Tag: hope

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Simeon

. . . then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said,“Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation, Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, A Light of revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.”And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him.  And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed—and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”  (Luke 2:28-35, NASB)

This is the story of Simeon, documented by Dr. Luke.  Simeon lived in Jerusalem.  He had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would meet the Messiah before he died.  He’s described by Luke as “righteous and devout.”  One day he went to the Temple, “in the Spirit.”  And that’s where he met Jesus! 

When Jesus was eight days old, His parents, Joseph and Mary, took Him to the Temple.  In accordance with the Law of Moses, they were to present Him to the priests for circumcision, to have Him dedicated, and to offer a sacrifice.  Joseph and Mary were devout and loved the Lord, which is probably why He chose them to raise His Son. 

Simeon saw the Baby, and knew this was the Child of Promise, the Messiah for Whom he had waited so long.  He was so excited, he took the Baby in his arms. 

File:Yegorov-Simeon the Righteous.jpg
“Simeon the Righteous,” by Alexey Yegorov, 1830-40s. Found at Wikipedia Commons, commons.wikipedia.org

Luke documents the subsequent Song of Simeon, in which he praises God; he says he can now die happily, as God’s promise to him has been fulfilled; and declares that God’s salvation would be for Gentiles and Israel alike. 

Simeon predicts to Mary that the Child would bring about the rise and downfall of many.  Indeed, Jesus would shake up the religious order of the day, and for all time to come.  Jesus said He came to call sinners, and not the self-righteous.  Simeon also tells Mary that her heart would be broken, later fulfilled at Jesus’ crucifixion.  Luke says that Joseph and Mary “were amazed” by the things Simeon was telling them.  It had been quite a week.  First, the visit from the shepherds, and the things they told the couple, and now this! 
Simeon was thrilled at his encounter with Jesus.  Have you met Him yet? 

The kids wanted to play ring toss with me.  Since I can’t toss the rings, I got to play goalie! 

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Mary

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.  And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one!  The Lord is with you.”  But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was.  The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”  Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”  The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.  And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month.  For nothing will be impossible with God.”  And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.”  And the angel departed from her.  (Luke 1:26-38, NASB)

I love the story of Mary.  Visited by an angel, given some startling news from God, and rolling with it. 

Dr. Luke’s account has the archangel Gabriel visiting Mary.  He delivers news to her:  She is highly favored by God, and she will conceive and bear a son.  His name would be Jesus.  She is more puzzled than anything–after all, she explains, she’s a virgin.  When Gabriel explains the supernatural circumstances of her impending conception, she replies, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.”  Amazing!  Totally on board with God’s plan, despite her earthly circumstances! 

“The Annunciation,” by Salomon Koninck, 1655, found at Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org

Mary has a couple of problems.  First, she’s betrothed to Joseph, a local carpenter.  The account in Matthew 1 describes Joseph as a devout and good man.  When he finds that Mary is with child, he decides to put her away secretly and quietly.  His other option under the Mosaic Law was to have her stoned to death.  But when Gabriel visits Joseph to explain the situation, Joseph takes Mary back, and agrees to be the Child’s legal father. 

Mary’s second problem, mentioned above, is her potential condemnation under the Law of Moses.  A betrothal under Jewish law was as good as being married.  The penalty for adultery, then, was death by stoning.  At the very least, if not put to death, she could be shunned and ostracized by her community (This was portrayed well in the 2006 movie “The Nativity Story.”  Sure enough, the townspeople turned their backs on Mary after they saw she was pregnant.  As Joseph and Mary were about to leave on their trip to Bethlehem, while they were being treated very badly, Joseph said, “I think they’re going to miss us.”).  Having this on her mind as Gabriel gave her the news must have amounted to enormous pressure.  On top of that, Mary was likely a mere teenager.  Yet she submitted to God’s plan, said “Your servant,” and moved on.  That’s probably why God chose her for this mission! 

