would have stopped the movement of Christianity, but it never happened. Why? This proof has to make you pause. Reflect. Wonder. Could the message of Jesus actually be true? Is Jesus really God? Why could no one produce a body? Because that body was raised from the dead! Jesus is alive and has a new resurrection body. We, too, will receive a resurrection body one day. Celebrate, dear friends! Jesus is alive! And Lord over all! _______________ Our "10 Proofs of the Resurrection" series was originally released in 2023. For additional resources on this subject, please visit our website.

by David Chadwick I love the many proofs of the Resurrection of Jesus. They provide evidence to the message that has captured my heart and changed my life. I want to share this proof with you today: Jesus received worship from those who saw him after the Resurrection. Why is this significant? Because only God is worthy of worship. Only God can receive worship. If any creature demands your worship, you should adamantly refuse. Yet when Jesus appeared to Thomas in his resurrection, Thomas fell to his knees and said, "My Lord and my God" (John 20:28). Note the personal "my." After much doubting and questioning, the reality of Jesus's Resurrection became personal to him. He saw the nail-marked hands and the scar in his side. He worshiped the risen Jesus. Jesus came to restore us to a relationship with God. He did not come to give us a set of rules and regulations. Jesus was now a personal Lord and God. And here's what's most astounding: Note, JESUS RECEIVED IT! There are other places in the Bible where angels appear to humans and they fall to their knees to worship the angel. But the angel always tells the humans to arise. Get up! The angels tell humans that they are NOT to be worshiped. They are creatures, not the Creator. Only the Creator is worthy of worship. But Jesus allows Thomas to worship him. Why? He has been raised from the dead. He is alive! Therefore, he is God! It's an audacious claim to deity! And he is worthy of all worship, honor, and praise! _______________ Our "10 Proofs of the Resurrection" series was originally released in 2023. For additional resources on this subject, please visit our website.

by David Chadwick There are so many proofs of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. As you look at them, it builds your faith and stirs up the reality of his message. These proofs give us evidence for the truth of the gospel and make us impervious to the influence of the enemy's lies. The change of Passover to the Lord's Table is our next proof. Remember what I shared with you about the Sabbath yesterday. Well, the Jews also had celebrated the Passover for 1200 years. It was introduced in the book of Exodus and they faithfully held onto it for 1200 years. Suddenly, it changed. Christians now celebrate the Lord's Table. Communion. The Last Supper in its place. Jesus is the Passover lamb. A lamb's blood is no longer needed for protection and sacrifice. Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice. The Lord's Table is now the place to remember the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). Christians can now look back at Passover and see how it showed whispers of grace that would ultimately be fulfilled through Jesus's life, death and resurrection. We can enjoy the beauty of Passover and even celebrate it. But it's no longer a requirement. Why? Because Jesus is alive! He has been raised from the dead. He is Lord over all. Jesus said to practice Communion regularly. So now faithful Christians do just that in remembrance of his life, death, and resurrection. Union life with Christ is one of the mysteriously powerful parts of the good news of Jesus Christ. We can abide in him and fellowship with him (John 15:7). We have been restored to the right relationship with the Creator of the universe. We can produce the fruit of his Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. How? His life is in me. And mine is in him. That's the essence and meaning of the Lord's Table. Or Communion. Co-union. And every time we eat and partake of the bread and wine, we are reminded of our special union with Christ. Our risen and living Lord - forever! _______________ Our "10 Proofs of the Resurrection" series was originally released in 2023. For additional resources on this subject, please visit our website.

by David Chadwick We are taking two weeks to look at 10 proofs of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Proofs give evidence to something being true. I hope these proofs will also help you share your faith with skeptics and see their hearts become alive for Jesus. Here is today's proof: the change of the Sabbath from Friday to Sunday. For 1200 years, the Jews had celebrated Shabbat from 6:00p Friday to 6:00p Saturday. Really let that sink in. 1200 years! Imagine the depth of history and tradition in this way of life. Then suddenly, seemingly without any planning, the day of worship changed to Sunday - beginning with Sunday morning. Why? Because the empty tomb was discovered early Sunday morning. The Resurrection occurred on Sunday! It's the heart of the Christian faith; "And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain" (1 Corinthians 15:14). But it is true. Over 500 people saw Jesus alive. There were eyewitnesses galore - enough to change 1200 years of tradition and history! The Sabbath is now an invitation to remember the power of the Resurrection. It no longer has to happen on a specific day of the week. Ritualistic traditions don't hold the power. Jesus Christ does. May we live with the same radical obedience that Jewish people showed when they recognized the change of the Sabbath. May we be willing to lay aside traditions of man to stand boldly for Jesus. May we surrender our earthly methods and practices for the ways of Jesus and his kingdom. And may we see his kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. Why? Because Jesus is alive! Risen! Forever and ever. _______________ Our "10 Proofs of the Resurrection" series was originally released in 2023. For additional resources on this subject, please visit our website.

