Don’t Waste Your Pandemic

Column for North Huron "Citizen", Apr. 2 2020 issue

    We are now some 3 weeks into the restrictions and nervous uncertainty associated with COVID-19. The Johns Hopkins coronavirus map lists over three-quarters of a million confirmed cases globally, and nearly 37,000 deaths. While Canada’s death toll is still just in the dozens, this is likely to mount in the coming weeks, ‘physical distancing’ notwithstanding. There are hints of community transmission beginning to occur in nearby areas. People are understandably frightened and apprehensive about the infections that are likely to come. Amidst so much negative news, is there any good news? Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter will soon be upon us... Christians refer to Jesus as their Redeemer; is there any ‘redemptive’ aspect to this pandemic? How can we possibly see a silver lining to the cloud, the invisible shroud of dread that hangs over people these days, especially if they are older and at risk, or their health is already compromised in any way?
    The Biblical patriarch Joseph was badly abused and mistreated by his siblings, resulting in slavery in Egypt, with subsequent imprisonment. But even though he suffered greatly, he did not retaliate later in life when he became governor and had the chance; instead, he maintained the Lord had used for good what others had meant for harm. “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” (Genesis 50:20) Joseph was able to find redemptive value in the hardships that had befallen him.
    In 2006 John Piper, a Baptist pastor and author in Minnesota, underwent surgery for prostate cancer. As his treatment approached, Piper penned a short booklet, Don’t Waste Your Cancer, listing nearly a dozen factors he was coming to appreciate in his medical journey. Some of them could be adapted for our current situation, i.e. “Don’t Waste Your Pandemic”.
    “We waste our [pandemic] if we don’t hear in our own groanings the hope-filled labor pains of a fallen world.” We understand from the Bible that creation is in bondage to decay, groaning as a result. (Rom.8:21) Yet there is also a glorious freedom coming for those who believe. This life’s illnesses make us yearn for the better life hereafter which trust in Christ makes possible.
    “We waste our [pandemic] if we believe it is a curse and not a gift.” What a sovereign God permits to occur must constitute part of His design for our growth and maturation. “...We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (Rom. 5:3f) When Job lost all his possessions and his children died tragically, and then was afflicted with painful sores, in faith he was still able to accept it as coming from the Lord: “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” (Job 2:10)
    “We waste our [pandemic] if we refuse to think about death.” The statistics about potential cases, confirmed cases, and deaths continually being churned out by news media can seem overwhelming, but they can bring us face to face with a fact we’d rather avoid: the tenuousness of our own physical existence. We daresn’t take our health for granted any longer. Moses the leader of Israel was well acquainted with grief, having seen practically all of those of his generation buried in the wilderness; he observed in Psalm 90 (10ff), “The length of our days is seventy years— or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away... Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” We need to appreciate that our days are ‘numbered’ rather than limitless in this life.
    “We waste our [pandemic] if we spend too much time reading about [the pandemic] and not enough time reading about God.” The continuous march of the COVID-19 sickness is enough to turn one into a news junkie, if one wasn’t before! The pandemic dominates the headlines. But sometimes, if we’re finding ourselves mesmerized by the endless reports, conjectures, and updates, it may be beneficial to turn off the news and change focus to other media, or interacting with our loved ones near us. The timeless truths of Scripture merit study and contemplation. We can choose to emulate the righteous person described in Psalm 1(2f) – “But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water...”
    “We waste our [pandemic] if we let it drive us into solitude instead of deepen our relationships with manifest affection.” In our exercise of ‘social distancing’, we may encounter loneliness and begin to slip into a depressed state. But Jesus still calls us to “Love one another.” (John 13:34) Mental health would suggest we be intentional about taking time to build relationships with others in our families, and use whatever technological means we can to stay in touch with friends and neighbours.
    “We waste our [pandemic] if we treat sin as casually as before.” The pandemic itself does not threaten our eternal destiny: it’s sin, not sickness, that makes us liable to judgment for falling short of God’s glory and standards for everyday life. These extreme circumstances ought to prompt us to heighten our vigilance against the evil desires that come from within a person and make them unclean. (Mark 7:21ff)
    Finally, “We waste our [pandemic] if we fail to use it as a means of witness to the truth and glory of Christ.” Jesus was very realistic about the suffering and hardship His followers ought to be expecting in everyday life. He observed, “Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matt.6:34) He warned His disciples they would face hardship from authorities on account of their beliefs, but these circumstances would result in opportunities to point others to Him: “But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you...This will result in your being witnesses to them.” (Luke 21:12f)
    The best things in life are not actually in this life at all, but in the relational peace and joy of eternal life’s knowing our loving Lord and Saviour who is working out all things according to His pleasure and wisdom, for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). A pandemic is accompanied by many inconveniences and restrictions and even physical illness or grief or death, but it does serve to remind us we need to release any ‘idols’ that have enchanted us and instead return to loving and getting right with our Holy God, to whom we are ultimately accountable, and who beckons us to place our trust totally in Him. No matter what.

(download John Piper's Don't Waste Your Cancer FREE here)

Why Believe the Bible?

The Citizen column – Feb.24, 2020

            If you were to be confined to a desert island for the rest of your life, and were allowed to take only one book with you, which book would you choose? A lengthy classic novel? An encyclopedia? Or maybe, How to Build a Sailboat?

            Had the famous itinerant preacher and founder of Methodism John Wesley been asked, we could likely guess what his answer would be. He said, “I want to know one thing, the way to heaven – how to land safe on that happy shore. God himself has condescended to teach the way: for this very end he came from heaven. He hath written it down in a book. O give me that book! At any price give me the Book of God! I have it. Here is knowledge enough for me. Let me be homo unius libri [a man of one book].”

            The Bible has for many decades been a best seller, yet it has also been referred to as “the book we dust and trust”. David Nygren observed, “If all the neglected Bibles were dusted simultaneously, we would have a record dust storm, and the sun would go into eclipse for a whole week.”

            But why bother with the Bible at all? How do we know the Bible is true?

            I see at least five reasons to trust the Bible. First, there’s the witness of the earliest eyewitnesses, the original apostles. When a police officer’s investigating an incident, who do they want to talk to most? The eyewitnesses, those who were there and saw with their own eyes what happened.

            The Apostle Peter insists, “We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” (2Peter 1:16) Regarding prophecies of Scripture, he adds, “...Men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

            Consider how the first eyewitnesses were martyred maintaining the factuality of what they proclaimed. If it were a conspiracy based on fiction, someone would have squealed! “People don’t die for what they know to be a lie.”

            Second, there’s the testimony of the church down through the ages. Documents such as the Westminster Confession (1647) and our own denomination’s articles of faith use such terms as “inspired”, “infallible”, “entirelly trustworthy”, “final authority”, “supreme source of truth for Christian belief”. (EMCC.ca)

            Besides the corporate church, I’ve been impacted by the faith of my own family members. Between the ages of 8 and 12 I received various versions of Scripture from my parents, grandparents, the Gideons, and my home church. Today I have in my possession a very old, antique family Bible dating from about 1892 which belonged to my father’s grandfather. These tomes carry special emotional attachment for me, in that they are a witness to the reverence and respect some of my own relatives had for the Bible.

            Third, there’s the evidence of archeology and scientific study. Nicky Gumbel of ALPHA fame does an excellent job in his little book Questions of Life showing how research has demonstrated the reliability of the New Testament compared to other well-accepted historic documents. There are over 5000 Greek manuscripts alone. Textual critics use these to get back to what was probably almost exactly the original version. Sir Frederick Kenyon, a leading scholar in this area, writes: “...the last foundation for any doubt that the Scriptures have come down to us substantially as they were written has now been removed. Both the authenticity and the general integrity of the books of the New Testament may be regarded as finally established.”

            Some might object that minor variances in details bring into question the truthfulness of the accounts – such as, how many angels were actually at the empty tomb? – but criminologists would tell you such minor variances actually bolster the truthfulness of eyewitness accounts, because it shows the reports weren’t simply “copycat” accounts: a variety of viewers were involved.

            Fourth, consider the authority of Jesus Himself – what was the Master’s attitude toward Scripture? Jesus noted, “...the Scripture cannot be broken...” (Jn 10:35) and, while praying, “...Your word is truth.”  (Jn 17:17) But even more remarkable is the way Jesus relies on Scripture at crucial moments. In Matthew 4 He’s being tempted repeatedly by Satan; how does He respond? By quoting memorized Scripture. “It is written...It is also written...It is written...” (Mt 4:4,7,10)

            At key moments, when His earthly future is hanging by a thread, Jesus stakes His life upon the reliability of Scripture. In Matthew 26 He’s being arrested, yet blocks an attempt by His followers to fend off the mob with a sword. Why? “‘Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” (Mt 26:53f) Apparently the Son of Man had a tremendous respect for Scripture, relying on it from first to last in His earthly journey. He understood His life to be a fulfilment of Scripture, as evidenced by His quoting Old Testament prophets such as Isaiah.

            Fifth, there’s Scripture’s own self-authenticating, i.e. Scripture backs itself up. If that sounds a little circular in reasoning, it is, due to an unavoidable logical conundrum: if Scripture is God’s word (written) and ultimately authoritative, what more authoritative thing could there be to back it up? That would make that other thing more authoritative than Scripture.

            Deep conviction about the trustworthiness of the Bible comes in the reading of it, by faith, through the work of the Holy Spirit. We encounter it as God’s living word, speaking straight into our lives, kind of like the Holy Spirit standing behind us reading it aloud to us as the Author Himself. Reformation leader John Calvin wrote, “Our heavenly Father, revealing his majesty [in Scripture], lifts reverence for Scripture beyond the realm of controversy.”

            In other words, as you read it, God Himself validates His word. After all, God’s word is not like our mere human word: “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) The Apostle Paul describes it as, “...The word of God, which is at work in you who believe.”

            The Bible is the book that reads us.

            Jesus concluded His famous Sermon on the Mount with a simple story of two builders whose houses were subjected to a terrific storm of wind and rain. The foolish man’s house fell with a great crash, because it was built on the sand; but the wise man’s withstood the storm because it was built on the rock. Jesus likened the latter to the person who hears His words and puts them into practice.

            When life’s storms come upon us, the truths and promises in the Bible can give great consolation and hope. Billy Graham counseled, “Like Joseph storing up grain during the years of plenty to be used during the eyars of famine that lay ahead, may we store up the truths of God’s Word in our hearts as much as possible, so that we are prepared for whatever suffering we are called upon to endure.”

Weathering the Seasons of Life (The Citizen column – January 23, 2020)

                A meme on social media recently stated something like, “Winter is coming. The entire thing. All at once. In one weekend.”

