Category: Faith

Come Before Winter

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21 Do your best to come before winter. – 2 Timothy 4:21a

Bad Weather

Paul is in prison.  He is cold.  He is lonely.  Death is imminent.  He has instructed and admonished his spiritual son Timothy.  He has given him warnings and encouraged him to faithfully preach the Word.  Now he ends his letter with personal instructions.  He has been deserted by many and wants Timothy to come to him soon (v. 9).  He wants Timothy to bring his cloak, books, and parchments.  And Mark also.  But bad weather is coming.  He, therefore, encourages Timothy to come before winter. Time is of the essence.  If he procrastinates it may be too late.  The window of opportunity is quickly closing.  Now is the time to act.  Come before winter.  There will be no sailing when winter sets in.

Paul knew his time on earth was short.  Before his departure, he wanted to make certain arrangements.  He was cognizant of his needs and wanted to make sure they were met.  Now was no time for self-deception.  Winter is coming, there is a chill in the air, please bring my cloak.  I need to keep my mind sharp and focused, please bring my books.  I still have more to write, please bring my parchments.  Death is quickly approaching, please come and bring Mark as well.  Faithful Luke is with me, but I need all the moral support I can get.  Christ awaits me on the other shore, but no man wants to walk to the water’s edge alone.  Not even Paul.  Hurry Timothy, before the last ship sails.

Good Friends

We read Paul’s letters and we are introduced to numerous people who were a part of his ministry.  Despite his great talents and gifts, Paul was no Lone Ranger.  John Mark, Titus, Stephanas, Timothy, Fortunatus, Silas, Epaphroditus, Luke, Barnabas, and Epaphras all played a role in Paul’s life and ministry.  Unfortunately, others like Demas abandoned Paul and the faith.  Certainly, there were others not recorded but you get the point.  We were never intended to live the Christian faith in isolation.  We need each other, especially when winter is coming.

One of the most plagiarized sermons is one entitled, Come Before Winter, given by the late Clarence Macartney.  The sermon was so powerful that it is estimated Pastor Macartney delivered it over sixty times always with incredible results.  Men and women alike would be moved to tears by this powerful sermon.  I highly recommend that you look it up for yourself and read it.  The message is certainly timeless.  Pastor Macartney colorfully expounds on Paul’s admonition; there is no time like now to act, don’t procrastinate and live with unnecessary regrets.  Even worse, don’t procrastinate and die with unnecessary regrets.

Winter Is Coming

How are your relationships?  Is there someone you need to forgive?  Is there someone you need to ask forgiveness?  Ice is forming on the water.  It could be soon that the last ship sails.  Don’t wait until it is too late.  Don’t live with regrets.  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus encouraged his listeners to put a higher priority on reconciliation than leaving an offering.  What good is a gift on the altar if there are anger and strife in the heart?  Paul was in bondage against his will, but how many of us live in an unnecessary bondage caused by strained relationships?  In our pride and stubbornness, we harbor dangerous emotions.  Jesus’ advice was the same as Paul’s admonition, don’t delay.  Drop your gift and run.  Be reconciled as quickly as possible.  There is nothing to be gained by putting it off.  Reconciliation may be extremely humbling.  It can be awkward.  But the reward will far exceed the cost.  No time like the present to bury the hatchet and avoid any unnecessary regrets.  Paul knew this from experience.  During his ministry he had a falling out with Mark.  Now, before winter, he wants to see his brother in the Lord one more time.

Speaking of relationships, how is your first love?  Is the joy there?  Is the peace there?  If not why?  Are there sins to confess and turn from?  In 1 John chapter one, John makes a distinction between walking in the light and walking in darkness.   According to John, if we claim we do not sin, we are deceiving ourselves.  Like Paul in Romans chapter seven, life is often a frustrating struggle as we know what is right yet too often do what is wrong.  Rather than living in deception and denial, John encourages us to constantly confess our sins.  Unconfessed sins hinder our fellowship with our First Love.  John goes on to tell us in the fourth chapter of his first Epistle, that we can only love God because He first loved us.  May Demas be a sobering reminder to us.  The pull of the world is strong.  Don’t grieve the heart of God.  Surrender the secret sins of your heart.  Like the prodigal son learned, your loving Father awaits you with open arms.  Now is the time to come to your senses and leave the swine behind.  Don’t deprive yourself or your Creator the fellowship you were created for.  Come before winter.

Don’t Delay

Maybe you have never placed your faith in Christ.  Perhaps you think Christianity is a fraud; just a crutch for the simple-minded.  I would challenge you to weigh the claims of Christianity against whatever you hold as the ultimate authority in your life.  Pick up a Bible and read the Gospel of John for an account of the life and death of Christ.  Read the book of Romans and see how Paul systematically unfolds God’s plan of redemption.  Read the Book of Genesis and see the account of creation and how sin entered the world.  Sin that blinds and enslaves every man.  How do you explain the evil around you?  How do you explain the evil in your heart?  Sin is a disease that every person carries.  Apart from God, what hope do you have to combat it?  May God incline your heart and mind to His Truth as you read it.  Psalm 95 says if you hear God do not harden your heart.  Paul tells us now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.  Don’t delay.  No one escapes death.  Christ laid down His life so you could have life eternal with Him in heaven.  He now awaits on the other side of deaths river waiting for those who have put their faith in Him.  Death is imminent.  Be cognizant of your need.  Now is no time for self-deception.  Now is the day of salvation.  Don’t die with an eternal regret.  Come before winter.

“Before winter or never! There are some things which will never be done unless they are done “before winter.” The winter will come and the winter will pass, and the flowers of the springtime will deck the breast of the earth, and the graves of some of our opportunities, perhaps the grave of our dearest friend. There are golden gates wide open on this autumn day, but next October they will be forever shut. There are tides of opportunity running now at the flood.  Next October they will be at the ebb. There are voices speaking today which a year from today will be silent. Before winter or never!” – Clarence Macartney

Two Evils

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13 for my people have committed two evils:
they have forsaken me,
    the fountain of living waters,
and hewed out cisterns for themselves,
    broken cisterns that can hold no water. – Jeremiah 2:13

Yuck!

