I’ve been “retired” from being a church pastor for about 11 years now. Overall, it’s been enjoyable and meaningful. I was blessed to spend the first 6 years of retirement with my 1^st wife, Claudia, as we thoroughly enjoyed traveling to Jamaica, Africa and New Orleans on mission trips, Hawaii, Ireland, Florida, and Alaska (not all in retirement). Then I had 3 single years after she died that were not so much fun, but then God led me to find my wonderful new wife Ellen these last 2+ years, and we have both enjoyed our trips to Florida several times, as well as the Outer Banks and a recent land-cruise trip to Alaska! And we certainly hope to go more places in the future, God willing.  

Now, I can hear some saying “the word retire is not in the Bible!” While that is true, life circumstances are always changing, and there’s nothing wrong with letting go of an income-producing occupation and moving into another aspect of life where God can use you in a different way to advance his Kingdom! The tricky part of that is, are we as Jesus said, “Seeking first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you”? (Matthew 6:33) OR, are we, like many retirees, desperately seeking FIRST all the fun and cool places to go in the world before time and physical ability runs out on us? If you are retired as a Christian believer now, have you ever wondered why God still has you here? Is it only to have fun, go on trips, and enjoy great food and friends? Is it to golf or fish or play pickle ball or cruise or enjoy great beaches and restaurants all week and all year long? And if you are not retired yet, how does God fit into your present and future plans for what you will seek and desire to do when you do “retire”?

SEEING GOD’S REALITY IN A BROKEN WORLD…

Ellen and I recently returned from a 14 day land-cruise excursion in Alaska. It was amazing and spectacular, and if you get a chance at some point in life, seeing the vastness and beauty of Alaska is well worth it! BUT, it also reminded me of the emptiness, confusion, and lack of hope in people who don’t know Jesus! As we talked to people from all over the world at dinner gatherings, many talked non-stop about the many cruises they had taken, what food to eat in certain places, and complained about short comings of cruise lines and disappointment in places they had visited. One couple had been on 12 cruises the last year, and had more lined up. It seemed like life was about finding great deals on the next great trip.

Other people loved the beauty of Alaska (as did we), but it was for some a form of worship of the mountains, lakes, and animals. One interesting trail guide ended our bus trip with a 20 minute reflection on “Mother Nature” and the mystical power of the Alaskan mountains, rivers, and animals to bring deep meaning and some sense of peace to his life. The sad thing was, he was worshiping a false “Mother Nature” concept, and missing the bigger idea of the God who created all this and can offer him new life and so much more! As Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands” Instead, he settled for God’s creation rather than God himself. As Romans 1:25 says, “They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worship and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised”.

SO, IF WE “RETIRE”, HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO LIVE, AND WHAT SHOULD OR SHOULDN’T WE DO?

Many retirees have a “Bucket List” of things to accomplish before we die and “kick the bucket”. It’s OK to have fun and go places, but God is more concerned about HOW you live and represent him in this stage of life, and whether you point others to the hope of eternity that he offers to everyone. Our ultimate purpose is to bring others into the Kingdom, and we are all called to be a part of that mission.

SO, I’m not going to tell you directly how to live your life, but I think we can all focus on some biblical perspectives that can help us navigate this time of life.  

Here’s a biblical “Bucket List” that I think every Christian believer should consider…

1) ARE YOU LIVING DAILY IN A WAY THAT REFLECTS JESUS IN YOUR WORDS, ATTITUDES, AND ACTIONS?

We don’t ever “retire” from growing to become more like Jesus! Sometimes older Christians (and younger ones too!) turn into whiners and complainers, always talking about their aches and illnesses and what they can’t do anymore and how life is “over”. Hey folks, the pain is temporary, death has been defeated, and we’re going to live forever! Act like it!

Be thankful, be future-oriented, and focus others on the good things God gives us.

In Philippians 4, Paul gives us wonderful advice:

⁴  Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. ⁵  Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; ⁶  do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
⁸  Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:4-8 (ESV)

2) ARE YOU LIVING DAILY IN A WAY THAT REFLECTS GOD’S ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE ON YOUR LIFE AND THE FUTURE NEW HEAVEN/EARTH?

If you truly have repented and believed on Jesus to save you and give you eternal life, you WILL live forever with a new physical body on a completely restored and combined New Heaven and Earth! Earth itself will be restored to its’ original sinless existence, and we will be too! As I looked at the vast mountains of Alaska a few weeks ago, I imagined having a new, strong body that will never die or get weak and tired, and I imagined being able to climb and explore those beautiful places. No matter how awful life may be at times here, its’ going to be amazing in the new Kingdom! Tell others that good news by your words and attitude! Paul reminds us of this in Romans 8:

¹⁸  For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. ¹⁹  For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. ²⁰  For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope ²¹  that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. ²²  For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. ²³  And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. ²⁴  For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? ²⁵  But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.- Romans 8:18-25 (ESV)

ARE YOU LIVING DAILY IN A WAY THAT LISTENS TO THE HOLY SPIRIT AS HE LEADS YOU TO SHARE THE HOPE YOU HAVE , AND INVITE OTHERS TO REPENT AND RECEIVE FORGIVENESS, SALVATION, AND ETERNAL LIFE BY TRUSTING IN JESUS?

It’s not enough just to treat people well and help them out with their worldly needs. If we deeply care about our family, friends, and everyone we meet, we will continue to pray for them and ask God to use us wherever he wants to share the hope of the gospel. We want everyone to enter the Kingdom of God and enjoy an amazing eternity with us! We can freely offer our time and service in our families, communities, and churches, always striving to see those we encounter as Jesus sees them.

I pray that each of you, whether you are retired now or will be in the future, will entrust this time of life to God’s leading. He has a plan for each of us and desires to use us for his Kingdom and his glory. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with enjoying life and relaxing a little, and taking time to appreciate God’s amazing created world. But that’s not our main mission, and I think we all want to have God use for his Kingdom and finish our faith journey well!

Consider these thoughts:

–  God will help you finish what he began in your life!
⁶  And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.  Philippians 1:6 (ESV)

– Don’t let temptations and distractions keep you from God’s plan!

¹  Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, – Hebrews 12:1 (ESV)

– Don’t look back, finish well, and be blessed in your future life as well!

²³  “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ Matthew 25:23 (NIV)

Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV)
⁸  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. ⁹  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Most of us might not admit it, but we really think God is very much like us in our thoughts, actions, and intentions! New Testament Professor Scott McKnight for years would begin his classes with a survey of the students. He would ask them what they like, dislike, believe, what their “worldview” would be, and so on. A couple weeks later, he would ask them the same questions, only this time they were to say what Jesus thought on these issues. 90 percent of the time, the answers were exactly the same!

We are all just like that. If we were to describe God, He would have the same cultural and political beliefs and worldview, and he would be very disappointed in, and perhaps even hate, the people we do. And if we have actually read and studied the Bible and tried to apply it to our lives, we are even more sure, and sometimes arrogantly confident, that we know for sure God’s intention and view on everything. If that’s how you operate, be careful… in Jesus’ time, the Pharisees knew the scriptures inside and out, and were the “experts” on interpretation. Yet Jesus was constantly confronting them and saying “You say this”, but “I tell you this”. In other words, even though they knew the words of scripture, they often missed completely the intent and the heart of his Father in the words!

Our God-delusion began in the Garden of Eden with the first sin. The serpent (Satan)  tempted Adam and Eve to dis-belief what God had clearly said about not eating from the tree in the middle of the garden , and told them if they did, they themselves would be just like God! “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil”.  (Genesis 3:5) And from that point on, we have all fallen for the same lie. We all want to be God ourselves in some way, but knowing good and evil seems to have driven us farther away from what God is actually like. I recently read someone online say “we are all God”. Well, same lie, same delusion, same results.

SO, WHAT IS GOD REALLY LIKE?

