LESSON OUTLINE: "Anticipation".

Family Life Class        June 27, 2014 

<sub>Almost everyone has experienced separation from loved ones. Sometimes it is temporary. Other times separation seems permanent.  The "Blessed Hope" of believers is that Jesus will soon return for his church. In this lesson we will talk about the longing the church should have for the return of Christ, and how that longing will affect our everyday lives.

"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;" [Titus 2:13 KJV]

"But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." [1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 KJV]

"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." [Hebrews 9:27-28 KJV]</sub>

·         _{Does the Bible support the idea of reincarnation or any other “do over” theology?}·         _{Should Christians grieve over the death of another Christian?}·         <sub>What is the believer's hope?

"For we know that if our earthly house of [this] tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in [this] tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing [is] God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore [we are] always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, [I say], and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord." [2 Corinthians 5:1-8 KJV]</sub>·         <sub>Does the Bible speak of the death of a believer as a loss or a gain?

"Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present [us] with you. For all things [are] for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward [man] is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding [and] eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen [are] temporal; but the things which are not seen [are] eternal." [2 Corinthians 4:14-18 KJV]</sub>·         <sub>What evidence do we have of bodily resurrection?

"For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only [they], but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, [to wit], the redemption of our body." [Romans 8:22-23 KJV]</sub>

·         _{Is death natural?   Why is death so unpleasant?}·         _{How does being “born again” impact my soul?}
·         _Spirit?·         _Body?

"The LORD is known [by] the judgment [which] he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah. The wicked shall be turned into hell, [and] all the nations that forget God." [Psalms 9:16-17 KJV]

"And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." [Matthew 10:28 KJV]

·         Do all people automatically go to heaven when they die?

·         What effect should this knowledge have on believers?

·         Ultimately who knows the destination of another’s soul?

Prayer for Newtown, Connecticut and Sandy Hook Elementary School

I usually try to edit my blog posts pretty thoroughly, but this one is going to be a little more "off-of-the-cuff".

My heart is heavy tonight for the families who lost loved ones at the school shooting today in Connecticut, especially for the families of those children. I have experienced prolonged grief and heartache, but I have never experienced what these families are enduring tonight.

As I watch and listen to the reports of the horrors of the day the typical templates are already being followed. The lines for the gun control / civil liberty / second amendment argument will be renewed in a few hours, at most. On this topic I too have a very definite opinion, but for tonight I know all I need to know. Twenty kids and several adults are dead. Lives have been cut short, and the shooter is dead. We can exact neither revenge or justice on the killer, and we can do nothing for the innocent ones gunned down.

The only thing that we can do tonight is grieve for the dead and pray for the living. 

And so my prayer is this:

"O my God, please wrap your arms around those grieving families in Connecticut. Their hearts are broken, and our grief is great. 

"Dear Lord, wrap your arms around those children tonight. Please pull them close to you. 

"Help the parents of those killed today. Help them breathe just one breath at a time, over and over again until a new day dawns.

"Help us to say with the Psalmist,

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 

 "O my God, be with us all, give us courage, and may righteousness triumph over evil in all its forms. Your kingdom come, your will be done. In Jesus name I pray. Amen."

Be careful who you pick on...

For several days I have felt compelled to spend my study time in the book of Lamentations. To be honest, it falls among the list of Old Testament books that I consider to be largely "neglected" these days. As it's name indicates, the author is lamenting the destruction of his beloved country and city. Some of the saddest, heart rending verses you will ever read are found in this book. Judah had repeatedly sinned, and God had allowed their enemies to overrun them. The author grieves that his beautiful, proud people has been reduced to squalor and starvation...

...then, somewhere in chapter three, his grief turns to repentance and repentance turns to hope.

I have heard people say (in jest), "'Vengeance is mine,' says the Lord, but I am his tool!"    Uh, yeah. You don't want to be that. Here is the thing.As illustrated in this book, God will allow outside forces to overrun his people when is call to repentance has been ignored, but the purpose of the destruction is still repentance.

When that repentance does occur, his children are forgiven and their sins are forgotten. The child who has repented is instantly restored to his favor.

So when God then looks on his beloved child and sees an enemy abusing that favored child, how do you think God is going to react? That's right it isn't going to go well for the one doing the mistreating.

So here is the take away.
1) If God is subjecting you to his discipline, repent! He doesn't hate you, he has your best interest at heart.
2) If you see someone who is suffering as a result of their sin, do not jump on the "they deserve what they are getting" band wagon. Instead, be ready with a compassionate heart to help and restore those that God has disciplined. Someday it may be you.

Galatians 6:1 "Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted."
Matthew 5:4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."