2024 ISSUE THREE
In this issue 3
Not to Worry...He’s Risen! charles r. swindoll
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Our Ultimate Hooray charles r. swindoll
Character Sketch 8 Esther: Courageous and Obedient Queen insight for living canada About the Bible 10 Bible Basics: Life and Power of Biblical Animation steve johnson Searching the Scriptures Study 14 The Integrity of Moral Purity
Insights is published by Insight for Living Canada, the Bible-teaching ministry of Charles (Chuck) R. Swindoll. Chuck is the senior pastor-teacher of Stonebriar Community Church in Texas. His international radio program Insight for Living has aired for more than 40 years. We hope this publication will instruct, inspire, and encourage you in your walk with Christ. Copyright © 2024 Insight for Living Canada. All rights reserved. No portion of this monthly publication may be reproduced in any form without prior written permission from the publisher. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture passages are taken from the NLT. Unless otherwise noted, photography and illustration by Byeongtaek So. IFLC is an autonomous ministry and certified member of the Canadian Centre for Christian Charities. Printed in Canada.
When John arrived, he stopped at the entrance and looked inside. Peter ran straight into the tomb and was shocked by what he saw. Joining Peter inside the tomb, I like to think that John whispered, “He’s alive!”
Cover & Article Photo: Marek Piwnicki on Unsplash
Not to Worry... He’s Risen! by C h arle s R . Sw i ndol l
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n the day Jesus was crucified, a sinister darkness blotted out the sun and smothered Jerusalem under a blanket of evil. It would have appeared to anyone seeing through eyes of flesh that the darkness, the Devil, and death had defeated the Son of God once and for all. I will admit to you that those three Ds lie at the root of almost every worry I suffer. I worry about death—in particular, the death of the people I love. I worry about darkness, both literal and figurative. I worry about what the Devil is up to. Demons, darkness, and death...all three worked diligently throughout the ministry of Jesus to bring about this long and anguishing day. But what no one could see was that the Messiah’s death would strike at the very heart of evil. Three days after Jesus was placed in the grave, on Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene and a group of women converged on the tomb. As they approached, they saw that the giant stone had been tossed aside. Mary Magdalene immediately ran to tell Peter and John: “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him” (John 20:2 NASB1995). While Mary Magdalene was away, the other women took a closer look. The grave was gaping open. The grave wrappings lay there, still together and intact, but empty. The body was gone. They stood dumbstruck for several moments, until they realized that two angels appeared behind them. One sat on the stone while the other stood nearby. “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has been raised!” (Luke 24:5–6 NET).
Rushing from the empty tomb, they encountered someone who calmed their fears. “Jesus met them, saying, ‘Greetings! ...Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee. They will see me there’” (Matthew 28:9–10). When the women told what had happened the disciples dismissed their story as insane, exaggerated chatter. Meanwhile, Mary Magdalene found Peter and John. At first, they, too, dismissed her story, but curiosity eventually got the better of them and they raced to the tomb. When John arrived, he stopped at the entrance and looked inside. Peter ran straight into the tomb and was shocked by what he saw. Joining Peter inside the tomb, I like to think that John whispered, “He’s alive!” As word spread, a multitude began to assemble at a home in Jerusalem. With the doors locked tight, a familiar voice rose from the middle of the room. “‘Peace be with you.’ And when [Jesus] had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side” (John 20:19–20 NASB1995). And they believed. Unfortunately, Thomas, one of the Twelve, was not there. When he arrived, everyone told him the story. Thomas wouldn’t believe the reports. “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe” (20:25). Eight days later, Thomas found himself inside the house with the doors of the room shut tighter than before. “Peace be with you” (20:26). Again, Jesus stood in the middle of the room. “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be
unbelieving, but believing” (20:27). Thomas didn’t move. He didn’t even lift a finger. He responded as only a genuine follower of Jesus can respond: “My Lord and my God!” (20:28). The responses of the people who knew Jesus that Sunday morning parallel the reactions I encounter every day as a modern-day bearer of this Good News. Some believed immediately. They were given the information, remembered what Jesus had predicted during His ministry, and accepted His Resurrection as genuine. Some believed with indirect evidence. They initially doubted the notion, but when they received further information—such as seeing an empty tomb—they knew He had risen. Some believed with direct evidence. They only believed that Jesus had risen after seeing Him with their own eyes. Demons, darkness, and death have been vanquished, yet they continue to lash out in desperate hatred against everything in God’s
creation. But not to worry...Jesus is alive with a new kind of life that He longs to give any and all who will believe. Are you in that company? Or, have you come to realize your need for a Saviour? Good for you! The Devil, darkness, and death may swagger and boast, the pangs of life will sting for a while longer, but the forces of evil are breathing their last. So there’s no need to worry...He has risen! He has risen, indeed!
