No Days Off – And Yet

My mom, usually when she was doing the dishes or ironing, might say: “The problem with life is that it is so daily!”

A retired friend said: “The problem with retirement is that you don’t get a day off.”

As Christians, we are responsible daily

If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. (Luke 9:23)

I will sing praise to Your name forever, that I may pay my vows day by day. (Psalm 61:8)

But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today…” (Hebrews 3:13)

No Days Off — And Yet

Daily And  Yet — Joy in Faithfulness

Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary. (Isaiah 40:31)

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)

Daily And Yet — Times of refreshing

Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you… (Acts 3:19–20)

Daily And Yet—Rest to come

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. (Matthew 11:28–30)

There remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. (Hebrews 4:9)

Press on!

God is intentional, is working His Holy plan, and is sovereign over everybody and everything all the time! (See When Storms Come)

God has a purpose this day for you and me, for others, and for the world.

All Things New

He is using this day, and every day, towards making all things new.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away … 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.” (Revelation 21:1, 3–4)

Right Now is Part of His Holy Plan

Whatever “humdrum,” whatever “good,” whatever “bad” comes your way, my way, today, it is part of God’s purpose. No exceptions.

That is why Christians can exult in trials. That is why Paul was content in prison.

In order for us (Christians) to be able to exult in trials, to be content in “bad” times, we need to be solidly confident that God is sovereign, that He loves us, and that He has a good  purpose in what we experience.

This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24)

He is totally trustworthy. We MUST trust Him.

You’ve seen or heard about, or suffered from, a person holding a title or position who does not fulfill the responsibilities or characteristics of that title or position.

Jesus Christ is NOT that way.

Jesus Christ IS Lord

Jesus was born, lived, and died in humiliation. Then He was raised in power, proving He is the Son of God. And then He ascended to heaven, and was crowned as Lord. He now lives as sovereign ruler.

All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. (Matthew 28:18)

Don’t be confused by His humility

The Son of God willingly gave up His equality with God and humbled Himself. He lived a perfect life fulfilling all righteousness. He suffered to be a compassionate high priest. And He died so that those who believe in Him might live.

Don’t be confused by His death on the cross.

 …through death He … render[ed] powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil. (Hebrews 2:14)

He was raised from the dead and was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 1:4)

God raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet … (Ephesians 1:20–22)

Don’t be confused by His compassion.

He is coming again to judge. “and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” (Revelation 6:16–17)

Don’t be confused by timing.

This is the day of grace when everyone is invited to come to Christ. God is being patient.

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)

Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.” (Revelation 11:15)

ALL Will Confess Jesus Christ as Lord (by choice or force)

God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9–11)

The time is now

Repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Since God is Creator, He knows what is best for us.*

Because God is love, He wants what is best for us.*

Because He is sovereign, He has the power to make the best happen.

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*Christians

We are in the last days, and the end will come in the fullness of time. God will bring the end when He is ready, when we reach the fullness of time. (See God’s Timetable)

Old Testament

It was 400+ years before God was ready to move the Israelites from Egypt.

God said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years. But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions. As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age. Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete.” (Genesis 15:13–16)

Among other things, God was waiting for the fullness of the Amorite’s iniquity.

Jesus Christ

When the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. (Galatians 4:4–7)

It was a long time from Genesis, and the first prophesy of Christ’s coming in Genesis 3:15, until Christ’s birth.

The Last Days

We are in the last days, and God is still working.

We are in God’s administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth.  (Ephesians 1:10)

But how long? At least this still needs to be done.

For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.” (Romans 11:25–26)

As we wait

We are to be alert and ready. We are to trust and worship. We must wait expectantly.

Come Lord Jesus!

Where we are on God’s timetable? When will Jesus Christ come again? What’s next?

We don’t know, of course. Jesus clearly told us that

It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority. (Acts 1:7)

But there are things we do know.

We are in the last days.

In these last days [God]has spoken to us in His Son. (Hebrews 1:2)

When Jesus came, God spoke through Him, and that started the last days.

