Nothing Lasts

1-9-15

Weather report from Heaven: Sunny and bright with lots of singing and rejoicing.

Bible verses of the day: Genesis 1:31 "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day."

Genesis 3:23-24 "So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. ²⁴ After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life."

Nothing lasts! I mean nothing at all lasts. Look at how fast the whole story of God's prize creation changes from one of God being content with the human race He had created to one of such disgust with their disobedience in the Garden that He banishes them from ever entering it again. Two chapters later, the whole picture has changed and with it the fate of all of mankind. God's plan wasn't meant to include rebellion. He though given free choice, man would choose the contentment of knowing that they could have perfect peace and enjoy everything in creation except for one little tree. Imagine His surprise and disgust when Adam and Eve were more interested in the one thing they couldn't have, then all they did have. No wonder we all still struggle so much with greed and focusing on what we don't have instead of being content with what we do have. It is inherent in our human nature traced all the way back to the first human beings.

Well luckily God had a backup plan or else we would all be destined for eternal separation from Him. Through Christ and His eminent return, one day all believers will get to experienced the original plan that God had for us here on earth. Namely, to live without sin and evil and darkness in a world of blissful contentment surrounded by His unencumbered glory. When you look at that way, is it any wonder that nothing lasts if even the most idealistic living conditions ever know to man couldn't last but for a brief moment? It makes you appreciate even more God's unfathomable love for us in that He was still willing to pay the ultimate, unimaginable cost of having His son come to earth, suffer through the worst of all human suffering, ending in an excruciating crucifixion, just in order to give us a life line back to His Holy presence. In His righteousness He could not receive us in our sinful state, but loved us too much to leave us out of His "family." Christ;s death and resurrection that paid the penalty due us for our sinful rebellion, at its core restored our ability to be called Heirs of His Kingdom. Now that is true love, More than anything we can ever fully comprehend or imagine.

But given our current fragile situation on earth until the return of the Eternal King, is it really any wonder that nothing lasts? Relationships are falling apart left and right. It seems like marriage is a convenience rather than a commitment, where it is as easy as writing check to get out of something that is not working, rather than investing time to fix it. Friendships last as long as both parties are getting what they need from the other, but as soon as the equation tilts just a bit from equilibrium, then it is on to the next 'friend." Jobs come and go, companies get bought and sold, and employees get tossed around like dishrags trying to put their hope in what they do, only to find out what they have been doing doesn't exist anymore. Putting your "security" in a job, or a company, is not what it once was a generation ago. Then there was a two sided commitment on behalf of both the employer and employee. But those days are as a dead the Dinosaurs. Our health is good today and bad tomorrow. unexpected news can pop up at anytime and that can rock us to our core. People we love get sick. People we love die. It shakes us and causes us grief. It rattles our sense of stability, which is an illusion in itself.

Sports team win championships one year and are celebrated as heroes. The next year they fail to repeat and are vilified as goats. The media is so sensationalized, that it is constantly looking to tear down those who a short while earlier it was lifting up. Politicians rise to power on the hopes of being able to "fix" things, only to fall in a heap of corruption and abuse of power. Love affairs that start out steamy sometimes end in deceit or even murder. Mortal man is no match for the lust of the flesh. See David and Bathsheba. See anyone you know who has had an affair that has caused great heartache. We are all vulnerable. The evil one is crafty.1st Peter 5:8 points that out. Nothing has really changed there since Christ was on the earth, and it never will. 

Nothing lasts. Period. Except for the promises of God that are fulfilled in His son Jesus Christ. "He is the same yesterday today and forever", as promised in Hebrews 13:8. His return is inevitable, as promised in Revelations 22:12-13 "Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. ¹³ I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. He alone will restore us and make things the way they were meant to be in the beginning. He promises in Revelation 21:4 that "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Until then, nothing will last. Anxiousness will be our constant companion as we desperately try to cling to things which themselves are slipping away. No wonder why we feel anxious. Everything is in motion and everyone is looking out for themselves. But the best news of all is even that won't last. Soon, Christ will return and make everything new. Everything newly created will be the way it should have been all along and that will last forever. Amen!

2015. Hooray or same old stuff, different year?

1-5-15


Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.


Bible verse of the day: Genesis 50:20 "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."


It is funny how we approach the New Year. Some people are so excited, they get themselves all in a tizzy about all the changes they are going to make in their life and the new commitments that they plan to keep in order to make themselves look better, feel better or act better. Others look at it and begin to dread almost immediately that the short pause they just experienced during the Holidays, which allowed them a brief respite to catch their breath and take a moment to look around them and get a glimpse of the big picture, is already in the rear view mirror and the rat race has begun all over again.


In the past, I have been on both sides of this coin. Now, I try to look at the New Year from a perspective of just trying to keep things in perspective. In other words, not to get too high or too low, but to use this period to draw closer to God, to restore my joy in all that He is and has done in my life, and to be open to His leading by spending more time in His word, and then praying and listening for His guidance. It did strike me today, that on January 5th as I drove my kids to school, and watched all of the rude and impatient drivers already in a foul mood, that our peace in this world can be very fleeting. In the U.S., if we are lucky, we may take one or two weeks off over the Holidays to be with family and generally relax and enjoy ourselves. In other parts of the world, it is more like a 3-4 week vacation period to cleanse the old and prepare for the new. Why are we so bad in this country at taken time off? Oh well, that is a what happens when we live in a society that has bought into the lie that we never have enough, or are only as good as our last triumph. The wheel has to keep spinning and we have to keep moving. The mask of busyness is full of deceit, but we don't want to pause long enough to ask ourselves the really tough questions, the ones that cause us introspection, so we just keep on running, like Hamsters on a wheel, until we can't run anymore.


As I opened up some of my emails from the last week and began to delve into my work, there was a point in my mind where I already felt "burned out" and it is only January 5th! The constant pace and activity and the need to type thousands of words a day to just keep up seems so silly. What happened to a simple phone call, wasn't that a lot easier in hindsight? Why is everyone too busy to talk, but not to type, which take much longer and causes more stress? Not to mention Carpal Tunnel and various other disorders such as a tight back and aching shoulders. It got me thinking, is the Internet really a tool that has made our lives easier and more productive, as promised, or just faster and ultimately more stressful. We seem like we have no time, even when we have been off for a few weeks and should be rested and raring to go. We were not meant to live life at a pace that leaves too little time for the things that really matter, at the expense of just keeping up with the Jones's.


So from a Biblical context, I was wondering if the Internet is being used by the evil one to destroy people or by God to draw people closer to Him. I think I found the answer in the scripture above. Not a full proof, 100% correct type of answer, but more of a theory. If people are tired or stressed, they are less likely to spend time in God's word or feel "good" enough to pray or be keen to listen. Score one for the enemy. However, at a certain point, if people feel like there is no peace in their life and they reach a point of great despair, that seems like a place where they might finally give God a shot, and thus may say from a vulnerable and weak position, " Lord help me! I can't take this anymore. I have seen and heard people's stories when God broke into their darkest moments, be it addictions or depression or what have you, and in an instant realized that the peace that God offers is the only true and lasting peace. Philippians 4:7 " The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. John 14:27 " My peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." Matthew 11:28 " Come to me, all who are weary and heavy burdened, and I will give you rest."


It sure seems that Jesus realized that in this world we were going to be tired and need some help and He made it perfectly clear throughout the New Testament that He was that place of refuge.  The harbor in the tempest that we all would long for at some point in our life. And that was well before the internet! I guess people were tired from running messages or work all over the place. So as we start 2015, my resolution is only to do my best to stay close to the only real and lasting source of peace in this crazy and fast paced world in which we live. I can guarantee this in 2015: Everyone will need something from you immediately. Everyone will demand things that are unrealistic. Everyone will put their needs before yours at some point this year. Our only hope is to find that perfect rest in the arms of our Savior, who will use us as examples of what true peace and contentment really looks like to a world in desperate need of rest, if we will only let Him. If I was already feeling stressed today on January 5th, what other choice do I have? Come Lord Jesus, Come! May we all find what Paul found in Philippians 4:11, in the midst of all the chaos that was swirling all around Him and is swirling all around us today, " I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances."