The Son Shines Through

      Yesterday afternoon I was working at our dining room table in the afternoon. While working I was listening to the Beach Boys. The sunshine coming through the exterior doors was extremely enjoyable and dreaming about a beach someplace was a nice distraction. The sun’s reflection off the snow was bright to the eyes, but the best part was the warmth. It’s like that feeling on a cold day when you get into a car parked in direct sunlight. It’s cozy and warm inside: a real relief from the bitter air between the building you’re coming from and the inside of the vehicle. Just inside that dining room window felt so warm. I usually shovel off my deck, but it was still covered with the weekend snow just on the other side of the glass door. By the time I had done everything else on Sunday, I was so disgusted that I didn’t want to have anything to do with the deck. Maybe I’ll just wait until warmer weather melts it away. It was nice to be on the inside looking out. It was nice to be on the receiving end of what happened to the sunlight as it shone through the glass. The sun was the ultimate source of the light and warmth, but as it shone through the glass, its impact was experienced so much more directly and personally.

Perhaps as Christians we are a little bit like that window glass. We are not the source of any light or warmth, but the Holy Spirit dwells within us, and the life of Christ “shines” through us. The life of Christ transforms us, but it also has an impact on those beyond us. It’s not that we “glow” or anything hokey like that. But the presence of Christ is recognizable in us. People experience Christ in us and that should have an impact. Is it possible, in a certain way, to say that people “feel” Christ through us? Whether it is our joyful perseverance through trial, the humility that characterizes us, attitudes that stand out in contrast to the world around us, our generosity toward people, or good works that God has prepared for us to do, Christ’s “shining” through us will be a blessing to others. The more we stand in His light (His presence), the more opportunities we will find to be “conduits” of His love, grace, and peace. It’s a privilege to be used by Him in such a way.

Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV) ¹⁴  "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶  In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Psalm 4:4 (NIV) ⁴  In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Selah

Psalm 37:6 (NIV) ⁶  He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

Psalm 118:27-28 (NIV) ²⁷  The LORD is God, and he has made his light shine upon us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar. ²⁸  You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you.

Luke 1:76-80 (NIV) (Zachariah’s praise for the son of his old age, John the Baptist) ⁷⁶  And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, ⁷⁷  to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, ⁷⁸  because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven ⁷⁹  to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace." ⁸⁰  And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel.

2 Corinthians 4:5-6 (NIV) ⁵  For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. ⁶  For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

PRAYER:  Father, it’s a wonderful thing when people look at me and think of Jesus. I want that to happen more. Lead me into your Word and into your presence more and more, so that Christ may shine through me in ways that will bless others. Thank you. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!  

Scott

It Won't Be Missed?

      “That’s not supposed to be there!” I said these words last week when Linda, our church treasurer, asked me about a charge on our church credit card in the amount of $9.84 and dated December 21. I was trying to figure out and recall what I had charged that day when I remembered it was the day my daughter got married. I had done no shopping on that day. I took the letters from the charge on the church credit card statement and Googled them. Up came a plethora of sites indicating fraud – either directly or indirectly connected to the breach of information on accounts used at Target stores. Someone was trying to steal from us… probably a small amount at first, and who knows how much later. Well, that card had to be destroyed and replaced: hopefully little or no harm done. We can deal with a small inconvenience.

But it’s not a good feeling to be ripped off. When someone steals from you or cheats you, you feel slighted, demeaned, angry, sometimes foolish, annoyed, and at times, fearful. It’s like someone entered your privacy and violated you. The greater the loss, the greater the feeling of violation. And if the perpetrator is known to you, there is a violation of trust and a brokenness that is difficult to mend, accompanied by sadness as well.

The worst thing about stealing is that it is a violation of love. A positive way to say the 8^th commandment (“Thou shalt not steal.”) might be to say… “You shall love your neighbor!” Love for a neighbor leaves no room for harm (even the least amount of harm) to your neighbor. Whether it is information, property, money, or anything of a personal nature, that which belongs to your “neighbor”… belongs to your neighbor. For the worker in the office, the neighbor is the company. For the young man in school, the neighbor is his peer. For the citizen of a country, the neighbor could be one whom his taxes assist. The “neighbor” could be a family member or work associate. We have many neighbors.

