“And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn our in the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away” (Matthew 27:59-60).

In that quiet place, the stone having been rolled over the entry and sealed, Mary and Mary having observed, and now with soldiers sitting there, little was known that though the body of Jesus lay still in that rocky tomb, there was very much going on in the spirit.

I am no theologian–well, maybe I am. Given all my studies of the Scripture for forty-three years, maybe I am a bit of a Bible-scholar, eh? That said, I make no such claim. But I do think upon Scripture much, and when I read certain things, other things come to mind. That said, my mind goes to thinking what transpired during that span of time the corpse of Messiah laid wrapped up in cloth in Joseph’s grave.

I’ve taught on the theme of resurrection before in my Foundational Truths class. And in my teachings on Righteousness I’ve also covered briefly this multi-day period between Jesus’ death and His resurrection.

We all know the reason for the crucifixion. Christ died for our sins. He bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we being dead to sin might live to righteousness. Jesus gave His life a ransom for many. He not only bore our sin, but Paul teaches He became our sin. He became, as it were, a loathsome thing to God. He was punished by God with the punishment that was our punishment, that was our due on account of sin. I think most Christians understand this, at least the just of it.

Punishment for sin however does not mean simple, physical death. It means eternal banishment from God. It means forever in hell. It means you are forever cut off from God with no chance of returning. It means there is this chasm between you and God which cannot be spanned. The good news of the gospel is that Jesus is the mediator between the two of you, that He can bridge the gap–but that is a topic for another time. I speak about what was happening between Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

What I mean to say is that in paying the penalty for our sin, the brutal and unimaginable pain of being crucified was not the end of it. In fact, it was not even the greatest suffering to be had by our Lord. No, the greater pain of all time and eternity was that of the Son–forever one with the Father, being cut off from the Father.

We breeze over the cry of Jesus from the cross when He said, “My God! My God! Why have You forsaken Me?” We cannot for a moment consider Jesus was just saying this to make sure He fulfilled the Scripture. No, He fulfilled the Scripture by being cut off from God, forsaken by the Father. Jesus Christ, the Son of God from all eternity; one with God, of the same essence as God, Himself the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, this One was at the moment of crucifixion, separated from God. He experienced in real time what every man, woman, and child will experience when their time comes and they have not been reconciled to God. Banished from God. No, His cry was a real one. He, in agony no man could ever imagine, truly questioned the Father: “Why have You forsaken me? Why? Oh, why? “

Yet He did not give up His faith. He said, “Into Your hands I commit my spirit.” And, “It is finished.” Meaning to say, “I’ve done what you commanded Me to do.” “I’ve born the punishment due these, and as the worst part, I am banished from You.”

If we believe in the atonement at all, and are at all familiar with the Scripture, we know it did not end there–the punishment, I mean. No, what awaits all men apart from God is not only physical death, and not only an eternal separation from God, but assignment to the dungeons of the damned, the garbage heap of humanity–Hades, or hell as we would know it. To pay the penalty for our sin, fully pay it, Jesus had to go to hell.

Now this is where I might be a little theologically unclear. Maybe that is because the theology itself is unclear. But the trusted creeds tell it this way, and I believe Scripture supports it, if not outright describes it.

It is written that, “He ascended”–as in the resurrection, but then says, “what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth?’ And, in another place, “You will not abandon My soul to Hades”–that is to say, “You will not leave Me in hell.”

I think the kingdom of darkness thought it had clinched the deal upon the death of Christ and His being forsaken by the Father. They had Him now. Now the whole earth, their domain then and even now, was theirs and would be forever uncontested. They had Him in their clutches. I’m thinking, just speculating because I don’t really know, that Jesus must’ve experienced at least a taste of that awful place: He had to experience what all lost souls indeed will experience, if He were to fully pay the price, to fully “taste death for every man”.

But Death nor that dark kingdom could not hold Him (Acts 2:24). No, instead He stripped them of their powers. He made some declarations, some proclamations to them there in that prison (1 Peter 3:18-20). And then, wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles, the Power of God showed up, the glory of the Father, the Holy Spirit. And He yanked Him up from that God-awful place. He was innocent. He was the Son of God. The Father said, in effect, “No way, Jose!” On His way up, He laid hold of those held captive. He disarmed the rulers and the authorities; He made a public display of them (Colossians 2:15). The timing was such that upon His being snatched up by the Holy Spirit, His spirit was reunited with His body and, lo and behold! The resurrection!

