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THE END OF THE AGE

(Matthew 24:3-8) As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, The disciples came to him privately.  “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen [the destruction of the temple], and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you.  For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the messiah,’ and will deceive many.  You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed.  Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.  Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of birth pains.”

Like the Disciples, we are all very curious about the end times and how this age will end.  Unlike the Disciples, we have the evening news to keep us informed about worldwide events, and as Jesus said, there are wars, earthquakes, and famines happening continuously throughout the earth. *These events are routine history in our fallen world and not signs of the end.  That is why Jesus tells us to not be alarmed.  As long as this age continues, manmade, and natural disasters will continue.

Jesus gives more details to his disciples throughout the rest of Matthew chapter 24; but in his parables about his return, he stresses being prepared for the end.  I believe that God will still be taking care of his children through it all. We won’t have to worry about his provision.  Our preparation then is to stay faithful to God, no matter what may come our way.  Jesus warns that many will fall away.  For us, staying with God is the only sure way to endure the end of the age. 

*(see Matthew 24:4-8 MSG)

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WISDOM

(Proverbs 1:7) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

(Proverbs 2:1-7 NLT) My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands.  Tune your ears to wisdom and concentrate on understanding.  Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding.  Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasure.  Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God.  For the Lord grants wisdom!  From his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.  He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest.  He is a shield to those who walk with integrity.

In my youthful years, I ignored so many wise instructions.   Many foolish and destructive decisions flowed from my young mind.  Since the Lord guided me out of my pursuit of a dark and destructive existence, I have often longed for a chance to redo those wasted years – wishing that I had turned to the Lord much sooner. I could have been a blessing to so many had I focused on the needs of others.

A fool can be defined as someone who is missing out on God and his ways.  We can ignore God, deny that he exists, or simply rebel against him, but without him we are missing out on the joy of knowing the love of our creator and the great value of living in the wisdom of his ways.  Jesus made the way for us, and he invites us to live in the light of his wisdom which dispels the darkness of foolishness.

In Ecclesiastes Solomon, the man of wisdom, gives these words of advice, “Be generous: Invest in acts of charity.  Charity yields high returns. Don’t hoard your goods; spread them around.  Be a blessing to others…” *   God wants us to know the way of love and service that Jesus came to teach us.  This is just one aspect of the treasure chest of wisdom that can be ours.

God is the only true source of wisdom.  When we seek him, we will be granted access to his wisdom.

*Ecclesiastes 11:1&2 MSG

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OUR LIFE COACH

(John 14:25&26) All this I have spoken while I was still with you.  But the Advocate, The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

Jesus died on the cross to be an atonement for the sins of the world.  This includes all sins past, present, and future.  I became a recipient of his great sacrifice when I surrendered to him and put my trust in him.  At that moment, The Father forgave all my sins: past, present, and future; and He sent the Holy Spirit to indwell me and become my teacher.

Since that beautiful experience of salvation, the Holy Spirit has led me on the path of righteousness.  When I falter, he corrects me; and I repent.  There were times when I resisted, but he never gave up on me.  He was training me to become more like Jesus.  I will still be in training till my last breath.

Justification means that our sins are forgiven. That happens when we receive salvation.  Sanctification is the training that happens throughout the rest of our time here in this world.  The Holy Spirit seals us to identify us as God’s children, and he then takes on the task of our sanctification.  You might say he is our life coach.

There have been times when the Holy Spirit has tasked me with going to someone I have sinned against and asked for their forgiveness.  Difficult as that was, It always produced good fruit for them and me.  Over the years, the Holy Spirit has trained me in what to do when I faulter.  I have learned to first go to the Father and repent and then ask the offended person or persons for forgiveness.  

I believe complete righteousness happens after we leave our physical body.  Until then, we will wrestle with our sinful nature and the temptation from the devil.  God loves us, and he has provided us with the Holy Spirit to teach and guide us through this life till we go home to him.

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KNOWING THE DEPTH OFGOD’S LOVE FOR US

(John 17:20-26) “My prayer is not for them alone (his disciples).  I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.  May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.  I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one – I in them and you in me – so that they may be brought to complete unity.  Then the world will know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.  Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.  Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me.  I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

Shortly before he went to his death on the cross, Jesus prayed this beautiful prayer for those of us who believe in him.  In this prayer to his Father, he expresses his love for us, and his desire that we would be with him.  This is why he was willing to surrender his life on the cross – because he loves us and wants to be with us. 

