Who's My Support Team So That I Can Run For Jesus Well?

You can listen to Ask The Pastor every weekday at 9:00am MST on 97.1FM Hope Radio KCMI! You can also listen and subscribe to Ask The Pastor in your favorite podcast feed. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music and most other podcast services.

This edition of Ask the Pastor features Pastors Johnathan Hernandez and Gary Schick.

Garry Schick
So, I don't know about your eyes, but mine are probably like, "this big," because they've been plastered to a television screen every night after work. Are you watching the Olympics?

Jonathan Hernandez
Bits and pieces of it, yeah.

Garry Schick
Little bit?

Jonathan Hernandez
Yep.

Garry Schick
Oh man. At the beginning, I can't get enough, and by the end I'm done.

Jonathan Hernandez
Yeah, I watched some soccer. So we enjoy watching that.

Garry Schick
A little soccer. Some gymnastics, some swimming, some equine stuff going on out there. I mean, all kinds of stuff. Well, I think I know what we should talk about today. And I kind of thought about, maybe something about, "run the good race." But then, I don't know about you, but one thing that has really impressed me, and I know it's always there, but it kind of really impressed me this year, is these understories. Here's this athlete, they're up there, they're doing magic on the screen, but we all know that it's so much more than that; and it's a team. It's not just that moment today. It's every day, 365. For the last, how many years of their lives. So listeners, I guess today I kind of want to turn around on you as you're listening. I want you to be thinking about this: "who's my support team so that I can run for Jesus well?" Because, and I say this to people---I don't know if they get it. "There's no Lone Rangers in Christ." It's not just, "me and Jesus." At least, not if you're going to succeed. I guess any of us can go out and run around the block and hopefully not sprain our ankles. But if we're going to be in the Olympics, it's going to take more. And, you know what? If we're going to run a race for Christ, shame on us if we're doing it by ourselves, because God did not intend that. The Bible talks about it quite a lot. Jonathan...some thoughts?

Jonathan Hernandez
Yeah. And just kind of with that Olympic thing. I love how you have different, there's all these different sports or activities or whatever you want. These sports that are part of the Olympics. But you see, say the soccer players are rooting and cheering on the gymnastics, or vice versa. So you have people from different categories that are all in it and saying, "Hey, we want to see you succeed. We're cheering you on. We're motivating you." Or, "helping push you to that finish line." And we have that same thing within the body. Man, I love that there's no lone ranger. If you look throughout all of the Bible, you always see community. There's community all throughout scripture. Acts 2:42-47, it really talks about some of that. And it says, "and they continued steadfast in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in breaking of bread and in prayer." Then it says, "then fear came upon every soul and many wonderous signs were done through the apostles. And now all who believed were together and had all things in common, and they sold the possessions and goods and divided them amongst themselves as everyone had need." You know, you start seeing that whole community being together, right? That whole, "if you have need," let me help you meet that need. We may not be able to meet all the need, but if I put in a little and you put in a little, we're going to help meet all of those needs. It said, "they continued daily in one accord in the temple and breaking the bread in the houses." You see that community just continuing to take place. "They ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart. Praising God, having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily, those who are being saved." And I love that because that really shows that community aspect. Who is part of our community? I am part of Cornerstone Fellowship Church in Bayard. That's part of my community. I'm part of that community. They're rooting me on. I'm rooting them on. We're really challenging each other to grow deeper in Christ. And sometimes there are stumbles, but we don't take them and beat them up and throw them out of the church, right? We love on them and we help them. "Hey, let's get back to where God had intended you to be," and help them walk through those things. You know, there's support. I mean, within pastors, there's support groups. We root each other on, and man, I want to see you succeed. I want to see you succeed, and I want to see the church that you pastor succeed. And praying for each other, and rooting each other on.

Jonathan Hernandez
It's amazing to see how diverse the body of Christ is, and you know, we're not battling against each other. We're there, you know, when the USA goes over to the Olympics. They're not battling against each other. They're together, they're unified, and they're rooting each other on. And that's what the body of Christ needs to be. You know, that we're rooting each other on. It doesn't matter what fellowship that we're a part of, but we're rooting each other on because we want to see each other succeed. And we want to see the church grow. Seeing people being saved, the church being added to daily, right? And that's really amazing when we can start seeing that happen within the body. And not some of those bickerings that happen, but we're rooting each other on. So, for you listeners, are you connected within the body of Christ? Do you belong to a church? And if you do, are you just---I know when I first came to Christ, I just sat in the back. "Hopefully this pastor doesn't talk long. I want to be able to get out fast," because my heart was just starting to be changed. And then, as I started reading the word, I'm like, "man, I could sit here and listen to this pastor for six hours." I dunno. But, you know, you start feeling those changes and you start connecting with each other, right? Hey, so how are you doing? Let's go have dinner together. Let's go have lunch together," or whatever. And start building those communities/helping build that community. And so hopefully, you as a listener, are connected within your home church and really help build the community there by being a part of the community.