Disciples of Jesus Christ are called to integrity in all their ways, and we are called by our Master to love our neighbor as ourselves. As in many instances in life, it can be the “little things” that trip us up: “I need a stamp to send this card. I’ll just grab one from the office desk. It’s just a few cents. It won’t be missed.” The “little” things somehow don’t seem to matter as much. “I just won’t report that gift I received. It was just a couple of hundred dollars. It won’t be missed.” “I’ll take pay for that work I didn’t do. It won’t be missed.” “I’ll just take that roll of toilet paper. It won’t be missed.” The list of possibilities is almost endless.

I don’t like to think of these things in legalistic ways. It’s not a matter of “keeping score” to see if we merit entrance into heaven or gain (in our own strength) God’s favor. If that is what it is about, we’ve already lost. It always comes back to love. As a follower of Jesus, I want to guard my thoughts and actions so that they are motivated by love. The choices I make in the Spirit communicate two very important things: to my neighbor they communicate “I love you.” To God, they communicate “I trust You.” (as well as “I love You.”). If “the Lord is my Shepherd” and “I have everything I need” (“I shall not want”) then I can rest in Him. I can trust Him. I do not need to take things into my own hands, and meet my needs (big or small) dishonestly. Because I can, and do, trust Him. Unbelief is the root of the sin of stealing, even stealing from God. God once accused His own people of stealing from Him. How can anyone steal from God, who possesses infinitely everything there is? Yet in Malachi God says those who hold back their tithes from Him are stealing from Him. That will give you a start if you hear it and pay attention to it. In that passage, something belongs to God, and people are keeping it for themselves. It’s not too different from what Ananias and Saphhira do in Acts 5. If you know what it is like to be stolen from, consider how God feels, as every theft – major and minor – is ultimately a sin against Him. Consider the grace of Christ, which led Him to the cross to shed His blood for those sins. It definitely is amazing grace.

May we guard our ways, and may the goal of our hearts be to be above reproach in this matter. May the motivation of our hearts be true love for neighbor, and absolute trust in the Lord, as the Holy Spirit fills us. May we repent of any lack of love or lack of trust, and experience the fullness of God’s peace and joy. AMEN.

Luke 6:31 (NIV) ³¹  Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV) ³⁷  Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' ³⁸  This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹  And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' ⁴⁰  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

Malachi 3:8-10 (NIV) ⁸  "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings. ⁹  You are under a curse--the whole nation of you--because you are robbing me. ¹⁰  Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.

Psalm 23:1 (NIV) ¹  The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

PRAYER:  Lord God, it is so easy to point the finger at the Bernie Madoff’s of our age and think that stealing is not our problem. Help us not to think little of anything that is significant to you. If there is any wicked way in me, you see it. Give me grace to repent, that my life – from the motives of my heart to the actions I engage in – may be pure in your sight. Thank you for your forgiveness of sin in this area of life. Thank you for the blood of Jesus, which cleanses from all. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!  

Scott

What's That in My Hand?

      The Lord put a thought in my mind on Sunday morning at our worship service when I was praying before the offering was received. So I ended up praying it. The thought was simple, but it hit me later as being pregnant with implications for my life and my relationship with Him. The thought was simply that every penny -  every piece of money that I have ever held in my hand – came from the Lord. And not only that… but also that it belonged to the Lord. That simple thought begs the question, “What have I done with what belongs to the Lord?” If you take some time to ponder that, other thoughts come into your head, such as, “I’ve really had a lot of money “in my hand” – maybe not all at once, but gift after gift, paycheck after paycheck, year after year.”… and “I wonder how much of what I have held in my hand was used for myself, and how much was used for others?”… and “God is amazingly generous.”… and “Does God consider me to be someone who has been ‘rich toward Him’?” You may end up with other thoughts and questions if you take time to think about what has been in your hand over your lifetime. I hope you experience the joy of the Lord when you do. For me, part of the joy has been to be able to confess to the Lord my selfishness and to experience God’s forgiveness. I have many attitudes and practices to repent of, but I am thankful that joy is at the end of all true repentance in my life.