We see these things at work, and getting worse:

At least some countries have gone through the steps in Romans 1:18-32.

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. (2 Timothy 3:1–4)

Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. (1 John 2:18)

Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” (2 Peter 3:3–10)

The End of the Beginning; The Beginning of the End

Winston Churchill, after a significant victory in north Africa, spoke about where the world was in the course of World War II:

“Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”

The End of the Beginning

John the Baptist was the last Old Testament prophet. Perhaps we can say that John the Baptist marked the end of the beginning.

The Beginning of the End

Now that we are in the last days, we are in “the beginning of the end.”

So, back to the original question: Where are we on God’s timetable?

There are “milestones” during end times. We are seeing 1 Timothy 3:1-4, for example.  Jesus talked about certain signs being the beginning of birth pains. (Matthew 24:8)

But we don’t know.

What we do know

What we do know is that we are to be alert. To be ready. To trust God working His holy plan.

Do you make New Year’s resolutions? How are you in keeping them?

Here is a thought-provoking verse:

Tomorrow will be like today, only more so. (Isaiah 56:12)

That verse is about drunkards; about getting drunk today and then tomorrow.

More broadly, however, I think that verse is about habits and expectations.

Habits and Expectations

Habits strengthen as we repeatedly employ them.

Habits relate to expectations of rewards or the future.

Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die. (Isaiah 22:13)

And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”  (Luke 12:19)

Whew!

On the other hand, of course, righteous behavior is rewarded.

Let’s Examine our Habits

For our New Year’s resolutions (or your September 1 resolutions for long-time students, teachers, and those working in schools!), let’s examine our habits.

For our good habits, resolve to continue and strengthen them.

For our bad habits, resolve to eliminate them by replacing what triggers the bad with a new response, developing a new habit.

For something we would like to do regularly, but aren’t, resolve to develop a new habit.

Assessing our habits is, of course, the easy part, but that is where we need to start.

Happy New Year!

Are You Looking for Jesus?

Immediate Search

Angels told shepherds good news of great joy that the Savior, the Christ the Lord, had been born, and told them the signs. The shepherds left “straight” away, in a hurry, and found the baby. They believed the angels and set out right away. (Luke 2:8-17)

Determined, Resolute Search

The wise men (the magi) travelled a great distance to worship Jesus Christ (we don’t know their starting point, but it is 900 miles from Babylon to Jerusalem). (Matthew 2:1-11)

They asked for information and learned that Christ was to be born in Bethlehem. They went there, found the Child, worshipped Him, and gave Him gifts suitable for royalty.

Those gifts were prepared in advance because they expected to find Him and worship Him.

Others Didn’t Care to Look

When the magi arrived, the chief priests and scribes were asked where the Messiah was to be born. The priests and scribes knew the Scriptures where the prophet said the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem of Judea. (Matthew 2:4-6)

They also knew the scriptures where Daniel prophesized when the Messiah would come. (Daniel 9:25)

There is NO indication that any of the priests or scribes went looking for Jesus….

Others Waited Expectantly

When Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to Jerusalem, to the temple, to present Him to the Lord, (Luke 2:22) there were two people waiting to see Jesus.

Simeon, a man righteous and devout, was looking for the consolation of Isreal. He had been waiting. (Luke 2:25-32)

Anna, a prophetess, came up to Mary and Joseph and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. (Luke 2:36-39)

Paul Pressed on to Know Jesus

Paul pressed on, knowing the surpassing value of knowing the Lord Jesus Christ. Everything besides knowing Christ was rubbish. (Philippians 3:7-14)

And us? Are we looking for Jesus?

Take stock. Are we determined to know Christ? Do we show that in how we study God’s word? In how we pray? In how we meditate on Him?

Let’s determine to resolutely press on to know our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Word—Eternal God—Jesus Christ–became a man and dwelt among us. God became a person. The Word became flesh. The infinite God entered the finite world. The Eternal God entered time. The invisible God became visible. God came among us. God in human form.

