Category: Uncategorized

The Hope Laid Up for You in Heaven

Bible Reading: Colossians chapter 1

I was driving the Uhaul truck, filled with all our belongings, Laura was following in our family car, filled with our kids.  We were on our way from Columbia City to Astoria, for I’d been called to serve as the Pastor of Lewis and Clark Bible Church.  I’d find out later Laura was driving with tears in her eyes.  We’d left behind our nice newer home, our home church, along with all of our friends.  Our new home in Astoria was the parsonage at the church and to say it was needy would be an understatement!  It hadn’t been painted in years.  The dining room stunk, as cats had urinated in the attic area above, even staining the sheet rock.  The living room carpet was threadbare, the kitchen linoleum was torn and there were a couple of holes in the walls.  The parsonage bedroom had a red/pink shag carpet and the walls were adorned with a red velvet kind of wallpaper.  We’d find out later the basement was subject to flooding during the frequent winter storms.  Needless to say, it needed some major fixing up!  

Moving can be difficult.  There’s all the stuff to pack and move.  Sometimes the move can be from a nicer home to a more needy one.  If you are a believer in Christ, no matter how nice your present home might be, one day you will make one last final move to a new glorious home in heaven.  Colossians 1:5 speaks of “the hope laid up for you in heaven.”  The term translated “laid up” is an interesting one.  It was used in ancient times of the stored goods a king would lay up to reward his faithful servants.  Your salvation was not just a salvation from sin, death and judgment; it was a salvation to heaven, your new home.  This world is not your home, as the song says you’re just “a passing through” and your treasures are “laid up somewhere beyond the blue.”

So what’ll this new home be like?  First, note it’s “a house not made with hands” because its builder is God Himself (2 Corinthians 5:1).  Unlike the earthly tent (your body) you now reside in,  your new home is “eternal in the heavens.”  What you have now is only a temporary dwelling place, not fit for the long haul, but once you meet heaven you’ll never move again.  It is a house with “many dwelling places,” which Jesus Himself has been working to prepare for you (John 14:1-2).  Inasmuch as “He does all things well,” how glorious our new home must be! 

It’ll be a home not subject to rot or disrepair or theft of any such troubles.  How much thought and work and energy and money do we spend on upgrading and maintaining our earthly homes!  But our new home will need no improvements.  Our new dwelling place will be both safe and free from any sort of degradation (Matthew 6:20).  Did you know you’ve already got reservations (1 Peter 1:4)!  It’ll be a home free from all the problems which plague our earthly experience.  In the world we have tribulation, but that which ails us now will be “no longer” in heaven. There’ll “no longer” be any tears, or death, or mourning, or pain (Revelation 21:4).  One other thing will be “no longer” and that is sin, for heaven is a home “in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13).  It’ll be a home of preeminent value.  I regularly get an email from Zillow with an estimate of the current value of our house.  Can you imagine the estimated value of the new home God has prepared for us in heaven!  The Apostle deemed it of such value he said it’d be “very much better” for him to go to be there with Jesus (Philippians 1:23).  Its value transcends our present ability to comprehend (1 Corinthians 2:9).

It’ll be a home to which we are well-fitted.  A glorious transformation awaits when we move from this home to that one.  God will put off from us all which remains of sin so we will be perfectly fitted for our new home.  Philippians 3:20-21 speaks to this, “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to himself.”

Finally, it’ll be a home with a marvelous view!  I’ve been in some homes having gorgeous views–of the deep blue ocean, or some majestic mountain.  Yet there’s nothing in all of creation as beautiful as Jesus, our glorious Lord and Savior!  We will see him as he is and he “will be marveled at among all who have believed” (2 Thessalonians 1:10).  We will be with Him!  And we will praise Him together with all those “in Christ” who have gone on before us!  One final move awaits every believer.  One final move to a new glorious home.  You were saved to that end, dear friends.  And therein lies your hope.  

You’ve Been Saved to the Hope Laid Up for You in Heaven

Lord Jesus,how wonderful is Your salvation, which has worked not only to save us from sin, but to save us to this glorious hope laid up for us in heaven.  Forgive us that we don’t think quite enough about heaven, that place you are even now preparing for us.  May our hearts be set on it.  May we yearn for it. Remind us amidst our present sorrows and tears, that our new home will lack all that troubles us here on earth.  Captivate our thoughts to that day when we will be glorious transformed and brought into Your presence.  When we will marvel at You!  And praise You forevermore with unfettered hearts!

A “Wretched Man’s Hope”

Bible Reading: Romans 7:7-25

In his classic book, “The Mortification of Sin,” John Owen wrote, “Longing, breathing, and panting after deliverance is a grace in itself, that has a mighty power to conform the soul into the likeness of the thing longed after…unless you long for deliverance you shall not have it.”

