Rest In The Future

“For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:” (Ac 2:25-26 AV)

Peter is referencing David’s words in the book of Psalms.  David foresaw the coming to Israel.  He knew the promise to Israel through him was certain.  Jesus Christ is the promise made to David because of his faithfulness to the LORD.  In seeing prophetically, the Messiah sitting on His throne, David can rest in the flesh.  That means this life.  David did not have to wait for glory to appear.  In the here and now, he could live a life of rest because he knew who reigns and will reign.  Now, Peter is making the same application to himself and his fellow countrymen.  As agitated as they were at the rule of Rome, knowing Jesus the Messiah came, died for them, and will return in the rest of soul they need.  Like David, they need not wait.  The rest of soul is in the flesh.  The rest of soul is now.  The rest of soul is in the promise of a God who does, and always will, rule! The older I get, the truer this becomes.  Our peace of the present is in the hope of the future.  The older you get, the closer the future becomes.

Going to a different country be a bit stressful.  Regardless of differences of language, differences in law and government can make it a bit uneasy.  Other than Canada, I have traveled abroad two other times.  Once to Ireland and once to Brazil.  Ireland, of course, speaks English.  Brazil does not.  Even if they did, the stress of being in a foreign country would still be a reality.  We expect laws to be identical.  By and large, they are similar.  There aren’t too many major differences.  It was a blessing to have guides that help navigate us through the country without too much trouble.  But I have to tell you, coming home and crossing the gate with Old Glory above it was a relief.  Knowing who was in charge and that the rules had not changed is a comfort for those returning from abroad.  When we returned from Ireland, we had a hiccup.  One of our teens was wearing a hoody with the hood over his head.  We tried to warn him.  Customs took him aside.  They took him into a private room.  My wife and I were the only adults with the group.  It almost got to the point where I would have to stay back and my wife would go on ahead.  Yet, there was nothing to fear.  Our teenager was an American citizen.  The peace of heart was knowing the government and laws to which we were entering.  Even if there were problems abroad, we knew where the embassy was and that we could always get assistance.

Our journey here is temporary.  Jesus is our King.  He is our Lord.  This world is not our home.  There is a place to which we are going.  Nothing can dethrone the Savior.  As much as the world wishes to defeat God, it simply cannot do it.  It is a fool’s errand.  In their rebellion, they want total and unabated control of God’s creation.  The LORD may allow it for a brief time, but the Messiah is returning to claim that which His right!  He will sit on a throne, ruling all of mankind with a rod of iron.  He sits at the right hand of the Father.  The godhead still rules in the affairs of men.  Satan and the world may have the illusion of self-determination.  But God is still God.  They can do only what God allows.  Soon the LORD will return, and holiness will be the standard.  That is our hope.  That is our patience.  Just like our visit abroad, we knew it would come to an end.  There was a country we called our own, and they would welcome us back with open arms.  We would find sanctuary in the land of our nativity.  The same is true for glory.  There awaits us a far better place.  The place is in the presence of the throne of God, and nothing will ever change that!

First To Believe is the One Who Loves the Most

“Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed. For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.” (Joh 20:8-9 AV)

At first, these two verses seem contradictory.  In verse eight, John testifies that when he came to the empty tomb, he believed that Jesus had risen from the dead.  Yet, verse nine says they did not believe because the scriptures concerning His resurrection were not known as yet.  So, which is it?  Our clue is in one little pronoun.  John uses ‘they’ instead of ‘we’.  If John is pointing out his faith as opposed to the faith of the other ten, then it would appear he was the first to connect Old Testament passages regarding the resurrection of the Messiah to what they witnessed that morning.  Like Peter mentioned in an earlier entry, I don’t think this was intended to be a criticism.  Rather, I think one point John is trying to make is that being the beloved of Christ afforded him certain blessings.  The first being that he alone never betrayed nor offended Christ in fleeing his side.  In fact, he was at the foot of the cross and received the charge to care for Mary.  Second, because he loved Chris the most, he struggled with his faith the least.  John could see the promise of the resurrection and believe the empty tomb meant that Jesus was alive.

Devotion is a great protection against fear and temptation.  Marriage is a testament to this fact!  There was a commercial many years ago with two octogenarians holding hands as they strolled through a early winter park.  It might have been a commercial for hallmark or something like that.  It was an early winter scene with some fall leaves still on the trees and the ground.  But there was also a dusting of wet snow on the ground.  This couple was walking hand in hand, enjoying the day.  I think the husband might have had a cane.  There was a golden glow from the sun as the camera followed their stroll.  At first, you don’t know they are holding hands.  But as they move along, further from the camera, you see it.  They are holding hands, walking together, one holding the other up, simply enjoying the moment.  There is no fear of one leaving the other.  There is no temptation to pursue someone else.  Hand in hand.  Inseparable.  Walking as one.  I have noticed that the older my wife and I get, the more we tend to do just the same.  It isn’t like it was when we were very young.  The PDA means something far deeper.  Holding hands in one’s old age is a statement.  Not a hope.  When you are young and hold hands, it is founded on the hope of forever love.  In the golden years, it is a statement of devotion, born through the years of trials and blessings.  It is a statement that nothing conquered their devotion.  And nothing ever will.

John could see and accept something the other ten could not because he loved the LORD more than they did.  He could connect the dots and stand on the promise that Jesus made to them before His death.  John could rest at ease because his Savior had kept His word.  Gone was all anxiety he felt at the pinnacle of Golgotha.  Gone was the sorrow he felt three days prior.  Gone was the fear that all they had sacrificed might have been for naught.  Gone was the worry that they would have to preach the gospel of a dead God.  John was the first to understand and believe the resurrection.  Why?  Because he loved Jesus the most.  Three and a half years of devoted service and learning were the foundation of that love.  He surrendered it all to love and follow Jesus.  He strove to obey and trust Him.  When that particular Sunday morning came, he remembered what Jesus had said.  He remembered the Bible verses Jesus used to point to His resurrection.  A flood of relief came over him when he understood and believed that his Savior lived!  If we struggle to believe, follow, and obey, perhaps it is no more complicated than the depth of love we have for Jesus.  Love Him more, and we will realize untold blessing because of that love.

Hope Still

“Then saith the damsel that kept the door unto Peter, Art not thou also [one] of this man’s disciples? He saith, I am not.” (Joh 18:17 AV)

Jesus told Peter that he would deny him three times before the rooster crowed to the rising sun.  I find it interesting that John mentions only one denial.  The other gospels mention either all three occasions of Peter’s denial or the rooster’s crow, or both.  Only John mentions one occurrence without mentioning the completed action.  What this means, I cannot say.  Perhaps because John was the one who invited Peter to join the crowd, he felt it was unnecessary to make a point of Peter’s failure.  Or, more than likely, John was all about Jesus and not about Peter.  He was focused on the event of the trial and crucifixion of Jesus Christ and not on the human events that surrounded it.  There is a profound takeaway here.  Peter denied knowing Jesus Christ.  Other gospel entries tell us he went so far as to curse with the lost as he denied Christ.  Peter was as far away from Christ as he had been since his initial calling.  Things were not going well for him.  Jesus had called him Satan.  When Peter tried to convince Jesus to forgo the crucifixion, Jesus said, “Get thee behind me, Satan.”  Now we see him denying Christ with profanity. The very next time we read of Peter was at the seaside, fishing.  He had went back to his former occupation.  When confronted by Christ, he jumped into the sea because he was immodestly dressed.  Not Peter’s finest hour.  Yet, outside of Paul, Peter affected his world for Christ more than any other disciple.

We may feel as though we have failed the LORD more times than He would tolerate.  Perhaps we have fallen into deep sin.  Perhaps we have made a series of poor choices that brought us low.  When reading of Peter, I was moved to internalize it.  What if that were me?  What if I was the one who spoke as I did before Christ came into my heart and denied being a Christian with ugly passion?  What if I were the one who went back to my old friends and lived as I once lived?  What if I were the one who, instead of being a disciple of Christ, sowed confusion and hatred of Christ among those who never knew Him?  How would I feel?  Would I think that God would ever love me again?  Would I think that God could ever do a miracle for me again?  What would be going through my head or heart?

