October 2, 2024

Viewing all things through the lens of the True and the beautiful!

The True

Heaven's Gaze

It was the moment when heaven looked away, and it is, for me, the most anguish-invoking moment in the Bible.

This moment was foreshadowed in Psalm 22:1 and then recorded in Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34:

“About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ (which means ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’)” (Matt. 27:46).

Jesus suffered immensely on the day of his crucifixion. He was beaten, ridiculed, tortured, and died a physically gruesome death. Even so, it is this moment that describes perhaps the most agony of the ordeal. It is in this moment Jesus recognizes His Father has turned away, and it seems that realization is simply too much for Jesus to bear, and He cries out loudly in despair.

Jesus felt abandoned. He felt alone in His place of greatest need. What a desperately empty feeling.

As a father, I find myself marveling most at the sacrifice of God the Father in this moment. We know from scripture that His love for His only son, Jesus, was immense (Matt. 3:17, 2 Pet. 1:17). Can you imagine the grief this decision to turn away from His son must have caused? We do not have the capacity to comprehend the impact on the all-powerful God, but we do know Jesus needed and wanted the assurance of His Father by His side, and He was denied it.

I would walk over burning broken glass just to be with my children in their moment of greatest pain and need.

You certainly would, as well.

So why did a loving, all-powerful God turn away? Why did He leave Jesus, His beloved son, to die alone and abandoned? It seems unthinkable.

The answer is even more unfathomable: It was because His love for you was even stronger than His desire to provide relief to His son! That sounds almost sacrilegious but read these familiar words from John 3:16 as though encountering them for the first time: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

The God of the universe turned His gaze away from His one and only beloved son in order to gaze on you! The Father’s heart was broken in this moment, but it was broken in order that it might be offered to you, and to open the possibility that you would be adopted into sonship with Him (Rom. 8:15)!

Heaven’s gaze turned away from its beloved. It did so because the Father’s heart was—and is—for you!

I invite you to find a few quiet moments to sit and bask in the intensity of Kari Jobe’s powerful depiction of this moment on the cross, and the ensuing victory it unleashed. As you listen, consider these opening lyrics, and how the Father’s sacrifice punctuates the magnitude of His love for you!

The moon and stars they wept
The morning sun was dead
The Savior of the world was fallen
His body on the cross
His blood poured out for us
The weight of every curse upon Him

One final breath He gave
As Heaven looked away
The Son of God was laid in darkness
A battle in the grave
The war on death was waged

The power of hell forever broken

U.S.

Hurricane Helene

More than 150 people are dead and several hundred more remain missing after one of the worst storms in U.S. history tore through the Southeastern United States. Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 storm in the Big Bend region of Florida, then continued to wreak havoc as it moved through Georgia, the Carolinas, and Tennessee. Pockets throughout the region were severely impacted, but Ashville, North Carolina and the surrounding areas were particularly devastated, as heavy mountain rains flooded the valley town, killing at least 40 people in the county. Emergency response efforts will be ongoing for some time, and the recovery and rebuilding process will be lengthy for countless residents.

Analysis and eternal perspective: There are several layers on which Jesus followers should be moved by this story. The first and most important is the eternal reality of those who were lost, those who were left behind, and all of us who could enter eternity at any moment. Our highest mission is to call eternal beings into a relationship with Jesus Christ, and none of us are guaranteed our next breath.

The next layer is a very tangible and practical one. Millions of our neighbors have just experienced a life-altering loss. Some have lost loved ones, others are without homes, many are without power, and still others are rebuilding. We are instructed to comfort those who are suffering, just as God has comforted us (2 Cor. 1:3-7). Perhaps it is by reaching out a helping hand to someone in your world who has been impacted, or maybe it is by volunteering with or giving toward the relief efforts of a trusted humanitarian organization. What is one practical thing you can do to restore those who are suffering?