Years ago a cousin of mine was driving up North, in the dark, with a friend.  As they were talking my cousin’s friend reached down and picked up a bottle of what he thought was a cola.  You can imagine his surprise when he found out it was not a soft drink that he grabbed for refreshment, but rather a bottle of tobacco spit.  I don’t mean to gross you out, but I think we need to realize the shock factor in what God is communicating through Jeremiah.  What my cousin’s friend did inadvertently, God’s children do intentionally.  God finds it disgusting.

Forewarned

16 And I will declare my judgments against them, for all their evil in forsaking me. They have made offerings to other gods and worshiped the works of their own hands. – Jeremiah 1:16

Before God gives Jeremiah the illustration of the living water and the broken cisterns, He declares judgment against His people for forsaking Him and fashioning idols.  We are not left speculating what has brought the ire of God.  Despite the blessings He had lavished on Israel, they had a serious problem with idolatry.  Despite the faithfulness of God, Israel was unfaithful.  Jeremiah chapter two begins with God recounting the relationship He had with Israel as He led them out of Egypt, guided them through the wilderness, and then brought them into the promised land.  But Israel decided to forsake God and dig their own cisterns.  Listen to God’s response.

“What wrong did your fathers find in me
    that they went far from me,
and went after worthlessness, and became worthless? – Jeremiah 2:4b

Drawbacks

In an area, such as a desert, where water sources are scarce, a cistern was practical.  A cistern would be dug out in order to catch and retain rainwater.  Although practical, they did have their drawbacks.  First, and foremost, it was not in and of itself a water source.  Being a receptacle, it was dependent upon rainfall for a source of water to hold.  In addition, cisterns were often known to leak.  Between a lack of rainfall and problems with cracks, the water supply of a cistern was often inadequate.  When they did retain water, it was often stagnant.  Imagine a body of still water exposed to great heat.  In addition, vermin would often fall into cisterns and die.  Not very appealing is it?  But desperation calls for drastic measures.  Unfortunately, Israel wasn’t desperate, they were ungrateful.

Foolishness

I have always been fascinated with cowboys.  As a young boy, I loved reading books about Sam Houston, Wild Bill Hickok, James Bowie, Wyatt Earp, etc.  Who knows what my legend might have been if Santa had only brought me a holster belt and a set of revolvers with pearl white handles?  Perhaps I would have received them if I hadn’t asked for a white horse also!!  But in all of the Westerns I watched, not once did I see a parched cowboy walk into a saloon and turn down a cold drink, only to walk to the end of the bar, pick up the spittoon, and begin to drink from it.  Sounds laughable, doesn’t it?  Yet how often do we do it in real life?

Longings

God has created humanity with a longing that only He can fulfill.  As Christians, we have the fountain of living water residing within us, but too often we are not content.  We are ungrateful.  We turn from God and start digging.  And God is disgusted.  Like Israel, we reject the living water and dig broken cisterns to satisfy our longings.  In our foolishness, we fill our cisterns with sin that is quickly stagnant.  We try to fill our cisterns with material things, but they rot and decay and leak out the cracks.  When it rains, we are happy for a season, but more often than not we are depressed by droughts.  How much pride can we take in a shallow body of warm water, polluted with dead rats floating on the surface?  God is priceless and yet we chase after worthlessness.  God has led us out of our spiritual Egypt.  He will lead us through the wilderness, and He promises to accompany us to the Promised Land.  He has promised to never leave us or forsake us, yet how quickly we are to forsake Him.

Questions

It is intimidating to be interrogated by the Creator of the universe, but it is healthy for us.  We need to look at Jeremiah 2:4b quoted above and ask ourselves the question, “What wrong did I find in God, that I went far from Him?”  When has God ever failed you?  When has He ever been unfaithful to His Word?  Then why would we logically turn from Him and commit two evils?

Satisfaction

I am not sure what cisterns you are digging to compete with the Fountain of Living Water, but there is no time like the present to abandon them.  Sin will never satisfy.  The world will never give us joy.  It is time to stop rebelling and stop doing worthless work.   Leave the cisterns to the rats and return to your first love.

“I remember the devotion of your youth,
    your love as a bride,
how you followed me in the wilderness,
    in a land not sown.” – Jeremiah 2:1b

Everything you need to satisfy your spiritual thirst is available in the Fountain of Living Water.   Don’t turn from Him, trust Him.  That thirst you need to be quenched was His idea.  He wants to fulfill it.

63 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
    my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
    as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. – Psalm 63:1

Fleeing Leaves

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36 And as for those of you who are left, I will send faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies. The sound of a driven leaf shall put them to flight, and they shall flee as one flees from the sword, and they shall fall when none pursues. – Leviticus 26:36

Balanced View

As students of the Bible, we need to recognize that all of it is God-breathed.  As such, it is our responsibility to read the Bible in its entirety and to grapple with all of it, from Genesis to Revelation, and ask God what He wants to reveal to us about Himself.  As we prayerfully read the Bible, we want to “interrogate” the text.  Asking questions of the text as we read forces us to slow down and engage our minds, thereby increasing our understanding and retention.

It is natural to want to skim over passages that may seem less relevant or perhaps make us uncomfortable, but that doesn’t leave us with a “balanced” view of God.  For instance, most of us dwell on and memorize God’s promises, but place much less emphasis on His threats or warnings.  Also, if ninety percent of a passage is about the character of God and ten percent about the consequential blessing of man, we will tend to emphasize the ten percent that is about us.  To keep our pride in check, it is healthy to remind ourselves of the gap that exists between God and fallen man.

Decisions & Consequences

Leviticus chapter twenty-six is perhaps one of those chapters many of us would naturally like to skim over.  After briefly pointing out the blessings of obedience, God lays out very graphic warnings of the consequences of disobedience.  The children of Israel have been given commandments, and now they must choose whether or not to take God seriously.  Like Adam and Eve, they are faced with a choice.  Does God mean what He says and are we willing to accept the consequences of disobedience?  Read the chapter for yourself and look at the consequences.  Panic, wasting disease, fever that will consume the eyes and make the heart ache, you will plant but your enemies will eat the produce, you will be struck down and ruled by enemies, despite hard work fields won’t produce, wild beasts will be let loose attacking children and livestock.  If this doesn’t lead to repentance, then they will face pestilence and be delivered into hands of enemies, their supply of bread would be broken.  If their hearts are still unmoved, they would then eat the flesh of their sons and daughters, their idol temples would be destroyed and they would be dispersed among their enemies and their cities would be laid waste.

Windblown Leaves

What could the remnant who survived such consequences expect for a reward?  Fear.  Cowardice.  Faintness of heart.  So much so that they would flee from a windblown leaf.  Though not pursued by a sword-wielding enemy, they will stumble over one another in panic.  How can a guilt-stricken man ever expect to stand in the presence of an almighty God if he can’t even hold his ground against a leaf blown off a branch?  Obviously, he can’t, but it is amazing how easily we deceive ourselves.

Look closely again at the list of punishments for disobedience.  The world would look at these and use them as ammunition against God.  I will grant you this is not a pleasant list.  Wasting diseases, pestilence, starvation, and cannibalism are not things a loving God would dole out, are they?  Obviously, they are.  We like to extol that God is love, but we want to reserve the right to define what love looks like.  God is the author of love.  He is the source of perfect love.  The type of love that casts out fear.  But He is willing to use fear to drive us to Himself.

Stubborn Hearts

When I look at Leviticus chapter twenty-six, I am amazed at the stubbornness and rebellious nature of man’s heart.  The chapter begins with God commanding the Israelites not to make and worship idols, to keep His Sabbaths, and to revere His sanctuary.  In contrast to the list of punishments threatened above, obedience would have resulted in timely rains, abundant produce, sufficient food, safety, peace, rest and boldness.  In addition, they would have victory over their enemies, would be fruitful, and God would establish His covenant with them.  Further, God would set His tabernacle among them and walk among them.  On paper, the choice looks easy.  But I can hear Satan whisper, “Does God really mean it?”.  History proves He did mean it.  And He still does.

God is a consuming fire.  His wrath is real.  The wise person doesn’t try to “tame” God but rather possesses a healthy fear of Him.  I believe the church, and therefore society by extension, is suffering because we have domesticated God.  Too often we don’t want to take God at His word.  Instead, we want to make the Bible say what it doesn’t; or not say what it does.  And like the Israelites, we suffer the consequences.

Rakes

Let’s pause for a moment and consider the darkness which man lives in.  Doing so helps us to keep a proper perspective.  What is the depth of our depravity?  Think for a moment about the way God pursues His children in this chapter.  Why are they being punished so?  Not because of any flaw in the character of God.  To the contrary, His intention is their restitution.  He wants their disobedience to be replaced by obedience.  Look at the drastic measures He is willing to take to see His children restored.  In other words, the severity of God is just one aspect of His love!!  An aspect whose exercise is necessitated because of our sin.

God doesn’t want His children fleeing from driven leaves.  On the contrary, He wants them to live in the boldness that He gives to His children who are living in obedience to His will and in the security of His love.  But He will take drastic measures to get us to that point.

Don’t accept a watered-down definition of love.  Don’t embrace any other God than the God of the Bible.  Just make sure your view of Him is balanced.  And thank Him for not giving up on us.

22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God… – Romans 11:22a

The God of Endurance and Encouragement

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4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. – Romans 15:4-6

Race of Faith

The Apostle Paul is fond of equating the Christian faith with running a race.  A theme also used by the author of Hebrews.  Experience teaches us that this race we are in much more closely resembles a marathon than a sprint.  Accordingly, perseverance is more of a necessity than speed.  I know your thinking of Aesop’s fable The Tortoise and the Hare.  Slow and steady wins the race.  But my focus today isn’t so much about winning the race.  Rather I want to encourage you to finish the race.  If you want to think of yourself as a tortoise that’s fine.  Just keep your eye on the finish line and keep moving on.  To do so we need endurance and encouragement.  And God gives us each.

Endurance and Encouragement

In today’s passage, Paul tells us that the things written in former days were for our edification.  As we run the race of Faith, the Scriptures, which definitely includes the Old Testament, were written to give us endurance and encouragement.  This combination breeds hope.  Something we all need.  It is hard to run when the winds are blowing hard and the rains are pelting us.  We like to run in calm weather and mild temperatures, but that isn’t up to us.  Every time we think we hit our stride, we step into a pothole.  A marathon is a long run.  We must be prepared, physically and mentally.  We must have the resolve to push on regardless of the pains.  As we run the race we will see people drop out.  Perhaps some of them will be our siblings or close friends.  Often they will encourage us to quit as well, telling us it is not worth it.  But it is.

God’s Faithfulness

As you think back on the course you’ve run so far, how many obstacles have you had to overcome?  Where did you find your source of strength to go on with the race?  I am confident your hope was rooted in Truth.  Our course is lined with other Saints who encourage us and support us.  They do so by reminding us of God’s faithfulness to His children.  We look at the trial and temptations of Abraham, Moses, Job, David, Daniel, Habakkuk, etc. and we see how God was so faithful.  We read Isaiah, Jeremiah and the authors of the New Testament and we are edified by the instructions and exhortations that equip us to live godly lives in a fallen world.  Every time Satan tries to trip us up, God’s Word has an answer to give us hope.

Strength Renewed

As Paul points out, not only do the scriptures give us endurance and encouragement, but so does God Himself.  We know that God’s Word is alive and it serves as the means for Him to impart His endurance and encouragement.   Accordingly, this places the character of God as the ultimate basis of our hope as we run the Christian race.  In Isaiah chapter forty, the character of God is exalted.  At the conclusion of this chapter, we see some of the encouragement Paul was referring to.