Garry Schick
So, so important. The passage I thought about, as we were sitting down to this, was that passage in Hebrews. "And do not neglect meeting together." Some are in the habit of doing that, "but encourage one another and all the more as you see the day approaching." You know, we need to fan the flame. And in fact, I've talked to people about this. Well, it's camping season, right? So, if you ever have a campfire, I don't know why it is, but all those logs have to lay together. They have to be touching. If one log is burning bright and rolls away from the fire, it's going out. Now, I don't know why. It has the fuel, the wood. It is wood. It has the oxygen, it's burning. It has the flame. I don't even understand this. My son, he's pretty smart about a lot of this science stuff. He could probably tell me, "dad, this is why." But in order to keep burning, those logs need to be up against other burning logs. They need to share the fire. And you know, think about the big names in the Bible. Apostle Paul: he was never alone. I mean, okay, he was once. We read about him alone. I think he was in Athens, and he was miserable until his team came and caught up with him. He always traveled with a group of people. He always had people that were receiving him. I mean, you look at, what is it? The end of Romans. He has all this, thank yous to all these people, and hi this one, and, "thank you to that one who helped me in all these ways." Even in his last letter, 2 Timothy, he's saying, "come before winter. Bring the parchments; bring this." He was alone every now and then. He didn't do well. And frankly, we don't either. Yes, when we're watching the Olympics, we're watching one gymnast. Maybe if it's not a team sport, maybe we're seeing one gymnast alone on the balance beam, or on the parallel, or uneven bars or those rings, or whatever. For that moment, It's kind of like the David and Goliath moment. But you know, where did David learn about the Lord? Probably his parents. For everybody that succeeds, you know, there's more than that moment. There is everything that went into that moment. We are watching, for two weeks, the best of the best on screen doing their ultimate moment. But the years of training, the years of support. The financial support, the coaches, the parents, the family coming together, communities coming together. I mean, so much. And I don't know about you, but to me, the Olympics at their best are just a taste of heaven, because that's what it's going to be. It's going to be people from every background, every nationality coming together, offering their best to the Lord. And you even see it in the Olympics where, even if we don't win, our people will congratulate somebody who had just broken a world record. Because guess what? There is a common humanity. There is a common bond of both striving for this. And you can do that. You can, "Hey, I wish it had been me," but if it wasn't me, "wow, good job." So you even see in the Olympics, this cheering, this empathizing, this concern for others at the best. Now, I know probably by the end of this, there'll be a doping scandal somewhere, whatever. I hate that, because that's not what it is about. And I am glad to be part of a nation that doesn't support that kind of thing. If our people get caught, they're in trouble. It's not like I'm not going to mention certain countries where it's government-sponsored doping. One of them I'm happy is not involved this year. I feel bad for those athletes. But that's not what this is about. This is about a world coming together in a good way. And ultimately, that's what heaven's going to be about. But how are we going to get there, friends? Well, Jesus, obviously. The only way to heaven is through faith in Jesus. But when you are born again, just like in human birth, you were born into a family. So, what is your connect point with that family? Now, I know some families are a little dysfunctional and some of our churches can be really dysfunctional, but there are options. Every community, I mean, there's a million churches in this town. Well, not quite. You've got to be able to find fellowships somewhere, my friend. And if you're hopping from fellowship to fellowship, there probably is a problem. But guess what the problem just might be. If you are hopping from one church to another, to another, to another, somebody's bringing their baggage with them. And I don't know who you are, and I'm not bringing in accusation. I'm just saying, "look," address the problem because the body of Christ needs you and your talents and your gifts. And you need the body of Christ. I'll tell you what; I am so grateful for a supportive church family behind me and my ministry and service to the Lord. And I'm also grateful for people like you, Jonathan. I mean, I look forward to our time together off-mic, even much more than on-mic. Just supporting one another in Christ. And there have been others who've been just encouragers, brothers, mentors, need it. And, you know what? There are times when it's a healthy decision to move from one church to another. I'm not saying that, but if you can look at your life and say, "Hmm, I don't seem to stay anywhere very long." Now that brings a question. That constant, "what? Do we bring it to the Lord?" And bring it to whatever body of believers you're at and just confess it and say, "Hey, I got a blind spot here." I don't know what it is, but find it and be a builder wherever you're at. Be a builder. Let us not just, let's come to be encouraged. There's times we're absolutely looking for that encouragement, but be part of the solution. Part of what makes the body strong. Build one another up.

Jonathan Hernandez
Definitely.

Garry Schick
Alright. Hey, let's go out there and run our race for Jesus, friends. And I mean, they do it for, in New Testament times, it was for what? Literally a wreath crown that withered pretty quickly. Now I think, are those metals real gold? I would guess so. But you know what? Even if they're 14 karat and thick, it's nothing compared to, well, gold bricks that are just paving stones in heaven. Can you imagine what that reward, that crown ultimately is all about? Well, the well done from Jesus, more than it's so wishing that to all of you as you run your race, because we're all crossing that line at some point. And may we fall into our Savior's arms and hear that, "welcome home. Well done!"

What’s New in the Cross Reference Library? What Makes You a Man of God?

The Warrior Soul - Life is a battle, and we are all soldiers. We may not wear a uniform, eat in a mess hall, or dodge actual bullets for a living, but we are in a war—a very crucial one. Just walk into any room of people and you’ll find immeasurable pain and wounds. On the outside we wear our camouflage well, but on the inside, deep within our own souls, we realize life is a conflict. It is traceable to a single source:  Satan, the adversary of our souls. Written by two US Army Green Berets, The Warrior’s Soul provides a guide for how to apply the techniques of a true warrior in the spiritual realm by emphasizing five core elements:

• A cause greater than self—why we fight

• A settled memory—the link between history and current circumstances

• A personal intensity—eager for challenges and undistracted by personal issues

• An unflagging optimism—an absolute commitment to never surrender

• A deep camaraderie—a personal commitment to fellow warriors

True warriors are willing to stand when others bow. With this first-rate preparation for spiritual battle you can stand strong and see victory.

