 Apologies
This blog is coming out late. That is not for any specific reason other than I just forgot to do it. Over the last couple of weeks our schedules have been impacted by the weather and now back into the somewhat normal pattern, I simply overlooked this task. Now I know that you all are eagerly anticipating the appearance of the blog each week (haha, sarcasm) so I know you have been constantly refreshing your browser to see if it's there. In reality, I truly hope that this blog is of help to you as you read it. It actually serves me as both a creative outlet and a discipline. I am not really an author. I much prefer face to face conversations, however, the weekly discipline to sit down and order my thoughts has been extremely helpful to me. I suppose I just want to say thank you for taking a few minutes to read each installment. Priorities Many different factors can affect our punctuality. Of course, this can be because we are disorganized and not on top of our commitments. Or we could be providentially hindered by something completely out of our control. But often, for those of us including myself, tardiness comes down to what we prioritize. I'm sure that psychological studies exist that show underlying issues that contribute to people being late. For example, many people who are chronically late are probably ironically trying to be so efficient with their time that they simply want to use every moment causing them to fall behind schedule. However, this takes on an even more moral component when we understand that this implies a prioritization of personal efficiency over other people. When our tardiness causes us to disrespect the time and attention of other people we are in essence putting ourselves before others. But among those in the kingdom of God we are to esteem others ahead of or before or above yourself (Philippians 2:4-11). When we do not prioritize people over our personal interests we have deviated from following the example of Christ. This also means that it is possible for circumstances involving our prioritization of others above ourselves to be the reason for us to be thrown off schedule. It could very well be the case that an unexpected or urgent need would be sufficient to cause an adjustment to our plans for the good of another person or persons. The behavior of the good samaritan takes real investment including our time (Luke 10:25-37). Preparation Earlier I mentioned that our tardiness could be because of disorganization. I know that I find myself often running late for no other reason than that I simply did not properly budget the time I have for the things that need to be accomplished. I think that many of us assume that we can get more done in a small amount of time than we can and so we fill up our time with more things than we can get done. The point here is simple: we need to learn the lesson of the ant and get an early start on the things that are truly important (Proverbs 6:6-11). We also need to heed the implicit warning from the sluggard that delay will result in disaster (Proverbs 6:6-11). Principles As believers we should also rest in the reality that God is sovereign over all timing. By this I do not mean that we shouldn’t care about schedules and getting needed things finished on time. But rather that we can trust that God’s timing is right even when we cannot understand it. For one thing, God exists outside of time and beyond its confines. Our God is the creator of time and He knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:8-11). It is for this reason that God is never early and He cannot be late. Consider the miraculous reality of the incarnation. The Lord Jesus did not enter into our world at just some random point in history but rather Scripture tells us that in the fullness of time Christ came (Galatians 4:4-5). Meticulous sovereignty refers to the fact that God is in control and in charge of both the ends and the means. This means that God is not only orchestrating the purpose or result that He intends but the exact method and circumstances to the end. This includes when all things happen. Ultimately, even our own lives are a part of God’s eternal plan. He will bring the temporal reality to its appropriate and glorious conclusion and bring us in His eternal joy (Jude 24-25)! Brothers and sisters, let me urge you to spend some time thinking and meditating on the eternal joy of His presence when time will be no more (Revelation 22:5)!
