 Directions
All of us have been lost at some point in our lives. In those moments when you don't know where you are or which way to go next we can be filled with anxiety and fear. The point is that we just need to know which way to go to get back on the right path. We need something such as a landmark or sign to point us in the right direction. However, sometimes we know the right direction but the problem is that there is some other interest pulling us the other way. Of course this can be taken literally, as if you are running late for work or an appointment but you really want to stop in to your favorite morning drink spot or coffee shop. But this can also be the case in a figurative sense. You have a decision to make and you know the faithful choice, but there is something you desire just a little ways down the other path. The dangerous lie of sin is that we can go just a little way down that deadly road and then come back but unfortunately the reality is that starting that way only makes going God's way (repentant faith) more difficult. Slippery Slopes The problem is that with each step down the broad road (Matthew 7:13-14) the inertia begins to propel us further away from the Lord and His commands. The longer we spend on this excursion the less we remember His merciful warnings and steadfast love. The road we once would have never considered going down now becomes comfortable and easy. On this road it is easy to assume that we can turn around anytime and no real damage is being done. But remember every moment on the broad road is time not spent on the narrow way and not drawing closer to the Lord. The further the journey the steeper the slope becomes. Maybe you have experienced this with something as simple as church attendance. The first time you miss you feel like you really missed something and you know you should have been there. But over time you get used to not being there and before long you don’t even miss the meetings. The danger is that these things are subtle. These do not seem like massive departures from our values and commitments but they take us away from the Lord in small increments. Old Roads Sometimes our struggle is not that we are going down the old broad trail but that others who we love are venturing that fretful way. Of course we warn them but often they can't or won't hear us. They assume they are different and it will work out this time. But as anyone with real experience knows the crash and hardship are sure. We know where this road leads and it's always death (James 1:14-15). So often we overlook what seem like small things even sins because we want to believe the best of course that is what love does (1 Corinthians 13:4-7) but we must be on guard for a dangerous trajectory. There are many examples in the scriptures of people whose down trajectory started long before their eventual fall. Consider Esau, of course he was rejected according to God’s sovereign purpose but he disregarded and despised both his birthright and his blessing (Genesis 25:29-34; 27). Or look at the life of the first King of Israel, King Saul. He repeatedly chooses to place his wisdom over God’s clear commands. Saul thought he could offer sacrifices in place of Samuel and against God instructions (1 Samuel 13:8-15). Saul then directly disobeyed God’s instruction to devote the Amalekites to destruction claiming he only wanted to worship God with the sacrifices (1 Samuel 15). But God would rather have our obedience than our innovation. While the Bible is full of these examples, let us consider just one more. Judas did not suddenly decide to betray Jesus. Over time he began to question what Jesus was teaching and doing, insisting that the expensive ointment could have been sold for a great profit and given to the poor but we are told this was only because he wanted to steal from the purse (John 12:4-7). Judas had long before started on the trajectory of choosing money over Jesus. Caution The point of this post is simply that we would all be careful about traveling down dangerous paths that can lead to destruction. This danger is especially great if we are inexperienced and unwise. So let us ask God for wisdom (James 1:5) and seek to find His direction in His word and through the blessing of His Spirit!
