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When God Lets Us Carry the Dishes
“Immediately after the distress of those days, ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ ” Matthew 24:29
When the day of the Lord comes, Scripture agrees that it will be lights out in the heavens and that the our solar system and everything in it will tremble [Isaiah 13:9-13 & 34:4; Ezekiel 32:7-8; Joel 2:10 & 30-31; Zephaniah 1:14-15; Revelation 6:12-14].
How could it not happen this way?
God holds everything together in His power [Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3]. And we daily take this miraculous goodness for granted.
The seasons continue without fail [Genesis 8:22]. The sun and the moon rise and set. The stars sing over us [Job 38:7]. Gravity does not become unfaithful. The earth runs in its perfect, life-sustaining orbit around the sun. Water cycle, oxygen cycle, animal and plant life cycles–all continue without need of human intervention. And in fact, when we do intervene, we generally disrupt the perfect harmony that God created.
So, when the day of the Lord comes, we will finally see and understand that we are not God.
We have not and cannot keep the seasons faithfully running–just look at the theoretical concerns about global warming. We have not and cannot hold one star, or moon, or planet, or the sun in place. We certainly could not keep an entire solar system functioning perfectly for one second let alone for thousands of years. We cannot even control an entire planetary cycle–not the water and not the oxygen we must have to stay alive.
What we can do is steward the life cycle of plants of animals [Genesis 1:28-30]. We can care for them while God sustains every detail of their life mechanisms and functions. We can use His wisdom to intervene when the effects of sin begin to break down their bodies in sickness and injury. We can help preserve their lives and our own lives, but only temporarily.
We cannot even endow a single cell with everlasting life.
So of course the heavens will tremble when the day of the Lord comes. When we accepted Satan’s lie that we could be our own god [Genesis 3:4-5], it was like a little child who insisted that they could carry a tray stacked with a mountain of dishes. But the father knew better. In his wisdom, he still held the most of the weight, keeping the tray balanced and walking with the child. But we as children do not pay attention to all that our Father God is doing. We foolishly believe that we are carrying the full weight of the world all by ourselves.
And when the day of the Lord comes, the father will stop holding onto the tray of dishes. He will stop protecting its balance with His might. He will let us see whether or not we are truly able to be God and hold all of Creation together in our strength and wisdom. And when God gives us that complete control, everything will begin to fall from its orbit.
But it’s all for the best. In heaven–the New Jerusalem–when God has made all things new, there will be no need for sun or moon or stars because God Himself will be our light [Isaiah 69:18-20; Revelation 21:22-25 & 22:5]. And in His perfect new creation, we will finally understand that He alone is able to sustain all things. Then we will lay down our sinful self-as-god ways and honor Him, just as we all should have.
Do you see the hand of God at work in the world? Or do you daily take for granted all that He is and does for us?
KCS
People or Things?
“Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers!” Matthew 24:17-19
Notice that Jesus tells the disciples that when the end time abomination comes, flea to the safety of the mountains–just as they would when Rome destroyed the temple. No one should think to their possessions. Let your treasures be in heaven alone [Matthew 6:19-21]. Seek to escape with only your life. For, if you try to save your possessions, you may do so at the cost of your life [Matthew 16:25].
Jesus notes that it will be especially difficult for pregnant women and nursing mothers. This is because they think not just of themselves, but of their child–whether unborn or too small to care for itself. A mother cannot think only of saving only herself; she is wired with an elevated sense of anxiety for both self and child. The emotional stress and the physical difficulty of trying to flea while caring for self and baby will make this event horrible for new and expectant mothers.
And surely, Jesus was also thinking about how Rome would mistreat women and children shortly after his lifetime. If a slave has a child, it does not belong to her according to most human practice. Her child is the property of her master. And the master is free to treat the child as he chooses and to sell the child away from its mother. The emotional torment for women and their children in such times is truly dreadful.