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 Power
Why don’t we see the kind of amazing revivals happening today that have happened in past church history? I’m sure that if we are honest many of us have thought that maybe our modern society is just too sophisticated for such simple and extensive advances of God’s kingdom. It really is a silly notion that modernity has somehow changed how God deals with people. The other issue is that many church growth gurus and demographical experts will tell us that we need to mold our methods and practices to appeal to the sociological realities around our congregation. If we want to get people to come and invest themselves in our church we must put out something exciting and attractive. It really does sound like a bait and switch kind of thing doesn’t it? But what if we are missing something that was a regular part of the Christian practice back in the time of those revivals and reformations in church history? What if we need to re-engage an old practice used by Christians going all the way back to the Lord Himself. We need to pray! Ask The Lord Jesus Himself taught us that everyone who asks, receives (Matthew 7:8). Jesus’ point is not just ask and you will get your wish as one might imagine a genie in a bottle. But rather Jesus is instructing us that only those who ask, and keep asking, will receive. So could it be that we are anemic in our spiritual experience because we are neglectful of engaging in earnest and eager prayer? We must ask that God would save sinners through our evangelistic witness and presence in our community. If we truly believe that salvation belongs to the Lord (Jonah 2:10) then isn’t He the one that we should be coming to if we want to see people truly changed and transformed! We must ask God to give us boldness and success in proclaiming Christ to everyone around us. Even the Apostle Paul asked for the faithful believers in the churches to pray for his boldness in evangelism and mission work (Ephesians 6:18-20). We must ask God to help us grow spiritually and in our understanding and obedience to His word. Do we truly understand that we cannot grow spiritually through mere intellectual effort? We need the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth (John 16:12-15). The church must always remember that the things of God are discerned spiritually (1 Corinthians 2:14-16). We must ask God to bind us together in the local church in bonds of fellowship and friendship as the family of God. Our only hope is that we would ask! Receive The prince of preachers from the nineteenth century, C. H. Spurgeon, regarded the prayer meeting as the most important meeting of the week. Imagine, thousands of people were attending multiple services on the Lord’s Day each week to hear the word, but he regarded the prayer meeting as the most important gathering. Many were also coming for baptism and church membership and still Spurgeon believed that the prayer meeting was most important. The reason is that he knew that the great harvest and blessing was not a result of his oratory skill, even as great as it was, but rather these things were the result of God answering the prayers of God’s people. Dr. Pierson, a fellow minister with Charles Spurgeon at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, said that it is a house of prayer most emphatically (Wonders of Grace, pg 116). Those ministers, including Spurgeon, attributed the success of the ministry to “the power of simple gospel preaching backed by believing supplication.” If we truly desire to know and love God then we must be people of prayer. If we truly desire for others to know and love God then we must be people of prayer. If we truly desire to see Christ Kingdom come then we must be people of prayer. If we truly desire for Christ to be fully glorified then we must be people of prayer. But if a church regards the prayer meeting of little value then we need not be surprised when the fellowship, the worship, the preaching and teaching is powerless and the meetings are dead. For they have been starved of the very lifeblood of corporate prayer. Let us pray! For more on this you can listen to my discussion with my good friend Pastor Allen Nelson IV of Perryville Second Baptist Church on the latest episode of the Rural Church Podcast 2.0 (here).  Good Ole Days
Do you ever get a bit of nostalgia about those good ole days of yesteryear? I sometimes feel that way. It is maybe more common to me as I am growing older. We gaze around our lives seeing the problems and insanity that would have been unthinkable when we were children or when our parents and grandparents were young. We tend to have a robust sense of pessimism about our current situation and an inordinate optimism about the way things used to be. Maybe we could use the term “Mayberry syndrome" to refer to this particular kind of melancholy. The question we must ultimately ask is, was the past really the golden era that we think? And is getting back to the way things were really the goal for us? Days Gone By Do you ever feel like you were born in the wrong time? Like you should have lived among the Greeks learning philosophy? Or among the Bible characters in the Old or New Testaments? Or sailing the high seas in the days of discovery? Or exploring the west with Lewis and Clark and