Again, I am speculating as to some of this. Not one of us knows for certain what happened during that time Jesus body lay in the tomb. But we get glimpses. And we know He fully paid the penalty for our rebellion against God.

“The Lord (that is, the Father) was pleased to crush Him (Jesus), putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the Lord (the Father) will prosper in His hand. As a result of the anguish of His soul, He (the Father) will see it and be satisfied; by His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant (Jesus), will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will allot Him a portion with the great; and He will divide the booty with the strong; because He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:10-12).

The thing to learn from all this is that it was of God. The Father was pleased to crush Him. In observing the anguish of Jesus’ soul, the Father would be fully satisfied. Jesus would bear our iniquities and, by this, make us right with God.

Because there seems to be some ambiguity about who is and who is not a Christian, I thought it worthwhile to investigate the matter from both a Scriptural and logical perspective–the former being the only one that counts.

First of all, it should be noted that the title Christian is one conferred on people professing Christ, not one those so identified placed on themselves. It was in fact outsiders, non-believers, who labeled the adherents of Christ. Acts 11:26 records that “the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.”

Here we have the most important clue as to what a Christian is: he is a disciple of Jesus Christ. So what, pray tell, is a disciple?

A disciple, by definition is simply a pupil, or a learner. It denotes “one who follows one’s teaching.” When we read in what is called The Great Commission, where Jesus said to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,” what He is saying, literally, is to “Go enroll students.” That this is so is heard in what He said next, “Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (see Matthew 28:18-20).

So then, if a Christian is anything, he is first of all a student of Jesus Christ.

This is seen further in a statement Jesus makes in John chapter 8. Here He says, “If you continue to follow my teaching, you are really my disciples” (verse 31). In other words, you are a disciple–a Christian–if you follow the teachings of Jesus.

Taking this a step further, or rather expanding on these words, you could accurately say that a Christian is a follower of Jesus Christ. You cannot read any of the four gospels and miss hearing Jesus repeatedly say, “Follow Me.” It is only logical then that a Christian is a person who follows Jesus Christ by following His teachings.

Among these teachings are Jesus’ words, “You must be born again” (John 3:7).

There is quite the divide between those who consider themselves Christians these days. It is assumed that because you were brought up in a Christian home, or live in a so-called Christian nation, or attend church regularly, that you are a Christian. Not so. A follower of Christ must be, in Jesus own words, born again. The prescription for this is found earlier in John, chapter 1 verses 12-13:

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

So it is that the Christ must be received into the heart and the life. When a person does this, he or she is born again.

It is not as though anyone can judge; God knows the heart, we don’t. That being said, you can observe how others behave. Its like Jesus said in another place, “By their fruits you shall know them.” In other words, you should be able to tell who is a Christian and who is not by how they spend their time and the things that they do.

A life lived doing good, however, does not necessarily spell ‘Christian’; there are non-believers who do good things. A Christian, however, does them for the right reasons and gives the credit to God.

Some think Christians are so because they read their Bibles and go to Church. And Christians should read the Bible–after all, it is the Word of God and contains the teachings of Jesus. And go to church they should; not only does the Bible encourage this, it is only natural for Christians to want to be with other Christians. “If we walk in the light,” John writes, “we have fellowship with one another.” The desire to fellowship with other believers is normal if you are walking in God’s light.

Coupled with all these things, perhaps the greatest give-away of those who are truly Christian is that they seek to live as Jesus did. That is, they seek to be Christ-like. They read or listen to His words and try to order their lives accordingly. Again, the apostle John writes,

“This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did” (1 John 2:5-6).

Of course, it is all a process, a life-long one. Which is another reason we must not judge. However, as we have seen, it is pretty clear as to what being a Christian is all about; if a person has no interest in learning from Jesus and trying to live life as He did His, then it may well be that person had better drop the label.