In his prayer, Jesus talks about the unity of believers.  He wants us to be brought to complete unity.  I’m not clear what that might mean or when that might happen.  Perhaps, we believers should also pray about our unity.  Why is the unity of believers important?  Jesus says, “Then the world will know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

Jesus concludes by praying that the love the Father has for him might be in us. I believe that this shows the depth of Jesus’ love for us and clarifies our true worth to our God. We are about to celebrate all that Jesus did for us.  Let us take time to reflect on how deeply he and the Father love us.

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GOD CAN USE ALL THINGS FOR HIS PURPOSES

(Genesis 45:4&5) Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.”  When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!  And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.”

At our Bible study we are coming to the end of our study in the book of Genesis.  Today we were in chapter 45 where Joseph reveals himself to his brothers. His brothers sold him into slavery when he was seventeen years old.  After 13 years as an Egyptian slave, he rose to become the most powerful man in all of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh.  During a famine, his brothers traveled to Egypt to buy food for their families.  When they arrived, They did not recognize their brother Joseph, he looked like an Egyptian and used an interpreter to speak to them.  On their second trip, he finally revealed himself to them in a very emotional interchange. 

Genesis is full of great stories that reveal the character of our God, and how he is continually involved in his creation.  Here in the story of Joseph, we see that the tragedy of brothers selling one of their own into slavery is used by God to bring about the saving not only Joseph’s family but all of Egypt and the regions surrounding Egypt. 

When Joseph’s brothers were still afraid that he was going to take revenge on them, Joesph stated clearly, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.  So then, don’t be afraid.  I will provide for you and your children.”  And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them (Genesis 50:20&21).

Through it all Joseph learned to forgive his brothers, his brothers learned humility and repentance, and God moved Abraham’s children into Egypt where they spent four hundred and thirty years before God returned them to the promised land.  As the Israelites went about their daily lives, God used their choices to continue his plan for his chosen people.   As we go about our daily lives, God is still incorporating our choices in his plan for creation.  We are part of the continuing story.

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BEING AWARE OF THE SCHEMES OF THE ENEMY

(2Corinthians 2:10&11) Anyone you forgive, I also forgive.  And what I have forgiven – if there was anything to forgive – I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us.  For we are not unaware of his schemes.

Why is there so much hostility in the world even among God’s children?  The answer is twofold: humans have a sinful nature, and the lies of a scheming enemy. It is our sinful nature that the enemy uses to taunt us – seeking to lead us into evil.  How do we fight against this?

 Jesus taught us how to overcome our sinful nature and the lies of the enemy.  Being humble before our God is the way to start.  When we recognize that without Jesus, we can do nothing; it sets us in that humble place.  We were created to be in close relationship with our creator. We were not created to stand alone.  God is for us, not against us.  In this, we humbly surrender our pride to access the tools God has given us.

One of the most important lesson Jesus taught us is to forgive one another. He has forgiven us; he, therefore, instructs us to be forgiving, as he is forgiving. If we truly forgive each other, the enemy has nothing to use to keep us at odds.  Taking the humble position, not holding on to an offence, and rebuking the enemy when he tries to remind us of the offence, gives us a victory over our sinful nature and the enemy’s schemes. 

Forgiving and forgetting an offence is not easy.  We can’t do it alone; We need Jesus and the Holy Spirit to help us. Think about it.  Isn’t this how we walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh?  The victory is ours if we humbly trust Jesus and do what he taught us to do.

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GOD’S WRATH

(John 3:36) Whoever believes in the son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

God is just. So, to think that there won’t be a reckoning for our sins is foolish.  Especially since he sent his Son to provide us with a way to avoid his judgment, and not only to avoid his judgement, but to be completely forgiven of our sins and become his children for all eternity.

Here in this life, we are all subject to the good and bad parts of life.  The difference is that God’s children, though they will die like everyone else, will go on to eternal life with their creator.  Those who reject what Jesus has offered will not see this eternal life, and they will be subject to God’s wrath.

All throughout the Old Testament, we have stories that tell of God’s wrath. For instance, the flood in which all but eight of the people on the earth were drowned, the destruction in Egypt when Pharaoh refused to let the Israelites leave, and Korah’s rebellion where the earth opened and swallowed up his whole clan (see Numbers chapter 16). Being under the wrath of God is a terrible thing.  This is God’s world, and he has the right to judge his created ones.  Aren’t we glad that he is long-suffering, gracious and full of love for us.

