There is Hope Even For an Old Guy

This morning is kind of a milestone day for me. First of all I turn 60 today. I guess for many of my friends who are in their 70’s and 80’s this is not old but for those of us who leave the 50’s age group and enter our sixth decade of life it is certainly the entrance into the golden years. Every night when I report to work I take a step back and realize that my working days are numbered and soon retirement will be upon me. It is a bit daunting to take hold of this fact.

This morning also was a milestone for me in that I completed a journey started back in December of last year. This morning I completed my reading of the Holman Christian Standard Bible translation of the New Testament in conjunction with The Wiersbe Bible Commentary. Several years I ago I committed myself to a continual reading of the Bible from beginning to end and as part of that discipline I have been reading the various versions of the Bible. I have also used been using a specific commentary each morning to enlighten me to the teachings of God’s Word as I pray that the Holy Spirit will guide me into all the truth of scripture. My desire is that I might be faithful in following the commandment of 2 Timothy 2:15 which calls me to “Be diligent to present (myself) approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” I encourage each and every Christian to read God’s Word from beginning to end. Though it is good to attend Sunday school and small group studies and we all need to memorize the specific scriptures that bring us comfort, the Bible was written to be read from beginning to end.

As I completed the book of Revelation today, I was moved greatly by the hope the Bible provides. The news and the Internet is a constant barrage of bad news. Violence seems to be increasing and in general the world appears to have fallen into an age of complete sin and rejection of God. Even this election offers no hope that our country will turn back to being a nation that bases itself on God’s law. But the Bible really is clear; God is sovereign and He hasn’t just abandoned us to crash and burn. God has a plan and that plan will come to fruition.

So this morning as I enter my seventh decade of life I have hope. Like all of you my life has had its share of grief, crying, and pain. But listen to the revelation given to John.

Revelation 21:3-4
And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them,  and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away."

A day is soon coming when this mess we’ve made of things will be cleaned up. Many people wrestle with why God allows suffering but the truth is most of it is of our own doing because we, like Israel of the Old Testament, ignore the basic law of God. God has told us how to live so that it might go well for us but we choose our own will, not His. We live in rebellion against God. But in Christ God has made a way for us sinners to be restored to Him. For those who reject the free gift of salvation there is coming a day when judgment will come down.

Again John was shown the revelation of the judgment and he shares it to us as a warning.

Revelation 20:11-15
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.  And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds.  Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.  And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

But for those whose name is found in the Book of Life there is a great reward coming.

Revelation 21:5-7
And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." And He said, "Write, for these words are faithful and true."  Then He said to me, "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.  "He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.

Yes there is great hope, even for an old guy like me. Jesus is coming back. And when He does He will usher in an eternity where those who by His blood are made holy, will forever bask in His glory and dwell with Him. He will make all things new.

So I live with a sure hope. Do you? It’s not too late. But don’t wait to call out to Jesus for when He comes, He will come quickly.

Revelation 22:20-21
 He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming quickly." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.  The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.

-->

Letting God Do His Work

Came across a verse this morning as I was reading in Revelation chapter 17. Though I don't think it has a direct application to the current american system (Though Hillary Clinton certainly is an anti-christ she is not THE anti-christ and we are not in the great tribulation as bad as things may appear), I think this verse is a good reminder to all of us Christians that we can take a step back and breathe, God has this.

Revelation 17:17
For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God will be fulfilled.

The Word of God is going to be fulfilled. Jesus is coming back. Until He comes we are instructed to watch and pray. We are commanded to make disciples. We are suppossed to seek personal growth and become more like Christ every day. We are even suppossed to LOVE our ENEMIES.

Revival begins in our own hearts. We must start there. The end is coming and there will be judgment to those who have chosen to worship the harlot instead of the Lamb of God who will return soon with judgment.

-->

God's purpose will be executed. But the method in which God works is not the way we would do it. Let God be God. It will be ok. Let us encourage each other as we watch history unfold. Pray, read His Word, and show the world what Jesus looks like so as many as possible will follow us towards Christ and be saved from the coming judgment.

Be A Conqueror

Many of us battle daily the forces of evil as our enemy, Satan, comes hard at us. This morning as I was reading in Revelation I came upon a verse that speaks to us and reminds us how to have victory over the devil no matter what he throws at us.

Revelation 12:11

They conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they did not love their lives in the face of death.

This reminded me of another scripture reading. No matter what you are up against today if you are a Christian you need not fear anything, even death.

Romans 8:31-39

What then shall we say to these things? 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? 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. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Christians you are covered by the Blood of the Lamb, so even in the face of death you need not fear. Nothing, no NOTHING can separate us from the love of Christ.

What Does A Christian Do In this Mess of an Election Like This One?

One of the comforts we Christians can find in the midst of this horrible debacle we call Election 2016 is that no matter who is president, Jesus is still King, God is sovereign and He reigns in Heaven. The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans, chapter 13 that all authority comes from God and other scripture readings confirm this. Yet Jesus is not at this time exercising His full right to the kingdom. He has made us stewards of the earth and quite frankly, this mess our culture is in is a result of our own desire to govern ourselves.

If we open up our Bibles to 1 Samuel chapter 8 we find the story of God’s chosen people, Israel, asking God to give them a king. Prior to that request Israel was a theocracy. God was their “king” and He decided what was to be the law. The law of the Old Testament was God’s law which insured the safety of His people and gave them a system of justice that was fair and proper. But they wanted to be like the world.

The elders came to Samuel, who was their prophet, priest, and judge and requested a king be appointed over them. So Samuel calls out to God in prayer and listen to God’s response,

1 Samuel 8:6-9
 But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the LORD.  And the LORD said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.  According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you.  Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.”

This request for a king was a rejection of God to be their supreme and sovereign ruler. Samuel fulfills his duty as prophet and gives the warning.

1 Samuel 8:10-18
 So Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking for a king from him.  He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots.  And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots.  He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.  He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants.  He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants.  He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men and your donkeys, and put them to his work.  He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves.  And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in that day.”

Guess what? This is exactly where we are today, right here in America.

The American system of government is the best in the world. But you know what? It is flawed. The only system of government that will ever work is the theocracy and when Jesus returns it will be implemented for eternity. Until then we are going to be faced with exactly what we are faced with in this election.

Christians, we, like Israel of the Old Testament, are God’s people. We were chosen by Him to live for Him and to live by His law. Yet we continue to reject God and His way. Abortion, same-sex marriage, the sexual revolution and every other direction this country is taking, is a rejection of God. Man is flawed and everything we do is as well. We cannot govern ourselves. Look at us. What a mess we have made of this.

So what do we do now? We repent and we go to God in sackcloth and ashes. We pray. We seek and we do His will in spite of what the world around us says and does. We stop compromising with evil. We stop choosing the lesser of two evils. We shine the light of Christ in the dark world we live in. We stay about our Father’s business as Jesus did. We stand together as God’s children and we encourage each other. We have faith that though the world and our country is falling apart right where we stand, we can know we will be ok even when persecution slams into American Christians. We live for eternity as the aliens we are as we sojourn the earth watching and praying for His return.

As a nation we are getting what we deserve. Well, really we deserve even worse, probably total destruction. But as Christians we live under God’s grace and mercy. We trust in Him no matter how bad this all gets.

So today get on your knees and pray. Renounce your desire for man’s ways and make Jesus King. Follow the voice of the Holy Spirit as He leads you to the Good Shepherd.

I leave you with God’s words of comfort. May they help you get through the day, one day at a time.

Psalm 23:1-6

 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.  He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.  You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.