Taken from Charles R. Swindoll, “Not to Worry...He’s Risen!” Insights (March 2008): 1-2. Copyright © Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. | Adapted from Charles R. Swindoll, “Not to Worry...He’s Risen!” in Jesus: The Greatest Life of All (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2008), 233–44.
The Day Hope Eclipsed Death single CD message
Is there anything more devastating in life than hopelessness?
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Our Ultimate Hooray by C h arle s R . Sw i ndol l
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hat gives a widow courage as she stands beside a fresh grave? What is the ultimate hope of the disabled, the amputee, the abused, the burn victim? How can the parents of children who have brain-damage or physical handicaps keep from living their entire lives totally and completely depressed? Why would anyone who is blind or deaf or paralyzed be encouraged when he or she thinks of the life beyond? How can we see past the martyrdom of some helpless hostage or devoted missionary? Where do the thoughts of a young couple go when they finally recover from the grief of losing their baby?
When a family receives the tragic news that a little daughter was found dead or their dad was killed in a plane crash or a son overdosed on drugs, what single truth becomes their whole focus? What is the final answer to pain, mourning, senility, insanity, terminal diseases, sudden calamities, and fatal accidents? The answer to each of these questions is the same: the hope of bodily resurrection. We draw strength from this single truth almost every day of our lives—more than we realize. It becomes the mental glue that holds our otherwise shattered thoughts together.
Impossible though it may be for us to under- still under the condemnation of our sins (15:14, stand the details of how God is going to pull 16, 18). What a deplorable state of affairs! It’s it off, we hang our hopes on fragile, threadlike enough to make all of us run and hide! But wait. That hypothetical argument hinges thoughts that say, “Someday, He will make it on a conditional presupright” and “Thank God, position...if. “If there is no all this will change” and resurrection of the dead” “When we’re with Him, we HOW CAN WE BE SO shall be like Him.” CERTAIN THAT WE WILL (15:13), then we’re out to lunch. But there is a resurMore than a few times a BE RESURRECTED? rection with all its promised year I look into red, swollen WHAT IS THE SOURCE OF hopes. It is as sure as we’re eyes and remind the despairing and the grieving that OUR ASSURANCE? WHAT alive at this moment. How can we be so certain “there’s a land that is fairer GIVES US UNSHAKABLE CONFIDENCE IN THE that we will be resurrected? than day”1 when, as John What is the source of our promised in the Revelation, FACE OF DEATH? THE assurance? What gives us “He will wipe away FACT OF CHRIST’S unshakable confidence in every tear...there will no RESURRECTION. the face of death? The fact longer be any death...any of Christ’s Resurrection. mourning, or crying, or Because He has been raised, we too shall pain.” ...There will no longer be any curse... any night...because the Lord God will illumine rise. As Paul stated in that same section of them; and they will reign forever and ever. Scripture, “Christ [is] the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming” (15:23). (21:4; 22:3, 5 NASB1995) That’s us! Jesus Himself promised, “I am the Hooray for such wondrous hope! Just imagine...those who are physically dis- resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me abled today will one day dance in beautiful co- will live even if he dies” (John 11:25). No wonder we get so excited every Easter! ordination and leap in ecstatic joy. Those who No wonder we hold nothing back as we celspend their lives absorbed in total darkness will ebrate His miraculous Resurrection from the see every colour in the spectrum of light. In grave! It’ s a double-barrelled celebration: His fact, the first face they will see will be of the One triumphant hurrah over agony and our ultiwho gives them sight. And those precious souls mate and eternal hooray. whose minds and emotions are limited by mental disability, disease, or old age will enjoy to the full unhindered and uninhibited relationships. It’s enough to put a smile on any weary face. There’s nothing like the hope of resurrection to Adapted from Charles R. Swindoll, Newsbreak, lift the agonizing spirits of the heavyhearted. the weekly newsletter of The First Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton, California (April 19, Unless, of course, it’s all a cruel hoax. That’s Paul’s whole point in 1 Corinthians 1987). All rights reserved worldwide. 1. Sanford F. Bennett and Joseph P. Webster, 15:19. Remember how he put it? If bodily “Sweet By and By,” in The Hymnal for resurrection is only an empty dream, then Worship and Celebration (Waco, Tex.: Word “we are of all men most to be pitied.” All our Music, 1986), 553. preaching has a hollow ring to it, our faith is worthless, the dead have perished, and we are
Esther: Courageous and Obedient Queen by In sight for L iv ing Canada
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he Old Testament character of Esther is known for her courage when facing incredible odds, and obedience to God. She is a role model for us to follow! Name
Originally named Hadassah, when she entered the royal harem she received the Persian name Esther. Hadassah means “myrtle” in Hebrew, after the star-like flower. Esther means “star, dazzling, or brilliant one.”
