What’s New in the Cross Reference Library? The Importance of The Church

Rediscover Church - Since a global pandemic abruptly closed places of worship, many Christians have skipped church life, even neglecting virtual services. But this was a trend even before COVID-19. Polarizing issues, including political and racial strife, convinced some people to pull away from the church and one another. Now it’s time to recommit to gathering as brothers and sisters in Christ. In Rediscover Church, Collin Hansen and Jonathan Leeman discuss why church is essential for believers and God’s mission. Through biblical references and personal stories, they show readers God’s true intention for corporate gathering: to spiritually strengthen members as individuals and the body of Christ. In an age of church-shopping and live streamed services, rediscover why the future of the church relies on believers gathering regularly as the family of God. 

Reaching the Unreached - For too long church leaders have focused on increasing the size of their church rather than increasing their reach outside of the four walls of the church building. The result? Church life becomes a predictable set of routines with predictable results. Church members struggle to reach the neighborhoods they drive through on their way to church programs, unable to penetrate their surrounding communities in a meaningful way. Reaching the Unreached recounts the stories, struggles, and triumphs of individuals and churches that have reinvented themselves to meet the world where it is, working to reach the ones that no one else is reaching.

“The search for the ‘silver bullet’ of success has diverted us from tapping into the timeless principles found in the book of Acts,” says author, pastor, and front-line church planter Peyton Jones. Yet the spiritual climate that Paul and the Apostles stepped into is not all that different from the brave new world the church faces today.

What’s New in the Cross Reference Library? Chaos in the End

Untaken - If the Rapture just happened, would you be Untaken? What would you do? Your husband is missing; you don’t want to be pregnant; you witness a horrific plane crash, and you learn all babies and young children have disappeared. Twenty-eight-year-old Sarah Colton may think she is in control, but she’s far from the truth, not realizing the Rapture has occurred. Enter The writer’s mind as she deals with this imminent, amazing event.

Jacob’s Trouble - Paradoxically, Jacob’s horrific circumstances dynamically unfold through a compelling love story of many dimensions. Jacob Zen ambitiously climbs toward a top position within the US government, only to have his plans explode into chaos. He reacts through computer technology with INterface, human-kind’s ultimately evolved beast-state government of absolute control. Drug-induced flashbacks plunge him into that past time when there was yet hope—while life with Karen promised a future filled with great hope and expectation. When Jacob’s life falls apart in one terrifying instant, events viciously sweep him toward a savage era beyond comprehension or endurance. He struggles mightily through his nightmarish world while powerful forces push and pull at him as he tries desperately to find Karen, the love of his life, who has been taken from him by the monstrous dictatorship. Yet other forces even more powerful influence his every thought, his every action, and propel him unerringly through the vortex of history toward some seemingly predetermined destination.

How Should Christians Live During The Last Days?

You can listen to Ask The Pastor every weekday at 9:00am MST on 97.1FM Hope Radio KCMI! You can also listen and subscribe to Ask The Pastor in your favorite podcast feed. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music and most other podcast services.

This edition of Ask the Camp Pastor features Pastors Gary Hashley and Brad Kilthau.

Gary Hashley
Today, the question we're going to think about, talk about, and interact on, I guess would be a good way to put it today is a question that's really at the forefront of many believers minds. And that is, "how should Christians live in the last days?" Now really, the last days I believe started when Jesus ascended back to heaven and said, "I'll be back," and that the clock has been ticking in God's economy toward the time when Jesus returns. I'm convinced the apostles thought it was going to be in their day and age; and that Paul thought it might happen in his day and age; and that Peter's audience he was writing to in first and second Peter thought it was any time. Now, I remember being in high school in the early 1970s and hearing sermons basically saying, "the world is so bad; things can't get any worse. Jesus is coming back any minute." And I remember thinking as a teenager, "would I ever graduate high school? Would I ever go to college? Would I ever get married?" And here I'm not only a grandpa, but come January 1st, I'm due to be a great grandfather. And we have been living in the last days for a long time now. I know what people are thinking, and Brad, you're going to pick up on this in a minute. I know what people are thinking and that is, "well, maybe you thought it was bad in the 70s, maybe you thought it was bad in the 90s. Maybe you thought it was bad in the early 2000s, but this has got to be the tailgate of God's prophetic calendar for humanity." And people are thinking, "this is it." I remember my dad telling me years ago, he said, "Gary, we need to live like Jesus is coming today or tomorrow, but we need to plan like it's going to be another 100 years." And I think that was good advice from my dad, but Brad, let's let you get going on this. How should Christians live in the last days?

