Ancient Prophecies, Peoples, and Promises

‘Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.You show steadfast love to thousands, but you repay the guilt of fathers to their children after them, O great and mighty God, whose name is the LORD of hosts,great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the children of man, rewarding each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds.You have shown signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and to this day in Israel and among all mankind, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day.You brought your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand and outstretched arm, and with great terror.And you gave them this land, which you swore to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey.And they entered and took possession of it. But they did not obey your voice or walk in your law. They did nothing of all you commanded them to do. Therefore you have made all this disaster come upon them.Behold, the siege mounds have come up to the city to take it, and because of sword and famine and pestilence the city is given into the hands of the Chaldeans who are fighting against it. What you spoke has come to pass, and behold, you see it.Yet you, O Lord GOD, have said to me, “Buy the field for money and get witnesses”—though the city is given into the hands of the Chaldeans.’--Jeremiah 32:17-25 (ESV)

Why would Jeremiah prophesy that Israel would be defeated by her enemies, all her people carried into exile, and the land overrun with foreigners, and then turn around and buy some real estate in that same area?  Think about it.  If we knew that war was imminent, and that our home town would be destroyed in that war, would we want to invest in real estate at pre-war prices?  Yet that is what Jeremiah did.  He paid 17 silver shekels, or a little over two month's wages, for land that in a few months' time would be worthless.

The answer is found later in the 32nd chapter of Jeremiah

“For thus says the LORD: Just as I have brought all this great disaster upon this people, so I will bring upon them all the good that I promise them.Fields shall be bought in this land of which you are saying, ‘It is a desolation, without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.’Fields shall be bought for money, and deeds shall be signed and sealed and witnessed, in the land of Benjamin, in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, in the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the Shephelah, and in the cities of the Negeb; for I will restore their fortunes, declares the LORD.”--Jeremiah 32:42-44 (ESV)

It was meant as an encouragement to the people.  Their land would be taken from them (because of their sin), but it would be restored to them later (because of God's love, grace, and mercy.)  God had given His word that the land would belong to the descendants of Abraham until the end of time.  God still honors that promise.

I think this passage is also an encouragement to us.  Even if we do not have a Jewish heritage, we are promised God's love and mercy and grace forever.  If we love Him, He may put us through trials and tribulations.  Our churches may be battlegrounds (literally), and we may see more and more bloodshed in places of Christian worship.  But God is greater than ISIS, just like he was greater than the Chaldeans in Jeremiah's time.

Who were the Chaldeans?  Chaldea was in the southern part of the Babylonian empire, roughly in the area of southern Iraq today.  The term also refers to sorcerers, magicians, and charlatans.  In the second chapter of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that he could not remember, much less interpret.  He called together all the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to help him.  They were all dumb-founded.  "There is not a man on earth who can meet the king's demand, for no great and powerful king has asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean." (Daniel 2:10, ESV, emphasis added).

Today it may seem that Christians are attacked from all sides.  On the cultural front, there are those who challenge faith in Jesus using astrology, who equate Christ's miracles with cheap magic tricks.  On the world stage, there is no greater threat to Christians than ISIS.  These religious terrorists are getting more and more bold in not only capturing, torturing, and killing Christians, but also video-taping and broadcasting drownings and beheadings of their enemies.

Do we cower in fear?  Do we succumb to the terror they are trying to instill?  No, for "greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world."  We know that God has invested in us, and that His investment will not return void.  He gives us a peace that surpasses all human understanding.  We know that even in the middle of persecution, our God reigns.  We are assured of His imminent return.  Whether we live or die in this world, we are assured of living in His presence for eternity.  And if we are still alive when He returns for His church, all the better!  Praise His holy name.

I wouldn't advise you to invest long-term in my country's real estate, as we could be overrun at any moment (militarily, or culturally).  You might consider, like Jeremiah, investing in land in Israel, however, because although it will be a war-torn region until the battle of Armageddon, God has promised that land to His people forever.

