Promises and Prophecies

Yesterday the weather prediction was for an 80% chance of rain. While my husband and I were out early running errands we got some misty sprinkles, and that was it for the day. NOAA recorded 0.08 inches of rain for the day. Somebody’s prediction was wrong. Predictions often fall short – prognostication is not an exact science. Ask Punxsutawney Phil.
That is why I am so thankful that the Bible is a book of promises and prophecies, not predictions. Whatever the Lord says will happen just as He declared. That is because He is operating from a position of sovereignty and providence. Those are words we don’t use much in our contemporary religion, but they are powerful and carry a rich and significant meaning. The word “sovereign” speaks to God’s rightful authority over every created thing – which covers everything that exists. Likewise, the word “providence” is speaking to God’s charge over everything He has made. I take great comfort in that.
We can see God’s supernatural hand in all through Scripture. The Lord promised Israel a land of their own and He gave them the Promised Land in Canaan – which is still their God-given territory no matter what men say. He prophesied exile in Babylon for Israel – and restoration after seventy years. Every word came to fulfillment. And He promised that, despite enemies, imprisonment, a shipwreck, and a snakebite, Paul would preach in Rome. Luke reported, “And so we came to Rome” (Acts 28:14). God does everything He declares.
When I come to passages that prophesy Christ’s return, I have one eye always looking to the east, anticipating His appearance (Matt 24:27). One day He will break open the sky and it will roll back like a scroll (Rev. 6:14). He will set His feet on the Mount of Olives and it will be split in two “from east to west, forming a great valley” (Zec 14:4). “The Lord will be King over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and His name the only name.” (v. 9).
Jesus said, “Behold, I am coming soon” (Rev 22:7). If you do not know Jesus as your Savior and Lord, that is a frightening prophecy, but if you are in Christ, His return is an exciting promise. Beloved, you can take Him at His Word; He is on His way. Will you join me in declaring, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev. 22:20).

Heaven

This morning, I was listening to a song about heaven – “No More Night” by the incredible David Phelps, and the Lord pricked my spirit and said, “Tell them what is to come.”
In heaven there is no more night and no more pain and no more sadness, grief, or shame (Rev. 21:4). There is no fear or anxiety. There is no cancer or heart disease or paralysis or diabetes. In heaven there is no abuse or war or anger or evil of any kind (v. 8, 27).
My knees will not hurt anymore and I won’t need glasses.
My husband will be able to breathe freely.
Joy will have two perfect hands.
In heaven no one will struggle with mental issues.
You will never be depressed.
Your child will no longer battle addiction.
There is always plenty to eat and no food is off-limits in heaven.
You will never be lonely.
You will never fall in heaven – except to your knees in worship.
You will never face temptation and you will not have the urge to sin.
No one will hurt you or criticize you.
You will live in a place prepared especially for you by the Master Carpenter (John 14:2). And no bank will ever foreclose on it.
My mom and Dad and big brother will greet me and we will never be separated again. Mom and I will explore the most amazing flower gardens.
Your child who left way too soon will be there.
We will be reunited with dear friends.
I will finally meet Dorcas, whose name I share, and Ezra who inspired me to ministry, and Deborah who is just the coolest lady in the Bible.
Oh, and Jesus will be there. JESUS WILL BE THERE! I will see Him face-to-face. I will run into His arms and thank Him a thousand times for saving a wretch like me. And I will know that I am home forever.
There is a throne in heaven and on it sits the Lord God Almighty, the Eternal One, the Creator of all things (Rev. 4:1-11). A sea of people will gather around that throne in worship “from every nation tribe, people, and language. And the angels will be there worshipping (Rev. 7:9-10). And so will we.
It will be a place of extraordinary, unfathomable beauty. All things will be new – including heaven and earth (Rev. 21:1). And me and you. Beloved, hold fast to Jesus in this journey of life; the best is yet to be.
And so we say, “Come, Lord Jesus” (Rev. 22:20).

Acts: When the Lion Roars

Paul sits in confinement in a Roman barracks while evil things are stirring outside of the jail, things that will move Paul into God’s perfect plan. Please read Acts 23:12-35.
Paul’s young nephew overheard the Jews plotting to kill his uncle. They were so committed to their hatred that they vowed not to eat or drink until their wicked deed was done. They created a ruse to get their intended victim away from the safe confines of the barracks – and the chief priests and elders were in on it.
But the boy told Paul and the Roman commander of the conspiracy. Realizing that his own life rested on the safety of his prisoner – a Roman citizen no less – the commander intervened and ordered a large detachment of Roman soldiers to get Paul out of Jerusalem. He appealed to Governor Felix who was in Caesarea on Paul’s behalf and they whisked him away in the night. Paul was kept secure in Herod’s palace until a trial could be convened.
Every time I read this account, I picture the angels of heaven and the demons of hell in a cosmic clash of epic proportions. I’ve been in the middle of those a few times –when good and evil are battling just over my head. That’s not saying I am good and an evil person is at war with me. That means God’s purpose for my life, or the life of someone I love is under spiritual attack. The battle over Paul was the devil’s attempt to squash God’s most prolific evangelist – and the spread of the gospel.
In His last message to His disciples, Jesus said, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first” (Jn 15:18).
Every time I stepped out in obedience to the Lord – to teach, speak, write, go to seminary, or fight for the soul of someone I love – the devil set me in his crosshairs and started shooting. I have heard His wicked voice in my ear and felt his hot breath on the back of my neck. Do you know what that means? I am right where God wants me to be.
The Scripture says, “[the devil] is filled with fury because he knows that his time is short” (Rev. 12:12). If that was true two thousand-plus years ago, it is more so today. He is “a roaring lion” (1 Pet 5:8). and he roars loudest at those who threaten his wicked kingdom. If the enemy is breathing down your neck trust that the Lord and his angels are breathing down his – and you, Beloved, are in the sweet spot of God’s will.

Packing up Christmas

Christmas Day has come and gone and my living room looks like a toy store exploded all over the place, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. So what now? Well, I’ll clean up the blast zone and pack away the lights and ornaments and we’ll finish off the last of the Christmas dinner leftovers. But, where does the Christmas spirit go for the next 11 months?
Where does Joy belong? Certainly not packed away until next year. Joy is a by-product of the indwelling Holy Spirit, not a Christmas decoration. And what of the peace the angels declared? According to Jesus, peace is His gift to me, something the world can’t offer (John 14:27). Joy and peace are not meant to sit in a box in the shed. They belong in my heart. Jesus said that His Joy cannot be taken [or packed] away (Jn 16:22). Paul said that peace is to always rule over me and my relationships (Col. 3:15).
There isn’t a box in my shed big enough for the Hope of Christ. Hope believes that God is who He claims to be, that He is trustworthy and faithful (2 Thess 3:3), that His love is unfailing (Ps. 136), and His promises are as sure as His Name (Heb. 6:13). Hope trusts that His eye is ever on me and His ear is tuned to my cries (Gen. 21:13, 11). Hope knows that one day this wicked world will be turned right-side-up (Rev. 21:5). I am hanging on to hope I need it desperately after the year we’ve been through.
And then there is love – the greatest of all gifts (1 Cor. 13:13). Love slept in a manger (Luke 2:7). Love walked the dirty streets of earth, healing and lifting up the downtrodden (Matt. 8:1-3). Love died on a cross (Mark 15: 37) and Love brought life from death (Mark 16:6). Love must never be packed away for the world needs it more than any other thing. Love – holy love – is the only thing that can save mankind. And it is the only thing that will draw men out of darkness into the light.
I don’t know if your Christmas was merry or jolly or less than you’d hoped, but I know that the spirit of Christmas lives in the hearts of God’s people all year long. Beloved, pack up the decorations but don’t pack away the Joy and peace and hope and love. Keep it out on display – the world needs it now more than ever.

Advent 2023: Joy to the World!

“The Lord will be King over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and His name the only name” (Zech 14:9).
Joy to the world!
The Lord is come; Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room
And heav’n and nature sing, and heav’n and nature sing,
And heav’n and heav’n and nature sing.
“Joy to the World” is one of our most beloved Christmas songs, but it isn’t about Christmas at all. Isaac Watts originally penned these words in anticipation of the return of Jesus. Notice that verse 1 above calls Him the King, if you read the full hymn, you will see that verse 2 celebrates His reign, verse 3 tells of the end of the curse, and verse 4 proclaims Him as the righteous Ruler of the world.
We love the Baby in the manger; He is the embodiment of God’s holy love for mankind. But we must let Jesus grow out of the swaddling clothes and into the crown of thorns to understand the full impact of Christmas on the world. We must envision Him on the cross with the weight of your sin and mine pressing down on the nails that held Him there. We must stand outside the tomb and watch the soldiers roll the stone in place. And we must see Him as the risen Lord standing in the Garden and look to the skies as He ascends back to heaven. Only then can we grasp the fullness of His coming.
And still, that is not the last the world will see of Jesus. Paul said “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 . . .” (1 Thes 4: 16). And Zechariah 14:4-9 describes the scene: “On that day, His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west” (v. 4).
The world missed His first advent, but there will be no missing His second. “Every eye will see Him” (Rev 1:7)! Christmas brings us Joy as we remember Jesus’ birth, but the greatest rejoicing will come when the King of Kings returns to earth to claim His people and His rightful rule over all creation.
Jesus promises, “Behold, I am coming soon!” (Revelation 22:7). And so we say with the Bride and the Spirit: “Amen. Come Lord Jesus!” (v.20).

This is Love

Christmas and love go hand in hand.
Love sent the Divine to earth (Gal 4:4).
Love wrapped the Baby in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger (Lk 2:6).
Love sang to the shepherds (Lk 2:14).
Love appeared as a guiding star (Mt 2:10).
But love isn’t just for Christmas.
Love welcomed the Promise of Israel (Lk 2:25-38).
Love searched for the lost boy for three days in Jerusalem (Lk 2:46).
Love made a home for a son that wasn’t his own (Lk 2:51).
And when the boy grew into a man . . .
Love healed the sick and raised the dead and freed the demon-possessed (Matt; Mk; Lk).
Love refused to judge (Jn 8:10).
Love rejected to devil’s temptations (Mt 4:10)
Love preached the Kingdom of God (Mt 4:17).
Love taught the truth (Matt; Mk; Lk).
Love willingly touched the leper (Mt 8:3).
Love calmed the storm (Mk 4:39).
Love made the blind see and the mute speak (Matt; Mk Lk).
Love spoke in parables that the people could understand (Matt).
Love fed the hungry (Mt 15:29-39)
Love walked on water and rescued a drowning man (Mt 14:22-33).
Love came for lost sons and daughters (Lk 19:10).
Love blessed the little children (Mk 10:13-16).
Love rode a colt into the city (Mk 11:1-10).
Love cleansed the temple (Mk 11:12-17).
Love washed filthy feet (Jn 13: 1-17)
Love broke the bread and shared the wine (Mt 26:126-28).
Love prayed while His friends slept (Mt 26:36-46)
Love restored a wounded ear (Lk 49-51).
Love stood before those who would judge and condemn an innocent man (Jn 18:1-19:16).
Love willingly took the blows (Mk 15:16-20).
Love bore the burden of the cross and the crown of thorns (Mt27:27-31; Jn 19:17).
Love felt the nails (Mk 15:24).
Love covered over a multitude of sins (1 Pet 4:8)
Love made sure His mother was cared for (Jn 19:26-27).
Love said, “It is finished” and surrendered His Spirit (Jn 19:30; Lk 23:46).
Love lay silently in a borrowed tomb (Mt 27:57-60).
Love broke open the grave ((Mt 28:2-6).
Love walked through the garden (Jn 20: 10-18).
Love cooked breakfast on the beach (Jn 21:12).
Love sent the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4).
Love is coming again (Rev 22:20).
Do you know why I always call you “Beloved?” It’s because God loves you with an everlasting, never-failing, eternal, divine and holy love. Don’t believe me? He planted and nurtured the seed that would grow into the tree that would become the cross on which His Son would die. For you.