Outstanding Characteristics
Courage and obedience. Summary
This is an inspired and inspiring story of a remarkable young Jewish woman who risked her life to save her nation. A great feast is held at the palace of the Persian king Ahasuerus and when Queen Vashti refuses to parade her beauty in front of the guests, she is deposed. In her place, Esther, an orphaned cousin of Mordecai, is made
plan for your life is not His plan for any other life. It is not by chance but for a purpose. Don’t waste time trying to figure out where God wants you to be or wishing you were somewhere else. Instead allow God to do something with your life where you are, while waiting for more to come. Use your influence to help others. 4. Have courage There is often uncertainty in obedience. They knew Esther was queen, in a position to see the king, and she wanted to save people. But no one knew for certain that’s what Esther was supposed to do. Similarly, there will be times in your life when Key Scripture you’ve gathered all the If you keep quiet at a time THE OLD TESTAMENT information you can, like this, deliverance and CHARACTER OF ESTHER you’ve prayed as well as relief for the Jews will arise IS KNOWN FOR HER you know how, you’ve from some other place, but you and your relatives COURAGE WHEN FACING sought godly counsel will die. Who knows if INCREDIBLE ODDS, AND and what you are doing is not sinful, but you’re perhaps you were made OBEDIENCE TO GOD. still uncertain. So then queen for just such a time SHE IS A ROLE MODEL sleep on it. Esther waited as this? (Esther 4:14) FOR US TO FOLLOW! three days. At some Lessons Learned point, you just have to 1. God’s providence His guarding, guiding, and governing doesn’t muster the courage to move forward. require high visibility! God may seem distant and 5. Remain respectful and humble Difficult circumstances often set us up to uninvolved in our lives, but He is neither. Realize and rest in the fact that God is always at work. be the vessel of untold blessing for both ourHis hand moves invisibly, yet with invincibility selves and others. It will always prove profitable in the long run to obey God. Esther went He brings His sovereign plan to completion. before the king prepared for the worst-case 2. Obedience doesn’t mean low self-esteem Esther is a beautiful illustration of submission scenario but saved her nation from destructo God, and yet there were times that she was tion. On top of that many people became foldecisive and showed great strength of will. And lowers of the Lord. Esther, a courageous and obedient queen, God honoured it. Her obedience was first to dedicated her life and actions to the Lord and God and her dignity was upheld. He used her to save a nation. Through her story 3. Intentional influence We aren’t willing to risk until we believe we we learn how to face life’s difficulties with grace can make a difference. You have an influence and trust Him to make things right in the end. in your sphere of responsibilities that no one else has. There’s no other you in your position with your unique characteristics. God didn’t make a mistake where He has you today. His queen in the court of the king. As a Jew, Mordecai refuses to bow before the government official Haman. Offended, Haman plots to wipe out the Jews. Because of her courage, Esther is instrumental in defeating Haman’s plot and saving the Jewish people. Although God is not mentioned in the book of Esther, the hand of the Lord is evident in His providential care for His people in what appears to be a perilous and hopeless situation. He is in complete control. In the end, the people who plotted against the Jews suffer defeat, while at the same time the Jews achieve a remarkable victory over their enemies.
