December 6-13, 2010

And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. Revelation 21:2

If there is one thing I can relate to, it’s going home. Few things thrill me more than to see the lights of Phoenix after a very long trip. There are multitudes of cities with beautiful lights, but none have the same affect on me as the ones I see from the window of an aircraft as we approach Phoenix. What makes Phoenix lights more beautiful? I know what, or should I say who, is waiting for me when I get there!!!

For the past two years we have been on a beautiful journey together through the pages of The Book. We’ve been on mountaintops and trudged through valleys. We’ve cheered on the sidelines of victory marches, and cried in the ash heaps with those who’ve known defeat. We’ve walked with old friends that we’ve visited before, and gotten acquainted with some new faces that had previously gotten lost in the crowd. As we near the end of our trek through the Bible, once again I see the lights of the city that will someday be my eternal home. It’s the city Abraham longed to see. It’s the city where God promised David his eternal throne would be established. It’s the city that God said would be the joy of the whole earth.

As we fly through the darkness of the book of Revelation, we can sometimes lose the focus of its message. Yes, those will be dark and difficult days, filled with the wrath of God, but we have a promise that will keep us focused on the Light.

But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him. Therefore encourage one another, and build up one another, just as you also are doing. (I Thessalonians 5:8-11)

On our journey through the Revelation, let’s be sure to breathe in the fresh air each time we come to another worship service! When chaos is thrown to the earth, it causes the people of this world to groan and cry out. But angels see it from a different perspective; they see the fulfillment of what God spoke before creation ever began. As a result, their response is one of giving glory to God. The twenty-four elders and the multitude of saints quickly join the heavenly beings and recognize the Lamb who was slain, their Savior and Redeemer. In truth, even today, this is the only way to get through this kind of pain and sorrow. Within the past week I’ve watched a dear husband and wife lose their second child to a rare genetic disease. Their firstborn died when he was 5, their second son was 13. How does this mother who now faces the rest of her life childless cope with such pain? Let me give you a glimpse into her source of strength.

Today finds us a bit happy sad.... Peter went home this morning about 9:30. There were some hard moments yesterday and at one point last night he cried out, I just want to go home! (note – Peter died at home) And this morning God granted his request in a very peaceful way. We are rejoicing in Peter's freedom and know he's already getting reacquainted with Andrew and probably either shooting hoops or running bases. Yes, we now have to figure out the hard job of living without him, but we are amazed at the peace God's given us - as the Word says - it truly is a peace that passes all understanding.

Because He is Worthy....
Juli

GOD never said life would be easy.
He just promised it would be worth it.

But this story doesn’t end there. Let me give you a glimpse into the difficult nights this mother and grandmother face. These words are those of Marge Lubelczyk, one of Carpenter Ministries’ board members and Peter’s grandmother.

As I think over this past week, and it has only been a little more than a week since I came out (to help with Peter), I stand in awe of our God. His fingerprints have been everywhere. His grace has been more than enough. We are enveloped, or as one friend wrote, shrink-wrapped in his love. There have been difficult times of course, but there have been such wonderful times of glory. Last night I could not sleep. Around 2 am Juli knocked on my door. We spent a half hour just worshipping Jesus. Singing our hearts out until sleep became necessary. Much better than a sleeping pill. It has been such a privilege to be here during this most intimate time. Peter is a very special young man whose life has touched many and he in not through touching more.

Today Juli and I went to church to worship. (3 days after Peter’s death) We left after the worship service. It was truly wonderful to be in the body singing and praising our God.

My prayer for each of you is that, as you think about Peter, you will rejoice with him as he worships his God.

Juli and Marge have found the truth of what the book of Revelation is all about – In the midst of our greatest times of darkness, the Light of the World gives encouragement, peace, and salvation. Focus on the darkness and it will consume you. Focus on the Light and He will fill you!!!

As many of you know, I love the book of Revelation and I love teaching it. There are so many facets of it’s mystery that we could dwell on, but what I want to leave with you is the excitement of “going home!” As much as I look forward to the day I will see my dad again, to the time I will meet and get acquainted with my grandson Samuel Jade Gillette, and as eager as I am to spend time with Judson Cornwall, Truman Kelly, Fred Sperber, Frank Prainito and so many other good friends to whom I’ve had to say goodbye, there is only one Face that will make it heaven to me!!! I see His face in each page of the Word, which is why I will travel through it as along as I live. In this life I see through a glass darkly, but one day I will see Him face to face. The New Jerusalem is His city. He is the one who warms its streets and gives it life and light, and every part of my weary soul cries out, “THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME!!!

