“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).

These are stunning words. The ancient text suggests that Jesus might have uttered these words several times. Imagine him asking the Father to forgive evil men each time they drove another nail into his hands and feet.

If that isn’t amazing enough, these words also fulfilled Old Testament prophecy. Isaiah 53:12 makes the following Messianic prediction, “For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

Centuries before cruel malefactors drove nails into the hands and feet of Jesus and hoisted him upon a cross between earth and heaven, their forgiveness was foretold. Amazingly, the scribes and Pharisees were too busy scheming and plotting against Jesus to read the Isaiah scroll and make the connection between him and the Messianic prophecies.

The fact that Jesus forgives us is one thing. The extent of God’s forgiveness is even more amazing. Psalm 103:12 says, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”

The mix of geography and theology is powerful. Unlike when we travel north or south and bump into either pole, there’s no limit to how far we can travel either east or west. Therefore, the distance between east and west is infinite. When God forgives, he separates us from our sins so that we’ll never bump into them again.

He also doesn’t remember our sins.

“I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more” (Isa. 43:25; Heb. 8:12, 10:17).

How can God who knows all things not remember our sins? He chooses not to remember. He won’t bring them up again. This is why, when you read about great people of faith in Hebrews 11 like Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David and others, there’s no mention of their sins, even though they were great sinners.

It’s impossible to forgive and forget. But, like God, we can do better than that. We, too, can choose not to remember the wrongs people have done to us.

Now here’s how all of this can change your life. Because God forgives us so completely, we don’t have to wallow in the past. No more beating ourselves up about the mistakes we’ve made. We have permission to forget what God has forgotten. Does that mean we shouldn’t take sin seriously? On the contrary, because God has gone to such great lengths to purchase our redemption and forgive us, we should show our gratitude by our obedience to his word.

There’s only one glory story worth telling. It’s not mine and it’s not yours. It’s God’s. God’s story that gives him glory never grows old. His glory never fades. The glory of God radiates from the manger in Bethlehem. It’s one of his best glory stories, don’t you think?

The word “glory” appears frequently in the Scriptures―194 times in the Old Testament and 161 times in the New Testament to be exact, not including the many variations of the verb to glorify. The Hebrew word for “glory” means “heavy” or “weighted.” If you grew up in the 1960s and used the phrase “that’s heavy, man!” then you have some understanding of the glory of God. Christmas, we might say, is heavy, profound and glorious.

It shouldn’t surprise us that the word “glory” appears in the Christmas story several times, most notably when the angels made the birth announcement to the shepherds (Luke 2:8-14).

Christmas came first to ordinary shepherds, not to the scribes and Pharisees. It’s a reminder that God “chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things―and the things that are not―to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him” (1 Cor. 1:28-29).

The simple shepherds experienced a burst of God’s glory in a way that changed them forever.

On the first Christmas, heaven came down and the glory of God filled a place where an innkeeper kept his animals. A single angel made the trip from heaven to earth to make the announcement of the Savior’s birth. The glory of God arrived with him and enveloped the shepherds. So exciting was the moment that in no time a heavenly choir appeared singing an anthem, “Glory to God in the highest.” A real glory story was in the making.

One author writes, “God’s glory had dwelt in the tabernacle (Ex. 40:34) and in the temple (2 Chron. 7:1–3), but had departed because of the nation’s sin (1 Sam. 4:21; Ezek. 8:4; 9:3; 10:4, 18; 11:22–23). Now God’s glory was returning to earth in the person of His Son (John 1:14). That lowly manger was a holy of holies because Jesus was there!”

 The dictionary defines “glory” as “very great praise, honor, or distinction bestowed by common consent; renown.” An athlete’s glory days, for example, refers to how he or she performed with distinction on the athletic field, better than others who played the same game. Football players lay claim to gridiron glory if they make it all the way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

 The glory of God is best defined as his majestic and manifest presence on display. It’s the sum total of his divine nature, attributes and creative works. Think of it this way. The glory of God is that which makes him the exclusive member of his own hall of fame. He is completely unique, distinct and original. Jesus is his “one and only Son” (John 3:16). There is no other god like him; therefore, we should have no other gods before him (Ex. 20).

No wonder the angels sang, “Glory to God in the highest.”

After his resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples in a room where they were huddled together “for fear of the Jews.” He spoke to them with a common Jewish greeting, “Peace be with you!” His presence filled their hearts with joy. He repeated his greeting and then commissioned them with these words, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And then he did something truly amazing. He breathed on them.

Theologians are somewhat divided on exactly what this means. Was this the moment the disciples actually received the Holy Spirit, and if so, what happened on the day of Pentecost? Or, is Jesus speaking prophetically and preparing them for what would happen days later?

I tend to embrace the later view, but in either case we know this is true: the Holy Spirit, the Breath of God, is closer than the air we breathe. A popular praise song says it this way, “You are the air I breathe, Your holy presence in me.”

The first time we hear about the Holy Spirit is in the creation story. Genesis 1:1 says, “And the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” The Hebrew word for spirit is ruach which means “air in motion.” It’s the same word for “breath.”

The Spirit or Breath of God also played a role in the creation of mankind. Genesis 1:26 says, “Let us make man in our image.” The plural pronouns give us the first hint in the Bible of the tri-fold nature of the Godhead. Father, Son and Holy Spirit each played a role in creation.

More details about mankind are given later in the creation story. Genesis 2:7 says, “The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.”

Yes, God literally breathed life into Adam’s dusty body. Job picks up on this idea and makes a connection to the Holy Spirit when he says, “The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty God gives me life” (Job 33:4).

For example, The Holy Spirit is a gift from the Father in response to Jesus’s prayer. “I will ask the Father,” Jesus says, “and he will give you another Counselor” (John 14:15).

James 1:17 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.”

Of course, virtually everyone has heard of God’s generous love expressed this way in John 3:16: “He gave his one and only Son.”

But he also gave us his Holy Spirit.

In a parable about prayer, Jesus mentions how willing the Father is to give away the Holy Spirit. Luke 11:13 says, “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”

There’s a lot behind those words “how much more.” The Father’s gift of the Holy Spirit is no small matter. Jesus suffered a grueling death on the cross so that we could live and have the Holy Spirit living inside of us. That’s how willing the Father is to give us the Holy Spirit.

Acts 11:45 says, “The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.” The Jews were blown away that the Gentiles also received the Holy Spirit.

Think of the most incredible gift you could receive, multiply it by ten billion, and you might come close to understanding how precious the gift of the Holy Spirit is.

However, as New Testament, post-Pentecost believers in Jesus Christ, we have something the disciples never had when they walked with Jesus on this earth. We have the Holy Spirit living inside of us. Jesus was with the disciples, but the Holy Spirit is in us as a permanent resident.

Don’t let yourself gloss over this reality without it gripping your soul. Be astonished that God would choose you as his dwelling place. Elsewhere in the New Testament, we learn that the Holy Spirit has made our bodies his temple.

Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? 1 Corinthians 3:16

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own, you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. 2 Timothy 1:14

Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. As my kid’s would say, “That’s sick!” which, if you can believe it, means cool, amazing and awesome. Think about it this way. In the Old Testament, God built a temple for his people; in the New Testament, God has a people for his temple.

Allow this truth to change the way you approach your day. As you go to work, drive the kids to school, shop for groceries, share a family meal, coach a Little League team, walk the dog, build friendships and more, remember that the Holy Spirit is in you and goes with you to assist you wherever you go.

The grammar in the Greek sentence suggests the Early Christians gave themselves primarily to two things: teaching and fellowship. The two must happen simultaneously in the church. Think about it this way: teaching without fellowship is a dry, academic exercise; but fellowship without teaching is merely a social club.

The Early Church was first a learning church. It was certainly more than that but not less than that. What they believed and taught about Jesus defined the rich sense of community they enjoyed. And yes, doctrine and theology mattered to them. In fact, the apostle Paul often warned about false teachers creeping into the church and leading people astray. For example, as Timothy was getting ready to assume the role of senior pastor in Ephesus, Paul writes these words to him,

As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrine any longer nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God’s work―which is by faith. The goal of our instruction is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 1 Timothy 1:3-6

Paul also told Timothy to “preach the Word” (2 Tim. 4:2). A church that drifts away from the centrality of Scripture is destined for shipwreck. I’ve seen too many of my colleagues abandon the teaching of Scripture for the sake of relevance, replacing the meaty exposition of God’s Word for milky substitutes that barely nourish the soul.

I’ve also seen churches walk away from a view of Scripture that affirms its Divine authorship.

For the record, I believe in the infallibility of Holy Scripture, that it is totally inspired by the Holy Spirit from Genesis to Revelation. And because “all Scripture is God-breathed” (2 Tim. 3:16), it is also authoritative. It tells us who we are as a church, why we exist, where we are going, and yes, how we are to live. The origin of Scripture is not in man, but “men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet. 1:21).

The church I’ve always wanted is at least devoted to the teaching of God’s Word. What about you?

For years, Verizon has sold their cell phone service with an advertising campaign that asks, “Can you hear me now?” There’s nothing more frustrating than a dropped call in the middle of conversation. Imagine that happening when you’re talking to the Lord. Can you hear me now, Lord? Habakkuk cries out, “O Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen?”

Has God ever trusted you with his silence? Yes, sometimes God actually uses divine silence to draw us into a deeper intimacy with him.

I know, I know. That sounds a little strange and contrary to how we experience most relationships. For example, if I choose to give my wife the silent treatment, or vice versa, we will grow apart. Communication is essential in marriage. Silence actually drives a deep wedge between a husband and wife. But God’s ways are not ours. Sometimes he uses silence as a way of saying, “Trust me! I have everything under control.”

At other times, God’s silence is an indication that something is awry in our relationship with him. Indeed, he cannot hear us when sin has caused a breach in our fellowship with him. Psalm 66:18 says, “If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me.” That’s a scary verse of Scripture. God remains deaf to our prayers when sin reigns in our life.

The words “how long” in verse 2 suggest that Habakkuk had been struggling with God’s silence for some time. C.S. Lewis once remarked that when he prayed there were times as though heaven “bolted and double-bolted its doors.”

Habakkuk is not the only person in Scripture that had to endure seasons of divine silence. The psalmist David cried out “how long” four times in Psalm 13. “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?”

Think about it. King David, the man after God’s own heart, struggled with the Almighty’s silence. Both he and the prophet Habakkuk wondered, “God, are you there? Can you hear me now?”

It shouldn’t surprise us that when God is silent doubts begin to flood our soul. But that’s the time to move closer to him, resisting the urge to drift away.

Ten little Christians, all standing in a line. One disliked the pastor, and then there were nine.

Nine little Christians, stayed up very late. One slept in on Sunday, and then there were eight.

Eight little Christians, on their way to heaven. One took the low road, and then there were seven.

Seven little Christians, chirping like some chicks. One disliked the music, and then there were six.

Six little Christians, seemed very much alive. One lost his interest, and then there were five.

Five little Christians, each busy as a bee. One got her feelings hurt, and then there were three.

Three little Christians, knew not what to do. One joined the sporting crowd, and then there were two.

Two little Christians, our rhyme is nearly done, differed with each other, and then there was one.

One little Christian, can’t do much ’tis true, brought his friend to Bible study, and then there were two.

Two earnest Christians, each one won more. That doubled the number, and then there were four.

Four sincere Christians worked early and worked late. Each won another, and then there were eight.

Eight splendid Christians, if they doubled as before, in just a few short weeks we’d have 1,024.

In this little jingle there is a lesson true. You either belong to the building or to the wrecking crew.

The unusual part came moments later when the announcer from the press box said, “There is a flag on the field. The penalty is roughing the pastor . . . I mean, roughing the passer.” A former pastor, Stowell says, “As soon as he said it, I thought to myself, God could give that penalty to some churches today!”

