It must be.

For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.

1 Corinthians 15:53

It must be and it will be

that time bound bodies are exchanged

in eternity.

It must be and it will be

that from flesh my soul in Christ

will be set free.

This is what must be.

It must be and it shall be

that I too decline and perish

cursed with mortality.

It must be and will someday be

that I will slide safely home

putting on immortality.

This is what must be.

It must be and it will be

that my home here will crumble

but Jesus I shall see!

It must be and it will be

that earthly joys fade in brilliance

eclipsed by brighter eternity.

This is what must be

and

praise God!

This is what must be.

We always need the gospel.

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 

1 Corinthians 15:1-2

That gospel that saves us from sin, that makes us new creations in Christ, that transforms our present by redeeming our past and guaranteeing our future is the most important thing about Christians. It is not a teaching to be accepted once and then forgotten as we move on to something else. It isn’t just a story for the unbeliever to submit to, but it is THE STORY that is THE LIFE of the believer. We should daily dive into gospel glories, thankful for the way Jesus is working in our lives right now because of the gospel.

So what does the gospel do for us beyond our initial trust in it for salvation? These two verses provide several insights worth consistent reflection:

• The gospel is always received. Like a wonderful gift that is new… that keeps giving over and over again, we have received the best present ever in the saving work of Jesus. We treasure this gift, receive its impact again and again by remembering that Jesus saves sinners just like us.
• The gospel is the ground on which we stand. The gospel stabilizes us, lifts us up, gives us a strong foundation, and supports us completely. It is our core message, belief, and commitment. We fall without it under us. We stand in the gospel.
• We are being saved by the gospel. Not only are we saved at the moment of faith in Christ’s death and resurrection, but that work is always ongoing in us. The gospel saves me continuously, right now, in the moment… from my sins, my failures, my sorrows, and my weaknesses. This should never be forgotten and constantly celebrated in my personal and corporate worship experiences.
• We hold fast to the gospel. We never get over grace! We cling to Christ though everything else in our lives will falter and fail. Loved ones may let us down, the world can hate us, and death may take away what is dearest, but Jesus NEVER leaves us. We hold fast, have hope, are saved, are being saved, and will be saved in Him and by God’s great love in Christ forever!

I am a poor lover.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.

I Corinthians 13:4-6

I am a very poor lover, at least by these standards. All my life I’ve been learning this love. And I want, in Christ, to love this way. The one thing the church, that Christians, SHOULD do well to get the attention of a love-lost world is to love just like this. I mean, we have scripture teaching us to do so, we have Christ’s perfect love to transform us, and we have the Holy Spirit to enable us to do so as God lives right within us! Why is it then such a challenge to love like this?

I know that I often get in the way of this love. My impatience selfishly demands recognition, often wanting to get from more than give to the people who care about me the most. I can get selfish and inconsiderately unkind when I feel I am not getting what I want. I can covet what other people have, jealous of their relationships. I can boast about what I can offer to another person in self-inflating pride. I have a problem with arrogance and superiority and judging others to see if they are “worthy” of my love. You push my buttons the wrong way and I will be very rude. I often want my own way, and can charm my way with sweet talk and promises in order to get it. I can hold onto mistakes of others with bitter resentment. Unlike all this “love character” I can sometimes be everything God says love is not. I’m sorry to those who have seen this in me.

So I need to surrender to Christ’s perfect love. I need to be one who readily, consistently repents of my selfish wants that corrupt Christ’s love and keep it from being made mature in me. I want to be a mature lover, equipped to be all these things to other people. And if by chance a few people see glimmers of these things in my life, it will be only because of God’s work and not mine. 

Yet I cannot gauge these things solo, which is hard right now. Only those who are loved by me, and who might still by chance also love me despite all my challenges to love them well can confirm this in me. So I need deeper commitments in the Body of Christ. I need to open up to others. I need to be close. I need to dive deep in vulnerable and accountable conversations and commitments with other Christians. And so I pray that by Jesus’ work in me I might truly love others with the character, conviction, and care of 1 Corinthians 13. And I pray for relationships that confirm where I do, and counter where I do not. God, make me one who loves in this love, for I am by nature a poor lover.

She is lovely.

All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

1 Corinthians 12:11

The church is beautiful in her diversity, made powerful by the work of the Holy Spirit among so many different people, and attractive to all those in need when she welcomes the neediest broken people into her community. God forms churches by amassing stories of diverse backgrounds and experiences. He then uses the one true gospel of Jesus Christ to save them and His one Spirit to enable them to be this kind of community with one another. The best churches celebrate how God fixes each unique broken heart. The best churches utilize each person’s contribution of time, ability, giftedness, and purpose. The best churches equip disciples not in cookie cutter programs, but in custom crafted cooperation with God’s unique signature written by the gospel transformation that is unique to each life.

For 35 years I have had the privilege of working in the local church exclusively, being used by God, directed by the Holy Spirit to do my little part to equip the saints for the work of the ministry. I’ve met thousands of people. I’ve been involved personally in hundreds of stories. And like fingerprints of gracious mercy, God has written no two stories alike! He gifts and places men and women where He wills, and each person is a beautiful part of a bigger, beautiful Bride of Christ. I am always amazed at the amazing people God transforms by His amazing grace! No story is ever a waste in His mercy!

