RPM Ministries » RPM Ministries http://www.rpmministries.org Changing Lives with Christ's Changeless Truth Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:00:01 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 The Promise of a Lifetime http://www.rpmministries.org/2010/04/the-promise-of-a-lifetime/ http://www.rpmministries.org/2010/04/the-promise-of-a-lifetime/#comments Mon, 26 Apr 2010 10:52:57 +0000 Bob http://www.rpmministries.org/?p=2599 Every major-casket death-and-separation experience will be defeated so that you can say with the Apostle Paul, “Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55).
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God’s Healing for Life’s Losses: How to Find Hope When You’re Hurting

The Promise of a Lifetime

Countdown to God’s Healing: BMH Books will release my fifth book in May. To read a sample section of God’s Healing for Life’s Losses: How to Find Hope When You’re Hurting click here. To pre-order your autographed copy at 30% off, visit here. As we countdown to the release, I’ll be sharing periodic excerpts, such as today’s post: The Promise of a Lifetime.

The Rest of the Story

Jesus promises that one day He will wipe away all pain from every loss. Now that’s the promise you were hoping for! In Revelation 7, Jesus grants the Apostle John a glimpse into the future. The Lamb of God at the center of the universal throne is shepherding God’s people; leading them to springs of living water.

Reaching those healing, life-giving waters, John gives us the promise of a lifetime. “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 7:17).

Just in case it seems beyond belief, in Revelation 21, John repeats and expands Jesus’ message of hope. Peering into the new heaven and the new earth, John tells us that God “will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

We’ve all heard it so many times that the impact dissipates. Let the reality hit home—go back to the future.

God is dwelling with you. God reaches down to wipe every tear from your eyes. God’s booming, loving voice reassures you that death, separation, suffering, and grieving are all a thing of the past. “My child,” He sweetly whispers, “no more mourning, or crying, or pain.”

Every mini-casket death-and-separation experience will be swallowed up in victory. Every major-casket death-and-separation experience will be defeated so that you can say with the Apostle Paul, “Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55).

Reading the End of the Story

Paul concludes his discussion of our future hope by encouraging us to stand firm, to be unmovable, and to be fully committed to worship and ministry (1 Corinthians 15:58). But in the midst of life’s losses, how are we supposed to do that?

When life dashes our dreams and seems to kill our hopes, we must remind ourselves that we’ve read the end of the story. We need to listen like we would to Paul Harvey’s The Rest of the Story.

Many sports fans, if they can’t watch the big game live, tape it. Then they swear all their friends to secrecy. “Don’t you dare spoil it for me! Don’t tell me who won. I want to watch it and enjoy the thrill of the whole game without knowing the end.”

I guess I’m odd. When I can’t watch the big game live, I tape it, but I watch the end first! I’m a major fan of the Chicago Bulls. Back when Michael Jordan was leading them to six NBA titles, I taped one of the championship games between the Bulls and the Phoenix Suns. First, I watched the end. The Bulls won! Then I rewound the tape and watched the entire game. When the Bulls were behind by 17 points, I never panicked. I never threw bricks at the TV.

Normally I would have left the room if they were behind by that much. I would have told my son to call me only if the Bulls tied the game. I couldn’t take watching them struggle. But not this time. I knew the end of the story. So I could handle the ups and downs of the game, knowing the grand result.

Whether or not you agree with my sports-watching philosophy, you can see the benefits we gain from knowing the end of God’s story—the end of our story. We can survive life’s losses and we can even thrive through God’s hope when we remember the end of the story.

We’ve read the end of the story. And we win! God wins! In the end:

Healing triumphs over losses.

Hope triumphs over hurt.

Grace triumphs over works.

Faith triumphs over doubt.

Hope triumphs over despair.

Love triumphs over separation.

Life triumphs over death.

Good triumphs over evil.

God triumphs over the devil.

Join the Conversation

What difference does reading the end of the story make in how you respond to life’s suffering?

