From Slave to Ruler

The amazing aspect of Scripture is that even with the most familiar of verses or stories the Lord still gives us fresh and unexpected insights. “How did we miss that?” we often ask.

That happened to me recently with the story of Joseph.

The Lord’s working of His purposes through Joseph has always encouraged me during difficult times in my life. I am sure many of you, as well, took comfort in how God used Joseph’s trials to shape him into a mature godly leader who rescued his family from possible extinction.

Recently, however, I saw how Joseph’s life illustrated another amazing truth.

Before I get to what I missed, let’s refresh our memories with some highlights from Joseph’s rise from a slave to ruling alongside Pharaoh.

He experienced rejection from his family. Can you picture Joseph pleading with his brothers as they sold him to the Midianites? Later, when standing before Joseph (but not yet recognizing him), his brothers remembered Joseph’s “distress” amidst his agonizing appeals to them.[i]

He experienced slavery. The Midianites took Joseph, bound in chains, to Egypt where they sold him to Potiphar, a high ranking official to Pharaoh.[ii] What humiliation to be sold to the highest bidder!

He experienced false accusations. After being bought by Potiphar, Joseph quickly found favor with him and became the overseer of all that belonged to the Egyptian official. Potiphar’s wife, however, did not handle rejection well and accused Joseph of making unwanted sexual advances. As a result, Joseph ended up in prison.[iii]

He experienced imprisonment. Can you imagine Joseph’s frustration? He faithfully obeyed the Lord by rejecting the advances of another man’s wife and found himself locked up in an underground dungeon. Despite this, Joseph remained faithful and the Lord remained close to him.

Here is what I had always missed (you knew I would get to it eventually, didn’t you?). God has more in mind for the outcome of our trials than spiritual growth and preparing us to minister to others, although that is hugely important. The Lord also has plans for what we endure that extend well beyond this life, purposes we cannot yet grasp or fathom.

How could Joseph have known as he trudged toward Egypt shackled in chains that God was preparing the way for him to reign alongside Pharaoh? If someone had suggested this scenario to Joseph at the time, he likely would have felt mocked or insulted. “Are you ridiculing me because of my dreams?” he might have replied to such a suggestion. Yet Joseph’s time managing the household of Potiphar and in prison became the training ground for his storybook rise to power.

Could not the same be said of our experiences in this life? Could they not be preparation for our roles in reigning with Christ during the millennium? I believe so.

If God can use Joseph’s time as both a slave and prisoner to prepare him to later rule over Egypt, He can certainly do the same with our life experiences to prepare us for our future roles in eternity.

This is what I missed for so long. The Lord is preparing us now to reign with Christ in His kingdom, which He will establish after He returns to earth in great power. There is a glorious long-lasting purpose for all we faithfully endure in this life. This is clearly implied in the rewards for faithfulness given out in Jesus’ parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30.

As author John Eldredge so often writes, our lives are a story. As the drama of our lives unfolds, however, we sense there is something more. The Bible says God “has put eternity into” our hearts.[iv] For those of us in Christ, our current life stories carry over into Jesus’ future kingdom. We cannot fully understand all the twists to the plots of our stories until that time. But then, like Joseph, we will be able to look back and clearly see the Lord’s purposes. In the light of Jesus’ coming kingdom, the stories of our lives will make much more sense.

Is this not a huge motivation to remain faithful to the Lord during the dark and stormy times of our lives?

Perhaps this is why the idea of a literal kingdom or millennium has been so passionately opposed at times during the history of the church. Satan surely hates the idea of Christ reigning on earth. How much more must he detest the coming kingdom as a source of encouragement for us to walk faithfully with our Savior?

[i] Genesis 37:25-28; 42:21   [ii] Genesis 37:36   [iii] Genesis 39   [iv] Ecclesiastes 3:11

A Sign of Jesus' Soon Return

It happens with such frequency we sometimes miss it. We see a news story that speaks to our living in the last days and we pay little attention to it. Twenty years ago we might have fallen off our chairs reading it in the newspaper; now we quickly scroll past it on our smartphones.

That happened to me earlier this month when I first came across a news item from the Temple Institute in Jerusalem. On August 4, the Institute announced the creation of a school to train Levitical priests for eventual service in the future temple in Jerusalem.

Could you have imagined this headline twenty years ago? A school for Levites to train for service as priests in the temple! Many of us would have been looking up for the Lord’s return upon reading that, now we almost miss it amidst so many other signs of Jesus’ soon return.

So is the training of Levitical priests significant in terms of prophecy? Yes, I believe it is!

Scripture tells us Israel will have a temple during the tribulation. A study of Daniel 9 and Matthew 24 reveals that the antichrist will defile the temple half way through the tribulation. Jesus referred to this as the “abomination of desolation” in Matthew 24:15. The Apostle John received instructions to measure this temple during one of his visions of the tribulation (Rev. 11:1-2).

Building the third Jewish temple in Jerusalem, however, is not like building a home or even a school or church, far from yet. It’s so much more than simply a physical structure.

Consider all the Old Testament passages that speak to the design of the temple, its furnishings, the order of worship, the sacrifices, and the functions of the priests. Add to that centuries of tradition and rabbinical writings that also need to be carefully researched so that everything in the new temple, including the color of the priests clothing, exactly matches the temples of the past. This is a huge task! I have just begun to describe all that needs to be done in preparation for the Jewish third temple.

Since 1987, the Temple Institute has worked feverishly to prepare for the building of this temple. In 2015 they spent $100,000 on architectural designs for the future temple and earlier in 2016 announced the completion of the huge golden altar for sacrifices. Over the past three decades the Institute has extensively researched everything relating to the construction of the temple, its consecration, and the order of worship and crafted many of the furnishings for the temple. The school for training Levitical priests further demonstrates Israel's readiness for the building of the temple.

