Dear Friends,
In the Christmas classic, It’s a Wonderful Life, George Bailey’s guardian angel asks, “What‘s the matter with him, is he sick?” Gabriel answers, “Worse, he’s discouraged.” I grew up thinking that was a ridiculous line. Discouragement? Nothing serious; just shake it off. Nothing could be further from the truth.
I battled serious discouragement in the past two weeks. The physical effects of the radiation treatments have just started to kick in, but I’m a spiritual train wreck. Discouragement literally means “a lack of courage or confidence,” and it pops into my daily routine as a vague sense of futility walking hand in hand with my sorrow. Unlike despair, my discouragement does not knock me out, but like these daily reatments, it pummels me with body hits to weaken my spirit. It whispers lies to me.
“Your best days are gone forever; nothing you do has meaning; you’re chasing the wind” (Ecclesiastes 2:17). I feel God moving away from me, and I ask, Why are you leaving me? Why are you so far away? Why aren’t you helping me? (Psalm 22:1,11) I’m calling on your name everyday and
nothing happens (Psalm 22:2). Don’t hide from, Lord, or leave me alone (Psalm 27:9).
Hopelessness creeps into my soul and sows a foul crop of “what ifs” in the fertile soil of my thoughts. What if the radiation fails? What if the cancer in my lungs spreads? What if I can’t work and lose my insurance? What if Gayle is widowed? What if my children are fatherless? Misery drains my strength (Psalm 31:10), and I want to quit.
I decide to scour the psalms for answers, to claim God’s promise in Psalm 9:10, “If I search for Him, he will not abandon me.” I realize it all begins with praise. Like a child, I return to the most elementary of lessons. If I know God’s name, I will trust in Him (Psalm 9:10). While commuting to the hospital, while wearing that suffocating mask, while watching those hopeless eyes being wheeled in and out of the waiting room, while wiping back tears at the sight of bald children, I praise God.
I praise God’s omnipotence.
His power is beyond human imagination.
He created the vast heavens and precious earth (Nehemiah 9:6).
He created me (Psalm 139:13).
He owns me and all of creation (Psalm 50:12).
Each breathe I take is a gift from the Lord (Isaiah 42:5), and the breath of every human is in his hands (Job 12:10).
Only El Shaddai’s great power can rescue and shield me (Psalm 33:20). Armies and great strength failed ancient kings and warriors (Psalm 33:16); in the end, modern medicine will not save me.
But despite my great need, the omnipotent Creator cares about my distress (Psalm 31:7), and at this moment,
He is thinking about helping me (Psalm 40:17).
I praise God’s omnipresence.
As surely as He sees everyone on the planet (Psalm 33:13-14),
He watches me as I sleep in safety (Psalm 3:5), and
He walks with me in every hospital room (Psalm 139: 7-12).
When technicians strap that mask across my face and flee the room, El Olam, the God of eternity, stands by my side (Psalm 16:8).
He stood by my mother at my birth and ordained every moment in my life (Psalm 139:16).
God stands with me in my past watching my birth into sin (Psalm 51:5) and washing me clean from evil and guilt (Psalm 31:2).
Jehovah stands with me in my future carrying me forever in His endless arms (Psalm 28:9) and sweeping away all my sorrow and pain (Revelation 21:4).
I praise God for His faithfulness and unending love.
His promises to me are as pure as silver (Psalm 12:8).
He will answer my prayers (Psalm 17:6).
He will restore my health in this world or the next (Psalm 30:2).
God’s goodness is great, and He has unimaginable blessings stored up for me (Psalm 31:19).
His unfailing love for me and my family stretches far beyond the heavens (Psalm 36:5), and He will be my guide until my dying day (Psalm 48:14).
If I live, He will care for us; if I die, He will care for them.
My praise for God unearthed the deep roots of my discouragement.
My soul sees what my mind cannot. Like a precarious financial portfolio, my hope is scattered among permanent and temporary investments; some are secure; many are high risk. Praise puts me in touch with the invisible but permanent qualities of God in my life (Romans 1:20). Much of my hope and trust is in the eternal but not all. My greatest hope is in God, but I also trust in doctors and treatments, fitness and healthy lifestyle, life insurance and equity.
