Shoulder To Shoulder #1272 -- 1/4/22 ---- "2022 -- The Heart of the Matter -- Hope That Enlightens and Brightens"
Posted by: lifeunlimited <lifeunlimited@...>
SHOULDER TO SHOULDER is a weekly letter of encouragement Bob has written since 1997, covering many topics selected to
motivate people to be strong students of the Word and courageous witnesses of Jesus Christ. It is a personal letter of
encouragement to you, written solely to help "lift up hands that hang down".
"The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything." -- Albert Einstein
“There is a common, worldly kind of Christianity in this day, which many have, and think they have -- a cheap Christianity which offends nobody,
and requires no sacrifice, which costs nothing, -- and is worth nothing.” – J. C. Ryle
Shoulder To Shoulder #1272 -- 1/4/22
Title: "2022 -- The Heart of the Matter -- Hope That Enlightens and Brightens"
My Dear Friend and Co-Laborer With Christ:
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Yes, 2022 has arrived, and we are now into another brand new year. Our personal transition from last year to this was fairly uneventful -- but once new year started, we were off to a frigid trudge through wind, snow, and ice. New Year's Eve we spent with our youngest, Deanna, and her husband, Jim, before retiring to our motel room around 9:00 PM to prepare for our return flight to Phoenix. Going to bed, we knew the forecast was not in our favor with the potential of rain, ice, sleet, and up to 8" of snow predicted for Peoria, IL, from where our flight was to depart mid afternoon of New Year's Day. So, sleep was somewhat interrupted with half-awake thoughts about what the weather would actually be when it was time to leave -- and whether or not the flight would be cancelled.
We prayed that it wouldn't because there was no other flight available until the following Wednesday. We were up early, and Jim and Deanna took us to the airport almost five hours early in order for them to return home before the highway became impassable for their return. While flights in and out of Chicago were being cancelled, ours remained on the board, and scheduled "on time".
Well, the "on time" wasn't all that accurate. As the weather deteriorated a bit and then held steady, we boarded just a few minutes late due to many people needing assistance in boarding. So, about an hour past departure schedule, our plane finally pulled back from the gate -- only in order to be de-iced before our flight. The de-icing truck apparently ran out of anti-icing solution, so a second truck had to be requested. After nearly an hour of waiting for the truck, the de-icing was completed, and we finally left the airport -- three and one-half hours late, and already past our original destination arrival time.
Our 4:13 arrival time finally happened at 8:06, with great relief from 184 passengers. Since we had no check-in luggage, we had only to wait for our two carry-on bags they asked us to check in order to save space in the overhead compartments. The worst decision of our entire six-day trip was agreeing to let them do that. So, we waited another hour and a half to retrieve our two small carry-on's. Having not eaten since breakfast, other than a few snack crackers, we made a stop at a restaurant near our motel, and finally got into our room at around 10:00.
We were thrilled to "sleep in" Sunday morning and then visit a very special friend, Syd, who had recently lost her husband and our dear friend and encourager, Terry. By then it was lunch time, and we headed west to Yuma, arriving home just before five o'clock.
So, other than the flight, New Year's Day was a wonderful way to start a new year. We had a special time being with at least part of our family for the first time in five years, God kept us contented even during confusing motel lodging, He blessed us with rich fellowship with family and some new friends, He protected us as we traveled during a potentially severe winter storm, He gave us an extraordinarily good and restful sleep overnight in Phoenix, He blessed us with very special fellowship with a widow who is near and dear to our hearts, and then kept us safe and fully satisfied as we traveled home. As icing on the cake, He gave us an exceptionally restful and rejuvenating sleep last night followed by a productive day back "on the field" today.
While flying, I read six chapters of David Jeremiah's new book, Where Do We Go From Here?. Please note my remarks below about the book.
As is often the case, my heart has quickly turned, as if attracted by a powerful magnate, toward a new year and toward an unknown future. I'm already preparing my thoughts for Sunday's sermon as I return to our season's theme, "Finding Today's Strength and Tomorrow's Hope." This morning as I was writing this letter, I was also thinking about next Sunday. The thought occurred to me -- "If I am to have hope for tomorrow, it will require strength for today."
In other words, we are seeing the fulfillment of Bible prophecy, left and right, right before our eyes. Some of the specific things that Peter, Paul, and even Jesus Himself predicted some 1900 years ago are taking place right now. Many of those events are troubling -- sometimes terrifying -- UNLESS our hope is anchored firmly in the absolutely sovereignty, complete trustworthiness, and complete certainty of our Lord Jesus Christ. And, it will be that hope and confidence that will strengthen us now. That which we anticipate about tomorrow is what gives us enduring strength now.