those real mountain men? Or driving cattle on those real old west cattle drives? Well let me just say one word –- dentistry, or transportation, or indoor plumbing, or electricity, or modern medicine, or air conditioning, or communication. I know we can often feel overwhelmed with the pace of modern society, but we have many advantages that those folks didn’t have and the opportunity to use this for the good of other people and God’s glory. My point is that we should not idolize the current like we have nothing to learn from the wisdom of those who have gone before, but neither should we idolize the past trying to go back to the way things used to be. Church Age I am not a dispensationalist, so I do not mean church age in the sense of the present time. Rather, I believe that the problem I outlined above can also be prevalent in the church. For example, I’ll work my way from the past to the present. First, we know that we base everything that we believe as Christians not on the word of any man but the revelation of God in the Bible. So, many Christians want to get back to the Bible, which I’m all for, however this should not mean acting like this is the first century. We live in the twenty-first century and our goal should be to make application of the principles, patterns, and promises of the text of Scripture to where we live today. New Testament Christianity does not have to mean robes and sandals and no indoor plumbing. But it should mean seeking to apply the same kind of faith, worship, holiness, and godliness of those days to our day. Next, we ought to desire to understand the complex path of the history of the church through the history of the world including the early church fathers, the ecumenical councils, the early creeds, and the notable theological influences, leading all the way to the protestant reformation. But none of these should be the context in which we are striving to get back to in. We must value the wisdom and the instruction passed down to us by these saints who have gone on to be with the Lord (Hebrews 12:1). But we must not view them or even their documents as the pinnacle of Christian practice or expression. For example, the Apostle’s creed, the didache, the Nicene creed, and the other literature from the first four centuries of the church’s history are extraordinarily important, but they are not the inspired word of God. This also means that historic confessions such as the Westminster or the Second London Baptist Confession of 1689, while of immense value for our study and consideration, are not a standard on all Christians. If you belong to a church that subscribes to one of these documents then you have bound yourself to that doctrinal position but only the Scripture is breathed out by God and binding on all believers. Finally, we must not be trying to get back to the Christianity of fifty or one hundred years ago among the folks from which we have descended. Again we should value and appreciate how the Lord used them, but they are not our stand the Bible is!  Easy
As I reflect on many, if not most, of the brethren that I have known in my life that seemed to exhibit genuine holiness and godliness, I am struck with how easy it seemed for them. I do not mean that their lives were easy, for each one faced many hardships just as faithful saints always have. But these blessed believers seemed to patiently move through life with a peace that was self-evidently beyond understanding (Philippians 4:7). They were filled with joy that you could see and even experience to some degree when in their presence, that was inexpressible and full of glory (1 Peter 1:8). Maybe the best way to describe these brothers and sisters is that their lives seemed graceful. These ones who had experientially received such grace from God were full of grace which overflowed into every part of their lives. Most of these folks were older and so their growth in Christian maturity is also clearly a factor in their godly lives. What knowing these saints has made tangible for me is that we as believers need to be holy people. Necessity However, this realization of the need to be holy as believers is clear from reading the Scripture. If someone claims to read the Bible or know the Bible but does not believe in the necessity of striving for holiness then there are only a couple of explanations. The simplest one is that they really don't read or know the Bible as well as they claim. The other possibility is that they don’t really believe it. In the book of Hebrews we are told that there is a “holiness without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). If this is the first time that you have ever really considered this passage then maybe your sovereign grace loving heart begins to recoil because you know that we are accepted and welcomed into God’s family by grace not by our own personal holiness. This is true, but in the verse mentioned above we are also told to strive for this holiness. I believe that the instruction here is to those who are justified by faith to know that God promises to produce in them real holiness. Also there is here a warning for those who would use the message of free and sovereign grace as an excuse for sinful, luscious living. Believers must not use their freedom as an opportunity for the flesh (Galatians 5:13). Rather we