Sadly, Stowell is right, and every pastor knows it from his own painful experience. If given the chance, most of my colleagues would like to throw a penalty flag on a parishioner or two. But roughing the pastor is no kid’s game. It’s serious business and it happens more often than we care to admit.

Consider these haunting statistics from a nationwide study for Your Church by John LaRue, Jr.

• Nine out of ten pastors (91 percent) know three to four others who have been forced out of pastoral positions.
• One-third of all pastors (34 percent) serve congregations who either fired the previous minister or actively forced his or her resignation.
• Nearly one-fourth (23 percent) of all current pastors have been forced out at some point in their ministry.
• 46 percent of pastors cite conflicting visions as the precipitating cause for their termination.

According to a study by Focus on the Family, 1,500 pastors leave the ministry every month in the United States because of burnout, conflict or moral failure. Pause and read that sentence again! The church is losing her best leaders at an alarming rate. No army could sustain such loses in its officer corps and expect to succeed on the battlefield.

I played quarterback for my high school football team. I remember how much it hurt to receive a late hit by a snorting defensive end weighing more than 250 pounds. Shortly after I released the ball into the cool, Friday night air, BAM! Lights out. Usually I didn’t see it coming and somebody on the team failed to protect my blindside. I was always glad to see the yellow flag on the ground. But in some cases the damage had already been done to my body.

Over the years, I’ve been roughed up by more than a few church people. It, too, always hurts and does damage to the body of Christ. Power struggles, personality conflicts and petty church politics produce far too many of the late hits and cheap shots in the ministry. It’s not if but when it will happen to a pastor. The blows that have hurt me the most come from people I thought were on my team.

King David experienced his own version of roughing the shepherd. In Psalm 55:12-14, he writes these heartfelt words, “If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were raising himself against me, I could hide from him. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship as we walked with the throng in the house of God.”

It’s comforting to know I’m not the only one of God’s servants who has received ill treatment. Even one of the twelve disciples who enjoyed “sweet fellowship” with Jesus betrayed him into the hands of evil men for mere pocket change.

Pastors are not perfect people, which is all the more reason we need grace from the congregations we serve. Such grace attracts people to Jesus and creates the kind of community we all desire. But the opposite is true as well. If you strike the shepherd you’ll scatter the sheep. It happens every time.

The ministry is a rough and tumble calling. Most pastors I know are starving for encouragement. Instead of roughing the pastor, join the team that honors him. Celebrate him as “God’s man” to lead your ministry in this season. And above all else, pray for him. I’ve always asked my church leaders to celebrate my strengths (which are few), help me with my weaknesses (which are many) and accept my limitations (which I cannot change).

As Paul wrote to Timothy, “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the Word and doctrine” (1 Tim. 5:17). If we do that, I’m convinced we’ll always put the ball in the end zone.

At the core of Stolz’s belief and science is the idea that “exceptional human achievement must have something to do with how a person responds to adversity.” I believe Stolz is on to something, as do his clients who make up some of the biggest corporations in America.

Stolz developed a robust instrument called the Adversity Quotient Profile as a means of assessing resilience in people. He gained wide-spread acclaim when he published his research in a best-selling book called Adversity Quotient: Turning Obstacles into Opportunities.

Stolz created three categories of people in life: climbers, campers and quitters. He says “climbers” are people who are dedicated to a lifelong ascent, “campers” get the job done but don’t strive as hard or sacrifice as much as they once did, and “quitters” are persons who at some point became overwhelmed by the challenge and gave up their basic human drive to ascend.

Are you a climber, camper or quitter?

Martin Luther King, Jr. was no doubt a climber with a high Adversity Quotient. The life he lived and the death he died is all the proof you need. But he also once said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

The apostle Paul was a climber, too. How do I know? He wrote a letter to the Philippians from a Roman prison cell and mentioned the word “rejoice” thirteen times in four, brief chapters. Yes, rejoice! Knowing the adversity Paul was facing as he penned this joy-filled New Testament book, I have no doubt in my mind that he was dedicated to a lifelong and Godward ascent.