Americans like to think of themselves as a 'classless' society. It is true we do not have royals and commoners, but there are social divisions between us that cannot be ignored- defined by access to wealth more than any other criterion. Of course, race still divides us as does religious practice, but the greatest divide is along economic boundaries. Nearly all of us tend to define ourselves by the people among whom we choose to live and play! We want to be identified with groups that look and act most like we do; so we drive similar cars, hang out in similar restaurants, and wear similar fashions. In a subtle way we make a statement about who we are and what our values are by our associations. Often it isn't even intentionally that we do these things.
Are you identified with Christ? When Peter went to see where Jesus was being taken on the night of his arrest, he was identified as a disciple. A young woman said, “You’ve got to be one of them. You’ve got ‘Galilean’ written all over you.” Remember his response? Not once, not twice, but three times - he chose to distance himself from Jesus! Peter got really nervous and swore, “I never laid eyes on this man you’re talking about.” Just then the rooster crowed a second time. Peter remembered how Jesus had said, “Before a rooster crows twice, you’ll deny me three times.” He collapsed in tears.
A few months after Peter ran from his association with Jesus, he was once again on the 'hot seat' before the religious elite of Jerusalem. Seems that they took exception to the healing of a lame man in the temple. Peter and John were hauled in before the authorities where they were told to shut up and go home to Galilee! This time, Peter drew on the power of the Spirit and answered those who tried to intimidate him to silence saying, {Acts 4:8-12 NLT}
“Leaders and elders of our nation, are we being questioned because we’ve done a good deed for a crippled man? Do you want to know how he was healed?
Let me clearly state to you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed in the name and power of Jesus Christ from Nazareth, the man you crucified, but whom God raised from the dead. For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’ There is salvation in no one else! There is no other name in all of heaven for people to call on to save them.”
The response of those who were sitting in judgment of the new Christians is revealing: Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. {Acts 4:13 NKJV}
I gladly (can I say, proudly?) wear the Name of Christ. I pray that when people spend very much time with me the one thing, more than any other, that will define me is being like Jesus! That's a high aspiration, far beyond my ability to achieve on my own! However, if I live intimately with God, praying faithfully, reading His Word regularly, worshipping among those who share my desire to know Him, and listening attentively to the Spirit - I will become like Him!
But, I'll admit that sometimes I don't want to be identified with some people who lay claim to being 'Christian!' I want to stay far, far from hose who 'hate in His name.' I don't want to be lumped in with those who have turned 'Christianity' into a private 'bless me' club that have no real concern for the poor, the oppressed, and the weak. I am really uncomfortable with those who confuse being middle class and Republican with being 'Christian' too.
In our world, may it said of us 'they have been with Jesus!' If HE is lifted up, He will draw all people to Himself. May His glory so fill our lives that we become invisible and He is clearly seen in our actions and heard in our words.
_____________________
You're invited to join our special gatherings this Holy Weekend-
see a full schedule at www.washingtonag.net/service.htm
Good Friday- March 25
7:00 PM -Communion Worship
8:00 PM- A showing of "The Passion of the Christ" (no admission charge)
Easter Sunday
8:00 AM - "Sunrise" service at Meadow Breeze Park
9:00 AM - Continental Breakfast in the Family Fellowship Center
10:30 Worship service - with Baptism
Please note: TFTD will be taking a break next week for a few days!
Friday, March 25, 2005
Thursday, March 24, 2005
Truth claims
From time to time, I think "What's the use of all this?" The apparent futility of resisting evil and sin's destruction, at times, is overwhelming. Evil sneers from the dark corners of the world defying the Believer's hope for change. Death stares at us defiantly from battle fields and hospital beds. Debauchery sinks its claws more deeply into our prosperous society all the time. Our entertainment industry sinks lower by the month; on many campuses college dorms have become brothels where our sons and daughters give away their dignity and then cover their shame with drunkenness; our high schools are sewers of vulgarity where the mention of God is legally sanctioned. If I look too long at the darkness, I feel the desire to just 'eat, drink, and have a good time!' When my eyes lose sight of the Cross, momentarily at least, my hope for the triumph of Christ's Kingdom wanes.
