The Comfort of Christ's Victory

As I refresh my heart this night with the message that I will attempt to deliver to my people in church tomorrow, I am challenged, encouraged and blessed. I have been thinking about Jesus' appearance and message to the aged and beloved John in Revelation 1:8, 17-18. John was the last of the apostles. They were all gone now, except him. He could close his eyes and recall those exciting days when he and James had first followed the itinerant Rabbi from Nazareth. He could blank everything from his mind and remember. He could remember the sound of Jesus' voice as He preached and taught the Word to the people. He could remember the sound of the stunned gasping of the crowd as Jesus healed the sick and raised the dead. He remembered the tears of those whom Jesus had saved from sin. He remembered the deep and abiding gratitude of healed lepers. He also remembered when Jesus had sent the apostles out to preach. He was there when Christ commissioned them to go and preach to the world. But now John was alone on an isolated island, separated from all opportunity to preach and all he held dear.

But suddenly Jesus appeared miraculously to John and said, "I am the Alpha and the Omega...who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty...Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One...I was dead...behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades (Revelation 1:8, 17-18). What did Jesus mean by all of this? Did Jesus mean to encourage John? I believe He did. But He spoke words that are not only intended to encourage John, but us as well. What did John understand in the words of Jesus? What does Jesus want us to understand in these words? How can this passage challenge and bless us Christians as we sail into the waters of a new year?

The central issue of this theophany to John is the VICTORY OF CHRIST. The Christian faith centers on the victory of the Lord Jesus. Jesus Christ is victorious over evil, sin, Satan, and death. Jesus Christ is Master over history and the entire world. Jesus says in John 5 that the Father had entrusted to Him the authority to judge the human race, and Jesus would give His people eternal life and raise them from the dead. Jesus' victory engages life's realities. Christians live their lives facing the realities of their struggles with the knowledge and application of the Lord's victory. No matter what hardships befall us, we are strong in the Lord's victory. Jesus' victory is timeless; it is trans-generational, transcultural, and transhistorical. It is consummate and immutable. Jesus' victory is total, sovereign, absolute, and complete. Nothing can take the believer from the Lord's hands. And finally, Jesus' victory is over death and Hades. Even the great enemy, death, must give way to KING JESUS. Because our resurrected Lord lives, we shall live also. Not even death can separate us from our precious Lord! All of these ideas are interwoven into the passage in Revelation chapter 1. John understood it, and he rejoiced greatly. We must understand and rejoice as well. Although we do not know what lies across our paths in the future, we know that in Jesus, the ever living and victorious Savior and Lord, we too are "more than conquerors (Romans 8:37)" through Him who loves us.

Diets, Trash, and Credit Card Bills

OK, the new year has come, and all this "holiday" stuff is winding down to a new normality. This is where the path usually gets tough for most folks. All that "good will" to everyone is over, and reality now is "diets, trash, and credit card bills." Yep, that's pretty much what is left over from the indulgences that have been made since Thanksgiving. So, while you are putting your "I resolve for the new year" list together, I would like to make some observations and suggestions.

1. Keep first things first. A thousand little things will crowd out the important things every single time. The Bible says the little foxes spoil the vines, and yes, they do indeed. Distraction, delay, encumbrances, wasting time, doing the urgent thing over the important thing, doing the visible thing over the unseen eternal thing, will all rob you of the best. Little things often need attention, but learn to put the first things first.

2. Strategize for the distant goal. Christians live today in the light of eternity and God's glory. Even if a Christian doesn't know too much Bible or theology yet, he can usually chart a fairly strong course for life by asking, "What will I care about in heaven, and what brings glory to God?" This question is a very good counselor when decisions need to be made. Of course, many decisions are complicated, way too complicated to be resolved by simplistic reasoning, but this is a good start. Live today, but live for eternity.

3. Set goals, make plans, and create a schedule to evaluate. Christians read their Bibles, then seek to obey Christ by God's strength and grace. They do this by focusing on goals and making plans to reach those goals. Goals without plans are fairly useless. Plans must include details and thorough thinking about procedure and process. The Christian knows that he does not know the future, and God will indeed change things as he runs the race set before him. So, flexibility and submission are required for progress. But plans are needed none-the-less. And Christians take the time to stop periodically and evaluate where they are in life, to review their progress, confess their failures to God, and ask God to renew their vision.

