Rambling Reminiscence

I just celebrated birthday number seventy-two. That means I am halfway to perfection (6x12 v. 12x12). I know perfection is not attainable in this life, least of all my life. I have had so many years thinking I was near perfect; those years are a stain on my record from my current perspective. Somebody said the more you know the more you realize how much you don’t know. I’m at the stage of realizing how much I really don’t know. Wisdom is supposed to come with age, but I feel like the guy who said he was too soon old and too late smart.

Back in April I wrote a blog called “Happy Birthday to Me.” April 21, 1963, was my second-birth day. Jesus called it being born from above meaning born of the spirit. I remained a baby in that new life for about ten years until I realized what it meant to live in the spirit. The Bible became the most important tool in my life, but I started using it as a hammer and probably did more harm than good. By God’s grace I slowly learned that there were more tools in the Bible box besides the hammer. I still have a tendency to reach for it once in a while, but I am getting better at looking for the right tool instead of whacking away with something hard and heavy.

The Psalmist says our years are three score and ten or four score at best. That means I am already in my bonus years. I’m not anxious to get gone, but I’m ready. Truthfully, I don’t know how much more of the world’s decline I want to witness. The Bible promises that towards the end, things will get worse and worse. If I have my mom’s longevity genes, I could have another 20-30 years; I shudder to think what they might bring. I feel bad for my grandchildren. The world they are inheriting seems far scarier than the one we’ve known. But they have grown up with computers, the Internet, artificial intelligence, existential threats from China and radical Islam, and a pagan America. They’ll probably look back on us the way we look and the cowboys and Indians.

A few years ago, I wrote this poem.

VITAL SIGNS

 

Boxers and bifocals like it or not

Signs of age litter what youth you've still got.

Back pain and joint stiffness come all too soon

To mock sturdy effort like naps after noon.

Dentures and hair loss and spots on the skin

Make even the bold long for youth once again.

Sports cars and speed boats and exercise bikes

Drive childish foolishness to manly new heights.

Rooms full of emptiness: spare rooms and dens;

His room or her room back when time was when.

No more long vigils where morning steals night,

Languishing, hoping the kids are alright.

Washers and dryers and phones all sit quiet;

Mozart and Bach no longer cause riots.

Children bring grandchildren home for a visit;

This isn't the true second childhood, is it?

 

Sometimes I do wish I could be a child again. Science tells us that the human brain stops developing sometime in one’s twenties. (My wife says mine stopped at about thirteen.) This would explain why I don’ t feel like I’m seventy-two. I remember being at my mom’s house for lunch on my fiftieth birthday. She told me she couldn't believe I was fifty because she didn’t feel fifty. She was eighty-four. I didn’t believe her then; I do now. I have a child nearing fifty; I don’t see how that could be possible. I am also in the fifty-third year of marriage to my high school sweetheart. That too seems impossible until I begin to remember all the houses and jobs and situations we have lived through.

When I reminisce about things in the past, I sometimes feel like I’ve lost something. Then I remind myself that Tennyson said to have loved and lost is better than to never have loved at all. The boats, the bikes, the cars, the trips, the special times with my loved ones all belong to my story and contribute to who I am. My life has also impacted many others, not least of all my wife and children. I think of the hundreds of kids I had in my teaching career or the tens of thousands who have read my blog. I am reminded of the song by Ray Boltz from years ago, “Thank You.” He imagined getting to Heaven and seeing a line of people coming to him with thanks for little things he did that changed their lives. I wonder what my line will look like.

The thing that concerns me most when I look back is whether I have made my life count for Christ. I have been a faithful, loving husband (though not perfect). We raised three kids who came to know the Lord and have made Christian homes for our six grandchildren. I have been in church almost every Sunday for seventy-two years (not that that means anything). I have tried to fulfill God’s calling and gift as a teacher vocationally and otherwise. I can’t stop thinking that I could have done more – should have done more. I have run the race and fought the fight. I’m not as confident as Paul who finished that thought with his expectation of a crown awaiting him in Heaven.

I am confident of this much: I know I will meet Jesus one day, and it won’t be a sad day. The believer’s judgment is not about what we have done; it’s about Who we know. I know Christ as my Savior. That’s all anyone really needs to know. I just hope I can make the best of whatever days I have left. The refrain from a well-known poem by C.T. Studd rings true: “Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.”

Binding Satan

Most of my Christian friends subscribe to a version of the end times known as dispensational millennialism (DM) introduced by John Nelson Darby and C.I. Schofield in the early twentieth century. I recently explained the place of this view in contrast to its alternatives in “Heaven Can Wait.” The major point of contention between the various views concerns the place of the millennium mentioned in Revelation 20: “And I saw and angel descending from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he seized… Satan and bound him for a thousand years.” The DM interpretation sees this thousand years, a millennium, as a literal time period during which Jesus reigns over all the earth from Jerusalem. At the end of 1,000 years, Satan is released, and the battle known as Armageddon brings about the enemy’s demise and is followed by the final judgment.

Most of those who don’t subscribe to the DM interpretation of Revelation believe the 1,000 years is a metaphor for an extended period of time. Often mentioned in defense of this idea is statement by Peter echoing Psalm 90:4 that “with the Lord, a day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as a day.” Those who take this position are called Amillennials, and they extend their tendency to include most of Revelation as symbolic in the manner of all apocalyptic Scripture. To these folks, the millennium refers to the church age when Christ is said to be reigning over earth from heaven with His saints at His side. At the end of this long period of Christ’s rule, He will return to earth, execute judgment on all people, and institute the final state of the new heavens and new earth.

The question I am most often asked by those who look for a literal millennial reign of Jesus on earth is how I can consider Satan to be bound during the present age. To this I offer three passages of Scripture in support. First, in Colossians 2:15 we are told that Christ “disarmed the rulers and the authorities, [and] made a display of them in public, triumphing over them by it.” If this falls short of claiming Satan was bound, read Jesus’ explanation of His power to cast out demons in Matthew 12. “How can someone enter into the house of a strong man and steal his property, unless he first ties up [binds] the strong man?” Finally, Jesus told Peter that in the coming church age, “whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will be released in heaven.” The Greek Matthew used for “bind” and “release” is in a perfect tense, with passive voice. This means the best translation would be “has already been bound” and “has already been released” in heaven. Those things believers do in the Spirit are a done deal. Satan is already bound.

 The other day, my friend, John, and I were discussing this conundrum. I stumbled upon a useful analogy when John asked about the setting for Jesus’ words to Peter about binding and loosing. That exchange occurred in the area of Mt. Hermon, a location believed by locals to be the home of their gods. They called it “The Gates of Hell.” When Jesus said the gates of hell would not prevail against the church, He was predicting the chaining of Satan vis-a-vis the church. That situation has come to pass. Satan has no power over believers unless they surrender their position. James promised that if believers resist the devil, he must flee. John reminds us that “the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”

So, Satan is still around, but he is chained. Picture a vicious dog bound by a heavy chain. When you approach the dog, you may be frightened until you realize he is chained. But if you foolishly wander into the range of the beast’s chain, he will chew you up. Stay outside of the territory he rules, and you will be safe. We are living in the era between the initiation of God’s kingdom at the Cross of Calvary and its perfect culmination at Christ’s second coming. We are experiencing a clash of kingdoms; Satan’s kingdom, the world, still exists, but we are of a different kingdom: we are in but not of the world. Jesus follows that declaration with a prayer that the Father would protect us “from the evil one.” He has answered that prayer by binding Satan with regard to the church.

