A Day of Celebration!

“And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” Then He spoke to them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near. So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away. “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.  For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” And in the daytime He was teaching in the temple, but at night He went out and stayed on the mountain called Olivet. Then early in the morning all the people came to Him in the temple to hear Him. (Luke 21: 25-37)

This are Jesus’ final words about Jerusalem’s destruction. In them we find not only a reference to the actual destruction of the temple, but according to most commentaries, also a reference about the end of times. So, this part of Jesus’ prophecy is for us as well.

Signs in the sky and the sea will terrify people on earth, and Jesus will come in a cloud with power and great glory. What for the Jews was a metaphor of Jesus’ revenge for their sin and rejection; it will be for us a reality. The Lord will return. It will be a time of redemption and joy for Christians. “When these things begin to happen look up and lift up your heads”. All injustices, all sorrows, all worries will fade away at the sight of our Savior. What for the rest of the world will be like a trap, it will be for those who believe in Christ a day of celebration!

Jesus said,“Do what farmers do, when you see the trees are budding, know that the summer is at hand” and “When you see this things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near”. His statements may seem too obvious to us,  but we people are so unwise and keep believing those who claim knowing when the world will end. My husband has a phrase that helps me to stay calm,“Don’t worry before things happen, it is a waste of time!” The Lord seems to be telling us the same, “WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE THE SIGNS!”

Jesus advised us one more time not to fix our affections in this world, but stay steadfast in His will, obeying His voice, so He’ll count us worthy of His kingdom. What a joy will be hearing our Lord telling us, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord.’

Today’s Practice

I will make all things that pertain to my spiritual life my priority: reading the Scriptures, praying to God and sharing the Gospel. I will spend my life obeying the Word of God and serving others. I will remain faithful to my Lord until His second coming.

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself; that where I am, there you may be also. (John 14: 1-3)

 

Where is The Kingdom of God?

A Christian woman commented in a radio program that while she was witnessing to a man, he mocked her asking, “So, you are telling me that you belong to the heavenly kingdom, right? If that kingdom is real, can you tell me where it is?” He sarcastically insisted that she had to give him an address! The woman, who was a new believer, was unable to respond because she was also puzzled about the kingdom of heaven.

Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He replied to them by saying, the kingdom of God does not come with signs to be observed or with visible display, nor will people say, Look! Here [it is]! or, See, [it is] there! For behold, the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]. (Luke 17: 20-21 – Amplified version)

Where exactly is the Kingdom of God?

The kingdom of God is the spiritual realm in which Jesus the Lord reigns. Every born-again Christian is part of such kingdom. It is living within us and among us. The power of it can be perceived in the transformed lives of the followers of Christ. It is not a physical kingdom that we can visit, but it is as real as anything we can touch or see. Angels, who are spiritual beings at the service of God, are part of it as well. (Matthew 26: 53)

God’s kingdom is real, but we are unable to see it, although on a few occasions God allowed people to behold it. In the time of the prophets, the king of Syria surrounded the city of Dothan to capture the prophet Elisha. When Elisha’s servant saw that they had no escape, he came to Elisha and asked him, “What shall we do?” The prophet responded, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.  (2 Kings 6: 16-20)

Jesus told the Pharisees that the kingdom of God had already come because the beginning of Jesus’  ministry marked the beginning of God’s kingdom on earth (Matthew 4: 17). God himself was living among them. They couldn’t get any closer to His Kingdom than that! Yet, confirming Jesus words, they didn’t recognize that He was the Messiah promised by God.

It is a privilege beyond measure to be part of God’s kingdom. You are probably familiar with the story of David when he was being persecuted by Saul. The Bible tells us that “everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him.” (1 Samuel 22: 1-5) Later in the story we learn that these men became renowned for their valor, loyalty and commitment to King David and his kingdom. The Bible says that they loved David so much, that they were willing to risk their own lives to please Him. We are pretty much like them. We were sinners, in distress, in debt and discontented; then Jesus, the Lord of Lords called us into His kingdom and promised to transform our lives in the same manner that David’s men were transformed. We are in this world, but we are not of this world. Let’s live lives that honor Him, fixing our eyes on His eternal kingdom, even willing to give up our lives for His cause.

Lord: help us to trust in you, even when we cannot see you working in our favor. Help us to live for you, even when we cannot behold your glory. Help us to live within the boundaries of your Kingdom, even if we cannot touch it.

“Do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide me with more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26: 53)

A Dinner You Can’t Miss

Now when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, “Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!” Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’ But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’ Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’ And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’ Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. (Luke 14: 15-24)

Jesus had just advised his host that next time he would organize a feast he ought to avoid inviting his friends, and instead he should invite the poor, the maimed, the lame and the blind. “They won’t repay you, but my Father in heaven will give you a reward” the Lord told him.