Charles Finney, a Presbyterian minister and a leader in the 2nd Great Awakening in America, said this,

“If there is a decay of conscience, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the public press lacks moral discernment, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the church is degenerate and worldly, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the world loses its interest in Christianity, the pulpit is responsible for it. If Satan rules in our halls of legislation, the pulpit is responsible for it. If our politics become so corrupt that the very foundations of our government are ready to fall away, the pulpit is responsible for it.”

I record these words here not to place judgment upon our nation’s churches, but rather to underscore the vital role the pastor plays in the spirituality of our collective people. If the church is the pillar and support of the truth, which it is, then the pastor is its spokesman. We cannot but be thankful, then, for the man or woman of God who–without concern for what man thinks, but for what God says–boldly speaks the truth of God’s word. This being said, we cannot underestimate the value of the pastor in the shaping of the hearts of men.

I believe it is an absolutely true biblical view that the church of Jesus Christ is to be the primary culture shaper out of all the influences present in the world today. Sadly, less than 50% of Americans have confidence in the church as an institution–42% to be exact, with this being down from 57% just twenty years ago (Barna, 2016). If Finney is right, the decline in both the church and the nation is directly attributable to the absence of leadership from the America’s pulpits.

It is my personal belief that pastors–not politicians or celebrities from the sporting or TV/movie world–are to be the leaders of our country. History tells us they were at one point; they are obviously not at this present time.

The Bible informs us that pastors are gifts from God. Paul writes in Ephesians chapter 4 that, “When (Christ) ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, and He gave gifts to men” (verse 8). He goes on to explain that, “He gave some as apostles, some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers” (verse 11). So then, the idea that pastors are mere hirelings that do the bidding of church boards or congregations is not a biblical one. Pastors, along with the other ministry gifts Paul lists, are responsible to teach people what God says so they can be responsible, mature, and productive contributors to both church and society.

That this role has been demeaned, minimized, and even ridiculed in American culture cannot be disputed.

This is all the more reason to hold a proper view of those men and women whom God has placed in the office of pastor. So much of their success–or failure–hinges on the value people place on them. It is a truth that if they are able to succeed in their calling, the church as well as the nation will benefit greatly.

The Bible has much to say about such leaders. Paul, writing to Timothy, says, “The elders (pastors) who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching” (1 Timothy 5:17). Hebrews 13:17 instructs us to “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.”

Not many of us understand the weight of responsibility that rests upon our pastors. Not only will they give an account for themselves on Judgment Day, but for those under their care. Theirs is a charge that no man nor woman in any position of authority understands or equals–not even the President of the United States. The President may be responsible for the security and stability of the nation, but the pastor for the soul of the nation.

October is Pastor Appreciation Month, and the second Sunday (October 8), is Pastor Appreciation Day. This month, let’s not only pause to thank our pastors for the work they do, but to honor them in some tangible way. Regarding the latter, we can begin by following their example and obeying their teachings. And, if we are able, give them a gift. It is the least we can do given most are under paid and seldom recognized. In going forward, we will not only benefit ourselves and our families by esteeming them properly, but our nation and its institutions.

“I know that You love me.”

Such are the words from the song by Jesus Culture, Your Love Never Fails, which I listened to this morning. They’re part of the chorus that goes like this,

“And when the oceans rage, I don’t have to be afraid, because I know that You love me. Your love never fails.”

I immediately thought of the words of Jesus, who in John 16 said this,

“These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly of the Father. In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father” (25-27).

“For the Father Himself loves you”–that is, the Father Himself loves me. I don’t know as I really get hold of this. Not that I don’t want to! The love of God, for me, should make all the difference.

It’s not as if I haven’t seen or experienced it. All I need do–which I do fairly regularly–is look around me and see what God has done. Wow! If this isn’t God’s love, I don’t know what is! There are the things He has given me, and the people in my life! My goodness! There is Barbara! And my children and grandchildren!

And there are the experiences I have had with God, deep ones, intimate ones. Times when in such proximity to God I don’t know as I could be closer.

Then there is His words, personal words spoken to me not once, not a few times, but countless times over the span of 43 years. If ever there were a sign of His love, it’s that He would take me into His confidence and share His heart with me.

