Longing for Christ's Return

Matthew 24:44 (NIV)  So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

            I wish I spent more time thinking on Christ’s return. The Scriptures call us to be watchful and waiting as we anticipate the return of Jesus. It is something to greatly desire and long for. Therefore, it is not a matter of wishful thinking, but a matter of constant readiness. So many biblical passages about the return of Christ have a two-fold perspective to them. On the one hand eagerness for the return of Christ is commended. It is described as a thing just as sure as His first coming… His life, death, resurrection, and ascension happened before the eyes of many witnesses. So will His return. But the second perspective always has to do with the here and now. It’s like the Bible is saying over and over again, “Jesus is returning. So what about now?”

            Jesus is returning, but one of the biggest impacts of this truth is related to how I live now. Because He is coming again – soon according to many biblical texts – I (we) should live in a certain way now. A future event has an influence on the choices, behaviors, and attitudes I have now - right now – every day that I live. The return of Christ influences how I handle hardship and suffering. It inspires me to a greater and more intentional pursuit of godly living and holiness of heart. It encourages me toward faithfulness and a deep commitment to stewardship of the gifts and blessings He has given me. It seems like the more I forget that Jesus is coming back the easier it is for me to sin, to become discouraged, and to live according to sight and not by faith. But when I remember the certainty of His return I am reminded of how much I have to live for and how much I have to live for Him. Upon His return I will be found faithful or faithless, walking in Him or walking according to my flesh, tending to His business or behaving as if my life is my own and that He will never come back.

            The Apostle Paul looked forward to Jesus’ return and spoke of those who “loved” it: “… in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:8 - NASB). What joy there is for those who live “loving his appearing”. Last week Joanne and I drove to Newark Airport to pick up Brianne and Mason. As we were walking toward the terminal I was thinking about how much I enjoy airport reunions. In my ins and outs of airports I have seen many joyful reunions of those ending journeys and those gathered to meet them. Hugs, kisses, and tears abound. And when you yourself are involved in one of those reunions it is even sweeter. In the terminal we found someone to help us find out where people on Brianne’s flight would be emerging. So there we went and waited. Our eyes were steadily focused on the hallway leading out of the gate area. We were looking for a young woman pushing a stroller. We had no interest in anyone who did not fit that description. People kept coming and coming through. It seemed like it was taking forever. The more anticipation we had, the longer it seemed to take. But we did not take our eyes off of that hallway, for we knew at any moment they would turn the corner and be heading for us. And, to our delight, finally, there they were coming our way. Then came our own hugs and kisses and tears. There is a joy to that that is very special.

Are my eyes on Christ’s return like this? I think I would be happy if I just had a moment every day to remember that Jesus is coming back. After all, the subject of His return is not meant to replace the stuff of my daily living, but rather to refine and define it. His return will bring the end of sin in me. It will bring a new clarity of sight and understanding, as I will no longer see through a glass darkly. It will be accompanied by an establishment of justice that was never fulfilled in this life. It will usher me into His presence. It will be the next step of His eternal purposes for me. It will feature a new ability to worship and depth of appreciation of who He is. Great joys await us! So let us be up on our tiptoes, craning our necks in anticipation. Our Lord is returning. We know not when, but we know that He is. May God give us at least a moment each day to remember His return and to long for His coming. Amen.

Matthew 24:42-45 (NIV) ⁴²  "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. ⁴³  But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴  So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. ⁴⁵  "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time?

Acts 1:10-11 (NIV) ¹⁰  They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ¹¹  "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."  

Titus 2:11-14 (NIV) ¹¹  For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. ¹²  It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, ¹³  while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, ¹⁴  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.

1 Peter 4:12-13 (NIV) ¹²  Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. ¹³  But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

1 John 2:28 (NIV)  And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.

PRAYER:  Father, stir my heart to love and long for the appearing of Jesus. Let your Spirit remind me each day and lead me to a few moments, at least, of this blessed hope. And may this daily discipline lead me to a holiness of life that is pleasing to you. I sincerely desire for Christ’s future return to impact me here and now. And I thank you for how that works. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!    

Scott

On the Verge of a Meltdown

Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV) ⁶  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

            Have you ever been on the verge of a meltdown?

            Golf fans watched Jordan Spieth have a meltdown on Sunday at the Masters Tournament in Augusta Georgia. The New York Post’s headline read: “Danny Willett takes 2016 Masters after Jordan Spieth’s Meltdown”. Spieth had a 5-shot lead in the final round after having the lead for the entire 4-day tournament. Here’s how the story was reported: “A bogey from the bunker on No. 10. A tee shot into the trees on No. 11 that led to another bogey. Willett made birdie on the 14th to get within one shot. Spieth only needed to get past the dangerous par-3 12th hole to settle himself, especially with two par 5s in front of him. Instead, his tee shot bounced off the slope and into the water. From the drop zone, his wedge was fat and Spieth turned his head. He didn't even look as it plopped into the water again. He made a quadruple-bogey 7. On the 10th tee, Spieth was five shots ahead. On the 13th tee, he was three shots behind.” In this context, the definition of a “meltdown” is “a rapid decline or collapse”. A few weeks ago, the Boston Bruins were cruising toward the playoffs in the NHL. Last week they were eliminated after losing too many of their final nine games. This was considered a meltdown at the end of their season.

            Many parents also know what a meltdown is. Little Johnny is in the grocery store with his mother and informs her that he wants a candy bar. Mommy says no. Johnny won’t take no for an answer. Mommy won’t give in. Johnny starts to scream and falls on the floor rolling around in anger. Mom later tells Grammy on a phone call that “Johnny had a meltdown in Hannaford today.” In this context, a meltdown is “a breakdown or loss of self-control”. The urban dictionary describes it this way: “what happens when a person freaks out, cracks, loses control of themselves. Life - reality at large- becomes overwhelming. They just can't deal with it all. The person may act out, withdraw, become emotional, run, etc...”

            Whether it is a stock market collapse, a team choking in the clutch (losing in a high stress situation), or a person losing their cool or “going ballistic”, meltdowns are rarely enjoyable to watch, and they are even more painful to be a part of. These ideas about meltdowns are derived from the original meaning of the word as it relates to a nuclear power plant disaster. In that scenario a reactor core literally melts from overheating and presents life-threatening danger if not contained (think Chernobyl, Three Mile Island, or the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear disaster in Japan after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami).

            In the book of Daniel we learn of a powerful king named Nebuchadnezzar who experienced a meltdown. You could say he lost his “cool” when three young Jewish captives refused to bow down and worship the large statue (of himself) that Nebuchadnezzar had erected. He even gave them a second chance of avoiding the fiery furnace he had built for those who refused to bow down. When they told him they still wouldn’t – that they couldn’t/wouldn’t forsake their God, the one true God – he became so angry that he ordered his furnace to be heated even (seven times) hotter. And then he had them thrown in. The man having a meltdown expected the fire to immediately melt down these stubborn young men. But it didn’t work, because God was with them, protecting them, preserving them from the literal power of fire.

            A God who can keep His faithful servants from a literal meltdown can also keep His servants from any kind of harmful emotional meltdown. Believers in Jesus who find themselves on the verge of a meltdown know and worship the same God that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did. The next time it is you on the verge of a meltdown, may your faith rise to the occasion like it did for them. And may you see the awesome deliverance of God like they did.

Daniel 3:12-30 (NIV) ¹²  But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon--Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego--who pay no attention to you, O king. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up." ¹³  Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, ¹⁴  and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? ¹⁵  Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?" ¹⁶  Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. ¹⁷  If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. ¹⁸  But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." ¹⁹  Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual ²⁰  and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. ²¹  So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. ²²  The king's command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, ²³  and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace. ²⁴  Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, "Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?" They replied, "Certainly, O king." ²⁵  He said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods." ²⁶  Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!" So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, ²⁷  and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them. ²⁸  Then Nebuchadnezzar said, "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. ²⁹  Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way." ³⁰  Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

PRAYER:  Father, circumstances often conspire to cause meltdowns in my life. Thank you that you are greater. Help me to trust you and to seek deliverance in you. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

"So Bad I Can Taste It"

Psalm 34:8 (NIV)  Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

            There is a scene near the end of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Return of the King where Frodo and Sam have accomplished their great quest of destroying the enemy’s evil ring. They have found a high place as lava from the erupting mountain flows around them. Sam is thinking about the food of home. They’ve had virtually nothing to eat for days and their physical strength is completely spent. Frodo is not so sure they will ever make it out of their predicament and get back home, which seems so distant in his mind that he can barely picture it. He doesn’t remember how good things tasted, and might taste again. So many times on their journey they had both longed for the culinary delights of their homes in the Shire.

            A good deal of my own memory associates with food in some way: my mom’s cooking, family meals at my grandmother’s house on holidays, what and where Joanne and I ate on so many wonderful occasions in our lives together, her mom’s mammoth meals in their small apartment in Brooklyn, the “steak” we had at the hospital the night after Brianne was born… the list of memories is way too large to choose from. Most of those memories connect us with people we have loved and known. When I remember the food I remember the person, and vice versa. I’m glad for this association, for when I remember I have a certain longing to be with the person again. When I think of them it leads me to thanksgiving to God for their place and impact in my life. I think of the goodness of knowing them, being influenced by them, being loved and loving. And I don’t just hunger for a taste of the food one more time. I hunger for the presence of the ones I miss.

            I stayed up late last night to watch the national championship game between Villanova and North Carolina. It was a great game with a spectacular last second finish. If you had asked any of those athletes before the game how badly they wanted to win, you probably would have heard at least one of them say something like, “I want to win it so bad I can taste it.” Anyone who has ever longed for something deeply enough understands that statement. It reflects a hunger and a desire for something that is so great that in your imagination you can experience how wonderful it will be when it happens.

            May our hunger and thirst for the Lord be the greatest hunger and thirst in our lives. It will be the only one – when met – that truly satisfies us.

Psalm 107:8-9 (NIV) ⁸  Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, ⁹  for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

Psalm 119:103 (NIV)  How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Psalm 34:10 (KJV)  The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.

Psalm 42:1-2 (NIV) ¹  As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. ²  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?

Psalm 63:1-2 (NIV) ¹  O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. ²  I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.

Matthew 5:6 (NIV)  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Revelation 7:16-17 (NIV) ¹⁶  Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. ¹⁷  For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

PRAYER:  Father, your love is steadfast and magnificent – even beyond the glories of Creation. You’re justice and wisdom exceed the greatness of mountains and oceans. And you are gentle and caring. Your constant love is of greater value than crown jewels, more precious than all the treasuries of earth. You are our protector and defender. You feed us with blessings from your own table and we drink from your rivers of delight. Thank you for making known to me the path of life, for filling me with joy in your presence, and for the eternal pleasures you give from your right hand. Thank you. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!    

Scott