ANTICIPATION

 Isaiah 7:14 (NIV)

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

               This is the season of anticipation. This anticipation is increased by all of the holiday hype. But lurching just in the shadows of seasonal anticipation is impatience. We are told that we must buy now before the sales end. We want everything shipped next day. We don’t want to wait in lines or take the time to go to the store, so we buy on-line. It seems like we are being rushed to get through the season as quickly as possible.

               The people of Israel were promised that a redeemer from the line of David would come and rescue the people. They called him the Messiah, the Anointed One. They longed for his coming. They looked for his coming. But they also got impatient. On more than one occasion, they took matters into their own hands and tried to manufacture the fulfillment of God’s promise, but it never worked. It only increased their impatience. Ironically, when the Messiah finally arrived, the majority of people missed it. In their impatience, they created an image of the Messiah that blinded them to the real Messiah.

               As followers of Jesus, we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Messiah. But we are also called to live in anticipation of His return. The beginning of the story of Jesus’ ministry on earth took place in Bethlehem. But the end of the story is yet to come. When Jesus comes again, He will rescue His people from sin and death for all of eternity. But until that time, we must wait and anticipate His return.

               Jesus said that no one will know the time of His return. Instead, He told us to be ready at any time. We are to live in anticipation of the day when He will again break into His creation.

“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Matthew 24:36 (NIV)

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.”

Matthew 24:42 (NIV)

               The church has been waiting for over 2000 years for Jesus to return. Many have become impatient and have tried to calculate Jesus’ return, often with damaging effect. Early in my ministry I received an unsolicited copy of a book titled “88 Reasons Why Jesus will Return in 1988.” When Jesus did not return in 1988, the book was reissued as “89 Reasons Why Jesus will Return in 1989.” We can shake our heads and discount efforts like this, yet many people have been caught up in these theories and have made some bad decisions because of them.

               These failed efforts to calculate the return of Christ have served to fuel the fires of skepticism and scorn for the Gospel. The world mocks people who take the return of Christ seriously. They point to 2000 years of waiting and conclude that there is no substance to the promise. But they are wrong, very wrong. If we can learn anything from the history of the people of Israel, God’s timing is never humanity’s timing.

               Peter warned us long ago that the world would reject the reality of Jesus return. In his second letter, he lays out the scenario that we find ourselves in today.

2 Peter 3:3-10 (NIV)
First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.

               Peter was clear that we could expect the world to become impatient and to turn against us. He reminds us that God’s timing is not our timing. God’s patience means increased opportunity for more people to come to faith in Him. He is not impatient to end the story of humanity. He is giving the world a chance to repent and turn toward Him.

               But Peter goes on to address those of us who are anticipating Christ’s return. In light of God’s patience and the reality that one day Jesus will return, how should we live our lives new?

2 Peter 3:11-13 (NIV)
Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.

               Peter tells us to live lives of anticipation. We are be intentional about living holy and righteous lives in the present and to keep our eyes on the horizon. We are to live in eager expectation of Christ’s return and the new world that He will usher into existence at that time.

               The Advent season is indeed a time of anticipation. It is appropriate for us to look forward to celebrating the birth of Christ with our family and friends. But it should also fuel our anticipation of the day when Jesus will return in power and glory. The greatest gift we can give to Jesus is to faithfully serve Him until He comes.

Matthew 24:45-47 (NIV)
“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.”

 

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE THANKFUL?

Colossians 4:2 (NIV)
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

               As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, we are reminded that we ought to be thankful. But what does that really mean? Most people don’t really take thankfulness seriously. Their thanks are superficial at best. Saying thank you has become a courtesy with little substance behind it. So, what does it mean for us to be genuinely thankful.

               It begins by being intentional about recognizing the blessings we have received. Not only do we take so many things for granted, we often see them as our right. Rather than being thankful, we presume upon the blessings we have received. For us to be truly thankful, we need to consciously recognize and name our blessings. Like the old hymn says, count your blessings, name them one by one.

               Let’s name just a few of the blessing many of us take for granted. I have never truly gone hungry. Throughout my life there has always been food on the table. I know that is not true for everyone, but it is for the vast majority of us. I have never not had clothes to wear. I may not have had the latest fashions or the best brands, but I have always had clothes to wear. In fact, I have more clothes than I actually need. Most of us have a closet filled with clothes at our disposal. I have never been homeless. From the time I was born until this day I have had a place to call home. There are homeless people in our world, but most of us do not live among us. All of these things and more are blessings from God that we take for granted.

               I think the second thing we need to do to be truly thankful is to value our blessings. We live in a society that devalues what we have and over values what we do not have. The cell phone in our pocket is never good enough. The car we drive is never good enough. The home we live in is never good enough. Instead of valuing our blessings, we tend to demean them.

               The Apostle Paul took a very different view. He said that the foundation for a truly thankful life is contentment. True contentment is enjoying and celebrating what we have, not obsessing with what we do not have. Look at what Paul says in Philippians 4:11-13.

Philippians 4:11-13 (NIV)
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

               We can be content in whatever circumstances we find ourselves, if we get our eyes off of what we do not have and onto the blessings the Lord has already provided.

               That leads me to the last component of being truly thankful. We need to acknowledge to whom we are giving thanks. For most people, thankfulness floats in a vacuum. They know that they should be thankful, and them may even feel thankful, but they don’t focus on to whom they should give thanks.

               Twenty times in the book of Psalms we are commanded to give thanks to the Lord. As James has said, Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17 (NIV) Every blessing that we receive comes from the hand of God. He has done this because of His everlasting love for us. His desire is to fill our lives with good things. He doesn’t do this because we somehow deserve these blessings. He does it out of His mercy and grace toward us. The Psalmist put this in perspective for us in Psalm 103.

Psalms 103:1-5 (NIV)
Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-- who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Psalms 103:13-18 (NIV)
As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children-- with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.

               As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, we can just go through the motions, or we can be intentionally and genuinely thankful. If we are going to be truly thankful there are at least three things we need to do. Intentionally acknowledge and celebrate all of the blessings we have received. Give those blessings the value that they deserve. And express our thanks to the one who is the author of every blessing.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

  

LIVING UNDER THE SHADOW OF DEATH

 Psalms 23:4 (NIV)

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

               This morning as I drove into the office I got run over by the shadow of a semi-truck. I am very glad it was the truck’s shadow and not the actual truck. The outcome would have been very different. If we are caught by surprise, a shadow can frighten us, but it cannot harm us. A shadow can make us aware of some presence, but it has no real substance itself.

               The Psalmist David wrote that even if he walked in the shadow of death, he would not be afraid. He knew that his life was in the hands of his good shepherd. All of us are walking in the valley of the shadow of death. Some days we are aware of this shadow. Most days we are not.

               I am in the process of preparing for a special event titled “First Christmas in Heaven.” It is a time for people who have lost a loved one during this past year to gather to remember and to grieve together. This year I will be joining the group not just as the speaker, but as a fellow mourner. I lost two significant people from my life this year; my mother and my older brother. It has caused me to reflect upon the reality of the shadow of death.

               Death is the reality that few people want to think about. Someone once said that when it comes to the statistics regarding death, the odds are against us. 100% of human beings will die. The only question is when. Some will die young and some will die old, and many will die somewhere in between. Most people, at least in the Western world, try to distance themselves from death. They don’t want to think about it, especially when it comes to their own demise. In some ways, people spend their lives running away from death. They join health clubs, take multiple supplements, and even have cosmetic surgery in an attempt to distance themselves from death. But in the end, all of these efforts are futile. Death always wins.

               But we don’t have to live that way. In fact, we can face death head on without fear. How? By placing our faith in Jesus Christ. When Mary and Martha were faced with the death of their brother Lazarus, Jesus came to them and gave them a whole new perspective on death. Jesus said to her (Martha), "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" John 11:25-26 (NIV) Jesus took the finality out of death by declaring that He is the source of life eternal. Even though we will have to face physical death, it is only a shadow. Our physical death is the birth channel into eternal life with Christ.

               Paul picked up on this new reality in his first letter to the Corinthians. He pointed them past death to the reality of the resurrection and the new life that awaits us. I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed-- in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:50-58 (NIV)

               Paul gave us further words of hope and encouragement as we face death in his first letter to the Thessalonians. Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NIV)

               Death is the ultimate reality that every human being has to face. It is a formidable enemy that we cannot defeat. In the end, death will always win. For those who have rejected God and the message of the Gospel, the shadow of death will become the darkness of an eternity separated from the light of God. But for the believer in Christ, death is only a shadow that we must pass through. On the other side of that shadow is the light of life found in Jesus Christ. He will dispel the shadow of death and welcome us into the light of eternal life in Him.

