Only The Beginning

When Jesus returns, it isn't the end.  It's only the beginning of the new life with Him.  Take the time to try and imagine what it will be like, as you read the passages below:

Then I saw "a new heaven and a new earth," for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 'He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death' or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Revelation 21:1-4 NIV)

He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars--they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." (Revelation 21:5-8 NIV)

One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. (Revelation 21:9-14 NIV)

The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits thick. The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass. (Revelation 21:15-21 NIV)

I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. (Revelation 21:22-27 NIV)

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. The angel said to me, "These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place." "Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll." (Revelation 22:1-7 NIV)

I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. But he said to me, "Don't do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!" Then he told me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near. Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy." (Revelation 22:8-11 NIV)

"Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star." (Revelation 22:12-16 NIV)

The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let the one who hears say, "Come!" Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll. He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen. (Revelation 22:17-21 NIV)

Waiting for...?

Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles. (2 Peter 3:1-2 NIV)

This life looks different when we look at it through the lens of the next life.  When there's nothing to this life except this life, then we live to make this life the best we can for ourselves.  When we believe there is a next life, though, it begins to change our priorities here.  We have a different definition of "wholesome thinking."

Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, "Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. (2 Peter 3:3-7 NIV)

Even back in the apostles' days, people were complaining that "nothing is new under the sun."  I've had many conversations over the last 20 years where people like to tell me nothing has really changed in people over the past 50 years.  They still act the same as they've always acted.  When someone says that, though, they are usually just trying to justify the way they are living: far away from God.

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. (2 Peter 3:8-10 NIV)

When Jesus returns, all the things we are tempted to work for in this life will be burned up.  Our homes, modes of transportation, electronics, video game systems, vacation spots (and vacation equipment), clothing, accessories, bank accounts and the gold that backs up those accounts will all just be kindling.  The bigger the pile of stuff we own, the bigger the fire will be in our own back yard.  Just because it hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't happen.  Jesus isn't slow in returning.  He's waiting for some of us to come to our senses.

Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. (2 Peter 3:11-14 NIV)

The only thing that will survive the fire will be us...and God.  We will continue on after the fire takes everything else away.  God will be there with us.  The rest of eternity we will get to spend with God.  It would probably be a good idea to make sure we are at peace with Him before we see Him face to face.

Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. (2 Peter 3:15-18 NIV)

So how about you?  Are you at peace with God?  Have you repented of any rebellion in your life and come back home to The Father through The Son, receiving The Spirit?  Are you growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?

Don't Be Alarmed

Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us--whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter--asserting that the day of the Lord has already come.  (2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 NIV)

When Jesus returns, we will know it.  People will see it from all over, like a flash of lightning in the sky.  There will be no quiet, humble, manger-birth for his second-coming.  No, this will be a fanfare worthy of the King of Kings.  When someone says it has already happened, then, they simply don't know what Jesus himself said about his second coming.

Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God. Don't you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. (2 Thessalonians 2:3-8 NIV)

Before he returns, though, evil will happen.  People will rebel against God and do unspeakable things to one another.  There will be wars and rumors of wars as Jesus told us.  When we see these things happening all around us, it shouldn't shake our faith that God has given up.  It should strengthen our faith to know God told us it was going to happen.  He really is God.

The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness. (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 NIV)

Knowing about the next life really does affect this life.  Seeing people "get away" with evil can be discouraging at best and tempt us to follow in their footsteps at worst.  When we see that God predicted all these things, though, it reminds us that God does see everything that is happening.  God will condemn those who have lived in rebellion and continue to propagate evil.  There will be a day when every knee will bow and every tongue confess Jesus as Lord.  On that day, the judgement will begin and it will be too late to change sides.  Knowing Jesus will return should change the way we live today.

But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. 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. (2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 NIV)

How about you?  Does Jesus' return change the way you live today?  How?

If I Should Die Before I Wake

As a little boy, I remember listening to my dad sing in a barbershop quartet.  They would practice in our basement, and I would stand at the top of the steps listening to them.  When it was bed time, mom would let me go downstairs to tell dad goodnight and, when they had learned the song, his quartet would sing to me before I went back up:

"Now I lay me down to sleep.
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take..."

It may seem strange, but there was something in these words (and music) that were comforting.  It helped me feel safe, knowing that my big strong dad was right downstairs and that even when he was asleep I was in the Lord's hands.  I could rest knowing I was safe.

Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For 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. According to the Lord's word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 NIV)

My dad went to sleep in death years ago.  I could still hear his voice singing to me, though, as I was writing the paragraphs above.  I still hear his voice giving me counsel, encouragement, and, when I need it, a swift kick to get going again.  My dad will always be a part of me, my family, and the ministry God has called me to fulfill.  Thank you, dad.

