40 Days and 40 Nights

I originally wrote this as an article for the Family Life (the news letter for the Church of Christ in Falls Church, VA.) on Easter Sunday, April 26th 2020 but I feel it has a message for everyone during the Covid-19 virus pandemic.

Friday, March 13th 2020 Fairfax County Public School decided to suspend classes until after Spring Break.  On that day I began counting my COVID-19 Day Count in my journal.  Almost everyday since then I have been writing in my journal.  I am keeping track of some of the news.  I am keeping track what day of the week it is.  I am keeping track of my thoughts and feeling.  I am keeping track of the numbers of days in my count.

On Tuesday, April 21st 2020 my count reached 40.  At first I didn’t think much of that until I realized that was 40 days!  This is an important biblical number.

In the story of Noah and the Ark the LORD sends rain for 40 days and nights. (Genesis 7)

Moses is on the mount Sinai with the LORD for 40 days and nights. (Exodus 24:18 & 34:28)

Moses then spends 40 days and nights in prayer and fasting on behalf of the people because of their sin. (Deuteronomy 9:18)

The Israelite scouts explore the land for 40 days. (Numbers 13:25)

Goliath taunts the Israelites for 40 days before David arrives. (1 Samuel 17:16)

Elijah takes 40 days and 40 nights to travel to Mount Horeb. (1 Kings 19:8)

Jonah proclaims Nineveh will be destroyed in 40 days and nights if they don’t repent. (Jonah 3:4)

Jesus fasts and is tempted by the Devil for 40 days and 40 nights. (Mark 1:3, Matthew 4:2 & Luke 4:2)

Jesus then appears to many over a period of 40 days following His resurrection. (Acts 1.3)

Depending on your count, we have spent at least 40 days and 40 nights with our stay at home order.

We won’t know how Noah and his family felt to be in an Ark for 40 days.  We won’t know what it was like for Elijah to walk for 40 days.  We won’t know how it felt for Moses or Jesus to fast for 40 days.  What we do have is a good point of reference for understanding what 40 days and 40 nights feels like.  It feels like a really long time and at the same time doesn’t feel that long at all.

Right now we know the stay at home order will expire on June 10th but we don’t know how long after that it will take for life to feel normal.  Just like at the end of these 40 days there will be a new normal.  One thing that didn’t change at the end of the 40 days and won’t change when we start to feel normal is the fact that the LORD is with us!

Anticipating GLORY!

I originally wrote this as an article for the Family Life (the news letter for the Church of Christ in Falls Church, VA.) on Easter Sunday, April 19th 2020 but I feel it has a message for everyone during the Covid-19 virus pandemic. 

Anticipating GLORY!

At the end of the New Testament we find a letter about THE END.  Revelation lays out all the woes, horrors and deceptions that are all around us.  Revelation also reveals from the very beginning the victory that awaits the LORD’s faithful people.  The letter spoils its own ending but in doing so builds anticipation.

We start with Jesus revealed in all HIS GLORY and we end with Jesus in all HIS GLORY.  It is here in the middle that it is hard to see that GLORY.  We are currently surrounded by terrible news about COVID-19.  We are currently staying home away from our family, friends and fellow believers.  We are currently wearing masks and gloves to keep ourselves and others safe.  We are anxious about our jobs and paying our bills.  We also hear that in the United States alone over 24,000 have died and over half a million have contracted this virus.  (As of April 15th 202 according to https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/us-map).  Here in the middle it is hard to see Jesus’ GLORY.

In fact, those who initially received the letter of Revelation were also facing grim news.  John’s vision starts to end with Jesus encouraging the readers, this includes us as well.

“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End."

“Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.  Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood."

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” (Revelation 22:12 - 16)

The last words of Revelation are calls for Jesus to come in all HIS GLORY.  The Spirit calls.  The Bride calls. John calls.  Believers throughout the centuries until today call!  “COME!”

It may feel like you are alone here in the middle but you are not!  Jesus is with you.  The Holy Spirit is with you.  The Father is with you. We are with you.  We all want Jesus to finally COME is all HIS GLORY!

His answer is our HOPE  “Yes, I am coming soon.” (Revelation 22:20)

Is There Any Good News?

I originally wrote this as an article for the Family Life (the news letter for the Church of Christ in Falls Church, VA.) on Easter Sunday, April 12th 2020 but I feel it has a message for everyone during the Covid-19 virus pandemic. 

Is There Any Good News?

There is no way to sugarcoat this but the world is full of the worst news we have faced in a generation.  Which leads many to ask “Is there any good news?”

The first disciples struggled with this question too.  Imagine if you were one of them on the day Jesus entered Jerusalem at the beginning of Passover.  Hundreds of people celebrated his coming.  The rest of the week was full of victory after victory.  Jesus was confronting the religious establishment.  Jesus was teaching important lessons.  When Jesus was at the top of his game it all came to a sudden end!

You had looked forward to the Passover Meal all week and shortly afterwards everything turned upside down.  Jesus lets himself be arrested and in fear you run for your life!  You hear word that a trial has happened in the middle of night and Jesus is to be crucified.

You stand from a distance and watch.  You see the man you had put your faith in as the Messiah die at the hands of the Roman Empire.  You feel all your hope go dark.  This is the worst news you can imagine.  The Messiah who promised so much is gone.

You gather with your fellow disciples and apostles.  Some of you sit stunned.  Some want to fight.  Some bring a strange and unbelievable rumor that Jesus is alive.

In all this darkness you don’t see any light but there it is!  The rumor is from Mary and some of the other women who found the tomb empty.  Then Peter and John bring the same news!  Later some of disciples turned around from a trip to tell you all they encountered JESUS alive.

Then out of nowhere the one person in the world you never thought you would see again walks into the room.  JESUS is alive!  He lets you touch his wounds.  He eats with you and gives you hope!

Out of this hope you begin to spread the word.  Jesus is alive.  Jesus has opened the doors to the Kingdom of Heaven.  Jesus sacrificed himself so we could be free from sin.  Jesus calls us to live as daughters and sons of GOD.  This is our good news!

With You in Spirit part 2

I originally wrote this as an article for the Family Life (the news letter for the Church of Christ in Falls Church, VA.) on April 5th 2020 but I feel it has a message for everyone during the Covid-19 virus pandemic. 

As I write this on Tuesday March 31st 2020, it has been at least 3 Sundays since we have met together face to face as a church. We have sat at home participating in our worship service from home. We have been physically separated from each other for good reason but we are together in spirit!

This separation has been made a little easier thanks to modern communication technology. Our Member Emergence Care Program has made it a goal to contact every member by phone. The Upper Room Teen Ministry is having VURMs (Virtual Upper Room Meetings) twice a week using Zoom. The Wednesday evening class is also using Zoom too! There are also members who are regularly calling, texting and messaging each other. It is important for us all to be reaching out and checking on each other at these times.

This virtual contact can only go so far. We want and desire to meet face to face. The apostle John felt the same way. He did not have the ability to use a camera and screen to meet but he did write letters. In what we call 2nd and 3rd John he expresses this desire.

I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete. - 2nd John :12 (The New International Version. 2011)

I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face. - 3 John :13 - :14 (The New International Version. 2011)

We feel the same way John does. There is a certain happiness in seeing each other over Facetime, Skype or Zoom but we want that complete JOY he is writing about. Sometime in the near future we will gather together as a church in our building and experience that complete joy. This will be more than just a momentarily feeling of happiness but a long lasting joy.

For now we need to stay home to keep ourselves and others safe from Covid19. Like I wrote last time you aren’t alone because we are together in the Spirit. You are with us and we are with you in the Spirit! This is still true today!

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