Coffee With The Lord

Some events we experience are glorious and wonderful… others are frightening – even disastrous! In my Bible reading today, I read the following in the book of Revelation about something wonderful that takes place at the end of time called “the first resurrection.” In the same chapter, however, it was contrasted with something terrible, called “the second death.”

Here’s what the Bible says about the two events…

“I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years… THIS IS THE FIRST RESURRECTION. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such THE SECOND DEATH has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years…

“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it… And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. THIS IS THE SECOND DEATH, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (From Revelation 20:5-6 and 11-15)

Two events that will take place at the end of time… I jotted this in my Bible this morning after reading it… “I don’t know when ‘the first resurrection’ will happen, but I want to be a part of it! Though God’s grace and my trust in Christ Jesus as my Savior I believe I will be! The second event – ‘the second death’ – I want to avoid at all costs! I want to be sure that my name is clearly written in ‘the Book of Life!’ (cp. Revelation 13:8 and 21:7) And because I have trusted Jesus as my Savior I believe it is!”

Listen, I hope and pray you can claim that you’ll be a part of “the first resurrection” and that you name is clearly written in “the Book of Life!” Trusting Jesus to save you from your sin and give you eternal life is the key!

Sometimes circumstances and situations are significant enough – grave enough – that you can’t talk about what you’d like to…

It was like that for Jude when He wrote his little letter of concern to fellow Christians in the 1^st century…

He really wanted to write about the wonderful, salvation through Christ Jesus that Christians shared!  He desired to reflect on the abundant, freely provided, grace of God that brought salvation and every other blessing God freely provides to guilty sinners…

Grace… God’s grace; what is it anyway?  It’s God’s enablement provided in our weakness!  It’s God’s forgiveness and imparted righteousness in the face of our sinfulness!  It’s God’s ability replacing our inability.  It’s not only God giving us what we don’t deserve – It’s God freely giving us everything we need to please Him and do His will through Christ Jesus!

But he felt he had to address the distortion of God’s grace rampant in the Church and its evil collateral destructive impact!

He said, “although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints [those who had been saved from sin by God’s grace]… For certainly people have crept in… ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality [excusing immoral behavior in the name of ‘grace’] and denying our only Master the Lord, Jesus Christ [where all such distorted teaching ultimately leads]!” (From Jude 3-4)

It’s a tragic thing – a dangerous doctrine – a disgusting distortion, to turn the wonderful “grace of God” and turn it into an excuse for living in sin!  That is a situation that must be addressed and dealt with!  And the sad fact is, it’s a distortion of doctrine that is still rampant in “Christianity” today… Excusing sinful, immoral behavior in the name of “God’s grace!”  Jude’s warning is still relevant and needs to be heeded!  If this disgusting, destructive teaching is not addressed it will ultimately lead to the “denial of our only Master and Lord Jesus Christ!”

Although, at the close of this calendar year, it would be desirable to discuss only the positive aspects of God’s grace expressed in our salvation, a warning about the distortion of God’s grace in our time and culture is necessary!  May we never be guilty of distorting it!  Instead may we always be careful to defend and protect what “grace” really is!

I got up this morning at the resort where we are staying for a few days in Palm Desert, California. The room was dark and I had no idea what time it was. I pulled off the blankets on the bed and stumbled toward the large patio window… reached over and tried to find the pull string on the drapes, found it and pulled them back… As I did, in flooded beautiful light, bright sunshine, a beautiful day filled with breathtaking scenery! Sure am glad I pulled the drapes! Because I did that, I was able to see how things really were today – not dark and gloomy at all, but bright and beautiful!

Part of my Bible reading this morning during “coffee with the Lord” was from the book of Revelation! In many ways, the book of Revelation in the Bible is like “pulling the drapes!” Apostle John is given a glimpse beyond the way things seem to be, to way they really are – from the apparent to the actual! I admit that sometimes the view seems dark, gloomy and scarey. But very often “when the drapes are pulled” the scene in Revelation is one of victory, of worship, of a bright, glorious future for the followers of Jesus!

Here’s just the glimpse of what I was given from Revelation this morning when the “eschatological drapes” were pulled for Apostle John…

At the beginning of Revelation 19, “A great multitude in heaven cry out… “Hallalujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God! His judgments are true and just! He has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality and has avenged on her the blood of his servants! Hallelujah!”

Then the drapes are opened a bit wider… “Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of might peals of thunder, crying out, ‘Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns! Let us rejoice and exult and give Him the glory! For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready! It was granted her to cloth herself with fine linen, white and pure – for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints!’”

And then the drapes are opened even a little wider… “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The One sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war… The name by which he is called is The Word of God! And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure [remember that scene from just before?] were following Him on white horses… On His robe and on His thigh He has a name written: King of kings and Lord of lords!” (From Revelation 19)

It’s a scene of ultimate victory over all that is evil! At the close of this year you may feel that everything is dark and dreary. I understand that feeling… I’ve felt that way at times as well! I believe, however, it’s time to “pull the drapes” and allow God’s word to give us an inspired glimpse of how things really are! God is fully in control! Jesus will ultimately defeat evil and reign in righteousness forever and ever! Every wrong will be righted, every disease will be healed, and the wonderful Kingdom of God will be fully realized… The “King of kings and Lord of lords” will reign “forever and ever!” Pull the drapes!