Recently I met with seven folks who want to think about membership in First Baptist Church. I have been moving away from a “classroom” setting for membership preparation to a “self-study” approach. As part of that, I have begun to assign the reading of a book by Randy Alcorn called The Treasure Principle. It’s a small book. It’s one of those…”a day to read, a lifetime to master” books. It’s not a difficult read. The treasure principle itself is simple: “You can’t take it with you  but you can send it on ahead.” But the practice of this principle is a key part of our discipleship, surrender, and growth in Christ, which will be a process in our experience until we draw our last breath. Alcorn gives six keys to unlocking this principle: 1) God owns everything. I’m His money manager. 2) My heart always goes where I put God’s money. 3) Heaven, not earth, is my home. 4) I should not live for the dot (this life alone) but for the line (eternity). 5) Giving is the only antidote to materialism. 6) God promises me not to raise my standard of living, but to raise my standard of giving. Alcorn unpacks these in a very helpful way for the reader.

We have made this book available to our church in the past. If you still have the copy that was given out a few years ago, I encourage you to find it and to read it again. Actually, I think an annual re-reading would be a great blessing to any of us. When I read it before giving it to these prospective members, I did so in order to prepare a short study guide. When you’re doing something like that, you tend to look a little closer and think a little deeper. In doing so, the Lord reminded me of things which I needed to hear again. If anyone would like to have a copy of the study guide, let me know and I will give/send it to you.

For some believers, the wallet is the last thing to be “baptized”. I remember reading about how in the Middle Ages some “converts” (soldiers) were baptized, but held their sword in a hand that was not immersed. It was as if they felt they could leave a part of their lives un-surrendered to the Lord. I’ve seen a couple versions of the story, so I am not sure if it purely historical. Nevertheless, the image is quite vivid, isn’t it? As Christ is being formed in us, will He allow us to hold anything back from Him? What joy and happiness is missed when we clutch our hands around what God puts in them, instead of releasing it to Him? I think the answer is… “Much, much more than we realize.”

Martin Luther once said, “I have held many things in my hands and I have lost them all. But whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess.” What a plan for joy Jesus has for His disciples! I pray for eyes to see it… to see it clearly and to embrace it eagerly.

Acts 20:35 (NIV) ³⁵  In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

 Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV) ¹⁹  "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

PRAYER:  O Father, thank you for each and every penny that you have placed in my hand. Please forgive me for the misuse or waste of what belongs to you. Shape my thinking and behavior more and more toward generosity. Teach me where real joy is, and lead me to it. I do not want to miss out on the joy. Thanks.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!  

Scott

I'm Still Here and I Have Feelings

           One of our members – Dee Dee Shields – wrote the following piece. I have edited it slightly to make it a little shorter, but it is her work and contains her thoughts. I thought it was very good so I got her permission to share it with you…

I'M STILL HERE AND HAVE FEELINGS

            Growing old is a part of life that most of us will experience, unless for some unknown reason we are taken from this earth at an early age or are fortunate enough to make it old age without any of the things that I will mention. In some ways, growing older is harder on some than others. Some people don't have a family that checks in on them for one reason or another. Some families don't always live near their parents or aging relatives to care for them, should they need help living alone. Some prefer not to be involved in their lives at all, which is not easy for some of us to understand. There are many reasons why people and families don't even check in on other members of family and people that they know that might need help. 

            I try to remember that someday I could be in those same shoes and will need help and encouragement to do certain things. I am certain that none of us want to have to depend on others. But it does happen… because of a devastating illness or dementia due to the aging process, or injury, but it does happen.

            How valuable it would be if everyone who is in a care taking position with family, a friend, or if you are working in a facility where people need help… would really take time and look at the situation their loved one is in. Think about how you would feel if it were someone you loved and you were watching their life and the changes they are undergoing. Do you really think they would choose to be doing the things that are out of the ordinary for them? Do you think they would like wearing soiled clothes, not taking care of their personal needs, depending on someone else to get them to the stores for groceries, medicines, or whatever it is that they would need help with? How about when they are wearing clothes that are too small, especially shoes that must be uncomfortable on their feet, their hair needs a good shampoo, their teeth or dentures need cleaning, they are at home but don't have the energy or ability to do a wash and keep things in order… and the list goes on and on. For those who have to leave their home and need assistance, the change can be so upsetting to them. Of course someone doesn't want to leave a place that is familiar to them. No matter what, this is sometimes necessary to remove them to a safer place. Not only is this painful to them but to those that are the ones that are involved in the decision. 

