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Things Are Not Always What They Seem

/ Lee A. Robinson / 1 Comment

Whenever you’re staying in a house you’re not familiar with there is a little bit of a learning curve. Things don’t always work the same as they do at home. Right now we’re away staying at a family member’s house. One of my daughters came up shivering after taking a shower and chattered, “The shower water was freezing cold!” Later on I heard that the second daughter, who also took a cold shower, thought the first one had used up all the hot water! No one likes a shower with only the cold option, but I didn’t think much about it until it was my turn to take a shower. 

I went to turn on the shower. The water valve was all the way to the right with the water. I turned the valve all the way to the left and the water came all the way on. After a minute or so the water was still freezing cold. Standard installation procedure is to install the hot water line to the left and cold water to the right. Even the plate behind the valve had the “H” on the left and the “C” on the right, but things are not always what they seem. I turned the valve all the way to the right, just before the point where the water flow would cut off, and sure enough steaming hot water came rushing out. I was pleased that this was the case, for my sake, but I also did get a giggle out of what the girls went though! Fortunately for me, I had the simple advantage of having trekked on this planet a couple more decades than they have. I’ve encountered the displaced water valve dilemma before. There are many other quandaries in every area of life that remind us that things are not always what they seem. 

One of my reflections from this simple incident is that if things don’t work the way they seem like they should, then try something else. God did a marvelous job ordering the cosmos. There are universal laws that we rightly attend to and rely on. However, we live in a fallen world managed by fallen people who make fallen systems. Worst of all we see the world through fallen eyes. Our interpretations can be skewed about reality, motives, causes, etc. Things are always changing and we’re always changing. You know those optical illusions that instantly look like one thing, but after you look a little longer it becomes something completely different? Life can be like that sometimes. We get stuck in routines and traditions, that most of the time can be good, but don’t close yourself off from thinking something new, learning something new, or tweaking your life in some way to accomplish what you’re longing for. In other words, if the water in your life is cold, turn the valve to the right, try something unconventional and see if the water gets hot. Of course, this suggestion of thinking outside the box still suggests that we think and act within the boundaries God has set for us in His Word.  

Another thought that comes to my mind is: don’t be a judgmental person. Jesus wisely instructed us to, “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment” (John 7:24). Things are not always what they seem. We watched the new Garfield movie last night (spoiler alert!). The overall plot of the story was that Garfield was abandoned in a dark alley by his father when he was just a kitty. Later on they were reunited but Garfield was angry and bitter. Every time his dad was about to explain what really happened Garfield would interrupt him with bitter objections. His dad would have just enough time to say something to the effect of, “It’s not what you think.” Later on Garfield learned the truth. On that dark night Garfield’s dad saw him get noticed by a loving man who took him in. His dad knew that Garfield would live a better life with his newly adopted parent than he would living on the street. His dad would go and watch him every day from a tree outside his new house and watch him live a blessed life. Garfield had it all wrong.

There is real evil in the world and it should never be simply overlooked, excused or enabled. However, most of the time, the people that we interact with on a daily basis are just people trying to do what is right but just have struggles like everyone. If we really took the time to ask questions and to truly see what it was like to walk in their shoes, we would find nuances and situations unique to that individual that would make you more sympathetic to their decision making. Other times it may look like people are living an ignoble life, but when you look into it you find out that they are doing very noble things. Some of the sweetest, most godly people in the world don’t look like what you would think they should look like. Just be slow in your evaluation of other people, and of the things they do. 

Is there any situation in your life today that seems positioned the right way, but you’re not seeing the right result? Look a little closer, think a little deeper about it. It may be that something needs to be adjusted. No need to take a cold shower just because an installer one day did a sloppy job! 🙂

The Wonderful Truth of Election

/ Lee A. Robinson / 13 Comments

Every teaching of the Bible is aimed at both the mind and the heart. Doctrine is meant to be contemplated and felt; to be discussed and also lived. Some subjects more than others quickly become intellectually heavy, abstruse and technical (and debatable). One such doctrine is the doctrine of Election. This is unfortunate, because it’s typical appearance in Scripture is couched between the warm pillows of hope and comfort. Election seems to pop up in the writers mind when he is deeply excited to encourage and strengthen the believer. So my goal here is to just take a few moments to revel in what the reality of election means for the believer…  

If you are a genuine believer and follower of Christ, the Bible is crystal clear that you have been chosen by God to be one of his very own: 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14, “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved (greatly loved) of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation…” Your destiny has always been to belong to God, to know Jesus, follow him, represent him and to ultimately be raised from the dead and be given a glorified body like him. Praise God – what a destiny! You are one of those children of the promise (like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob/Israel) the Scriptures talk about!    