                By now North Huron has had a good taste of the season, with considerably subzero temperatures and enough snow to make it possible for snowmobilers to finally get their sleds on the trails. My wife and I have been able to enjoy cross-country skiing in several locations. Others will prefer to cozy up by the fire with a mug of hot chocolate (insert favourite beverage here). But, how are we doing in the seasons of life? Are we weathering the storms?

                The start of my own most recent season in life – getting married and putting my house on the market – has prompted considerable downsizing and de-cluttering. Recently I emptied about four bankers’ boxes of old sermon notes and church bulletins from three decades of ministry and trundled them to the road in a wheelie bin to be recycled. Pastoral ministry is very much a ‘disposable’ profession – the best sermons are so contextually tuned they can’t easily be retooled for other occasions. Yet it leaves one wondering, “What am I accomplishing with my life? What do I have to really show for it?”

                The writer of Ecclesiastes observed, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build... a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away...” (Eccles. 3:1-3,6) As seasons in life progress, there comes a time to let go – to uproot, tear down, to throw away. Eventually the final chapter arrives when ‘it all goes back in the box’, so to speak – no one has seen a hearse pulling a U-Haul yet! How can we be sure our lives are having some sort of lasting impact that will outlast our own physical existence?

                Jesus’ Great Commandment and Great Commission imply that at the centre of our endeavours should be, not real estate or relaxation, but relationships – loving one another (Jn.13:34f) and making disciples (Mt.28:19f). Discipleship is life-on-life, it involves interacting with other persons in such a way that what’s godly and positive about us rubs off on the other person, so much that they start to resemble those same positive qualities and attitudes exhibited in us (inasmuch as we reflect Christ).

                As the end of His own earthly life drew near, Jesus observed, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” (Jn. 12:23f) Christ realized that although His own life would soon be over, its purpose would be realized as the message about how He made forgiveness and entry to God’s Kingdom possible would spread all over the world. And this gospel would change vacillating fishermen into bold proclaimers of truth, challengers of hypocritical religion, and deliverers of the oppressed and exploited (e.g. fortune-telling slave girl, Acts 16:18). The Jewish authorities who attempted to muzzle Peter and John after the healing of a lame man were surprised at the effect Jesus had had upon these backwoods yokels. “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13) He had ‘rubbed off’ on them in a dramatic way – and the Holy Spirit was continuing to greatly transform them.

                Whatever season of life we may find ourselves in, God has a purpose for us in advancing His Kingdom – if we will embrace it. The Apostle John exhorted three different generations in his writing: “I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.” (1John 2:12-13) What are the dynamics of your own life with the children you know? The youth with whom you have contact? The senior citizens who call you family, or live next door?

                When our life draws to a close, we want to be able to look back and see how the Lord has used us to help shape others’ lives positively with reference to eternity, even as we begin to lose our own hold on health, wealth, and property. The Apostle Paul was keenly aware of seasons’ advance during the phases of his itinerant life. He made a conscious effort to take others along with him on his journeys and appointed trained leaders in each place where he planted a congregation. Conscious of impending martyrdom by the hostile authorities, Paul charged Timothy his protégé to carry on the work he’d begun, then added: “For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” (2Tim. 4:6-8) Paul obviously derived satisfaction from finishing that season well – even if it was to be preempted by unnatural causes.

                One weekend, three young fellows in a certain city decided to take a bicycle trip into the countryside. Although inexperienced, they covered forty miles in three and a half hours and congratulated themselves on their good time. The next morning, as they prepared to head back to their starting point, they were met by a good friend, who had just cycled the forty-mile trip that morning and was ready to head back. He was an excellent cyclist, and with him pacing the novice cyclists back to town, they made the return trip in just two and a half hours!

                To someone you know, you may well be a ‘seasoned’ expert, having overcome with the Lord’s help various struggles you’ve had in your life. Who are you taking with you, to show them the ropes? Who do you yet need to help ‘pace’ you in your own journey? By God’s grace, may you find similar satisfaction to Paul in doing ‘life-on-life’ well.

