Wondering About ‘The Rest of the Story’

Do you remember Paul Harvey’s “The Rest of the Story”? In his long-running radio series, the popular news commentator told stories about a variety of people and subjects. A key element in each story would be withheld until the surprise ending, and then Harvey would always close with the tag line, “And now you know…the rest of the story.”

 

Reading the Bible, sometimes I’d like to know ‘the rest of the story’ about people we meet in its pages, particularly those who appear at significant moments in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. This came to mind recently while reading the account of Jesus and His disciples in a boat on the Sea of Galilee when, “Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat.” 

 

Exhausted from a busy day of teaching and ministering to the crowds, Jesus had fallen sound asleep, so the disciples woke Him up: ““Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!’ He replied, ‘You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’ Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm” (Matthew 8:24-26).

 

Amazing as that was, the same account in the gospel of Mark provides additional information: “Leaving the crowd behind, [the disciples] took Him along, just as He was, in the boat. There were other boats with Him” (Mark 4:36). Apparently, there were “other boats” on the sea at the time. So, we can assume that people in those boats also were terrified by the storm. 

 

Did they experience the same miraculous calming of the sea? And if so, how did they react? In His inspired Word, God chooses not to give us that information. We do learn how the disciples marveled at how Jesus caused the roaring sea to subside with just a few words, and that’s probably all we need to know. But it’s interesting to ponder how folks in those other boats might have responded.

 

The Bible doesn’t tell us everything there is to know about God and Jesus Christ. How could it? But it does tell us everything we need to know about the Father and the Son, which is challenging enough in striving for a stronger, more consistent walk with the Lord.

 

In concluding his gospel, the apostle John declares, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written” (John 21:25).

 

This is one reason I find “The Chosen,” the groundbreaking film series about Jesus and some of His closest followers, so compelling. Through creative imagination, it presents plausible back-stories for key figures like brothers Peter and Andrew, Mary Magdalene, James and his brother John, Thomas, Nicodemus the Pharisee, and even a Roman centurion. We might describe Dallas Jenkins and his team as reverently reading between the lines.

 

Wouldn’t you like to know ‘the rest of the story’ about the rich young ruler we read about in Matthew 19, Luke 10 and Mark 10? He approached Jesus and inquired, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life” (Matthew 19:16). Can you imagine a modern-day evangelist being asked this question? He or she would quickly pull out the “Four Spiritual Laws” or open the Bible to the “Romans Road,” hoping to lead the individual to Christ. But Jesus had a very different strategy.

 

After talking to the young man about keeping the commandments, to which he stated, “All these I have kept from my youth,” Jesus matter-of-factly told him, “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me” (Matthew 19:20-21).

 

The fellow wasn’t expecting that! “When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth” (Matthew 19:22). Jesus didn’t chase after him and beg him to reconsider. So, what happened to him? Did he ever have a change of heart? The gospels don’t tell us. All we know is that Jesus told His disciples, “…it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God…. With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:24-26).

 

How about the individual commanded to carry Jesus’ cross to Golgotha when the Lord became too weak to bear it? Three of the gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke, identify him as Simon of Cyrene, a city in North Africa. All we know about him is that his sons were Alexander and Rufus (Luke 15:21) and he had just arrived in Jerusalem. 

 

Perhaps Simon was among the onlookers when the Romans pressed him into service. How did he feel when assigned such a horrific task? Did he realize whose cross he was carrying? Did he stay to witness the crucifixion? Since Luke identifies Simon’s sons, he likely was known to at least some of Jesus’ followers. Did this unwitting cross-bearer come to saving faith in Him?

 

It would be interesting to learn ‘the rest of the story’ of many others in the gospels as well, including the Samaritan woman Jesus encountered at the well outside the town of Sychar; people with leprosy or possessed by demons; the paralyzed man lowered by friends through the rooftop of a house in Capernaum, or the man who had been blind since birth.

 

Perhaps we’ll meet some of them on the other side of eternity. But again, God didn’t inspire the Scriptures as multi-volume tomes. In the Bible’s 39 Old Testament and 27 New Testament books we don’t discover everything there is to know about God – but they provide us with everything we need to know about the Lord, and how we can have a life-changing, eternal relationship with Him.

