Messages Children Need to Hear #1 - Identity

Jewish families have a tradition that has been repeated every Friday night for millennia as Sabbath begins. The parents gather the family around them and every child is blessed by the father or mother.

Blessing involves speaking a positive message about someone out loud in front of others. The blessing message contains several elements. The first element is identity. The second element is destiny, which we will look at next week. Woven into both elements is a message that the parents believe in and value their child.

Our identity is sets us apart as being different from every other person on Earth. “You are unique, just like everybody else!” Sarcasm usually accompanies this ironic truth, but the irony in it does not negate the need we all have to hear and believe that we personally have some distinct purpose for being here on Earth, and are not a mere coincidence or accident.

The truth of their unique identity is a message that all children need to hear often, and come to believe in their hearts. Will you try it out? You could even do it each Friday night as the Sabbath begins.

Here are two practical ideas:

Name - The meaning of a child’s name can be a powerful tool for blessing them. Communicate to your children that they were thought of and valued even before they were born. You named them because they were special to you and you wanted to give them an identity that matched the value you placed on them. Share the meaning of their name and include what that meaning may say about who they are. (i.e. Matthew = Gift of God, and my parents shared that they believed that I was truly a gift to them from God)

Positive Character Traits - Publicly share the positive qualities you see in your child. This also includes special talents or spiritual gifts that you believe they have.

God's Green Lights

Recently I’ve discovered something that has added a lot of enjoyment my daily commute to work and back. I’ve learned that all seven of the lights along the route I take are timed in such a way that if I travel exactly at the speed limit the whole way, they turn green just before I reach them.

In fact, most of the lights in town are that way. Using my new time saving strategy of driving the speed limit, recently I travelled about 10 miles down a major road in Lansing all the way to my home in Grand Ledge without hitting a single red light!

Think of the unnecessary frustration I’ve experienced over the years when I’ve been trying to get to work as fast as I can, going over the speed limit, and having to wait at half the stop lights.

How fast is the speed of God? Although it might seem like it would be faster than light, it is often slower than the pace of our lives.

How often we live our lives in a hurry, doing three things at once, trying to finish our tasks in half the time it takes for dinner to cook in the microwave, and still feeling like we don’t have time for prayer and Bible study.

God once gave me a mental picture of what my hectic life was like. I saw myself running on a treadmill as fast as it could possibly go. My legs were flying out behind me and I was holding on to the handrails with white knuckles. What struck me next was the thought that while I was crazily flailing around but moving nowhere, God was actually walking behind the treadmill pushing it along at His pace.

I can't make true progress in life any faster than the speed I will go if I am walking closely with God. He is calling us to slow down and be sure He is central in our lives. When we make it our aim to walk side by side with Him through life, we will go where we really need to go, and do what we really need to do.

You may be surprised when you slow down to His speed, and find you’re actually getting places faster than you were before.

“Be still and know that I am God...”
(Psalm 46:10)

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
(Matthew 6:33)

Conversion: Resolution or Revolution? (Part 1)

So, one third of the way through 2010, how are you doing on your New Year's Resolutions? Each year on January 1, millions of Americans make a list of their New Year's resolutions. Studies show that most are not successful at making the changes they want to make. The success rate found by the studies is between 12 and 22 percent. Less than a quarter of the people who make resolutions actually end up following through with them.

Can you identify with the frustration of wanting to make a change in your life, determining in your mind that you are going to make the change, and then failing as you move forward with your plans? What is the secret to success when we want to grow as a Christian and our resolutions aren't enough to bring about the change we need?

Instead of focusing on making resolutions, or promising to try our best to change ourselves, I believe we need to experience a total revolution through the converting power of God. The word resolution comes from the verb resolve, which means to decide firmly to do something. Following the same thought process, revolution would come from the world revolve, which is to turn around. By being converted, or turned back to loving and following God, we are also changed through His power; this change is the goal, but not usually the end result, of making resolutions.

So how can one be converted? Before answering that, a word of caution is in order. There is nothing we can do to convert ourselves. Conversion is something that God does to us and in us. However, there is a part we can play. Most of what we can do is simply allowing Him to work in our lives, or not resisting Him. We can also turn our attention to the subjects that God uses to do His converting work in our lives.

Here are my three tips for making a New Year's Revolution.

