eternity – Page 4

The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears
    from all faces;
he will remove his people’s disgrace
    from all the earth.
The Lord has spoken.
Isaiah 25:8

As I write this, we are only a few weeks away from Christmas. Around this time, we frequently see the phrase, “Peace on Earth!” But like so many popularized snippets in the Bible the meaning can be confused when interpreted from a worldly point of view. “Peace” so often means a lack of something – strife, war, noise, chaos. But in God’s universe, it is an addition of something.

Having grown up in San Diego I had the fortunate experience of learning to sail. As a Girl Scout, I started out in small, one-man sabots. Eventually, I became skilled at sailing catamarans and larger sloops. I’ve even been a crew member on an old sailing ship which sailed the 31 miles from Long Beach Harbor across the ocean to Santa Catalina Island. What an amazing trip! On many of those sailboats you’ll find what’s called a set of lifelines. They run from stem to stern along the edge of the boat. Its purpose? To be used as a last chance handhold before plunging into the water.

That’s how I see God’s peace brought into our world and more specifically my life. Peace, as brought about by the coming of Jesus, is not the lack of something, it’s the addition of our new lifeline. God promises throughout the Old Testament that He will send His messenger to wipe way our tears and to bring us salvation. And when Jesus arrived, so many people misunderstood His purpose. It was not to become an earthly king and conquer all our physical adversaries. He came to teach us that His ways are higher and His love for us so great. You see God doesn’t always want to change our circumstances, but He always seeks to change us. When we study how Jesus handled strife and chaos and follow in His ways we live in peace.

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.
John 14:27

This bringing of His Peace – the incarnation of Jesus – was more clearly defined for me this year. About 11 months ago, my mother-in-law was diagnosed with uterine cancer. I love my mother-in-law as my own mom. She has taught me so much about Jesus and His ways. She has shown me grace when I didn’t deserve it. She has provided a warm and loving place for me to land when life has been too much. I had been praying fervently for a more positive diagnosis.

So that day, I went for a long walk through our nearby, secluded canyons and yelled out loud at God. Yes, I yelled at the Almighty. I pleaded with Him to not take her from me yet. My heart, mind and soul were the opposite of peace. And like the boat lifeline, He suddenly placed Himself between me and going off the deep end. His Holy Spirit stood square in front of me and reminded me that death is not the end. He showed me that when the day comes for my beloved mother-in-law to leave this world it would be a joyous one for her. You see, she would be reunited with her own mother. He showed me a picture of the two of them playing their favorite card games, teasing each other, and laughing their heads off. And it made me smile. It filled me with joy.

I had accepted God’s peace. There’s the covenant agreement. He sent His Peace On Earth in the form of His Son. And I accepted it. I frequently try giving it back, but less and less as I place my trust more firmly in Him.

This year of 2020 had been very difficult for many. As a Christian I have grasped a hold of God’s lifeline so often to stay in His peace. It’s important for us to remember that God wants us to live in today, not yesterday or tomorrow. So, when we dream blissfully about how much better 2021 “just has to be,” we make the mistake of missing out on how good God can be for us right now. We miss out on the opportunity to live in His peace.

There has never been a year in the history of the world, after Eden, where there was not disease, strife, war, death and pain. And 2021 will be no different. But God’s promised peace is our lifeline. It will guard our hearts and minds. No matter the dark seas on either side, we can rest in the knowledge of His love and our eternal salvation.

Before I became a Christian and even when I was a “baby Christian” I’d hear a lot of phrases from the Bible thrown about by believers and non-believers. Passages such as “judge not, lest you be judged” (Matt 7:1) and “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Phil 4:13) are frequently taken out of context and misused. And then there’s the quotes that aren’t even in the Bible such as, “God helps those who help themselves,” “God will never give you more than you can handle,” and “Love the sinner, hate the sin.” While all those sound good, we must always be careful not to put words in God’s mouth. Along with all of these I think one of the most misunderstood concepts people have is about being wealthy. Non-believers will use this against successful Christians. And believers sometimes think having wealth is a sin. When Jesus said,

“How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
Luke 18:24

This was in response to asking a wealthy ruler to give up all his power and wealth and come follow Him. The ruler was very sad because he was very wealthy and he wasn’t all that honest. It’s necessary to know that no one is saved by giving up all their wealth. What Jesus was really asking of the ruler was to be honest about what he coveted. There was much more going on in this story than a man being told to give up his wealth to follow Jesus. This is why I keep hearing over and over these days to not just read the Bible but to study it. Take, for instance, this famous poem by William Wadsworth:

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze …
“I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud“

If we were to just read it for what it basically says we would think he was a lonely man who thought he was a cloud. And when he saw some flowers he thought they were actually dancing. Sounds like someone on drugs. But when we study the poem, we find a beautiful short tale about a man who loves nature and finds joy whenever he sees daffodils. Therein lies the need for great Biblical teachers and pastors.

As we explore the last chapter of James, we find him being very angry with the wealthy members of the church. Not because they are wealthy, but just like the ruler Jesus admonished, they have turned their wealth into their god. They have cheated and lied all in the name of increasing their wealth. How many of us today covet our bank account in lieu of helping those in need? As an American, even our poorest are considered wealthy in relation to other countries. Just having a home, a steady job, owning one or two cars, having three meals a day, a closet full of clothes, a tv and more, far and away exceed what others have. And none of that is wrong. James condemns the wrong use of riches – using wealth as a weapon rather than a tool to build others up. I’ve heard so many people over the years actually worry that Jesus will ask them to give up all their money and become a poor missionary. I say, if that’s truly what you are worried about then be careful, that just might be what God asks you to do!

How many times have you heard people say they’re worried God will ask them to be another ‘Mother Teresa?”

James doesn’t stop there. Our lack of patience, our lies (both little and big), our lazy prayer life, and our lack of desire to help our fellow Christians grow and be their best in the eyes of Christ, are all on display this week in James 5.

If we aren’t careful so much of James can turn into one of those misused verses or phrases. If we remember two things as we work on the final week of this study let them be this: 1) it is always about what is in our heart that Jesus cares about and 2) thankfully we are given grace each and every time we confess that we have forgotten the first.

Tag: eternity

The Addition of Peace

Heart Lessons