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Greater than a Fairy Tale

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If God brings us to Himself through the death of His Son, can you imagine what He does through the life of His Son, now that we are near? If God loved us enough to reconcile us to Himself while we were still in rebellious sin against Him, can you imagine what He will do for us now that we are on His side?

The questions above reflect the heart of God’s Word found in Romans 8:10 (NASB), “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” The words of this passage have on different occasions penetrated my mind and soul at least three times in the past few months.

Perhaps at times fearful we will be functioning in fairy-tale land if we hope too much, I believe followers of Jesus sometimes live far beneath His blessing because we do not digest His truth as He intended. The message is right there in Paul’s letter to the Romans: God saved us from His wrath by Jesus’ death, and He shall surely deliver us in all ways imaginable by Jesus’ life. We need not be afraid that this verse is too good to be true. After all, fairy tales are the result of human imagination flowing from a mind given by a God who has an unbelievable “end” to this “story” of life. In other words, we can only dream of great endings because we were made in the image of the all-creative God who has planned from the foundation of the earth a real and tangible culmination to history that defies the highest expectation of limited, human reasoning. Fairy tales do not discourage me, but rather remind me that we were originally intended to “think big.” The momentous point to remember is that the God behind our creation is actually able to complete His plan for reality! Human fairytales are feeble, short-sighted shadows pointing to an Almighty God who works in the stuff of actuality and truth.

Friends, stand on the promise that “we shall be saved by His life.” Jesus’ death was so powerful it brings sinners close to a holy God. How much more powerful is the life of Jesus! For one, we know that as He lives, He intercedes for us. Hebrews 7:25 (NASB) proclaims, “Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” The sacrifice of Jesus’ life and blood paid the cost for our nearness to God, and now that we love our King, Jesus is so pleased to present us continually to the Father for help and deliverance.

We also know that the resurrection of Jesus has caused us to be “born again to a living hope” (I Peter 1:3, NASB). As a child comes out of a mother’s womb and is surrounded by air he must now breathe, so Christians emerge from sinful darkness and are now enveloped by the hope of God they must now take in.

Do we face difficulty and disappointment? Certainly we do. However, do we have God’s promise for ultimate deliverance? Absolutely, we do! As surely as spring follows winter – and as surely as Jesus’ resurrection followed His death – that is how surely our deliverance will follow difficulty and disappointment.

If God loved us when we were rotten and staunchly turned against Him, will He not love us now that we have run into His arms? If God thought us valuable enough to send His Son to die, does He not count us valuable enough to benefit from His Son’s life? This metanarrative – this overarching plan of God for the universe – turns out greater for followers of Jesus Christ than our minds can comprehend.

Actually, it does not just “turn out” that way; it exceeds what we can imagine in this present moment, because not one circumstance is lost in the working of God. Jesus, the Son of God, is all-knowing. He lives and intercedes for us. He does not miss one thing. Not one. As He goes to the Father on our behalf for every great and infinitesimal circumstance of our lives, the Holy Spirit moves in ways sometimes obvious and often mysterious to save us completely. We are being shaped into who we need to be for God’s glory and to shine in that beautiful Heaven of His. This is no fairy tale, but a true account of the God in charge of reality.

Like Water Through My Fingers

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Like water through my fingers
Slips the promise of satisfaction
In any other source but Christ.

Spent rapidly and uselessly
Are the myriad moments
Of craving and seeking to no avail.

As dark as a midnight sky
Is the feeling in the heart
When worldly things become our aim.

Pounding as hail on the rooftop
Is the pressure to give in –
To live a life stuck in the temporal.

Pressing in on every side
Are the messages of concealed defeat
Beckoning us to waste our days.

Like a bridge built on false calculations
Crumbling to the water below
Is a life lived for material things.

As a rock falls to the bottom of a stream
Drops the meaning of a life
Squandered on selfish indulgence.

Sorrowful one, call to Jesus.
Broken one, live for Him.

As the promise of spring follows winter
Is the assurance of joy in the soul
For those who go against the flow.

As God will not be mocked
So He shall surely give
Very real, heavenly treasure.

As God will not be mocked
So He shall surely return to earth
For those who love Him more than life.

As God’s Word stands true forever
His heart has been made known
And the cost is everything.

Prayer or television?

Trivial conversation or discussion of things eternal?

Another movie or a chapter of the Bible?

Shopping trip or memorizing God’s Word?

Ipod and texts or sitting quietly with Jesus?

Sporting event or gathering with His people?