Brad Kilthau
Yeah Gary, in the last days, you're right on that. It is, the last days is technically---you look at the Bible, it's the time between Jesus' first coming and his second coming. That's the last days. One of the ways I usually explain it to folks is, they'll talk about the last days. We live in the last days. And you talk maybe about a football game. Your wife's getting tired of watching that game and she looks at you and says, "how long do we have to watch this game? Can't we watch something else?" And I'll say, "well, we're in the last quarter." And she'll look at the screen and say, "Well, there's 15 minutes left." Just 15 more minutes. Well, it might be an hour before that 15 minutes is over. And that's really what we mean when we talk about the last days. It's that last quarter. It's that last period of time. There's no new messengers coming from God. We have the completed word of God now. There's not going to be another time period for the church. It's over. This is it. But it could still go on for an extended period of time. Yet when we look at prophecy in the Bible and we see so many prophecies that had to be fulfilled in order for the second coming of the Lord to happen. We see those are all fulfilled. And so we can say, "yeah, we're living in maybe the last of the last days." But we can't put a time limit on it and we can't act like it has to happen tomorrow. It doesn't have to happen tomorrow, but it might. We're still, as you said Gary, we're supposed to live like it's imminent. It can happen at any time. And again, the disciples, the apostles instructed people, he instructed the churches to live that way. And I'm not sure what passage of scripture you were thinking about Gary, but I was thinking in 1 Peter 4:7-11. Where the apostle Peter, he says, "but the end of all things is at hand." Listen to that word. I mean, it sounded like he was saying to the church, "It could happen anytime." The Lord could come at any time. "The end of all things is at hand. Therefore, be serious and watchful in your prayers and above all things have fervent love for one another. For love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. As each one has received a gift, minister to one another as good stewards of the manifold of grace of God. And if anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as the ability with God's supplies. That in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen."

Brad Kilthau
And I think that passage of scripture, Peter really sums it up well for how we should live in these last days. The first one is: we should be fervent in prayer, obviously. And I'm going to leave that one for you, Gary, but the other one is found in verses 8-9 where he says, "we are to love one another." And I think that's kind of odd when you think about our society today, because if anything, we're a society today that's more hateful towards each other than I think we've ever seen before. The rudeness, the self-centeredness, the self gratifying thing that's going on in people's lives. So what's Peter saying? He's saying, "well, in the last days Christians, you need to be different than the world. You need to love in a way that actually astonishes the world." They look at you like, "how could you love others like that?" And I think we need to step outside of the norm, and the incognito of being blended in with all of the people of the world and show what it means to have Christ in your life and to love people. What does that mean? Well, I guess first of all, get a circle of people that you can love on, that you can express to them love. That you can help them out in their time of need. But don't just have that circle. Put a bigger circle outside of that one, because get out to people who you don't even know and express love to them. And the reason we know that that is, I think the advice of Peter here is, because he said that we are to be hospitable to others. We are to be hospitable. When you look that word up in the original language, it means to love strangers. And man, we have to do better as the church I think Gary, because I think the church is becoming such a little hub and a close knit club. And we can love on each other, but we can't love outside of the walls of our church, and we're in trouble when we do that. I was reading about the Albanians. I guess the Albanians are known for loving people who are strangers. It's called The Albanian Love. And when I was reading through this article, it was actually that the Albanian people will buy extra food and extra supplies and they'll stick it up on a shelf or something and store it away knowing that if there's a stranger that comes into their life, they have it. They just grab it and give those to somebody who they don't even know and help them out. And I think we could learn from that, and we should be living like that in these days. Jesus said, "love one another, that others will know that you are my disciples." That love is a way we can express to the world that Jesus is real. In fact, when Jesus said that he actually gave the world a tool to grade us as Christians by, in other words, it's like the Lord is saying, "go to my children and see how they love you." And that'll be their grade. "Check them out. Look how they love others." And that should be a wake up call, again, to us is the church. Another thing he expresses there is, we need to use our spiritual gifts to the fullest. In verses 10-11 in that passage that I read already. Use it to the fullest; our spiritual gifts. Our spiritual gifts are actually our fingerprint on the things that God has called us to do. And the reason it's a fingerprint is because it's very unique. Even though the spiritual gift list is very short, it is a list that every one of us can say, "one of those gifts is mine as a follower of the Lord." But when it is yours, it's a little different even with the other people who have the same gift. And the reason is because you have a different personality, you have different ability, you have different tendency. And so you kind of color your gift a little bit---in a way that's very unique. And I think we see that when we look at what the Lord said. He said that we were called and designed as workmanship for the Lord since the beginning of time. And God has a unique plan for us each as an individual to do with our spiritual gifts. So, if you're not finding out what your spiritual gift is, you're not living right in the last days because you need to know what your spiritual gift is. You need to use it and use it to the fullest. In fact, if you don't use it to the fullest, the Lord actually tells us through his apostle here. He said here that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ to whom belongs all the glory and the dominion forever. And so if we're not using the spiritual gift, not employing what we have...we're not finding out what it is, then we're not giving God the glory that He is due. And so there's just a couple of things I guess we can look at Gary, and how we should be living in these last days. You want to add to that?

Gary Hashley
Yes, I do. You talked about what Peter wrote in the first letter, 1 Peter, and I had that down and I wrote down some things about that text. He emphasized being prayerful and loving and forgiving and serving and focused. And those are all good things. Then we get to the end of his second letter and what we have is chapter three. Now, they didn't divide their letters into chapters and verses. We did that since then just to help us find things. But he closes out his letter, and the whole third chapter has to do with the second coming of Christ, the day of the Lord showing up. And he talks about the fact that there are those who are scoffing saying, "He probably isn't coming because he hasn't come yet. If he hasn't come yet, he's probably not coming at all." And Peter says, "no, no! Don't think about it that way." And then he uses that statement about, a day with the Lord is like a thousand years and a thousand years like a day. Now, don't fall into the trap of making that a mathematical formula. He's not saying that 24 hours equals a thousand years or a thousand years equals 24 hours. What he's saying is, God doesn't think of time the way we think of time, or function in time the way we function in time. So don't figure, because it's been a while that he's not coming at all. Because God is going to fulfill everything He said He would do. In fact, verse nine, God is in slack concerning His promise. In other words, if God said it, it's going to happen. Then he alludes to the fact, the day of the Lord will come. That's in verse 10, 2 Peter 3, "the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night." Then it talks about the heavens and the earth passing away with a fervent heat. The first time God destroyed things on earth, it was with a flood. The second time it's going to be with fire. And he says everything's going to be dissolved. And he says, "what we should do is look for and hasten the coming of the day of God," because the heavens and the earth will be dissolved. They'll be on fire. And then he says, "beloved," verse 14, "looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found in him, in peace without spot and blameless. And consider that the long suffering of our Lord is salvation. As also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you." So, as I look at 2 Peter 3, how should Christians live in the last days? Well, we should live looking up, so to speak. Looking for Jesus to come. And it could be today, it could be tomorrow, it could be next week. It could be another a 100, 500, 1000 years from now. We don't know. And if anybody says they know, Jesus said even the son of man doesn't know. So if they think they know, they don't know. It is just a fact. But we ought to be waiting. Waiting for him to come. If we knew a thief was coming, we'd wait. We would watch, and we would wait. But he also talks about winning. He said, "it's salvation!" I think back, if Jesus had come in 1975, the year I graduated from high school, how many people that didn't know Jesus then but know Jesus now, they wouldn't have been ready for Jesus to come back and spend eternity in heaven. I know it's one thing to pray, "Lord come quickly." I mean, we all do it, when at a test or quiz in school wanted Jesus to come because we hadn't studied. But we should be concerned if Jesus were to come today, who doesn't know Jesus yet that needs to know the Lord. Jesus is savior. So if I can sum this all up before we run out of time, I think what Brad and I have been saying is, how should Christians live in the last days? How about three Fs? 1. Focus: We need to be focused on the fact that this isn't going to keep going like it is forever and ever and ever. When Jesus ascended to heaven, the disciples standing there with their mouths hanging open, the angels said, "he'll be back the way he left." He'll come back. So focus on the fact that Jesus is coming and could be any time. 2. Faith. Have faith. It will be at the right time in the right way. And that no matter what happens leading up to it, that as followers of Jesus, our home is heaven. No matter how much we're called to suffer here, and some will suffer greatly here, that our home is heaven. And then the third F is Fear. But it's not for us to fear. It's for us to not fear. I think there are Christians out there and they're stockpiling food and they're stockpiling bullets because we may be in the last days. Trust me, stockpiling food and stockpiling bullets is not how we prepare. It's, how did he say, "be diligent to be found in him in peace without spot and blameless." Live for Jesus today, knowing that he could come at any time. So, I don't know if that answers anybody's questions, but how should Christians live in the last days? Go to the scriptures and find out.

What’s New in the Cross Reference Library? Emotionally Healthy Spirituality book and Workbook

Emotionally Healthy Spirituality - Peter Scazzero learned the hard way: You can’t be spiritually mature while remaining emotionally immature. Though Scazzero was an experienced pastor of a growing church, his life and faith remained emotionally unhealthy. Like so many in the church, he routinely: 

• avoided healthy conflict in the name of keeping the peace

• ignored and suppressed emotions

• used work for God as an excuse to run from God

• lived without limits

In this bestselling book, Scazzero outlines the top ten symptoms of emotionally unhealthy spirituality. He then unpacks core biblical principles to guide you into an experience of lasting, beneath-the-surface transformation in your relationship with Christ. 

Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Course Workbook - In this workbook, Scazzero helps you unpack core biblical principles to guide you into an experience of lasting, beneath-the-surface transformation in your relationship with Christ. The workbook includes session introductions, group discussion questions, application, and between sessions personal study. Join us for a powerful journey that will walk you through a door that will change forever the way you love God, others, and yourself.

What’s New in the Cross Reference Library? The Wyoming Sunrise Series by Mary Connealy

Forged in Love - Mariah Stover is left for dead and with no memory when the Deadeye Gang robs the stagecoach she’s riding in, killing both her father and brother. As she takes over her father’s blacksmith shop and tries to move forward, she soon finds herself in jeopardy and wondering—does someone know she witnessed the robbery and is still alive? Handsome and polished Clint Roberts escaped to western Wyoming, leaving his painful memories behind. Hoping for a fresh start, he opens a diner where he creates fine dishes, but is met with harsh resistance from the townsfolk, who prefer to stick to their old ways. Clint and Mariah are drawn together by the trials they face in town, and Clint is determined to protect Mariah at all costs when danger descends upon her home. As threats pursue them from every side, will they survive to build a life forged in love? 

The Laws of Attraction - If widowed seamstress Nell Armstrong has to make one more pair of boring chaps for the cowboys in her tiny Wyoming town, she might just quit the business altogether! So meeting Brand Nolte, a widower struggling to raise three girls on his own, seems like her dream come true. Brand has no idea how to dress the girls properly, and Nell finally has a chance to create beautiful outfits while also teaching the girls to sew. But Nell is much more than a seamstress, and the investigative skills and knowledge she picked up alongside her late lawman husband soon become critical when a wounded stagecoach-robbery survivor is brought to town. As danger closes in from all sides, Nell and Brand must discover who has a target on them before it’s too late. 

Marshaling Her Heart - Becky Pruitt has always prided herself on knowing everything that’s happening on her successful ranch, so an unexpected admission from her foreman, Nate Paxton, comes as quite a surprise. With the notorious Deadeye Gang on the loose, Nate—a former U.S. Marshal—believes Becky’s ranch is the best spot for a group of Marshals to use as a base to hunt them down. The timing couldn’t be more crucial for the town of Pine Valley, and Becky feels obligated to help. But after escaping the grasp of her harsh father, she’s never liked giving up control, of her life or her ranch. If there’s anyone she can trust with her ranch, and her heart, it might be Nate. But the outlaws won’t go away quietly, and as danger draws ever nearer, Becky and Nate are faced with impossible choices that will test their growing bond.

What’s New in the Cross Reference Library? Additions To Multiple Book Series’

A Nir Tavor Mossad Thriller: Out of The Far North by Amir Tsarfati & Steve Yohn  - Tensions are at a breaking point. The Western markets that once relied on Russian gas have turned to Israel for their energy needs. Furious, Russia surreptitiously moves to protect their interests by using their newfound ally, Iran, and Iran’s proxy militias. As Israel’s elite fighting forces and the Mossad go undercover, they detect that The Kremlin is planning a major attack against Israel. Hunting for clues, Mossad agents Nir Tavor and Nicole le Roux plunge themselves in the treacherous underworld of Russian oligarch money, power, and decadence. With each danger they face, le Roux’s newfound Christian faith grows stronger. And battle-weary Tavor—haunted by dreams from his past—must confront memories and pain he’d sought to bury. In this electrifying thriller, hostilities explode as Tavor and le Roux fight to prevent a devastating conflict. Will they be able to outwit their enemies, or will their actions have catastrophic consequences? And how can Tavor’s Kidon team possibly survive when forces beyond the Mossad’s control step in and turn the whole operation upside down? 

For more from this series, check out the following books from the Cross Reference Library:

1. Operation Joktan

The Fairytale Romance Series: The Orphan’s Wish by Melanie Dickerson - Orphaned and alone, Aladdin travels from the streets of his Arab homeland to a strange, faraway place. Growing up in an orphanage, he meets young Lady Kirstyn, whose father is the powerful Duke of Hagenheim. Despite the difference in stations, Aladdin quickly becomes Kirstyn’s favorite companion, and their childhood friendship grows into a bond that time and opposition cannot break. Even as a child, Aladdin works hard, learning all he can from his teachers. Through his integrity, intelligence, and sheer tenacity, he earns a position serving as the duke’s steward. But that isn’t enough to erase the shame of being forced to steal as a small child—or the fact that he’s an orphan with no status. If he ever wants to feel equal to his beautiful and generous friend Kirstyn, he must leave Hagenheim and seek his fortune. Yet once Aladdin departs, Lady Kirstyn becomes a pawn in a terrible plot. Now, Aladdin and Kirstyn must rely on their bond to save her from unexpected danger. But will saving Kirstyn cost Aladdin his newfound status and everything he’s worked so hard to obtain?

For more from this series, check out the following books from the Cross Reference Library:

1. The Healer’s Apprentice

2. The Merchant’s Daughter

3. The Fairest Beauty

4. The Captive Maiden

5. The Princess Spy

Leah’s Garden: A Season of Harvest by Lauraine Snelling - Larkspur Nielsen is determined to keep her family homestead running and to fulfill their dream of starting a seed catalog, with or without her siblings’ help. With Isaac McTavish back in town, Lark finds herself at odds with her own heart and her determination to shoulder the burden of carrying her responsibilities alone. But Isaac is set on convincing her that he’s here to stay and she doesn’t have to carry everything by herself. As a new romance blossoms between Lilac and an old schoolmate and the other Nielsen sisters are busy caring for their families, Lark bears more and more responsibility on the farm. When a long-feared threat returns and Lark approaches the breaking point, the life she has always dreamed of is in danger of disappearing forever. 

For more from this series, check out the following books from the Cross Reference Library:

1. The Seeds of Change

2. A Time to Bloom

3. Fields of Bounty

What’s New in the Cross Reference Library?

Cling - Deuteronomy 13:4, “You shall follow the Lord your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him.”  There is something about that word cling—so many of God’s commands can be satisfied from a distance, but clinging puts us in His face. It’s personal. And that’s what this book is about—choosing a lifestyle of intimacy with God. Author Kim Cash Tate spent years seeking fulfillment in her relationships and career, only to find herself disappointed by the imperfections of life. But then she discovered clinging to God. She learned to trust Him, cultivating a love relationship that will last forever. Encouraging you to live in the fullness of God’s love, Cling shares wisdom from biblical examples and the author’s personal experience. It shows the importance of the spiritual disciplines of prayer and Bible reading, and how to grow your faith and embrace an ongoing closeness with God. Discover “clinging to God”—which is the source of ultimate blessing and protection, of inexplicable joy and peace. 

10 Choices Successful Couples Make - Is every marriage doomed to experience one conflict after another? Certainly not, says Dr. Ron Welch. In this practical and encouraging book, he outlines the 10 specific choices you can make to minimize conflict and increase joy in your marriage. With his expert guidance, you’ll learn how to:

• Communicate accurately and positively

• Choose forgiveness over unforgiveness

• Understand your marriage type

• And make decisions more effectively

Whether you are engaged, newly married, or have been married for decades, you’ll find that this book will transform your relationship.

Is It Bad To Envy A Good Quality That Someone Has?

You can listen to Ask The Pastor every weekday at 9:00am MST on 97.1FM Hope Radio KCMI! You can also listen and subscribe to Ask The Pastor in your favorite podcast feed. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music and most other podcast services.

This edition of Ask the Camp Pastor features Pastors Adam Sanders, Colby Houchin, and Art Devos.

Art Devos
We love having these questions come in! The first one is a recent question that came in and it says, "Is it bad to envy a good quality of someone else?" For example, humbleness, love or charity?

Colby Houchin
Man, that's a good question. That's a deep question. And, I don't know. I think a lot of our listeners wouldn't realize how deep that question can be at face value. So the first thing I wanted to say, "is it is a very good thing to desire to have the good qualities of others?" The good godly qualities that others possess is a really good thing for us to want to pursue those things.