This satisfactorily explains that Satan is in fact bound during this age, the church age. Of course, there are numerous other areas of contention between Amillennials and dispensational millennials. The resolution to most of those differences can be provided by taking Scripture literally when that provides the simplest interpretation and using a symbolic approach where necessary, especially with apocalyptic literature such as Revelation. I will say again that though I differ with many of my friends regarding end times prophecy, we all must agree that however this all ends, our responsibility in the interim is to present Christ as the risen Savior who is coming again. Today as I write this, it could be the last day for me or anyone else. The Last Day is of less concern to all of us than This Day. “Behold, now is the day of salvation!”

Related posts: Take the Bible Literally Part 2; Understanding the Bible as Literature; What Happens to People Who Never Hear About Jesus?; Why Heaven Matters; Why Wait

Liars Don’t Go to Heaven

There is a cool song performed by Zach Williams playing on contemporary Christian radio these days. It’s called “Heart of God.” It says in part:

He's not sittin' there shakin' His head

Writin' you off, leavin' you lost

He's not sittin' there shakin' His head

Wishin' He'd never went to that cross

… He went to that cross, He went to that cross

'Cause He loves you so much…

No room for shame in His open arms

There's beauty from ashes, so come as you are

'Cause there's only love in the heart of God

'Cause there's only love in the heart of God.

It’s good poetry, good music, and as far as it goes, it’s good theology. There is love in the heart of God; John tells us that God is love. For people who are lost and know it, it can be hard to imagine that God could ever love them. I’ve seen this heartbreaking attitude among recovering addicts and former felons who hear the Word but have trouble believing it. “There is no shame, so come as you are” is a welcome message to those who know great shame. God loves you just as you are; that’s the Bible’s great, good news. But it also true that God loves you too much to leave you the way you are: fallen, broken, and hurting.

 I just finished reading a commentary on Revelation by N.T. Wright. Wright reminds readers at the end of the book that Jesus invites us to come. Come to the wedding feast. It’s a wonderful thought that God loves us so much that He is inviting us to Heaven. But if you read the rest of the book, indeed the rest of the Bible, you will realize that the invitation is not universal. There will be those who are not welcome at the feast. There is love in the heart of God, but there is more to God than love.

God’s love is universal: “God so loved the world that He sent His one-and-only Son.” But His invitation to His family feast is conditional. Jesus used the metaphor of a wedding feast to explain that only those who had the proper garments would be admitted. (See “Many Called; Few Chosen”) We see that echoed in Revelation when we are told that only those who had the appropriate garments were worthy to attend. “And it has been granted to [the Bride of Christ] that she be dressed in bright, clean fine linen (for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints).” Countless passages from Genesis to Revelation announce that a day of judgment is coming. The book of Revelation is about ninety percent judgment and ten percent celebration. In fact, Jesus’ opening words to John were that He was coming “on the clouds,” a picture of judgment throughout Scripture, to “everyone who pierced Him.”

The rest of the prophecy John was ordered to write was all about judgment until the final chapter. The letters to the seven churches warned of judgment. The seals, the trumpets, the bowls were all symbols of God’s judgment on disobedient people. Eventually, the judgment reaches even to God’s archenemy, Satan himself along with his wicked angels. In the interim, we find God’s faithful servants being martyred before they appear at the throne of God; this is the other side of judgment: they were judged worthy to be in God’s presence. Yes, God loves all people, but the Bible makes it abundantly clear that there are two options for the afterlife, and they rest on the decisions made in this life. Then comes judgment.

Zach may be right that there is only love in “the heart” of God. If that is correct, then God’s heart must be balanced with His mind. And He definitely has judgment on His mind. Throughout his commentary, Wright repeats his conclusion that the letter of Revelation was a warning to believers. They were told that judgment was coming, and that many of them would pay the ultimate price, but that it should comfort them to know that a place was prepared for them in God’s presence when they died.