The Ambition - A routine mob hit lights the fuse on an explosive collision of ambition and deception in the Windy City’s corridors of power. Drawing on his years as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune, bestselling author Lee Strobel reveals an insider’s tale of power, politics, and payoffs as current as today’s headlines. When a down-on-his-luck lawyer is coerced into bribing a judge to fix an upcoming mob trial, he secretly tapes the exchange to protect himself. After the dirty judge becomes a finalist for an open U.S. Senate seat, the incriminating tape isn’t the only thing standing in his way. Pastor-turned politician Eric Snow is determined to use his suburban megachurch as a launching pad for securing th eSenate appointment. And newspaper reporter Garry Strider threatens to uncover both candidates’ secrets in an investigation that may cost him his life. Strobel weaves these edgy characters into an intricate thriller set within a gleaming suburban megachurch, a big-city newspaper struggling for survival, and the shadowy corridors of political intrigue. The riveting climax is as unforgettable as the contract killing that punctuates the opening scene.  

About the Authors: 

Lieutenant General William Boykin - He is the co-author of The Warrior Soul and is the founder of Kingdom Warriors ministry. He is also the executive vice president of the Family Research Council. He was the US Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence under President George W. Bush from 2002-2007, and is the author of three books with combined sales of almost half a million copies. He resides in Washington, DC. 

Dr. Stu Weber - He is the co-author of The Warrior Soul. Dr. Weber is a Vietnam veteran and former US Army Green  Beret, and is a founding member of Good Shepherd Community Church in Portland, Oregon, where he served as lead pastor for over thirty years. He has authored several best-selling books and speaks nationally and internationally at events, including Promise Keepers, Family Life, and Iron Sharpens Iron. He and his wife, Linda, reside in Troutdale, Oregon, and have ten grandchildren. 

Lee Strobel - He is the author of The Ambition. Lee Strobel, with a journalism degree from the University of Missouri and a Master of Studies in Law degree from Yale Law School, was the award-winning legal editor of the Chicago Tribune. He is a New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty nonfiction books. A former atheist, he served as a teaching pastor at two of America’s largest churches. He and his wife live in Colorado.

What’s New in the Cross Reference Library? Remembering to Hope

Hope in the Hard Places - The  truth is, no one gets a hall pass from the hard places in life. Whether it’s death, chronic illness, divorce, cancer, depression, wayward children, aging parents, or other trials, everyone experiences valleys at one time or another. How can you navigate the valley while remaining hopeful? A veteran of adversity, Sarah Beckman shows weary souls how to walk through their trials with hope rather than desperation. The youngest of 14 children raised by a single mom, Sarah has faced health issues, death of family members and friends, marriage crisis, and more. Along with poignant stories, insights, checklists, and guidelines, Sarah deftly weaves her hard-won wisdom with the sage advice she’s gathered from other seasoned travelers. Hope in the Hard Places helps readers: 

• Overcome insecurity about receiving help 

• Discover the benefits of asking for what they need 

• Discern the right (and wrong) people they need alongside them 

• Transform their mindset from helpless to hopeful

• Uncover the secret to forgive themselves and others 

• Walk through the depths of hardship with insight, dignity, and certainty.

Blessed, Blessed, Blessed - Missy knew that marrying duck-hunting family man Jase Robertson would be an adventure…and it’s turned out to be even more than she imagined. As with any marriage and family, nothing has ever been simple. But there’s so much more to their story than has ever been told. Amid the wildness and joy so often seen in A&E’s Duck Dynasty, which has captured the hearts of millions, life for the Robertson clan took a sudden turn when Missy and Jase’s daughter, Mia, was born with a cleft palate—a serious condition requiring multiple cranial and facial surgeries. As their baby faced a lifetime of being “different,” Missy and Jase had to ask, "Where is God in all of this?” This is their story of finding a good life—and a good God—in a difficult situation. As you go behind the scenes with Missy, you’ll find out how she and Jase have made it through their hardest times and encountered God’s protection and love in unexpected ways. You’ll discover how they are raising their kids to be spunky, confident, and secure in who they were made to be.

What Will The New Language Of The New Kingdom Be?

You can listen to Ask The Pastor every weekday at 9:00am MST on 97.1FM Hope Radio KCMI! You can also listen and subscribe to Ask The Pastor in your favorite podcast feed. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music and most other podcast services.

This edition of Ask the Pastor features Pastors Johnathan Hernandez and Gary Schick.

Garry Schick
Alright, so we are still using questions from that KCMI banquet. So today, kind of an interesting one. I didn't even know where this was exactly coming from when I first read the question and did a little digging and kind of found out. So the question is this, "there was one language before God mixed them up at the Tower of Babel. True enough, in Isaiah, God says He's going to give one pure language. What do you think that will be?" Well, I did a little digging, couldn't find anything in Isaiah. But in the King James version of Zephaniah 3:9, it reads as follows, "For then I will turn to the people a pure language that they may all call upon the name of the Lord to serve Him with one consent." Jonathan, what do you think about that?

Jonathan Hernandez
Yeah, so I guess I'm reading into that question a little bit and thinking that maybe they were wondering about one certain language. Is it English or Chinese or whatnot? I don't know if that's the direction they were going with the question.

Garry Schick
That is the direction. And maybe, what was the original language before Babel, which probably in their mind, was the pure speech.

