Tim Walker from CAP (Christians Against Poverty) spoke at our meeting this morning, reminding us that Christ’s love is outworked in very practical helpl. Luke 14:12-14 reminds us that Jesus invites everyone to eat with Him; God’s love is totally indiscriminate! He urges us to love radically and to give generously, and CAP seeks to work with all people who are struggling with debt and need help in managing money. Financial problems can come at any time in life (often not of our own making) and can be totally devastating; often people struggle along for some time(on average for about 2 years) before seeking help. CAP works with local churches to befriend and help people through these difficulties, teaching budgeting skills, helping to work with those to whom money is owed and working closely alongside local churches in supporting people in need.

The charity has worked for 26 years in these areas and their practical help and acts of kindness have influenced many people. 1000 people per year come to faith through contact with CAP and 650 churches are in partnership with them. It’s wonderful to know that we can all help to reflect God’s image through practical help.

This video tells a personal story of CAP’s help.

https://capuk.org/connect/more/video/568516921

Jesus tells a story in Matthew 25:14-19, 24-30 about a man going away and entrusting his fortune to servants, some of whom invested the money wisely and made more and one who was afraid and simply hid the money. This parable (often referred to as the Parable of the Talents, referring to the money rather than to what we generally call ‘talents’ nowadays) can often seem to be an incentive to work even harder and to have good business skills, which can leave many of us confused about its relevance to gospel living (and anxious if we feel we don’t have those business skills!) In actual fact, though, we see here how attitudes are so important; fear and an unwillingness to step out in faith and trust can be the real obstacles to living as God wants us to. Sally Welch says, ‘All we are asked to do is use what we have been given in the best way possible, to the glory of God and in the service of our fellow human beings. The third employee buried the money with which he had been entrusted, thus abdicating all responsibility for it. It is for this he was judged, not for his failure to multiply what he was given.’ (‘Sharing The Easter Story’, P 121)

Paul tells us that all of us who have been given a trust must prove faithful. (1 Cor 4:2) Faithfulness is an aspect of trusting which we need to grasp. This is what God is looking for in His people.

Revelation 21:1-6 points to a glorious future, a new heaven and a new earth. God has no intention of getting rid of all that is damaged and broken, but intends to make everything new, including our damaged, broken lives. He is not going to abandon us or throw us away, but instead is going to renew and redeem us. This renewed world will be a place where there is no more mourning, crying and pain; it will be a place of fellowship and hope.

We live in the ‘between times’, between Christ’s life, death and resurrection and His return to make everything new. We catch glimpses of what God is doing, but we are called to live by faith and not by sight. (2 Cor 5:7) That’s where trust comes in. Prov 3:5-6 says, ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct (or make straight) your paths.’ Trusting is what we are called to do as we wait for the renewal God promises.

How we see ourselves will often vary from day to day; how others see us is even less reliable! We often wear many different hats, so to speak, and therefore can be seen in different lights according to our roles (child, partner, parent, work colleague, friend and so on.) It takes a lifetime of trusting God to see ourselves as He sees us, to accept His evaluation of our identity.

In Luke 18:9-14, Jesus tells a story about two men: a Pharisee who thought a lot about himself (and sadly looked down on others who did not match his standards) and a tax collector who thought very little about himself. In relation to God, however, we are jolted with surprise to find it is the tax collector, with his simple, heartfelt prayer (‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’) who is justified rather than the other. Jesus concludes this story by saying, ‘for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.’ (Luke 18:14)

Ultimately, we need to put our trust in God’s love for us, rather than in our own righteousness, competence or skills. If we don’t, we might find ourselves shocked that God’s judgment is not the same as our own.

We continued looking at the subject of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ in our Bible study tonight, looking at what the New Testament letters of Paul teach about this. There are references in most of His letters; tonight, we looked at Romans 13:11-14, Philippians 1:6, 10; 3:20-21, 1 Cor 1:7; 4:5; 11:26; 15:51-57, Col 3:4, 1 Thess 1:9-10; 2:19-20; 4:13-18; 5:1-11, 23.

There are common themes in these letters. For Christians, Christ’s coming is something to be eagerly anticipated; it is something which informs how we live now (serving the Lord and waiting expectantly) and it gives us hope for the future, a future that includes resurrection of our mortal, lowly bodies into something immortal and glorious. Christ’s resurrection acts as the guarantee that we too will be resurrected; death is not the end. We have a hope that transforms grief and gives us confidence for the future. Christ rescues us from wrath; when He appears, we too will also appear with Him in glory. We can, therefore, endure all that life can throw at us, confident in His judgment and justice to come.

In these passages, Paul paints a picture of hope and encouragement inextricably connected to the return of Jesus Christ.

• Jesus will rescue us from coming wrath.

• We will be ‘holy and blameless’ in God’s presence when He returns, ‘preserved complete, without blame.’

• We have a hope for all who have died before us – none will be forgotten; all will be raised.

• We don’t know when this will happen, but we know that it will happen.

• We live in the light of this coming; it informs how we live each day.

• Hope fuels our daily journeys (including the painful journeys of persecution or grief).

Phil Wickham’s song ‘Your Arrival‘ captures something of the anticipation and hope we have as we wait for Christ to return:

‘Here in the final hour, hope lifts the tired eyes.
Here now, we are waiting for You to arrive.
Great things are set in motion.
The sky breaks where the trumpets sound
You call all Your children to meet You in the clouds.

We are waiting, anticipating
Your arrival, Your arrival,
Voices raising, celebrating
Your arrival, Your arrival.’ (‘Your Arrival’, Phil Wickham)