Investment in a bigger house or investment in the kingdom of God?

Time spent taking care of more and more material things or time to be thankful for what matters?

A schedule so hectic our head spins or a day built with time to adore the Savior?

The easy road or the difficult walk of the Cross?

A life of the temporary or the present infused with the everlasting?

“Yes” to the world or “Yes” to Jesus?

Like water through my fingers
Goes the world.

But tightly shall I grasp
the Cross of my Jesus.

And more firmly still shall I be held
By the One who holds forever.

Get a Taste of This Kingdom!

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Weariness. Struggle. Disappointment. Separation. Helplessness. Grief. Illness. Battle. Pain. Regret. Fear. Disillusionment. Sorrow. These are just a few of the words to describe parts of our experience in the kingdom of this world. By “this world,” I mean the aggregate of all things earthly – the entire system of this currently broken cosmos. Temporarily, Satan is permitted to exert influence and humans are free to rebel against God. Hence, the Psalmist notes, “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed” (Psalm 2:2, ESV). The apostle Paul also reminds us of the devil who is “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2, ESV). The force of evil rebellion is wielded, and God’s creation suffers.

Enter Jesus Christ. Diving wholeheartedly into the mess, Jesus begins to tread the dirt of this earth two millennia ago. At the inauguration of His ministry, he walked to Capernaum by the Sea of Galilee and began preaching some of the sweetest words I have ever heard, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17, ESV). The kingdom of heaven is at hand! Praise God! We can now begin to sense the infiltration of a kingdom ruled by what is right; the invasion of all we have longed for has begun!

Just in case we are questioning what the rule of God’s righteousness is honestly like, Jesus works His way through all of Galilee “teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people” (Matthew 4:23, ESV). Did you catch the wonderment of His action? Jesus healed every disease and affliction that broken humans could present to Him. He single-handedly demonstrated the heart of God . . . to cure what ails and destroys us. This heart of God prevails with the kingdom of heaven, so let us go back to Jesus’ prescription for the ushering in of that glorious kingdom.

Jesus exhorted, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The prerequisite for my part in this kingdom is repentance. I must rightfully acknowledge my guilt in the hellish schemes of a sinful heart. I must confess that I am a sinner, and that I desire to be forgiven of my sins. The gist of repentance bids me go further – to agree to turn away from sin and toward God by the power Jesus grants to me. A repentant heart says, “I run to God and away from sin; and I desire to never look back, even though I know the cost will be great.”

You will notice that after calling people to repentance in anticipation of God’s kingdom, Jesus approaches individuals and asks them to follow Him (Matthew 4:18-22) – not just in a walk by the lake, but in a walk of self-denial and God-exaltation. He asks Peter and Andrew to come with Him, and both men left their fishing nets and embarked on a relationship with Jesus Christ. They deemed Him worth the adventure and all that would be asked of them.

After the call to repentance and the invitation to follow in the everyday walk of life, Jesus begins to display the heart of the heavenly kingdom with His miracles. How overjoyed the disciples must have been to begin realizing the momentous nature of that of which they had become a part. God wants things right! He wants our hearts right, our words right, our actions right, our relationships right, our bodies right, and our universe right! Jesus began in that small province in the Middle East to shine forth hints of what the kingdom of heaven is, and what indescribable joy we shall experience when – finally – “the kingdom of the world [becomes] the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ” (Revelation 11:15, ESV).

Friends, as surely as the words of John 3:16 are true, the words of Revelation 11:15 are true. One day this world’s dark kingdom will be replaced with the kingdom of our Lord. Then we will witness in full what Galileans witnessed in part in the days of Jesus’ earthly ministry. We will see with our own eyes afflictions disappear, weariness turn to strength, love prevail without challenge, grief be obliterated, fear become trust, sorrow vanish, regret run away, the earth be restored to perfection . . . and Jesus take charge forever.

Get a taste of this kingdom now, and join me one day when we feast together with our Savior!

God on Good and Bad Days

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While cleaning our house recently, I was keenly reminded of a vital spiritual truth: God never changes, though my emotions do. Have you ever had a bad day? A good day? A mediocre day? What does it imply for us to qualify any given day by a description that is usually tied closely to our emotional state? For example, while enduring an incredibly minor inconvenience, I realized how quickly I can become irritated by circumstances. In that very moment, God brought to mind James 1:2-4 (NIV), “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” The very thing that Satan would like to use to harass me is actually something God employs to help make me complete. God does not have “good” or “bad” days; He has created the whole concept of days and is continually in charge of them – with His glory as the end in mind.

Often we need to step back and realize that God’s plan for us never changes. He is in no way caught off guard by any component of our lives. In fact, He superintends all of our joys and trials to make us who we are supposed to be -“conformed to the likeness of His Son” (Romans 8:29, NIV).

We experience moments, hours, and days when we do not feel the presence or goodness of God, but this in no way changes the fact of His abiding love. We humans are fleeting, changeable, easily-confused, moody, and limited in our understanding. In fact, when compared to God, even the heavens and earth “will perish, but You [God] remain; and they all will become old like a garment, and like a mantle You will roll them up; like a garment they will also be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will not come to an end” (Hebrews 1:11-12, NASB).

Everything changes except God, who stands above all reality and takes control as He sees fit. His unchanging nature – His immutability – is our hope on “good” and “bad” days. Though we may be feeling discouraged, God is never thwarted. He is not downtrodden, because He is perfect and knows the supremacy of His plan; and even though He reigns, He has compassion on us in times of disappointment and grief. Psalm 103:13-14 (NIV) declares, “As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.”

What spectacular news! God’s plan goes on no matter how dark the day or inconvenient the circumstances. We need not be overcome by the flood of emotions we experience as created beings. Instead, we need to remind ourselves of the eternal Word of God which boldly proclaims, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy dwelling places of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved; God will help her when the morning dawns” (Psalm 46:1-5, NASB).

Did you catch that phrase above, “though its waters roar and foam”? Sometimes that is how we imagine the flood of feelings that come against us – they roar and foam and threaten our demise. No way, however, will they be our undoing! God is always present and in the midst of our emotions; He cannot be moved. Cling to God, stand on His truth, and remember Who He is. Our God is both unchanging and unchangeable. He cannot change and He will not be changed by anyone or anything. On good days and bad days and every moment in between, our God stands ready to roll up the heavens and earth like a garment in order to usher in His perfect kingdom where we will finally see that He had it under control all along.

God of the Lilies

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As a person fascinated by nature, I love that the Father tells us to “lift up [our] eyes on high and see who has created these stars” (Isaiah 40:26, NASB); and the Son tells us, “Observe how the lilies of the field grow” (Matthew 6:28). Clearly, our Creator uses His creation to teach us things about Himself. Romans 1:20 assures us that God is intimating His eternality and divinity through the created order. In other words, the astounding and detailed workings of this world on both a microscopic and telescopic level point to a being who is both infinitely greater than me ontologically speaking and whose length of existence I cannot fathom.

Yet, let us go back to the lilies. Jesus spoke to His followers and said, “Why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these” (Matthew 26:28-29). Jesus asks us to observe a component of nature – flowers – in order to understand a deeper truth. Jesus will employ the gladiolus or the iris to shake our world on a spiritual level, so that we come to grips with reality as it truly is – defined by the God of Genesis.

Christ directs us to a specific part of creation in order to affect us in the soul. While Psalm 19:1-4 assures us that the glory of creation speaks to all humans at some level about God’s qualities, Psalm 19:7-9 declares that it is the direct Word of God that can restore a soul and give a heart reason to rejoice. Only a radical fear of the Lord is pure, lasts forever, and can make a man or woman fit for everlasting existence. So we ought to heed Jesus’ admonition to observe the lily and digest the eternal truth of His verbal instruction.

Jesus tells us that the flower does not toil or spin in order to be made so beautiful. The flower simply exists as God called it to exist. Plants do not have a spirit inside with which to rebel against their Maker, and so they simply do as He directs. In being what God called them to be, the flowers find themselves clothed spectacularly. Who of us has not marveled at the living color, majesty, and intricacy of a wild flower? Jesus reminds us that no human – not even the wildly rich and powerful King Solomon – could ever adorn himself or herself in such a genuine and fitting way. We could attempt to use every monetary and material resource available – wasting time and energy – and still we could not look as splendid as a simple flower clothed by its Creator.

In fact, Jesus goes on to tell us that it is the Gentiles (pagans) who eagerly seek clothing and food (Matthew 6:32). The root word for the pagan search implies “to crave, demand, or clamor for.” In other words, the godless go about loudly, continuously, and vehemently seeking to fulfill material needs. However, they seem never to actually be fulfilled. It reminds me of Philippians 3:19, where the enemies of Jesus are described as having their god be their stomach. No sooner is their desire satisfied, than they are empty again and need more.

Are we this way? Do we spend much time and effort trying to “look good”? Do we use too much of our resources trying to accumulate the “right” clothes or the “right” look? How much of our being is absorbed in outward appearances? How much of our thoughts? How much of our disappointment stems from this kind of preoccupation?

Jesus contrasts the clamoring of the Gentiles to the trust of God’s children. Christ says, “Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things” (Matthew 6:32). Our Father is heavenly; He stands above and beyond this universe and can make things happen for us on an entirely different level! If we honestly “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, all these things will be added to [us]” (Matthew 6:33).

The key is that my heart’s desire for God’s kingdom must be at the forefront, and then the supply of the needs of life will automatically follow. Clothing, food, and external appearances are secondary to what is eternal and right – the kingdom of God. He actually reigns supreme! His kingdom has no end! If I make His rule my aim, I have no justified anxieties. If I make His will my goal, I have purpose to live that is grounded in reality and eternality.

All human toiling and wealth cannot do for a person what God can do. He clothes the grass of the field in beauty 24/7. He can provide not only for the physical needs of His own people, but He can supernaturally grant an inner beauty that shines forth on the darkest of days. Money can buy designer clothes and manicures, but only God can restore a soul and fill it with the hope of His kingdom. Where His righteousness prevails, all things necessary to live are granted as a by-product. Do you need a beautiful smile today? Seek His kingdom.

Nasty Doesn’t Stop God

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Selfish and hateful brothers, a woman from an idolatrous nation of child sacrifice, and a prostitute – these characters are all found in the genealogy of Jesus, the Messiah. Can God use anyone or anything for His glory and His plan? The answer comes back a resounding “Yes, He can!”

Grace is unmerited favor; it is blessing straight from God that is in no way earned or deserved. Through the human lineage of Jesus, God is demonstrating His unfathomable willingness to work with people the world views as most repugnant. He highlights His mysterious motivation to work through pitiful and devious people in order that His salvation may emerge at the forefront and do what only a holy God full of grace is able to do – change pitiful and devious people!

The snapshot of Jesus’ ancestry holds forth to us a picture of the hope we have in God despite our sinfulness. Matthew 1:1-2 (NASB) says, “The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.” Immediately we see in the list of early ancestors that Abraham fathered Isaac, who fathered Jacob, who fathered Judah and his brothers. Stop there and consider Judah and his brothers and to what evil their envy led them. These are the men who threw their own brother, Joseph, into a pit after contemplating the possibility of murdering him outright. These are the ones who then sold Joseph as a slave to a band of traders.

Have we ever been jealous of someone as these brothers were? Have we ever wished or acted evil on another? Have we ever abandoned someone we should have helped? Have we ever been a part of watching someone – even a loved one – venture into a bad place? If so, we can symbolically place ourselves in this part of the genealogy of Jesus.

Let us now examine Matthew 1:5 (NASB), “Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse.” Remember Rahab? She was a public prostitute of the Canaanites who decided to believe in the one, true God of the Israelites. And what about Ruth? Though she chose to go to Isreal and worship the real God of the universe; she had been a citizen of Moab, a nation that worshipped the false god, Chemosh, and offered children as sacrifices to that idol.

Have we ever committed sexual sin in action or in thought? Have we ever remained among idols of our own making? Have we ever not honored other adults or children as we should? Have we devalued humans? If so, we can identify with this section of the lineage of Jesus.

God did not abandon humanity when we ridiculously rebelled against Him to our own demise. Though we have sinned against our holy Creator, He has determined to give us a second chance. He sent Jesus even though the God-Man had to come in human flesh. God did not allow the ugliness of sinful hearts to stop Him from offering salvation. It is as if He stepped back from the conglomeration of misery and selfishness and said, “I still choose to save those who believe; I will not abandon who I have made, but I will offer salvation.”

God said to Joseph about the Messiah, “Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:20-21, NASB). Thank you God, for sending you Son! Thank you, Holy Spirit, for working tangibly in this world to effect your plan!

Let us no more say that genealogies are boring. The lineage of Jesus is a reminder of God’s willingness to work with the nasty world. Our responsibility is to react to His work on our behalf. We need to believe and let God save us through the sacrifice of Jesus and the renewing work of the Holy Spirit. No matter the depth or nature of human sin, God can redeem!

Are You Drained?

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Unconfessed sin drains our strength. When our thoughts, words, or actions displease God – and we do not run to Him for forgiveness – we will sense a spiritual drain that, if ignored long enough, saps us of physical and emotional vigor. David noted a critically important concept when he penned these words of God, “When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer” (Psalm 32:3-4, NASB).