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]]> http://www.rpmministries.org/2010/04/the-promise-of-a-lifetime/feed/ 0 It Is Well with My Soul http://www.rpmministries.org/2009/11/it-is-well-with-my-soul/ http://www.rpmministries.org/2009/11/it-is-well-with-my-soul/#comments Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:15:26 +0000 Bob http://www.rpmministries.org/?p=1110 It Is Well with My Soul In 1873, the steamship Ville du Havre was struck by an iron sailing vessel while crossing the Atlantic. 246 people died, including the four daughters of Chicago lawyer Horatio Spafford. His wife Anna survived. Just two years earlier their four-year-old son died of scarlet fever, and the Great Chicago [...]
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It Is Well with My Soul

In 1873, the steamship Ville du Havre was struck by an iron sailing vessel while crossing the Atlantic. 246 people died, including the four daughters of Chicago lawyer Horatio Spafford.

His wife Anna survived. Just two years earlier their four-year-old son died of scarlet fever, and the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 financially ruined him.

While sailing the Atlantic to reunite with his wife after the death of their girls, he penned the beloved hymn, It Is Well with My Soul.

Mars Hill Church created the following video tribute (click on title centered below).

It Is Well with My Soul

Meditate on the words of It Is Well with My Soul:

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain:

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

]]> http://www.rpmministries.org/2009/11/it-is-well-with-my-soul/feed/ 0 A Hero Passes http://www.rpmministries.org/2009/08/a-hero-passes/ http://www.rpmministries.org/2009/08/a-hero-passes/#comments Fri, 14 Aug 2009 23:27:00 +0000 Bob http://www.bobkellemen.org/2009/08/a-hero-passes/ A Hero Passes: Sidney Howard Vernon (1917-2009) Those who read my Twitter tweets, my Facebook updates, and my blog posts have surely noted my unusual silence over the past 48 hours. Thursday, August 13, 2009, my Father-in-law, Sidney Howard Vernon, went home to be with his Lord at age 92. My wife (Shirley), daughter (Marie), [...]
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A Hero Passes: Sidney Howard Vernon (1917-2009)

Those who read my Twitter tweets, my Facebook updates, and my blog posts have surely noted my unusual silence over the past 48 hours.

Thursday, August 13, 2009, my Father-in-law, Sidney Howard Vernon, went home to be with his Lord at age 92. My wife (Shirley), daughter (Marie), and I are in Richmond, VA with Shirley’s Mom (Hilda), brother (Charles), and extended family.

You never heard of Sidney Vernon. But he was a hero. He is now in God’s hall of faith. He is part of that great cloud of witnesses.

Married to the same woman for 60 years. Yes, 60 years! He loved his wife, his children, his grandchildren, and even his son-in-law. He never met a stranger. He provided for his family physically and spiritually. He worked hard. He laughed often and deeply. He told life stories that made you realize how desperately we all need God. A committed Christian, he is at peace with God. And though we grieve and miss him, we are at peace with God also.

I’ll pretty much be away from “technology” the next few days. But I had to stop by to explain why. And more importantly, to encourage us all to remember that being a hero is NOT about being well-known. Being a hero is about knowing and loving God and knowing and loving one another.

Please pray for Hilda, Shirley, and Charles as they and we grieve as those who have sure hope.

And hug and love your family just a little bit more this weekend.

In Christ’s Grace,

Bob (The son-in-law of a hero)
]]> http://www.rpmministries.org/2009/08/a-hero-passes/feed/ 4 Spiritual Mathematics http://www.rpmministries.org/2009/04/spiritual-mathematics/ http://www.rpmministries.org/2009/04/spiritual-mathematics/#comments Tue, 07 Apr 2009 11:32:00 +0000 Bob http://www.bobkellemen.org/2009/04/spiritual-mathematics/ God’s Healing for Life’s Losses:How to Find Hope When You’re Hurting Post 30: Spiritual Mathematics How do you help others to long for heaven and live passionately for God and others while still on earth? There are many effective ways to journey with people toward groaning while growing. We’ll focus again on trialogues: three-way conversations [...]
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God’s Healing for Life’s Losses:
How to Find Hope When You’re Hurting

Post 30: Spiritual Mathematics

How do you help others to long for heaven and live passionately for God and others while still on earth? There are many effective ways to journey with people toward groaning while growing. We’ll focus again on trialogues: three-way conversations between us, our friend, and the Ultimate Spiritual Friend: Christ.