From the time of his new birth, until he’s taken home to glory, every believer battles daily with temptation and sin, longing for complete deliverance.  Tragically, nothing can do more to diminish hope in the heart of a believer than falling into sin. What hope do we have for a full and final victory?

One of the questions raised regarding the passage in today’s reading is the identity of the “wretched man.”  Three possibilities have been suggested: 1) an anonymous unconverted man; 2) the Apostle Paul before his conversion; and 3) the Apostle Paul in his “present tense” experience.  Since the verbs used in verses 24-25 are all in the present tense, the logical conclusion is the Apostle Paul is speaking of himself in his “present tense” experience as a converted (i.e. saved) person.  The deliverance he longs for and anticipates can only be realized by the Spirit and finally in the redemption of his body.

The Law, though “holy and righteous and good” (Romans 7:12), has no power when it comes to defeating sin (Romans 7:9-11, 22-24). In fact, the law works to incite the flesh to rebellion, thus revealing our own inability to gain any sort of victory in our own self-doings. If we try to win the battle on our own, we are always defeated. The law works instead to expose our shortcomings, thus revealing our need to look to Christ for deliverance.

It is as Pastor Ray Stedman explained, “If we think that we have got something in ourselves that we can work out our problems with, if we think that our wills are strong enough, our desires motivated enough, that we can control evil in our lives by simply determining to do so, then we have not come to the end of ourselves yet. And the Spirit of God simply folds his arms to wait and lets us go ahead and try it on that basis. And we fail, and fail miserably — until, at last, out of our failures, we cry, “O wretched man that I am!” Sin has deceived us, and the Law, as our friend, has come in and exposed Sin for what it is. When we see how wretched it makes us, then we are ready for the answer, which comes immediately!”

What’s the answer and hope then for the wretched man? “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:25). Our hope for a full and final victory lies not in ourselves, but in Him! In Romans chapter seven, the pronoun “I” occurs twenty seven times and the Holy Spirit is not found once. The passage, in it’s self focus, ends with this question: “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?”

But a triumphant change of perspective takes place in the transition from Romans chapter seven, to Romans chapter eight. In chapter eight the pronoun “I” is found only twice and the Holy Spirit is referred to repeatedly. The chapter begins with a declaration of freedom (Romans 8:2) and concludes with a promise of overwhelming triumph (Romans 8:37). With respect to sin and salvation, “it is the Spirit that gives life, the flesh profits nothing” (John 6:63). Wretched men are set free from sin only through the work of Jesus and by indwelling power of the Spirit (Romans 8:13). In Him we have this hope (confident expectation) amidst our struggles. Now we “groan inwardly as we wait eagerly…the redemption of our bodies” (Romans 8:23), but the day is coming when we will groan no more! And our struggle with sin will be over!!

A Wretched Man’s Hope Lies in a Wonderful Savior!

Heavenly Father. You alone know the full measure of the depth of our sin problem, but we are ever learning that we’ve no hope for any measure of victory in our own self efforts. How amazing Your grace that has worked to pay the penalty for our sins! And how thankful we are for how Jesus has worked to deliver us from its power. Coming to an end of our own self efforts, we look to Him alone and the indwelling Spirit for victory. We groan now, but our hope is fixed on You and the future redemption of our bodies. And the day when sin will be no more! Amen.

Hope Amidst Trials

Bible Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Vic was one of our deacons at Lewis and Clark Bible Church.  A big-hearted man, Vic was always cheerful and more than ready to help anyone with anything.  He almost always wore a dilapidated red ball cap, imprinted with the words “Older than Dirt.”  I went to visit Vic one day, and asked him where he got that ugly old hat.  “It was a gift,” he explained.  One day, he let his dog out to do its business and it returned to the door clutching that odd ugly hat in its teeth.  He’d worn it ever since.  Apparently even Vic’s dog knew he was getting old!  Vic has gone home to be with Jesus, but I’ve never forgotten about him, or that ratty red hat.

We’re all getting older.  Our “outer self is wasting away” (2 Corinthians 4:16).  I don’t need to add up the years, or for anyone to tell me that, my body gives me daily reminders.  Yet “we do not lose heart,” the passage says.  Why don’t we?  “Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.  For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:16-17).

Last month was the five-year anniversary of Laura’s cancer diagnosis.  Not only is she dealing with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer, she’s got something called PostHerpetic Neuralgia, which causes chronic pain, kept under control only with the daily dose of three pain medications.  Bi-monthly, for seven days, she takes her five chemo pills twice a day.  They keep the cancer at bay, but chemo makes her nauseous and causes pain in her hands and her feet.  The cancer itself has caused irreparable damage to her body.  How can Paul–inspired by God as he was–call something like that “light momentary affliction?”