Of course, you should tell your neighbors that God loves them; that He loved them enough to offer His Son as a sacrifice for their sins. But don’t neglect to tell them that if they don’t choose the life offered to them in Christ, they will end up in an afterlife that will be a literal hell. It’s like Rob Bell says, preaching about hell doesn’t make for a compelling sales pitch. But if you pretend that the alternative is attainable without belief and repentance, that no judgment awaits unbelievers, you have not told the whole story. And a half-truth is the same thing as a lie. And liars don’t go toHeaven.

Related posts: Answering Rob Bell #1 (See blog sidebar for all six articles); Necessary Obedience; Blessings of Obedience; The Church Cannot Save the Lost

Independence Day

As I write this on the Fourth of July, I am sitting in the screened patio of my RV watching dozens of PWC’s and speedboats zoom hither and yon on a lovely little lake in West Michigan. I began to ask myself what we are celebrating. It occurs to me that the obvious consumer mentality is related to the history of our nation. Few people know that the text Thomas Jefferson used as a source for the Declaration of Independence was from John Locke, a British philosopher of his day. Locke originally declared the unalienable rights of man to be, “life, liberty, and property.”

By changing the wording to “pursuit of happiness,” Jefferson did not materially change the meaning. Happiness in 1776 meant “fortuitous circumstances,” not laughs all around. Fortuitous circumstances, fortunes, in 1776 were supported by property. Historians know that the signers of the Declaration and the subsequent Constitution were property owners interested in protecting their property rights against the King of England’s encroachment. The king was levying taxes that would reduce the profits the property owners would make from their investments. This was a significant part of the motivation to rebel against the king.

Of course, the British aristocracy were doing everything in their power to increase their “property” even if at the expense of the colonists’ property. The property owners in the colonies were incensed by the crown’s overreach, so they tried for years to plead on economic terms for leniency in taxation and other measures the king employed. The king, supported by his aristocratic friends, discounted all the colonists’ appeals. The Declaration of Independence was the result. Without doubt, there were other issues that came into play, but it appears to me that the economic pressures were primary.

Why, you ask, am I relating all this history on a blog about why Heaven matters. Here’s why. Jefferson was wrong, as was Locke. Property is not an unalienable right from God. Unless you are a descendant of Abraham living before the Cross of Christ, property is not a given. Land, houses, crops, herds were all promised to Abraham’s descendants. But at the Cross of Christ, all those promises were fulfilled and replaced with better promises. Read Hebrews. We have slipped the earthly bonds of the Abrahamic covenant and moved into the better promises of the New Covenant. Jesus Himself said that His followers would have to leave all those physical blessings behind and take up a cross to follow Him. His original listeners would not have envisioned a large investment account at the foot of the cross Jesus invited them to; they would have seen the execution He suffered as their fate.

So, when Paul and Peter say that we are to submit to the authorities that govern us, how does rebellion for economic ends comply? I am not going to make any friends here, but I suspect that the American Revolution was not founded on biblical ground. America was never God’s new Israel; it was always man’s attempt to recreate Eden in a materialistic model. (Who’s pounding the table right now?) Where on earth is the so-called prosperity gospel preached? America. Who besides Americans think we are the new Israel? Crickets? Americans are the wealthiest people on the planet. How much of our wealth are we sharing with the “least of these?”

Read the New Testament carefully. Use a concordance (or search engine) if you have one. You will find that finances are mentioned among the most frequent topics. Why? Because where your treasure is, there is your heart. I love America for the principles of freedom to choose that underlay her founding. But as believers, we cannot fall into the trap of materialism (as I have). My view from this RV is profligate from a third world standard. As you wave the flag and shoot the fireworks, ask yourself where your true allegiance lies. Are you an ambassador from another kingdom, or are you a dupe in the enemy’s plan to win us all to the god of materialism?

The original sin in Eden was the desire of God’s people to be independent. They didn’t want God to dictate the terms of their existence. He offered prosperity beyond their wildest dreams if they remained dependent on Him, but they believed the lie that they could master their own reality by breaking free of God’s demands. Are you celebrating Independence Day independent from God?