Craig Cooper

It is hard to believe that just over a year ago my Mom had her homecoming. She passed shortly before Easter 2018. I continue to mourn the interrupted fellowship with her, while joyfully celebrating her being with Christ. In a real sense, heaven seems like an even more welcoming place knowing she is with our Lord. Her positive influence on me still ripples through my life. She was a great mom and grew to be a godly lady.

In the last chapter of Proverbs, a book filled with pithy and memorable sayings encouraging people to pursue wisdom, we discover the words that a mom of a king taught her son. In Proverbs 31:10-31 we find the description of a woman who loves and respects the Lord. These verses speak of a virtuous woman. The reason the king’s mother taught him these words was in the hope that her son would marry such a woman.

The king’s mother knew that her son’s choice of a wife would be a determining influence on his life. She understood that marrying a woman who truly loves the Lord and focusing his affections on her alone would lead to blessing and to not do so would be a decision he would live to regret. It’s hard to overstate the influence of a spouse and the positive influence of a godly lady.

Now it’s important to note that the lady described in Proverbs 31 is an idealized snapshot of a godly woman. You read and think, “she is perfect,” and she is. Remember, this is a mother’s description of the type of woman her son ought to marry. My point in bringing this up is that no one is perfect, but the description does describe the type of person we all ought to desire to be in Christ. The woman described is godly and is someone worth learning from and even emulating. She is someone to follow like Paul, the apostle, who wrote: “imitate me, just as I imitate Christ” (1 Cor 11:1). Paul is not arrogant, but desiring that His walk with the Lord would positively influence others in Christ. It is truly a blessing to have the influence of godly people on our life.

Besides my Mom, I have been honored to have the influence of a few spiritual mothers. Spiritual mothers are those women in my life who have treated me as a spiritual child. They have positively impacted my life for Christ. Ladies like Mrs. Graham, my third grade Sunday school teacher, Ann Bragg and Janet Coates who were married to my Jr. and Sr. high Student Pastors, and Patty Bray my lead pastor’s wife where I served on staff right after college have had a profound impact on my life.

My wife, Krista, is a godly lady. Her love for our family and me is such a blessing. I have learned much from her and benefited greatly from her influence on my life.

There is a verse in Proverbs that reads: “Her children stand and bless her and her husband praises her” (Prov 31:28). Those who know the Proverbs 31 woman best honor her. As I read this verse, I am reminded to honor the women who have made such a positive impact on my life. I am indebted to each of them. Like my Mom, their influence still ripples through my life.

It is my joy to journey with Christ with each of you. I hope you have, like me, had the privilege of godly woman pouring into your life. If so, I hope you will join me in taking the time to honor them by saying thanks. Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)!

Jesus declared that He had come to give life to the fullest – abundant life (John 10:10). Abundant life is eternal life, an experience that begins the moment we come to Christ and receive Him as Lord and Savior, and goes on throughout eternity. Jesus Himself provides the biblical definition of life –especially eternal life: “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3). It’s interesting that this definition makes no mention of length of days, health, prosperity, family, or occupation. As a matter of fact, the only thing it does mention is knowing God, which is key to true abundant life, which is spiritual abundance. The Christian life revolves around, as Peter writes: “Growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18a). This teaches that the abundant life is a continual process of learning, practicing, and maturing, as well as, failing, recovering, adjusting, enduring, and overcoming. We are to know God and make Him known.

There is a fascinating account of a post-resurrection appearance of Christ found in the twenty-fourth chapter of Luke’s Gospel. We discover that two of Christ’s disciples are traveling to Emmaus from Jerusalem on Resurrection Sunday when a Jesus, whom they do not recognize, joins them. Together they walked and discussed the life of Jesus of Nazareth. The disciples are mourning Christ’s death and the death of hope. But, as they travel Jesus explains from the Scriptures all that had just occurred. The Divine Author of the Book explains His work, connected the dots throughout sacred history to the events that had just taken place.

When they reach Emmaus, the Scriptures tell us that Jesus acted as if He were going to continue on, but the disciples ask Jesus to stay with them. In fact, the passage says that they “constrained Him to stay.” He remains and later at supper the disciple’s eyes are opened, and they recognize Him. Jesus had promised that He would show Himself to those who love Him (see: Jn 14:21), and this is precisely what He does on the road to Emmaus. Jesus then vanished, and the two disciples return to Jerusalem where they pronounce to the eleven apostles that the Lord had risen!