The fact that Christ restored Peter is a miracle in itself.  But restoring Peter to a place of usefulness beyond most others is something one cannot understand.  There are many believers in the same situation as Peter.  In the past, they were faithful believers.  They passed out tracts.  They were faithful to services.  They read their Bibles and prayed regularly.  Then something happened.  Now they are in the world, and they fight against God rather than with Him.  They may come to church once in a blue moon.  But their hearts are far from God.  Will God ever love me again? They ask.  There is a time, like Peter on the sea, in which they float around on neutral ground.  They are not in the world, but they are not with Christ.  Let me encourage you.  Jesus never stopped loving you.  God has been and always will be your loving Father.  He will restore you if you let Him.  He will use you to affect the kingdom, if you let Him.  So, cast yourself into the sea of God's mercy.  Swim to shore as Peter did.  Then take up again the mantel of God’s service and ignore the foolish charges of the devil!

Gratitude and Faith

“To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;” (Eph 1:6-7 AV)

I was reminded recently how thankfulness and faith cooperate, specifically in the application of God’s grace, mercy, and forgiveness.  Paul mentions the forgiveness of sin by the blood of Christ in verse seven.  It appears in the context of the praise of verse six.  Being thankful for what God has done and expressing that gratitude is a work of faith as James teaches it in the second chapter of his letter.  Works and faith are not diametrically opposed.  Works of self-righteousness and faith are.  Faith is manifested by a change.  This change can be visible, or it can be internal.  But there is a change.  There is a change of action, demeanor, or spirit.  When it comes to accepting God’s forgiveness, expressing gratefulness is that act of faith that makes the forgiveness of God efficacious.  A thankful heart goes a long way in making grace a permanent comfort.

A king wished to show his subjects kindness beyond the normal.  He called for a feast.  The best was offered.  All his subjects gathered on the castle grounds.  There were activities for the children.  There were competitions for the men and boys.  The ladies were treated to pampering and comfort.  Mealtime came, and the servants of the king laid out savory meats, fresh vegetables prepared several different ways, and baked goods to satisfy even the most demanding sweet tooth.  Following the meal, the king called for the attention of all his guests.  At their place setting, there was an envelope.  They were instructed to open it.  Inside they found one gold coin, an envelope with the king’s name and address on it, and a blank note card.  They were told the gold coin had to be held until six months from the present date.  After that date, the coin would hold its face value.  Most appreciated the gift.  Many wondered what the envelope and card was for.  After six months, the king sent his legions throughout his kingdom to collect the coin from some of his subjects.  It was discussed among the citizenry why the king chose from some to collect the coin while others were allowed to keep theirs.  As conversation circulated, it was discovered those who used the blank card and envelope to write and send a thank you card to their king were allowed to keep their coin while those who did not, lost it.  A heart of gratitude made a temporary gift, permanent.  Believing in the benevolent nature of the king and expressing it by a note of gratitude was the key to making grace a permanent resident.

By expressing gratitude for mercy and forgiveness, we are expressing a heart of faith in the benevolence of God.  If, on the other hand, we seek forgiveness yet neglect an expression of gratitude, do we truly understand how permanent and wonderful divine forgiveness is?  By saying thank you, we possess that which was offered and make it permanent.  By simply accepting it without gratitude leaves open the possibility that the gift was not truly given and meant to be kept.  Saying thank you to God is our way of acknowledging not only what God has offered but also accepting it as a completed act of God.  This is so important and could be the key to overcoming stubborn sin.  Seeking forgiveness and being completely convinced one has attained it greatly reduces the likelihood of falling again.  We may fall, yes.  But thanking God for His wondrous grace for specific forgiveness makes it harder to fall again.  Perhaps the key to our stubborn sin is an expression of gratitude at the mercy of God!

Trouble of Soul

“Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.” (Joh 12:27 AV)

The bible tells us that Jesus was tempted in all points as we, but did not sin.  Then we read His words above and notice that the Son of Man suffered angst over the will of the Father.  The word for ‘…troubled…’ means, “to agitate or disquiet”.  Upon further study, one would discover that this disquietness is not limited to one emotion.  It could be fear.  It could be anxiety.  For the Son of Man, we are careful to attribute emotional weakness in ways that would not pertain to Him.  So, being troubled will have to do.  The comforting thought is that if the Son of Man felt troubled at the revealed will of God and yet it was not sin, we too might be troubled and it not be sin.  Second, if we have no trouble of the revealed will of God, there might be a problem with the level of challenge we are willing to consider.  The old man will fight against the revealed will of God.  The step of faith God asks of us comes with risk.  There should be trouble over the revealed will of God.  Otherwise, we are not looking very deeply.

Just last night, some fellas and I were talking about repelling.  One guy had repelled down a wall years ago, and he expressed his desire to try it again.  Another had never tried it.  As a young man, I repelled at summer camp and also in the Niagara Gorge.  At summer camp, the wall was about thirty feet in the air.  We could either repel down the wall or over one of the sides that had no wall.  The thing about the side with no wall was the initial commitment.  One had to kick out and drop quickly or you would swing back and hit your forehead.  Before the instructor allowed you to free fall, you had to make several descents with the wall.  The feeling is the same whether you repel down a wall or repel without one.  It is the same feeling, but different degrees.  There is fear.  There is anxiety.  There is lack of confidence.  One feels exuberant, but at the same time, some trepidation.  Many different emotions are at play.  When one masters the skill of repelling, he might seek another challenge that brings back those same emotions conquered by adrenaline.  The degree of challenge is matched by the depth of trouble one might feel in his soul.

The same is true of the Christian life.  Our lives are a series of steps.  Some are designed to teach us obedience.  Others, trust.  Some require correction.  Others, challenges.  At each step, trouble of soul is present.  Life is difficult.  Trouble measures growth.  If there is no trouble, then we cease to grow.  One might think there will come a time when trouble of soul is no more a part of the life.  We live for years, learn to obey and trust, and then expect the need to learn both will cease.  We will finally have peace of soul.  At some magical age, trouble of soul is no longer an experience.  This is simply not the case.  Trouble of soul is a constant companion as long as we have breath in our lungs.  Each day is another day to learn something.  Each day is another day to be challenged with new obstacles.  With each passing day, month, or year, trouble of soul may be right around the corner.  But take courage.  The Son of Man was confronted with the will of God.  When He was, trouble of soul was his companion.  If the Son of Man suffered trouble of soul, so too shall we.  The good news is that in spite of trouble of soul, Jesus came out the victor.  So too shall we!  He is on our side!  He will give us strength.  He has shown us the way to overcome trouble of soul, and we too shall be victors!

He Can Do Everything

“If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.” (Joh 9:33 AV)

Profound words from an unlearned man! The man born blind received his sight from the Son of God.  He was relentlessly interrogated by those who hated Jesus.  When one looks at his sound theological reasoning, we understand how upset this made the men of letters.  The even expressed as such.  How dare an unlearned man of no means instruct the established scholars of the day?  They were insulted.  So what?  The man born blind spoke the truth in a way that anyone could understand.  The man who had opened his eyes did something never done before in all of human history.  The man born blind went so far as to site the scriptures as proof that Jesus is the Messiah.  The scriptures foretold that the One who would come would open the blind eyes and deaf ears and mute tongues of those inflicted therewith.  His statement above is his mic drop.  If Jesus is not from God, he wouldn’t be able to do a thing.  In math, there is a formula that is expressed by the axiom: if A equals B, and B equals C, then C equals A.   Putting it another way, if Jesus is from God, then He can do everything!

As a saint, it occurs to some that intimate knowledge of who and what Jesus is becomes our chief passion.  After all, He is the groom of the Church.  The Church is His bride.  We are instructed to pray to the Father.  That does not mean we are forbidden to pray to the Son.  It is the Father’s will that we are concerned with.  He is the administrator of the Godhead.  It is the Father who determines the will.  The Son is tasked with carrying out that will.  Therefore, it makes sense to build a relationship with the Father.  Yet, the Son will be that person of the Godhead with whom we interact for the duration of eternity future.  It will be the Son who sits on the throne and rules with a rod of iron.  It will be the Son who returns to the earth and defeats all His enemies.  It will be the Son who casts Satan into the pit of hell forever and ever.  It will be the Son, with the Father, whose glory outshines the sun.  Jesus tells us that to know Him is to know the Father.  Therefore, it is important that we know the person of Jesus Christ.

