Anticipation

Anticipation

While watching portions of the Republican convention this week, I heard promises, a lot of promises.  “If you elect our candidates, they will make your life better.”  I was not born yesterday!  I’m not overly impressed by a politician’s promises, no matter his party affiliation. Perhaps they have good intentions, but much of what is said is never going to happen. So, I don’t hang too much hope on the rhetoric.  God’s promises are truths I live by! But, even then, I must take care not to force my idea on Him.  In a recent conversation, a woman repeated a ‘promise of God’ that she received years ago about a change in her financial situation. She has done nothing responsibly to address the challenges because she is convinced that “God is going to take care of me.”  So she continues to live irresponsibly, in vain hope that God will magically bring her prosperity. She has taken a real promise, that God does provide for His people, and forced her interpretation on it, which robs the promise of true fulfillment.

The Lord is at work in our lives and He promises to bring about a new and whole life in us, but not without a process that includes painful growth and development; and not without some patience and endurance on our part. We can become saints (read that as people who authentically know and love God) but not just with wishful thinking or formulaic prayers!  It’s a process, a way of life that emerges when we are responsive to the Spirit’s leading.

This passage is packed with promise. As I read it my faith surges, along with understanding that I am part of His greater plan to bring about the transformation of the whole of Creation. Read it thoughtfully. "Since we are his children, we will share his treasures—for everything God gives to his Son, Christ, is ours, too. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. Against its will, everything on earth was subjected to God’s curse. All creation anticipates the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.

And even we Christians, although we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, also groan to be released from pain and suffering. We, too, wait anxiously for that day when God will give us our full rights as his children, including the new bodies he has promised us. Now that we are saved, we eagerly look forward to this freedom. For if you already have something, you don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t have yet, we must wait patiently and confidently. And the Holy Spirit helps us in our distress. For we don’t even know what we should pray for, nor how we should pray. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words." (Romans 8:17-26, NLT)

There is an amazing destiny waiting for God’s children, we will be like Jesus, lifted to perfection, beyond the reach of suffering, free from sin and death.  When we came to Christ, when we were forgiven and restored to our Abba, we only tasted a little of what is to come.  Our anticipation of the full glory of God’s presence is almost painful, making us groan. But, the Holy Spirit sustains while we wait for the promise.  I am eagerly looking forward to that moment when I no longer have to resist sin or enter into the conflict with evil.  I am so ready to be given a new body that cannot die, that does not age, that is beyond the reach of sickness!  I live in faithful anticipation, knowing that I have not " yet taken hold of it. … I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14, NIV)

Anticipate the promise of God, but keep it real.  Don’t give in to irresponsibility or foolish dreaming.  Prayerfully, maturely,  ask God to create a genuine vision in you.  Let it lead you to faithful obedience, to a discipleship that gives your life an ever increasing beauty, until the glorious day of the full realization of His promise.  Here’s a word from the Word.  "Let us do our best to enter that place of rest. For anyone who disobeys God, as the people of Israel did, will fall. For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are. Nothing in all creation can hide from him. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes. This is the God to whom we must explain all that we have done. That is why we have a great High Priest who has gone to heaven, Jesus the Son of God. Let us cling to him and never stop trusting him." (Hebrews 4:11-14, NLT)

The powerful effect of VISION

How vision effects this day

Costa, the trainer who is tasked with bringing me to fitness, faces a real challenge; and so do I!  As he coached me through my session yesterday, he kept reminding me that change is incremental, that expecting too much, too soon, creates disappointment and sets me up to quit the regimen. Almost in the same breath, he would talk about gaining increased endurance and strength, about new flexibility, and less risk of injury to joints. He wanted me to know why I was making the effort, submitting myself to the pain. The connection to the vital Christian life was obvious to me.  Stable, joyful, holy Christians build that life over time, with consistent practices of spiritual disciplines.  If they set up false expectations or try to compare themselves to another, they will likely become discouraged.  If they have a powerful, God-given vision for their future, they will remain hopeful and diligent in discipleship.

My trainer wrote down some measurements yesterday.  We will re-visit those on a monthly basis, adjusting my exercise program and diet as necessary to get the results I desire.  It is not easy to be faced with the facts of my physical condition!  It is much easier to pretend that “I am just fine.”  But, there is a powerful motivation to make a difference, when I see who am I and contrast that with what I can become. What would happen to us if we put our spiritual condition down on paper, facing the facts about the state of our soul?

What kind of person do you want to be, does the Lord desire you to become? 

Do you want to be a loving, encouraging, hopeful, joyful, positive, life-enhancing individual that brings light into every room?
Are you content to be a self-absorbed, TV-obsessed, critical, mean, miserable person, who sucks the life out of others?  Most of us are somewhere between those extremes. We have days when the sinful nature takes over and we are full of darkness and we have days when the Spirit is invited to fill us.  But, we are always moving towards light or darkness!

The letter to the Galatians offers us a succinct summary that contrasts the life controlled by sin with the life directed by the Spirit.
"The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit (the visible evidence) of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." (Galatians 5:19-23, NIV)  What kind of motivation for change might we find if, like I did with my physical trainer, we did an honest assessment of the way we live? 

The change produced by daily prayer and meditation, by actively expressing worship, by confession of failure and acceptance of forgiveness, by entering into silence to listen to the Spirit, by giving even when we do not wish to do so, by choosing anonymous service in big and small ways, by learning and applying Scriptural principles;  is sure and certain – yet, incremental!   I want to be the person the Lord designed me to be.  So, I will live as this word from the Word teaches.  "I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself. If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it. I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back." (Philippians 3:10-14, The Message)

Got the vision, friend?  Let’s get on with it, encouraging one another, becoming all that Christ desires us to be.  Soli Deo Gloria!

The One Place you must not abandon

Through the eyes of the new convert

So, at Noon yesterday I walked into a ‘temple’ that was very strange to me. It had its own vibe, smells, sounds, and rituals. I went to the gym! When I entered, I felt myself begin to perspire. “Good,” you say. No, this was nervous sweat not the result of any physical exertion. I was acutely self-consciousness. Would I do or say something totally ridiculous? Would some muscle-bound kid smirk at me behind my back? What does one say, if anything, while pushing weights?  I hate to admit it, but this very uncertainty was a primary reason I avoided the gym for so long.

Have you considered that perhaps a person who walks into into our church for the first time might feel some of the same kind of discomfort that I just described?  Not so very long ago, almost everyone knew something about ‘going to church.’  Sunday morning worship, at least on Christian holidays, was the normal thing to do. Not in 2012!  For Americans under the age of 34,  one third seriously question the existence of God as a personal Being! An even higher percentage is deeply skeptical about the value of ‘organized religion,’ and particularly Christian church.  Overall, only 1 in 5 Americans attend church regularly. About half of adult Americans do not attend any kind of organized religious activity ever. For these people, a church building is probably a foreboding place, a mysterious place.

What does this mean?  Well, a lot of things, but two that I want us to be thinking about.

1. We’re kidding ourselves if we think that those who are spiritually hungry are just going to walk through the front doors of our church buildings all by themselves!  If Americans do not think of our local churches offer an experience of God they can understand, why would they come? Is it that they have nothing else to do? Are there no alternatives to which they turn to find spiritual meaning?  I have not written off the Church.  God calls people together and makes His Presence known in our gatherings, but too often we keep the Light locked behind the door.

2. A personal, warm invitation is required if we hope to introduce a friend to Christ and His Church! My nerves about the gym would have been tremendously relieved if just one person had said, “I’ll meet you there when you go for a couple of weeks.”  (I didn’t ask anybody to do that)  That person could have explained what to wear, where to go, the traditions and expectations for me.  We, individually and collectively, must recover our commitment to Jesus’ imperative to ‘go and tell!’

Why is this important? Can’t people just come to Christ on their own, or by watching media?  If we attempt to argue that one can be a vital Christian without a connection to a church we must ignore much of the New Testament. Being ‘in the church,’ is a baseline expectation for followers of Jesus.  Why?  Because, the power  of the Holy Spirit is amplified when we come together to share His gifts and Presence. Something happens there that simply cannot happen when we are going it alone. People like to point out that going to church does not make a person a Christian. True enough.  Yet, consider this wisdom. “Listen to the Church,” Henri Nouwen writes in Show Me the Way (Crossroad). “I know that isn’t a popular bit of advice at a time and in a country where the church is frequently seen more as an ‘obstacle’ in the way rather than as the ‘way’ to Jesus. Nevertheless, I’m profoundly convinced that the greatest spiritual danger for our times is the separation of Jesus from the Church. The Church is the body of the Lord. Without Jesus, there can be no Church; and without the Church, we cannot stay united with Jesus. I’ve yet to meet anyone who has come closer to Jesus by forsaking the Church. To listen to the Church is to listen to the Lord of the Church.”

Christians who are doing what our Savior demands of us, “going into all the world to preach the Gospel,” and living as those who are the proof of the Truth, will first lead people to know who Jesus is and what He has done for us in His birth, death, and resurrection. Then, they will take those new converts with them to church! 

Note what the Word teaches. "Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Ephesians 3:8-11, NIV)   God’s plan is that all the wonder of salvation through Christ, the transformation of a broken, sinful world, would be demonstrated in the Church and that even angels would be impressed!  The Message says it like this:  “Through followers of Jesus like yourselves gathered in churches, this extraordinary plan of God is becoming known and talked about even among the angels!”

If you're ‘in church,’  I pray you are a participant, not simply a consumer.
If you’re not ‘in church,’ I encourage you to find one where Christ is loved, where the Spirit is welcomed, and where you can grow deeper in the things of God –  ultimately for His glory.

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,
according to his power that is at work within us,
to him be glory in the church
and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." (Ephesians 3:20-21, NIV)

Even a pickle glows

Even a pickle glows

Speaking of the high calling of Christ, the Bible asks: “who is equal to such a task?” (2 Cor. 2:16)  Living the Christian life with integrity, in a way that causes others to desire Him, is not easy! Christ’s disciples are called to live a life of love, but selfishness comes so naturally. We are taught to serve, but we find ourselves wanting to be served.  Our highest intentions to do good are often sabotaged by sin that works against us.  Who cannot identify with this verse -  "I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out." (Romans 7:18, NIV)

I recall a time when a woman counseled with me telling of her husband’s cruelty to her. He was mean,  belittling her day in and day out for years on end. Her anguish went deep and her dilemma – ‘do I stay in this marriage or do I call it quits after all this time?’ – was real and urgent. I listened and we prayed together. We asked for the Holy Spirit to lead her and to convict him.  Good was accomplished, yet even in that situation, the sinful nature in me found an opportunity. After she left my office, I found myself congratulating myself on being such a good husband to my wife! “I am so glad I’m not like him,” I thought proudly. I repented for even making the comparison when the Spirit convicted me.  Is that a dramatic sin? No, but it is that kind of persistent sinfulness that makes me desperate for the Spirit’s transformational work in me.

When we come to the end of ourselves and our own ability to be good, we are in the place where God can use us. The Bible says, ‘when we are weak, He is strong!’ John Ortberg, in his book, God Is Closer Than You Think, recounts a funny, simple little illustration. To make a point about being empowered by God, he brought an electrical engineer to church to conduct an experiment. “We turned off all the lights, hooked up an ordinary pickle to some wires, and then passed an electrical current through it. The pickle glowed! It gave light to a room… Many people believe that the flow of the Holy Spirit is reserved for spiritual giants… but, throughout history God has caused His power to flow through the most unlikely people; a prostitute named Rahab, a con man named Jacob, and a cheat named Zacchaeus. … so the next time you’re feeling inadequate, remember that even a pickle can glow if it stays plugged in to the flow.”

Jesus promised a ragtag group of followers that they would know success in the work of His kingdom because "I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high." (Luke 24:49, NIV) A few days later, the Holy Spirit flowed into that Upper Room and rested on those ordinary men and women in a life-transforming way. Were they made perfect in that instant? Hardly.  They disagreed about things, worked through misunderstandings, and dealt with personal sin. Yet, God mercifully filled them with His power again and again.  These ordinary men turned the world upside down in a generation!