November 29 - December 3, 2010

And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.

I John 1:5

Have you ever stopped to consider God’s timing? Today we go through our emails and delete half of them before we ever open them. Communication is merely a text or an instant message away. If we do happen to keep the communiqué, it is often buried under a mountain of megabytes that may never get opened again. This was certainly not the case when the fullness of God’s time came and the message of the Good News was being spread through the world. Letters were cherished! There was no such thing as a postage stamp. They were hand-carried across the miles and delivered by someone you really trusted. They were passed around and shared as though they were precious treasures. As we continue to go through these priceless letters we realize that one of the reasons they have been preserved is because people in that day valued the price of a handwritten correspondence.

This week our mailbag contains letters from three fathers of the faith - Peter, John, and Jude. This is our second correspondence from Peter. Peter’s letters deal with such practical living. It is truly a handbook for relationships on all levels. Marriage, work, the church, young, old – there is something for everyone! Peter constantly encourages us to lead by example and not merely by words.

Peter speaks to the leaders in the church and addresses them as shepherds.

Shepherd the flock of God among you, not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; (I Peter 5:2)

You can hear the heart of the Great Shepherd as Peter goes on to say,

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (I Peter 5:8)

You may recall when Jesus spoke to Peter after His resurrection and told him to “tend My lambs,” “shepherd My sheep,” and “tend My sheep.” Even today Peter’s written words continue to minister as a shepherd to Jesus’ flock.

The salutation of Peter’s first letter causes me to consider without drawing a conclusion. Peter expresses greetings from the church where he is, but he also expresses the greetings of a young man named Mark. Peter also calls this individual his son. I haven’t found any evidence to suggest that this Mark is John Mark, the relative of Barnabas and the one that had been with Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey. I know Paul referred to Timothy as being “like” a son to him, but in this passage Peter says Mark is his son. We know that Peter was married when he followed Jesus. We also know that Peter was married during the time of his ministry after Jesus’ ascension. I can’t imagine that Peter didn’t have children. Could it be that this one who stands alongside him at this crucial time in his life is truly his own flesh and blood. I’d like to think it is!

In Peter’s second letter you can hear his patient endurance. Along with many others, Peter has been unwearyingly waiting for Christ’s return. Obviously, when Jesus told them He would come back again, none of them were expecting that it would take two thousand years. You may recall quite some time ago, when we were looking at the lives of King Saul and King David. They both were put through test. One test was go and do, and the other was go and wait! We see that the early saints were also put through the same character-proving tests. In the midst of the waiting period, false teachers began to preach heresies that were birthed out of false dreams and visions, and self-ambitions. The test of “wait” continues to reveal the true hearts of men. In spite of the years that have passed, Peter stands assured that the day of the Lord will come and encourages others to stand firm, no matter how long it takes!!!!!

Our letters from John confirm the character of the man. Remember when John wrote his testimony of Jesus’ life, which we refer to as the Gospel of John? John’s reference to himself was always, “The disciple whom Jesus loved.” Love was always at the core of John’s being, and so it is his very nature to write about the love of God. Leave it to John to say, “God is love!” When Jesus commanded the apostles at the Passover before He was crucified to “love one another,” John embraced that command. This mandate is the very heart and soul of his letters.

If some one says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also. (I John 4:20-21)

John echoes the words of Jesus as he continues to declare Christ’s command to us in our generation.

Our last letter this week is from Jude, who is the brother of James. He is believed by most scholars to be one of Jesus’ half-brothers referred to in Matthew 13:55 and Mark 6:3. What a precious thought that is when you stop and remember that while Jesus walked this earth, His brothers refused to believe in Him. Obviously, that all changed when He rose from the dead!!!!!! Jude’s letter is small but powerful! His context spans from Enoch, the seventh generation from Adam, to Judgment Day. It is quite apparent that Jude knew the Scriptures and, by the Spirit, was able to weave the threads of their prophetic meaning into current events. His understanding of the power and authority of the unseen world is a topic that the church at large would do well to listen to today.

In my files I have letters from precious loved-ones that, every now and then, I will take out and read. Their messages never fail to touch my heart. This week, as we finish reading the epistles of the New Testament, I pray that their words find greater expression in our hearts and that we are drawn to consider them over and over again. May each reading reveal greater insight and spur us on to a purer walk of holiness.

November 22-24, 2010

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, (Hebrews 12:1)

Have you ever been to a major sports event? Did you notice that the best seats are always reserved for the most distinguished spectators? Well this week the writer of Hebrews gets us into the elite section of the stadium, which is normally reserved for the chosen few. Our author is well aware of the struggles the Jews have endured because of their monotheistic faith. Now these outcasts are not only forsaken by the world; their own people reject them because they believed the promises of God. They have been willing to let go of tradition for truth. We may think that this is a simple task, but let me assure you, I’m confident that most of the church world would struggle with their faith if they were asked to forsake many of our pagan-founded traditions. These believers were not just giving up worldly customs; they were forsaking a life’s system of beliefs that was the anchor of their religion. Circumcision, sacrifices, obedience to the Law to gain righteousness, all these were now obsolete. The only thing that remained was faith in God and His promises.

As we enter into the Hall of Faith, we gaze with respect and admiration at the men and women who trusted God through amazing circumstances. Each one would be worthy of our time and contemplation. We could stop and consider Abel’s better sacrifice. Not better because it was a sheep, but because it was offered by faith. Cain’s sacrifice of the fruit of the land would have been quite acceptable if it was presented out of his trust in God. God had not demanded any certain kind of sacrifices, and even the Law, which came later, not only recognized blood sacrifices, but produce as well. How could a man who walked so close to God that he was taken from this earth without dying not impress one? Enoch’s belief in the coming judgment at the end of time is spoken of thousands of years later and his prophecies give us insight into God’s plan for him in the last days. But we’ll look more at that later. And what a contrast is seen between Noah, whose faith condemned the world and Abraham, whose faith brought the Seed of Salvation into the world.

Of all the faithful heroes, the Holy Spirit lingers a bit longer when He speaks of Abraham. We know Abraham believed God’s word that promised him an inheritance and an heir, but have you ever considered the depth of Abraham’s faith? Why did God wait so long to give him the promised seed? We are clearly told that Abraham was old and as good as dead!!! I’m sure I don’t have to give a biology lesson for you to understand what that means. And Sarah was well past menopause; so all hope was also gone in that department. What kind of faith did Abraham need in order to believe God would give him offspring through Sarah? The answer is quite profound – he needed faith in the resurrection power of God! I have no doubt that this experience was the catalyst that encouraged Abraham to obediently place Isaac, his son of promise, on the altar when God required it of him. Once again Abraham was confronted with the test of his faith. And what did that faith require? Once again, it required Abraham to trust God for resurrection power! When you boil Abraham’s faith down, Abraham believed IN THE RESURRECTION!!!

Unlike some of the teachings of today that tell us true faith will make everything turn out happy and positive, we find that many of our role models died having never received what they hoped for. True faith has the ability to look beyond this world into the realm of eternity. Godly faith understands that there are times when letting go of freedom, life, prosperity, and things that we think will give us happiness requires greater trust in God than obtaining our desires.

As we run our race on this earth, the grandstands are filled with people who are cheering us on. They are not just observers of the race, they are ones who have run it and know what it takes to win! They understand the necessity of fixing your eyes on the goal and not losing precious time looking at your opponent. That’s what makes our “Journeys Through the Word” so special. With each chapter and each new character, we hear the encouragement of those who have stripped away the things of this world so they could run the race. These victorious spectators are now cheering us on and calling out to us to never give up or give in. Hopefully we are hearing their voices.

As you complete your walk through the pages of Hebrews and begin to read Peter’s letter, I hope you hear his shouts of encouragement to finish your course. Peter’s words are so much more powerful when you put them in light of his life. It was to Peter Jesus said,

Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. (Matthew 16:17-18)

I have no doubt that Peter understood the play on his name and the comparison Jesus was using. The word “rock” spoke of massive bedrock. The name “Peter” signified a small stone that helped to make up the bedrock. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians puts this all in perspective for us.

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being guilt together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:19-22)

Remembering and understanding these things cause Peter’s words to take on even great significance when he writes

And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For this is contained in Scripture; “Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, and He who believes in Him will not be disappointed. This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, “The stone which the builders rejected, this became the very corner stone,” And “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed. (I Peter 2:4-8)

If anyone can preach to us about stones, certainly Peter can!!! God give us the ears to not only hear his word, but to discern the heart of the Spirit by which he spoke them. Open the eyes of our heart Lord!

November 15-19, 2010

Coming Soon!