LUKE 24:51-53 - ANTICIPATORY JOY

 ANTICIPATORY JOY

Luke 24:51–53

And it came to pass, while he blessed them,

he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.

 And they worshipped him, 

and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:

And were continually in the temple, 

praising and blessing God. 

Amen.

It would have to have been a miraculous occurrence that the disciples could rejoice even though their Rabbi, their Savior, was leaving them.  Before Jesus was caught up in the clouds, He had given them confidence that the promised Comforter, the Holy Spirit, would come to them in Jerusalem.  They were instructed to wait in the city for this promise to be fulfilled.   The presence of the Holy Spirit would strengthen and maintain the intimacy that each one of the disciples, including the women, had created with Jesus in their everyday, present, tangible experiences with Him.  When the Spirit came upon them, it was in the form of tongues of flame! They were immediately enabled to testify about Jesus boldly in languages they had never studied!

Even though we no longer perceive God in the Person of Jesus with our five senses, His presence is still strong in the lives of believers via the work of the Holy Spirit.  The way we now maintain an intimate relationship with our Lord is by Bible study, illuminated by the Spirit within us, and by prayer.  How much time do you devote to developing this most important of all relationships? Are you reading the word with anticipatory joy, looking forward in eager expectation to how the Spirit will move in your life?

1 THESSALONIANS 5:9-11 - BUILD EACH OTHER UP

Build each other up.

Don’t tear each other down.

Don’t say something with a smile on your face

That will make your brother frown.

His face may not show it on the outside;

He may laugh as you tease him and joke.

But inwardly the truth in your words can hurt

And cause him on self-doubt to choke.

Build each other up.

Point out your brother’s good.

Pat his back a little. Put a smile on his face,

It will help him to live as he should.

“For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath

but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, 
we may live together with him. 
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, 
just as in fact you are doing.”

I Thessalonians 5:9-11 (NIV)

ŏikŏdŏmĕō³⁶¹⁸ –to be a house-builder, i.e. construct or (fig.) confirm: (be in) builder (-er, -ing, up), edify, embolden.

            I despise put-down jokes. I can think them up as fast as anyone, but I try to bite my tongue and refrain from saying them out loud. We hear them all the time, even among our Christian friends. But no matter how much they make us laugh or are presented as “all in good fun,” they can cut to the heart.

            I have a choice. I can be a builder in God’s church, or I can be a one-woman demolition crew. I can use my words to encourage a fellow believer in following the Lord and using his talents to the glory of God, or I can toss out careless phrases that make him doubt his usefulness in the Kingdom.

            From years of teaching I know that well-chosen words can make a tremendous difference in a child’s life. If you tell a child he’s slow, he will believe it and fail to achieve.  If you celebrate each small victory along the way, he will far surpass your expectations. I read somewhere that it takes ten positive comments to make up for one negative. I believe it. Once a child is discouraged by a careless word, the people in his life have to work overtime to build him back up.

            We don’t grow out of that.  Adults can be discouraged or encouraged by our words as well. To encourage means to give courage, to embolden. The Lord instructs us to be in the construction business, the business of building bold believers for the betterment of God’s kingdom. Put on your hard hat, and let’s go to work!

            Lord, may my words always be well-chosen in order to build up my friends and relatives rather than to tear them down. Remind me of these verses when I am tempted to resort to put-down humor. Thank you, Lord, for the encouragers in my life who have chosen to praise rather than point out faults. Thank you, most of all, for the encouragement found in your Word.

1 THESSALONIANS 4:13-14 - EXPECTATION

Expectation

I believe this passage 

is quite direct

in saying I have 

good reason to expect

to see my loved ones 

who’ve died in the Lord

when He comes in the clouds 

according to his word.

So I do not grieve 

like the rest of men

who have no hope in Christ 

who rose again.

I miss my loved ones 

and have felt death’s sorrow,

but I cling to the confidence 

of heaven’s tomorrow.

“Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant 

about those who fall asleep,

or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.

We believe that Jesus died and rose again

and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus 

those who have fallen asleep in him.”

I Thessalonians 4:13-14 (NIV)

ĕlpis¹⁶⁸⁰ – from a prim ĕlpō (to anticipate, usually with pleasure); expectation (abstr. or concr.) or confidence: faith, hope.

            The passage above will forever remain in my memory not just for its encouraging message but due to a sixth grader’s goof in writing it out for a test.  Verse 14 was the central verse in Bible class that week, and the students were required to write it from memory. Extra points were given for correct punctuation, and points were lost for misspelled words. But one child’s mistake on the quiz became the teachers’ lounge humorous story of the week. As I was grading papers I came across this attempt:

“We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have slept with him.”

Not quite the same connotation as “fallen asleep in”. The mistake was quite innocent, and it helped me to realize that I needed to emphasize that the Bible uses falling asleep as a euphemism for dying. It also made this verse stick in my brain for the rest of my life!

            Now that I am older and have had several loved ones fall asleep in our Lord, I am so thankful that God gave us his word that we will see them again when Christ returns. I look forward in eager expectation to that “Great Big Family Reunion” in the air! Not only will we see our friends and relatives who knew Jesus, but the patriarchs whose stories have inspired us will be there as well. Let’s anticipate that day with pleasure.

            Lord, may we look at a beautiful sunrise or sunset washing the sky with vibrant color and be reminded of the day that we will be caught up in the clouds. Help us in those times of grief to be reminded of this promise of reunion so that we will not lose hope. Help us to encourage other Christians with this expectation of seeing our loved ones again and spending eternity with them and you!

JOHN 20:18a - I HAVE SEEN THE LORD

I Have Seen the Lord!

KSH, 7/29/16

Mary thought it was the gardener when she turned around,

She asked where Jesus’ body was which she had not yet found.

But when the Lord answered her, calling her by name,

She immediately recognized Jesus, and then she exclaimed,

“Rabboni,” which means “my teacher,” and fell at His feet.

Jesus urged her not to cling to Him, giving her a message to repeat

That He would soon be returning to be with God the Father,

But at the first the disciples thought women were a bother.

A woman’s testimony would not hold up in their courts of law,

But Jesus turned the tables when women were the first who saw

The resurrected Savior standing before them in human skin.

According to Mark’s gospel, Jesus reproached those unbelieving men.

Mary Magdalene, who had been delivered from demons by Jesus Christ

Had the extreme privilege to be the first to see Him alive!

1 THESSALONIANS 4:9 - BROTHERLY LOVE

Brotherly Love

Characterized by brotherly love:

that’s how we should be known.

Christians should be people

who take care of their own.

Our kindness toward each other,

our help in time of need,

can touch the hearts of many lost

and plant a tiny seed.

For what our neighbors see in us,

and in our Christian friends,

should make them want to know the Lord

on whom we all depend.

“Now about brotherly love 

we do not need to write to you,

for you yourselves have been taught by God 

to love each other.”

I Thessalonians 4:9 (NIV)

philadĕlphia⁵³⁶⁰ – fraternal affection: brotherly love (kindness), love of the brethren

agapaō²⁵ – to love (in a social or moral sense): (be-) love (-ed).

            “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35)

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:12-13)

“Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” (I John 3:18)

Over and over we are commanded to love our brothers and sisters in Christ.  We are told to love sacrificially and with actions rather than just words. In I John 4:7-8 we are even told that “love is of God” and those who do not love, do not know God.

There is no room for cliques and no allowance for loving only the lovely. We are commanded to love everyone who loves Christ and to show love to those outside the fold as well in order that our kindness might bring them to the Lord. Showing love involves sacrificing our time. We can show love by meeting a physical or financial need, listening to a troubled person, providing a ride to someone without transportation. We can show love by sitting in church with the person who seems to have no close friends. You may never know how your simple touch in someone’s life may affect many lives down the road. Find someone who needs love (they may even live in your house), and show it today.