Paul was actually an expert on trials (2 Corinthians 11:23-29). He’d experienced more than his fair share. So what’s the deal? The afflictions can only be deemed light and momentary when weighed against something else. Imagine a balance scale in your mind’s eye. On the one side of the scale, place your afflictions, having gathered them all up, big and small. It seems like a lot, doesn’t it? In Laura’s case it seems way too much, overwhelming! Now, on the other side of the scale place the “eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” The weight of what God has prepared for us makes our afflictions, though they appear huge to us now, seem smaller by way of comparison. God has prepared for us “an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison!” To be sure, there’s some mystery there. The term “glory” is itself a big word! Yet bound up in there is the redemption of our bodies, Christlikeness and our future home in heaven! There is the work Jesus will do when he will “transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body” (Philippians 3:21). The trials we face in the here and now, are temporary, the glory we will experience in heaven with Jesus will be forever!

The key to having a confident expectation about our unseen future blessings, is “to look to the things that are unseen.  For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18).  If you want a heart filled with hope in these uncertain days, you must make use of your eyes of faith.  As you depend upon the Spirit and allow God’s Word to speak, God will strengthen and lead you “to set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:2).  Treat the matter like making a trip to some glorious destination. There may be hardships along the way–but keeping our focus on where we are going is good food for a strong hope.

Present Troubles Weigh Less When Measured Against Future Glory

Heavenly Father. The trials and suffering sometimes work to weigh us down. And sometimes we grow weary and discouraged. Thank you for the reminder that though our troubles here might seem too much, they are not so large or so long when compared to the eternal weight of glory You’ve prepared for us. Grant us grace and mercy, we are sin-prone to search with our physical eyes for help, when instead we need to look through eyes of faith to the unseen realities bound up in You! Amidst our troubles, help us to trust in You and long for heaven all the more. Amen!

Hope in God’s Steadfast Love

Bible Reading: Psalm 33

According to a study done by Brown University in October of 2021, “Depression among U.S. adults persisted, and worsened, during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.”  The study found that nearly 33% of US adults experienced elevated depressive symptoms in 2021, compared to only 8.5% before the pandemic.  That’s an alarming statistic!  It’d be fair to say that in these days of uncertainty many people are losing hope.  But you already know this.  You hear the news.  You have friends and family members who’ve expressed their concerns to you about where things are headed–be it the pandemic, the divisiveness, the economy, the increase in crime, the border crisis; or the threat of pending war.  

What is going to make the difference for us?  Remember, hope is an attitude, a way of thinking about things.  The only way we can experience confident hope in uncertain times, is when it is well-founded in our minds and hearts, based within a strong and stable source.

The Psalmist knew where and where not, to set his hope.  Not in the nations.  The counsel of the Lord stands forever, but the Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing.  The ship of history is captained by our sovereign God.  It is on course and will not be deterred from reaching its final destination.  Nations come and go. They have.  They will.  Yet Our Creator God has always been and will always be.  “Though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.”  So we set our hope on Him.

A leader and his people could place their hope in the strength of their military or the wealth of their economy, or the supposed wisdom of their leaders and their plans, but “the King is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength” (Psalm 33:16).  Even “the war horse is a false hope for salvation” (Psalm 33:17)   Though I suppose most of us don’t have one of those!

If we look in any horizontal direction, it can be a struggle to find a valid place to set our hope.  We are sinners.  None of us are perfect.  None of us is able to predict the future, let alone secure it.  Instead, we must look to God for hope.  Note what the Psalmist declares about our Creator!  “All His work is done in faithfulness,” which means we can count on Him to always do what He says (Psalm 33:4).  He will fulfill every promise.  As our powerful Creator, He has the power to secure our future (Psalm 33:6-9).  He is not aloof to our situation, He “looks down from heaven, he sees all the children of men” (Psalm 33:13).  In fact, “the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him” (Psalm 33:18).  That’s why the Psalmist declared, “Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you” (Psalm 33:22).

The words “steadfast love” translate from the Hebrew word, “hesed,” a word which is sometimes translated “lovingkindness” or “mercy.”  The term is rich in meaning and carries with it three different related meanings: “strength,” “steadfastness,” and “love.”  The term was commonly used in the Psalms, and appears twice in this one. The heart of God is for the child of God.  Our Heavenly Father is strong and loyal in His love towards us.  So we set our hope on him (Psalm 33:22).

The story is told of a young man who was aboard ship during a raging storm.  His fellow passengers were full of fear and worry, but he appeared to be at ease and unconcerned.  When asked the reason, he answered, “The captain of the ship was his father, and he knew that his father would take good care of him.” 