are free to live in the Spirit! Mandatory In Dr. Donald Whitney’s book Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life he says, “Holiness is not optional for those who claim to be children of the Holy One.” His point is taken from the Apostle Peter’s call to holiness in his first epistle (1 Peter 1:15-16). Peter is instructing us that our genuine and precious faith must result in real advancement in holy living. If we have been born of God then over time we should take on that family resemblance. This is not an option but a simple reality of saving faith. No true Christian can opt out of being transformed because the reason and purpose of our salvation is to conform us into the image of the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29). Logic Peter later concludes his second epistle by calling us to consider the promises of God for our eternal future and His judgment of sin. Peter insists that the only logical way to live for those who truly have believed God and trusted in Jesus and received the Holy Spirit is in lives of holiness and godliness.(2 Peter 3:11-13) Given the fate of this world and the hope of eternal life it’s obvious and simple to conclude that Christians must be holy people!  Resolutions
One of the things that many resolve to do in the new year is to finally get into shape. We maybe want to lose a few pounds so our clothes fit better or to regain our health or to get more active than we were in the previous year. Whatever the motivation, the idea is to get our bodies into better condition. All of us know that if we are in better shape we will feel better and be healthier. But what about our spiritual health? Sometimes people think that once we are saved and heaven assured we need not attend to our spiritual growth and health. But the Lord loves us and He intends to use us as He wills for His glory and this will be for our ultimate good. This being the cause I want us to consider areas that we need to get into shape spiritually to serve the Lord well. Sharp Minds First, we need to have sharp minds, so that we are ready to think wisely and act with discernment. Our ability, both to serve the Lord well and bless others, could come down to having our minds prepared by God’s word (Romans 12:2). For this kind of preparation and renewal to be in full effect we must think about the things of God, those things which are lofty and holy (Colossians 3:1-2). The Scripture is replete with instructions about the state of our minds and thinking. For us to be the sort of spiritual health where we will be most useful to Christ we must have our intellects sharped through scripture, study, and brotherly conversation (Proverbs 27:17). Soft Hearts The heart of the lost person is compared to a stone in Scripture (Ezekiel 11:19). It is a mark of being far from God to have a hard and impenetrable heart. Many people are afraid to have hearts that are soft and receptive because they fear that they may be harmed by this king of vulnerability. But the truest sign that we have really been born again is that we have new hearts made alive by the love of Christ and overflowing with love for God, His people and others so that they might believe. God is gracious and merciful abounding in steadfast love and these same attributes of compassion need to be a part of faithful following and glorifying the true and living God (Exodus 34:6). Steady Feet When Paul is giving instructions about the armor of God meant to ready us for service to our King Jesus. He tells us that our feet should be shod with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:15). Likewise, in Romans 10, he quotes Isaiah saying how beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news. Christians are to be spiritual sure footed. Because as we are going out into the world we are carrying the message of the good news that sinners now have a Savior. We are going to people who are desperately in need and we dare not stumble in sin or get entangled in the affairs of this world so that we fail to deliver this urgent and ultimate message (Hebrews 12:1). Strong Hands The Lord Jesus warns us that the person who would put their hand to the plow and then turn back is not worthy of Him (Luke 9:62). In reality none of us is strong in and of ourselves but, for the sake of His kingdom, Christ has been strong for us. It is by the mighty right arm of Yahweh that we have been delivered, and only He is able to save (Ephesians 1:19). All of our strength must be derived from Him (2 Corinthians 4:7). For we must always remember that we are His workmanship so that all the glory and accomplishment belongs to Him! (Ephesians 2:10)  Evangelism