With all the advance work completed by the Temple Institute, the temple can be constructed, furnished, and staffed with priests in a relatively short amount of time. This makes it possible for the rapture to occur even before Israel even has permission to build its temple. Twenty years ago, this might not have been nearly as feasible, especially if Israel wanted the third temple and its observances to match that of the past two temples.

Do you see it? This current intense preparation for rebuilding the temple culminating with the training of Levitical priests is just one more flashing arrow pointing to the nearness of Jesus’ return for His church.

Prophecy speaker J D Farag compares this to seeing Christmas decorations in the stores. When we begin to see these displays in the stores we not only realize Christmas is coming soon, but also know Thanksgiving is even closer. If we see signs pointing to the nearness of the tribulation, we know the Lord’s appearing is even closer because of His promise to return for His church before the time of tribulation overtakes the world.

The Christmas lights are brightly shining, are we ready for Thanksgiving? Jesus is coming soon!

Addendum for Prophecy Nerds:

If you are a prophecy nerd like me, you may find this added note interesting.

Some today suggest the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem will be part of the agreement Israel agrees to with the antichrist. Daniel 9:27 tells us about the covenant the antichrist will make with the “many." If the temple is a part of this deal, it would explain how Israel could build the temple even though the Al-Aqsa Mosque currently occupies much of the Jewish temple mount.

At this point, it seems impossible that the Muslims would ever let Israel build its temple there.

The antichrist, however, may be the one to persuade the Arab nations to go along with the construction of the temple particularly if they get something in return for the concession. Would they be able to sense his deceitful motives?

The building of the temple alongside the Al-Aqsa Mosque appears to correspond to an interesting instruction John received regarding the measuring of this future temple (Rev. 11:1). The angel told him not to measure “the court outside the temple” since it was “given over to the nations.” Could the presence of the Muslim mosque explains this curious exception to the measuring the temple? I think it’s possible, maybe even likely!

What Did We Expect?

I remember going with my dad to put up political posters. He drove a red pickup truck and I watched as he put up the posters along a quiet rural road and listened to his explanation of why he put them up so high. He did not want them easily torn down. I do not remember what the placards said; I am not even sure I could read at the time.

It seemed natural growing up in such an environment to have a strong interest in politics. The danger of such an interest, however, is to hope in the political process rather than trust the Lord to work His purposes. I fell into that trap many times. However, as things have changed over recent years such misplaced faith no longer tempts me as in the past.

Instead, anger sometimes greets me as I look at the current state of politics and how far our nation has drifted away from God. If left unchecked, this angst also shows a lack of trust in God and His sovereignty.

Recently, a speaker on a YouTube video spoke directly to my growing frustrations with the leadership of our country. His name is Amir Tsarfati, a former officer in the Israeli army and now a well-known speaker on prophecy. His perspective surprised me, but I instantly knew it made sense.

I do not remember his exact words but he said something to the effect that we cannot stop the tribulation from coming with our protests. We cannot hold up a placard and somehow think that will stop the rise of the antichrist to power. Then he asked, “What did we expect the world would look like ahead of the Great Tribulation?”

Amir’s question seemed so obvious; yet it still caused me to stop and reflect on my response to the rampant evil I so often see in the news.

I still think often of Amir’s question or at least a paraphrase of it; "Isn't what I see in our nation and world today exactly what we would expect to see if the Great Tribulation was rapidly approaching?" I believe it is; Amir is correct.

So why do I still feel such irritation with current events since they point to the fulfillment of prophecy? I suspect many of us feel this way from time to time.

Although we might never express it in words, perhaps some of our remaining disillusionment comes from wondering if God really sees what is happening. And if He does see, why does He seem so silent? Why does He delay so long in responding to the evils of this world, to all the horrible scenes of bloodshed we see on almost a daily basis?

The prophet Habakkuk asked similar questions many years ago:

O Lord, how long shall I cry for help and you will not hear?

Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save?

Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong?[i]

In response his questions, the Lord assured Habakkuk that judgment was on the way. God was raising up the Babylonian army that would one day sweep through Judah, destroy Jerusalem, and take many Israelites captive.

The Lord sees all the evil in the world today; He sees the daily terrorist attacks throughout the world, the slaughter of Christians in the Middle East and in other places, and the open rebellion against Him in our nation. Just as He did in the days of Habakkuk, God is preparing an appropriate response. Of this there can be no doubt. It’s just a matter of when.

We know from Scripture the coming tribulation will be a horrible time of God’s wrath to judge the unbelieving world as well as to warn humanity one last time before Jesus returns to the earth to setup His millennial kingdom. Will the Great Tribulation of the book of Revelation be God’s response to what is currently happening worldwide? I believe all the signs increasingly point in that direction.

And if the Great Tribulation is getting closer with each passing day, so is Jesus’ appearing to take us home to be with Him ahead of the catastrophes that will soon overtake the world. We possess a sure and joyous hope.

God is not a distant observer of activity on earth. Just as in Habakkuk’s day, the Lord sees and His response is on the way; it's likely nearer than any of us imagine. The Lord will show up someday soon, much, much to the dismay of this Christ-rejecting world. Why would we expect anything less from Him? He sees what is happening.

God’s sovereign purposes during these last days will not fail. He remains in total control regardless of the outcome of elections and the deceitful purposes of those in power. Those bent on bringing evil to our nation will quickly fade away some day, but God's kingdom will come to earth just as He promised!

If He seems slow to respond to the evil around us, it is because of His patience not wanting any to perish but for all to repent (2 Pet. 3:9). This is also what we would expect from a loving and merciful Savior.

[i] Habakkuk 1:2-3

Our Unfailing Advocate

I remember Jay Leno on the Tonight Show mentioning that his whole life was videotaped for security reasons. Leno’s purpose in saying this was to introduce some incident between him and his cat, which he wanted us to assume was totally impromptu.

But what if . . . what if our entire lives, every waking moment, was somehow captured on video? Furthermore, what if this was available for any enemy of ours to use against us?

Far-fetched you might say?? Revelation 12:10 refers to Satan as “the accuser of the brethren” and as someone who “accuses” us as believers “day and night before our God.” Satan is able to recount incidents (and perhaps replay events) from my life and then bring charges against me, “Look at this display of unbelief! Did you see that lack of faith in his display of anxiety! Jonathan claims to be your child, but look at his prideful behavior. Surely he is not who he claims to be.” Satan never gives up in his relentless efforts to accuse us both in person and before our Father in heaven.

However, I John 2:1 says that when we sin, “we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” Whew! I have someone to defend me before my Father, a never-failing advocate on my behalf. We are never left defenseless against Satan's attacks.

Romans 8:33-34 further describes this courtroom scene in heaven, “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.” Because we are justified before God, Jesus never fails to intercede on our behalf and defend us against all charges made against us.

When Scripture says we are justified, this signifies God’s proclamation that we are righteous solely because of Jesus and His death on the cross for our sins. Justification is a legal term indicating a judicial pronouncement made in a court of law. All the legal claims against us have been forever cancelled; they are nailed to the cross and we bear them no more (see Col. 2:13-15); God declares those in Christ forever righteous in His sight. Jesus is our righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21). In addition, Jesus remains our advocate, our defense attorney, always ready to defend us before the Father.

Romans 8:1 sums up this wonderful news, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Notice the apostle does not say there is “no condemnation” for the religious or for the moral or for those who always obey God. No, the promise is for those “in Christ,” for those who have a saving relationship with Jesus.

Satan can bring a whole flash drive full of condemning videos; it will never change God’s verdict of righteousness on those of us who know Jesus as our Savior. Jesus is the one who continually defends us and when you think of it, could there possibly be a better defense attorney in the entire universe?

Recently, someone asked me to make a value judgment on a politician’s character based on a short video of less than a minute. While the incident on the video certainly put the man in a bad light, I could not agree it exemplified his entire life. As I later reflected on the discussion regarding the video, I realized I am no better than that candidate. A great number of equally condemning videos against me could be paraded before my Father in heaven to which I could only lower my head in shame.

My confidence, however, rests solely in Jesus and His righteousness. He is my only defense against all the countless charges made against me, past, present, and future. This is what it means to be justified before Him: no future charge can ever change our righteous standing before God or interfere with our hope of someday reigning with Christ. Jesus is not only our unfailing advocate, but coming soon to take us to be with Him in heaven.

He alone is the reason we are secure in our hope of spending eternity with Him. This is why we can confidently look for His appearing. He alone is our unfailing hope.

Romans 8:31-32 says this about those in Christ, “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”

Some might claim, as they did in Paul’s day, that such grace opens the door to more sin. However, as the reality of what Jesus has done and continues to do for us sinks increasingly into our hearts, it energizes our desire to serve and love Him all the more.

Praise God for His amazing grace, love, and mercy! So undeserved but welcomed with much thanksgiving!!

Awaiting the Master's Arrival

I believe the characters of Max and Chloe in The Secret Life of Pets teach us something about our expectancy regarding Jesus’ return for His church. Lest you think I am crazy, let me explain.

The movie portrays Max, the dog, as eagerly longing for the return of Katie, his owner. He begins awaiting her return as soon as she left for work in the morning. Chloe the cat, on the other hand, enjoys her time alone. At the end of the day she seems annoyed by the intrusion of her master into her domain.

While not seeking to favor Max over Chloe (or spark a dogs versus cats debate), I believe the difference in their characters illustrates a greater reality.

In 1 Corinthians 1:7, Paul described his readers as “waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The sense is that of “eagerly waiting” Jesus’ appearing, an excited expectation of His arrival. The Apostle used the same word in Philippians 3:20 to also speak of our joyous anticipation of Jesus’ return to take us home.

Do you see it? Doesn’t that sound more like Max than Chloe? The apostles focused the hope of New Testament believers solely upon Jesus’ return for them (1 Pet. 1:13; 1 John 3:1-3). New Testament believers awaited Jesus’ return for them with great expectancy. Such hope characterized their response to the Gospel (Titus 2:11-13; I Thess. 1:9-10).

Why is this so foreign to our thinking today? Why do so many Christians take a ho-hum attitude to Jesus’ return?

I believe several factors contribute to this.

Mockery: My heart aches as I see the ridicule of the rapture on social media. What are believers to think when they see others who claim to love the Lord openly mocking their hope in His appearing? This ridicule of our hope leads some believers into the paths of those who deny our hope in Jesus’ imminent return. For other Christians, such contempt tempers their anticipation of Jesus' return; the rapture becomes far too controversial of an event upon which to place their hope.

Misconceptions: Depictions of glorified believers sitting all alone on clouds strumming harps also dampen our anticipation of eternity. While we will worship Jesus forever, Scripture paints a much more exciting and wonderful picture of eternity than that of a long dull worship service or of playing instruments by ourselves on a cloud. We will reign with Christ in His earthly kingdom and then forevermore throughout eternity. Doesn’t that sound much more exciting than some lowly angel seeking to gain his wings? I believe the joy and excitement ahead for us at Jesus’ return will far surpass all we can imagine.

“I’ve heard that before:” Back in the 1960s’ and 1970’s, eschatology became a hot topic. Many churches emphasized the imminent return of Jesus. I remember Jack Van Impe coming to my church to teach for an entire week about Bible prophecy.

