Why it makes sense

Saturday I took a drive in my Jeep along the Delaware River with the top down. The smells of the forest, the bird songs, the shafts of sun through the canopies of leaves made for a great ride. 

On the way home, I drove past a hotel where Bev and I stayed on the first night of our honeymoon in 1975. A tsunami of memories washed over me, scenes from 41 years of married life flashing through my mind in rapid succession. Smile if you will at an older man’s musing, but it is true:  life passes so quickly! Many advise us to make each day count. That is surely sound counsel but even in that good choice the days will fly by and the grave will stare back at us.

Did those memories make me sad? Yes, they did. I would be an ungrateful fool were I to fail to appreciate that God’s grace is mine in abundance, shown in the ways He has blessed me. I’ve known many comforts, great joys, deep friendships, the love of my late wife, watched my four amazingly wonderful children find their own success in the world.   

AND YET - even with my blessed life, eventually the music slows, the earthly joys fade, and only memories remain. What then?  Some will sing Solomon’s sad song of meaninglessness. "Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun." (Ecclesiastes 2:11, NIV)

I will not! Why? Because there is more beyond. Though I have much more past than future at this point in my life here on earth, I know that I am just concluding the prelude to the real story. Paul writes of the compelling truth of Christ’s Resurrection, reminds us that we, like Him, will live forever. Then, he concludes "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 Corinthians 15:58, NLT)

The paradox of the hope of eternal life that it actually makes life, here and now, richer! When we accept, by faith, that our Creator made us to love and serve Him, that we will know rest and communion with Him when we get Home, we are inspired to dig deep into the best that this life offers. 

The late Dallas Willard reminds Christians that without a real conviction about Heaven and home we risk becoming disillusioned, even embittered, with the passing of time. "I meet many faithful Christians who, in spite of their faith, are deeply disappointed in how their lives have turned out. Sometimes it is a matter of how they experience aging, which they take to mean they no longer have a future. But often, due to circumstances or wrongful decisions and actions by others, what they had hoped to accomplish in life they did not .... Much of the distress of these people comes from a failure to realize that their life lies before them… the life that lies endlessly before us in the kingdom of God." (The Divine Conspiracy) 

Christian, are you waiting to live that ‘eternal life’ when your body breathes your last breath?  What a mistake. WE are citizens of Heaven, now by the grace of Jesus Christ.  We can commune with the Lord of Glory now and in our worship and service we can bring Heaven to earth, even while we have a sincere expectation of glories yet to come.   

Let’s not diminish the compelling nature of God’s promise by indulging in romantic, baseless imaginations about heaven. Pop culture ideas have little connection with the truth. The images of the misty fog enveloping transparent spirits floating in a ghostly realm, that we will become angelic beings who strum harps while drifting in the clouds, are nonsense. That Heaven is just a better version is earth is attractive but misses the truth by a mile, too. Heaven is a real place that was created by the God Who made the beauty of a rose that lasts a few days, the wonder of a sunset sky that fades in moments. It is actually beyond our ability to even imagine what He has made for us in a place that knows no time, no end. The best conversations, the deepest love for another, the most wonderful worship, the most blissful day - are just glimpses of what we will enjoy in our eternal Home!  

This is why it all makes sense. By faith, reach out and set your hope in Heaven.  Never lose sight of that place. When the chaos of the present overwhelms you, when temptation tries to distract you, when disappointment breaks your heart - thank God that He has written Heaven into your heart.  

Jesus’ words of promise are our word from the Word.  Read them, believe them; He promised. “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also." (John 14:1-3, NKJV)

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Living Hope

How great the chasm that lay between us

How high the mountain I could not climb

In desperation I turned to heaven

And spoke Your name into the night

Then through the darkness Your loving-kindness

Tore through the shadows of my soul

The work is finished the end is written

Jesus Christ my living hope

Who could imagine so great a mercy

What heart could fathom such boundless grace

The God of ages stepped down from glory

To wear my sin and bear my shame

The cross has spoken I am forgiven

The King of kings calls me His own

Beautiful Savior I’m Yours forever

Jesus Christ my living hope

Hallelujah praise the One who set me free

Hallelujah death has lost its grip on me

You have broken every chain

There’s salvation in Your name

Jesus Christ my living hope

Then came the morning that sealed the promise

Your buried body began to breathe

Out of the silence the Roaring Lion

Declared the grave has no claim on me

Jesus Yours is the victory whoa

Jesus Christ my living hope

Oh God You are my living hope

Brian Johnson | Phil Wickham

© 2017 Phil Wickham Music (Fair Trade Music Publishing

[c/o Essential Music Publishing LLC])

Sing My Songs (Fair Trade Music Publishing

CCLI License # 810055

Kingdom Come!

As I see the world’s chaos, I often breathe a phrase from Jesus’ prayer – “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” It is a settling benediction, reminding me that I belong to a mighty God, that His plan is sure, my hope secure. My heart turns often these days to longing for the Coming of the Lord.  Jesus will return. It was His final promise and it is the Blessed Hope of the Christian Church. 

Those mysterious chapters near the end of Matthew’s Gospel contain Jesus’ own words about His coming kingdom. “At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other." (Matthew 24:30-31, NIV)  In the face of the growing godlessness of the world, in a time when Self is worshiped as supreme, I breathe  “Lord, let Your Kingdom come.”

This hope is not formed around a few isolated texts in the Bible. Isaiah looked for the Kingdom of God to come with peace. Ezekiel saw frightful visions of the Kingdom to come.  Daniel stood before the Babylonian emperor and interpreted that pagan king’s dream that revealed the plans of God. Centuries before the first advent, Daniel peered through time and saw that Day of Christ’s Kingdom to come. “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands—a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces. “The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and the interpretation is trustworthy.” (Daniel 2:44-45, NIV)  

Paul urges us to look up, expecting the Lord’s return. "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever." (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, NIV)

Let us not forget this important truth. There is an aspect to that prayer-“Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven” - that is a call to service. How so? When I pray with Him for His Kingdom come, I am committing to live now as a citizen of that as yet unseen Kingdom!  I am an ambassador of Christ, the King, who is to seek justice, practice compassion, to be merciful, and to faithfully call people to be reconciled to God. Kingdom Christians make their King known in the middle of the pain, the problems, the panic of this present world. (Or, at least they ought to.)   

When Christ is my King, not just in rhetoric, nor just in a Sunday sense, but in the actual practices of my day to day life, I am bringing His Kingdom to earth. Remember when Jesus sent out disciples for ministry? What did He tell them to say?  "Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’" (Luke 10:9, NIV)  Those preachers were told to tell people that God was not ‘out there, somewhere’ but that He is active, loving, and ready to save them.  Yes, Christian, when pray for the “Kingdom Come” we are not only longing for that future revelation of His return, we are seeking God’s provision, protection, and power to be revealed right now.

Though we long for the glory of sin’s defeat and the wonder of the full realization of our salvation at His glorious return, there is much to do while we wait.  The Scripture’s promises of a renewal of all things, a final defeat of evil, and the revelation of God’s glory is not meant to distract us from doing the work of the Lord. It is a promise to keep us on purpose, boldly facing the world, our sinful nature, and the Devil himself with tenacity in proclamation of Christ’s Gospel.

Are the headlines of pandemic, war, godlessness, the emergence of world government, disasters, and chaos tearing at your soul?

Is your heart broken for the suffering that is presently visited on millions around the world?
Are you weary, Christian, wanting to be holy but finding yourself failing too often?