Our attachment to human life, though, is a commendable burden. It is God’s image in us [Genesis 1:26-28]. He does not desire that any should perish and this same protective love is innate in us as His Creation [2 Peter 3:9].
But our attachment to material possessions is not of God [1 John 2:15-17]. It is the sin nature in us seeking to worship–assign worth and value–to the finite and often corrupt works of our own hands rather than valuing human life, the work of God’s hands. It is idolatry in its most basic sense.
When Jesus sent out the disciples, He instructed them not to take anything with them–no money, no food nor even a change of clothes [Matthew 10:9-19; Luke 9:3]. Their ministry wasn’t going to be about providing for themselves. It wasn’t going to be about flaunting what they already had. It was going to be about total dependence on God and His Word.
And so it will be for us at the end of all things. When the end comes, there is nothing we can do by our own hands to save our very lives. Only by total dependence on God alone will we find life through it all. And not just life, but abundant and eternal life [John 3:16 & 10:10].
When things get tough, do you look to yourself or to God? When the end comes, where will you find your help?
KCS
When Fire Gives Way to Ice
“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” Matthew 24:9-13
Jesus told the disciples that the beginnings of the end day “birth pains” must come. But we need to understand why.
It is not because God wants us to suffer and die that things are going to get tough [John 3:16-17; 2 Peter 3:9]. The tribulations are not coming as divine punishment. But the end will come because we want to play God [Genesis 3:4-6] and we therefore judge ourselves against Him. Because we, as created beings, insist on behaving as we if created ourselves and because we live like we need answer to no one but self, sin is growing in the world. And its wages are death [Romans 6:23].
Because of our sinful self-as-godhood, the difficulties of the end will increase. Persecution like we see in so many countries around the world today. And persecution that leads to martyrdom. A general hatred in the world towards Christians and Christianity–we see the fruit of this today as well. Every faith is sanctioned but faith in Christ. Everyone who demonstrates faith or spirituality is tolerated except those who hold to a Christian worldview.
We have to be so careful in these times, not because of the hardships we face, but because of Jesus’s next warning. In these trying times, it’s easy to fall away from the faith and to turn our hatred towards one another within the church. And notice, that false prophets will continue to rise during this time as they did at the beginning of the trouble.
Deceptions will abound. Ungodliness will abound. And our once fiery love for God will turn to ice within us.
But not if we hold to the truth [John 8:31-32 & 44]. Not if we place our hope firmly in Him [Psalm 121]. Not if we fear God alone [Deuteronomy 5:29; Matthew 10:28]. If we stay faithful to God to the end of the end–come what may–we will be saved.
Which will you be–one who icily falls away or one who holds onto God through the fire as He holds onto you?
KCS
Zero-Alarm Living
“Jesus answered: ‘Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.'” Matthew 24:4-8
Notice that Jesus opened His teaching on the end of the age with a warning against being deceived. Deception started out this whole sinful mess we are in [Genesis 3:1-5], and deception will come full circle at the end of it all.
Revelation specifically prophecies about a single Antichrist and his false prophet who will rise on this full-blown deception. But only about 50-60 years after Jesus’s death and resurrection, John noted that many antichrists had already come into the world and had even arisen from among their own churches. He attributed this to the fact that they were then living in the end times [1 John 2:18]. Throughout the centuries since then, countless other antichrists have continued to spring up on the planet–claiming to be Jesus and gathering a following of deceived disciples. But make no mistake, Jesus Himself has not yet come again.
Isaiah prophesied about in-fighting in Egypt that would not stay between individuals or even cities but that would pit kingdoms against each other [Isaiah 19:2]. And since Jesus’s prophecy, the world has groaned under the torment of many wars. Some were very real. Others were rumored but came to naught. Even today, rumors of a possible World War III and actual wars in other places abound.
The Holy Spirit speaking through Agabus, a prophet in the first-century church, foretold of famine that would sweep through the Roman Empire [Acts 11:28]. And since the fulfillment of this prophecy in the time of emperor Claudius, the world has known many more famines.
