Memories - Pt 3

On the seventh day the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, “Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spoke to him, and he did not listen to us. How then can we say to him the child is dead? He may do himself some harm.” But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David understood that the child was dead. And David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” They said, “He is dead.” Then David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes. (2 Samuel 12:18-20 ESV).

We continue with the progression of things that we can do to manage and overcome the pain of our losses. I am using the experience of David when his first child by Bathsheba died. Today’s reading shows David moving from his great show of sorrow and grief to an incredible position in his faith in God. The last verse of our reading says, “then David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothing” (v. 20). This is the second principle for us: wash your face. After David wept and grieved, the Scripture recounts that he “washed his face.” I know that’s a bit difficult for us to understand. This is more than merely drying his tears. It is a very intentional movement in a different direction emotionally and spiritually. I like the imagery. He takes a cloth and wipes the salty streaks from his cheeks. It is a means of describing the act of letting the soothing water move across his skin; he is taking steps to being refreshed through the redirection of his thoughts. It is his way of changing his focus to the Lord and the future he has determined for us. This is a deliberate act, a choice to refocus. When I refocus, I take my eyes off my problems, and shift them onto the Lord. It is an intentional act to trust God. Trust him even when the situation looks impossible. Trust him that he is working for your good. Trust him that he knows your best path and is in control. There was a reason I began this little series with Romans 8:28. It is the definitive passage on the provenance of God and our good. The context shows that in a groaning, heaving world, God’s concern is conforming his children to Christ’s image. And he works through the challenging circumstances of our lives to develop our Christlikeness. In the parallel passage of the Old Testament, Joseph said to his brothers (who’d sold him into slavery), “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive” (cf. Genesis 50:20). “God meant it for good” indicates God didn’t merely make the best of a bad situation; rather, fully aware of what Joseph’s brothers would do, and freely permitting their sin, God intended that the bad situation be used for good. He did so in accordance with his plan from eternity past. God’s children have “been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will” (cf. Ephesians 1:11). This trust allows us to wash our face. It is this step that allows us to move forward. Perhaps it’s your step today.

Memories - Pt 2

And the Lord afflicted the child that Uriah's wife bore to David, and he became sick. David therefore sought God on behalf of the child. And David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. And the elders of his house stood beside him, to raise him from the ground, but he would not, nor did he eat food with them. On the seventh day the child died. (2 Samuel 12:15-18 ESV).

I have often counseled people in their grief to weep deeply. Whatever the loss that is the first step to healing and restoration. We are going to see from David’s experience in the loss of his first child with Bathsheba that he did went through these four steps of dealing with his deep sorrow. They work for us as well. Each day we will consider one of them. They are: grieve the loss, wash your face, trust God embracing the life you have. In the historic Glenwood Cemetery of Houston, where both my parents are buried, there is a well known statue, “The Weeping Angel.” You can see from the picture that it is striking. I use it to visually remind us that our tears do not go unnoticed. It is always beneficial to acknowledge what is hard. Grieve the loss. You can and should feel the sting of what will never be. When we weep deeply over the life we hoped would be, we begin to walk a path leading to a sense of release. Often we too guarded about our pain, because it seems more spiritual. That’s not true. Weeping helps us heal. Since mourning is rarely a “one and done” event, it is natural to return to this state even after we think we have “moved on.” Often it is unexpectedly. Discipline yourself to acknowledge and even welcome this grief. Often it will reveal something that is worth paying attention to. I mourn the loss of what once was as well as the loss of what never was. They are both losses of what I hoped would be. There are so many forms of loss. There are couples who have struggled with infertility, as well as those who have buried a child, or who are raising a special needs child or a wayward son or daughter; each have all lost what they hoped would be. Whatever the origin, they are losses nonetheless. There are other losses, each bringing their own pain. Careers that have been cut short through no fault of your own, dreams that are lost from the devastation of injury or illness, or relationships that have imploded as a result of a partners poor choices and sin. There are so many hurts that the list grows seemingly unending. Weep. Grieve. However, rise from your depth of pain and “wash your face.” We will see David do just that in tomorrow’s devotional. It cleanses both mind and soul. It brings us to the One who heals and works our good.

Memories - Pt 1

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. (Romans 8:28-30 ESV).

You may or may not recognize the picture that accompanies today’s Moring Devotional. It is a scene from “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.” If you haven’t seen that movie, spend an evening and laugh a lot while watching the exploits of Clark Griswold and his Christmas experience. That’s not the crux of today’s devotional though. We began our decorating for Christmas over the Thanksgiving holiday. Remember that it has been three years since we have been able to decorate our own space. That was due to being in transition between Tennessee and Texas. Regardless, this was our first “real” Christmas in our Texas home. We certainly are not going to have our home look like the Griswold’s; however, we do have lots of decorations we have accumulated through the years. I began bring all the storage tubs down from the attic in preparation for the actual trimming of the tree and decorating of our home. In a very strange way it left me more nostalgic and emotional than I anticipated. As I open each tub, I remembered the way life used to be. Each tub contained some item that evoked strong memories garnered over the last fifty years. Seems astonishing that it could be that long ago, but it has. I met Mary in the summer of 1968, and we were married December 21, 1969. Over the years we have lived an incredible life. We have been blessed more than either of us imagined when we began all those years ago. However, I am also reminded that the life I’m living now isn’t what we planned. While I am deeply convinced that I’m living out God’s best for me, there are days I miss what used to be. Unpacking these old tubs, each one filled with memories of a life that no longer exists, I realize there is loss in this journey we have taken. Oh, there is lots of gain, but the loss cannot be denied. As we unpacked and selected the things for this year’s decoration I saw pictures of family from years past. Inevitably, as with your albums, I am reminded of those who have moved from this life to that which God has prepared for them. I would love to have another conversation with them, to hear their voice. There are also pictures and mementos of Christmases past, recitals, and school plays, boxes filled with letters from people I no longer see, photographs that make me laugh and at the same time cringe in horror. All reminders of how our lives have changed. I am reminded again that the life I’m living now isn’t what I planned. This emotion isn’t particular to me. All of us face these memories. Our lives look vastly different than we imagined they would. So, what do we do? In the next few days we’ll examine that question. For now, revisit today’s reading. I know I go there often; however, it is the standard for hope. ALL things will work for my good. Until that is realized I urge you to place your trust in that promise.

Happy Birthday, Faith and Logan!

Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers. (Proverbs 17:6 ESV).

I am “crowned” five times according to this verse. Faith, Logan, Maggie, Harris, and Lucy are certainly the apple of my eye. Each of them are so unique and special in our lives as grandparents. Today I am only going to mention Faith and Logan as it is their 14th birthday! It hardly seems that is possible as the time has sped by. We have been entirely blessed to have watched them since their birth being close enough geographically to have watched all those little moments of life. This picture was taken yesterday at their "party." To say I am amazed is certainly an understatement. Their accomplishments are many, even at such a young age. To list them would only serve to sound like the boasting Grandpa that I really am! However, that would not serve the purpose of focusing on them as encouragement for us today. Grandchildren are our hope for the future. Our reading and others indicate that the elderly find a “crown” of reward and honor in being surrounded by grandchildren (cf. Proverbs 16:31; Genesis 48:11; and Psalm 128:5-6). Our lives have mattered, in a sense, through succeeding generations. We not only raised up godly sons and daughters, but they raised them to raise up the same kind of children. That is our hope for the future. This is a blessing for me today. However, I also know that is not everyone’s story or situation. It is not necessarily the case that grandchildren are a blessing to their parents, any more than fathers necessarily bring glory to their children. The Scripture reminds us that “He who sires a fool gets himself sorrow, and the father of a fool has no joy (cf. Proverbs 17:21, 25). If you are going through the pain of a wayward child, an unfaithful spouse, or some other broken family relationship, my heart is indeed broken for you. I’m not sure that there is any category of pain worse than family pain. I’ve watched people battle cancer, heart disease, and paralysis. I’ve seen others lose jobs and careers. Yet, is has been my experience personally, and my observation as a pastor and counselor, that there is something uniquely devastating about the pain of the broken family. While that is not my journey, let me encourage you today. God has a plan for your good, even in this. Your blessing is already prepared and sealed for your arrival at the end of your journey. Do not lose hope. The end of the story, while written in the heart and mind of our God, is not yet revealed. Happy Birthday, Faith and Logan! You encourage me; you are a crown in my old age. And, I pray my blessing will be an encouragement to all of you who read this little bit of inspiration today.

Why Do We Do Christmas? - Pt 3

When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:54-58 ESV).

It is fitting for God to become human so that he might die; and, in dying he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil.” Not to put the devil out of existence, but to abrogate his ability to make death damning. The devil damns with one weapon: unforgiven sin. If he can accuse us in God’s court successfully and get a guilty verdict, we are damned. But in the death of Christ, God “cancelled the record of debt that stood against us . . . nailing it to the cross. He thus disarmed the rulers and authorities” — that is, the devil (cf. Colossians 2:14-15). He was disarmed in that the weapon of successful accusation was taken out of his hand. It was gloriously fitting, that he be destroyed in this way. The Son of God became human to “deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.” Now, when believers look into the dark face of death, they say, “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (v. 15). No more fear. No more bondage. Such a life is fitting for us. When God pondered how to write the story of the universe, there was nothing outside of himself to guide him. He made his choices according to how all things “fit” into a design that would best reveal his fullness. He himself, and nothing else, established what is fitting, seemly, congruent, and beautiful. Our call is to see the fitness of all God’s ways, and approve, and rejoice, and conform. Christmas happened because it was fitting. Now we get to spend eternity growing in our ability to see what God sees. The more you have the mind of Christ, the more you see the beauty of it all. Make this your aim in this season of celebration. Use every means possible, to see the seemliness of God’s way of salvation, and rejoice! Ours is the victory. Ours is the glory. Ours is the crown of eternal life. All of this happened because God was born in the flesh to two young people in a small town in the Middle East. Joseph and Mary were so struck by this that they could merely watch and store the experiences away for later understanding. We have the advantage of the centuries. We can see what God was doing then, because of what he has subsequently done! This is why we do Christmas!

Why Do We Do Christmas? - Pt 2

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. (Hebrews 2:14-17 ESV).

Between yesterday’s reading and today’s concluding verse is the declaration that Christ suffered because it was fitting, and Christ became like us because he was thus obliged to; it is the great description of why Christ became human. Hence this is part of the picture of how the incarnation was fitting. Each line of this passage is essential. We will see two very different reasons for Christmas. First, he became human because we are human. God’s great aim is to have a family of human children in which his eternal Son is one of them, yet supreme over them. The Apostle Paul explains it like this: “Those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” (Romans 8:29). In our reading the writer says, “He had to be made like his brothers in every respect.” (v. 17). Earlier he said, “That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers” (v. 11). This is fitting — seemly, congruent, beautiful — in God’s eyes. Remember, all of this is in spite of the truth that He is Creator. It is so incongruent with our common wisdom that is utterly God-like. Common wisdom would see this act as an incredibly devastating demotion. God saw it as fitting. This gives us a very important truth to ponder. Sometimes the journey God has ordained for us is one of seeming set-backs. We see examples of this throughout the Scripture. The entire book of Ecclesiastes speaks to the vanity of a life spent “climbing the ladder.” Our world is repulsed by that idea. If we’re not getting bigger, better, or faster then, surely that is failure. And, God’s answer to that is the Incarnation. Of course, I am not insinuating that growth of any kind is necessarily bad; however, growth for the sake of growth may not be constructive. There are those times when God’s path for us takes us in a direction that cannot be immediately seen as positive. It is at these times when we must rely on His promise to work all things for our good. Even the most devastating of set-backs are merely steps for God to take us closer to perfection and glory. As the Christmas Season begins in earnest, reflect on your journey. Thanks God for all of it. It is meant for your good and he watches over all of it!

Why Do We Do Christmas? - Pt 1

For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. (Hebrews 2:10 ESV).

The day after Thanksgiving is always an incredible day for retail businesses in America. It has been designated “Black Friday.” This is not meant to be a negative designation; it is a reference to the fact that the enormous sales of this day and the kick-off of the Christmas buying season puts many businesses “in the black” for the year. Now, I’ve written about the Christian version of “black Friday’; and, you can find it at my web site for Grace Restoration Ministries (http://gracerestoration.org/?s=black+friday). So, today we’re going in a little different direction. The question for us to explore over the next few days is simply, “Why do we do Christmas?” Let’s begin at the beginning. Our reading today has a very important word embedded in the theology of it with the use of the phrase “it was fitting.” Jesus Christ existed before he was conceived in Mary’s womb. You and I did not exist before conception. So when we speak of our coming into the world we don’t mean that we existed before we were sent. We mean our being sent was our coming into being. Not so with Jesus (cf. John 16:28). The Son of God chose to be conceived in Mary’s womb. Neither you nor I chose to be born as a human. He did. As God, he considered what he would do. Upon consideration, he “counted” his equality with God something he would not grasp so tightly as to let it hinder his incarnation (cf. Philippians 2:6-7). All of this of this begs the question, “Why?” God could have created and run the universe differently. Why did it happen like this? One of the deepest biblical answers is that it was “fitting.” I say this is one of the deepest answers, because there is no reality above or outside God that he must “fit” into in order to do right. God himself is the measure of all that is right and good and true and beautiful. They are congruent, or consistent, or harmonious with all that he is. So, God acted fittingly. This is no small thing. For an all-wise, all-powerful God to see something as supremely fitting is to see it as a supreme obligation. We’ll look further in the context of our reading in subsequent days. The verse, “Therefore, Christ had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest” (cf. Hebrews 2:17). We could translate: “Hence he is obliged” (hothen ōpheilen). Not obliged to anything outside God. He is obliged by the divine wisdom in seeing what is “fitting.” God “has to” do what is fitting. Not as man reckons, but as God himself reckons. So, Christmas is in perfect character with who He is. He did Christmas because of that. Aren’t you glad?

Six Things I Am Thanful For - Day 6

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:1-3 ESV).

Happy thanksgiving! I pray this day will find you with those you love and your hearts will be encouraged in all things. Today I come to the last of the “Things I Am Thankful About.” Day 6: I am thankful being loved and the ability to love others. Today will be a day of family for us. That means the house will be filled with those who love me and whom I love as well. Love is so important. It shouldn’t surprise us that the Bible speaks about love often. So, today I pray these seven things about love will encourage you to love even more deeply than you ever have before. First, the majority of texts in any language, period of time, region, and combinations thereof have been written on love, and it never seems as if we have covered every aspect of this incredible feeling. It has been described as an emotion, a way of life, and even as the most important thing there is. While there are many facets and faces of love, let me merely mention a few things. We are designed to connect with another. This may seem trivial, but it has been the key to the functioning of society since the beginning. The ability to have an affectionate and intimate connection with another person, and to have that fondness returned is an anchor to base the rest of your development and future around. Loving another can be hurtful. It certainly puts us at a disadvantage. We are never so vulnerable as when we love another. Love is the channel through which we may discover who we really are. While it is risky to love; it is also the only means through which we see the depth of our character. Loving someone calls us to forgiveness and mercy like nothing else. And love serves as an incredible motivator. When you love another, you always tend to strive for better and not just in a vain sense either. That is to say, we seek to do better in life, to set new goals, and generally strive for the best. The upswing in positive thoughts is also noticeable and that itself makes a big difference. I’m thankful for being loved and being able to love. Spend a moment today and single out those who hold a special place in your heart. Love them visibly and demonstratively.

Six Things I Am Thankful For - Day 5

So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:7-10 ESV).

Day 5: I am thankful for my inadequacies. It does sound a bit strange to be thankful for inadequacies; however, as the Apostle Paul tells us in our reading today, these things make us strong. In fact, it is only when we are weak that God’s strength can really be seen. He knew a great deal more about weakness than I do, though I must confess I have plenty of it to go around. About a month ago I had an accident in the woodshop and injured my right thumb badly. I am right-handed which only served to complicate the adjustments necessary as a result of the injury. It has healed very well. I am back in the shop. However, it is not as strong as it was. Apart from the physical deformity of the thumb, there are still some things that have not returned to “normal.” There is still a bit of pain from the nerve damage when I try to put any pressure on it and that is the root of the “inadequacy” I have now developed. I have discovered there are many things I took for granted previously, being able to do them with really thinking about it. They are small things like buttoning my shirt, or zippering my jeans; however, they are important things to me. What was once a strength, now is a weakness. Wonderfully, I have a very understanding wife who has helped with most things, and didn’t even question me when I asked her to get me a pair of pliers to use in buttoning and zippering my jeans! There are other things much more important that are a weakness emotionally or spiritually. It is in these areas that the strength of the Lord has most become visible. Perhaps the greatest of these is in changing my attitude about “why” things happen. The shift from “why” to “who” has brought incredible assurance and hope through all of it. Certainly Solomon understood this as well. He wrote: Lord, there is much about life that I don’t understand. But You didn’t ask me to understand, did You? You asked me to trust You, and You are trustworthy. You promise that You are working all things out – right now. I do trust in You, O Lord. (Proverbs 20:24).

Six Things I Am Thankful For - Day 4

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. (Psalm 95:1-5 ESV).

Day 4: I am thankful for the creation. Our reading today is just one of many in the Scripture that extols the majesty of God’s work in creation. Some would approach this time of year, especially in places like Texas with the absence of color in the fall foliage, differently than I do. It is rather drab in various shades of brown in this part of the world, but, this is really my time of the year. So many memories of friends are tied to the sights, sounds, and smells of this time of the year for me. Recently one of my dear friends, Jamie McClain, contacted me and wondered when I was going to go to the deer lease with him. My hearty answer was, “Pick a day!” He still hunts at what we called “Windham State Park” near Abilene, Texas. You can see from the picture taken when I was on the same lease that it was not a “park.” It was our little bit of heaven though. Our campsite, while not surrounded by mountains or grand vistas, as full of life and fellowship as we gathered around our campfire and told our tall tales. I am thankful that God has created this kind of world and placed me in it. Of course, this place is not everyone’s place. However, God does have that place for you too. Perhaps it is the mountains that draw you to sit a bit by a quiet stream, gurgling its way down the mountain with cold, clear water. It could be that you love to sit a while in the warm sandy beaches of an ocean with the sounds of the cadence of the waves rolling in and the smell of salt water strong in the air. Maybe you merely enjoy sitting outdoors on a clear night and gazing to the innumerable stars that are hung in the night sky with quiet and solitude wrapping you like a favorite blanket. Whatever your place looks like, be sure that it is God who has created it. And, he created it all with us in mind. Yes, indeed, I am thankful for that forethought. It also prompts me to remember that, as wonderful as this world may be, it is nothing compared to what it will be when the final redemption of creation itself takes place. The make me think of how much I have yet to see. Our God is so vast and wonderful we cannot ever plumb the depths of that glory. Creation reminds me of that too. Our God is a great God! Celebrate that with me today!

Six Things I Am Thankful For - Day 3

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. (Romans 8:26-30 ESV).

Day Three: I am thankful for faith. Our reading today is my fallback position in life. It is where I am drawn to gather strength for every step I take in the journey God has given me. I’ve done a little research concerning where our reading is placed in its importance to the Christian. In one list of “The Most Important Verses for a Christian to Memorize,” Romans 8:28 nearly doesn’t make it. It comes in tenth. I can tell you that this verse is never very far away from my consciousness. It is a mainstay for my journey. Through all the challenges, failures, and set-backs of life this message is the basis of my hope and security. John Piper calls the following verses of Romans 8:28 “the Himalayan Peaks of Biblical promises (cf. Romans 8:30-31). However, God’s staggering pledge of verse 28 is that “all things” — not just the good, but even and especially the bad — work for our good. Life’s worst pains are for our eternal joy. All things is a massive phrase. It’s universal, all-inclusive, with no exceptions. It doesn’t take much to believe that life’s best things work for our good. But what makes this verse such a life-transforming promise is that this “all things” includes all of life’s worst things - every single one. Every stab of pain, every barb, every lingering scar is just construction material for God to make something good for us. And if we want that with specificity, it’s here in the context (cf. Romans 8:35-36). There the apostle lists life’s greatest pains — none of which can separate us from Jesus’ love: tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, sword, and even death (“regarded as sheep to be slaughtered”). No, in all these things, God is working for our good, not just giving us victory over these pains, but making us “more than conquerors” by having life’s greatest pains serve our everlasting joy. I am thankful for that kind of faith. It keeps me from being overcome in life.

Six Things I Am Thankful For - Day 2

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. (Psalm 127:3-5 ESV).

Day Two: I’m thankful for my family. The psalmist is so clear about our family being “from the Lord,” in fact, he says they are “a reward.” And so they have been in my life. You can see in the picture here that our “Emmitte” clan is pretty big. Even in this picture, which was taken two years ago, some were absent and others have been added. In our immediate family we now have two additional grandchildren, Harris and Lucy, making the total of twelve. I suppose it would be easy for me to recount all the things they have done and make that the foundation for my gratitude. However, that would not be correct. They have done much, both in our family and in the community where they serve. They have garnered awards and trophies; they have excelled in everything they have done achieving high honors. But, those are mere things and mean nothing in the eternal plan of God. Oh, I suppose I need to additionally say that have done some things that were not so good as well, otherwise you may be tempted to think I see them with purely subjective perspective. They are all wonderful. And, they are all human, just like me. We make bad choices, we sin. The difference is the God who gave them to me. That’s why they are a blessing. God knew precisely who I would need in my life. They are the perfect weapon in my quiver. My enemy cannot but fall in the face of such an onslaught. Just the other day when Maggie (our soon to be three-year-old granddaughter) tore some pages out of a book, her parents corrected her and she said, “PeePaw will fix it.” Well, I’m honored that she thinks I’m the “fixer”, but she also needs to learn a different behavior. This is God molding that “arrow” into just the right weapon against our enemy. The wisdom of God and the perfection of his plan for our lives is marvelous. It may be that you have some difficulties in your family. Set them aside and recognize that God does have a plan. Be thankful for each of them. Celebrate God’s gifts to you in each of them. I hope you will name each one, each day, as you take them to our heavenly Father. Be that kind of blessed individual!

Six Things I Am Thankful For - Day 1

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. (Psalm 107:1-3 ESV).

Today I am beginning a little journey to take us to Thanksgiving next week. There are so many things that I am thankful for that I can hardly imagine how long it might take to single one of those out each day and write a bit about it. So, I am choosing just six. Now, first, I m must encourage you not to place any emphasis on why I am choosing “six.” There is no underlying principle or subtle symbolism taking place here. I suppose the greatest reason for choosing “six” is that there are six days until Thanksgiving and that seems to fit the schedule best. I would also encourage you to join me on this journey taking six things you are thankful for and journaling about each of them one per day until Thanksgiving. I’d love to see what you write about. Leave a comment on this site with the one word and maybe a sentence or two. That would be very encouraging to all of us. Oh, one other thing: there is no right or wrong answer and there is no particular order to them. With that brief preamble, let’s start. Day One: I’m thankful for redemption. In our reading today, the psalmist says, Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south (v. 3). This was no small accomplishment; both as far as my personal redemption and the whole process for all men are concerned. Look at what he says. These people come from all over: gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. For me that means that this gift of eternal life is not reserved for the privileged few or sociologically elite. Redemption came to this second generation immigrant’s grandchild with no notice of who my family was or wasn’t. God saw me and loved me and “redeemed me from trouble.” I know we have often heard that we are not redeemed “from” something, but “to” something. There is truth in that, but I can see the “from” so much more clearly that the “to.” Along with lots of others I was moving through life. I was wounded and weary; burdened and tired; and guilty and shamed. So were all those walking with me; we were all on the same path. But in an instant, God broke into my pain said, “I choose you!” I’m thankful. When we found our dog at the rescue, he wasn’t the cutest nor the best behaved. He was a reject. Others didn’t want him. Maybe it was his short stature. Perhaps it was his odd underbite. Maybe it was his persistent personality. Whatever it was, he was excluded and soon to be pushed aside forever. We chose him, because we wanted to. We’ve had Teddy (our rescue Terrier) for nearly four years now. There have been challenges of course. He is still all Terrier and a very busy little dog. Why, the one time he challenged a skunk and lost should have been enough to take pause at our decision; however, we haven’t. He is and will forever be in our family and cherished as such. Well, I’m that little dog and God has rescued me! For that I am thankful!

How Much Can We Trust God?

As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?” These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival. (Psalm 42:1-4 ESV).

Sometimes it’s just better to be a little more specific. “I can trust God with this” has all kinds of implications that bring peace in the midst of life’s chaotic thoughts and emotions. Let me start a list that you can finish at your experience. These things are in no particular order. They simply come as I have thought about them:  I can trust God with the timing of my loved one’s death.  I can trust God with the way my loved one died.  I can trust God with the unknowns about my future.  I can trust God with my unanswered questions until faith becomes sight.  I can trust God to heal the hurt.  I can trust God to fill the emptiness.  I can trust God to illumine this darkness.  I can trust God to restore joy to my life.  I can trust God to speak to me through his word.  I can trust God to supply sufficient grace and divine power for facing whatever comes.  I can trust God to cause this to work together for my good and for the good of others impacted by this, to conform us more closely to the image of Christ.  I can trust God that resurrection day is really coming and it will be worth all the waiting.  I can trust that God knows who belongs to him, even if I don’t know if my loved one belonged to him.  I can trust that God will do what is right, even if I don’t know what God will do.  I can put my trust in a God who is merciful and loves to save, even if I don’t know if my loved one trusted in that mercy or took hold of that salvation. When the sorrow of life seemed to mock his dependence on God, the psalmist wrote the incredible words of trust and hope in our reading today. Even when everyone is discouraging us, we can remember the goodness of our god and know there is so much more to come.

When Will I Feel Better?

All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. (John 17:10-13 ESV).

This week I as sick as I have been in a long time. While the doctor has assured me it is not the flu, it might as well have been! One of those sleepless fever-riddled nights I began to think about the time when I will be free from this world’s inadequacies and my poor health. Sunday morning I felt well enough to preach. My text was James 5:7-12. Kyle told me after that it definitely was “a keeper.” I was very warmed by his encouragement. He went on to say that he was impressed that it took me nearly fifteen minutes before I got to Romans 8:28. I laughed, but saw the point quickly. There are many sermons that I preach that won’t eventually land on that verse. It is the foundation of our comfort and hope. We need that; I need that! Many times we hear various words of comfort in our struggles and grief. One older man told me at the end of the service as we watched the casket lowered into the grave of his wife of nearly fifty years, “She was just too good for this world.” Others have said things like: “Death was the only way they could finally find any peace.” Or, “I guess God just needed him more there than we do here.” And, of course we often hear, “He’s in a better place.” When we’re reeling from the loss of someone we love, we look for something solid to grab hold of to find stability in a storm of sadness and clarity in a sea of confusion. Some of the things we grab hold of are profoundly true and therefore prove to steady us in the storm. But some of the things we grab hold of emanate from the world’s lies and deception. They might sound nice, but they simply aren’t true. C.S. Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity, “Comfort is the one thing you cannot get by looking for it. If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end. If you look for comfort, you will not get either comfort or truth — only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin with and, in the end, despair.” So, let me give you the truth; something to grab hold of in the midst of challenge that will bring comfort. They are the words of our reading today. Jesus is saying the His Father can be trusted even with our lives. When Jesus says no one has been lost, he means not one! Here’s the Reader’s Digest version: “I Can Trust God with This.”

Whose Fault Is It?

You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. (Exodus 20:4-6 ESV).

Yesterday we looked at the tragedy of FBC, Sutherland, Texas where 26 people were killed. There have been countless “talking points” developed from this event. Just as there always seems to be countless fingers pointed in blame, this event drew the same attention. There were some reports that the shooter, Devon Patrick Kelley, had a history of mental illness in his immediate family. Some have suggested that he had no choice in the matter and our system utterly failed him and the victims. Well, my answer to that conclusion is simply “nope.” That brings me to our reading today. What does the Bible say? The visitation of the fathers' sins on the children is not a simple punishment of innocent children for what the fathers did. The children themselves are always thought of as sinful and rebellious as the fathers' sin is worked out in their lives. There are two kinds of effects of fathers' sins in the lives of children: one is rebellion against God; the other is the calamities of judgment that God brings on the children. We are not told how this rebellious condition is passed to or "visited on" the children. God has the right to punish fathers in the calamities that come upon their children (cf. Jeremiah 16:10-11); but, he chooses to do this in a way that justly correlates with the children's own guilt. None of this should make anyone feel trapped and without hope because of his parents' sins. The blood of Jesus conquers all sin and judgment for those who believe. And no one who has a child who goes bad and forsakes the way of righteousness, should feel that it is all his fault (cf. Ezekiel 18:20). All this should make us intensely committed to education with the purpose and plan of God at its heart at home and at church. Great and lasting things are at stake for future generations not only because of what we teach, but also because of who we are. Pray for the families of the victims and the perpetrator. God cares about each of them deeply.

The Right Question

As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man's eyes with the mud and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing. (John 9:1-7 ESV).

Twenty-six crosses stand in a field on the edge of town to honor the 26 victims killed at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland. Perhaps you are asking the question, “Why?” I do. Following such a great tragedy it is often the first thought; however, it must not be our last thought. That should be the question of “Who?” I think part of God’s will in ordaining a calamity is that we weep with those who weep. That is part of the plan. God brings to pass all things. Spurgeon said, “…every dust mote that flies in the air, or every little globule of spray in every harbor in the wake of every boat in the world, is guided on its path through the air by God.” Once you get to the point of believing in the providence and sovereignty of God to that extent, then you see that God intends weeping, the abhorrence of evil, the rescue of the perishing, and the healing of the broken-hearted, to be a part of his plan. Our reading helps us with this principle. When Jesus met the man who was born blind, people said, “Ok, who sinned, this man or his parents?” (v. 2). And Jesus answered, “It is neither. This man was born blind for the glory of God” (v. 3). This means that when God ordained that this man endure 30 years of blindness, he was also willing that there be some responses to it of a certain kind. And the shepherds who were caring for him in the synagogue had the wrong kind of response, because when he got healed they didn’t even rejoice. They had hearts that were terrible. And Jesus wanted people to rejoice and to see God and to glorify God. So the point is this. If you see a calamity and you know God could have stopped it, which he always could, and he didn’t stop it, so he must have a purpose in it. Don’t draw the irrational, unbiblical conclusion that God doesn’t us involved in bringing him glory in this unspeakable horror. This is the conclusion of a person who has gotten halfway into the Bible and has started to draw human conclusions rather than biblical conclusions. God wills for the beautiful virtues of outrage at sin and compassion for victims and efforts of relief to be manifested in the midst of the calamities that he himself is in charge of. That reflects the real glory of God. That answers the real question!

Life Plans

But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. (Genesis 50:19-21 ESV).

I have found that my expectations are far different than reality. Most “life plans” are no more than expectations. Creating life plans is big business these days. You can hire a Life Coach (Life Guru, Life Master, Life Sensei, whatever it’s called), and they will then help you construct a master life plan. The life plan will probably contain a grand life mission statement, which makes you sound pretty awesome; one-year goals, five-years goals, and life goals; specific areas of focus in your life; and, a specific trajectory for your life. Most likely, this will include a specific job, a specific level of income, a specific geographic location, and perhaps a specific body mass index. And the reality is, even if you don’t have a formal, written life plan, you have a life plan in your head. We all do. You have an imagined future in your head. I don’t have a formally stated life plan, but I don’t want to waste my life either. Plans are not the enemy. In fact, they can be wise. I’m all for planning. Without plans, little of enduring value gets accomplished. But the reality is, there are many times when God intentionally messes up my life plan. And that’s a really good thing. God really messed up Joseph’s life plan. His brothers threw him into a dry well, then sold him into slavery. The wife of his Egyptian master tried to seduce him. When he refused her advances, she turned him over to the Egyptian cops, who then tossed him in prison. He spent years in prison, waiting to be released. I don’t imagine that Joseph included prison time in his life plan. Finally, after many years of painful waiting, God exalted him to the second in command in all of Egypt. When all was said and done, what did Joseph say to his brothers? “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (vv. 19-20). God messed up Joseph’s life plan, and it was a really good thing. He did for Joseph what Joseph could never have done for himself. So, when your reality looks far messier than your plans, thank God; and, remember He’s got this! Even when it seems no good can come from your circumstance, His undeniable and unalterable guarantee is to work it together for our good. Trust Him!

Meditation

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:16-17 ESV).

God designed us with the capacity to pause and ponder. He means for us to not just hear him, but to reflect on what he says. It is a distinctively human trait to stop and consider, to chew on something with the teeth of our minds and hearts, to roll some reality around in our thoughts and press it deeply into our feelings, to look from different angles and seek to get a better sense of its significance. The biblical name for this art is meditation, which is defined as “deep thinking on the truths and spiritual realities revealed in Scripture for the purposes of understanding, application, and prayer.” Since we were made to meditate, we shouldn’t be surprised to find that world religions have seized upon the activity, and new schools try to make use of its practical effects, whether to cultivate brain health and lower blood pressure. Christian meditation, however, is fundamentally different than the “meditation” popularly co-opted in various non-Christian systems. It doesn’t entail emptying our minds, but rather filling them with biblical and theological substance, truth outside of ourselves, and then chewing on that content. For the Christian, the apostle says in our reading that meditation means having “the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (v. 16). Meditation that is truly Christian is guided by the gospel, shaped by the Scriptures, reliant upon the Holy Spirit, and exercised in faith. Man does not live by bread alone, and meditation is slowly relishing the meal. Christian meditation is less about the posture of our bodies, and more about the posture of our souls. Our main pointers aren’t, sit on the floor with your legs crossed, or sit on a chair with both feet on the floor and your back straight, palms facing upward. Christian meditation begins with our eyes in the Scripture and our minds mind stocked with memorized Scripture. Perhaps we start with some broader Bible reading from which we select a particular verse or phrase that caught our attention, and carve out several minutes to go deep in it. Then, with intentionality and focus — often best with pen in hand, or fingers on the keys — we seek to better understand God’s words and warm our soul at his fire, and let it lead us into prayer and then into the day. In our restless and stressed-out society, it very well may strengthen our brain and lower our blood-pressure to practice the art of Christian meditation. But even more significant will be the good that it does for our souls.

Winter in Texas - Pt 2

And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:12-14 ESV).

I’m always amazed how many cars end up forgotten rusting away in a field. It is somewhat illustrative of what happens to us if we don’t keep spiritually warm. Jesus’ words in our reading today help us to remember that cold is a sure and often silent killer of the spirit. The spiritual temperature of our world is dangerously low and if we are not careful, our love, like many, will grow cold (v. 12). And the thing about such cold is that it damages us before we realize it. The effects of frostbite are typically not felt when it’s happening. Only later do we realize the seriousness of our injury. Every year people lose digits and limbs to the cold. And some freeze to death. Cold is a stealthy killer, for a heavy drowsiness descends on its victims and they lose consciousness, drifting off to death. No one intended these trucks to fall into such disrepair. They were simply forgotten with a hope of taking care of them “later.” The key to surviving the spiritual polar climate we live in is fire. We’ve got to stay warm. If we don’t, it can result in injury or even death. And it takes a lot of work to stay warm. You don’t just wing it in the winter. You’ve got to dress for the weather and keep your fire burning, which requires preparation and maintenance. The fire is your faith-filled love for, your desire for, your delight in God. And this fire is fed with the Holy Spirit stoking it through the word and prayer. But I don’t mean a passive Bible reading and cool praying. Simply passing your eyes over words of Scripture won’t keep your fire going, and neither will minimal, distracted, disengaged praying. Making firewood is hard work, but its reward is a warm, abundant life. The alternative is the damaging numbness of the cold. The fire needs to always be on our minds, no matter what else we are doing. If we don’t fuel the fire, it will go out. If the fire goes out, the temperature in our souls drops quickly and it takes a lot more work to reheat them than to keep them warm in the first place. Spiritual cold is a stealthy killer. It lulls people to sleep and they lose consciousness not realizing their peril. That’s why our lives must revolve around tending the fire, because the fire is the key to surviving the cold. And the fire should be the first thing we tend in the morning and the last we tend at night. How’s your fire?

Winter in Texas - Pt 1

Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion! For he strengthens the bars of your gates; he blesses your children within you. He makes peace in your borders; he fills you with the finest of the wheat. He sends out his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly. He gives snow like wool; he scatters frost like ashes. He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs; who can stand before his cold? He sends out his word, and melts them; he makes his wind blow and the waters flow. He declares his word to Jacob, his statutes and rules to Israel. He has not dealt thus with any other nation; they do not know his rules. Praise the Lord! (Psalm 147:12-20 ESV).

You are aware that we live in Texas. It is a rare event when we get such cold weather that we see snow. However, Christmas, 2015 was such an event. As you can see from the picture, it was both beautiful and wintry cold. Here we are two years later and the first of the really cold air has started to move in to North Texas. My heat pump is working overtime with a high in the forties and cold rain falling all day. Hopefully it will be a short-lived event as predicted and we will return to more moderate weather. It does remind me of a very important spiritual principle. It takes a lot of work to stay warm. So, I’ve decided to spend a little time looking at the things that can keep spiritual winter from lasting too long. Even just a century ago it took a lot more work to stay warm during the winter even in Texas. I have great respect for the people who live north of the Mason-Dixon and cope with such cold weather every year; and, even more so before the days when natural gas and/or electricity was piped directly into homes equipped with automatic, thermostat-regulated heating systems. It hasn’t been so long ago that most people had only one way to keep a house warm. They had to tend a fire. In fact, life during winter revolved around tending fire, because fire was the key to surviving the cold. And tending a winter fire was a lot of work. It began during the warm seasons, because you had to think and plan ahead for the winter fire. You knew unpredictable snowstorms and severe cold were coming. You’d still have to do nearly everything you had to do in the summer, but everything would take longer in the winter, and you would have less daylight in which to do it. If you ran out of fire fuel in the bitter cold, you would be in trouble. So you were cutting down trees long before the first flurries, chopping them into logs, and figuring out ways to keep them secure and dry. When winter hit, the fire was always on your mind, no matter what else you were doing. If you didn’t fuel the fire, it went out. If the fire went out, the temperature dropped quickly and it took a lot more — more wood, more work, and more time — to reheat a cold room and cold furniture than to keep them warm in the first place. So every day, besides the rest of life’s demands, you split wood, restocked the fireside, kept the fire fed, and cleaned out ashes. The fire was the first thing you tended in the morning and the last thing you tended at night. Tending the fire was a lot of work, but it was necessary work because fire was the key to survival. That’s our spiritual key as well. We’ll be more specific in the coming days. Today, get your wood ready. Winter is here!

How Big Is Heaven?

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Revelation 7:9-10 ESV).