As we enter this new year I’m sure that we all have people that we want to see come to know the Lord. We also anticipate that God will save numbers of people that we do not now know and bring them into His covenant people, the church. We know that only God can save people but He has given us the crucial task of taking the gospel to them. As the Apostle Paul rhetorically reminds us, how will people believe if they haven’t heard the message (Romans 10:14-15). So we must be spreading the good news by actually opening our mouths and telling people about Christ! But what then? How will we know if people have truly believed and been born again? Of course, we don’t want to discourage anyone professing faith, but just because a person says they believe does not make them a genuine believer. Rather, real repentant faith will result in the production of such fruit that the validity of the person’s trust in God will be seen in the change in their lives. In The Sword and The Trowel publication of 1865, Charles Spurgeon records what the elders of his church, the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London, looked for in candidates for baptism and church membership. In this post I would like to consider each of those things. 1) Tenderness of Conscience When people are coming to know the Lord, they all are under conviction. Without conviction of sin a person cannot repent and believe the gospel. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to bring conviction that is necessary for the lost to be savingly converted (John 16:7-14). I have watched so many people respond to appeals to be saved by raising a hand or going forward or praying a spoon fed prayer. But the reality is that conversion is not just a transaction where you can simply get the formalities out of the way. Rather conversion happens when God brings the sinner, by the labor pains of spiritual conviction, to the point of new birth (Titus 3:5). This event calls for a time of recovery and rejoicing. In genuine converts this should be evident in the tenderness of the individual's conscience in areas of both sin and righteousness. 2) Attachment to the Means of Grace Not everyone means the same thing when they talk about the means of grace. I want to admit that I could be misunderstanding or not rightly conveying what these elders in 1865 were observing. But I think of the “means of grace” as referring to those practical means by which God gives His children, who are saved by grace, tools to practice living in the grace they already have in Christ. Todd Friel refers to these as means of growth. The point is that the elders noticed if the prospective convert had a new found desire for prayer, or an increased appetite for God’s word, or an eagerness to gather with the Lord’s church. While the means of grace do certainly include the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s supper these must not be considered in this context because what is being evaluated is whether or not these candidates are ready for baptism and then the supper. 3) Desire to Come out of the World Those who have been truly saved by the Holy God have a desire to be holy (1 Peter 1:15-16). Holiness is separateness. If you believe that you can come to Christ and remain as you were in the world, you have misunderstood the nature of union with Christ. If you are now in Christ then you are necessarily separated and holy because Christ is holy (Ephesians 1:1-14). 4) Deep Interest in the Unconverted Those who have so freshly experienced the rescue of God from the path of destruction are moved immediately to concern for those still traveling this broad and easy road (Matthew 7:13-14). Consider the fact that the most recent convert usually has the most ties to those still lost in the world. The new Christian also has the new experience of joy that is unexplainable and glorious. If a new Christian or any Christian does not desire for others to be saved then to quote C. H. Spurgeon “Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you're not saved yourself, be sure of that!”  Mary’s Song
Here we are at the end of the year. During this week between Christmas and the New Year, I always feel like I am still lingering over the joy of the celebration and looking forward to the coming year with eager anticipation. Of course, as we age, each year becomes a decreasing portion of our life experience which causes a genuine experience of the increase of the passing of time. In the account of Mary’s response of praise after finding out that God had chosen her to be the mother of Jesus and that God had given her relative Elizabeth a miraculous conception as well, Mary sings that the Lord has done great things for me (Luke 1:49). In this text, she recognizes the great blessing that she has received, as well as the abundant power, holiness, and mercy that our God has shown to her. But, it is not only for Mary that the Lord has done great things. It is for all of His people. Last Psalm Just as Mary sang of all that God had done for her, the very last Psalm chronologically in the Old Testament also overflows with the accomplishment of God for His people. This final Psalm is Psalm 126. This Psalm was written and sung when the Babylonian captives had returned and rebuilt the city of Jerusalem and the temple of Yahweh. In this passage the returning people sang out beginning with the words, “Yahweh has done great things for them.” We might ask who they are? In the context of the Psalm, the captives are recognizing that God has providentially blessed the nations even through their captivity. This would be especially true of the blessing on those rulers and peoples who had been kind to the Lord’s people. One way that the nations had been blessed is through the spread of the knowledge of Yahweh through His people. Remember that what they are talking about is the events of books like Daniel and Esther. In these texts, Yahweh is exalted among the nations. Their Song But the next line in the