A Certain Hope is a Hope set on a Sure Source

Heavenly Father. We praise You as our Creator God, the One who is always faithful to do what You say! How thankful we are that You know all and see all and are Sovereign over all. We are forever grateful for Your strong and loyal love for us! Grant us the wisdom and resolve to fully set our hope on You, and that which You have prepared and secured for us. Amen.

The God of Hope

Bible Reading: Romans 15:1-13

My first car was a 1952 Plymouth Station Wagon.  It was a beast of a vehicle, with a flathead 6 engine, a 3 speed on the column, and a top “safe” speed of about 60 miles per hour.  The one thing it didn’t have was a working fuel gauge, so unsurprisingly, on more than one occasion, I ran out of gas.  That happened once at the entrance to the high school I attended.  Kind of embarrassing!  We humans don’t come with “hope gauges,” but if we did, what would we see?  I’ve personally run out of gas, so to speak, when it comes to hope.  Have you ever felt so discouraged, the only word left in your prayer vocabulary is “help!”  I’ve been there, and thankfully God responded to my plea.  

God longs for His people to be filled with hope.  Because of His lovingkindness, we have good reason to be, even amidst our troubles.  Romans 15:13 constitutes a prayer by the Apostle Paul, a beautiful prayer, that we might “abound in hope.” 

A confident expectation regarding the believer’s favorable future is given to us by the God of hope.  God is both the source and giver of hope.  God Himself—who declares “the end from the beginning” (Isaiah 46:10)—has no need of hope.  He who “works all things according to the counsel of his will” (Ephesians 1:11), will frame the future according to His plan.  Hope is a creature need.  Unlike God, we live and exist in the realm of uncertainty.  On our own, we lack the ability to foresee, or dictate the future.  Confidence regarding a favorable destiny must be ministered to us from One who is faithful, who has the power and ability to achieve that which is hoped for.  He is our reason for hope (Lamentations 3:21-24).

God is able to fill His children with hope.  The Holy Spirit indwells every born again believer.  Jesus called Him the Helper (parakletos, lit. “called to one’s side”).  Preeminent amongst His many tasks as the Helper is His work in directing our hearts “Christward” (John 16:13-14).  It is in Jesus Christ we find “strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.”  It is He who caused us to be “born again to a living hope” through His resurrection (1 Peter 1:3).  It is He who has become, in His imminent return, the “blessed hope” of the believer (Titus 2:13).  As the Spirit of God–the “Spirit of Promise” (Ephesians 1:13, KJV)–works to apply the Word of God to our hearts (Romans 15:4), He ministers a confident expectation in Christ regarding all He has provided and prepared for us.  He works to turn our eyes upon Jesus.  And in Him we find hope!

God’s desires that we “abound in hope.”  The word “abound” translates a Greek term meaning “to be abundantly furnished, to abound in a thing” (Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary).  It is elsewhere used of the fragments left over after the feeding of the multitude (John 6:12-13).  In this context the term speaks of an overabundance of confident expectation!  It is in the present tense and because of that, pictures God’s saints as continually abounding in Spirit-imparted hope.

J B Phillips paraphrases Paul’s prayer this way, “May the God of Hope fill you with joy and peace in your faith, that by the power of the Holy Spirit, your whole life and outlook may be radiant and alive.”  Is your outlook “radiant and alive?  By the Spirit it can be.  These are troubling times.  “Out in the highways and by-ways of life, many are weary and sad.”  God gives us the ability to “carry the sunshine where darkness is rife.”  He desires for us to be filled with this kind of hope to such an extent others will see it in us and wonder where we got it (1 Peter 3:15).  In the God of hope we have good reason to be filled to overflowing with hope!  Take some time to pray this beautiful prayer for yourself and others.

No Matter Your Troubles, The Spirit Can Work to Fill You With Hope

Heavenly Father. We praise You as our God of hope! Regardless of our situation or circumstance, there is a plentiful supply of hope sourced in You. Forgive us for our sinful tendency to try to find hope in worldly ways and in worldly things. May we ever look instead to You, that by the power of the Spirit our hearts might be filled up to overflowing with all joy and peace and the certain hope of Your promised future blessings. May Your hope abound within us, that others might wonder as to where it has come from and look to You for salvation. Amen!

No God = No Hope

Bible Reading: Ephesians 2:1-5, 11-13

In the novel, “Cat’s Cradle” by Kurt Vonnegut Jr., an important book comes to light.  It is entitled, “What Can a Thoughtful Man Hope for Mankind on Earth, Given the Experience of the Past Million Years?”  The chief character in his book is anxious to read it, but when he does, he finds it doesn’t take long.  The whole book consists of one word, “Nothing.”  Apart from God there would be no good reason or legitimate basis for a certain hope (Ephesians 2:12).

