A Great Story - Pt. 3

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” (Revelation 21:1-5 ESV).

 

In addition to a good beginning, every story also needs a good ending. I’ve read that a story is like a bus: a good one will pick you up wherever you are and drop you off somewhere else. I like stories with happy endings. Those are the ones where the main characters live “happily ever after.” A really good story gives you hints of that as it goes along, but it also leaves you wondering how the characters will eventually get there. I also believe all good endings make sense; evoke emotion like contentment, anger, sadness, or curiosity; shift the reader's perspective; or open her mind to new ideas. They do not confuse or cast the whole story as a hoax. Good endings bring the hero—and, more importantly, the reader—to some kind of destination. I certainly hope my book will do that, though it may be a while before we get to the final ending as the plan now calls for two more volumes in the story!

 

The Bible presents us with the happiest of all endings. Our reading today gives us a glimpse of that ending. The struggles of our world draw to a close as the risen Jesus finally returns to this world, bringing heaven and earth together. At long last he will wipe every tear from our eyes, every wrong will be made right, and we will live with God and each other, as in the beginning.

 

If you’re like me, you long for that happy ending, maybe without even knowing it. Life involves disappointments. The people in our lives disappoint us, our bodies become sick, or old age steadily erodes our sense of vitality. When we struggle, something inside us wants to sigh heavily, “It shouldn’t have to be like this!” That’s the sigh of everyone who has the natural result of the sin of Adam and Eve. God’s response is simple: “You’re right—it shouldn’t have to be like this. And in the end it won’t be. Just stick with the story until the happy ending.” Take courage from that truth, regardless of the trial you are facing!

 

A Great Story - Pt. 2

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:1-8 ESV).

 

Yesterday I said the Gospel was a great story. Unfortunately so many people miss most of the “story” because they misunderstand the Bible. The Bible is not simply a book that includes a lot of stories, but it is itself is one big story. It’s the story of what God has done in creation, what we did to sabotage his efforts, and what God is doing now in his vast, eternal plan to fix what we ruined. The main character is always God. And we are the beneficiaries of His perfect work.

 

This is so important. Christianity is the only faith in which God is the one who does the heavy lifting. Every other religion, in­clud­ing atheism, ultimately comes down to a set of instructions for what people need to do to make things better. In the history-spanning drama that brings the Christian gospel to the world, however, God is the main actor, and we play only supporting roles. Jesus Christ entered our world and carried the burden of everything that had gone wrong.

 

That is the glorious message tucked away in our reading today. The Apostle Paul makes this incredible declaration when he writes: For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly (v. 8). It is such a tragedy that we so often miss what God has already done in favor of all we are so often told to do for ourselves.

 

So the Bible is the account of what God has done. It’s a grand story with supporting materials. While it includes plenty of foundational doctrines and important ethical teachings, the most important thing about the Bible is that it tells us what God has done. That makes it a story, the greatest story of all time. When you read the Bible, I encourage you to read it as a book of what God has done, not a book about what you should do. That the truth that will set you free!

 

A Great Story - Pt. 1

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him. (Mark 1:14-20 ESV).

 

Today we are beginning a new “mini-series.” I’ve titled it “A Great Story.” I suppose the idea for the series comes as a result of the impending publishing of my latest book. We are in the last stages of development of the artwork for the cover and it will then go to print. I’m told that it will get more exposure through the electronic version of it rather than the actual printed version. Either is fine, though my preference is to actually hold a book that I’m reading. I guess that makes me old fashioned. It is a work of fiction, which is unusual for me. My other works were all devotional works. I am a bit anxious about the release and hope that it is entertaining. From the early reviews and editing, I have been told it is a “great story.”  When Mary finished reading the final edit, she simply said, “How did you think of all of that stuff?” It does have some twists and turns in the plot, which is the journey of Texas declaring independence.