28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
    his understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the faint,
    and to him who has no might he increases strength.
30 Even youths shall faint and be weary,
    and young men shall fall exhausted;
31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
    they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
    they shall walk and not faint. – Isaiah 40:28-31

Spirit of Unity

Please read Isaiah chapter forty in its entirety.  While you are at it you might want to read Job chapters thirty-eight through forty-two.  Our God of endurance and encouragement is more than sufficient to see that we finish the race.  But He is also concerned with the how.  He wants us to run the race in a spirit of unity.  There is no room in the Christian life for prejudices.  Competitions and comparisons are carnal.  John the Baptist was not in competition with Jesus, and neither were Apollos or Peter.  Christ is not divided.  And neither is the glory of God.  With Christ as our example, we are to persevere in the Father’s will for the Father’s glory.  We want to finish the race so we can “cast our crowns” at His feet.  Our God of endurance and encouragement wants us to continue the race in harmony so we can glorify Him with one voice.

Convictions are important, but let’s not allow them to become a stumbling block to ourselves or our fellow Christians.  Paul began Romans chapter fifteen by encouraging the strong to bear the infirmities of the weak.  He also encourages us to please our neighbors and edify them.  And then he pointed out that Christ is our example in this regard.  Rather than pleasing Himself, He took our reproaches.  In this race we are in, we not only have the endurance and encouragement of God, we also have the example of Christ.

Let us Run

Are you feeling tired in your faith?  Do you ever feel like dropping out?  If you don’t, others do.  As you make your way to the finish line encourage your brothers and sisters in the faith to press on.  If they have fallen, lift them up.  If they are limping, let them lean on you.  Remind them to keep their eyes on God.  And, if you see the hare along the way you might want to wake him up and encourage him to find a steady pace.  The more that cross the finish line the better.

Do you suppose if we live in harmony we will sing in harmony?  There is only one way to find out.  Keep looking to our God of endurance and encouragement.

…and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. – Hebrews 12:1b

A Firm Foundation

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24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” – Matthew 7:24-27

Foundations

As He concluded the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus, the Son of a carpenter, used this illustration about the importance of a firm foundation.  A house is too valuable of an investment to recklessly build on something as unstable as sand.  The wise builder constructs his house on a firm foundation.  With such a foundation nature can beat on a house with rain and wind and not knock it down.  None of us would want a house that does not have a solid foundation, but are we as concerned about the foundation of our home?  Jesus, the Son of God, has equipped us to have a solid foundation for our home.  He is the Rock we build on.  If we are wise.

Dangers

The world is rough.  The world is dangerous.  Our children are constantly beaten by Satan’s wind and rain.  We have all seen the statistics regarding teen pregnancies, teen addictions, teen depression, teen suicides, etc.  We tend to point the finger at the break down of the family unit and the numerous children being raised in single-parent homes.  But sometimes it is healthy for us to look at the hand that is doing the finger-pointing.  This is not a guilt trip.  I am not really concerned about toe-stepping or hurt feelings.  There is too much at stake to worry about such things.

Decisions

As parents, what kind of foundation have we given our children?  Do we shower them with unconditional love?  Do they know the security that comes from parents that love each other?  Do they know that we love them enough to set boundaries?  Do they know that discipline, tough love, will result if boundaries are crossed?  Do they know that we trust them enough to give them the freedom to grow, often by falling?  How do they see us respond to trials?  Are our homes filled with gossip?  Do our children see in us a true reverence for God and respect for His Word?  Do they know that even though their parents aren’t perfect, our faith rests on the Rock?  Our Savior who left His home so we could have a firm foundation for ours.

Priorities

When you read the Gospels, you have to be impressed with how intentional Jesus lived.  I am convicted every time I contrast His lifestyle with mine.  It is so easy to go through the motions day after day making sure the bills are paid and the house is maintained.  In other words, I devote so much of my time to the things Jesus tells us are secondary.  My home is supposed to have priority over my house.  The decisions I make and the life I live are setting the foundation for the lives of my children and now grandchildren.  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught us that being is more important than doing.  We might fool others, but we can’t fool our children.  They are watching the walk much more closely than the talk.  And they are going to imitate us more often than not.  The world is rough.  The world is dangerous.  What type of foundation are we giving our children?

Legacy

I like trees.  I appreciate the size and strength of a white oak and the distinct shape of a pin oak.  Who isn’t impressed by the vibrant colors of crab apples in the spring and maple trees in the fall?  Not to be outdone, are the ornamental trees such as Japanese maples that show off their colors all summer long.  Years ago I heard of a Chinese proverb that says, “The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago.  The second best time to plant a tree is now”.  I am not sure how long ago this proverb began but I am guessing it originated before the invention of the spade.  At least as we know them today.  To make up for lost time I have had numerous trees spaded in my yard.  Although the trees are much larger than saplings, I know that I will not be around long enough to enjoy the hardwoods in their “prime”.  I will enjoy them while I can, but I hope they will be enjoyed by my children and theirs after them.  That is the beauty of leaving a legacy.  Such is the foundation of our home.

When it comes to leaving a solid foundation for our children, there are no spades.  We can not go back in time.  We can not go back twenty years for a do-over, but we do have today to plant new seeds.  I am not one for making New Year’s resolutions, nor am I one to accept the status quo.  Won’t you join me in looking at the foundation of your home for the sake of the children?  Perhaps an honest evaluation will find cracks to be patched.  I am confident all of us have areas of our life where the garbage needs to be carried out to the curb and left for God to spread as far as the east is from the west.  We all have sins of omission and commission that need to be repented of.  If none come to your mind, ask your children, they are watching your walk.  Chances are, for good or bad, they are going to build on the foundation you and I are leaving them.

Urgency

When Jesus returned to the Father to prepare our future homes, He did not leave us alone.  He left us His Words to build on and His Spirit to enable us.  He knows the importance of firm foundations whether for our souls or for our homes.  The legacy is up to us.  Will we be wise and live intentional lives obedient to the Word of God or will we allow the enemy to set our agendas and let the chips fall where they may?  If so, Christ has already warned us, there will be a fall and it will be a great one.  The winds are blowing and the rain is coming, today is a good day to plant those seeds and patch the cracks in the foundation.  Your children and grandchildren will thank you and your Father will be glorified.  Families and firm foundations were His ideas.

The Gift of God

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10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” – John 4:10

Christmas Season

Christmas season is in full swing.  The Christmas tree is up and decorated.  The wrapping paper is out and ready for service.  Some gifts are actually wrapped and will soon make their way under the tree to tempt the grandchildren.  Christmas music is playing basically every waking hour.  The Christmas cards are coming in and being displayed.  There is snow on the ground and a fire in the hearth and the mantel is serving as the manger for the nativity scene.  In honor of the season, I am writing about John chapter four, the most famous Christmas passage.  Okay, so it isn’t exactly Luke chapter 2, but it is a great reminder of the meaning of Christmas.

35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” – Acts 20:35

Christmas Visions

Remember the excitement that the Christmas season held for you as a child?  We could hardly contain ourselves as December 25th slowly approached.  What would “Santa” bring this year?  What latest toy or game would satisfy the longing of our little hearts?   Hearts that could barely contain the blissful anticipation as we greedily tore open our presents.  As soon as one gift was unwrapped it was set aside to free our hands for the next.  The first “proverb” every child knows is, “the more the merrier”.  Isn’t “more” the true meaning of Christmas?  But, how soon did life return back to “normal” once the final gift was unwrapped and the floor was covered with torn wrapping paper?  A letdown was inevitable as we realized that reality did not match our expectations.  Toys break.  Game pieces get lost.  Puzzle pieces disappear with as much certainty as socks.  But December 25th will roll around again and visions of more gifts will dance in our heads.  Too bad Santa and the Christmas tree too often compete with the baby in the manger.

Three Wise Men

Guided by a star, the three wise men were led to a young Christ.  Although just a baby, they wanted to show Him the reverence He alone was worthy of.  Upon seeing Jesus, they fell down and worshiped Him.  In humility they gave Him valuable gifts; gold, frankincense and myrrh.  As God in the flesh, Christ was not in need of their material possessions.  Accordingly, the wise men were not giving to meet Christ’s need, but rather to fulfill their own.  By giving such valuable gifts they were proclaiming their willingness to forego all earthly possessions that might compete with their devotion to Christ.  In Christ, they had found the pearl of great price (Matt. 13:45-46).  The only source of real joy.  How could gold, frankincense and myrrh compete with Him?

One Sinful Woman

Guided by a penitent heart, the sinful woman was led to a “dying” Christ.  Despite the social taboos, she wanted to show Jesus the worship He was worthy of.  Despite her perceived unworthiness, the sinful woman boldly entered the home of a Pharisee and anointed the feet of Jesus with an alabaster flask of ointment.  It is possible that this ointment was her most valuable possession, but the value of the ointment was irrelevant to her.  She could not bear the weight of her sins any longer.  While others were condemning her, Jesus offered forgiveness.  With a friend like Jesus, what did it matter what others thought of her?  With tears of joy she cleaned the feet of her Savior who cleansed her soul with His blood.  In Christ, she had found her hidden treasure (Matt. 13:44).  How could a flask of ointment compete with Him?

Gift of God

Guided by the will of His Father, Jesus entered the realm of the enemy.  When Jesus encounters the Samaritan woman at the well she is desperate.    Five men have come and gone in her carousel life.  Born into the “wrong” race, born the “wrong” sex, worshiping the wrong way, she is carrying a jar that reflects her soul.  Empty.  The Samaritan woman is all around us.

How many people will celebrate Christmas without recognizing, much less celebrating Christ?  They want the latest toys and games to satisfy the longing of their empty hearts.  As the carousel goes around they try to find fulfillment in various ways, but the result is always the same.  Disappointment.  Reality does not match expectations.  With greedy hands they vigorously unwrap life’s presents repeating the childhood proverb, “the more the merrier”.  But instead of joy they keep going back to the well with an empty jar.  As their lives spin out of control, Jesus simply says, “If you knew the gift of God.”

Accept the Gift

As we look around us this Christmas season, we need to learn a lesson from the wise men and the sinful woman.  Decorations are nice.  Music is enjoyable.  Exchanging gifts is fun.  But instead of focusing on the gifts under the Christmas tree, take a long look at the manger scene.  The baby wrapped in swaddling cloths is truly the reason for the season.  He is the Gift of God.  He alone is worthy of our worship.  He doesn’t want our gifts.  He desires and deserves us and our reverence.  He is the pearl of great price and the hidden treasure that will fill our hearts with joy and never disappoint.  When we accept the gift of God, we will see that reality exceeds expectation.  How can anything this world has to offer compete with Him?

Do you know the gift of God?  Jesus laid down His life so that we might have abundant life.  In His life and death He modeled, “It is more blessed to give than to receive”.  From the Samaritan woman we can also learn a valuable lesson.  It is wise to accept the Gift God offers!!

Merry Christmas.

15 Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift! – 2 Corinthians 9:15

The Wisdom of God

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20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. – 1 Corinthians 1:20-25

Christ Crucified

It’s that simple.  It is often said that the death of Christ on a Roman cross is both the greatest manifestation of the wrath and the love of God.  I certainly cannot argue either point.  But Paul adds to the wonder of the cross.  Not only is it where the wrath and love of God collided, but the cross also wonderfully displays the power and wisdom of God.

The Messiah dying on a cross was unthinkable to many Jews.  God on a cross being mocked during His execution was utter foolishness to many Gentiles.  Scriptures seem so obvious in pointing to the death of Christ as man’s only hope for salvation.  But many are too intelligent or logical (in their own eyes) to accept this truth.  We know that in reality they are blinded.  Their pride does not allow them to embrace a humble God.  Man’s unmet expectations don’t alter the Truth.  Christ crucified, though not the sign the Jews demanded or the wisdom the Greeks sought, is evidence of God’s infinite wisdom.

The Fall

We are all familiar with Genesis chapter three; when Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, desiring to know what God knows.  We refer to their sin as the Fall, but do we really understand the depths to which humanity plummeted because of their disobedience?  Can we grasp the fellowship with God that was foregone because of their lust for the fruit?  As their descendants, are we really aware just how dangerous the enemy of our souls is when he begins to appeal to our pride?