4. Keep looking up as your feet walk on earth. The Christian walks on earth (every day life) but his heart and head are in heaven (see Colossians 3:1-4). Christians don't drop out of practical living, but they live their lives with a heart awareness and appreciation for things that ultimately matter every day. I think this is what is meant by "stop and smell the roses." Take time to listen to children giggle, roll in the grass and get grass stains on your bluejeans. Sometimes sip your coffee really slowly. Take the time to read a chapter of the Bible slowly and meaningfully asking yourself questions about the text as you go. Call someone on the phone who is lonely. Bake a cake for a sick person. Do something that matters while you do something that just NEEDS TO BE DONE, but will be forgotten in 72 hours.

5. Watch out for the legalism trap. In the process of changing your life you might begin to feel you are doing pretty well. Or, if you begin to be critical of others because they are not doing as well as you are. Then, you are falling into the "legalism trap." When one tries to improve life, there are two traps: the discouragement trap and the "I'm good" trap. Both are deadly, but the latter one is more subtle and pervasive. When you are comparing yourself with others, when you try to correct everything in everyone else's life, when you try to show others how good you are (there is a theological word for this - - - it is - - - YUCK!), then you are one big STINKO! Nobody died and made you boss. Back off and go to the temple, kneel beside a humble tax collector, and pray with him "God, be merciful to me, a sinner."

6. Learn to enjoy God's gift of life to you. Which brings me to my final suggestion (actually this belongs in the "legalism trap", but it is so powerfully deadly I wanted to put it in a separate category); enjoy the life that God has given to you. Nothing will ever be perfect; live with it. Pain and sorrow will come; pour out your heart to God and trust in Him. Try to breathe in a cup of divine glory every day! "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it", the Scriptures say in Psalms. Read your Bible, pray, go to church, confess your sins, and do all those things that are a means to helping you stay spiritually healthy. But don't forget to do other things that enable you to be the kind of human being God wants you to be: read a book, plant a garden, repaint the house, plant a tree, take a special trip and enjoy God's creation, hug your children a lot, and smile, smile, smile! You will probably never be rich (thank God!). You will never be a BIG MOVER AND SHAKER (does that come as a surprise to you?). Just live your life with the joyful knowledge that you are saved by grace through faith in Christ alone. God's love and grace have been lavished upon you (and you didn't do anything to get it or deserve it, so there!), and there is in heaven today a reservation with your name on it! And angels are excited about having a party with you when you get there (forgive me, I have a rich, and I trust sanctified, imagination!).

So, the new year is here, forget the diet and the trash and credit card bills (well, better pay the bills!), and let's get on with it!

The Last Day and a Vision of Destiny

I was reading Revelation 22 on this last day of the year 2009. What an extraordinary chapter this is! One must read Revelation 22 with Genesis 3. All that was lost in Genesis 3 in the sin of the human race is regained in Revelation 22 in and through Christ. The curse is taken away ("There will no longer be any curse", verse 3), and people have, in this glorious eschatological destiny, access to the tree of life (verse 2), which access was lost in Genesis 3. As I read with relish each and every verse in this chapter, my heart's yearning for the future grew and grew until I thought my soul would burst open with joy. I cried out with John, "Amen. Come, Lord Jesus." Come, beautiful bridegroom of my heart; come and take Thy royal throne. Come, and before You our knees bow and our tongues confess Your glory and kingdom.

There is much about which to be concerned as we journey timidly (and perhaps frightfully) into a new year. But Christians rejoice to know that there is much that has not changed. God is still on the throne, and nothing happens to us except what God has wisely and lovingly decreed for our good. Also, our precious Lord will not abandon us, but He will accompany us in every trial and in every struggle. Our journey is His journey, and we journey together with God, hand in hand. And finally, God will by His sovereign grace, love, and power bring us this year toward home to heaven where we will joyfully share in His glory. Our destiny is assured and worthy of all we can give to it.

So, Christian friend, let us give of all we are and have for Him in this new year. May this year witness God's faithfulness to His own promise to His own people. "The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen (Revelation 22:21)."

