Thine The Kingdom, Thine The Prize

In earlier chapters of Revelation we have heard about and seen great conflicts between the forces of Christ and the dark powers of the devil, the beast and this dark world. As we move now into the next chapter The Revelation pauses once more to assure us of victory. Those on Mt. Zion with the Lamb are singing for joy as angels proclaim that Babylon the great is fallen and the worshippers of the beast and its image will drink the wine of God's wrath.

Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Blessed indeed," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!" - Rev 14:12-13 ESV

As I write this post the funeral celebration of a sainted pastor whose funeral celebration I attended just yesterday is fresh in my memory.  And though stories of war, starvation, suffering and countless thousands dying or exiled across the world still fill the media, we could celebrate and look forward in hope. The final victory is not yet, but we know it is coming. So we all enter another year of worship, believing that the King who once came in humility as a newborn Child to Bethlehem is coming again as the victorious Lamb to set His people free.

In the words of one of my favorite hymns, on that great Day all the saints of OT times and those of NT times (symbolized by the 12 tribes of Israel x 12 apostles x the perfect number 10 cubed = 144,000), all of them will join in the great celebration. So the hymn writer Herbert F Brokering teaches us to sing with the words of  his great hymn, Thine the Amen, Thine the Praise (Lutheran Service Book, 680):

Thine the kingdom, Thine the prize, Thine the wonderful surprise, 

Thine the banquet then the praise Then the justice of Thy ways, 

Thine the glory, Thine the story, Then the welcome to the least, 

Then the wonder all increasing at Thy feast, at Thy feast. 

Thine the glory in the night, No more dying, only light, 

Thine the river, Thine the tree, Then the Lamb eternally. 

Then the holy, holy, holy Celebration jubilee.

Thine the splendor, Thine the brightness, only Thee, only Thee.  Amen! 

Running With Endurance

I'm still working through John's rock-solid introduction to The Revelation of Jesus Christ. He writes,

I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. - Rev 1:9 ESV

Tribulation and patient endurance! These themes echo again and again in The Revelation:

"'I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. ... "'I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. - Rev 2:2, 19 ESV 

Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. - Rev 3:10 ESV 

And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name." Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. - Rev 14:11-12 ESV

 The Apostle Paul recognized the importance of endurance as well:

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, - Rom 15:4-5 ESV

Just today my wife and I began to make plans to celebrate our upcoming wedding anniversary. I suggested that we go to a local steak house. Now you don't have to ask me to endure the eating of a fine steak washed down with a good mug of my favorite beer. Endurance applies rather to things like my heart bypass operation several years back and the later recovery process. Our spiritual life in Christ is more like that than Sylvia's and my upcoming anniversary celebration. God's Word does indeed speak of Christ's return to carry us as His bride to celebrate in the Father's house. Even now the wedding feast is ready. But we have not yet reached the king's dining hall.

"The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, "See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast."' ... Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.' - Mat 22:2-4, 8-9 ESV 

Meanwhile, however, we face opposition, conflict, temptation and—what's John's word here?—tribulation ! He calls himself our brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance. The parallel word for tribulation is persecution, something I wrote about in the immediately previous blog. We have great enemies out there in the world, enemies led by the prince of this world (Eph. 6:12; John 8:44; 12:31; 14:30; 16:11). And they do not back down.

Aware of that reality we need to teach and preach the truth about the Christian life. Yes, there are victories. Yes, there are miracles. Yes, Jesus is with us always. But tribulation, opposition, conflict and suffering in both body and spirit are ours as well. But let us not be discouraged. Listen again and again to the apostles as they offer encouragement in the Name of the Risen Christ.  

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. - Heb 12:1-3 ESV

What A Happy Time Of The Year

I'm writing about birthdays this week and haven't said a thing about the most famous birthday celebration of all, Christmas! Actually, I did post a bit of history about how we Christians came to celebrate Jesus' birth back in December, 2010. Here's my favorite part of that history. 

There are two theories for the origin of the Christmas (Christ Mass) holiday. In each, the central purpose of the holiday was to celebrate the birth of Jesus. The first theory was based on 3rd century ideas regarding the date of the Earth. It was held by some that the day of creation was March 25. This was arrived at through the a literal interpretation of the Biblical genealogies and some questionable logic (even so, it was a more sophisticated understanding of the creation of the universe and closer to the truth than those held by most cultures at the time). It was reasoned that God's perfection required the second great act of creation (Jesus' incarnation) should coincide with the date of the first creation. Therefore, they believed that Jesus was conceived on March 25. Add a perfect nine months to that, and you arrive at December 25.

It is curious to us who love Christmas and birthdays that Matthew and Luke did not give us more details about the date. But then we realize that it was not the date that was important. What is important is the fact that God has united Himself forever with us, becoming truly a human, born as we are, of a woman, born under the Law, to redeem us so that we might be adopted as the sons and daughters of God. And now that His Spirit lives within us, giving us that new life that can only come from Him, we joyfully call God "Abba! Father!" (Galatians 4:4-6; John 3:1-6).

