“And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13 NLT
“I hate going to funerals because I’m not a mourning person.” – the joke of the week as found on the wall of a medical examiner’s office.
It’s a subject no one likes to talk about.
But it is a subject that we will each face. Most of us have already faced it within our group of family and friends.
I bring it up because of the sense of humor of the people who worked at the last office I visited yesterday – the medical examiner’s office.
Don’t worry, they were respectful.
It’s just that, in their line of work, they seemed to have learned to value life.
We all want to enjoy life and make a difference while we live it here on Earth.
But this life is but a split second compared to Heaven.
I don’t know what difference we can make in heaven – I’m sure there is some.
But I know I can make a difference here.
So can you.
I say, let’s get to it.
Have you set goals that will help you make a difference in the lives of others? What is the next thing you are going to do to meet those goals?
“The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights. (For the choir director: This prayer is to be accompanied by stringed instruments.)” Habakkuk 3:19 NLT
I love the ending of Habakkuk.
He praises God regardless of the circumstances, declaring God as the source of His strength.
Then there’s this parenthetical revelation at the very end.
This whole prophecy was a song!
How cool is that?
When life is rough, and the world is crashing down – set it to music.
“He swore an oath in the name of the one who lives forever and ever, who created the heavens and everything in them, the earth and everything in it, and the sea and everything in it. He said, “There will be no more delay.” Revelation 10:6 NLT
Make no mistake. There will be a day when all this will come to pass.
The people in the early Church thought it would be at any time.
It’s been 2000 years.
More and more of the prophecies leading up to the end times have come true.
Now more than ever, the second coming of Jesus is imminent.
It could be tonight.
It could be another thousand years.
It’s best to live like Jesus could come back any moment while also being prepared to live a long, full life here on Earth.
In other words, live out this life of faith to its fullest and most faithful.
When you think about the second coming of Jesus, are you excited or scared (or both)? How are you preparing for a long full life on Earth should Jesus delay that long?
“For the men of Israel have married women from these people and have taken them as wives for their sons. So the holy race has become polluted by these mixed marriages. Worse yet, the leaders and officials have led the way in this outrage.”” Ezra 9:2 NLT
You might say this is an odd verse for the son (me) of a white mom and a Mexican dad.
Truth be told, this chapter has always made me uncomfortable.
It sounds like it is telling us that racism is good.
But it’s not about racism.
The act of marrying non-Hebrew women in this context was an act, at least of apathy toward God, if not outright rebellion.
The marriages involved not just accepting the wives but their pagan religions as well.
If you need further proof that God is not racist, look up Rahab and Ruth,
both foreign women who accepted the Hebrew ways and were accepted not just into God’s good grace but into the bloodline of the Messiah.
Have you struggled with this Scripture before? How does it make you feel to know that this is about dedication to God instead of race?
“But recognize today that the Lord your God is the one who will cross over ahead of you like a devouring fire to destroy them. He will subdue them so that you will quickly conquer them and drive them out, just as the Lord has promised.” Deuteronomy 9:3 NLT
How many times have you been stuck in the wilderness, stuck on the edge of “The Promised Land” but you just can’t seem to make it?
I’ve been there.
Those battles that stand in the way seem impossible.
They are.
But it’s not up to us to fight them.
It is up to us to trust the one who will fight for us.
When we trust, we can step over that border in victory, praising the one who bought that victory for us.
Can you share any victory stories? Can we pray for the victory in your situation?
“That night Paul had a vision: A man from Macedonia in northern Greece was standing there, pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!”” Acts of the Apostles 16:9 NLT
Long ago, a missionary family that was on leave from their location in the Macedonian region sang a song that they had made up from today’s highlight verse.
It was incredibly corny.
I didn’t see a vision or feel called to rush over to Macedonia.
Nor can I say that I have ever seen any visions like Paul.
But I have felt the Holy Spirit lead me.
Paul was constantly focused on God in prayer, study, and discussion.
The more focused on the Lord I get, the easier it is to hear His leading.
This is especially true when it comes to prayer and studying the Bible.
Have you seen genuine visions or felt the definite leading of God? What helps you discern that leading? How do you discern its authenticity?
““You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.” Matthew 5:14 NLT
My very first public speech was on the subject of smiling.
It served me well, taking me to the Virginia 4H State Congress in my senior year of high school.
It has served me well since.
Almost every time I share a smile, I get one back.
One time, at a conference, something made me smile and someone commented that it was the first time they had seen me smile that day. I was horrified and apologized. It must have been a stressful day.
Just like that simple smile can spread joy anywhere we share it, so too the Good News of Jesus, shared openly and honestly, can spread great joy.
When I share my smiles, it is out of the joy that Jesus supplies in abundance.
When I share the Gospel, it is not out of an obligation or guilty feeling. Rather, it is out of an honest desire to bring the joy that is within me to other people.
Do you have joy to share with others? How do you share the source of that joy with others?
“Rather, it was simply that the Lord loves you, and he was keeping the oath he had sworn to your ancestors. That is why the Lord rescued you with such a strong hand from your slavery and from the oppressive hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.” Deuteronomy 7:8 NLT
God blessed the Israelites because He loved them, and He was faithful to His promises to their ancestors.
That’s why He treated Israel so well.
That’s why He treats us so well.
I may not be an Israelite, but I was adopted into the family of God.
I inherited all the rights and responsibilities of an Israelite.
I have no genetic ties to three of my four children. But the moment I married their mother, they became my children. I love them as much as I love my oldest daughter, who does carry my genes.
If I, a far from perfect man, could love all his children that way, how much more could God love all His children, both Hebrew and Gentile?
Do you truly understand the depth of God’s love for you? Can you believe He is faithful?
Walk in the Light 