There are two kinds of Christian in this world.
 
There are those who believe, and those who believe in.
 
There are those who acknowledge, and those who trust.
 
There are those who believe there was, and those who believe there is.
 
There are hearers and doers. Pretenders and true.
 
Which are you?
 
 And where will you spend forever?
 
If you want to know that you are heaven-bound, please listen to and consider this powerful message from Chris Carrillo. He delivered it during the Care-age of Brookfield Christian Music Hour on 4/29/18.
 
It’s just fourteen minutes, but its impact may be eternal. ​

Would you like to hear more from Chris? Visit our Messages from Chris Carrillo page!

If you are reading this via email, please click on the title above to be taken to the message. ​

One of my great joys in life is leading a weekly, hour-long Bible Discussion at the nursing home where I volunteer. It’s not exactly Standing Room Only, but we have a core group of around seven long-term-care residents who attend each week, along with those who join us when they feel up to it. We also welcome the occasional rehab patient who’ll be heading home in a few days or weeks; I’d like to expand this outreach, since it’s one of those limited-time opportunities, so that’s something to work on in the future.
 
But in the meantime, I’m glad to point out that there are two common denominators in this truly diverse group of people: All believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and most have never studied the Bible.
 
Might you be interested in leading such a group?

There's no right or wrong way to do it, I suppose, beyond being faithful to the word of God. I’m still refining our format, having taken on this assignment only a few months ago. But what seems to be working well is varying each week’s content to include:

• An essay or two on a particular topic of interest to the group, especially to address a question that a member recently raised
• An introduction to the Bible passages we’ll be taking a look at today
• Reading of those passages
• Commentary on the key points of this study
• Open discussion about what we’ve just read or about any other biblical or spiritual issue of interest to one or more attendees
• A closing prayer featuring a gospel summary

 
This week, for example, the agenda included:

• Talking about Jesus’ predictions of persecution of the saints, and how that is currently playing out in nations from Turkey and Saudi Arabia to Laos
• Touching on the upcoming 70th anniversary of Israel’s re-establishment as a state on May 14th, the groundbreaking events scheduled for that day, and the uncanny accuracy of the Bible’s predictions about what has transpired in Israel since 1948
• A discussion of our culture’s “days of Noah” indifference to the things of God, just as Jesus predicted in Matthew 25, and reading of an essay addressing one aspect of this phenomenon
• Delving into the life of Abraham as we work our way through Genesis, starting with an introduction from the late Dr. Henrietta C. Mears’ 1953 book What the Bible Is All About (an excellent resource, recommended by my friend Tess)
• Reading selected passages from Genesis 12-22, including of course the offering of Isaac
• Considering the issue of whether God sanctions the killing of women and children

 
We based this last point largely on a short Ray Comfort essay underscoring the need for looking beyond the surface facts of any situation.  (This brilliant little essay appears, along with scores of other wonderful commentaries, in The Evidence Bible mentioned at the bottom of this link. What a terrific tool this book is!)
 
Does this sound like something you’d be interested in doing at your local nursing home? If so, why not give it some thought, and approach the facility’s Activities Director with your proposal? If there’s already a Bible Discussion underway, you could offer to help out with it, maybe by arriving early to gather attendees and staying late to bring them back to their rooms. And during each session, you could stand by with your Bible and a concordance to help the leader address any questions that come up.
 
It still takes me some hours to put together each week’s line-up. But even if I never manage to reduce this preparation time, it’ll be worth it; there’s nothing more rewarding than sharing the word of God with fellow believers who are eager to learn more about where we came from, what we’re doing here and where we’re going. I hope you’ll give it some thought today!

If the statistics can be believed, they’re pretty shocking: 18% of U.S. adults reportedly suffer from anxiety disorders – including “general anxiety disorder,” characterized by persistent, excessive, and unrealistic worry about everyday things.
 
I suppose that’s understandable for secularists of all stripes, given the sad state of today’s world. But it really shouldn’t be an issue for those who profess to be followers of Jesus Christ. After all, He has commanded us not to fret 365 times in the pages of the Bible; shouldn’t we obey Him?
 
It's true that, now and then, I find myself back on my pre-salvation worry treadmill. But the Holy Spirit has given me a new line of thinking to pursue – one that almost invariably sends my fears packing.  Perhaps you’ll find it helpful.
 
Whenever I find myself worrying about a particular trial, I talk to God about the situation, casting my care upon Him because He cares for me (1 Peter 5:7). I then meditate on a few simple truths:  

1. God is sovereign over His entire creation – including every last cell in my body and every circumstance I face. He understands my situation perfectly. And He has everything under complete control, ready to serve His good and perfect purposes.
2. He has promised to make all things work together for good to all who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28) – and that would include me. I have seen this happen time and time again in my own life, and in the lives of Christian friends. It helps to review some of these remarkable events from His point of view, and to remember how disastrous they seemed initially from our limited human perspective.
3. I can’t know what blessing He has in store for me through this trial; I can be sure He does, however. So I ask Him not to remove the trial but for His will to be accomplished through it. And I try very hard to mean it every time.
4. He has already told me how to handle such fears, and I need only recall His instructions. Philippians 4:6-7 is often a great place to start: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
5. He has also shown me the big picture of His lifelong care for me, especially via Psalm 23. I love to think through every word and phrase of this beloved little chapter, drawing on the insights provided by the late Phillip Keller in his precious book, A Shepherd Looks at the 23rd Psalm.  

 
I have yet to emerge from this meditation without feeling great spiritual refreshment – and welcome freedom from whatever was worrying me in the first place.

"When we die, we leave behind all that we have, and take with us all that we are."

I don't know who said it, or even if it's true. But it's certainly worth pondering. Would you want to spend eternity with the person you are today? 
​
Perhaps a good place to start is with our thought lives. Are we often preoccupied with thinking that could be characterized as “hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions” or any of the other "works of the flesh" listed by the apostle Paul in Galatians 5?

If so, now is the perfect time to repent and trust in Christ, and to let our souls be permeated by the fruits of the Spirit that Paul named in the same chapter: "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Galatians 5:22). 

These sound like traits I could live with not only in the here and now, but also forevermore. How about you?