Wade's Weekly Word

“The present age, for us as Christians, is Easter time, it begins with the resurrection of the Redeemer, and ends with the resurrection of the redeemed.

There are moments in history when a single sentence changes everything. But no words have ever carried more weight than the words spoken by Jesus from the cross on that dark Friday, as Jesus declared - not in defeat - but in triumph - “It is finished!”

Patrick was one of the first great missionaries who brought the Gospel beyond the boundaries of the old Roman civilization. Patrick’s missionary strategy was to concentrate on converting the tribal kings. As the kings converted, they gave their sons to Patrick to be trained as missionaries. From kingdom to kingdom, Patrick converted pagans, built churches, trained disciples, ordained deacons and ministers and built mission stations. Patrick provided pastors with written doctrinal standards with which to teach their people.

Trevin Wax defines sin as “disordered love” - misdirected desire that aims for God and yet boomerangs back to the self in ways that stifle our love for others and squelch our fruitful capacities. Same-sex sexual behavior is just one example of taking an act designed to draw us out of ourselves toward a great mystery and curving back inward toward the repetition and redundancy of sameness.”

Everyone builds their life on a story, a grand narrative that interprets and explains history, identity, future, family, purpose, God, meaning, morality, work, desire, need, hope, and every other thing the mind can conceive. There is only one true complete Story spanning from before origins to beyond destiny. It is the only Story that has the power to rescue and redeem, to save and sanctify, to crush death and give life, to renew and restore. It's the old, old Story. God's Grand Glory Story.

Joy to the world still remains God's goal. The Westminster Catechism asks the question: “What is the chief end of man?” Answer: “To glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” (And I add, enjoying Him beginning Now and not just finally in in Heaven!). Paul says in 1 Timothy 6:17c, ".... he gives us richly all things to enjoy." We will one day fully and finally “enter into the joys of the Lord.”

The Old Testament, beginning in Genesis 5:1, contains the book of the generations of Adam and ends with a curse in Malachi 4:6. But the New Testament begins in Matthew 1:1 with the account of the book of the generations of Jesus Christ and ends with no curse in Revelation 22:3. Jesus birth is the Second Genesis, a new beginning, a new creation.

As we approach Christmas, we need to remember that it was actually a 33-Year event (33 is believed to be the age of Jesus’ death, burial resurrection, ands ascension). When there is a true celebration of the historical event of Christ’s birth, we should tell the four-part story of a complete Christmas. The baby in a crib, a man on a cross, a body in a tomb, and a King on the throne

Salvation is not a “hope so” salvation, but a “know so” salvation! It also does not depend upon our feelings, but upon His promises.

The Protestant Reformation stands as the most far-reaching, world-changing display of God’s grace since the birth and early expansion of the church. It was not a single act, nor was it led by one man. This history-altering movement played out on different stages over many decades. Its cumulative impact, however, was enormous.