“Revealed!”

Scripture:   Luke 2:25-35

When Christ came into this world, it was never intended that He should remain safety tucked away from the people!  God has never isolated Himself from creation – as a matter of fact, the Lord, right from the beginning with Adam, has been intimately involved with humanity.  The problem, though, is that many have always thought that He was more like our human leaders, that while they mouth the thought that they want to be accessible to all, they actually only want to interact with those who can do something for them.

 But our God is nothing like those who humanity raises up and honors!  He has never demanded that we give and give and give some more to Him.  The Lord’s attitude is nothing like ours – He wants to give His very best to us, and never to take our best from us!  But as with every gift, they have to be accepted and appreciated if they are to have any significance in our lives.

 And yet, if we are prepared to receive God’s blessings, they will come to us abundantly!

 Read Luke 2:25-28

 There were three obligations for the parents of a firstborn son.  On the eighth day, the child was to be circumcised, which would be a sign that he was a child of the Lord.  The other two occurred after the mother’s 30 days of purification, required because of her issue of blood at delivery – she would offer a sacrifice to complete the purification process, and the couple would also offer a gift to redeem their firstborn son.  For Israel, the law required that every firstborn male was to be dedicated in service to Jehovah.  However, for a price, he could be purchased back by the family.  Think about that for a moment – the very One who had come to give Himself to redeem humanity through faith, had to first be redeemed by humanity through the law!

 This is the time that brought this family to the temple, and the time when they were about to hear Simeon’s prophecy.

 Simeon was a man of faith.  He wasn’t a priest, he wasn’t a Pharisee, he wasn’t a learned man.  But he knew that the scriptures had promised that Messiah would come to restore and renew Israel, and the Holy Spirit had promised him that he would, one day, meet this promised Savior face to face.

 Faith is one of those things that no one will ever find easy to explain.  It requires trust without reality to back it up; it demands confidence without certainty; it provides hope without proof; it gives us assurance for no reason whatsoever.  But at the same time, faith is what Christianity is all about, and it’s all based in our trusting that God is who He says He is, and will do what He tells us that He will do!  That is what had sustained Simeon for many years, and he never doubted.

 And on this day, the promise of God became reality for him.  And he praised the One who had been guiding and encouraging him throughout his life.

 Read Luke 2:29-32

 And as soon as he touches the Child, he knows, and he probably knows more than God had ever revealed to him before.  He knows that this is his Savior, and that life is now complete.  He knows that Jesus has come, not simply as Israel’s Messiah, but as the Christ for the entire world.  This is what Isaiah had prophesied years before, that it just wasn’t enough to simply rescue Israel, that Messiah would come for all nations, that He would be their Light in the darkness, their revelation in the midst of ignorance, and the salvation that would overturn their sentence of death. (Isaiah 49:5-6)

 The Lord doesn’t just make promises to us – He makes covenant.  The difference is that promises can be broken, contracts have loopholes, and hopes can be so nebulous that they become meaningless.  A covenant, though, is an agreement that is unbreakable without consequences for those who have failed to faithfully keep it.  And God never fails!

 And neither had Simeon.  As the years had begun to pass him by, without any evidence or even a sign that the divine promise was about to come true, he never stopped believing that he would, one day, see his Lord Messiah just as his Lord God Jehovah had told him.

 Are we as faithful as Simeon was?  Never doubting, never hesitating, never avoiding, never thinking that you must have heard God incorrectly?  “Trust” is what the Lord wants in our lives, not fear, not failure, and definitely not disbelief!  And when we trust in his word, His faithfulness will become more and more evident to us.

 Simeon apparently had no expectation as to what Messiah would look like, even though many in Israel believed that He would come as a conquering Warrior.  Simeon never believed that Jesus would come to only be Israel’s King and Savior, and when he realized that He would be salvation for the entire world, he rejoiced.  Simeon’s faith and trust in God went so far beyond that of the mighty and exalted of Israel, that he would be blessed, and that others would continue to disbelieve in their self-imposed darkness.

 Where will we be found when Jesus returns?  Rejoicing in His light, or struggling in our own darkness?  Simeon is the example that we all should be considering.

 Read Luke 2:33-35

 Mary had, quite honestly, only been told about the glory that would grow within her, and nothing about the suffering and rejection that He would have to endure (Luke 1:26-37).  When Joseph learned of her condition and was prepared to free her from their covenant, God sent him the message of Jesus being Savior, but, again, nothing about the mass rejection that would come His way. (Matthew 1:18-21). 

 But Simeon heard more than just the good things that would come from His birth. He heard that some would be raised up, but that others would be laid low.  And the kicker would be the thought that Messiah’s own words would be the reason that many would denounce Him and reject Him. 