A few years back (1990s?), a group of contemporary Christian singers toured the country during Advent, and put on an opera of sorts about the Christmas story.  Crystal Lewis, whose song is below, played the part of Mary.  I’ve always thought of this as a modern-day “Magnificat” (The poem attributed to Mary when she visited her relative Elizabeth.  See Luke 1:46-55).

Worship:  “Let it be to Me,” sung by Crystal Lewis

Oh, to have Mary’s faith and trust!  A mere teenager, visited by an angel (by all accounts, a frightening experience!), and given this news.  She had yet to face her fiance, her family, and the townspeople.  Yet under all this this pressure, she immediately said “Yes!” to God.  God, in the name of Messiah, Whose birth we celebrate, please give me the faith of Mary, to recognize Your will and do it, no matter the consequences.  

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Prophecy V

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!  Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem!  Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.  (Zechariah 9:9, NASB)

This is another prophecy to Israel about God’s Christmas gift to them and the whole world of the coming of the Savior of the world!  This one is from the book of Zechariah.  The Prophet Zechariah wrote during the end of the Babylonian exile.  Seventy years had passed since Judah was defeated by Babylon and carried into exile.  The Persian Empire in turn had defeated Babylon, and was now in power.  God spoke through Zechariah to heal the hearts of the Jewish exiles, reconcile them to Himself, and prepare them to return to the land of Judah.  (Zechariah 1)


The prophet says that Israel should rejoice.  Indeed!  The arrival of Messiah would fulfill hundreds of years of waiting and hoping for their Savior King to arrive.  Zechariah describes the future King as “just and endowed with salvation.”  Jesus fulfilled this description.  He walked among us, and taught justice and mercy, that we should love God and love other people.  Messiah would also be humble.  He left His heavenly home and humbly took the form of a man to deliver His message of salvation and gospel of love. 

1. Christ is claiming His rightful place as the prophesied Messiah.Untitled, found at crosswalk.com


Further, their future King would arrive “mounted on a donkey.”  Jesus would fulfill this prophecy during His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.  We’ll talk more about this during Lent.  Zechariah’s prophecies would come true later, but they gave God’s people reason to hope as they prepared to reenter and inhabit the Promised Land.  

Jesus Messiah fulfilled 108 prophecies from the Old Testament.  God spoke through His prophets to tell Israel Whom to expect that would lead them to salvation.  The long-expected King came to the earth on that first Christmas.  He still calls us today.  God’s Gift to us is most precious.  Have you received Him? 

Worship:  “Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter of Zion,” from “Messiah,” by G.F. Handel.  Sung by Lynne Dawson. 

Meghan, my excellent nurse, made this elf for me.  I guess you could say it’s my elf-on-the-shelf!  He’s holding a pennant with a red football helmet representing the University of Oklahoma.  She tried to put a blue one on (Air Force!), but there wasn’t enough room.  I think Meghan couldn’t care less about football, but over the fall she’s evolved to root for my teams:  Air Force, OU, Ohio State, and TCU.  Oh, and the elf has my name on his shirt.  Thank you, Meghan! 

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Hiding Place

How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit! I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I did not hide; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”; And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah. You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah. I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.  (Psalm 32:1-2, 5, 7-8, NASB)

The title of Psalm 32 is “Blessedness of Forgiveness and of Trust in God.”  Indeed, if one is sure that he/she is forgiven, then that is cause for true joy.  How can we know for certain that we’re forgiven?  The Bible says that if we’ve received the gift from God of His Son Jesus Christ, then we are forgiven.  Jesus was crucified as a sacrifice acceptable to God the Father, and through His death He took the punishment we deserve!

The first few lines of the Psalm repeat that the one who’s forgiven is blessed, and is also blameless before the Lord.  King David, who elsewhere is described as wholehearted for God, is an excellent example of the blessed man.  The Old Testament is full of instances where he messed up (adultery, murder, defying God’s commandments,etc.).  But in those cases, he confessed his sins to God, paid the consequences, and was forgiven.

David goes on to call the Lord “my hiding place,” and God answers that He will teach David “in the way you should go,” and that He would be watching out for David!  I myself would dare to add that “Blessed is the one who is sheltered by the Lord, and receives His teaching!”


Excerpt from Psalm 32,found at  mothersforprodigals.com
Actually, that is exactly what happens!  God provides a hiding place to those who seek Him.  I think of a shield; protection; a fortress; a shelter from whatever storm I face; or to borrow a phrase from today’s college kids, a “safe space.”  Yes, God is the ultimate safe space!  He is also the best teacher.  He instructs me daily – – when I allow Him.  You see, I’m my own worst enemy.  God is available for instruction, but my daily prayer is that I don’t hinder the Holy Spirit from teaching me what He would that I learn.  Even with my ALS, I can still do Bible study, and “listen!” for God’s instruction!


Worship:   “You are My Hiding Place,” by Selah

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Character Building

And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.  (Romans 5:3-5, NASB)
It seems the Bible is full of contradictory ideas. For example:  In my weakness, I am strong; I’m not free until I’m a slave to Christ; and the eternal King, Who rules His subjects with love.  Now comes another strange idea:  That I should rejoice in my trials and tribulations!

One author suggests that ALS is a process of saying “goodbye.”  I’ve found this to be true. So far, I’ve said “goodbye,” to running; to golf (the overall golfing community has not looked back!); to driving; to making coffee in the morning and taking it to Sue; to going up and down stairs; to walking; to feeding myself; to eating and drinking altogether;  and to scratching (!).  Through all this, the apostle Paul says I’m to exult!

But Paul says our trials lead to perseverance; which begets proven character; which results in hope.  And, says Paul, hope doesn’t disappoint because of God’s love for us!  This sounds like character building to me, and my thinking is there must be an easier way to go about it!  But God is in control (praise His holy Name!), this is His plan for me, and I trust that it’s better than mine!  What I like most about this passage is that the end product is hope!

Someone once said that adversity doesn’t build character, but rather  reveals it. This is something I think about as I try to finish the race, and finish well.

Worship:   Reason, by Unspoken 

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Breathing

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.Praise the Lord! (Psalm 150: 6, NASB)
Psalm 150 is introduced as a “Psalm of Praise.” Indeed, each line speaks in some way of praising God. This is something that I can still do, even with ALS.

Breathing is a special interest item for me. Since the diaphragm is a muscle, with ALS it’s subject to gradual weakness followed by failure. After diagnosis, my neurologist always asked how my breathing was going. For a long while it was fine. I was assigned to a pulmonologist at the local VA hospital. He prescribed a BiPap machine, and the idea was to wear it at night. It was to help me breathe, resulting in less fatigue during the day.

Over time, I found I needed the machine during parts of the day as I would get winded. When I was relying on the BiPap almost full time, we agreed it was time for a tracheostomy. Since I received the trach (20 months ago), I have had an incident of respiratory failure (ended up in the emergency room) and had several cases of oxygen deprivation (hypoxia). I’m now breathing full time with a ventilator.  Suffice it to say, whereas before all this I took breathing for granted, these days it has my undivided attention!

The Bible verse above lets us know who should praise the Lord. When I wake up in the morning and come to my senses, and realize I’m breathing, I think of this verse, then spend some time praising the Lord. Why? Because of Who He is! And because I can! I stand on His promises to me and I have to praise Him. I think of the words to the hymn “How Great Thou Art.” When Sue opens the blinds in my room, I think through “When Morning Gilds the Skies.” God likes it when His people praise Him.

When Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the crowds showered Him with praises. Some Pharisees in the throng thought it was wrong for Him to accept worship, and told Him to rebuke the crowd. But Jesus replied that if the people wouldn’t praise Him, then even the stones would cry out. I don’t know about you, but I’m not going to be outdone by a bunch of rocks! God likes it when His people praise Him!

So if you’re breathing, praise the Lord! There is hope in His name!

Worship: Psalm 150, The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir  

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You’re terminal. Now what?

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”  (Matthew 22: 36-40, NASB)

In this passage, Jesus is confronted by a Pharisaic lawyer who is trying to trap Him. Jesus answers his question on the great commandment by paraphrasing the great Jewish prayer, The Shema. The message is simple: Love God with everything you’ve got. Jesus adds the second commandment, love other people. If we can concentrate on those two things, everything else will fall into place!

After my diagnosis of ALS, after the shock had worn off, and I had come to my senses, I prayed and asked God to give me some direction. What would He want me to do with ALS? After all, I was headed to the unknown. I was already unable to walk, and over time I was sure to become less able, to the point of total dependency. How would someone in my state be able to carry out God’s commands?

Over the next days and weeks, the answer started to be clear. During Bible study, I prayed and tried to pay attention to God’s commands to see which ones I could do, and which ones would be impossible. It was as if God was saying, “I want you to do the same things I wanted you to do before. Nothing has changed.” There seemed to be nothing in the Bible that ALS would prevent me from doing. The only limitations I would have would be the same as before: My humanity and my sin nature.

For example, Jesus says I’m to love God and love people. I can still try to do those, ALS or not. And over time I’ve found it best to concentrate on what I CAN do versus what I can’t do.

On loving God: I can still study His Word to learn more about His laws and His goodness. I can still talk with Him.

On loving people: I still interact with people. My mission field is different: Hospitals, doctor’s offices, plus I have doctors, nurses, and therapists coming to me. I can’t speak, but I can still show God’s love to them. And I can still pray!

Love has a name: His name is Jesus!

Worship:  Love the Lord, by Lincoln Brewster 

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Just when I thought this day couldn’t get any worse. . .

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  (Romans 15:13, NASB)

“You have ALS.” The neurologist’s words were direct and almost matter-of-fact. It was a sucker punch to the gut. A bucket of ice water dumped over my head. A neurologist at the VA said, “She dumped a load of bricks in your lap.”  I was in shock. My wife Sue, seated on a couch behind my transport chair, must have been as well. She was out of my view, but the doctor looked at her, then passed a box of tissues past me to her.

Until then, we thought the neurological condition I had was treatable and curable. But in that moment I received a death sentence. Had I been on death row I’d be considered a “dead man walking.” But I was no longer walking and I had taken my last steps some time ago. I considered myself a Dead Man Not Walking.

A million (well, a thousand) thoughts went through my mind in the next few minutes and into the night. How much longer do I have? How will I die? What will happen between now and then? What about my plans? What hope is there?

 Sue and I had plans: Traveling to see our kids; a cruise to Alaska; lots of golf together and with friends after retirement in a couple more years (OK, I’m a lousy golfer, so maybe it’s best that one went away). Old Yiddish proverb: We plan, and God laughs. I realized soon that despite my best plans, God would override them. I would have to trust that no matter what would happen to me, His plan is far better for me.

Since my diagnosis a little over three years ago, I’ve lost total use of my limbs; I’ve had a tracheostomy and am now 100% reliant on a ventilator to breathe; and I’m no longer able to safely eat or drink for fear of aspirating the food and drink into my lungs. I’ve gone from a fully functional human being (some will question that) to one not capable of any physical action. Is there hope? If so, how and why?

I have to tell you that my hope is in the Lord. I’m a sinner saved by the grace of God though the blood of His Son Jesus Christ. Because of His mercy toward me, I have the hope of eternal life, a home in heaven in the presence of the Lord. I have hope in healing because of the resurrection power of Jesus Christ. If you, like me, have ALS, some other terminal disease, or you’re in some other situation that seems hopeless, you too can find hope by placing your faith and trust in Jesus Christ! Accept God’s most precious gift: His Son.  A line from the old hymn: “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.”

Hope has a name: His name is Jesus.

Worship: My Hope, Hillsong Worship, featuring Darlene Zschech