The trouble with time

Is this really the end of August? It doesn’t seem possible. Labor Day weekend is upon us, which is when most pools close for the year. It’s often considered the last weekend of summer, unless you live in Texas like I do. Our weather and landscape won’t get the “fall” message until sometime between Halloween and Thanksgiving.

But, the fall season is here. Our politics are heating up with every interview and commercial. The school zones are blinking a warning to slow down and drive carefully. Hobby Lobby is running low on Fall décor and filling its shelves with Christmas items! All the coffee places and bakeries are offering things with pumpkin spice. It’s time to stash the summer colors and dig out the Fall wardrobe, even though it’s still too hot for those of us in the South to wear those clothes.

The summer is ending and the trouble with that fact is how fast the summer months flew by! Time truly is fleeting, and the older I get, the faster time flies. So, I’ve decided to write a blog post about making the most of time. Instead of being alarmed by the swift passage of time, why don’t we simply choose today to be happy about that?

The trouble with time is that we have zero ability to change it. The joy of these passing months is that we know what lies at the end of time.

The truth about time is not always taught in the world but is seen in God’s word.

People are becoming genuinely anxious about the future. They are thinking:

  • What if my candidate loses this election?
  • What if my next doctor’s visit is bad news?
  • What is my child or grandchild learning at school?
  • What if prices remain high or go higher?
  • What if the terrorists in the world continue to threaten?
  • What if our wrinkles increase and our strength declines?
  • What if our culture doesn’t return to the way things used to be?

A biblical perspective for the troubles in time.

According to the Bible, time will continue to move forward until Jesus steps back into this world for the final time. Until that day, everyone will head toward an eternity with God in heaven—or, for others, an eternity apart from God in hell. As disciples of the gospel message of Christ, there is a lot we can do with the time we have.

Jesus was in his last week of life. He wanted his disciples to be prepared for the days ahead. He didn’t paint a beautiful picture of “feel good” thoughts. He gave his disciples the truth they needed, and it is still the truth his disciples need today. Jesus said, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:6–14).

So, Jesus would tell us:

  • Of course, your candidates will lose sometimes.
  • Of course, you will get bad news from a doctor someday.
  • Of course, your kids and grandkids will learn some things you like and other things you don’t.
  • Of course, prices will get higher on most things, but lower on some.
  • Of course, terrorists will continue to terrorize. They always have.
  • Of course, you will get wrinkles as you age, and you will grow weaker as the years progress.
  • And of course, the world’s cultures will continue to change and evolve.

Jesus would remind each of us that he made sure we should expect that of time. Times are changing, but our expectations of time might need to as well. Jesus promised that changes would continue throughout the history of this world.

How can we choose to be happy?

  • You may not like the candidates who win, but hopefully, that will lead us to want better down the road.
  • Your doctor might give you bad news and refer you to a specialist who can offer help and hope.
  • Your kids and grandkids will learn a lot in their lifetimes. Hopefully, they will learn some great things from you!
  • Prices will increase on things we need, but having less money makes us more grateful for all we have.
  • The terrorists will be around, but there is a lot of new technology that is helping us catch them before they can do harm.
  • These days, there is a lot we can do about wrinkles if we want to, and we are living longer, stronger lives than our parents did.
  • And there is something we all need to remember: We really don’t want things to go back to the way they used to be. 

I’m glad our world has made progress on racism, poverty, medical cures, and other advances in technology. Every time I use my microwave, my computer, my washing machine, dryer, dishwasher, vacuum, oven, or get in my car to drive somewhere . . . I should be thrilled that “things” aren’t like they used to be.

Jesus promised that lawlessness would increase, weather disasters and wars would continue, and his disciples would be caught in the middle of all those things. Then Jesus said that the “gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14).

The passage of time and technological advances have made his words possible, even likely, for our generation. Anyone who owns a smartphone or computer can receive the gospel message. That’s why all of us who work for the Denison Ministries work hard at our jobs. It’s possible that we will see Jesus come again before another Labor Day weekend arrives.

Maybe the trouble with time is that it isn’t passing fast enough! 

Have a great week, and find happiness in the fact that fall is just around the corner. For Christians, every passing season brings us closer to our eternal life of unchanging joy. 

Out of the desert and into God’s purpose

A note from Janet: One of my great blessings in 2020 was the addition of Trace Kennedy to our ministry team. Trace is the Brand Manager for the JanetDenison.org brand and has been an invaluable asset as we expand the outreach of our ministry. Trace will be guest writing for my blog for a couple of weeks while I am away. I know you will enjoy her thoughts. Thank you, Trace, for everything you do!

The evidence of spring is everywhere in central Texas, with a heavy emphasis on green and yellow. (As a Baylor parent, I like to think it’s a shoutout from God to the Baylor Bears’ basketball championship title.) 

I have to admit, I’m embracing this spring with a deeper gratitude than in years past. The weeklong winter storm of Texas was enough to make me beg not just for warmer temps, but hot temps! 

Soon enough, the mild temperatures of spring we’re enjoying will be replaced with the blazing heat of summer. Streets and sidewalks will appear wavy, the new, fresh foliage of spring will be limp and tired, and regular walkers will resemble their panting dogs. The once welcoming enthusiasm of summer will be replaced with the longing for more refreshing, fall-like temperatures. 

Inevitably, seasons outlast their welcome, and most of us are always ready for the refreshing or relief that comes with the season that follows. 

AN EMPTY NEST LED TO EMPTINESS 

Spiritual seasons are similar. 

In recent months, I have come through a summer, or “desert,” season in my faith walk. A few years ago, when God led me into it, I reveled in the “sweat” that was involved, knowing that the Holy Spirit was moving in me, changing my direction, and shifting my purpose. 

When my last child went off to college, and I became an empty nester, I suddenly found myself with a whole lot of time and not a whole lot to do from a meaningful standpoint. At first, I embraced it, excited to see what God was going to do with me. But then, the waiting and wondering led to wandering. 

It’s easy to get discouraged when it seems like God isn’t answering, doesn’t it? 

Where in your life do you feel like God may be stonewalling you? Maybe it’s in situations, circumstances, or relationships you have prayed about, yet it seems as if God isn’t answering, or really even listening. 

We’ve all had seasons that start out full of promise and new beginnings, only to stagnate and foster discouragement, impatience, and restlessness. 

JESUS NEEDED GOD’S RESTORATION, AND SO DO WE 

I’ve been studying Luke 4:1–13 extensively for the past several weeks, researching the temptations of Jesus for a work project. My initial thought was how easily Jesus fended off Satan’s attacks. Reading just those verses, resisting the devil genuinely seems like a walk in the park for Jesus despite his physical hunger from forty days without food or water, his emotional fragility due to desolation and isolation, and his spiritual battle to glorify God by remaining in his perfect will. 

But Matthew’s gospel reveals something crucial to Jesus’s desert experience that Luke doesn’t mention. Matthew 4:11 says, “Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.” Here, Scripture points out clearly that resisting the Enemy wasn’t easy for Jesus; in fact, it was so difficult he needed divine help to recover and be restored. God allowed the hard time in the desert to show us that Jesus was strong enough to withstand what the Enemy threw his way, but Jesus didn’t do it without being depleted. Before Jesus left the desert and returned to Galilee to begin his Spirit-powered ministry (Luke 4:14), God had to refuel and refresh him. 

Isn’t that a beautiful picture of God’s tender love for us? 

He wants us to know that when we walk through the desert seasons of life, experiencing scorching days where we become like wilted plants oppressed by the heat, we are going to need a divine refreshing—not relief the way the world relieves, which is temporary and unsubstantial, but Spirit-powered sustenance that strengthens and endures and readies you for what he is calling you to do. 

THE DESERT JOURNEY 

For over two years, God allowed me to walk, sometimes stumble, and oftentimes crawl through a desert season. Frequently, I took matters into my own hands, believing that my way was a more comfortable and convenient way to where I thought he wanted me to go, only to end up deeper in the desert and even more desperate for relief. 

Isn’t that just like human nature? We seek out our versions of a mirage, hoping it’s the oasis we are looking for. We pursue short-term solutions, make impulsive decisions, or seek worldly comforts thinking they will give us long-term relief and direction.

But, in reality, worldly resolutions fade quickly and can often leave us feeling unworthy, hopeless, restless, and frustrated. In desert seasons, it’s so easy to relate to Paul in Romans 7:15: “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” When we are exhausted, thirsty for something satisfying, and hungry for genuine spiritual food, why do we tend to seek our own solutions instead of God’s? 

Much like the Israelites who wandered around and around in the desert, I felt like God had me in this holding pattern with no clear exit plan. After sharing this thought with a wise friend, she told me that I was perfectly positioned to receive God’s replenishment and ultimately his plan—not the world’s. In that moment, I realized I was doing the exact opposite of what Jesus had done in his desert time: focusing on the Father, trusting in the strength of his word, and relying on him to meet all of his needs. 

EXCHANGING MY WILL FOR HIS 

When I stepped into faith, humbly surrendered my will to his, and began walking obediently behind him, the Lord restored my soul. 

My former pastor has often said that the most miserable people he knows are believers living outside the will of God. Is it because we choose to settle in the desert, preferring temporary relief through worldly comforts? Relief and departure from the heat only came when I chose the restoration that only Jesus can supply. 

When we position ourselves to receive all God wants to give us, God is able to bless our lives and use us for his divine purpose and plan. My former Sunday school teacher and longtime Bible study teacher has continually instilled that truth in me over the last fifteen-plus years. And over and over, I have seen this truth played out in my life. 

Never would I have imagined that one day she would be my boss and that I would be working for a ministry that has been instrumental in my spiritual training and maturity. 

OUT OF THE DESERT, READY TO SERVE 

This last year of COVID has been a long and trying season. 

Many of us are probably weary from battling the extreme ups and downs, and we are parched for fellowship and hungry for anywhere but home! This year may have left you feeling anxious, lonely, depressed, or worried. Maybe you ate too much, drank too much, watched too much TV, or spent hours wandering on social media. In the moment, those solutions probably offered some level of comfort and relief, but they ultimately just created more dissatisfaction and a thirst for something more enduring. 

