1 Thessalonians 4–What Stands Out

As part of my morning devotion, I read a chapter of Scripture, noting what pops out and catches my attention. This is a technique known as lectio divina. Recently, in reading through 1 Thessalonians, this phrase caught my attention:

“… we will always be with the Lord.”1 Thessalonians 4:17b

Here, Paul is referring to the second coming of Christ, and how all the believers still living will be caught up into the heavens to be with Jesus forever– but what occurs to me is we don’t have to wait for that privilege–we are with the Lord right now! We, the chosen people of God, the church, are part of Christ’s body, and in that spiritual sense, we are always with Him.

When Jesus was about to be crucified, He promised His disciples that He would not leave them alone. He would send them:

“… another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth…”John 14:16b-17a

This is the Holy Spirit, Who indwells us and guides us. This should be a continuing comfort and consolation during difficult times.

Our union with Christ is complete here and now. We are part of His body, and He is part of us. If we live in that reality, we are never alone; and we don’t have to wait!

For more lectio divina studies see:

What Stands Out–Nehemiah

Exodus Chapter 3–What Stands Out

1 Peter Chapter 3–What Stands Out?

John Piper on Waiting for God

“To wait on God means to pause and soberly consider our own inadequacy and the Lord’s all-sufficiency, and to seek counsel and help from the Lord, and to hope in Him (Psalm. 33:20-22; Isa. 8:17) … The folly of not waiting for God is that we forfeit the blessing of having God work for us. The evil of not waiting on God is that we oppose God’s will to exalt Himself in mercy.” John Piper

For more about waiting for God see:

Waiting For God

The Result of Waiting

Waiting to Understand

Waiting is Worthwhile

I mentioned in my previous post that I recently attended a Via de Cristo retreat weekend. At the beginning of each weekend, participants are told, “don’t judge the weekend until it is finished.” Things that seem uncomfortable or maybe confusing become clear as time passes. In other words, WAIT, get the full picture before you make a decision.

I realized that this is good advice about many things in life. When we prejudge a person, or an event, we often get it wrong. I can think of people who didn’t impress me at our first meeting, who became friends with much to appreciate. I have had work environments that started out feeling uncomfortable but became nurturing with time and attention. In the book of John, we read:

“Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment. “John 7:24

In other words, don’t make a determination when the information you have is superficial. Be patient. Sit with it a while. See how things play out. Pray for God to open your eyes so that you can see His will. Keep your heart open, too! Our Lord is full of surprises! Don’t miss out on a blessing because you didn’t wait.

“Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. “Psalm 27:14

For more about Lutheran Via de Cristo see:

Vineyard Via de Cristo — Some History

What’s My Ideal?

A Via de Cristo Prayer of Confession and Forgiveness

You Don’t Have to Wait for Gods’ Love!

I’m writing this shortly after returning from a Via de Cristo retreat weekend. There is always lots of singing on these retreats, and music is a powerful dynamic that helps the participants move into a closer relationship with Christ and with each other. This morning I thought I would share a song that was used that was new to me. It was the first song ever written by the band, We The Kingdom and was originally intended to touch the hearts of a group of high school students. Soon the band members realized that God was speaking to them as well. Listen this morning and bask in the reality of Gods’ love for you!

Waiting Isn’t Lazy

“Waiting for God is not laziness. Waiting for God is not going to sleep. Waiting for God is not the abandonment of effort. Waiting for God means, first, activity under command; second, readiness for any new command that may come; third, the ability to do nothing until the command is given.”

G. Campbell Morgan (1863-1945), British evangelist, preacher, teacher and author

This is a message I need to hear. I come from a family that valued hard work above all. Right now, I’m in an in-between state. My husband retired from the ministry, and so I gave up many duties that I had assumed, over the years. We’re still attending that church at times, but not regularly enough to take responsibility for on-going projects. We’ve been visiting and attending other churches where my husband fills in. I don’t feel like I have a stable church home right now. And I feel lazy. What is the next big thing God wants me to do? I don’t see it yet.

That’s why I’ve been reading and studying about waiting this month. I’ve learned that resting is a discipline, too (not one I’m particularly good at, as you can see). I’ve learned that peace comes from embracing the blessings of the present moment; and it means trusting that “at the very right time” God may have another task for me to complete, and when that time comes, He’ll also make sure I don’t miss it.

It’s been a fruitful month for me, learning about waiting. What about you?

For previous posts about waiting see:

Waiting…

Weak and Waiting

Waiting For God

United with Christ in Death and Resurrection

Well, our study group came to the end of our lessons on union with Christ. This past week we discussed how we share Christ’s death and His resurrection. This is a hard concept to grasp. We may tend to spiritualize it, but as humans, we are also physical. In the Bible, our bodies are described as temples of the Holy Spirit. So, we experience the sufferings and raising of Christ externally as well as internally.

What does this mean? Consider the example of Joseph in the Bible. Joseph is considered a “type” of Christ. This is a technical theological term which means that certain events or people in the Old Testament prefigure the fulfillment of God’s purpose in the New Testament. Like Jesus, Joseph is misunderstood, mistreated, and thrown in prison. However, we later understand that through his sufferings, he was elevated to a high position, and able to save his family from the famine.

Since we are united with Christ, we should expect to see similar things happening in our own lives. We may be persecuted, experience difficulties, or be humiliated (we probably will). However, in Christ, God works all of these things out for our good, and the good of others. We become like Christ through the cycles of death and resurrection in our own lives. This is the pattern God used with Jesus, and with us.

The apostle Paul said:

“… (we) boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” Romans 1:2b-5

In suffering we become more like Jesus, and more fruitful. We can comfort others in despair because of the experiences we have been through. Are you willing to suffer for Him?

For more about suffering see:

Suffer Strong by Katherine & Jay Wolf–Book Review

Behold the Man!

The Great Good Thing by Andrew Klavan — Book Review

Grateful While Waiting

In one of the books I recently reviewed (It’s Not Your Turn by Heather Thompson Day–Book Review), the author said during a time of waiting, her therapist suggested she look around and then asked, “what do you see?” She saw that despite her frustrations, she had many blessings– a family, a place to live, transportation, and so on. It reminded me of this song. During times when we are waiting and praying for some blessing, it’s wise to consider what we already have. Listen and count your own blessings:

For more posts about blessings see:

Blessings

Mountaintop Blessings

Problems or Blessings #2

It’s Not Your Turn by Heather Thompson Day–Book Review

Do you ever feel that things are falling into place for everyone around you, while your wheels are spinning but you’re going nowhere? In this book subtitled, “what to do while you’re waiting for your breakthrough”, Heather Day gives some suggestions for turning a time of waiting into a time to grow, to learn and to listen. Her most important advice is to realize that sometimes it’s just not your turn — but you can still applaud and be happy for others.

Much of Heather’s advice deals with adjusting our attitude, letting God transform our minds. For example, instead of dwelling on what we do not have, or haven’t accomplished, look around and really see what we have already been given as disciples of Christ. She stresses setting goals and working toward them in small steps and developing positive relationships with others.

Each chapter ends with a Bible memory verse, and some discussion questions which could easily be used for journaling.

VERDICT: 3.5 STARS. The author is a biracial millennial, so I’m in a very different place than she is, and I didn’t agree with all of her opinions. Putting that aside, there were many interesting statistics and worthwhile recommendations.

For more book reviews see:

Faith In God by Kevin McFadden –Book Review

The Great Passion by James Runcie–Book Review

Good Enough by Kate Bowler and Jessica Richie–Book Review

The Saints Everlasting Rest by Richard Baxter –Book Review

This review was actually written by my husband, who is a retired pastor. He has a strong interest in Puritanism and Richard Baxter is an important figure in that theological movement.

Among those who appreciate the writings of the old Puritan divines, Richard Baxter is considered unusual. He held views on some topics that were not those of other Reformed theologians and engaged in long standing disputes with other nonconformists in 17th century England, especially with John Owen. On the other hand, some of his writings have continued to this day to have a strong hold on the imaginations of many orthodox Reformation theologians. His book, The Reformed Pastor, is certainly one of the best books on pastoral theology written in English and should probably sit on every pastor’s shelf.

The Saints Everlasting Rest, is a devotional book written by Baxter as he contemplated his own death during a severe illness (although he lived many years afterward). Baxter argues that Christians spend far too little time pondering the glory which awaits the believer and that if we would do so our lives in this world would overflow with patience, joy, and a lively Christian lifestyle. As a pastor, Baxter was not content to simply encourage people to think about the glory that awaits a follower of Christ, but he gives instructions on how that can be done by the believer.

Dr. Tim Cooper, who edited the book, is a professor of Church History at Otego University in New Zealand and a well-known student of Puritanism, and especially of Richard Baxter. Because the 17th century style of writing was excessively verbose, he has shaped a new abridgement of this work. Also, in order to make the work more accessible to the modern reader, Cooper has modernized some of the archaic usages without losing or lessening the flavor and message of one of the most prolific Puritan writers.

If you would like to purchase this book, follow the link below:

https://www.crossway.org/books/the-saints-everlasting-rest-hcj/

For more about the Puritans see these posts:

Who were (are?) the Puritans?

Heaven is a World of Love by Jonathan Edwards — Book Review

Beyond Stateliest Marble by Douglas Wilson — Book Review

The Lutheran Ladies received a free e-book in return for a fair and honest review. Disclaimer pursuant to FTC 16 CPR 255.

Waiting for Wonder by Marlo Schalesky–Book Review

I’ve been using this book as a part of my morning devotional reading and have really enjoyed it. In fourteen short chapters, the author leads us through the life of Sarah during her long wait to see the promises of God fulfilled. In each one, there is a brief meditation from Sarah’s point of view, as well as some of Ms. Schalesky’s own experiences. She invites us to apply the message of faithful waiting to our own lives, and to see it as a blessing.

“Legacy is born in the waiting. A life that matters is not built through a big bang of success, but through God’s work in the long wait. It was true for Sarah. It is true for us. God is working in our waiting to create a masterpiece, to create a life that points to the wonder of his majesty and love.”

If you are waiting for something in your own life — something to change, something to happen, some way to understand what seems unfathomable, this may be the book for you. Biblically based and realistic (yes, we will all fall down at times, just as Sarah did), it encourages a thoughtful perspective. God is at work, even when we cannot see Him.

VERDICT: 5 STARS

For more book reviews see:

Faith In God by Kevin McFadden –Book Review

A Praying Life by Paul E. Miller–Book Review

Women of Courage: a Forty-Day Devotional — Book Review