We celebrate this astonishing, amazing, overwhelming, dazing event at Christmas. Let’s slow down and savor what God did and who Christ is.

Savior

The name Jesus means “Yahweh/God will save.” Jesus was born a Savior; He is the one who will save His people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21)

He—Jesus Christ, the Word—came to seek and save those who were lost. (Luke 19:10)

Perfect Representation

Jesus is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature. (Hebrews 1:3)

I and the Father are One. (John 10:30)

He who has seen Me, has seen the Father. (John 14:9)

Witness

Jesus Christ is the faithful witness. (Revelation 1:5)

In these last days, God spoke to us in His Son. (Hebrews 1:2)

Jesus spoke the mind of God. (John 14:10)

God With Us

Immanuel, Jesus Christ, means “God with us.”  (Matthew 1:23)

God lives among us. God lives in believers.

God is with us — all the time, in everything.

There are enormous blessings for Christians in the present day. See God is With Us.

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WOW!

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This Christmas, focus on praising God for His incredible gift of Jesus Christ. Praise Jesus Christ for coming, for all He did and is doing. Praise the Holy Spirit for His presence and His guidance.

Worship Him.

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Search on YouTube for Paul Harvey ~ A Christmas Story: The Man And The Birds

This year, when you reread the nativity story in Matthew or Luke, think about the extraordinary husband of Mary: Joseph, the righteous man.

Mary and Joseph were from the small village of Nazareth (population 200-400) and were betrothed. Before they married, before they were intimate, Mary was found to be pregnant.

Disaster! Joseph knew that he and Mary had not been intimate. But someone must have been. Legally, he could have had her stoned. But… The righteous Joseph was merciful.

Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. (Matthew 1:19)

Then the Lord told Joseph the truth.

But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son; and you [singular, i.e. Joseph] shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:20–21)

Joseph awoke and obeyed.

And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus. (Matthew 1:24–25)

How hard was it for Joseph to take pregnant Mary as his wife? In a small town who knew Mary became pregnant when she wasn’t married? How hard was it to obey God for a number of months, keeping Mary as a virgin?

Off to Bethlehem

Joseph and pregnant Mary traveled to Bethlehem (70-80 miles), where she gave birth to Jesus. (Luke 2:4–7)

Joseph obeyed the Lord in naming the baby, Jesus.

And when eight days had passed, before His circumcision, His name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. (Luke 2:21)

Then Joseph obeyed by bringing Mary and Jesus to Jerusalem (about 6 miles).

And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord. (Luke 2:22)

Off to Egypt

After Jesus’ birth, wise men came seeking Him. After the wise men left, Joseph had another dream and obeyed the Lord immediately.

Now when they [the wise men] had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him.” So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. He remained there until the death of Herod. (Matthew 2:13–15)

Immediately, while it was still night, Joseph wakened Mary and Jesus, got them ready to travel and left Bethlehem for Egypt. No debate. No delay. Obedience.

Off to Israel

While Joseph, Mary, and Jesus were in Egypt, Joseph had another dream, and again obeyed.

But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said, “Get up, take the Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child’s life are dead.” So Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. (Matthew 2:19–21)

And off to Nazareth

When they arrived in Israel, Joseph had another dream.

But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Then after being warned by God in a dream, he left for the regions of Galilee, and came and lived in a city called Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: “He shall be called a Nazarene.”  (Matthew 2:22–23)

Was it hard to go back to their home town where everyone knew about Mary’s pregnancy before marriage? There were rumors Jesus was illegitimate (See John 8:41)

And to Jerusalem

Mary and Joseph, devoted Jews, went to Jerusalem every year for Passover (about 60 miles). When Jesus was twelve, Jesus stayed behind, and after three days, Mary and Joseph found Him in the temple. They went home and Jesus continued in subjection to Mary and Joseph. (Luke 2:41-51)

This is the last we hear of Joseph. He must have died. Everything we read about him shows him to be a true believer in God, devote, following the law, and obeying God immediately (even when it must have been hard). He was remarkable.

Praise God for the righteous Joseph.