A Father to the Fatherless

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A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation.                   --Psalm 68:5

Not long after Mother's Day last month, I saw a heartbreaking internet posting from a college classmate of mine.  She said she always finds herself mourning on Mother's Day each year, because she is childless.  She has had multiple miscarriages through the years.  Her husband left her, she said, because she could not bear him children.

Well-meaning people have tried to comfort her, telling her that all of her babies are waiting for her in heaven.  It's for the best, they tell her.  God's will, and all that.

Like Job said, "Miserable comforters are you all!" (Job 16:2).

So with Father's Day approaching tomorrow, I am sensitive.  By and large, men do not mourn being unable to sire children.  Not like women do.  But millions in our culture and in our world have no father.  Many have grown up in homes without fathers.  Some, like me, have lost their fathers later in life.  Still others may carry a father wound so deep that they have written their paternal parent out of their lives.

For these people, Father's Day is meaningless at best.  At worst, it is a reminder of the Dad they imagined, but who walked out on them, or maybe was in prison, or perhaps has passed away.  There is a Dad-shaped hole in their hearts that is almost impossible to fill.

Almost.

When Jesus was on this earth, He established His own Sonship with the Father.  He taught that God can be our Father, as well, if we let Him.  Remember our Lord's Model Prayer?  He taught us to address God as "Our Father in Heaven." (Matthew 6:9; Luke 11:2).  In this way, He calls us to relationship with God.  To a culture that had been raised "in the fear of the Lord," the petitions in the Model Prayer would have been thought of in a different light than maybe we think of them today.

• "Your kingdom come." They thought God would come on a white horse with the sword of righteousness in His hand, to deliver His people from oppression.  Jesus taught them that a loving Father manifested Himself as a baby born in a manger, who preached a message of love, forgiveness, and peace.
• "Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven."  They thought God's will was that His enemies would die by the sword or live as servants of His people.  Jesus taught them that a loving Father had a message of hope and salvation to the Gentiles, so that all who call on His name shall be saved.
• "Give us this day our daily bread."  They knew that God had fed their forefathers with manna in the wilderness; they also knew what the Psalmist had written: "I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread." (Psalm 37:25).  Jesus taught us to share our bread with those who need it, as we would share it with our brothers and sisters in the same house.
• "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."  They approached God with fear and trembling, hoping He would show them mercy.  Jesus taught us that we can approach God with confidence, knowing that He loves us and wants to remove our sins from us "as far as the east is from the west."

In my quiet time today, I read the 10th chapter of Mark.  It is striking to me that the chapter begins with teaching about divorce, and is immediately followed by His command to "let the little children come unto me."  The order and proximity is the same in the companion passage in Matthew chapter 19.  The Pharisees sought to trap Jesus.  They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?"  Jesus answered with the ideal that had been put in place since the Garden of Eden: "At the beginning the Creator made them male and female, and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'." 

We see in our culture today that men will divorce their wives for any and every reason.  This ought not to be.  God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16).  When confronted with this truth, men today will go back to what the Pharisees told Jesus.  "Moses said that a man could give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away." (Matthew 19:7).  Look, Jesus, they were saying.  Everybody does it.  Even Moses said in the law that it was permissible.  Today we hear that everybody does it--even the Church allows it.  Even so, Jesus said it is not God's perfect will, or even His plan for us.  He said our hearts are hardened, and we call evil good.

Immediately following this passage, it says

People were bringing little children to Jesus to have Him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them.  When Jesus saw this, He was indignant.  He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  I tell you the truth, anyone who will no receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."  And he took the children in His arms, put His hands on them and blessed them.  --Mark 10:13-16

I might be going out on a limb here, but isn't it possible that the children being brought to Jesus were the children whose parents had divorced?  Jesus had just rebuked the Pharisees for teaching that a man could abandon his family for any and every reason.  This may have emboldened the divorced mothers to bring their now fatherless children into His presence.  When the disciples tried to shoo them away, Jesus corrected them.  He blesses the fatherless; He scoops them up into His arms and shows the love of the Father to them.

Many times, Jesus said that He came to fulfill the Law.  Moses' Law had special provisions for the widows and the fatherless.  They were to be fed and clothed (Deuteronomy 26:12).  They were to be protected (Deuteronomy 24;17).  Justice was not to be denied them (Isaiah 1:17).  "Leave your fatherless children, I will preserve them alive; and let your widows trust in me." (Jeremiah 49:11).

If you have not known your father, if he abandoned you, or is imprisoned, or has passed away, let Jesus heal your heart.  Let God be your Father.  Trust Him to be your Protector, your Provider, your Peace.

A special message to Men of God who may read this:  if you know of a fatherless child, step up and be a godly example to her.  Share God's truth and His wisdom with him.  Do what you can to stand in the gap for that child.  God will bless you for it.

 

The Light of Love, not Finger Pointing

If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.  --Isaiah 58:9b-10

Fellow Christians, I want to remind you of a great truth.  We have seen Jesus!  The Son of God Himself was made manifest to us, and we responded humbly and gratefully.  We knew His mercy, and were prompted to act.  "If we confess our sins," wrote the disciple whom Jesus loved, "He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9).

We were not drawn to Christ by facing a list of our sins and trespasses.  We were drawn to Christ because of His great love for us.  "Behold what manner of love the Father has given unto us that we should be called the Sons of God." (1 John 3:1).  Romans 5:8 says,

1. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!

Brothers and Sister, hear me.  If this is true (and it is), then why in the name of sense do we point the finger at people because of things they do?  We love to lump people together and label them all with a broad brush.  

There is a trend on the internet that speaks to this problem.  It is called "animal shaming."  A family pet, usually a dog, is told to sit while a sign is hung around its neck and a picture is taken.  Usually the sign says something like, "I stole a half pound of block Parmesan cheese off the counter and ate it.  No pizza for me!"  The dog looks confused, and the people who see the photo laugh at the joke.  

"Shaming" has been tried on cats, too, but they always look bored in the photo, like they don't care.  And that's just the point.  The pets are not truly "shamed" by this.  It's not like they can read the signs hung around their necks.

Unfortunately, this has escalated to children.  There have been photos posted online of small children, middle schoolers, and even older teens who have been made to hold a sign listing their offenses while the parent takes their picture and posts it online.  I read a story this week about a 14 year old boy who committed suicide after being "shamed" like this on the internet.

Have these parents never done anything stupid when they were kids?  We know they have.  They probably got away with worse things than what they are shaming their kids for.  "All have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23).  Matthew 7:1-5 says

Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the same measure you use, it will be measured to you.  Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?  How can you say to your brother, "Let me take the speck out of your eye," when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

Is this the way we try to evangelize the world, by pointing out their faults?  If so, it is little wonder, then, that we are failing to reach this generation for Christ.  We must first show them Jesus, then disciple them to become more like Him.  Unfortunately, many of us become very legalistic, saying that people are going to hell because they're gay, or because they are transgender, or because they engage in pornography.  News flash: people go to hell because they reject Jesus and His love.  We are all sinners--even those who don't engage in lewd, lascivious behavior; in the Greek,  πόρνη (pornē).

Does that mean that I support the sins that people get engaged in?  Not at all.  But people aren't shamed into heaven.  They aren't wooed by the spirit of legalism.  Legalism sets up stumbling blocks. We are called to be a light in the darkness, but so many times we set up stumbling blocks that cast big shadows, hiding the light of Truth.  We are called to be the salt of the earth, but instead of seasoning and preserving the Faith, we mount an assault against evil deeds.  We may be well-meaning, but we fall into the same trap of shaming.