There are the Scriptures, which from beginning to end tell of the love that God has for man, and the lengths to which He has gone to get this across to him. Over and over we see His love and kindness demonstrated in miraculous interventions, supernatural–as well as natural–provisions, military victories, great and powerful deliverances, business successes, as well as in tender moments and words of compassion.

The greatest exhibit of His love, of course, is seen in the Person of His Son. “God so loved the world that He sent His Son.” The fact that He came is one thing; that He (Jesus) perfectly revealed the Father, that would be enough. But overwhelmingly is the proof of His heart toward us in that Jesus died on our behalf. “We know love by this,” John writes, “that He laid down His life for us.” He was saying the same thing Jesus Himself said, in that, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). And that He did.

I realize that many of the things we see or experience may cause us to wonder, may cloud our thinking. ‘If God loves me, why is this happening to me.’ Or, ‘If God is love, why does He allow such things?’ Which is why we have as historical fact the demonstration of His love. We can always get our bearings, no matter our circumstances, by looking to the cross of Christ. Too, what you experience, though hard–even traumatic, may well be the love of God playing out in your life (see Hebrews 12). Whatever we go through, we have the added assurance that, because He loves us, He causes everything to work together for our good. That is, God will move heaven and earth–and everything in them–for you, for your ultimate good. It may not seem that way for a time, maybe a long time, but when you get on the other side of your troubles, you’ll see it if you hold firmly to your faith.

Again, as the song goes, “when the oceans rage I don’t have to be afraid, because I know that You love me.”

It’s like what David says in Psalm 23, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me.”

I personally find no greater comfort in my struggles and petty afflictions than the Presence of God assuaging me; experiencing Him is all I need. “The nearness of God is my good.” I know in my head He loves me. I know by reason of Christ’s death and resurrection that He loves me. I know He loves me because others love me. And I know He loves me because the Bible tells me He loves me. Yet it priceless to really and truly experience His love when He chooses in love to allow me the indescribable pleasure of His manifest presence. This, in addition to His personal words to me–even if they’re corrective in nature, I crave.

Finally, we know the love of God because He calls us His kids. I am, by nature, a child of God. “See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1 NLT). We should never let it escape our thinking, that God is our Father and we are His child. No matter how old you are, albeit in age or Christian maturity, you are still and always will be, His kid. If this isn’t love, then I don’t know what love is.

“A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan; a mountain of many peaks is the mountain of Bashan. Why do you look with envy, O mountains with many peaks,at the mountain which God has desired for His abode? Surely the Lord will dwell there forever” (Psalms 68:15-16).

I cannot help but pause to consider the mountain of which the Psalmist speaks. It is the mountain of God, where God will dwell forever.

Is it Mt. Sinai? No. Is it the mountain of Bashan, which at first glance you would assume from this passage? No, because the mountain of many peaks, the mountain of Bashan, is looking enviously at the mountain of God’s abode. Is it Mt. Zion, to which the writer of Hebrews says we as believers have come? This cannot argued. However, we have in Scripture another revelation of what this mountain is: it is none other than the house of the Lord.

“Now it will come about that in the last days the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills; and all the nations will stream to it. And many peoples will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that He may teach us concerning His ways and that we may walk in His paths.’ For the law will go forth from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2:2-3).

That this refers to that future occasion when the Lord Jesus will have established His earthly reign for a thousand years is evident, for it goes on to say that, “He will judge between the nations, and will render decisions for many peoples; and they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they learn war” (Isaiah 2:4).

But what I wish to point out is the phrase, “the mountain of the house of the Lord.” That is, put a different way, the Lord’s house is a mountain; and not only a mountain, but the chief of mountains. Here is the truth to be seen here: we the church, are His house. The church then, in this day, is the mountain of God.

Again, from the book of Hebrews,

“Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end” (Hebrews 3:5-6).

The “chief of mountains” captures my attention. It is said the are seven mountains of influence. These ‘mountains,’ deemed to be those areas or divisions of society that shape culture, are business, government, media, arts and entertainment, education, the family and religion. Revealed at first to Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade, and Loren Cunningham, founder of Youth With a Mission, and then to Francis Schaeffer, these are the mountains which they say Christians must ‘scale’ to influence the world around us for Christ.