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 Communication
We live in a time with a great increase in information. That increase in information is not the product of our advancing mental or intellectual capacities. So what is the catalyst to the advancement of our knowledge base? I would propose that it is fueled by our innovations in communication technology. These seem rather clear as we consider the history of human society. Civilizations and cultures grow and mature as they move from being oral societies to literate societies. Then, as we proceed into modernity, the ability to move correspondence across large spaces more quickly seems to coincide with progress in philosophy, theology, science, and technology. The point is that communication is extremely important. It is at the very heart of our bearing of God’s image and our relationship with Him. Since this is the case it is truly important that we consider how God has communicated with us and how we should rightly interpret His word! Context In the real estate market, it is common knowledge that the most important three factors are location, location, and location. A property's location is crucial to accessing its value and actually finding buyers. When it comes to interpreting what God has said to us in His word (The Bible), context is king. If we do not understand the surrounding context we will almost inevitably get the meaning and application of what God has said wrong. First, we must understand the literary or grammatical context. Where is this passage in relation to what has been said before and after in the book. Context involves more than just reading a paragraph before or after our focal text. We must understand what the author is saying and what kind of argument he has been making. This can also include seeking to understand how a certain author uses words uniquely in their writing. Paul and John might use the same word and not be talking about the same thing, and that can only be determined by understanding the context of their writing. Second, we must understand the historical or cultural context. Without an understanding of this context it is easy to read into the text meaning that would be valid in our culture but not then. Understanding the cultural context does not mean that we are free from any command that God has given but does help us to apply them rightly in our real life circumstances. This is also important because it can keep us from judging people and practices by a standard that they did not have because all of God's scripture had not yet been given. This is also true of our interpretation of post biblical church history. When we read the writings and study the lives of Christians in the past we must be careful not to judge them by standards that we have that no one could have had in that time and place. Hopefully, we realize how unfairly we could be judged by people 500 years from now if they judge us by some standard that does not get implemented for another 100 years. Finally, we must understand the biblical context of every passage of Scripture. This involves the timeline of the Biblical events and the connections of each passage to key biblical themes most importantly God’s redemptive purpose in the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. There are many passages of the Old Testament that cannot be fully or properly understood if they are not viewed through the lens of the accomplishments of Jesus Christ. In these texts if we miss the presence of Jesus simply because His name is not mentioned we will miss the meaning and the application of that text. Genesis 22 is a good example of this key concept. The clear parallels to Christ are evident. Of course all of these texts have real meaning for the original audience that received them but the fullness of the revelation is when we interpret these texts in the biblical context. There is a principle of Biblical interpretation known as the analogy of faith or the analogy of scripture. The idea can be stated basically as Scripture interprets scripture. Another way of thinking about this is that a holistic understanding of the Bible will help us to understand the parts. If we have a sense of the whole story and the themes running through the scripture then we can understand individual passages and meanings more clearly. I love to be able to point clearly to a chapter and verse to ground my beliefs and actions in what God has clearly said. However, there are things that the Scriptures teach that are not the clear instruction of a single verse but rather the necessary implication of many passages. Our desire should not be to find “loopholes” in the scripture to allow for our sin. We should be desiring to obey everything both explicitly commanded and implicitly revealed in the inerrant and infallible word of God. Ultimately, we must understand that God has not spoken to us in verses but in narrative stories, poetic stanzas, and instructive letters which requires us to know more than a line or phrase or sentence or verse.  Opinion
We all have different opinions on a variety of issues, some funny and some very serious. For example, the weather is starting to warm up around these parts. I saw that today set a record for heat in Little Rock. I know that there are many people who are so happy to be wearing shorts and sandals. However, the present author is not one of them. I HATE hot and humid weather. I know that is a strong statement, but I will stand by it. I often joke that I never complain about the cold weather because I want to reserve the right to complain about the hot weather. In reality, the preference for hot or cold is not an issue of right or wrong but individual opinion. In all honesty, many people simply go from complaining about the cold weather to complaining about the hot weather. When I was in the ninth grade our agriculture teacher taught a wise little poem about this very thing. People may falter but they’re bold When it's hot they want it cold When its cold they want it hot Always wanting what is not! Of course the point of the poem is about content] but the post today is more about thinking about our own perspective and preferences and our attitude when we disagree about important matters. Thermometers Thermometers are used to gauge the relative temperature of something. When it comes to our own opinions we are often blissfully unaware of the degrees of difference that we may have with other people, even other people that we love very much. Since this is so, we can at times say things that we think are rather average temp, but that come across scathingly hot. As a person who uses a lot of words I am unfortunately painfully aware of this phenomenon. This is especially challenging when the difference in opinion is not over air temperature or food preference, but over issues dealing with morality, truth, and compassion. I wish I could write out for you a couple of brilliant sentences that would give you the tools to always discern the temperature correctly, but alas, I have not mastered that wisdom myself. But hopefully this is a cautionary call to be gauging the mercury in the thermometers of your conversations and relationships. Thermostat The great thing about the thermostat is that it doesn’t just tell you the temperature, but gives you the ability to set the desired level. Again, it may seem like it would be a lot easier to navigate our lives if we could just set a nice mild climate for all our conversations and interactions. Maybe in this fictitious world all our differences over politics, religion, and world peace could be solved with pleasant conversation. But in the real world I think that there are some key components of a good thermostat in our relationships. First, we must maintain an attitude of genuine humility. Pride, no matter how well intentioned, is bound to do harm and bring about destruction. Second, we must have love (Ephesians 4:15). Real affection! Here, I mean that this must be more than just a nice acquaintance or temporary tolerance. We must have a love for one another that goes deeper than being fans of the same team or having the same goals. We need to deeply care for and love one another. Finally, we must speak the truth (Ephesians 4:25). No one is served well by lies no matter how well meaning they may be. We must speak the truth in love but it is not loving to refrain from speaking when we know we should. If we fear losing the relationship more than we fear what will happen to the person, then we love the relationship more than we love them. Seasons The taming of the tongue is more art than science. The scripture is clear that this endeavor is difficult and dangerous (James 3:1-12). We also must realize that like the seasons sometimes will be more difficult than others. But regardless of if we are facing a cold shoulder or a heated debate, let us seek to do so with humility, love, and truth.  When you Pray
Yesterday (5/5/2022) was the national day of prayer. This is a day that has been chosen to call believers from all over our country to pray for God to bring revival and awakening to our country. It is certainly a good thing when men and women pray together for the grace, glory, and guidance of God on our land. In the Bible, God clearly expects us to pray. Prayer is both commanded and modeled in the Scriptures throughout both the Old and the New Testaments. Even in the life of Jesus in the gospels we see the prominent role of prayer. The reality of the importance of prayer could have no greater emphasis than Jesus’ personal practice of public and private prayer. The overwhelming reality is that God’s people are people who are communicating with God. Of course, a necessary part of this communication with God is the receiving which happens through general revelation in nature and the circumstances of our lives, and, to an even greater degree, through special revelation which is found ONLY in the Scriptures and illuminated by the Holy Spirit. We must be hearing from God and obeying what we are hearing. James exhorts us to be doers of the word and not only hearers (James 1:22-25). However, God also wants us to talk to Him. This communication is not because God needs the information. Obviously, He already knows all things. It is not so that He can learn something about us. Rather, it is so that we can grow in our experiential relationship with Him. Prayer is really doing something in and to us as we pray. God is truly relating to us and communing with His people when we bring our requests and petitions to Him (Philippians 4:4-7). How you Pray The internet is full of helpful and clever memes and acronyms about how to pray. I think that one of the best practices is to use scripture. This can be done in multiple ways. 1) You can use scripture to bring to mind things or people that you should be praying for. Just start reading and when someone or something comes to mind pray for it/them. 2) You can use texts, like the model prayer in Matthew 6:9-14 or the armor of God passage in Ephesians 6:10-20, to define the order and categories of your prayer. 3) You can use the actual words to pray back to God when you are struggling to know what to pray. These are just a few ways to use the Bible to help you pray. If you want to know more, I would encourage you to read Dr. Don Whitney’s book “Praying the Bible.” You can find that here. However, another helpful strategy is to use a prayer list. Notice, I didn’t say have a prayer list but to use a prayer list. I know people probably think won’t using a list make my prayers too repetitive? Well yes it can if you just read the list. But I mean taking your list and really making it your own. I do this every week. I take our church's prayer list and I highlight names and write in needs and personal requests that help me to remember and verbalize my prayer. The point is not just to read it, but to think about the people or ministries or events that you are praying for and the specific needs that they have. I was excited today when I was scrolling through facebook and saw a name that we once had on our prayer list. When I looked I realized that I knew the person as an acquaintance but not by name and so I put together that this person I had seen and spoke to many times was also someone I had the privilege of praying for many times. I’m not saying that you need to do it the way I do, but you do need to find practical ways to be more engaged in fervent and passionate prayer because it accomplishes more than we can imagine (James 5:13-18). Why we Pray I already mentioned the example that Jesus gives in His own life. It has been said that “if Jesus and the Apostles needed to pray so much, how much more do we need to pray?” But maybe we should instead notice not the need of Jesus’ prayers but the desire of His prayer life. Jesus didn’t go to the Father in prayer out of some sense of duty or some draw down of power and need for replenishment. Jesus wanted communion with the Father. They (the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit) had been in perfect unity and communication for all of eternity! One perfect and complete being of God shared fully without division or parts between three equal and eternal persons. This is the God who calls us to pray and welcomes us into perfect community and communication with Him!  The Voice
Last week I began the post by considering the power of a really amazing voice. The power of the voice is also important because of the ability for others to hear and appreciate its beauty or the beauty of what is being communicated. Imagine the greatest singer that you have ever heard. Alone in the forest, their singing is no more superior than yours because no one is there to distinguish the difference. In this way, we can all enjoy our own glorious solos in the car or the shower, because we are our own audience. When we think about communication as a gift from God for the purpose of displaying His image and glory, we know that our part is in the hearing and obeying of that glorious voice. The revelation of God is the greatest news that anyone can ever hear. This is not only because of the beauty of God’s speech, but also because of the grandeur of God’s message. The content of the revelation of God is the most important thing that human beings can grasp. There is no information more pure and profound than the truth of God. Powerful Words The second portion of last week’s post was also titled powerful words. The reason for this is because last week we were thinking about how Proverbs 18:21 is so often misused to say that we have the kind of creative power that God has. However, today I would like to consider another passage that is misused in the same way but is actually about the creative power of God’s spoken word. In Romans 4:16-18, Paul is instructing us in the faith that is necessary for the covenant people of God. That text says: 16 That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 18 In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” Some false teachers have erroneously attempted to say that because God can speak things into existence and we are made in His image then we can also speak things into existence. However, notice that the passage is not about our ability but about our faith in God’s promises. Ironically the people claiming that if we had enough faith we could manifest health, wealth, and happiness are actually the ones who are not believing what God has said. If we could do those things then we wouldn’t need to believe God’s promises. This idea that you can manifest the reality that you want is not actually a Christian idea, but an eastern/new age idea. This type of thinking is very popular in our postmodern context, but it has the distinct flaw of being completely untrue and without any basis in reality or scripture. Better I want to leave you with this thought. It is much better to have faith in a perfect, good, kind, loving, gracious, just, and holy God who is all powerful; than it is to have power as a sinner. If we actually did have this creative, manifesting power in our words as God’s image bearers, the overwhelming testimony of human experience and divine revelation is that we would use it to our own destruction while seeking our own comfort and pleasure. But the text above is about how we as God’s people can live with great hope because of our faith in the God who “gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.” Faith is where we find our ultimate rest and hope no matter what may happen. Even through the most horrific temptation and trials through faith we rest and hope in the faithfulness of our God!  Silver Tongued
There is something amazing in a great voice. This can be either a singing voice or a spoken voice. Those with incredible tone and pitch can mesmerize us with their powerful singing. Maybe this is even more shocking for those of us who do not possess these gifts, but God has given us as human beings these wonderful voices that we can use in different ways. We can use our voices to garner praise and applause for ourselves or we can use our voices for God’s glory and worship. We can also use our spoken voice to affect other people through the transfer of needed information or the conveying of a necessary message. However, most of us, the present author often included, are far too frivolous with our words. We should realize that God is going to judge even our idle words (Matt 12:35-37). We ought not read past this too quickly. The things that we say really do matter, not only now but into eternity. God cares about the way we use this wonderful gift of communication. This is one of the ways that He has made us to be like Him. We are beings that communicate on a deeper level than the instinctive growls and grunts of the animal kingdom. We communicate and can receive communication so that we can form the kinds of relational bonds and societal community necessary to glorify God in His creation. Powerful Words The messages that we convey really do have power to affect people positively or negatively. The Bible does say that life and death are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21). This is an often misinterpreted and misapplied text, but it is in the Bible and we must understand the wisdom of these words. The main way that this text is misused is to imply that we as image bearers of God have the same “creative” power as God has, to speak things into existence. People interpreting the verse this way would probably claim that for believers we are being conformed into the image of Christ and so we can exercise, through the Holy Spirit, this divine creative power. However, in the wisdom literature of the book of Proverbs this verse is not communicating some kind of divine law, but rather, a general principle. The power being spoken of in this verse is not “creative” like that which God used to create the heavens and earth, or that Jesus used to raise Lazarus from the dead. Instead, we ought to recognize that this is speaking of the “influential” power of our word. The point is that we can build people up with edifying and encouraging words or tear people down with spiteful and demeaning words. Our power is in our ability to influence how other people feel and even manipulate what other people do. Many of us have had the blessing of parents, mentors, counselors, or coaches who have used their words to breathe life into us through their encouragement and compassion. But many have also experienced the wickedness of bullies and abusers who used their words to belittle and destroy our hopes and dreams. Proverbs is not a book of mysticism but rather wisdom. Because God has given us the ability to communicate, He also wants us to be listening as well as speaking. So we must be people who are ready to receive and believe the revelation that God has for us. But that is enough for a post of its own, so I will save that for next week. Just one hint though. The place where God had collected His revelation for mankind today is in the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments.  The End
Death is so hard for us because of the finality of it. When someone or something that is alive dies that is the end for that being. As Christian believers, we know that physical death is not the end of anyone’s story. Every person will have to stand before God and give an account and divine justice will be accomplished. However, for our earthly experience, death seems so final! We see people in all forms of materialism and mysticism attempting to cope with this reality. The secularist is trying to find some serum or potion or technology to cheat the grim cold grip of death, but alas this is a fool's errand. The new age mystics believe that through some mixture of mindfulness and meditation they will reach beyond universal consciousness. But again, this is an attempt to escape reality, not to reach the truth. Still others just want to not think about the impending appointment of their own demise. These people pour themselves into whatever obsession or distraction they can find to help them forget or dismiss the fact of death. But none of these approaches are truly helpful or advantageous. Both nature and the scriptures reveal that death and judgment are sure (Hebrews 9:27). Instead let us face this enemy with the promises of God to give us real hope. Plot Twist What we need is a plot twist in the normal pattern of life and death in this sinful world. What we need is a hero who can conquer death and free us from tyranny of death (Hebrews 2:14). If death is an enemy then we need a hero who can save us from this horrible opponent. The Bible tells us that death is the result of sin. Sin is the reason that death is a thing at all in the universe. God is the author of life, but death is the consequence of our sin. God, who is just, must punish rightly and perfectly. This is because we are created in His image but sin corrupts that image and, therefore, lies about the character of God through our evil behavior. This means that we need a sinless hero to overcome the defilement of sin and set free all of us who are captured by sin. The story of the gospel is about how the sinless Son of God took on flesh like ours and died like us. Not having any sin of His own, He took on the sin of every person who would put their trust in Him and be gloriously saved. The point is now that the one who did not deserve death has died for those who do deserve death. The ones who do not deserve life can live because of His indestructible life (Hebrews 7:16). The Beginning The amazing thing is that death didn’t end Jesus, rather, Jesus ended death (1 Corinthians 15:20-26)! Jesus has dealt death the fatal blow and won the victory over sin and death and the grave. On this Good Friday as we remember Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross and temporary burial let us also remember that Golgotha is not the scene of Christ's defeat but rather His decisive victory. It was death and the devil that lost the war that day and that is the reason that we can look back on the darkest day in history and call it good.  Team