 We don’t know if his earthly parents ever knew that He would be rejected by the world until those final days actually arrived.  They probably knew that the elite of Israel didn’t think much of Him, but would the death of the Savior have made any sense to them earlier?  Probably not.

 But Simeon was also given a glimpse into Mary’s lot – that her soul would also suffer greatly.  This is one of the issues with faith – The Lord doesn’t always give us all the details, and when His words come to fruition, things don’t always make a lot of sense to us.  This great gift of God to all the earth should have been a reason for joy and celebration, so why should animosity ever be shown toward Him?  Did you know that the word of God is never easy to follow, and that it seldom makes sense to us?

 The lack of compatibility with human understanding didn’t seem to have any impact on Simeon’s faith.  This is where trust comes in for all who believe.  We believe that God has a perfect and glorious plan at work for us.  We believe that God has sent a Savior who will make all things right for those who are faithful.  We believe that He is the ultimate authority over all creation.  And yet, we see events at work in our lives that seem to defy all that we have ever learned about the Lord, and of all that we believe and hope in.  And some times, we are tempted to turn away.

 And yet, we remember that God has been revealed to us through this most unlikely of all Persons – a Baby!  And our faith is renewed and strengthened through Him!  It happened for Simeon, to the point that he knew that after this moment in life, nothing else would ever matter to him again, including his own demise.  He had become complete at last.

 Mary had known the call of God less than a year before, and now she was being told that her heart, one day, would break.  Highs and lows, and yet, she had come to know and love the Child who had grown within her, and now lies comforted in her arms.  She knew so very well who he was and who he would grow up to become,  and the mother’s love that she had for him would never be taken away, even at the tragic and brutal end of her son’s life.

 Joseph had, at first doubted her faithfulness to him, but he could never doubt the love that he felt when God’s messenger told him that it was all true, and that it was divine will that it should be this way.

 The Lord’s faithful would also come to know the hatred that tried to end the ministry that Jesus had begun, and yet, faith has strengthened them – over and over - to not only continue to spread the message of Jesus, but to also suffer as their Lord suffered, with joy!

 But the ending of our story has yet to be written.  Will it be one of faithfulness?  Of rising above our struggles?  Of discovering a strength, a power unlike anything we have ever known?  Of Joy? 

Or will it be one of safe decisions? Of worldly answers to worldly cares?  Of failure to keep a determined focus on Christ?

 There is a power that is available to all who claim Jesus as Savior.  It was there for the disciples.  It was there for Paul.  It was there for Simeon, and Joseph and Mary.  It was there for countless millions of faithful throughout the centuries, and there will be that strength for countless others until the day that Christ returns.  And it can be there for us.  But where does this strength come from?  Quite simply, from the revealed Christ who lives within all who believe.

 Believe in the revealing of God through the life and love of Jesus Christ.  Believe in the truth that lives within that holy name.  Believe in the passion that has been shown to you, and for you.  And believe that simply by faith and trust in the precious name of Jesus, that eternal life will be yours.  Show Him to others today, that He might be revealed within them, too.

 

          

“Glory Is Among Us”

 Scripture: Luke 2:1-20 

 Luke’s account of Jesus’ birth includes some interesting detail, while omitting other details that we might expect in the telling of a divine birth.  We read of the city and location of his birth, and why they might be there instead of at home with the family in attendance.  We read of the “birth announcement” to the most unusual collection of men that you will ever fine, but not why God’s arrival in this world was kept from the upper and ruling class of the nation.  We read of the humble beginning of Messiah, but not why this child, the Son of God, couldn’t, or even shouldn’t, begin in a way that would be fitting for his heavenly lineage.

 And yet, within the humility of Christ’s entry into human existence, the glory of God, and humanity’s reaction to Him, is so obvious, and almost predictable.

 And so, hear the Lord’s story of his coming to save us.

 Read Luke 2:1-20

 The Lord has a way of giving us the words, and concepts, and details that we need to hear, and omits all of the extraneous details that we don’t need.  That doesn’t mean that we don’t wonder about that which has been left out - just that we either don’t need it, or aren’t able to comprehend it.  Scholars love to debate these missing details, such as – 1. Why can’t historians find any significant reference to a Roman census that covered all of their territories at this time.  2. Did Christ’s birth really occur at the end of December. 3. How does Quirinius’s service as governor fit in, as historically, his term didn’t begin until several years after the time that we attribute to Christ’s birth. 4. Why didn’t Joseph and Mary go to Zechariah and Elizabeth’s house to stay – after all, it was very possibly in the area of Bethlehem?

 So for tonight, we will let the scholars deal with these and the rest of the unknowns, and we’ll consider those things that we have been given! 

 Jesus came to us as God Incarnate to be our Savior.  As we read of his ministry in the gospels, he never denounces the Law that had been given to the people at Mount Sinai, but He did let us know that, as important as the Law was,  adherence to the Law would never be our way to eternal life.  He came to be salvation for all, simply by faith in him.  But how do we know that He came for everyone?  After all, He is God – God is all powerful, God is all knowing – and we are insignificant compared to him!  Why would He care anything for us unless we were doing everything exactly like He told us to?

 And that is the attitude that a lot of people have, so God came to earth in a very human way, that we might be more accepting and understanding.  A humble birth is exactly how we began, and by that, we should feel more in tune with the Lord.  Unfortunately, all too many folks feel that this made God too familiar – that He should be demanding, absolute, punishing as well as blessing, destructive of his enemies and not loving of them.  But God is how God is, and our expectations have nothing to do with how He interacts with us.

 He came as a humble and human child, as well as the Mighty and Perfect God.  And while human leadership may expect that we should act and think as they do, God knows that we are unable to be all that He is.  So he came to be Savior, not by our perfect obedience, but by faith and love of all that He is, all that He gives, and all that He has told us. 

 Jesus came in a humble and dependent way.  He needed human parents to care for Him, to love Him, to help Him grow in a human way, and He needs us to be His people.  In Jesus’ ministry, it was more than just to teach us what He was all about – it was to prepare us to carry on for Him after He left this plane of existence.  God could have done it all by Himself in a very human way – he could have forced everyone to either follow the divine way, or suffer the consequences of His wrath!  But He chose a better way – He lets us exercise our “free will”, and choose to follow and obey Godly truth, as laid out for us by Jesus Christ.

 And His offer of salvation by faith is given to everyone – good or bad!  Think about it – who did the angel chorus come to?  Shepherds!  These were ranked in the lowest class of all Israel – because of their occupation, they were physically filthy, and considered to be spiritually unclean – at least by human standards!  And because of their “unclean” status, they were not allowed to enter the Temple, and because of that limitation, they couldn’t make sacrifices for their sins.  It was the proverbial “Catch-22” – there was no way they could be saved through the law.

 But through faith in the Child of Bethlehem, and through the joy that they felt at just seeing Messiah, their Savior, in the flesh, they would know the grace of God, while those who put their faith in adherence to the law and the good things that they did would never know the glory of Almighty God.

 And these humble, ignorant, and rejected men began to spread the word of Jesus to all they met.   They weren’t great theologians, they weren’t priests who served in the temple, they weren’t educated rabbis who had studied the scriptures and debated with others as to the meaning of each word and phrase – they told of what they had seen, had heard, had felt whether others believed them or not.  After all, they knew what had happened, and it had been such a powerful experience in their lives that they just couldn’t help but share this Good News with everyone who they met.

 And then there was the Christmas couple, who also were anything but high and mighty!  Joseph was a simple carpenter, and his fiancé was a small-town girl, and we can easily assume that neither had ever journeyed very far from home.  And talk about trusting in God!  Mary had become pregnant in a way that, for all practical purposes, was impossible, and whether family, friends, or neighbors believed them or not, they knew without a doubt who it was that was coming into the lives of this world.

 And they must have been awed at being chosen by God Himself for this hallowed task.  They had listened to the Lord and believed all that they both had been told, and this wouldn’t be the last time that they would hear God’s word for their lives.  They would be told to leave town immediately and go to Egypt until the hatred of Herod would die with him.  They would be led by the Spirit to find their Son in temple after a trip to Jerusalem for sacrifice.  And I have to believe that the heavenly Voice guided them and encouraged them throughout the years of being the human parents of God in the flesh.

 Can any of us even begin to imagine how humbling, and frightening(!), that this experience must have been for them?  To actually being given the responsibility of raising Messiah, the Christ, God in the Flesh, to be the Man of God for the world!  We can if we know what it feels like to take on the ministry and mission that the Lord has planned for us!  And I’m not referring to only those who have accepted the call into pastoral ministry – it is about all who now call Jesus Lord and Savior, for all who have given their life to the Lord and surrendered their place and dependency in the world. 

 This isn’t about becoming special or gifted or prestigious in a human way.  It is about humbling and submitting yourself to God’s call, allowing Him to be your guide, your purpose, your direction, your glory, your Savior right here and right now.    Jesus had become fully Man and fully God, and before He could do that, He had to surrender all that He had ever known and all that He had always been, and to humbly accept the limitations that human life would place upon Him.  And He did that for you and me.

 If we are to truly call ourselves Christian, we have to do some surrendering ourselves – we must give up our life as one of the world, with worldly pleasures, worldly activity and thoughts, and begin learning and living in a way that Jesus did. 

 Jesus had lost His understanding of God’s plan for his life, and had to depend on prayer to stay close to His Father.  So do we. 

 He had to set His apprehension and fears aside, and follow the way that His Father had prepared in the task and purpose that Jesus was to do.  And so do we. 

 He had to trust that the Godly way was why He was sent to earth, and that this was the only way that could ever make any sense for Him.  And so do we.

 The problem is that none of us is worthy of God’s call, and that is the first thing that we have to surrender – those excuses that we use for not following the Lord.  And if you have a desire to be His today, I’m going to give you a moment right now, in silence, to let your Lord know that you understand that you have no worth except in Him. 

 We can have no legitimate expectation of salvation without faith in Christ and his teaching.  If you are willing to commit to the way of Christ today, take another moment right now, in silence, and tell Him that you freely acknowledge that He, and He alone, is your Lord and Savior, and that His great sacrifice at Calvary is the greatest gift that you will ever receive – the gift of God’s forgiveness for the sins that you have committed throughout your life.

 We will never be able to carry out the call that Christ has placed in our life if we try to do it with only our own abilities and wisdom.  If you have a heart-felt desire to follow and serve Him today, take a moment right now, in silence, and tell Jesus that you will put your dependence and life in His hand, and will follow in His way, in His truth, and in His life – and that He is your only hope for eternity.

 We are incomplete, even as flesh and blood people, without Jesus in our lives.  If you love Jesus, take a moment right now, in silence, and tell Him that you want Him to fill the void in your life, and that you will proclaim His wholeness wherever He leads you.

  If you have given it all over to the Lord, you have just accepted His call to life and mission and ministry.  It will probably be different than mine, and you may very well find that it is different than others, but it will have the same purpose – to lead others into a humble, faithful, and glory-filled life with Christ.

 May your Christmas be fulfilling in a Godly way, and not in the secular one that is so prevalent throughout this world, and may the glory of our Almighty God surround you and fill you this day and always.

"Is the Spirit of the Lord Upon You?"

Scripture:   Isaiah 61:1-11

 Is the Spirit of the Lord upon you?  When asked that question, most folks, would answer “I hope so!”, or even “I don’t know!”.  The truth is, we seldom know for certain whether the Lord’s Spirit is living and working within us or not!  But the Prophet Isaiah tells us in chapter 59:20-21 that ” “The Redeemer will come to Zion,  to those in Jacob who repent of their sins, declares the Lord.”

 The prophet then continues to assure the people that these aren’t just words that anyone could speak, but that it is a covenant that God Himself is offering to the faithful of Israel.  After all, the Lord only speaks through those who are faithful to Him.  Isaiah then says that the Spirit is upon those whom God sends him to, and that it will be upon the lips of all whom the Spirit blesses.

 It all centers on our faith in God and his word, and when we trust Him, we believe not only in who the Lord is for us, but in everything that he tells us.  And from that beginning, the Spirit of God will be able to work many good things through us.

 Today’s passage is about the covenant that all of us have received from our Lord and Redeemer, simply because we trust in his promise.  The entire book of Isaiah is about God’s promise and what it can bring to the people.  Of course, any time the Lord offers a gift to us, there first must be an acceptance of the gift before it can truly become ours, and second, there will always be consequences for those who reject the gift.  The prophet wants us to know that we should, by all means, accept it, and when we do, we will be amazed at what it will bring!

 Read Isaiah 61:1-3

 The Lord of Redemption has saved us from the pit for a reason.  Isaiah’s purpose holds little difference from ours, except in the specifics of the call.  It’s true that Isaiah was a prophet to Israel, and while we may not be called to proclaim the Lord on the other side of the Atlantic, all who answer the Lord’s call to servanthood are spiritually anointed to share the good news of Jesus Christ with those who have yet to come to his presence.

 We read that he, and we, are sent to the “poor” and “brokenhearted”.  The poor would be those who are going through troubling times in their lives, which in this past year, and maybe even next, would seem to cover most of the world’s population!  The poor include those in illness, quarantine and depression, loss of loved ones, loss of employment, travel plans that have been cancelled, and family gatherings that have become cyber and virtual instead of embracing and personal. 

 The other category, “brokenhearted”, refers to those who are experiencing a sense of failure and brokenness within their own lives.  People who find themselves in these situations are in desperate need of peace, encouragement, comfort, and assurance that the Lord God is with them and working on their behalf.  And that is what the Lord’s people are called to do.