Jonathan Hernandez
Could be, yeah. I was telling you earlier; when I was going to church before I was pastoring and whatnot, I'd always remember my pastor would always say, "Jonathan, you need to learn Spanish because that's going to be the heavenly language." So I think that was his thought on that one.

Garry Schick
I think most of us think that about our own native tongue, don't we? "Well, this is what they're going to speak in heaven."

Jonathan Hernandez
And I would always tell them, "well, if that's going to be the heavenly language when I go to heaven, I'll know it." Unfortunately, I don't know it here on earth. But I think, as we look at this scripture, I think it's kind of, to me as I start looking into that, it looks more as in line of that purifying of the speech. They were in those times worshiping other idols. And so, out of their mouth was coming, I mean like slander kind, essentially. Yeah, unholy things were coming out. Worshiping idols and different things like that. And so I think, as we see this, the pure language, they're going to be purifying the lips. Purifying the words that are coming out. And we see this, really in a few different spots, quite a few different spots throughout the Bible. The Bible speaks a lot about how we should speak, and we can look at some powerful scriptures that even point to this. We could look at Psalms 37:30, it says, "the mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom and his tongue talks of justice." So we see even throughout scripture where God is telling us that our speech should be pure. It shouldn't be bad. Ephesians 4:29, it says, "let no corrupt words proceed out of your mouth. But what is good for necessary edification that it may impart grace to the ears." So when I looked at this and as I was just looking at some scriptures and looking at what it was showing, "okay. What is my mouth speaking? Am I saying things that are unpure? Am I having that same language coming out that shouldn't be?" And if I do, then now it's time that I need to repent. And make sure that I am speaking the things that God wants me to speak. And Proverbs 15:4, "A wholesome tongue is a tree of life." If our tongue is speaking good, right? Is speaking holy things? It says, "the wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perseverance breaks the spirit." We need to make sure that our speech is that of which God wants it to be, not this of the world. We shouldn't be downgrading people or speaking ill of people, but uplifting them and encouraging them in their walk of Christ. And so like I said, as I look through that scripture that we just talked about, I don't know what the one language will be spoken in heaven or whatnot, but according to that scripture, I see it in that way that the people then were speaking things that they shouldn't have been. And God was purifying that speech.

Garry Schick
And I think you're dead on, and I think it for several reasons. Yes, it's true that the King James version talks about the Lord giving them a pure language. But then if you look at that in the ESV translation (the English standard version), it says, "For at that time, I will change the speech of the people to a pure speech that all of them may call upon the name of the Lord and serve him with one accord." Now, when I dig back into the original Hebrew, it could kind of go either way. And if I go to the Greek translation of the Old Testament that was read in New Testament times, the word there could go either way as well. But what you can do without even having to know the biblical languages, which obviously, if there was one language, it would probably be Greek or Hebrew, right? That's what we maybe would assume, but that's not really what the passage is talking about. I think this is a great opportunity to say, sometimes we'll spot something in a verse that will kind of scratch our interest. And I think that's one, you know, so what will be the pure language? What will be the pure speech? What is that? Well, context is key. Listeners, get that little phrase in your head. Context is key. What in context is God talking about there? And I have a little subtitle to kind of help me know the context. In my ESV study Bible, it says, "The Conversion of the Nations." And if you look at this for that time, "I will change the speech or the language of the peoples," literally the nations, the Gentiles, "to a pure speech." Well, what was their speech? Without God? It was exactly what you pointed out. Idol worship and blaspheming God, and everything contrary to God. And so, what did Isaiah pray? Speaking of Isaiah---even though this verse isn't in Isaiah---when he saw the Lord, he says, "woe is me. I'm a man of unclean lips." And actually, the Hebrew word there isn't really, "language," or, "speech." It's the word for lip. "I will give them a pure lip," is literally what the Hebrew is saying. The Greek, the Septuagint, the Old Testament in Greek that the New Testament church read says, "glosa," tongue. Now, a tongue can be a language, but it can also refer to speech or what trips off the tongue. And you, I think also did a great job of not only giving us the context, "what is this verse about?" It's not really about languages. It's about the Gentiles coming to faith and coming to praise the Lord with one voice, a clear voice of praise to Him. Not idolatrous and...it's purified. But then if you look at the breadth of scripture and how it speaks of the lips and the tongue, but regarding languages---and again, we look again at the scope of scripture. Revelation 7:9 talks about heaven. It says, John, the Apostle John, says, "after this, I looked and behold a great multitude that no one could number from every nation and tribe and people and language standing before the throne of God clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands and giving praise." So freedom for those of us who love our native tongues. It may be all, I think it will be all of them. I think we're going to speak all of our languages, and I think we're going to all understand each other, because God hears us in all the multiplicity. When God divided the tongues at Babel, He wasn't making them something impure. He was making it so that we would need to focus on getting our direction from Him instead of just, as a united world going on without Him. But He is praised. I mean, from the lips of children and infants. Jesus said you every day, and praise. By the way, this writer/caller was not the first to ask this question. There was actually a man somewhere, I don't know how far back in time, who he assumed that this was a reference to the language of The Garden of Eden. And he wanted to know what that language was. And so when his children were born, he wouldn't let anybody speak to them. He wanted to know what the language of the Garden of Eden was, and he just assumed that children would naturally speak it before they learned---. Well, it didn't work out so well. Children learn language; and they learn your language and whatever your language is. Listener, I guess at this point, most of our listeners are listening to us in English. That's what we're speaking. Your language is a beautiful language. And if you grew up knowing the mother tongue of your parentage, for Jonathan, it would be Spanish. For me, it would've been German/Russian. Those are beautiful languages. And God is praised in all those tongues. But whatever language we speak, are we using our tongue to sing and speak His praise and honor Him? Not only that our tongues are cleaned up from idolatry, but how we speak to others, boy, there's some conviction there. I've got to admit, sometimes I'm kind of grumpy. And sometimes it comes out of my mouth and, oh man, that wasn't a good witness today. Part of this reminds me a lot of, years ago, I spent some time in Africa. I think I've told you about this before. We're so blessed as a nation, we're really English, and now Spanish as well are kind of the two languages. I know some people struggle with that, but in Africa, everybody speaks their tribal tongue. At least in Kenya, the part of Kenya I was in, they speak their tribal tongue. They all know Swahili because that's how they communicate with each other. And then they know a little bit of English to get along with us Europeans, because Kenya at one point was a British colony. So I mean, they're trilingual and they're pretty good at it, because I mean, a lot of them are actually fairly good at English, and that really is their third. But one of the cool things there, when we were in a really small, not that big of an area, but I mean there were nine different tribal tongues. And I collected, I don't have it with me, I wasn't really thinking about this, but I collected how to sing, "God is so good," in all of these different languages. Kalenjin and Swahili, and of course I had it down in English. I mean, I can't even remember all the different tribes. And it's kind of fun saying, "God is so good," in all those different languages, and I just think that's going to be a taste of heaven. We're going to get up there. We're going to be singing amazing grace in all the tongues, and we're all going to know what we're, I mean, that one, you would know what they're singing. Maybe not what verse they're on, but because that's when we know. But we're going to know the Lord and we're going to sing His praise and He's going to know what we're saying just like He does now. And He's going to hear, not only the whole group, but He's going to hear every voice that's singing His praise. And He's going to know more than just our tongue, but the heart that it comes from.

What’s New in the Cross Reference Library? The Importance of The Church

Rediscover Church - Since a global pandemic abruptly closed places of worship, many Christians have skipped church life, even neglecting virtual services. But this was a trend even before COVID-19. Polarizing issues, including political and racial strife, convinced some people to pull away from the church and one another. Now it’s time to recommit to gathering as brothers and sisters in Christ. In Rediscover Church, Collin Hansen and Jonathan Leeman discuss why church is essential for believers and God’s mission. Through biblical references and personal stories, they show readers God’s true intention for corporate gathering: to spiritually strengthen members as individuals and the body of Christ. In an age of church-shopping and live streamed services, rediscover why the future of the church relies on believers gathering regularly as the family of God. 

Reaching the Unreached - For too long church leaders have focused on increasing the size of their church rather than increasing their reach outside of the four walls of the church building. The result? Church life becomes a predictable set of routines with predictable results. Church members struggle to reach the neighborhoods they drive through on their way to church programs, unable to penetrate their surrounding communities in a meaningful way. Reaching the Unreached recounts the stories, struggles, and triumphs of individuals and churches that have reinvented themselves to meet the world where it is, working to reach the ones that no one else is reaching.

“The search for the ‘silver bullet’ of success has diverted us from tapping into the timeless principles found in the book of Acts,” says author, pastor, and front-line church planter Peyton Jones. Yet the spiritual climate that Paul and the Apostles stepped into is not all that different from the brave new world the church faces today.

What’s New in the Cross Reference Library? Chaos in the End

Untaken - If the Rapture just happened, would you be Untaken? What would you do? Your husband is missing; you don’t want to be pregnant; you witness a horrific plane crash, and you learn all babies and young children have disappeared. Twenty-eight-year-old Sarah Colton may think she is in control, but she’s far from the truth, not realizing the Rapture has occurred. Enter The writer’s mind as she deals with this imminent, amazing event.

Jacob’s Trouble - Paradoxically, Jacob’s horrific circumstances dynamically unfold through a compelling love story of many dimensions. Jacob Zen ambitiously climbs toward a top position within the US government, only to have his plans explode into chaos. He reacts through computer technology with INterface, human-kind’s ultimately evolved beast-state government of absolute control. Drug-induced flashbacks plunge him into that past time when there was yet hope—while life with Karen promised a future filled with great hope and expectation. When Jacob’s life falls apart in one terrifying instant, events viciously sweep him toward a savage era beyond comprehension or endurance. He struggles mightily through his nightmarish world while powerful forces push and pull at him as he tries desperately to find Karen, the love of his life, who has been taken from him by the monstrous dictatorship. Yet other forces even more powerful influence his every thought, his every action, and propel him unerringly through the vortex of history toward some seemingly predetermined destination.

How Should Christians Live During The Last Days?

You can listen to Ask The Pastor every weekday at 9:00am MST on 97.1FM Hope Radio KCMI! You can also listen and subscribe to Ask The Pastor in your favorite podcast feed. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music and most other podcast services.

This edition of Ask the Camp Pastor features Pastors Gary Hashley and Brad Kilthau.