#1: Give up immediately. It is better than trying and failing.

#2: Act like a carefree little kid.

#3: Eat more than you have ever eaten before. Feast like royalty every day.

Tip #1: Give up immediately

Many people give up on their New Year's resolutions within the first week after making them. Ironically, if we want to make a New Year's revolution, we will never be able to succeed unless we first give up. In surrendering our lives to God, we give Him permission to do whatever He needs to do to transform us.

In Matthew 25:1-12, we find the story of ten virgins who are waiting for a bridegroom to come by in his wedding procession, which they hope to join. It is dark, and all ten virgins have a lamp with them. However, five of the virgins are called foolish virgins because they do not have a supply of oil with them to keep the lamp burning. In the Bible, the lamp is a symbol of the word of God (Psalm 119:105). In order for a lamp to burn, it needs oil, which is a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

Although these virgins all hold on to the Word of God and look forward to the coming of the Bridegroom, the story shows they are not ready for Him when He comes because they do not have any oil in their lamps. Without a heart that is surrendered to the Holy Spirit, our lives will not be transformed by the Word of God.

How do we make that surrender?

"Many are inquiring, 'How am I to make the surrender of myself to God?' You desire to give yourself to Him, but you are weak in moral power, in slavery to doubt, and controlled by the habits of your life of sin. Your promises and resolutions are like ropes of sand. You cannot control your thoughts, your impulses, your affections. The knowledge of your broken promises and forfeited pledges weakens your confidence in your own sincerity, and causes you to feel that God cannot accept you; but you need not despair.

What you need to understand is the true force of the will. This is the governing power in the nature of man, the power of decision, or of choice. Everything depends on the right action of the will. The power of choice God has given to men; it is theirs to exercise. You cannot change your heart, you cannot of yourself give to God its affections; but you can choose to serve Him. You can give Him your will; He will then work in you to will and to do according to His good pleasure. Thus your whole nature will be brought under the control of the Spirit of Christ; your affections will be centered upon Him, your thoughts will be in harmony with Him."

The will we are to surrender to God is our power of choice. Surrendering to the Holy Spirit means giving Him the right to make our choices for us. It is as simple as confessing, "I want you to be in control of my life. I admit that Your ways are better than mine, and I want to do things your way." Every day we are making choices about our time, our relationships, and our activities. The Holy Spirit constantly speaks to us through our conscience, and we have a choice to surrender to doing things His way, or choosing to do them our own way.

The quote continues in sobering fashion, with the same message as the parable with its lamp-holding, Bridegroom-anticipating virgins who still are not ready when He arrives:

"Desires for goodness and holiness are right as far as they go; but if you stop here, they will avail you nothing. Many will be lost while hoping and desiring to be Christians. They do not come to the point of yielding the will to God. They do not now choose to be Christians. Through the right exercise of the will, an entire change may be made in your life. By yielding up your will to Christ, you ally yourself with the power that is above all principalities and powers. You will have strength from above to hold you steadfast, and thus through constant surrender to God you will be enabled to live the new life, even the life of faith." Steps to Christ p. 47, 48

Giving up and giving God permission to lead your life is the source of true will power. We will not succeed at converting ourselves simply by desiring to be changed, or even by trying hard in our own strength to make changes. Change takes place through the power of Christ who lives and dwells in our lives when we allow Him to.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

The Most Rewarding Reward (A Reason for Running)

What would it take to motivate you to run 100 miles? Recently I was in a class with a woman who went away one weekend with her family. They were all going to support her husband when he ran the Heartland 100 race in Cassoday, Kansas. This guy was running a 100 mile race!

Everyone who runs the Heartland 100 in less than 30 hours receives a prize. What would be a fitting reward for such an athletically admirable feat? Maybe $10 for every mile you ran, or your name in Sports Illustrated, or a phone call from the president?

Actually, the prize for completing the Heartland 100 is a custom designed, two-toned belt buckle. You run 100 miles in less than thirty hours, and all you get is a decorative piece of metal that holds your pants up! Would that motivate you to run 100 miles?

My guess is that most people competing in that grueling race are not in it just for the belt buckle. I think there must be a deeper motivation that causes those athletes to train for months before the race. There must be a greater reward they see ahead at the finish line that keeps them going mile after mile.