I pray that as you make plans to embark and enjoy this much anticipated season without all the restrictions COVID created, you will first allow God to tend to those places of your heart in need of refreshing. “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). 

Jesus walked out of his desert time, restored and replenished by his Father, and entered into his calling that changed the world. Because of his high calling, we as believers now have the very same power that God gave him indwelling us. 

When we surrender to his divine plan and choose to follow him in humble obedience, he truly is “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen” (Ephesians 3:20–21).

Why Winter?

The weather forecast reported a sixty-three-degree start to the day and a twenty-nine-degree ending, with lots of rain and wind to boot. Talk about a Texas MONDAY! 

I pulled my underused coat from the closet and wondered why God created winter. 

The forecast for Eden 

Winter must be another of the consequences of living outside the Garden. Adam and Eve didn’t need clothing in Eden, so it must have been consistently warm. Come to think of it, they probably didn’t need shade either. They didn’t need shelter from the storms, and they never had to clean up after a tornado or hurricane. 

Did trees lose their leaves in the Garden of Eden? Did the flowers ever die? Or, did God create the weather changes and climate challenges we experience today as yet another consequence of sin? 

The Bible makes it clear that God created the earth and uses weather as a way to display his omnipotence. 

What does the Bible say about weather? 

The prophet Jeremiah said, “It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens. When he utters his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain, and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses” (Jeremiah 10:12–13). 

Jeremiah knew that God ruled the weather, but the Bible also teaches that people can influence God’s actions. 

James wrote, “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit” (James 5:17–18). 

We know God has chosen to speak through weather events. 

1 Samuel 12:18 says, “So Samuel called upon the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day, and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.” 

Isaiah said, “And the Lord will cause his majestic voice to be heard and the descending blow of his arm to be seen, in furious anger and a flame of devouring fire, with a cloudburst and storm and hailstones” (Isaiah 30:30). 

The climate will always change 

According to scientists, our choices have affected the climate. According to the Bible, they always have. There will always be consequences to our sinful choices, just like there were consequences to Adam and Eve’s. 

One thing is certain: people will always be better off if we choose to honor and care about God and his creation. 

The Bible makes it clear that God uses our weather as a consistent, miraculous reminder of his existence and involvement in our world. After the flood, God told Noah, “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease” (Genesis 8:22). 

Climate change will exist as long as the world does. But should we be praying, asking, and then working to honor God’s creation as best we can? 

God reveals himself in our world 

God has always used this world he created to reveal himself. 

Romans 1:20 says, “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.” 

That verse goes on to say that people are “without excuse” if they go through life, observing God’s creation yet never honoring the God who made it. This amazing world we live in is the revelation of our amazing God. 

I think it is safe to say that the Lord would want us to preserve and protect his creation. Our planet is a revelation of God to all who dwell on it. I’ve tended to shrug off the “climate-change” politics, but what if we should be asking God how we can help? 

Not caring is probably not our best witness. 

Our best efforts won’t ensure the world’s existence forever 

I do think we should do our best to honor God and care for his creation. At the same time, I’ve studied the Bible and know that our best efforts won’t change the inevitable. 

Jesus spoke and the storm was calmed. Jesus spoke his final words on the cross and the earth quaked. And Jesus told his disciples, “See that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains” (Mark 13:5–8). 

I believe Christians ought to honor God with our choices, including our choice to care for his creation. I believe that, if we honor our planet, we will have a better chance to speak about the reason we care. This week I will teach the passage from 1 Corinthians when the apostle Paul said, “For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them” (1 Corinthians 9:19). 

We know that God holds the world in his hand and governs the wind and the rain. This world won’t end because of climate change. It will end when God chooses to send his Son back to “wrap things up.” 

Until Jesus returns, Christians have a biblical mandate to make ourselves servants for the sake of those who are lost. Our number one priority should be to live in such a way that we can earn the right to “win more of them” to the Lord. 

If honoring God’s creation helps others honor God, we have done well as God’s servants. 

Why winter? 

The arctic cold fronts will come to Texas. So will the hurricanes, tornadoes, and warm spring days. July 2020 will be hotter than we wish it would be. Our seasons will change. Our climate will change. Our world will change. 

And every change on earth can serve as a reminder of a God who doesn’t. 

His word is truth, his will is certain, and his ways are perfection. One day, Paul’s words to Corinth about the final change to our climate will become reality: “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:52). 

The world had a beginning, and it will have an end. Everything and everyone on earth will too. 

Winter winds strip the trees of their dying leaves. Winter temperatures cause us to find a place to be warm. Winter freezes prepare the ground for all that will come in the spring. Why winter? Because that is how God set things up in this world after Eden. 

Our weather and everything else is constantly changing, reminding us that nothing on earth is permanent. But, heaven is eternal and permanently Eden. 

Let’s live on earth with a divine perspective and a holy purpose. Christians should live and submit our freedoms for the purpose of serving the lost, hoping to win as many as we can. 

What are your goals for the colder days ahead? 

The climate will change. Maybe we should too.