Lord,

How beautiful is Your work. And how beautiful is each story of each person You have redeemed and called to Your side to be Your bride. I am uniquely gifted and given ministry passions as You write my story… which in itself has taken new twists and widened in plot this year. And so is every believer’s story! We are like a painting that is constantly flowing into a clearer, bigger, more impressive masterpiece of Your redeeming grace. Thank You, Lord, for the life I live within Your beautiful church. She is loved! She is lovely!

Amen

learning from Israel’s examples

Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.

1 Corinthians 10:12

The detailed stories of the lives of people in scripture are meant to guide and warn Christians toward the proper way to follow Christ. Twice in six verses Israel’s story is called an “example” for Christians. First, so that we would not desire evil (1 Corinthians 10:6), and secondly, for our instruction (1 Corinthians 10:11). It’s worth contemplating from both viewpoints because failure is a very real outcome if we don’t do so!

An example not to desire evil (1 Corinthians 10:6-10). Paul pulls three instances of how Israel in the wilderness desired to do evil. These point to ways our own hearts can seriously falter.

• Do not be idolaters. This was an early pitfall for Israel. Even as God was giving the Ten Commandments, the first of which is “You shall have no other gods before me”, Israel was rebelling in the pagan worship rites of the golden calf! Christians may not be openly worshipping a carved image, but idolatry still abounds. We can worship wealth, prestige, power, relationships, or lifestyles above God. Calvin is right to observe that the human heart is an idol manufacturing factory. 
• We must not indulge in sexual immorality. In a culture of feel-good, anything goes, hedonistic, pleasure-fulfilling, sexual abandon, Christians must hold the God-designed sanctify of true sexual freedom as God has created it: Lovers devoted with joyful freedom to one another in monogamous, lifelong, heterosexual marriage, adoring that union in love with each other, celebrating both body and soul.
• We must not put Christ to the test. Israel grumbled and complained about God… the exact opposite of worship! And we must not doubt the goodness of our Savior in the midst of trials meant to sanctify us and draw us closer in communion to the God Who disciplines in love and provides in our adversity.

An example for our instruction (1 Corinthians 10:11). The Old Testament is so very useful and practical as a way to see the splendor of the gospel, our liberation in Christ, and the wisdom of God’s guidelines. Christians must look to ALL of scripture to trace the story of Jesus, the goodness of the grace of God, the love of our Father, and the perils of our own sinfulness. Let’s embrace the examples and rejoice in our Savior. Let’s take heed, lest we fall.

running

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.

1 Corinthians 9:24

The race is it. / It’s life.

The pace is set. / Jesus ran it.

The course is clear. / I am proclaiming the gospel.

The finish is near. / Eternity is ahead.

All believers run to tell. / We speak and we live it.

But will we run it well? / Can the ones who need it see it?

A prize will be given. / The Master will reward.

The hope is heaven. / Our future is perfect in every way.

My feet wear His shoes. / The gospel of peace is upon me.

I must not lose. / This is all I really live for.

Spirit’s motion my breeze. / Refreshed in Him I run.

I am set at ease. / My heart is focused.

I must be running with heart. / Thankfulness drives me.

I get a good running start. / God’s power is behind me.

I’m ready to win this prize. / Souls gathered, we worship in glory.

My reward is in Jesus’ eyes. / Praises we sing at His throne!

nostalgia in perspective

Say not, “Why were the former days better than these?”

For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.

Ecclesiastes 7:10

I’m easily nostalgic. I love getting together with old friends, talking about the joys of past experiences, laughing and sharing in fun stories from the bonds of friendship that has spanned decades. It is one of the unique perspectives of being just a tick past middle age now. This is irreplaceable. Cue Springsteen singing “Glory Days”.

I don’t think there is anything wrong with this sort of reminiscing as long as we realize that the past gets pretty polished in our memories. There have been decades of life, hard choices, bad situations, and many losses since my youth. But the life lived in between then and now hasn’t been “bad”. The past is not really better than all that. In fact, if I really reflect on life in my teens and twenties, I was discontent then… longing to get on with life, ready for bigger challenges, wanting adventure (even the tough ones), longing to be married, to have a family, and to do all the things that frankly, I have done and I am currently doing.

This verse warns us that to be stuck in an overly-nostalgic view of the past is unwise. The “good old days” had their bad side too! “Glory Days” could be gory days, carrying with them trauma and pain we may bury deep. We should remember the pains, not just the pleasures, of our youth. A wise person should celebrate the memories, learn from the mistakes, accept the consequences, rejoice in the blessings, and praise the God Who makes our past redeemed in grace (despite the trauma done to us and the bad choices we may have made) through Jesus Christ!

A wise person anchors in God’s gracious work in the past. Wisdom applies that work to all present situations, whether they be smooth or rough. The past interprets the present well when by faith we celebrate where God has taken us to accept life AS IT IS NOW! And a proper God-saturated view of a past (embracing difficulties, losses, loves, gains… all of it!) helps even the challenges of an uncertain future (physical pains, changes, future goals, desires, and hopes of joy yet to come) frame for us an excited anticipation of what God will do in us and for us. Wisdom knows that it all ends in the glorious freedom of the children of God! The journey there (right now) is better than our past and is good in our present experiences because God is always good and will always be good to those He loves!