Love's Amazing Cover-Up

Sermon at Huron Chapel EMC, Auburn ON
Dec.22/19 - Advent IV  Is.7:1-16 (Mt.1:18-25)
I’LL COVER THAT FOR YOU — ALMOST
This is the fourth Sunday in Advent, when we traditionally light the “Love” candle. A key thought in today’s sermon is that Love covers over a multitude of sins. Bob Goff taught us Love Does. John 3:16 teaches us Love Gives - “God so loved the world that He GAVE His only begotten Son” (etc.). But today we see that Love COVERS. The love God showed at Christmas involved His Son Jesus coming to save us from our sins, to cover the debt we owed a holy God so we could be with Him forever.
    Love COVERS. There are stories going around of the “random acts of kindness” sort where the person ahead in the Tim Horton’s drive-through pays for the car behind – maybe that’s already happened to you! An elderly woman was standing in the checkout line at a grocery store ready to pay for her merchandise: a litre of milk and a loaf of bread. She opened her purse. No money was there; neither was her chequebook. As she was about to ask the clerk to put her things back, suddenly a gentle voice said, “It looks like that is your lunch.” A gentleman was standing right behind her, smiling. "Don't worry," he continued. "Today I want to treat you.Take your things with you." Then the man paid for her merchandise and his own.
    A week passed by, and the woman came back to the store. The cashier recalled the incident and recognized her. She approached the woman and whispered, "Ma'am, maybe you'd be interested to know...That gentleman's cheque — it bounced!" (!)
    When we cover the shortfall for another, there’s a cost to it. The beauty of Christ’s gift at the cross is that it’s rich and pure enough to cover over all our transgressions.
POLITICAL BULLYING: AND WE’RE SURPRISED?
Love’s grace, covering the debts of others, does not come naturally to us. Our fallen tendency is to mind our own business at best, or even try to take advantage of others, rather than pay extra when they can’t manage.
    It’s not been the best week for poor Mr.Trump south of the border: he’s suffered the indignity of becoming just the third president of the United States to be officially impeached. The two charges centre on abuse of power and obstruction of Congress – trying to cover things up when investigators were seeking details. Although the House of Representatives voted to impeach him (following party lines), it seems doubtful the Senate trial that’s coming will actually convict him: again, expected to follow party lines. Instead he may be acquitted. Political alliances override the more fundamental issues of whether what was done was actually appropriate for a person in that office.
    But when you step back and think about it, isn’t it actually remarkable that measures are in place for a nation to impeach its own leader? Don’t we sort of EXPECT politics to be about alliances, intrigue, half-truths, manipulation, manouvering to one’s own best advantage? Would the impeachment process even exist if the country weren’t founded on a cultural past which had Christian principles as its basis?
    In some developing countries, corruption is rampant. Expect to be delayed at the point of entry by some officer secretly hoping for a bribe. Dig further and you may find the line of corruption extends right through to the top: lesser officials pay off their bosses, who grease the palms of their own superiors, and so it goes – up to the top echelon.
    Jesus observed to His disciples in Mk 10:42, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.” He’s not introducing a radical thought here, just making an observation about how the world works, how business gets done in the political arena: rulers “lord it over” others, “exercise authority” – even if that means abusing their power. After King Herod found out from the Magi about Jesus’ birth, did he come to worship as promised? No, Mt 2:16 “When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.” The so-called ‘slaughter of the innocents’ – welcome to our world!
    Secular scholars concede that Jesus was crucified. Not that He needed to have done anything to necessarily deserve it! His life was snuffed out because His popularity made Him detestable to the Jewish leaders of the day, and a threat to their Roman overlords. An innocent man was condemned for the sake of expedience. Pilate the governor and judge said, Lk 23:22 “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty.Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.” (Lk 23:22) But that’s not what happened.
    The criminal crucified just to one side of Jesus bore witness to Jesus’ innocence: Lk 23:41 “We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve.But this man has done nothing wrong.” Even the Roman centurion in charge of the grisly proceedings admitted an innocent man had been condemned and killed: Lk 23:47 “The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, "Surely this was a righteous man."”
    Our fallen tendency to sin and attempt to pin it on someone else goes right back to the Garden of Eden. The serpent suggested if Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit their eyes would be opened and they would be like God; however when they ate the fruit, their eyes were opened, but they realized they were naked and sewed fig leaves together – the first attempt at a cover-up. (Gen 3:5,7)
    Things weren’t much different back around 735 B.C., the time of our Scripture passage read earlier from Isaiah 7. Assyria was the dominant world power to the north. The northern kingdom of Israel (the Ten Tribes) sought to make an alliance with neighbouring Syria to stand up to the Assyrian overlords. Whatcha gonna do when you’re bullied but try to find an ally so you can be stronger together? Then they pressured the southern kingdom of Judah to join their rebellious scheme. When Judah’s king Ahaz refused, they sought to force him by military means. Is 7:1f “When Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it.Now the house of David was told, "Aram has allied itself with Ephraim"; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.” Scary times!
    Coercion, pressure, and force were how things got done in the political world of Israel; ‘might makes right’. Since the northern kingdom rebelled against Solomon’s son, things got more and more unstable. The southern kingdom benefited from orderly succession through the line of David, but not the north. Consider King Pekah: 2Kings 15:25 “One of his chief officers, Pekah son of Remaliah, conspired against him [Pekahiah].Taking fifty men of Gilead with him, he assassinated Pekahiah, along with Argob and Arieh, in the citadel of the royal palace at Samaria.So Pekah killed Pekahiah and succeeded him as king.”
    This was not a new way to seize power. Years before Pekah, Shallum had done something similar: 2Kings 15:10 “Shallum son of Jabesh conspired against Zechariah.He attacked him in front of the people, assassinated him and succeeded him as king.” Can you hazard a guess what eventually happened to King Pekah? 2Kings 15:30 “Then Hoshea son of Elah conspired against Pekah son of Remaliah.He attacked and assassinated him, and then succeeded him as king in the twentieth year of Jotham son of Uzziah.”
    Politics can be vicious, dog-eat-dog, law of the jungle. Power corrupts – in a fallen world. In some ways the wonder is not that a president has done something that warrants impeachment, but that a country has managed to put a system and principles of justice in place that holds its rulers to a higher standard.
    Christians are called to be different. In contrast to the ways of the Gentile rulers who are used to throwing their weight around, Jesus commanded His disciples: Mk 10:43ff “Not so with you.Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” To be a COVERING, a sacrifice on behalf of others.
ONE STRONGER YET – AND MERCIFUL
In a world of political bullies and violent ‘strong men’, God calls us to put our trust in Him and follow His ways; to be different, disciples of the Crucified One. He alone is to be feared, He alone is worthy of our trust.
    God commanded the prophet Isaiah to take his son and meet the king at a certain spot (ironically, the exact place where Assyrians would meet Hezekiah’s officials some years later). The Lord, speaking through the prophet, acknowledges the viciousness of the attack brought upon Israel by its neighbours: v6 “Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it.” But Isaiah encourages Ahaz to have faith in the Lord. V4 “Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm and don’t be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood...’” The attackers may be full of evil intent, but in God’s eyes they’re burnt-out firebrands. He need not be afraid because God is still in control: vv7,9B “Yet this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "It will not take place, it will not happen...” “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.”
    I love the firmness of that declaration: “It WILL NOT take place, it WILL NOT happen...” The Lord, YHWH, is God of everything that comes into being, whatever happens: He is sovereign, we can trust His plans. God promises in v16 that before a young boy that’s born about then knows who to choose between right and wrong, the land of the two kings Ahaz dreads would be laid waste. And in fact that’s how it turned out: Assyria came and crushed Aram’s capital Damascus in 732 BC, and its king Tiglath-Pileser III soundly defeated Israel that year.
    The sign given to Ahaz to reinforce this was going to happen was itself a miracle – a virgin becoming pregnant and giving birth to a son! Nothing is too hard for God. As the angel Gabriel noted when making the announcement to Mary in Lk 1:37, “For nothing is impossible with God.”
    The boy born so wondrously would be given a special name: Is 7:14 “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” That means, “God with us” – that must have been reassuring for Ahaz and his officials to hear! God was stronger than any enemy, and He was not abandoning His people. Even when He disciplined them by sending them into exile in 586 BC, the name of Isaiah’s son accompanying him was a sign of restoration: Shear-Jashub means “a remnant shall return”.
RIGHTEOUS RESPONSE: GRACE THAT COVERS
In all this, the Lord’s loving graciousness is astounding. Let’s back up a minute and consider just WHO King Ahaz is – he could be classed as one of the LEAST deserving of the kings of Judah! Here are six reasons.
1) He gave away all the treasures in the temple storehouses in order to hire foreign help (2Kings 16:8)
2) He burned his son(s) in the fire – how horrid! (2Kings 16:3; 2Chron 28:3)
3) He encouraged corrupt Baal worship in the high places (2Chron 28:24)
4) He replaced the altar Solomon built with one patterned after an Assyrian altar (2Kings 16:14)
5) He used the original bronze altar for divination, a practice strictly forbidden by the Lord (2Kings 16:15)
6) He actually shut the doors of the Temple, forcing worship out into the streets (2Chron 28:24)
    Yet, in spite of all these evil acts – God does not desert His people, abandoning them to the enemy – but comes alongside to deliver them! Such mercy, overlooking the king’s many sins.
    Check out King Ahaz’ attitude in response to the Lord’s offer of a sign to confirm His promise. Is 7:10-12 “Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, "Ask the LORD your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights." But Ahaz said, "I will not ask; I will not put the LORD to the test."” Such stubborn rebelliousness! If God commands you to ask for a sign, it’s not ‘testing’ Him to do what He says! Ahaz just doesn’t want anything to do with the Lord. If he were to ask for a sign, that might make him ‘beholden’ or obligated to God – whereas Ahaz sinfully just wants to do his own thing, rely on his own resources.
    Yet despite this sinful, adamantly stubborn attitude of Ahaz, the Lord goes ahead to provide one of the most breathtaking and awesome miracles in the whole Bible – the sign of the virgin birth. It would be fulfilled over 700 years later, at the coming of Jesus. Matthew points out the fulfilment in Mt 1:22, “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet...” And Matthew, writing in Greek, uses an unambiguous term from the Septuagint so the miraculousness of the conception is clear. Jesus would be absolutely pure and innocent, free of any sin-legacy associated with male lineage.
    Love covers over a multitude of sins. God promised to be with Ahaz’ countrymen despite the king’s transgressions.
    Joseph and Mary were betrothed, a very serious commitment prior to marriage that could only be dissolved by an official action like divorce. When Joseph found out Mary was pregnant, he could have initiated proceedings for her to be stoned! That was the penalty for fornication under the law of Moses (Deut 22:23f). Instead, what did Joseph plan to do? Mt 1:19 “Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.” Quietly – not making a big thing of it: love covers over a multitude of sins.
    Because he was a RIGHTEOUS man...Today when someone’s described as “righteous” the intended meaning may be something like a self-appointed morality-Nazi! But because Joseph was righteous, he did NOT act like a morality-Nazi. He would have covered over the supposed sin, quietly. That’s God’s kind of loving righteousness.
    We see God’s merciful love reflected in the very name given to the miracle-boy. Mt.1:21 “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Yeshua, ‘Yahweh is salvation’, particularly God covers-over our sin. Jesus would be both Son of God and Son of Man, a unique birth of divine origin, sinless His whole life, a perfect sacrifice of infinite value – big enough to bring forgiveness for all people who repent and trust in His name, who He says He is.
    Jesus’ sinless purity is essential for His task. Hebrews 7:25-27 “Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.Such a high priest meets our need— one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.”
    He’s got you COVERED! As the Apostle Paul explained in Romans 4:7f (quoting Ps.32:1f), “Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.” Have you received that sense of blessing? Or are you holding out like King Ahaz, stubbornly resisting so you can keep on sinning?
    What about when people attack us or insult us or treat us badly in our lives – will we respond with loving grace, or in an evil-for-evil manner that spirals downward? Without God’s grace in your life, you don’t have supply to be gracious to others. Listen to two apostles. First, James, the brother of the Lord: Jas 5:20 “remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.”
    And the Apostle Peter states most clearly this quality of love that forgives, absorbs, makes allowance for the failings of others, going the extra mile in forgiving again and again: 1Peter 4:8 “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”
LOVE DESPITE DISAPPOINTMENT
How would you respond if a family member hurt you deeply by something they did? Would you be able to forgive them? It’s not easy. Unforgiveness tears relationships apart. Bitterness hardens into a brick wall. By contrast, Immanuel - God-with-us – makes forgiveness and reconciliation possible, first between ourselves and God, then with other humans.
    In November 1991, Jerry Jenkins wrote an unusual true story about a man awakened in the middle of the night by a phone call. He was groggy. The girl on the other end was weeping. "Daddy," she said, "I'm pregnant." Though stunned beyond belief, he forgave her and prayed with her.
    The next day he and his wife wrote her two letters of counsel and love. Three days later the man received another phone call. His daughter was shocked by the letters. She was not the one who had called earlier...Apparently some other girl had dialed a wrong number! The daughter later said, “These letters are my treasure – real love letters written by a godly father who never imagined he would have to write them to his own daughter:” Here are a few excerpts:
    “Part of me seemed to die last night. Not because of what it means to me as much as what it means to you. You were free to make all kinds of choices. Now you are shut up to a few, and none of them to your liking. But God will see you—and us—through.
    “Though I weep inside, I can't condemn you, because I sin too. Your transgression here is no worse than mine. It's just different. Even if my heart did not shout out to love and defend and protect you—as it does—the New Testament tells me I can't take forgiveness myself and withhold it from others.
    “We think of sin as acts. But sin is a package, an attitude that expresses itself in different ways and to different degrees. But it all comes from the same sin package you inherited through us. Christ is the only difference.
    “God forgives this sin as well as others—really forgives and cleanses. David was a man of God when he went into his experience with Bathsheba and in the grace of God he came out a man of God. And his sin included murder!
    “Satan has no doubt tried to tell you that this affects your standing before God. It doesn't, but it will affect your relationship till you bring the whole matter to Him. There will be a coolness, a separation, an estrangement, until you open the problem by confessing and asking forgiveness.
    “I will not reproach you or [your boyfriend]. I will not even dare to look down at you in my innermost heart, but it is not because the issue doesn't matter. The responsibility is his no less than yours. This is not an ideal basis for marriage. You want a husband who takes you by choice. But if you face the issue and God so leads, He could build a solid marriage. We stand ready to do whatever we can.
    “We're praying much. We love you more than I can say. And respect you, too, as always.
    “Saturday I was very downcast. I tried to sing as I worked outside, and then, increasingly, I seemed to see a calm and loving face I knew was Jesus. It was no vision—I didn't see details—but it was a strong reminder that He is with us and waiting for us to remember this. He loves us and will help us through, especially you. It's great to know Jesus is walking with you.
    “While we can't say that God causes failures, He does permit them, and I think it's clear He uses them to build character and beauty that we’d never have without them. Remember, God’s love is in even this, maybe especially in this.
    “We're glad that in a measure, at least, we can help the daughter we love so much. This is a day of testing, but hold our ground we must. God will give us the victory. That's wonderful. We're looking forward to your being at home. Love, Dad.” Let’s pray.