God has provided an easy way for us to avoid his wrath.  All we need to do is to accept the work of his Son who died for our sins.  Then we can begin a restored relationship with our God.  The only difficult part is that we must humbly acknowledge that we have sinned, and that we need forgiveness. We must repent.  If we refuse to acknowledge our need for Jesus, we will have to pay for our sins. The pride of mankind will lead us down a path of destruction. Wisdom says humble yourself and come join the children of God.  I can personally vouch that you will not be sorry.  It is the only logical choice.

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DO NOT FRET

(Psalm 37:7-11) Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.  Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret – it leads only to evil.  For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.  A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.  But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity. 

 Have you ever been scammed?  What a horrible feeling when you realize someone has stolen your money, and that they fooled you into giving it to them.  Well, the words from Psalm 37 tell us not to fret; the wicked will lose in the end.    

We are also instructed to, “Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret – it leads only to evil.”  When the initial shock of our loss is over, we need to be careful.  The scammer can steal something much more valuable.  We can lose our joy, peace of mind, and even be plagued by unhealthy fear.  There is also the danger of falling into a time of hate and a desire for revenge.  To avoid these reactions, we need to turn to the Lord our God.

To fret means to worry, agonize, and struggle.  That means if we fret over our loss, evil wins a victory over us that can lead to all kinds of destruction in our lives.  But if we are, “…still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.” He will guide us into personal victory over evil.  Those who are evil and refuse to repent will be destroyed. “But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity.”

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 TO OBEY

(1 John 2:3-6) We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands.  Who ever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.  But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them.  This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

When you think about the word obey, what comes to mind?  Do you cringe or perhaps get defensive?  These are normal reactions from us humans.  We don’t like someone telling us what to do. In order for us to want to obey God’s commands, a relationship of love and trust must develop.  I found this truth to be very helpful while working with children.  First, build a relationship with them, and then classroom control will be much easier.   We are much more likely to obey God’s commands, if we first enter into a relationship with him.

John tells us that if a person says they know God, but they don’t do what he commands that person is a liar.  I had an exchange with a young man once that illustrates this truth.  I asked him how he was doing with the Lord.  His response was that he was doing great with the Lord.  I knew that he was intimidating others to gain what he wanted from them, and he was selling drugs.  I therefore knew that he was lying about his relationship with the Lord.  At least I knew how to pray for him.

What are God’s commands? Jesus gave us a simple answer to this question and that is to love God and to love others.  Obeying these simple commands is not that simple because it requires us to surrender our will to God.  We give God the center place in our lives, and he teaches us how to love others.  That is not easy, but it is the best way to navigate this life.

 When we let go and put our trust in God, life becomes so much sweeter.  That’s why the song says, “Trust and obey – for there’s no other way – to be happy in Jesus – than to trust and obey.” *

*Song: Trust and Obey – written by John Sammis

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 ULTIMATE POWER, GREAT HUMILITY

(Exodus 14:21&22) Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land.  The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.

(Matthew 8:23-26) Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him.  Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat.  But Jesus was sleeping.  The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”  He replied, “you of little faith, why are you so afraid?”  Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

I enjoy the game of football.  I watch the NFL during football season, and I am always amazed at the abilities of professional athletes.  Those guys have developed phenomenal skills, but each one must deal with the pridefulness that tempts them.

 In our scriptures from Exodus and Matthew, we get a glimpse of God’s abilities, to which no mere human can aspire.  When we humans have talent that stands out, we are subject to being prideful and at times even arrogant.  We tend to love the attention and strut our stuff.  Just imagine what we would be like if we had God’s abilities.

Jesus, here on the earth in human for, displayed ultimate power with great humility.  He walked among us as a humble teacher who could raise the dead, heal the sick, command the powers of nature and many other supernatural displays of power, yet he humbly remained a servant and eventually gave his life for us.  What a wonderful example of how to handle great ability.

Humbleness is an attribute of God.  I believe that it is ultimately rooted in love.  John reminds us that God is love.1   He also tells us that God so loved the world that he sent his only son.2 Jesus came to earth as a humble baby, and all the years that he walked the earth, he remained humble.

Pridefulness is a trait of fallen humans, and it hinders us from loving each other. Nothing we see in God displays pridefulness.  His love is pure.  His display of power is always tempered by his love and eternal plan for us.  

(1John 2:15&16) Do not love the world or anything in the world.  If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.  For everything in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – comes not from the Father but from the world.

1 John 4:8 1          John 3:16 2