Jesus first and then others with birthdays in December

In our family, we celebrate our son-in-law's birthday on December 24. We often tease him by asking, "Well, Derrick, whose birthday is more important, yours or Jesus'?" Sometimes we have two birthday cakes, one for him and one for Jesus. By the way, do you even know why we consider it vital to have a birthday cake with candles? There's actually lots of information about it on the web. Linda Stradley writes a History of Birthday Cake on her site What's Cooking America. She says that the cake was first a commemoration of Jesus' birth and later, in Germany, became a celebration for a young child's birthday.

The Wikipedia article on Birthday cake says that the old Romans served "cakes of flat rounds made with flour containing nuts, leavened with yeast, and sweetened with honey at special birthdays." The article goes on to say that the early Greeks put lit candles on cakes to make them glow like the moon, believing that the smoke of the candle carried their prayers to the gods.

Whatever there is to say about the history, it all reminds us of God's continued blessings, most especially the blessing of knowing that Jesus was born a human person and because of Him we are all a part of His forever family. That's why we taught our children to pray during our family's Advent prayers, "What a happy time of the year; Jesus birthday is almost here!"

The History Of The Happy Birthday Song

Sometimes some of us older folks become quite discouraged. Who wants to celebrate another birthday? We prefer instead to join sour old Solomon as he says,

A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth. -Ecc 7:1 ESV

I humbly suggest that if this is your controlling attitude, you miss many opportunities to give thanks to our Lord for His goodness. Birthday celebrations give us one such. Our birthday celebrations can and should include songs of praise and thanks to the One who has granted another year filled with His mercy, love and blessings.


By the way, what do you know about the well known happy birthday song? Here are some Happy Birthday Fun Facts. The story begins at the end of the 19th century. Mildred J. Hill and Patty Smith Hill were kindergarten and Sunday-school teachers. One day, while Mildred was teaching at the Louisville Experimental Kindergarten School where her sister was the principal, she came up with a modest melody we now know as "Happy Birthday." Sister Patty added some simple lyrics to complete the creation of a greeting song for teachers to use in welcoming students to class.

Good morning to you
Good morning to you,
Good morning, dear children,
Good morning to all.

This catchy little tune was first published in 1893 in a songbook, Song Stories for the Kindergaten. Ultimately it proved more popular as a song for the children to sing to their teachers with the final line becoming "Good morning to you."

Snopes reports that nobody knows who wrote the words to "Happy Birthday to you." The lyrics appeared in a 1924 songbook edited by one Robert H. Coleman. Radio broadcasts and sound films popularized it. It appeared in a 1931 Broadway musical The Band Wagon. That musical introduced the song "Dancing in the Dark" and inspired two films. In 1933 the "Happy Birthday To You" song also became Western Union's first singing telegram. Irving Berlin's musical As Thousands Cheer, also in 1933, featured the song.

Neither Western Union nor the musicals compensated the Hill sisters for their song. So Jessica Hill, a third Hill sister who administered the copyright to "Good Morning To All," filed suit in 1934. In court she was able to demonstrate the undeniable similarities between "Good Morning To All" and "Happy Birthday To You." So she secured a copyright for "Happy Birthday To You" in 1935. The copyright was renewed in 1963.  In 1988, Birch Tree Group, Ltd. sold the rights of the song to Time Warner Communications, along with all other assets, for an estimated $25 million. It has been incorporated into millions of music boxes, watches, musical greeting cards and other tuneful products. Forbes magazine reports that the song brings in about $2 million in licensing revenues each year.

The next time you sing the Happy Birthday song, remember where it came from and also remember to give thanks for the millions of blessings that come from our Creator and Lord year after year.

The Sleep Of Death

We continue our meditation upon the nature of human life—and death.

There is a controversy among us Christians about what the Bible means when it speaks about death. Are we in some kind of unconscious sleep until Christ returns to raise us up on the final Judgment Day? Is there a conscious life between our physical death and our resurrection? There are, in fact, several ways to describe the end of bodily life and the continued existence of us humans after that. Consider the following sample descriptions of death.

Gathered to his people

Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. - (Gen 25:8 ESV)

And Isaac breathed his last, and he died and was gathered to his people, old and full of days. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him. - (Gen 35:29 ESV)

Slept with his fathers

Then David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David. - (1Ki 2:10 ESV)

And Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David his father. And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place. - (1Ki 11:43 ESV)

Fall asleep

so a man lies down and rises not again; till the heavens are no more he will not awake or be roused out of his sleep - (Job 14:12 ESV) 

And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. - (Dan 12:2 ESV) 

The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, - (Mat 27:52 ESV)

After saying these things, he said to them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him." - (John 11:11 ESV)

Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep . . . But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep . . . Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, - (1Cr 15:6,20,51 ESV)

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep - (1Th 4:13-15 ESV)

Dead are alive

'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not God of the dead, but of the living." - (Matt 22:32 ESV) 

But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. - (Luke 20:37 ESV)

From these and similar passages it is safe to conclude that death is for us believers absolutely nothing to fear. It is frequently and often described as sleep. When tired we welcome sleep. It is a peaceful and much needed thing. It is a time of refreshment and preparation for the tasks of the next day.