My soul realizes the futility of hoping in the temporary. My courage fails me when I hope in the things I will lose- earthly health, money, job, achievements, and homes. Hope in the temporary swings open the door of my spirit and discouragement marches in. What I can see will one day vanish; the invisible lasts forever. The psalmists use solid metaphors to impress upon us the permanence of the eternal. God is our rock, our fortress, our shield (Psalm 18: 1-3).
Only the Lord is my inheritance and cup of blessing (Psalm 16:5). All my hope must rest in Him (Psalm 39:7). His unfailing love will envelop me because He is my only hope Psalm 33:22). My Redeemer must be my sole refuge, my only desire (Psalm 142:5). All day long, I will place my hope in Him (Psalm 25:5), and He will chart His perfect plan for my life (Psalm 138:8).
As I praise Him for His attributes and thank Him for the infinite goodness He has poured over me, I realize that though my body and soul are withering away (Psalm 31:9), He guides me along the best path for my life (Psalm 32:8). He is worthy of my complete and blind trust (Psalm 33:4).
Dear friends, if we take courage or contentment in the things of this world, discouragement and discontent lie in wait. Let us lift our vision and gaze on the realities of heaven where our real lives are hidden (Colossians 3:1-4), and God’s peace will fill us here on earth replacing the vaporous peace offered by this world (John 14: 27).
God bless,
Tim
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
Tim Eimer: Noble princes, brilliant daughters of the Almighty
Dear friends,
I have been an athlete my entire life. At age five, I swam competitively and played Little League baseball, and I played basketball and swam six miles last week. Physical activity has always been part of my daily routine. Old athletes have a unique perspective on mortality. Over the years, we measure the decay and death of our bodies in lost speed, weakened muscles and sore joints. Personally, I’m growing weary in this aging body of mine (2 Corinthians 5:2). My throbbing hip screams at me to sit down even days after running up and down the court, and a year of surgeries and treatments have siphoned strength from my muscles. My dying body causes me to groan (2 Corinthians 5:4) as cancer chews through my lungs, and I shudder at the number of times this fragile tent has been cut and jabbed and probed during the past three years. Deep down in my core, I feel the death and decay of my earthly body (1 Corinthians 15:41) and the certain pull of the earth dragging me back to the dust from which I was formed (Genesis 3:19). Now, as part of the great irony of modern medicine, doctors are going to weaken my body again in an effort to save it.
My radiation treatments start Monday. If I were not a Christian, I would desire all this to end now. Daily, this earthly body disappoints me (1 Corinthians 15:43). I am frustrated at the many times I must turn my gaze to avoid lusting, how quickly my tongue spits out a lie, the swiftness with which my mind crafts a criticism, and the constant desire of my hand to snatch what isn’t mine.
I know many of you are weary of sin and the slow decay of these earthly bodies as well, and you long to cloth yourselves in your heavenly bodies (2 Corinthians 5:2). Well be encouraged, brothers and sisters, for soon the same God who spoke the fiery stars and quiet forests and soaring hawks into existence will craft new bodies for us with his own hands (2 Corinthians 5:1). We will experience our great hope, the resurrection of our earthly bodies into eternal life (1 Corinthians 15:42). The priceless treasure of God’s power and light will explode out of these clay vessels (2 Corinthians 4:7), and these frail tents will be swallowed up in everlasting life and replaced with glorious temples dedicated to the Most High God (2 Corinthians 5:4). Our stream-lined bodies will pulse with power (1 Corinthians 15:43).
With His own hands, our Creator will sculpt our muscles into the form of olympic sprinters possessing the agility of the great cats and the endurance of the wolf running through the night with his pack. Our new bodies will sparkle with beauty, both within and without, (1 Corinthians 15:40) and shine with radiant glory (1 Corinthians 15:43). We will be transformed into heavenly beings fashioned in the very likeness of Jesus Himself (1Corinthians 15:49). On that day, we will be at home with the Lord where we will always please Him (2 Corinthians 5: 8-9).
I can see us all there in God’s great city, one race, one people of God, one great host of warrior-poets, artist-athletes, noble princes, brilliant daughters of the Almighty. Each of us is more beautiful, more treasured and more empowered than the next. The curse with its pain and
sorrow and death is gone (Revelations 21:4). We marvel at our physical abilities and admire each other’s beauty without lust or envy. I can see us there with the boundless energy of children and honed bodies of decathletes scaling the cliffs of God’s great mountain, sprinting along His golden shores and dancing before our nightly feasts with the King.
As I write this letter, I see us all there, one great nation of people bursting with strength and vigor. We are youthful and wise, joyful and filled with power. So be encouraged, friends, for the day is not long in coming for any of us, and on that day, our glory will vastly outweigh all our present troubles and our resurrected bodies will last forever (2 Corinthians 4: 18-19).
God bless,
Tim
PS: For those of you who have asked about my past chapel talks at my school, you will find the spring 2008 chapel at www.Phil-Mont.com on the home page in red letters. The spring 2007 talk is under the “student life” and “special events” tabs. It is the second bullet. You can listen
to both talks.
Also, my mailing address is (for those who have asked) is:
Tim Eimer
54 Brookside Court
Horsham, PA 19044
I have been an athlete my entire life. At age five, I swam competitively and played Little League baseball, and I played basketball and swam six miles last week. Physical activity has always been part of my daily routine. Old athletes have a unique perspective on mortality. Over the years, we measure the decay and death of our bodies in lost speed, weakened muscles and sore joints. Personally, I’m growing weary in this aging body of mine (2 Corinthians 5:2). My throbbing hip screams at me to sit down even days after running up and down the court, and a year of surgeries and treatments have siphoned strength from my muscles. My dying body causes me to groan (2 Corinthians 5:4) as cancer chews through my lungs, and I shudder at the number of times this fragile tent has been cut and jabbed and probed during the past three years. Deep down in my core, I feel the death and decay of my earthly body (1 Corinthians 15:41) and the certain pull of the earth dragging me back to the dust from which I was formed (Genesis 3:19). Now, as part of the great irony of modern medicine, doctors are going to weaken my body again in an effort to save it.
My radiation treatments start Monday. If I were not a Christian, I would desire all this to end now. Daily, this earthly body disappoints me (1 Corinthians 15:43). I am frustrated at the many times I must turn my gaze to avoid lusting, how quickly my tongue spits out a lie, the swiftness with which my mind crafts a criticism, and the constant desire of my hand to snatch what isn’t mine.
I know many of you are weary of sin and the slow decay of these earthly bodies as well, and you long to cloth yourselves in your heavenly bodies (2 Corinthians 5:2). Well be encouraged, brothers and sisters, for soon the same God who spoke the fiery stars and quiet forests and soaring hawks into existence will craft new bodies for us with his own hands (2 Corinthians 5:1). We will experience our great hope, the resurrection of our earthly bodies into eternal life (1 Corinthians 15:42). The priceless treasure of God’s power and light will explode out of these clay vessels (2 Corinthians 4:7), and these frail tents will be swallowed up in everlasting life and replaced with glorious temples dedicated to the Most High God (2 Corinthians 5:4). Our stream-lined bodies will pulse with power (1 Corinthians 15:43).
With His own hands, our Creator will sculpt our muscles into the form of olympic sprinters possessing the agility of the great cats and the endurance of the wolf running through the night with his pack. Our new bodies will sparkle with beauty, both within and without, (1 Corinthians 15:40) and shine with radiant glory (1 Corinthians 15:43). We will be transformed into heavenly beings fashioned in the very likeness of Jesus Himself (1Corinthians 15:49). On that day, we will be at home with the Lord where we will always please Him (2 Corinthians 5: 8-9).
I can see us all there in God’s great city, one race, one people of God, one great host of warrior-poets, artist-athletes, noble princes, brilliant daughters of the Almighty. Each of us is more beautiful, more treasured and more empowered than the next. The curse with its pain and
sorrow and death is gone (Revelations 21:4). We marvel at our physical abilities and admire each other’s beauty without lust or envy. I can see us there with the boundless energy of children and honed bodies of decathletes scaling the cliffs of God’s great mountain, sprinting along His golden shores and dancing before our nightly feasts with the King.
As I write this letter, I see us all there, one great nation of people bursting with strength and vigor. We are youthful and wise, joyful and filled with power. So be encouraged, friends, for the day is not long in coming for any of us, and on that day, our glory will vastly outweigh all our present troubles and our resurrected bodies will last forever (2 Corinthians 4: 18-19).
God bless,
Tim
PS: For those of you who have asked about my past chapel talks at my school, you will find the spring 2008 chapel at www.Phil-Mont.com on the home page in red letters. The spring 2007 talk is under the “student life” and “special events” tabs. It is the second bullet. You can listen
to both talks.