Such was our previous estate, before we came to know Jesus and is the present estate of every lost person.  Without God, we had no good reason to be hopeful. Apart from God neither does anyone else!  Wait, you might argue, I’ve got unbelieving friends who seem to be pretty hopeful folks, what about them?  Though they might put on a good show, they’ve no reason to think about their future with a confident expectation of a good result.

These people may live with a relative degree of prosperity now, having good health and a comfortable income, but unless a person knows God, they’ve no right to claim His promises.  There is no guarantee any of the things they now possess will continue to be theirs.  Countless things often work to change everything in anyone’s life.  Such events can happen in an instant.  Even if their prosperity continues, they’ve no guarantee they’ll be in any condition to enjoy it.  Howard Hughes was regarded as one of the most influential and financially successful individuals in the world, yet in his later years he became no more than an eccentric recluse.  

Without God, a person has no guarantee of continued life.  When we are young we tend to think our lives will go on indefinitely, but then we grow older and know better.  Every step we take is one more step on a march to the grave.  Believers need not fear death because in Christ they’ve received the promise of heaven.  Sadly the lost person has no hope beyond the grave.  And what is even worse is there’ll be no second chance after death, to trust in Jesus.  There’ll be no glad reunion with family and friends who’ve gone on before.  A cold and dark and pain filled Christless eternity awaits those who refuse the gospel.  The person without God has no good reason to be hopeful with a confident expectation regarding his, or her future.  No hope for today.  No hope for tomorrow.  No hope in life.  No hope in death!

Somewhere amongst all my books I’ve got one entitled, “Last Words of Saints and Sinners.”  The book is a compilation of the contrasting last words of those who had faith in Jesus vs. those who didn’t.  People who knew God faced death with hopeful assurance.  Those facing death without God encounter death with fearful apprehension.  I’ve personally witnessed both responses.  But You, dear ones, have been saved by grace.  You once were far off and without hope, but now you’ve “been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13).  Now You’ve good reason in Jesus to be full of hope, both in this life and regarding the life to come!  You have a supernatural message of hope to share with those who desperately need to hear!

No God = No Hope; Know God = Know and Possess Hope

Heavenly Father. We remember the way things were when we were without You and without hope in this world. Thank You for intervening in our lives, making known to us the good news of hope regarding Your Son! How blessed we now are to be Your children. We’ve good reason in You to be ever hopeful. We pray for those who don’t know You and are now living without hope. Convict them of their sin and open their blinded eyes to the truth about Jesus, that they might be saved–that they might be born again to the living hope!

Defining Hope Biblically

Bible Reading: Romans 8:18-25

In his book, “Hope Again,” Chuck Swindoll wrote, “Hope is something as important to us as water is to a fish, as vital as electricity is to a light bulb, as essential as air is to a jumbo jet. Hope is basic to life…Take away our hope, and our world is reduced to something between depression and despair… hope is more than wishful thinking.  Hope is a vital necessity of life–a gift that God wants to give to you. And in a world that regularly writes dreams off as foolish and drains the hope from the heart with dark pessimism (Biblical hope) “is a voice crying in the wilderness.”

Indeed, we have a desperate need for hope, but not just the ordinary kind. Many of our hopes are more of the wishing and hoping variety.  We hope for things.  Like, I hope the weather will be nice tomorrow.  Or, I hope this COVID pandemic will end soon.  Or, I hope I’ll get that new job, or new house, or a new friend, etc. etc. etc.  Webster defines hope as a “desire accompanied by anticipation or expectation.”  That’s how we commonly use the term.  The problem is there’s little certainty associated with most of the things we hope for.  

Biblical hope, on the other hand, has no measure of uncertainty associated with it.  Vine’s Expository Dictionary defines the term “elpis” (i.e. “hope”) this way: “in the New Testament, “favorable and confident expectation…It has to do with the unseen and the future.”  Biblical hope has to do with possessing a confident expectation regarding some unseen future reality.  Romans 8:24-25 speaks to this, “For in this hope we are saved.  Now hope that is seen is not hope.  For who hopes for what he sees?  But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”

Hope is an attitude.  It is a way of thinking about things which affects our whole being; our mind, our will, and our emotions. This Biblical hope is well founded on the “God of Hope.”  God, being eternal, knowing the end from the beginning, has no need for hope, yet He is well able to impart hope to His hope-needy creatures (Romans 15:13).  Because He is faithful, we can count on Him to do all He has promised.  His Word is true.  The Scriptures include countless promises pertaining to the believer in Christ, we can stand on them with the confident expectation that each will be fulfilled.  “Christ Jesus (is) our hope” and the focal point of our hope is His return for us (1 Timothy 1:1).  The “Spirit of Promise” is “the guarantee of our inheritance.”  He is well able to “open the eyes of your hearts” so you will “know what is the hope to which he has called you” (Ephesians 1:13-14, 18). 

