Joy of Fulfillment

Most people can think about things for which they have had great anticipation.  Maybe that anticipation was a birthday, Christmas time, a new bike, a new game player, a new car, or a new home.  Possibly, you have anticipated the visit of a friend or relative whom you have not seen for some time.  Most likely all of us can think of things for which we have anticipated and most likely there will be further anticipations in the years ahead.  Anticipation is the excitement that a person has about looking forward to something that will bring a smile to their face, provide a note of joy to their heart, and fill them with a sense of great satisfaction. 

Most of the time anticipation is positive because the fulfillment will bring much happiness to the individual.  However, sometimes anticipation can be negative, especially when the individual has anticipated something for a long but it has not yet materialized.  This might result in a feeling of “dreaded expectation” and it may also produce fear or anxiety, rather than hope, and trust. 

From a biblical perspective, anticipation is a confident belief that what God has said will take place.  Another word for biblical anticipation is “faith.”  Faith as a general term is quite different than Biblical faith.  When someone has general faith, they have a “hope so” attitude.  They expect that something may happen, but in reality, it may not happen.  When someone has biblical faith, they have a “know so” attitude.  With Biblical faith they can be completely confident that what God has said will come to pass.  Hebrews 11:1 explains it this way, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”  Here are several important aspects of the statement from Hebrews.

(1) “Faith” – Is the actual anticipation of that which is expected.

(2) “Confidence” – Is Biblical faith because there is certainty in what is hoped for.

(3) “Assurance” – Is the guarantee that what is anticipated will essentially transpire – a “know so” attitude.

To sum up our discussion, anticipation is looking ahead and preparing for what God has already said and promised.  Joy comes when the result of anticipation has been fulfilled or completed. What do you look forward to?  What do you anticipate.  Is your anticipation a “hope so” kind of faith, or a “know so” kind of faith?  If you are looking for something for which you can be completely confident that it will actually happen, then go to the Bible and check out some of God’s promises such as “new birth”, “a living hope”, and “an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade” Here’s what the Apostle Peter says in his 1st Epistle.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”  I Peter 1:3-5

The Wordless Book

The wordless book is a booklet with colored pages, each representing an aspect of the Christian gospel.  In London in 1866 Rev. Charles Spurgeon preached a sermon entitled, “The Wordless Book.”  He told about an elderly minister who put three colored pages together and often looked at them to remind himself of three things: (1) His sinfulness (black), (2) Christ’s blood poured out for him (red), and (3) The cleansing provided for him (white).  Nine years later, Lay Evangelist, D. L. Moody, added a page to the booklet and shared with 12,000 children “A Book with Four Leaves.”  Since then, Bible verses were added along with a gold page and a green page (added in 1875 and 1939).  The pages explained are:

1)    Gold – represents Heaven.  God loves us and wants us to be with him in his heavenly home.  Jesus said, “My Father’s house (heaven) has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:2-3).

2)    Black – represents Sin.  Sin prevents us from being with God.  The punishment for our sins is that we cannot be with God in heaven because our hearts are not clean.  The Bible reminds us, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

3)    Red – represents the Blood of Jesus.  God loves us so much that he sent his Son, Jesus to provide a way for our hearts to be made clean.  Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins and make it possible for us to be forgiven.  The Apostle John says, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (I John 1:7).

4)    White – represents Clean Hearts.  When we sincerely admit that we have sinned, ask God to forgive us, believe that Jesus died to take the punishment we deserved, and invite Jesus into our lives, God makes our hearts clean.  John says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9).

5)    Green – represents Growth.  Once we invite Jesus to come into our lives, it is important that we grow in our relationship with Jesus. We can do this by talking to God (praying), reading God’s word (the Bible), and obeying him (doing what he asks us to do).  The Bible says, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen” (II Peter 3:18)

Through the death and resurrection of Christ, and our hope and trust when we by faith personally receive Jesus into our lives, we can enjoy the spiritual freedom that God offers.  Let’s take time to allow the wordless book – gold, black, red, white, green – to speak to us as we respond to the message of the gospel.

Day of Remembrance

“Cinco de Mayo” is Spanish for the 5^th day of May.  On this day Mexicans celebrate the Mexican’s army victory over the French on May 5, 1862, in the Battle of Puebla.  The French had a much superior force which was considered one of the best in the world.  However, the Mexican forces, although outnumbered, outgunned, and not as well trained, were able to defeat the French army.  That made the day worth remembering.