The deep truth that is revealed above is the eternal godhead of Jesus Christ.  He is equal in nature to the Father.  He is eternal in scope and being.  His attributes are eternal and infinite.  When the man born blind states that Jesus must be from God because if He wasn’t, there would be no miracles, is also stating the other side of the coin.  With Jesus, nothing is impossible.  Why?  Because He is from God.  Because He is God.  Jesus may have come to earth as a man.  He may have limited His omnipresence to a body.  He may have limited His omnipotent nature to the need of water and nourishment.  But in no way does that suggest He ceased to be our eternal creator.  Not in the least!  I know how important it is for a wife to believe that her husband can care for her every need.  I was reminded of this recently.  Watching an aging couple as the husband cares for a fragile wife is a beautiful picture of how God cares for us.  She still sees her husband as larger than life.  He can do anything.  Her heart safely trusts in him.  My Jesus knows my every need.  He knows them better than I do.  To be quiet and trusting is the goal of this saint.  To see Jesus as larger than life is the need of the hour.  To understand that Jesus can do anything and nothing is out of His ability to control is the comfort and security of the saint.  If He were not of God, he could to nothing.  But because He is from God, He can do everything!

Bigger and Better

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.” (Joh 5:25 AV)

Eternity is easy to forget.  As I get older, I am constantly aware that things are ending.  Parenting ended almost a decade ago.  As age creeps up and our health begins to fail, earthly life is coming to an end.  We have a lifetime of memories.  God has been so good.  The older we get, the more we are reminded of this truth.  As memories of tribulation fade and the memories of blessings remain, we are brought to the conclusion that God has been, and always will be, good.  There are other things that will come to an end.  Family traditions will fade by the constant changes of life.  There was a time when our entire extended family would meet for a holiday dinner or family reunion.  These things will also come to an end.  Careers fade into the past.  As we age, we attend more funerals than weddings.  If we are not careful, we will allow the end of things to overwhelm us.  We will forget that the end of things only means the beginning of something far greater.

Ending of things does not mean the end of all things.  In fact, the end of things could mean the start of even greater things.  This tends to be the pattern of life.  God set His plan on the ‘bigger and better’ principle.  Remember that Singles activity?  You are given a penny, and the point of the game is to return with something far greater than the penny.  Your team ventures out into the community, and you barter for half a day.  The penny is traded for a knickknack.  A gospel tract is left as you go to the next house or place of business.  The knickknack is traded for a book or small kitchen appliance.  The game goes on and on.  I have seen teams come back with a vehicle!  The point is to trade up.  Life works the same way.  We trade up.  We go from kindergarten to grade school.  We go from middle school to high school.  We go from high school to college or career.  We go from being single to being married; from childless to having children.  We go from being empty nesters to grandparents.  We go from a small apartment to a starter home.  From there, we reach our forever home.  Life is upward.  Endings mean better beginnings.

If the ending of things is overwhelming, our eyes are in the wrong place.  Jesus tells us that the time now is that the dead will hear the voice of God and rise to eternity.  Those who have trusted Christ have a beginning that waiting that is greater than we could ever imagine!  Paul said, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time [are] not worthy [to be compared] with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Ro 8:18 AV) The same is true of the blessings of life.  As much as we appreciate the blessings of this life, there awaits something far greater.  The verse above has a twofold application.  In the present tense, Jesus is speaking of eternal life.  Those who will hear the voice of Jesus will accept Him as Savior.  Thus, they shall spiritually live.  Going further in the context of chapter five, Jesus included the resurrection and eternity future.  In other words, knowing Christ begins and eternally continues life.  There is no ending.  Only change.  So, when we are overwhelmed with the melancholy of change, we must remember that change for the believer only means bigger and better.