“There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).Life’s like that. Just about the time you think you have it all figured out, some new adventure disrupts your confidence and flies in the face of your conclusions. Nobody has life figured out.

 Here are some practical suggestions for you to consider:

Don’t run from trouble – You can’t go fast enough. Trouble will find you. Face it head-on and with determinate faith. There is no temptation bigger than you can bear if you put your confidence in God (1 Cor. 10:13). And there’s no problem that can’t be solved if you keep in touch with your spirituality. Even the fear of death is conquerable if you have sufficient trust in your Master (Heb. 2:14-16, 1 Cor. 15:51-58).

Don’t let discouragement rob you – Discouragement is one of the Devil’s most functional tools. It wrestles a man down by robbing him of his faith, and in doing so, saps his energy to keep on. It strikes every age, every spiritual level. It causes faith to flag and determination to become impotent. It’s a power-grabber, discouragement is. But faith is still the answer. Trusting confidence in God will triumph over discouragement. But, you have to engage it. You have to shove your faith in front of the discouragement before it can conquer it. Listen to what God said: “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb. 13:5). Do you believe it?

 Remember, down doesn’t have to mean out – Just because you lose a battle now and then doesn’t mean you’ve lost the war. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and get back into the life again. There’s work to be done, people to see, prayers to make, lessons to learn. Activity is the key to winning. Don’t ever quit. Only the weak quit. “Brethren, I count no myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Paul, in Phil. 3:13-14). “I press,” said Paul. You must do so too, for he closes the admonition with “Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded.” Are you?

And remember, most of all, that you and God make a majority – There is no force on earth strong enough to separate you from His love and to keep you out of His kingdom. Not even death itself can do it. Certainly, we may boldly say, “…the Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do to me.” Paul said, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? …Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through Him that loved us.” Stay with God and you can’t lose, folks.

And finally, remember that Solomon said, “In the day of prosperity rejoice; in the day of adversity consider, for God hath set the one over against the other…” (Eccles. 7:14). Don’t try to second-guess Providence, or ask “why me?” Relax and let it happen. Don’t ask, “Why has God allowed this?” Rather, ask, “What does He want me to do with this?” Allow the good days to cause rejoicing. Allow the bad ones to increase your learning.

Life is happy for those who love God and are keeping His commandments, no matter what comes along. After all, life is constructed of two things: good days and bad days.

Catherine Barrett says a neighbor’s small act of kindness was what sparked a now-global movement focused on all things good. Like most people around the globe in March 2020, Barrett was terrified of the then-novel coronavirus and watched as residents tried to navigate the crisis by canceling events, often panic buying and locking themselves inside their home to evade an invisible enemy. “There was aggression and people were getting really wound up,” she recalls. 

Amid the panic, Barrett says a neighbor left out a bowl of chocolates on a shared table in her apartment complex. The same day, Barrett — who lives in Melbourne, Australia — decided to create a Facebook page focused on other kindly acts from around the world. She named it: “The Kindness Pandemic.” More than half a million people joined in less than a month. They all shared stories of acts of kindness — both what they may have done for others and what others did for them. And the more stories people shared, the more kindness they inspired, Barrett says. Among them, a campaign focused on thanking postal delivery staff, who continued working during the pandemic. Another offered ideas to aid the Black Lives Matter movement. Another had guidance on care packages for new moms.

I love this idea and I get it. The pandemic has robbed us of most everything that is precious to us, but it cannot steal our gift of kindness to others. We have within our power the capacity to make a real and lasting change in the world one soul at a time. A “Kingdom of Kindness” is what the Lord has called us to and it is our best and most effective tool to make a difference. Kindness brings us into the arena of the solution-seekers and leaves the hopeless skeptics in the rearview mirror. I’ve had enough of the “doom-sayers,” haven’t you?

Kindness is “king” in a world where love really matters. True love towards others arises out of kindness expressed with “no strings attached.” Kindness is never about the giver, but instead, about the receiver. “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud” (1 Corinthians 13:4, NLT).

Kindness is “king” within the context of a grateful heart. Simply put, we are kind because so much kindness has been expressed towards us. “Kingdom Kindness” is the ultimate “pay it forward” exercise. Because I have received so much, pass along the same sort of kindness that I have received. “Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32, NLT).

Kindness does not discriminate, but instead is a free expression of love even to the unlovable. And who is more unlovable than an enemy? Jesus tells us to “Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked” (Luke 6:35, NLT).

A realization that is sobering but very true is that the majority of us will never become famous in this life. We will never be independently wealthy. Most of us will scarcely even be remembered years after we are gone. “Then what is it all for,” you might ask. Want to make a difference? Want to change someone’s life? Want to be remembered after you are gone? Want to be a part of something bigger than you are? Then enter the “Kingdom of Kindness” and change your worldview. I can’t think of a better way to live.

I suppose it is a burning, if not consuming, question that has once again become relevant as so many of us are looking for meaning and direction in a modern world. Events, circumstances, and unforeseen realities have released a floodgate of “modern day prophets.” Which is to say, the claim is being made by many that “special” prophecy received from the Holy Spirit is revealing new direction, new purpose, and in some cases, even a political directive. The real question is: “Is God speaking something new, or different, than what He has already communicated to man?”

The prophecies recorded by Holy Spirit inspiration in the Old Testament reveal much about God, and how He has used prophecy to reveal His will. Amos prophesied that those who abandon care for those in need would be judged harshly (Amos 8:4). Isaiah prophesied that God’s people are to seek and facilitate social justice (Isaiah 1:17). Micah prophesied that God’s people will be tested, and then blessed, by the measure of their kindness and compassion (Micah 6:8). Prophecies revealed in Scripture always correspond to activity God is doing, ideals that God inspires in His people, and most often contain a warning of false prophets who would twist the truth and either add to, or take away from, the intended will of God.

Towards the end of the Savior’s earthly ministry, Jesus’ disciples came to Him with several questions concerning the future: “Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?” Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many” (Matt. 24:3–5, NLT). Another way that “false prophets” operate is to claim a special revelation, or message, apart from what is recorded in Scripture. You might hear them say, “the Holy Spirit told me,” or “God spoke to my heart” a new “prophecy.” But, do the Scriptures support the idea that God still communicates this way?

Paul, the Apostle, teaches that “Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself” (Ephesians 2:20, NLT). Which is to say, all we need to know for salvation and sanctification has been given to us through the teaching of the apostles and prophets, and that this teaching is now found in the Scriptures. Now that God has spoken in the last days through his Son (Heb. 1:2), we don’t need further words from him to explain what Jesus Christ has accomplished in his ministry, death, and resurrection. Instead, we are “urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people” through the apostles and prophets (Jude 3).

Prior to the appearance of Christ, the Holy Spirit communicated to prophets the will of God. “Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God” (2 Peter 1:20-21, NLT). In the New Testament, Jesus communicated the will of God with great power, and authority. “All authority has been given to me” Jesus declares boldly as He commissions His disciples to spread the gospel (Matthew 28:18-20, NLT). The Holy Spirit empowered Jesus’ Apostles to “speak” (or prophesy) on His behalf (Acts 2). The Apostles possessed the gift of laying on hands to impart spiritual gifts (Acts 6:6, Acts 13:3; and 1 Timothy 4:14). Those receivers of spiritual gifts (prophecy) from the Apostles did not possess the authority to pass along this gift. Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 13:8-10 that “Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless” (NLT).

Before you entertain a “prophecy” that is new, or is an addition to the canon of Scripture, beware that in doing so you may bring judgement on yourself. “Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you” (Galatians 1:8, NLT). Are “modern day prophets” for real? They are only if their teaching squares with God’s Word, but then it wouldn’t be “prophecy.” If it purports a “special revelation,” apart from the inspired text, then you can be certain that it is of human origin, and not the will of God.

While teaching on the subject of Bible baptism is largely done through the commands, examples, and inferences found in the New Testament, the Old Testament is where we witness both symbolic and practical examples of baptism. Simply put, the Old Testament points to Jesus as the culmination of redemptive history and baptism as integral as it has always been to salvation by God’s hand. In Ephesians 1:10, Paul observes that God has acted, and that “this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth” (NLT). In Galatians 4:4, the apostle has the same view in mind: “But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law” (NLT). Hebrews 1:1 also highlights the climactic arrival of the Son of God: “In these last days he has spoken to us by his Son” (NIV).

