Good Morning Friends,
Forrest Gump said that life was like a box of chocolates… you never know what you are going to get. And I would have to say that life is also like a baseball game, a world series game. Like the ones being played between the Texas Rangers and the Arizona Diamondbacks. But maybe you did not even know that they were playing. Honestly, the honor of our national pastime in game and life itself is not what it used to be. The game itself and many of our institutions are under question…even the way we live. Things change, and sometimes they change for the better but often for the worse. Hopefully in time there will be a reason for celebration for the winning team for all the hard work that wins the crown even though its finish might seem tarnished. So too today, On All Souls Day, we are to join in the hope of a celebration in the newness of life remade in Christ. So, on this day I seek to aspire to a growing holiness and winning attitude that can face evil no matter what team wins. So, Are We Looking Beyond Halloween And Baseball To Something More Important?
Scripture: I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to damage earth and sea, saying, “Do not damage the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have marked the servants of our God with a seal on their foreheads.” And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the people of Israel: After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, singing, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?” I said to him, “Sir, you are the one that knows.” Then he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14 (NRSV)
See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
1 John 3:1-3 (NRSV)
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5:1-12a (NRSV)
Message: We are on a journey toward holiness and the saints are cheering us on, but I for one am not there yet and frankly the image of all the suffering is a bit discouraging. Thankfully I believe there will be a time when God shall wipe away all tears from all the saint’s eyes. Maybe we should experience the courage of that time even now as a show of victory. Friends, every one of us, and every human being on earth, is called to be a saint. And that means that we are called to be holy, set apart for God’s service. We are not called to be merely kind or popular or admired or even famous. We are not called to just avoid sin. We are called to be holy. And in this future, we hope and believe with the conviction that suffering in this life, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual, will one day yield to unfathomable bliss and blessings. Friends, sorrow shall not always have the upper hand. Sure, we might get depressed and angry and be in denial of it all, but a day is coming on earth when God will have removed every trace of the cause of tears. Friends we live in a culture that tells us we deserve everything that makes us happy…but somehow in this perspective we miss the truth, that the cost must be paid for everything…Here we face the reality that suffering might just be part of the God’s good, wise, and perfect plan. The reality is that becoming a Christian does not make us healthy, and wealthy and free of pain. In fact, we might thrive best in the tension of life. The deal is not about being happy but becoming holy. That is our purpose! Everything in our lives… our jobs…our marriage…our family and church…everything is designed to accomplish this goal. Here we discover our sufferings are not necessarily random or meaningless. There can be a hard purpose to it all. Perhaps we are made weak to eventually become strong. Perhaps that is the way of God’s plan. So, let love motivate our attitude, our mind, our will, and belief. Trust and obey in the love of Christ. Know the truth about the trials of life. Get up and take the next step with Jesus. We do not need to be anxious. We can succeed through faith in Christ during the trials of our lives and in the grace of a loving heart that witnesses the comfort and encouragement of the Spirit in us. And yes, we are to aspire to this holiness even in the face of evil.
And So, imagine all the saints across all time are praying with us and our creator, redeemer, and sustainer right now in the hope for a new heaven and a new earth. When I think about my favorite saints I am inspired by their actions and the reality that they faced real challenges and still had peace.
So, this day I do not mourn the dead saints, but celebrate the life we together have in Christ. And so, this morning we consider the joys before us in communion, realizing that terror takes the joy out of the moment but might also prepare us for the fight ahead. Thankfully, despite the evil in the world, divine love transcends time…all time…even this time as we look to a future without tears.
Pray we are equipped for sanctified living that hits a run home. Pray for the coming of a new heaven and a new earth that helps people get on base for Jesus. Pray we all become new creatures in Christ as our King strikes out evil in our lives. Pray that the Lord helps us exhibit serenity under pressure, courage during intense opposition and wisdom in times of great confusion when errors are made. Pray we realize that joy, and peace and contentment do not come from our circumstances of winning alone, but from God’s grace-filled love that prepares us through training to compete in the game of life. Pray we trust and obey the rules. Pray we become more holy team players. Pray
God encourage us and sustain us in service to others as we join with the saints in the Spirit of more than just a game. Pray in the spirit of unity for all believers across all time that have glorified God and won the crown of a champion. Pray we are part of a love that lasts and that we receive a crown that lasts.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 