Today will be one of those devotionals that might make you wonder what I was really thinking as I wrote it! We are going to begin with a picture of one of the remaining original boundary markers of Washington DC. First, a little history is in order. The Residence Act of July 16, 1790, as amended March 3, 1791, authorized President George Washington to select a 100-square-mile site for the national capital on the Potomac River between Alexandria, Virginia, and Williamsport, Maryland. President Washington selected the southernmost location within these limits so that the capital would include all of present-day Old Town Alexandria, then one of the busiest ports in the country. Acting on instructions from Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, Major Andrew Ellicott began his initial observations for a rough survey of the ten-mile square on Friday, February 11, 1791. As he surveyed the square area, he and his team placed a stone every mile to mark the area. These boundary stones are the oldest federal monuments. Although several stones have been moved or severely damaged, thirty-six stones from the 1790s are in or near their original locations. In my visits to DC I have seen one. They don’t compare to other “monuments” in the area, except for what they represent. They marked the place for the seat of government that our founding fathers believed would be beacon of freedom for all men. Well, it may be the only place in history thus far that we know that represents freedom to all men; but, it certainly does not give real freedom to anyone. The only place that does that is heaven. This bit of history then prompts me to ask, “Just how big is heaven? Scientists have not even been able to chart the size of the known physical universe. There is a photo called the XDF (eXtreme Deep Field) that was put together from images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope over the course of ten years. It shows a vast number of galaxies, each comprising billions of stars like our sun. Our sun is 93 million miles away from the earth. And the galaxies are very, very far apart. Andromeda, the closest galaxy to our own, is 2.2 million light years away. To give an idea of how far that is, a shuttle traveling at 18,000 miles per hour would need 37,200 years to travel one light year. The universe is absolutely huge, and God created it all. So, how big is heaven? We don’t know exactly. The Bible doesn’t give any linear measurements. When John had his vision of heaven, he wrote, “There before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb” (v. 9). So heaven is at least big enough for the innumerable multitude. There will be no crowding in heaven. As is often the case, I ask the wrong question. It doesn’t matter how big it is. It will be big enough. The real question is “Will you be there?” Only Jesus will assure that. Trust him!

R.I.P. - Pt 6

So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. (2 Corinthians 5:6-10 ESV).

In order to get to our final truth we return to the reading we began with. Again the apostle reminds us that we can know that death is not the end of our existence. We have bodies and souls. Death is the separation of body and soul, not the end of our personhood. When we die our bodies become lifeless and are no longer the place where we "reside," but we continue to exist as souls with Christ in glory. I love this little rendering with the words, “Shut up and dance. Death is not the end.” I’ve often wept at the funerals of those I have loved. Some of those tears were based in the feelings of immediate loss; however, most of them came as a result of not being immediately cognizant of the great victory they have won. Funerals should be celebrations for those who have died. This celebration should be based on what they have ahead, not behind. Isn’t it interesting how backwards we have it? Read any obituary. It will detail all the pertinent life data and accomplishments. We somehow see this as their “legacy.” That is not true. Their legacy continues to grow in heaven. They have arrived! There is one last word as I conclude the study. Knowing that death ushers us directly into the realities of either heaven or hell should make us look up to Christ as our refuge and salvation and should make us strive, as Paul, to "have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to him" (v. 9). Even for believers, the prospect of death is sometimes a fearful thing because death is enshrouded in great mystery as the realm to which we have never gone. But we may take courage and lay aside our fears in the confidence that we have a God who time after time says to his people, "Do not be afraid" (cf. Joshua 11:6; Isaiah 44:8; Matthew 14:27; 17:7; 28:10; and Revelation 1:17). God wants His people to be comforted in the face of death: "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you" (Isaiah 43:1-2). That gives real meaning to Rest in Peace!

R.I.P. - Pt 5

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. (Romans 8:26-30 ESV).

The fourth principle is that at the moment of death believers will be made perfect and cleansed from all sin. Our reading points to the truth that believers are taken to heaven immediately at death. Heaven is fully pure and free from all tarnish and sin, and therefore when God takes us to heaven He makes us fit for the experience of it by making our hearts perfect in holiness. This merely accords with His purpose to make us completely like Christ (v. 29) and, at the return of Christ, to present us to Himself without spot or wrinkle or sin (cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Ephesians 5:27). Now, before you simply dismiss this as a stretch in bringing you peace and comfort during your grief, simply think of the struggle we all have with our own personal sins. It is not fashionable to talk about besetting sin in today’s church culture. In our effort to be grace givers we have forgotten how to be truth tellers. However, the truth is that not one of us is immune from the struggle; young and old, male and female, we struggle with those old sins. We repent with deep remorse, and return to the sin all too quickly. That struggle simply will not exist in heaven. We will be set free from this old nature that so quickly fails. Today we cry with David, Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow (Psalm 51:7). Then we will simply be consumed with the purity of Christ that overcomes every temptation. Like the fresh fallen snow covering every part of the landscape with white, we shall be covered by his complete purity and strength. That truth brings a new depth to the victory of those who have already made the journey to their final home. This is no small victory. This is no passing success. This is an eternal position unlike anything anyone has know since Adam and Eve first sinned plunging creation and mankind into sin and death. When I think of that as the position of the loved one I grieve, I am better able to endure the temporary separation. It brings me great peace.

R.I.P. - Pt 4

For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. (Romans 8:22-25 ESV).

The third principle is that when in heaven we will be continue looking forward (as we should be already in this life) to the resurrection of our bodies from the dead. Disembodied existence is not God's ultimate and final and greatest purpose for us. As great as it will be to be in heaven after we die, God has something greater in store: being resurrected from the dead so that we will live soul and body forever in the new heavens and new earth. In our reading today, Paul stated that he was waiting eagerly for the redemption of his body (v. 23). This eager anticipation for our resurrection stops not when we die, but when we finally receive the fulfillment of our anticipation in the resurrection of our bodies. Understanding this should greatly increase our desire for the full coming of God's kingdom. John Piper has written: It seems to me that the hope of resurrection does not have the same place of power and centrality for us today that it had for the early Christians. And I think one of the reasons for that is that we have a wrong view of the age to come. When we talk about the future and the eternal state we tend to talk about heaven, and heaven tends to imply a place far away characterized by non-material, ethereal, disembodied spirits. In other words, we tend to assume that the condition that the departed saints are in now without their bodies is the way it will always be. And we have encouraged ourselves so much with how good it is for them now, we tend to forget that it is an imperfect state and not the way it will be, nor the way Paul wanted it to be for himself. Yes to die is gain, and yes, to be absent from the body is to be at home with the Lord, but no this is not our ultimate hope. This is not the final state of our joy. This is not our final or main comfort when we have lost loved ones who believe. Our current bodies are characterized by weakness and debility. Our earthly “temples” are undeniably fragile and susceptible to the plethora of diseases. We are also weakened by sin and temptation. One day, though, our bodies will be raised in power and glory, and we will no longer be subject to the flaws and fragility that this life is so filled with. Now that causes me to rejoice and know peace! I hope it does for you as well.