But, I am compelled by the Resurrection to stay in the race! It is the one truth, more than any other, that draws me along the Way. Gaither wrote it simply in that Gospel song-- "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow; ... and life is worth the living just because He lives." Did Jesus literally rise from the dead? That is the testimony of the Scripture and the linchpin of our faith.
If we re-define the Resurrection to be something less than His literal return to life from the tomb where He lay dead, we essentially reduce Christianity to a system of moral teachings, interesting, but certainly not compelling. For what reason would anyone take seriously Jesus' call to 'turn the other cheek' when assaulted by evil, unless he had a hope of ultimate justice and reward? Why would we choose to become servants to others if we did not think that there was life beyond this present world? Without the hope of the Resurrection, we succumb to the law of survival, and live to secure our comfort for as many days as we exist on this beautiful planet.
It is a strange paradox that the declaration of the Resurrection to eternal life should be a powerful motivator to faithful, self-sacrificial service in this present world, but it is! Some misunderstand this hope of heaven as a reason to disengage from the sinful world, to live in isolation while awaiting rescue from on high! Exactly the opposite is true. In the 15th chapter of 1st Corinthians, Paul makes an eloquent case for Jesus' resurrection and what that means to us. The apostle ranks the Resurrection as a doctrine 'of first importance.' He offers the historical proofs for it. He sets the truth in context of the Believer's life saying, "And if Christ wasn’t raised, then all you’re doing is wandering about in the dark, as lost as ever. It’s even worse for those who died hoping in Christ and resurrection, because they’re already in their graves. If all we get out of Christ is a little inspiration for a few short years, we’re a pretty sorry lot." {1 Cor. 15:17-19 Message}
Then, he develops the fact of the consequence of sin being evident in Adam's death, in which we all share and the consequence of the Cross being evident in Christ's Resurrection, which all can be made alive!
At the end of this passage, Paul summarizes with these inspired words: How we thank God, who gives us victory over sin and death through Jesus Christ our Lord! So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and steady, always enthusiastic about the Lord’s work, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. {1 Cor. 15:57-58 NLT}
Lift your focus from the news, from the rampant sin, even from your own weakness. Look to the Cross, and by faith, beyond the Cross to the Empty Tomb of the Lord, which is the visible promise that you, too, will live beyond your death!
Then, pour yourself into serving Him wherever He puts you, in whatever desperate circumstances surround you, without care for the cost. It isn't over when they sound taps at our grave - it's just the beginning of the life we really long for as the Spirit makes us alive to God! Jesus Lives and so shall we. Hallelujah.
But, I am compelled by the Resurrection to stay in the race! It is the one truth, more than any other, that draws me along the Way. Gaither wrote it simply in that Gospel song-- "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow; ... and life is worth the living just because He lives." Did Jesus literally rise from the dead? That is the testimony of the Scripture and the linchpin of our faith.
If we re-define the Resurrection to be something less than His literal return to life from the tomb where He lay dead, we essentially reduce Christianity to a system of moral teachings, interesting, but certainly not compelling. For what reason would anyone take seriously Jesus' call to 'turn the other cheek' when assaulted by evil, unless he had a hope of ultimate justice and reward? Why would we choose to become servants to others if we did not think that there was life beyond this present world? Without the hope of the Resurrection, we succumb to the law of survival, and live to secure our comfort for as many days as we exist on this beautiful planet.
It is a strange paradox that the declaration of the Resurrection to eternal life should be a powerful motivator to faithful, self-sacrificial service in this present world, but it is! Some misunderstand this hope of heaven as a reason to disengage from the sinful world, to live in isolation while awaiting rescue from on high! Exactly the opposite is true. In the 15th chapter of 1st Corinthians, Paul makes an eloquent case for Jesus' resurrection and what that means to us. The apostle ranks the Resurrection as a doctrine 'of first importance.' He offers the historical proofs for it. He sets the truth in context of the Believer's life saying, "And if Christ wasn’t raised, then all you’re doing is wandering about in the dark, as lost as ever. It’s even worse for those who died hoping in Christ and resurrection, because they’re already in their graves. If all we get out of Christ is a little inspiration for a few short years, we’re a pretty sorry lot." {1 Cor. 15:17-19 Message}
Then, he develops the fact of the consequence of sin being evident in Adam's death, in which we all share and the consequence of the Cross being evident in Christ's Resurrection, which all can be made alive!