There’s a fascinating section in Exodus Ch.34 where Moses and God are talking, “face to face”, and Moses asks God to see his “glory”. What that means is Moses wanted to see his presence and beauty, to see God in person for who he really is! God tells Moses he can’t actually see his face and presence or he’ll die, but that God will cover him up with his hand on the mountain and pass by, and then Moses can see his back. (Wouldn’t that be cool to be there?) So, God passed by him and said these amazing words, describing who he really is!

⁵  Then the LORD (Yahweh) came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the LORD(Yahweh). ⁶  And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD(Yahweh), the LORD(Yahweh), the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, ⁷  maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.” Exodus 34:5-7 (NIV)

This passage is often considered the “John 3:16” of the Old Testament, and is probably the most quoted passage IN the Bible, BY the Bible! Here, God gives Moses his actual, personal name, “Yahweh”, and describes what he is REALLY like! The entire Bible is about God and his relationship with us and the world he created, and now he tells us how he feels about us and how deeply he cares for us and how he consistently will deal with us. This also describes exactly what Jesus is like (he is God, after all), and why he came to earth to rescue and redeem us. (There is a wonderful, fascinating book dealing with this passage entitled “God has a name” by John Mark Comer. It’s easy to read, and very challenging. I would HIGHLY recommend it to you!)

SO, HOW CLOSELY DOES THIS PASSAGE DESCRIBING GOD’S CHARACTER MIRROR YOUR LIFE AND CHARACTER, AND HOW YOU TREAT OTHERS?

Well, if you’re like me, probably not much of this passage describes how we really think and act. Now, as Christians, we KNOW we should always be compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, and showing forgiveness to those who are wicked and evil and treat us badly! But in reality, we fall way short all the time! BUT, the good news is, God knows our predicament, and when we give our lives over to Jesus, he indwells us with his Holy Spirit and empowers us to change from the inside out. For the rest of our life, if we let him, God will help us put off the old self with our evil thoughts and actions, and put on the new self, a Spirit-led personality and heart that is given to us by God, as we slowly become more and more like Jesus.

Still wonder if God is really much different than you?

Remember the story of the prophet Jonah? God told him to go to a horrible city, Nineveh, and preach against them because of their great wickedness. They were arch enemies of Israel, and made modern day terrorists look nice! One of their kings beheaded most of the people, and made a pyramid of heads at the front of the city. Then he burned the women and children alive! His son later defeated another king and skinned him alive, and then spread the skin on the city wall. Not the kind of people you want to go and warn of God’s coming judgement! So, Jonah ran the other way, at least until God dragged him back to Nineveh. Jonah reluctantly preached to them “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown”.

Well, miraculously, all of Nineveh repented, vowing to give up their evil ways and violence, asking for God’s mercy! When God saw this he relented (changed his mind), and did not bring destruction on them. But Jonah was angry with God because he hated these people and wanted God’s wrath on them! And he quoted back this verse from Exodus and basically said, “I know you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love. This is why I didn’t want to go in the first place!” Jonah was angry at God and apparently never got over his hatred for the people of Nineveh and God’s mercy.

Aren’t we more like Jonah than God? We want God to bless people who seem good and think like us, but we want revenge, justice and punishment for people we believe are evil and nasty and think differently than us. As John Mark Comer says in his book, “That’s the problem with this God Yahweh—you just can’t trust him to keep back blessing from people who don’t deserve it. He goes around blessing all sorts of unsavory characters. People who aren’t religious or spiritual or even good. Because he’s compassionate and gracious to everybody”!

The problem is, we all fall way short at times of God’s character and heart toward others. And we don’t even see this character weakness in ourselves! Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn said “If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds… but the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?”

We are tempted in this social-media driven, divisive, hate-filled culture to join “teams” and demean and demonize everybody on the other side, making us somehow feel righteous and virtuous as we devalue the soul of another human being. We too often have the heart of Jonah rather than the heart of Yahweh. And God is never pleased with that attitude and approach!