 The prophet also speaks of the needs of “captives in darkness”.  Prisoners are those who are confined for crimes, or in this instance, for sin.  Whether secular or spiritual, confinement is never the prisoner’s choice, but it is their lot for an extended period of time, and only Freedom and Release will bring an end to their sentence.  In a secular context, that comes from either the sentence being overturned, or by its being carried out to its conclusion.  If we consider this as the penalty for sin, there is no way we will ever live out our separation from God, except through the Lord’s forgiveness.  Have any of us proclaimed forgiveness for the lives of prisoners who continue to be held in the darkness of sin?

 We have the opportunity to show others the way to a better day in Christ.  We have the truth that others have been struggling to find, and by the grace of God, we can introduce them to his mercy.  That is the hope that this time of year is all about.  Jesus left glory to bring the message of hope to a lost and dark world that is filled with pain and loss and sadness, and the hope of Christ is their only way out.

 And the result for our surrender and obedience will be a life that is totally changed from the one that has held so many captive for so many years.

 Read Isaiah 61:4-7

 And here is the newness that comes through the righteous life.  The life that God created us for will be reestablished, and the devastation that we wreaked on ourselves will be refreshed and made new.  We will begin working with others who we had neglected and avoided all our life, and other strangers will be helping us to grow and thrive in faith.  And while this sounds wonderful, the next verse may cause some folks to take a step back.  We will also become priests and ministers for the Lord!

 In 2 Peter 2:9-10, we read that we “are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that [we] may proclaim the praises of Him who called [us] out of darkness into His marvelous light”.  And what responsibilities does God’s priesthood accept?  Priests and ministers receive the offerings of the congregation (not just financial, of course), they share the word of God with others, they encourage and challenge, they offer hope and mercy, and they love others right into the kingdom of God.  Now before anyone thinks “Oh no – not me!”  God has different plans for each of us, and the Spirit leads us in the path that has been laid out for every person, and the gifts that have been given to each one are what will be used in our priesthood and ministry.  It might not be so daunting after all?

 And as we work in the Lord’s fields, God’s blessings will become more and more apparent, and we will be more and more amazed at how and what the Spirit will be able to do though us.

 Read Isaiah 61:8-9

 Our God is Just.  Our God is Faithful.  And one more thing that makes him unique from humanity – he is never Changing!  His covenant is a promise that will never be taken back, and when he says that we will be blessed beyond all measure, when he says that his blessings will amaze others, when he says that the blessings that we receive will carry down to our children and their children, we can always trust in and count on what he has promised!

 And what will that do for others?  By our lives, and our life in Christ, others will come to realize that the Lord has done something incredible for us, and that they can receive his mercy, too.  Of course that doesn’t mean that everyone will be drawn to his way.  As a matter of fact, many will take a firm stand against the way of God, and they will hate those who show his love to others.  Jesus experienced that hatred, and none of it could stop him from coming to earth to love us, did it!  It didn’t stop Jesus from sharing the truth of the Father’s ways with us, did it!  It didn’t stop Jesus from being who he is and why he is for each of us, in spite of the opposition that he encountered, did it!  It didn’t stop Jesus from loving all people, and surrendering himself to hatred and evil, and giving his life in exchange for our sin and death, did it!

 So what are we going to do about it?  What will we be doing this Christmas on behalf of others?

 Read Isaiah 61:10-11

 The only thing the Lord asks of us is to follow the righteous way that he has prepared.  It is the way of rejoicing, not fear; it is the way of salvation, not the way of humanity; it’s the way of beauty beyond all imagination, not the ugliness that we already know; it’s the way that the priesthood of believers have been called to follow, and not the way that the worldly adhere to. 

 Interestingly, the prophet says that God will show his righteousness to all, regardless of our participation.  If we choose to stand by the wayside and let the faithfulness of others be the Lord’s sign, then we are going to lose out on his blessings.  He doesn’t like fence sitters, or those who are half-hearted, or those who think that they can pick and choose how they will respond to God’s call.

 He wants our active obedience, not just our shallow words.  It isn’t enough to simply say that we are Christians – we have to live the faith, and proclaim the faith, and share the faith, wherever the Spirit takes us – whether it is in the darkness that surrounds this world, or in the hatred that so many hold for the Lord’s people, or in the fear that blankets unbeliever’s hearts, or in any other place or people or situation where we are needed.  And when we faithfully follow, even though it may seem to be a less than desirable idea to us, the joy and blessing that comes from our obedience will abound many times over the effort that we provide.

 May the Spirit of the Lord be upon us all, that in this joyful time of Christmas, we might be clothed “with garments of salvation” and his “robes of righteousness”, and may our faithful lives bring joy to the Lord of both Bethlehem and Calvary.