sonnet of praise by God’s joyous people is, “Yahweh has done great things for us!” These returning captives are emphasizing the reality that what they are receiving and experiencing is the providential outpouring of God’s grace and not anything that they have earned or deserved. God has kept every promise and every need and they are rejoicing in His kindness. They cry out to God, “We are glad!” This is not a simple statement, but rather a profound profession of their joy that the Lord has restored to them (Psalm 51:12). Our Song But this is also the kind of joy that God has for us! Their joy and gladness was the result of their salvation. The Apostle Peter reminds us as believers that we also rejoice with “joy inexpressible and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:8). But possibly you don’t feel like rejoicing? Maybe you find yourself in a season of struggle and hardship? Then let me encourage you to meditate on the words of Psalm 126. For the captives also sang of the pattern of sowing in tears to then reap in joy. You may not be looking forward to the coming year because you know of some hurdles and hardships that await you in the new year. But let me encourage you to trust in the Lord that while we as His people may weep as we scatter the seed we know that someday we will shout for joy on the day of harvest.  Family Affair
As I have stated in the previous posts, I love the Christmas holiday and season when so much attention is given to Christ and the glory of God revealed in the incarnation. The possible ways to consider the many facets of the coming of God in the flesh is astounding. But I am especially excited about this blog post because the following content is by a guest author, my son, Brady Ragsdale. Please read and be blessed by Brady’s meditations on the birth and accomplishment of Christ. A Wonderful Time I believe this is one of the most wonderful times of the year, full of love, giving, and family. Although all of these are great, none of them are the greatest and none of them are the reason we celebrate. We might love to travel around and spend time with family. Whether we see them every day or once a year, it’s amazing to spend time with them. The Holiday Season We might like the presents under the tree, whether we are the one giving the gift or the one receiving the gift. We might enjoy the crisp cool air. It causes your breath to become visible and your cheeks to turn red. We might enjoy driving through the town, to see the intricate lights hanging from all the houses with their grand decorations. All of these are great and should be enjoyed, but they are not why we celebrate. The Greatest Gift We celebrate in remembrance of the greatest Christmas gift of all! The greatest Christmas gift came down from heaven as a small baby. The greatest gift lived as a man for many years dealing with all of the same problems and temptations as we deal with even though he was not a man like us. The greatest Christmas gift was treated with such reproach and scorn; it was as if he had brought very grave news even though he was bringing them good news of his coming. The greatest Christmas gift was covertly taken in the night. The greatest Christmas gift of all was beaten and dragged down the streets to the mountain called Golgotha. The most important Christmas gift was nailed to a cross and gave up his life for you and me as the most important gift of all – salvation. This grand amazing gift had the name Jesus. Jesus was the infallible son of God who came down to earth and gave up his life willingly so that we would be saved. Three days after he gave up his life, he returned from the tomb he had been laid in and proclaimed once more that He was the son of God and all who believe in him would be saved.  Carols
I love Christmas! I love everything about it. I even love the cold weather! But one of the things that I really enjoy is the Christmas music. I don’t tend to listen to much music throughout the year, but when this season rolls around my playlist gets red hot with the sounds of Christmas. Even as I write this post, I have instrumental Christmas music playing softly in the background. It may be that the music triggers the sentimental and nostalgic parts of our hearts that endears these classic songs to us so much. However, in one sense, Christmas has always been marked by music as the King of Glory entered into His creation to save His people from their sin (Matt. 1:21). And this was no somber dirge, but the joyful celebration of glad tidings for all the people (Luke 2:10)! After all, it makes sense because birthdays are generally celebrated with glad and grateful singing. If this is true for our birthdays then how much more appropriate is it to see the birth of Christ our glorious king. Dark days We must remember that before Christ came the covenant people of God had experienced centuries of discipline because of their disobedience and now silence. The word of God had not been heard for 400 years and they were weary under the oppression of Roman rule and the seeming absence of their God. All the way back when they were in exile in Babylon they were asked to sing the songs of Zion and they could not because of the depression and despairPsalm 137:4). The point is that they had been so long under darkness and without reason to sing or