We must remember that legalism does not get people into the Kingdom of God.  Jesus showed us that the path to God is paved with love.  We just need to show them Jesus, and let them respond by faith.  One of the most memorable lines from any movie was the line from A Few Good Men where Jack Nicholson shouts, "You can't handle the truth!"  Nobody can.

The only sinless man was Jesus. Yet He was called the Friend of Sinners.  Being their friend does not condone the sin.  It does, however, make the Truth easier to face.  Paul wrote this to the Ephesian church:

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ.  From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.  So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.  They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.  Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.  You, however, did not come to know Christ that way.  Surely you heard of Him and were taught in Him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.  You were taught, with regard to your former life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.  Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. --Ephesians 4:15-25

Truth.  Love.  Be righteous and holy.  Shine His light into a world of darkness.  "So that the world may know."

 

 

God's Secretary

You ever stopped to think about what your praying for when you pray? Take my mother for instance; she is lying in the hospital with a bad heart, fluid on her lung and a staph infection. It would appear in its simplest form that you would simply need to pray for her to get well but every aspect of her recovery is completely dependent on the actions of all of her care takers. You have to pray the cardiologist got enough sleep last night and is on his A game. You have to pray the RNs are loving their jobs today and aren't busy posting on Facebook so mom is getting their undivided attention. You have to pray the guy/girl drawing blood is competent and attentive and not worrying what they are going to do for lunch. You need to pray that the lab tech is in as big of a hurry to find out what is wrong with mom so she can start getting the right drugs for her particular infection. You have to worry whether or not the X-Ray tech gets the exposures done quickly so the doctor can read them. Lastly you have to pray for these 5 different people to communicate effectively to intimately come up with the right course of action. There are 7 billion people on this planet and this many people are involved in one persons well being. Hope God has a secretary.--Jason P.

When I first read Jason's Facebook post, I immediately thought about how big God is.  Luke 12:6-7 puts it into perspective.  "Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins?  Yet not one of them is forgotten before God.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered; do not fear, therefore: you are of more value than many sparrows."

There are seven billion people on this place called Earth.  And God knows us all by name.  God knows Jason's mother and father, and Jason's grandmother and grandfather, and Jason's two aunts, and Jason's daughter, all of whom were in the ICU waiting room praying and worrying together.

God knows the doctor, and the doctor's ex-wife who is suing him for child support while he is trying to pay off his student loans.

God knows the day shift RN, and her son who is in the military overseas.  If she is taking a break on her phone, it is to see if he is safe.

God knows the night shift RN, who had to leave her two pre-school aged children at home with their father.  If she is stealing a few minutes on her phone, it is to say good night to them, and to remind her husband to give the younger one his medicine.

God knows the med tech who drew blood, whose mom just passed away, but who is at work anyway. God also knows the lab tech, who just got engaged, and is planning a honeymoon with his bride-to-be, and wonders how he can possibly pay for it after he financed the engagement ring. God knows the x-ray tech, and the nightmares she has been having recently, and how she is afraid to go to sleep.

God knows that all these people need to work together to care for Jason's mom, and for the eleven other people in the ICU that day.  Oh, and by the way, God knows those eleven other people.  He knows their thoughts and fears.  He knows their hearts.  He knows their past.  He knows their future.

Just like the line from Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles parodying an earlier movie, "Badges? We don't need no stinkin' badges."  When you ask, Jason, whether God has a secretary, my defense of Him might be, "Secretary?  My God don't need no secretary!"

Or does He?

When you think of what a good secretary, or administrative assistant does, it lines up pretty closely to the spiritual gifts spoken of in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12.  Read on, and I'll tell you what I mean.

Setting Appointments
If I wanted to meet with an executive in person, I might first have to set an appointment with his assistant.  The assistant would write my name in an appointment book, or in a Day Planner, or type it into a computer program designed to organize time more efficiently.  Then the assistant might remind the executive that the appointment is set, and remind again when the day arrives, and yet another reminder might go out as the appointed time approaches.  If I were sitting in the waiting area patiently waiting my turn, the assistant might announce my presence thusly: "Your two o'clock is here."  The assistant might even thank me for coming as I am walking out the door.

