Come, Lord Jesus!

Jesus says, “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Rev. 22:12-13 & 20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

I was subbing in a first grade class at my favorite Christian School. When it came to Bible time, I was to read from the Bible curriculum about the shepherds that came to the stable to worship the baby Savior, and the Wisemen who came to the house to worship the child Savior, and Joseph taking his little family to Egypt because of the anger of the king. Well, I got through the whole account of events and ended with, “And you can see how God the Father protected His Son Jesus Christ through this whole time.” And I closed the Bible curriculum book.

One little girl shouted out, “Wait, Is that the end of the story?” I know she meant, “Was it the end of Bible time?” but the Holy Spirit pricked my heart. An “Aha” moment reminded me that this is not the end of the story. We have been for centuries and are continuing to wait for the end of this wonderful story.

Jesus is coming again. We are waiting with anxious anticipation. Just like the Children of Israel waited with eager hope of the coming of Messiah, we wait. Just as the shepherds and eastern Magi rejoiced and worshipped the Messiah, the Emmanuel, the God with us, we will rejoice and worship again when He comes as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Our Pastor Wade is taking us through Revelation but I raced ahead to the end of the Revelation from God in my Bible. Jesus ends our scripture by saying that he is coming soon. He said He is the beginning and end of it all. And John the writer of this Revelation ends by saying that he is anxiously awaiting that Day.

We haven’t come to the end of the story. So I shout like John of old;

Amen!

                                                          

    Come Lord Jesus!

Christmas: Press Pause

Last week my sister and I were going over all the things we have to do before Christmas. I think we tell each other so that we can remind ourselves of anything we may have forgotten. Halfway through our lists I said, “Let’s just pause a moment and celebrate the birth of Jesus on earth…moment’s over.” We laughed at my little joke but I silently promised myself that I would take a moment to worship the Emmanuel Jesus Christ Son of God.

Then my week got crowded. I thought that I would take the time to concentrate on the words of our Christmas program at choir practice but ended up concentrating more on the notes of the music. At night, I addressed Christmas cards, wrapped presents, and decorated my house. Then, of course, the Christmas parties have started. By Thursday I realized that I had not taken a worship moment. Oh, I did my Bible study but worked it into the busy schedule any old how.

On Thursday I was asked to substitute in the elementary library. It was there in the middle of all the little books with the kindergarten group that I got to pause and celebrated Christmas. They had been so busy for weeks practicing for their school Christmas play and I was supposed to just show them the movie, “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” to give them a little break in their high stress practice schedule. Easy money.

And the movie just reinforced what was going on in my busy Christmas or bust life. Charlie was coerced into directing the school play and no one was co-operating. Lucy made Schroder play “Jingle Bells” until he got it right. Snoopy was decorating his dog house for a best lights display contest. Finally Charlie Brown asked if anyone knew the real meaning for all this hoopla about Christmas. And thank you Charles Shultz cartoon creator because he let the whole movie stop as Linus quoted Luke 2:8-14

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not; for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and goodwill towards men.

"...That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."

And I stopped and listened and worshiped. The kindergartners did too. Then after the movie as they colored a Christmas tree, they began to spontaneously sing loudly. And it wasn’t “Jingle Bells”, or “Rudolf.” It was “Silent Night”, “Joy to the World” “Away in a Manger”, and one Christmas hymn after another. The singing kept going and didn’t stop until their library time was over. I was the worst substitute librarian ever because I threw library etiquette and decorum out of the window and sang just as loudly with them. They didn’t sing because they had too, or because these songs were in their play. They sang because they wanted too. They worshiped in their kindergarten way and I worshiped with them.

I pressed “pause.”

I took the time for my heart to really look in the manger and worship the baby,

the “God with us” baby.

And I sang loudly.

“Oh come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.”

Sin, Yes, I Really Said That

My bible study magazine has me studying 1John 3:4-9. And I must say I am very uncomfortable with this study. I don’t disagree with what John wrote under God’s  direction. I’m just feeling the guilt and conviction with it’s confrontation. I don’t say the “sin” word anymore. I don’t make emphatic statements about what is right and wrong anymore. I guess it’s our culture and the “politically correct” nature of our society.


Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him. Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. The one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. 


This passage in the Bible is all so black and white. It’s all so either/or. No gray. No sometimes or most times. You are a child of God or you are of the Devil.

If I have sin or disobedience to God’s word as a habit or practice in my life I’m really not acting as a child of God but a follower of Satan. And, oh my, that’s a little harsh. And the word “sin”, I’m not comfortable just throwing that word around.

The Apostle John certainly has no problem with this cut and dry definition. He unblushingly calls it like it is. No sugar coating from him. Oh no. This makes me squirm and have to take a look at my daily practices.

What am I practicing on a daily basis? What is my life pattern? What are my habit sins?

Thankfully Jesus is the sin destroyer. He breaks the power of cancelled sin as Charles Wesley so elegantly wrote in his wonderful hymn. He came for this very purpose. He changes daily sin habits as we follow Him instead of the Devil. He births us as His child.

I’ll still struggle with sin but because I’m a child of God I don’t have to make it a practice. The Holy Spirit’s constant conviction won’t let me continue without making me very uncomfortable in my sin.

And if I am comfortable with clearly disobeying God daily, I have to take a good long look at just who I am following.

                                                     I made this all about me because
             I’m not comfortable preaching at you but if the life pattern fits, well.………..



                                                                         SIN

                                                                  There, I said it.
             
                                                       Now don't make a habit of it.