            Not always can you assist someone on the first try if they are not feeling right in their own mind and with that they might be feeling threatened. Have patience and wait for a while and try a different approach without suggesting too many things at once. Take one thing at a time and this will at times get them directed in a different frame of mind. Once you can get them to do the first thing - it could be as simple as letting you wash their face or giving them a wash cloth and if they are awkward with it - suggest that you give them a hand. From there you could suggest the next thing, like a clean top to wear. You might have to wait and go slowly so as not to frighten them and avoid giving them the idea that they can't do it. After all, you are just giving them a helping hand. Remember to talk gently to them and maybe distract them with a conversation that you had been talking about earlier. 

            Imagine being so lonely for someone to talk to, if only for a short time. When we aren't in that situation it might be hard to imagine. Take time to observe the facial expressions of these people that are going through this. People might not even be aware that they are depressed, but taking time out to check in on someone might give you a clue and maybe you could help if the situation came up.

   Life passes by so quickly and everyone gets so busy with their own lives that it is not always easy to think beyond yourself. Again, I remind you that this could be you or someone you love. Take time to spend time with family and others, if only a smile and a "Hello, how are you?". At the same time, mean it as you ask the question. 

Lonesome and depressed people, sometimes can come across to other people as grumps, negative people, mean, uncaring about others, etc., when most likely they are thinking, "Who cares?!"  Would you really want to be one of those people that struggle each day with anxiety issues, confusing thoughts, dementia, fears of failure so bad that it restricts them from totally functioning like you and me? The mind works in many different ways and at any given moment we could be hit with one of these things. Like it or not it could happen. 

            I ask that you take time to look around and see how many people might think that no one cares and they have no one to turn to.  It isn't always their choice when this happens. True, one has control of their life to a certain degree but there are other reasons why people act like they do. Not everyone has the control or the ability, like most of us, to take care of themselves. Remember your families as they are a part of you even though you might not see them often. Enjoy the times together when there can be laughs and fun times and along with that also be there if one of us need help or just a caring word. Support those in the family that might be going through the caretaking role and those that are the victim. Love one another and support each other the best you can. It only takes a few words to encourage one another in a not so easy situation. Be an encouragement to those who reach out to you as long as you know it is sincere. 

            Encourage each family member when you can. I'm sure that we all have times when we are discouraged whether we admit it or not. In times when the going gets tough let's be there for each other and notice those around us who are also hurting beyond their control.  Love you all!

Ecclesiastes 12:1-7 (NIV) ¹  Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, "I find no pleasure in them"-- ²  before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds return after the rain; ³  when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men stoop, when the grinders cease because they are few, and those looking through the windows grow dim; ⁴  when the doors to the street are closed and the sound of grinding fades; when men rise up at the sound of birds, but all their songs grow faint; ⁵  when men are afraid of heights and of dangers in the streets; when the almond tree blossoms and the grasshopper drags himself along and desire no longer is stirred. Then man goes to his eternal home and mourners go about the streets. ⁶  Remember him--before the silver cord is severed, or the golden bowl is broken; before the pitcher is shattered at the spring, or the wheel broken at the well, ⁷  and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

PRAYER:  Lord, increase our compassion for those in need, and for those who are experiencing challenges from the aging process. May we share Christ’s love and grace with them.  In His name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!  

Scott

A Day in the ER

      I spent most of the day yesterday in the Emergency Room at St. Joseph’s hospital. Before you feel too concerned for me you should realize that it was in the waiting area for the ER. I was not a patient. Joanne was with her mom, who was the patient. Most of us who have been in ERs know that the wait to be seen, treated, and possibly admitted can feel like forever. I had a small computer with me so I was able to do some work while I waited. That was helpful in passing the time. It is not a way or place in which I would typically like to work, but there are a few lessons I can learn by observing what takes place in an Emergency Room over a few hours.