The ancient Olympic runners were motivated to run long races too, and their only tangible reward was a crown of laurel leaves that was placed on their heads by the Emperor. It was this crown, the stephanos, that Jesus referred to when He said, “Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown” (Re velation 3:11).

Here Jesus is cheering us on, encouraging us to endure to the end of the race. He tells us that there is a crown waiting for us if we do. But is He trying to motivate us to run just to receive a golden victory band?

What do you think the reward is that Jesus is bringing with Him? Is it precious enough to keep you running when the race gets more challenging, and when you feel like you are out of energy and can’t go on? Our view of the reward that lies ahead must be something bigger than a harp and a crown. Trying to motivate ourselves with mansions or mangos from the tree of life will not carry us through the toughest parts of our race.

It seems that from childhood, I was taught to picture the material rewards of heaven to motivate myself to want to be there. I learned songs like, “I’ve got a mansion, just over the hilltop...” and teachers helped me paint vivid pictures in my imagination of sliding down giraffes’ necks, being able to fly to distant planets, and designing my dream house (which included a tree house with a stream running through it in one part, and glass walled underwater rooms in another part).

Sadly, many of the friends I grew up dreaming those dreams with seemed less and less motivated to run the race the older we got. They weren’t interested in exerting themselves for the reward they thought they were running toward. I don’t blame them for not feeling motivated to run the Christian race just to get a mansion and a life of ease. There are people all around us here on earth who already have that kind of reward. If that’s all you’re running for, why not just strive to get your mansion here and plant a mango tree in the back yard?

There is something far more rewarding at the finish line of the Christian race than the material prizes of Heaven. I wish that those childhood friends understood what our true reward is, because if they did, I believe there would be many more still running along beside me.

So what is our true reward, the one that is worth running for? The writer of Hebrews encourages us to “run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus” (Hebrews 12:1, 2). To get a better picture of why we are running this race, we should look to our example, Jesus.

Jesus is a veteran race runner. He successfully finished His race here on Earth, and the Bible tells us He did that by focusing on the reward He would receive at the end of the race. Hebrews 12:2 says that Jesus, “for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Focusing on the reward before Him gave Jesus the strength to go through the mental and emotional agony of Gethsemane, the mockery and abuse of a rigged trial, betrayal by his closest friends, and the torture of Calvary. It enabled Him to stay on the cross, even though He could have taken Himself off through His own power at any moment He chose. Focusing on the joy that was set before Him, empowered the Author of Life to lay down to sleep in death, even though His Father seemed to have forsaken Him and He couldn’t see through the grave to the resurrection morning.

What was “the joy that was set before Him”? I used to think it was connected to the last statement in verse 2, “and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” At first glance, it seemed that Jesus must have been focused on the fact that if He went through the crisis before Him, He would be able to go back to heaven and sit down on the throne again with His Father. But was Jesus’ greatest reward going back to heaven again to sit on the throne in paradise and receive the worship of the angels?

One day it struck me that Jesus could have gone back to heaven at any time He chose. He didn’t need to endure the cross to return to the throne and enjoy the companionship of His Father. In fact, if being on the throne in the perfect environment of heaven was Jesus’ ultimate reward, why did He ever leave in the first place? The joy that was set before Him must have been something that Jesus could not have had unless he went through the crisis of the cross that was before Him.

The reward that kept Jesus going through the hour of His greatest trial was you and me. Without going through the cross, Jesus could not have enjoyed a personal relationship with us, because our sinfulness separates us from our God (Is. 59:2). Without enduring the crisis of Calvary, Jesus could not have brought us into His glorious physical presence to enjoy face to face communion with Him, or we would be destroyed (2 Thess. 2:8; Ex. 33:20). And without His death for us, our sin would lead to eternal death, and He would miss the joy of spending eternity with us (Romans 6:23). The reward that motivated Jesus to go through the crisis of the cross was a personal relationship with us, in His physical presence, forever.

The Bible says that we also have a reward coming if we endure the crisis that is ahead of us. Like Jesus, if we focus on that reward, we will be prepared to endure to the end. “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work” (Revelation 22:12).

What is the reward that Jesus is bringing with Him? I’d like to suggest that the reward Jesus is bringing for us is the same reward that motivated Him to go through the crisis of the cross. When He comes, He will bring each one of us the reward of a personal relationship with Him, in His physical presence, forever. The reward He is bringing is Himself. In that light, the thought of Revelation 22:12 would be, “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward IS ME.”

Jesus is our reward! Looking at what the Bible says about what we need to do to receive that reward might help us understand how this is true. Hebrews 11:6 tells us, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

It doesn’t say He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek His rewards. “He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Sometimes we try to motivate ourselves to “make it to heaven” by thinking about the mansions we will have, the freedom from pain and toil, or the ability to fly. But the Bible says God is a rewarder of those who seek Him. Diligently seeking the person of God - His friendship and companionship - will lead us to the reward that He has promised.

I wasn’t there, but I can imagine that my classmate was waiting to embrace her husband as he came across the finish line of the Heartland 100. And my guess is that he was more excited about sharing the joy of victory with his family than he was to run to the tent for his belt buckle. His focus on the real reward kept him going for over 24 hours and 100 miles.

Let’s keep our eyes on Jesus, the real prize in the race we’re running. A personal relationship with Him, in His physical presence, forever is worth every step of the race we run during our lifetime on Earth. I think I can hear Him cheering us on from the finish line just around the next bend. “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward IS ME!”

Preparing for His Appearing

“The Current Financial Crisis – Are We Trapped?” The title of the breakout session at the men’s conference I was attending jumped out from the page of seminar choices. Although the breakout session had been planned for months, the topic had taken on even greater significance just that week. It was September 20, 2008, and as we met in the gymnasium of the local boarding academy, the United States Congress was meeting in the Capitol Building to plan an emergency bailout package. The previous week had seen the collapse of Wall Street giant Lehman Brothers, the buyout of Merrill Lynch, and the plunge of the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

I decided to go to the breakout. Through an hour-long presentation, the answer to the seminar title’s question, “Are We Trapped?” became increasingly clear. “Yes.” However, the question that was most important to me had not been answered in the session. It was clear that there was a serious crisis before us, and that a global economic crisis could rapidly lead to the fulfillment of Revelation 13’s prophecy “that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast”. But my question was, What should I do right now to prepare for the coming crisis?

Jesus told His disciples that there would be a time of great crisis before His second coming. “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:21). So the crisis is coming, and the question is, how do we prepare for this troubling time at the end of earth’s history?

Should I be starting to stockpile provisions in a mountain cabin somewhere? Do I need to diligently track every movement of political and religious leaders, looking for evidence of the end? Will understanding the secret plots of all the conspiracy theories ensure I will be ready when that day comes?

Sometimes thinking about all of the turmoil ahead can make you want to run away and hide in a cave somewhere. Jesus predicted that seeing the signs of His soon return would fill men with fear. “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken” (Luke 21:25,26).

So what did He say to do when we began seeing these signs fulfilled? Did He say to run away? Did He say to look around at all the distress on the earth? No, He said, “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near” (Luke 21:28). His directions for preparation are, “look up and lift up your heads”, for I am drawing near.

When we see the signs of Jesus coming, it is time to really look to Jesus. When we focus on Him, our hearts will become like Paul’s – eager for Jesus’ return. “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ...” (Philippians 3:20).

Eagerly anticipating Jesus coming isn’t just a nice escape for those who don’t want to think about the serious realities of the end times. In fact, Paul says that all who will receive Christ’s reward on the day He comes again will “love his appearing”. “Finally there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8).

We don’t need to start saying, “Okay, so if I want to get the crown, I need to start loving His appearing.” Loving His appearing is not another character trait to be fabricated by our efforts. How you feel about His return is a reflection of what is really happening in your heart toward Jesus. There is a natural relationship between loving Jesus, and loving the fact that He is coming back.

Love for Jesus is the common character trait of all who receive that crown Jesus has promised. The most essential preparation for the days ahead of us is a heart that is truly in love with Jesus. “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him” (James 1:12).

He’s coming soon, and I’m loving that thought more and more every day. Don’t you want to fall more in love with Jesus too?

The Backwards Birthday Party

Once upon a time, there was a little boy named Joshua who had a birthday. His parents planned a party for him, and he invited all of his friends to come and celebrate. The day of the party came, and everything was ready. There was a big cake, party hats, noisemakers, banners and balloons. Over in one corner of the room, was a big pile of presents, all neatly wrapped, each one labeled with the name of one of the invited guests. Josh had bought an expensive gift for each of his friends using his own money. His piggy bank was cleaned right out!