 

“Hasten the Day”

Scripture:   2 Peter 3:8-15

 Peter was one of those “most unforgettable characters” who not only brought God’s truth through scripture, but who shows us how the Lord can use the most unusual of people to proclaim his word to this world.  He would be the first to proclaim that Jesus was truly Messiah (Matthew 16:13-20), and after Jesus had been arrested, he would also deny that he even knew him (Matthew 26:69-74).  And this is the man who would lead the early Church?

 Peter, to a great degree, is very much like you and me.  We have no doubt as to who Jesus is, and yet, how often do we deny “even knowing” him?  Oh, we may not use the same words of denial that Peter did, but we still let our own words, and thoughts, and actions say very loudly that the world is still our way and that Jesus isn’t all that important to us.

.But praise the Lord, there is one more similarity that we have with Peter.  Forgiveness!  It isn’t something that either Peter or we have to earn, or be worthy of, or even understand– we just have to believe, down deep in our hearts, that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior of our soul.

Our passage for today is believed to be from the last letter that Peter wrote before his death by crucifixion.  His primary purpose for these words is twofold – first, to warn us that the greatest threat to Christ’s people would be coming from within the Church, that there would be false teachers and prophets whose sole purpose would be to lead the faithful astray (2 Peter 2).  And second, to encourage the Church to grow in true faith and trust of Jesus, as well as in all that he taught.

  And both his warning, as well as his encouraging words, are for the Church of this day, too.

 Read 2 Peter 3:8-10

 One of the concerns that the false teachers had created was that Christ’s return and subsequent judgment weren’t going to happen.  They believed that the original promise had been given for the first generation of the Church, and that it was never intended to occur in the years following the death of the early Church leaders.  Since it never happened when they thought it should have, it was, in their estimation, a false understanding.

 So Peter begins to explain why the false teaching is wrong, and he begins with the issue of time.  He writes “With the Lord, a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like a day”.  For us, that doesn’t make much sense – after all, how can a long period of time be the same length as a short period of time?  His point is, that for us, time is relative, that it is the basis for the schedule that manages our life!  Are we going to be on time for our job?  What time does worship start?  How old am I and when is my husband or wife’s birthday?  Wedding anniversary?  High school and college graduation dates?  How old am I?  How long have I been retired?  And on and on.  Everything we do or need to remember is related through time.

 Our human time is finite – it began at birth, and will, one day, come to an end.  But for God, he has no beginning, and he has no end.  Time becomes meaningless when you are infinite and eternal, and we have no reference or understanding of what this means. 

 So if time holds no meaning for you, how can you be fast, or slow, or even on time?  The truth is that you can’t – or at least not in our understanding.  When the Lord Jesus told us that “this generation will not pass away” before all that he has prophesied has happened (Luke 21:32-33), I believe that the “generation” that he was referring to was very possibly his generation, not ours.  His generation would, therefore, be the time between his human birth and the day of his return to earth, which is an unknown amount of time for everyone except for the Father (Matthew 24:36).

 And why would God do it this way?  So that people would have time to give up our worldly ways, and give our  lives to the Lord’s way.  Our repentance and our salvation is that important to the Lord – so important that Jesus came to be born and live a life like we do, and to die in death like we do, just so we could live eternally, like he does!

 That day will come in the Lord’s time, not ours.  And just because we do not know when that day will be, it definitely does not mean that the promise has been broken.  As a matter of fact, it reinforces the truth that God’s ways are not our ways, and that his ways are far greater than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9).  And that is a reason for great rejoicing, and not for doubt and denial!

 Read 2 Peter 3:11-13

 Last week, we considered the need to patiently wait for the Day of Christ, not only with faith, but with a true, unshakable, and involved faith.  Peter reinforces this command when he writes that we should be waiting for Christ’s return by living “holy and Godly” lives.  We know that the Holy Spirit continues to be involved in the lives of all who believe in Jesus, but we have also been called to be active in all human lives, especially for those lives who have yet to come to the Lord’s way.

 But the best part of this passage tells us that as more and more people come to Jesus, and begin living that “holy and Godly” life, it will actually shorten our waiting time for the Lord’s Day.  That alone should be reason enough to live in a Godly way! 

And we also have to remember what will be happening when the Day of Jesus arrives.  Peter reminds us – the planets, the stars, the moons, the earth and moon – all will reach the end of their useful existence and will pass away – not just disappear, but will burn and melt and become nothing, just as it was before God created something beautiful out of the original nothingness.  But this time, it will remain just that – nothing.