by David Chadwick The life change of Peter is the next proof of the Resurrection of Jesus. My hope is that these proofs give you evidence for the Resurrection. And reasons to give to skeptics in your life who doubt Jesus's claim to be God and Lord over our lives. In Matthew 4:18-22, Jesus called Peter to be one of his 12 apostles. Peter was a fisherman when Jesus gave him the famous invitation to follow him. He said that he would make him a fisher of men (Matthew 4:19). Peter immediately dropped his nets and followed Jesus. But when Jesus died on the cross, Peter fled. He was nowhere to be found. He had even denied he knew Jesus to protect himself. Yet his life and perspective suddenly changed. Why? Peter saw a resurrected Jesus. Jesus appeared to him (1 Corinthians 15:5). At that moment, Peter knew that he was alive! He knew everything Jesus said was true. He believed that he was God. That he really was the Messiah. That death could not hold him down. Can you imagine the wonder as Peter pieced together the reality of the Resurrection? Peter goes on to be martyred in Rome for his great faith in Jesus. Legend has it that he asked to be crucified with his face closest to the ground, for he was not worthy to die as his Lord and Savior had died. How do you explain such a dramatic life change? Someone who lied like a little child to avoid getting in trouble goes on to be martyred for the message of Jesus! Seeing the resurrected Jesus changed him forever! The Resurrection of Jesus is the proof of his divinity. Only one person has ever lived, died, been brought back to life and never died again: Jesus. Others have been raised from the dead, but have had to face death again. Jesus emptied himself, took on the form of a servant, and was born as a man (Philippians 2:7), but lived perfectly as God and became exalted and was bestowed the name above every name (Philippians 2:9). He now lives forever! Jesus is God! And worthy of all of our praise! _______________ Our "10 Proofs of the Resurrection" series was originally released in 2023. For additional resources on this subject, please visit our website.

by David Chadwick One of the most significant proofs of the Resurrection is the life change that took place in those who were initially skeptics. The life change of Paul might be the most profound of them all. He persecuted and killed Christians for a living. In Acts 7, Paul was the one who oversaw Stephen's martyrdom. Stephen was brutally and mercilessly stoned. And as it was happening, he fell to his knees and asked the Lord to not hold that sin against his offenders (Acts 7:60). A profound story! Absolutely horrific! Yet Paul sat by and willingly approved. God granted Stephen's request for the mercy of his offenders, at least in part, through the salvation of Paul. How did this happen, you might ask? On the road to Damascus, Paul encountered the resurrected Jesus and it marked him forever (Acts 9). Paul obeyed Jesus's command to preach the gospel to the Gentile world. And Paul even went on to write approximately two-thirds of the New Testament. Outside of Jesus, Paul may be the most influential person in Christendom. Paul was eventually martyred by Nero in the early 60's AD. A bold and courageous carrier of the message of Jesus. He equipped so many people who went on to carry the message of Jesus, even after his death. Paul went from major persecutor to major proclaimer of Jesus's gospel of grace. What happened to him that caused such a dramatic life focus and change? The answer is simple: Paul was an eyewitness to the Resurrection. Paul's life transformation carried tremendous weight to those who heard his message. How do you explain this apart from the fact that Jesus is alive? Risen? And Lord over all the universe! _______________ Our "10 Proofs of the Resurrection" series was originally released in 2023. For additional resources on this subject, please visit our website.

by David Chadwick I am going over proofs of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. These proofs are evidence that Jesus is Lord. They should also help make you stand firm against the messaging that wants to convince this world that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus is not real. There were many persecutors and critics of Jesus during his earthly ministry who experienced radical life change after they had seen him raised from the dead. These testimonies are most certainly proofs of the Resurrection. Today, let's look at James, Jesus's half-brother. His life change was profound. James was a critic during Jesus's ministry. In John 7:2-5, he begged Jesus to return home. Verse 5 reminds us that his own brothers did not believe in him. Yet, he saw a resurrected Jesus and his life was changed forever (1 Corinthians 15:3-8). James went on to become head of the Jerusalem church and is found in scripture proclaiming the uncompromised Gospel of Jesus (Acts 15:13-21). He demanded the gospel be available to the Gentiles. He knew everyone needed Jesus's grace. He went on to write the book of James in the New Testament. How do you account for this life change? He would say that it was because he had seen a risen Jesus. His Lord and Savior. Ours, too. From skeptic to believer. From resistant to accepting. From questioning to proclaiming. James experienced a radical transformation after seeing the Resurrection. It marked him. Changed him forever. To the point where he ended up dying a martyr. May each one of us live in such a way that gives testimony to the Resurrection of Jesus in our lives. May the risen Jesus mark us like it did James. And may we share that message in a way that draws others to the heart of God. Jesus is alive! _______________ Our "10 Proofs of the Resurrection" series was originally released in 2023. For additional resources on this subject, please visit our website.

by David Chadwick We are looking at 10 proofs of the Resurrection of Jesus to help you stand against the lies of the enemy. Today's proof is that women were eyewitnesses to an empty tomb! In those days, women were second class citizens. They were not even granted the opportunity to be eyewitnesses at a trial. They were seen as less than. Their perspectives were rarely validated and often overlooked. Why is this significant? Well, if you wanted to fabricate a story back then, you would never dream of using women as your first eyewitnesses. In fact, you would go out of your way to use the most societally credible people as your eyewitnesses. Yet all four of the gospel accounts about Jesus's resurrection have women as the first eyewitnesses. Luke 24:10, for example, says, "Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles." This reality is shocking to say the least. And should give significant reason to pause. Women at the forefront of the story. The first eyewitnesses. Boldly leading the way in declaring the truth of the Resurrection. If someone wanted to sway an entire group of people with a false narrative, this would not be the most convincing way to do it. But that's the way God does things. He chooses the most unlikely evidence to prove his point. And it only makes his point more valid - especially to those of us reading it 2,000 years later. Hallelujah! Jesus is risen! He is alive! _______________ Our "10 Proofs of the Resurrection" series was originally released in 2023. For additional resources on this subject, please visit our website.

by David Chadwick Have you ever looked up the definition of the word proof? One definition is "the evidence or argument establishing or helping to establish a fact or the truth of a statement." When used as an adjective it is defined as "able to withstand something damaging; resistant." I am going to share ten proofs of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. For without the Resurrection, Christians are people most to be pitied (1 Corinthians 15:19). Without the Resurrection, Christians don't have a faith! Each proof serves as evidence to the truth of his message. They allow you to give a defense of the hope that is in your heart (1 Peter 3:15). Here is the first one: People do not die for what they know is a lie. They may die for what they think is true. But if it is a lie, and they know it's a lie, they will not suffer persecution or lose their life for what they know is a lie. Think about 9/11. Extreme Muslim terrorists believed that by driving planes into buildings to kill infidels, they would be granted 70 plus virgins forever in paradise. Do you think they would have done this if they knew what they believed was a lie? Some have suggested the Resurrection was a legend, made up by the early disciples to keep Jesus's message of love going forward. But this suggestion does not make sense either. First, the disciples were faithful Jews, faithfully following the law which clearly states, "You shall not bear false witness" (Exodus 20:16). Proclaiming a message they knew to be a lie would be in direct violation of the moral law they so faithfully kept. Moreover, these followers of Jesus were mostly persecuted, beaten and even martyred for their faith. No one undergoes this kind of pain for a known lie! Human nature is self-protective, looking out for #1. Wouldn't you think that if they were getting physically tortured and knew it was all a big game, someone would have spoken up and said, "Just kidding! It's a lie!" But the early disciples didn't. They died saying, "Jesus is risen." Why? Because they had seen a risen Lord (Mark 16:5-7). They were eyewitnesses to this fact. It proves Jesus is God in human flesh. The Lord over the universe. And worthy of our worship and obedience. ___________________ Our "10 Proofs of the Resurrection" series was originally released in 2023. For additional resources on this subject, please visit our website.

by David Chadwick I am handing you your final key today. We are wrapping up a three week study of the key doctrines of the Christian faith. You should now have a deeper understanding of the timeless truths and beliefs that set apart the Christian faith. Each of these 15 keys is meant to unlock truths on which you can stand no matter what is thrown at you. Today's final key: eschatology. The doctrine of the last things. Let's dig in. Jesus ascended to heaven. But he told his followers that he would return one day and make all things new (Acts 1:9-11). He would restore this world to its original intent. The Kingdom of Heaven perfectly revealed everywhere. A return back to how God perfectly created this world. The Garden of Eden all over again in perfection before the fall in Genesis 3. Paul talks about the "groanings" in creation before Jesus's return (Romans 8:22-23). This is because there was a way it used to be before sin entered into the world. Even creation longs for the return to perfection. Some believe there will be a rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) where Jesus takes his church before the Great Tribulation (Revelation 6-18). This teaching stems from a belief that God has not destined his church to face God's enormous wrath (1 Thessalonians 1:10). Others believe only in Jesus's second coming, with no rapture. Either way, Jesus will one day return and make this world new. He promised. And he who promised is faithful (Hebrews 10:23). Jesus gave signs to look for before his coming. They are outlined in Matthew 24, Luke 21 and Mark 13. It's easy to see how these prophecies are happening more and more. Like a woman whose birth pangs are becoming more and more intense and frequent before a new baby arrives. The reality of this promise should give all Christians a "blessed hope" (Titus 2:13) as we await this great moment. Living in "Imminence" (something the early church did) – that Jesus could return at any moment. We must remain ready. But how? Living in holiness, purity, service, and an urgency to share the gospel with the lost. May we be found faithful to him in all we are doing when Jesus returns!

by David Chadwick There are so many key doctrines that uphold the historical message of the Christian faith. These are the truths that differentiate a cultural Christian from those whose lives are yielded fully and have an allegiance to Jesus. The Trinity. That's today's key. It's a term never mentioned in the Bible, but has been historically used to explain the Godhead. Though never mentioned, the Trinity is clearly seen throughout the New Testament. Remember, the term Bible is also never mentioned in the Bible either! In Jesus's last words in Matthew 28:19-20, we are told to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Also, in Jesus's baptism in Matthew 3, the Father spoke to the Son who had just had the Holy Spirit descend on him like a dove. The Trinity. Such a beautiful doctrine. One God in three separate persons. Yes, it's certainly a mysterious doctrine, but it's clearly taught in the Bible. Who would want to worship a God who could be fully explained? If we were able to fully explain him, it would probably cause us to quest more and more to be God! Embracing mystery is part of what leaves room to worship him. Read Romans 8, for example. Look at each person in the Godhead working. The Trinity is also an imperative part of addressing God's love. How can God be love unless there is an object of his affection? With the Trinity, this problem is addressed. The Father loves the Son, the Son loves the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit loves the Father. So on and so forth. It's also why the angels and humans were created by God – to share in this love. It's so wonderful! You must be Trinitarian (believing in the Trinity) to be a Christian. It's not optional. It is a key doctrine to the Christian faith. The early church repeatedly fought away all heresies that attempted to deny the Trinity. We must do the same today!

by David Chadwick Every foundational doctrine of the Christian faith lays the groundwork for a strong and secure faith that should be able to stand against the resistance we will inevitably meet until Jesus returns. Take each of these keys and use them. Today's key: ecclesiology, the church. The ekklesia in Greek (ecclesia in Latin). The "called out" people of God. The Bride of Christ. The body of Christ. The family of God. The army of committed believers. Coming together regularly to worship Jesus and bring the kingdom of heaven to earth. Jesus first mentions it in Matthew 16:18 when he talks about building his church, against whom the gates of hell will not prevail. This is the purpose of the church. To break down the gates of hell. To work on the offensive against Satan and his demons. The book of Ephesians is Paul's epistle that best talks about the church and its importance. Jesus loves his church. It's HIS bride. In fact, you can't say you love Jesus, but don't love his church. He is the bridegroom and adores his bride, as flawed as she might be this side of eternity. Every Christian needs to be connected to a local community of believers. If you are a member of the body of Christ, you must have a group of people with whom you can live on mission, serving and loving one another and the world around you. You're not called to be a spectator who goes and checks off the box. You're called to be involved, using your spiritual gifts to bless this world! The church was never meant to be a place for celebrity pastors. It was never intended to be a platform on which people could build a name for themselves. Unfortunately, there has been so much compromise within the church world. Many foundational principles of the faith have been overlooked in the name of growing a ministry. It's a travesty. If only pastors would remember that Jesus says, "I will build MY church." We certainly play a role, but his yoke is easy and burden is light (Matthew 11:30) and it is ultimately his job to build what was his in the first place! The pressure is off! The church exists for the edification of people and the glorification of Jesus. Plain and simple. It should be a place where everyone, especially pastors, are pointing the world to Jesus. HIS glory. HIS power. HIS might. Until he returns. And Jesus WILL return one day.

by David Chadwick Learning the key doctrines of the Christian faith is a crucial part of maturing in the faith. James 1:4 speaks to the importance of enduring trials to become perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. I believe these doctrines are important in helping us develop a strong core that can withstand life's trials and ultimately reach maturity. Continuing on with our next key is this: the doctrine of angelology and demonology (angels, Satan, and demons). All of these are creatures, originally created by God to expand his love to them. Always remember they are creatures. Only God is the Creator. Let's start with talking about angels. Angels are mentioned 273 times in the Bible. There are millions upon millions of angels in heaven. Hebrews 12:22 says they are "innumerable." Their purpose is to worship God and minister to God's elect on the earth (Hebrews 1:14). They even ministered to Jesus after Satan's temptations. Next is Satan and his demons. Satan was a high-ranking angel who rebelled against God (Isaiah 14:12-15, Ezekiel 28:13-19). He wanted Jesus's position. He took one-third of the angels with him who became his army of demons (Revelation 12:9). Satan's job description? Kill, steal, and destroy God's creation and creatures (John 10:10). Satan and his armies are constantly doing warfare against God and his armies. It's called spiritual warfare. In Ephesians 6:10-20, Paul talks about how Christians should help fight against a spiritual enemy with spiritual weapons. Though Satan is powerful, he is a defeated foe. Jesus destroyed Satan's power on the cross and as Christians, we are now able to live powerfully in the Spirit. We must fight FROM the victory that Jesus will have when he returns. We are more than conquerors because of Jesus, who loves us (Romans 8:37). Satan can only tempt us. We are the ones who make the choice whether to give in to his temptations or not. We have been given a future promise that must define our present reality. Jesus will bind Satan, throw him into a pit, and eventually throw him into the lake of fire to be tormented day and night forever (Revelation 20:1-3, Revelation 20:10). If you follow Jesus, you have won. Satan is a defeated foe. And choose to stand confidently, assured of this future hope!

by David Chadwick This week, I will give you five final key doctrines of the Christian faith. These truths are foundational to our faith. They are essentials. We cannot add to them or take away from them. Today we focus on glorification – the final step in our redemption after justification and sanctification (Romans 8:29-30). It's when we all receive our eternal, material, perfected, glorified bodies. They will be like ours here, but without sin, flaws, disease, and imperfections. What a glorious day that will be! The Bible says that we move from glory to glory as we are transformed to live and look more and more like Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:18). Ultimately, we will appear with Christ in glory one day (Colossians 3:4). As God's children, we have not yet seen what will be, but when he appears again we shall be like him (1 John 3:2). Jesus was given his glorified resurrection body after he died on the cross, was resurrected, and ascended to heaven. He was given an eternal, material, flesh and blood body. How do we know this? Because the disciples saw him after this happened. When he came to the disciples after being raised from the dead, Jesus offered Thomas the opportunity to touch his nail scarred wrists and feet. This implies he both had an eternal body and that body had scars! Could it be that one day at the wedding feast of the Lamb, Jesus will serve us with those visible scars? And we will see these scars on his body forever? Always reminding us of his grace and the price he paid for us? How special would that be! Our glorified bodies will be perfect in every way. Free from sin, decay, disease, hurt, pain, shame. Stop and imagine that for a moment! And let it prompt you to worship our risen Lord Jesus!

by David Chadwick We are wrapping up week two with our tenth key doctrine of the Christian faith. I pray these keys continue to build you up with revelation, wisdom, knowledge and discernment. The doctrine of holiness, also known as sanctification, is today's key. If you remember, justification is the doctrine of forgiveness, when Christ's sacrifice made it "just as if we had never sinned." But it doesn't stop there. After justification, the Holy Spirit in us begins the process of inward sanctification. The process of making us holy. Being conformed to his image and likeness (Romans 8:29). Justification is a one-time event: forever forgiven. Sanctification, on the other hand, is a lifetime process that will continue until we die. We live in fallen human bodies, in a fallen world, with a furious enemy (and all of his demons) who hate us and want us to fail and to fall. We must put on the full armor of God each and every day and choose to obey Jesus until we meet him face to face (Ephesians 6:10-18). It takes work! Faith without works is dead (James 2:26). Jesus makes us holy, but we are to partner with his finished work. God's truths, found in his Word and by his Spirit, will inwardly sanctify us until we see him return one day. In the process of sanctification, we can cling to the reality of Philippians 1:6. Jesus began the process of sanctification…and HE will be faithful to complete it! The old has passed away and the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17), but we must walk out this reality until the day we die! Learn the Word of God, my friends. Hide it deep in your heart (Psalm 119:11). Obey it. Be sanctified by God's truth because his Word is true (John 17:17). Then watch as your process of sanctification continues until you see Jesus face to face.