Earthquakes have also increased in frequency and intensity.
Jesus wrapped the presence of all of these hardships up into an analogy. He likened this beginning of the end to a pregnant woman ready to give birth. When labor begins, the contractions are few and far between. Many of them may not even be felt. There are moments of mild discomfort that can be dismissed with a breath and easily forgotten, but which start to focus the mother’s mind on one truth–it is time.
Since Jesus’s death, resurrection and ascension into heaven, the signs have been clear. False Christ’s, wars and rumors of wars, famine and earthquakes–among other natural disasters–confirm that the beginning of the end has truly come.
And I love Jesus’s restatement of Do not be afraid here–See to it that you are not alarmed. Alarmed would indicate that we are surprised by what is happening. That we have not known God’s Word or God Himself. That we are not prepared for the things He warned us would come. That we do not trust in Him through it all.
Have you hidden God’s Word in your heart, meditated on His precepts and daily walked with Him that you will not be deceived in this time of the end [Psalm 119:11 & 19:7-11; Micah 6:8]?
KCS
Questions of Worry, Questions of Hope
“As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. ‘Tell us,’ they said, ‘when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?'” Matthew 24:3
What a long, silent walk it must have been out of the city to the Mount of Olives that day. Because that’s where the disciples finally plucked up enough courage to begin the conversation again. When, Jesus? When will the temple be destroyed?
They’d heard Him predict His own death three times. He’d told them just a few days ago that Jerusalem–where they now were–was the place where he would die. And now he’s telling them that their Jewish foundation would also be destroyed.
They couldn’t know that they would be old men scattered around the globe preaching the gospel when the temple fell. They didn’t yet understand that they had a larger work to do in the world, and that–though their heart beat for Jerusalem–when the temple died, they would still live for God.
But their question went deeper. The disciples were truly trying to grasp everything that was happening.
Jesus had told them that He was leaving them. That he would die and be resurrected [Matthew 16:21, 17:22, & 20:17-19; Mark 8:31-33 & 9:30-32; Luke 9:22 & 18:31-33]. He had told them that some of them would not taste death before they saw the Son of Man coming in His kingdom [Matthew 16:28; Mark 9:1; Luke 9:27]. What exactly did He mean by these things?
What will be the sign of your coming? they asked.
Moreover, Jesus had mentioned the end of the age [Matthew 13:39-40 & 49] and a judgment to come [Matthew 10:15, 11:22 & 24, 12:36 & 41-42; Luke 10:14 & 11:31-32] in some of His many parables.
And what will be the sign of the end of the age? they asked.
Throughout scripture, we see that when God asks a question, it is for our benefit. He asks us the one thing that we truly need to know about ourselves in that moment. If we hear His question and consider what He would answer us, the wisdom and guidance that would put us back on the right track is unparalleled, the heart change imminent.
But in the disciples’ questions, we see a heart after God. We see their hunger and thirst for a right understanding of world history in the scheme of eternity. There is hope in Jesus’ return mingled with the unknown future state of the world.
Do you worry about tomorrow? Do you anxiously imagine the unknowns? Do fears about the future threaten to overwhelm you? Ask God your questions. Pour your heart’s longing for answers out at His feet. Then, pick up His word. Study it. Kneel in prayer. Listen for His still, small voice [1 Kings 19:11-13]. And be assured, He will answer.
KCS
The Lament & Longing of God
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'” Matthew 23:37-39
O Jerusalem, whose very name means Foundation of Peace or City of Peace where Jesus would lay down His life for our sins to make peace with God. O Daughter of Zion, on whose lowly eastern hills God chose to make His dwelling among men; He is not aloft and aloof as the nations suppose. O heart of God’s chosen people, Israel, who does not choose His heart in return.
Hear the lament of a loving God for the world He created and the longing to reconcile all people to Himself.
