All Things New

 This morning as I look out into the day, I see the sun is shining. The past several days have been dark and dreary filled with many periods of rain. It has been hard to get motivated. I think it could be easily said, it’s been a bit depressing.

But the way God works in the lives of His children, those who call Jesus Lord, is to work in the times of despair and suffering. Romans 5:3-5 explains this to us saying,  “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

We are called to rejoice in our sufferings, because it is in them that we are becoming like Christ. The Apostle Paul has written about suffering and resurrection in Philippians 3:8-11. Take a look.

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

In order to know the power of resurrection, we must share in the sufferings of Jesus and become like Him in death. The transition of winter to spring is a picture of that process. Just as the seasons come and go here in the Midwest, so our lives have seasons of suffering and seasons of resurrection. But we have to die to be resurrected. 

The promises of God as found in the Bible are many. One of those promises is that we will have suffering. Jesus gave this promise in John 16:33, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Suffering is simply part of life. But we need not lose heart, for in the suffering and the death, comes resurrection. 

Just as winter is making way to spring, so is God working in the lives of His children. I close this morning with a promise from God.

And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Revelation 21:5 

This morning look out and see how God is making all things new. 

Death Comes Before Resurrection

Maybe the  greatest mistake we make as Christians, is that we fail to understand that death has to come before resurrection. It’s sounds so simple, yet so many miss it. We come to church looking for help. Our lives are a mess. Addiction, broken relationships, loneliness, fear, and a wealth of other things have beaten us down. We reach that point where we just cannot go on as we are. So, we show up looking for Jesus to heal us and to make our lives better. We want to be born again and have new life.

But we don’t come willing to die first. 

There cannot be a resurrection of the living. For a resurrection to happen, there must be a death first. I am not talking about physical death of our earthly body here, though in the final end, that is exactly what will happen. We will die physically, and Jesus will raise us up with new bodies in which we will live eternally.

But that is the future, what about today? Tomorrow?  

No, I am speaking of spiritual death and resurrection. Death must come to our old nature, which the Bible is clear about; we are dead spiritually in our sin.

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. Ephesians 2:1-3 

Technically, we might say we are already dead before we come to Christ. The Bible says we are. But what’s not dead is our addiction to self, the passions of our flesh. Our sins are a direct result of our desire to please ourselves. We live for our own pleasure and seek to have the glory that only God deserves. 

It is the death to self that must occur. Look around at the world today. Almost everywhere we  go, we see that people are mostly concerned with themselves. They demand what they want, when they want it. For that matter, look inward at yourself. How many of the conflicts you find yourself in are a direct result of you not getting your way? 

Self must die. It’s all over scripture. 

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Philippians 2:3 

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23 

Jesus is the perfect example.

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Philippians 2:5-8 

By the way, the use of the word servant in this translation is better rendered slave. 

If we say we are Christians, then we are supposed to be disciples and followers of Jesus. This means it is our primary hope to become like Him. We must become slaves to Him, not to ourselves.

To do that, self must die. Until “self” dies, resurrection cannot happen. 

The bottom line is that none of this is about us. It is about God. His glory. When we live for ourselves, we are trying to rob God of His glory. That, my friends, is a bad idea.

I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. Isaiah 42:8 

Let us die, so that we can live in the resurrection of new life that Jesus has offered to us. He will raise us up to new life.

What To Do With Good Friday

As we prepare our hearts for this coming Sunday, Easter Sunday, as many refer to it, or Resurrection Sunday as others prefer, it might be good for our souls to stop and pause to reflect on just what happened before Jesus rose triumphantly from the grave.

Today is Good Friday. The very name we have given it, calling it “Good” Friday, points to the victory over death and sin that Jesus secured on the cross and the resurrection that came on Sunday. But lest we lean towards taking this for granted, we should look back on the night before.

Having warned the disciples of what was about to happened, resulting in Peter’s over-confident ability in his flesh to stand behind Jesus all the way to death, Jesus spent Thursday night overwhelmed with grief.