For the sake of clarity, at least in my mind anyway, while religion is listed as one of the seven, I do not consider it to be the church of Scripture, but rather those ecclesiastical organizations that most would render ‘religious.’

Here’s where I’m going with this: the church is not among these. The church, rather, is intended by God to be–and is in fact–chief of these. The church of Jesus Christ, the house of God (Hebrews 3:5-6), the mountain of God, the chief of mountains, is by nature and calling intended to be the supreme culture-shaper. And, though I’ve not time to present here proof, a brief overview of history will demonstrate that it has to a large degree done so. Yet it is a truth to be laid hold of in our day lest it be lost upon us.

(The book, How Christianity Changed the World, is a good place to start.)

Paul writes concerning the church, that it is the pillar and support of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15). It is not a fraternity, nor a social club, nor even just a gathering place where people of like mind come together to worship God. While indeed it is the latter, what I mean to say, what Scripture tells me, is that the church of Jesus is the principal agent of change in a fallen world. It is, in the words of Jesus, the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world.” It is intended to be this “city set on a hill,” with the word of exhortation being, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

Where we are at in this equation ought be the question every serious Christian should ask himself. Then, having answered this question and seeing that he comes short, seek God as to how he might get to where God wants him to go.

“For you have made the Lord, my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil will befall you, nor will any plague come near your tent (dwelling)” (Psalm 91:9-10).
It is striking, that in just two Psalms the writers speak of dwelling in God, of God as being the place of dwelling. I am reminded of Paul’s words in the book of Acts, where he says, “In Him we live and move and are (or have our being).” Yet what the Psalmist speaks of is not general in nature, as pertaining to all men; but specifically points to a man who has entered into a unique and rare relationship with God. You actually live in God.
It is true, that for the New Testament Christian, we are in Christ. God has taken us as it were, and inserted us into the Lord Jesus. That is so, yes; but as to how a man lives it may not be. Truth is one thing; recognizing it and living it is quite another. God is a Person for sure, but He is also a place. The actual word means an abode, or home; specifically, a retreat. It is a place to which a man goes, and in which he spends his life.
Deeper still is the word from which maween is derived; and this I think best describes what the writer means. The word is ona and apparently means “to dwell together; sexual (cohabitation)–as in the duty of marriage.” Perhaps this captures it best because it paints a man’s relationship with God as one of intimacy. That the church is the bride of Christ, that we have been joined to Jesus as in a marriage (Romans 7:4), further proves the point.
What then does dwelling together look and feel like? The example of marriage answers these questions.
First of all, you are committed to one another; it is “until death do we part.” It is “in sickness and health, for better or worse.” Dwelling in God begins with a firm, life-long commitment; one from which you hold fast and protect.
Second, you live together; you’ve everything in common. You share a home, responsibilities, and resources. You look out for one another, take care of one another. You eat and sleep together. You share not only your hopes and dreams, but your struggles. There is a mutual attitude of trust, acceptance, and forgiveness. Chapter 13 of 1 Corinthians describes your modus operandi. Each of you has the other’s best interest in mind. You lay down your life for each other.
Third, you share an intimacy that is strictly reserved for marriage–that is, sexual intercourse. Designed by God both for procreation and pleasure, intercourse is where the two of you come together in a physical union that can only be described as a oneness. In fact, it may be that the Scripture, in saying the “two shall become one,” actually refers to this act.
These things being said, dwelling in God is not necessarily something you do just in your morning (or evening) devotions; it’s not to be found only while in prayer or worship. No, it is a lifestyle, a manner of life. It is a heart condition, a mindset, a state of being. Everything characteristic of a marriage characterizes life in God.
It is interesting to consider for a moment dwelling in God as a verb rather than a noun–as in a place you live.
By definition, as a verb to dwell on something or someone is to be thinking, speaking, or writing with a focused attention. It is to linger. Thus, with God as your dwelling place, it is on Him you’ve set the eyes of your heart. It is “looking to Jesus.” It is keeping Him foremost in your thinking throughout the days of your life.
I think as well of Jesus words in John chapter 15, where our Lord says, “Abide in Me.” Kenneth Wuest rightly renders Jesus’ saying as “Maintain a living communion with Me.” The Amplified Bible picks up more the meaning as seen in Psalm 91, translating His words as “Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you” (verse 4). A few verses down Jesus says, “If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me} . . . ” Here again is the idea of a vital union with God–you live in Him, with Him, and for Him.
The wonder of Psalm 91 goes further in describing the security of such a place in God. It promises deliverance, health, safety, and help–all of which derives from making God your habitation, your place of refuge. These things are desirable, for sure; but I told the Lord this morning that being with Him tops all these. Just let me live with You as these words describe and I shall be satisfied. Do I need and want the benefits? You bet I do, yet these are outcomes not goals. The focus is the Lord Himself.
I know I’ve not scratched the surface of what God intends here, neither in thought nor–especially–in the real time of life. But this is what I want, this is what I choose. Not as in just today, but as in a marriage, which during a few moments a lifetime is charted. When you finally say the “I do” you know with whom you will live until the day you die. This is what I mean. Not as if I’ve never before made this commitment, because I have. Plus I’ve reiterated it many times over. But let me say it again today; allow me to restate my vows. Today I choose You, O God. Today I say, “I do” to You. Therefore, You are my Dwelling Place, the One in whom and with whom I shall live the balance of my days.

