A Dying Wish

I recently had a birthday. Time waits for no man, right? I think we all wonder something about death: when? how? what will I be doing when it happens? My brother, a pastor, joined Jesus in Heaven a little while back. One morning, he sat down to study his sermon notes, no doubt talking to and focused on his Father in Heaven, and in the blink of an eye, found himself face to face with the very One he had only known dimly. What a glorious blessing! I imagine I'd like to be sorting clothes in our church thrift shop when the Lord says, "It's time to go." Or, studying Scripture and sharing those lessons through the printed word when He reaches for my hand! Wouldn't that be a tale to bring glory to the Lord's name? But the truth is, He may not "catch" me doing the things that bring Him glory. Why? Because I don't always obey. If I am sincere about bringing Him glory, if my dying wish is to exalt His name in all I say, think and do, obedience is the only way to get it done.

There's an old Gospel song, "When He Was on the Cross, I Was on His Mind." It's a touching sentiment, but Jesus didn't die for the exclusive purpose of saving me -- or you. 1 Timothy 2:3-4, tells us our Savior desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. His sacrifice was the only means by which we can be restored in relationship with the Father; His blood is the only sufficient atonement; and only He was willing and able to bear the wrath due us. So, He willing laid down His life for the salvation of men. He wants that to happen, but without His obedience to the Father, none of that would be possible. He had to go with the Father's plan. He had to submit to the Father's will. Even in Gethsemane, He prayed three times, if there would be some other way, but "not as I will, but You will." It's clear He was fighting to resist temptation. His dying wish was to bring His Father glory through obedience, but it was going to be the hardest thing He could ever do. Nevertheless, Jesus laid down His life in obedience to the Father. Jesus' life, death, and resurrection accomplished a number of things, but they were all because Jesus obeyed; it was His obedience that brought glory to the Father, fulfilling His "dying wish." 

It's a silly little thing, really, but when I was in elementary school I learned a little acronym to remind me how to have true joy in life:

J - Jesus

O - Others

Y - You

My purpose is to bring glory to the Father by putting His Son first, just as Jesus' purpose is to bring glory to the Father -- above all else. Our relationships with others follow. Our interactions with others are an excellent means of demonstrating obedience and bringing glory to the Lord, much the same way the elect, those Jesus died to save were given to Him by the Father that He might bring the Father glory through them. As Jesus hung, bleeding and dying on the cross (obedience) He brought glory to God (purpose) -- His "dying wish."

So, what is yours? Is there a bucket list of things you wish to complete? Skydiving or running with the bulls in Pamplona? Is there something you wish to leave behind for generations? A record of all your accomplishments or family heirlooms passed down for centuries? It is the things of the Lord that will remain forever. It's wonderful to dream we will be doing the things that please the Lord most when He calls us home, but each of us needs to ask, "Based on my daily habits, is it likely that will happen?" And then, we must do all we can to improve the likelihood. That, requires obedience, of course, and a no holds barred, all in, fully sold out dying wish to glorify the Lord. 

Carry the Torch

It's 2020, and I don't think my prayer list has ever been longer. Sickness, unemployment, mental health, isolation, grief, and far too many people who have not yet come to know God as He is revealed to us in the Scriptures. 

If I can, for just a moment, talk about that last one. People have lots of ideas about God. The only truth about God, however, is found in the Bible. Great, you see Him in a sunrise, or you hear Him in the sweet coos of your tiny new grandchild. He is there, for sure; the Bible says that every good and perfect gift comes from God. Whether you know God or not, whether you choose to believe He exists, no matter what you think, if you've got something good, He gave it to you. And that's that. But if you're looking only at the places or things in which His goodness is revealed, you're not going to know Him -- all of Him. You have to read the Bible to know who He is, in His. Own. Words.

In the last few years, I have known the passing of several beautiful, sweet souls. And they were all very clear with regard to their dying wish: that people would come to know Jesus. Their family, their friends, their neighbors. One was hopeful her illness would bring her sister to her so she could share the Gospel with her. One had prayed and loved on her children for years, in hopes they would return to the God they knew as little ones. They had a profound desire that was focused on the Lord and His universally inclusive work on the cross, that those they loved and cared deeply for would know truth that sets the captive free.

