It always astounds me to realize how drastically our lives can change in one short year. This year brought some significant changes for our family, as it did for many of you. Annie has now left home to begin college and has loved her first semester at Clemson, for which I am immensely grateful. Rachel is in her last year of graduate school and living here with me until she graduates in May, which is a sweet gift. Branford lives close by and enjoys selling for his Dad’s company. We have all been stunned and saddened by the death of Marilee Armstrong at sunrise on December 8,2008. Yet we know that God did not create us to live with anxiety, which is evidenced by the harm that worry and stress produce in our bodies and our minds. We were created to walk in peace with God. This time of year, we read the familiar greeting of the angels to shepherds who were terrified. That greeting begins with “Do not be afraid…” and ends with “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” (Luke 2:10, 14) This is not a promise for world peace, for scripture never promises that. In fact, Christ specifically tells His followers that wars and rumors of wars will continue right up to the end of time. (Matthew 24:6-7) What is promised is peace with God for those who trust in Christ. In John 14:27, Jesus prepares His disciples for the time that He w
ill no longer be with them physically. His words have comforted His followers for 2000 years, and they seem especially poignant to us today.
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”
Yet in this time of economic crisis and uncertainty, fear is rampant. Times of crisis test our faith, reveal our hearts and enable us to see what we really believe. The Bible gives us so many examples of men and women who were tested in the press of life. We are allowed to see their human failings, yet we also see the strength of their faith. God has recorded their journeys of faith and preserved them through thousands of years so that men and women of every age could find strength and encouragement from their testimonies. Yet, sadly, so few American Christians avail themselves of that blessing. Scripture has more to say about the second Advent of Christ than the first one, yet the western church seems to have lost her sense of anticipation and longing for His return. Perhaps life has just gotten too good here, and we have lost sight of our true purpose, which is to advance the Kingdom of God. It is evident that many are concerned only about advancing their own kingdoms, ignoring the One who has blessed our nation so extravagantly. These verses in II Timothy 3 say it best:
“But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” Doctor Luke warns us that “men will be fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” Luke 21:26. But thanks be to God, that is NOT the end of the story! Luke goes on to encourage God’s people in verse 28: “But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
And so this Christmas, I invite all of you to ponder with us, the second coming of the Christ, whose birth we celebrate. It is a wonderful way to examine your heart! Do you look forward to His coming with joy and anticipation? Will your legacy be like that of Joseph of Arimathea, who is recorded in scripture as “a prominent member of the Council, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God” (Mark 15:43) For which kingdom do you expend your time, energy and resources ; your own or God’s? The kingdoms of men will continue to fall. The kingdom of God moves forward to it’s glorious climax. My prayer is that we will not just survive the difficult times ahead; we will thrive in them! May our faith shine brighter than it ever has before, our joy more abundant, our love more fervent. This will only happen if we walk in the footsteps of the heroes of our faith, many of whom are recorded in Hebrews, chapter 11. Like them, we must “lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:1-3)
The Greek word for blessed is Makarios, and it means, “to be indwelt by God and thereby, to be fully satisfied.” God offers us that gift still. Like Mary, may we ponder these things in our heart and receive His gift of Makarios this Christmas.