In this culture, it’s way too easy to join political and cultural “teams” and joyfully demean and make fun of others. But as followers of Jesus, we should know that is not what God wants from us. Jesus came preaching a new Kingdom, a new way of life, and our primary job as believers is to preach that Kingdom and invite people to give their life to Jesus and join that eternal Kingdom with us! All of today’s politics and culture will soon pass away and be irrelevant to God, but the Kingdom is eternal. God is much more concerned with our hearts, our attitudes, our character, and the way we treat others and represent him in the process, than all the politics, news, and issues shoved at us daily. You may think you won a political argument, but if you have turned someone away from Jesus and his Kingdom by your words and attitude, you have failed miserably!

James warned us of this problem in James 3:

⁹  With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. ¹⁰  Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.¹³  Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. – James 3:9-10, 13 (NIV)

If we are wise, we will realize that God is amazing in every way, and we are not close to being like Him!

But the more we focus on God and his amazing love, compassion, mercy, forgiveness, and true justice, the more we will actually draw others to him and live with God’s peace and joy in our hearts.

Paul reminds us in Colossians of a better way to represent God and encourage others:

Colossians 3:1-2, 12-14 (ESV)
¹  If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ²  Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. ¹²  Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, ¹³  bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. ¹⁴  And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

 I pray that God will free you from any delusion that God is just like you, and that he has to agree with us on everything! Let God be God, and you then can worship and praise him for his amazing love and compassion, and in humility share him with others that you meet!

As we allow God to transform our hearts and slowly make us more like Jesus, life will be much more peaceful, purposeful, and fulfilling, and people will like us better and want to know about this Jesus who is working in our lives! Paul gives us some wise advice in Philippians 4:

Philippians 4:4-8 (ESV)
⁴  Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. ⁵  Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; ⁶  do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ⁸  Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Remember, God’s thoughts and ways are so much bigger and better than ours, and better than anything this world has to offer! Rest in that assurance, and live and share that hope and joy with others!

Now that I’m 73, time itself seems to become more significant to me! Ellen and I are down in beautiful Naples, Florida, for a couple months, and we enjoy walking about 1 ½ miles down to a coffee shop, sitting to drink coffee and watch people walk by, and then walk back to our condo. Naples seems to have an abundance of wealthy older folks (not us, at least the wealthy part), but it has become painfully obvious to me that WE are part of these “older folks” we watch go by! The good news is, we can still walk the 3 ¼ miles down and back without needing to take a nap!

As I think about my friends and the small groups I’ve had the privilege of leading the last 10 years or so, it’s obvious that time is “catching up” with most of us, at least physically. All us are constantly talking about our medications we take, and comparing stories of our heart conditions, knee and hip replacements, cancer diagnoses, our most recent surgeries, and our problems with sleep and digestive concerns that no one really wants to hear about! And of course as we get up to go to the restroom more frequently, there’s a lot of grunting and groaning sounds being heard!

The Bible has a lot to say about “time” and how much we have and what it will look like !

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NIV)
¹  There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: ²  a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, ³  a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, ⁴  a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, ⁵  a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, ⁶  a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, ⁷  a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, ⁸  a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace

This famous passage above from Ecclesiastes 3 above truthfully reveals that EVERY life will be full of wonderful and difficult experiences, and we will ALL go through seasons that we wish we didn’t have to, but just can’t avoid. And as much as you eat healthy, sleep well, and exercise, we are all going to die physically. As a friend reminded me a couple years ago, “None of us are getting out of here alive”!  (And if you read Ecclesiastes 3 above and hear the words to the song “Turn! Turn! Turn!”, sung by The Byrds in 1965, playing through your head, you are probably getting closer to the end than you imagine!)

SO, WHAT ADVICE DOES THE BIBLE GIVE US ABOUT HOW TO FULLY APPRECIATE AND USE WISELY THE DAYS OF LIFE THAT GOD GIVES TO EACH OF US?

A) Use what time you have wisely. Don’t waste it!