“What are you Waiting For?” 1Pet.1:3-9 Dec.1/19 (Advent I)

HOPE’S TURN-AROUND
It’s the first Sunday in Advent, the 4 weeks leading up to Christmas. The word ‘advent’ comes from a Latin root meaning ‘arrival’ or “coming”. In this season Christians have traditionally looked forward not only to the annual celebration of Jesus’ birth – actually, we don’t really know exactly when Jesus was born, it likely wasn’t December 25th! – but we also look forward to His Second Coming. The first Sunday in Advent is associated with HOPE, anticipation, looking forward to something positive that has yet to arrive. So we’re not just looking back to an event in history, we’re also looking ahead to our Saviour’s return, taking us to be with Him forever.
    Hope – having something to look forward to – is SO important in life. When despair sets in, motivation to live grows dim. The school system in a large city had a program to help children keep up with their school work during stays in the city’s hospitals. One day a teacher who was assigned to the program received a routine call asking her to visit a particular child. She took the child’s name and room number and talked briefly with the child’s regular class teacher. “We’re studying nouns and adverbs in his class now,” the regular teacher said, “and I’d be grateful if you could help him understand them so he doesn’t fall too far behind.”
    The hospital program teacher went to see the boy in hospital that afternoon. No one had mentioned to her that the boy had been badly burned and was in great pain. Upset at how badly the boy looked, she stammered as she told him, “I’ve been sent by your school to help you with nouns and adverbs.” When she left she felt she hadn’t accomplished much.
    But the next day, a nurse asked her, “What did you do to that boy?” The teacher felt she must have done something wrong and began to apologize. “No, no,” said the nurse. “You don’t know what I mean.We’ve been worried about that little boy, but ever since yesterday, his whole attitude has changed.He’s fighting back, responding to treatment.It’s as though he’s decided to live.”
    Two weeks later the boy explained that he had completely given up hope until the teacher arrived. Everything changed when he came to a simple realization. He expressed it this way: “They wouldn’t send a teacher to work on nouns and adverbs with a dying boy, would they?”
    He found a reason to live! Hope came alive.
    In today’s reading from 1Peter, we find the apostle encouraging those who were facing fiery persecution to keep hope and not lose sight of the good things that they already had and that were awaiting them. After all, we are all waiting for SOMETHING: are our hopes and dreams anchored in what they should be, or misplaced?
PURPOSES IN THIS WORLD’S PROBLEMS AND PERISHING
The month that’s just ended, November, can be a difficult one for some folks. Winter is setting in. Outside things look grey and tired, drab and dreary: nature is shutting down for its long winter’s sleep, temperatures are dropping, darkness is increasing as the days grow shorter and the sun spends less time above the horizon. Green vanishes from plant life as the vegetation seems to all be dying back.
    A prominent word in Peter’s letters is the word “perishing”... Unfortunately, our sin-struck creation being what it is, there’s a lot of disease and death and decay around us. The Bible doesn’t sugar-coat things, it acknowledges the world as it is, realistically. Journalist Malcolm Muggeridge observed, “The depravity of man is at once the most empirically verifiable reality but at the same time the most intellectually resisted fact.”
    Peter writes in v6, “...though now for a little while you may have had to suffer GRIEF in all kinds of TRIALS.” Grief intrudes its unwelcome presence interrupting our day to day struggle for survival. About a week ago I assisted with a short graveside service for my first cousin, a victim of cancer at 72. While returning to my vehicle, a few yards away I passed the graves of my father and mother and brother and wife. The brevity of life really struck me. Life involves loss. Perishing.
    V7 Peter refers to “gold that PERISHES though it is tested by fire” – even precious metals wear down and fade and get lost. At the end of chapter 1, Peter quotes the prophet Isaiah who contrasts our human temporariness with what’s really eternal: “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, ‘All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.’ And this is the word that was preached to you.”
    2Peter 3:10 predicts an apocalyptic end to the material ‘stuff’ that surrounds us: “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 in it will be laid bare.” When you think about it, atoms are mostly empty space with little bits of matter held together by invisible forces of attraction, so it wouldn’t be that hard for the universe’s Designer to suddenly release the laws that hold it all together.
    Are we ready for that to happen?
    The situation was even more problematic for the early Christians to whom Peter wrote his letter in the region of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). Much of the Empire’s capital, Rome, had burned; when suspicion grew that Emperor Nero had set it to make room for his lavish building programs, he spread the accusation that it was Christians who had set the fire instead. Persecution grew as Christians were targeted on account of their faith. They refused to worship the emperor as a god and thus were viewed as atheists and traitors. They refused to worship at pagan temples, so business associated with that dropped wherever Christianity took hold. They didn’t support the Roman ideals of self, power, and conquest; Romans scorned the Christian ideal of self-sacrificing service. And believers exposed and rejected the horribly immorality of pagan culture. (Life Application Bible) So, they became easy targets for persecution – scapegoats.
    Would WE ever stick out and become targets for persecution in our own culture – or do we blend in a little too well, accommodating to its ideals?
    Peter acknowledges the problems his fellow Christians are facing in their setting. 4:12-14 “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.” Painful trials - sufferings - insults: believers were getting harassed and even killed on account of their faith. In fact in his second letter, Peter is quite candid about the likelihood of his own being martyred in the very near future (tradition tells us he was crucified upside-down): 2Peter 1:14f “because I know that I will soon put it [the tent of this body] aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.”
    So much grief and perishing and persecution, so many problems: is there a point to all these difficulties? When life hurts, where can we turn to find purpose, some sense of meaning for it all?
    There’s a little clue in v7 if you look closely. It begins “so that” - which is a ‘purpose clause’, not to be overlooked. Let’s back up and start in at v6: “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.[7] These have come so that your faith— of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire— may be proved genuine AND may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”
    Griefs and trials come, but they have a purpose, Peter insists: they ‘had to’ come SO THAT our faith (so precious, more valuable than gold) may be proved genuine AND so it will bring praise, glory and honour – both to ourselves, and to God to whom we belong. John MacArthur writes, “God’s purpose in allowing trouble is to test the reality of one’s faith.But the benefit of such a testing, or ‘fire’, is immediately for the Christian, not God.When a believer comes through a trial still trusting the Lord, he is assured that his faith is genuine.”
    You KNOW that you know – because you’ve come through it.
    So faith must be pretty important if that’s the reason such trials and griefs are allowed to befall us. Peter’s saying faith is more precious than gold. Faith, according to Hebrews 11:1, is “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see”; without faith it is ‘impossible to please God’, you can’t come to God without believing He exists and rewards those who earnestly seek Him (11:6). Faith perceives what’s unseen in the spiritual realm as real. 1Pet 1:8a “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him...”
    This is a striking fact for Peter because he and the other apostles were the ones who were physically present to Jesus and eyewitnesses of all He did, including His resurrection. 2Peter 1:16,18 “We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” “We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.” So Peter is glad others can believe in Jesus even though they’d never had the privilege of seeing Him and being with Him tangibly as Peter had. That took faith – trust – believing.
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
What we prize and value, we commit to, we devote our energies toward, we’re passionate about. Where faith leads, feelings and force follow. Advent, this season of waiting and anticipation and hope, prompts us to re-evaluate and take stock of what we’re really waiting for, what we’re most keen on in life, what gives our life meaning and we’re striving for. Is Jesus really at the centre, the focal point for our life? Or has something more tantalizing displaced Him?
    Are we eagerly waiting for Black Friday sales, or Cyber Monday deals? Decluttering my house lately, I had to visit the electronics recycling depot several times – computer parts that were once so valuable are now ‘junk’.
    By contrast, Peter emphasizes that believing in Jesus brings rewards both NOW and THEN (later, when He returns). It’s not all just ‘pie in the sky by and by’ – faith brings benefits in our present life. In fact it’s hard to understand how people can find strength to go on coping with life’s many difficulties and griefs and disappointments WITHOUT trust in the Lord.
    Rewards NOW: new being, new joy, new protection.
    New BEING (or BIRTH): V3, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead...” Also we have seen v23, “You have been born again...through the living and enduring word of God.” Being ‘born again’ isn’t some quirky phrase invented by American sports stars or TV evangelists: it’s what Jesus described to Nicodemus, the work of the Holy Spirit re-inventing a person’s life when they repent of their sin and trust in Him. Jn 3:3,5 “...No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again / born of water and the Spirit.” It’s a miracle God works in your life! John 1:12f “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” If you trust in Jesus as your Saviour and commit to follow Him as Lord, you already have a brand new nature, you’re a new being, spiritually speaking – God’s precious daughter or son in a way you weren’t before.
    New joy. Peter’s letter deals more bluntly than most other Biblical writing with persecution and suffering, yet strangely there’s a big emphasis on JOY in the midst of it. V6 “In this (an inheritance kept, and being shielded until salvation comes) you GREATLY REJOICE...” Literally, are ‘exceedingly glad, exuberantly jubilant’. Was that shining from our faces as we greeted each other this morning? Or do we default to ‘sad sack’ mode? V8 believing in Jesus leads us to be “filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy”. Such joy attracts others who otherwise are faced with despair and cynicism in secular society.
    Here Peter echoes another apostle writing about the same time, James, Jesus’ brother. Jas 1:2-4 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” It’s the testing that produces the maturity and completeness – and that’s cause for joy.
    Recently we were watching a horse trainer put an animal through its paces. Part of the training involved dragging a noisy plastic barrel along a gravel road. Another part involved cracking a whip right beside the horse repeatedly so it would learn not to flinch or jump. Another test required the horse to ride straight through a tarp suspended and cut in strips so the horse couldn’t see and also had the irritation of material brushing its face. The more training that goes in, the more valuable the animal. Trials have a marked bearing on the finished product.
    New being (or birth) - new joy - new PROTECTION. Now, already, Peter says in v5 believers “through faith are SHIELDED by God’s power” until the coming salvation in the last time. NLT “God is protecting you by his power...” It’s a military term, literally ‘garrisoned’. There are griefs, but we are being guarded.
    Late Thursday we were coming back on the interstate from a quick trip to the States when cruiser lights started flashing behind us. You automatically think to yourself, “Oh no, what have I done wrong?” After we pulled over, the officer came up to our window and explained our trailer lights weren’t working. Uh-oh! But he went back and wiggled the connector, and on they came. I guess when I’d hooked up the trailer I hadn’t shoved it in quite right, or it had vibrated loose over the miles. (Probably in Ohio!) But he didn’t give us a ticket. Simply said, “Major violation of the motor vehicle traffic act...Have a nice day.” He was doing us the service of PROTECTING us (and others).
    So we are receiving some rewards for our faith NOW; there are others we are promised to receive later, THEN, when Jesus returns and judgment occurs – inheritance, salvation, commendation.
    INHERITANCE: v4 [He has given us new birth] “into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade— kept in heaven for you...” The Bible isn’t specific about the form this inheritance will take; Paul in 1Corinthians 3 talks about fire testing the quality of each person’s work on the day of judgment, then, 1Cor 3:14 “If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.” The good and faithful servants in Jesus’ parable in Mt 25 are put in charge of many things (Mt 25:21,23). Simply being in God’s presence will likely seem as if it’s reward enough.
    THEN there will also be salvation in a more particular sense – being rescued from destruction and punishment in the fires of hell for rebelling against the Almighty Creator. 2Pet 3:12 “...the day of God...will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.” Daniel 12:2 “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.” (You really want to be in the first group!) Salvation from judgment and condemnation.
    THEN there will be commendation for believers. V7 “so that your faith...may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.” God will be honoured by our faithfulness, but we also will receive praise ourselves. 1cor 4:5 “Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.”
SO REAL YOU CAN SEE IT
So, what are you waiting for? What’s lubricating your gears, giving you motivation, keeping you going on the ‘down’ days? Jesus-followers not only rejoice NOW because of so much we’re already receiving – we anticipate eagerly with great hope what’s yet to be unveiled at our Master’s return. Can we picture it? Does the vision of what’s to come keep pulling us forward when it’s muddy in the trenches?
    In his book Winning Life's Toughest Battles, psychologist Julius Segal wrote about the 25,000 soldiers who were held by the Japanese in POW camps during World War II. “Forced to exist under inhumane conditions, many of them died.Others, however, survived and eventually returned home.There was no reason to believe there was a difference in the stamina of these two groups of soldiers.The survivors, however, were different in one major respect: they confidently expected to be released someday. As described by Robins Readers in Holding On to Hope, ‘They talked about the kinds of homes they would have, the jobs they would choose, and even described the kind of person they would marry.They drew pictures on the walls to illustrate their dreams.Some even found ways to study subjects related to the kind of career they wanted to pursue.’”
    Segal goes on to point out that researchers have found that a hopeful attitude can lead to physiological changes that improve the immune system, your body’s defence against toxins and disease. Hope heals!
    As we prepare now to receive the Lord’s Supper, we’re reminded by Paul that this action points ahead to a pivotal event upon which our hope hangs: our Lord’s return. 1Cor 11:26 “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” Until then, may God grant us grace to keep rejoicing in the privilege of participating in His sufferings. Let’s pray.