I wonder how many times our low points – periods when we just cannot seem to “rise above” – are the direct result of refusing to deal with an area of our life in which we know God is not being honored. God Himself knows how arduous it can be to humbly go to Him and confess our wretched disposition; for when we go to Him confessing shameful ways, we are brought low. However, our loving God “regards the lowly,” while “the haughty He knows from afar” (Psalm 138:6, NASB). In other words, the painful act of confession and realization of our wrong causes God to look our direction and react with His mercy.

Oftentimes, I pray aloud to God when I need to admit sin. If acknowledging bitterness, for example, I dread the sound of the words describing my nasty heart attitude. Afterward, though, I sense God’s nearness and cleansing because I have been real with Him. God is asking that we demonstrate our knowledge of the great cost of sin. If my transgression is difficult to speak aloud, I know it grieves the heart of God. I begin to realize how ugly sin is – to God and to others. In my honest confession, I reckon with the crushing, serious nature of rebellion against God Almighty.

David proclaims, “How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit!” (Psalm 32:1-2, NASB) To be people of complete joy and stability, we must be people who confess sin and do not hide from God or ourselves. How often we may have deceit in our own spirit because we are not honest about our sin. We need to run constantly to the Bible and pray consistently in order that God’s Spirit keeps our heart tender and able to discern sinfulness. Once discerned, we must be quick to confess. In this way, God will not have to impute the iniquity to us, but He will allow the death of His Son to cover the penalty. The righteousness of Jesus Christ gets credited to us (I Corinthians 1:30).

Notice how David tells us that unconfessed sin led to his human vitality being drained away as with the fever heat of summer (Psalm 32:4). How amazingly we see the work of Jesus on our behalf in a parallel verse found in Psalm 22:15 (NASB), “My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue cleaves to my jaws; and You lay me in the dust of death.” This prophetic passage alludes to Jesus on the cross – sapped of strength, thirsty, and dying. Can you see it? Jesus endured for us the depletion of vitality we should have to face. He took the brunt of sin’s penalty and its damning, draining effects! He lay in the dust of death that we might stand in the light of life!

Please do not allow your life to be depleted of strength and joy because of unconfessed sin. Run to the God who emptied Himself for the sake of our filling. Be blessed – filled with the stability of joy and peace – by having your sins forgiven through Jesus Christ. In a broken world, there may exist other physical or emotional reasons for a lack of vitality; but do not allow unconfessed sin to drain away your life. Be truly blessed!

Imperishable Seed Beyond the Boundary of Science

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My recent trip to the local library led to my finding a new non-fiction book, “Long for this World,” by Jonathan Weiner. I have not read the volume, only its inside front cover. The book’s subtitle is “The Strange Science of Immortality,” and the last sentences of its main description are “could we live forever? And if we could . . . would we want to?”

The pursuit of immortality has always intrigued mortals precisely because we are just that – mortal. Created by an eternal God, we long for the everlasting. Having had death introduced to us with the commencement of human sinfulness, we most naturally long to regain what has been lost – eternal life. Those of an atheistic bent seek immortality by walking the path of science, hoping for continued advancements right up to the point of deathlessness. The problem is that science can only investigate the natural world, which – for the astute Christian – hints persistently at the attributes of the biblical God (Romans 1:20). However, the natural world alone contains not the solution for death. For the obliteration of ultimate human demise, we must turn to the supernatural. Science is limited by God; its boundaries are set in such a way that it cannot fix the human spirit. Only the Maker of both natural and supernatural things can reach into the depths of the unseen spirit of men and women, and only He can do work there. Death comes to the natural body because death has come to the spirit. The spirit must be fixed for the body to live.

Enter the glorious words of I Peter 1:23-25 (NIV), “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For ‘All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.’ And this is the word that was preached to you.” As God’s Word proclaims, not only are we as fleeting as the grass in the field, but our glory is as transitory as the flower’s blossom. One day we see it, and the next day it is withered. In stark contrast stands the mighty Word of God that literally endures forever.

The key for our help comes from verse twenty-three, which declares that we can be born again of a seed that never perishes. Inside a person, an eternal seed of life can be planted through the Word of God that has the power to carry a mortal over the chasm of earthly death into the astonishing reality of life everlasting. Moreover, this precious, indescribable Word is very close. Peter declares that this living and enduring Word of God “is the word which was preached to you” (I Peter 1:25, NIV). The Word that enables a sinful, dead spirit to be reborn into a righteous, living spirit is the Word about which you are reading right now! God has not kept this Word from us, but He has sent it to us!