I write these words knowing that my dad is really not dead, though.  I write them knowing that he has simply moved on to the second life.  You see, when my dad died, he died in Christ.  That means that, just as Christ was raised from the dead, my dad has been given new life as well.  If Jesus returns in my lifetime, my dad will rise first, then I will be caught up into the clouds with him, and we will be with the Lord forever.  That encourages me.  I look forward to enjoying my dad's friendship, and singing, once again.

Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 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. (1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 NIV)

Knowing that there is life after this life changes this life.  I'm going to say that again.  Knowing that there is life after this life changes this life.  Suddenly, there is more meaning and purpose in this life as we prepare for the next.  Decisions we make in this life have longer lasting implications.  Not only that, we are reminded that The One we will spend our next life with is here now in The Spirit to help us with this one.

I didn't give you the rest of the lyrics to the song they sang to me before bedtime:

"God bless mommy and daddy.

Fill our lives with joy.

Make this world a safer place to live,

for I'm just a little boy."

How about you?  Does knowing about the next life change this life for you?  

May the joy that comes from His Spirit fill your life.

The Greatest Sequel of All Time (Acts 1:1-11)

In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. (Acts 1:1-2 NIV)

The book of Acts is written by Dr. Luke, the same person who wrote the Gospel of Luke.  The "former book" referred to here is Luke's Gospel.  In the Gospel, Luke details the life of Jesus from birth through death and resurrection.  Now, Luke will pick up the story right before Jesus empowers the Apostles to act.

After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." (Acts 1:3-5 NIV)

There was no doubt that Jesus had died.  They saw him hanging from the cross.  They saw blood and water flow when the spear was thrust into his side.  It took time to get permission to place his body in a tomb and they were barely able to accomplish this before nightfall when the Sabbath began.  Jesus was dead.

In the same way, there was no doubt he was alive again.  They saw him, ate meals with him, and he presented the holes in his hands, feet, and the spear wound from his side.  As Luke reminds us, Jesus "gave many convincing proofs that he was alive" over "a period of forty days."  Jesus was, in fact, alive.  The Apostles were convinced that Jesus is the Christ/Messiah/Savior, the Son of God, and God.

Then they gathered around him and asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. (Acts 1:6-7 NIV)

It seems like a strange question to ask the God of the universe.  Restore the kingdom of Israel?  Why do they ask?  It's simple.  Jesus hasn't done everything the Messiah is supposed to do.

The Israelites understood that God was going to send a Messiah to be the Savior of all nations.  That Savior would suffer, die, and rise from the dead.  This could be called the "Suffering Messiah."  The Savior, however, would also bring justice to the nations, stop evil, and restore the God's Kingdom (Israel) as a beacon of light to all nations.  This could be called the "Warrior/King Messiah."  They pictured someone like the mighty David who had slain his tens of thousands, then ruled wisely as God's chosen King.

Theologians and scholars of Jesus' day, not to mention the rest of us, were all wondering how all these "clues" (prophecies) would be fulfilled in one person.  They were expecting this person to fulfill them all at one time.  Jesus explained a different picture.

When teaching his disciples, Jesus explained to them that he would fulfill the "Suffering Messiah" portion of the prophecies during their lifetime.  In other words, they would see him suffer, die, and rise again from the dead.  He also explained to them that the Warrior/King Messiah expectations would come true, but in the future.  It's natural, then, to ask when in the future this will all take place.  That's what they asked.  Jesus' answer?  Don't worry about it.  It will happen when it happens.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8 NIV)

It is in this statement that we see Jesus' priority for his disciples, including us.  He want's us to know that there will be a day of final justice and judgement.  He wants us to know that there will be a day when he returns as mighty Warrior/King.  Their will be a day when he will stop all evil and bring peace to all nations.  

There's only one problem.  On that day, it will be too late to choose sides.  In this lifetime, we need to choose.  People need to know that.  They need to hear the choices they have.  Jesus has a job for us.  We are to be his witnesses.  We are to let people know what has happened and what is still to come.  We are supposed to help people see their choices and, because we love them, help them choose Jesus.  When the Holy Spirit comes on us, we are his witnesses to all nations.

After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." (Acts 1:9-11 NIV)

Jesus hasn't returned yet.  We still have a job to do.  How about you?  Do you see life through the lens of a Messiah/Savior who is working with us in two phases?  Do you rest in the knowledge of the things he has already done, looking forward to the things that will be done?  Are you his witness?