The teaching of baptism in the Old Testament is a forerunner of instruction regarding the same in the new. What we see in the Old Testament is what scholars refer to as “typological structures.” They are “types” that have a corresponding practical application in the New.  In other words, the Scriptures begin with glimpses of Christ before His arrival on the scene and add contour and color to the portrait of the coming Messiah in the New Testament. Over time, such glimpses of grace in the grand stories of the Old Testament provide a preview of “coming attractions” in the New, so to speak.

One prominent symbolic picture repeated in the Old Testament is regarding baptism. As Peter observes in his first epistle, water baptism which “saves” is very similar to Noah and his life-saving ark (1 Pet. 3:20). According to 1 Peter, water baptism begins not at the waters of Aenon (John 3:23), but in Scripture’s opening chapters. In Genesis 6, God tells Noah that humanity’s sin has reached a critical mass (v. 5) and that he plans to destroy the world with water. In that trial by water, God promises to save Noah and his family. This is the origin of baptism.

Next, the people of Israel are baptized into the salvation brought about by Moses (1 Cor. 10:2). Moses himself undergoes a baptism of sorts when he’s placed into the Nile as an infant (a place of death) and rescued miraculously through Pharaoh’s own daughter (Ex. 2). Harkening back to Noah’s baptism, the basket Moses is placed in is actually an “ark” of protection, and salvation. Eighty years later, when God saves the nation, he does so both by substituting a lamb for the firstborn of Israel but also by parting the Red Sea. Paul later calls this event Moses’s “baptism” (1 Cor. 10:2), and, like Noah’s ark, it provides a picture of the salvation ultimately found in Christ.

Between these two “baptisms” in the Old Testament, Moses’s baptism is greater than Noah’s, for it saves more than a few family members. Moses’s baptism saves the whole nation of Israel. While Noah boarded the ark before the waters came (Gen. 7), Moses’s waters stood ready to swallow Israel as Pharaoh’s armies chased them. With Israel fearing for its life, God commands Moses to raise his staff, that he might part the waters and provide salvation (Ex. 14:10–16). After their safe passage, Moses pulls back his hand as the waters cover the Egyptians’ heads (v. 26). In this dramatic narrative, it’s plain to see how the importance and value of baptism in the stories of the Old Testament have enhanced the more specific teaching in the New about it.

Noah, Moses, Joshua, and even the prophet Jonah are all examples of how the symbolic baptism necessary for deliverance, and salvation, points to a greater, more profound, literal baptism in the New. These were a mere shadow of the baptism commanded in the New Testament (Acts 2:38, Mark 16:16, 1 Peter 3:21, Galatians 3:26-27). Like the priests in the Jordan, Jesus will insert himself into the stream of God’s wrath and save the sinner through baptism. Like Jonah, Jesus will volunteer himself to be swallowed in the earth, so that he might rise to save the nations. Jesus himself was baptized by John to serve as an example, and after Jesus’ ascension into Heaven, burial in water (baptism) was commanded and practiced in the name, and by the authority of Jesus himself (Matthew 28:18-20). Paul challenges all believers…“Have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives” (Romans 6:3-4, NLT).

The curious yet transformational stories of the Old Testament provide a backdrop upon which the redemptive narrative takes flight in the New Testament regarding baptism. As discussed previously (Heartbeat, 3/21/21), the grand narratives of Noah, Moses, Joshua, and even Jonah, help us understand how God has used the symbol of baptism to describe immersion in a variety of forms which released God’s provision to save His people. These word-pictures, of course, direct us to the teaching of Jesus and His Apostles in the New regarding a literal immersion in water for the forgiveness of sins (1 Peter 3:21).    

The story of a man in the Old Testament named Naaman provides yet another picture in the Old Testament of the value of immersion. Though His baptism recorded in 2 Kings 5 was an outward expression of his inward frame of mind, it was also a requirement of being healed by the prophet Elisha. Therefore, his baptism was a part of God’s plan to teach us something about baptism, but also, and more importantly, about humility. His baptism didn’t save him from sin as it is practiced in the New Testament (Galatians 3:26-27), but it does address the necessary prerequisite of baptism which is humility. Naaman was a gentile suffering from leprosy and was instructed to be baptized (immersed) in the Jordan river seven times in order to be healed. This example identifies a remedy required by God for him to be healed, but not to be saved. Baptism by immersion for the forgiveness of sin was ushered in by the mighty work of the Holy Spirit and first preached at Pentecost (Acts 2). Pentecost, then, was the ushering in of the New Covenant purchased by the blood of Christ. Jesus, would therefore “reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:20, NKJV).

Does the story of Naaman teach us that water baptism by immersion is a work? One might argue that it does if it were true that forgiveness of sin was the outcome of his obedience. However, we know that baptism taught and practiced in the New was merely  the fulfillment of the symbolic “baptisms” we witness in the Old Testament. Now we know that a more personal and necessary baptism of the water and the Spirit exists on this side of the cross, not before. Naaman was being taught to be humble, obedient, and willing to operate outside his comfort zone. He was healed by a “work” that he did which arose from a place of humility.

Today, now that we are under the New Covenant bought by the blood of Jesus, are we saved by a “work” (action) that we do, or, are we saved by faith in Christ? James clarifies things when he says, “What use is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? In the same way, faith also, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself”  (James 2:14-17, NASB).  It appears from James’ perspective that faith and works fit “hand in glove.” One without the other is useless.

James goes on to clarify even further, “You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone” (James 2:24, NIV). Consider again this important question: Was Naaman saved by faith or works? He went to the Jordan in faith, but had he refused to dip seven times, would he have been healed? No. All the faith in the world would not have cured Naaman until he obeyed the instructions. Naaman had to dip seven times. So, was he healed by works? Yes and no. No, he was not saved by works in the sense of earning his healing. The healing was a matter of God’s amazing grace. It was a gift. Naaman was not so good that God was a debtor to him. God made the offer, but Naaman had to show his faith. Yes, he was saved by works in that he was obedient to the instruction from God’s prophet. James wrote of this kind of faith. James emphatically expresses this warning about works and faith when he concludes, “How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?” (James 2:20, NLT).

Scripture is clear regarding the need for baptism (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Gal. 3:27; 1 Peter 3:21). Those today who would argue that baptism is not necessary, because it is perceived as a work, would have told Naaman all he needed was faith. But as James indicates, Naaman’s faith alone would not have saved him.    Let me be clear, we are not saved by works, in the sense that we earn anything from God. Like Naaman’s healing, our salvation “is a gift of God” (Eph. 2:8). Baptism, then, is our faith-response to His grace.

Last week the humongous cargo ship “Evergreen” became “stuck” at the mouth of the Suez Canal blocking passage for any ship desiring to go through. The size of this “behemoth” ship  staggers the imagination measuring in at 1,312.00 feet long and weighing approximately 200,000 metric tons fully loaded. It captured the attention of the world when it completely blocked the canal on March 23^rd. They say that it is roughly the size of the Empire State Building and one of the largest such ships in the world. The “Suez Canal” is likely the most important and noteworthy of such passages in the whole world providing a thoroughfare where ships and cargo can pass from the Red Sea into the vast waters of the Mediterranean typically with ease. The aftermath of the accidental grounding has been said to have directly affected nearly every consumer in the world one way or another. From the 360 cargo ships stranded in the Red Sea to the cargo of the “Evergreen” itself, economic impact enveloped the globe. A German insurer said according to CNN, that the delay “could cost global trade 6-10 billion dollars a week until the problem is resolved, and orderly passage is resumed.”

When it comes to being “stuck,” I suppose there are fewer greater examples than this to illustrate the immobilization, and consequences of becoming stuck. For days following this incident in the “Suez Canal” authorities and experts have tried various methods to getting the “Evergreen” unstuck, but to no avail. They lightened her load, which helped for a time, but not nearly enough to become “unstuck.” They have tried everything, so it seems, to resolve this economic and diplomatic crises. The bottom line is that days into this incredible story about everything has been tried that can be tried. The ship was hopelessly “stuck” for days.

It is fascinating that an incident such as this with a magnitude of seismic economic proportions has occurred just days before the “Passion Week” of Christ, and Easter. One could argue that two thousand years ago, when the political and socioeconomic realities of Jesus’ time came to a screeching halt as well, that it would take an action so profound could that it could change the very course of history and affect all of our lives at the same time.