What matters most is the rest of our own story. Will we be like the rich young ruler, who went away sad upon learning the cost of following Christ? Will we be like Nicodemus, who hovered on the fringes of Jesus’ followers, trying to figure out what to do with Him? Or will we be like Peter, Paul and others who overcame their sinful pasts to become stalwart ambassadors for the Lord?  

Nothing Quite So Tempting as Temptation

“I can resist anything – except temptation!” Have you ever heard someone say that? Have you ever thought that yourself, or felt that way?

 

Temptation is insidious. It’s also highly individualized. What tempts you might not tempt me, and vice versa. But temptation is as universal as air and gravity. There’s no escaping it. It made its presence known with the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, and it’s been plaguing humankind ever since.

 

If you ever wanted proof that the Bible is not a collection of varnished, idealistic stories and philosophies, look no further than the lives of biblical patriarchs like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Samson, David, Solomon, and even the apostles. Each of them looked temptation square in the face – and in various ways, succumbed to it.

 

This is why 1 Corinthians 10:12 candidly warns, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.” We’re never to become so smug as to believe we’re immune to sin’s enticements. If David, who walked so closely with God for so long, or Solomon, reputed to be the world’s wisest man, could fall victim to temptation, why would we think we couldn’t become ensnared as well?

 

We don’t have to go around looking for temptations. They’re all around us – they’ll find us. They can appear with a click of the TV remote, a glance at our computer or smartphone screens, or as we walk down the hall at work. (That is, if you actually go to work in these days of Zoom meetings and virtual offices.) Temptations are everywhere – there was even an old Motown group by that name!

 

As I’ve met with men in mentoring relationships and we’ve discussed temptation and sin, as is almost always the case, we’ve realized several important realities. One is that there’s a big difference between being tested and being tempted: Testing is an opportunity to grow spiritually; temptation is to fall spiritually.

 

James 1:12-15 expresses this truth very clearly:

“Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.”

 

Look at it this way: If you go to a gym and start working out with weights, you start with a weight you can handle and then gradually work up to heavier ones, seeking to test your muscles and become stronger. Temptation, on the other hand, is when you leave the gym you stop by a local ice cream shop for a super-sized milkshake or banana split, thereby undoing the benefits of your exercise.

 

Another reality about temptation is that what we’re facing might seem as if we’re the only ones who have encountered it, but it’s not. The first part of 1 Corinthians 10:13 states, “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man….” Your particular temptation may seem especially burdensome, but you’re not unique. Others have faced very similar challenges – maybe encountering them right now.

 

In fact, we can’t even pray, “Lord, You just don’t understand!” Because He does. Hebrews 4:15 informs us, “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things just as we are, yet without sin.” If we’re wanting to offer the excuse, “I can’t help it,” Jesus can respond, “Been there. Faced that. Didn’t sin.”

 

There’s one more truth about temptation worth considering, one that’s very good news. The remainder of 1 Corinthians 10:13 states, “and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” 

 

If we’re willing to submit to the Lord in obedience by faith, He promises to deliver us from whatever form of temptation that’s confronting us. In fact, He will even provide “the way of escape.” This is not simply one of many possible ways, but THE way – through the power of the Holy Spirit that lives within us.

 

This is a far better option than trying to power through the temptation in our own strength, or even calling a friend or sponsor to talk us out of it. When we cry out, “Lord, I can’t!”, He nods and says, “Yes, I know, but I can – will you let Me do this through you?”

 

As Jesus said in another context – but a principle that applies here as well – “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God” (Mark 10:27). We all will have to deal with temptation, but that doesn’t mean sin is an inevitable result.

Searching for Calm in the Middle of Chaos

Watching news coverage of what’s going on in Ukraine – homes, schools and buildings being destroyed by the Russian assault – our minds are challenged to comprehend what’s happening. Most of us have no frame of reference for even beginning to grasp what that experience must be like for the Ukrainians, many of whom are now refugees from their homeland. 

My friend Albert was just a boy growing up in the Netherlands when the Nazis were bombing his city during World War II. Unlike me, he understands how terrifying – and life-changing – it is to go through something like that. Now, decades later, the memories remain vivid. He has endured a number of other calamities and challenges over the course of his life, but like many other people, has learned the secret of finding calm in the midst of whatever the surrounding chaos might be.