Christianity has not survived for 2000 years because of the greatness of Christians, but because of the faithfulness of God.
 Are you feeling inadequate for the calling of God in your life today?
Have you failed Him in some way?
Are you discouraged?

Remember, even a pickle glows when it’s plugged into a current. Tell the Lord that you’re desperate for Him, that you are totally dependent on His power and see what He will do with you.

Here’s a word from the Word. With a simple, open heart receive this promise.

“If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world at large cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you do, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you." (John 14:15-18, NLT)

Abba, the war in me goes on.

I am pulled to love ME and desire to love You.

Teach me to breath the Spirit,

To be filled with His nature.

More than anything, let the love of Jesus

Be radiant in me.

Amen.

Missed expectation, what then?

The build-up begins. Anticipation builds. It’s going to be the most awesome vacation ever. Then, the week arrives and we’re exhausted, the flights are delayed, and the weather is terrible. What then? Disappointment! We all know the feelings that come with missed expectations. It can be as minor as a poorly prepared meal on a night out, or that "this new computer isn't nearly as fast as I hoped it would be.”  It can be heart-wrenching like rejection, criticism, or failure. Our deepest disappointments are centered around our relationships, when people we trust and love betray us.

Somebody once told me, "Blessed is the man who expects nothing for he will never be disappointed!" I refuse to become that kind of person; just existing, with no hopes, no dreams, no love. It is one way to avoid a broken heart. It is also a sure route to a life without the richness God purposes for us. Is that how you want to live- safely insulated from both joy and sorrow hiding away from real life? I doubt it very much.

So what can we do with life's disappointments?

We guard against cynicism and bitterness of missed expectations by keeping our ultimate hope fixed on God!  Isaiah 40:30-31 teaches "Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." That does not mean that we will understand everything that He allows to enter our lives. We may develop expectations of our Father in Heaven that are unrealistic or beyond the Promise of His Word. But, if we will trust Him implicitly, He will carry us through our disappointment.

We guard our spiritual and emotional health by learning to forgive, quickly and completely!

Forgiveness is releasing others from our demand that they act in ways we approve or like. Forgiveness IS NOT telling another, "Just forget it. What you did or did not do doesn't matter." That's not true. When a person fails us, breaks our heart, rejects us, or harms us - it does matter! Our disappointment is real. Forgiveness is a choice to dethrone Self. Forgiveness is born in us when we give our pain to God and trust in His final justice. When we release that person who has disappointed us to God's court, oh what freedom we gain. Anger, hatred, and bitterness that accompanies disappointment finds no fertile soil in which to take root in our heart. Jesus, when teaching his followers about prayer, reminded us to pray ,"Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors... But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." (Matthew 6:12) That connection ought to give us real reason to be forgivers.

There is a time to adjust our expectations, a time to maturely learn to accept that many situations are out of our control. AA taught me the Serenity Prayer originally credited to Reinhold Neibuhr. It is aptly named. If we pray it honestly we will find God’s ‘peace that passes understanding.’

God grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change;

courage to change the things I can;

and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;

Enjoying one moment at a time;

Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;

Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is,

not as I would have it;

Trusting that He will make all things right

if I surrender to His Will;

That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him forever in the next. Amen.

Are you spending day after day fretting and fighting to make everything fit into your plans, your purposes, aligned to your comfort? The result will be a life of misery, missed expectations, bitterness, and loneliness. Far better to choose to trust God with yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

Struggling with disappointment? Jesus understands, His heart was broken, too.

Take the sorrow, the ache, to Him. Share it honestly. There is no need to sugarcoat it. He knows us from the inside out. As you pray, be open to His comfort and challenge. He may not soothe you until He changes your attitude. He knows best.

Here’s a word from the Word. It’s a treasured truth!

"We have a great High Priest who has gone to heaven, Jesus the Son of God. Let us cling to him and never stop trusting him. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it." (Hebrews 4:14-16, NLT)