to hope. But then… But then the angel visits Zechariah(Luke 1:8-17) and announced that he would have a miracle child that would be a great prophet sent from God. After this the angel visits Mary and announces that sh e(vs. 26-33), a young virgin, would have a child who would be more than a prophet, he would actually be the very son of God! When Mary gets this news she goes to see her cousin Elizebeth who is pregnant with Zechariah’s baby, and Mary sings the first Christmas song. Luke 1:46 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50 And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; 52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; 53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55 as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” Notice that in this song Mary is bursting with praise, humility, and faith because she has believed what God has revealed to her and she rejoices in His goodness and grace not only on her but for all His people. Even Better… But the song doesn’t end with a young mothers lullaby, because on the night of Jesus' birth the great heavenly choir of angels came to announce His majestic birth to the humble shepherds watching their flocks that first Christmas night. Their song was one of praise to God who is always and eternally worthy to be worshiped. But it was also a hymn of hope for the peace that would come with the triumphal reign of this newborn King. He has come and accomplished the salvation of His people. He is now reigning while He puts all His enemies under His feet. And He will return to bring peace to those with whom He is pleased, or to put it another way, “peace on earth, goodwill toward men (Luke 2:8-14).”  Hope
This is the Christmas season, a time when the words”‘hope” and “joy” get used alot. I’m not sure that people are as purposeful and intentional as they should be when using these terms. Many times we use the word “joy” when what we really mean is a happy nostalgic emotion that gives us temporary escape from our pain and problems. Even worse, we use the term “hope” to imply a rosy or idyllic picture of the future that is highly unlikely to take place. Because of this, we can end up far more discouraged when the effects of our self inflicted, psychological manipulation eventually wears off. Instead, we need a dose of the enduring hope that the Bible gives us. No doubt, the Scriptures do teach us to look forward to an idyllic hope of dwelling with God and enjoying the beauty and grandeur of His glory, but in His word God also prepares us for the long road of walking with God by faith through this present evil world (Ephesians 6:12). Our hope is not only found in looking forward, but also in looking back. First and foremost, we ought to be looking to Christ and all that Jesus has done for us! Looking Back Remember, as we celebrate the glorious occasion of Jesus’ birth, we are not just thinking of a cute story about a baby being born. But instead, we are basking in the glorious reality of God Himself taking on human flesh. As we think about this amazing condescension, we can marvel in the glorious humility that Jesus displayed in becoming like us in our human flesh for the sake of saving our eternal souls. Jesus did not come to give us a holiday, but to give us His holy life. We, as believers in Christ, receive Him and in Him we receive the righteous credit for His perfect life. Jesus came to die in our place on the cross taking the guilt and shame for our sin and destroying the power of the curse of sin earned by Adam and transmitted to us. And Jesus rose again to claim His victory and reign forever over His kingdom (Philippians 2:1-11). Looking Around We also ought to be looking at our current life of faith. Have we, even as believers, been drawn away by the enticements of the world from participating in the grace we have received from Jesus Christ? The Lord calls us to put to death the deeds of the flesh (Romans 8:13) and take up our cross and follow Him (Luke 9:23). Ironically, this path of self denial is the way of experiencing true joy, which is far superior to the enticements and entertainments promised by the fleeting pleasures of sin (Hebrews 11:25). When I speak about participating in the grace we have in Christ, I am referring to the things that God has not only commanded us to do in worship but allowed us the privilege of experiencing together in the church. We are given the singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. We are given the public and private reading and studying of His scripture. We are given an audience before His mighty throne both corporately and individually. We are given access to the shared fellowship of His covenant meal at the Lord’s table. We are given the witnessing of baptisms of new members of the household of God. We are given the proclamation and instruction of the word of God. And in all these ways we are participating and experiencing the grace of God for us in Christ. Looking Forward Finally, we can look forward to the promises that will be fulfilled in our future. We haven’t yet reached the eternal state and so we have the sure promises of God to strengthen and encourage us. As believers, we have seen God show Himself steadfast and faithful and so we can rest in the full accomplishment of all His precious promises. |