Matthew 26:36-46  

Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.”  And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled.  Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.”  And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”  And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour?  Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”  Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.”  And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.  So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again.  Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

Oddly, maybe because I struggle with depression and have spent many hours praying though them, the narrative of Jesus in the Garden praying, is one of my favorite passages to read. I just think it is an imperative to fully grasp what Jesus was feeling in this time of prayer.

Luke 22:44 reveals the anguish He was experiencing as it says that, “being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”

Jesus was in a state of despair and agony that I can only imagine was nearly unbearable.

But why? Though Jesus was fully man, He was also fully God and would have known the outcome. He knew the process of the actual crucifixion would last around six hours. Yes, He knew He would be facing a terrible beating before, that would have Him near death before they even nailed Him to the cross. He understood the pain and slow torture the cross would bring, so obviously he had good cause to agonize the night before. In His humanity, He knew pain and He knew the temptation to fear that we all have.

But even for the idea of all that pain, there was something far more horrendous and far more painful that He would endure and that is what drove Him to His knees in prayer, prayer so intense that he would sweat blood.

We must try and understand something that we cannot fully grasp and that is the concept of eternity and the concept of unity that transcends time.

Jesus, The Father, and The Holy Spirit had been in perfect unity and harmony for eternity. They had never known separation. Their bond of love and perfect unity is beyond our understanding. Our sin nature prevents us from having perfect relationships that are free of conflict. But the Holy Trinity is a perfect marriage that was never in conflict. And had never been pulled apart in any way.

We also fail to understand that we really have never been completely separated from God. Though our sin does separate us in the relationship, God’s omniscient nature and the Holy Spirit’s work means that God is always here. The unsaved are also under the umbrella and influence of God’s sovereignty at all times. The worst part of Hell will be that it will be a separation from God as we have also never known.

What Jesus suffered on the cross was that separation, that penalty for sin that we deserve. For Him to be separate from the Father and the Spirit, was an unbearable ordeal as the weight of every single person’s sin was heaped upon Him. The weight of our own sin is enough to drive many to suicide, imagine the weight of the entire world’s sin for all time being placed upon Him. It would have Him go to the Garden and pray in agony for another way. It would have Him cry out, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

So, today as we reflect on what this day is about, let us lament the sorrows of our sin. Let us repent with broken and contrite hearts. Let us remember exactly the price Jesus paid for us.

Then, when we get to Sunday, let us rejoice and worship God as we never have before. Let us lift high the name of Jesus. Let us commit to a life that is worthy of what he has done for us, walking in the power of the Spirit he has sent to live in us. Let us share the good news of the Gospel to all who do not know Him.

Finding Hope Even in the Midst of Evil

Easter Sunday, the day we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. It is the pinnacle of the yearly calendar to the Christian. Even many of the unsaved will flock to churches today in response to the holiday, not because they believe in Jesus or in His resurrection, but for varying reasons, such as, Mom asked them to, they go. Why is Easter Sunday so popular? Because whether we are avid followers of Christ or merely go to church to keep mom happy, humans need hope and if nothing else, there is hope found in this concept of resurrection.

It seems appropriate that my morning reading and study this morning finds me here.

Romans 8:28

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

It is easy on Easter morning to have hope while sitting in a church, wearing your Sunday best clothes, next to your family who loves you, with a nice ham in the oven at home, where all will gather for a nice meal and a fun day watching your children hunt down little plastic eggs filled with candy on a beautiful spring day.

But what about all those out there this morning who just lost a loved one to addiction? Or whose little boy went missing last week and whose little body was dragged from a lake Saturday morning? Or whose body is made weak with cancer that has spread into parts of their body that will not only inflict severe pain, but will at its peak, take the life of someone who is only in their thirties? The truth is, this world is filled with all sorts of horrible and terrifying events. There is evil and there is suffering all across this world. How do we live with any sense of peace and hope in the midst of such dreadful suffering?

The answer is found in Romans 8:28.

Romans 8:28

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

First of all, we see that the promise is only for those who love God. We also see that it is for those who are called according to His purposes. The truth of the words that tell us this are deeply theological and profound. Maybe you do not understand them. Maybe you misunderstand them. While it is important to seek the deep theological aspects of knowing God, that is not the necessary requirement of salvation. Faith is what saves us. Ephesians 2:8 tells us that “by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”

Maybe you are reading this and not sure that you are called by God to have this saving faith. But I offer that if you are reading this and even asking this question, then you are being led by God, through the conviction of the Holy Spirit, to seek to know Him. As long as you have breath, you can reach out to Jesus and call on His name. Jesus said this in John 6:37, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” If you call on His name, He will never cast you out.

This is where the great promise of Romans 8:28 kicks in for those who love God. It tells us that “for those who love God all things work together for good.” This might be the greatest promise of the Bible. If you hang around with me long, you will find that it is a verse I hold dear to me heart. God has made an unbelievable promise here. He has promised that if you are His by faith in His Son, Jesus, then every single thing that ever occurs in your life, He is working out for good.

The death of Christ is the perfect example. Imagine the wonders and joy of having Jesus as your friend and teacher who you spent every day with for three years and then is suddenly arrested for doing nothing wrong, given a bogus trial and is wrongly convicted, and sentenced to death, and then killed in the most excruciating way possible, hung on a cross to die a slow death. What could be any more devastating than that?

Yet, the death of Christ was the means by which sinful, evil people, could be saved from the penalty of their own sins and would result in eternal life spent in the presence of God, where suffering and pain will no longer exist. God worked it all out for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purposes. This is the hope of Easter Sunday. We. Like Christ, can be resurrected to new life.

That new life never promises an earthly life of ease, no it actually promises Christians will face suffering, persecution, and difficult circumstances. But the promise God in Romans 8:28 is that no matter what we face on earth, He is working it out for good.

Everything. Bad or good is being worked out by God for good. Everything.

So, this morning if you are Christ’s, if you have been led to call on the name of Jesus, then you can know that whatever has happened, whatever is happening, whatever will happen, is being worked out for good by our God.

If you are not Christ’s but you feel Him calling you to reach out to Him, then He will use all these things in your life for good as He causes you to call on His name, even in desperation and a sense of hopelessness, for there is hope in Him and that hope is a sure hope.

Today is Easter Sunday. It is Resurrection Sunday. Call on Jesus. He will resurrect you to new life and cause you to be born again. The promise of scripture will be yours and you can live in joy no matter the circumstances you find yourself in.

I leave you with this wonderful description of the life of the Christian as we are led by our Great Shepherd.

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.

Happy Easter!

Studies in the Psalms - Psalm 47

Sometimes we just need to stop whatever we are doing and praise God. The world has become an unthankful place and the heart of a Christian cannot follow that path. All of us have so much to be thankful to God for, yet in this “me” society we live in, we credit ourselves for what we have. James 1:17 reminds us that “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.” And there is plenty to be thankful for, but even if we had nothing in terms of physical wealth, we still have the gift of salvation.

Psalm 47:1-4

 Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy!  For the LORD, the Most High, is to be feared, a great king over all the earth.  He subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet.  He chose our heritage for us, the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah

Clap and shout to God with loud songs of joy. He is the Most High, He is a great king over all, and He subdues all the nations. He chose our heritage, just as He chose Israel to be the nation upon which salvation would come.

In this Psalm we see a picture of Christ. We see in it the resurrection.

Psalm 47:5-7
God has gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.  Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises!  For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm!

We see in the day when Christ returns and subdues the earth, both in verse 3, He subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet, and in verses 8 and 9.

Psalm 47:8-9
God reigns over the nations; God sits on his holy throne.  The princes of the peoples gather as the people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God; he is highly exalted!

God reigns now and He reigns in eternity. This is cause to rejoice. This is cause to be thankful. This is cause to hope.

For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm!