The Sting of Death

"On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people's disgrace from all the earth. The Lord has spoken."             Isaiah 25: 7, 8

    Through the macabre maze of ghouls, ghosts and gory movies, the Christian roots of Halloween have become buried. The very name of this observance is a contraction of Hallow and Evening, and it was a vigilant time set aside to honor the souls who have passed away during the year. It behooves the believer to turn their face aside from what it has become and look instead to All Saint's Day, which is still celebrated in some churches.

    Death visits everyone - all peoples and all nations - and though it stings, there is no cause for fear for those who trust in Jesus. God has taken away the sting of death and the victory of the grave by sending his most precious Son to die on a cross as a sacrifice for our sins. By his wounds we are healed, praise God! Because Christ rose from the dead, so shall we who believe in His Name.

    Our tears are not overlooked by our merciful God. Jesus himself wept at the graveside of his friend, Lazarus. The Bible says, "When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled." (John 11:33) He shed tears even though he knew he would call his friend forth from the grave. 

    There will be a day when He will bestow on us a "crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair." (Isaiah 61:3) Listen to these words from "Hymn of Heaven" by Phil Wickham:

"How I long to breathe the air of Heaven,

Where pain is gone and mercy fills the streets;

To look upon the One who bled to save me,

And walk with Him for all eternity.

Every prayer we prayed in desperation,

The songs of faith we sang through doubt and fear,

In the end we'll see that it was worth it,

When He returns to wipe away our tears."

    While death and sorrow swirl around us in this season of illness, loneliness and grief, comfort those with the words of our God as you embrace them in love.

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Revelation 21:4

            

     

What's in God's Wallet?

 "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and we can take nothing out of it." 1 Timothy 6: 6, 7

    Sometimes I wonder if God prods me to ask a question just so He can have the joy of providing the answer a short time later. 

    Feeling the heat of socialistic leanings in America had me wondering what will become of the economy? After all, money cannot be printed off like there's no tomorrow before the house of cards falls flat, so this led me to ponder the future security of our retirement nest egg. While it is certainly prudent to plan for the future, we believers must never treasure our resources above the Living God, but what, I wondered, would become of my family if we were to become suddenly destitute?

    Not long after that, I was reading "Where Do We Go From Here" by Dr. David Jeremiah where I found the answer to my question. In the book, the author drew on this quote from John Piper:

    "God deals in the currency of grace, not money...Money is the currency of human resources. So, the heart that loves money is a heart that pins its hopes, and pursues its pleasures, and puts its trust in what human resources can offer. So the love of money is virtually the same as faith in money - belief (trust, confidence, assurance) that money will meet your needs and make you happy."

    "Faith in money?" May it never be so! Piper's words "trust, confidence, assurance" struck me with force because I have used them to build my faith in Christ, saying thus: "In God I trust!" "With confidence I may approach the throne of mercy." "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine." Here's where the rubber met the road. Would I rather have Jesus than my 401K and IRA? I felt Jesus put His arm around me, chiding, "O ye of little faith, why did you doubt?"

    What's in God's wallet should also be in mine: the currency of grace.

"But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." 1 Timothy 6: 8, 10

    

Would You Rather?

 "Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked." Psalm 84:10

    My great-nephew, Mason, and I played a game called, "Would You Rather," via snail mail. Using our wild imaginations, we would pose a question to one another that would require an explanatory response. Here's an example: "Would you rather sit on a tack or eat a pine cone?"  It was entertaining to explore just how silly we could be.

    When reading Psalm 84 one time, I saw a question that was perfect for our game so I wrote to Mason and asked, "Would you rather be in church with your family or hanging out on the streets with a gang?" (or something similar). Then I provided the reference above so he could discover the Biblical answer. 

    Listening to some bleak polling results, it has become habitual for people not to attend church, become a member or be affiliated in any way. When I look back on how regular worship has bolstered and shaped my own life, sadness shrouds me when I realize all that is being missed by some. 

    By contrast, a person who is a sports enthusiast may not blink an eye to spend a hundred dollars to attend a game. Or perhaps a lover of the arts holds season tickets for the theatre. Time is made for these temporal activities, but nary a moment is spent on that which matters for all eternity. Within my neighborhood, there are two churches that I know of that have permanently closed their doors and posted "For Sale" signs.

    How many of us, at the end of our days, when we stand before God who asks us, "Why should I let you into my kingdom?" will pine to be at a football game instead of walking beside Christ on streets of gold, listening to the throng of angels sing praises? Church attendance alone will not save us, but why wouldn't we rather be serving, learning and worshiping the One who redeemed our life from the pit of hell?

"How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty. My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord. My heart and flesh cry out for the living God." Psalm 84: 1, 2

Is That Your Final Answer?

 "But in your hearts, revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." 1 Peter 3:15

    This question was recently asked of me: "Do you ever wonder if you would be a Christian if you hadn't been born into a Christian family?" So, I pondered why I follow Jesus. It's certainly not a popular choice in this world. It does not bring me wealth or pave my path with roses. Why do I read the Bible every day? I can't imagine reading any other written word every day of my life, even if it were my favorite book; it would become quite rote. So, what's the draw?

    True, my Christian parents laid a firm foundation by following their faith. Church attendance was a high priority, but my folks were not just Sunday believers. They daily consumed the Scriptures, attended and hosted Bible studies, prayed for others, supported missions and shared their faith as easily as one would share a pack of gum. It was who they were.

    Yet, even with all that, I had to decide for myself what I believed. As a young woman, far from home in prodigal style, I found myself feeding the swine, so to speak (see Luke 15: 11-32). It was then that I opened the Bible my folks gave me for confirmation for the first time, not out of compulsion but out of hunger. I stumbled upon the eighth chapter of Romans as if I opened an unknown door into a festal hall filled with a sumptuous feast! Sated upon those words, I flipped to the Psalms for dessert. 

