Guilt, Shame, Regret…and Grace  Part One

Bob Rakestraw

April 1, 2013

 “The Benediction Project”

http://bobrakestraw.blogspot.com

  

Not long ago a friend told me that the area of her biggest spiritual struggles concerns matters of guilt, shame and regret. She has been a faithful follower of Jesus Christ for many years, knows her Bible well and has a close daily walk with God. She is not living a defeated life, but the evil one knows how and when to bring certain issues to her mind in order to rob her of the joy and peace of the Lord.

As I thought of her remark I thought of my own struggles in these matters, and those of others I know or have known. Probably all of us have dealt with guilt, shame and regret at certain times in our lives, not necessarily all at the same time but quite possibly so.

The more I thought about this realm of the Christian life the more I realized—from long experience and decades in the scriptures—that these matters deserve far more attention than they receive in Christian preaching, writing and conversation. In fact, I recall thinking previously,  often, that this cluster of issues is one of Satan’s most powerful weapons for keeping sincere Christians from serving Christ more actively in  their churches, their neighborhoods and even in their homes. That weapon is the enemy’s constant whispering in our ears such accusations as: “you are not living as you should in order to serve God in an active way—you would be a hypocrite; you have sinned so much in the past that you are not qualified to teach, preach, pray, witness or be in any other way, in front of others; forget any thoughts of teaching your children about really knowing and following God by holy living, as you have been such a poor example to them.”

I believe that by considering these matters biblically, though briefly, we may come to live as “more than conquerors through him who loved us,” for “we are not unaware of [Satan’s] schemes” (Rom. 8:37; 2 Cor. 2:11).

The word “guilt” will be considered first. Here I am going to do something I have never done before in almost six years of writing these blog postings: I am going to quote extensively, verbatim, from an expert whose presentation I could never improve upon. Dr. S. Bruce Narramore is the author of the article “Guilt” in Baker Encyclopedia of Psychology, edited by David G. Benner, 1985. Here are his valuable insights.

“Guilt can be used either as a judicial term referring to violation of a law or to designate an emotion that follows judging oneself in violation of a standard. The first usage refers to an objective state or condition. When individuals break a civil law, they are objectively guilty whether they feel guilty or not. The second usage refers to a subjective experience. People may feel guilty even though they are not legally guilty.

“Objective and subjective guilt can be further divided into two types. Objective guilt can refer to one’s condition in relation to either a human law or to God. In reference to God all persons have been judged guilty (Rom. 3:23 Isa. 53:6) whereas only some people are guilty before human law. Subjective guilt can be divided into self-condemning emotions called neurotic guilt (false guilt, punitive guilt, or simply guilt feelings) and love-based corrective feelings variously called true guilt, ego guilt, existential guilt, or constructive sorrow.

“Much confusion has been created by the failure to distinguish among these four types of guilt. Theologians have sometimes been alarmed by psychologists’ efforts to eliminate neurotic guilt feelings because they were not aware that psychologists wanted to replace these punitive feelings with healthy love-based moral motivations. Similarly, some psychologists have viewed Christianity as a neurotic guilt-inducing religion because of its stress on humanity’s guilt before God. Not realizing the difference between objective and subjective guilt, they assumed that the concept of guilt before God meant that people should experience punitive feelings of guilt.  Unfortunately, some Christians have also failed to differentiate between objective and subjective guilt and have assumed that since they are objectively guilty before God, they should experience feelings of guilt.

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“Guilt in the Bible. Although the Bible has a great deal to say about humanity’s objective guilt before God, it has surprisingly little to say about punitive feelings of guilt. In fact, not one of the three Greek words translated as guilt in the New Testament refers to the subjective experience of guilt feelings. They refer instead to our objective condition of guilt before God or to being under judgment or indebted to another person. This fact and the scriptural teaching on the atonement has led some (Bonhoeffer, 1955; Narramore, 1984; Thielicke, 1966) to conclude that guilt feelings are not a divinely ordained type of motivation. Since Christ has already paid for the believer sins and made us acceptable to God, there are no grounds for continuing to punish and reject oneself by feelings of guilt (Rom. 8:1).