Josh waited eagerly as the hour approached when his friends would arrive. Soon the doorbell rang, and the first little boy was welcomed into the home. He carried a bright red box, wrapped with a green bow. Josh’s mother directed him to place his present on a table off to one side of the room and go play in the living room. The bell rang again, and one by one, the children began to arrive. Each child came in with a gift, neatly wrapped with colorful wrapping paper and a bow, and deposited their package on the growing pile on the table.

Everything sounds pretty normal so far, right? But as the afternoon continued on, it became clear that this was a backwards birthday party. Take the cake for example. One of the dads dropped off his son, marched over to the cake, and crossed out Josh’s name where it said, "Happy Birthday Josh." Then he wrote his son’s name instead. The party games were mixed up too. It was clear that all the invited guests were having a wonderful time playing together, but no one was paying any attention to the birthday boy who had invited them. Josh kept trying to join in the game they were playing, but they pushed him out, saying they didn’t want him to play.

After the guests amused themselves for a while with the games, they ate the cake, and excitedly turned their attention to the pile of presents on the table. Finally, it seemed like Josh would have a chance to enjoy his own birthday. But as absurd as it may sound, when Josh went to choose the first gift, he couldn’t find a single one with his name on it. The guests had all bought presents for each other, but no one had brought a gift for Josh! Instead of complaining, he kindly handed out the gifts to the children whose names were on them.

Soon they were all eagerly opening the gifts that they had brought for each other. There were a couple of little plastic cars, some bouncy balls, yo-yo’s, dolls, a puzzle, candy, and other assorted items you might find at the local dollar store. Each child took their turn tearing the wrapping paper off their gifts, shouted joyfully when they saw what was inside, and sincerely thanked the giver for their wonderful gift. A few minutes of fun were had by all as they tried out their new toys.

After the children opened their presents from each other, Josh excitedly led them over to the other pile of gifts. "These," he explained, "are the gifts that I’ve bought for you. I’m glad you came to my party, and I hope you like them." Now these were no cheap dollar store gifts. Josh had sacrificed all the money he had saved up and chosen each gift carefully with a specific friend in mind. With expectant eyes, he took each of his guests’ gifts and handed it to them personally, hoping they would be happy with what he had chosen for them.

As the first little girl pulled off the wrapping paper, the corners of Josh’s mouth turned up in anticipation, but his heart sank when she wrinkled her nose in disgust and dropped the gift on the floor. The next little boy let out a loud sigh as he saw what was inside his package. With each gift he passed out, Josh had the same look of anticipation, hopeful that they would appreciate the gift he’d paid so much to get them. But one by one the children opened their presents with similar reactions of disappointment, apathy, or disgust. One little girl refused to even open her gift. Another boy was so busy playing with his plastic yo-yo that he didn’t even notice Josh trying to give his gift to him. No one even said a polite thank you.

Finally, it came time for the last little girl, Kristina, to open her gift. She peeled back the wrapping paper and peeked underneath it with a quizzical look on her face. There were no flashing lights, beeps, or buttons. She recognized a familiar object that her parents and some of her friends owned. She knew it was expensive, but it was familiar, quite ordinary.

At first she wasn’t too impressed, but then she looked up and saw the expression on Josh’s face. She thought about the gift she had seen, and it struck her that someone had paid a high price for that gift. As she saw the intense hopeful earnestness with which Josh was looking at her, a flash of recognition crossed her face. She realized that it was Josh who had paid for it with his own money, and that he had done it just for her. Her mouth fell open, and she jumped up with a squeal and ran over to hug Josh. "Thank you Josh! Thank you so much!" she cried.

The other children peered curiously at Kristina, wondering what was wrong with her. They could plainly see that the gift she had in her hand was the same thing they had all received. They began to mock and ridicule her for her unnecessary excitement. One of the parents chatting in the group behind the children scolded her, saying, "Kristina, stop carrying on so loudly about the gift. Some of the other children didn’t like it, and you might offend one of them." But in spite of the misunderstanding and discouragement of the others around her, Kristina gratefully held the gift close and wouldn’t let it go.