 

The trials many of us are currently facing might pale in comparison to living in a country under siege of war, but for us they are trials – even tribulations – just the same. At times it might feel as if we’re aboard a ship at sea, in the midst of a raging storm. Everything seems to be moving up and down, side to side, with nothing stable for us to grab ahold of. What do we do? Where do we turn?

 

At such times, as a good friend would sometimes remind me, “You’re in a great position!” What? Are you crazy? How can you think that? Because when times are uncertain, the most unstable, we have no choice but to look to the one true source of hope, stability and security.

 

Recently, I was reading a familiar passage from the Bible that describes well what many of us might be feeling in our tumultuous times. Psalm 46:1-10 gives us this assurance: 

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging…. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress…. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

 

When times are at their worst, when our hardships and adversities seem beyond hope, that’s when our Lord does His best work. We might say He’s the God of making the impossible possible.

 

When Jerusalem was under siege by the Babylonian army, the prophet Jeremiah made this declaration: "Oh, Lord God! You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too difficult for You!” (Jeremiah 32:17). 

 

Many centuries later, Jesus Christ was speaking of a very different challenge, that of being brought into a life-transforming, eternal relationship with God. A wealthy young man had asked Jesus how he could get eternal life. When the Lord answered by instructing him to sell all his possessions and give them to the poor, the rich man had gone away in despair, unwilling to part with all he had.

 

Turning to His disciples, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven…it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Upon hearing this, the disciples responded incredulously, “Who then can be saved?” Then Jesus made the key statement: “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:16-26).

 

This incident is recounted in detail in three of the four gospels, also in Mark 10 and Luke 18, so we know it was significant. The underlying message of each of the passages cited above is that whether it’s to create and control an entire universe, put an end to wars, calm raging seas, heal diseases, deliver us from many other kinds of crises, and even bring a reluctant, prideful person to saving faith, nothing is too difficult for our God.

 

With this confident assurance, and only because of that, we can comply with what the Lord tells us to do: “Be still, and know that I am God.”

Five Stages of Marriage – and Faith

Years ago, I heard someone make an astute observation about marriage. The speaker stated even the most successful marriages typically move through five stages: infatuation, disillusionment, misery, acceptance, and true love.

There’s much wisdom in this assessment. On wedding day, both bride and groom arrive starry-eyed, convinced the ceremony’s just the start of perpetual, uninterrupted bliss. They see one another as the answer to their prayers, fulfillment of their dreams, the person to meet all their needs. This marks the “infatuation” stage. It might last through the honeymoon, maybe weeks or months more.

Inevitably the initial stage ends and “disillusionment” arrives. They discover their new mate isn’t so perfect after all, and what’s worse, they have no desire to be fulfiller of the other’s dreams. The marriage isn’t bad, but visions of perfection are forever shattered.

Next comes the “misery” stage, when memories of “I do” turn into “I did? Why?!” They begin wondering, “Who is this person I married?” Bliss becomes a distant memory. Thoughts of the relationship continuing into perpetuity cease to be pleasant. It seems more of a lifetime sentence.

Often marriages never escape this stage. Couples either grin and bear it, or reach a point when divorce seems inevitable. However, if willing to persevere – aided by the grace and strength of God – things start to improve, advancing to “acceptance.” Virtually every marriage spanning several decades has managed to endure the journey to acceptance. It’s the realization that when the words “better or worse” were uttered, there actually would be some worse times, but in hindsight, they weren’t as bad as they seemed at the time.

Happily, many whose marriages have spanned 30, 40, or even 50 years or more discover the “true love” stage is by far the best. And well worth the wait. It’s the love described in 1 Corinthians 13 – the patient, kind, humble, selfless, slow-to-anger, forgiving, honest, protective, trusting, ever hopeful and persevering kind that rarely if ever is portrayed on TV or the movie screen.

I cite this not as a marriage authority, although having been married to the same woman for more than 40 years, I’ve learned a lot. No, these five stages of marriage are important because in a sense, they parallel the stages of spiritual growth.