Despite the fact that His chosen people killed His messengers of truth, peace, mercy and hope [2 Chronicles 24:21; Matthew 5:12 & 10:23; Hebrews 11:32-38], God longed to protect them. To shelter them under His wings and guide them to the safety for which they constantly clamored [Psalm 91].
But the truth was, though Israel longed for the protection of the Almighty, it was not because they loved Him and wanted to live in peaceful communion with Him. They simply wanted God to bless whatever they did, even though everyone was doing whatever they thought was right for themselves and not living according to God’s righteousness [Judges 2:11, 3:7, 3:12, 4:1, 6:1, 10:6, 13:1, 17:6 & 21:25; Proverbs 21:2; et al]. They wanted Him to make life easy by removing every obstacle and hardship, without expecting them to be holy as He is holy in return.
In other words, they wanted God to uphold their false self-as-godhood.
But time and again in the Old Testament, God cautioned Israel about the consequences of living this way [Deuteronomy 6:10-19; 1 Kings 9:6-9; Jeremiah 22:1-5; & the many prophecies leading up to the exile]. Now Jesus was letting them know that, not only did He not come to remove the oppression of Rome–as they had hoped the Messiah would–but in fact, things were going to get worse because Israel’s heart was still far from God.
So far that they didn’t recognize their long-hoped-for Messiah. So far that, though they welcomed Him as king to Jerusalem, they returned to the normalcy of life as soon as they saw that He had not come to do what they desired [Matthew 21:8-11, 17 & 23]. So far that they crucified the very one for whom they’d waited their whole lives.
And only when Jerusalem–the heart of God’s chosen people, Israel–acknowledges Jesus as the Messianic King He is, will they see Him again [Zechariah 14:4].
To this day, God would dwell in each and every one of us, if we would choose Him over ourselves. We cannot be His in name only. We cannot claim to serve God and still do whatever we feel like in this world. We cannot expect God to uphold our self-as-god complex and deny Him when He doesn’t.
Does your heart long for God the way He longs for you?
KCS
Reactant Pride and Doubt
“And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. I tell you the truth, all this will come upon this generation.” Matthew 23:35-36
Despite the misguided works theology and even their love-of-self-and-therefore-hatred-toward-others lifestyle, how could these leaders become responsible for all of the righteous blood shed in the history of the world? Many would balk at the seeming unfairness of this Scripture. But look closer.
From Abel, the first person to be murdered–who was murdered at the hands of his own brother [Genesis 4:8-12; Hebrews 11:4]. To Zechariah, whose name means God remembers. An Old Testament prophet who brought his fellow-returning-exiles a message of hope and encouragement. Through Him, God proclaimed to Israel that her greatness was not past but was still to come in His and her future glory.
Jesus told them, All this will come upon this generation.
Yes, the religious leaders were guilty, just as we all are for our own sin. But Jesus is letting them know what the weight of their next choices would be. By crucifying Jesus, they would bring the guilt of all the murdered righteous men for all time to bear on their generation. Not that they would shoulder the guilt themselves, but that, by their hands and before their eyes, Jesus Himself would become the atoning sacrifice, bearing the guilt and shame of all of the murders of all time. And, of course we know today, not just the murders but for all sin for all time.
Scripture tells us that we are God’s children and coheirs with Christ–He is our brother, and, like Abel, our sins murdered Him on the cross. Knowing full well what we would do to Him, He stepped into our exile in the flesh, proclaiming in His person that God remembers us. God consciously keeps us in mind at all times and thinks on the goodness He has for us in Christ Jesus. And just like the message Zechariah proclaimed to Israel, our greatness is not past. Nothing that we have done or been in this life will ever compare with God’s future glory for those who are in Christ Jesus.
*Minds blown* And hopefully, hearts turned to God.
But as it happened and happens so often, the truth hardens the very hearts it was intended to soften. Like a chemical reaction, trace amounts of pride and doubt react in the presence of truth, often violently flaming up, resulting in a seared and hardened heart toward God.