Beginnings, Endings and the New Year

The end of one year and the beginning of another is emblematic of life itself. Life is a series of beginnings and endings, of starting and finishing. But the Christian hope is linked to the great ending of all. And for the Christian this ending is the true beginning of something that will never end. In Revelation 21:1-4 states, "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, make ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.' "

Every completion of something in the time-space dimension is a reflection of the fleetingness of life. Life is transient at best. James said it was like a vapor that soon passes away (James 4:14). Ultimately no man (except Jesus) leaves a footprint, carbon or otherwise, on the face of history. We live, love, work, plan, grow, fail, and struggle until the end. Paul said that if only in this life the Christian had hope, then Christians are an extraordinarily pathetic people, and they should be pitied by all (1 Corinthians 15:19). The Christian's life is beyond the ravages of time and the vicissitudes of life. Our joy is beyond the grave, and the reflections of joy we share here pale in comparison to what is coming. It is the Father's good pleasure to share His kingdom with His children, and the children will giggle in divine glory beyond the distant ethereal sunset.

In the Book of Revelation the old apostle John, who had seen so much in his life (good and bad), was now waiting for the upward call to go home. Exiled on the penal island of Patmos he had a remarkable vision of Jesus. Jesus came to the sweet John and reminded the elderly, weakening apostle that Jesus was the alpha, the omega, the almighty God. Jesus was once dead, but now He is alive forevermore. He is the King of Life, and in His sovereign hands are the keys of the greatest enemies of all: death and Hades. For John that was the greatest news of all. John's aging eyes saw the end of that which will pass, and he saw the beginning of that which is to come. All of God's people, joyfully adorned as a bride for her husband, described also as a new city, will rejoice in the new heavens and new earth. And God, with tender mercy and intimacy, will touch their cheeks to wipe away every tear with His merciful finger. Those tears, salty with pain, sorrow, and agony of heart and body, are precious to our God. And He loves us enough to wipe these tears away Himself.

At the end of things there are often tears, but sometimes there are tears at the beginning of things. But the end of mortality and the beginning of immortality will be cause for the greatest wiping away of tears of all time. This awesome promise, this dynamic anticipation will make all worth while. So, finish your year, Christian friend, and begin with the joyful knowledge that you are in God's sovereign and good hands. And remember, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, or entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him (1 Corinthians 2:9)."

The Scriptures and the New Year

I always become nostalgic, a bit sentimental, and do a whole lot of self-analysis as the end of the year approaches. As I near the beginning of a new year, I smell the fresh air of beginning over, and a newly minted vision is manufactured in my heart. All sorts of questions abound at a time like that: What will last? For what is worth giving my life? What is valuable in this life?

Pondering these type of thoughts, my meditations drift back to the preciousness of and the majesty in the divinely revealed Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. God has spoken! He has spoken in language, and as such, He has spoken perspicuously, authoritatively, sufficiently and with the energy of life. No wonder David wrote, "The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul (Psalm 19:7)." Again he would write, "Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day (Psalm 119:97)." Paul charged Timothy to "Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2)." Jesus quoted the Scriptures to Satan when the evil one tempted the Master. Jesus gave the Scriptures the highest place of value and worth when He said, "Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4)." Paul urged Christians to take up the Word of God like a sword to fight off the evil one (Ephesians 6:17).

Thomas Cranmer extolled the Scripture when he said, "For the Scripture of God is the heavenly meat of our souls: the hearing and keeping of it makes us blessed, sanctifies us, and makes us holy: it turns our souls; it is a light to our feet: it is a sure, steadfast and everlasting instrument of salvation: it gives wisdom to the humble and lowly-hearted: it comforts, makes glad, cheers, and cherishes our consciences ("The First Part of the Exhortation to the Reading of Holy Scripture" found in "Certain Sermons or Homilies", 1864, p. 3)." God has not only spoken His mind and heart in the Scriptures, but God has also so empowered them as to accomplish His will in human hearts. Jesus spoke of the sanctification of His people when He said, "Sanctify them in truth; Your word is truth (John 17:17)." For, as Hebrews 4:12 states, "The Word of God is living and active, sharper than a two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." John Calvin said, "God is true, not only because He is prepared to stand faithfully to His promises, but because He also really fulfills whatever He declares; for He so speaks, that His command becomes a reality ("Commentary upon the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Romans")." God's Word understood, affirmed, and believed is part of the divine power that causes the sinner to be born again (1 Peter 1:23), and it the Word of God that will cause us to grow in faith and grace throughout our lives. Paul declared, "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17)."