The Bible is God’s written Word, and Jesus Christ is God’s living Word. At this very moment, He has come to you to deliver the incorruptible seed of life. A human spirit is dead because of sin; it needs a living seed planted in it in order to live and last forever. No string of scientific breakthroughs can ever blast through the impenetrable wall of mortality; only the eternal Word of God, Jesus, can carry a mortal past death to life.

Jesus said, “I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever!” (Revelation 1:18, NIV). Jesus begins alive. We begin dead. We are born into corruption by our very nature. Jesus is God, and so “Before the mountains were born or [He] gave birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, [He] is God” (Psalm 90:2, NASB). Jesus was alive before He came to earth, and He rose from death after bearing the penalty for our sin. Notice God’s Word says Jesus is the Living One, that He was physically dead for a brief period, and that He is presently alive forever and ever.

Jesus can plant the imperishable seed of His salvation in us. Then, we can follow Him in this world. Ultimately, we can follow Him in His pattern of life after death. One amazing day, we will be able to stand with Him in Heaven and say, “I was dead, but now I am alive forever because of Jesus!”

Back to the inside cover description of “Long for this World.” The last question is, “And if we could [live forever] . . . would we want to? In a world that is itself crying out for redemption and restoration (Romans 8:20-23), I believe we realize we would not want to live forever in the present state of things; with disaster, disease, and disappointment abounding in every direction. “This world” needs changed, just as we do. We long to be immortal, but in a perfect world. The flawless world is coming, my friends. In the same way that we are made imperishable – by the Word of God – this creation will be rendered right. II Peter 3:5, 7, 12-13 (NIV) tells us, “Long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water . . . By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men . . . That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.”

There it is . . . crystal clear. The Word of God brings an imperishable seed to humans and to the universe. Immortality is not so much a “strange science” as it is the loving work of a redeeming God. Our supernatural God blasts through the natural to deliver to us immortality and an unbroken cosmos, something science can never do. Though you may have enjoyed or endured many science classes, know also that the Word of God has come to you this day, offering an imperishable seed!

Far Beyond Gasoline Prices

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The devastation in Japan is heartbreaking, to say the least. I have spent time praying that God will intervene as He sees fit, especially in the area of the human soul. I have prayed that this disaster will turn people to God, rather than away from Him. I have asked the Lord that people who feel helpless and hopeless will find their ultimate help and hope in the salvation of the God of the Bible. As many of us know in a familiar way, the Lord often gets an honest hold of us through tragedy. Since, “even the darkness is not dark to [God], and the night is as bright as the day” (Psalm 139:12, NASB), we know that the Lord can use even the most horrible of situations to accomplish His greatest work – the salvation of a human being.

Today, I heard a radio commentator connect the Japan catastrophe to a jittery stock market and even greater rises in the cost of gasoline. Not anything close to an economist, I do not understand completely the fragile relationships behind the economic changes. I do, however, realize the effect of the changes on many people. Some of us focus mainly on the tsunami’s effects on our own, material lives. We are frustrated to pay two or three more dollars to fill our tanks. For those struggling financially, this can have a profound effect on the household. However, in a broad sense, we need to get hold of our reactions and trace the problem back to what really matters.

Instead of focusing on the higher gas price or lowered portfolio value, realize what the devastation in Japan truly represents. The tragedy reminds us human beings just how amazingly close we are to the end of earthly life. We are on the precipice. We are so fragile. In a moment – in a heartbeat – we may cross from life to death. Though myriad people try desperately to forget the reality of death – and they push it away with any number of meaningless distractions – death will still come. We are one tsunami, one accident, one affliction, or one calamity away from our standing before the God and Judge of existence.

As I drove by a gas station and noted the ten cent increase per gallon of fuel, I refused to let it frustrate me. Instead, I allowed it to remind me of what thousands upon thousands of people are facing. They are recognizing the brevity of human, earthly life. They are apprehending the vital nature of spiritual truth. They are contending with the deep questions only a real God can answer.

We who are relatively safe and content (for now) ought to allow the calamity in Japan to spur us to prayer for others and to a dynamic change in our thinking. Disaster and death are strange friends, reminding us that the status of our soul in relation to God is at the forefront of reality. Our mundane preoccupations notwithstanding, a brief life will end, and we will face God to receive the eternity He grants according to His will and His Word.

