In Memoriam

A year ago today a woman who I had first met in the 1970s passed away unexpectedly. Six weeks before that, one of my uncles died. He was a veteran of WW 2 and had been in poor health for some time.

There are times death presents itself as only and always grim, even where Christians are concerned. It is easier--if that is the word--to come to grips with the death of an elderly person ["Well, he did live a full life"] than someone younger than I am ["Not her!"], but God has measured out the length of each life so that lived for Him it will be a full life, no matter the number of weeks or years. This is why the Psalmist said in Psalm 90: "So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom" [verse 12, ESV].

When and Why Does a Christian Die?

A Christian's death comes when he has completed the tasks
His Lord asks--
And then comes the rest
And then comes the glory
And then comes the seeing
And then death is the means
To life in its fullness for
Life is being with and like Christ.

Oxymoronic: Death Brings Life Eternal

Death comes, death claims, death alters our lives
And yet,
And yet the alteration experienced by believers
Far outweighs our sorrow as they know
The eternal weight of glory of which Paul wrote,
One "beyond all comparison . . . the things that are not seen are eternal" [2 Cor. 4:17-18; ESV].

So we, in this time we now have, look at this:
"For we know that if the tent which is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on, we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened--not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life" [2 Cor. 5:1-4; ESV].

And going back to what Paul wrote prior to that:
"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparinging for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not at the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that unseen are eternal" [2 Cor. 4:16-18;ESV].

Some day, reunited, we will be delighted, as
Neither death nor time shall be any more,
We will all pass through heaven's door.

When the time was full

When the time was full,
God sent His Son to live a sinless life
Yet die a sinner's death,
When Christ gave up His breath
In trust there would be a resurrection
And so there was
And He ascended to the right hand of the Father.
And when the time is full again
From that hand He will come again
But in full glory
To be fully seen
To be fully recognized
To be fully worshipped
When the time is full.

Two Days Before Christmas

Where were Mary and Joseph two days before Christmas?
Did they even know that Christmas was coming,
Would be arriving so soon?
Were they trudging under broiling sun or tender moon
Up hill and down difficult slopes?
Surely there was sweat running under their robes,
Mary inhaling and exhaling heavily, heaving a sigh;
Would the day draw nigh?
When would the child be born?
That night?
The next morn?
Only imagination works to draw these thoughts of
Mary and Joseph
Two days before Christmas.

Working and waiting, waiting and watching

Working and waiting, waiting and watching,
Time is a package to be opened with care,
To not be used up too quickly or let into thin air.

Working and waiting, waiting and watching,
Time goes so quickly with each passing breath,
One less beat of the heart, one less beat.

Working and waiting, waiting and watching;
How were those days Mary and Joseph labored
To travel from here to there over difficult terrain.

Working and waiting, waiting and watching;
Joseph may have watched Mary more than the trail,
May have wished to take the labor's pain.

Working and waiting, waiting and watching;
Mary, on foot or donkey, watched and waited,
Joseph, no doubt on foot, worked and walked, watched and waited.

Working and waiting, waiting and watching;
Over the terrain in some amount of pain walking,
Stumbling perhaps but moving.

Working and waiting, waiting and watching;
Would they get to Bethlehem before the birth?
Would there be room, even on packed earth?

Working and waiting, waiting and watching,
The angels kept the shepherds in sight,
Poised to messenger on the coming night.

Working and waiting, waiting and watching,
The shepherds were diligent to work, to wait, to watch,
Little imagining they's see the Lamb of Israel.

Working and waiting, waiting and watching,
Between that First Advent and the Second,
We wait while we work and we too watch.

Forgiveness

The church we attend has communion once a month and I always look forward to that time. Frequently the passage read is from 1 Corinthians 11:23ff. In Matthew 26, we read the words of the Lord as He established His supper. Verse 28 says: "for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins."

It took me years to realize that He said that His blood was poured out for many, not, poured out for all.

How could the blood be limited to many rather than being shed for all?

Isaiah 55:7:
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts,
And let him return to the LORD,
And He will have compassion on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.

If the wicked does not forsake his way or the unrighteous man his thoughts and return to the LORD, he or she will not enjoy God's compassionate pardon.

Repentance is required, which is shown in the forsaking of the wicked way and of the unrighteous thoughts.

As you or I or anyone repents, we are given abundant pardon, not stingy, not parceled out grudgingly, but abundantly from our compassionate Lord and God [a definition of compassion: suffering with another--imagine God doing that!].

Matthew 4:17 tells us that "from that time [after his baptism and 40 days of temptation in the wilderness] Jesus began to preach, saying 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'"

In Luke 5, after the call of Levi [later known as Matthew] "the Pharisees and their scribes grmbled at his disciples, saying 'Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?' And Jesus answered them, 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance'" [vv. 30-32; ESV].

After Jesus fed the five thousand, we have this recorded in John 6:35-40:
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not
hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you
that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All the Father gives me
will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have
come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent
me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all
that he has given me, but will raise it up on the last day. For this is the will
of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him
should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on that last day."

Comfort food:

"Come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden is
light" [Matthew 11:28-30].

Christmas and forgiveness

This morning there was a special Christmas celebration for those of us who volunteer at the Grace to You media ministry in Southern California. Of course, several carols were included as we worshiped. One we sang was "Silent Night." Two lines struck me this time: "Radiant beams from Thy holy face, With the dawn of redeeming grace."

It is this sacrifice of inestimable value which makes it possible for us to enjoy God's forgiveness.

A dictionary defines "forgive" as to give up resentment of or claim to requital for; to grant relief from payment of; to cease to feel resentment against (an offender); PARDON.

A Bible dictionary calls forgiveness "an act of pardon."

Synonyms of this include "wipes out" (Isa. 43:25); "forgiveness" (Matt. 26:28); "pardon" (Isa. 55:7); "remember no more" (Jer. 31:34); and "heal" (2 Chr. 30:18-20) [Bible index].

Isa. 43:25: "I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgression, for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins."

Jer. 31:34: "And they will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brothers, saying 'Know the Lord,' for they shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the Lord, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."

How could this be? Through "redeeming grace," free yet the most costly gift ever purchased.

Forgiveness

What does forgiveness have to do with this time of year? If we think about it, Christians don't usually spend much time contemplating forgiveness except, perhaps, during the Easter season. Forgiveness is one of those touchy matters--even for those who don't think of themselves as especially emotionally sensitive. But without Christmas, there would be no Easter.

Psalm 130:3-4

If Thou, LORD, shouldst mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
But there is forgiveness with Thee,
That Thou mayest be feared.

FORGIVENESS

Forgiveness is something more than a concept;
Forgiveness is something more than a command;
Forgiveness is something not in our DNA as
Forgiveness is something sinners don't do.

Forgiveness is something only God could design
Fprgiveness is something only God could deserve
Forgiveness is something only God could require
Forgiveness is something only God could provide.

Forgiveness is something beyond human nature
Forgiveness is truly divine in conception and in command
Forgiveness is