Judgment is coming - don't be caught off guard!

2013 New Testament Challenge – Day 7 (Matthew 25-28)

Every year I participate in a special effort called the New Testament Challenge sponsored by a priest of the Orthodox Church in America. He encourages Christians to spend the Christmas Fast, also known as Advent) reading the entire New Testament as a preparation for Christmas. Each year I have done this, it has been blessing to me and I pray this year will be no different. As part of the New Testament Challenge, I endeavor to blog a bit about the reading for that particular day. I may miss a few, but I pray for those who follow this blog (NOW ALSO ON FACEBOOK) it will be a blessing.

Today’s readings speak a great deal about the final Judgment. While yesterday Jesus commented on how eternal life will “feel”, today we hear how He will judge. At first glance, it seems a harsh and vengeful act of God, but it deserves a closer look. YESTERDAY’s readings (Matthew 18-24) featured the anguish in the hearts of those condemned. Today’s readings feature not only the regret of those condemned, but the finality of God’s judgment.

“Kingdom of heaven shall be…” is the series in which we see God quickly, and without notice, putting an end to creation. For those who were prepared and spent their life in harmony with God, the quick judgment is a blessing. “For the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.” (Matthew 24.22) It is the swift and final reality that their hearts are cold that seems so tormented.

"Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' – Matthew 25.11

And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.' But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 'So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. – Matthew 25.25-27

Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You? – Matthew 25.44

Don’t find yourself being caught off guard. Don’t find yourself shut out of the wedding feast. Don’t find yourself full of regret. Life a new life in Christ TODAY!

Until tomorrow….remember “The “Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

2013 New Testament Challenge – Day 6 (Matthew 19-24)

Every year I participate in a special effort called the New Testament Challenge sponsored by a priest of the Orthodox Church in America. He encourages Christians to spend the Christmas Fast, also known as Advent) reading the entire New Testament as a preparation for Christmas. Each year I have done this, it has been blessing to me and I pray this year will be no different. As part of the New Testament Challenge, I endeavor to blog a bit about the reading for that particular day. I may miss a few, but I pray for those who follow this blog (NOW ALSO ON FACEBOOK) it will be a blessing.

Last year, our weekly Bible study at the Church was focused upon Genesis. Each week we witnessed the mercy and love of God, as He allowed His children the freedom that only comes from God. Each week we witnessed just how much His children disobeyed Him and turned away from Him. Each week we witnessed the decline of humanity to such a low…..and then….He saved them.

Adam and Eve declined to death when they ate from the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and God saved them at the last moment before it was too late.

Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever" -- therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. – Genesis 3.22

And God gave Adam and Eve, and through them all humanity, a fresh new start to live in communion with Him.

Then again, we witnessed the decline of humanity, all except Noah and his family.

Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the LORD said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them." But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. – Genesis 6.5-8

And God gave Noah and his family, and through them all humanity, a fresh start to live in communion with Him.

The Tower of Babel also reveals the same pattern. (Genesis 11.1-9)

Every time we humans get “bigger than our britches” God comes to the rescue.

This reality gives me comfort nowadays as I read/listen to the news. It seems obvious to me that humanity is following a pattern so many times before experienced by our ancestors. In today’s readings we heard,

For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the Ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. – Matthew 24.38-39

For some the coming of the Lord is terrifying. I prefer to be comforted knowing that EVERY time we humans have declined to such lows as, and many would agree with me here, we are now, the Lord has come to our rescue. Of course the next time will be the last. But for me that news is comforting. I suppose it’s because I believe and love the Lord. And God will give US, all humanity, a fresh start in a new Creation, a new Heaven.

Until tomorrow….take comfort in knowing the Lord will return before it’s too late!

OH NO!.....Now What?

Most of us spend much, if not all, our time thinking and planning for the future. Some even have the future so detailed out that any little obstacle can create a serious panic. Oftentimes we panic about the future, not because we worry about what WILL happen; we tend to panic about what MIGHT happen. And we lose much sleep over things that ultimately never happen. If only we could focus more on today than tomorrow, without ignoring tomorrow. Or at least, without feeling afraid about what tomorrow MIGHT bring our way.

This was the fault of a certain rich man whose field had a great harvest. The harvest was so good, he ran out of space to store all his goods. He said, “What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?” (Luke 12.17) And he began to panic. With such a great harvest, he had enough to live a full and comfortable season, but he began to panic because he actually had too much. His panic caused him to lose focus on reality. “So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.’” (Luke 12.18-19) Unfortunately, he didn’t know he was about to die, and he wasted his last moments of life in a panic about something that never mattered anyway, rather than preparing his soul to be with God.

How many times do you worry about the future, panic even, just because you’re not sure what tomorrow will bring. To be sure, NOBODY knows the future. The challenge is to live today, and appreciate the blessings you have today. Tomorrow will come and there isn’t really anything you can do to change the future. So stop trying. “But seek the first the kingdom of God,” eventually everything else just falls into place.