Wilderness Wanderings

Brothers and sisters, pray for us. Greet all God's people with a holy kiss. I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. (1 Thessalonians 5:25-28)

Kissing people who are not my family is not something I do. Or at least, it wasn't until I met my wife. Now I regularly kiss friends and acquaintances as well. Why the change? Some of you may already know.

Americans have no cultural practice of kissing people with whom you are not already in some way, intimate. But the Dutch do—as do any number of cultures around the world—and my wife is Dutch. The Dutch have a standard tradition of "three Dutch kisses" that one performs as a greeting when encountering anyone you know reasonably well. Not on the lips mind you, but kisses applied to the cheek, or just to the air next to the cheek—first to the right, then flipping around to do the same thing on the left, then flipping back round to the right. Three Dutch "kisses."

This cultural convention at first seemed terribly intimate and intrusive to me. When I said so—my wife noted how she found the American greeting—which tends much more often to be a hug with those same friends and acquaintances—to be far more intimate and invasive. The Dutch, after all, do not press their bodies together like the Americans do.

It's all in what your used to, I suppose. The "holy kiss" of Paul's writing is one of those Biblical commands that we assume to be culturally constructed--just like the American hug or the three Dutch kisses. Even though the Holy Kiss shows up four different times in Paul's letters as a command to the Christian community—you will notice that we do not obey this command (and to my knowledge, the Dutch churches don't either). Herein then lies one of the interpretive principles of Bible reading.

When we read Paul's letters, we are reading someone else's mail. We are not the Thessalonians Paul was writing to. Nor do we live in the times with its cultural customs that the Thessalonians lived in. So when we interpret things like this, what we're looking for is the intent or purpose of the command—a principle that can be applied in our own time, place, and culture.

So what was this "holy kiss"? Later in the early church, it became known as the "kiss of peace." In some church traditions still today there is a section of the worship service called "passing the peace" which carries some residue from this practice. Even our own periodic "greet one another as God has greeted you" moments at the beginning of our service carries something of it.

The "holy kiss" was a moment in worship, often connected with the Lord's Supper, where fellowship and unity was affirmed, but also where reconciliation was worked out. To offer this sign of intimate fellowship and unity required seeing the other as one whom Christ had forgiven and who I ought also to forgive (or confess before, as the case may be). A sense grew up in the churches of "con-spiring" together through this kiss—quite literally a "breathing together" or a sharing the "Spirit together." For, as Paul says in Ephesians 4: "there is one body and one Spirit," right after he implores the church to "keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace" (Eph 4:3-4).

Whatever the cultural form—this remains an important command and a good reminder at the end of this letter. We ought always to continue to seek to manifest the one Spirit of Christ that makes the church Holy through working out—as tangibly as a kiss—our reconciliation with one another through confession and forgiveness. As we do so, may "the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you."

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you! (1 Thessalonians 5:23,24,28 The Message).

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).

Out of baseball's history comes this story: the game was tied with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning. The batter stepped into the batting box and made the sign of the cross on home plate with his bat. Yogi Berra was behind the plate; he wiped it off with his glove and said to the pious batter, "Why don't we let God just watch this game?"

Many Christians live according to this theology: God just watches us. And usually, we envision God watching us with a frown because we do not measure up. But Paul ends this letter, as he does most of his letters, with a blessing. These closes words are not a wish Paul has. He writes them out of a deep believe in God's faithfulness, rooted in the Old Testament. Thus, he concludes, "The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this."

This theme of God's faithfulness runs through the Old Testament. We can see it clearly in Joshua 1. Moses is dead, the desert lies behind the people and the strong walls of Jericho stand before them. Naturally, Israel is in crisis. Joshua is to lead. But he is so young. So inexperienced. If only Moses was still alive.

But God says, "Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you…Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:7-9).

Moses is dead; but God's promises are not. There's no loss of momentum because it was never about the faithfulness of Moses, nor the faithfulness of the nation. It was always about the faithfulness of God and his promises to his people. Israel's story is primarily about God's purposes and his promises.