“Since the believer’s sins have been paid for by Christ, any further self-punishment can actually be seen as a form of self-atonement, which is ultimately based on a rejection of the efficacy of Christ’s atoning death. From this perspective guilt feelings are seen as legalistic efforts to satisfy the demands of conscience apart from Christ. This perspective is supported not only by biblical teachings on justification and forgiveness but also by John’s explicit statement that ‘we shall know by this that we are of the truth, and shall assure our heart before him, in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart, and knows all things’ (1 John 3:19-20).

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“Whereas punitive guilt feelings are a self-centered form of punishment designed to atone for one’s failures, constructive sorrow focuses on the damage done to others and the desire to make things right. Feelings of guilt are focused more on past failures, whereas constructive sorrow is oriented toward future changes. And feelings of guilt are based on anger, whereas constructive sorrow is motivated by love. Paul wrote of this type of motivation when he spoke of the sorrow that is according to the will of God ‘that produces repentance without regret in contrast to the sorrow of the world that produces death’ (2 Cor. 7:8-10).

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“For Christians this constructive sorrow (or true guilt) is encouraged by God’s loving care and provision. Before Paul wrote of a godly or constructive sorrow in 2 Corinthians 7:8-10, he reminded the Corinthians of a number of God’s Old Testament promises (2 Cor. 6:16-18) and then wrote, ‘Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God’ (2 Cor. 7:1). His appeal was not to avoid the pain of guilty condemnation, since that issue was already settled. Instead it was to respond in love to the work of God. It is this positive motivation that is the biblical alternative to guilt feelings.”

Which Bible Translation?

Which Bible Translation?

Bob Rakestraw

 

“The Benediction Project”

http://bobrakestraw.blogspot.com

 

Until Jesus returns, Christians will continue to make new translations, versions, revisions and editions of the Bible. (For the purposes of this essay I am using these terms more or less interchangeably, even though they have different meanings in academic studies.) On the one hand this is a good thing, in that it shows the great interest in and respect for the Bible. It also may indicate (and I hope it does) that those responsible for these new versions believe that as language changes and recent archaeological discoveries cast new light on the ancient biblical manuscripts and languages, we should be reading, studying and meditating in the most accurate Bible in our language.

On the other hand, since the Bible is the best-selling book of all time, many publishers—religious and otherwise—want a piece of the financial pie regardless of the message of the Bible. There are other motives as well for producing a new version, not the least of which are ideologies and agendas (such as how to render faithfully the original languages with respect to both male and female readers), and commitment to certain translation principles (such as literal, paraphrase or somewhere in the middle).

Every Bible version worthy of its name should have as its overarching goal the honoring of God. Second to that should be the producing of a Bible that is as faithful as is humanly possible to the intentions of the original writers as these may be discerned by careful study today.

Not every Bible version on the bookstore shelves or online sites needs to be in your personal book collection, no matter how “essential” or “indispensable” its promoters say it is. Such a requirement would take a good chunk of our income regularly and probably force us to build or buy more bookshelves. I’d rather have one or two excellent translations than eight or ten that are not of the highest quality.

Before I go on, however, I want to put your (possibly troubled) mind at ease. Whichever Bible version you have been using, in whatever language, as long as it was produced with God-honoring intentions, you will not be led astray if you are searching sincerely for God’s truth. The Lord said in the book of Jeremiah, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (29:13).

Throughout the millennia, God’s people all over the world have yearned for the Bible in their own language, since most people on earth do not know the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek in which the Bible was written. Many hundreds of translations, therefore, have been made in many (I hope all, very soon) languages, to meet this longing for God’s word. Some of these translations were not well done by today’s scholarly criteria. Yet multitudes have read them and have come to salvation through the Christ presented in their pages. And they have learned how to live the life of the Spirit as God intends.

For example, the Bible of the early church for most Christians was the Septuagint, a translation of the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek that is, except for the Pentateuch, not a high-quality piece of workmanship. As an illustration, the writings of the prophets are often rendered in paraphrase (a free-flowing departure from the original in order to make the meaning more clear, yet which often changes the original intention of the writer). Yet this was the Bible Jesus used when he referred to the scriptures in Greek, and this is the main Bible the Spirit of God used to “turn the world upside down” through his followers!

 Another example is from the time of the Protestant Reformation in the 16^th century. The Bible that God used to show Martin Luther the way to peace of mind and salvation through faith in Christ alone was an inferior translation known as the Latin Vulgate. And yet the Reformation—ignited by Luther—was another turning of the world “upside down.”