Before the earth was created God freely settled this decision that your destiny would be to become one of his chosen children: Ephesians 1:4-5, “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: having predestinated (pre-determined, foreordained) us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.” You are a child of God! Your Father is the King of all the kings and Lord of all the lords. He is the supreme ruler of all things! The faithful love of a good father is secured towards you forever! Romans 8:33-34, “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” No one and nothing will ever separate you from his love! 

Thankfully, God’s selection of you was not based on anything meritorious that he foresaw in you: 2 Timothy 1:9, “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.” Deuteronomy 7:6-8, “For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the LORD loved you…” Romans 9:11, “(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)” Among of all humanity that would be created, why did God set his love upon you to make you his very own child? We are told – mysteriously, but simply so – that the reason why God set his love upon you is because he loved you (Deuteronomy 7:8)! Also, because he has a special purpose in your life to showcase his mercy (2 Timothy 1:9)! All of this is completely undeserved. Yes, the fate of grace has fallen upon us. Thank you, Father. You deserve every ounce of praise and love from us! 

Election isn’t referring to the fact that God saves those who believe in him. God does save those who believe in him, but election is focused on what lies underneath our decision to believe (or the realities that precede our conversion). The ultimate reason behind why you developed a fear of God, was convicted of your sins, realized who Jesus was, understood the Gospel, and called upon Chist for salvation, was that you were chosen by God to have your eyes open to all of these things: Acts 13:48, “And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained (appointed) to eternal life believed.” Everyone that day heard the same Gospel preaching by Paul. Why did some believe – because they were appointed to believe. It was their destiny.  

In John 10:26-28 Jesus said, “But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” Everyone heard Jesus (the good shepherd) speak. Some yielded to his voice and some did not. Why? Because some were his sheep and others were not. I used to think that what made someone one of God’s sheep was that they believed in him. Sort of like faith being the door to the sheepfold. It seems to make sense, right? But I came to realize that the Lord classifies people as his sheep before they believe: John 10:16, “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.” Jesus had sheep that had not yet believed. They were still out wandering lost in the mountains somewhere. This passage in John 10 is revealing to us why the elect believe: because they are sheep. Only the sheep hear the voice of shepherd and come. You heard his voice and came to him when he called you because he had already chosen you as one of his sheep in eternity past. You love him. Why? Because he first loved you (1 John 4:19).  

We did not do anything to be elected by God. He did not stand on the precipice of eternity and scout through the corridors of time for all the faithful people and then stamp his seal on them. He foresaw all people as fallen, corrupted, degenerated sons and daughters of Adam. God’s justice, righteousness and good wrath was pleased to reserve many for judgment, but his goodness, kindness, grace, longsuffering, mercy and love yearned to make His-story a rescue mission. So he chose many to be redeemed through the precious work of Christ, in history. Why we were numbered among the sons and daughters of mercy is beyond our comprehension. But it is true, and it has come to pass. Hallelujah!   

How precious is all of this! Think about how differently your destiny could have been! God could have chosen you to just be an ant, but he made you a living, breathing, thinking, feeling, worshiping creature. But even then, God could have allowed you to run headlong into deserved everlasting destruction, but he didn’t. He chose you. He wanted you. 

1 Peter 2:9-10, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” You are not a believer today because karma is rewarding you for being noble in a past life. The fortune of good luck has not just happened to fall on you. You’re not a child of God because you were a Pastor’s child, grew up in a Christian home or went to a Christian school. You’re not a Christian because you were raised in western culture. You didn’t repent of your sins because you have a softer heart than others or because you are just naturally more good than others. You don’t understand and believe the Gospel because you have a high I.Q. There is nothing about you that is the ultimate cause for why you believed. Your faith is a gift from God. Philippians 1:29 “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.” Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” The same saving faith that was given you to start believing in Christ is the same faith that will continue to be given you forever. Jesus is the author and the finisher of your faith (Hebrews 12). God promises to never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13). God’s everlasting kingdom is your home. He has many mansions and there is a room prepared for you (John 14). 

God has promised you “an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:4-5). Do you think of this enough, how your life is going to end??? No matter the difficulties, struggles, tragedies of life – it is all going to end soon and glory will be born and you will be enveloped by it. Amen! 

God doesn’t make mistakes. He doesn’t recall any of his elections, and praise God he doesn’t miscount them either! Believer, friend, brother: rejoice today rest in his unfailing love for you. Confess your sins. Renew your commitment to him. Strive to imitate the apostle Paul and work hard in God’s harvest field so the other elect children of God will come to know him as well: 2 Timothy 2:10 “Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.”

