Hope in the Mourning Bible
Finding Strength through God’s Eternal Perspective
From Amazon.com:
WHEN A CASSEROLE OR A GREETING CARD ISN’T ENOUGH.
Grief is one of life’s toughest challenges. During such times it is difficult to know where to turn. Yet in the midst of your deepest despair, God reveals Himself and His promises for a better tomorrow. The NIV Hope in the Mourning Bible works to bring a peaceful sense—in the midst of the coldest winter—that spring will one day come again. The collection of devotions and prayers warmly offer inspiration and hope based in God’s Word and his promises to those who have lost loved ones. This Bible emphasizes the love and hope that your Lord has for you even during your darkest days.
Features* Complete text of the NIV, the world’s most popular modern-English Bible* Daily devotions written for and by those who have experienced the loss of a loved one or who are helping a loved one through extended terminal illness* A prayer appendix featuring 52 prayers based on the book of Psalms* Short reflections and song lyrics for meditation * Resources list containing information for those seeking additional help.
I wrote 9 or 10 devotional meditations for this bible, published by Zondervan in Fall 2013. These meditations are designed to come alongside those who are awash on the turbulent sea of grief to help them find their bearings again, and rekindle their hope in God’s mercy and love.
Questions, Cultures, Models and Assumptions
When I look at a ministry’s effectiveness, or the impact I’m having as a believer on my world, the questions I ask can be more important than any other factor. My questions must zero in on the heart of the matter, and not measure the outward appearances. For example, when Jesus’ was approached by a rich young ruler, the man’s outward status wasn’t the issue. Neither was the amount of money he could give to the local synogogue. Jesus put his finger on his heart when he asked the man to give up everything to follow Him. The amount the man could give wasn’t important. What was important was that the influential ruler abandon the source of status and personal identity in order to identify with Christ.
Faith in Tension: Faith vs. Feelings
The summer of my 12th year, my family climbed into our lizard green station wagon, hitched the pop-up camper to the bumper, and headed West. The humid summer had engulfed Michigan, and my dad saved two weeks of vacation time so we could escape and enjoy the national beauty of Colorado and Wyoming. Thousands of “are we there yet” later, as we drove through the Rocky Mountains the family station wagon coughed and stalled. After a few minutes under the hood, dad climbed behind the steering wheel, and announced gruffly, “It’s vapor locked. We have to wait for the motor to cool off before it’ll start back up.”
Living like Christ in a Fallen World
The world loves to laugh at Christians. They don’t understand living for a purpose greater than ourselves. When we, Christ’s followers, step out and make our intentions front and center, unbelievers are quick to poke fun at our inconsistencies, failures and sometimes outright hypocrisy. For me, this is a problem.
I would rather fail while daring greatly than give up and live a mediocre life. Yet shooting myself in the foot with a lifestyle that is more about rules than Christ, or living in oblivious hypocrisy isn’t my definition of becoming more like Christ. Transformation can be messy, and I’m not talking about perfection. But too often, I give myself permission to be less than I can be, less than I’m called to be because my example, Jesus’ life and character, seems too high to reach.
My Identity, in Christ or Something Else?
The Corinthian church was a lot like mine. Young and full of new believers, some had been raised in Jewish faith and came to believe in the Messiah. Others were converts from secular Corinth. The city was a seaport, filled with trade at the crossroads of the world. Diverse and multicultural, Corinth was an ancient New York, New Orleans, or San Francisco. The citizens likely struggled for identity in a melting pot culture immersed in change.
Transformed or Imposed Upon
During his hour on the platform, Greg Laurie commented that Christians and church leaders have to be transformed so they can be culturally relevant and authentically connect with the world. Living much of my life in West Michigan, I had to look back at my own journey to faith, and grapple with why his casual transition between point four and five of his notes arrested my attention. Growing up in West Michigan, I have to confess that I grew up feeling religiously imposed upon, not challenged to transform into something or Someone.
Faith in Tension: America’s Christian Destiny?
“God, I pray you hold back the economic chaos that is flooding our nation. Hold back the political corruption; restrain the social turmoil so that we can reach our destiny.”
I listened to this prayer recently in a local church. The pastor passionately asked God to hold back the trends that are harming the cultural, economic, political and social fabric of the United States. To be honest, I was confused.
Faith in Tension: Abiding in Christ
In the middle of his last conversation, Jesus gives his disciples some of his most comforting and challenging words. He knows what’s about to happen. He’s given Judas permission to betray him and he’s washed his disciples’ feet. Jesus celebrated the Passover meal, and replaced the OT list of rules to earn God’s favor by declaring a New Covenant for god’s people, a covenant of faith in him and a free gift of salvation.
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Faith in Tension: What Do I Love?
In his short books toward the end of the New Testament, the Apostle John weaves his ideas around one or two ideas. The first is the connection between loving God and obeying God’s Word. The second is a bit thornier, and puts an uncomfortable magnifying glass over the top of Christ-followers relationship with the world around us. He writes:
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world. (1 John 2.14-16)
Faith in Tension: Contemporary Worship
In the 15th century, Martin Luther wanted to renew genuine worship. For centuries monks had kept the scriptures and sacred music locked away in cold stone churches and monasteries. After the printing press put the Gutenberg bible back in the hands of the common man in the 1450’s, Luther worked to put worship back in the hands, and minds of the common man to fuel the revival that swept Europe, and fueled the Protestant Reformation. History says that Luther wrote new hymns to bar tunes and folk songs. His goal to implant the seed of God’s word deep in the hearts and minds of his listeners centered on these common melodies. He hoped that when men went about their daily routines, the Holy Spirit could bring to mind eternal truth.
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