Advent 2023: Waiting for Jesus

“Simeon’s Moment” Ron DiCianni

The old man shuffling through the temple courts was a common sight. You could tell exactly what time of day it was when Simeon came around. Same gait, same expression, the same sense of yearning. But today there was something different about him. He was excited, his eyes darted around and his feet moved as if every step was determined by a force outside of himself. Suddenly his weathered face lit up like a thousand candles as his arms extended towards a young couple. With Jesus cradled in his arms the old man began to speak in the sing-song voice of worship: “Sovereign Lord, as You have promised, You now dismiss Your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to Your people Israel” (Luke 2:29-32).

Just then an old woman came up to the little group, her eyes bright with wonder and fixed on the infant in Simeon’s arms. “This is Him! This is the One! Oh, praise the name of the Lord – He has sent the Redemption of Israel!” Simeon smiled at Anna and nodded his head in agreement with her proclamation. They had both held tightly to the assurance that God would one day comfort and redeem His people and he was glad to share this glorious moment with his friend.

For the two elderly people, the baby was the fulfillment of a promise they had long held to and yearned to see. Simeon, filled with the Holy Spirit, had been assured by God that he would see the Hope of mankind before he died. Anna, widowed early in her life, had dedicated her years to worship, fasting, and praying for the Messiah to come. It had been such a long time – not just their lifetime, but hundreds of years for the oppressed nation of Israel. In the temple courts that day, their faith was rewarded and they received the child with great Joy.

How do you hold on when the promise of God is a long time in coming? Just like Simeon and Anna did – with faith. They never wavered in their expectations. They never stopped believing that every promise God made was as sure as His name – El Emunah, The Faithful God. Beloved, His name still stands today. You can wait in faith because God is still always and forever faithful. Christmas is the blessed proof that He will never fail to do what He says He will do.

Advent 2023: Wise Men, Shepherds, and Atheists

The atheist philosopher Bertrand Russell, when asked what he would say if he ever encountered God, said he would tell God “Not enough evidence.” I would tell Mr. Russell that all depends on where you looking and the state of your heart.

We so often hear the complaint that Christianity is just “blind faith,” and many simply refuse to believe without “proof.” But that is not what the Bible indicates. God invites us to step into faith with our eyes wide open. He said “If . . . you seek the Lord your God, you will find Him, if you look for Him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 4:29). God does not require mindless devotion to an unseen, unproven entity. He has gone to great lengths to make Himself known. Even through His flesh-and-blood Son.

On the night of Jesus’ birth, God announced the way to this blessed Child. A chorus of heavenly hosts who appeared to the shepherds in the fields – and they told them exactly where to find this Baby – “in the town of David” (Luke 2:11) and how they would recognize Him – “wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger” (v. 12). They responded to God’s revelation – “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see . . .” (v. 15). They determined to follow the evidence that God has given them.

Matthew records another visible and powerful proof of Jesus’ birth as the Magi declared, “We have seen His star in the east and have come to worship Him” (Matthew 2:2). “The star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was” (v. 9). God not only gave directions; He led the way with a star in the sky. They were overjoyed – they sought the King, and their search was rewarded.

There is another path that God has clearly provided for man to find his Creator. That path leads up a hill in Jerusalem, to Calvary, and to the Cross. God made this way clear and unmistakable when He covered that path with the blood of His one and only Son, Jesus. He has declared that this is the way to find Him – the only way. To all who will accept Him, God has promised not only to reveal Himself but to claim the seeking soul as His own. He welcomes those who seek Him with a heart to believe. Beloved, are you seeking that you may believe?

Life is about Knowing God

Do you remember those early days of love, when you wanted to spend every moment together, learning all you could about one another? What is her favorite flower? What is his favorite song? What makes her happy? What makes him laugh? You became “a student” of the one you love.

Do you have the same desire to know God?