We could describe the first stage of faith in Christ as infatuation, the giddy sense of excitement that is centered on feelings, the unwavering conviction that from now on, it’s “me and Jesus all the way!”

It may take months or even a few years, but that childlike zeal segues into disillusionment. We realize God isn’t a divine sugar daddy who answers all our prayers the way we ask. He allows hardships, pain, and even loss to enter our lives. We don’t understand why.

Then comes the time of misery, when questions and doubts emerge. This prompts us to dig deep, asking ourselves what we really believe – and why. In best-case scenarios, we come through this process with faith stronger than ever, not necessarily having every question answered, but with a greater trust in a transcendent God who’s not unsettled by our uncertainties.

Acceptance, in our faith journey, involves being able to trust that although we won’t always know why the Lord does what He does – or when or how – we’re in this for the long haul, sharing the confidence of the prophet who wrote, “So do not fear, for I am with you, do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).

Finally, our goal as followers of Jesus should be the true love stage, recognizing, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:18-19). This is what God desires for each one of us.

As with couples in marriage, believers do not arrive at this last stage in their faith walk quickly, or easily. But it’s well worth the travail to get there.

Romans 5:3-6 declares, “And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

It’s a long, convoluted, sometimes seemingly impossible path for faith to travel from infatuation to true love. But as Jesus said, in a slightly different context, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God” (Mark 10:27).

Complete Makeover: Human Edition

As previously noted, I’m not mechanical. Not even close. My dad, uncle (his brother) and paternal grandfather all were handymen, very skilled with their hands. Not me. If there’s such a thing as a “mechanic” gene, I’m lacking it. Under duress I can hammer a nail or turn a screw, but that’s it. And even those tasks require my most intense concentration.

Cable TV home makeover shows offer proof
that a total transformation is possible.

So it comes as a surprise – even to me – that I find some of HGTV’s programming interesting. Particularly fixer-upper type shows. It’s not that I’m looking for “how-to” or DIY (do it yourself) tips. Because when you have two left thumbs, attempting repair or renovation projects around the home isn’t flirting with disaster. It’s an all-out romance with calamity.

Why then do I watch? Because it amazes me how the “experts” can take a wreck of a home and turn it into a residential work of art. And it involves more than paint and surface touches. Many of the projects have termite problems; wiring dating back to the early 20^th century; décor that went out with the Kennedy administration; defective plumbing, and floor plans that look like they were conceived by three-year-olds with LEGOS. Massive renovation is needed.

As the designers and contractors guide would-be buyers and renters through various properties, explaining how they could perform the habitational equivalents of sow’s ears made into silk purses, I think, “No way. The only thing that could help that house (or apartment) would be utter demolition.” But by the end of the program, voila! They’re performed a makeover that would turn plastic surgeons emerald with envy.

Some of the housing transformations seem nothing short of miraculous. The homeowners could not have brought about the changes. They couldn’t even have envisioned them. And yet, when it’s all finished, everyone exclaims, “This is perfect! It’s more than we could have dreamed. I can’t believe it!”

In a very real sense this is what God desires to do in each of our lives. If we’re honest, we all admit we’re messed up. Not only are we unable to live up to God’s standards; we can’t even live up to our own. Have you ever intended to be kind and failed to do so? Have you ever admitted you weren’t nearly as loving or caring as you should be? Have you ever said that thing you can’t believe you said? Or have you ever realized your best intentions were just that – intentions never acted upon, therefore never realized?

There are misconceptions even within what’s commonly referred to as Christianity. One is that we’ve got to clean up our own act, to try to be deserving of God’s approval and acceptance. Good luck! That’s like trying to convince a rotted log it’s got to turn itself into material suitable for a beautiful hardwood floor. It’s not going to happen.

Some will respond, “Nobody’s perfect. God knows that, and accepts us just as we are.” Nice sentiments, but that concept is reflected nowhere in the Scriptures. Essentially it says God loves us as we are – but loves us too much to leave us that way. Because, as Isaiah 64:6 asserts, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” I won’t give you the literal meaning of “filthy rags,” but if you’re interested you can look it up. It’s not referring to dust cloths.