¹⁵  Be very careful, then, how you live–not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶  making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.- Ephesians 5:15-17 (NIV)

Ever since my first wife Claudia died in 2020, I have been trying to figure out how God wants me to use my time effectively. I feel led to continue to lead small groups and studies, do writing such as this blog, and just try to encourage people in their faith. Then I realized it’s been 11 months since I wrote my last blog! Oh well, I know God will help me get back on track soon, and having Ellen as my new wife is a wonderful blessing as she loves to have people over and do groups as well, so we pray for a more focused year coming up!

All of us, especially as we age, are prone to distractions from God’s plan for us. We stop growing and serving because of physical limitations, or we get distracted by the lure of enjoying our stuff and retirement attractions. (Golf, pickle ball, walking, biking, traveling, etc.) While all of these are fun, and it’s OK to do them and enjoy them, these are not God’s ultimate goal for us as Christians. And, we can have nice homes, boats, cabin, etc., but we can misuse them and allow them to waste God’s time and resources. For example, here in Naples, which is one of the wealthiest and most beautiful cities in America, there is a beautiful area called Port Royal where there are magnificent home on the water. They are owned by CEO types in business from around the world, and I was amazed to hear that the average amount of time people in that area spend at their home is 2-5 weeks/year! Well, all of us can also allow our resources to rule our lives, rather than using them to share with others and advance God’s Kingdom.

B) Learn to live TODAY, in the present moment. It’s the only time you CAN live!

Did you realize that the only moment you can actually live is NOW, while you’re reading this? You can’t relive the past, and as much as you look forward to tomorrow or some future vacation or event, there is no guarantee you will ever get there!

Jesus and the New Testament writers make this pretty clear….

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus says to pray “Give us THIS DAY our daily bread…”

– not a week long supply, not a “prepper’s” storage closet, but just enough for today. Of course we may have pantries, but the idea is to trust everything to Jesus, not our wealth and resources.

 In Matthew 6, Jesus tells us not to WORRY about life, food, clothing, politics, anything! These are things the lost world worries about constantly. But Jesus says, “Seek first God’s Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of it’s own”. 

C) Realize that TODAY is the day God is calling you to trust him with your life, if you haven’t already done that!

When it comes to time we have to actually live, God offers us a chance to live with him forever, with new physical bodies on a newly restored heaven and earth combined. Yes, our time here is definitely limited, but if you accept Jesus’ offer of forgiveness and new life, you can have a second chance at an amazing life with God that will last forever!

The sad thing is, I know lots of people who question God and want more proof of Jesus before they trust him, and they never end up actually believing in him and miss out of the amazing new life he offers!

The Bible makes it clear that TODAY is not only the only time we can actually live, but the only time you can make a conscious decision to trust Jesus with your life.

¹  Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. ²  For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.–  2 Corinthians 6:1-2 (ESV)

As I reflect on my life and the days left that God may grant me, I see time in 2 perspectives:

First, ALL our days here are “numbered”, our physical bodies will die, and only God knows that time frame. If that’s all we knew, that would be very depressing and hopeless.

The Second, and most amazing perspective, is that God offers us a 2^nd chance at life, one that will be eternal, sinless, and beyond our wildest dreams and imaginations!

Some of the most famous verses in the Bible say,

¹⁶  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. –John 3:16-17 (ESV)
And John 10:10 adds,

¹⁰  The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

Jesus offers “abundant life”: a supernatural, God-breathed quality of life that begins now, when you trust him with your life, and will become fully realized when he returns to judge the world and set up his eternal, amazing Kingdom!

So, today, and every other morning God grants me the gift to wake up to a new “TODAY”, I’m going to at least try to live under God’s mercy and guidance, enjoying the abundance he offers me, and share this life of abundance and hope with Ellen and whoever he brings into our path that day. One day at a time…

So TODAY, I pray that you will trust Jesus with your life, if you haven’t already. It’s the most incredibly important decision you will ever make.

And when you do, I pray that every TODAY that Jesus gives you will be filled with his peace, assurance, and joy, no matter the circumstances of the moment.