 Read 2 Peter 3:14-15

 And to think, that some folks want us to believe that God made a mistake when he made this promise to us.  It’s almost a repeat of the Noah story (Genesis 6:9-Genesis 8:22), when he was ridiculed by his friends and neighbors for listening to the Lord, but he continued to build a watercraft that was large enough to hold him, his family, and representatives of every specie of animal in the world.  And we all know what happened to the scoffers!  There was no room for any of them.

 When creation ends, this story will be repeated, except that water will be replaced with fire.  A remnant will still be saved – those who believe and trust in the word that God sent to us through his precious Son, but many will be lost to condemnation, to the same fate that the old created order will succumb to.  Doesn’t your heart just break over those who will be lost, over their refusal to see the truth that is of and in Jesus Christ?

 And the worse part of it all is that some of these will be our family and friends!  Sharing Jesus with others is the responsibility of all believers, and quite honestly, family and friends will be the most difficult, because they know us the best – and usually it is the part of us that we left behind when we first called Jesus Lord!  And while it may be a bit scary to take that risky step in faith, when we begin introducing others to the truth of Jesus, we will never have to do it alone.  The Church Universal will never be defined as a bunch of solitary evangelists!  And when it begins to appear to be this way, something is drastically wrong.  Divisiveness, barriers, fighting and opposition are all signs of a broken church, and nothing good will ever come from it.

 Faith will always be ours through unity in the Spirit of God.  Others will come along side of us, to encourage, to help, to teach, to lead us, but the most important Person to help will be the Holy Spirit Himself.  In 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, Romans 12:4-8, and Ephesians 4:11-13, we read of the help that we all will receive through the grace of our Almighty God.  The Lord will never tell us to “get busy” without enabling us to do exactly what he has planned for us.  And part of the evidence that the Spirit is at work within us will be peace (Galatians 5:22-25) – not only within the broader church, but with the Spirit of God.

 Never let the Lord’s timing be seen as his indifference, or even worse, as failure!  God is at work in his way and on his schedule and never on ours.  Rejoice that his way is higher and better and perfect, and that he truly is on his way to receive his faithful in eternity. 

 Hasten his day through your life and testimony, and don’t let it be delayed any longer than it absolutely has to be.

 

“The Word Eternal”

Scripture:   Mark 13:24-37

Periodically, we hear some self-proclaimed “sage” claim that they have the inside track on when Jesus will be returning.  They have received a sign of some kind, or the spirit has revealed the secret to them alone, or they have studied some long forgotten text, and now they know the secret of the Lord’s return and Judgment of the world.  And yet, their predictions never seem to come true.

 No one knew about the Christ’s birth, except for those who God had revealed that glory.  And no one knows the day of his return, even Jesus Himself.  But Jesus did tell us that there would be signs and wonders as that day approaches.  In Peter’s sermon at Pentecost (Acts2:1-41), he quoted the prophet Joel (Joel 2:28-32) when he said” ¹⁹I will show wonders in the heavens above  and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke.  ²⁰ The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.  ²¹ And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”

 Jesus also spoke about signs and wonders, like deception, false Messiahs and prophets, wars and rumors of wars, national conflicts, famines and earthquakes, persecution and hatred, to name just a few(!), and he said that “the love of most will grow cold”, but that only the one who stands firm will be saved. (Matthew 24:4-14)  Now before you think that the current condition of the world fits all of these descriptions, remember that they have occurred many times before, and we are still waiting for the LORD’s day to arrive.  But remember that every day that we put up with war and conflict and persecution and hatred means that the Day of Jesus is that much closer.

 Read Mark 13:24-27

 

It seems that Jesus was full of “signs and wonders”, but he doesn’t explain them at all!  But even without any guidance, they all seem pretty dire.  A lot of shaking and loss of much of what God had once created.  But the one clear sign is actually the scene as Jesus reappears, and not so much as to what will proclaim that the time is near.  His appearance will be cloudy, or rather that it will not be understood by the world.  But the great promise that this prophecy holds is that every faithful person will be gathered up by the angels of heaven, regardless of who or where they may be.

 

The other consequence of the LORD’s return is that creation will be in jeopardy.  The sun will stop shining, the moon will have nothing to reflect, and all of the stars – every other light source throughout the universe – will fall from their designated place.  In other words, nothing that humanity has known throughout the ages will ever be the same again, which basically means that God’s created order will end.  Now this doesn’t mean that God’s works have failed – it means quite the opposite.  It simply means that this phase of creation has served its purpose, its time has come to an end, and the new is about to begin.