On Sinning Less

/ Lee A. Robinson / Leave a comment

I heard someone recently ask Elon Musk what he thought was the greatest piece of advice ever given him. After some deliberation he concluded that it was “to strive to be less wrong.” This struck me as a different and perhaps helpful way in approaching life. It is futile and frustrating to strive for perfection. However, to simply shave off a little bit of imperfection seems much more likely and encouraging of a goal. I could say, “I am never going to eat anything unhealthy ever again!” Wishful thinking. However, if I say, “If all else fails, I’m just not going to drink soda for a few months.” This is much, much more likely to be realistic and, if achieved, will push my health in a positive direction.

The ultimate goal for every person is to become more and more like Jesus Christ. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:28-29). We are born in the image of our fallen father Adam and it is the lifelong challenge for us all to be recreated and restored into the image of the perfect son of God. This is aiming at perfection. My thought at this moment though is not to think of it as, “I have to become perfect,” but rather, “Today the goal is just to remove something – even if it’s seemingly small – from what is unlike Christ. Sculptures start with a bland block and chisel away little by little until the desired image appears. 

Here are a few suggestions on how to effectively purge off imperfections of your life…

  1. Remember who God is and who you are. God made you. You did not exist eternally and then at one point create a god to worship. God always existed, then in time he made you, to worship him. God created the game, therefore he gets to set the rules. He embedded the rules in our hearts. We intuitively know what is right from wrong. We didn’t create our conscience, it was factory installed. Who put it there? God. This all means that our obligation is to obey the rules. Obey and live, disobey and die. Submit to God’s authority & rules and be happy, or rebel and be sad. Where is your heart right now? Is it resting under God’s authority? Are you content being a servant of God, or are you still longing to be the master of your own life? Positioning yourself gently under God is the first step to sinning less. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10)
  2. We must admit that we are sinful and that the true enemy is within. We are our own worst enemy. Of course, there is a devil, a corrupt world, difficult people, and severely challenging trials, but if we were like God (if we were holy) we still would not sin because we would be patient, merciful, forgiving and full of faith. I am the problem, not something or someone else. I have this part of me that doesn’t want to admit it. Why are we so quick to judge others, to point out their faults, to excuse our own and to think that we are better than others? Why does it seem so offensive when other people wrong us, but when we do wrong it doesn’t seem to bother us as much? This is our real nature manifesting itself. We are sinners. Admit it. If we don’t we will always be making excuses for ourselves, never actually growing spiritually. We must be quick to turn ourselves in to God. “Woe is me, for I am undone!” (Isaiah 6:5) “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13).
  1. Meditate on the consequences of your sins until it hurts. Our sins displease God: our wise creator, benevolent provider, redeemer, savior and friend: the one who left heaven and was crucified for us. There is no one so gentle towards you; so kind, compassionate, merciful, longsuffering, encouraging, thoughtful, committed. Think of how loving God is to you. He only wants your good. He never makes fun of you, hurts you, lies to you, or abandons you. He is by far your best friend. When you choose to sin it breaks God’s heart because he loves you: he knows that in some way your joy and peace is going to be disturbed because of this. Do you see him? He’s not upset or mad, he’s broken. Honor him by doing what pleases him.  
  1. Our sins also displease and hurt others. Every time we sin, no matter what it is, we hurt other people. Sometimes it is directly, by saying or doing something wrong to that person. But think about the other people involved in your life. Those who witness your wrong doings are presented with an unpleasant thing to watch and the weak are encouraged to do the same. When we sin other people are inconvenienced by it. There has to be valuable time spent trying to deal with the sin until it is corrected. Life is not all about you. We know deep down that it is more honorable to put others’ needs and desires in front of our own. Love other people by choosing to sin less. Another thought on this is, every time you sin, you become less equipped to serve other people in the future, so people who could have benefitted from you now will not. “Consider one another” (Hebrews 10:24). 
  1. Sinning now conditions you to sin easier and more in the future. Most people don’t like smoking the first time they try, but many acquire a taste for it. The more you allow yourself to do the same wrong thing over and over and over again, the easier it is going to become and the more you will enjoy it. Drug addicts build up a tolerance to the chemicals. This means that the more their bodies become used to those chemicals, the more chemicals are needed in order to get the same effect. A person who started consistently smoking a couple cigarettes a day will be smoking a whole pack after some time. Do you want to enjoy sin more and need more extreme sins to get the same feeling? God forbid. If not, sin less. Be afraid of where you may end up. Ask any old person and they will tell you that time flies. Time flies. They say about things that happened 40, 50, 60, 70 years ago, “It seems like yesterday.” Don’t wake up tomorrow being deep in sin because you excused your “little sins” today. “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate” (Proverbs 8:13). 