He is the greatest love you will ever have and offers you His heart forever. Over and over God’s Word expresses His desire for us to know Him. The same principle in our earthly relationships holds true in our relationship with God. The more we get to know Him, the more we seek to discover all the wonderful things about Him, the more we will love Him. The more we know of Him the more we want to know.  

So how do finite human beings get to know the infinite God of Heaven and Earth?

We study His Word. We read the book He wrote about Himself. We find God in the pages of the Bible. But the Word of God is not just written words. John said Jesus is “The Word [who] became flesh (1:14) and Hebrews declared that “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being” (1:3). Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father . . .  Believe that I am in the Father and that the Father is in me” (John 14:9–10; cf. John 17:6). Everything Jesus did was what He saw from His Father in heaven (John 5:19). Every word Jesus spoke was straight from the Father (John 12:49). To know God, we must know Jesus.

We also determine to walk in His Spirit. Paul said, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Gal 5:25) That means we listen and obey. When the Spirit says, “That young man is cold and hungry. Help him.” We do it. When the Spirit says, “I know you are not the one in the wrong, but apologize anyway.” We swallow our pride and say, “I’m sorry.” John said, “We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands” (1 Jn 2:3).

By engaging our minds to know Him and walking in obedience, our hearts are filled with wonder and love for Him. To borrow from an old 50’s song: “To know, know, know him is to love, love, love him.” Beloved, get to know your God. Fall in love with the One who loves you.

Jerusalem

God called a man named Abram to “Leave your country, your people, and your household and go to the land I will show you.” He promised to make Abram “a great nation . . . and a blessing to all the peoples on earth” (Gen 12: 1-3). Why Abram? Simply because he was God’s sovereign choice. Abram and his wife Sarai obeyed the Lord and set out for an unknown destination. God changed their names to Abraham and Sarah and promised them a child of their own. But after twenty-five years and no baby, she insisted that Abraham sleep with her servant Hagar who would bear a son for Sarah. This they did and they were pleased with the boy named Ishmael. Until.

Sarah miraculously conceived in their very old age – she 90 and he 100 and gave birth to Isaac, the promised child of the Lord. Abraham sent Hagar and Ismael away to protect Isaac’s inheritance. And this is the root of the unrest in the Middle East and the hatred for Israel. The nations that descended from Ishmael – the Arab and Muslim nations today – contend that as Abraham’s firstborn son, he – and thus they – are the rightful heirs to the land God gave his father, the territory of Palestine. But Isaac’s son, Jacob – renamed Israel – and his descendants are heirs to the land according to the Lord.

But the war on Israel goes even deeper than Isaac and Ishmael. It goes back to the Garden of Eden. After Adam and Eve sinned, God declared the destruction of satan through the “seed” of the woman: “I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” (Gen 3:15). One of Eve’s sons – Seth – was the line through whom Abraham and the nation of Israel came. A Jewish baby – a descendant of Seth and Abraham and Isaac and Jacob/Israel was born. Jesus, who is also the Son of God is the seed of the woman from Genesis 3:15. Until his birth, satan used Israel’s enemies to try to obliterate the Jewish people and stop his destroyer from coming. (See Pharoah’s attempt to kill all the Jewish baby boys and the story of Esther.) But He came anyway. Satan thought he had won when Jesus died and was buried, but He came back to life. Prophecy declares that He will come back again and complete the destruction of satan which God proclaimed way back in the Garden. But the Jewish temple – which the Romans destroyed in 70 AD – must be rebuilt on its original site in Jerusalem before He returns (See Rev. 11). That site is the current location of the Islamic Dome of the Rock – the Muslim’s most holy temple.  

Satan is still trying to destroy the Jewish people – the nation of Israel – to prevent the rebuilding of the temple – and Christ’s return. That is why we must “Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6). It is about so much more than a strip of land in the Middle East. It is about the return of the Lord, the destruction of evil, and the ushering in of Christ’s eternal rule and reign. Don’t be afraid of what you see in the world, Beloved. God has not lost control. Not even for a second.