In case we’re tempted to dismiss that statement as being strictly for Old Testament people, Romans 3:10 declares, “There is no one righteous, not even one.” And it’s not just talking about politicians. The passage continues, “there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless, there is no one who does good, not even one.” Wow! Don’t worry about “nobody’s perfect.” We’re light-years from that.

Reading this makes us want to echo the question of Jesus’ disciples: “Who then can be saved?” (Luke 18:26). Jesus responded with the answer that remains true today: “What is impossible with men is possible with God” (Luke 18:27).

If there is a “secret” to the so-called Christian life, this is it. Living the life God requires isn’t difficult – it’s impossible in our own efforts. It requires, like the home improvement shows on TV, a complete makeover. A transformation. The good news is that God is in the transformation business. It’s His specialty.

That’s why it was necessary for Christ to go to the cross on our behalf, to be the sacrificial Lamb for us. Our sins, our debts, could be reconciled only by the direct, personal action of the one to whom we’re indebted, the one we’ve sinned against, the only one who could wipe the slate clean.

More than that, God wanted to offer not only life after death, but life before death. But to do that meant more than a little touch-up. Nothing short of a total transformation is sufficient. As it says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” And Galatians 2:20 affirms that truth: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Not just a fresh coat of paint, a bit of plaster to cover up some holes in the wall, or a little duct tape. That’s hardly enough. God desires – and demands – a complete, total, extreme spiritual makeover. And He’s the only one that can achieve it.

Only then, as the apostle Paul wrote, can we be “confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). And God can say with authority, “I am making everything new!” (Revelation 21:5).

How’s your “makeover” coming along?

Impossible Is Not Possible . . . Until You Quit

In working with my friend, Gary Highfield, on his new book, When ‘Want To’ Becomes ‘Have To!’, I learned much from the wisdom he gained in overcoming great personal adversity. One statement that has particularly resonated with me is, “Impossible is not possible…until you quit.”

Think about it: Impossible is not possible…until you quit.”

A simple statement, only seven words, but at the same time it contains a wealth of truth. It reminds me of inventor Robert Fulton, whose vision for turning steamboats into safe, reliable vessels for transportation was dubbed “Fulton’s Folly.” That is until his steamboat Clermont navigated the Hudson River on an excursion from New York harbor to Albany, N.Y.

S.W. Stanton did this drawing of Robert Fulton's "folly,"
the steamboat Clermont that did the "impossible."

The steamboat traveled only five miles an hour, and the trip took to the state capital took 32 hours, but Fulton proved his detractors wrong. The seeming “impossible” became possible because he refused to quit.

Dr. Ben Carson is known today as a world-class neurosurgeon, honored by CNN and TIME magazine in 2001 as one of the top 20 U.S. physicians and scientists. However, growing up in a single-parent home in dire poverty, with poor grades in school, a volatile temper and low self-esteem, Carson seemed as likely to become a neurosurgeon as a grasshopper to win the Kentucky Derby. But for him the “impossible” became possible because he didn’t quit.

As a teenager, Joni Eareckson Tada suffered a broken neck while diving into a shallow lake, leaving her a quadriplegic, confined to a wheelchair without the use of her limbs. If someone had suggested one day she would become a best-selling author, accomplished artist, singer and much-sought-after speaker, the obvious response would have been, “Impossible!” But she’s become all of that – and more – because she didn’t quit, transforming impossible into possible.

There are countless other inspiring examples we could consider, but sadly there are also many more instances when people did quit – in despair, frustration, or simply impatience – making impossible possible. For some, possible was lurking around the corner, but they gave up just before reaching there. They turned potential success into failure.

One reason I’m so enthusiastic about my faith in Jesus Christ is because I serve the God of possibilities. For instance, the apostle Paul wrote, “I can do everything through (Christ) who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). Jesus told His followers, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God” (Mark 10:27).

Have you ever had a dream, a lifelong, deeply held desire that you’ve been afraid to pursue because it seems impossible – or because other people told you it’s impossible? Maybe that’s not right, and maybe the other people were lying to you. What if what you’ve believed was impossible actually is possible – unless you quit?

Remember the promise God gives in Psalm 37:4 – “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Has the Lord given you a consuming passion to do something, a calling you can’t forget or deny? Then it’s not impossible. Trust that if you delight in Him, He’ll bring it to fruition.