Most would agree the days in which we live are characterized by a lot of uncertainty.  We have our own personal struggles and trials, yet there is also a growing palpable tension in our country, evident in the divisive climate and drastic changes we’ve all experienced.  If our vision is restricted to the here and now, we will hunger for hope.  But if we look to God, who is faithful, and His Word, which is true, we can possess both “strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.”   The uncertainty of these days has opened a door of unprecedented opportunity for God’s people, being filled with hope, to bear witness to Jesus (1 Peter 3:15)!  He is our shining hope!

Biblical hope is a confident expectation regarding some unseen future reality.

Heavenly Father, in the pursuit of earth bound hopes we’ve had our hearts broken way too many times.  Indeed we are prone to wander, seal our hearts to Thy courts above.  As we look to the glorious future, You’ve graciously worked to prepare for us, grant us that we might not be distracted on our journey.  By the Spirit, may our hearts rejoice, being filled up with the confident expectation of the future blessings that lie ahead.  May we be so filled with hope, that other hope-needy folks might see You in us and find their way to You, the God of Hope.  Amen.

Psalm 2; Isaiah 9:6-7

I HAVE CHRIST IN MY HEART

What though wars may come,
With marching feet and beat of the drum,
For I have Christ in my heart;
What though nations rage,
As we approach the end of the age,
For I have Christ in my heart.
God is still on the throne, Almighty God is He;
And He cares for His own through all eternity.
So let come what may, whatever it is, I only say
That I have Christ in my heart,
I have Christ in my heart.

I used to sing this song a lot. It was written by a man named Wendell Loveless.  Wendell was a Marine Corps officer during World War I.  Converted as a result of reading his Bible at home, he later became the director of the radio department at Moody Bible Institute from 1926-1947.  He wrote this wonderful song in 1940, as the dark clouds of World War II were gathering.  He knew something about the horrors of war, but he also knew the Savior.  The message of the song resonates because there have always been wars, even as we hear of looming conflicts in our own time.

Psalm 2 speaks to these realities.  To understand this Psalm we must realize it applied first to the writer, King David.  The schemes of the rulers against God’s anointed, spoken of in the Psalm, were rooted in the time of David’s reign, when the vassal nations sought Israel’s harm.  David, the anointed ruler of Israel, wrote the Psalm to speak of the folly of rebellion against God’s anointed to whom God had made promises.  Yet it is also obvious the Psalm stretches far beyond David’s experience.  In fact, Psalm 2 is quoted seven times in the New Testament.  Peter quoted from it in Acts 4:25-27 concerning the rejection of Jesus at His first coming.  So the passage clearly and ultimately speaks to the ongoing rebellion of the nations and their rulers and the people against God’s anointed Ruler, Jesus Christ.

There are three main truths taught in this Psalm.  1) The nations and their rulers have rebelled against God (Psalm 2:1-3).  You won’t hear about this on the news, but consider how little thought is given by any leaders in our day as to what our creator God thinks about anything.  Though they might pridefully reject God, plotting and taking counsel together in their pursuit of wealth and power, the reality is they are mere pawns on God’s chessboard (Daniel 2:21, 4:25).  2) God is sovereign over all.  He will fulfill His predetermined plan to judge man’s rebellion (Psalm 2:4-9).  In pride they plot and scheme, as from heaven God laughs. The One who works all things according to the counsel of His will, already has a plan in place.  All will be brought into subjection to the Lord Jesus Christ, who will reign over all!  Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess Him as Lord.  Whether as a loving worshiper destined to eternal glory, or as a rebel doomed to eternal destruction.  3) We must submit to Him while there is still time (Psalm 2:10-12).  The warning applies to all.  We need to show wisdom and take warning, by bowing in submission and fear before God, giving reverence to His Son.  We are to submit to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior lest we “perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled” (Psalm 2:12). As Matthew Henry put it, “Those who do not bow, will break!”

If you are following the news, you are aware the end times predicted in the Bible appear to be close at hand.  Yet even if His coming is delayed, there’s no guarantee any of us will have another day on this earth.  If you do not obey the gospel and believe in Jesus before then, you will face the wrath of His judgment.  On the other hand, “blessed are all who take refuge in him” (Psalm 2:12).  The One who came first as a Lamb, is coming again as a Lion.  In times like these how good it is to “have Christ in my heart!”