  1. Sin robs you. Do you like being robbed or lied to? Of course not! But when you sin you are freely giving away the most precious treasures you have: your peace, your joy, your freedom! Think about it. When you sin you hide because you’re scared and ashamed. Sin never leads you to joy or confidence. It may feel good for a brief moment, but then you are plagued with worry: you start having to think of ways to not get caught or to get out of the consequences. All of this is dark. Sin is a shrewd liar: promising you freedom but only bringing you into bondage. It’s proven that little children are happier if they play in an area that has clear boundaries. If they have no boundaries and no rules then they get frustrated. Dealing with God’s rules and boundaries are hard to handle sometimes, but playing inside of them is unexpectedly the true path to freedom and joy. “What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:21-23).
  1. You only have one life. If you break your pencil you can always go and get a new one. You can’t just go get a new one if you break you. You only have one opportunity to manage the life that you have. How many days old are you? Today, I am on exactly day 13,600. That’s a lot of days. I will never be able to live any of my past days, ever again. I only had one chance to either make good decisions or bad decisions. The person I am today is the culmination of all of those decisions. The more that I consistently do what is right the better my life will be. The more I abuse my body, soul, mind and spirit, the worse my life is going to become. Also, we have to live with this life for the rest of our lives. You will always carry your past decisions with you. Strive to live in a way that will preserve your life instead of destroying it. You are precious and valuable – there is only one you – so treat yourself as though you are. “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
  1. Have faith. There are times in your life when you desperately wanted something and didn’t get it, but it was ok. For example, there was a night when you really wanted dessert, but your parents said, “No.” It hurt alot and it seemed in the moment like you couldn’t handle it. But the next morning you completely forgot about it never to think about it again. Recognize that temptations only last for a short while. If you overcome it in the moment it will go away. Whatever the sin is, it will try to convince you that you will never be happy without it, but this is a lie. The truth is that you need righteousness and holiness, because without them you truly will not ever be happy. Crave what is good, yield to holiness and it will satisfy you for real. “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him” (James 1:12).
  1. Believe the Gospel: the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. You cannot sin less without Jesus. You have a fundamental problem: you are a sinner, you’ve sinned already and you will want to sin more in the future. Thankfully, Jesus died for all of your sins – past, present and future. Not only did he die for you, but also rose from the dead, for you. This means that he is the way for us to have power over the temptations of sin. Jesus came out of the grave: he can create life out of death. If he can do that, then he has the power and wisdom to be able to make you happy and content without that sin. You do need water and food to survive, but there is no sin that you need to survive or to prosper. You need the miraculous, creative power of Jesus to generate in you what is not there. This miracle happens as we internalize and obey the truth. Jesus said, “The truth shall make you free.” There is nothing in this world you can see or touch that will truly make you happy. Truth, righteousness and love makes you happy, and these are received only through the Gospel. So, confess your sins to God. Ask Jesus to forgive you. Thank God and rejoice in his forgiveness. Next time you are tempted to sin, run to Jesus and ask him to save you and do a miracle in your life. Ask him to give you contentment without having whatever sin it is you’re being tempted with. “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin” (Romans 7:24-25).
  2. Meditate on God’s Word. Fill up your heart and mind with his Word. “Sanctify them through thy truth, thy Word is truth” (John 17:17). God’s Word is alive and powerful. The Word will lead you to a better understanding of God, yourself and the world around you. It will make you wiser to understand good and evil. The more you learn and grow in knowledge and understanding, the more you will be able to identify sin and avoid it. “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Psalms 119:9-11).

One Reason Many Christians Don’t Vote

/ Lee A. Robinson / Leave a comment

Most Chrsitians in America believe in what is called the Rapture: the idea that at any moment Christians all around the world will be instantaneously “raptured” or “snatched up” into heaven by God. Accompanying this idea is the belief that the world is going to get worse and worse leading up to the rapture. There will be an increasing decline in morality; an almost total abandonment of true religion; chaos worldwide and dramatic political upheaval. Simply put, the current craziness of our world today is the harbinger that Christ is about to return at any moment – certainly within our lifetime, but most likely within the next couple years, weeks or even days. This doctrine I believe has the power to have a profound effect on the worldview of Christians specifically as it pertains to politics and voting. Here’s how:

If the world is certainly going to hell in a handbasket, and if Jesus is literally about to snatch the church away from this world, why would we invest any effort into culture or politics? As it is commonly stated that it is foolish to “polish the brass of a sinking ship.” If Jesus is coming back tomorrow afternoon the list of things to do is very limited: basically shout the gospel from the rooftops until he comes. Not only is there no time for casual activities, but there’s also no time for wholesome, godly, constructive activities such as: reading books, planting a garden, building homes, writing songs, starting schools or businesses or striving to redeem our state and the culture we live in. 