Art Devos
And the first time this question came out, I showed it to Adam, and the very first thing we said was, "it's great to emulate, right?" To emulate those qualities in someone else. Just as we're seeking to emulate Christ, right? To be Christlike, it doesn't mean that we're envious of that. It means that we're striving to be like that. When you see that good quality in someone, you could recognize that when you see someone who is just so good at loving people, just loving people, you can see that in them. And there are times that I'm like, "man, I wish I could love people. They love people." And I need to maybe be a little bit more earnest in my attempt to do that. And I don't believe that's envy. I think that's close to envy. "I'm striving to emulate that in someone," right?

Colby Houchin
Yeah, I think we talked before this of the importance of defining the word envy. I had my own analogy, but Adam's actually was much better than mine. And so I am going to kind of set him up to talk about it, cause we all have coffee in front of us. So words that we commonly use today that I think we often get mixed on what they actually are supposed to mean; so we have this word envy. We have words like jealousy. We have words like coveting, and so you might recognize that word from one of the 10 Commandments. We have words like greed, we have pride. We have these different things that tend to be, I'd say misused, or we kind of see them as synonyms, but each one of those is actually a specific state in a specific heart issue. And I think we should start by defining those. So again, I was going to have my own analogy, but then Adam's was way better. So Adam, what did you say as far as when it comes to mine, yours, coffee cups, what's the difference between Envy, Jealousy, and Coveting?

Adam Sanders
Sure. No, absolutely. I think, yeah, defining the word is very important, and I think especially when it comes to envy there, I think we'd all agree it is maybe the most sinister of all of the words that could be used. I'm not saying that to attack the questioner, but just for the sake of asking the question in a helpful way and understanding that. And yeah, that was kind of the analogy, we were thinking of talking about coffee. And we mentioned that something like jealousy would say, "this is my coffee and I don't want anyone to take it from me." We would say covetousness would be like, "oh, Art's coffee looks way better, and I want his." Envy, as maybe the most sinister of them all, would say, "you have coffee and I don't. I'm jealous. I hope you spill it, and no one gets coffee." There's almost like a vindictive nature to it in the sense of like, "Hey, I would rather nobody get it than you have it." And I was even thinking of, I mean, we preached in our church on Sunday on Cain and Abel. And just that nature of envy being found in the sense of wanting someone else to fail rather than succeed.

Art Devos
And that's Genesis 4, if you want to go through the story again of Cain and Abel. I went to James 3, and I'm going to read that here for us. James 3:13-18, "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield; full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace." So envy stems from, a lot of times, the dissatisfaction in one's own life, right? That's kind of where it comes from. And so, when you start to recognize this, what do we need to do about this? If this is truly something that you are struggling with and having that real envy in your life, first of all, envy is inherently evil. We need to understand that, and we need to turn away from that. So being repentant of that, but we need to humble ourselves in that, right? And we need to ask God to reveal, "what is our motivation behind it?" Because envy, there's always that motivating factor behind it. And if we can get to the root of that, we can start to understand, I think, a little bit more about what this is. And then you can read a little bit further on in James as well. When you get to chapter 4, starting in verse 7, it talks a little bit more about pride and things like that right before it. But then it says this, "therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts. You double-minded lament and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and he will lift you up." Again, it's all about seeing what that motivation is. Humbling yourself and just submitting to God even in these good qualities that we see in somebody, if we're going to do that, what's your motivation behind it in there and stuff too? So how can we get past that? There's our answer right there.

Colby Houchin
And I think that leads us into a good conversation about our relationships with other people. Even when we acknowledge good things about other people, we have our heart in a place where we can be in proper relationship with them, we can be joyful. So let's say that Adam did, again, Adam and I are pastors of different churches, love each other, we feel like we're partners in ministry just because we believe in the same things, but we're in different churches, different congregations, different flocks. Let's say that he had a youth group event and 450 kids showed up and gave their lives to Christ. That would be a massive praise. That would be amazing for me to have a proper relationship with Adam. And I'd argue with the Lord. I would want to celebrate that type of moment. I would want to see a good quality or maybe whether it's because Adam's just such a wonderful preacher that the spirit moved in him in a mighty way and used him to bring those people to Christ. And I'm just putting words in my own mouth. I'm not saying anything about you or Adam. "Adam's a terrible preacher, but the Lord used him anyway." And that we get to acknowledge that Adam, Adam was able to do this wonderful ministry. And if I was moved in a way of, "man, I know that a lot of people gave their lives to Christ, but like, man, wouldn't I have been a better fit for that?" So here's the--- Go ahead.

