Life Challenge

Watching The Lights Go On

John Richardson — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 02:55:32 +0000

Cody Pelham is a teacher. He’s always been a teacher. First in the public schools in the suburbs of Chicago (after graduating from Evangel College in 1963); then as a graduate student at the University of Missouri where he pursued his PhD in History; then in Brussels, Belgium at Continental Bible College; and now finally, wonderfully, even miraculously, at Life Challenge.

Cody’s journey from Highland Park, Michigan to Life Challenge has been, as Bilbo Baggins so aptly put it in his memoirs There and Back Again, mostly unexpected. Along the way there has been some pain and disappointment to be sure, but also great joy and satisfaction. “God uses every scrap,” he says, “turning the shards of our lives into something of worth and value. This is what I try to teach the students at Life Challenge.” In the next breath he paraphrases C.S. Lewis, “ We have no doubt that God works for good in our lives. Our only question is how much pain will be involved.”

Cody will tell you that great students make great teachers. A love of learning is what sets them apart. When one loves to learn, one tends to become learned and Cody is nothing if not learned. In fact, he says without any hint of irony, graduating from Evangel was “the saddest day of my life.” It’s perhaps not surprising. In those early days of Evangel, a young student could rub shoulders with many giants of the faith, men like E. S. Williams, Ralph Riggs, Frank Boyd, J. Roswell Flower and Robert Cummings. These were founding fathers of the pentecostal movement and men of great learning in their own right. They imparted their wisdom to the next generation of God-fearing men and women who are now, in turn, “giving prudence to those who are simple, knowledge and discretion to the young” (Proverbs 1:4). Cody’s fellow dorm mate at Evangel is the current General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, Dr. George Wood (Little known fact: Cody says that, as an 18 year-old student, during a late night, dorm room bull-session, George predicted that he would someday become General Superintendent. Cody stops short of calling it prophesy, but certainly it would show uncommon resolve in a teenager).

Cody came to teach at Life Challenge shortly after Education Director Dave Ytterock passed away. Rev. Ytterock had been a good friend and through their relationship, Cody came to appreciate the ministry in a very special way. Knowing how much Rev. Ytterock respected Jeff Bonzelaar, Cody felt honored to be asked by Jeff to carry on part of the teaching ministry at Life Challenge.

“The one thing that pleased me and, I must say, surprised me, is the level of academic quality that is maintained at Life Challenge. I now teach classes that are essentially no different than I would expect to teach at the University level.”

One of the classes that Cody teaches is Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. “To see the students come to understand that they have been chosen, adopted; that they are children of light” this, he says, is what he loves most about teaching. To be called to be an eyewitness to that light as it comes on, to see the students directly as they turn from darkness to the light of the glory of Christ, “that,” he says, “is my greatest satisfaction.” When it happens, Cody often repeats to his students Paul’s instruction to the Ephesians: “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8). Cody is one among many God-fearing, wise and learned men and women who have been called to Life Challenge to be one of His “leading lights.” “What a precious privilege it is,” Cody says as he settles comfortably back in his chair.

Living In The Unplanned Place

Jeff Bonzelaar — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 02:46:33 +0000

In 1685, King Louis XIV reinstated Roman Catholicism as the only authorized religion in France. Protestant worship and education were expressly forbidden. French Protestants, known as Huguenots, faced two options: leave France or suffer the penalties imposed by the law for practicing their faith—imprisonment, death, or slavery. Over the next one hundred years, roughly 200,000 Huguenots fled the country.

Among those who did not were Etienne and Glaudine Durand. This devout couple chose to remain in their homeland, raise a family, and continue practicing their faith. They gave birth to a girl in 1715 whom they named Marie. When Marie was only 4 years of age, her mother was arrested after attending a secret Protestant service and died shortly thereafter. At 13, Marie’s father was arrested.