First… we live in a world where so many people are hurting, but we don’t always take the time to see the needs. The maladies are different, but the fear, anxiousness, discomfort, and uncertainties people have share some common threads. Whether they are ragged or refined, everyone comes in with hope that something can be done for them. You can see the trouble in their eyes or on their faces or in their body language. People who accompany the hurting look like they feel helpless and weak, though they want their loved one/friend to feel better. Hurting people are looking for a place to go for answers to their pain and hope for their healing.

Secondly, people feel out of place in the ER (except the workers/employees). They feel like strangers. They seem unsure of what to say or where to go. They get asked a lot of questions by people they don’t know  and they wonder how long they will have to wait. For some it will be a long time. Sometimes others (who even came in after they did) seem to get priority. The needs of some are greater and more immediate than others. The waiting can be hard on some people, especially if they have “things to do” or “places to go”. Most of them want to be someplace else, but know they need to be there.

Third, the people offering help (the employees) seem to genuinely care about those who come in, but they also are very busy. They do their job efficiently, but much of their work is not face-to-face care with the hurting. In time, everyone is “seen” and the first question they are asked by the PA is, “What’s going on?” or “What brought you in today?” People can’t always articulate clearly what the problem is. For others, the problem is obvious. For the most part, those who are there every day doing their jobs show respect and courtesy for all who come in. They are trained to (at least outwardly) show no bias or favoritism. Their training helps them to meet the needs of people “on edge”.

Lastly, from what I observed most people come for treatment and then leave (the same day). A few are admitted for ongoing hospital observation and care. Either way, those who come in are looking for a reason to have hope. They are looking for help. I think, too, they are looking for someone to relate to them in a loving way, because they need assurance that everything will be okay.

This day in the ER has me thinking about some parallels between it and the Church. What are the similarities and differences when a person comes into our church? What if you read this email again, as if it were the church I was describing? It might be an interesting and enlightening exercise. I will leave it to you to ponder the question and to prayerfully seek God’s guidance and will for our ministry to others.

Luke 19:10 (NIV) ¹⁰  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.

Luke 5:31-32 (NIV) ³¹  Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. ³²  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

Matthew 9:35-36 (NIV) ³⁵  Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. ³⁶  When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

PRAYER:  Father God, may our church be a spiritual hospital of your love, where people can find healing for their souls be meeting the Great Physician. May they find hope in Christ! And may they find in me, as part of my church, a spirit of grace and one who truly cares for them. May I be a person of compassion like Jesus.  In His name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!

Scott

My Rock

      Warm sunshine in January is a good thing. While snowmobilers and skiers might take exception, a warm-up day and a bright sun shining can do a great deal to lift spirits, raise hopes, and bring joy. One can only take so much cold, snow, ice, and rain… for so long… before his heart begins to get a little heavy. I honestly don’t know how people in Alaska do it. Joanne and I have noticed the clear change in people on bright days in the summertime after a few cloudy/rainy ones. We see it on the carriage paths or on the streets as we walk or ride. People are just different. They are smiling. They are more talkative and responsive to greetings. It’s an amazing transformation. But it is too bad that our disposition is so impacted and influenced by external conditions.

A relationship with Christ has made a tremendous difference in my life, because He is Lord over even my moods and my emotional ups and downs. The externals (weather, amount of light, etc.) seek to have an impact on me, but Christ is greater than those things. I am not some pinball being bounced around a variety of emotional swings caused by outward circumstances beyond my control. Whatever my situation, and wherever I may be, Jesus Christ is Lord. Since He is my source of joy – not the externals – I have victory in Him. They cannot defeat me or destroy me. They are (and will be) always passing away. I like the Scriptures that speak of God being my “rock”. We all know that God is not literally a rock. But He is like one – to and for us. There is an immovability to His nature. There is a certainty that He does not change. There is a strength that He has for every need and every situation. There is protection for the one in His shadow… for one who is “moored” to Him... for the one rests on Him.

Many Bible people had emotional ups and downs in their lives. Ultimately, only one truth mattered to them. Only one thing could help them. No matter what was happening, God was sovereign and trustworthy. In Him they were safe. He would not let them go, and they could not experience anything – including any and all of life’s hardships – without His enduring and assisting presence. All they need do was trust. Simple trusting is the key for peace in our hearts and minds on a daily basis. God is strong. I am not. May the Lord lead us to rely on Him more and more, and may we never doubt that joy will come “in the morning”.

Deuteronomy 33:27 (NIV) ²⁷  The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemy before you, saying, 'Destroy him!'

Psalm 18:2 (NIV) ²  The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Psalm 30:4-5 (NIV) ⁴  Sing to the LORD, you saints of his; praise his holy name. ⁵  For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

Psalm 62:6-7 (NIV) ⁶  He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. ⁷  My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

Isaiah 26:3-4 (NIV) ³  You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. ⁴  Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.

Matthew 7:24-27 (NIV) ²⁴  "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. ²⁶  But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

PRAYER:  Father, I cling to you… I trust you… in the midst of each day’s ups and downs. Deliver me from bondage to my feelings. Keep me from trusting in them. Keep me from being pushed around and controlled by them. Instead I will rest in you and rely on you and you alone. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!

Scott

The Last Time

      A week ago I was thinking about it being the last day of the year. There’s a sense of finality every December 31. Something is ending. The world goes a little crazy every year as the last seconds are counted down. New Year’s Eve has never been much of a big deal in my life. Often I have not stayed up for the “countdown” and just gone to bed. New Year’s Eve always seemed to me to be just a convenient reason for people to get wasted and forget their troubles for a few hours. I guess you could say, “I don’t get it!”

On that same day I finished our “Through the Bible in 2013” reading plan. Part of me felt like saying, “There, that’s done!” And it did feel good to complete it. But do you think I am “done” reading the Bible? I think you know better, because the next day God’s Word had something new for me. While systematic reading through all or part of the Scriptures is a good thing, complete mastery in understanding, obedience, application, and wisdom never comes fully this side of eternity. I will never be “done” reading the Word.

Each of us is steadily moving toward what is often thought of as the last day of our lives. But it won’t be. Our last breath will usher us into eternity. We enter eternity in one of two states: having faith in Christ, or not having faith in Christ. John wrote that “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” (1 John 5:12). To “not have life” does not mean to cease to exist. The last day of existence does not come for the one who rejects Jesus Christ. As I read the last chapters of Revelation as the days of 2013 came to an end, I was reminded that the lake of fire (the second death) is eternal (Rev. 20:10). While it is reserved for the devil and his angels, it is also the destination for all whose names are not written in the Lamb’s (Jesus) Book of Life (Rev 20:15) at the final judgment. At that time every “final resting place” will give up their dead (without exception). All who have ever lived will stand before God on His great white throne.

For the person who “has the Son” (whose trust is in Christ alone) this presents no fear because, as Paul writes in Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus…” The confidence of standing before God wearing the righteousness of Christ is a great cause for assurance in our hearts. We will not be condemned because Christ has cleansed us of our sin by taking it on Himself and by giving us His own righteousness. It is for this reason that we also need not fear that last day of our earthly life – whenever it may come – or the last judgment. Jesus is a great Savior. What a privilege we have to know Him and to be among those God has chosen for faith and for salvation. How humbling that is, and how encouraging that is to share with others whom God will also call to believe on Christ.

I used to sing a song by Mark Heard in church when I was younger called “The Last Time”. The lyrics remind me that we are always living out the things we do in life for potentially the last time. For me this was both a comforting and challenging thought. Each breath… each prayer… each meal… each day of work… each song… each heartbeat… each year is one closer to being with Jesus in eternity. The thought of this could make a person fret, but not the one who knows Christ and looks forward to His appearing: the one who knows the “last” of anything is not ours to determine, but is in His hands (His will). May the Lord give you peace about these things because you are in Christ. And if you are not in Christ, may the Lord rescue you out of such a hopeless and helpless place so that you may be able to place your hope in Him.

If you’d like to listen to the song, this link can get you to it: https://myspace.com/johnmarkheard/music/song/the-last-time-88298428-98007323

Isaiah 53:4-6 (NIV) ⁴  Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. ⁵  But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. ⁶  We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV) ²¹  God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

PRAYER:  Father, in this new year I rejoice that you have by grace, imputed to me the righteousness of Your Son. Not because of who I am, and not for anything I have done, but for your glory and according to your lovingkindness and mercy. For this I praise you. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!

Scott