Art Devos
Oh, I was going to say, when I came here to Camp Rock, there was a question that I actually got asked frequently. And when I say frequently, I really mean I was getting this question asked a couple times a year for a period of a couple years. And it was always, "Don't you hate Maranatha? Aren't you getting sick of Maranatha?" Maranatha is another camp that has the same mission, the same purpose that we have. And in order for me to hate them, it would literally mean that I am envious of their success because of their numbers that they have every summer. And what I would desire is: that they start to fail so I can start taking their kids. And if I can't have their kids, then nobody should be able to have their kids. And I am like, "No." In fact, I support them fully, because if they're going to be true to teaching the word of God, then I'm their biggest fan. I want kids to go to Maranatha and hear about that, and they should want the same for us. And so that's kind of what I started to think about too in this question and that thought process.

Colby Houchin
Absolutely. And that would be a classic definition of envy. Again, the difference, and you did, I love that coffee analogy. The difference between, for example, coveting and envy. Coveting is wanting something specific. So I'm like, "I want that coffee cup. I don't want a coffee cup." Greed would obviously be if I took all three of these coffee cups and I said, "they're all mine." Right? These are all similar. And jealousy is, and again, jealousy is often misdefined because we'll say, "I'm jealous of you." No. Jealousy is, "I'm afraid that this is going to be taken from me." And so no, "I'm jealous and get away from me!" But envy is---it's that classic---it's a step away from hate. And it starts with that comparison game when you're not in proper relationship with God or other people. Where I'm going to go, "you know what? There's something about Adam that I want to see in myself. I want to have the success he has." Or, "I want to have the good looks that he has," or "I want to have the skills and talents that he has." And because of that, and again, that's not envy. Envy is, "And because of that, I want to see him fall. I want to see him fail. I want," it wouldn't even be about, "Hey, what if I gained the gifts of Adam? And we were very similar. No, no, no, I don't want to see Adam succeed." And so, it is a step away from hatred. That's the reality of it. And I think we see a really interesting example of that playing out in 1 Samuel 18 with the story of David, shortly after David and Goliath, everybody's favorite Bible story growing up. Shortly, the story continues on after that. There's this really interesting line, this interesting song that's being chanted as Saul and David and the army comes into town. And so the women of the town are singing and dancing, and they say, "Saul has slain thousands, David has slain tens of thousands." We don't really have time to talk about the slain thousands and 10 thousands of people in battle, but let's go with just the comparison game really, really quickly of where the heart's at there. So what happens after that, is a dark ungodly spirit takes over Saul because he allowed that comparison to just warp his view of David. And it got to the point where he wanted to kill him. He wanted to strike him down because he recognized, "I'm only attributed to a thousand, but he's attributed to 10,000 or tens of thousands," and that's hyperbole. This was shortly after the David and Goliath narrative. So it's not like, David immediately went out and slayed 30,000 people with his own hand. This is a hyperbolic moment to exaggeration. But it really shows us the dangers of even good things like, "Man, Adam is just such a wonderful pastor and shepherd and just so gifted at that." We can still see the good things in others, and respond sinfully towards them. And so really, we talked about envy in the fall, at my youth group. And one of the things that we talked about as a remedy is really going back to the source of recognizing the love of God and the way that He loves all of us. And really just finding, what is it about yourself? What is it in your heart that does not allow other people to be blessed by God? Well, why is it that I can't love Adam as he is blessed or through his gifting?

Art Devos
And when we see those gifts in other people, we should be intentional about encouraging them in those gifts. I mean, really, that's what we should be doing. If I see someone that is truly, again, just a very giving person, somebody who will do anything for anybody and serve them and serve them well, encourage them in that. Lift them up, build them up, and be supportive and learn from them in that. Rather than taking that on, even where it starts to build towards that envy. I don't think for a lot of this, especially in good qualities, it generally doesn't start as envy, just flat out. It builds to it.

Colby Houchin
It festers like a wound. And that's kind of like when you read that story in 1 Samuel, that's what happens with Saul. It's not like he went, "oh, David killed 10,000. I only killed a thousand. I'm going to turn and stab him with my spear." There was this, kind of narrative of him just building and pacing and almost being tormented in his selfishness and in his twisted logic, and it led to a place of envy.

