Living like the end is never in doubt

Isaiah 13-23 largely consists of prophecies against the nations surrounding Israel and Judah - what God will do to them after he has used them to fulfill his own purposes. These oracles come after God has promised deliverance and relief for his people by means of his "Righteous Branch" (Isaiah 11). What I find comforting and intriguing about these prophecies is that they were given in a time when Israel was looking weak (and rightfully so, as God was about to punish them for their nagging idolatry) and the nations were looking pretty strong (though they too suffered from the same spiritual disease of idolatry and self-worship). God would not allow injustice to reign forever - he would set things right, through his Chosen One, for the sake of his people. It was only a matter of time.

This side of Christ's advent, we see God's mission unfolding and rushing toward its climactic ending. The enemies of the people of God have already been dealt the death-blow through Jesus' life, cross, and resurrection. Even now, today, we can live knowing that our God has the victory and rejoicing in his salvation (Isaiah 12). With the celebrations of Christmas in the background and the cold days of winter ahead, we have the opportunity to live in light of our God's victory - and such victorious joy empowers us to bear today's crosses.

God's peace to you as you walk with Him in 2011!

Christmas, the Day of the Lord, and Time from God's Perspective

Hello again! This Advent, I've been spending some time reading Isaiah. Admittedly, I haven't gotten very far, but I was struck by the nature of the prophecies in the first ten chapters. To of them, especially, have special significance for us around the Christmas season - Isaiah 7:14 with its prophecy of a virgin giving birth to Immanuel, and 9:6-7: "To us a child is born, to us a son is given... He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace..." To me, the fascinating thing about both of these prophecies is that their fulfillment spans a more than one point in time - Isaiah 7:14 has an immediate (but incomplete) fulfillment during Isaiah's lifetime, but its fullest fulfillment is found in Jesus. Isaiah 9:6-7 finds fulfillment at Jesus birth, but its final fulfillment will come when He returns: "Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end..." Certainly, Jesus' rule extends to all of creation, but that rule and the peace it brings are not always obvious to us. On that day - the Last Day - they will be.

The prophets, it seems to me, have the privilege of being revealed God's plan for the world, often from God's own timeless perspective. Events that are hundreds of years apart from our perspective fit neatly together from His. This might help explain why Jesus' coming, fulfilled at Christmas, is often prophesied about in end times language - the two fit together. The one guarantees the other. Such a view of prophecy might not be popular with those who think they can determine the dates and times of events like the Lord's return, since it largely discounts that fact that we can do such a thing (or that God even wants us to try). But we can take comfort in the truth that God's promises, though we haven't seen their final fulfillment, are guaranteed - in God's mind, they're a done deal. As surely as Christmas has happened, Jesus indeed reigns even now and will come again in glory, at which point His reign will be obvious to all. No doubt about it!

A blessed Christmas to you and your loved ones.

Happy St. Nicholas Day!

Today many people around the world will celebrate the Feast of St. Nicholas in various ways - perhaps you and your family will as well. The story of St. Nicholas is actually quite fascinating. An account that gets little notice is Nicholas' behavior at the Council of Nicea, which he attended as a bishop in A.D. 325. Check out this devotional from Dave Burchett at thefish.com to get a somewhat humorous and quite informative glimpse into the life of this dear saint of God who died about 1665 years ago on December 6.