Marie inherited her parents’ courage and determination. She loved the Bible and, more importantly, the Christ of the Scriptures. Two years after her father had been taken by the authorities, Marie and her newly wed husband were apprehended. It was the year 1730. Marie was taken to the Tower of Constance in Aigues-Mortes. She never saw her husband again. She was 15 years old.

Because Marie refused to renounce her faith, she remained locked in the Tower of Constance for almost four decades. Conditions were horrific. It was cold. Quarters were cramped. Prisoners were malnourished. Little light and air came through the narrow openings in the walls that served as windows.

In his book, Passion, Karl Olsson writes: “To sit in a prison room with thirty others and to see the day change into night and summer into autumn, to feel the slow systemic changes within one’s flesh: the drying and wrinkling of the skin, the loss of muscle tone, the stiffening of the joints, the slow stupefaction of the senses—to feel all this and still to persevere seems almost idiotic to a generation which has no capacity to wait and endure.”

All Marie had to do to end her misery was recant. Olsson picks up: “(Marie) was not asked to commit an immoral act, to become a criminal, or even to change the day-to-day quality of her behavior. She was only asked to say, ‘J’abjure.’ No more, no less. She did not comply…For thirty-eight years she (remained steadfast)…And instead of the hated words J’abjure she, together with her fellow martyrs, scratched on the wall of the prison tower the single word Resistez, resist!”

Surely Marie could not have anticipated as a little girl sitting on her father’s lap or taking walks through the countryside with her brother the fate that would await her in the years ahead. Undoubtedly she could never have imagined the excruciating pain and grief before her. She lived life—and lived it well—in an unplanned place.

Some of you are in a very unplanned place. Perhaps you are behind bars for a crime you deeply regret committing or are recovering from a terrible accident in a rehabilitation center. Maybe you find yourself in an abusive marriage or still single after many long years of searching for the right partner. Perhaps you are unemployed for the first time in your life or caring for aging and sickly parents. Whatever it is, this is not the life you expected. You are in an unplanned place.

Suffering.

So what empowers the fortitude and resilience needed in times of great difficulty? How do you exert the patience necessary to not become embittered, and more, to move forward and prosper?

James tells us: “Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming…be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near” (5:7-8). The Lord is coming. James links patience with hope. He calls believers to be patient in light of what (I should say who) is ahead—the Lord! He is coming. He will arrive. He will intervene.

And he will reward. James reminds us of Job and all the suffering he experienced: “You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about” (v. 11). Anyone who has read the last chapter of Job knows that the prophet was rewarded double for his patience.

But the key to all this is faith. Pastor and author John Piper writes, “The strength of patience hangs on our capacity to believe that God is up to something good for us in all our delays and detours.” In the midst of all our interruptions, we must have faith in the sovereign purposes of God to bring something magnificent to pass. We must believe that God is coming and with his coming, he will turn all barriers into glorious blessings.

James concludes his exhortation with these encouraging words, “The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.” He will not permit you to be tempted beyond what you can bear (1 Cor. 10:13). He “remembers that we are dust” (Ps. 103:14). He is kind and can be trusted.

Hang in there, friend. Unplanned places bring unplanned graces.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)

Merry Christmas!

John Richardson — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 19:52:04 +0000

Staff Photo

BACK ROW (L-R): Will Bates, Men’s Senior Resident Advisor • Dan Martin, Education Administrator • Dan Mouro, Men’s Resident Advisor • Robert Figgins, Maintenance Supervisor • Bruce Murray, Transportation Assistant • Tim Gorecki, Operations Supervisor MIDDLE ROW: William McDowell, Maintenance Supervisor/Flint • Dan Butler, Men’s Resident Advisor • James Peebles, Operations Assistant • Dale Conway, Pastoral Care Coordinator • Brad Trumble, Men’s Resident Advisor • Debra VanZweden, Administrative Assistant • Tom Rowett, Men’s Resident Advisor/Flint • James Harsh, Men’s Supervisor FRONT ROW: Dan Rooney, Men’s Resident Advisor/Flint • Robert Irving, Operations Assistant • Cindy Goins, Development Administrator • Renee Kirschner, Program Secretary • Shelia Davis, Women’s Resident Advisor • Joyce Harris, Women’s Resident Advisor • Stephanie Kiser, Women’s Resident Advisor • Deborah Harsh, Women’s Senior Resident Advisor • Eric Barkham, Manager, Information Systems