As we approach a new year, let us recommit ourselves to the God of the Word by being committed to the Word of God. Let's pursue the Word of God with a holy passion, an authentic hunger, and a deep desire to glorify God in the understanding and application of His Word. May we who are preachers refresh out commitment to preaching exegetically and systematically the Word of the Lord, and may every Christian plan to regularly and meaningfully read and obey the Word of God. For God's Word will never pass away. The Psalmist wrote, "Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in heavens (Psalm 119:89)."

A Divine Promise for the New Year

Reading in my private devotions today, I was reminded of the beautiful and tenderly scripted passage in Hebrews 13:5-6, "I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you, so that we can confidently say, 'The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?' " This statement in found in the context of the exhortation to extricate ourselves from the love of money. The real issue here is "security." Security is not found in money, power, prestige, or one's station in life. Security has always been, and forever will remain, an issue related to one's relationship to God. The Christian has the greatest of confidences, because the Christian has the Lord. I think this is the essential meaning of point in Hebrews 13. The writer reminds us that we need not fear because we belong to God. I hear in the Bible passage the clear and distinct ringing of divine providence applied by divine wisdom and love. Nothing can touch the Christian except what passes through the hands of the Christian's all-powerful God. Nothing occurs to the Christian except what God, in His all-wise providence, determines is best for the Christian. In addition, God will never withhold from the Christian all that would be desirable, beautiful, and favorable for the Christian in this life and in eternity. Psalm 84:11 states this truth emphatically.

But, though God gives many good and perfect gifts to the Christian (James 1:17), there is something more tender, personal, and intimate that gives the Christian hope and comfort. Hebrews 13:5 says that God Himself will never desert or forsake us! There are five negatives utilized in the Greek to EMPHASIZE the fact that God will never, ever, without question or doubt, desert or forsake us. The Christian must say, "I have God; what else do I need?" "What else" indeed! If one has the Lord, then one has all. As John Wesley once wrote, "One who has no money is poor, but one who has nothing but money is poorer still."

May this confidence of heart, which is God's gift to you in Christ, be your comfort this day and in the new year. Christian friend, God will never cast you out, never throw you over, and He will never walk away from you. Though none of us know what the future will bring, we do know that God will never forsake us at any step in the journey to the glorious celestial city. Hallelujah!

Life Reflections at the End of the Year

Soon 2009 will be but a memory and become a part of the mosaic of the past. It always seems strange to me when a year passes out of my present radar of experience. Where do years go? What happens to the time that was the year past? Alas, I digress from my original intent.

As I finish a year and begin a new year, I have many wonderful Christian truths that serve as an anchor for my soul and the solace of my heart. Of these, three great mountains of truth rise to bear witness to me and to comfort me in my moments of anxious distress and uncertainty.

First, there is the great veracity and liveliness of the holy Scriptures. I have never found the Scriptures lacking in any substance of value. They are absolutely true, and they are the means by which we come to know saving truth and enter into that truth in a personal way. The Scriptures teach us of the nature and decrees of God, and the Scriptures guide our feet into the paths of holiness and Christian discipleship. Many times the Scriptures have been the balm of Gilead to my hurting soul. Many times my aching and weary heart has been renewed by the fresh wind of the Holy Spirit blowing through the canyons of Scripture.

Second, the hurts and pains of the Christian's life are but a reflection of the great cosmic struggle between Satan and God. Satan would attack Christians because Christians are God's beloved people. It is very encouraging to know on which side of this struggle we are. Christians bear the mark of Christ, and they may even bear the marks of persecution for Christ. Ours may be a journey that is rife with disappointment and sorrow, but in all of life's vicissitudes we overwhelmingly conquer in and through Christ, because we belong to Christ. Christians rejoice in the Lord and in the glory of the Lord. We do so because we are His.

Third, the providence of God is my most beloved comfort of all. There is no greater help to the hurting Christian than the sovereign providence of God. The sovereignty of God is absolute, and He asserts His sovereign power to watch over His own people. Even Satan must bow before the sovereign God of heaven and earth. Even in the darkest of days, when Satan seems to do his worst, God is able with wisdom and grace to weave patterns of glory with threads that sparkle with His love. The Christian can and must trust God fully, and they will breathe the air of hope. And biblical hope never disappoints.

The power and life of the Scriptures, the loving and victorious relationship with God, and the sovereign providence of God are the three pillars upon which the weakest Christian can lean with certainty and assurance. As we face the new year, let every child of God rejoice in the knowledge that the darkness of the unknown is brightened by the promise of God for His people. Thanks be unto God!