Living Bulwark December 2015 - January 2016 - Vol. 83 The Day Draws Near “Let us encourage one another to love and good deeds” – Heb. 10:24-25 . • In This Issue: The Day Draws Near • Homeward Bound - But Where Are We Headed? by James Munk • Missing the Point, by Bob Tedesco • Living in the Last Days: A Commentary on 1 Peter 4:7-11, by Dr. Daniel Keating • The True God Whom We Serve, by Carlos Mantica • Living Together as an Ecumenical People in the Sword of the Spirit • The Work of Christ – A Long-standing Ecumenical Community, by Jerry Munk • Observing the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, by Dave Hughes • Called to Proclaim the Mighty Works of the Lord – Prayers for Christian Unity . • “I Can Start Anew Through the Love of Jesus,” by Rebecca Hanssen • Fresh Beginnings – Amazing Grace, and Looking for Daniel, by Rob Clarke • Kingdom Builders on the Move – Youth Mission Trip • Empty Empathy, by Michael Shaughnessy • “I Came to Cast Fire On the Earth,” European CCR Conference, by D.Schwager • When God Does Not Seem to Answer Your Prayers, by Tom Caballas • Squeezing Bad News from Good News, and Hearing God, by Sam Williamson • Home – Our Abiding Place, and Anna’s Heir, by Jeanne Kun • "The Day Draws Near" – Reflections for the Advent and Christmas Season • From the Manger to the Cross,by Bonhoeffer, & Showing Forth of Christ,byDonne • What the Incarnation Means for Us, by Steve Clark • The River Flows, song and reflection by Ed Conlin Living Bulwark is committed to fostering renewal of the whole Christian people: Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox. We especially want to give witness to the charismatic, ecumenical, evangelistic, and community dimensions of that renewal. Living Bulwark seeks to equip Christians to grow in holiness, to apply Christian teaching to their lives, and to respond with faith and generosity to the working of the Holy Spirit in our day. Go to > PDF Archives of back issues • (c) copyright 2016 The Sword of the Spirit . http://www.swordofthespirit.net/bulwark/index2015december.htm [05/08/2016 09:31:19] Living Bulwark December 2015 / January 2016 - Vol. 83 . The Day Draws Near . “Let us encourage one another to love and good deeds ...and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” – Hebrews 10:24-25 In this issue This issue focuses on how we should live together as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ – especially in light of his coming again. The writer to the Hebrews links fervor in brotherly and sisterly love, mutual help and mutual encouragement (Hebrews 10:24-25) with the Day of the Lord drawing near – his return in glory as Judge and Ruler. The Day of the Lord will disclose who and what I have loved and devoted my life to most – serving and promoting myself or putting God and the welfare of my brothers and sisters . in Christ first in my care and concern. The Apostle Peter uses the thought of the second coming to urge people to fervent love and mutual hospitality (1 Peter 4:8–9). The Apostle Paul commands that all things be done in love (1 Corinthians 16:14) – Maran atha "the Lord is at hand" (1 Corinthians 16:22). He says that our forbearance must be known to all because the "Lord is at hand" (Philippians 4:5). The Greek New Testament word translated as forbearance is epieikēs, which means the spirit that is more ready to offer forgiveness than to demand justice. The New Testament is sure that in view of the second coming of the Lord Jesus we must have our personal relationships right with our brothers and neighbors. The New Testament urges that we should never end a day with an unhealed rift between ourselves and another person, in case the Lord Jesus should come in the night. Jean Vanier, founder of the L’Arche communities, bears witness to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit who brings people together in close bonds of mutual love and care for one another in community. God seems pleased to call together in Christian communities people who, humanly speaking, are very different, who come from very different cultures, classes and countries. The most beautiful communities are created from just this diversity of people and temperaments. This means that each person must love the others with all their http://www.swordofthespirit.net/bulwark/december2015p1.htm (1 of 2) [05/08/2016 09:31:22] Living Bulwark differences, and work with them for the community… They are signs of God. We might have chosen different people… but these are the ones God has given us, the ones he has chosen for us. It is with them that we are called to create unity and live a covenant. We choose our own friends, but in our families, we do not choose our brothers and sisters; they are given to us. So it is in community life. (quote from Community and Growth, by Jean Vanier) As we move into a season of preparation (Advent) for the celebration of Christmas and a new year of God's grace and mercy, let's ask the Lord Jesus to fill our hearts with the fire of his love and to renew within each of us the fruits of the Holy Spirit – “up- building love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, forbearance, forgiveness, and harmony” (Galatians 5:22-23) and so many other qualities that bind us together as families and communities in God's covenant love. Sincerely in Christ, Don Schwager editor (c) copyright 2015 The Sword of the Spirit publishing address: Park Royal Business Centre, 9-17 Park Royal Road, Suite 108, London NW10 7LQ, United Kingdom . email: [email protected] http://www.swordofthespirit.net/bulwark/december2015p1.htm (2 of 2) [05/08/2016 09:31:22] Living Bulwark December 2015 / January 2016 - Vol. 83 Homeward Bound: But Where Are We Headed? . by James Munk http://www.swordofthespirit.net/bulwark/december2015p2.htm (1 of 4) [05/08/2016 09:31:24] Living Bulwark Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about “home” – the place for which we long, and believe that if we reach, we’ll finally be satisfied – our heart’s destination. This desire for home seems to be programmed into us – into all mankind. It is therefore unsurprising that man has given himself many places to which he can attach the title of “home”. For some, it is the glassy, white-clad apartment in the sky – a feat of modern architecture, an understated (but unmistakable) tribute to one’s very good tastes. Others look for the oversized country manor atop 40 acres: with a swimming pool, four-car garage, and a go-kart track – for the kids, naturally. For others still, it may not even be a change to their house; rather, a change to their neighbor’s – if the neighbors would just keep the noise down, and the property value up, then, finally, that would be home. Some instead look for home in an emotional or social state that promises contentment. After all, there are more solutions than brick-and-mortar ones: maybe financial security, safety, fame or recognition in one’s field. Did you find your dream home in that list? I found mine. And we fool ourselves if we think we’ve never felt our heart wrap around one of these homes – and found our plans and pocket books attempting to posses it. But often paired with this longing is a sense that in the end, these things will disappoint us. For myself, I find it hard to believe that if I just got into one of the smaller lofts in a downtown high-rise, I would cease to be interested in the master suite at the top. These “homes” aggravate our appetites but do not satisfy our deeper longings. Our senses tell us something’s in the oven, but we know we’re not invited to dinner. We are faced with a longing for home and with the unhappy knowledge that it cannot be found here. What are we to do? CS Lewis has excellent insight: Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists. A baby feels hunger: well, there is such a thing as food. A duckling wants to swim: well, there is such a thing as water. Men feel sexual desire: well, there is such a thing as sex. If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. Our home is not here, and John 14:2 gives us some insight as to its location: “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?” We are invited to call the house of the Lord, “home” – to be with him, and live with him forever. The Command of detachment This invitation is extraordinary, and its glory is outside of our comprehension. However, it brings with it a challenge while we still live in this world. Our current life and world are not our final destination, and like the . child who has plopped down on the sofa, we hear our father say, “Don’t get too comfortable”:a simple way of saying, don’t order your life in a way that makes it harder for you to leave this place. The Bible presents this challenge, this call to detachment, in a somewhat starker form: “You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God” (James 4:4).