The Emmaus road account shows us how the Old Testament and its prophecies point to Jesus. It also provides an evidential appearance of Jesus, which supports the resurrection of Christ. Lastly, the account presents us with a model of the journey Jesus makes with us today, leading us to live the abundant life. Jesus still opens our eyes so we can recognize Him. Jesus still points us to His Word, the Bible. As we study Scripture, we have the privilege of having access to God. The purpose of the Bible is to point to God. Jesus still reveals Himself to us.

The disciples on the road to Emmaus did not expect Christ to show up. They were mourning His death as well as the death of hope. But, once Christ shows up amazing things happen. What catches my attention is what they might have missed if they hadn’t “constrained” Him to stay with them. I believe Jesus would have proceeded and they would have none the wiser of what they missed.

I am challenged to live a life expectant of God showing up. Wondrous things happen when we begin to expect God to show Himself to us. I am also challenged to ask myself one crucial question, “How much of Jesus do I really want?” I realize that it’s not Christ who limits Himself in my life, but me. Our Lord is willing to offer as much of Himself as we want. This means that I get as much of Him as I truly want. I can simply be satisfied with a little of Jesus in my life here and there, or I can receive the fullness of Christ on every step of life’s journey.

I pray that my answer to, “how much of Jesus do you really want” is that I want all He is willing to offer me. I am thankful that in every situation in life, that I have the ultimate source of power and love with me on my Emmaus Road. I merely need to recognize Him, be expectant, and be open to all He has for me. This, at least in part, is what it means to live the abundant life – to know Him and empowered to make Him known.

It’s a privilege to serve our Lord with each of you. Let us ask God to make us ever aware of His presence and encourage each other to live expectant of His workings in and through us. I pray that our answer to, “how much of Jesus we really want,” is as much as He offers us. Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)!

After the resurrection of Christ, He presented himself on twelve occasions to groups ranging from one to as large as five hundred people. Jesus taught His disciples about God’s kingdom. Forty-days after the resurrection Jesus went with His disciples to Mount Olivet, near Jerusalem. Jesus promised His followers that they soon would receive the Holy Spirit and instructed them to remain in Jerusalem until the Spirit had come. Then, Jesus blessed them and ascended into heaven (see: Luke 24:50-51& Acts 1:9-11).

Just as Jesus’ resurrection was a bodily resurrection, where Jesus had died on the cross and was resurrected on the third day, His ascension was a literal, bodily return to heaven. Those present observed Jesus ascend until a cloud hid him from their view. Two angels appear and promised Jesus would return in the same way they had seen Him go. The ascension of Christ is a remarkable account that is meaningful for all of us.

The ascension is meaningful to us because it signaled the end of His earthly ministry. Jesus had come to “seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10). Christ came to die for our sins and be resurrected for our salvation. Sin had separated us from God and brought upon us a death sentence. Jesus died in our stead so that we can find new life and spend eternity with Him (see: Romans 4:25 & 6:23). The ascension signifies success in the earthly work of Jesus Christ. He had accomplished what He had come to do.

The ascension is meaningful to us because it symbolized His exaltation by the Father (Ephesians 1:20-23). When the Father received Jesus, He was honored and given a name above all names (Philippians 2:9). Jesus returned to His heavenly glory where He loving serves as our Mediator to the Father (see: 1 Timothy 2:5 & Hebrews 9:15).

The ascension is meaningful to us because it allowed Him to prepare a place for us (see: John 14:2). In John’s Gospel, we discover a conversation Jesus had with His disciples about His leaving them. Jesus tells His disciples that He will be leaving them soon. The disciples are troubled that Jesus is going away. So He encourages them that He is going to prepare a place for them in paradise. Jesus also declares that He would return and take them to be with Him. This promise was not just to those He was directly speaking to, but to all of His followers throughout the ages. Anyone who is in Christ is promised renewal for today and a blessed future with Him for eternity.

Much is spoken in churches about Christ death on the cross and resurrection and rightfully so. These two events radically changed the human predicament and opened the door for all to find salvation and life in Christ. But, unfortunately, little is spoken of the ascension. This is a shame because; the ascension marks Christ finished work in our salvation. It signifies His being accepted by the Father, as well as, the acceptance of all to God who has received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. The ascension also introduces us to the reality of Christ preparing a place for His followers and His promise to return and take us to be with Him for eternity.