The difficulty that many have with the sleep passages is that they assume sleep to be a state of unconsciousness, a time when we are totally and completely oblivious to anything. That is not how the Bible describes sleep. For those who have committed their spirits into the hands of the loving Father and His Son Jesus it is a time of refreshment. Sleep is a time of sweet dreams, visions, peace and happiness in the presence of God.

If you feel that sleep is always a state of unconsciousness, consider the following. Modern specialists describe sleep as a time when your brain is busy organizing and correlating memories. Sleep. they say, allows your brain to better process new experiences and knowledge, increasing your understanding and retention. I suppose that is a useful way to describe sleep, but it does not reflect the full understanding revealed in Scripture. We are much, much more than a body with a brain. We are a living soul with a spirit. And for us bodied-spirits sleep is also a time when we are open to communicate with angelic spirits, with demons even and with God. Shut off from the realm of the conscious world around us, we become open to the realm of the spirit. Consequently during sleep God often communicates with His people through visions and dreams, as well as by sending angelic messengers. God's people, in turn, speak with Him and praise Him. These sleepers see God, worship Him, sing and celebrate with God's people, with those who have temporarily left bodily life and await the joyous resurrection and restoration of full body/spirit life in the new creation.

Consider the following examples:

And he (Jacob) came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! - And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, "I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. . .  etc. (see Gen 28:11-17 ESV).

Then I heard the sound of his words, and as I heard the sound of his words, I fell on my face in deep sleep with my face to the ground. And behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. And he said to me, "O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you." And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. - (see Dan 10:1-21 ESV)

And her (Mary's) husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, - (See Matt 1:19-25 ESV)

So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD . . . Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eye was undimmed, and his vigor unabated. - (Deu 34:5-7 ESV)

And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. And Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah." He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him." - (Mat 17:1-5 ESV)

Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. - (Rev 14:1-3 ESV)

Take comfort then, dear friend and believer in Jesus. Death has no sting for you or for me. It is but a wondrous sleep, a time of happy dreams, a time of singing and rejoicing with your fathers and mothers, a time of being in the presence of Jesus and our Father to hear them speak to us personally. This short and mysterious period of celebration in the Father's house will be a time of peace, comfort and anticipation. For soon, very soon, the Day of the resurrection and restoration of our bodies will come. Then in the new creation we shall live together to serve our God and rejoice in His presence time without end.

Leave, Cleave and Weave

Beverly and Max

Last weekend I was privileged to help Beverly and Max renew their marriage vows on the occasion of their 40th anniversary. Some of their dear friends and family members joined Sylvia and me to celebrate the occasion.

This happy time brought back memories of the many couples whose weddings I blessed with the Word of God and prayer. It has long been my custom to counsel with these couples before the actual ceremony. Our discussions in those pre-marital sessions revolve around three Biblical concepts from Genesis 2: Leave - Cleave - Weave.

Leave - A man leaves behind his childhood to move into the mature responsibility of being a husband. A woman leaves the protection and care of her family to come under the loving care of her husband. Of course it isn't always quite that simple; many scenarios precede any given marriage. The point, however, is that the man and the woman are leaving the past behind and moving forward to something new.

Cleave - I have learned to use that word to describe the next step in this wonderful process in its earlier, secondary meaning: adhere to, hold to, abide by, be loyal to, be faithful to. This is what marriage is all about. For the remainder of their lives these two will cleave to one another to the exclusion of all others. That leads to the next and related process.

Weave - They spend their lives becoming one. This is where the challenges arise, particularly because of our human natures. A husband and a wife remain separate individuals who must struggle to overcome their self-centered sinfulness. Failure to do this leads in all too many cases to adultery and divorce. But, as in the case of Max and Beverly, when couples learn to accept, forgive and love one another, the weaving leads to celebration and happiness.

It is fascinating that the Apostle Paul interrupts his instructions about marriage with these words: "This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church." What could he possibly mean?

The mystery revealed is indeed profound. Our heavenly Father loved this broken, adulterous and fallen world of men, women and families. This is why He sent His Son. Jesus came, leaving behind His glory and majesty to become one with us in our sin. He loved us and sought us out in a love far beyond that of any husband. He bound Himself to us by His life and His death upon the cross. Our griefs and sorrows became His. He was separated from His God for us. And now we are about to celebrate again His victory and the marriage feast of the Lamb of God. In a week a large portion of our world will share anew the news: "Christ is Risen! Alleluia!"

We who are His Bride, the Church, will spend eternity weaving our lives with and into His. This has already begun as He lives in us and we in Him in a relationship far deeper and more wondrous than any human marriage.

Beverly did not know what Max and their son were planning. The celebration was a complete surprise to her. And that is indeed what we who learn to know about the love and mercy of Jesus experience as well. How could He have such love for us? But He does and that is indeed something to celebrate--forever!