Pray with me - “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”

The word from the Word says - "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good." (Titus 2:11-14, NIV)

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The Lion And The Lamb

He's coming on the clouds

Kings and kingdoms will bow down

And every chain will break

As broken hearts declare His praise

For who can stop the Lord Almighty

Our God is the Lion

The Lion of Judah

He's roaring with power

And fighting our battles

And every knee will bow before Him

Our God is the Lamb

The Lamb that was slain

For the sins of the world

His blood breaks the chains

And every knee will bow before the Lion and the Lamb

Every knee will bow before Him

So open up the gates

Make way before the King of kings

The God who comes to save

Is here to set the captives free

For who can stop the Lord Almighty

Who can stop the Lord Almighty

Who can stop the Lord (Almighty)

Brenton Brown | Brian Johnson | Leeland Mooring

© 2015 Meaux Mercy (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

Thankyou Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

The Devil Is A Liar! Publishing (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

Bethel Music Publishing

CCLI License # 810055

What did you say?

I scanned my Facebook newsfeed and nearly came to despair over our ability to find a way forward. Cheap verbal shots abound. Complex issues are reduced to sound bites. Slogans substitute for substantial conversations. People are judged, condemned, and written off – then labeled.  “Racist.” “Stupid.” “Bigot.” “Fool.” 

Real questions that might lead to discovery go unasked because certain things must never be spoken. We dare not wonder aloud about the polar extremes in this national crisis without risking offending the other ‘side.’ One word can make another decide we are no longer worthy of their friendship without the benefit of even one conversation. It is a tragic development. The danger makes many, the majority I think, join a safe silence.

God, the Spirit, reminds us of this. "Live wisely among those who are not Christians, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and effective so that you will have the right answer for everyone." (Colossians 4:5-6, NLT) ‘Let your conversation be gracious.’   What a thought. Because of Christ Jesus, our words and actions are to flow out of a place of kindness and gentleness; being full of good will. When that persons says something with which we disagree, instead of shutting the conversation down with a look of derision, with a quick word of judgment, we can gently inquire further, looking for clarification, trying to understand how they came to that way of thinking.  But, will we?

A good listener can draw a toxic poison in the soul to the surface is she will probes gently with leading questions, listening without racing to judgment. Listening does not mean that we affirm the truthfulness of every word spoken. God forbid! Nor, can we abandon the core of convictions with that dishonest dismissal that says, “Well, you have your truth and I have mine.”  Such ‘tolerance’ does not bring real understanding.  Then, too, we commit ourselves to the process in this exchange, knowing how unlikely it is that a single conversation will change long-standing assumptions. A loving discussion, however, that allows for mistakes, that lets offensive ideas make their way into the open, that seeks to know the person as well as his ideas, can create moments of revelation.

Christian, are you humble enough to listen and learn? 
Are you willing to set aside the need to be right long enough to keep engaged with that person who really needs to talk?

Will you patiently let another vent while pursuing a conversation past the point of unpleasantness to real discovery?

Words do matter. Lies must be exposed. To suggest otherwise is to lack courage. We do not bring about righteousness by silencing others. We humbly engage, reveal, listen, learn, and grow together for the sake of love and humanity. This is the heart of our Christian commitment.  Jesus says we are people of the truth but the signature mark of those who are ‘in Christ,’ is love – for God, for others – even those with whom we differ.

Here is a word from the Word. It is lengthy but oh so full of correction for this time in which we live. Let’s commit to living lovingly in the Truth, for God’s sake.

"Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he is the one who has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you." (Ephesians 4:29-32, NLT)

Now, what were you were saying?

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Stand In Your Love

When darkness tries to roll over my bones

When sorrow comes to steal the joy I own

When brokenness and pain is all I know

I won't be shaken I won't be shaken

My fear doesn't stand a chance

When I stand in Your love (repeat)

Shame no longer has a place to hide

I am not a captive to the lies

I'm not afraid to leave my past behind

I won't be shaken I won't be shaken

There's power that can break off every chain

There's power that can empty out a grave

There's resurrection power that can save

There's power in Your name power in Your name

Standing in Your love

Ethan Hulse | Josh Baldwin | Mark Harris | Rita Springer

© 2018 Be Essential Songs (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC)

EGH Music Publishing (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC)

Gateway Create Publishing (Fair Trade Music Publishing [c/o Essential Music Publishing LLC])

CCLI License # 810055