I am so grateful to follow Christ with each of you. As we celebrate Christ this Easter season, let’s not forget about His ascension and how meaningful it is to each of us. Because of Christ’s ascension, we can live the ascended life, a life filled with the power and promises of Christ. Jesus as our ascended Lord leaves no doubt about who we are, whose we are, and what we are all about in Him. Just like His first disciples, we are to share His love and message with others as witnesses of our Lord (see: Acts 1:8), so that all will be ready for His return. Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)!

I have always enjoyed celebrating Easter with my church family. Easter commemorates the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. I insert the qualifier “bodily” to unmistakably affirm that Jesus indeed died on the cross and was resurrected on the third day. This magnificent event is recorded in all four Gospels. Not only in the accounts do we read that the tomb where Jesus had been buried was empty and that an angel declared Christ had risen, but Jesus visited His disciples and many others after His resurrection. In fact, Jesus appeared on twelve occasions to groups ranging from one to as large as five-hundred. The empty tomb displayed that Christ was not there and the appearances that He is alive.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a historical fact that holds eternal consequences for those who believe. This truth begs the question, “What difference does the resurrection make in my life?”

Let me share with you three realities from Christ’s resurrection that impact our lives.

The first reality is that because of Christ’s resurrection, we don’t have to despair. On Friday Jesus was hanging on the cross. His followers believed their hope had been shattered, but what they didn’t know, and we do is that Sunday was on the way. When Jesus Christ rose from the dead on Resurrection Sunday, He proved that the hope He proclaimed was real, and so was God’s power at work in the world. When I consider the resurrection it encourages me to understand that no matter how bad things might look at any given moment, God has the power to change me and/or change my circumstances. God is in control, and as I look to Him, I am assured that He is with me. Paul writes to the believers in Rome: “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Rom 8:28). God causes “all things” to work for the spiritual “good” of those who have entered into a saving relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. Jesus made such a relationship possible through His death and resurrection. Believers can be confident that nothing can hurt them so deeply that God can’t turn it around for their good. The resurrection presents us with the reality that we don’t have to despair.

The second reality is that because of Christ’s resurrection renewal is possible. One of the most precise descriptions of what Jesus accomplished on the cross is found in Paul’s second letter to the church in Corinth. He writes: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor 5:21). We have been offered a right relationship with God only because Jesus died for our sins, removing its eternal consequence – death (see: Rom 6:23). In Christ’s death, He took the punishment for our sin so that we might be forgiven and the righteousness of God might become a reality in our lives. The resurrection of Christ demonstrates that no sin is too terrible to be forgiven. Jesus took upon Himself the sins of the world – every sin each and every one of us every committed – and God the Father still resurrected Him from the dead. Through the resurrection, God proves that He has the power to bring us salvation. The resurrection presents us with the reality that renewal is possible.

The third reality is that because of the resurrection, we know that there is life beyond the grave. In John’s Gospel, we are presented with an account of Jesus preparing His disciples for His departure (see: John 14:1-3). The disciples are troubled that Jesus is going away. So He encourages them that He is going to prepare a place for them in paradise. He also declares that He will return and take them to be with Him. This is true for all believers. The resurrection proves that Jesus has the power to live up to His claim to come and take us to be with Him for eternity. The resurrection presents us with the reality that there is life beyond the grave.

The resurrection presents us with some fantastic realities. In Christ, we don’t have to despair. Renewal is possible. There is life beyond the grave. The people who encountered Christ between His resurrection and His ascension all discovered a powerful sense of hope because of His presence with them. The good news is that every believer can experience that same sense of hope today. I wonder how God, at this very moment, wants to fill you with hope, offer you renewal, encourage you that this life is not all there is. Jesus came, died, and was resurrected to make us alive!

It is an honor to serve Christ with each of you. I hope the reality of Christ’s resurrection reigns in your life. He has risen and desires to make each of us alive in Him. Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)!

Jesus declared that He came so we could experience abundant lives (Jn 10:10b). The simple truth is that in Christ we are truly alive. There is an account recorded in all four gospels that reveals much about this amazing work of Christ. I am speaking of The Triumphal Entry. The Triumphal Entry sets off a week that begins with celebration and ends with Christ sacrificial death on the cross for the sins of the world.

We discover in Matthew’s account of The Triumphal Entry that Jesus entered Jerusalem amidst great fanfare riding on a donkey (Matt 21:1-8). There is great significance in Jesus riding on the donkey. Every person present as Jesus entered into Jerusalem would have understood the significance of how a king entered a city. Kings often entered cities in one of two ways. He would either enter on a warhorse or on a donkey. It might seem strange to think of a king riding a donkey. I would guess most of us, if not all of us, picture a king riding into a city on a white stallion clad in royal attire, but that wasn’t always the case. In biblical times, the way a king entered a city represented the reason (the why and how) he came. If the king came ready for war, he entered on a warhorse. But, if the king came in peace, he entered on a donkey.

Jesus entering Jerusalem riding on a donkey was a symbol of peace and one prophesized nearly 500 years earlier by the prophet Zechariah (see: Zech 9:9). Jesus entering into Jerusalem, riding on a donkey, was indeed a peaceful entrance. This peace Christ brought is not temporal, earthly peace, but peace between God and humanity. Through Christ coming and death on a cross the chasm between God and humanity, due to sin could be bridged. Once and for all humanity’s sin would be paid for all people. Jesus came to redeem us. He came as the “Prince of Peace” (Isa 9:6).  The Triumphal Entry displays Jesus coming in peace to offer peace.

As if this is not enough there is even more revealed in this account found in the Gospels (see: Matt 21:9-11). Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem occurred during Passover. In Exodus 12 we discover the origin of Passover. After about 400 years of God’s people living in Egypt the last of which was spent as slaves under the harsh regime of the current Pharaoh, God heard the cry of His people and sent Moses to lead them out of bondage. Pharaoh stubbornly refuses to let God’s people go. Even after nine plagues, he refuses to let them go. God has one last plague that will prove to break Pharaoh. Before the last plague, God has some very important details that Israel must do to be protected, which sets this plague apart as very different from the others. God initiates a new beginning for Israel as a nation and instructs them to choose an unblemished one-year-old lamb and bring it into their house for four days, and on the evening of the fourth each family would take their lamb and kill it and wipe the blood on the doorposts of their houses. Those who followed the command would be protected, and the angel of the Lord would “pass over” them and only inflict the last plague on those without blood stained doorpost.

As Jesus entered into Jerusalem, there was another significant event taking place. The priestly shepherds who kept watch over the Passover lambs were leading them into Jerusalem. Think about it, the same day Jesus, who John the Baptist proclaimed, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn 1:29), was entering Jerusalem was the same day the unblemished lambs were brought from the fields of Bethlehem and brought into Jerusalem.  Four days later the lambs would be sacrificed, just as Christ would be on the cross.

You see Jesus, is indeed, the once and for all Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Jesus was unblemished just as the Passover lambs, for He was without sin. Jesus’ blood would be poured out on the cross just as the sacrificial lambs’ blood was poured out. Jesus was our substitute and died in our place on the cross as the Passover lambs were a substitute for the people of Israel and died in place of their firstborn. The Triumphal Entry introduces Jesus as “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!”

When Jesus died on the cross, He died on our behalf. He paid the price for our sin and provided a way for us to experience eternal peace, to be redeemed and restored to God. He died that we may be made alive, having abundant life. The Triumphal Entry reveals more than palm branches, a donkey, and an excited crowd. He came in peace and died to bring us salvation and peace so that we can truly be alive, experiencing abundant life.

Only trusting in Christ can save you from the consequences of sin, which is death. Only His sacrifice as the “Lamb of God” can bring you salvation and peace. As we remember that entry of Christ into Jerusalem, those many years ago, I hope we do so with great gratitude for His sacrifice and love for us that allows us to know Him and that we are spurred on to make Him known. Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)!

Whole-life generosity is a life overflowing with kingdom provisions and released to God for His glory, our blessing, and the benefit of others. This life begins with a right relationship with God based on His unconditional love for us. The result of such a relationship is that His love overflows to those around us. A believer’s God-empowered life is the direct result of faith where the fear of scarcity is overcome resulting in giving boldly. Therefore, whole-life generosity is expressing the love of God in tangible ways out of love for Him and others.

In Luke 10 we discover an expert in Scripture asking Jesus a question. He asks: “What must I do to have eternal life.” Jesus responds by posing this question back to the man: “What is written in the Law?” The man answers: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself” (Lk 10:27). Jesus declares that the man is correct. Jesus had taught all along that following Him was about loving God and loving others. In fact, our love for God is displayed by loving other people who have been made in His image in tangible ways.