This morning, I was praying for the folks the saints have left behind. As I prayed, I realized I had this idea of what should have happened: the prodigal weeping at their loved one's bedside, contrite and overcome by gratitude for their loved one's faithful petitions, turning to the Lord right then and there that the dying saint might pass on in peace. Very Hallmark. It didn't happen, and it's a scene that will never take place. Why, God, did You allow someone who prayed so persistently, who loved so much and so well, who spoke life to those they loved at every opportunity -- why did You allow that kind of godly influence to be withdrawn from the lives of others? And before I could think another thought, the answer came. It wasn't that He had allowed a saint to be removed and their loved ones to perish without knowing Him, but the goodness was in the fact saints were so public about their desires, there's no forgetting it. These saints had shared their hearts, making known to us all the very thing they wanted most -- whether they were around to see it, or they were in Glory -- for their loved one to know the Savior. And here I was, praying for people I've never met because of the testimony of those I have held dear. 

God is still working and believers are still interceding, and until it's over, it's not over. So, what is your heart's desire? Do you dare to hope your daughter and her husband will stop tearing one another apart and begin serving the Lord? Do you dare to pray in faith for your neighbor to turn from false religion and confess the King of kings? Make your requests known to the Lord, yes, but make your heart's desire known to other believers as well. Give them the opportunity, the privilege, the responsibility of carrying that torch, even after you are gone.

What Are You Lookin' At?

"Eyes up here, Class," our sixth grade teacher used to call out when we weren't really paying attention. One of our classmates had the brilliant idea to make balls out of masking tape with the sticky on the outside. He drew an eye on each one. So, one day when she asked for eyes at the front of the room... Yeah, he launched them. I don't recall her reaction. Was he in class the rest of the year? Hmm...

There is a reason she wanted everyone looking to the front of the room. She was in the front of the room. She was the source of the information we needed to acquire. That is where our attention needed to be. Look at all the damage distracted driving has done. When driving, our eyes need to be on the road. If our full attention is on the backseat, or our phones, or the Cheeto we dropped between the seat and the console, there will be things happening on the road we will miss -- things that may require our reaction, things that definitely require our attention. Allowing our focus to be drawn away from the things that are most important can have devastating consequences.

2 Samuel 11:1, tells us there was a time of year when all kings went to battle. On this particular year, King David did not. We're not explicitly told why, but maybe he had a "good reason." Maybe he was tired. Maybe he had full confidence in his men; he had trained them, had passed on the torch, so to speak, and it was all good. No matter the reason, it wasn't God's. I've done that. My excuses have made perfect sense -- to me. "They have plenty of people to help with Vacation Bible School," or, "I've done it for years. Let someone else do it." Is that what God is telling me? Probably not, and He definitely didn't tell David to sit this one out. David looked away from God and His will. The King of Israel put his eyes on his plan, and we know what happened next. He saw Bathsheba, another man's wife. He succumbed to temptation and got her pregnant. He brought Uriah, her husband, back from the battlefield for a little "family time." When he found his soldier would not leave his men to relax with Bathsheba, David hatched a plot to have Uriah killed. David allowed his focus to be drawn away from the Lord, and many suffered. 

Full disclosure, David had been heading this way for a while. This was not the first time he neglected to have his eyes where they belonged. 2 Samuel 3, tells us David had multiple wives and concubines. Satan had found himself a foothold in David's life, sexual sin. All the more reason the king's eyes should have been riveted on the King of kings. We need God each and every moment of every day. Without Him we can do nothing. In those times when we are faced with the things that appear most desirable, we need to move closer to Him, test things against His truth. Maybe you remember the old movies where the guy is wandering around, dehydrated and delirious in the desert, and stumbles upon his last hope -- an oasis. He throws himself into the water and begins to gulp it down as quickly as he can. Draught after draught. Just what he has searched for! Just what he needs! Only to find, it is a mirage. He has been deceived, and has swallowed cup after cup of nothing but sand. And he dies. He did not test what he thought he saw, but threw himself recklessly at a brilliant illusion. David did as well. So have I.

There's a reason coaches tell their players to keep their eyes on the ball. There's a reason driving instructors tell their students to keep their eyes on the road. There's a reason Mrs. Gough demanded we keep our eyes on her. Where your eyes are, your body and mind will follow. May we all be diligent in keeping our eyes on the Lord.