You have probably heard the saying, “There is no I in team.” The point of that phrase is that we must work together to accomplish many things. This is, of course, true. Another phrase I have heard repeated often is, “We can do more together, than we can apart.” This is also true. We are created by God to be social and communal creatures. Even in the Biblical account of creation, God states that it is not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18). While this is referring directly to the covenant relationship of marriage, marriage is the fundamental building block undergirding all of society. God did not intend us to be lone wolves or small bands, including only those who are just like us. However, something must distinguish us from others or there really isn’t an “us” at all. Since this is the case, how should we define our unity? Certainly there is no “I” in the word “team” but there is a team. My point is simply that you must be able to recognize the players on both teams. So while I want to acknowledge and celebrate those who are on my team, I also must not forget that not everyone is on my team. Open Minded When someone starts defining who belongs on which team (especially theologically) many will start to criticize them for not being open minded enough. These rather noble and sophisticated critics want to help us backward thinkers understand the nuance and beauty of being open to new experiences and to the wisdom that others have gained from their standpoint and culture. The problem however with an open mind is that it cannot ever come to a conviction or principled stand on any matter. While I do think that we all need to interact with more humility and less pugnaciousness, this does not mean that we should not be willing to take a convictional stand and let that stand divide us as it will. Humility does not mean that we should not also stand boldly for the truth even in fellowship with other true Christians. I would remind you that the Apostle Paul opposed the Apostle Peter to his face when Peter’s practice was not in line with the gospel (Galatians 2:11-14). Sound Mind Brethren, we must be of sound mind. Our problem is that we are still in a state of recovery from our sinful past. As such, we need our minds renewed by the perfect word of God (Romans 12:2). Here, Paul points out that we are made into God honoring and life sacrificing disciples of Jesus Christ. Paul also told Titus that this renewal was spiritual and could only be accomplished by the power and working of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5). We need our thoughts redesigned by the Holy Spirit and redirected by the Scriptures so that we can discern the world around us from a biblical perspective. We are blinded by our sight. We see all kinds of things around us and forget the truth that can only be seen by faith. We need minds that are not simply open to any wind of doctrine (Ephesians 4:14) but are setted on the truth which God has finally and infallibly revealed in the Bible. Same Mind Beloved, rather than unity for unity’s sake, what we need is like-mindedness. Thankfully, the Lord has established groups where we can find this kind of agreement and fidelity. Those groups are called local churches. I take a view that is probably pretty strange in our day, that denominations are good. Most people assume that denominations are a sign of weakness in Christianity, because just look how divided we are. But what if, in the system of denominations that we have, we actually have diversity in Christendom, but unity in the churches. I believe that the best thing for the Kingdom of God in the world is for each and every true gospel preaching, Bible believing church to be united in their doctrinal conviction and fraternal fellowship. This means that we should never be willing to sacrifice the unity and commitment of the local congregation for some kind of larger ecumenism. I am a Baptist, and as such, I believe in the autonomous local church and the need of cooperation in our mission with other churches to reach the lost and disciple the nations, but those goals will be best accomplished by strong and united local churches.  Need a Break
There is a temptation that is both common and subtle. It is to relax into comfortable laziness that is not honoring to God or profitable for us. We are finite creatures and so we require rest. Oftentimes as with other good things that we have a need of like food we can begin to use our need as an excuse for excess. This is a reality most often in my own life when I replace genuine rest with glutinous entertainment. Of course I will excuse this use of time as “winding down,” but often this does not serve the purpose of rejuvenation that rest should bring. In our fallenness, we tend to go to extremes, whether that is working too hard without the rest we need, or being too relaxed without accomplishing what we should be doing. This could be caused by a lack of focus or it could even be a lurking sort of rebellion against the commands and calling that God has placed on our lives. At any rate, while we do need rest we must be vigilant that we are not making an excuse for being a sluggard (Proverbs 6:6-11). Need to Work Laziness can also contribute to more tiredness than strenuous work. We need to be using our muscles for the tasks that they were created for. God has