We lttoo can make May 5^th – as well as every day of the year – a Day of Remembrance. The Apostle Paul shared a good pattern for continual remembrance when he said, “I thank my God every time I remember you” (Philippians 1:3).  He further said, “We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Thessalonians 1:3).  Notice that the Apostle Paul remembers three things about these people having to do with their faith, love, and hope.

(1) “Work produced by faith.”  Paul knew the people in Thessalonica were taking Christian action based on their faith and that was producing some dramatic results.

(2) “Labor prompted by love.”  The Apostle Paul also noticed that these people were devoted and persistent in showing compassionate love to other people.

(3) “Endurance inspired by hope.” One additional thing Paul saw was the hope these people had in Jesus which helped them bear up even through difficult times.

We should remember that God can empower us to triumph even when we feel outnumbered and less powerful than the problems we are face in life.  Although Cinco de Mayo is not a religious holiday, we can remember to pray for those we know – our families, our friends, and perhaps ourselves – anyone who needs God’s power in the face of overwhelming odds.

God Knows You By Name

On Sunday morning, February 1, 2003, many people sat stunned in silence and unbelief as they heard reports and saw the video of the breakup of the Space Shuttle Columbia during its re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere.  With the loss of the shuttle and its crew the entire nation was plunged into a state of mourning and grief.  Shortly after the mishap, President George W. Bush said, “The same Creator who names the stars also knows the names of the seven souls we mourn today.”

It is interesting to note that the Bible tells us that God does know us personally.  In the Gospel of John, Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me” (John 10:14).  The psalmist also shared the same thing when he said, “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name” (Psalm 91:14).

Amid national and personal grief – which even continues to this day – our only hope comes from the author of hope the Lord Jesus himself.  The Bible tells us, “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word” (II Thessalonians 2:16-17).  Norman Clayton expressed how important hope is when he wrote the Christian hymn, “My Hope is in the Lord.” Think about these words of this song:

1)   My hope is in the Lord / Who gave Himself for me / And paid the price of all my sin at Calvary.

2)    No merit of my own / His anger to suppress / My only hope is found in Jesus’ righteousness.

3)    And now for me He stands / Before the Father’s throne / He shows His wounded hands and names me as His own.

4)  His grace has planned it all / ’Tis mine but to believe / And recognize His work of love and Christ receive

Chorus:  For me He died / For me He lives / And everlasting life and light He freely gives.

Aren’t you glad that God knows you by name and He provides the hope that you and all of us need from day to day?  And aren’t you glad that Jesus has made it possible, through faith, for you and others to know Him personally and live with Him eternally?   “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).  "Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God" (John 1:12-13).

Finding Christmas Joy

As a child, one of the things at Christmas that was most fun for me was finding a gift under the tree with my name on it.  When I looked at the name tags on the presents and discovered my name listed, I began to wonder.  Was it a toy?  A game?  Something fun?  Would it make me happy?  Or was it a dreaded article of clothing?  It is interesting that “finding” is mentioned in the Biblical Christmas story.  It was an angel who told the shepherds on the Judean hillside so many years ago, “This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:12).  As I began to think of Christmas in terms of finding I discovered several other wonderful things from the Bible that are worth finding.

1)      Christmas is finding God’s Love.  Too often, people feel like they are not loved.  When downhearted and discouraged it is good to peel back the curtain of despair and recognize that God’s love is available in abundant measure to bring light, peace, and joy. To hear the words, “I love you”, brightens the day and turns discouragement into hope.  God sent His Son, Jesus, to express His love to us. “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him” (I John 4:9).

2)      Christmas is finding Forgiveness.  The Scripture is clear that everyone sins and is born with a sin nature.  In addition, sin must be punished.  However, God’s plan was to send Jesus to die on the cross to pay the penalty of our sin.  “All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name” (Acts 10:43).

3)      Christmas is finding Hope.  Without Christ there is despair and despondency.  The Apostle Paul says, “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope” (Romans 15:4).  Without hope there is not much to look forward to.  Finding God is to find hope.

4)      Christmas is finding Joy.  Joy goes far beyond happiness because it does not depend on circumstances.  Joy comes from a close relationship and fellowship with Christ and results in strength to the individual irrespective of circumstances.  “The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart” (Psalm 19:8).  “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).

5)      Christmas is finding Peace.  One of the names given to Jesus is the Prince of Peace.  Isaiah 9:6 names Him with these very words – “Prince of Peace.”  With Jesus you and I can experience peace even in tough, unsettling times.  “You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all” (Acts 10:36). 

6)      Christmas is finding Everlasting Life.  Jesus came for the purpose of giving something that would last forever – eternal life.  He said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10). From the Apostle Paul we learn about this special gift.  “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 3:23).