Those people who have a gift for intercessory prayer are like appointment setters for God.  They might mark certain names down on a list.  They might mark down important events, like interviews or planned surgeries.  Then they may from time to time "remind" God to be with that person as they go into that event.  And at the appointed time, the prayer-warrior will ask God to be with that person in a very special way.  They will thank God for the outcome afterward.

Taking a Letter
Often a person in a secretarial position might be asked to take a letter.  The executive might dictate the letter live, right then and there.  Or the dictation might be stored on a device, and the secretary might only need to type it out so that it can be mailed.  The executive might ask to sign it personally, or to check it for errors and omissions.  Or the administrative assistant might be trusted enough by the boss to sign the letter and check for errors before it is put in the mail and sent out.  If I receive a letter from a company executive, it would not matter to me whether a secretary typed it, signed it, sealed it in an envelope and mailed it.  I know that the message comes directly from the boss, even if the secretary put the idea on paper.

Spiritually, God gifts prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers this way.  Seven times in the first three chapters of the book of Revelation, John wrote, "To the church at ______ write...."  Galatians 6:11 says, "See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand."  This suggests that the rest of Galatians may have been dictated to a secretary, or amanuensis (A literary or artistic assistant, in particular one who takes dictation or copies manuscripts).  Paul may have been getting old, and his eyesight failing as he wrote the pastoral epistles, but he wanted the readers to know that he himself was writing this letter.  And we know that the message Paul wrote or dictated was one that God had placed on his heart.  There are modern-day Bible teachers who speak for God, and who might give a fresh perspective on ancient ideals or beliefs found in Scripture.  If I go to church this Sunday and the sermon really speaks to me, I could say interchangeably, "God really spoke to me this morning," or alternatively, "Pastor Robert really spoke to my heart this morning."  We see how God uses people in this way more and more as the population rises.

Doing the Work
From time to time an executive might be called out to do a sales pitch, or to conduct business in another city.  During that time, the office does not close.  The administrative assistant must field calls, pay invoices, order supplies and see that the day-to-day activities of the business all get done in the boss's absence.  Only in rare and special cases might the assistant need to contact the executive by phone or email: when important decisions have to be made, or when something unexpected happens. The bulk of the business, however, gets done just fine without the boss being there.

There is a specific spiritual gift spoken of in 1 Corinthians 12:28, which the older versions translate as "helps".  It is defined in this way.

1. Helps: The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to invest the talents they have in the life and ministry of other members of the Body, thus enabling those others to increase the effectiveness of their own spiritual gifts.

God wants to make sure that His people work together effectively and efficiently until He comes in His glory.  He has set certain people in key places to make that happen.  If you don't think you have a spiritual gift, think again.  It may be in investing in others so that they can realize their spiritual potential.

So, on second thought Jason, God does have a secretary.  Many of them, in fact.

It is us.

The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord

Whoever flees at the sound of terror will fall into a pit; whoever climbs out of the pit will be caught in a snare. The floodgates of the heavens are opened, the foundations of the earth shake.  --Isaiah 24:18

Where I live, we have had one of the rainiest months on record.  There is widespread flooding.  Area lakes are full for the first time in years, and some are overflowing into nearby neighborhoods.  The Trinity River is straining at the levees that just last year were twenty feet from the river banks. Sinkholes have been discovered at DFW airport, so that a runway had to be completely shut down.  There was even news about a local dam that was on the verge of collapse, which would have caused millions of dollars in damage to homes and property.

I started thinking about dams.  I have walked across a dam on the Blanco River, which is nothing more than a cinder block and concrete wall.  When the river is up, the water spills over the wall, and continues downstream.  Larger dams, however, are constructed to not only hold back immense amounts of water, but also to generate power.  When the lakes or rivers are at flood stage, the engineers open floodgates to regulate the water levels and to relieve the pressure.  If there is a power generator within the dam, the water released by the opening of the floodgates will generate an excess of electricity.