Heavenly Father, the long war against You and Your anointed rages on.  It seems to us to be a never ending conflict, yet we know You are in control.  Though the wrong seems oft so strong, You are the ruler yet.  Your plan and your purposes will prevail and every person on this earth will be brought into subjection to Your Son, Jesus Christ. May we measure the news according to the truths of Your Word.  Wars and troubles may come our way.  Leaders may reject You and do much harm.  No one and nothing can work to stop You from fulfilling Your predetermined plan.  May our hearts rejoice in Your sovereign and loving purpose.  Help us to be careful to ensure we’ve turned to you for refuge.  And help us to rest in You, even as we eagerly await the coming of Your Son.  In Jesus name.  Amen.

Christ’s Return

Bible Reading: 2 Thessalonians 1:6-12

When I was pastor in Astoria we had a regular attender who was led by a false teacher to deny the doctrine of hell.  He supposed it was impossible that a loving God would allow for such a place.  He was so adamant in his false belief that he purposed to share what he had “discovered” with others.  Members of the church lovingly admonished him, but he held on to his view and eventually decided to leave our church. 

Such thinking is nothing new.  Years ago C. S. Lewis wrote his classic fiction, “The Great Divorce,” in part to respond to a fellow who had written a book entitled “The Marriage of Heaven and Hell.”  That man supposed “everything is good and everywhere is heaven.”  Dismissing the truth of the doctrine of hell is not uncommon.  There have been many who have taught such things. The reality is that two distinct destinies await two different groups of people.  2 Thessalonians 1:6-12 speaks to this matter as it puts forth the two alternatives in clear and concise fashion.  Unbelievers are destined to a place of “eternal destruction” called hell.  Believers are destined for the glory of heaven.

Those who will suffer “eternal destruction” are those who “do not know God” and “do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus” (2 Thessalonians 1:8).  There is but one way to avoid God’s righteous judgment of sin and that is to “obey the gospel” (1 Peter 1:22; John 6:29; Romans 3:23, 6:23).  It is through faith in Christ, a person receives the eternal life which constitutes knowing Him (John 17:3; 1 John 5:11-12).  Religious credentials—even if they include a proper profession, or impressive religious deeds—will avail no deliverance from hell for those who do not know Jesus (Matthew 7:21-23; 2 Timothy 2:19).  “Eternal destruction” does not equate to annihilation.  A never-ending catastrophic destiny, “away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,” awaits those who refuse the good news of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. 

The believer’s destiny, on the other hand, is of a glorious nature.  We possess it solely because the “testimony to (him) was believed” (1 Thessalonians 1:10).  The gospel works to save sinners from hell (1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Romans 1:16).  Instead of judgment, the believer lives with the confident expectation of being “glorified” with Jesus in heaven (Romans 8:17-18, 30).  Though we “do not now see him” the day is coming “we shall see him as he is” (1 Peter 1:8; 1 John 3:2).  On that day He will be “marveled at among all who have believed” (2 Thessalonians 1:10).  The term translated “marveled” means to wonder, admire, or be astonished” at something.  We might admire a beautiful sunrise, but how glorious will be the view “when the day dawns and the morning star rises in (our) hearts” (2 Peter 1:19)!  We will be awestruck by Him and will forever enjoy unimaginable blessings as we enter into His presence.

J. Vernon McGee once wrote, “Hell is ridiculed today, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.  Our beliefs are sometimes only wishful thinking…we might as well face the fact that there is a hell.  Christ is returning to this earth someday.  First He will take HIs own out of the earth, and then His coming will be a terror to the wicked; it will be a judgment upon those who ‘know not God, and that obey not the gospel of Lord Jesus Christ’…That is what the Word of God teaches.”

It is the response to the gospel which determines the eternal destiny of a person.  John 3:36, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”  Heaven or hell, eternal life or eternal destruction, a glorious and intimate eternal fellowship with God, or a foreboding and tragic existence—all depends upon one’s response to the truth of the gospel (1 John 5:11-12).  It will do no good to wish the truth of hell away.  The reality of hell should motivate us all the more to be “striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,” so others will have the means to escape God’s judgment (Philippians 1:27).

Lord Jesus, what a glorious day it was when You opened our hearts to the good news of Your death for sins and resurrection from the dead!  By grace You delivered us from the domain of darkness and brought us into Your loving Kingdom.  We eagerly await Your return and that wonderful day when we will all marvel at You!  In the meantime, You’ve warned us in Your word of the tragic destiny which awaits those who refuse to obey the gospel!  Open the hearts of our loved ones that they be convicted of their sin and need for You!  Open their blinded eyes to the glory of who You are and all You have done for them.  We pray they will trust in You before the door closes!  Help us, as Your ambassadors, to be faithful in sharing the good news in every opportunity You give to us.  Amen!

RESCUE THE PERISHING

Rescue the perishing,
Care for the dying,
Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;
Weep o’er the erring one, lift up the fallen,
Tell them of Jesus the mighty to save.