As time has passed, however, believers have lost their expectancy of Jesus’ return. Having looked for Jesus’ return for so long, I understand the sentiment that finds it difficult to believe He will appear anytime soon. After all, we have heard it all before and nothing has happened. However, with so much prophecy being fulfilled before our eyes, if there was ever a time to be watchful for the Master, it is now!

Silence: Unfortunately, rather than increase their focus on Jesus’ return as the signs of His coming multiply, many churches have become mostly silent regarding future things. How can believers be excited about their future hope if its details are never taught? It’s not easy for Christians to focus their hope on something so rarely proclaimed in our churches.

The above factors, and perhaps many more, have made many believers rather blasé regarding Jesus’ appearing. Dare I say many Christians today resemble the character of Chloe rather than Max regarding Jesus’ return?

While we do not copy the behavior of Max who was willing to do nothing other than sit by the door waiting for his master to return, perhaps his eager anticipation of seeing his master is something we do need to imitate. Are we waiting for His coming?

Hope Beyond the Tragedies of Life

She only had moments left to live.

As Christina sat cheerfully signing autographs after a concert in Orlando, Florida, she could not have known her killer was quickly approaching, gun in hand.

He despised her outspoken faith in Jesus and wanted to silence her voice forever.

I had not heard of Christina Grimmie until the stunning news broke of her murder on June 10, 2016. Soon afterward, I heard an early recording of her singing In Christ Alone and realized the depths of her love for the Lord Jesus.

The passion with which she sang those words coupled with the knowledge of what had just happened totally overwhelmed me and brought tears to my eyes.

I will not soon forget the deep heartfelt emotion Christina put into the final words of the song, “No power of hell, no scheme of man, Can ever pluck me from His hand; Till He comes or calls me home, here in the power of Christ I stand.” The passion with which she sang those words coupled with the knowledge of what had just happened totally overwhelmed me and brought tears to my eyes.

The killing of Christina demonstrates all the more our need to be focused on eternity rather than merely living for this present life. From an earthly standpoint, her murder appears to be a senseless tragedy; a young, perky, highly talented singer shot dead at the beginning of a promising career. How do we reconcile such a seemingly meaningless tragedy with our hope for eternity? Where is the purpose for all we endure here on earth?

What if this life for the believer is preparation for the next? What if all our experiences in this life are not only intended for our spiritual growth here, but also for what will be?

I believe the millennium provides the essential link between this life, disasters and all, and eternity.  The millennium is a thousand year period of time that begins with Jesus’ return to earth to setup His kingdom. We as believers will reign with Him during this time. After the millennium, eternity begins as described in Revelation 21-22.

In the millennium, we will see the Lord’s purposes for what we endure in this life come alive. The dark times of our lives will explode into wonderful light as we clearly see all of God’s purposes for taking us through them.

Do you remember the story of Joseph? How could he have known as he trudged toward Egypt shackled in chains that God was preparing the way for him to reign alongside Pharaoh? Joseph’s time in the household of Potiphar and then in prison became a training ground for his storybook rise to power. He remained faithful in the worst of circumstances and God used him in a mighty way.

Since we will reign with Christ during the millennium; it only makes sense Jesus would prepare us now for our future roles.

Is there a parallel for us? I believe there is. In the parable of the talents, Jesus rewards his followers with kingdom responsibilities based on their faithfulness to Him (Matt. 25:14-30). At the judgment seat of Christ, Jesus will examine our lives with the clear implication of loss as well as rewards (1 Cor. 3:10-15). Since we will reign with Christ during the millennium; it only makes sense Jesus would prepare us now for our future roles.

The millennium will be the time when the purposes for all we endure here come to full fruition. Although Christina is currently with the Lord receiving comfort as only He can provide, I believe she will see a still greater purpose for her untimely death when Jesus returns to earth and she reigns with Him.

Christina will sing for the Lord forever and ever! The only voice her killer silenced was that of his own.

Please listen to Christina singing "In Christ Alone" in the link below. Her passion for Jesus brought me to tears as I listened to this song shortly after her death.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzseOqwn8oo

An Election of Extremes

This has been an election cycle of extremes.

Interest this election is sky high while satisfaction with the candidates seems lower than ever.

On the Republican side we saw a record number of choices. On the Democrat side, the matter was decided long before anyone cast a vote in that primary.

Donald Trump wants to make America great again. Hillary Clinton wants to continue America’s current descent toward globalization.

One candidate has been in politics all her life while the other has never been a politician or held office.

But what does it all mean from the standpoint of eternity?

On the one hand . . . the world appears to be racing toward what Scripture describes as the Great Tribulation. The signs of this abound all around us:

Everything Jesus said would happen leading up to the Great Tribulation is happening now.

The world today closely resembles Jesus’ description in Matthew 24:9-14 of what the world would look like leading into this time of tribulation. It’s almost as if the Lord was glancing through headlines from today’s newspapers as He talked to His disciples long ago.

Everything Jesus said would happen leading up to the Great Tribulation is happening now.

Then there is the prophecy of Gog and Magog in Ezekiel 38-39, which has become an infallible predictor of how nations in the Middle East have aligned themselves over the past ten years.

Through the United Nations, the world is well on its way to forming the one world government spoken of in Daniel and the book of Revelation. Given the right circumstances, this new world order could appear almost overnight.

In his September 20, 2016 address to the United Nations, President Obama said that nations like the United States would have to "accept constraints" for the common good of this coming world order. That would mean, according to the President, that Americans would need to give up some of their freedoms for the sake of the world order.

Based on what President Obama said, we can be sure that this new socialistic world order is well on the way to reality and when it comes Americans will lose many of their freedoms, not just "some" as he indicated.