Finally, how should this story impact your life’s posture? Are you living with a focus on eternity? Are you confident of what your eternity holds? If you are not but would like to be, please reach out at theequippednewsletter@gmail.com. If your eternity is secure, how are you offering that wondrous gift to those around you? It is the greatest gift imaginable, and we as Jesus followers are commissioned to share it widely! Who in your world needs a simple introduction to your Jesus today?

World

Terror Leader Eliminated

Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the terrorist organization Hezbollah, was killed by an Israeli air strike in Beirut, Lebanon over the weekend. Nasrallah’s death adds to the decimation of Hezbollah’s leadership ranks in recent days, and severely diminishes what had been the terror organization’s stranglehold on Lebanon. U.S. President Joe Biden blamed Nasrallah and Iran-backed Hezbollah for “killing hundreds of Americans” and called his death “a measure of justice.” The airstrikes were followed by the beginning of an Israeli ground offensive into Lebanon in response to the ongoing attacks from Hezbollah over Israel’s northern border.

Iran itself responded by firing nearly 200 ballistic missiles into Israel. This escalation was noteworthy in that Iran most often wages war through terror proxies like Hezbollah.

Analysis and eternal perspective: As we discussed last week in The Equipped, the threat to Israel is now coming from both the north and the south and is essentially two full-blown wars. Israel, and in turn the Jewish people, continue to be under constant threat of elimination, and freedom-loving people everywhere should be clear-eyed about the Iranian regime’s role in funding these proxy wars—and now in directly attacking Israel. The antisemitic goals of this terror is evil enough, but the Iranian government is placing others—including its own people—in harms’ way to advance its hateful ideology.

As Jesus followers, it is difficult to find hope in this story. As we have done regularly, we should begin by acknowledging and praying for the eternal souls living through all sides of this violence. Pray for the people of Iran, Lebanon, Israel, Gaza, and beyond. Pray that the power of Jesus’ love would reach each one, even in their darkest hour. Pray for peace (Ps. 34:14), justice (Is. 1:17), and comfort (2 Cor. 1:3-7).

Finally—and this is a hard one, pray for those who are currently enemies (Matt. 5:44). Pray that those who are currently engaged in terrorism for the purpose of advancing an ideology hostile to Truth would have a radical transformation and begin a relationship with the one true God. It seems impossible, but it is precisely how the persecutor Saul became the Jesus-follower Paul. Let’s pray for a repeat of that mighty act of God!

U.S.

VP Debate

The first—and likely only—debate between the major candidates for Vice President took place on Tuesday night in New York City. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and U.S. Senator J.D. Vance (OH) shared the stage for approximately 90 minutes. The debate was spirited but more civil than most recent debates, and highlighted a number of key differences of opinion, including on issues of immigration, life, and the economy. Election Day is just over a month away and early voting has already begun in several states. While there is certain to be constant activity from the candidates down the stretch, no more debates are scheduled or expected.

Analysis and eternal perspective: Down the stretch they come! We have frequently acknowledged in this space the challenge and the tension of this political season. That reality remains. However, let’s also remember together as a community the immense blessing of this moment in history. If you are an American, you are afforded an historically astounding amount of participation in your own self-governance. The process is far from perfect, but even so, you are living in possession of more access to your own governance than nearly anyone in recorded history. That, my friends, is a reflection of the freedom for which you were created and is worth celebrating (Gal. 5:1)!

Simply put, these next few weeks provide you the opportunity to, 1) Love with abandon, 2) Advocate for flourishing in the here and now, and 3) Remain insistently focused on eternity. What a gift to be found and rooted in the King of kings (Rev. 19:16)!

The Beautiful

Savor Simplicity

“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it” (1 Tim. 6:6-7).

Godliness with contentment is great gain! What rich truth!

Slow down.

Cease your striving for things you cannot take with you.

In contentment, you will find the great gain of cherishing the simple joys that go unnoticed in a frenzied state.

You can take nothing from this world, but there is oh so much the Creator has provided within it to be enjoyed. You just must pause long enough to savor it!