Sample Wailing/Groaning/Longing Trialogues

Consider some sample biblical trialogues to assist people to refuse to long deeply while living passionately.

“The temptation when life beats us down is not to face life anymore. To survive, but not thrive. How are you facing this temptation?”

“What will it look like for you to keep hoping?”

“What God-designed thirst is this situation stirring up in your soul?”

“What are you longing for from God right now?”

“If you were to write a thirst Psalm like Psalm 42, how would you word it?”

“As Paul faced suffering, he groaned for heaven (Romans 8:17-25). What are you groaning for?”

“In Romans 8:17-18, Paul did some spiritual mathematics and reasoned that his current sufferings were not worth comparing to his future glory. As you calculate your earthly suffering and your eternal glory, what conclusions do you make?”

“How is your current suffering causing you to long for heaven?”

“How is this situation helping you to realize that ‘this world is not your home’?”

“What testimony of future hope might spring from your current suffering?”

“In Philippians 1:23-25, Paul says that he longs for heaven, but that he’s passionate about staying on earth in order to glorify God and benefit others. How can you apply his choice to your life?”

“Satan wants to use your suffering to suck the life out of you. How can you connect to Christ’s resurrection power to find new life, new zeal for God? How can you not only survive, but thrive?”

And You?

Tomorrow we explore how you can groan for heaven while growing here on earth.

]]> http://www.rpmministries.org/2009/04/spiritual-mathematics/feed/ 0 A Moving Experience http://www.rpmministries.org/2006/11/a-moving-experience/ http://www.rpmministries.org/2006/11/a-moving-experience/#comments Fri, 01 Dec 2006 01:42:00 +0000 Bob http://www.bobkellemen.org/2006/11/a-moving-experience/ A Moving Experience It’s been a while. We moved to the greater Chicagoland area while still working in the Greater DC area. Go figure! The creative work arrangement allows us to be near our college kids, near family, and commute four weeks per year to teach modular counseling courses, and do the rest of my [...]
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A Moving Experience

It’s been a while. We moved to the greater Chicagoland area while still working in the Greater DC area. Go figure! The creative work arrangement allows us to be near our college kids, near family, and commute four weeks per year to teach modular counseling courses, and do the rest of my work from home! Gotta’ love it! And I do.

But, you’re not here just to hear about my nice “set up.” At least, that’s not the point of the Changeless Truth for Changing Times blog.

Here’s what I’m learning that could be transferable truth. Have you ever wanted something? Of course. Have you ever waited and waited and it seemed like that something would never come? Of course.

I’ve been there, done that.

For over a quarter of a century, I longed to minister near where family lived. But I never did. Though serving in the US, I felt like I was a missionary. Far away from home and family. And, truly, I was.

Many times I thought that the time was right to return home.

Our God Is a Time God

God had other ideas. Our timeless God works on His own time table.

And yet, as I learned from my African American friends while working on Beyond the Suffering, “God is a time God.” He does all things well in His time.

I see that now. After a quarter of a century.

How amazing. God knows what He’s about!

So, waiting on God for something? Maybe for you it will be a quarter of a year. Maybe a quarter century. Honestly, for some things, for you and for me, it may not be until Heaven.

Reading Randy Alcorn’s book Heaven I have been encouraged by his “theology of continuity.” God’s promises in our lives will come true someday. Thing is, that some day may be the better day in Heaven.

So, while you wait, know that every promise, every legitimate, God-created, Spirit-inspired longing may some day come true. Forever.

A former professor at Capital Bible Seminary longed to write a comprehensive systematic theology. After teaching and researching for over three decades, he was finally able to retire and begin his project.

Within months, he suffered a debilitating stroke.

No systematic theology.

At least . . . not in this life.

But, since Heaven is an endless journey of ever learning more and more about our infinite God, and since the Bible teaches the principle of “continuity” between this life and the next, I am convinced that my friend will pen an awesome systematic theology . . . in Heaven.

What do you long for? Dream of?

Pursue it now . . . with passion.

Pursue it now . . . with confidence, for someday, even if it is in that Great Eternal Day, it will come to pass.

You have God’s word on it.

In Christ’s Grace,

Bob

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