Satan may be the great deceiver, but he is not the only one practicing the art.  Take an honest look in a mirror.  We share not only in the sin of Adam and Eve, but in their faults and weaknesses as well.  The family resemblance is strong.  The quest for wisdom apart from God is not only futile, it is foolish.  A foolishness with great consequences.

Clothed

How can fallen man be reconciled with God?  How can sin and perfect Holiness commune?  How can pure light look on tainted darkness?  By covering them!  Along with their deed, Adam and Eve were exposed.  Beauty became shame.  Innocence became death.  The innocent died so the guilty could be covered.  Unable to help themselves, God had to intervene.

21 And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. – Genesis 3:21

Eternal Wisdom

God was not surprised by the Fall.  He knows the weakness of men.  He knows the consequences of giving men the will to choose.  Before He had Adam name the animals, He knew Adam would need to be covered by their skins.  And He knew the sacrifice that would be necessary; and who would have to make it.  The wisdom of God preceded the Fall, and it preceded creation.

7 But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. – 1 Corinthians 2:7

As Paul discusses the wisdom of God, he tells us that God’s wisdom is eternal.  It is unlimited.  It lifts people from darkness to light.  It is the source of salvation and glory.  Those who deemed themselves to be wise in their own eyes merely carried out the plan of God for salvation by crucifying Christ.

8 None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. – 1 Corinthians 2:8

Christ Crucified

How else could God’s wrath be appeased?  How else could the law be fulfilled?  How else could God’s holiness be uncrompromised?  How else could the pride of man be circumvented?  How else could man’s weakness become moot?  Who but God, would decree before the ages, the crucifixion of the Lord of glory for our glory?  A God who knew that the only way for man to be lifted from his Fall was to come down and lift him up.  With a cross.  Christ crucified.  The Innocent died so the guilty could be covered.  With His righteousness.

Revealed Wisdom

Who can embrace the wisdom of God?  As Paul points out, the worldly wise, the scribes and the debaters of this age never will.  At least; not on their own.  The wisdom of God is not only eternal and limitless; it is also a secret; a mystery.  In other words, left to ourselves we would never discover or discern it.  Rather, God must reveal it to us.  And He does so through the Holy Spirit.

10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. – 1 Corinthians 2:10-13

Worldly wisdom feeds the flesh.  It appeals to our pride.  It leads to self promotion.  It is foolish.  It belongs to a realm God has rescued us from by lifting us out.  Thank God we can now share in His wisdom.  True wisdom.

God Alone

Only God can comprehend His holiness.  Only God can truly understand the consequences of the Fall.  Only God in His infinite wisdom had a perfect plan of salvation.  He alone knew before the ages the sacrifice that would have to be made.  He alone knew who would have to make it.  To Him alone belongs all the glory.  God, in His wisdom, has given us His Spirit.  God in His mercy, has given us the mind of Christ. May we, like Paul, promote the wisdom of our Father.

2 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. – 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

Sojourners and Exiles

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11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. – 1 Peter 2:11

Sojourners and Exiles

Do you have a difficult time thinking of yourself as a sojourner or exile?  I take great pride (although rapidly diminishing) in being a citizen of the United States.  After fifty plus years of living in the same town and traveling the same roads, I have become pretty attached.  It is often said that familiarity breeds contempt, but I have found that it fosters comfort.  I think if we are honest with ourselves it is the prospect of change and the unknown that we often struggle with.  I’m not talking about changing the color schemes of our living rooms; I’m talking about real changes.  Changes that are often beyond our control.  What does the prospect of a job loss do to your heart rate?  Does a divorce in the family help your blood pressure?  Not to be morbid, but what causes greater anxiety than the fact that you are terminal?  We all are.  Death is imminent for us all.  But we can take courage and hope from Peter’s words.  We are sojourners and exiles on the earth.  This life we love and cling to is just a seed or shadow.  The best is yet to come.

Holiday Shadows

Christmas season is a good time to reminisce.  As we listen to our favorite Christmas music our minds wander back in time.  Often different songs trigger different memories.  Perhaps it’s Bing Crosby singing White Christmas or Nat King Cole’s version of The Christmas Song.  For my wife, it is Evie singing Come on Ring Those Bells.  My siblings and I grew up with the Christmas music of Mitch Miller.  His Christmas songs will always be dear to me.  But it’s not just Christmas we enjoy, we love the Holidays in general.  Whether it’s decorating the Christmas tree, trimming the Thanksgiving turkey or donning the new Easter outfit, these events are special.  We look forward to celebrating them with family and loved ones.  Without the relationships, what would the Holidays be?  But as attached as we are to them, they are but shadows.

Terminal Limits

Speaking of shadows, who doesn’t like a pretty sunset?  Or for that matter a pretty sunrise.  How often have you looked at either and marveled at the colors?  And then there are the colors of a rainbow.  Beauty that reminds us of God’s mercy and faithfulness.  I haven’t seen the splendor of the Rocky Mountains, the Grand Canyon, or the Niagara Falls, but the sights I have experienced have whetted my appetite.  God’s wonders are all around us.  There is no way possible to experience all of them.  Better make that bucket list.  Speaking of which, if anybody is going to Ireland or New Zealand and has room in their suitcase let me know.  Seeing the green hills of Ireland and stag hunting in New Zealand are on my list.  Not sure what your bucket list looks like, but I’ll bet I can confidently say, for most of us the items on the list will never all be crossed off due to limited resources, including time.  Tough being terminal isn’t it?

Favorite Things

In the classic musical The Sound of Music, Julie Andrews sings the song My Favorite Things.  When she is feeling down, she thinks of things such as “raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens”.  We all have our “favorite things”.  Things that bring us solace. Things that bring us joy.  Things that help us keep a proper perspective.  Blossoms in the spring.  Time on the lake in the summer.  Changing leaves in the fall.  And a cozy fireplace when the winter snows are falling.  Time out of doors is certainly a favorite, but when indoors, I love to read a good book.  Dickens, Lewis, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, and Tolkien are just some of my favorites (sorry Shakespeare).  As much as I enjoy and appreciate these things, I realize they are temporary.  They will be consumed.  These things merely accompany me on my journey as an exile.  I won’t be taking them home with me.