Directors (Photos Left to Right)

Executive Director, Jeff Bonzelaar, wife, Lori and children: (L-R) Jonathon and Jordan; Not pictured: Joshua and Luke

Flint Program Director, Brian Burrell and wife, Women’s Director, Sheila Burrell

Business and Operations Director, Joel Dubiel and wife, Development Adminstrator, Judy Dubiel; Not pictured: son, Jasiel and daughter, Joanna

Development Director, John Richardson, wife, Brenda and children: (L-R) Ian and Colin

Education and Men’s Director, Ken Keene, wife, Rachel and children: (L-R) , Noah, Zion, Ezra, Chloe

Not Pictured

Paul Nichols, Car Wash Coordinator
Marc Jones, Choir Director

Special Thanks!

To Kelly Dobson of Kelly Dobson Photography in Plymouth, Michigan (kellydobsonphotography.com), whose lovely photographs grace this entire issue of The Challenger.

My Son’s Christmas List

Jeff Bonzelaar — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:48:55 +0000

My youngest, Johnny, made his annual trip with Grandma to Toys R Us in an effort to complete his 2011 Christmas Wish List. He identified 26 items as “wanted.” These include Legos, Star Wars action figures, video games, movies, Nerf darts, a recoiling battle tank, and an Astro Blaster set (I could use that at the Center!). Total market value: $700+.

Some might question Lori’s and my parenting for allowing Johnny to have a wish list in the first place: “You are feeding his materialistic bents and fueling his self-centeredness. You should take your Christmas money and buy presents for the poor.” Probably.

It is a challenge here in America to live simple lives. Being content and not desiring more is a daily battle. On top of that is the challenge of teaching my children generosity and concern for others when each one of us is by nature selfish. Tough business.

So you may ask, “Why do you permit this ‘sinfulness’?” Because I want Johnny to know that he has a mother and father who love giving to him. I want Johnny to be confident that Lori and I have hearts that are favorably disposed towards him.

And how much more does God the Father have a heart that is favorably disposed towards us! Jesus put it like this, “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Mt. 7:11).

Christmas is a time when we are reminded afresh that God is rich in kindness and great in mercy: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son” (Jn. 3:16). “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Rom. 8:32). The Father’s generosity knows no limits.

There is a story (probably apocryphal) about famed Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. After a long and brutal battle, he and his army conquered a highly prized Mediterranean island. As Napoleon and his generals were sitting and drinking, savoring the victory, a young officer came up and approached him. When Napoleon asked the man what he wanted, the man looked straight at him and said, “I want this island!” At this, the generals began laughing and mocking the young man, until Napoleon asked one of them for a pen and paper. To their utter amazement, he wrote out a deed to the island, signed it, and handed it to the bold, but lowly soldier. “How could you do that?” asked one of his generals, “What made him worthy to receive this great island?” Napoleon answered, “I gave him this island because he honored me by the magnitude of his request.” The young man perceived a gracious heart and requested accordingly.

So do not be timid. Do not shrink back. God is good. “Ask and it will be given to you” (Mt. 7:7).

Johnny honors his mother and me by his bold, audacious requests. You and I honor the Father by our bold and audacious requests.

Thank you for all your love and support through the year. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Far Greater Than Rubies

John Richardson — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:02:05 +0000

Our purpose at Life Challenge is to free men and women from the grip of addiction by bringing them to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. We start by taking them away from their usually toxic and often hopeless environments. We bring them here, to Life Challenge, a place where they can find hope, help and healing – a place from which they can start over, begin again. “The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day” (Proverbs 4:18).

Incoming students must agree to a yearlong separation from the places and things they may feel lost without, but over which they have no power. That’s the ugly nature of addiction: powerlessness. In this there can be no compromise: to be truly free is to be free in Christ.

In this respect, there is no difference between men and women at Life Challenge. The path to recovery is the same, the curriculum is the same, the rules and regulations regarding conduct are the same and the daily routines are, for the most part, the same.

However, in so many other ways, men and women are, in fact, different; and the differences must be addressed. As Dr. Sheila Burrell, our Women’s Director, carefully explains, “the women have more emotional needs than men. They are more likely to be victims of abuse and they tend to have more security issues when they enter the program. They may come with eating disorders; they are often burdened with feelings of guilt and shame. They sometimes have self-injury disorders like cutting.” It‘s not surprising, then, that the women are housed far apart from the men in two modest but lovely homes nestled next to the parsonage where Sheila and her husband Brian live. There is enough space – enough beds – for twenty-four women, twelve in each house. Two female staff members plus an intern live in the house, too, right alongside the students. The houses have well-appointed living rooms, dining rooms and kitchens. There is nothing luxurious about their creature comforts, but nor are they the spartan rooms that the men live in, either.

Living a full year away from close family, children and other important relationships can be harder for the women than for the men. Many of our students are mothers with young children who need to be cared for, who need to be loved by their mothers. There is a standard 30-day rule for all who enter: “no visitation, no phone calls.” However, mothers can have contact with their children during the first 30 days. According to Dr. Burrell, sometimes the kids just need to know that “Mommy’s okay.” This is one of the few areas in which exceptions are made.

In the end, Dr. Burrell wants more for the women than just freedom from the life-controlling issues that brought them here. She wants them to understand that they are free, transformed and saved for a purpose. Indeed, it is a blessing to watch the transformations that take place in their lives, to watch them become the women that God wants them to be:

Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
“Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Honor her for all that her hands have done,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.
(Proverbs 31:28 – 31)

Living Out Of Your Bag

Jeff Bonzelaar — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 19:07:32 +0000

Life seldom turns out like we think it will or should.

John did not expect to be a widower at the age of 42. The Johnsons never planned on losing their son to a drug overdose. Teresa never dreamed of raising a daughter by herself. Mike never anticipated filing bankruptcy. Gene never expected to be diagnosed with terminal cancer.
We make plans. We purchase insurance. We try to be good neighbors. We eat our vegetables. We say our prayers.

But none of this is a guarantee that tragedy or misfortune will not strike us.

Near the end of the Gospel of John, Jesus has some sobering words for Peter. Almost by surprise, he tells Peter how he will die: “When you are old you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go” (21:18, ESV). Peter’s last act would be a hard one, but one by which he would glorify God (v. 19).

Maybe it was too much for Peter to swallow at the time. He did not seem to hear what Jesus said. His chief concern was with John, “What about him?”, to which Jesus replied, “What is that to you?” (i.e., “Mind your own business!” vv. 21-22). Then Jesus forthrightly says, “You must follow me” (v. 22).

Peter had been told that he was the rock upon which Jesus would build his church (Mt. 16:18). He was told he would be ruling—sitting on a throne—with the other disciples (Mt. 19:28). He was part of the inner Three. This bit about stretching out his hands and someone else dressing him and carrying him where he did not want to go was not a chapter he was envisioning.

And that is life. Unexpected turns leading to unforeseen destinations.

The Apostle Paul faced a similar lot. He had dreams of evangelizing lands on the fringes of the Roman empire that had never heard of Christ. Instead, he finds himself chained up in a prison cell awaiting likely execution. Meanwhile, his ministry was under attack by rival preachers, and most of his friends had deserted him.