by David Chadwick Bibliology. Theology. Christology. Pneumatology. Anthropology. Hamartiology. Soteriology. Incarnation. If any of these words mean something to you, you've probably been journeying with me through some of the key doctrines of the Christian faith. I'd urge you to go back through and learn along with me. Today we pick up our ninth key: justification – the doctrine of forgiveness. Galatians 2:16 says, "yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified." 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." Jesus took our sins upon himself on the cross and, in turn, offered us forgiveness. This forgiveness is given to us by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). It is a free gift. Not of works, for we could never do enough good works to earn God's favor in his perfect holiness. Justification is most easily remembered this way: when Jesus looks at us, it's "just as if we've never sinned." We are declared "justified." Our sins are gone forever. Thrown into the deepest heart of the sea. He paid the debtor's price for our sin. And now, like a slave who had someone pay the ransom price for his captivity, we are free. To live as the Father desires us to live. Justification is a legal term. An imputed righteousness. A declaration forever that we can now make in the face of the accuser: "Jesus died the death I should have died! In my place! And his resurrection not only proves he is God, but it declares me innocent. God accepted the atonement Jesus gave on my behalf!" 1 John 4:10 says, "In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." God poured out his wrath for our sins on his Son! Why? For love! Sacrificial, unconditional love. Justification. What a wonderful word for followers of Jesus!

by David Chadwick Without physical keys, you are unable to get into a locked car or a locked house. Well, without these spiritual keys, I believe you are vulnerable to deception and may not be able to unlock truths that could set you eternally free. Study these doctrines. Learn them. Use them to gain perspectives you may not have had before. Today's key: incarnation – the doctrine of Jesus coming into the world. God is holy and hates our sin. But he also loves us so much. He created us, formed us, fashioned us for love. Sin got in the way! So, what does a loving Father do? Well, we see the account written so beautifully in God's Word! Jesus, the Second Person of the Godhead, was found with God from the beginning and in him was life and light (John 1:1-4). The Father then asked the Son to go and rescue us from our sin and from hell. The Son said yes. Jesus became flesh and dwelt among humanity, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). Jesus willingly laid down his equality with God and was born as a human. Leaving his position next to the Father and taking on human flesh, he ran after us. The ultimate sacrifice and display of servitude. He humbled himself in obedience to the Father in heaven to the point of death, even a humiliating death on a cross (Philippians 2:6-7). Jesus. Perfect God. Perfect man. Born of Mary's womb. Conceived and created in her by the power of the Holy Spirit. Fully God. Fully human. He had to be both. Why, you might ask? Fully God to pay the price for our sins for only God can pay that price. Fully human to be able to take all of our sins as a man to succeed where Adam failed. The most miraculous story ever written!

by David Chadwick Each key doctrine of the Christian faith is meant to provide a strong and solid foundation on which we can stand. Matthew 7:25 reminds us that the house founded on the rock will stand through life's rain, floods, and winds. I want anyone who hears these words to build such a solid doctrinal foundation that you will be able to stand through anything. Today's key doctrine of the Christian faith is soteriology: the doctrine of salvation. Jesus came to rescue us from our sins, to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). The salvation of Jesus doesn't just save us from physical death. It saves us for eternal life! It also motivates us to live on this side of eternity with purpose, vigor, and passion. Our lives have been saved for a purpose! Did you know Jesus talked more about hell than heaven? Matthew 10:28 says, "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell." Without Jesus, hell is our eternity. It's a real place, originally created for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41). Not for you and me! But if we maintain our rebellion against God, it will become our eternal home as well. God in his perfect holiness cannot have anything to do with our sinfulness. It's an offense against a holy God. He rejects all sin. He must. Think in terms of a physically healthy body coming in contact with unhealth. The body's natural reaction is violently to reject it. So is God's holiness toward our sin. Otherwise, he would compromise on the things he deems true. To be "saved" means Jesus saves us from eternal separation from him. He saves us from hell and invites us into an eternal dwelling with him one day. That's the meaning of John 3:16: For God so loves us he sent his Son and if we believe in his death to forgive our sins, we will never die/perish but live forever. This message is radically life-changing for those who embrace it! Soteriology. The doctrine of salvation. Praise God for this gift of eternal life with Jesus!!

by David Chadwick We are starting week two of looking at 15 key doctrines of the Christian faith. I am handing a new key to you each day. My prayer is that you will keep these keys in your possession and use them to stand for truth. In the last days, we are told there will be times of difficulty (2 Timothy 3:1), scoffers (2 Peter 3:3), those who follow ungodly passions (Jude 1:18), and those who depart from the faith (1 Timothy 4:1). We must know the truth before being presented with an opportunity to be deceived. Today's key is the doctrine of sin, hamartiology. Please note the previous doctrine: anthropology. God created Adam and Eve sinless, with strict orders not to eat of a certain tree. What happened in the Garden of Eden when the devil tempted Adam and Eve and they chose to disobey? Sin entered the world. In Genesis 3:1-7, God had clearly warned them that if they ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they would surely die – both spiritually and physically. And that is exactly what happened. This grave mistake paved the way for all of the world's problems that we are still experiencing today. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). We are all in Adam's loins and are therefore conceived in sin – the doctrine of original sin (Psalm 51). I like to say that we are all basically selfish and occasionally do good things because we have been created in the image of God. That image is still upon us, but because of sin, it's a flawed image. Jesus is the second Adam (Romans 5:12-19). Where Adam failed in his disobedience, Jesus succeeded through his perfect obedience. In Adam, we died. In Jesus, and his gift of salvation through the cross and the resurrection, we now live forever! Thank you, Jesus.

by David Chadwick Today, we wrap up our first week's exploration of some of the key doctrines of the Christian faith. These foundational truths are meant to help followers of Jesus stand confidently against the wiles of the enemy. The doctrine of humanity, also referred to as anthropology, is today's key. We know from Genesis 1:26-27 that humans were created in the image of God. Different and unique from all other animals in creation. Male and female. The crown of God's creation. Humans are the crown of God's creation. Adam and Eve were given dominion over all the world. They were called to dress, till, keep the land. To name and oversee all of the animals. To work the land because work was a good gift God gave humanity. "The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it" (Genesis 2:15). Adam was given mental and manual labor to do. Some note that humans were originally created a little less than the angels (Psalm 8). But after the Fall, and Jesus's entrance into the world and redemptive rescue mission, this all changed. Now, we have not only been saved, but adopted into God's family as his sons and daughters, thus lifting us up above the angels in God's mind. God loves us. He created us to share in the love that the Trinity knew among one another. This is why he created the angels as well. To expand his love. Can you imagine how much he loves us to have created us in the first place? Now, think about the kind of love that would go beyond that to send his son, Jesus, to rescue us and establish us permanently into his family as his adopted children! Heirs of every eternal possession he has! Understanding anthropology, the doctrine of humanity, should make the other doctrines we talked about this week come alive even more! Divine love displayed through the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit invading broken humanity. What an incredible story!

by David Chadwick Each day over the next few weeks, I am handing you a key. Each key represents one of the key doctrines of the Christian faith. My prayer is that you will use each of these keys to unlock places of your heart to understand truths you may not have learned before. Additionally, I pray you will use each key to lock up any places that have left you susceptible and vulnerable to believing lies. Now, more than ever, in these last days, we must be students of God's Word and God's Spirit. We need to be grounded in truth and aware of his Spirit so as not to be deceived. Today's key: pneumatology. This is the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. "Pneuma" is the Greek word for "spirit." We see the Holy Spirit in the earliest verses of the creation account. Genesis 1:1-2 says that the Spirit of God was hovering over the water. Imagine a hovercraft for a moment. That's what the Spirit of God was doing over the formless void of the earth. Remember the Latin phrase "ex nihilo" from a couple days ago? The doctrine of theology shows us that out of nothingness God began to order this world. Isn't it magnificent to picture God the Father, in alignment with Jesus, working together with the Spirit hovering over the waters to create an earth out of nothing? What a wonder! In Hebrew, the term for creating something out of nothing is "bara" (in direct contradiction to the term "asa," also used in Genesis 1, which means creation from something). The divinity and majesty of our Father is woven throughout creation. From the New Testament standpoint, we see the mysterious working of "bara" once again. The Spirit takes our hearts, dead in our sins and trespasses (Ephesians 2:2), "formless and void," and breathes life into us. From nothing, he makes us into a new creation! The old has passed away and the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17). It's all God's work! And he deserves all the glory in the power of his Spirit!