As a new Christian I took the rapture and its corresponding end-times belief system to heart. I think this is one of the main reasons why I used to not vote. Why would I vote? I thought, “It doesn’t ultimately make a difference. Things are going to get worse and worse anyway. This world is not my home. We just need to get the gospel out to the world before Christ returns, etc.” 

Over time I have seen another possibility from the Scriptures, namely Post-millennialism, or A-millennialism. What both of these views share is the belief that the world is actually going to slowly but surely become more and more Christian until ultimately the world as a whole will be discipled, which will culminate at the 2nd coming of Christ. I like the way Doug Wilson describes this: “In other words, the Great Commission will be successful in history.” Not only will all of the people groups of the world as a whole be converted, but also the governmental structures and systems of the world will also be redeemed. The world will become a Christian world. 

Now, how does this viewpoint affect the mind of the Christian as it relates to politics and voting? Well, if we have the promise that Jesus is already the King of all the Kings and that he is the ruler of the nations (Rev. 1); that he is going to save the world (John 3:17); that all authority has been given to Jesus in heaven and on earth already (Mat. 28:18-20); and that he is committed to partnering with the global Church and all Christians to redeem the world: then the time to get involved is now. In this system the harbinger of Christ’s coming is that all enemies are placed under his feet (1 Cor. 15). So, it’s not the ungodly passions of the world that attract the coming of Christ for judgment, but rather the passion of Christians redeeming the world and presenting it to Christ at his coming.   

The point of this article is not to defend in detail the postmillennial view over the premillennial view (maybe a later time some more analysis will be given), but my goal is to show that these different systems do exist in the minds of Christians and they do have an impact on how we view the world and live in it. 

Whether you are premillennial or postmillennial there is no absolute guarantee that Jesus will come back in your lifetime. It has been 2,000 years, it may be another 10,000 before he comes again. Either way there is nothing in Scripture that would negate the possibility that you might experience the greatest revival that has ever happened in history; that your country might become the most Christian nation that has ever existed.

So, pray, then go vote. 

The Scandalous Grace of God

/ Lee A. Robinson / Leave a comment

I want to talk to you a little about the grace, mercy and love of God. 

It’s one thing to give mercy to a guilty person. It’s a whole ‘nother thing to give grace to a guilty person. Grace is by definition un-merited (un-deserved) favor, but God’s grace is not only extended to the righteous, but also to the guilty. This, of course, is completely on the basis of the offering of the perfect life of Christ at his crucifixion on our behalf. But it is still a wonder, and still very hard to accept – even for those who have been regenerated.  

God’s grace is greater than all of your sins. We are more than conquerors through him that loved us. If Adam didn’t sin there would be no mercy, forgiveness, healing, or redemption. 

We know that God doesn’t want us to sin. He never tempts us or lures us into sinning so that we can experience more forgiveness. Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid! 

However, God knows in advance that we will sin. He can see beforehand the decisions we will make that will bring destruction into our lives. Why does he not stop us from making them!? Wouldn’t he stop us if he were truly loving and merciful? 

We may not understand it all, but we can rest assured that his heart is all love and favor. He designs that our failures will turn out for our good. The Father planned that the Son would come to die for our sins before Adam sinned. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us! Your good Father in heaven planned some good to come out of your failures before you made those bad decisions. 

Our worldly, man-centeredness thinks that it is only our successes and moral victories that bring good into our lives and that all of the pain and suffering in our lives we deserve. This is partly true and we should be very careful to not overlook those realities. However, this is not the whole story. God’s love and favor towards us is greater, more powerful, and more determined than our failures. 

God wants us to be at peace. He wants our hearts settled and resting in the full, unreserved, glad acceptance of the heart of God. He wants us to be able to look into his Eyes of kindness and joy towards us, not to look down in shame in his presence. We should be ashamed of our sins. But if we acknowledge them, confess them, turn away from them and turn to him – through Christ – then they are gone! This may at times even be a moment by moment exchange. Are you repentant? Look into His Eyes: behold his love for you. 

