The greatest Fear

What is your greatest fear?

"Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death." - Hebrews 2:14-15 

There are many things to be afraid of, but perhaps our greatest fear is death. We fear death for many reasons, but perhaps the most common are: 

• What really lies beyond the grave? 
• What happens to me in those final moments? 
• Will God receive me into his kingdom?

I don't have good answers for the first two questions, but I believe that Hebrews 2 gives us a great answer to the third question. The actions of Jesus have given us a gateway into a new experience - we don't need to fear death anymore, because their is no other power (i.e. the devil) who has the final say in our eternal future. Jesus has the keys and the power. 

So, where this leaves us is in a place of trusting the answers to questions 1 & 2, in the hands of a gracious Saviour. If I can trust in a God who is merciful, then I can be at peace about what lies beyond this life. 

What are your thoughts?

Living in Grace

D3LM3 

We share the same fate

Shew Solomon really seems to be having a bad-hair day towards the end of chapter 3. His dark mood permeates the end of this amazingly complex chapter, but we have come to expect this of him. Remember that I encouraged us to read Ecclesiastes 12 before we started chapter 1? The reason for this was to remind us that Solomon eventually gets things straightened out in his heart, but he goes through a lot of turbulence before he makes peace with the Lord. 

"I also thought about the human condition—how God proves to people that they are like animals. For people and animals share the same fate—both breathe and both must die. So people have no real advantage over the animals. How meaningless! Both go to the same place—they came from dust and they return to dust. For who can prove that the human spirit goes up and the spirit of animals goes down into the earth? So I saw that there is nothing better for people than to be happy in their work. That is our lot in life. And no one can bring us back to see what happens after we die. " - Ecclesiastes 3:18-22

A few words of Solomon's rant grab my attention today:

1. People and animals are given life by God and we will all return to dust one day. 

2. Could Solomon be suggesting that animals and humans will be together in the afterlife? Quite a comforting thought for many of us.

3. We spend a large portion of our lives in some kind of work - best we enjoy this as much as we can or perhaps find something that fulfils us. 

4. Solomon never knew Jesus, but it is reassuring for us that Jesus has conquered death and given us a foretaste of eternal life with him.

What do you think?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

What has God done?

"What do workers gain from their toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end." - Ecclesiastes 3:9-10

There are 2 clear thoughts coming from our reading today. Solomon argues that God has 'done' two things for the human race. One seems a little hard, while the other is a longing for the future. He comes to the conclusion that 'work' is the burden that God has laid upon the human race, but with a little patience, we can see the beauty in that. Hard work and toil will reap a reward.

The other key thought is that we are created with a longing for eternity. It is Solomon's opinion that each person is born with a part of their heart set for life beyond this world. This conclusion could have come to him as he reflected on the purpose of his life. Surely there is more to eating, drinking, working, growing old and then dying. We all long for something more, which he calls Eternity.

How have you experienced these thoughts before?

"Time is but the shadow of the world upon the background of Eternity." - Jerome

Living in Grace

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Breaking through the veil

Every now and again we get a glimpse of God through the gift of creation. It is almost as if the veil between this world and the next is lifted for a moment and we see into eternity. William Law writes beautifully about this gift.

"All that is sweet, delightful, and amiable in this world,
in the serenity of the air, the fineness of seasons,
the joy of light, the melody or sounds, 
the beauty of colours, the fragrancy of smells,
the splendour of precious stones,
is nothing else but Heaven breaking through 
the veil of this world."

May God break through into your world and may you get a glimpse of God's incredible mercy.

2 Corinthians 3:16 - "But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away."

 

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Sand through the hourglass

I came across this quote at the bottom of my diary the other day and it left me with a lot to think about:

"The more sand that has escaped from the hourglass of our life, 
the clearer we should see through it." - Jean Paul

What are we able to see through the empty hourglass of our lives? 

Proverbs 3:13 - "Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding."

Living in Grace
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The final No

"After the final No there comes a Yes,
And on that YES
the future of the world depends." - Wallace Stevens

This little poem is wonderfully intriguing. It is worth reading a few times before one comes to understand what he is getting at. It may be helpful to read this in conjunction with the following words from Revelation.

Revelation 14:13 - Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labour, for their deeds will follow them.”

Revelation 22:20 -  He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Death will be the final No for each one of us, but after this No there will come a great YES. Our eternal future depends on the YES of Christ.

What do you think?

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Perpetual Light

Today marks the Winter Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere, where we experience the longest night and shortest day of the year. Some countries, closer towards the North Pole, are currently having perpetual daylight - where they can have no real darkness at all. It is amazing to think of living in a world where there is no darkness at all.

In a spiritual sense this is what we long for - we long to be in the presence of Christ for eternity, where there is no 'darkness' at all. We get a glimpse of what this can be like when we read these words from Leviticus.