Power.  Pressure.  Purpose.

These are spiritual concepts that one can learn from floods, dams, and electric generators.

In the verse quoted above, the prophet Isaiah describes the great and terrible day of the Lord.

The floodgates of the heavens are opened, the foundations of the earth shake.  The earth is broken up, the earth is split asunder, the earth is thoroughly shaken.  The earth reels like a drunkard, it sways like a hut in the wind; so heavy upon it is the guilt of its rebellion that it falls--never to rise again.  In that days the Lord will punish the powers in the heavens above and the kings on the earth below.  They will be herded together like prisoners bound in a dungeon; they will be shut up in prison and be punished after many days.  The moon will be abashed, the sun ashamed; for the Lord Almighty will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before its elders, gloriously. --Isaiah 24:18b-25

This is a pretty scary picture that the prophet paints here.  Those who were in charge of life, rulers in the earthly realm, will meet the awesome power of the Almighty.  They will be cast down in that day, and the Lord will show Himself as ruler over all.  Any who have seen movies with an apocalyptic theme have seen scenes on the screen with frightening special effects.  But those who live out the prophecies of this book will not be up on a silver screen; they will live it out for real, and see real suffering, real shame.

However, we don't all have to fear the great and terrible day of the Lord.  There is a chorus that we sing in church that goes like this:

We've waited for this day
We're gathered in your name
Calling out to you
Your glory like a fire
Awakening desire
Will burn our hearts with truth

You're the reason we're here
You're the reason we're singing

Open up the heavens
We want to see you
Open up the floodgates
A mighty river
Flowing from your heart
Filling every part of our praise

Your presence in this place
Your glory on our face
We're looking to the sky
Descending like a cloud
You're standing with us now
Lord, unveil our eyes

You're the reason we're here
You're the reason we're singing

Open up the heavens
We want to see you
Open up the floodgates
A mighty river
Flowing from your heart
Filling every part of our praise

Show us, show us your glory
Show us, show us your power
Show us, show us your glory, Lord

Open up the heavens
We want to see you
Open up the floodgates
A mighty river
Flowing from your heart
Filling every part of our praise

For those of us with a personal relationship with the Creator of the universe, we do not fear death.  We do not dread the coming judgment.  We see the potential outcome of the Lord Almighty sitting on the throne in Zion, and we see the judgments as a necessary evil, a small thing compared to the coming of our King.  "Consider it pure joy," James said, "whenever you face trials of many kinds." (James 1:2).

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  In His great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade--kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.  In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. --1 Peter 1:3-7

Many dread the great and terrible day of the Lord.  But we say, "Bring it on!" We see the light at the end of the tunnel.  We know that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5).  So we endure a little darkness, a little terror, a little persecution to enjoy the fullness of His presence in the end.

That's why we sing hopeful songs about opening the floodgates of heaven--not out of fear of drowning or judgment, but in anticipation of the power of God that will be released in the last days.  There is electricity in the air!  We see it in the lightning, we hear it in the thunder, and our hearts are filled with praise.  Even now, Lord Jesus, come quickly!

The Birth of the Bride

Many years ago, I was asked to sing at a wedding.  Looking back on it now, I feel very sorry for the bride.  You see, up until the day of the wedding, I had not met the young woman who was being married.  I worked with her mother, and the bride's mom had heard me singing as I went about my work.  She thought that I had a good voice, and invited me to sing at her daughter's wedding.

When we arrived at the Sanctuary that Saturday afternoon, we found that it had already been decorated for the Sunday service.  So not only did the bride not get to choose who sang at her wedding, but she did not get to place flowers, candles and other wedding frou-frou in the Sanctuary.  

