Arise and Shine!

 

Last week I had two interactions with folks over the uncertainty and turmoil of the world around us. Friends, when we buy into fear we’ve taken our eyes off Jesus. When we chase “End times” teaching we’ve taken our eyes off Jesus.

 

End times teaching has become a Disney World to many professing Christians and a cash cow and a drug to many teachers. I happened to look at the website of a popular end times teacher that was marketing a conference for “end times and prophecy enthusiasts.” Now folks, this is crazy, this is nuts. We are called to follow Jesus and be transformed into His image, not to discern the future in the way these people are doing it…my goodness, they have something new every week or month – why don’t folks see the incongruity in this? Why don’t their followers – and make no mistake, they are indeed followers – see that if they aren’t given something new and exciting on a continuing basis that they will stop following?

 

Jesus Christ gives us stability! The teaching of the true Prophets and Apostles in the Bible provides a stable center of gravity no matter what is happening around us. We, and the people around us, don’t need entertainment, we all need Jesus Christ…to live in a deep relationship with Him.

 

I should be quick to say that I was once very much into the “end times” (as it is popularly taught) so I know the hold it can have on someone. I even used it as a litmus test for fellowship. Then, one day at a church picnic outside Rochester, NY, (circa 1973) I meant a brother who in moments set me free. In essence, while I wanted to talk about end times he wanted to talk about Jesus…and that is all the Holy Spirit needed to clarify my vision on the matter.

 

Below is a note I sent to one of the folks I interacted with, we had touched on Romans 8 and Isaiah 60, which is why I begin with them. Maybe there is something here for you.

 

Love,

 

Bob

 

 

 

Good morning ___,

 

Regarding Romans 8:18 – 19 and Isaiah 60:1 – 2; these are “go-to” passages for me because they represent the victorious trajectory of the People of God, the Body of Christ, the City of God, the Bride. Of course the context surrounding them is critical, as is the context of the entire Bible, and let’s not forget the grand crescendo of Romans Chapter 8 – for indeed nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord and we are more than conquerors!

 

Isaiah 60:1ff reminds me that no matter how dark it may be in the world, that the glory of our Father rests upon His sons and daughters and that we are here for the salvation and blessing of others.

 

Daniel Chapter 2 reminds us that the world–system is coming to an end, brought down by the Rock. This has been happening through the ages, and again we have two trajectories – one of the world-system passing away, the other of the Rock filling the entire earth. You and I are of the Rock.

 

The writer of Hebrews, reaching back to Haggai, tells us that our God will shake all things so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain and be manifested. (Hebrews 12:25 – 29).  We are receiving “a kingdom which cannot be shaken.”

 

We in the West, and I suppose especially in the United States, think the world revolves around us – most of the world lives in uncertainty, but we think we can control life and when we can’t then we lose our fragile equilibrium. Is not Christ our refuge?

 

I so love Romans Chapter 8. The nexus of our life in Christ is that we are daughters and sons of the Living God, and we cry “Abba Father!” I recall ___ talking about this cry years ago – does it not express our koinonia with the Father?

 

The picture in Romans 8:22 of the creation in childbirth presents another Biblical trajectory – that of creation. We see a relationship between creation’s groaning and our own groaning in verses 22 and 23. Travail indicates the process of birth – though it does seem as if we’ve been in labor a long, long time.

 

I suppose I also ought to mention that there is only one People of God (Ephesians 2:11 – 4:16) and until recent times the Church has understood this – we are the children of Promise (Galatians 4:21 – 31), our mother is the Jerusalem which is above, not the Jerusalem of the earth, which is in slavery. There is neither Jew nor Greek (Galatians 3:26 – 29) in the City of God, in the Body of Christ, in the Seed of Abraham. Our Father has One People, not two…and we get confused if we don’t understand this.

 

How anyone can preach or teach passages such as Ephesians 2:11 – 4:16 and not see this is a testimony to what happens to our minds when we succumb to the images and teachings of men rather than submit ourselves to our Father’s Word in Christ. One of my points in mentioning this is to say that most of what passes for prophetic teaching is akin to puppies chasing their tails – the difference is that puppies chasing tails is cute, while missing the glory of the People of God is tragic.

 

We are not to live in fear (2 Timothy 1:7; 1 John 4:18) but to live with our lives hidden in Christ (Col. 3:1 – 4) and as women and men who are confidently looking for the appearing of the City of God (Hebrews 11:9 – 11, 13 – 16). We are to be light and life and a refuge to those around us, a source of peace and grace and hope and love in Christ Jesus (Isaiah 32:1 – 2).

 

We have a glorious and wonderful calling in our dear Lord Jesus. In the midst of the world’s uncertainty, we have a certain God to share with the people around us, a glorious God, a forgiving God – all in our Lord Jesus.

 

Does not our dear Lord Jesus come to us every day? And shall we not learn to be His Presence to others every day?

 

“Arise shine; for your Light has come, and the glory of the Father has risen upon you!”

 

Much love!

 

Bob