Gary Hashley
Today, the question we're going to think about, talk about, and interact on, I guess would be a good way to put it today is a question that's really at the forefront of many believers minds. And that is, "how should Christians live in the last days?" Now really, the last days I believe started when Jesus ascended back to heaven and said, "I'll be back," and that the clock has been ticking in God's economy toward the time when Jesus returns. I'm convinced the apostles thought it was going to be in their day and age; and that Paul thought it might happen in his day and age; and that Peter's audience he was writing to in first and second Peter thought it was any time. Now, I remember being in high school in the early 1970s and hearing sermons basically saying, "the world is so bad; things can't get any worse. Jesus is coming back any minute." And I remember thinking as a teenager, "would I ever graduate high school? Would I ever go to college? Would I ever get married?" And here I'm not only a grandpa, but come January 1st, I'm due to be a great grandfather. And we have been living in the last days for a long time now. I know what people are thinking, and Brad, you're going to pick up on this in a minute. I know what people are thinking and that is, "well, maybe you thought it was bad in the 70s, maybe you thought it was bad in the 90s. Maybe you thought it was bad in the early 2000s, but this has got to be the tailgate of God's prophetic calendar for humanity." And people are thinking, "this is it." I remember my dad telling me years ago, he said, "Gary, we need to live like Jesus is coming today or tomorrow, but we need to plan like it's going to be another 100 years." And I think that was good advice from my dad, but Brad, let's let you get going on this. How should Christians live in the last days?

Brad Kilthau
Yeah Gary, in the last days, you're right on that. It is, the last days is technically---you look at the Bible, it's the time between Jesus' first coming and his second coming. That's the last days. One of the ways I usually explain it to folks is, they'll talk about the last days. We live in the last days. And you talk maybe about a football game. Your wife's getting tired of watching that game and she looks at you and says, "how long do we have to watch this game? Can't we watch something else?" And I'll say, "well, we're in the last quarter." And she'll look at the screen and say, "Well, there's 15 minutes left." Just 15 more minutes. Well, it might be an hour before that 15 minutes is over. And that's really what we mean when we talk about the last days. It's that last quarter. It's that last period of time. There's no new messengers coming from God. We have the completed word of God now. There's not going to be another time period for the church. It's over. This is it. But it could still go on for an extended period of time. Yet when we look at prophecy in the Bible and we see so many prophecies that had to be fulfilled in order for the second coming of the Lord to happen. We see those are all fulfilled. And so we can say, "yeah, we're living in maybe the last of the last days." But we can't put a time limit on it and we can't act like it has to happen tomorrow. It doesn't have to happen tomorrow, but it might. We're still, as you said Gary, we're supposed to live like it's imminent. It can happen at any time. And again, the disciples, the apostles instructed people, he instructed the churches to live that way. And I'm not sure what passage of scripture you were thinking about Gary, but I was thinking in 1 Peter 4:7-11. Where the apostle Peter, he says, "but the end of all things is at hand." Listen to that word. I mean, it sounded like he was saying to the church, "It could happen anytime." The Lord could come at any time. "The end of all things is at hand. Therefore, be serious and watchful in your prayers and above all things have fervent love for one another. For love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. As each one has received a gift, minister to one another as good stewards of the manifold of grace of God. And if anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as the ability with God's supplies. That in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen."

Brad Kilthau
And I think that passage of scripture, Peter really sums it up well for how we should live in these last days. The first one is: we should be fervent in prayer, obviously. And I'm going to leave that one for you, Gary, but the other one is found in verses 8-9 where he says, "we are to love one another." And I think that's kind of odd when you think about our society today, because if anything, we're a society today that's more hateful towards each other than I think we've ever seen before. The rudeness, the self-centeredness, the self gratifying thing that's going on in people's lives. So what's Peter saying? He's saying, "well, in the last days Christians, you need to be different than the world. You need to love in a way that actually astonishes the world." They look at you like, "how could you love others like that?" And I think we need to step outside of the norm, and the incognito of being blended in with all of the people of the world and show what it means to have Christ in your life and to love people. What does that mean? Well, I guess first of all, get a circle of people that you can love on, that you can express to them love. That you can help them out in their time of need. But don't just have that circle. Put a bigger circle outside of that one, because get out to people who you don't even know and express love to them. And the reason we know that that is, I think the advice of Peter here is, because he said that we are to be hospitable to others. We are to be hospitable. When you look that word up in the original language, it means to love strangers. And man, we have to do better as the church I think Gary, because I think the church is becoming such a little hub and a close knit club. And we can love on each other, but we can't love outside of the walls of our church, and we're in trouble when we do that. I was reading about the Albanians. I guess the Albanians are known for loving people who are strangers. It's called The Albanian Love. And when I was reading through this article, it was actually that the Albanian people will buy extra food and extra supplies and they'll stick it up on a shelf or something and store it away knowing that if there's a stranger that comes into their life, they have it. They just grab it and give those to somebody who they don't even know and help them out. And I think we could learn from that, and we should be living like that in these days. Jesus said, "love one another, that others will know that you are my disciples." That love is a way we can express to the world that Jesus is real. In fact, when Jesus said that he actually gave the world a tool to grade us as Christians by, in other words, it's like the Lord is saying, "go to my children and see how they love you." And that'll be their grade. "Check them out. Look how they love others." And that should be a wake up call, again, to us is the church. Another thing he expresses there is, we need to use our spiritual gifts to the fullest. In verses 10-11 in that passage that I read already. Use it to the fullest; our spiritual gifts. Our spiritual gifts are actually our fingerprint on the things that God has called us to do. And the reason it's a fingerprint is because it's very unique. Even though the spiritual gift list is very short, it is a list that every one of us can say, "one of those gifts is mine as a follower of the Lord." But when it is yours, it's a little different even with the other people who have the same gift. And the reason is because you have a different personality, you have different ability, you have different tendency. And so you kind of color your gift a little bit---in a way that's very unique. And I think we see that when we look at what the Lord said. He said that we were called and designed as workmanship for the Lord since the beginning of time. And God has a unique plan for us each as an individual to do with our spiritual gifts. So, if you're not finding out what your spiritual gift is, you're not living right in the last days because you need to know what your spiritual gift is. You need to use it and use it to the fullest. In fact, if you don't use it to the fullest, the Lord actually tells us through his apostle here. He said here that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ to whom belongs all the glory and the dominion forever. And so if we're not using the spiritual gift, not employing what we have...we're not finding out what it is, then we're not giving God the glory that He is due. And so there's just a couple of things I guess we can look at Gary, and how we should be living in these last days. You want to add to that?