made us to be working and toiling creatures for His glory. We all have experienced soreness or pain that can come from being immoble for too long. Think about what it is like when someone has not been able to use an appendage because of an injury. The arm that has been in a cast for 6 weeks will be weak from prolonged rest. The rest was necessary for the healing process but the muscles will need some rehabilitation to regain their strength and functionality. However, people can also have this same type of atrophy from prolonged periods of voluntary inactivity (Proverbs 19:23-24). We can become less able because of our own lack of discipline and effort. We must understand that God did not create us for ease and luxury, but rather for His glory! In the garden, man was given work and dominion before the fall (Genesis 1:28-31). Of course, the hard and hated part of working is a result of the fall but the purpose and fulfillment of a good day's work is meant for our good. We will have important work to do in the age to come as well. Remember that the scriptures teach that our future is one in a real world with real bodies worshiping and serving our real King (Revelation 22:1-5). Need to Rest However, even in our effort we must always be at rest. This may sound like a contradiction but what Jesus came to do for us is give us rest. The rest is not in a place but in a person. Our sabbath rest is to be found in Christ not only on the Lord’s day or in the age to come but everyday as we rest from our seeking to earn favor, grace or salvation from God through our merit (Hebrews 4:1-13). As believers we do strive to please the Lord but not to get something we don’t have but rather because of what we have already received from Him: amazing grace, steadfast love, and sure hope!  Thinking Long Term
I keep hearing many people on social media and in the news concluding that we must be on the precipice of the worst time in the history of the world. Of course, these people are seeing that we are coming off of two years of a pandemic such as none of us have ever experienced and staring down the barrel of possible world war. However, a hundred years ago they were also on the heels of a global pandemic and had recently fought WW1 so maybe our time is not as unique or cataclysmic as we may think. My intention with this post is not to paint a rosy picture of unrealistic optimism, but instead to point us to a less polarized point of view. The best of times and the worst of times are not the only two options. In light of God sovereign rule over this world and this age we should remember that this time is purposeful and that he will accomplish His providential purposes. I don’t have any idea if tomorrow will be from a temporal perspective for better or worse. I only know, as the old hymn goes, “the One who holds tomorrow.” The Shoulders of Giants Every generation seems to believe themselves to be the most progressive and advanced that has ever existed. In some sense this is probably true, however, we rarely recognize that there will be another generation which will inevitably go beyond our point of progressive. This advancement could be that of revival and reformation or regression and rebellion but either way each new group seems to think that they are cutting edge trail blazers. Oftentimes, this is probably because we are rather self focused and ignorant of the historic realities from which we have come. As the old saying goes, we are standing on the shoulders of giants. Those generations of the past are currently serving as the foundation from which we can individually and collectively serve and honor Christ our King or demonstrate our hatred and rejection of Christ as our King (Luke 19:14,27). This also means that later generations will most likely be standing on our shoulders. It seems like so many, if not all, generations think that they will be the last one. I once saw a skit that imagined our lives like a meal in a restaurant. What was so interesting was that at the end of the meal (end of their lives) the characters seemed shocked that others were just ordering appetizers. Sometimes, we become so focused on our time that we neither learn the lessons of history nor consider the consequences in the future. Wicked & Evil One thing that we should probably notice is that the generations in the Bible are called wicked and evil for seeking signs. They are encouraged to remember what God had done in the former times for His people (Hebrews 11). The people of God are expected to reflect on God's blessing and deliverance as tangible evidence of His steadfast covenant love for His people (Psalm 136). God’s people are also called to instruct and educate their children and grandchildren about the greatness of God and His commands for His people (Duet. 6:4-9). As Christian parents we are the primary gospel influence in our children’s lives. We have the opportunity and privilege of bringing them to Lord through saturting their lives with the gospel (2 Timothy 1:5-7). Forward Thinking Our hope is in the fact that our God is in control of the future. This includes both the future of this present age for however long that may be and the future of the age to come. Because we know this to be true we can rest in God’s promises and work hard for His purposes knowing that none of our toil for the Lord is wasted or in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58). This means that I need not wring my hands in anxious fretting over the last catastrophe in my news feed, because Christ will reign till all His enemies are brought under His sovereign feet (Ephesians 1:15-23). And beloved this is the ground of all our hope, Jesus is Lord & Christ is King! |