Bible Basics: Life and Power of Biblical Animation by Steve Johnson
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he Bible is a unique book. No other book has been given by God Himself. No other book speaks with the same authority, accuracy, or clarity. No other book convicts of sin, leads to salvation, and instructs in godliness like God’s Word does. But it is more than just an information bank, it is living and powerful. It is able to transform our lives. This is what we mean when we talk about the animation of the Bible. To be animated is to be full of life, to be alive. Saying that Scripture is animated means it is not stagnant, but it is living and vibrant. It, being God’s very Word, possesses the same power as the words God spoke to create everything, “...the universe was created by the word of God” (Hebrews 11:3 ESV). Those words were rich with life and power when God created the world, but their power has continued far beyond the moment of creation. Life as we know it continues by the same Word. God “upholds the universe by the word of his power” (Hebrews 1:3). And just as His first creative words continue to exhibit their power long after they were spoken, the written words of Scripture continue to exhibit their power long after they were penned. God is actively using His Word to accomplish His
purposes in people’s lives. It possesses in itself the ability to transform lives. Unlike any other book known to man, the Bible possesses a living quality that stems from its divine origin as the unique God-breathed (inspired) book. This power is manifested in two primary ways. First, the power of the Word is seen in the way it reveals God and His glorious plan of salvation in the person and work of Jesus Christ. It’s the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16). The emphasis here is on the power of the Word on the unsaved. This truth is brought out for us in many ways, but the classic passage is 1 Peter 1:23, “For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God” (NLT). The Word of God combined with the ministry of the Holy Spirit works in our hearts so that our sin and need are plainly shown. They work together to bring people to faith in Christ and into the new birth so they become the children of God (John 3:5; Titus 3:5; 2 Peter 1:1–4). First Peter 1:23 focuses on Scripture’s ability to transform us. Peter says that new birth comes through God’s Word. We are “born again…from the eternal, living
word of God.” How do we know God’s Word we share the Gospel with unbelievers? Do is alive? Its effect. It imparts life to its hearers. we depend on our winning personality? Or maybe we hesitate because we don’t have It regenerates. It is life-giving. Second, the power of the Word is seen in people skills. Do we look for a neat trick, a the lives of the saved as God uses it along with new method, some marketing technique? Or the illuminating and empowering ministry of are we confident that God’s Word is living and the Spirit to conform us into the image of the powerful, capable to convict and to save? It’s Lord Jesus. Our Lord had this in mind in His easy to think the simple Truth is insufficient, prayer in John 17:17 when He prayed, “Make that we need to make the Gospel more them holy by your truth; teach them your accessible, more palatable, or more relevant. Yet God has told us that His Word is powerful. word, which is truth.” Scripture helps us grow spiritually. In fact, it It accomplishes what He wants it to and He is essential to our growth. First Peter 2:2 says, has promised to bless His Word, not our “Like newborn babies, you must crave pure techniques. Believe it, share the Gospel, and spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full watch God work through it. What about our menexperience of salvation.” toring, counselling, and A newbor n baby is discipleship? If we believe entirely dependent on WHAT ABOUT Scripture is powerful, we his mother’s milk for OUR MENTORING, ought to make it central to daily nourishment. So COUNSELLING, AND any solution we offer. Is too we Christians must DISCIPLESHIP? IF WE our confidence in methcontinually feed on the BELIEVE SCRIPTURE ods, systems, theories, Word if we are to stay IS POWERFUL, WE and philosophies, or is spiritually nourished. OUGHT TO MAKE IT our confidence in God’s Scripture is alive, it CENTRAL TO ANY Word? God has given makes us alive, and it us His Word so we may keeps us nourished. SOLUTION WE OFFER. grow. Do we lead others Illustrations of the anito God’s Word so it can mating power of Scripture work in their hearts? Wisdom without the may be seen in the many pictures God gives Bible is foolishness. Technique without the us in the Bible of what His Word can do. It is Bible is vanity. Sincerity without the Bible pictured as a sword (Hebrews 4:12; Ephesians is misguided. Resolve without the Bible is 6:17), as a critic or judge (Hebrews 4:12), as weak. Philosophy without the Bible is empty. a lamp or a light (Psalm 19:8b; 119:105, 130; Accountability without the Bible is fickle. Proverbs 6:23), as a mirror (James 1:22–25), Many of these can be helpful in measure, but as rain, snow, or water (Isaiah 55:10–11; Jernone are effective without God’ s living Word. emiah 17:5–8), as food or bread from heaven This holds true not only in our care for (Deuteronomy 8:3; Job 23:12; Psalm 19:10b), others, but also in our own spiritual lives. and as gold (Psalm 19:10; 119:72, 127; ProvWhere do we turn when our faith is shaking, erbs 8:10, 11; 1 Peter 1:18). or when we fail? Do we soak ourselves in the How does a right understanding of the Word? Or do we look for another spiritual Word’s life and power affect our daily walk? high, another revival, the latest Christian First, it ought to impact our approach bestseller, or another conference? Do we rely to evangelism. What do we rely on when
on fickle human experiences or do we return again to the living Word? We need to drink of the pure milk of the Word that we may be nourished and grow. One final note. Scripture is powerful, but its power is vested in its truth. It is not a goodluck charm. You can write it on every wall of your house but it will have no effect on you unless you believe its words. The Bible is not fairy-dust to sprinkle over someone when they are having a bad day. It is powerful, wonderful, encouraging, life-giving, immeasurably valuable, but only as God’s Spirit instructs us in it and impresses it on our hearts.
We must know God’s Word, understand it, receive it, and submit to it. Scripture’s lifegiving power is experienced in conjunction with good and faithful study of it. Let’s not think Scripture is effective if we do not understand it. We experience the animating life and power of the Word only as we encounter and engage with God’s truth held within the words on its pages.
Steve Johnson is the executive director at Insight for Living Canada.
THE INTEGRITY OF MORAL PURITY insight for living ministries
The following mini-study is presented to familiarize you with Pastor Chuck’s method of Bible study and provide an opportunity to study the passage yourself.
We come to the finest examples of personal integrity in the area of moral purity in the entire Bible: the account of Joseph and his victory over sexual temptation. —Pastor Charles R. Swindoll
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EMPTATION’S appeal is strong, but it’s possible to say no to the flesh. Let’s discover Joseph’s principles for staying morally pure. Prepare Your Heart Read the following reminder of God’s faithfulness and pray for insight from God’s Word so you can overcome temptation in your hour of need. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. (1 Corinthians 10:13) Turn to the Scriptures Read Genesis 39 in the Old Testament. Temptation strikes when we least expect it, often when we’re doing well and our guard is down. The Lord was with Joseph in Egypt, and “he succeeded in everything he did” (Genesis 39:2). Potiphar could see “that the Lord was with Joseph” (39:3), so he “didn’t worry about a thing” (39:6). Observation: Uninvited Appeal, Untrue Accusation O: The Lord was faithful to Joseph (Genesis 39:2–3), but how would Joseph hold up under pressure? Would he prove faithful to God under an extreme test of character?
O: How does the author set the scene for Joseph’s test in Genesis 39:6? O: According to Genesis 39:7, what secret sin led to Potiphar’s wife propositioning Joseph? O: According to Genesis 39:8–9, when Joseph refused Potiphar’s wife, what reasons did he give? Whom would the act offend? O: According to Genesis 39:10, what did Joseph do when Potiphar’s wife kept “putting pressure” on him? What strategy for maintaining moral purity was Joseph modelling? O: When circumstances in Genesis 39:11–12 intensified the pressure on Joseph to sin? What action did he take as the only recourse? O: Joseph passed the test! However, instead of a commendation, what “reward” did Joseph receive for keeping himself pure, according to Genesis 39:13–20? O: What phrases in Genesis 39:21–23 does the author repeat from Genesis 39:1–6 that reveal a central theme? Interpretation: Staying Pure in a Foreign Land I: What strategies from Joseph’s example can you list for handling temptation and staying sexually pure in a morally decaying society? I: Joseph did what was right, but he was wrongly treated. What principle was Moses, the author of Genesis, communicating about the realities of living in a fallen world?
Correlation: What Happens When We’re Tempted? C: Read James 1:14–15. What is the source of all temptation, whether we are tempted by material possessions, personal power, or physical pleasure? C: According to James 1:14, what are the two components of temptation? C: According to James 1:15, what are the consequences of temptation once it leads to sin? Joseph doused temptation’s fire by focusing his desires on God and His righteousness. Joseph saw sin as a misuse of what God created as good and an offense against those Joseph cared about. In addition, he feared the deadly consequences of sin and wanted nothing to do with it. So, he ran, modelling what Paul counselled centuries later: “Flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace” (2 Timothy 2:22 NASB1995). Application: Three “Must Not” Principles A: What lessons from Joseph’s example shine like stars to guide us in our morally dark world? Pastor Chuck offers three key principles to resisting temptation. 1. We must not be deceived by persuasion What enticements does the temptress of our culture whisper in our ears? Recognize them for what they are: pathways to destruction and heartache. We need to train ourselves to recognize the falsehoods in these deceptive messages. 2. We must not be gentle with our emotions Joseph didn’t give himself time to consider his feelings. He acted swiftly. Temptation must be doused immediately, no smouldering allowed. 3. We must not be confused by the immediate results
Resisting temptation once doesn’t banish it forever. Like Potiphar’s wife, it comes around again even when we try to avoid it. So be on guard. A: Look back over the principles from this study. What strategies do you find most helpful for you? What current situations in your life will these principles prove most helpful? A Final Prayer Father, thank You for being with me when I’m tempted to sin. When I struggle to be faithful to You, Your faithfulness towards me never dims. As You promised, give me strength to resist temptation. Help me see beyond my sin, that I might desire only You and Your ways and the sweetness of the good gifts You offer. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Go to insightforliving.ca/moralpurity to download the full-length Searching the Scripture Study and listen to Pastor Chuck’s message.