Gary Hashley
Yes, I do. You talked about what Peter wrote in the first letter, 1 Peter, and I had that down and I wrote down some things about that text. He emphasized being prayerful and loving and forgiving and serving and focused. And those are all good things. Then we get to the end of his second letter and what we have is chapter three. Now, they didn't divide their letters into chapters and verses. We did that since then just to help us find things. But he closes out his letter, and the whole third chapter has to do with the second coming of Christ, the day of the Lord showing up. And he talks about the fact that there are those who are scoffing saying, "He probably isn't coming because he hasn't come yet. If he hasn't come yet, he's probably not coming at all." And Peter says, "no, no! Don't think about it that way." And then he uses that statement about, a day with the Lord is like a thousand years and a thousand years like a day. Now, don't fall into the trap of making that a mathematical formula. He's not saying that 24 hours equals a thousand years or a thousand years equals 24 hours. What he's saying is, God doesn't think of time the way we think of time, or function in time the way we function in time. So don't figure, because it's been a while that he's not coming at all. Because God is going to fulfill everything He said He would do. In fact, verse nine, God is in slack concerning His promise. In other words, if God said it, it's going to happen. Then he alludes to the fact, the day of the Lord will come. That's in verse 10, 2 Peter 3, "the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night." Then it talks about the heavens and the earth passing away with a fervent heat. The first time God destroyed things on earth, it was with a flood. The second time it's going to be with fire. And he says everything's going to be dissolved. And he says, "what we should do is look for and hasten the coming of the day of God," because the heavens and the earth will be dissolved. They'll be on fire. And then he says, "beloved," verse 14, "looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found in him, in peace without spot and blameless. And consider that the long suffering of our Lord is salvation. As also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you." So, as I look at 2 Peter 3, how should Christians live in the last days? Well, we should live looking up, so to speak. Looking for Jesus to come. And it could be today, it could be tomorrow, it could be next week. It could be another a 100, 500, 1000 years from now. We don't know. And if anybody says they know, Jesus said even the son of man doesn't know. So if they think they know, they don't know. It is just a fact. But we ought to be waiting. Waiting for him to come. If we knew a thief was coming, we'd wait. We would watch, and we would wait. But he also talks about winning. He said, "it's salvation!" I think back, if Jesus had come in 1975, the year I graduated from high school, how many people that didn't know Jesus then but know Jesus now, they wouldn't have been ready for Jesus to come back and spend eternity in heaven. I know it's one thing to pray, "Lord come quickly." I mean, we all do it, when at a test or quiz in school wanted Jesus to come because we hadn't studied. But we should be concerned if Jesus were to come today, who doesn't know Jesus yet that needs to know the Lord. Jesus is savior. So if I can sum this all up before we run out of time, I think what Brad and I have been saying is, how should Christians live in the last days? How about three Fs? 1. Focus: We need to be focused on the fact that this isn't going to keep going like it is forever and ever and ever. When Jesus ascended to heaven, the disciples standing there with their mouths hanging open, the angels said, "he'll be back the way he left." He'll come back. So focus on the fact that Jesus is coming and could be any time. 2. Faith. Have faith. It will be at the right time in the right way. And that no matter what happens leading up to it, that as followers of Jesus, our home is heaven. No matter how much we're called to suffer here, and some will suffer greatly here, that our home is heaven. And then the third F is Fear. But it's not for us to fear. It's for us to not fear. I think there are Christians out there and they're stockpiling food and they're stockpiling bullets because we may be in the last days. Trust me, stockpiling food and stockpiling bullets is not how we prepare. It's, how did he say, "be diligent to be found in him in peace without spot and blameless." Live for Jesus today, knowing that he could come at any time. So, I don't know if that answers anybody's questions, but how should Christians live in the last days? Go to the scriptures and find out.

What’s New in the Cross Reference Library? Emotionally Healthy Spirituality book and Workbook

Emotionally Healthy Spirituality - Peter Scazzero learned the hard way: You can’t be spiritually mature while remaining emotionally immature. Though Scazzero was an experienced pastor of a growing church, his life and faith remained emotionally unhealthy. Like so many in the church, he routinely: 

• avoided healthy conflict in the name of keeping the peace

• ignored and suppressed emotions

• used work for God as an excuse to run from God

• lived without limits

In this bestselling book, Scazzero outlines the top ten symptoms of emotionally unhealthy spirituality. He then unpacks core biblical principles to guide you into an experience of lasting, beneath-the-surface transformation in your relationship with Christ. 

Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Course Workbook - In this workbook, Scazzero helps you unpack core biblical principles to guide you into an experience of lasting, beneath-the-surface transformation in your relationship with Christ. The workbook includes session introductions, group discussion questions, application, and between sessions personal study. Join us for a powerful journey that will walk you through a door that will change forever the way you love God, others, and yourself.