First Thessalonians is primarily about the gospel and the church. The church proclaims the gospel, and the gospel forms the church. But as we know, the world, the devil and our own flesh are arrayed against the gospel and the church. Often, we flounder more than we flourish. Our enemies are strong. But our God is stronger. And he is faithful. He is the God of peace, shalom. He will build his church, after all, he died for us and has infused us with his Holy Spirit and grafted us into himself. He will sanctify us through and through. He will keep us in good working order: set apart for his service.

Thank God that our sanctification is not dependent on our feeble efforts but on the strong faithful work of our God. When God calls, he always provides. God keeps his promises. We can rely on his steadfast love, which never fails but endures for ever.

God does not sit in heaven watching and wandering if we will make it. He is actively at work in our lives, making us holy for his own glory.

So, as you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you! (1 Thessalonians 5:23,24,28 The Message).

An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The texts come from Matthew 5:27-32, from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca

DIVE IN QUESTIONS

1. What stands out to you from hearing these verses? Is God offering an invitation or a challenge to you through those words? Take time to pray about it.

2. What is the Garden of Eden picture that a husband and wife using the good God-given gifts of physical and emotional intimacy leads to? What is the Garden of Eden picture of this not going well?

3. What kind of looks and lusts does Jesus command against? What does keeping this command mean for married people? Single people? What might (or does) make it difficult to keep this command? What is at the heart of this command?

4. What help does Jesus give to empower us to live within his command? How might we get there?

5. Lift up whatever challenges you might face in relationship to this command to Jesus and consider other supports and people in your life that might help you do this work of dying and rising in Christ.

Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22)

Like the "pray continually" command of yesterday, the "do not quench the Spirit" command of today has had a habit of rattling around in church conversations in a way that usually sounds accusatory and produces a great deal of guilt. In particular, we tend to whip out this command as an accusation against other churches or believers when we feel like they're not quite keeping step with the times, or when we feel like our church or program is dying. Someone must be "quenching the Spirit."

Of course, this generally takes the verse out of context. What Paul specifically has in mind here is not individual behaviour, but rather: the church at worship. Within the context of the church at worship, Paul is thinking specifically of prophecy.

Now we might think that doesn't really apply to us anymore today. We don't have prophets or entertain prophecy or prophetic words in our churches anymore. Pentecostals might, but by and large, we don't. Right?

Wrong. Actually, the preaching of the Word in Sunday worship is one way the prophetic gift still manifests itself in our midst. In fact, each follower of Christ lives out this prophetic office in some way. Anytime we speak a Word of Scripture or a word that agrees with it to encourage or remind someone of the gifts and promises of God, we are speaking prophetically. In these ways, we speak as prophets that declare the good news of God on earth through the power of the Spirit who gives us these words to speak. Prophecy then, is not primarily about predicting the future accurately. Much more often, the prophets of the Old Testament simply remind the people of God's word and promises already spoken—but doing so in the new context of the present reality the people find themselves in.

With such an expansive view of prophecy—as a spiritual gift that all believers in some way use—the question is how do we live well as part of the community of the prophets, which, knowingly or not, is what we are?

Firstly, we may not minimize or quench this prophetic reality. You cannot pooh-pooh it off by saying: "oh, that's not really something I do," or "oh, the words we speak to one another are not really that serious." Because yes they are, and yes you do. You are a temple of the Holy Spirit—an ambassador of Christ—and God uses you to speak words of encouragement, hospitality, grace, and challenge to one another all the time. He uses others in the Christian community in just that same way. We may not dismiss one another's words.

But if everything is to be taken seriously, how can you tell if something is a true word of prophecy from the Spirit or not? For this, Paul calls us to test everything, holding on to what is good and rejecting every kind of evil. How? He doesn't give any rules, but perhaps he had something in mind like what happens in Jeremiah 26 (go read it!). For us today though, maybe a few simple ways to do this "testing" are worth noting.

Firstly, does what was said agree with the revelation God has already given us in the Bible and through Jesus? Establishing that it is a word that rings with the truth of Scripture, you can ask a second question: is this truth spoken in love? In other words—is it said in the way of Jesus? Are the motives and methods of the speaker appropriate to the love and grace of Christ that has declared us to be forgiven children of God and that builds up his church? Then a third thing—does this word come from one whose life is increasingly congruent with the word spoken? Now we could be quite harsh with this one, but we ought not be. It's not that the speaker has to be perfect—none of us are—but if this word has not also touched and begun to transform the speaker's life in the area they're speaking about in ways that begin to reveal the Spirit at work, then perhaps a grain of salt can be taken.

Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Discerning—together with other Christians—whether these marks of Jesus are present in the words we Christians speak to one another as encouragement and support is one way to sift the Spirit-breathed good from the evil we are to flee.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you! (1 Thessalonians 5:23,24,28 The Message).

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Yesterday, Pastor Anthony began his devotion by saying that Paul concludes this letter "by gathering up the letter's contents—repeating them in a flurry of staccato commands that speak very directly and practically to the life of the church". The material he covered is easily applied to the church as a Christian community, living out the Christian life in full view of the world.

Its strange then, that today's text is suddenly shrunk down and applied to the individual Christian. This has caused considerable consternation even for mature Christians who believe that they are falling short of the mark. Its one of those repeat questions a pastor fields, "How can I do this?" Not one of us can live up to this understanding of our text.

But these instructions are given to the church as a community that worships Jesus. Within that context, we live into these qualities. When the church gathers, whether for corporate worship or in smaller groups, these things need to govern the gathering. This does not mean that we ignore all the trials and tribulations that life brings us. Rather, they enable us to endure hardship as Christians.

One of the tasks of a Christian gathering is to remember. We remember that we are "chosen and dearly loved by God" (1:4). We remember that we are imitators of our Lord (1:6) and it is his will that we are sanctified (4:3). We remember that Jesus is coming back, and we will be with him (4:17). With this remembering, our gatherings our formed by joy, prayer and thanksgiving.

To 'rejoice', does not mean that we are 'happy'. Joy is rooted in our identity as God's redeemed people anticipating a new creation without sin and all its consequences. We must gently remind each other that our suffering here is temporary. Worship is both a celebration of what Christ has done for us and a dress rehearsal for the great wedding banquet, so joy is woven into its fabric.

Praying is not primarily prayer requests. We should not ask, 'what shall we pray for?' but, 'what shall we pray about?' We pray about the kingdom of God, that we will be flourishing citizens of that kingdom within the kingdoms of the world. Prayer keeps us connected to the Holy Spirit, who is the source of all God's good spiritual gifts. Further, it is an act of submission, submitting our will to the will of God.

These two are pared with thanksgiving. Again, this is rooted not in the circumstances of life, but in our Christian identify. We do not give thanks for things, but in them. The Heidelberg Catechism opens with, "My only comfort in life and in death is that I am not my own, but belong-body and soul, in life and in death-to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ". This is the heart of our thanksgiving.

The barrage of advertisement that comes our way has one purpose: to breed discontent in our hearts, to create desire for the things we do not have. In this text, Paul encourages us to invest time and effort in our relationship with God, for which we need the Christian community. We will develop a connection with Him like the umbilical cord of an unborn child to its mother. It is God's will that we are drawn together into the life of God through Jesus and the Spirit.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you! (1 Thessalonians 5:23,24,28 The Message).

Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. (1 Thessalonians 5:12-15)

Paul now turns to conclude the letter. He does so by gathering up the letter's contents—repeating them in a flurry of staccato commands that speak very directly and practically to the life of the church.

The Thessalonians have been commended for living in order to please God and for loving one another well. In both cases they were encouraged to do so more and more. These encouragements came with warnings that the rejection of the apostle's teaching amounted to rejection of God, but they also came with the reminder and hope that "your daily life may win the respect of outsiders." The world was watching, and by their way of life together, the Thessalonians were preaching.

Now Paul reminds them of these things. He calls them to acknowledge and hold a high regard for their leaders—those who work, care, and admonish as the apostles have done through their teaching. Like the work of the apostles, the work of every Christian leader—when carried out faithfully—is an expression of God's own work, care, and admonishment among the community. And as God's own work—even though the admonishment bits might be hard to swallow—it ought always to be understood as a word and work meant to grow us up to maturity in Christ.

Just like leaders are an expression of God's work within the congregation, so the congregation itself is an expression of God's work in the world. As such, it is important how the Thessalonians or any Christians still today conduct themselves. So come the next line of commands to "live in peace with one another."

This involves engaging those who are idly disengaged (and therefore disruptive) by encouraging them to get involved in productive pursuits—participating in God's own work in the world until the day that Jesus comes again. Our work is participation in God's work—harkening back to the Genesis commands to steward, work, and care for this world.