Lord, help me to love the seemingly unlovable because I know you love them. Love through me when I don’t have the power to show love on my own.  Help me to see needs and meet them in your name. Thank you for loving me with the greatest love of all time and eternity.

1 THESSALONIANS 4:3, 7-8 - PURITY

Purity

Lord, I want to be pure

to honor you with my life.

Lord, help me to control my desire

until I am someone’s wife.

Lord, your love is greater

than any I’ll ever know.

Help me to honor that one true love

whatever I do and wherever I go.

“It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: 

that you should avoid sexual immorality…

…For God did not call us to be impure, 

but to live a holy life.

Therefore, he who rejects this instruction 

does not reject man but God,

who gives you his Holy Spirit.”

I Thessalonians 4:3, 7-8 (NIV)

hagiasmŏs³⁸ – purification, i.e. (the state) purity; concr. (by Hebr.) a purifier: - holiness, sanctification.

pŏrnĕia⁴²⁰² – harlotry (include. adultery and incest); fig. idolatry: fornication

            Sexual imagery assails my senses numerous times each day. Billboards with scantily clad models touting the “good life” through alcohol or tobacco.  Fitness ads with the most muscular men and perfectly toned women you would ever hope to meet, and the promise that you can look just like them by working out three times a week.  Television shows and movies where singles meet, share dinner, and wake up in bed the next morning having shared the most incredible evening in their lives. Radio advertisements telling me I can join a singles’ organization, show up at a few meetings (meat markets), and mate for life. Everything in the world tries to tell me that if I’m not involved in a sexual relationship, I’m missing out on life.

            How am I to keep my life pure? The simple answer is “by keeping it according to God’s word” (Psalm 119:9). But what does that look like in practical, day to day living? First, I study what God’s word has to say about sex. It was intended to be within marriage only. Period. Paul says it is good to remain unmarried , “But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better marry than to burn with passion” (I Corinthians 7:9). Sexual immorality is a sin against my own body, as well as against Christ who uses my body as his temple (I Corinthians 6:18-20) Many times, as in the passage above, the Bible admonishes us to avoid sexual immorality.

            I’ve found the best way to avoid something is to not place myself in its path. If I am not alone with a man, it is much easier to resist the temptation to be too intimate with him. Adult singles should be as cautious about dating as teenagers. We should get to know each other in group settings and double dates. We should refrain from spending a great deal of time alone with someone until we are certain we are ready to marry. Even then, especially then, we should know our boundaries and abide within them.

            Lord, thank you for guarding my purity. I know that without your power, I would succumb to many temptations. Continue to live through me and sanctify me in preparation for the day that your church will be your bride.

MATTHEW 27:59-61 - BORROWED TOMB by Susie Hale

Jesus’ cradle was a feeding trough

Because the inn had no more room

And when He died upon the cross

Was laid in a borrowed tomb.

He had not much to show

For His thirty-three years on earth.

His status was not much changed

From the poverty of His birth.

His true identity was hidden

From all but a chosen few,

And even those closest to Him

Doubted what they knew.

As they laid Him in the tomb,

They wept with tears of mourning.

Their terror made them forget

What He had promised for Sunday morning.

They solemnly laid Jesus in the grave,

and sealed it with a large boulder.

The Jews feared men would steal His body,

So, the place was guarded by soldiers.

Joseph of Arimethea,

Nicodemus, and the Marys

Left to prepare for the Sabbath.

It was late and they could not tarry.

They thought all hope was gone now.

They had buried their Messiah and Lord.

But they had forgotten His promise.

He had given them His word.

He had said He would rise on the third day.

When reading God’s word, it seems plain.

But they had seen their Master crucified

And were shaken with terror and pain.

1 THESSALONIANS 3:12-13 - PRAYER FOR STRENGTH

Prayer for Strength

Paul prayed that the Father

would increase the love

of the believers to overflowing.

He prayed the Lord

would strengthen their hearts

to stand before God the All-knowing.

“May the Lord make your love 

increase and overflow for each other 

and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.

May he strengthen your hearts 

so that you will be blameless and holy

 in the presence of our God and Father 

when our Lord Jesus comes 

with all his holy ones.”

I Thessalonians 3:12-13 (NIV)

stērizō⁴⁷⁴¹ – to set fast, i.e. (lit.) to turn resolutely in a certain direction, or (fig). to confirm: fix, (e-)stablish, steadfastly set, strengthen.

            I know I’m supposed to pray for my children, and I do pray for them daily. I pray for them to do well in school or on the job.  I pray for their relationships, my son’s marriage and my daughter’s friendships. I pray for their safety. I pray that God will draw them near to him in such a way that they would not doubt his reality. I pray scripture over them such as “Help Tom to keep his way pure by keeping it according to your word,” (Psalm 119:9) and “Remind Esther that charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised,” (Psalm 31:30).

            In listening to I Thessalonians on CD, I heard what Paul prayed for his spiritual children in Thessalonica.  What a way to pray for my children!  To ask God to strengthen them to be all he wants them to be. Then I looked up strengthen, actually “stablish” in the King James Version, in Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. What a powerful word! I will ask God to turn my children resolutely in his direction.

            The power to live a life worthy of our calling comes from the One who called us.  The power to obey God comes from God. We must each cry out to God for forgiveness of sins, deliverance from evil, and strength to walk according to his word.  We also have the privilege of praying for others to rely on God.

            Father, steadfastly set my children on your path. Give them the strength they need to do all you have called them do and the wisdom to hear your voice.  May Tom, Esther, and Christan stand before you blameless and holy because of the blood of Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives.  May their love increase for each other as my love continues to increase for them. And Lord, thank you once again for my children!

GENESIS 9:16 & 1 THESSALONIANS 2:11-12 - CALLED INTO HIS KINGDOM

Called Into His Kingdom

I am called into God’s kingdom.

In his blessings I will share.

It is only by the blood of Christ

that I will enter there.

How do I live a life that’s worthy

of my Savior’s sacrifice?

I must make a complete surrender

every moment of my life.

“For you know that we dealt with each of you 

as a father deals with his own children, 

encouraging, comforting and urging you 

to live lives worthy of God,

who calls you into his kingdom and glory.”

I Thessalonians 2:11-12 (NIV)

axiōs⁵¹⁶ – appropriately; as becometh, after a godly sort, worthily, worthy

            I am called into the kingdom of God and into his glory.  I can’t even begin to imagine what that means.  Eternity, everlasting life, living in a mansion in my Father’s house, not because I deserve to be there, but solely because he loves me: It’s mind-boggling.

            With that in mind, how can I possibly live a life worthy of such a gracious, loving God? How can I behave appropriately as God’s child? This is another one of those things I cannot possibly do in my own strength, just by determining to do so. I must rely on the Holy Spirit working within me.

I also must realize that becoming like Christ, sanctification, does not happen instantaneously the moment I’m saved.  It is a work that God does over time and will not complete until the day I see Jesus face to face. But even though for every step forward in my spiritual growth, I seem to make three steps backward, I can be confident that “He who began a good work in me will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)

I believe the way I can live a life worthy of God is to rely on him completely every moment of every day.  I need to “hunger and thirst for righteousness” (Matthew 5:6).  I should study God’s word, “hide it in my heart” (Psalm 119:11), and live my life according to it in order to stay pure (Psalm 119:9). I need to “walk in the light”, fellowship with other believers, and confess my sins (I John 1:5-10).

Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). In order to walk worthily, I must stay close to the source of my strength, Jesus. I do this through prayer, worship, Bible study, and fellowship with other believers.

Father, although I am unworthy in my flesh, through the blood of Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit in my life, I will be found worthy when I stand before your throne. Thank you for providing all I need to serve you and to share in your kingdom and glory.

JOHN 15:13 - EXTRAVAGANT LOVE

Extravagant Love

By Susan Slade

John 15:13

Greater love hath no man than this,

That a man lay down his life for his friends.

Romans 5:7-8

For scarcely for a righteous man will one die:

yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that,

while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

According to Jesus Himself, the ultimate outpouring of love is to give one’s life for one’s friends. Jesus did more than that. The cross was the focal point of HIStory. In reality, we were Jesus’ enemies, and yet He was willing to die to pay the ransom for the sin of all who would believe for all time. It is incomprehensible that He would do such a selfless act for the disciples He cherished, but He went beyond dying for His friends to die for sinners yet unborn. His love is beyond complete: it is extravagant, unfathomable, and indescribable. He endured the cross on our behalf to transform us into His precious jewels, His treasured possession. He erased our sin in order to adopt us into His forever family, that we could experience Him fully and worship Him eternally.

Have you personally experienced this extravagant outpouring of love? The same God who spoke the world into existence placed Himself into the limitation of human flesh so that He could die on behalf of all who would believe and trust in Him and His sacrificial death on the cross. However, God’s love does not end with Jesus’ death on the cross. On the third day, Jesus rose triumphantly from the dead, left the tomb, and appeared over the course of forty days to more than 500 witnesses. Jesus Christ is ALIVE! If you have not placed your heart in the nail-scarred hands of Jesus, do so today. Then not only will your eternity be secure in Heaven, but you will experience the greatest love of all. If you are already one of the Lord’s forever family treasures, remember what your redemption cost Jesus, and celebrate His love and your freedom from sin. Celebrate the fact that He has transformed you from worthlessness to being His multifaceted jewel, reflecting His image to the world. 

ACTS 1:9-11 and RISING ABOVE THE CLOUDS

1 THESSALONIANS 1:3 - UNTIL YOU RETURN

Until You Return

I can endure the daily trials, Lord;

for I hope in Your return.

I know this world is a fleeting moment,

and my heart with longing yearns

to be home.

But I continue in the work, Lord,

produced by faith in You.

Prompted by Your love through me

I will serve others, too,

until You come.

“We continually 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 (NIV)

hŭpŏmŏnē⁵²⁸¹ – cheerful (or hopeful) endurance, constancy: enduring, patience, patient continuance (waiting)

            How do you keep going when the going gets tough?  I know I could never do it in my strength alone, but I can “do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). I’ve been through many trials, great and small. Sometimes I think what seem to be the lesser trials may be the most difficult of all.

            No, it wasn’t easy to feel victorious during the two-year period when multiple tragedies assailed my family. We lost my dad to cancer, one cousin to cirrhosis of the liver, and another cousin to a brain tumor.  About fifteen close family friends also went home to be with the Lord, including my dad’s lifelong friend and the mother of the first boy I ever dated. My Uncle fell, suffered a brain hemorrhage, and was in a coma for weeks. Mother had shingles, the flu, and double pneumonia in a period of three months. There was nothing else that made sense in those situations except to pray constantly.

            However, during what I call every day trials, I tend to rely on my own energy and forget to focus on the Lord Jesus. Dealing with irate customers, training new employees, maintaining a large yard, and small health problems wear me down; but I forget to pray.  I find myself focusing on the problems of this world instead of hoping in the Kingdom of God.

Many necessary tasks are mundane…driving to and from work, pulling weeds, spreading fertilizer, cleaning house. I’ve discovered that I can use the time spent doing mindless chores to “fix my eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” I can recall memorized scripture. I can remember favorite Bible stories.  I can wonder what Heaven will be like and how it will feel to see Jesus face to face. The tasks are no longer mindless. Instead I am renewing my mind (Romans 12:2). Then the hope that I have in Jesus inspires me to endure.

            Lord, draw my thoughts to the promise that you are preparing a place for me in your Father’s house and help me to press on patiently until You come for me.