Genuine Christians need to remember two truths during these difficult days: 1) Our mission is clear and critical, and we only have limited time. Jesus said, “As long as it is day, we must do the work of Him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work” (John 9:4, NIV). Friends, direct your energy to the work of God. Live the Gospel. Preach the Gospel. 2) Our focus is essential. The apostle Paul proclaimed, “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (II Corinthians 4:18, NIV). We must shed the non-essential and live for what lasts. Think eternal. Live for the everlasting.

Seasons and Changes UNDER Heaven

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Just days ago, I sat at my desk with my Bible and pondered some deep issues. This is not an unusual occurrence for me, but the thought God brought to me that day stands out in my memory. My face was not turned toward my desk, as I sat with my chair facing a bookshelf. My forearms rested on my knees as I grasped my Bible in both hands. I wanted God to speak directly to my heart, for I was feeling a rush of emotions. After gazing generally at the open pages of my Bible, I bowed my head and whispered a prayer to God. My head just hung there, and my body was bent over, waiting to sense God’s presence. Just then, I decided to look up and out the window. As I did, my eye caught a poster hanging on my office wall. A bright butterfly is pictured beside the words of Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NASB), “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven.” The words of the poster held my gaze for more than a few moments. My spirit focused on two words, under heaven. A rush of profound relief came over my mind as I sensed God impress on me this thought, “Shelli, everything under heaven changes and goes through seasons, and I [God] am in control all the while.”

My attempted description of God’s working in my heart that day simply cannot adequately relate how the Lord did a miracle for my thinking through His Word. I pray He will radically infiltrate your heart with the truth too. Under heaven – on this earth – we will experience the ebb and flow of life. Some seasons and changes are the direct result of God’s mandate for the natural world: morning follows night, autumn follows summer, and a harvest follows planting. Some seasons and changes are the results of man’s will, whether his will is aimed at God or is in rebellion to God. A man may choose to shun embracing when true agreement over critical issues can no longer be reached. A woman may begin a season of laughter after a long struggle to emerge from grief. A man may embark on a season of dancing while blessings flow. A woman may choose to try to sew together various pieces of her life. A nation may declare war. A man may begin a time of searching for lost family relationships. Another may choose to embrace a season of loss rather than to continue a search. As these innumerable events continue under the canopy of heaven, God sits on His throne, carefully ensuring that “all things [work] after the counsel of His will” (Ephesians 1:11b, NASB). This is our assurance. Seasons come, and seasons go; but all events are appointed by a God with a plan.

The Hebrew root word implies that “there is a time for every ‘delight or pleasure’ under heaven.” In other words, while we remain in this world, times of delight will come in spurts. A time of birth is amazing, but times of death come too. Even though we experience wonderful seasons of love, hate is close by. How we rejoice in seasons of building up, but how we mourn in seasons of tearing down. In this life, things are volatile. Pleasure and delight are limited, held to their seasons by the damning nature of sin.

However, our wonderful God assures us that His limitation of delight only happens under heaven. One day, we shall be in Heaven with God! Psalm 16:11 (NASB) shall come to pass for us, “In Your [God’s] presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.” Praise to our God! No more will there be only seasons of pleasure; but we shall then experience the absolute, all-pervasive nature of God’s joy, untainted by sin.

The apostle John’s testimony resonates with the book of Ecclesiastes. In Heaven, there will be no more death or mourning (Revelation 21:4). Those seasons (as outlined in Ecclesiastes 3:2, 4) will be gone, and the fullness of life and joy will have entered in. In Heaven, all will come together. All will love and experience blessed peace. All will be healed.

Until that day, I remember that the changes I now experience are seasons in the hands of a mighty God who stands above the earth, above the universe, and above every changing circumstance. Somehow, He has appointed every time and season. He not only sees what I am facing, He is in charge of it. I will trust the God who is over all, even as I wait for fullness of joy.

“There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven.” – Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NASB)

Blown Out of the Water

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One day long ago, Jesus told His disciples to travel with Him to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. They did. They left the crowd and got into a boat with Jesus Christ.

Since the disciples were directly following the will of Jesus, one might anticipate “smooth sailing” on the sea. Instead, a fierce storm arose, and their boat began to fill with the water of the vicious waves. Christ slept while all this ruckus took place. Imagine, omniscient Jesus had told His followers to go out to sea, and then He snoozed as they began to fear for their lives in a terrible storm!

Our God was up to something; He had a purpose for the squall. Our God is up to something in our lives, too, when He sends us into tumultuous waters. As Jesus demonstrated while napping in the stern of a boat, God is never unnerved by trouble surrounding us. He is in control, ready to use what appears as chaos to accomplish a vital work of the soul.

What happened next for the disciples was a dramatic, necessary shift in their understanding of Jesus Christ. As those men began to fear their demise in the storm, they awoke Jesus and said, “Teacher do You not care that we are perishing? (Mark 4:38b, NASB). Notice how they addressed Christ; they called Him Teacher.

To be sure, Jesus is a Teacher; but He is infinitely more! If Jesus is only a religious instructor, we are hopeless. Following only a moral teacher means trying to be saved by doing all the things prescribed in the body of teaching. Our problem is that “doing good” does not help us because we are dead inside. Spiritual death requires the prescription of a miracle – new life. New life comes because Jesus is God. His death pays for the sin of all who believe in Him, and His resurrected life enables us to live. I count His death as the payment for my sin, and I count His life as my Way to live (Romans 6:10-11).

The disciples needed desperately to realize that Jesus was more than their Teacher. When they cried out to Him in that storm, He told the sea to be still, and the sea listened! A complete calm ensued. Staring into the face of the new situation Jesus had wrought by His own power; the disciples “became very much afraid and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?'” (Mark 4:41). His followers’ notion of Him as simply “Good Teacher” was blown out of the water, if you will.

A new-found, vital reverence swept over the men as they became awakened to the true nature of Jesus. They must have thought to themselves, “This Jesus tells creation what to do!” I wonder if any of the disciples ever looked back to the Psalms to find what is spoken in chapter 33, verses 8-9, “Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.”

Jesus is God. He is more than my Teacher. I have hope because He commands all of creation. I have hope because He gives me life when I can only offer death. I have hope because He can tell the swirling circumstances of my life to come to calm perfection when He sees fit.

Rather than appearing too dignified and declaring only, “Jesus is my Teacher,” I will stand with my mouth agape and proclaim, “This Jesus amazes me!”

Sinking and Swimming

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This poem is based on Matthew 14:22-33 and John 21:1-19.

Peter, how did it feel to watch Jesus on that sea?
Walking on water as if it were earth?
Demonstrating so clearly who gave the oceans their birth?

Peter, how did it feel to know He was the Master?
Taking charge of creation as He saw fit?
Showing by Whose hand all substance was knit?

Peter, how excited were you to step towards Him that night?
Though battered by wind and tossed by wave?
Heading toward Jesus who can make weary men brave?

Peter, how glorious did it feel to walk those few steps on water?
Looking at your Savior with a steady gaze?
Allowing His loving strength your heart to amaze?

Peter, did you catch a glimpse of His creative power in those moments?
You feet defying gravity and scientific law?
Your heart awash with worship and newly-found awe?

Peter, what made you look away from Him and rather toward the storm?
Though He was right in front of you, I think I understand.
For often I am distracted though my Master is at hand.

Peter, what was it like when He stretched forth His hand as your cried?
Without allowing you to drown, though lack of faith was your own fault?
Without forsaking you because He knew the ultimate, victorious result?

Peter, did you cry with joy as He lifted you back into the boat?
Getting in Himself, without abandoning you?
Taming wind and wave so that both sky and water stood clear and blue?

Peter, were you amazed at Jesus’ faithfulness though you had denied Him thrice?
Running to the tomb to find only His wrappings of linen?
Marveling that your Lord could possibly have risen?

Peter, what was it like to see Him on the shore after His resurrection?
When He stood on the beach and instructed where the net should be cast?
When He prepared a fire and fish and bread now that His time of suffering was past?

Peter, why did you – and you alone – jump into the sea when you saw Him on the beach?
Not waiting with the others to sail to Him by boat?
Rather, throwing yourself into the waters and swimming stroke by stroke?

Peter, when you dove in, were you thinking of that former day upon the sea?
When you looked to Jesus and walked on water, but then quickly slipped away?
Were you wanting to demonstrate your undying love on this new day?

Peter, how did it feel to abandon yourself to the water for your Lord?
Not fearing the sea because Jesus mastered it on your behalf before?
Not delaying your progress toward you Savior anymore?

Peter, how did it feel after breakfast on that beach?
When Jesus asked you if you loved Him three times in a row?
When He explained that one day someone would lead you where you did not want to go?

Peter, I know from history that you did love Him.
You died for Jesus’ sake after preaching all your days.
I have to think of you and the sea when by the faithfulness of Christ I am amazed.