Sound a little far fetched? It might. But Joshua, or should I say Jesus, has a birthday party like that each year. We say that Christmas is a celebration of Jesus’ birth. But do we celebrate like it is his birthday party, or like it is our own? For the majority of the world, Christmas is just a time to give gifts to each other, enjoy a few holiday traditions with family, and trick the kids into thinking their gifts come from Santa Clause. And those who do want to celebrate Jesus’ birthday are often discouraged from doing so openly because it might offend those who don’t appreciate Jesus.

The point I’m trying to make is not that we shouldn’t give gifts to each other at Jesus’ birthday party. Yes, we should avoid going to extremes just to keep up with the current fads and fashions of the world. I don’t think Jesus wants us to celebrate His birthday by going into debt, or giving each other things we don’t really need, while neglecting the poor around us who don’t even have the basic necessities. But giving gifts can help us to practice the selflessness that Jesus demonstrated by the way he celebrated his own birthday.

For Jesus, the most exciting part of His birthday party is the gift that He has bought for us. Jesus was not born to get something from us, but to give the most precious gift that has ever been given. Like Josh, He paid everything He had for this gift. He gave up the glory of Heaven, traded His divine appearance for a human body, left the joy of His Father’s physical presence, and suffered insult, abuse, and a torturous death (Philippians 2:5-8). And that high price was paid for every person, even though he knew that some people wouldn’t value it, some would choose to reject it, and some would be so distracted that they wouldn’t even notice Him giving them the gift.

The more time we spend dwelling on that selflessness that Jesus showed, the more we will appreciate it, and the more we will be motivated to selflessly serve Him and others. This year, commit to spending time with Him every day considering that amazing gift that He has given. Take a long look at his unconditional love, as demonstrated by his sacrifice on behalf of the very men who were nailing Him to the cross (Luke 23:34). Spend time talking with Him about what He has done for you. Thank Him for His gift.

Most gifts are lost, broken or forgotten by next Christmas. But this gift will become more valuable to you with use. Hold it tightly. After a whole year of this daily dwelling on His great gift, you will definitely be a Kristina. I guarantee you, Jesus’ next birthday party will be the best one yet.

Watch: His Arrival is Near

People are fun to watch. One of the strange phenomena that I observed as I people watched in recent years is the traveler with their Bluetooth headset waiting in the airport terminal. It always makes me smile when I see a perfectly normal looking adult standing all alone and just talking into the air, making gestures with their hands to emphasize their point to whoever is on the other end of the line hundreds of miles away. It always looks like they’re talking to themselves.

The airport is not the only spot where we spend our time people watching. We like to watch what everyone else is wearing, driving, and doing with their lives. We watch to see what other people think when they watch us. We watch our families grow and change, and sometimes are startled to watch ourselves in the mirror doing the same thing.

With all of the people watching we do, it seems like it would be an easy task to follow Jesus’ command in Matthew 24:42, “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.” Apparently Jesus, as well as Peter and Paul, didn’t think it would be all that easy for us. Together, they remind us nineteen times in the New Testament to watch. The word watch they use means to stay awake. “Keep your eyes open!” we hear them say. “Don’t sleep. There is too much happening that you don’t want to miss.”

When I was growing up, my family used to stay up to watch the ball drop in Times Square at midnight on New Years Eve. I fought tooth and nail to stay awake until that time. Sometimes it was all I could do not to just lay down on the floor and give in to the sweet rest that beckoned me. But I wanted so badly to be awake and aware of that special moment when the old year vanished away and the new one began.

Jesus wants us to feel the same way about His coming. He desperately wants us to be awake and aware of that moment when the old life we know here on Earth, with its pain and suffering, loneliness, and death, vanishes away, and the endless possibility of eternity begins. So he bids us watch. “Stay awake, I’m coming.”

Sadly, some people are fine with sleeping instead of watching. But, even those of us who do strain to stay awake are not always watching for the right thing, or for the right reason.

Some people are storm watchers. They watch the foreboding clouds with anxiety and determine to prepare themselves for the fearful events that the Bible reveals will take place in the time before Jesus returns. They watch the evening news, the weather, the web-sites of the conspiracy theorists, and the movements of governments and religious leaders for the signs of Jesus coming. With each new wave of grim prophecy-fulfilling news their blood pressure raises a few points and they begin to tighten down the storm shutters of their hearts. They see the storm. But do they see their valiant Savior riding through the storm, coming at full super-sonic gallop on His white horse to swoop them up and take them out of the storm?