R.I.P. - Pt 3

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again. (Philippians 1:21-26 ESV).

We continue in our study with a second truth: heaven is a place of resplendent glory, and being with Christ in the glory of heaven will be far superior to our present earthly lives. The Apostle Paul says that departing this life to be with Christ "is very much better" (v. 23) and that he would "prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8). Notice also that being in heaven with the Lord is referred to as being "at home." That home is secure. That home is eternal. When we lived in Tennessee both Mary and I felt that our house there was our last house. I often called it my “casket house.” The reference was that the only way I would be moving out of that house would be in a casket. Well, here we are in Texas! I certainly hope this is our “casket house.” However, it will not be my final “home.” I have only one home, now and forever. It is heaven. Think of your present residence as nothing more than a port where you are temporarily moored in your journey. As circumspect as your path may have been, as challenging as it may have become, there is so much more awaiting you when you get home. This is merely one of the things that will make heaven so great; it is that we will finally feel that we are in our true home. I must admit that is a difficult thought to concentrate on in the midst of pain. Perhaps one of my “tricks” to accomplish this will be helpful to you. When I find myself being short-sighted in regard to my ultimate dispensation, I simply remember the life of Joseph. Through all the difficulties of his experience he always knew his home was the Promised Land. For him that was a geographical location. He lived long before the coming of the Messiah and thus his knowledge was not as developed as ours. What he did know was that God would see to it that his “bones” would find their rest in his home, even though he had not known that home since his boyhood. And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” (Genesis 50:24-50 ESV). Home is yet to be. It will be a place of freedom, fullness, and finality.

R.I.P. - Pt 2

One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:39-43 ESV).

Yesterday we began the series dealing with death and what happens to believers when this physical body dies. The first principle of note is that believers will be taken into the presence of Christ in heaven immediately. “Chrysalis” comes from the Latin chrysalis, which in turn is rooted in the ancient Greek χρυσαλλίς. It actually is a beautiful word that most nearly describes the word “gold.” Much of the time when the pupae emerges from the cocoon as a butterfly there is a golden hue in its wings. The release of Monarch butterflies has been used in weddings and funerals of late as symbolic of the freedom gained in death. This is the image to be gained from Jesus’ words to the thief in our reading today. Christ is in heaven now (cf. Acts 1:2; 3:21; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 4:16; 2 Thessalonians 1:7), and believers will go to be with Him. Jesus said to the thief on the cross, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with me in Paradise" (v. 23). And on two different occasions Paul spoke of death as ushering us into the presence of Christ: But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake (Phulippians 1:23-24). Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord--for we walk by faith, not by sight--we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. (2 Corinthians 5:6-9). So often we speak in terms of our loss, which is real; however, we unintentionally omit the mention of the deceased gain. Think of it. Given the choice, would you rather be a worm or a butterfly? The perspective changes. This is our foundation of hope and peace. Rejoice on their behalf as you shed your tears born of your pain!

R.I.P. - Pt 1

For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:1-8 ESV).

Today I will begin a short series rooted in the Scriptural description of death for the believer. I feel like I need to say a few things that will be foundational first. The experience of loss when someone we love dies is real and relentless. However, there is a path forward that will produce as much peace as is possible given the magnitude of this pain. I am not ignoring that pain with these principles. In fact, my hope and prayer is that these principles will help you continue your journey with a deeper sense of hope in the goodness of God’s plan in your life. Additionally I want to explore some of the things that prevent us from experiencing that peace. So, let us begin. R.I.P. is an abbreviation of the English “Rest in Peace” or (in Latin) requiescat in pace. It is often used in epitaphs and inscriptions on the grave markers we see in cemeteries. I’m always a little torn in both using that phrase and in hearing it used. I usually wonder if it represents that same kind of conviction the Apostle Paul expressed in our reading today. Both here and in numerous other places in his letters the apostle is very clear that death for the believer is the preferred experience. Life is good; however, death is so much more. “Rest” is a part of that in the sense that we will no longer struggle with the inevitable pain and disappointment so prevalent in our journey. He makes it clear that “away from the body” is “at home with the Lord.” But what does that look like? Are we really going to be sitting around on clouds “resting”? The Bible doesn’t make answering these questions easy. It does not give a lot of details concerning what happens right after we die. It is certainly safe to say that we will enter a reality that is far beyond anything we could imagine. We will explore five specific things the Bible says about what we should expect at the moment of death and beyond in the next few days. For now, my hope is that YOU will rest in peace because you know the God who secures those whom he has called.

The Season of Thanksgiving - Pt 2

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. (Galatians 4:4-7 ESV).

In just seven years we will see the Centennial Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. It had humble beginnings in that first year of 1924. A group of animals from the Central Park Zoo were marched down a street in Harlem accompanied by a handful of immigrant Macy’s employees who wanted to express how thankful they were for living in the United States that year. Today it is the quintessential event to begin the Christmas Season. Granted, there are several human reasons for the timing of our Thanksgiving observation in the United States, some based in God’s work in American history and some growing out of commercial and financial pressures. But God is always sovereign, working through what look like merely human causes. And so I’m grateful that as we give thanks the last week in November; it is then that we open the gateway to our celebration of Christ’s incarnation. I am also very grateful for Thanksgiving. Fourteen years ago, November 27th (which was Thanksgiving Day that year) my first two grandchildren were born. I was not surprised about that day, though no one knew for sure what the date would be. I always thought it would be just like God to make it that day as a reminder of how thankful we would be each year at their birthday celebration. There were lots of complications getting them here. That has never been lost on me. Every birth is a miracle, but we were able to see one so vividly with Faith and Logan. No less, when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. The apostle reminds us in our reading that because we are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. And yet, in some ways, we are still waiting. Our spiritual redemption came to us with the baby of Bethlehem. There is suffering and tragedy still, even for Christians. Someone we love is dying. We may be in pain. Sometimes we have trouble believing God’s promises. In other words, our redemption is not complete. We are waiting for the redemption of our bodies; waiting for Jesus’ second advent, for him to come again. Advent is a season of looking back, thinking how it must have been, waiting for the promised salvation of God, not knowing what to expect. And at the same time, it is a season of looking ahead, preparing ourselves to meet Jesus at his Second Coming. What a great, unshakable hope we have before us! What a wonder we possess to motivate us to thanksgiving. Start now and be thankful!