At the end of this passage, Paul summarizes with these inspired words: How we thank God, who gives us victory over sin and death through Jesus Christ our Lord! So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and steady, always enthusiastic about the Lord’s work, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. {1 Cor. 15:57-58 NLT}
Lift your focus from the news, from the rampant sin, even from your own weakness. Look to the Cross, and by faith, beyond the Cross to the Empty Tomb of the Lord, which is the visible promise that you, too, will live beyond your death!
Then, pour yourself into serving Him wherever He puts you, in whatever desperate circumstances surround you, without care for the cost. It isn't over when they sound taps at our grave - it's just the beginning of the life we really long for as the Spirit makes us alive to God! Jesus Lives and so shall we. Hallelujah.
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Walking in the dark?
The church that I pastor meets in a large building with a high vaulted ceiling. I am familiar with every corner and room in it, yet... walking through the building in the dark of night still makes my heart pound! The rafters creak, the wind moans around the sharp corners of the roof, shadows dance on the walls and - in the dark - my mind responds with fear. In the bright light of morning, the same set of circumstances in the identical room produces no fear whatever. Just for the record, I'm not a alone in this reaction. Many people report feeling that same kind of fear in big, dark buildings!
Are you walking in the dark today? Is the Light of life dimmed by situations that leave you feeling afraid? Perhaps this is the plan of God for you right now. Consider this. Jesus' disciples listened as He talked about going to Jerusalem to die. Peter objected and was severely rebuked, "Get behind me, Satan!" During the week prior to His death, Jesus told the disciples terrible things about the future of Jerusalem: "the Temple will be destroyed, terrible times will come when the residents of this city will run for their lives." He warned those who were closest to Him about their own failure of faith that would happen on the night of His betrayal. Again Peter objected, "Maybe those other guys, but NOT me!" Jesus told him that he would fail spectacularly, even openly denying Him- which he did! Judas deserted his brothers, joining with their enemies. Jesus was taken into custody for an illegal midnight trial of sorts. The disciples deserted Him scattering into the night in terror. That week ended with His crucifixion. John tells us that the disciples hid behind locked doors, deeply shaken and fearful. And you think you've had a bad week?
Sometimes God's people have to walk through dark times! The Passion Week is an annual reminder that God's road to to victory often leads through the valley of the shadow of death. There would not be a Resurrection morning without a Good Friday. The Psalmist reminds us, however, that (23:4 NLT) "Even when I walk through the dark valley of death, I will not be afraid..." Why? "...for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me."
We must remember - even when we cannot see Him - He is with us. The darkness of death, disappointment, and even demonic attack descends on us. That is the common human experience! Peter urges us to stay steady, even when we're in the dark. "Don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—because these trials will make you partners with Christ in his suffering, and afterward you will have the wonderful joy of sharing his glory when it is displayed to all the world." 1 Peter 4:12-13 NLT
Are you in the dark? Sing like Paul and Silas sang at midnight! (Acts 16)And wait for the deliverance of the Lord to restore the Light to your life.
Are you walking in the dark today? Is the Light of life dimmed by situations that leave you feeling afraid? Perhaps this is the plan of God for you right now. Consider this. Jesus' disciples listened as He talked about going to Jerusalem to die. Peter objected and was severely rebuked, "Get behind me, Satan!" During the week prior to His death, Jesus told the disciples terrible things about the future of Jerusalem: "the Temple will be destroyed, terrible times will come when the residents of this city will run for their lives." He warned those who were closest to Him about their own failure of faith that would happen on the night of His betrayal. Again Peter objected, "Maybe those other guys, but NOT me!" Jesus told him that he would fail spectacularly, even openly denying Him- which he did! Judas deserted his brothers, joining with their enemies. Jesus was taken into custody for an illegal midnight trial of sorts. The disciples deserted Him scattering into the night in terror. That week ended with His crucifixion. John tells us that the disciples hid behind locked doors, deeply shaken and fearful. And you think you've had a bad week?
Sometimes God's people have to walk through dark times! The Passion Week is an annual reminder that God's road to to victory often leads through the valley of the shadow of death. There would not be a Resurrection morning without a Good Friday. The Psalmist reminds us, however, that (23:4 NLT) "Even when I walk through the dark valley of death, I will not be afraid..." Why? "...for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me."
We must remember - even when we cannot see Him - He is with us. The darkness of death, disappointment, and even demonic attack descends on us. That is the common human experience! Peter urges us to stay steady, even when we're in the dark. "Don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—because these trials will make you partners with Christ in his suffering, and afterward you will have the wonderful joy of sharing his glory when it is displayed to all the world." 1 Peter 4:12-13 NLT
Are you in the dark? Sing like Paul and Silas sang at midnight! (Acts 16)And wait for the deliverance of the Lord to restore the Light to your life.
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
A Whole person
I had the tires on Bev's Jeep balanced last week. Driving down the road there was a noticeable- thump, thump, thump - indicating that this service was needed. The technician took the wheels off the vehicle, put them, one by one, in a machine and spun them at highway speed. He then put little lead weights at various spots at the edge of each wheel to get it in balance. Is your life balanced? What do I mean? Is there a proper emphasis on the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of your whole being?
Dr. Stephen Covey, in his latest book, The 8th Habit, writes about these four parts of our being. He suggests that we have four kinds of intelligence:
IQ - with which we are all familiar, that describes our mental abilities,
PQ- our physical intelligence, how well we discipline and train our body,
EQ- our emotional intelligence, self-awareness and how well we relate to others, and
SQ- spiritual intelligence, the ability to listen to God and live by higher principles.
We spend our childhood and early adult years developing our intellectual abilities in schools and training programs. In this era which is marked by increasing complexity, IQ is an important skill on which we spend much time and money. But now we realize that IQ alone doesn't predict success! In fact, EQ is at least as important a predictor of success in life as IQ, perhaps even more. A person who has great intellectual abilities, but who has never learned to be a team player, to relate well to others, is unlikely to find a place where he can use his mental gifts no matter how great they may be. We take for granted our PQ, learning many physical skills seemingly without effort. Did you have to remind yourself to breathe, your heart to beat, or your eye lids to blink? Still, we realize that we must exercise our bodies, restrain its appetites, take control or we will become slaves of food, sex, or comfort. Americans, despite their love of sports and conditioning, have an amazing ignorance when it comes to their bodies, whose desires are often allowed to rule, even destroy, their whole life. Appetites, allowed out of balance, tear us apart.
SQ cannot be ignored! True wisdom flows from being made alive by the Spirit of God, by having our spirit closely aligned with His Spirit, so that we live in harmony with the eternal principles around which we were created. Without spiritual intelligence, our lives will lack meaningful purpose. Einstein was once asked what one question he would like to ask God. He replied, "How did the universe start? After that, everything else is just math!" Then after more thought Einstein changed his mind. "Instead I would ask, 'why was the universe created?' Then I would know the meaning of my life." (as quoted in The 8th Habit, page 72)
Dr. Einstein I know why the universe was created. The Psalmist says, The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. (Psalm 19:1-4, NIV) If the purpose of the stars and sky is to pour out silent adoration of the Creator, then I know my purpose is to worship and honor Him, too. So, we must kneel before our Maker and ask that He come to us and restore our SQ so that we will live with purpose and meaning-- in this life and thus, in the eternal one. Jesus spoke to our multi-part being. Take a look. "And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’" (Mark 12:30, NLT)
Are you balanced in your worship and devotion? Is the way you use your physical body honoring its Creator? Are your emotions being used in ways that create ties of empathy to others? Are you knowledgeable about yourself, why you do what you do, overcoming an emotional barriers to knowing God? How about your intelligence? Do you perceive the world with true understanding? Is your spirit alive in Christ, filled with Divine Life, so that you are able to respond to God's high calling for you today?
Covey suggests a simple way to start toward balance. I quote:
For the body- assume you've had a heart attack; now live accordingly.
For the mind- assume the half-life of your profession is two years; now live accordingly.
For the heart- assume everything you say about another, they can over hear; now live accordingly.
For the spirit- assume that you have a one on one visit with your Creator every quarter; now live accordingly.
Get in balance!