“God also wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul, so that handkerchiefs or aprons were carried away from him, and when they touched the sick they were healed, and the evil spirits departed from them” (Act 19:11-12).
Pastor Kevin Berry tells of his recent trip to the island nation of Cuba, where people brought the clothing of those who were sick, that he might pray over them and that they might then take the articles back to their children, and they would be healed. He recounts how hungry the people were for spiritual things, traveling great distances by foot or in the back of dump trucks to hear the word of God. How on Sunday for church services, there not being enough room in the building for the masses, they stood outside in the sweltering heat to worship God.
This hunger for God is not seen in America—not often, anyway. Berry shared how one person did not come to church on Sunday because it was raining. How Mt. Hope’s attendance went down when during the renovation of the main sanctuary people had to sit on plastic chairs in the event center (converted gym). Quite the contrast.
Our Constitution speaks of the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and I believe God wants us happy. In fact, Scripture speaks of His giving us all things richly to enjoy. But more that this He wants us saved, and I think personal happiness has gotten in the way. I think it may have become our god.
Jesus tells the parable of a certain rich man, who land had been very productive, “and he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ The he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’”
And then our Lord gives us the moral of the story: “So is the man who stores up treasures for himself, and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:16-21).
Pastor Berry also told of the pastors they visited in Cuba, the home of which he described as being but three rooms with dirt floors. It makes me think of how I’ve been planning to replace the carpet in our family room because its 15 years old. Better than dirt!
The point is we are all so caught up with our comforts. Our collective goal in life is happiness, peace, and contentment. All this while just on the other side of the big lake people face terrorism, war, homelessness, political upheaval, Sheriah Law, horrible natural disasters, disease, and extreme poverty. Berry told us the other night that the average wage in Cuba is $9 per month. For a doctor its $25 a month.
I wonder at Jesus’ statement about storing up treasures for ourselves, if in our day this looks like investments in stocks, bonds, precious metals, and the like. The goal for most men like me is to be retired with a healthy nest egg so that they can live happily ever after without any need. I don’t decry such things, as many of my friends and associates are retired—several on the church board are retired. But if that is the goal, and if pensions are the security, and if personal happiness is what we serve, is it not evil? Might God show up one day and say, “You fool! This night your soul is required of you!”?
My goodness! I want to be happy. My wife is happy. But I testify to the truth of God that nothing makes me happy; the only thing that makes me happy is experiencing the Lord and His word. Its knowing, really knowing, God’s love and God’s presence. That makes me happy. Its being used of God to impart into someone else’s life something of the Lord; that makes me happy. Its giving, that makes me happy.
I want to be content, but I want it to be like Paul’s contentment, whether I’ve enough or not enough — “I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”
Of course, I desire nice things, and God has blessed Barb and me with a beautiful home in a wonderful neighborhood. We’re well fed and have nice clothes, and really can have most things we want. But these things are like dung compared to the nearness of God, to intimacy with God, to hearing His voice and experiencing His presence. I’d rather give than having what funds I have tied up in a second mortgage or paying on debts for toys that can never satisfy. We’ve been praying about a place on a lake, how we’d love to be able to get away for rest, for peace and quiet, for me to write. But to do this would eat up the extra monies we have for being generous, and I don’t want this.
The Lord Jesus prefaced the parable above with this remark, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions” (verse 15).
Solomon’s book Ecclesiastes tells of how man’s pursuit of happiness through things is “vanity and striving after wind.” He concludes his treatise by saying, “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.”

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1)
“Behold, I make all things new” (Revelation 21:5).
It is only fitting that on the first day of this new year that these should be the words the Lord puts on my mind. It was the latter that came first, from the time I woke up until now. A new year, a new thing. I find in Scripture that God is always at work, always creating, always doing something that hasn’t been done before. Life in the natural reflects this. Take technology for example; almost daily there is something new and extraordinary coming out. In the auto industry, there is constantly new innovations to what is simply a vehicle to get you down the road.
With God however it is a new chapter in the book of your life that you’ve not read before, because it hasn’t been written. Well, it has been written by God, you just haven’t lived it yet—it is new to you.
God knows the story-line for the coming year. You may still have the same job, look the same, live in the same place, and be married to the same woman (you’d better be!). And you may well hold to the same routine as you did this past year. But this year will be unlike any other, because Jesus makes all things new. For you, His purpose further unfolds in your life. As a follower of Christ you will grow—maybe leaps and bounds, or perhaps in small, subtle ways. No doubt you will face challenges you’ve not faced before, these will be new, as well as the means you employ to overcome them.
My sense, though, is that what God means as He brings this to my attention is something new new, as in really new. As in a “new thing.” A new endeavor. A new modus operandi. A new creation. A new perspective. A new, life-altering revelation. A new relationship or ministry. A new kind of fruit you’ve never bore before. A new work. Something brand, sparkling new. Maybe even a new you.
I like new. I like new technology and always want the most updated device. I especially like what God does, as what He does is lasting, is permanent. He is a builder, and what He does is add on to what He has previously built. He renews, refreshes, embellishes. Sometimes He tears down and then reconstructs, but always, always on the firm foundation He has already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
These words birth expectation in my soul. God is up to something and I incline my ear to hear and my heart to receive. Like waiting for the light to turn green or the water to boil (for coffee) or the meal to be served when super hungry. Jesus makes all things new. Perhaps it is just that—the day-to-day, the things you always do, your life all-inclusive, He’s going to make it like new. There’ll be a newness to everything—everything.
THEN there is life in the shadow. When I first laid eyes on those words I pictured being close to Jesus, near Him. In proximity to Jesus His shadow is cast upon us. He is big and we are small, so being nearby we can enjoy what is really His presence. I think of abiding, being in close relationship with Him—a “living communion” as Wuest would put it. There is peace there, shelter from the heat of the day, and the comfort of knowing God is close by. The thing is, to remain in His shadow you’ve got to move with Him. When He gets up to go, you get up to go also. When He pauses, you pause. It’s like the yoke He speaks of. You’re on the one side, and He is on the other; you’re joined to Him and you go when and where He goes.
It is a safe place. No matter your circumstances or what is going on around you, in the shadow you’re secure. It’s like having a big brother; when he’s around no one touches you. Like a mother with her newborn; he never leaves her embrace, never is he out of her sight.
You have to keep step with Him though. You can’t let up. Life in God’s shadow is up to you. It’s a dwelling place, a place you live, a responsibility you have to stay put. Don’t let Him out of your sight. Don’t hang back and let Him get ahead of you. You have to stay near Him; this is your job.
I am thinking the two are linked—life in the shadow and Jesus making all things new. In proximity to God there is this dynamic, this power, this creative force that is constantly flowing. As Paul writes, “God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” Not just able, but He does it in the life of the one who believes He will do it.
I begin 2017 with this expectation, that God will indeed do something way, way beyond what I’ve asked or believed Him for to date. By the grace of God I’ll find my spot in His shadow and stay there. In this place I will experience in this new year what I’ve never experienced before, something completely new, something absolutely good. Amen.