It is far more important to read and meditate in the one not-so-great Bible translation you may possess, with a heart open to hear and follow all of God’s truth, than to have a half-dozen excellent translations you never use or which you use only for intellectual pursuits. Ideally we will have both: an excellent Bible translation and a heart and mind yearning for God and his truth.

To conclude this much-too-brief introductory piece I want to mention the versions that I recommend and use most. My favorite by far is the New International Version, copyright 2011. I highly recommend the 2011 edition because it is a significant improvement over the earlier editions of the NIV. The same is true for a study Bible: the best is the NIV Study Bible, 2011 edition. I intend, as far as I know now, to use this study Bible as my main Bible for the rest of my life. I know two of the three editors well, and think highly of them and the third editor. You will always benefit by consulting this version, as well as the Study Bible notes (over 20,000 of them), even if you do not use this version as your preferred one.

Two other versions that I recommend are The New Revised Standard Version (a very accurate, reasonably literal translation) and the New Living Translation (also accurate and very readable, but using paraphrase more). If you use the NIV Study Bible (2011) and the NRSV (latest edition) for studious work, and the NLT (latest edition) for situations when an easier-to-read translation is preferred, you will likely do well for years to come.

There are many other worthwhile Bible versions and study Bibles on the market, and I think it is good for you to become familiar with as many of them as possible. But do not feel compelled to purchase every new, “must-have,” Bible version that comes on the market. There will probably be a new “indispensable” version within the next few years! We do not need more Bible versions, especially in the English speaking world. Revisions, of course, are beneficial as language changes, but the many millions of dollars spent every year to produce and advertise new Bible versions in English would be much better used to support the translation and distribution of God’s word where little or no Bible exists in the language of the people.

And remember always that our trust in and obedience to the scriptures is far more important than certain details of translation that do not affect the overall meaning of a text. May the grace of God be with you!

Sex and the Son of God

Sex and the Son of God

Bob Rakestraw

February 2, 2013

 “The Benediction Project”

http://bobrakestraw.blogspot.com

 

Jesus was fully human. In the remarkable book of Hebrews we read: “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity …. [and] had to be made like them, fully human in every way …” (2:14, 17; NIV 2011). The wording is very strong and very clear. Not only was Jesus like human beings, but he was human. And not only that, he was fully human. And fully human in every way.

Because the truth of these words is unmistakable, and because sexuality is very much a part of being human, we know that Jesus was a sexual person. His sexuality was like ours, not only in our physical bodies but in our souls.

The “soulish” aspect of our sexuality is as significant as the physical if not more so. Our desire for closeness, our awareness of mystery and excitement, our sensations of bodily needs longing to be fulfilled—all of these would have been experienced by the holy Son of God. If this were not the case, Jesus would not have been a true human being.

And this error was exactly the doctrine taught by one ascetic sect (the docetic gnostics) in the time of Jesus. Because these false teachers believed that the human body and everything about it was evil, they said that the holy Jesus could not have had a human body.

In the thinking of the docetists, Jesus only seemed (the Greek word is dokeo, where we get docetic) to be human. Because this heresy was widespread throughout the Greco-Roman world, the apostle John, at the very beginning of his first epistle, emphasized the physical nature of Jesus. “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. … We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard (1 John 1:1, 3).”

Since Jesus was fully human, we know he was tempted. And since one of the major realms of temptation faced by human beings is that of sexuality, Jesus would have experienced sexual temptation. In the book of Hebrews once again we read further revealing words about Jesus:

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then [because Jesus experienced these same temptations] approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:14-16).

This line of reasoning leads us to wonder how exactly Jesus felt the force of sexual temptation. It is obvious that since Jesus never sinned in thought, word or action, he never experienced the kinds of temptations that gather their strength from previously yielding to those kinds of temptation. In other words, if Jesus had been tempted to steal some delicious figs, yet rejected that temptation, then the next time the same temptation came, he did not have the weakened conscience and will of the person who did steal the figs.

With regard to sexuality the same is true. Jesus never experienced those kinds of sexual temptations that get special power because they have been yielded to previously. However, to say that Jesus never sinned once is not to say that his temptations were not as severe as ours. In fact, Jesus must have felt the force of temptation (in many areas of life) more than anyone who ever lived. Those who have given in previously to a certain temptation (perhaps to lie, to steal, or to yell angrily while out of control) will probably find it easier to give in again and again, especially if they have experienced no negative consequences from their sin.

In light of the above, then, Jesus face very strong temptations. Three of these are recorded in the gospels concerning the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (Luke 4:1-13; 1 John 2:16). He no doubt faced these same kinds of temptations—and many others—all through his life, because we are told that just after the three temptations, “When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time” (Luke 4:13).

We cannot know precisely how Jesus experienced and resisted sexual temptation. As a devout Jewish rabbi he knew his Hebrew Bible well, including the extremely helpful instructions in Proverbs, chapters 5 to 7. Perhaps he had memorized Proverbs 6:25: “Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes” (see the similar words of Jesus in Matthew 5:28).

We can be very grateful that the Holy Spirit of God inspired the writer of the epistle to the Hebrews to inform us that “we have one [a high priest] who has been tempted in every way just as we are—yet he did not sin.”

The immediately preceding and following words of the above text let us know why these matters are in the Bible:  “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses. … Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence [no matter what kind of temptation, nor how severe it is, nor how often we have yielded to it], so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:15-16).

 May our merciful and gracious Lord guide you and guard you always!

Ants

Ants

Bob Rakestraw

January 2, 2013

 “The Benediction Project”

http://bobrakestraw.blogspot.com

 

There is an image I have had in my mind for many years, and I am glad for it. I picked up the idea somewhere along the journey of life, and it helps me greatly to see the big picture—the overall purpose of life on earth. I share it here because you, like me, may find it a powerful image to guide your days here on this planet, and to help you help someone else grasp the big picture.

Imagine that you are sitting outside on a rock, a hill or a chair, and you look down and notice a column of ants marching in single file, each carrying something to a hole in the ground where they disappear. Coming out of the same hole is another column of ants marching alongside of the first, but heading in the opposite direction, probably to the same food source.

The ants seem to be doing their work well, as their ancestors have been doing since the beginning of ant-life on earth. They eat, work, reproduce, sleep and occasionally repair or move their nest. Then they die. The seemingly-forever nature of this cycle of ant-life is, above all, to ensure the perpetuation of the species. The ants, of course, are not aware of this cycle of life; the instinct to carry on as the do is programmed in them from before birth. They never stand back and consider the big picture of their lives; they just do as their ancestors have done for ages.

These columns of ants remind me of the many people on earth who simply move through life from birth to death without stopping to give serious thought to why they are doing what they are doing—the overall purpose of their lives. They simply follow the line of ants in front of them, doing what the other ants are doing. And then they die.

There are many others, of course, who have considered such matters. They may have even accepted some big ideas about God and life after death. They now, however, either dismiss such notions as false or live as though their religious beliefs have little or nothing to do with their daily living.

There are still others who have thought—or been told—about the ultimate questions and have adopted or been indoctrinated into a set of religious ideas and practices that govern their lives in major ways.  Of this group, some are living (often sincerely) according to unbiblical religious systems while others are living, or trying to live, according to the One who said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.”

All of these groups and categories need the grace of God through Christ and the Spirit. I am thinking, however, especially of those who know and accept something of the life and teachings of Jesus and his early followers. They may think of themselves as Christians, or even as faithful disciples of the Lord Jesus, and maybe they are. There are, praise God, many such in this world. They know that they, and all people, have been created in the image and likeness of God to be his representatives on earth, to reveal his mind and will to those living in ignorance of the truth.

Yet there are also many who call themselves Christians but live like ants. Of course, as humans, they have self-awareness, the ability to reason and the power of the will. These capacities obviously set them far above all animals. But as I observe them living they seem much the same as ants. They are not all marching in a fixed line, true, but their pattern of life appears to follow the customs, ideas and values of those around them.

They are heavily influenced by contemporary culture and majority opinions, and, except perhaps for attending church, they are driven by an established blend of worldly, materialistic goals and practices which they gradually have absorbed from others.

I am not making up this scenario. I wish I were. I have seen it. Children who grow up under the care of such ant-Christians often turn out to be the same as their parents or guardians. Fortunately and surprisingly, other such children recognize the shallowness and emptiness of the ant-life, and by God’s grace early in life, grow toward the way of the cross.

These may even notice their parents beginning to live lives that are less and less self-centered and more and more God-centered.  Such youth may not even realize that they are being used by the Lord to show their earth-focused parents a heavenly view of the big picture, just as God in the heavens may show his angels a view of all living things on earth, including human beings and ants.

