They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. ‘We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,’ they said. 

—Acts 14:21–22

Scripture:

Acts 14:21-22 

I believe that when we get to Heaven, we’ll look back at our time on earth from a different perspective. I believe we’ll realize that the things we viewed as good weren’t nearly as good as we thought they were. I also believe we’ll realize that some things we thought were bad were, in fact, beneficial.

For example, our culture has conditioned us to think of prosperity and success as good things. And for some people, they can be, if they’re used for God’s glory. But quite honestly, for others, financial well-being can be a great distraction, something that causes them to lose sight of God. Material possessions can weigh us down, spiritually speaking, when God wants us to travel light.

In addition, we think of sickness or loss or failure as things that are always bad. And they can be bad. Very bad. But they also can be good, because they cause us to cling to God and to lean on Him like we never would have if things had been easier. So, from Heaven’s perspective, a so-called bad thing can be a good thing.

When his friend Lazarus was sick, Jesus delayed going to see him in Bethany. John 11:5–7 says, “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, and then he said to his disciples, ‘Let us go back to Judea’” (NIV).

Instead of running to help Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, as they hoped He would, Jesus delayed His arrival by two days. Why? He wanted Lazarus’ sickness to run its course. He didn’t simply want to heal His friend. He wanted to bring greater glory to His name. Sickness and death were the means to bring about that greater glory. The Lord doesn’t look at trials and suffering as we do. The question is, whose perspective will we trust?

Here’s a hint: “‘My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the Lord. ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts’” (Isaiah 55:8–9 NLT)

I believe that God will reveal the whys of our suffering in time. He will help us see the big picture, how our trials ultimately led to a greater good. But until that day, we need to remember these words from Acts 14:21–22: “They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. ‘We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,’ they said” (NIV).

No matter how many hardships we must endure, the result—eternity in the kingdom of God—is more than worth it.

Reflection question: How can you keep a godly perspective on the “good” and “bad” things that happen to you? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings. So do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my co-workers. 

—Philemon 1:23–24

Scripture:

Philemon 1:23–24 NLT 

It’s been said that everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes. For a select few people, however, those fifteen minutes of fame stretched into centuries and millennia. Such is the case with the people mentioned in one of the apostle Paul’s epistles. Imagine what an honor that would be! For example, in his letter to Philemon, the apostle wrote, “Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings. So do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my co-workers” (Philemon 1:23–24 NLT).

I imagine it must have been tempting to bring up those name-checks in casual conversation: “Hi, it’s nice to meet you. My name is Aristarchus. You may have heard of me from one of Paul’s epistles.”

One of the people Paul mentioned was Demas, whose name appeared not only in one epistle, but two. In Philemon, Demas is identified as a coworker of Paul. The bad news is that his second mention involved his apostasy. Something had happened to Demas in the time between Paul’s letter to Philemon and his second letter to Timothy, because we read, “Demas has deserted me because he loves the things of this life and has gone to Thessalonica” (2 Timothy 4:10 NLT). In other words, “Hey, remember Demas? Yeah, well, he’s not with me anymore.” The reason? Demas loved “the things of this life.”

Demas serves as a prime example of why the apostle John warned, “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever” (1 John 2:15–17 NLT).

There is nothing wrong with being blessed by God with things like a nice home or a good career. In fact, the Bible tells us that God “richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment” (1 Timothy 6:17 NLT). But if those things have become the most important to you, more important than God Himself, then that is a problem, my friend.

We must recognize the things of this life for the temporary blessings they are. We must be prepared to step away from them if the Lord instructs us to. Traveling light in this world means being prepared to sacrifice anything that gets in the way of our relationship with the Lord.

The Christian walk is challenging enough on its own. The last thing we need is to stumble over misplaced priorities.

Reflection question: How can you keep a godly perspective on the things of this life? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him, even though I used to blaspheme the name of Christ. In my insolence, I persecuted his people. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief. 

—1 Timothy 1:12–13

Scripture:

1 Timothy 1:12-13 

Saul of Tarsus, who later became the apostle Paul, had a ravenous hunger for knowledge, especially as it pertained to Judaism, and an unquenchable desire to be as devout as possible in his Jewish faith. As a Pharisee, he rose to a position of influence among the Jewish leaders, possibly even becoming a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin, which was like the Supreme Court of its day. With this honor, Saul enjoyed great fame and influence.

However, it could be said that Saul was both famous and, ultimately, infamous. He showed the depths of his rigid devotion to Judaism when he sensed a threat to its dominance. He seems to have instinctively recognized that the followers of the Nazarene known as Jesus were dangerous. So dangerous, in fact, that Saul convinced himself that they needed to be wiped off the face of the earth. He made it his mission in life to hunt them down and make them suffer for their faith in Christ. But he didn’t stop with the Christians who were in his immediate jurisdiction. He asked for and received extradition papers from the high priest so that he could take his campaign of persecution on the road. He set out for Damascus, which was 140 miles from Jerusalem.

The journey was arduous, but Saul would not be deterred. He was so filled with hatred that he was willing to go anywhere to find Christians and stop them. He later wrote that he did this ignorantly in unbelief (see 1 Timothy 1:12–13).

Many people, believers and unbelievers alike, have a hard time understanding how a religious person can also be a hateful person. But the unfortunate reality is that some people who claim to be devout act in mean and cruel ways. They use their religion to belittle and destroy others. That was certainly the case with Saul.

Christians who fall into this trap can be dangerous to the cause of Christ. They can also cause great frustration for their fellow believers whose own ministry efforts are undermined or hindered by their un-Christlike behavior. As Vance Havner pointed out, “If we are too busy using our sickles on one another, we’re going to miss the harvest.”

As Christians, we need to travel light in our relationship with other believers. We need to show love, encouragement, and support. We need to let go of anger, competitiveness, and illusions of moral superiority. We need to embrace a spirit of humility and grace so that we can accomplish all that God has for us to do.

Saul certainly learned that lesson. Years later he wrote, “Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith” (Galatians 6:10 NLT).

Jesus put it even more succinctly: “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:35 NLT).

Reflection question: What does showing love for fellow believers look like in your life? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie