Are You Ready?

A friend and I were talking about someone who had just passed away.  My friend said, “Tomorrow isn’t promised to any of us.” 

Jesus taught us about it in the following parable: 

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”  But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?”  And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”  And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully,  and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’  And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.  And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’  But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’  So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:13-21 ESV) [1] 

Therefore, it is prudent to keep ourselves ready.  Jesus told us how: 

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (John3:16-17 ESV) [2] 

Jesus said “whoever.”  That means anyone.  It does not matter how dark your past has been.  You can be saved if you repent (turn away) from your sinful way of life and believe that His shed blood will wash you clean. (Matthew 26:28, 1John 1:7)  Believe that He gave His life to satisfy the death sentence under which you are living; God’s just penalty for all sin.  Trust Jesus.  He never fails us.  Please do it now.  Tomorrow is not promised to any of us.

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[1] https://biblehub.com/esv/luke/12.htm

[2] https://biblehub.com/esv/john/3.htm

 

Hope in Time of Need

I regret that it has been so long since my last post.  My wife is in the end-of-life stages of a terminal illness.  Caring for her needs at home and making the final arrangements for her have consumed much of my time and energy. 

I have been blessed by help from family and a wonderful hospice service.  For these, I will always be grateful. 

I am being sustained by the Word of God and by Christ living in me. (Philippians 4:13)  I know that my wife of 45 years will be with Jesus in heaven immediately after she leaves her earthly body. (Philippians 1:23, 2Corinthians 5:6-9))  Yet, for those of us who will be waiting to join her, it will be painful to live on here without her. 

The Word tells us that we who are in vital union with Christ have the blessed hope of the Rapture, when Jesus will return, accompanied by the souls of the believers who have gone before, to gather His people unto Himself: 

“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.  For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.  For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.  For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.  Therefore encourage one another with these words.” (1Thessalonians 4:13-18 ESV)

 

“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,  so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” (Hebrews 9:27-28 ESV)

 

I am sustained because in the meantime I can lean on Jesus.  Praise be to Him who loves us so much.

 

 

Acknowledgement:  The scriptures quoted were copied from: https://biblehub.com/

 

Jesus: Living Word and High Priest

 

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. 

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.  For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:11-16 NKJV) [1]

 

Jesus Christ is the Living Word, and our great High Priest.                                        (John 1:1-2, Hebrews 9:11-12)

  

 

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[1] https://biblehub.com/nkjv/hebrews/4.htm

 

Peace Through Prayer

The Apostle Paul wrote this while he was in a Roman prison:

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.  Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;  do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:4-7 ESV) [1]

[1] https://biblehub.com/esv/philippians/4.htm

 

Will We be Ready When Jesus Returns?

“Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning, as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks.  The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat!  He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn. But whenever he comes, he will reward the servants who are ready.” 

“Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would not permit his house to be broken into.  You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.” Peter asked, “Lord, is that illustration just for us or for everyone?” 

And the Lord replied, “A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them.  If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward.  I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns.  But what if the servant thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’ and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk?  The master will return unannounced and unexpected, and he will cut the servant in pieces and banish him with the unfaithful.” 

“And a servant who knows what the master wants, but isn’t prepared and doesn’t carry out those instructions, will be severely punished.  But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.” (Luke 12:35-48 NLT) [1]

 

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[1] https://biblehub.com/nlt/luke/12.htm

 

We Must Live in Confident Expectation of Christ's Return

“But you, my dear friends, must remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ predicted.  They told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly desires.  These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them. 

But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love. 

And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering.  Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives. 

Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault.  All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.”

(Jude 17-25 NLT) [1]

 

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[1] https://biblehub.com/nlt/jude/1.htm

 

What is a Patriot?

Everyone who is informed about current events knows what a Patriot is.  It’s a surface-to-air missile, right?  That’s true, but how does the name “Patriot” apply to human beings? 

What is a patriot?  What used to be understood as an American cultural value seems to have gotten out of focus.  Now words mean different things to people. 

A patriot personifies the quality of patriotism.  Wiktionary says that patriotism is “Love of one's country; devotion to the welfare of one's compatriots; passion which inspires one to serve one's country.”  Merriam-Webster.com says that “patriotism can be defined as love of one’s country, identification with it, and special concern for its well-being and that of compatriots." 

Patriots do things that are patriotic.  They vote, pay taxes, volunteer to serve in the military, stand for elected office, and work to improve their communities, states, and nation.  Patriots stand for the national anthem, respect the flag, say the pledge of allegiance, serve on juries, and obey the law.  If necessary, patriots are willing to fight for their country, even to the death. 

Patriots believe that, when weighed in the balance, their country and what it stands for are more good than bad.  They recognize the things that need improvement and work constructively and peacefully to improve their nation by legal means. 

A patriot is a useful and productive citizen.  They give a dollar’s work for a dollar’s pay, and they believe that there is dignity in all honest work.  When possible, patriots add value to their contribution to the workforce by obtaining additional education or training.  If they fall on hard times, they may need to temporarily rely on public assistance programs, but they actively seek return to work because they understand that to have self-respect one needs to be self-sufficient. 

Patriots never give up or surrender.  They do not abandon their country during hard times.  A patriot continues to defend their country (as long as they have the means to resist), even when the cause seems to be lost.  Patriots oppose tyranny and defend freedom. 

Patriotism is the act of doing patriotic things, rather than just saying them.  On this Fourth of July, let’s think about what it truly means to be a patriot.  Whether you agree with what I have written or not, come up with your own idea of what a patriot is.  Then put it into action. 

Above all, please pray for the United States of America.  Have a happy Fourth.