Nevertheless, Paul’s prayer was “that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death” (Phil. 1:20). That is it. That Jesus would be glorified. Paul does not pray, “God, make my life easier. Get me out of this jam. Fix my problems.” No. Paul’s single aim was that whatever platform given him, he make Jesus look good.

God has packaged you on purpose for his purposes. . . good purposes. So look in your “bag,” take what you have, and use it to advance God’s glory. Do not reach for someone else’s bag. Do not try to exchange the contents of your own. Like Job of old, embrace what you have—good and bad—and praise the living Lord (see Job 1:20-21; 2:10).

Perhaps within your bag is a trying marriage or a taxing job, a financial crisis or a deadly disease. God is sovereign. There are no coincidences, only providences. Do not fight him. Trust him.

It is not your life or your story. The bag is on loan. Make the best out of what you have been given.

And do not forget: While your assignment may be more than you think you can bear, his grace is sufficient. His strength is perfected in your weakness (see 2 Cor. 12:9-10).

“So let us run with perseverance
the race marked out for us. . . .
Do not throw away your confidence;
it will be richly rewarded.”
(Heb. 12:1; 10:35)

Serious Joy

Jeff Bonzelaar — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 17:06:35 +0000

Our mission at Life Challenge can be wrapped up in one sentence—helping men and women find serious joy in God.

Addiction is the result of unhappiness. When we are discontent, we easily fall prey to our fleshly appetites and the vices of the Enemy. We are pain-avoiding, pleasure-seeking creatures. We seek relief from our boredom, pain, and emptiness. Enter sin.

The fight against sin, therefore, is the fight to find satisfaction with God. Joy in God is the key to breaking the power of sin in our lives. “The joy of the Lord is your strength”—your strength, among other things, to resist sin (Neh. 8:10). Commentator Matthew Henry (1662-1714) put it like this: “The joy of the Lord will arm us against the assaults of our spiritual enemies and put our mouths out of taste for those pleasures with which the tempter baits his hooks.”

Holiness and happiness are bedfellows.

When we are happy in God, we do not need the approval of others or the ego supports of wealth, power, and revenge. Pornography, binge-eating, and ESPN (ouch!) lose their hold on our lives. We become free! Pastor and author Sam Storms writes, “Pleasure in God is the power for purity.”

That is why the Scriptures are replete with admonitions to be glad in God:

“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!” (Ps. 100:1-2)
“Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!” (Ps. 32:11)
“Delight yourself in the Lord.” (Ps. 37:4)
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.” (Phil. 4:4)

The devil’s main business is to keep you from seeing glory in the gospel of Christ so that he can keep you unhappy: “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (1 Cor. 4:4). Blindness results in badness.

But when this darkness is lifted by the grace of God and we behold Christ’s beauty, we become satisfied—for true happiness is seeing the glory of God in the face of Christ. This happiness, in turn, leads to holiness. It creates in us a “holy indifference” to the cotton-candy pleasures of the world.

But there is more.

Joy in God not only frees us from sin, it empowers us to become people who love radically—people willing to die, if necessary, for the well-being of others. No sooner does Jesus talk about the fullness of joy he gives than he issues this command: “Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (Jn. 15:11-13).

Delight in God is dangerous. Joy frees us from our idols of comfort and security and enables us to live lives marked by sacrifice and suffering. Joy gave Jesus the strength to bear the agonizing death of the cross: “For the joy set before him he endured the cross” (Heb. 12:2).

The fight for joy is the fight for personal freedom. Joy in God leads to freedom from sin.

But the fight for joy is also the fight for the glory of God. Enjoying God is the means whereby we glorify God. God is praised when he is prized. The Puritan pastor and theologian of America’s First Great Awakening, Jonathan Edwards (1703—1758), articulated it so eloquently centuries ago: “Now what is glorifying God, but a rejoicing at that glory he has displayed? . . . The happiness of the creature consists in rejoicing in God, by which also God is magnified and exalted.”

Serious joy is not some light, silly, inconsequential happiness based on your happenings. No. Serious joy is full of glory, rich in power, and infinitely priceless. It is rooted in Christ’s bloody death at Calvary.

Some of you may be going through a very difficult season in your life and joy may come hard to you. It is okay to be sad. There is a time for everything, including weeping (see Ecc. 3:4). But while we grieve, we can still be glad. In the midst of great hardship, Paul said he was “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing” (2 Cor. 6:10).

Pray that God in his mercy restore the joy of his salvation to you (see Ps. 51:12). Pray that the blessedness of having your sins forgiven and being made righteous with God would overwhelm your soul (see Ps. 32:1; Rom. 5:1-2). Pray that the wonder of his grace would never cease to amaze you! Do not make excuses for your lack of joy. Not finding God delightful and desirable is insulting of his Majesty.

“I have set the Lord always before me.
Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure.” (Ps. 16:8-9)

When Promises Aren’t Enough

Jeff Bonzelaar — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 20:49:50 +0000

It was a hot summer night. A severe thunderstorm swept through our neighborhood. Thunder, lightning, high winds, and heavy rain rocked our little home for forty- five minutes. We eventually lost power and were left in the dark.

It was scary . . . especially for Johnny. Johnny is our youngest. He was 5 at the time. Since he had little history with storms of this magnitude, he was terrified.

Of course, as his father, I tried to reassure him that everything would be okay . . . that we were safe and nobody was going to get hurt. The lightning would not hit us, and the wind would not blow down our house. I told him that the power company would soon restore electricity to our home and everything would return to normal.

But my words were not enough. My promises brought little comfort.

I finally invited Johnny to join me downstairs where I was camped out on the sofa bed trying to escape some of the blistering heat. He eagerly accepted my offer and plopped his little frame next to mine. Not just side-by-side, but skin-to-skin. He had to be touching me. With that, he was soon fast asleep.

A Calf, a Cry, and a Claim

There is a familiar story in the Old Testament about Moses. He has just led the children of Israel out of Egypt after four hundred years of oppressive rule under Pharaoh the king. The people are in the wilderness, and he is at the top of Mount Sinai collecting the Ten Commandments from God. Aaron, his brother, is temporarily in charge. The people get antsy, wonder where Moses is, and foolishly pressure Aaron to make an idol for them. A golden calf results, and the people dance wildly before it.

Most of you know the rest of the story. Moses storms down the mountain, throws the tablets on the ground, takes the idol, grinds it into powder and scatters it on the water and makes the people drink it. The story ends with God sending a plague on the people for their sin (see Exodus 32).

In the aftermath, God tells Moses, “I have had enough. The land of Canaan is yours. You may enjoy all the milk and honey you can take in, but I will not go with you.” (my paraphrase, see Ex. 33:1-3). Moses replies, “No. If you do not come with us, we will not go” (my paraphrase, see v. 15).

Think about it: The good news was that God was still coming through with his end of the deal. No matter what terrible things they had done, the Israelites could still look forward to the riches of the Promised Land. That is grace. But that was not enough.

Moses cried out, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. . . . What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?” (Ex. 33:15-16, emphasis mine)

Moses makes a bold claim. He says the presence of God is the defining mark of the people of God.

What Sets You Apart?

What are you known for? What distinguishes you from everyone else? Your looks? (Men, don’t get too excited!) Your intelligence? What you wear? What you drive? Maybe your work ethic? Your skill with power tools, computers, or musical instruments? (I’m jealous!)

These are all good in their proper context. But something else should stand head and shoulders above these things if we are the people God has called us to be. Is there a sense among others that when they are with you, they feel the presence of God? Do they make remarks like, “She walks with God,” or “There’s an anointing on him”?

I worry that, as a whole, we are settling for God’s promises without his presence. Moses would have none of it.

Do not get me wrong. I appreciate the promises. I “stand” on them. I quote them. I trust in them. But they are not enough.

I need more. I need to know he is with me . . . right now, right here. I need the reality of his presence made known to me in deeper, fuller ways.

And this is where the Holy Spirit enters. One of his principle ministries is mediating the presence of Christ, making known his personal presence and furthering fellowship with Jesus (see John. 16:14).

So if we want more of God in our lives, more of his presence, we should pray, “Jesus, send your Spirit and baptize me afresh. Pour out your Spirit that I might know you better. Make the fullness of your presence known to me by your Holy Spirit.”

The promises are good. Stand on them. But they are not enough to satisfy the deepest longings of your soul. My promises to Johnny were not enough.

He needed my presence. We need God’s presence. Come, Holy Spirit, come!

“If you then, though you are evil, know how to give
good gifts to your children, how much more will your
Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
(Luke. 11:13)

Fatherlove

Jeff Bonzelaar — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 18:40:14 +0000

Two years ago I ran a 5k race in Orlando, Florida. This was a small, informal event put together by a few Christians for the sheer pleasure of enjoying an early morning run with other brothers and sisters.

No matter. Any time there is winning and losing involved, I can never seem to “just have fun.” My competitive instincts kick in, and I go all out.

This morning was no exception. When the start was announced, I darted off like a deer being hunted by the Russian army. Images of Rocky Balboa on the steps of the courthouse in Philadelphia flashed through my mind. I was going to show the world that Jeff Bonzelaar—middle-aged and all—still had it. (I doubt that any of the other 30 runners were thinking in such serious and vain ways.)

Less than 20 minutes later (my estimate . . . no official time was kept), I crossed the finish line—second! Aside from nearly passing out from heat exhaustion, I was ecstatic. I went back to my hotel room, got my cell phone, and made a call. Not to my wife.

Not to one of my sons. Not to a friend, but to my dad. He was the first person with whom I shared my triumph. As I reflected on that moment months later, I learned something about myself. I may be pushing 50 and have a family of my own, but I still covet the attention and admiration of my father.

And I don’t think I am the only one.

Whether we are young or old, male or female, there is a need within each one of us to know that we are loved and accepted by a father. We all yearn for a strong man we can count on to be there for us, to look after us, to want us, a man who invites us to draw near to him and rest in his powerful but gentle love.

The absence of such can lead to problems and pain of all sorts. Author Richard Louv goes so far to say that, “fatherlessness may be the most dangerous social reality of our time.” Fatherlessness itself is not the main problem, as Louv argues. Rather, it is a loss of fatherlove.

This is where the good news of the gospel comes in. Jesus Christ came to show us the Father and enable us to have a personal relationship with him. Jesus died on the cross so that we could be forgiven of our sins and adopted into God’s family as sons and daughters. “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons” (Gal. 4:4-5).

George MacDonald was right when he said, “The hardest, gladdest thing in the world is to cry Father! from a full heart.”

The fatherhood of God is one of the most dominant themes in the New Testament. God is referred to as “Father” no less than 176 times in the Gospels (114 in John alone). In addition, Paul refers to God as Father 45 times in his epistles. In fact, in each of his letters, he opens with a statement of God’s fatherhood (e.g., “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ,” Rom. 1:7).

I point this out because whether or not we have had a good father figure in our life, we all need to know the love of the heavenly Father. No earthly father can fully satisfy the longing of our soul to know that we are safe and secure, cherished and prized, by a strong, wise, and caring Father.

To some degree or another, we all have wounds we experienced from our fathers that need healing. Perhaps you were abandoned by your father. Maybe you were physically abused. Perhaps you were told you were no good, that you would never amount to anything. Maybe you were neglected. Your dad was too busy with other things.

God the Father desires to enter those dark places and redeem them for our good and his glory. So open yourselves to his touch and trust him for his grace. He will send the Spirit of his Son into your heart so that you might call out, “Abba, Father” (see Gal. 4:6).