Given what we see in the world today with the approach of the tribulation and the rise of the one world government, we as believers may soon be celebrating in the very presence of our Savior.

Given what we see in the world today with the approach of the tribulation and the rise of the one world government, we as believers may soon be celebrating in the very presence of our Savior. Our joyous hope in the Lord’s appearing could soon be reality.

On the other hand . . . we do not know the day or hour Jesus will return to take us home to be with Him. It could be today, or it could be several years from now. We just do not know.

We may remain earthbound a little longer as salt and light in a world increasingly dominated by Satan’s kingdom of darkness.

While this year’s election may hopefully delay our nation’s path to globalization, apart from a massive spiritual revival things remain bleak for our nation. Here are just a few reasons why:

• Our nation's current leaders fervently support Planned Parenthood who not only performs abortions but harvests the body parts for profit. It does not get any worse than this. How much longer will God’s patience last? The Lord hates abortion much more than any of us! It's only a matter of time before He shows up to stop this.
• The disrespect of our nation’s leaders for the laws of our land has led to attacks on authority that threaten the stability of our country as never before.
• Our nation is quickly becoming a borderless country decreasing protection and safety for its citizens and increasing the chances for anarchy.
• We are rapidly approaching $20 trillion in debt and as a result even a small economic crisis could bring down our entire economy and wreak havoc for all of us.

I hope and pray for a more conservative supreme court; I truly believe this matters. But can this alone change the course of a country steeped in rebellion against God? I don’t think so.

I want to see America great again, but also one that returns to the Lord and honors Him. I cannot imagine a strong and prosperous America apart from a sweeping spiritual revival across our land. How can God bless us as a nation if we continue our support for the vile practices of Planned Parenthood?

With each passing day the forces of evil gain a stronger foothold in our nation. Without revival there is no hope for our nation. We are on a path to destruction regardless of who wins in November. The Lord is patient so His judgment may not fall in the near future. Unless however, we change our course, He will show up much to distress of those who so vehemently rejection Him now.

My hope, however, resides in what we cannot see: the sovereign working of the Lord’s purposes as the world races toward the coming tribulation while we as believers wait expectantly for the Lord to take us home!

I will vote and pray for our country.

My hope, however, resides in what we cannot see: the sovereign working of the Lord’s purposes as the world races toward the coming tribulation while we as believers wait expectantly for the Lord to take us home!

Maranatha!

What we Cannot See

 

They come to bat with gritty determination in their faces, hit solid line drives, and run toward the bases with all the intensity of someone in the major leagues.

In the outfield they race toward the ball, sometimes diving, in order to make the put out before the batter reaches base.

On the bench, they listen intently and cheer loudly when their team scored a run.

Sound like baseball in any other league?  Not really. This league has a unique requirement for all its players . . . they all must be legally blind in order to participate.

On July 26, 2016, I witnessed the beginning of the playoffs for the National Beep Baseball Association World Series in Ames, Iowa. I met Nick, pictured above sprinting past first base, and experienced the sights, sounds, and emotions of beep baseball. The baseball beeps to help both the batter and fielders locate it. When the ball is hit, a base beeps and the hitter runs toward the sound.

Spiritually, we have much in common with the players in the Beep Baseball World Series playoffs. We believe God’s Word about the world yet to come, but it remains unseen. With eyes aided by the Holy Spirit, we see our Savior albeit still dimly, “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face . . .”[i] We await Jesus’ appearing when we will not only see His glory face to face but be changed to be like Him.[ii]

In the meantime, we battle an unseen foe. The Apostle Paul says that our battle is not “against flesh and blood” but with spiritual powers of wickedness.[iii] In reality, we are all on a team battling together against Satan and his minions.

Unlike the players in the Beep Baseball League, we so often lose heart because of the unseen nature of our battle. The things we see so easily blur our spiritual focus for things that remain unseen. We lose our focus on the unseen and soon our heart for pressing forward through the struggles and difficulties of life.

Jesus, however, will soon appear; our faith will be sight! Until then we press on toward our upward call when Jesus takes us to forever be with Him.

[i] I Corinthians 13:12

[ii] 1 John 3:2-3

[iii] Ephesians 6:12

Why Does It Matter?

Do you remember the song Alfie from 1966 and its famous question: “What’s it all about?” I recently asked similar questions in regard to my writing: “Why does it matter?”

Why did I start a blog? Why do I seek to add followers to my blog so publishers will notice me? Why do I want to write a book about our thrilling hope? Why?

The Lord refreshed my purpose earlier this week as I read the teaching of a popular viewpoint regarding future things, one that teaches Jesus returned to earth in AD 70 as promised in Matthew 24 and in Revelation 19-20. As I read how they see all New Testament prophecy as having been fulfilled in the first century, the Lord stirred my heart. How dare they distort our hope of resurrection described in 1 Corinthians 15 into something spiritual rather than physical? How dare they twist God's Word in such a way?

In 1 Corinthians 15:19 Paul said, “If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.” What I read earlier this week puts all our future expectations back into this life. Take away our future hope of being forever changed as described in I Corinthians 15:42-54 and we are indeed as Paul described, “most to be pitied.” All we are left with is making the most of this life, just as with everyone else around us. Take away our expectation of the future physical resurrection promised in 1 Corinthians 15 and we have no more hope than the atheist walking next to us on the street.

So why do I write? My writing stems from a passion that we as believers be focused on our joyous hope for eternity as well as this life. I need this. I sense others need this as well. Our hope is certain; we will be changed to be like Jesus and spend a joyous eternity with Him!!

I write because of two powerful forces working today to draw all our attention to this life.

First, the errant teaching of many directs our hope to the things of this life. Many today even proclaim that Revelation 21-22 has been fulfilled (or is currently being fulfilled) in a mysterious symbolical or spiritual way. Can you see how such an allegorical view of Revelation obscures the essence of our eternal hope leaves us with so little hope beyond this fleeting moment of time? Can you see how this robs us of joy regarding eternity?

Scripture tells us that as believers, we are “joint-heirs” with Christ (Rom. 8:17, KJV); we will reign with Jesus in His kingdom (Rev. 20:6). Those who deny the Lord His rightful place as future King over all the earth transform this thrilling hope of reigning with Christ into something rather stale by comparison. Where is the hope of reigning with Christ if that equals our current existence where we suffer, grow old, get sick, and die? Is our fleeting earthly life really the full extent of what it means to reign with Christ?

Secondly, the silence of our churches regarding our thrilling hope emphasizes this life over our hope for eternity. Many churches today scarcely mention our hope of eternity apart from a quick comment here and there about eternal life. The church I grew up devoted entire weeks to prophecy conferences. Now, the details of our hope are scarcely mentioned, if at all, from our pulpits.

It’s great to hear sound biblical teaching on marriage, good parenting, stewardship, and godly living. This is needed. Without a two-world perspective, however, these things quickly become our hope rather than Jesus' appearing.

The danger arises when we focus our hope on temporal results where so many factors, including the sinful choices of ourselves and others, negatively impact the outcomes we so greatly desire. The New Testament teaches believers to expect trials and difficult times in this life (James 1:2-3; 1 Pet. 1:6, 4:12-13). If our ultimate hope is in this life, we will be sorely disappointed. Our hope dashed with each painful trial.

I am writing because so many of the voices we hear today keep our hearts earthbound with messages that inspire hope for only this life, this fleeting moment of time.

Our best life is not now, but the silence of so many churches regarding our eternal joy proclaims that exact message loud and clear.

My desire in all my blogging and writing is to draw our attention away from the fleeting realities of this life to the eternal realities of heaven. I am not sure where this path will lead. All I can do is follow the Father’s call that I sense in my heart and leave the end result with Him

Life in the Balance

It seemed as though the crowded auditorium was empty and Steve Green was singing his latest song, In Brokenness You Shine, to me alone.

This sensation began as he introduced the song on that Saturday evening years ago. It was then the Lord spoke to my heart as if to say, "Jonathan, this song is for you!" The lyrics to the song pierced my soul that night and began the process through which the Lord healed the deep wounds of my past.

 Here is how my journal entry began the night after hearing In Brokenness You Shine:

Imagine a glass vase broken into hundreds of pieces scattered about on the floor. Humanly speaking, that is my life right now. My hopes and dreams have all been shattered. The person I thought I was or could become is all gone. Everything in my life is broken; I am broken – reduced to emotions I do not understand and a life I do not want. My hopes, dreams, and aspirations are like the pieces of glass from the vase lying on the floor, shattered beyond recognition and any hope of restoration. . .

But last night Steve Green sang a song about the Lord’s beauty shining or showing itself best in our brokenness. How can that be? What can God do with a shattered, despised, and broken vessel? How can He make the scattered pieces shine again?

Something resonated deep in my heart that night in response to the words of the song. The perspective of eternity began overshadowing the past events of my life. Here is how I concluded the entry in my journal after the Steve Green concert:

This is not the path I would have chosen for my life, but then again, God asks us to trust and lean not on our own understanding. He also promises to work everything for “the good” of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

So it comes down to three words: I Still Believe!

Despite the shattering of dreams, I still believe God can work His purposes through me–mine is not to wonder how or why.

Despite my brokenness, I still believe in a God of healing and restoration.

Despite the ugliness of my current situation, I still believe the Lord’s beauty is shining somehow and will shine in the brokenness.

Despite hearing no to many of my prayers, I still believe He hears me and has my absolute best interests at heart.

Despite the loss of all my aspirations, I still believe the Lord has wonders in store for me in this life and especially in eternity that will far exceed all my dreams.

Despite the shame, regrets, and wild emotions, I still believe Christ will one day show off His righteousness in me for all to see.

Despite the rejection I feel, I still believe the God of this universe loves me.

Despite the fear I feel, I still believe I am safe and secure in God’s arms. He is my rock and strong tower.

I STILL BELIEVE!!

The Lord’s complete healing of my past wounds did not immediately follow; I still had much to absorb and learn in the months and years ahead. My declaration of belief did, however, set my heart on another reality, an eternal outlook, which brought a much needed change to my perspective.

As we affirm our hope in the thrilling hope ahead for us, eternity increasingly becomes the lens through which we see our everyday lives. The lyrics to In Brokenness You Shine stress believing the Lord to “bring hope alive” while enduring brokenness and pain in this life. For me, that meant trusting God’s promises of great blessings in eternity, which renewed hope in my heart. A two-world perspective came to life again in my soul that evening as I listened to Steve Green sing.

My hope did not consist of believing my situation at the time would improve. When I wrote in my journal years ago, I doubted my life would ever get better. I found relief, however, in a new perspective that brought my anticipation of eternity into the moment. I connected my hope for eternity with my circumstances. My perspective changed as I gave priority to the unseen eternal realities over the temporal misfortunes of my life.

The heart of this blog, however, is not to focus on my past, but to direct readers to the hope and comfort that comes from a two-world perspective. The second verse of In Brokenness You Shine begins with the words “Let comfort be a living thing” and expresses the desire that through God’s comfort in the midst of pain others can find “their heart’s relief” as well as “freedom and hope.” This is so much more than just having correct theology (although that is essential to my posts), it's about bringing our thrilling hope into the pain of our past and the current struggles of our everyday lives. It's about our thrilling hope coming alive in our hearts as a source of comfort for whatever we face.

My purpose in posting articles on this blog and in writing my book, The Thrill of Hope, is to share the comfort of a two-world perspective with others, to share how the Lord restores souls lost in the frustrations and sufferings of this life.

But how do we develop such a perspective? How do we learn to keep one eye on the present and one eye on eternity as Paul David Tripp encourages us to do (see below)? Such a perspective does not come easily especially since the temporal realities of life confront us every waking moment continually shouting for our attention.

Imagine you are living in poverty barely able to survive working at a terrible job you hate. Add to this scenario the certain hope that in exactly one year’s time you will inherit an enormous fortune worth hundreds of millions of dollars. How would that change the focus of your daily life? What would occupy your thoughts as you go to work each day? How would you respond to financial setbacks in the meantime?

The above contrast actually understates the current reality for each and every believer. Paul said this in Romans 8:18, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” Because of the amazing glory ahead for Paul, he viewed his current troubles as “light momentary affliction” (2 Cor. 4:17). No one else would ever consider of the hardships Paul endured in such a way. Yet the apostle’s comparison was with the glory, joy, and wonder of eternity. For the apostle, this far outweighed all his beatings, imprisonments, shipwrecks, stoning, and sleepless nights.

Picture a balance scale with one side balanced by the weight on the other side. On one side we see the scale weighed down with the glory ahead for us in eternity while on the other side we see all our suffering and heartaches from this life. The scale is tipped to the extreme with the weight of the joy awaiting us in eternity and no amount of additional troubles from this life can even budge the scale to the smallest degree. That is how Paul viewed his intense suffering in light of eternity and how he invites us to see our affliction as well.

When we live focused on the thought that absolutely nothing can deter our path to unending joy in eternity, not even death, our perspective changes. Our walk becomes confident. Joy increases. This does not represent a conceited way of life resulting from pride or an exclusive focus on self. Quite the opposite. This confidence results from knowing we are secure in our expectation of an amazing and spectacular thrilling hope. We have a secure future in Him that is indescribably good! Such a glorious hope does not depend on us, but on the salvation Jesus purchased for us with His blood on the cross.

This change of perspective does not happen overnight, but over time as the Spirit daily refreshes our hearts with thoughts of eternity. With me, it took much time and is still a work in progress.

(Adapted from my book project, The Thrill of Hope)

Tripp, Paul David, New Morning Mercies – A daily Gospel Devotional (Wheaton: Crossway 2014), June 7: "We were made to live with one eye on now and one eye on eternity."

Eternity

In his book Desire, John Eldredge quoted Pascal as saying, “Our imagination so powerfully magnifies time, by continual reflections upon it, and so diminishes eternity . . . for want of reflection . . . we make a nothing of eternity and an eternity of nothing.” Eldredge then expanded on that sentiment, “We make a nothing of eternity by enlarging the significance of this life and by diminishing the reality of what the next life is all about.”[i] We all fight this tendency. It’s all too easy to think this moment as all we have and ignore eternity or "make a nothing" of our glorious hope.

Scripture, however, continually points the eyes of our hearts to the joy that awaits us in eternity.

Let’s look at some verses from Isaiah 25:

6      On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples

a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine,

of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.

7      And he will swallow up on this mountain

the covering that is cast over all peoples,

the veil that is spread over all nations.

8     He will swallow up death forever;

and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces,

and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,

for the Lord has spoken.

9      It will be said on that day,

“Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.

This is the Lord; we have waited for him;

let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”

Does feasting with the best wine and food imaginable match your picture of eternity? Do you envision a time with no more death, sorrow, suffering, pain, or tears? Someday we will be the ones uttering the words of verse 9 above rejoicing because being with the Lord will so far exceed our wildest expectations. With sheer delight in our voices we will cry out, “This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” I see much emotion and excitement here; we will someday express our gladness and celebrate forever with the One who saved us and gave us eternal life.

Our lives in eternity will not disappoint even our most imaginative or fanciful pictures of what it will be like. Jesus has great plans in eternity for me and for everyone who believes and thus hopes in Jesus, our wonderful Savior.

The Isaiah passage dispels our inclinations to dismiss eternity as nothing and solely focus on the joys of this life. We have so much to look forward to in eternity. Our future life will be marked with ever increasing joy and unimaginable blessings. We will rejoice in our great salvation as we realize its full extent. Our waiting will not be in vain.

We will never experience sadness over anything lost from this life. Jesus’ promise to “make all things new” in Revelation 21:5 brings wonderful assurance of the joy ahead for us. We will never mourn the loss of our current life. The newness of eternity will never fade; we will always bask in it joy.

Revelation 21:9-26 describes the new Jerusalem where we will dwell for all eternity. This immense and beautiful city will be our home forevermore. Scripture also speaks of a new earth, one where creation will restored to its intended glory before sin entered into the world. It will be spectacular beyond what we cam imagine!

My eternal focus did not include a restored earth until I read John Eldredge’s book Desire several years ago and began to think about the new earth mentioned in Revelation 21. Eldredge said this about it, “How wondrous this will be! Creation can be so breathtaking now. What shall it be like when it is released to it full glory?”[ii] I love to explore nature and enjoy all the wonderful views of the mountains, lakes, and oceans. I recently drove on the Blue Ridge Parkway enjoying the vast beauty of God’s creation. If this earth now can show forth God's glory with such majesty, what will it be like in eternity? I can only imagine.

Our view of eternity can be so terribly dismal compared to what God has revealed about it in Scripture. The new earth will be amazing beyond anything we can comprehend. Although we do not know everything of what our eternal existence will be like, what we know it is far more than enough for us to cease making “a nothing of eternity and an eternity of nothing.”

The grandeur of what lies ahead will be so much greater than anything we could ever conceive. We will reign with Christ during the millennium and then throughout eternity. We will forever have kingdom responsibilities perfectly tailored for us. We will not feel one second of boredom or frustration in eternity. The newness of eternity will never cease. Its joys and pleasures never end.

[i] Eldredge, John, Desire, p.110-111

[ii] Ibid. p 119

Jesus' Appearing

I could think of nothing else.

I even tried extra cleaning around my house, but to no avail.

We met on eHarmony months earlier and now our relationship had turned into a romance. Ruth lived three hours away so sometimes weeks would go by without seeing her. But now she was on her way to see me and I eagerly awaited her arrival.

What if we anticipated the arrival of our Savior in a similar way?

The apostles taught New Testament believers to live in eager anticipation of Jesus’ appearing. This hope brought a joy-filled two-world perspective that not only transformed their daily lives, but enabled them to literally change the world.

Titus 2:11-13 says, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” Paul characterized believers as recipients of grace who looked for the “blessed hope” of Jesus’ appearing.

The apostle reported this same connection with the Gospel on the part of the Thessalonians, “For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come” (1 Thess. 1:9-10). The natural consequence of turning away from idols to serve God was that of expectantly watching for the Lord’s appearing. In both verses above, Paul equates belief in the Gospel with an eager anticipation of Jesus’ return for His church.

A recent GEICO commercial portrays a spy fleeing from both armed men and a helicopter. His phone rings as his adversaries appear ready to capture him. Thinking the call is from those coming to rescue him; he answers the phone shouting “Where are you?” We then see and hear his mom calmly talking about squirrels in the attic after which the narrator says, “If you’re a mom, you call at the worst time. It’s what you do.” Reflecting on what Paul said in Titus and 1 Thessalonians, we might expect him to say something similar: “If you believe the Gospel message of grace, you live in expectancy of Jesus’ appearing. It’s what you do.”

Philippians 3:20 states, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” The word Paul used for “await” in this verse denotes “intense anticipation” and an “excited expectation” of a future event.[i] This word implies eagerness and even a longing in our hearts for a future event. The same word is used in Acts 17:16 of Paul’s restless longing for Silas and Timothy to rejoin him. After the apostle’s recent troubles in Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea, he very much desired to see them again. In Philippians, Paul applies this same deep longing to our anticipation of Jesus’ appearing.

The Apostle Peter instructs us to focus our hope entirely on the “grace” to be brought to us at Jesus’ appearing. “Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (I Pet. 1:13). Jesus’ future appearing is our hope in this life. As believers, we focus our hope on the grace to be brought to us when Jesus appears to take us home. It’s what we do.

Our hope does not reside in anything in this life. Everything we see is fleeting and temporal. Earthly treasure can evaporate overnight. Politics and leaders continually disappoint us. Our hope resides solely in Jesus and His return to take us home to be with Him.

1 John 3:2-3 says, “Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.” When Jesus appears and we see His great glory, He will transform us to be like Him. This anticipation of Jesus’ appearing works to transform us, it purifies us.

From this sampling of verses, we see the apostles repeatedly direct the focus of our hope toward Jesus’ appearing. As believers, we wait in joyous anticipation of seeing Jesus face to face. Why would the apostles keep directing hope of the early church to Jesus’ return for His church if was not a possibility in their lifetimes? Nearly 2,000 years ago the early church waited with the realization they could see Jesus at any moment (see 1 Thess. 4:15). We walk in that same anticipation today; the delay has not diminished the reality of this hope or our anticipation of the joy of seeing our Savior face to face.

[i] Brown, Colin, editor, Dictionary of New Testament Theology Vol. 2 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1969) p. 244.

(Excerpt from The Thrill of Hope)

Our Future Immortal Bodies

We have so very much to look forward to when Jesus returns for us. If we are alive at the time of His appearing, Jesus will instantly transform our aging and achy bodies into an eternal body just like His. If we die before the rapture, He will bring our dead bodies to life again never again to be subject to the illnesses of this life or to death (1 Thess. 4:16-17). All this happens amazingly fast, “in the twinkling of an eye” (1 Cor. 15:52). It will all be finished in less time than it takes to blink our eyes.

In 1 Corinthians 15:52b-53 Paul says, “For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.” The Lord, through the apostle Paul, promises that all believers will someday possess immortal bodies. We will live forever in the bodies we receive when Jesus comes for His church.

Philippians 3:20-21 adds this about our future bodies, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body. . .” Our future bodies will resemble Jesus’ resurrection body. We will be like Him just as John promised in 1 John 3:2.

This exchange of bodies, our deteriorating and aging bodies for immortal ones like Christ’s, will be like swapping an old rusted out Ford Pinto held together with duct tape for a brand new shiny Porsche Carrera. Only our new bodies will never deteriorate, grow old, or wear out as even the best-built cars will do over a long enough period of time. I can scarcely imagine having a body that will never grow weary, get sick, or age. No more achy backs and sore knees! Our new bodies will be immortal; they will never die.

Consider the implications. No more doctor and dentist appointments. Taking pain relievers and medicine . . . a thing of the past. No more stubbed toes, sprained ankles, or broken bones. Can you imagine never getting sick again? No more flu, colds, allergies, cancer, heart disease, or any ailment you can name. Our new bodies will be immune to all disease!

Think of all the effort we put into maintaining the health of our bodies. How much do we spend each month just to maintain our bodies? We take vitamins, exercise, and try to maintain a healthy diet. Imagine not needing all of the products we purchase for our hair, skin, and teeth. I can scarcely imagine a body that does not require daily upkeep.

Indeed we have an amazing hope. This world is not our final home nor our current bodies the end of our existence.

(The above post is from my current writing project, The Thrill of Hope.)