Don’t beat yourself up. Don’t think that any form of flagellation will bring you joy or bring pleasure to God. You cannot pay for your sins. It’s offensive to God when you try. The only thing God wants you to bring to the equation of salvation is your own sin and brokenness. Jesus paid it all. Isn’t he good? The Gospel really is good news. Believe it. Do you think the Gospel is actually more amazing news than you realize or less? It is much more unbelievable than we realize.

I pray today that your whole heart and soul would be baptized in the all encompassing, all-enveloping love of God; that tears would well up out of your heart and out your eyes, and that you would be able to say nothing less than, “Thank you Jesus. Thank you God;” that you would be assured deeply in your own heart that God is unbelievably good at all times and in all ways.           

He makes everything beautiful in his time (Eccl. 3:11). 

Don’t Quit (John Mark)

/ Lee A. Robinson / 1 Comment

John Mark (or simply Mark) is not a Bible character thought of much, but like most of the time, meditating in God’s Word draws out unapparent depth and richness. Mark’s story is one of a promising beginning, unfortunate fracturing of important relationships, and blessed reconciliation. If you’ve spent any time building important relationships only to see them destroyed then this article might be helpful. Also, if you’ve made decisions that have brought discouragement to yourself and other people and you’re struggling with the thought of giving up, then keep reading as well… 

I’d like to first paint a picture of Mark in the setting of the early church, then talk about the crucial moment in his life when he split from his missionary team, and end with the glorious story of how God redeemed this problem for his glory and the good of his people.

We first hear of Mark in Acts chapter 12 in the story when Peter was miraculously delivered from prison. The angel of the Lord led Peter out of the prison and then departed from him. At this moment Peter could have fled anywhere, but he chose a specific house to go to. The house he chose was “the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying” (Acts 12:12). Up to this point in the book of Acts Luke was focused on the apostle Peter and the church in Jerusalem. Peter was definitely seen as the chief of the apostles and the foremost leader of the church in those early days. In other words, we’re talking about the most preeminent Christian leader of their time. At this critical moment this prominent leader decides to go to this particular house. Mark’s mother was most assuredly a very strong disciple and member of the church. We find that many were gathered praying, but most notably the other apostles probably were not present (Acts 12:17). So we get the feeling that Mark’s household was very special to Peter. Not only his household, but particularly Mark himself. Peter calls Mark “my son” in 1 Peter 5:13 indicating that he probably led Mark to Christ or discipled him, and/or could also could mean that he was a father figure to Mark (It seems as though Mark didn’t have a father, since the record describes his home only as his mothers home).  We also have a record from an early church writer named Papias that the Gospel of Mark was actually a compilation of accounts that Peter personally related to Mark. The point I’m trying to make is the unique, fortunate, spiritual experience Mark had as a young man. He’s witnessing a history altering revival; he has a strong Christian heritage; he’s rubbing shoulders with the giants of the Faith of his day; and he himself was already becoming known as a promising young man in the church. And this is literally just the beginning…

Around this time, Saul, the powerful persecutor of the church, was converted. Barnabas, the encourager, had to persuade the church (this will be important later) to give Saul a chance because they were suspicious of him. Saul (Paul) quickly became a powerful force in the church and it’s probably safe to say that outside of Jerusalem Paul had the most popular name as was the most critical Christian figure of their time (2 Corinthians 11:15; 1 Corinthians 15:10). Well, Paul and Barnabas had a specific mission they were fulfilling in Jerusalem and “when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark” (Acts 12:25). God called Mark to be a missionary, and he just happened to join the most formidable missionary “A-Team” in the world. Mark transitioned from being a sidekick of the great Peter, to be an apprentice of the great Paul – a truly unique position!  

Of all places they are heading to the city of Antioch, dubbed “the cradle of Christianity,” where the disciples were first called Christians; the church from which the first foreign missionaries were sent out; here to participate once again in a critical shift in history – the door to the gentiles being fully swung open wide for the Gospel. Mark was at the epicenter of all of this. 

Acts 13 tells how a specific calling was placed on Paul and Barnabas to become the first official foreign missionaries in the history of the church. As they were being sent away it says that “they also had John (Mark) as their assistant” (Acts 13:5). Being an assistant was a critical role. He was there basically to be their deacon, so they could focus on the major task of preaching and teaching. Anything else they needed Mark could handle – whether it be communications, lodging, food, ministry help, etc. Here goes Mark, setting sail with these two giants. Imagine yourself launching out on an important mission, getting on a plane with the likes of Charles Spurgeon and Billy Graham in their prime, or Jonathan Edwards and DL Moody (you pick the team!). And to know that this is all in the perfect will and pleasure of God to do a great work for the Lord. 

The first stop was the island of Cyprus, where Mark witnessed some extraordinary things: Paul rebuked bar-Jesus the magician and false prophet, then cursed him with blindness that resulted in public humiliation. This in turn led to the conversion of the proconsul Sergius Paulus, the Roman leader of the whole Island. This was certainly a powerful beginning to the journey. From there they fully crossed over the Mediterranean and landed in Asia Minor. It was here – we don’t know why – but for whatever reason – Mark decided to abandon the mission. Something happened. Something pretty big somewhere along the road led up to this decision. Everything up to this point is just one glorious experience and great opportunity after another! Why just forsake it all now?! 

What happened? We don’t really know, but I think it would be helpful to think through some possible explanations…

Maybe young Mark jumped ship out of fear? Maybe he was troubled by the strange demonic activity and spectacular power of God in Cyprus? He may have been thinking, “This is too much for me.” Demonic forces are powerful and dark and can strike a terrible fear into you. Maybe he was afraid for his physical safety? There isn’t a record of their team being persecuted in Cyprus. He did see it in Jerusalem, and we know that later on this mission would prove to be excruciatingly painful (Paul was stoned to death basically), but Mark couldn’t have known for sure that would happen. If this is the case he chose to be ruled by fear over the power of God and the fear of God. 

Maybe it had something to do with his family? Mark didn’t go back to Antioch, but back to Jerusalem…back home. Maybe his mom was sick and needed him? This would certainly be a touchy situation based on the Lord’s teachings relevant to this: “And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:59-62), and, “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26). 

Maybe there was some kind of sin in his life? Perhaps he, like Demas, forsook the mission because he loved the present world? Or, maybe he was torn up internally because of some sin that he committed which drained him of spiritual fortitude and perseverance and just couldn’t hang in there any more. 

Maybe he was physically just worn out? It was definitely a supernatural work of God that kept Paul going through all of those missionary journeys over the years.  

Maybe Mark was confused and upset about how freely Paul was encouraging Gentiles to come into the Faith without meeting Jewish requirements first? The Jerusalem council was on the verge of happening. Mark was most likely Jewish. 

Maybe he was upset with Paul or Barnabas about something and there was tension between them? This very well could be- its hard to travel the way they did. Decisions could have been made by his superiors that jeopardized their safety, personal reputation, or the reputation of the Gospel. 

 In the end the Holy Spirit intentionally left the account vague. We fill in the blanks with our imagination and own circumstances. From everything I gather about who John Mark was, and whatever the reason why he left, I get the impression that it wasn’t a flippant decision. He probably wrestled hard over it and regretted very much that it happened. Perhaps this was even the hardest decision he had ever made in his life. I bet he felt like he was between a rock and a hard place, that no matter what he decided to do someone was going to get hurt. Maybe he didn’t even have confidence in the decision he was making, but made one because he felt he had to out of necessity. He may have lived with regret the whole voyage back home. He probably felt much embarrassment, having failed in this wonderful opportunity to travel with Paul and Barnabas and ashamed that he disappointed them, and left a great burden on them for the rest of the journey with no assistant. 

There’s some speculation on this next point, but I get the impression that when this decision was made, Mark hit a low point spiritually, maybe on the way back, maybe after he got back to Jerusalem and it really set in. “I blew it. This was my chance and I coward, or I yielded to my flesh, I gave up. What am I good for now? If I failed in this opportunity, what are the chances I’ll get another one like this?” 

Let’s start bringing home some applications. . . 

Maybe you’re the kind of person who had a wonderful initial experience with Christ. Maybe you had a great upbringing with some wonderful Christian friends and leaders, or maybe you came into that environment when you were converted. You jumped in, got involved, saw some amazing things happen, and you were promoted in the church because of your faithfulness. You rubbed shoulders with great saints and were a trusted servant to them. You got opportunities to serve alongside them. Then you got into the thick of the ministry in some way, or at least into the thick of deep, long-term relationships in the church. Then something happened. Something that brought you to a crossroads. Something that brought you to a decision that would disappoint other people and disappoint yourself. A decision that would break critical relationships, would rock the boat and have some negative fallout. The catalyst could have been anything – fear, sin, change in beliefs, doubt, exhaustion, etc. You rode on excitement for a while or on the original surge of your salvation, but now you’re wondering if you actually counted the cost or not. Whatever the reason behind the decision, the decision has been made. NOW, you are discouraged because of the effects of your decision. So what are you supposed to do now??? Let’s continue with the story . . . 