 

Read Mark 13:28-31

 

Earlier in this book (Mark11:12-14), Jesus told about the fig tree that was bearing no fruit whatsoever, and he cursed it with he words “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.”  Sounds like the judgment against those who never exhibited the “Fruit of the Spirit”! (Galatians 5:19-26)  And we remember that those who won’t know the Spirit are those who never gave their lives to Jesus.

 

But the fig tree in chapter 13 is a different tree – it is living, with leaves, and, presumably, fruit.  The first fig tree is judgment on those who never knew Jesus, but this tree is the promise of eternal life for all who love the LORD.  And his prophecy that creation will come to its end, both the heavens and everything under it, is reiterated, with the additional truth that this end will apply to everything unless his word has specified otherwise.

 

And there’s the rub!  Jesus’ word is the benchmark, it’s the dividing line, it creates the separation between the faithful and the unbelievers.  This doesn’t mean that we have to understand and accept every single thing that the Lord ever taught.  But it does mean that we have to believe in what we have received about Jesus in scripture, and to be open to learning more of his truth, those ways that come from his word.  It means that we are live his truth – his entire truth – regardless of what the world may tell us, or what we may have believed before we gave our life to him.

 

Read Mark 13:32-34

 

No one knows the time of Messiah’s return – not even the Son of God!  I’ve always wondered about that.  I understand why it may be held back for humanity – God doesn’t want us trying to play games with that time, waiting until the last minute to come to God’s way.  But why wasn’t Jesus allowed to know that day and time?  It shouldn’t have impacted his ministry or message; it wasn’t that he would tell others; it wouldn’t have made any difference in his suffering, death, and resurrection, so why?  It seems that this is one of those divine mysteries that has no easy answer!

 

But the second part of this passage is a bit more definitive.  Since no one knows the day or time, we need to be alert to his return.  No trying to guess, no developing some algorithm to figure it out, no waiting for those signs and wonders before we make that final decision for Christ. 

 

Jesus told several parables about being prepared, with the point being that first, we need to be active in the ways of our Savior as we wait for that day, and the second, that we need to have our lives in Godly order before that time arrives.

 

What does this entail?  Let’s take the second part first – being ready. (Matthew 25:1-13)  Faith isn’t a head knowledge of Jesus – it involves much more.  Just as in any relationship that we cherish, we can’t just know about another person – we have to understand and value the life they offer to us.  We need to develop a heart-felt relationship; we have to be prepared to give our all to them; we have to care enough about them to develop a true, unbreakable bond between the two of you.  It doesn’t mean that there will never be difficulties, but it does mean that if we are prepared, the relationship will be strong enough to survive those problems.

 

The second – being active while we wait (Matthew 25:14-30, Luke 12:42-48 & Luke19:11-27) – comes after the relationship develops, and helps us to grow in it.  In the case of faith, this activity is called “ministry”.  Sometimes, ministry is pastoral, sometimes it is outreach, sometimes it is service, and sometimes it is just loving someone because they need it.  It’s about stepping back so others can move forward, and other times it involves taking the lead so others can learn.  How do we decide what we are to do?  We don’t make that decision on our own, but look to the Holy Spirit to tell us what, where, when, how and who is to become part of each Christian mission.

 

A life in Christ during this waiting period has nothing to do with who we are or who we want to be or what we think we should be doing – it’s about being productive in the ways of Christ.  He gives us an assignment that he has prepared us for, and then tells us to go and do it in the way that he would.  It’s as easy as that.

 

Read Mark 13:35-37

 

Remembering that no one knows the time and place of Jesus’ return – not Jesus, not the Holy Spirit, not the angels or seraphim or cherubim, and definitely not us; only the Father knows – be prepared for that day, whenever it may be.  “Being a faithful Christian doesn’t just happen” – it requires preparation, Christian action, and patience as we anxiously await that glorious day.

 

Jesus has been very intentional in letting us know just how important it is to be ready for his Day.  Don’t sleep, don’t assume, don’t hesitate, don’t let anything get in the way of preparing for Christ’s Second appearance here on earth. 

 

His arrivals will be totally different:  the first was as a helpless infant who was born of a virgin, while the second will be as the divine and eternal King and Ruler of all; the first was as a human being who was as vulnerable and emotional as we are, while the second will be as a Divine, Eternal, and Godly Being who is, was, and always will be; the first was to teach us about God and his desires for our lives, while the second will be to judge each and every person as to how well they have learned and lived those ways; the first was to submit himself to worldly hatred and contempt, while the second will be to put an end to those ways of earth, as well as to all who have chosen to live by worldly precepts; the first was to establish a way for us to attain eternal life, and the second will be to grant that life to all who believe faithfully in him.

 

His words will never pass away.  Will you love them as much as the LORD loves you?