What’s New in the Cross Reference Library? The Wyoming Sunrise Series by Mary Connealy

Forged in Love - Mariah Stover is left for dead and with no memory when the Deadeye Gang robs the stagecoach she’s riding in, killing both her father and brother. As she takes over her father’s blacksmith shop and tries to move forward, she soon finds herself in jeopardy and wondering—does someone know she witnessed the robbery and is still alive? Handsome and polished Clint Roberts escaped to western Wyoming, leaving his painful memories behind. Hoping for a fresh start, he opens a diner where he creates fine dishes, but is met with harsh resistance from the townsfolk, who prefer to stick to their old ways. Clint and Mariah are drawn together by the trials they face in town, and Clint is determined to protect Mariah at all costs when danger descends upon her home. As threats pursue them from every side, will they survive to build a life forged in love? 

The Laws of Attraction - If widowed seamstress Nell Armstrong has to make one more pair of boring chaps for the cowboys in her tiny Wyoming town, she might just quit the business altogether! So meeting Brand Nolte, a widower struggling to raise three girls on his own, seems like her dream come true. Brand has no idea how to dress the girls properly, and Nell finally has a chance to create beautiful outfits while also teaching the girls to sew. But Nell is much more than a seamstress, and the investigative skills and knowledge she picked up alongside her late lawman husband soon become critical when a wounded stagecoach-robbery survivor is brought to town. As danger closes in from all sides, Nell and Brand must discover who has a target on them before it’s too late. 

Marshaling Her Heart - Becky Pruitt has always prided herself on knowing everything that’s happening on her successful ranch, so an unexpected admission from her foreman, Nate Paxton, comes as quite a surprise. With the notorious Deadeye Gang on the loose, Nate—a former U.S. Marshal—believes Becky’s ranch is the best spot for a group of Marshals to use as a base to hunt them down. The timing couldn’t be more crucial for the town of Pine Valley, and Becky feels obligated to help. But after escaping the grasp of her harsh father, she’s never liked giving up control, of her life or her ranch. If there’s anyone she can trust with her ranch, and her heart, it might be Nate. But the outlaws won’t go away quietly, and as danger draws ever nearer, Becky and Nate are faced with impossible choices that will test their growing bond.

What’s New in the Cross Reference Library? Additions To Multiple Book Series’

A Nir Tavor Mossad Thriller: Out of The Far North by Amir Tsarfati & Steve Yohn  - Tensions are at a breaking point. The Western markets that once relied on Russian gas have turned to Israel for their energy needs. Furious, Russia surreptitiously moves to protect their interests by using their newfound ally, Iran, and Iran’s proxy militias. As Israel’s elite fighting forces and the Mossad go undercover, they detect that The Kremlin is planning a major attack against Israel. Hunting for clues, Mossad agents Nir Tavor and Nicole le Roux plunge themselves in the treacherous underworld of Russian oligarch money, power, and decadence. With each danger they face, le Roux’s newfound Christian faith grows stronger. And battle-weary Tavor—haunted by dreams from his past—must confront memories and pain he’d sought to bury. In this electrifying thriller, hostilities explode as Tavor and le Roux fight to prevent a devastating conflict. Will they be able to outwit their enemies, or will their actions have catastrophic consequences? And how can Tavor’s Kidon team possibly survive when forces beyond the Mossad’s control step in and turn the whole operation upside down? 

For more from this series, check out the following books from the Cross Reference Library:

1. Operation Joktan

The Fairytale Romance Series: The Orphan’s Wish by Melanie Dickerson - Orphaned and alone, Aladdin travels from the streets of his Arab homeland to a strange, faraway place. Growing up in an orphanage, he meets young Lady Kirstyn, whose father is the powerful Duke of Hagenheim. Despite the difference in stations, Aladdin quickly becomes Kirstyn’s favorite companion, and their childhood friendship grows into a bond that time and opposition cannot break. Even as a child, Aladdin works hard, learning all he can from his teachers. Through his integrity, intelligence, and sheer tenacity, he earns a position serving as the duke’s steward. But that isn’t enough to erase the shame of being forced to steal as a small child—or the fact that he’s an orphan with no status. If he ever wants to feel equal to his beautiful and generous friend Kirstyn, he must leave Hagenheim and seek his fortune. Yet once Aladdin departs, Lady Kirstyn becomes a pawn in a terrible plot. Now, Aladdin and Kirstyn must rely on their bond to save her from unexpected danger. But will saving Kirstyn cost Aladdin his newfound status and everything he’s worked so hard to obtain?

For more from this series, check out the following books from the Cross Reference Library:

1. The Healer’s Apprentice

2. The Merchant’s Daughter

3. The Fairest Beauty

4. The Captive Maiden

5. The Princess Spy

Leah’s Garden: A Season of Harvest by Lauraine Snelling - Larkspur Nielsen is determined to keep her family homestead running and to fulfill their dream of starting a seed catalog, with or without her siblings’ help. With Isaac McTavish back in town, Lark finds herself at odds with her own heart and her determination to shoulder the burden of carrying her responsibilities alone. But Isaac is set on convincing her that he’s here to stay and she doesn’t have to carry everything by herself. As a new romance blossoms between Lilac and an old schoolmate and the other Nielsen sisters are busy caring for their families, Lark bears more and more responsibility on the farm. When a long-feared threat returns and Lark approaches the breaking point, the life she has always dreamed of is in danger of disappearing forever. 

For more from this series, check out the following books from the Cross Reference Library:

1. The Seeds of Change

2. A Time to Bloom

3. Fields of Bounty