No, the decorations were of balloons and streamers.  Many of the wedding guests, including members of the congregation, all wondered aloud why there would be what appeared to be birthday decorations in the church.  Then it dawned on me.  I asked, "Is tomorrow Pentecost Sunday?"  Someone said yes, and I immediately knew the answer to the puzzle.  "It is the birthday of the church!" I exclaimed.

I tell this story because tomorrow is another celebration of Pentecost Sunday.  It gets its name from the Greek word for Fifty, as it occurs fifty days after the Passover.  Ancient Jewish peoples celebrated it as the completion of the harvest.  In Palestine, the grain harvest lasted seven weeks, and it was a season of gladness.  It began with the harvest of barley, around the time of Passover, and ended with the harvest of wheat, which ripens much later.  It was a time of giving the first-fruit offerings to God, after the harvest had been fully brought in.  Pentecost was thus the concluding festival of the grain harvest.  That's why in Acts 2:1 it says, "Now when the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place."

After the Jewish Exile, the Day of Pentecost became a celebration of the giving of the Torah.  Leviticus 23:11 makes reference to the priests giving a wave offering "on the morrow after the Sabbath," which would put it on a Sunday.  The Zohar (a collection of commentaries on the Torah) calls the time between the Passover and Pentecost the "courting days of the bridegroom Israel with the bride Torah."

In Ephesians 5:22-23, Paul compares the union of husband and wife to that of Christ and the Church.  As Christians, we celebrate the Day of Pentecost as the day the Holy Spirit came and indwelt believers; that's why we call it the birthday of the Church.  Revelation 21:2 describes the New Jerusalem (the Church) in this way: "Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband."

Let's think about that for a moment.  At the moment of Salvation we become engaged with Jesus, the Son of God.  We talk about Him, we study His life and His words, we share our experience about Him with others.  We look forward to the day of His return, when we are "caught up together with Him in the air."  We are invited to the Wedding Supper (feast) of the Lamb (Jesus).  We are not only invited to the wedding: we are the very Bride of Christ.  The celebration on that day will be the union of God's Son with the Body known as the Church.

While we look forward to that day with great hope and anticipation, we celebrate the birthday of the Bride every year on Pentecost Sunday.  We bring our firstfruits to Him as a celebration of His blessing.  Pentecost is the culmination of what happened at Passover, when Jesus gave Himself on the cross for our sins.  He bore our pain, our persecution, our punishment so that we could present ourselves to Him unblemished and undefiled.

As an old evangelist used to say, "If that don't light your fire, your wood's wet!"

Constrained by Love

I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how I am constrained until it is accomplished!  --Luke 12:50 (RSV)

con·strain

kənˈstrān/

verb

past tense: constrained; past participle: constrained

1. severely restrict the scope, extent, or activity of.

   "agricultural development is considerably constrained by climate"

   synonyms:

   restrict, limit, curb, check, restrain, contain, rein in, hold back, keep down "prices were constrained by government controls"

   • compel or force (someone) toward a particular course of action.

     "children are constrained to work in the way the book dictates"

     synonyms:

     compel, force, drive, impel, oblige, coerce, prevail on, require;

 I heard a sermon illustration last weekend about a missionary couple to Africa.  They were being interviewed by the BBC (I think), and the question posed to them was something like, "What is it you like about this environment, about being a missionary in a foreign land?"  And the answer was, "I wouldn't say we liked being out here--we so have some sense of sophistication after all.  There is nothing compelling about going into people's hut, sometimes stooping, sometimes literally crawling through goat dung.  But we do it because we are constrained by the calling of God in our lives."

Jesus Himself begged God, "If there is any way that this cup could pass from me."  He didn't want to suffer and die.  But love constrained Him.  "Nevertheless," He said, "Not My will, but yours be done."

After all that He did for us, how can we do any less for Him?

Living for Jesus who died in my place, Bearing on Calv’ry my sin and disgrace; Such love constrains me to answer His call, Follow His leading and give Him my all.

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.