Is Christ an afterthought, or the heartbeat of our life?I have been studying the letter of Ephesians in the Bible and Paul’s address and opening statements makes us think about what it means to be “In Him” (i.e. in Christ). Paul repeatedly explains what believers are and have “in Him.” In Him we were chosen, that we should be holy and blameless (v.1:4). I can really drop the ball on the “holy and blameless” part! In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace (v.1:7).
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So, I am standing inside Frankie’s Fun Park for a couple of hours as Jacob plays in the “Fun House.” Parents such as myself are not allowed inside this two-story structure. We are left to watch through the mesh netting as our children wear themselves out. While all the children explore the fun overhead, other games are afoot below. Sure there is a seating area where parents can sit and watch their children, but it’s kind of dark and feels like lounge in a casino. Had a vivid dream this morning. Went to pick up Macayla from a home she was staying in. The dream never explained why she was in this home and not in ours, but we had not seen her in a long time and there she was. She was sitting in a recliner with the TV going and a nurse sitting next to her. When I walked into the room, I called her name and that wonderful smile came over her face! I was so excited that I literally fell over the recliner trying to get to her! She laughed even though she could not see me. She wiggled in her seat like she used to and got excited. I was able to stroke her hair and give her kisses. I made the noises she liked to hear and the smiles kept coming. The the cruel reality set in. I looked up at Jennifer and said, “We need to get her home. Why hasn’t she been at home?” The dream started to fall apart as I realized Macayla died over a year ago. The dreamscape disintegrated, revealing my bedroom. I woke up empty. But there is something better than a dream in our future. In fact, it is more real than anything here and now. We will see our girl again. She will do more than wiggle and squirm in a recliner. She will have full sight, the fullest sight possible. She will run and dance! I have all faith in what Christ has promised. There is a reunion coming, but waiting for it is tough. One of the headlines for the past month or so has been this prediction by Harold Camping that the rapture is scheduled in less than three days on May 21. Oddly, his website’s online donation page is still active. With two and half days left, do they really need any more donations? All of this hype is nothing new, not even for Harold who made a similar prediction in the 1990’s. But it adds confusion for Christians and non-Christians alike as to what Scripture actually says about God’s kingdom, its present condition and future advent. Further, it encourages skepticism as those with a superficial understanding of Christianity and Scripture see this as one more water cooler punchline to save for Monday, May 24. The bottom line is that Scripture is clear no one knows, except God, the time or day the end will come. |
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February 2018
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