²¹  But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: ²²  The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; ²³  they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. – Lamentations 3:21-23 (ESV)

I pray you’re not living on “borrowed time”,

but rather on God’s abundant and eternal time!

Everybody wants to be healed of sickness, and they pray to God for help! Yet, God does not seem to heal at all sometimes, or at least not the way we think he should! Christians, those of us who have decided to follow Jesus into his new Kingdom way of living, need to understand God’s perspective on healing for our own benefit, but more importantly so we can help others see God’s bigger picture on life.

Way back when I was in Seminary (48 years ago, yikes!) the President of the Seminary taught a class on healing. He taught us 5 miracles of God’s healing, and described them this way:

Most popular ways:

1) Jesus heals directly and supernaturally–the miracle of the supernatural touch.

2) Jesus heals through doctors and medicine–the miracle of modern medicine.

3) Jesus heals through the human body’s healing power–the miracle of nature.

Less popular ways:

4) Jesus heals through bestowing grace in suffering–the miracle of sufficient grace.

5) Jesus heals through victorious dying–the miracle of the victorious crossing.

Whether it’s physical healing of some sort, or even mental, emotional or “soul” healing, I’ve never known anyone who doesn’t prefer to start with the first 3 ways above! It doesn’t matter how “spiritual” you think you are, we ALL want God to intervene and heal completely.

Almost 5 years ago now when my first wife Claudia was diagnosed with stage 4, metastatic cervical cancer, we immediately recruited an army of “prayer warriors” to pray with us for God to heal her in any or all of the first 3 ways above. (And thank you all, you were an AMAZING army of prayer support)  We didn’t care how, we just pleaded “Please, Jesus, heal her”! And even though we didn’t notice any supernatural healing, we did see significant healing through medicine. The chemo reduced her tumors in half, and after a long surgery, she recovered with just one tiny spot of cancer left behind her liver that they couldn’t get to. Her body and spirit seemed to recover quickly, and the doctors were optimistic and said she may have 5- 10 years more! Claudia ate very healthy and did everything she could learn on the internet to keep her body strong and clean. But, after 3 months and wonderful rest and recuperation on a Florida island, we returned to find her evil cancer had returned spreading all over again.

While many might think God had failed to heal her, we were just forced to move into a deeper, more Biblical understanding of God’s healing plan for us all!  One of God’s names he gives us in the Old Testament is Jehovah-Rapha, “the God Who Heals”. The word “Rapha” means “to restore,” “to heal,” “to mend,” “to repair thoroughly,” and “make whole.” God sees us and the world we live in as totally broken because of sin, and he passionately hates that sin because it destroys our lives and prevents us from living the real, abundant life that he created us for.

Claudia and I and our family were forced to move into the 4^th & 5^th ways of God’s healing plan above, even though we resisted and prayed not to go there!

The 4^th & 5^th ways of healing listed above are intertwined, and you can’t really understand the 4^th way well until you first understand the 5^th way, which is the truth that God ultimately heals us through death itself, completely and forever! Healing in both the Old and New Testaments is always only a temporary thing, and it’s always pointing to a bigger, future plan of God to heal, restore, make whole, and repair thoroughly all of creation, including the natural world, animals, and us as humans.

Because sin has ruined us all as well as creation, Jesus came to overcome the power of sin on the cross and offer us salvation, power to change and overcome sin’s grip on us, and eventually join him as new creations in a new Kingdom to be fully implemented when he returns to fully redeem and restore his lost world on the earth. In Acts 3:19-21 we read,

¹⁹  Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, ²⁰  and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you–even Jesus. ²¹  He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.

Having God’s perspective on healing, death, and our future makes all the difference in the world in how you see healing, your life now, and your promised future life in Jesus!