All these gifts are a special find and they come through Jesus Christ.  Do not let another Christmas season pass without going on a hunt to find the wonderful things that God has for you.

 

Hope That Spurs Confidence

There is an interesting difference between the definition and the description of the word “hope.” For example, the modern idea of hope is to sincerely “wish” that some certain thing will happen.  The problem with this idea is that it turns out to be “would-be thinking” with no certainty attached to it.  For example, a person with this kind of hope might say, “I hope it won’t rain today” or “I hope I’ll feel better tomorrow.” This hope gives no assurance that what is hoped for will happen because it may rain, or it may not rain; and, he or she may feel better tomorrow and they may not.  Hope like this turns out to be a wishy-washy unsure optimism.

The concept of hope from the Bible is completely different.  With Biblical hope there is certainty and a confident expectation regarding what is to come.  Why?  Because God has made a promise and He will fulfill what He says He will do.  Biblical hope is a solid kind of hope.  It is unshakable and exudes confidence in God’s faithfulness. Psalm 46:11 reminds us, “What I (God) have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do.” The confident expectation rests squarely on what God says and does and does not rest on what man says or does.  Romans 15:4 says, “Everything that was written … (and) taught in the Scriptures … (are for our) encouragement (and to give us) … hope.”

The psalmist, in Psalm 62:5 said, “Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.”  He did not have one doubt regarding his hope and was completely sure of the promises that God had made.  Three things are evident from the words of Scripture.  (1) First, the source of hope is God, Himself.  There is just no one better in which to place one’s confidence.  (2) Second, God will accomplish whatever He says.  We can be assured that if God says it, he means it, and we can count on it.  It will come to pass because it is God who has made the promise.  (3) Third, we need to go to the Bible to find the promises that give us hope.  God’s Word provides the encouragement we need.  His Word also suggests that we need to confidently place our trust in what is contained in His holy word.

Years ago in New York City, Eugene Land, a self-made millionaire, was asked to speak to a class of 59 sixth graders.  He prepared a speech, but as he stood before the students, he decided to forget his prepared speech and speak to the students from his heart.  As he spoke he admonished the students to "Stay in school."  He went on to say, "Stay in school and I'll help pay the college tuition for every one of you."

Wow!  At that moment, the lives of these students were changed. For the first time someone had given them hope.  One student said, "I had something to look forward to, something waiting for me. It was a golden feeling." I am sure you are wondering if Eugene Land’s words were fulfilled.  Well, nearly 90 percent of that class went on to graduate from high school and attend college.  These youngsters had a hope in which they were confident. 

Sometimes what man says does not come to pass.  But we can always be sure that what God says will transpire.  If He says it, He will do it.  Put your confidence in God.

Confidence Amid Change

Change is something that affects all of us and we often resist it.  In spite of resisting some change there is other change that we personally accept – like purchasing a different home, accepting a new job, moving to another city or state, or getting married.  We readily accept these changes because we have control over them.  Other changes are those that we gradually slide into.  For example, instead of phone calls from friends and family we receive a text which initiates a texting conversation.  Very seldom do we pick up a dictionary or encyclopedia for an answer to a question.  Instead, we pick up our phones and ask “Google.”

There is another kind of change that most people do not like – and that is change that makes things worse for them.  People resist this kind of change because they personally lose control or they face an unknown situation. Peter Senge has wisely said, “People don’t resist change. They resist being changed.”  Most change brings instability.  That is why many people like to know what the boundaries are and be reasonably sure of what will happen.  They want the kind of change on which they can rely and that which gives them confidence during a time of need.

There are two things that I know in which we can be completely confident, and which will never change.  These are – God and God’s Word.  Regarding God, the Bible tells us, “I the Lord do not change” (Malachi 3:6); and, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). These statements give us confidence because we discover that we can always count on God.  He is always there for us.  He will always act in the same way.  And He is the same now as He was years ago and how He will be in the future.  Regarding the Word of God Isaiah 40:8 says, “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” I Peter 1:25 continues by saying, “The word of the Lord endures forever”. These verses give us the confidence that we can completely rely on God’s Word because it will last when other things change and fade away.  As a result we can be assured of and can fully count on what God’s Word says.

Are you anxious about something that is happening to you or in your world today?  Do you desire stability that gives you confidence, assurance and hope during troubling times? Why not put your trust in that which will never change?  Why not turn to God in simple faith and rest in His promises?  Why not open the Bible and discover what God wants to tell you?  In both God and His Word, you will find strength and steadiness to help you during times of turbulence, uncertainty and doubt.

The Star

There is an object in the Christmas story that we often refer to as the star of the east.  The biblical text says, “After they (the magi) had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.  When they saw the star, they were overjoyed” (Matthew 2:9-10).  It might be helpful for us to reflect on what a star does.

First, a star brings cheer.  The darker the night, the brighter the star shines.  The darker our night of sin, the brighter God’s redeeming love is to us.  When talking to those whom He forgave, Jesus often encouraged them to be of good cheer or to take heart.
Second, stars are used to provide guidance.  Navigators used the stars to find their way - as did the Magi.
Third, stars have a lasting presence.  They endure from one generation to another.  Who hasn’t seen the big dipper, the little dipper, or the North Star in the sky?

In addition, the words of Scripture tell us that Jesus is: “The Bright and Morning Star” (Revelation 22:16).  He always shines to brighten the way for everyone to not only see their spiritually lost condition but to help them understand their need of surrendering to God for forgiveness, peace, hope and eternal life.  Christmas is a special time for us to realize that we can personally receive the precious gift of Jesus Christ.  He alone can remove our guilt and the curse of that guilt, which is eternal death.  He alone can give us an unending blissful life.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

Let’s accept this unspeakable gift as our very own and know what it means to have the Bright and Morning Star as our constant guide to cheer our way through the darkness of this world into the light of eternity.

He Knows Your Name

On the morning, February 1, 2003, many people sat stunned in silence and unbelief as they heard reports and saw video of the break-up of the Space Shuttle, Columbia, during its re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere.  The loss of the shuttle crew plunged the entire nation into a state of mourning and grief.  Shortly after the mishap, our President, George W. Bush said, “The same Creator who names the stars also knows the names of the seven souls we mourn today.”  Although he didn’t state a Biblical chapter and verse, I thought of what Jesus said in the Gospel of John.  He said, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me” (John 10:14).

Notice four things this verse communicates.

1)    Jesus is a shepherd.  The first responsibility of a shepherd is to take care of the sheep that are entrusted to him.

2)    Jesus is the good shepherd.  A good shepherd does everything he can to support and nurture his sheep in loving and gentle ways.

3)    Jesus has intimate knowledge of his sheep.  A shepherd has more than a passing knowledge of his sheep—he knows them intimately.  John says, “He calls his own sheep and knows them by name” (John 10:3).

4)    The sheep of Jesus know their shepherd. There is opportunity for the sheep to have knowledge of and intimacy with the Good Shepherd.  Jesus never forces His sheep to know Him.  Through gentle love, care, and nurture, Jesus’ sheep desire to respond to Him in a positive manner.

Amid national and personal grief, our only hope is in the Lord.  Aren’t you glad that God knows you by name?  Aren’t you glad that He has made it possible, through faith, for you to know Him personally and live with Him eternally?

Apil Showers

“April showers bring May flowers’.  I’m sure that many times you have heard this rhyme and maybe you have found yourself repeating it.  The poem as we know it today originated in 1157 and was written by Thomas Tusser.  According to the New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, 3^rd edition, 2002, this statement refers to “some unpleasant occurrence about better things.”

In the Bible, the word “showers” is used 15 times in 14 different verses, all in the Old Testament.  With the exception of one verse, all of the references point to something that is very positive.  For example:

·       Showers are anticipated.  “They waited for me as for showers and drank in my words as the spring rain” (Job 29:23).

·       Showers come in season.  “I will bless them and the places surrounding my hill.  I will send down showers in season.” (Ezekiel 34:26a).

·       Showers can be referred to as more than just bleakness and rain but that which is very positive.  “There will be showers of blessing” (Ezekiel 34:26b).

·       Showers become refreshing dew on the grass.  “Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plant” (Deuteronomy 32:2).

·       Showers water the earth.  “He will be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth” (Psalm 72:6).

·       Showers are referred to as abundant showers.  “The clouds pour down their moisture and abundant showers fall on mankind” (Job 36:28).

One thing about showers that seems to jump off the page is that we should use showers as a reminder to put our hope in the Lord.  Listen to this: “Do any of the worthless idols of the nations bring rain?  Do skies themselves send down showers?  No, it is you, O Lord our God.  Therefore our hope is in you, for you are the one who does all this” (Jeremiah 14:22).  As you begin to enjoy everything the spring and summertime have to offer – the showers that God sends (along with flowers) are to remind you of His abundant blessing in your life.  Let showers be a reminder to place your hope in God.