Refrain:
Rescue the perishing,
Care for the dying;
Jesus is merciful,
Jesus will save.

Though they are slighting Him,
Still He is waiting,
Waiting the penitent child to receive;
Plead with them earnestly, plead with them gently;
He will forgive if they only believe.

The Rapture of the Church

Bible Reading: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

The passage for today’s Bible reading has to do with what is commonly referred to as the “rapture.”  The term “rapture” itself does not appear in the text, but is from the Latin Vulgate translation of the Greek harpazo (translated “caught up” in verse 17).  Harpazo means to “catch or snatch away.”  The term speaks of something which Jesus will one day do for His church.  At some point in the future the Lord will come and snatch away from earth all those who belong to Him.  This “rapture” is imminent (i.e. it could happen at any time inasmuch as there is no other event in God’s prophetic timetable which must precede it).

The context of the passage indicates the believers in Thessalonica had not been informed of this important truth, because Paul hadn’t yet had the opportunity to instruct them about it (1 Thessalonians 3:10, 4:13).  Some of their fellow believers had died and those still alive wondered about the status of their loved ones with respect to the Lord’s coming.  So Paul instructed them to alleviate their concerns.

The passage represents the ultimate basis for the hope of the believer in Christ.  The “blessed hope” is the hope (“confident expectation”) of Christ’s return (Titus 2:13).  It is that to which we are to “set our hope fully” (1 Peter 1:13).  Two separate groups of believers are referred to in the passage, the rapture applies to both.  As the hymn puts it, “I know not when my Lord may come, At night, or noonday fair, Nor if I’ll walk the vale with Him, Or ‘meet Him in the air’” (“I Know Whom I Have Believed”).  There are those “church-age” believers who will have died previous to the time of Christ’s return.  They have walked “the vale with Him” (i.e. “those who are asleep;” 1 Thessalonians 4:13).  Yet there are those who will “meet Him in the air” (i.e. “who are alive” at the time of His return; 1 Thessalonians 4:17).  A great heavenly reunion of both groups will take place on that day—“so we will always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

It is because of this truth we as believers do “not grieve as others do who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13).  Yet this does not mean we do not grieve.  Jesus Himself wept at the tomb of Lazarus.  Paul was spared from “sorrow upon sorrow” when God showed mercy towards Epaphroditus who was “ill, near to death,” but recovered (Philippians 2:27).  There is a difference between those who grieve having no hope and those who grieve possessing it.  In one way or another the Lord will bring those who belong to Him “safely into his heavenly kingdom” (2 Timothy 4:18). 

There is a genuine and abiding reason for hope bound up in the glorious truth represented to us in this passage.  There are troubles and trials in this life, yet they quickly fade from view as the assembly of believers takes flight.  As the hymn “I’ll Fly Away” puts it, “Just a few more weary days and then, I’ll fly away, to a land where joys shall never end.”  No longer will they experience death or mourning or crying or pain or tears (Cf. Revelation 21:4).  Face to face with Christ, He will then be “marveled at among all who believed” (2 Thessalonians 1:10; 1 John 3:2). 

“Therefore encourage one another with these words,” the passage says (1 Thessalonians 4:18).  John Walvoord commented on the comfort we find (and can share) in the expectation of Christ’s coming: “Oh the prospect, the joy of looking forward to the coming of the Lord, and of resting in these precious truths!  There are so many ills of life that nothing can heal except the Lord’s return.  How many loved ones are on the other side and how many problems of this life, incurable diseases, pain, sorrow, difficulties will be made all right. As we face the duties and the challenges and the trials of life, God has given us this blessed hope, this hope of the Lord’s return.  May we take it to our bosoms, may we live in its reality, and may our hearts be refreshed by this precious truth!”

Lord, it is because of You we have strength to face our tomorrows, possessing this certain hope of future blessings!  There is much sorrow in this world, yet You are coming again to take us home–to a place where there will be no more sorrow or tears.  The greatest of all reunions lies just beyond the horizon and in that reunion there will be no more parting.  Amidst our sorrows, grant us the grace and wisdom to encourage one another as we eagerly await Your return!  Help us to set our minds on things above, not on things upon the earth.  Help us to weigh our present troubles against the eternal weight of glory You’ve prepared just for us!  Amen.

I’LL FLY AWAY

Some glad morning when this life is over
I’ll fly away
To a home on God’s celestial shore
I’ll fly away

I’ll fly away, oh, Glory
I’ll fly away
When I die, Hallelujah, by and by
I’ll fly away

Just a few more weary days and then
I’ll fly away
To a land where joy shall never end
I’ll fly away

I’ll fly away, oh, Glory
I’ll fly away
When I die, Hallelujah, by and by
I’ll fly away