Perhaps the most amazing, encouraging, and hope-filled passage in the Bible that points us to a future Kingdom under Jesus’ rule is found in Revelation 21: 1-5:

¹  Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ²  I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴  He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” ⁵  He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

I sometimes tell people when I think of this passage that “I’m not going to die. I’m going to live forever!” Some may think I’m crazy or that I’m naïve, but of course I realize that my body will certainly die, but my soul, my created being, will NOT die. And, in God’s coming new combined Heaven and Earth, we get new bodies that will last forever!  ALL of us will live forever, either with Jesus in his new Kingdom as we trust our lives and future to him, or separated forever from him in Hell if we choose not to trust and follow him and choose our own rebel existence instead.

If you know that the real “YOU”, your soul, will live forever in Jesus, and you will get an amazing new body in the future, you will have a more mature and peaceful view of healing, suffering, and how God uses even the hard times in life to draw us closer to him and make us stronger in character.

Which leads us back to healing path #4, where God usually takes us in the end…

– Jesus heals through bestowing grace in suffering–the miracle of sufficient grace.

The apostle Paul suffered illness, beatings to the point of being left for dead, numerous unfair imprisonments, ridicule and constant rejection, and times of suffering and discouragement that wore him down to total weakness. But Paul understood that God worked best in his weaknesses, not his personal accomplishments. He was able to say in II Corinthians 12:9-10:

⁹  But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰  That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

As we mature in faith, we realize that ALL of us will face suffering in many ways at various times: physical illness and eventual death, mental and spiritual strife, anxiety, and depression, and all kinds of experiences that just plain hurt us and we wish we could escape. Jesus went through every imaginable pain and suffering for us on the cross, so he knows exactly how you feel at your worst moments! God doesn’t promise to take us OUT of suffering and painful times, but he promises to BE WITH US AND WALK US THROUGH to the other side of healing and hope. God is more concerned with our character than our comfort. (For a great book to help in those hard times, I highly recommend “Walking with God through Pain and Suffering” by Timothy Keller.)

Not only does God use our suffering and hurt to make us stronger in character, but he uses it to help us be an encouragement to others who we see going through the same thing. God never wastes a hurt! If you have gone through cancer or some other terrible disease and survived, God can use you to empathize with and encourage someone else going through it now. You “know how it feels” and you have walked through it with God, so you are the perfect person to share that experience with others walking the same dark path at this moment. We all will go through brokenness and hurt in life, but we can actually find purpose and peace in knowing that God can use ANYTHING for his ultimate good, and can use it to draw others into his eternal Kingdom of restoration, wholeness and joy!

While Claudia was dying, she was able to share her faith and struggles and that brought great encouragement and hope to many. And in turn, it gave us a sense of purpose and peace in the midst of a really hard time. God walked with her through the valley of the shadow of death, and used her family and friends to “walk her home” to her new, permanent life with Jesus. 

It makes a tremendous difference in HOW we as Kingdom people walk through these hard journeys of brokenness. This past year, I’ve had 2 very dear men friends face terminal cancer. One has passed away, and the other is in the last stages. Both of them, and their wives, have been marvelous examples of living with deep faith and trust in God in the midst of the pain they are all going through. They have a deep sense of peace in knowing this is NOT the end, ultimately, but only a transition to a new world that will no longer be marred by sin, sickness, and death. One even said “I didn’t know Claudia, but I have a sense I will be able to recognize her. I will say hi to her for you!” Wow, that just encouraged my heart like he will never know, and it reaffirmed for me that God has given us a future hope that nothing here can take away or touch.

Paul reminds is in II Corinthians 1:3-7:

³  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴  who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. ⁵  For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. ⁶  If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. ⁷  And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

Pray for healing for one another, especially for ways 1-3 listed above. I will always pray for healing for you as well. We ALL want to be strong and healthy physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, and God wants that for us more than we can imagine.

But even more than that, I pray you will all come to understand God’s deeper, better, and permanent plan for our ultimate healing and life together, forever, in His Kingdom. When we understand that perspective, God can walk us through all the hurt this broken world will throw at us, and He will walk hand and hand with us into a beautiful future that is beyond our imagination!

Let’s walk this journey with Jesus together…

And let’s walk hand in hand as brothers and sisters as we ultimately walk each other home to a new and beautiful place that our hearts long for!