He Is Drawing Closer

Now moving into the second week of Lent, we continue to focus on growing closer to the Lord Jesus Christ through this season in anticipation of the celebration of Resurrection Sunday.  How important the resurrection of Jesus Christ is to all life and hope!  The resurrection is the promise of eternal life to every person born of God’s Spirit.  That life is not simply some kind of ethereal, spiritual existence, but the guarantee of the restoration of all creation, the total and absolute healing of our bodies, the security of a perfect union with God and the hope of an eternal glory to be shared with the Father.

This message of hope is not received by everyone. Our society has become so secularized that most people have grown comfortable with the idea the there is nothing after death. That once a person dies, there is no lingering consciousness but just total oblivion. Yet, even with this prevailing view, people are still struggling with the meaning of it all. To live for a short time, then die with nothing else in view is a despairing view. So people try to fill their short-term existence with everything they can to obtain some sense of meaning.  If this were the case, how unjust is life. Some live in high-rise penthouses and others in cardboard shanties or under bridges. What separates them in life? What separates them in death?

The resurrection is a promise of justice being granted to all. That those who oppressed in their lifetime simply by virtue of being born into the right family, or acquiring wealth will ultimately face a Judge who will weigh their motives and actions and deal justly with them. Those who lived in utter poverty will face that same Judge to give an account of what they did with what they had. In both instances, they had a chance to believe in a Creator who will do right. Romans chapter One states this. And in either case, every mouth will be silenced at the goodness of the Judge who will make all things right.

The resurrection is the guarantee that a sacrifice was made to make people whole again. The hope of a new life in this life, not just a new or never ending life in the future. Jesus, disfigured both by the beatings of men and the ravages of man’s sin, came forth from the tomb, and was seen and recognized by all who believed.  His restored body is the foundation of faith in our restored lives. There is no excuse for not clinging to Him now in the assurance of a new life from now on.

Keep looking forward, even upward, those who believe, for you Redeemer draws ever closer.

What Is Lent?

                What is Lent? Lent is not in the Bible. Neither is Christmas, nor Easter. Neither is Trinity, but that does not deter us from believing in God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, mysterious as that is.  Lent simply means “season of Spring.” Poor choice of words for what I am calling our church to do. We could call it “40 Days of Spiritual Journey” We could call it anything. I am not going to get hung up on “Lent” any more than “Advent” or “Christmas.”

                The history of the observance of this 40 day period dates back to the 2^nd Century church.  It was a practice that was introduced to bring believers into disciplines that would increase their passion for Jesus Christ and focus away from worldliness.  Unfortunately, like so many good intentions, things do get messed up over time. The celebration of Jesus’ resurrection has been tainted by Easter and the Easter Bunny but we celebrate His resurrection anyway, and we still call it Easter.  The celebration of the incarnation of Jesus, the Son of God becoming a human being has been tainted by the introduction of Santa Clause.  May I ask you what you did on Valentine’s Day? Celebrate with a box of chocolates, flowers, a card, dinner out? We all celebrate various things. The question is, “Why?”

                This year we are calling our church to a 40 day focus on Jesus. The 40 days of preparation for the “big Sunday” is meant to increase our awareness of Jesus, to examine ourselves to see if we are walking in the truth, walking in the right motives, loving the Lord; or just going through the motions. Is there disobedience, addictions, or spiritual lethargy? Every believer needs to take inventory from time to time. The Bible says, “Examine yourselves to see if you are even in the faith!”

                I know that Lent is new and different for some, and not for others. Many have observed spiritual emphases in the past such as the “40 Days of Purpose” and the “40 Days of Community.” The truth is, people will get out of any activity proportionate to what they put into it. If you celebrate Christmas, or make any effort to celebrate a birthday, then this next 40 days is about  getting your heart and head focused on Jesus Christ. You can do this by choosing any means that will help you, especially if you prayerfully ask God for insight on what He wants you to do. 

A Useful God

Do you have a useful God?  By that I mean, do you have the idea that God exists for your benefit, and that it is His job to make you happy?  This way of thinking is more prevalent than you might think. It may actually be your philosophy of life, but you have managed to disguise it in your religious notions. I heard a radio talk show host say to a caller, “Well you can always pray, after all, that’s what the Man-up-stairs is there for.”  BLASPHEMY! Utter blasphemy!  Fortunately for that talk show the public doesn’t care to stone him, and the  reason is that the public, including most professing Christians actually believe that statement to be true.

 

A useful God syndrome is seen by how you expect life to go for you, and when it is not going well, how you approach God about it.  Teaching on prayer has become a fuel for idolatry rather than a remarkable fellowship with the Almighty.  We are taught to bring our requests to God, and that with enough faith (often believed to be intense emotion) and with enough church attendance and good deeds, God is obligated to answer according to our specifications. The real proof of our hearts is how we react when God answers no or wait. When we don’t get what we want, we entertain blasphemies against Him by suspecting that He is neither good nor caring. The truth is, we are spoiled brats and need to learn how to live as Jesus lived.

 

Jesus had His prayers answered, right up to and including the last one. “Father, into Thy hands I commend My Spirit.” And God heard Him because of His piety, and delivered Him from death. WAIT! Jesus died. What do you mean God delivered Him from death?  Jesus never asked to be delivered from dying, but to be delivered from death. And He had the promise of His Father that He would do just that, but not allowing His Holy One to undergo decay. (See Acts 2:25-37). And God was faithful to His word, and Jesus was raised from the dead, never to die again.  Yet not once in Jesus’ life was He spared from temptation, from hostility, from misunderstanding, from miscarriage of justice. He endured it all, and staying resolute in His surrender to the Father as His Lord, He lived perfectly. We should do no less.

 

There is hope for our dying, selfish souls through repentance. And repentance starts with changing our minds about who God is and who we are.  Through surrender to Him as Lord, and by trusting in Him regardless of our experiences, we begin the new trek of faith in God who can use us, rather than the blasphemy of having a useful god.