Bible

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THE LAST DAY

(Psalm 139:15&16) My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.  Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Isn’t it interesting to think of the fact that the Lord has numbered our days.  That’s an indication of an intimate relationship.  God knows, for each of us, the last day of our earthly life.  He knows when we will come home to him. God knows when our last day will come, but we don’t.   Not knowing when the last day will come helps us to put our concern about that day in the hands of the one who does. I don’t want to leave my mortal body until that last day comes, but I don’t want to stay one moment longer. I trust God to have perfectly planned out my days.

When I was young, I remember wanting to die at a ripe old age, in my own bed, and with my family and friends gathered around.  Considering my current age, I’m pretty sure the ripe old age part will come true.  However, we don’t have to worry about what it will be like on our last day.  God has got it already planned out.

There are aspects of the last day that are exciting. It is the last day of our earthly striving. As the Apostle Paul says, “I have fought the good fight; I have finished the race.”   It is also the day we enter our eternal rest in heaven, and we get to meet face to face with our Lord and Savior.  Laying down our earthly body will bring some sadness, and probably some pain, but there is eternal life and a new body waiting for us on the other side.

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THE LOVE OF GOD OR THE JUDGEMENT OF GOD? PART 2

(Genesis 18:20&21) Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me.  If not, I will know.”  

In the time of Abraham, the Lord and two angels stopped by his dwelling to deliver the news that his wife Sarah would bear a son within the year.  The Lord and the two angels were on their way to Sodom and Gomorrah to see if the time of judgement had come for the two cities.  Abraham pleaded with the Lord that if ten righteous were found there he would not destroy the cities.

When the Lord and his angels got to the cities, they entered the home of Lot who was Abraham’s nephew.  The men from every part of the city found out that strangers were visiting Lot.  they gathered, surrounded Lot’s home, and said, “Where are the men who came to you tonight?  Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.” (Genesis 19:5)

You can read the rest of this event in Genesis chapter 19, but needless to say, judgement came upon the two cities.  They were completely destroyed along with the surrounding area. There were apparently not ten righteous found in the two cities, but the Lord spared Lot and his family.

The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is another example of God’s sovereign right to judge his creation. It is important to note that God takes no pleasure in destroying his creation, but he is a holy and a righteous judge.

(John 3:16) For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

 All through the Old Testament God was working out his plan to redeem the world.  In the New Testament, he sent his Son that we might avoid his judgement and instead have eternal life.  The Bible makes it clear that judgement will come, but God has given us the opportunity to repent and receive forgiveness.

The choice is clear, eternal life in loving relationship with our creator, or suffer his final judgement. The advent of Jesus’ coming to save us makes it clear that God would rather have a loving relationship with us then to pass judgement on us.

(John 3:17) For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

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THE LOVE OF GOD OR THE JUDGEMENT OF GOD?

I’ve been teaching from the book of Genesis for the last 6 months, and I’ve had some interesting insights into the way God interacts with his created beings.  His interactions seem to be based on a choice he has given us.  That choice is to live in his love and enjoy the delight of a relationship with him or go our own way and eventually encounter his judgement.  This is the ultimate decision for all of mankind, the love of God or the judgement of God.  Let’s look at how that played out in the beginning.

Adam and Eve chose to disobey God’s warning about the tree of good and evil and ate from its fruit.  The result was that death and evil entered creation.  Because evil and death cannot exist in the presence of God, Adam and Eve wound up separated from God and suffered the consequence of his judgement.

Most of the rest of humankind also chose not to follow in obedience to God, but they went their own way.  Evil and death reined unchecked for a thousand years or more.

Genesis 6:5-8 The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.  The lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled.  So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created – and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground – for I regret that I have made them.”  But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

God’s judgement came upon his creation, “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.”  Noah sought relationship with God and saved himself and his family.  Noah made the right choice; apparently no one else did.  All of mankind perished except Noah and his family. 

These are the first two stories of God’s judgement on his created ones. I will continue this topic next week.  I would like to share a few more stories of God’s judgement.

Because making the right choice is ultimately important, we can choose the Love of God or the Judgement of God.  No other choice we make in this life bears the weight of this decision.

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PATIENCE

(Isaiah 40:31) But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not grow weary, they shall walk and not faint.

The key word in this very familiar verse is “wait”.  When we cross a busy street, we wait.  What are we waiting for?  We are waiting for it to be safe to cross.  When we wait on the Lord, we are waiting for his timing.  We are not going to rush out into traffic, and we should not rush ahead of God’s timing.  There are signs that tell us when it’s time to cross the street, and God lets us know when it’s time to proceed with his plan for us.  Patience is required in our walk with God.

Waiting takes patience.  Here is an interesting thought, Jesus tells us to love one another.  Paul lists patience as the first word to define love.  “Love is patient,” (1Corinthians 13:4). Loving each other requires patience.  We can show our love to others by being patient with them. Patience is also part of loving God.   We show our love for God by waiting on him.

From the book of Genesis, we find Abraham and Sarah waiting twenty-five years for the son God had promised them.  Sarah was ninety years old when she delivered Isaac, and Abraham was one hundred. They waited on the Lord. Waiting for the Lord is always best in the long run.  Trying to make things happen on our schedule usually ends badly.

 Isaiah wrote the words of our scripture some twenty-five hundred years ago.  It is still wisdom to wait on the Lord.  Being patient is often a struggle, but in the end, it is worth the wait.

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JESUS’ INVITATION

(Matthew 11:28-30) Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

 This is one of my favorite scriptures, but like all the sayings of Jesus, I find that fully understanding and experiencing what he says can take a lifetime.  I’ve learned that his invitation, “come to me,” doesn’t mean drop by when you’re not busy.  It means come and stay forever.  When I take his yoke upon me, it is a permanent fitting.  I find that learning from Jesus is indeed a lifetime pursuit.  The very words that impact me today, may have a whole new meaning at a later time.  There is always something deeper for the Holy Spirit to reveal.

When Jesus says he is “gentle and humble in heart”, he is telling me that his teachings are not meant to place a heavy burden on me.  They are leading me to a place of rest for my soul.  He assures me by saying his yoke is easy, and his burden is light.

I say that this is one of my favorite scriptures, yet be assured, I have wrestled with it throughout my walk with Jesus. At one point, I remember saying to Jesus that his yoke was not easy, and his burden was not light.  I’m very grateful that he is always patient with me.  I now find his words consoling.  It’s not that I’m required to do something on my own; I’m supposed to relax and receive from him direction, encouragement, and help.  Jesus loves me, and he desires to lead me toward a full and peaceful life.

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THE ROCK

(Matthew 7:24-27) “Therefore who ever hears these sayings of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.  But everyone who hears these sayings of mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell.  And great was its fall.”

On the central coast of California, there is a place where large outcroppings of rock face off against the mighty waves of the Pacific Ocean. I have a favorite place there where one of these outcroppings is accessible from the beach.  To reach this rock formation, I climb down to the beach from a small parking lot, jump across a small inlet stream, and then ascend to the top.  As I move around to face the waves, there is a perfect seat etched into the rock.  There I sit, surrounded by awesome power, completely protected by my rock fortress.   This provides space for a spiritual experience every time I visit there.

Only a rock can afford this kind of experience.  Sand is easily washed away providing no protection from the waves.  Jesus’ analogy comparing the rock and sand is quite succinct.  Listening to Jesus’ words and doing them provides us with a firm foundation upon which we can build our lives.  Choosing to not live according to Jesus’ words leaves us with no solid foundation.

Our scripture from Matthew chapter 7 comes from the end of Jesus’ “sermon on the mount”.  So, Jesus is saying that all the words he spoke, as recorded in Matthew chapters five through seven, are given to us that we might have a firm foundation on which to build our lives.  If we read the words and do them, we’re on solid ground – built on the Rock.

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RECOVERY OR TRANSISTION

(Psalms 116:15) Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants.

I have spent this week fighting a cold.  I‘ve not recovered, but I’m showing signs of recovery.  God has blessed me with a body that can recovery from Illness, and I’m looking forward to a full recovery. There will come a time when I don’t recover.  I like to think of that time as a transition.

When the body can no longer recover, we move from the temporal to the eternal.  Think of God’s perspective.  For God death is a simple transition.  He is with us here in the temporal world, and he is with us in the eternal world.  God never loses us.  For us the death of a loved one is a great loss, yet even for us it is only temporary.  We will all transition.

“There is no recovery from aging,” said my wife in our morning discussion of recovery or transition.  As we are getting older, we can look ahead and see an ending, or we can look forward to a transition into the beginning of eternity.  Jesus showed us the way. All we need to do is follow him.

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HARMONY

(Genesis 1:31) God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.  And there was evening, and there was morning-the sixth day.

Everything in God’s creation was very good.  All of creation was in harmony.  Harmony denotes a flowing togetherness that is continually in sync like a well-practiced choir.  Though the various members sing different notes, they mesh together to produce a beautiful melody.  If one person hits a wrong note, a trained hear will catch it. But what happens if everybody in the choir refuses to follow the sheet music and sings whatever note they want.  Harmony is gone and only noise and chaos persist.  It kind of sounds like our current world.

In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, all of creation was in harmony.  Man and woman were in harmony with each other and themselves.  They were in harmony with the multitude of animals and creatures God had created as well as with the earth itself.

I believe you would agree that the harmony that once existed has been greatly distorted. 

Jesus taught us to consider others more highly than ourselves, along with many other teachings that would help us promote harmony. Even we who have received the seal of his Holy Spirit find it impossible to maintain harmony.  Jesus came because we are incapable of restoring harmony on our own.    Restoring harmony to all of creation can only be done by our creator.  He’s working on it.  Jesus’ death and resurrection accomplished the most important step. He opened the door for us to be in harmony with our God.

Jesus is coming again, and he will restore harmony to all creation.  The Bible tells us that this will include the ushering in of a new heaven and earth.  God has made it so we can choose to be a part of this new harmonious world by confessing Jesus as Lord and receiving the forgiveness for which he gave his life.

I can’t even comprehend what this new harmonious world will be like, but I really want to be a part of it.

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PARENTAL RELATIONSHIPS

(Hebrews 12:9&10) Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it.  How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live!  They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.

Parents have the God given responsibility to discipline their children.  The child’s response to our discipline usually depends on our relationship with them.  The Word tells us that, our parents did what they thought best. This allows for the fact that we might not do it perfectly.

God desires to have a parenting relationship with his children.  God disciplines those who have become his children from his perfect and all-knowing position for our good.  Our response to God’s discipline varies depending on our relationship with him.

From the very beginning, humans have chosen to shun God’s discipline.  The result has been to separate us from him.  God, as the perfect parent in the midst of our rejection, has continued to love us, and he has worked throughout history to bring us back to relationship with him, even to the point of sending his only begotten Son to die for us.  (John 3:16) For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

God’s response to our rejection is to love us and work to restore relationship with us.  He has done the work, and he is patiently waiting for his children to return his love. Love and patience seem to be the best way to bring this about.

God has set the example for earthly parents. When our child rejects our discipline and strains the relationship, do the work; but do it with love and patience.  Prayer is the most important part of the work, and self-sacrifice will be required.  But always be waiting with the hope that they will return the love.

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DEPRESSION

(1 Kings 19:4&5) …He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die.  “I have had enough, Lord,” he said.  “Take my life, I am no better than my ancestors.”  Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.

Did you ever have an amazingly successful day, and find yourself fighting depression the very next day?  I have, and it reminds me of what happened to Elijah.   He and God had demonstrated to the divided nation of Israel the truth that God is the only God.  He had shown King Ahab and all who had assembled on Mt. Carmel that Baal was not a god.  Then he eliminated the 450 false prophets of Baal.  As a climax, Elijah Prayed to God, and God brought rain to end a three year drought.  Elijah was at the top of his prophetic life, and he was filled with hope that the Northern Kingdom would return to worshiping the true God.

Then the enemy stepped in.  The enemy was manifested in the person of Queen Jezebel who was outraged that he had killed all her prophets of Baal.  She sent Elijah a message saying she was going to kill him before the sun set.  In fear he ran, and wound up under the broom bush very depressed.

The beauty in this story is what God did for his depressed prophet.  He sent an angel with bread and water to care for him.  He sent the angel a second time to provide nourishment, and then send him on a journey.  For forty days and forty nights Elijah traveled until he arrived at Mt. Horeb. He found a cave and sequestered himself.   God continued to provide him with food and water, and when the time was right, God began to speak to Elijah.

First God asked Elijah what he was doing there.  Elijah responded with an inventory of what was going wrong with the Israelites and concluded with, “they are now trying to kill me”.  God didn’t respond to his complaints directly.  What he did was to say, “Go back the way you came, and go to the desert of Damascus.  When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram.  Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet.”  (See 1 Kings 19:15&16) Finally, God added, “Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel – all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”  (See verse 18)

God’s response to Elijah’s depressed state was to give him a new set of directions, a plan for retirement, and reassurance that all Israelites were not lost.  God redirected Elijah with a new purpose taking his thoughts off of his perceived dilemma.  

What I derived from this story is that God deals with his children separately and individually. So if you’re at the point of thinking all is lost, stop and seek God for help.  Let God help you to find your bearings.  His method for Elijah was effective for ending his depression.  God can help you because he knows you much better that you know yourself.  When I’m depressed, God tends to change my perspective by showing me another way of see the situation. 

I have learned that when I’m down, trusting God is the way out.  Which leads me to believe that trusting God is the best way out for all of us.