Philippians 1:21 (NIV)
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

 

 

THE ARROGANCE OF OUR SENSES

 Colossians 1:16 (NIV)

For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.

               We have been blessed with what are referred to as our five senses: taste, touch, sight, smell, and hearing. It is through these five senses that we encounter our world on a daily basis. From the time we are born, we explore and learn about the world through them. They are amazing tools that we really take for granted most of the time. They are always running in the background, so to speak. Yet, they are constantly gathering information about our world that is stored in our brain and shapes the way we interact with our world.

               The hard sciences are based on the use of our five senses. They interpret our world through what is tangible and encounterable. As a biology major in college, I was enthralled with getting into the lab and seeing for myself the things we talked about in class. Doing the experiments was the highlight of every class for me. There is so much we can learn about our world through the avenue of science. Using our five senses, we can make so many amazing discoveries.

               But there is a problem. Not everything in our world is tangible. Not everything in our world can be taken into the lab and explored. There are things that are intangible, yet very real. In this case our five senses tend to work against us. We can fall into the trap of tangibility. If I can not see it, touch it, smell it, taste it, or hear it, then it must not be real. Only that which is tangible is really real.

               The social sciences have struggled with this. They deal with many of the intangibles of our world. They try to understand human nature and make sense of things that are not easily tested in a lab. They have defined some of the intangibles, such as feelings, motives, and ideas. These things create tangible actions and consequences in our world. But even the social sciences stop short of really exploring the intangible world around us. They limit their study, for the most part, to the boundaries of human interactions.

               When we enter into the realm of theology, we open up a can of worms that seems to be in conflict with the tangible world in which we live. Theology tells us that there is an intangible world that coexists along side of our tangible world. This intangible world interacts with and influences our tangible world, but in ways that are hard to discern. If we limit ourselves to the tangible world, every action has to be explained in some tangible way. When we open the door to the intangible, things get more complicated.

               In the ancient word, and some non-western societies today, the spiritual world was readily accepted as a reality. They believed in demons and angels, spiritual powers and influences, that influenced the world in which they lived. Today, many people see this as superstition and fantasy. The only real world is the one we live is; there is nothing beyond our tangible world.

               As believers in Christ, we are caught in the middle of this debate. We fully recognize the tangible world in which we live and how our five senses inform our understanding of the world. At the same time, we accept that there is also an intangible, spiritual world that is just as real and has the power to influence our tangible world in ways that we cannot fully comprehend. The Bible refers to these entities as angels, demons, principalities, and powers. They are a part of the created order. Colossians 1: 16 tells us that Christ is the one who created these beings for his purposes. They are all under his authority, even those who are in rebellion against him. Just as there are opposing forces of good and evil in our tangible world, there are opposing forces of good and evil in the intangible world. Human beings, created in the image of God and commissioned to be His representatives on earth, are the ultimate battleground in which these opposing forces contend. The actions of the spiritual world have direct effects upon the physical world. What we see as a clash of philosophy or culture is actually the product of the clash in the spiritual realm.

               Paul challenges us, in Ephesians 6:12, to accept the reality of these intangible forces that produce tangible consequences in our world. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. The powers of darkness and the powers of light are in a constant struggle to win the hearts and minds of humanity. The powers of darkness want to pull us away from God and Christ. The powers of light are drawing us toward God and Christ. Every struggle we face in life comes down to this. Will this struggle sour me toward God or encourage me to seek Him more fully?

               Here is where the arrogance of our five senses comes in. If we limit our understanding of life to our five senses, then we must limit the solutions to our problems to the tangible world. There is no resource, outside of human ingenuity, that can help us deal with life. But if we are willing to acknowledge the reality of the intangible world, it opens up the possibility for us to tap into a source of power, found in Christ, that can overcome any of our tangible issues. Acknowledging the intangible actually empowers us to deal with the tangible in better ways. This takes humility; the humility to acknowledge that we don’t have all the answers, nor can we discover them. It is the humility to allow God to step into our life and take control.

               Bottomline, the tangible world is temporary and transient. Everything in this world will eventually pass away. In fact, that is the very thing that humanity is most afraid of. We put enormous effort in preserving and sustaining this life, because it is all that we have. The intangible world, on the other hand, is eternal. It is not transient and it will not pass away. If we are willing to connect these two worlds, through our faith in the one who created them both, then we can truly experience life.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NIV)
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.