There are other threats to our participation in God's work though—division and conflict, disease and discouragement. So the call to be patient with one another, to help the weak, to encourage the disheartened, to defuse conflict before it gets out of hand, and to always strive for each other's good, and indeed for the good of the society around them.

In these ways, the Thessalonian's work joins up with God's own work and preaches God's kingdom gospel ever louder and ever further to a world longing to hear such good news of healthy leadership, divisions bridged, the weak upheld, and the good of all generously and unselfishly striven for.

By God's grace and work among us, may our own lives and church preach just that word.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you! (1 Thessalonians 5:23,24,28 The Message).

So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing (1 Thessalonians 5:6-11).

Robby Robins was an Air Force pilot for the USA during the Gulf War in the 1990s. After his 300th mission, he was given permission to fly his plane home. After landing in Massachusetts his friends drove him to western Pennsylvania, arriving at his house just after sunrise. There was a big banner across the garage—"Welcome Home Dad!" Walking through the front door, he found his family dressed and ready for him. After the screams of excitement, he managed to ask, "How did you know?" "We didn't," they chorused. "Once we knew the war was over, we knew you'd be home one of these days. We knew you'd try to surprise us, so we were ready every day."

After some 2000 years, Jesus' followers have become weary of waiting, of living in expectation of Christ's return. Yet, that is how the Bible invites Christians to live. Like Robby's family, we are to live expecting him any day. Living quiet, godly lives, contributing to the Christian community and to our society, we keep the banner welcoming Christ into his kingdom in good repair.

How do we do that? By encouraging and building one another up in the basics of the Christian faith. This is not a task reserved for the pastors and elders only. It is the responsibility of the community, the church. Of course, it also means that we are willing to be encouraged by others. Paul mentions several of these basic components here.

One, that our salvation is not rooted in anything within us. Nor is it dependent on our ability to keep the faith or to be salty or to keep our light uncovered. Rather, it is dependent on God's appointment. God has saved us in Christ, and he will complete the work he has begun in us. Death is the punishment for sin. But Christ has died for us; we live. Physical death is not punishment for sin, nor can it keep us from experiencing Christ's return. When he comes, we will live with him and experience the fullness of his words, "I have come to bring life in abundance".

Two, put on the great triad of grace: faith, love, and hope. Since we are already in the light, having been saved, let us therefore live by the light. Paul uses the word sober to contrast drunkenness. His point is that we are self-controlled, disciplined. He is under no illusion that it is complicated to be a Christian. Faith in God's saving work in Christ keeps us grounded, hope in Christ's return keeps us moving forward, and love gives clarity to how we live our lives.

We cannot and will not miss his return. Do not be afraid of his coming. Live in expectation. Keep flying the banner that welcomes him home. Prepare for the party. Encourage one another.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you! (1 Thessalonians 5:23,24,28 The Message).

Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. (1 Thessalonians 5:1-5)

It is not uncommon these days to hear people predict the end of time. Things just feel so bad—it must be near, right? From pastor to pew sitter to non-Christian, people are sure that some sort of end must be imminent.

Not so fast though. Jesus also speaks—like Paul does here—of the day of the Lord coming in a totally unexpected moment, like a thief. Jesus says it even more explicitly: "about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father" (Mt. 24:36).

On the one hand Jesus, like Paul, uses the "unknown" of the day of the Lord as an invitation to be ever watchful and ready, ever obedient and faithful. On the other hand, it is also used to give comfort, and this is more in keeping with what Paul is dong here: lowering the anxiety level.

Paul gives a picture of judgement here though too, and that might trouble us a bit. It's important to keep the context in mind. The Roman society that was persecuting the Thessalonian church was a society in which everything looked good. The economy was humming along and under the law and protection of the Romans, peace and safety was enjoyed by all. That is, unless you were Christians who did not participate in the pagan practices of that society—then you experienced fearsome insecurity.