Others do watch for Jesus Himself, but in the vigilant, yet wary way my three younger sisters and I watched for my parents to come home after their evenings out. When we were old enough to be left alone at home, my parents went out on a date once in a while. We acted normal until we saw the car back out of the driveway and accelerate past the front windows of the house down the street. Quickly, the four of us crowded onto our little front porch to watch them turn the corner at the end of the street. As soon as the tail lights disappeared around the bend, we all yelled in unison, “PARTY TIME!”

Not wanting to miss a moment of fun, I grabbed the broom from beside the refrigerator and started jamming on my “guitar” as we danced around the table singing, “Party time! Party time!” After a couple times around the table we began our favorite parentless pastime. One of us turned on the ceiling fan hanging over the kitchen table and yanked the little chain until it was swirling full speed. Then we took a dish cloth from the sink, dampened it to make it nice and heavy, and threw it up into the spinning fan blades whirring in the middle of the room. The fan caught the cloth, spun it around a couple times, and then flung it against the wall or into some corner of the room. We all laughed hysterically and raced to grab the cloth so we could do it again, over and over.

My parents usually told us what time they should be home, so about fifteen minutes before their expected time of arrival, someone started watching out the window to spot them if they arrived early. When the time came even nearer, we put away the dish cloth, cleaned up our messes, and took up an “innocent” activity that we hoped our parents would think we had been enjoying the whole time they were gone.

Our strategy usually worked, unless my parents forgot something and came back for it. On those nights, the fan had just gotten going at top speed and all of a sudden we heard the car pulling into the driveway. We moved faster than the speed of light, or at least faster than fan blades. We screamed, and then we scrambled to turn off the stereo, throw the dishcloth into the sink, hit the switch for the fan and plop onto the couch just as the door knob turned and my parents walked in. I’m sure we looked a little too innocent all sitting there on the couch smiling, as the ceiling fan mysteriously spun its last few turns and came to a stop.

When we knew the time was near, we watched warily because we didn’t want to get caught if our parents came home earlier than we were expecting them. Could some people be doing the same kind of watching for Jesus? Do they know His return is near, but watch intently to make sure He doesn’t come home early and find them still enjoying that activity that they don’t think He’d approve? Do they hope to see Him coming around the corner in time to frantically put away the soggy dishcloths of their lives and pick up some more appropriate activity?

Sadly, neither of the examples above is truly watching the way Jesus intended. Watching the storm clouds to prepare yourself to survive the end time events, or watching for Jesus, but hoping He doesn’t come before “party time” is finished, is totally missing the main point of the Christian experience. A Christian is someone who is wrapped up in an eternal friendship with Jesus that begins here on Earth (John 17:3). Christians have a precious Friend who has been away on a long trip. They know He is returning soon, so they watch for Him, not in fear of the events surrounding His return, or to attempt to clean up before His arrival, but in anticipation of their joyful reunion.

When you have a relationship with Jesus, watching for Him to return is like watching for a loved one you are picking up at the airport. As the time for their arrival appears, you get excited about going out to meet them. When you get to the airport, you enter the baggage claim area and are met by a sea of humanity surging toward you in wave after wave of arriving flights. Your eyes anxiously scan the crowd of people exiting the terminal, looking for that familiar face among all the strangers. After what seems like an eternity, you finally catch a glimpse of the one you know so well while they are still some distance away. Your eyes meet and the smile of recognition and excitement comes immediately to both of your faces. You try to play it cool, walking forward to meet them, but soon all self-restraint breaks down and you run to meet each other, colliding in a tangle of arms and legs, backpacks, and duffle bags, hearts bursting with joy.



When Jesus is your loved One, this is how you feel about His coming. Get to know Him in a personal way today so you too can impatiently await His arrival. He’ll be the One flying in, but He’ll actually be coming to pick you up this time. Your eyes will meet as He comes down that corridor in the sky. You’ll jump for joy and keep on going as you rise up to be tangled in His embrace. And you’ll leave all your baggage behind. He’s everything you need for this trip.

“Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming” (Matthew 24:42, NKJV).