Passing Seasons

For my wife and I, spring and summer have passed.  I thank God we could experience those seasons together as exiles on earth, and hope we can share fall and winter together as well, but we know there are no guarantees in that regard.  As we progress through the seasons of life, our appreciation for God’s blessings increase.  As much as I enjoy reading the Classics, they can’t compare to the Bible, God’s living Word.  As much as I enjoy the beauty of nature, no sunset has ever compared to holding a grandchild.  But as precious as earthly bonds are, they can’t compare to our relationship with our Savior.  I suppose that with age we learn (hopefully) to wean ourselves from the temporal and devote more of our lives to the eternal.  But that doesn’t mean there is no value in the shadows.

Homeward Bound

The seasons were God’s idea.  The mountains and oceans and rolling hills of Ireland are His creation.  He blesses mankind with creativity.  He made us relational beings.  He gave us the ability to enjoy our “favorite things”.  He blesses us with so much on earth not to satisfy us, but to whet our appetite.  He enables us to enjoy the temporary to give us a glimpse of how great the eternal will be.  Don’t hold onto that bucket list too tightly.  Enjoy your time under the sun with the recognition that every good and perfect gift is from God.  He wants you to not only enjoy His blessings, but more importantly to anticipate an eternity with the Blesser.  Don’t think of the afterlife as an unknown to fear, think of it as going home to experience earth’s seeds coming to fruition.  The appetizer will be over and the main course will be served.  You will enjoy more beauty and deeper relationships than you ever could on earth.  And there will be no limit in resources, including time, to check off everything on your list, if there is such a thing in Heaven.  Knowing we are going home to such a loving Father helps us to keep the titles sojourner and exile in perspective.  Until we are home, enjoy the road signs.  Just don’t cling to them too hard.  God has so much more in store for us!

14 For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. – Hebrews 13:14

Look at Us

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4 And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” – 3:4

Lame Beggar

As Peter and John were going up to the temple for the hour of prayer, they encountered a lame man.  It was this man’s practice to lay at the temple gate (Beautiful Gate) and beg for alms.  On this particular day, he was being carried to his usual spot as Peter and John were approaching.  Lame since birth, the lame man did what he had most likely done thousands of times before.  He pleaded for mercy from his fellow man; his only apparent hope for survival.  To the beggar, Peter and John probably appeared no different than any other men.  Little could he have known the consequence of his humble request from them.  But he had more in common with them than he ever could have known.  What is true of this lame beggar was true of Peter and John, and it is true of you and I as well.  Our infirmities are no match for the power of the Holy Spirit.  Physical or spiritual.

Promised Power

4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” – Acts 1:4-5

The lame beggar looked at Peter and John expecting money.  Unable to walk, it is probable that he was unable to work and provide for himself and family if he had one.  Try to imagine his feeling of helplessness.  Dependent upon others to be carried from place to place.  Dependent upon others for money once he was carried to the temple.  After a day of begging, he would need to be carried home again.  Day after day after day.  No help, no hope.  And then came Peter and John.  Men once paralyzed by fear now filled with the Holy Spirit.  Fishermen now transformed into fishers of men.

The lame man’s request was met by a command, “Look at us”.  Peter and John had no silver or gold.  They did not possess what the lame man begged for.  They possessed so much more.  They possessed the promise of the Father; the power from on high.  Peter’s command to look was followed by another, “rise up and walk!”.  Peter then extended his hand to the lame man and helped him to his feet.  His weak and atrophied feet and ankles were immediately made strong.  The lame man was healed.  Try to imagine his joy as he walked and leaped.  For the first time in his life, he had the use of his legs.  No more would he need to lay at the temple gate.  No more would he have to depend on others to carry him.  Instead, he walked into the temple with Peter and John, praising God as he leaped.  Three men forever changed by the power of the Holy Spirit.  What an hour of prayer they must have experienced together.

Greater Works

12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. – John 14:12

The birth of the church at Pentecost has forever changed the world.  We read the book of Acts and we see ordinary, uneducated men radically changing the world.  Men whose lives were changed because they had been with Jesus.  Once common men now boldly performing miracles in the power of the Holy Spirit.  No longer living in fear of persecution, they can say to the world, “look at us”.  No silver.  No gold.  No shame.  I realize the Book of Act is a transitional book, but I can’t help but look at the early church and the power of the Holy Spirit so incredibly manifested and ask, “where have I/we gone wrong?”.

Plugged In?

I remember reading a story years ago of a young boy who came home from church all excited one Sunday.  Caught up in his excitement, his parents asked him to pray for their lunch.  As he prayed, the young boy innocently said, “Dear God, we had a great day at church today.  Too bad you were not there.”  Is his prayer a true reflection of most churches in the West today?  Is it true of most lives of professing Christians?  The question has been posed, “If God were to remove His Spirit, how many church services would go on just the same and not miss a beat?”.  We could ask the same of ourselves as individuals.  We plan out our lives.  Our days are structured in such a way that from waking to sleeping we are dependent upon no one but ourselves.  I realize that God is a God of order and not chaos, but James also warns us against presumption.  It is okay to make plans but we must not forget to consult God first.  We must be sensitive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.  We must not rely on our talents, abilities or wisdom alone.  We can’t be so busy counting our “silver and gold” that we are unaware of the lame laying outside our doors.

Look at us!!

Do we recognize the power we possess?  Do we believe we can do “greater works”?  Are we more concerned with silver and gold than the Spirit?  Have we forgotten what the Spirit has done for us?  In short, do we grieve the Holy Spirit?  We can’t help the spiritually lame in our own strength.  Our silver and gold will never save a soul.  We are surrounded by lame, helpless beggars.  Again I ask, do we recognize the power within us?  The Spirit of love.  The Spirit of boldness.  The Spirit that gives us the confidence to gaze at the world and say, “look at us”.  We possess the Helper.  We possess their hope.  God has saved us to make us fishers of men.  He wants to see the spiritually lame transformed into worshippers, leaping into the temple with praise on their lips.