Also, my mailing address is (for those who have asked) is:
Tim Eimer
54 Brookside Court
Horsham, PA 19044
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Tim Eimer (fr. Mon. 7/7/08): Hypocrisy and Vacations: only He creates a spring of refreshment in the desert wilderness of my life.
Dear Friends,
Yet another thing I hate is when my hypocrisy is revealed. I write these beautiful letters about anticipating heaven and being fervent in prayer and trusting in God, and then a small thing knocks me off my feet and I grumble, “Why me?”
We were all set to start my treatments today, and we had hoped to sneak a vacation in before school started, but the hospital called Saturday to tell us the radiation treatment has been postponed to an unspecified date. Again plans must change; the possibility of a vacation shrinks, and I may miss the start of school. I moped around all weekend discouraged and disheartened. I wanted to stop writing letters, stop preaching, and stop everything God would call me to do and hole up in my house nursing my self pity. My preaching on Sunday was flat, and I could not delight in the gift of the day God had given me. And why? I may miss my vacation this year.
My family has always relied on our vacations to be refreshed and renewed, but John's warning at the end of his first letter has nagged me all summer, “Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.” (1 John 5:21) “Your vacations cannot replace my rest for you,” my Father whispers gently. (Hebrews 4: 9-10)
My wife reminded me that only He creates a spring of refreshment in the desert wilderness of my life. (Isaiah 43:20) Today, God is insistent and asks, “Look Tim, when will you realize that my grace is sufficient for you?” (2 Corinthians 12:9) When will you let me lead you to My rest in green meadows and beside peaceful streams? (Psalm 23:2) When will you admit that only I can renew your strength?” (Psalm 23:3)
I apologize to all of you for my hypocrisy. I feel like I have deceived you, and I echo Paul’s words in Romans 7:15 (NLT), “I really don’t understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do the very thing I hate.” So again, I’m sorry.
Thank God, Jesus Christ is the answer to free me from this life dominated by sin. (Romans 7:24-25) I’m looking forward to the day when the sins (especially my sins) of this world are gone forever. (Revelation 21:4)
Hopefully, we will know the new start date soon.
God bless,
Tim
Yet another thing I hate is when my hypocrisy is revealed. I write these beautiful letters about anticipating heaven and being fervent in prayer and trusting in God, and then a small thing knocks me off my feet and I grumble, “Why me?”
We were all set to start my treatments today, and we had hoped to sneak a vacation in before school started, but the hospital called Saturday to tell us the radiation treatment has been postponed to an unspecified date. Again plans must change; the possibility of a vacation shrinks, and I may miss the start of school. I moped around all weekend discouraged and disheartened. I wanted to stop writing letters, stop preaching, and stop everything God would call me to do and hole up in my house nursing my self pity. My preaching on Sunday was flat, and I could not delight in the gift of the day God had given me. And why? I may miss my vacation this year.
My family has always relied on our vacations to be refreshed and renewed, but John's warning at the end of his first letter has nagged me all summer, “Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.” (1 John 5:21) “Your vacations cannot replace my rest for you,” my Father whispers gently. (Hebrews 4: 9-10)
My wife reminded me that only He creates a spring of refreshment in the desert wilderness of my life. (Isaiah 43:20) Today, God is insistent and asks, “Look Tim, when will you realize that my grace is sufficient for you?” (2 Corinthians 12:9) When will you let me lead you to My rest in green meadows and beside peaceful streams? (Psalm 23:2) When will you admit that only I can renew your strength?” (Psalm 23:3)
I apologize to all of you for my hypocrisy. I feel like I have deceived you, and I echo Paul’s words in Romans 7:15 (NLT), “I really don’t understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do the very thing I hate.” So again, I’m sorry.
Thank God, Jesus Christ is the answer to free me from this life dominated by sin. (Romans 7:24-25) I’m looking forward to the day when the sins (especially my sins) of this world are gone forever. (Revelation 21:4)
Hopefully, we will know the new start date soon.
God bless,
Tim
Tim Eimer (fr. Sat. 7/5/08): Prayer is not about me
Dear Friends,
The worst moment of my life happen several months ago. I was living in isolation at my mother’s house while receiving a radioactive iodine treatment that prevented me from being with my family for a week. Just days before, my doctor had informed me the cancer had spread to my lungs.