Thanksgiving

Here is what another Prince of Preachers says about celebrating Thanksgiving:

“And this is what Thanksgiving should be for us – thanking God for His blessings, both past and in the present. As you gather with family or friends this Thanksgiving (or even if you are alone) pause to thank God for His blessings to you. Remember: He has given you everything you have. The Bible says, ‘Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father’ (James 1:17.)

Even if you are going through hard times, thank God for His presence with you. Most of all, thank Him for Jesus Christ, who gave His life so you could have the greatest gift of all – the gift of eternal life. Have you accepted that gift? If not, make this a day of true thanksgiving by opening your heart and life to Christ.” – Billy Graham

Leave it to Billy Graham, the master of evangelism, to direct our thoughts to the core of thanksgiving. We don’t need to ever forget the primary reason we are thankful.

For God so loved the people of the world

that He gave His Son Jesus Christ

to die for our messed up selves

so that whoever accepts, believes, and receives

his gracious pardon and forgiveness

will be restored to fellowship with the God of creation

forever.

This is Thanksgiving on the grand scale. It goes past families eating together. It even goes past the American Pilgrim historical initiation of the holiday. It goes back to God and what He did for you and me.

Jesus loves me.

Jesus forgives me.

I’m thankful.

His Love Endures Forever

Psalm 136:1-3

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his steadfast love and mercy endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods,
for his steadfast love and mercy endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his steadfast love and mercy endures forever

I can’t think of a better way to enter this American season of Thanksgiving than these verses.

Listen to what Charles H. Spurgeon has to say about these verses:

“Thanks is the least we can offer and this we ought to freely give. The inspired writer of this Psalm (song) calls us to praise Jehovah God for all His goodness to us and all the greatness of His power in blessing us.

We thank our parents,

Let us praise our heavenly Father.

We thank others for gifts we receive,

Let us give thanks to God, the giver of all

‘Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, His mercy endures forever,’ is the sweetest stanza anyone can ever sing. What joy there is in this love and mercy, mercy with Jehovah God, enduring mercy, mercy enduring forever. We are ever needing it, trying it, praying for it, receiving it: therefore let us forever sing it.”

Thank you Pastor Spurgeon, prince of preachers. I couldn’t say it any better.

Give thanks because His love for us endures forever!

Poured on Us (Not Ice Water)

Yes, I have been following “The Ice Water Challenge” on Facebook. Many of my friends have had ice water poured on them. And, OK, I admit it; it’s funny to see their reaction. Even the manly I’m not gonna let it get to me men have screamed and danced around a bit. So ladies we’ll let you do it too and not think any less of you.

We Christians have something being continuously poured on us. In fact it has been poured on us so much and we don’t scream and dance around. We might even take it for granted. It’s time to take a moment and enjoy the stream drenching us. And if we want to scream joyously and dance around it’s OK.

Think about this (No, REALLY THINK ABOUT THIS.):

1 John 3:1

·         See, experience, and be aware of !

·         the wonderful, greater than we can understand !

·         agape love !

·         the creator of the universe, our Father !

·         has poured and lavished on us !

·         that He would treat us as His dear children and call us by that name !

·         this place as His child is assured; it defines us; it is what we are !!!

(I know, overuse of exclamation marks. But I’m really really excited!)

And this is being poured on us continually. We are being saturated with love from God every minute of the day. This knowledge makes me want to praise and scream joyously and dance around. But I won’t do it in front of you. Sorry, I know you want to see me do it.

We should, however, live a little more joyously. We should live up to our heritage as a child of God. We should let His love define us.

God’s love

Is being continuously

Poured

On us

Until He Comes

The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”  For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.         1 Corinthians 11:24-26

This was the passage of scripture My Pastor Wade used last Sunday as we celebrated communion or The Lord’s Supper. I say celebrated because this time we actually celebrated at this breaking of bread ordinance of the church.

Other times we were instructed to focus on His death and what it means to Christians. And there is nothing wrong with that. It brings me to humble tears to remember that Jesus would do this for me so that I can have a relationship eternally with God.

But My Pastor Wade had us focus on the end of verse 26. “Until He comes” This is victory. This is the promise of the ultimate victory over sin in the world. I have victory over sin now but, let’s face it; we live in a broken world. No matter how we go through life there will be disappointments, pain, tragic accidents, wars and unease throughout the world, death, persecution, and on and on with things that challenge our victorious stance.

Someday Jesus will settle it for good. Until then we will continue to remember how He gave us forgiveness and victory over personal sin by His death, burial, and resurrection. Then one Day He will come to relieve this world of forces that physically and emotionally tear us apart. This will be the final victory. “Until He comes, until He comes, until He comes”

Since Sunday I have been acutely aware of prayer request people have given to me. And I have prayed with a renewed victory. Yes, we will have the need to seek and ask our Christians friends to pray vigilantly for the reminders of our broken world and how it heartbreakingly affects us. We will seek God’s merciful hand. We will seek His comfort and peace. We will seek His protection. We will seek His healing. We will come with broken hearts. We will ask, “Why me? Why my family?”  We will urgently make our request. The renewed victory is …..until He comes.

 No More Night  Words & music by Walt Harrah

The timeless theme, Earth and Heaven will pass away. 
It's not a dream; God will make all things new that day. 
Gone is the curse from which I stumbled and fell.
Evil is banished to eternal hell.

No more night. No more pain.
No more tears. Never crying again. 
And praises to the great "I AM." 
We will live in the light of the risen Lamb.

Until He Comes (It’s my new battle cry.)