by David Chadwick More and more, we are finding ourselves in days where the bride of Christ must be equipped with truths to stand in the midst of a depraved and declining culture. There are many key doctrines of the faith that we must know. Today we will look at Christology. The doctrine of Jesus. Jesus is the second person of the Godhead. You see this hint in Genesis 1 when God said, "Let us create man in our image." Notice the plural references. God does not say, "Let me create man in my image." He says, "us" and "our" implying a communal and plural nature of the Godhead in one God in three persons, a doctrine we know as the Trinity. The angels don't create. So, God must be talking about the plurality of the Godhead. Read Colossians 1:15-20. It is so powerful. Jesus is clearly not a creature. He is "the image of the invisible God." He is "the head of the body, the church." Jesus Christ is the Creator of the world. Verse 16 says that "in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth." These truths should fill our hearts with awe and wonder. We see this again in the prologue to John. John 1:1-3 and John 1:14 speak to the doctrine of Jesus. The Word (the logic/mind of God) became flesh and dwelt among us. We will dig deeper into this next week with the doctrine of the Incarnation. Stay tuned! For now, I invite you to fix your eyes on Jesus. Worship him. Respect him. Praise him. The doctrine of Christ should provoke us to live our lives with an eternal mindset. And one committed to glorify and serve him every day of our lives. Belief must always translate to behavior. If it doesn't, do we really believe it?

by David Chadwick Over the next few weeks, I am going to be handing you a different key each day. Each key represents one of the key doctrines of the Christian faith. These are the foundational principles and beliefs that guide us as followers of Jesus. I pray you use these keys to open up doors you may have never walked through before now. And as you do, I pray you will be strengthened and edified. Following Jesus is not a one time decision. It's a life of exploration, understanding, wisdom, knowledge, and discernment. We must grow in all of these things by spending time in worship, study of the Word, prayer, and time with other believers. Today's key: theology. Theology is the study of God and the revelation of himself. One of the most important attributes of God is this: God created everything – from nothing (Genesis 1:1). "Ex nihilo" is the fancy Latin word that means "creation from nothing." Humans always create from something. For example, we need a tree to make a desk. We need metal to build a car. We need rocks to build a stone wall. Not God. He created everything from nothing. This is such a strong argument for the existence of God. You simply can't make something from nothing unless you're the Almighty One. In turn, if God exists and he is the Creator, then we must believe that he is sovereign over all including history, this world, and everything to come. It means that his providence guides everything. It also means he is working everything together for our good and his glory (which is called the Providence of God—Genesis 50:20, Romans 8:28). We can trust God wholeheartedly when things don't go well, knowing he is working to knit, form and fashion every piece of history into a beautiful tapestry that displays his grace!

by David Chadwick Over the next three weeks, I am going to take you on an in depth journey to explore many key doctrines of the Christian faith. We will look at 15 key tenets of what we uphold to be true as followers of Jesus. For those of you who have asked where I stand theologically on certain issues, you will see it clearly laid out here over the next few weeks. In our Western civilization, where people are typically highly educated and equally deceived, I find it extremely important to become learned in these things. Think of each day as a key. Collect them and use them to open doors you may not have been able to open before. And use them to refute lies in the culture and heresies in theology. Today's key: Bibliology. This is just a fancy word to speak to the infallibility of the Word of God. There is one major theme in God's Word: Jesus came to live the life we cannot live, die the death we all deserved because of our sins, and rise from the dead to give us the gift of eternal life. The Bible was written by 40 authors, on three different continents, in three different languages, over a period of 1200 plus years with one central message: how to go to heaven through Jesus. Coincidence? How could so many different pieces over many years seamlessly connect across authors and geographic locations to tell the greatest story ever told? I think not! I believe it happened because the Bible is "God-breathed" (2 Timothy 3:15-16). The Holy Spirit wrote the Bible through apostles and prophets. Fallible men who heard from the Holy Spirit and wrote down God's words to them. It's miraculous. This same Holy Spirit then guided men to collect and put these 66 books together over time to form what we know is the Holy Bible. It's either true or it's not. Followers of Jesus, professing Christianity for centuries, have believed it is the infallible Word of God. That's why Christians have often been called "people of the book." This doctrine is critical to the foundation of our faith. In these strange days, dear friends, choose to embrace the veracity of bibliology. The authority of the Bible is a key doctrine!