Adam Sanders
Yeah, for sure. I think you guys have really nailed it. I really, I just want to double down on the notion of, there are probably a few things better that we could posture ourselves to doing than to aspirationally look around and see greatness in other people and want to be like that. I mean, that is essentially the call of a Christian. I think we've said it many times, but to be Christlike is to imitate Christ. We see even the Apostle Paul mentioning, "Do as I do. Follow my footsteps of faithfulness." And so we see that there is an appropriate nature of seeing these things and recognizing the quality that I have and the blessing it is to other people and how it enriches our own lives and wanting to follow forward in those footsteps. And so it really is the heart. I think that's what we've been nailing down over time is at what point, if we let it shift to that, "Hey, it's not that I want to be good. Because the Lord has called me into these things and because it's a blessing to others and myself and my community and my family, I want the recognition he has, and if he has it and I don't have it, it's attack on my character, my quality, my personhood." And that's when we really start to lose the plot on that.

Colby Houchin
One thing I wanted to say real quick, and then we should probably move to the next question is, because I think the inevitable question is, "okay, but is it bad to envy people that are doing bad things? Is it a good thing to desire to see bad people fall," For example, bad people that are doing bad things. To see them fall? And this is a question I was asked in the fall when we were at youth group discussing envy, and I don't think I had a great answer. But I think I found an acceptable answer over the last few days as I've been doing some studies of missions and cultural exegesis through seminary. And one thing that the book I was reading talked about was the, "how do you do effective missions to lead inevitably to the development of the people group towards Christ?" So you get past the initial needs, you get past maybe the sin issues, but then what you do is you work towards seeing them become closer to their right relationship with God. And what I would say is, if you're like, "well, I know it's bad to envy good qualities, but what about people that are sinners or that are drunkard or that are cheaters or that are terrible, awful people that do terrible things?" What I would say is, your desire should not be to see them fall. Your desire should still be to see them move closer to Christ. And if God decides that they're going to fall, that's His choice, and there's a good chance that will happen because pride leads to destruction. And so, prideful people that are living in their sin often need a hardship in order to turn to Christ, but that's not our job to decide. I want to see them fall for the glory of God. Now, God can decide that, but our desire should just be, "I want to see them turn to Christ." I want to see that.

What’s New in the Cross Reference Library? Lessons to Learn

Unquestioned Answers - Have you heard these Christian cliches or found yourself using them? These simplistic statements often go unquestioned. But are they actually true? What do they really mean? Join Dr. Jeff Myers to rethink ten popular Christian cliches: 

1. “Just have faith.”

2. “It’s just me and Jesus.”

3. “It’s not my place to judge.” 

4. “Love the sinner, hate the sin.”

5. “This world has nothing for me.”

6. “Jesus was a social justice warrior.”

7. “God said it; I believe it; that settles it.”

8. “Christianity is a relationship, not a religion.” 

9. “God will heal our land if we humble ourselves and pray.”

10. “God is good all the time—all the time God is good.”

Go beyond unquestioned answers to dip deep into biblical truth. 

Blessin’s and Lessons - A very wise man once said, “Our God specializes in working through normal people who believe in a supernatural God who will do His work through them.” This book is about some of those people who are so worth knowing and about the remarkable and wonderful things God was able to do through them. At the same time, God was teaching them His ways. Lessons are sometimes long and hard, but it is possible to cut down the learning time by learning from others. Lessons have been included in hopes that you will make more rapid progress in your goal to become a person God can work through to show His power to this generation and His glory to the generations yet to come.

What’s New in the Cross Reference Library? What God Calls Men To Do

Never Give Up - God, where are You? Have you found yourself asking that question? This was the case for K.P. Yohannan as he walked through what he calls the forest fire of grief and pain. His openness, sincerity and vulnerability about years of struggle and discovery will give you strength to endure your own difficulties. K.P. Yohannan challenges the reader to find God and His direction through these last days in order to make the most of the moments of time we have left.

The Heart of A Warrior - There are things in this life that are worth fighting for. There are captive hearts that long for a Warrior with the courage and love to set them free. But only a free man can free others—and most men are not free. You can be one who is. You can know firsthand the deep, powerful love of God that heals men’s lifelong wounds and liberates them tok live out of their true masculine hearts. The Heart of a Warrior will help you experience for yourself what it means to be the Beloved Son of a magnificent heavenly Father. It calls you on a journey that will put freedom in your heart, a dance in your soul, and a sword in your hands. You will train in the ways of a Warrior who, with his own heart settled by the Father’s love, takes his place in an epic battle to fight for the hearts of others.