The next mention of Mark is as follows: “Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also. And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do. And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark. But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work. And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus; And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God” (Acts 15:35-40). 

A few things jump out at me here: 

#1 Mark is in Antioch serving in the church. The last we heard from him he went back home to Jerusalem, but now we see him back to the place where he left off serving the Lord: in the church, serving and available for the call to missions when it came. What should you do? Whatever has knocked you down spiritually, you must shake it off, and get back into the game. “A just man falls seven times, but he gets back up again” (Proverbs 24:16). I don’t know the exact time frame, but it was not very long after Mark departed that this new situation happened. Do whatever it takes to get back involved in whatever capacity you are able to, as quickly as possible. The longer you stay away from the church, from Christians and from the work of the ministry, the harder it is going to be to get back involved. 

# 2 Be thankful for Barnabas and don’t be discouraged by Paul. Neither Luke nor the Holy Spirit tells us who had the right position in the disagreement between Paul and Barnabas. It makes sense knowing their personalities: Barnabas was an encourager and wanted to give Mark a second chance. Paul was an aggressive leader and didn’t want to involve anyone who would jeopardize the mission. Both sides had a point. I’m sure it hurt Mark knowing that the great Paul thought he was useless. Thankfully, there was another leader there willing to give him another chance. 

How about you? You may have been hurt badly by someone. Maybe a leader? Maybe someone you were totally blindsided by? Perhaps they didn’t handle their disagreement with you in a Biblical/Christ-like manner? Let me encourage you to not be so beat down by one, or a few individuals. Paul was wired by God to be the way he was. He was like a wise general who knew that victory in the field inevitably requires some casualties. Force your mind and heart to think the best of the people who have hurt you and mistreated you. Give them grace and mercy. I’m not saying to excuse their mistreatment of you, but I am saying to not allow their mistreatment of you to continue mistreating you through bitterness or discouragement. Mark continued with the mission, with the one who would give him a second chance. Instead of focusing on the people who have rejected you, focus on Jesus, who has fully and eternally welcomed you to himself and his mission. Find those people who do love you, understand you, and are willing to partner with you in the Gospel. 

#3 I see the providence of God at work here. Yes, there was unfortunate disagreement and tension. Yes, a great missionary unit was split. However, what this meant now, is that there were TWO teams going out, in opposite directions, to cover more ground for the Gospel! Two teams with seasoned veterans. Two teams with younger men who could now hold greater responsibility on the mission. God redeemed this disagreement and separation. 

Be encouraged my friend. Of course, God doesn’t want Christians to fight, be bitter and separate from each other. However, God doesn’t waste these situations either. He redeems them by using them to grow his children and to reposition them out in his field more effectively. If you let this take you out, that is definitely not the will of God. He wants you and still has a great plan for you. You may not see it now, but in time you’ll see more clearly how this heartbreaking situation is going to prove to be for the best in the end. 

Later On

This story really has a touching conclusion, namely, the reconciliation between Mark and Paul. It didn’t happen until about 10 years later, but it happened. Paul’s last years were spent in trials and imprisonment in Rome. Traveling, preaching and persecution was one kind of torture for Paul, but dwelling alone in a dungeon by himself was a whole different kind of torture for him. The book of 2 Timothy gives us a big glimpse into Paul’s heart in those times. He said, “At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me” (1 Timothy 4:16). In other words, the first time he gave a defense before the court in Rome, he had no one there as a support witness. Now Paul is writing to Timothy from prison, shortly before he was to die, and at the end of the letter he talks about how he has kept the faith and that he fought a good fight and that he was ready to depart this earth. He mentions how his close fellow workers had either deserted him or left him: “For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me” (2 Timothy 4:10-11). It is here, in this place of loneliness and discouragement, where Paul requests of Timothy to “Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.” Wow! Paul is actually proactively requesting for Mark to come help him. He said that Mark was profitable (valuable, useful) to him. We don’t know what happened a decade earlier that caused Paul to so mistrust Mark, but thankfully, whatever it was, Paul had a change of heart and mind. 

Let me encourage you – It may take a decade for you to be reunited with those who have abandoned you. It may take two decades, or three. Paul was on death row. It may not be until those people are on their deathbed before they have a change of heart towards you. But be encouraged by this. It may happen, it may not, but in this story it did. I pray that you will receive that phone call one day, text message or email. It may just be a friendly communication, there may be an apology, or there may even be words of affirmation or gratitude, or may even be a call to work together with you again. If it does, amen. If that call never comes, then know that no matter what happens the Lord is with you. Never give up and hope that in God’s good time he will reconcile you.