As believers, we are citizens of heaven (see: Phil 3:20), we are also called to pray and do our part in seeing “God’s kingdom come, His will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt 6:10). To be a citizen of heaven does not mean we are a mere tourist here on earth. When Paul wrote to the Philippians, he knew they understood what is meant to be a citizen. For instance, to be a citizen of Rome meant to carry the responsibilities of a colonist. It was the Roman citizen’s duty to transport the values of Rome where they lived. So, if you were a Roman citizen in Philippi, the goal was to transform Philippi into the image of Rome. When Paul spoke of believers as “citizens of heaven,” he was declaring the believer’s responsibility to cultivate the kingdom of heaven right where we live while praying: “God’s kingdom come, God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

Whole-life generosity is the result of God’s grace, His power acting in our lives to accomplish what we could never do with our own strength. Paul writes in Romans: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom 12:2).  As we continue in a saving relationship with God, we undergo a transformative process in which our minds begin to, in an ever-increasing way, think like Jesus, leading us to act like Jesus. We conform more to His character and His will, and the kind of generosity He modeled and have received from Him.

I promise that if you ask God to show you ways to be generous to others, He will answer that prayer. He will not just show you ways, but will also provide the resource, both financial and spiritual. As Paul writes: “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work” (2 Cor 9:8). God calls all of us to imitate Him by embodying whole-life generosity, a life expressing the love of God in tangible ways that glorify God, bless us, and benefit us.

What is your next step in your journey with God whole-life generosity? It is a privilege to serve with each of you. Let us encourage one another to take the steps God is calling us to make. Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)!

God calls us to whole-life generosity, which is a life overflowing with kingdom provisions and released to God for His glory, our blessing, and the benefit of others. Whole-life generosity begins with a right relationship with God based on His unconditional love for us, where His love overflows to those around us. Such a life is lived with faith.

Living with faith is a life where, out of the lavish provisions of God, believers are empowered to overcome their fears of scarcity resulting in giving boldly. Simply put, faith is placing confidence or trust in someone or something. What, then, is the opposite of faith? For many doubt would seem like the obvious answer to this question. However, when we understand faith as placing confidence or trust in someone or something, we realize that, as Scripture teaches, fear, not doubt, is the opposite of faith. The medieval theologian Thomas Aquinas explained that fear causes us to look inward focusing on ourselves. From such a posture it is nearly impossible to love, give, and serve others. He believed, “fear drives compassion right out of our heart.”

So, what is the remedy of fear? Putting our faith in Jesus overcomes fear by ending its siege and breaking down walls. Faith means trusting that God loves me and will not let ultimate harm come to me. Therefore, we find these words in 1 John 4:18: “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” As we embrace God’s love and trust in His faithfulness fear diminishes allowing us to live with faith.

There are at least four realities that allow us to live with faith:

• We are able to live with faith when we trust God, and His love for us, being empowered to overcome fear. Trust in God is what opens our hearts and empowers us to give ourselves generously to others.
• We are able to live with faith when we willfully surrender control of our life and entrust our self into the hands of God. Faith is believing the promise that no matter what happens, God will not let you fall (see: Heb 11:1).
• We are able to live with faith when we trust God even when He says “no,” believing His purposes are more loving and His grace more abounding than we can imagine. When our Lord says “no” to our desires, it is because He loves us too much to say “yes.”
• We are able to live with faith when we realize today is the only place we may experience and trust God. Much of life is lived rushed. God calls us to experience Him in the present where our trust in Him releases any fear we may have of tomorrow and believing He will provide for our daily needs. This empowers us to live a life characterized by whole-life generosity.

Faith is surrendering to God’s goodness, love, and power. It means releasing ourselves into His care. Here is the crucial question: What step is God calling you to take so you can live with faith?

It is my honor to serve alongside each of you. Let us encourage one another to live with faith. Let us trust in God’s goodness and faithfulness, so that, fear will diminish and our faith will grow exponentially leading us to live with whole-life generosity. Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)!

When we speak of whole-life generosity, we are speaking of a life overflowing with Kingdom provisions and released to God for His glory, our blessing, and the benefit of others. Whole-life generosity begins with a right relationship with God based on His unconditional love for us displayed by Christ dying for our sins and being resurrected for our salvation (Rom 4:25). Further, whole-life generosity expresses itself by living with gratitude.

How do we live a life of gratitude?  Joyful gratitude begins by recognizing God’s joy over us. Jesus declared: “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Lk 12:32). To be in God’s kingdom is to be united with God Himself. When we live in communion with our heavenly Father, His joy over us, fills us, and overflows to those around us.

Joyful gratitude grows as we trustingly walk with Christ instead of worrying about having enough for the future and genuinely grateful for God’s provision for today. Far too many people see gratitude as a transactional practice. In other words, some believe that if they show gratitude to God, then He will be obligated to bless them in the future. This is not trusting God, but attempting to manipulate God. Our gratitude ought to merely show trust and appreciation to God.

Joyful gratitude also grows when we focus on the source of our blessings rather than merely the blessings themselves. Paul writes, “A believer is to give thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph 5:20). The power of practicing gratitude is that it transforms greed into gratitude and worry into worship. It can move a heart from a desire to possess to a posture of praise. Gratitude is not to only focus on the blessings we receive from God, but to Him for being our good heavenly Father.

Paul writes to the Thessalonians: “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thess 5:18).  Gratitude is a spiritual discipline (or practice). When I struggled in school, my parents got me a tutor that taught me practices to help me improve. When I played sports (like football) coaches taught me practices to help me achieve a higher level of play. I was trained and equipped to live differently. Gratitude trains the believer to live differently. I have heard it said that “gratitude allows us to see the light of God in a world often filled with shadows. It trains us to recognize hope amid despair, to smile amid suffering, and to know the reality of God’s presence even when He seems distant.” Joyful gratitude continues to grow as we practice thankfulness. Thus, we learn to walk in faith.

I know some may be thinking, “What about difficulties?” James writes:

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4).

Trials are “tests” that challenge faith. When we are confronted with them, we ought to receive them with “complete joy,” not due to the hardship, but due to the opportunity for growing faith as we learn what it means to trust in the Lord. The idea behind the “testing of your faith,” is to make one’s faith genuine. The result is steadfastness, a life of faithful endurance amid troubles. Trials provide the fertile ground where faith grows and therefore ought to be received with gratitude.

Think of gratitude this way. We all realize that a car needs an engine and wheels, but it also requires a transmission that takes the power of the engine and makes it useful to move the wheels. Gratitude is the transmission that connects the engine of God’s power to the tires of our faith. Without practicing gratitude we lose sight of God, and our faith will be like a car with an engine and wheels, but no transmission. A life void of gratitude will never overflow into our world. Perhaps when we question the depth and breadth of our faith, we ought to ask if our “spiritual car” so-to-speak has the transmission of gratitude, allowing the power of God to move us forward in our walk with Him. When we choose to live with gratitude, we are able to live a life of whole-life generosity.

I am so thankful for the privilege of doing life with each of you. Let’s continue to encourage one another to live with gratitude, so that, we can live a life characterized by whole-life generosity. After all, such a life glorifies God, blesses us, and benefits others. Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)!

What do you think of when you hear the word “generosity?” Webster’s 1828 Dictionary (my favorite dictionary) speaks of generosity as “nobleness of soul.” “Nobleness of soul” addresses a soul marked by the very heart of God. As we examine Scripture, we discover that God is lovingly generous. Therefore, it should be of no surprise that God calls us to whole-life generosity where our following Christ and being changed by Him is reflected in the way we love others.

For whole-life generosity to be a reality for any of us we need a proper view of God. Our view of God dramatically determines the quality of life we experience in Him. There are many defective views of God. A faulty view of God leads to a flawed relationship with Him that leads to a life greatly diminished from God’s ideal for us. To experience a life characterized by whole-life generosity we need a proper view of God.

Simply put, God is our Creator, Lord and Heavenly Father who is: good (Lk 18:19), holy (Isa 5:16), just (Deut 32:4), perfect (Matt 5:48), love (1 Jon 4:8), righteous (Ex 9:27), pure (1 Jn 3:3), all-knowing (1 Jn 3:20), all-powerful (Lk 1:37), all-present (Jer 23:23-24), unchangeable (Mal 3:6), eternal (Gen 21:33) and much more. When we wrap our minds around a proper view of God, who He is, it becomes clear that the gulf between who God is and who we are in immense. So immense is the gulf that we have to ask, “What does God really want with us anyway?”

To answer this question, we must first realize that God does not need us (see: Psalm 50:12, Isa 66:1). Second, we need to accept that although God does not need us, He truly does want us. In fact, God desires to live with us, and through us empowering us to reveal His goodness to the world. God created and redeemed us because He wants us to share in his love (see: Jn 17:21). God created us from the overflow of His love. He desires for us to live generously, which is the overflow of the love we experience in our relationship with Him.