    Why do I follow Jesus? God is for me. He who did not even spare His own Son graciously gives me all things. No one condemns me; the Truth has set me free! Christ Jesus, who was raised to life, sits at the right hand of the Father and intercedes for me! Who shall separate me from this kind of love? Shall unemployment, divorce, an empty refrigerator, a tornado, loneliness, bankruptcy or weariness? No, in all these things, I am more than a conqueror through Him who loves me!

    Will I pick up my cross and follow Jesus? A resounding YES is my final answer.

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8: 38, 39

Volleyballs

 "This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: 'On what are you basing this confidence of yours?...On whom are you depending that you rebel against me?'" Isaiah 36:4, 5

    Without hesitation, I made out a list of at least a dozen threatening elements which have shown their vicious intent in our country since last March as I sat in the counselor's office. "It's as if my mind is a big gymnasium into which all these volleyballs have been dumped," I explained to him. "They all vie for my attention as they bounce about. I cannot ignore them, nor am I able to deal with them." 

    After considering my plight, he replied, "Imagine if, while I am here counseling you, fifteen others came into the office demanding advice as well. There would be too many people at once." He went on, "You have too many people in your office." From there, we devised a strategy to write one or two of these daunting matters on an index card, accompanied by a related scripture. Each night, I kneel beside my bed and lay one card before the Lord, giving my report to my Commander-in-Chief. Since then, I am refreshed, well-rested and restored.

    When Judah's King Hezekiah received a threatening letter from the vile king of the Assyrians, he took the letter into the temple and spread it out before the Lord in prayer. Guess what happened? "Then the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning - there were all the dead bodies!" (Isaiah 37:36) The people of Judah didn't even have to battle anybody! They just awoke to see what the Lord had done.

    That's what I am going to do. Just wake up and see. After all, the battle is His. You see, if I place my confidence in myself, I get battered by the volleyballs. But when I keep my eyes on Jesus, the peace that passes understanding guards my heart and mind.

"'Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.' And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said." 2 Chronicles 32: 7, 8 

Build Back Better

 "So the service of the temple of the Lord was reestablished. Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced at what God had brought about for his people, because it was done so quickly." 2 Chronicles 29: 35, 36

    My sister and I were talking about all the negative changes we have witnessed in our culture and society in such a short time. "It's scary," we agreed, as we sadly recalled happier times.

    Just as quickly as weeds grow, God cultivates a garden of strength and beauty if the soil is right. When King Hezekiah took the throne in Jerusalem at the young age of 25, the former administration had left things in a hot mess. Under the wicked King Ahaz, the temple furnishings had been cut into pieces before the doors were shut. Idol altars were then set up on every street corner. 

    When King Hezekiah came into power, he rolled up his sleeves and got to work vowing, "Now I intend to make a covenant with the Lord, the God of Israel, so that His fierce anger will turn away from us." (2 Chronicles 29:10). Within the first month of his reign, he cleared the overgrowth that obscured the broken temple doors, repaired the portal and assembled priests and Levites to help. Together, they removed all the defilement and brought back the accoutrements of worship. As soon as the temple was ready, the very next morning the King gathered all the city officials who brought sacrifices along with cymbals, harps, lyres and trumpets. "The whole assembly bowed in worship, while the musicians played and the trumpets sounded." (2 Chronicles 29:28) 

    Can you imagine if we saw this kind of revival in our land from the President on down? If this is something we long for then I propose we start from the bottom and work up! Invite others over to our homes, play worship songs on YouTube, kneel in prayer and devour the powerful word of God. Don't wait until Sunday. Rise early each day to spend time with God, communing over the ups and downs of life. We may be surprised how quickly He responds when we take action against evil.

    Lets roll up our sleeves and build back the best!

"There was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the days of Solomon son of David king of Israel, there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem. The priests and the Levites stood to bless the people, and God heard them, for their prayer reached heaven, his holy dwelling place."                 2 Chronicles 30:26, 27

Who Am I?

 "'So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.' But Moses said to God, 'Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?' And God said, 'I will be with you.'" Exodus 3: 10-12

    What affect does one little person have against a hoard of many? Let's look at history for the answer.

    Goliath, a nine-foot-tall bully encased in bronze, daily shouted his blasphemous challenges to the Israelites in the Valley of Elah. One small boy named David, who was there to deliver cheese to the army, stood firmly in his faith with five smooth stones and a sling, silencing the giant.

    The mighty, mean Midianites so impoverished the Israelites that a man covertly threshed his wheat in a winepress to keep it from the bullies. Though he was a frightened member of the weakest clan, God chose Gideon to unsheathe the sword of victory.

    A bush was burning without ceasing. When a curious shepherd drew near to investigate, he was given a divine assignment: Deliver the enslaved Israelites from the hands of the Egyptian pharaoh. An incredulous Moses asked, "Who am I that I should go?" Yet, go he did and got the job done.

    What do these ordinary men have that they should be victorious Biblical heroes? Did they first attend a military academy to learn the ways of warfare? Were they clothed in impressive outfits arrayed in Purple Hearts of bravery? Did they have a surging army of warriors behind them marching in unison?

    No. David was the youngest son in a family of shepherds. Gideon, also the youngest in his family, felt very unworthy of such a call, being from the weakest clan. Moses keenly felt inadequate, arguing with God about his slow speech and lack of leadership qualities. 

    What, then, brought the victory? God did!

    If you see a job that needs doing, don't ask "Who am I?" rather say, "Send Me!" God, who will never leave your side, will equip you for every good work. Just learn from history.

"David said to the Philistine, 'You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you defied.'" 1 Samuel 17:45

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." 2 Timothy 1:7