Become a whole person, with a life that is lived purposefully for the Glory of God.
Dr. Stephen Covey, in his latest book, The 8th Habit, writes about these four parts of our being. He suggests that we have four kinds of intelligence:
IQ - with which we are all familiar, that describes our mental abilities,
PQ- our physical intelligence, how well we discipline and train our body,
EQ- our emotional intelligence, self-awareness and how well we relate to others, and
SQ- spiritual intelligence, the ability to listen to God and live by higher principles.
We spend our childhood and early adult years developing our intellectual abilities in schools and training programs. In this era which is marked by increasing complexity, IQ is an important skill on which we spend much time and money. But now we realize that IQ alone doesn't predict success! In fact, EQ is at least as important a predictor of success in life as IQ, perhaps even more. A person who has great intellectual abilities, but who has never learned to be a team player, to relate well to others, is unlikely to find a place where he can use his mental gifts no matter how great they may be. We take for granted our PQ, learning many physical skills seemingly without effort. Did you have to remind yourself to breathe, your heart to beat, or your eye lids to blink? Still, we realize that we must exercise our bodies, restrain its appetites, take control or we will become slaves of food, sex, or comfort. Americans, despite their love of sports and conditioning, have an amazing ignorance when it comes to their bodies, whose desires are often allowed to rule, even destroy, their whole life. Appetites, allowed out of balance, tear us apart.
SQ cannot be ignored! True wisdom flows from being made alive by the Spirit of God, by having our spirit closely aligned with His Spirit, so that we live in harmony with the eternal principles around which we were created. Without spiritual intelligence, our lives will lack meaningful purpose. Einstein was once asked what one question he would like to ask God. He replied, "How did the universe start? After that, everything else is just math!" Then after more thought Einstein changed his mind. "Instead I would ask, 'why was the universe created?' Then I would know the meaning of my life." (as quoted in The 8th Habit, page 72)
Dr. Einstein I know why the universe was created. The Psalmist says, The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. (Psalm 19:1-4, NIV) If the purpose of the stars and sky is to pour out silent adoration of the Creator, then I know my purpose is to worship and honor Him, too. So, we must kneel before our Maker and ask that He come to us and restore our SQ so that we will live with purpose and meaning-- in this life and thus, in the eternal one. Jesus spoke to our multi-part being. Take a look. "And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’" (Mark 12:30, NLT)
Are you balanced in your worship and devotion? Is the way you use your physical body honoring its Creator? Are your emotions being used in ways that create ties of empathy to others? Are you knowledgeable about yourself, why you do what you do, overcoming an emotional barriers to knowing God? How about your intelligence? Do you perceive the world with true understanding? Is your spirit alive in Christ, filled with Divine Life, so that you are able to respond to God's high calling for you today?
Covey suggests a simple way to start toward balance. I quote:
For the body- assume you've had a heart attack; now live accordingly.
For the mind- assume the half-life of your profession is two years; now live accordingly.
For the heart- assume everything you say about another, they can over hear; now live accordingly.
For the spirit- assume that you have a one on one visit with your Creator every quarter; now live accordingly.
Get in balance!
Become a whole person, with a life that is lived purposefully for the Glory of God.
Monday, March 21, 2005
Glory faded, reborn?
Once known as the the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Nativity, the imposing stone structure stands at the corner of 17th and Tioga Sts. in Philadelphia. Her majesty is still evident despite years of neglect and vandalism. There is a faded beauty to be seen under the layers of brokenness and grime. On Saturday, I was part of a team that started to clean out this old church in preparation for the birth of a new church in the building next year, to be named appropriately enough - Resurrection Life Church. Standing in the vaulted room of the sanctuary, I could almost hear faint echoes of past choir anthems raised in God's praise, of weddings, funerals, celebrations of Christmas and Easter, swirling around us. I closed my eyes and 'saw' people dressed in the formal Sunday clothes of the 1930's. I wondered when her roof was first left without repair, when the organ stopped working, when the last members of that congregation turned the keys in the huge wooden doors and abandoned her.
And... I prayed that the building might soon be home to yet another congregation whose voices would fill the neighborhood with glorious sounds of adoration of the Almighty God.
Congregations rise and wane with time. Programs that are started with great fanfare and enthusiasm eventually lose their purpose or context in the world and come to an end. Buildings crumble under the assault of wind and rain. That is why our focus must not be on the super-structures of the Church - those very programs and buildings - but on the heart of the Church - the people in whom God's Spirit resides. Lives that are touched by Him, that are changed by encounters with the Living God, are eternal!
To what are you giving your life? Are they the things that really matter and will they last beyond your earthly passage? To be sure, the temporal world demands our attention. Our bodies must be fed and clothed; our homes maintained, our cars kept in repair, and our lawns mowed. But to make such things the meaning and purpose of living will lead us to share the Preacher's sad refrain -- “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?" (Ecclesiastes 1:2-3, NIV)
Jesus teaches us to adopt an eternal perspective and thus to "Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being." (Matthew 6:20-21, The Message) What does He mean? Make sure that the real focus of your day to day activities has a greater purpose than buildings and programs! You're a spiritual being- first and foremost- so tend the spiritual house with your greatest energies! Love, forgiveness, sharing, caring - really are the choices that matter most. Perhaps you're not finding this TFTD very cheery today, focused as it is on the shortness of our lives here on earth. Maybe pondering your mortality isn't something you do very often. But, we should! Knowing that what we see is not 'forever' helps us to do those things that will last beyond our lifetime.
Here's a word from the Word to take with you today: "For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down—when we die and leave these bodies—we will have a home in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands.... So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. That is why we live by believing and not by seeing. Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord." (2 Corinthians 5:1, 6-8, NLT)
___________________
While we walk the pilgrim pathway,
Clouds will overspread the sky;
But when traveling days are over,
Not a shadow, not a sigh.
Let us then be true and faithful,
Trusting, serving every day;
Just one glimpse of Him in glory
Will the toils of life repay.
Onward to the prize before us!
Soon His beauty we'll behold;
Soon the pearly gates will open,
We shall tread the streets of gold.
When we all get to heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We'll sing and shout the victory.
© Public Domain CCLI License No. 810055
And... I prayed that the building might soon be home to yet another congregation whose voices would fill the neighborhood with glorious sounds of adoration of the Almighty God.
Congregations rise and wane with time. Programs that are started with great fanfare and enthusiasm eventually lose their purpose or context in the world and come to an end. Buildings crumble under the assault of wind and rain. That is why our focus must not be on the super-structures of the Church - those very programs and buildings - but on the heart of the Church - the people in whom God's Spirit resides. Lives that are touched by Him, that are changed by encounters with the Living God, are eternal!
To what are you giving your life? Are they the things that really matter and will they last beyond your earthly passage? To be sure, the temporal world demands our attention. Our bodies must be fed and clothed; our homes maintained, our cars kept in repair, and our lawns mowed. But to make such things the meaning and purpose of living will lead us to share the Preacher's sad refrain -- “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?" (Ecclesiastes 1:2-3, NIV)
Jesus teaches us to adopt an eternal perspective and thus to "Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being." (Matthew 6:20-21, The Message) What does He mean? Make sure that the real focus of your day to day activities has a greater purpose than buildings and programs! You're a spiritual being- first and foremost- so tend the spiritual house with your greatest energies! Love, forgiveness, sharing, caring - really are the choices that matter most. Perhaps you're not finding this TFTD very cheery today, focused as it is on the shortness of our lives here on earth. Maybe pondering your mortality isn't something you do very often. But, we should! Knowing that what we see is not 'forever' helps us to do those things that will last beyond our lifetime.
Here's a word from the Word to take with you today: "For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down—when we die and leave these bodies—we will have a home in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands.... So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. That is why we live by believing and not by seeing. Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord." (2 Corinthians 5:1, 6-8, NLT)
___________________
While we walk the pilgrim pathway,
Clouds will overspread the sky;
But when traveling days are over,
Not a shadow, not a sigh.
Let us then be true and faithful,
Trusting, serving every day;
Just one glimpse of Him in glory
Will the toils of life repay.
Onward to the prize before us!
Soon His beauty we'll behold;
Soon the pearly gates will open,
We shall tread the streets of gold.
When we all get to heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We'll sing and shout the victory.
© Public Domain CCLI License No. 810055
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