 

Good story or not, time will tell; these devotionals are about a Great Story. The word we translate as “gospel” means “good news.” Good news is exciting; it normally triggers joyful responses like cheers and “high fives.” But we don’t always have good news in mind when we read the Bible. Often we read the Bible more like good advice than good news. Or it may seem more like a stern warning or an important restriction. When our reading of Scripture sounds like anything other than good news, it’s usually a sign that we’re not reading very carefully. The Bible tells us what God has done to fix a problem that we could never fix on our own. While the Bible describes what we should do in response to what God has done, the main point of the story isn’t what we need to do, but rather what God has already done. The burden of pleasing God has been taken off our shoulders and transferred to Christ’s.

 

There are really only two ways to respond to the Bible. One is to say, “I’ll try harder.” That’s how people often respond to good advice. The other is to say, “Thank you.” That’s how people often respond to good news. When you open the Bible, I hope you will find good news. It is indeed a GREAT story! It isn’t a wonder at all when the first disciples were told to leave what they were doing and follow Jesus that they dropped everything and did so. They saw the greatness of the gospel and were willing to abandon everything else in favor of following Him. That is the greatness of the Gospel. My hope for each of you is that same kind of abandonment in favor of the great journey He will lead you to take!

 

Is that the Best You Can Do? - Pt. 8

They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. (2 Peter 3:4-9 ESV).

 

The hymn goes “soon and very soon, we are going to see the King.” You may have sung it many times. It has been done by many artists over the years. The message is one of great assurance. However, the question often becomes “how soon is soon?” Peter helps us with an answer to that question in our reading today. He simply says the Lord is not dallying; he is not being slow in the face of our trial. He is working qualitatively rather than quantitatively. He is not counting the time by the minutes, but by the fulfillment of the calling of all men to himself.

 

Already in the first century some believers doubted Jesus’ return. They had believed the promise of his coming, but times were hard and persecution was severe. Scoffers were asking, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised?” They had no answer. Sometimes we might wonder too. We hear about persecution and ask, “Why doesn’t Jesus come to end it?” We read about poverty and hunger and deprivation, and we think, “When will it end?” We hear about natural disasters and tragedies, and we wonder why Jesus does not end it all by coming back. The answer Peter gives is that Jesus has not forgotten about his promise to return. He is “not slow in keeping his promise.” Instead, he is patient!

 

I think that patience is of incredible assurance to us. He is not going to forget anyone. No one will be left behind. God is under no timetable. No one has put a limit to the measure of time or effort that God is willing to spend to get the task finished. Everyone who is called will be saved; and, everyone who is saved, will enter the kingdom of God. Heaven is our destination, regardless of how long or how difficult the journey. Take comfort, when we get there, our wait will merely seem as an instant!

 

Is that the Best You Can Do? - Pt. 7

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort. (2 Corinthians 1:3-7 ESV).

 

Early in my ministry I had the responsibility of making some of the most difficult visits imaginable. One in particular stands out as I write this devotional. I received the call early in the morning from the mother of one of the boys on my oldest son’s baseball team that her husband had just been in an accident on the job. He had fallen from the second story of the construction site he was working on and died from the impact. Her request was tearful and quiet, “Please, Don, can you come over and tell my son?” My thoughts were jumbled along the drive to their home. Their son was just eight years old. What could I say? How should I break such news to such a tender heart?

 

I’m sure I could have done much better than I did, but after quietly explaining to the little boy what had happened, I just sat with them in silence as we all wept for a while. The little boy interrupted the solemn moment and asked, “Brother Don, does my daddy have wings now?” I told him I wasn’t sure and asked him why he wanted to know. He said, “If he has wings, he’ll never need to worry about falling off the roof again.” I told him wings or not, he’d never have to worry about that or anything again. I told him about the Gospel and soon after was privileged to baptize he and his mother.

 

Comfort… it comes in different ways. You may be familiar with the comedy of Jerry Clower. One of his routines comes to mind (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4FUhUHOhwU). I hope you’ll spend a few minutes and watch it. The story of the coon hunting and the game warden “needing some relief” is illustrative of what I want to say as you face the trials and difficulties of your life.

 

You see, God knew “one of us needed some relief.” But instead of risking any harm to us, he put all the sins, guilt, and punishment on His only begotten Son, Jesus, who took our place. Knowing that can ease your pain. Trusting that will give you comfort to face anything.