Our generosity begins with God’s love. Consider the Father’s love for Jesus. At the moment of Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River, the Father declared: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matt 3:17). Hearing that the Father loves the Son probably does not surprise any of us, but when He declared it might. The Father said He was pleased with the Son before Jesus ever preached a sermon, ever performed a miracle, ever called a disciple, ever confronted a Pharisee, before He overcame the temptations of the Devil, before He endured the humiliation of suffering on the cross. When the Father had declared His pleasure in the Son, Jesus had not yet completed any of these things. The Father declared Jesus’ identity as His beloved before He had accomplished these things. The Father’s love came first, not the Son’s obedience. Just like Jesus God’s love for us is unconditional. We can’t earn God’s love, and we don’t have to do so. God’s love is a gift. God’s love is generously and lavishly offered to us.

Whole-life generosity begins with a right relationship with God. Our relationship with the Lord is based on His unconditional love for us displayed by Christ dying for our sins and being resurrected for our salvation (Rom 4:25). Our generosity does not flow from needing to find God’s approval. It is actually the opposite. God has already declared His love for us as His beloved children, and when His love saturates us, through Christ, and by the power of His Spirit, it propels us to obey, serve, and give – whole life generosity oozes from our lives.

I am honored to serve alongside each of you. As John writes: “What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we’re called children of God” (1 Jn 3:1)! God calls us to a whole-life generosity, and such a life is rooted in His love as we follow Christ. Let’s encourage each other to bask in His love and generously radiate it to the world around us. Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)!

Of all the emotions a person can feel anger is among the strongest. Therefore, handling anger is an important skill. If anger is left, untamed, it will lead to shattered communication that will tear apart relationships and darken the spirit of the person consumed by anger’s flames. The good news is that God’s Word is full of wisdom regarding how to handle anger in a way that glorifies God, blesses you, and benefits others.

It is important to understand that anger is not always sin. Some call this righteous anger. God experiences anger. The psalmist writes: “God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day” (Psalm 7:11). This verse refers to God’s anger directed against those who threaten His followers. The Scriptures teach of anger that acceptable for believers. Paul writes: “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger” (Ephesians 4:26). It is true, not all anger is sin, but the believer should not be consumed by anger. One’s anger should not even be carried over to the next day, as this will give an opportunity for anger to be stoked and lead to it becoming a consuming fire.

There are two Greek words in the New Testament that are translated as “anger.” One refers to “passion and energy.” The other word means, “agitated or boiling.” Godly anger is always anger the Lord allows to grow within believers to help them solve problems. Such anger is not a response of our self-defense mechanism, but in defense of others or of a principle. For instance, since I believe all life is sacred and made in the image of God, I am angered by human trafficking (modern-day slavery) that exist in our world. With this stated it is essential to recognize that anger at an injustice inflicted against oneself is appropriate.

Anger can be a warning bell allowing the individual to know when others have violated healthy boundaries. Victims of abuse and crime have been violated, and it is natural to feel anger. To find healing the trauma has to be accepted for the tragedy it was. Such a realization will often produce anger. However, the endpoint is not anger, but healing and peace. Therefore, the journey many victims go through to find God’s healing leads them to experience anger but when trusting in the Lord, progresses beyond anger to ultimately find hope and divine rest.

Anger that is sin often is motivated by pride and fueled by growing pride. James is referring to this anger when he writes: “The anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:20). This anger is unproductive, distorts God’s purposes, and lingers. Such anger leads to bitterness.

Handling anger biblically begins by seeking God’s wisdom and the counsel of godly believers. Sometimes we need help determining if we are experiencing righteous anger and further if we are handling it in a Christ-like manner. The Lord and Christ followers can help us recognize if our anger is sinful and encourage and equip us to bring it to Him (to God) so that it can be quenched.

The Bible has much more to say about anger. I would encourage each of us to study God’s Word and seek wisdom and God’s leading in dealing with anger when it rises in us. Only when we surrender to the Lord will He bring us to a place that allows righteous anger to lead to godly actions. Only through submitting to God will He empower us to combat ungodly anger and rest in His peace.

I count it as a real blessing to serve alongside each of you in the Lord’s service. I pray we will honestly surrender everything to the Lord, especially our anger. As we surrender God will lead us to action, healing, and divine rest. Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)!