I am certainly no expert on the Person of the Holy Spirit, but I believe in His efficacious work.  If my Christian life or the life of the church seems weak and ineffective, the fault does not lie with the Holy Spirit.  I look at the church and like so many saints throughout history, long for a revival.  The world will always be the world, but I cringe when the line between the church and the world is blurred.  Somehow we need to get plugged back into our power source.  We need to humble ourselves before God and surrender every aspect of our lives to His control.  We need to admit our weaknesses and the worthlessness of our silver and gold.  No one wants to see the power of the Spirit unleashed in the church more than God.  It is His intention to set us as lamps on a hill in a dark world saying, “look at us”!

7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment. – John 16:7-8

A Living Hope

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3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. – 1 Peter 1:3

2017

2017 has been a difficult year.  To say the least.  For our church family, the year began with a funeral of a young man in his twenties.  Despite multiple autopsies, the cause of death remains a mystery.  He went to work one morning a healthy man with his “whole” life ahead of him.  But he never came home.  He leaves behind a young bride; widowed in the prime of her life.  All who knew him were shocked.  How could this happen?

This unexplainable death was just the first in a string of trials as we turned our calendars to 2017.  Our church has buried other saints since.  People we have had precious fellowship with.  Friends we have worshiped with for years, even decades.  Brothers and sisters in the faith who have exhorted us, and rebuked us when necessary.  Real friends.  Those who are willing to share your sorrows and your joys.  We miss their smiles.  We miss their faithfulness.  We miss their prayers.  How will the church stand when such pillars are removed?

Night

For our immediate family, the year has been dominated by my mothers declining health.  Diagnosed with stage four cancer early in the year, her health issues have kept us busy and under stress.  While we would like to lead our “normal” lives, it is awful hard to ignore the elephant in the room.  It casts a shadow over everything else in our lives.  Welcome to “night”.

My intention is not to depress you.  I share this not because I think these issues are monopolized by me, my family or my church, but because I know everyone experiences such things at some time in their life.  When they occur, I know how easy it is to become discouraged.  I know how quickly we can lose our focus.  And so did Peter.  He wrote his epistles to encourage us in our trials and help us maintain a proper perspective.

8 By day the Lord commands his steadfast love,
and at night his song is with me,
a prayer to the God of my life. – Psalm 42:8

Misery & Hope

It is said that misery loves company.  But what is the benefit of shared misery?  As Christians, let’s make ourselves miserable company to a pity party.  Why?  We are not defined by our misery, but our hope.  While “night” experiences are common to all, let’s show the world how to sing in the night.  Ours is the privilege of pointing others to the One who gives us a song.  A song we can sing in the greatest darkness because our hearts are filled with the Light of the World.  Our hope is in One who rose from the dead.  Our hope is alive!  Pity?  As Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians chapter fifteen, that would be our lot if our hope were only in this life.  But Peter reminds us of the truth that Paul so eloquently defends.  The resurrection is a historical fact.  Jesus is alive.  And because He is, so is our hope.  No need to pity Christians.

26 But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27 He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. You are therefore greatly mistaken.” – Mark 12:26-27

Resurrection

The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection.  In their ignorance, they questioned Jesus about the subject with a riddle packaged as a hypothetical question.  You can almost sense the smugness in the question.  If seven men had the same wife on earth, which of the seven would claim her as his wife in heaven?  Their affluence and education was no match for God.  In order for a syllogism to be valid, your assertions have to be true.

Unfortunately for the Sadducees, their’s were not.  After addressing their misunderstanding about the marriage institution, Jesus used Exodus chapter three (Sadducees only recognized the Pentateuch as authoritative) to challenge their error regarding the resurrection.  God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.  Poor Sadducees.  Denying the resurrection would have limited their understanding of God’s mercy.

Firstfruits

As we know, the resurrection is not exclusive to Jesus.  Rather, He has been raised as the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.  Our God is no tombstone.  He is no graveyard sentinel.  No!!  He is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.  Men who are not dead; but alive because of the resurrection of Christ.  Jesus has blazed the trail.  A trail not just for the Patriarchs but rather for all of Abraham’s spiritual children (Galatians 3:7).  The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is your God.  If you have placed your faith in Christ, you have a living hope.  A hope we receive because of the mercy of God.  A hope we have experienced.  A hope we see lived out.

When we go to church, we are reminded of our losses by the empty seats.  We are reminded of the reality of separation when we see the widows and widowers and others left behind.   But these reminders are put into perspective when we witness and experience living hope.  As we gather for corporate worship, what a blessing it is to see the spouses, parents, siblings, and children of the deceased lifting their voices in song.  They can lift their eyes towards heaven and raise their hands in praise because their loved ones are still alive.  Just like their hope.  As Peter reminds us; such is our experience when we are born again.

Living Hope

Take a moment to dwell on this.  Biblical truths are not just facts written on parchment with ink.  They are not just bits of information we accumulate to make us more intelligent.  The Bible is not just another book.  God’s Word is alive and active.  The Holy Spirit not only lives within us but He enables us to appropriate Truth; to live out the inspired Word.  In other words, we don’t and can’t manufacture hope.  Rather, it is a part of our Christian DNA.  It flows through our veins.  It is the air that fills our lungs.  It is a hope no trial can take from us.

The Sadducees can have their tombstones; their lives with no ultimate hope.  Their theology had no room for the resurrection.  It had no room for angels.  It had no room for a Messiah.  Accordingly, they had no living hope.  We will leave the pity parties for them and their spiritual descendants.  We will continue to look to our God who gives us songs in the night (Job 35:10).

This has been a difficult year, but our trials will not have the last word.  Death is difficult, but I have seen its sting succumb to worship.  I have seen its pain transformed to praise.  Rather than defeating, death has been swallowed up in victory.  When we turn our calendars over to a new year, we never know what difficulties await.  There may be an empty chair at your table this year.  There may be the unexpected diagnosis.  There may be a job loss.  But keep your eyes focused on heaven.  There is always Hope.  And He is alive.  Forever.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  Our living hope.