In the solitude of my mother’s home, I felt embroiled in a spiritual battle. Despair, sorrow and perhaps Satan himself hammered at my thoughts and spirit all week long. I rose one morning with a deep ache in my heart. Soon, a deep sadness flooded my soul, and the despair threatened to drown my spirit. Curled up on my bed, I uttered the words of Jesus in Gethsemane the night before the cross, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death.” (Matthew 26:38) I actually feared my sorrow would kill me. All I could do was to beg God to help me, to save me.
Then my wife, Gayle, called. For several minutes she waited for me to speak, but all the words had dried up in my mouth. So she prayed. She prayed a long prayer, and as she prayed, God's warm peace settled over my body and spirit. In minutes, the deep sadness drained from my soul as if a plug had been pulled in its depths, and I relaxed in a powerful, secure rest knowing that the everlasting arms of God were beneath me. (Deuteronomy 33:27) After she finished, I said goodbye and drifted to sleep with the strongest impression, almost a vision, of great white wings covering me in my bed. I dreamed of heaven. I raced up bright shining streets, delighted in the spray of sparkling fountains and soared high over our great eternal city. Hours later, I woke without fear, and the moment I woke, a good friend called to offer me more comfort and prayer.
I know this story shouts out “Hallmark movie cliché!” but it was the greatest experience of prayer in my life. Before my illness, I slogged through my prayer time guiltily thinking it was a waste of time. God knows what I need, I thought; why do I need to ask Him for anything? My illness has revealed that prayer is not about the asking. It is about inviting Almighty God to come and fellowship with me. During prayer, I become aware of the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of me granting full assurance of the truth behind my salvation. (1 Thessalonians 1:5)
Prayer refocuses my sight on the realities of heaven where Christ sits at God’s right hand in the place of honor and power. (Colossians 3:1) It provides a guarantee that I am purchased as a son of God and will receive everything the Father has promised. (Ephesians 1:14) Prayer imparts the gift of perfect peace in my heart and mind (John 14:27), controls my mind to bring me life and peace (Romans 8:6), and relieves me of all anxiety. (Philippians 4:6) Prayer assures me of my future immortal life beyond this frail earthly tent. (Romans 8:11)
My friends, after years of stubbornness, I finally understand, deep in my soul, that prayer is not about what God can do for me but what He will do through me. It’s not about me (who would have believed it?); it’s about Him. Despite this revelation, the inadequacies of my prayer life still shock me. The Apostle Paul’s faithfulness in prayer amazes me and is a great example for me. He always prayed for the church at Philippi (Philippians 1:4), brought the needs of the Roman church before God day and night (Romans 1:9), never stopped praying for the Ephesians (Ephesians 1:16), continued praying for the church at Colossae from the time he first heard about them (Colossians 1:9), thanked God and constantly prayed for the believers in Thessalonica (1 Thessalonians 1:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:3), and faithfully prayed for Philemon (Philemon 4) and Timothy (2 Timothy 1:3-4).
Every night, I pray with my boys that they become strong men of God, and I do pray for myself a lot, but I fail to pray for my school, my church, my Christian friends, and my lost friends each day. Practically speaking, I need three or four hours of prayer each day to be spiritually healthy, but I rarely hit that mark.
In Asia, Paul was crushed, completely overwhelmed, and expecting death, but he learned to rely on God, who can raise the dead and deliver him from mortal danger, instead of himself. God rescued him, in part, because the Christians in Corinth prayed for his safety (1 Corinthians 1:8-11).
As my radiation treatment starts Monday (July 7), I selfishly ask for your prayers. Because of prayer, I passed through two surgeries without popping a single pain reliever, and
- I ask you to pray for the same hedge of protection now.
- I ask you to pray for God to draw people into my sphere influence as I sit in that waiting room everyday for thirty straight “work” days.
- I ask you to pray that I use my waiting time wisely in prayer and writing and sermon preparation and not in fear and anxiety.
- I ask you to pray that the Spirit continue its transforming work in my soul.
- Most of all, I ask you to pray for God’s light to shine through me in that place of dread and sorrow. There are now hundreds of you who read these letters, and so there are thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of potential prayers that could rise up to our Savior as a sweet perfume asking Him to show His power in a place where hope is so often dim or extinguished all together.
This will be my prayer in the coming weeks.
God bless,
Tim
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Tim Eimer: Made for a different world. Choosing to set my heart and mind on heavenly things.
Dear friends,
It happened to me for the first time in Belize. Before having children,Gayle and I went to the Caribbean yearly to snorkel and scuba dive off coral reefs. We traveled to Central America for our fifteenth weddingAnniversary and stayed in a remote beach resort. Belize’s barrier reef sat a mile off the beach, and early one morning, I kayaked to the reef and swam another mile through a maze of coral paths. Far from another living soul, I discovered a forest of Elkhorn coral. Rows of this magnificent coral rose a dozen feet from the ocean bottom and branched out like thick tree limbs. Bright shafts of sunlight streamed down on the coral lighting up the forest until it glowed like hot gold in the deep blue water. Brightly colored fish danced among the coral like splashes of paint on an azure canvas. Gliding through the pristine giants, I knew few people had ever seen them, and I remember thinking, “This is one of those moments outdoor people savor for a lifetime, but for some reason, there is something wrong here. Despite the spectacular scenery, this place is still impoverished.”
Oddly, this happened a month before my cancer diagnosis, and in the past three years, I’ve experienced the words of the old hymn- “…and the things of this earth will grow strangely dim.” As a science teacher, I see the illness of the land and ecosystems around me and how they groan beneath the curse of human sin (Romans 8:21-22), but even pristine places lack the vibrant colors, diversity of life and deep mystery that I sense should be there. CS Lewis summed it up best. “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probably explanation is that I was made for another world.”
Providentially, I am preparing to preach two sermons on heaven this summer, and as my radiation treatment approaches in a week, I choose to set my heart and mind on heavenly things instead of earthly things (Colossians 3:1-2). God has used this cancer to pluck my thoughts from the mire of this world and remind me of the brevity of life. In eternity past, the Lord numbered my days, and my entire life is passing like an exhaled breath (Psalm 39:4-5). Despite the small trials testing my faith, wonderful joy awaits me just a few heartbeats in the future (1 Peter 1:6-7).
Many of you have confided to me your present troubles and sufferings, and the great pain and sorrow you shoulder each day shocks me. I stand helpless in the face of your trials (and my own), but I can give you the great wealth and comfort of God’s promises. Your present troubles are small and will last but a brief moment in time, but even now they are creating a glory for you that vastly outweighs them and will be yours forever. Don’t look at your troubles, my friends, for they will soon be gone. Fix your gaze on the invisible wonders of Christ and His glory. (2 Corinthians 4:18-19)
As for me, I fix my gaze on heaven as I wait. Near my school, I run in a beautiful, wooded valley laced with trails winding their way along clear streams and through thick trees. Even this precious place has grown dim for me, a mere shadow of its heavenly counterpart, but at night, I daydream about heaven like a boy dreaming about playing professional baseball. I imagine running with a body now swift and strong. Golden hair streams behind me and my muscles explode with power. Sometimes I run alone; at other times I’m with many of you, and we shine with radiant beauty for we are now part of Christ's glory. (John 17:1) We sprint between trees as thick as houses with roots that plunge down into the very spine of the mountains. Fearless, we plunge into clear, green pools teeming with fish of every kind, and we dive down deep to explore the mysteries hidden in the depths. We run the trails again in perfect harmony knowing that nothing can hurt us or separate us from the joy of being together. Narnain creatures greet us from the trees, and we shout in reply. In tree houses created by craftsmen more talented than the Renaissance geniuses, we pause to drink wine from God’s very own vineyard and toast our allegiance to our Lord and King. Laughter streams from our lips in celebration of a fellowship so deep and intimate that we cannot imagine how we survived on such impoverished friendships back on the old earth. We race on, gathering others as we go, toward the great capitol city of our heavenly country for tonight the King has prepared a banquet for His citizens.
These are the invisible things prepared for us, brothers and sisters, though my poor writing craft can only conjure up a glimpse of the unimaginable joys in our future. (1 Corinthians 2:9) I encourage you to set your sights on the invisible wonders our Lord has created (Colossians 1:16) for it is only when we fix our thoughts on the glory of the next world that we can become truly effective in this one.
God bless,
Tim
PS: A few of you have inquired about my preaching dates. I am preaching July 6 and July 13 at Hope Community Church in Willow Grove, PA. The service starts at 10:00am.
It happened to me for the first time in Belize. Before having children,Gayle and I went to the Caribbean yearly to snorkel and scuba dive off coral reefs. We traveled to Central America for our fifteenth weddingAnniversary and stayed in a remote beach resort. Belize’s barrier reef sat a mile off the beach, and early one morning, I kayaked to the reef and swam another mile through a maze of coral paths. Far from another living soul, I discovered a forest of Elkhorn coral. Rows of this magnificent coral rose a dozen feet from the ocean bottom and branched out like thick tree limbs. Bright shafts of sunlight streamed down on the coral lighting up the forest until it glowed like hot gold in the deep blue water. Brightly colored fish danced among the coral like splashes of paint on an azure canvas. Gliding through the pristine giants, I knew few people had ever seen them, and I remember thinking, “This is one of those moments outdoor people savor for a lifetime, but for some reason, there is something wrong here. Despite the spectacular scenery, this place is still impoverished.”
Oddly, this happened a month before my cancer diagnosis, and in the past three years, I’ve experienced the words of the old hymn- “…and the things of this earth will grow strangely dim.” As a science teacher, I see the illness of the land and ecosystems around me and how they groan beneath the curse of human sin (Romans 8:21-22), but even pristine places lack the vibrant colors, diversity of life and deep mystery that I sense should be there. CS Lewis summed it up best. “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probably explanation is that I was made for another world.”
Providentially, I am preparing to preach two sermons on heaven this summer, and as my radiation treatment approaches in a week, I choose to set my heart and mind on heavenly things instead of earthly things (Colossians 3:1-2). God has used this cancer to pluck my thoughts from the mire of this world and remind me of the brevity of life. In eternity past, the Lord numbered my days, and my entire life is passing like an exhaled breath (Psalm 39:4-5). Despite the small trials testing my faith, wonderful joy awaits me just a few heartbeats in the future (1 Peter 1:6-7).
Many of you have confided to me your present troubles and sufferings, and the great pain and sorrow you shoulder each day shocks me. I stand helpless in the face of your trials (and my own), but I can give you the great wealth and comfort of God’s promises. Your present troubles are small and will last but a brief moment in time, but even now they are creating a glory for you that vastly outweighs them and will be yours forever. Don’t look at your troubles, my friends, for they will soon be gone. Fix your gaze on the invisible wonders of Christ and His glory. (2 Corinthians 4:18-19)
As for me, I fix my gaze on heaven as I wait. Near my school, I run in a beautiful, wooded valley laced with trails winding their way along clear streams and through thick trees. Even this precious place has grown dim for me, a mere shadow of its heavenly counterpart, but at night, I daydream about heaven like a boy dreaming about playing professional baseball. I imagine running with a body now swift and strong. Golden hair streams behind me and my muscles explode with power. Sometimes I run alone; at other times I’m with many of you, and we shine with radiant beauty for we are now part of Christ's glory. (John 17:1) We sprint between trees as thick as houses with roots that plunge down into the very spine of the mountains. Fearless, we plunge into clear, green pools teeming with fish of every kind, and we dive down deep to explore the mysteries hidden in the depths. We run the trails again in perfect harmony knowing that nothing can hurt us or separate us from the joy of being together. Narnain creatures greet us from the trees, and we shout in reply. In tree houses created by craftsmen more talented than the Renaissance geniuses, we pause to drink wine from God’s very own vineyard and toast our allegiance to our Lord and King. Laughter streams from our lips in celebration of a fellowship so deep and intimate that we cannot imagine how we survived on such impoverished friendships back on the old earth. We race on, gathering others as we go, toward the great capitol city of our heavenly country for tonight the King has prepared a banquet for His citizens.
These are the invisible things prepared for us, brothers and sisters, though my poor writing craft can only conjure up a glimpse of the unimaginable joys in our future. (1 Corinthians 2:9) I encourage you to set your sights on the invisible wonders our Lord has created (Colossians 1:16) for it is only when we fix our thoughts on the glory of the next world that we can become truly effective in this one.
God bless,
Tim
PS: A few of you have inquired about my preaching dates. I am preaching July 6 and July 13 at Hope Community Church in Willow Grove, PA. The service starts at 10:00am.
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