Being “Stuck,” is a reality that is all-too-familiar to the conscientious soul. We possess the desire, at least, to move along through our lives unabated by obstructions, spiritual or otherwise, only to find ourselves wedged between the desire to make forward progress but also experiencing the hopelessness of immobility. Try as we may on our own, we just can’t seem to free ourselves from the “cargo” of our lives. We are stuck in place while the whole world is watching, or so it feels like. There just doesn’t seem to be a way forward and despair is around every corner as we try, and fail, to become unstuck on our own. We need help.

“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation” (Romans 5:6-9, NLT)

Because “timing is everything,” the timing of Jesus’ arrival Easter week in Jerusalem two-thousand years ago is particularly important. The Easter story of Jesus is not merely a seemingly ancient tale, but more nearly a picture of absolute redemption. Through His sacrifice we become “unstuck.” The interesting caveat in these words from the Apostle Paul are is that God did this, sent His own Son, at the exact moment we were still “stuck in sin.” Being “stuck” is to be human, but to be forgiven, well that’s divine.

Thankfully, the “Evergreen” finally became unstuck after the world watched with great curiosity for almost a week. So, the world is watching. What will you be willing to do to also become “unstuck” this Easter? Simply removing some “cargo” from your life is not enough, it’ll take a “tug-boat” of grace to get you there and thankfully the sacrifice of Christ is sufficient.

It’s been a few decades or so now, but there was a time when the “hottest ticket in town” were events where a cadre of motivational speakers challenged their audiences embrace the “power of positive thinking.” Zig Zeigler, Og Mandino, and the “godfather” of the movement, Norman Vincent Peale, peddled their books, audio tapes, and seminars designed to teach people how positive thinking can bring success in their careers, relationships, and improve the quality of their lives. The generation of motivational thinkers that followed them, many of whom came from the ranks of mega-church pastors, begin “connecting the dots” between a happy, successful life, and positive “spiritual thinking.” But, is it biblical to believe that merely a “tune-up” of attitude from negative to positive can actually have eternal significance?

We learn from the wisdom literature of the Old Testament that “a cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength” (Proverbs 17:22, NLT). To be cheerful is a decision not an unexpected blessing. To be cheerful requires a steadfast commitment to the decision of viewing circumstances against the best possible measurement. When you choose to be happy it affects your whole body, and is healing. It is no wonder that Reader’s Digest’s most popular feature is an article entitled, “Laughter is the best medicine.”

You’ve likely sung the campfire song entitled, “If You’re Happy and You Know it Clap Your Hands.” In this catchy tune is an obvious truth. The only way that people will know, and be encouraged by, your happiness is through a smile that you place on your face deliberately. “A glad heart makes a happy face; a broken heart crushes the spirit” (Proverbs 15:13, NLT). Are you happy? Well, let your face know!

Being positive isn’t just choosing to be happy and notifying your face that you are, it also is confirmed through encouraging communication. “Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy for the body” (Proverbs 16:24, NLT). What comes out of your mouth not only speaks to others, but also speaks to you. Psychologists call this “self-talk” and identify it as one of the most power mechanisms we each possess to change the trajectory of our lives for good, or bad. 

A carefully selected kind word to the right person can make all the difference in their life, but also in yours. “Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up” (Proverbs 12:25, NLT). With your positive words, you can model the kind of communication that brings out the very best in everyone in your life.

Thinking positively doesn’t happen by accident. It isn’t a “pill” you can take and automatically turn your life into ecstatic bliss. Positive thinking begins in the mind of conviction. Paul tells us in Philippians 4:8: “Now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” (Philippians 4:8, NLT). “Fixing,” or “focusing” your thoughts on good things will bring good results. Anyone can dwell on the negative things of life, but Christians are called to be laser-focused on what is “worthy of praise.”

The good news is that there is a power of positive thinking and it is within your grasp. Paul reminds us to “let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy” (Ephesians 4:23, NLT). Want to lead a more productive life? Want to be happy? Want to experience positive things? Then, by all means, set your mind where it needs to be. Understand that happiness is a choice. And, in the end, embrace the fact that you are God’s messenger to a world who desperately needs a “good word.”