While I will not write specifically about that today, I do want to share something with you that relates to it. The idea is really quite simple ---- the root issue for us as we face a new year -- and however many we have left -- is the awareness that God is in complete control of all these factors. And it is that confidence that sheds light on the circumstances we have before us today. You see, what we know lies ahead in the future is what enlightens us to know how to live joyously and confidently today. When you know how the story ends, you never lose sleep over the twists and turns of today.
So, today, we'll look at that idea -- "The Heart of the Matter -- Hope that Enlightens", and will do it through the eyes and words of a guest writer. Before we do, though, take time to consider . . .
THIS 'N' THAT:
+ A "MUST READ" BOOK!: After a three-and-one-half-hour snow and de-icing delay at the airport in Peoria, IL, last Saturday, we traveled on a loaded plane for three more hours during which time I read half of David Jeremiah's amazing book, Where Do We Go From Here?. It is one of the most profound books I've read in 30 years, and is a book for our time. I URGE you to read it -- SOON! Few books written in the past 30 years have been more pertinent to where we are today. I cannot stress enough how important it is that you read it, and then get others to do the same. I had seen a couple of his TV sermons he preached on the book, but reading it and pondering it was both incredibly invigorating and highly troubling at the same time. Maranatha!
+ "Good Shepherd" Ring -- Archaeological Discovery: One of the earliest images to be used in depicting Jesus was that of the "Good Shepherd". A recent archaeological discovery proves the image was used very early in Christianity. To see the report, go to https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/israel/2021/december/ldquo-good-shepherd-rdquo-ring-discovered-off-the-coast-of-caesarea .
+ When Was Jesus Really Born? Does it Matter: -- I often preach right after Christmas about the Magi, Herod, and the flight of Mary and Joseph and the baby to Egypt. I won't this year, but here's a tip ---- if you want to do any serious research on exactly when Jesus was born, you need to deal with the date of John the Baptist's birth and Herod the Great's death. Both will help you narrow it down. Here's a good start: https://patternsofevidence.com/2021/12/31/herods-death-key-to-jesus-birth-year/?utm_campaign=Thinker%20Update-%20Herod%E2%80%99s%20Death%20Year%2C%20Key%20to%20Jesus%E2%80%99%20Birth%20%28TH9YSp%29&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Email%20List%20-%2090%20day%20engaged&_kx=MQD2bDKvMzlz_YSnMMN_NhVFmswuxE9TakcEwSPaaIs%3D.WEfJdA .
GUEST WRITER -- OUR DAUGHTER, CHERI:
I hadn't thought much about it until this past Thursday night I had an extended conversation with our grandson, Michael, in which he talked about how he had grown to love writing, and that some of his professors at Carl Sandburg College had complimented and encouraged him. Then it occurred to me that for at least four generations of my family we have had writers -- some real, and some wannabe. Two of our daughters have written books, all four were in key editorial roles in their high school and/or college year books, all four have written, two of them currently write blogs that are distributed via internet, my mother was a skilled poetess and prose writer, and even I make an effort to contribute something.
So, several weeks ago Jo Ann mentioned an article that our daughter, Cheri, had written in her blog, "Diggings" that would be a perfect follow-up to my recent four part series on the birth of Christ -- and would be a good way for me to not be so bound to the computer during our brief Christmas visit with two of our daughters. After reading her blog and receiving her approval to post it, I am blessed to be able to share it with you. She wrote it several days before Christmas, but its message is still clear . . . and true . . . and a rich confidence builder.
A word about Cheri: ---- Our third daughter, Cheri and her husband, Bob, adopted five pre-adolescent and adolescent children from Russia. That factor played an important role in thrusting them into ministering to families and particularly adoptive parents about the cultural, emotional, mental, and spiritual issues facing both the adopted child and the parents. Both serve as volunteer "counselors" and intercessors in their local church. Cheri also meets with a group of women with adopted children, and has also met with Russian officials regarding many of the expectations and cultural misunderstandings on both sides of the adoption process. She is also in the process of writing a book, but writes her subscriber-only blog, "Diggings". If you have further interest in reading more of what she writes, let me know, and I'll forward your e-mail to her.
In the meantime, read about . . .
An Unfailing Hope ---- Uncovering Our Hearts
If you asked me what one word best describes this season, I would answer light. Perhaps that’s because when John introduced Jesus he identified Him as the light.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:5, ESV)
At this time of year when the sun goes down so early I really appreciate the blessings of lights. Not just bright light bulbs that chase darkness into hiding behind appliances in my kitchen, and not just nightlights that show me the way in the middle of the night, but also lit candles and fireplaces, and Christmas lights adorning trees and house roof lines. Christmas lights create a sparkling ambiance that fosters a spirit of celebration and, in more muted tones, they promote relaxation after hectic days. And in homes with fireplaces (real or fake), light provides warmth on a cold winter night.
