Ken Boa Reflections Ministries

Dr. Ken Boa: So here we are: month one, day 17. It's a three-month cycle. This is my gift to you, and I want you to use this on a daily basis. You can do it in seven minutes. How's that? If you commit to seven minutes a day for the next three months, that's what I'm asking you to do.

The reason I want us to be on the same page, literally, is because there's something powerful about men who pray together. Even though we're not together, we are together. We're praying the same texts of Scripture each day together. If you miss a day, don't worry about it. If you forget on the 21st, you don't beat yourself up, but you go back to it and you're on the same page again. Does that make sense?

Once again, a quick reminder that the way we do this is through form and freedom. The form is Scripture, and the freedom is your response to Scripture. I recommend reading it out loud or reading it slowly twice. What does the Spirit give you? How do you respond to that?

Then we do confession as well. The form is form and freedom, plus a balanced diet, instead of immediately starting as most people do with "gimme, gimme." It starts with a more biblical vision of adoration. The bigger we see who God is, the greater we see the depths of sin, which is why confession naturally follows.

Adoration is followed by confession in this balanced diet, and then naturally by a renewal prayer. There's a seven-day cycle. I invite you to take a look at the introduction to see how to use this handbook together. Please read that, because it will enhance your experience. It explains the purpose, structure, and use of this handbook. It's very specific and brief.

You will notice there's a set of morning affirmations which you can use as an option. You have the three-day process there. The renewal and petitions—petitions and intercessions—are on a seven-day cycle, then affirmation, thanksgiving, and a closing prayer. It's very simple.

Please prayerfully consider doing this. I invite you to participate. I'm giving you this gift and investing in you because I believe this will be powerful in your life. I can't think of a better thing to do than to get you equipped and empowered to do the work of the Lord.

When you think about spiritual growth, remember that Scripture and prayer are absolute essential disciplines. By combining prayer and Scripture together as we're doing here, it's a powerful thing. It takes you by the hand, so you have a very simple order to follow.

There's also the third dimension, which is community. As we meet together, we can also know we're praying the same prayers together. I think it provides a powerful unity, and that's what I'm seeking for us.

These disciplines then empower you to make the right response to the inevitability of suffering in your life, which God also uses for your growth. Suffering itself isn't a discipline; it's your response to it. The disciplines empower a biblical response. They give you the power to respond with gratitude, joy, and contentment, rather than whining, grumbling, and complaining.

It’s an empowered response to the work of God because God uses pain and adversity in your life. You are shaped by suffering. That's not a bad name for a book. Oh, it’s been taken? I'm sorry.

The other book I'm giving you is *Jesus in His Own Words*. I'm giving that to you for a twofold reason. My friend, the artist Stephen Crotts, worked with me to craft these things. We did the ideation together and then he executed it. He did a fine job. There are 12 categories: what Jesus said about who He is, His purpose, His role in fulfilling prophecy, His miracles, and so forth.

This book is a powerful thing. I always have three copies with me wherever I go. When the Spirit leads me and prompts me, I give them to whoever I'm with. It’s not a plan; I'm just ready. It’s amazing how that's been working out over the years. I've given away hundreds.

I want you to consider doing this. One of the things I like about the book is that it’s small and has a nice feel. It has a lot of white space, which people like. It has red letters—the words of Jesus—and it's attractive with the illustrations. People aren't going to throw it away when you give it to them. It has some credibility.

The thing I want you to try is reading just the red parts. You can do that in about half an hour. I've found that to be a very interesting experience, to hear what Jesus said. The material in black clarifies and contextualizes, but I'd like you to try reading just the red one time. It's a very powerful experience.

One last thing I have here is this illustration at the beginning. It's in chapter six, about His teachings. I often use that image to imagine where I would be if I were walking with Jesus on the roads. Think of how many hundreds of miles and hours they spent. I marvel that most of them appeared to be talking among themselves and following the followers.

You have Peter on His right and John on His left. I imagine where I would be. When I look into His face, I'm looking at the face that actually incarnates infinity and eternity. I'm looking at the wellspring of beauty, goodness, and truth. It's an amazing thought, isn't it? I'm giving these two books to you as a gift, so please try using them. Any questions?