Does God’s Word make you bristle? Has pride and doubt kept you from accepting His truth? Do you still long for His goodness? Allow the Holy Spirit to work in your heart, removing these reactants so that truth can take root and soften your heart toward God.
KCS
A Million Billion Mercies
“The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.” Revelation 8:7
When people think of the End Times as described in the book of Revelation, the focus is often on the doom and destruction. It’s hard to read a verse like Revelation 8:7–about a hail of fire and blood that burns up a third of the earth, a third of its trees and all healthy grass–and not feel fearful.
But look at the verse again. And look at the verses that come after it [Revelation 8:7-12].
…a third of the earth
…a third of the trees
…a third of the sea
…a third of the sea creatures
…a third of the ships
…a third of the waters
…a third of the sun and moon and stars
Do you see the mercy? If God truly wanted retribution, why not just fully destroy? Why not just wipe people from the face of the planet? He is more than capable of it. Just ask Noah [Genesis 6:9-9:17].
But look at the Divine Restraint in the so-called judgments of Revelation. Two-thirds of all these things remain. Why? Because so great is God’s love for human kind that He doesn’t desire any to perish [2 Peter 3:9]. So great is His love for us that He sent His One and Only Son to die for our sins so that every one of us could be reconciled to God and have life eternal [John 3;16-17].
When we see a pandemic like Coronavirus burning through the world, we tend to blame God for the loss of so many lives. But underlying the accusation is the fact that we daily take for granted millions and billions of God’s mercies.
Everyday, just over 7.5 billion people miraculously wake up with the breath of life in their lungs. And everyday just over 7.5 billion people return to their beds to rest. That in itself is miraculous!
That’s more than 15 billion mercies from God’s hand in one day without counting the millions and billions more that come in the hours between waking and sleeping.
How many tragic accidents are averted? How many near death experiences? How many crimes thwarted? How many life-giving miracles meted out? How many prayers of provision answered? All without most of us ever acknowledging that God is responsible for these mercies! Why?
Because God’s mercy rarely makes the news.
Who reports on the goodness of an uncommitted crime? Who gives God praise for the houses that are not burned down or swept up in a tornado? Who blesses God for the goodness of more than 250 new lives being born on the planet every minute of every day? And who gives God the glory for, not just positioning the earth in just the right place in the universe to sustain life, but holding it there every minute of every hour?
Fear. Is. A. Liar. And it wants us to blame God for our finite ability to preserve ourselves.
Let us lift our eyes to the Lord our help, our God and our salvation [Psalm 27 & 121]. Let us think on all of His million billion daily mercies so that His peace, which transcends all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds from blaming Him for the repercussions of our congenital finiteness or worse, denying His existence because of them [Philippians 4:7-8].
Have you thanked God for the millions of mercies in your life today?
KCS
From the Student Question Board: Is Coronavirus God’s Judgment?
“The great day of the Lord is near—
near and coming quickly.
The cry on the day of the Lord is bitter;
the Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry.
That day will be a day of wrath—
a day of distress and anguish,
a day of trouble and ruin,
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and blackness—” Zephaniah 1:14-15
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to sweep across the globe, a question on many hearts and minds is, is this God’s judgment?
First, we need to understand what is meant by judgment.
Immediately, the human heart thinks of a misfortune or calamity viewed as a divine punishment. Because fear has to do with punishment [1 John 4:18]. And even though God’s nature is love, He is also holy and just.
This is why we often think of judgment as a court of law where we are found innocent or guilty. Did we keep God’s laws–His checklist of right and wrong? Or are we guilty of breaking them? This is why we feel that we are good enough. We feel there’s enough evidence of having kept the checklist most of the time that we’ll be able to make a case for ourselves when we stand before God. This is also why people blame God for a tragedy like COVID-19. How could you punish good people? What bad thing have we done to deserve this?
But in actuality, we need to think of judgment as two kings bringing their armies to a battlefield. Both kings are seeking supreme authority. Both kings will be judged in the standoff with the other. And only one king will win.
The sin nature that entered Creation through Adam and Eve [Genesis 3] cannot continue forever. Sin naturally leads to death [Romans 6:23; James 1:15].
But why? Because the essence of sinfulness is not a checklist of right and wrong. It’s not about pleasing and displeasing God. It is living Satan’s lie that we can be our own gods and not die [Genesis 3:4-5].
When Adam and Eve chose to disregard God, they stepped out from under His authority in all things. God alone is omnipotent–He alone is able to hold every cell in our bodies together perfectly for eternity. But we have finite power. As our own gods, we are only able to do so much through nutrition, hygiene, fitness and medicine to preserve the life we have. And even the strongest and most disciplined among us cannot sustain their own life forever. Only our Creator has that power.
You see, God’s judgment is not divine retribution. He isn’t punishing us for all the things we’ve done wrong. God’s judgment is a light of truth showing us that we are not Him. If we were truly God, then when invading armies come, we could flick them off with a finger and crush them underfoot. If we were truly God, then when a pandemic like COVID-19 comes, we could zap it out of existence with a word. If we were truly God, then He would submit to us and do our bidding.
Instead, this pandemic should make us realize:
1) Coronavirus has come because the sin nature–us in God’s place–is powerless. It shows us our inability to maintain perfect health and life in both our own bodies and the world we live in;
And
2) God is not punishing us, but where He has removed His hand of life-sustaining mercies it is so that He can extend mercy to those who remain. It is so that we can recognize Him alone as God, and thereby repent and be reconciled to Him that we may have eternal life.
Will you recognize God for who He is now and receive His grace? Or will you choose to standoff against Him in your own strength to prove that you are god when the real judgment comes?
KCS
Keeping Up Appearances: What to do When Religious Leaders are Hypocrites–Part 8
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started!” Matthew 23:29-32
This building and decorating of tombs, no doubt, made the Pharisees and the teachers of the law look extra holy to their communities. Oh wow, look at how they esteem the prophets! They are building them tombs and decorating them so reverently.
And that is precisely why they did these things–to look holy, to keep up appearances–at least subconsciously. But keeping up appearances is living a lie. Surely there were those who truly believed that they were honoring the prophets by erecting these monuments. And it would seem that the desire to do so came from a heart to set to right what the forefathers had done wrong, just like the tradition of the elders.
But we have to be so careful, because it is more than possible:
- to know the truth and misunderstand it
- to know the truth and misuse it
- to know the truth and come to a wrong conclusion
- to know the truth and miss the point
- to know the truth and do what seems right for the wrong reason
The Pharisees and teachers of the law did just that. They knew the prophets prophesied concerning the Messiah. They knew that it was of utmost importance to preserve the law and the prophets. They even knew to be discerning against false prophets and charlatan Messiahs.
But they didn’t understand that, in all their ways, they themselves were perverting God’s truth.
Yes, they built monuments to the prophets. But not to honor the prophets, so much as to honor themselves. And even if it had been truly to honor the prophets, they still would have been remiss. The prophets didn’t come to be honored. They came to honor God, who alone deserves all honor and praise.
In every generation, we build part of our spiritual understanding on the teachings and practices of those who have come before us. This kind of spiritual succession has led many to misunderstand, misuse, miss the point, act on wrong motives, conclude erroneously, or otherwise disbelieve scripture. It causes us to live a life where we are trying to keep up the pretenses of earthly role models rather than genuinely living from a heart after God.
But God gave us His Word so that we wouldn’t continue to make copies from copies and so obscure His Truth unnecessarily. He gave us His Word so that we could pattern our lives from the original. We’re still going to get things wrong. We’re still going to appear hypocritical to those who refuse to acknowledge God. But in the truth of His Word we will be set free from a life of keeping up appearances, free from the weight of living a lie.
Are you daily patterning yourself after God and the truth of His Word?
KCS
Generation Heroes 