Paul's point is that despite all this—it is actually the Christians who ultimately have the claim to peace and safety, because they rest secure under the Lordship of Christ as children of the light and of the day. The promise of the Roman empire is false—against the judgement of God, Rome cannot offer shelter. It is they of the pagan Roman society who have no hope, or at least who have placed their hopes in gods and emperors who are not gods—they who will be surprised and caught unaware by this thief-like day of the Lord's judgement. On that day, the faith of the Thessalonian Christians will be vindicated, even as the injustices and suffering they have endured are set right.

The point for them and for us is this: in Jesus Christ we rest in peace and safety. For no matter when he comes and no matter what we suffer until then—we may trust that body and soul, in life and in death, we belong to him.

Yes, things are bad in our present moment even as they were bad for the Thessalonians back then—but hang in there. Stand firm. Don't be deceived or alarmed. Jesus knows who are his, and you are his. There's no way you'll miss him or he you—you are children of the light and the day. So do not be afraid. No matter how bad things get or how fearsome the moment feels, stay calm. You belong to Jesus.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you! (1 Thessalonians 5:23,24,28 The Message).

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text of Isaiah 40:21-31. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!

To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca

1. What does Isaiah 40:31 invite us to focus our efforts on – soaring, running, walking?

2. God is King (Psalm 47:2). List the descriptive words for God in the word KING. Read through the book of Esther and notice that these things do not describe Xerxes.

3. God is our Deliverer (Psalm 18:2). What is the promise this attribute of God is rooted in?

4. God is Trustworthy (Psalm 145:13). How has it been difficult for you to believe this?

5. God is Always at Work (Psalm 145:18). How does the story of Esther help us believe this?

6. God is with Us wherever we go (Joshua 1:9; Matthew 28:20). In what contexts are these promises made?

7. So, how do you eat an elephant? How does this question relate to our faith in God?

This agrees with what the Lord has said. When the Lord comes, many of us will still be alive. We tell you that we will certainly not go up before those who have died. The Lord himself will come down from heaven. We will hear a loud command. We will hear the voice of the leader of the angels. We will hear a blast from God's trumpet. Many who believe in Christ will have died already. They will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them. We will be taken up in the clouds. We will meet the Lord in the air. And we will be with him forever. So, encourage one another with these words of comfort (1 Thessalonians 4:15-18).

As we learned yesterday, Paul does not chastise the Christians for their grief. Rather, he offers a way to live with grief. His goal is that we help one another through the struggle of bringing our emotions and our faith together, living with hope even as we grieve. His core message is that Christ will return.

Make no mistake about it, this is a political statement. The Roman Emperor reigned supreme. Rome laughed at that the notion that Jesus Christ, whom it had killed on a cross in Judea, was Lord. But Christians believe that Jesus was granted Lordship specifically because he had offered himself up to death on that cross. And then he rose from the dead. At his ascension he was crowned Lord of lords and King of kings.

And he "must rule until he has put all his enemies under his control" (1 Corinthians 15:25). Then, at the sign of the Father, Jesus Christ will rise from his sapphire throne, pass through the arches of glory-past the altar of sacrifice stained by his own blood, past the altar of incense, fragrant with the prayers of the saints, past the awesome living creatures who worship him night and day-and summon one great archangel to accompany him.

He will cross the great gulf fixed between heaven and earth and step through the curtain of the sky. No need for a star to point him out this time. No need for shepherds or wise men to spread the word. No disguises of baby flesh or swaddling clothes. As C. S. Lewis said, "When the author walks on the stage, the play is over." This time there will be no mistaking his coming.

The image is of a Roman dignitary on tour; the leading officials of the community would go out to meet him and accompany him into the city. At the sound of the arch angel's trumpet, Christians who have died will experience resurrection. Then Jesus' disciples still on earth will join them to meet our Saviour and Lord in the sky. It will be a grand family reunion, the best, without family squabbles, without end.

His brothers and sisters will usher Jesus into his kingdom, which is the earth. This passage gave birth to the notion of the rapture. But that has the imagery wrong. Jesus is not coming to take us away from this world. Rather, he is returning to this world to 'make all things new' and to reign here forever. And all people will see it, every knee will bow before him, and every tongue confess him, Lord.

We should encourage each other to live in the hope of His return to finish redemption. There is no need to live in fear his coming but recognize that this is God's plan. For us, a second Christmas is on the horizon, then "we shall always be with the Lord" (17).

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you! (1 Thessalonians 5:23,24,28 The Message).