The ants and the other creatures are doing what they are meant to do, but we human beings often are not. In this new year, on this pilgrimage called life, let us resolve to regularly lift our heads from their horizontal orientation and look up as well as out. Let us be willing to challenge the status quo, step out of the ant column, and move with the assurance and joy that God gives to those who think and live in harmony with the big picture designed by God almighty for those made in his image and likeness.

God-talk

 

 

Bob Rakestraw

December 1, 2012

“The Benediction Project”

http://bobrakestraw.blogspot.com

 

A couple of years ago I read a piece from a churchgoing man that went something like the following (I can’t remember the actual words). “I find that one topic people in church rarely want to talk about is God! Why should it be so difficult—in church of all places—to find someone wanting to discuss things of God?”

This man was not saying that God was not mentioned in the church services, but that in the “free time” before and after services, or between scheduled activities such as a class and a worship service, or even in the midst of social “fellowship” times, people seem eager to talk about many things (such as their childrens’ school activities, their jobs or their friend’s recent diagnosis of cancer) but not about God—at least not in a personal way.

I had often noticed this pattern over the years but had never come across anyone who actually wrote or spoke about it. I myself have come to accept and participate in this type of conversation with people at church, and have often found it enjoyable and even beneficial. There is nothing at all wrong with such talk unless we knowingly quench the Spirit of God within—when the Spirit is prompting us to bring up a different line of thought.

I am not suggesting that, in the hallways, aisles, and foyers of our local churches we should be continually asking people such questions as: “How is your relationship with God these days?” or “What has impressed you lately in your Bible reading?” I would absolutely love to be asked such questions but I realize many people would be surprised or (in a few cases perhaps) even offended. I am suggesting, however, that we should be sensitive to the spiritual atmosphere if and when we become aware that our conversation partner might benefit from a word of encouragement or blessing (benediction) from us—not spoken in a paternalistic manner but in a genuinely caring way, from one weary pilgrim to another on the dusty road to the heavenly city.

Sometimes it is easy to bring up spiritual issues, especially when someone not in a hurry asks “How are you?” or “How are you doing?” Most of the time with me in recent years the person is asking about my health, since I have had—both before and after my heart transplant in 2003—serious medical problems. But, whether or not someone is asking about your health, you may wish to answer (and perhaps should, if it is true) with something like: “I have been spiritually dry lately, and I would really appreciate your prayers for revival in my heart.” The person might be quite surprised by your reply (since the expected answer, at least here in the United States, is “fine” or something like that), but they will usually be very glad to say that they will pray, and feel very honored that you asked them. All true Christians want to help others if they are able, if they have the time and if they are asked personally. It really is more blessed to give than to receive, as Jesus taught. Many of God’s choice servants know this “secret” of happiness!

In the situation just mentioned, however, the person might answer, “I am also spiritually dry, so I don’t know if my prayers will get through.” In this case you could agree to pray for each other, and perhaps do so right there, in the hallway, at the front of the church or wherever else you may be: two thirsty souls crying out for the water of life.

There are several reasons I am writing on this topic. One is that I long to grow in my Christian life and know many others do also.  Another is that I regularly need godly encouragement and know many others do as well. If someone is bold enough to bring up sensitive matters (their own or others) and/or introduce into the conversation specific scripture texts or other direct “God-talk,” the invisible barrier that  sometimes keeps even sincere Christians from discussing matters of the heart and soul suddenly falls away, and the Spirit (the one Jesus spoke of as the Comforter and Counselor) moves in and does some wonderful work. I have been fortunate for over twenty years to belong to a solid and loving church where this kind of mutual ministry often takes place.

In addition to our own needs and the needs of others, we should be eager to speak of God’s activity in our lives because it is biblical. There are numerous scripture texts that advocate this highly beneficial practice, and I will close with four of them. A most blessed and fruitful Advent, Christmas and New Year to each of you!

1.      “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

2.       “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25).

3.       “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God. …” (Ephesians 4:29-30).

4.       “Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard” (Malachi 3:16).

 

 

A Thanksgiving Story

 

Bob Rakestraw

“The Benediction Project”

http://bobrakestraw.blogspot.com

 

When I started “The Benediction Project” in the spring of 2007, I had two purposes in mind. First, the blog would serve to inform people of my health condition, because so many were asking how I was doing since my heart transplant of November, 2003. Many were praying for me and wanted updates. And I very much needed their prayers.

Second, I desired to write materials that would be encouraging, concerning matters that I thought (and hoped and prayed) would bless and strengthen readers all over the world.

When I decided to call this new endeavor “The Benediction Project,” I realized that the underlying  project would have to be me—a project under construction, a work in progress. The focus would be, however, on the magnificent and compassionate Trinitarian God I love and serve: Father, Son and Spirit.

I was well aware that if the blog was ever to be a blessing to others I myself would need to ask God continually to make me into a living benediction. I wanted to be, as I responded in faith and obedience to God’s ongoing construction work, a benediction project in the flesh, while the blog, flowing from God through me, would be a benediction project in writing.

The decision to start a blog was not a casual one. I felt an urgency because I had just been told by two doctors that I probably had no more than six months to live. Since my immune system had been fighting so hard to reject this foreign object (my new heart) I now had a condition known as chronic (permanent) transplant vasculopathy. The 18 or so arteries that surround my heart and bring oxygenated blood to the heart tissue (it needs fresh blood too) were being silently and steadily squeezed shut by the disease.

This, of course, would block all blood—and therefore all oxygen—flowing to my heart. I would then have either one big heart attack or several smaller ones, or both, and my heart and I would then die. There was (and is) no medical means to overcome this disease other than a second heart transplant, which I declined.

I was now in hospice care, but able to live at home. My new sense of urgency to serve God arose out of the probable shortness of time I had to live and out of my personal desire and need to keep busy with some worthwhile project that would be an outlet for loving God and loving neighbor. As it turned out God gave me two projects and two valuable assistants—one for each project—to help Judy and me in these new tasks. Within a few weeks of being placed in hospice care both projects were up and running.

Abigail Miller (now Sengendo) encouraged me to start a blog and offered to set it up and manage it. Thus began “The Benediction Project,” now completing five-and-a-half years.

Jane Spriggs then encouraged me to write the book on prayer I had been considering but knew that I could not do without additional help. Jane offered to provide the editorial assistance and by the end of 2007 we had nearly completed Praying by the Spirit. The book was published in 2008 by Christian Growth Ministries in the Philippines. Jane and some very loyal friends revised it slightly and re-formatted it and in 2010 we self-published it in the United States as Heart Cries. This is the book whose cover appears at the top of this blog.

God has been pleased to bless others through both editions of the book as well as “The Benediction Project.” Judy and I are very grateful to God, and to Abigail, Jane and numerous others who have been, and continue to be, valuable co-workers and supporters in my modest writing ministry. I literally could not have this ministry without their encouragement, knowledge, skills and desire to join me in advancing the reign of Jesus Christ over the earth. Every day I struggle with health issues and the burden of life, and I so greatly value the assistance of friends.

If the original supposition of the doctors had become reality I would have gone home around the end of September, 2007. The doctors, however, released me from hospice that November—five years ago—and this month I celebrate my ninth transplant anniversary. I attribute my ongoing earthly life to God’s sovereign power and wisdom, Judy’s consistently helpful and understanding character, the prayers of very many (including some of you), the knowledge and skills of several excellent doctors, the medications and nutritional supplements I take, the personal encouragement and faithful labor of family and friends, and the sense of purpose God gives me in writing.

I am now writing my life story—a spiritual autobiography tentatively titled Grace Quest: A Theologian’s Search for Salvation, Spirituality and the Strength to Suffer Well. Since last year about this time I have been ably assisted in this new project by Kim Olstad and her daughter Jessie. I thank God very much for their encouragement and abilities. The book is approximately half finished and our tentative target date for completion is November, 2013. I have no idea whether I will live to finish the book, but I believe God wants me to continue working on it. I am also planning other projects for the years ahead, as God gives me the strength and the will.

Thank you for reading this piece of my personal history. Somehow, somewhere, for some of you this brief essay will, I trust, be a benediction—a blessing that will encourage you to move forward toward the celestial city John Bunyan wrote about in Pilgrim’s Progress.

Review some part of your personal history to create your own thanksgiving story. At some point in the future—perhaps soon—you may have the opportunity to bless someone with your account. You may not only encourage others, but also encourage yourself. Rich blessings always to you from the One through whom all blessings flow.