Guest (Male): Thank you.

Dr. Ken Boa: Yeah, and make sure you pass that fuchsia around because I want you to appreciate the beauty of God. Let’s talk about it. I'm going to ask you how you're doing with this from time to time because we should be on the same page. Enough said.

Guest (Male): Ken?

Dr. Ken Boa: Yes.

Guest (Male): Who is John Matthew?

Dr. Ken Boa: John Matthew was a nom de plume. It was just two of the Gospel writers. I want to get rid of that because it's too confusing. I don't want to have any name on it. There were three of us. A businessman friend of mine had the concept, but then two of us modified it and edited it a lot to perfect it. It was a brilliant concept, and he executed it. We edited it, and it turned out this way. I'd rather just get rid of "John Matthew." It doesn't need it. Any other questions?

We're now living so that the best is yet to come. We are in the conclusion of our material here, the concluding chapter of *Recalibrate Your Life*. It starts with a quote from *Letters to an American Lady* by C.S. Lewis. This particular quote affected my friend, Morrie, very much. The last time I was with him, I read the C.S. Lewis passages I'd selected to use for his eulogy.

I was telling him what I was going to use from Lewis. He couldn't talk with me, but he could barely hold on. When I was reading a few of these, all of a sudden I felt his grip tighten. This was the one where it tightened: "Has this world been so kind to you that you should leave with regret? There are better things ahead than any we leave behind."

After that, I asked him, "What are your views of heaven? How do you see heaven?" He had written a book called *Heaven Observed* for InterVarsity Press. I asked, "What do you think of heaven now?" He described it as a picture he remembered. My friend David Riddle took it when we were on the Cherwell River, punting in Oxford. He imagined C.S. Lewis in the front and Warnie, his brother, in the back.

He knew that wasn't heaven; it was just the closest thing he ever knew on earth to it. When I think of Morrie and Dave Riddle, they’re now with the Lord. It’s a very interesting journey. We went to this Oxford summer school, and this is the picture he was talking about.

He has that puckish face; he was always laughing. This is the picture that we had. It's amusing; I can't resist this. My friend Ed Dudley took this candid photo of us. It looks like a record album cover. But I love this text because it made him think about his journey home. He’s heading somewhere and he knows where he’s going. He knows that the best is yet to come.

Given this idea, we're going to be using some of these supplemental slides. There is the idea of the "world script," which is a slow decline. It’s all downhill from here. I remember when I was younger, my father said, "Son, don't get old," as if I had an option to slow down the process. Getting old isn't for sissies. Your misery will only increase. You might have a few reprieves here and there, but it's a downward slide. Let’s be honest. If this was all there was, this life would be a total tragedy. But it's not a tragedy; it’s a divine comedy because another act is coming. The best is yet to come.

That is what I share about my bride. I had this email asking about Karen. I couldn't resist this old photo. Here we are at Dallas Seminary in 1970. We had a VW minibus, and I had a 1967 Jaguar XKE Coupe, which I wish I'd kept. My priorities were in the right place; I had no furniture, but there you have it.

I saw this in the back of my book, *Talk Thru the New Testament*, which came out in '82. *Talk Thru the Old Testament* came out in '81. This is the photo we used. We were living in Roswell at the time. I told Karen, "Wouldn't it be amazing if we could go back at midnight tonight and live that day?" It would be better, sure, but here's the thing: the best is not in the past.

That imagination exercise, as rich as it would be, is but a hint of resurrected glory. It's a hint of something so rich and wonderful you cannot yet name it. You would have to have an illuminative consciousness and a resurrected mind. But I promise you, it's going to be good. Whatever you love in this world is only a pointer to something rich and profound. It's not the thing itself; it's a pointer to a good that you cannot yet name. It’s that longing, that desire for more.

Every night, I ask Karen to recite the "Pilgrim's Perspective." This is what she quotes to me every night. This is her life, our life, and our hope. The best is yet to come. It's a powerful word for us to realize that the best really is yet to come.

It’s not a slow decline downward; rather, there is growth. Remember the quote from *City Slickers*? In your 40s, you grow a little pot; in your 50s, you have a minor surgery you'll call a "procedure"; in your 80s, you'll have a major stroke and babble to some Jamaican nurse whose name you can't remember. It's funny.

But the believer's path is an incline to glory. Although our body is wearing out, as it says, we therefore do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing and decaying, yet our inward man is being renewed day by day. Momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison. We do not look at things which are seen, but at things that are unseen. Things which are seen are temporal, but things that are unseen are eternal. The affliction is momentary, but the glory is eternal. The affliction is very light in comparison with the weight of glory.

It’s a wonderful image, the "weight of glory." That is a powerful text. As Paul says in Romans 8:18, "I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed." I notice this asymmetrical relationship going on in people's lives. For example, I told Edgar Schaeffer's widow, "You know Edgar wouldn't dream of coming back here if he were given the opportunity." You know it's true. Why don't we want to go there as much as they wouldn't want to come here? It's not symmetrical.

Most believers are terrified because they don't understand. They haven't built up their imagination as to what God is preparing for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Therefore, they’re trying to cling desperately to the meager scraps of this world. People say, "I want to see my daughter's wedding." You want that more than to see Jesus? Is that what you're telling me?

You have to understand that your priorities should be longing for Him. To depart and be with Christ is far better. We want to put away this outer tent so that we will be clothed. Why don't we long for that? It’s because we haven't built up a biblical, sanctified understanding that the best really is yet to come. In this chapter, we talk a little bit about what that is going to look like. We'll probably have to do two sessions on this chapter.

Going back to this fundamental theme of recalibrating, you recall the idea that the gravity of this world will pull our affections and hopes toward the temporal. This is a natural dynamic; if left to yourself, that's what will happen. The only way you're going to overcome that downward gravity is to take a higher principle. The downward pull won't stop. The world, the flesh, and the devil will never stop pulling down.

The only way you can overcome them is not to get rid of them, but to have a higher principle, like aerodynamics and differential lift. What's true in the physical world always points beyond itself to moral and spiritual truths. The analogy is the Holy Spirit—taking the wings of the Spirit and soaring on His thermals. The gravity is there, but you are riding the thermals in freedom.

You are still, but still moving. To use another metaphor, we're in a hurricane. I think the force of the hurricane is only going up, but you can stay in the eye of the storm. The only way you're going to do that is to walk by the Spirit. Be still, but also keep moving to be led by the Spirit and keep in step. You stay in the center, and He will keep those in perfect peace whose eyes are fixed on Him. You have that peace in spite of the storm around us. You're not wringing your hands in despair; you're walking in peace, joy, and hope.

One degree off in the short term may seem like a little, but in 20 years, it multiplies. It amplifies. You've got to redo that. Many people haven't calibrated at first. You need to calibrate before you can recalibrate. It means you look backward, at the present, and toward the future. You look inward, upward, and outward. You're looking at your life from arm's length. Sometimes you just need to revisit and review that.

We are called to live so that our lives matter in a lasting way. You want your life to count, don't you? It would be a tragic thing to come to the end of a perfectly meaningless life and realize that what you treasured were the things God said were trivial pursuits.

Luke 16 tells us that things highly esteemed among men are detestable in the sight of God. That ought to chill you because it's what men give themselves in exchange for: money, sex, and power. These three pulls are trivial. They will be ashes and dust in your mouth. If you're pursuing tinsel, trinkets, and trivia, it won't last. But you can pursue something in this life that goes on forever.

What if every follower of Jesus bears a beauty and purpose that is largely hidden to the world, yet stunningly miraculous? The world has not yet seen you as you will be, but you can start seeing each other as you will be.

It's a powerful thought. It made me think of the 1987 film, *84 Charing Cross Road*. How many of you saw this film? Check it out. It's an interesting and meaningful film. There are important reasons why the main characters never actually physically meet, but there's this relationship. Anne Bancroft’s character reads an excerpt of John Donne's *Meditation 17*. Everyone knows the part about "no man is an island." "Every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less."

"Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee." Hemingway got a good title out of that. But here's what she reads in the movie, to a beautiful piece by Corelli. It's a moment of beauty. She reads, "All mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language."

"Every chapter must be so translated; God employs several translators; some pieces are translated by age, some by sickness, some by war, some by justice; but God's hand is in every translation, and His hand shall bind up all our scattered leaves again for that library where every book shall lie open to one another." That’s powerful. He's going to use all those things. He's transcribing and transforming you and using that adversity. You're shaped by suffering. That meditation means you're part of something bigger than you are—this Body of Christ.

Imagine being in a butterfly cosmos in a butterfly body and being no longer capable of sinning because you have gone through the judgment seat of Christ. Every one of you is a generational link. You are called to be a sage and give away what you have been given. You do not want to be like the Dead Sea, which has no outlet. Rather, you want to be like the Sea of Galilee, which has an input and an output.

You give away what you've been granted. You treasure what God treasures. You value and pursue the eternal over the temporal. You treat things according to their true value. One generation shall commend His works to another and shall declare His mighty acts. They shall pour forth the fame of His abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of His righteousness. Isn't that a good concept for us as we get older—to become sages?

We should become men of wisdom who impart what we have learned to the next generation. That's what we're seeking to do—be intergenerational people. It's only what you give away that's going to be really yours at the end. Kierkegaard said that life can only be understood backward, but it's got to be lived forward. You have to lean into the purposes of God.

Next time, we're going to talk about cultivating an appetite for heaven. I want to spend some time on this. This is exceedingly important for me these days as I'm getting older. I think it's more important for us to be thinking about home now than ever before. We're going to unpack what that looks like in our next session.

In the meantime, I want you to think about what God has granted to you that you are called to impart. How is your life a story, a message, an incarnational link of the life of Christ into the next generations? Let's talk about that a little bit.

I'm going to take a second to share something we're working on called *An Invitation to Wonder*. It's a "creation catalyst" intended to amplify the created order, because most people don't notice the beauty. We're going to have a multi-sensory experience with scents and things like smoke systems.

It's going to be an immersive encounter with the beauty of the microcosm, the mid-cosm, and the macrocosm. You will think you're touching snowflakes. All five senses will be involved in this profound theater arrangement. They're getting far along in the development. This has never been done and could not have been done until now. To layer and use the natural world and our knowledge of it in a way that has not been done before is important.

Imagine having this immersive encounter with beauty, order, and wonder. On the microcosm, there will be three experiences.

There will be three on the mid-cosm, which is that thin membrane—12 miles thick—around the earth. That’s all of life. If the earth were the size of a beach ball, those 12 miles would be a layer of varnish on the outside. That's it. It's mysterious and marvelous. Then there's the macrocosm. My view is that the beauty of God's created world points beyond itself to the truth of His revealed Word. Beauty is God's apologetic. It's a vehicle He uses to draw people and get past the "watching dragons" of critical objections. It speaks to their heart.

If we do this at the Museum of the Bible, a lot of people who wouldn't normally darken the doors would come to see this beauty, especially if we changed it out every season. You’d have new micro, mid, and macro experiences every spring, summer, fall, and winter. It’s a creation amplifier and catalyst.

I have a little video I wanted to show you. I'm announcing this in case any of you are interested. We're having a free luncheon at the Cherokee Town and Country Club at 11:30 next Wednesday to describe and discuss this. I'm seeking to leverage technology for the glory of God in a way that's never been done before. God is bumping up the evidence, using science and technology to increase it. It's an astonishing thought.

In an age of increasing skepticism, God is revealing Himself with greater clarity. Why not leverage the beauty of the created order to point to the truth of the revealed Word and draw people to the Lord? We're hoping that by this fall we'll be at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. I'm out of time, but if you're interested, see me afterward. Blessings to all of you. Try the *Handbook to Prayer* and read the red words in *Jesus in His Own Words*. That's my assignment.

Guest (Female): Thank you, Ken.