“I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
(2 Cor. 6:18)

Finishing Your Chapters

Jeff Bonzelaar — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 11:59:26 +0000

William Wilberforce (1759-1833) was an English politician who fought for the abolition of slavery in the British empire. The defeats and setbacks he suffered along the way would have caused most people to quit. He faced countless political, financial, and social pressures. His life was at risk numerous times. He suffered poor health. His wife was depressive and sickly. He had a son who strayed from the faith and a daughter who died at the age of thirty-two from TB. The case against slavery which he represented was defeated eleven times, yet he persevered for 46 years until he saw slavery’s end—just 3 days before his death.

We live in an age where quitting seems the norm. Gone are the days when people as a whole stayed the course and loyalty and longevity were held in high esteem. Whether in marriage, ministry, employment, schooling, or some volunteer organization, when things get difficult or interest simply fades, “moving on” is acceptable and seldom questioned.

Why Is Finishing Important?

Your character is not only revealed but created by whether or not you finish.

When you quit something prematurely, you are establishing precedence in your life and you make it easier to quit something more important down the road. It may not matter now that you quit a board game you are losing or do not finish books you start (guilty!), but this mentality will come back to bite you later. Author Gordon MacDonald writes, “You will inadvertently reinforce a dangerous character trait: specifically that whenever you are faced with a challenge you don’t like, or that seems too difficult, or that asks from you too great a sacrifice, you will find it easier and easier to walk away from it.”

By not finishing, you establish a poor example and make it easier for others to do the same.

You may argue: “What I do is my business.” However, such an attitude is both unbiblical and downright unloving. You are your brother’s keeper. Your actions and mine have an effect on others. Dropping that class or quitting a job may not be a life and death matter with you, but it may provide your brother or sister (or son/daughter) that one last “necessary” excuse to bail on something more consequential.

The greatest blessings come at the end of the journey.

In 1 Kings 9 we read, “When Solomon had finished building the temple of the Lord and the royal palace, and had achieved all he had desired to do, the Lord appeared to him a second time” (vv. 1-2). God did not show up until after Solomon had completed all of the temple construction. The prize is never awarded until one has crossed the finish line. Hebrews states it well, “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” (10:36). Good things come to those who wait.

By finishing, you close the chapters in your life well.

It is a small world. You may cross paths with the very people you stormed off on in a fit of rage. This can make for very awkward moments. On top of that, you may need their help down the road. So don’t burn your bridges; you may have to cross them later. The Apostle Paul made a big loop on his first missionary journey, ending where he had started (Acts 14:26-28). He understood the importance of creating and maintaining healthy relationships.

So How Do You Finish Well?

Begin by making a commitment. Tell yourself that quitting is never an option. “Until one is committed, there is hesitance, the chance to draw back, and always ineffectiveness” (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe). Or as James puts it, “A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways” (1:8).

Next, practice community. A resilient life is not possible in isolation. We need the strength and support of others. “Two are better than one. . . If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!” (Ecc. 4:9-10).

Finally, revel in your salvation. The root of endurance is found in the doctrine of justification which states that God counts sinners to be righteous through their faith in Christ. This doctrine unfolds the glorious truth that Christ is both our pardon and perfection. Author and pastor John Piper writes, “If you receive this gift of justification—that you are accepted and approved by God—as your greatest treasure in life, you will have a peace with God that passes all understanding. You will be a secure person. You will not need the approval of others. You will not need the ego-supports of wealth or power or revenge. You will be free. Your life will overflow with love. You will lay down your life in the cause of Christ for the joy that is set before you.”

You will find the strength to go on.

One Final Thought

It is not how you start but how you finish that counts. Life is about quality finishes. It does not matter how well you did the first 30 years. You will be remembered by how you fared on the final lap.

“I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me.” (Acts 20:24).