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Published: 11 March 2016

We like to know the answer to that question.  “When will you move in?”  “When is the baby due?”  “When will we expand the church building?”  “When will the ice be off the lake so we can fish again?”  “When will Jesus return?”  Over the years, people have ignored the plain teaching of Jesus and set dates regarding His return.  He Himself said, "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”  That seems pretty clear!  As one author wrote, “Therefore all predictions are fraudulent.”  There is no secret code, no hidden message, and no National Treasure decoder glasses that we’re going to find to help us with this.  Give. It. Up.  What we do know is that whether it is 10 years or 10,000 years we are to be faithful stewards.  We are to be obedient, caring for others and living with an eye on the sky.  The goal of this expectancy is not laziness but rather, industry, initiative and investment.  In other words, we have been given a trust and we should do all we can with it while we are here.  The weird thing (to me) about God’s system of reward is that the better we do with the little we have the more He assigns to us!  Imagine being trusted by God!  Expectancy should also produce purity.  John the Apostle wrote, “Every man that has this hope in him purifies himself.” We should be living in His absence as if we were under His present, visible, loving eye.  One of these days, no matter what theological position you embrace, Jesus Christ is going to step out on a cloud and gather His own from the four corners of the earth.  The righteous will dwell in heavenly habitation on a new earth and the unrighteous will dwell—as they wanted—apart from God and His “restraints.”   Are you ready for Him?  Do you want Him?  “When?” doesn’t really matter if we already have Him…but if we don’t the indifference has eternal implications.  “Seek the Lord while He may be found.”

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Published: 04 March 2016

Some of you will remember this chorus from our days in Sunday School and Children’s Church.  In the spirit of the Psalms it was an antiphonal song.  We’d sing about “the joy down in my heart” and then exclaim the interrogative, “Where?”  To which the louder response was, “Down in my heart to stay.”  It was a fun song.  It gave those of us with energy management issues an opportunity to yell in church; this was greatly needed though not often spiritual in motive.   When we moved to “Big Church,” we didn’t sing about joy as much and the only one who was yelling was the preacher.  Too bad.  Joy (not yelling) is the fruit of the Spirit and as Eugene Peterson writes, “is characteristic of Christian pilgrimage.”  We may not agree about the canonization of people to sainthood (since all believers are already saints) but Peterson quotes Phyllis McGinley who wrote “…the Catholic Church demands proof of joy in the candidate…I like the suggestion that dourness is not a sacred attribute.”  She makes the disclaimer that she is not positive about such a requirement but it is a good idea.   Peterson goes on to explain that joy is not a requirement for Christian discipleship but rather, it is a consequence.  “Joy is a product of abundance, the overflow of vitality.”  But what in the world do we have to be joyous about?  The political world is a circus.  The everyday work life is a drain.  Violence is increasing.  It’s winter.  People are mean.  I still have nightmares about not being able to find my locker.  Ugh.  Oh wait, I’m saved!  I’m a dearly loved child of the Most High God.  He is with us.  We have a secure future.  My sins have been forgiven.  I have been delivered from the bondage of sin’s grip.  The victory is won.  I have food for today.  I have a pillow.  I have clothes.  Some people love me and I love them.  I have a copy of God’s Word.  He has intentions for me that are good.  Even the bad stuff is redeemable!  The more I “thank” about it, the better this thing looks all the time—and the best is yet to come.  We’ll be talking about “Redemptive Joy” as we share in Communion this Sunday, I hope you can join us “in remembrance of Him” and all He has done for our joy.