Leviticus 24:1-4 - God spoke to Moses: “Order the People of Israel to bring you virgin olive oil for light so that the lamps may be kept burning continually. Aaron is in charge of keeping these lamps burning in front of the curtain that screens The Testimony in the Tent of Meeting from evening to morning continually before God. This is a perpetual decree down through the generations. Aaron is responsible for keeping the lamps burning continually on the Lampstand of pure gold before God.

 

May the Light of Christ fill your heart today.

 

Living in Grace

D3LM3

The deathless book

I came across an interesting quote on the Bible from Isaac Taylor. This is what he said:

"The deathless book (Bible) has survived three great dangers;
the negligence of its friends;
false systems built upon it;
the warfare of those who have hated it."

There may be questions around the Bible from time to time, but for any work to survive 2000 years proves that ther
e is a huge TRUTH within her pages.

Hebrews 4:12 -  For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Living in Grace
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Forever?

"My righteousness will last forever,
my salvation through all generations." - Isaiah 51:8

As we experience the changes of a New Year we come to the striking reality that nothing lasts forever. It can be quite a shocking reality for many of us, but it is worth contemplating before we even embark upon tackling new things.

A holiday doesn't last forever.
Nor does a school year (thankfully for many).
Usually our materials things have a limited lifespan.
Sadly our relationships don't always last forever.
Our food certainly doesn't.

However, there is some Good News in all of this. God reminds us that His righteous will last FOREVER and his salvation will be passed down from Generation to Generation.

May God help us today to discern what the truly important things are.
Living in Grace
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Can't beat this!

Sometimes I just have to surrender to the fact that my words can never surpass the Eternal Words of God - and I am OK with that :)
The Word of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting!

"I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
 I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.
I will be filled with joy because of you.    I will sing praises to your name, O Most High." - Psalm 9:1-12

Isaiah 43:13 - “From eternity to eternity I am God. No one can snatch anyone out of my hand. No one can undo what I have done.”

Revelation 7:12 - "They sang, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength belong to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

Living in Grace
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It perishes!

 We had to replace a washer in the cistern the other day - it had perished. At first we couldn't figure out what the trouble was because it still looked fine. However, when we took it out and had a closer look, we realised it had perished.

This little incident reminded me that all things in this 'earthly' life will perish and fade. They will not last forever. However, as Christians we are offered the chance to experience something that is imperishable - something that lasts forever. His name is Jesus.

"For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors." - 1 Peter 1:18

"For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God." - 1 Peter 1:23

"So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable." - 1 Corinthians 15:42

Spend less time stressing about the things that will fade or perish and more time on the things that will last forever.

Living in Grace
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Two places

In his defence of the Christian faith, Justin Martyr proclaimed that "Christians live on earth, but are citizens of heaven." We get to spend our days living for God, here on planet earth, but one day we will take up residence in our 'real' home - heaven. Although Justin never described 'heaven' as being in the sky, there was a sense in which early Christians saw their eternal home has being 'upwards and out of the mess of earth!'

Matthew 14:19 - And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.

How do you feel about that? Are you perhaps experiencing a little heaven on earth today?

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Sic Transit Gloria

In the ancient Roman world, victorious Generals were allowed their own 'ticket tape parades' through the streets of Rome, where they proudly showed off their captives and wagons filled with treasure. However, as they were riding through the streets there was always an officer who would stand alongside the gloating General. His job was to whisper constantly into the Generals ear, "You are but a man! You are but a man!"

This links in with the words of the Psalmist,
"Do not be overawed when a man grows rich,
when the splendor of his house increases;
for he will take nothing with him when he dies..." - Psalm 49:16-17

In Latin, it was said, Sic transit gloria mundi, meaning "Thus passes the glory of the world".

It is easy to get to attached to the things of this world, but in the end it is only the Eternal things - the things of God that will count.

What do you think?

Living in Grace,
D3LM3

The Gospel according to the 3 Billy goats gruff!

Yes, I have lost the plot, but just bear with me.
I was helping Declan read his school book this evening - it was 'The Three billy goats gruff' - do you remember that book? Anyway, as he was reading a weird thought came into my mind - "This links up with the Gospel in a powerful way!" Let me tell you why I think so...

The nasty troll had made everyone afraid of crossing over the bridge to the sweet green grass on the other side. However, the 3 Billy goats changed that forever! It was the third Billy goat who rammed the ugly troll into the river (never to be seen again) and from that day on everyone freely crossed over the bridge - no more fear, no more troll!

So, even though the devil thinks that he can scare us from crossing over into eternity, we must remember that Jesus has booted him into the Abyss. He has no more hold over us and Jesus is our Saviour.

What do you think of that?
(Ok, please don't lambaste my bad theological reflection, but think about it!)

Revelation 20:3 - He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended.

Living in Grace,
D3LM3