"Made in the USA"

Have you noticed how few consumer products are made in the USA? (For my non-US readers, how about for your country?) The Lovely Joanne's company works with a lot of manufacturers who are working to get more jobs back on American soil, in this modern global economy. And with the Fourth of July coming up, American pride is involved too. But for me, there's something

And He's Coming Back, Too: Advent #2

Advent isn't just about Jesus' first coming. He said over and over in different ways that he is returning. What will that mean for humanity? For each one of us? For the "dead in Christ" and all our relatives who have died in the past? Here's a half-a-thumbnail sketch:

Understanding the Kingdom of God

This week, instead of writing my own post, I'm going to direct you to one written by my friend and boss, Joseph Tkach.  He gives us some good words and a good analogy about the kingdom, based on modern technology: a rocket.  See if you agree:  http://update.gci.org/2014/02/understanding-the-kingdom/. 

He's Been Here Already (a rerun from 2009)

Christians are waiting for the return of Jesus to rule the nations. That's completely legitimate, because He said He was coming back. But "back" means He's already been here once. And both of those points are the message of the traditional four weeks of Advent -- that the Son of God visited us once, and that He's returning. ("Advent" means "arrival," as we see in the name "Seventh-Day Adventists" who emphasize the Second Coming.)

The first week of Advent wraps up the entire year of Christian teaching and celebration, by telling us of that blessed, joyful return of our Savior to the world. Typically, the message of that day in song and sermon and prayer gives us reasons to lift up our eyes in hope of His return, and to be encouraged as we continue to work with Him on the earth now.

But of course, Jesus couldn't return unless He'd been here once already. The next three weeks of Advent teach us some of the many lessons of the first coming. Those include the fact that humanity needed His sacrifice for sin. But Jesus didn't just come here to die -- He, as the Son of God and the Son of Man, perfectly joined God with humanity for the first time. Because He did that, He healed the breach that was opened up in Eden and continued on to that time. All of the angels were waiting for that new beginning, and they celebrated at His birth (Luke 2:8-14) just like they had at the creation (Job 38:7).

Hebrews 9:26-28 gives us both ends of the Advent season when it says this: "But now, once for all time, he has appeared at the end of the age to remove sin by his own death as a sacrifice. And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him."

Do you have goose bumps yet? I do, every time I think about the magnificent, all-inclusive scope of that passage. He's been here once; He dealt decisively with our separation from God; and He's coming back to finalize what He started a long, long time ago. I've got every reason that I can think of to celebrate. How about joining me?

Jesus Is on Time

I'm enrolled in a Master's program, and I'm behind in my class work.  Last semester was supposed to be over around the first of December, but I didn't finish the papers I was to write, and now I'm having to do those papers plus all the other stuff I'm supposed to be doing now.  I may procrastinate, but God is never late.  His timing is always "just right."

We Christians have been hoping for the full, visible establishment of Jesus' kingdom for almost 2,000 years now.  His disciples thought it would be right away after his resurrection:  “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” (Acts 1:6), but Jesus ascended to heaven instead.  Hundreds of people over the centuries have calculated or guessed at the date of his return, and they've all been wrong, (including the ones on television who move the date forward every time the last one passes.)  In Springs of Grace, and Living Grace Christian Fellowship, we'll get to hear a sermon  this weekend, going over some of the detail in Matthew 24 that I think will help with some of those concerns. 

The pressing question is, since we're still here, what we do while we're still here?   One thing we don't want to do is forget that God is with us, and Jesus is continuing to work out his will through us, individually and as his Body, the Church universal.  He encourages us in Matt. 24:45-46, "A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward."  Our job is to continue doing whatever part of that work God has given each of us to do.  

The warning Jesus gives next, in Mat. 24:48-50 is the reverse:  "But what if the servant is evil and thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’ and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? The master will return unannounced and unexpected" (and this guy is not rewarded).  Why is the master's "return" unexpected?  Because that servant focuses on physical pleasures instead of the joy of serving his master faithfully.  We don't want to make the same mistake.  

We have plenty of distractions in this life, but serving our Lord brings the most joy of all.  And when Jesus appears -- at just the right time -- the reward of having served faithfully will be worth the wait.  He's already promised us that.  What exactly has God given you to do?  Whatever it is, today is a good day to be doing it!