In similar ways light stirs hope in hearts and minds in the dark and cold seasons of our souls.
Hope:
Hope gets kicked up a notch or two this time of the year. Children hope they receive every item on the wish list they made for Santa. Mothers hope their grown children will make it home for Christmas. Sweethearts hope they become engaged before the midnight bell rings in a new year. And most of us hope we stay healthy and able to join loved ones in celebrating family, faith, and the future.
And as we face a new year we hope 2022 brings an end to COVID along with political divisiveness, civil unrest, and threats from outside forces. We hope that peace on earth and goodwill to men will bring us relief, govern our communities, and return us to “normal.”
Such hopes are not new. The inhabitants of Israel at the time Jesus was born longed for the same things. But you and I both know that fulfilling a wish list is not what Jesus came to do. Jesus didn’t rid Judea of Roman oppression and He’s not going to rid our world of evil in the year ahead. Sickness will still keep us from desired activities, tyranny will still hang over the heads of the helpless, and death will still steal our loved ones from us before we’re ready.
Sometimes it seems that hope does nothing more than lead us to disappointment. So if we’re not guaranteed that our dreams and wishes will be fulfilled, is there any point in getting our hopes up to begin with? Maybe it’s safer to not hope for anything at all.
The Heart of the Issue:
But you see hope is a God-given characteristic. It’s necessary for our survival. Hope, or anticipation that things will get better, allows us to think ahead and move forward. Without hope we have no purpose for living. Without hope we have no point in loving others. Without hope we have no reason to worship God.
And yet how many times have our hopes sunk to the ground leaving us feeling disappointed, discouraged or dejected? Why is that? Could it be because we’ve placed our hopes in the wrong things? Could it be that there’s a hope that never fails? If so, where do we find this kind of hope?
Well the Bible says there is a hope that lasts. In fact, you’re probably quite familiar with 1 Corinthians 13:13 that says hope is one of only three things that will survive all the junk the world throws at us. Hope is not only necessary, it’s guaranteed by God.
Discovering God's Heart:
According to the BibleProject word study on hope, there were two words for hope in the Old Testament. The first is yakhal, which means to wait for something. It’s used to describe Noah waiting for weeks for the flood waters to recede. The second word is qavah, which refers to the tension experienced while waiting. It’s like a farmer who waits for good rains to water the seed he planted and for a good harvest to come. The tension comes from a bit of fear that the seed, the soil, or the weather will fail him. Both of these terms refer to waiting with an expectation for a specific outcome.
Both Hebrew terms for hope are found in Psalm 130:5-7:
“I qavah for the Lord and His word” and “Israel yakhal for the Lord because He is faithful and will redeem.”
Notice in this, like many other psalms and prophecies, people’s hopes were placed in God’s character more than in His actions. Their hope was based on something more than just circumstance-driven optimism. Their hope was founded in the person of God. What’s key is that they placed their hope in His character because of who they’d found Him to be in the past: faithful and redemptive.
Sadly, not everyone mentioned in the biblical narrative placed their hopes in God. Rather, they placed them in expectations for circumstances to work out as they wanted; and in the end, those hopes failed. For example, after a seventy-year wait, the dreams of returning home were never realized by most of the Children of Israel. And for many when the opportunity to return had come, a loss of hope had caused them to become too comfortable in Babylon and so they chose to not return. Under similar political oppression Jesus failed to live up to the people’s expectations that the Messiah would drive out the Romans.
God knows that sometimes it takes a darkness, like political oppression, for people to finally see the Light. But not everyone will see—or even seek—that light. However, a handful of people in the Bible experienced an unwavering hope because they’d learned to place it in God instead of in their own expectations. You see, all they had to do was look back and see how God had proven faithful in the past. In looking back they were able to have confidence—hope—as they waited for Him to accomplish His perfect will at some point in the future.
In Romans 5:5 Paul said that this is a hope that will never put us to shame; it’s a hope we can boast in.
Peter, in the third verse of his first letter, explained that because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we now have a living hope. The word for hope in the New Testament is elpis and is based on the risen Christ.
Who would have ever imagined that God would come to earth in the form of a baby born in a stable? Who would have imagined a Messiah that was humble and kind—in no way resembling a charismatic military leader? Who would have imagined that a miracle worker would be crucified? And who would have imagined the crucified one being resurrected? In Jesus God showed that His ways are not our ways. His ways are far greater, far more life changing, and impacting time far beyond what we experience on earth.
Christian hope is bold, because it springs out of what we’ve witnessed of God’s faithfulness. It’s unshakable because it’s based on the steadfastness of His word. His word talks about a rescue from sin and death, about eternal life, and about a new heaven and new earth. We experience hope when we choose to wait for God to bring about a future that far exceeds our expectations—that comes about in ways we could never imagine.
In the Bible study I attend on the book of Revelation I find it fun to imagine what the unleashing of the seven seals, trumpets, and bowls will actually be like. I can visualize some of those scenes based on what I’ve seen happening in the world around me. But my visions, at best, foresee events on a minuscule scale compared to the power and fury of God’s judgment. Equally, my imagination of the glories of the new heaven and new earth pale in comparison to what God is preparing.
But the truth is, I shouldn’t base my hopes on mere imaginations that come only from what I’ve experienced in this broken world. Instead, I need to base my hopes on the very person of God. Heaven is where the presence of God permeates everything.
So if I’m supposed to base my hope on the character of God then I need to ask myself, “What do I know of God?” Well I can read through the entirety of Scripture over and over for the rest of my life and continuously learn about God. But since Christmas is only eleven days away, what if we look at a few things we learn about God in the birth of Jesus?
Being conceived out of wedlock, He identifies with the misjudged and rejected.
Being denied a safe and sanitary place for His birthing, He proves that His purposes will be accomplished regardless of insufficient resources.
Being born in a stable, He exemplifies humility. He’s not pushy, invasive, or demanding of rights and recognition. He embraces simplicity and waits for people to seek Him.
With His birth being announced to shepherds and foreign wise men, He shows esteem for everyone from the lowest (uneducated and poor) to the highest (educated and wealthy), from those who are nearby to those who are far off. He shows up for those who choose to be open to what He’s really up to instead of leaning on their own understanding.
At the temple with Anna and Simeon, even as a wee babe, He ministers hope to those who’ve looked for it for decades. He underscores the importance of never giving up on trusting God’s promises.
Being whisked off to Egypt, He demonstrates how no effort from the pit of hell will derail God’s plans.
In allowing hundreds of babies to die so He could survive, He draws our focus away from the temporal heartaches of earth to the eternal glories of heaven. God’s will doesn’t guarantee an easy road; it does guarantee a glorious end.
Recovering Our Hearts:
So what do you hope for? In what do you place your hopes? What expectations do you hold to when looking for fulfillment of your longings? Do you expect a certain standard of living? A certain amount of provision from the government? A certain cure from a doctor? A certain level of commitment in a relationship? A certain response to a request? A certain item on your wish list?
What would change in your heart if you saw God, and God alone, as the fulfillment of all your expectations, requests, or wishes? Would you be disappointed or would you find yourself more at peace than you ever dreamed possible?
On a piece of paper draw three columns. In the left column write a list of things you hope for. Be as life-encompassing in your ideas as you have time to be. In the middle column write how God or His characteristics fulfill those wishes. In the right column jot down scripture references and/or song titles that address that characteristic of God. Worship Him for who He is and allow Him to become your hope. Your unfailing hope.
Dig a Little Deeper:
"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 (NASB1995)
Notice four things about hope in this passage:
Hope is an outcome of maturing through our struggles.
Hope is based on God’s love, proven through Jesus’ own suffering for our sake, and poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. It a complete work of God on our behalf.
This kind of hope never disappoints.
This kind of hope gives us cause for great rejoicing.
"Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be arrogant or to set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth, but on God, who richly provides us with all things to enjoy." 1 Timothy 6:17 (CSB)
But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV)
The word “wait” means “hope in”. If your strength is waning today, how might this promise bring renewal?
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23 (ESV)
For God alone my soul waits in silence and quietly submits to Him, For my hope is from Him. Psalm 62:5 (AMP)
Songs for meditation and worship:
Phil Wicham’s Living Hope
Matthew West’s The Hope of Christmas
Hope is Born by the Skit Guys
Hope Burning Bright
Cheri Dee Johnson
Lealand Rd E, Maplewood
MN 55109 United States
Bob Tolliver
Life Unlimited Ministries
LUMglobal
In His Bond, By His Grace, and for His Kingdom,
Bob Tolliver -- Romans 1:11
"Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness,
examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so." -- Dr. Luke (Acts 17:11)
"A fire kept burning on the hearthstone of my heart, and I took up the burden of the day with fresh courage and hope." -- Charles F. McKoy
Life Unlimited Ministries
LUMglobal
[email protected]
Copyright January, 2022
"If Jesus had preached the same message that many ministers preach today, He would never have been crucified." -- Leonard Ravenhill
"The time will come when instead of shepherds feeding the sheep, the Church will have clowns entertaining the goats." -- Charles H. Spurgeon
If this letter has blessed you, feel free to forward it or copy from it, with proper credits, to any and all you wish.
Please do NOT hit reply to this letter. This is an automated unmanned system.
If you want to write Bob, send directly to [email protected].
Replying to "Shoulder To Shoulder" mailer gets you nowhere.
--
To subscribe, send ANY message to: [email protected]> To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: [email protected]