One of the guests when heard Jesus’ words exclaimed, “Happy (blessed) is the one who will eat bread in heaven!” The Lord explained to him that even though it is a privilege to be invited to fellowship with God in heaven, many will decline God’s invitation, “For many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:14)

This passage touches various aspects of salvation. At first it is probably referring to the Jews, that were God’s chosen people, but rejected the Savior sent by Him; the Lord then extended His mercy toward the gentiles. God went out of His way to save them, and us.

It also teaches us that the entire world has been invited to heaven, but possessions, occupations, pleasures and so forth, will take precedence in the lives of many. They will refuse to repent, look up to Jesus and be saved. They will refuse to be satisfied with the bread of life and the living water than only Jesus offers. Instead they will fully engage in earthly affairs in search of fulfillment, and will reject their very Creator.

God’s grace obliges Him to look for us and make us enter His kingdom. He will invite those who are the least likely to be citizens of heaven; those poor sinners whose emptiness will draw them to find comfort in Jesus and they will be saved. Once the great supper starts, some will realize their great mistake in rejecting Jesus Christ and will try to enter into God’s kingdom, but it will be too late.

Jesus came once as a suffering servant, but will return the second time as the Judge of the world. He extends multiple opportunities for us to be saved while we are alive, and before His second coming. Yet after death and at His second coming it will be too late for us to ask for mercy.

Have you been invited already to God’s supper? Are you already living for Christ’s glory?  Haven’t you done so? You can be saved today. Repent from your sins, accept Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross on your behalf, and surrender your life to Him. This is a dinner you can’t miss!

For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you. Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6: 2)

Aspiring to Be Like Jesus

After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.  Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. Carry neither money  bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road. But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house.  Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.  And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’  But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, ‘The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.’  But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city. (Luke 10: 4-12)

We have learned that it is good to ask the Lord for laborers who preach the Gospel, understanding that if the Lord calls us, we should be the first to respond to this need; that the Lord wants us to depend only on Him for our safety and needs;  and  that we have to be aware of dangerous unbelievers; but how are we to respond to them?

“Be wise as serpents.” Have you seen a Christian explaining the Gospel to someone who is not even paying attention? I have, and it is interesting how in our eagerness to save others, we can be so clueless! The Lord tells us, “be wise, act intelligently, know when to address a person and when it is okay just to keep quiet and wait, like the serpent.”

“Be harmless as doves.” If you’ve been to a place full of doves like a plaza, you’ll know that these peaceful birds impose themselves on no one; if you run towards them, they just go. Jesus had the same harmless attitude; every time someone didn’t welcome His message, He just went on His way. He advises us to do the same. When an unbeliever doesn’t welcome the message of Christ we, like harmless doves, should go on our way.

Finally, Jesus told them to be easygoing , to adapt to people and circumstances, to be gentle in their greeting; to stay where they are welcomed and eat whatever they are offered. “Don’t go from house to house” the Lord said, trying to make them understand that they are to adapt, and not try to get things their way.

Being humble, obedient, willing, wise, harmless, adaptable, unpretentious, and dependent on Jesus is our goal. And as much as we cannot be that perfect, there is always the resource of prayer and the resolution of heart to be conformed to what He asks from us.

Today’s Practice

I’ll ask Jesus to make me more like Him each day.

As for me, I will see your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in your likeness. (Psalms 17: 15)

Enduring Hardship for Christ’s Sake

Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” Then He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father. Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.” And another also said, “Lord, I will follow you, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house. But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9: 57-62)

Three men talked to Christ on His way. Jesus’ response teaches us that if we follow Him, we may not find the easy life we are looking for. Some of us are eager to follow Christ. We want to spend our lives with Him, in His presence, and to His service. Like the first man we tell Him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Christ responds us, “I cannot offer you comforts, but hardship. Christianity is about walking on a narrow path, not on a wide one.”

The Lord said to the second man, “Follow me.” The man answered, “I want to follow you, but… I need to bury my father first.” We could think this is a pretty good reason for not following Christ, but it is not. The Lord responded, “Let the death bury their own dead, and you go and preach the Gospel.” He was not recommending to this young man to stop loving his father. He was rather telling him, “If you are to follow me, I must be the most important person in your life, and everyone and everything else, including you, should come in second place; otherwise you cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26)

A third man approached Jesus saying, “I will follow you but…let me first to say goodbye to my parents” This was not the first time someone would asked permission to say goodbye to his family, Elisha had done it before, when he was called by Elijah to the priesthood. (He first made a feast and then followed Elijah). Jesus’ answer may have surprised this man, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God.” In other words, “You are already my follower. Don’t long for what you have left; otherwise you won’t be of much use in my Kingdom.”

Christianity is not a walk in the park. You will agree with me that many times you will have to forgive those who wrong you, pray for those who hate you, and wait on the Lord when you don’t understand what His plans are. We are on a mission to preach the Gospel to all willing to hear it, and rescue them from hell at any cost. Like the salmon we are in a race against the current, but it is worth it. If we want to be useful for Christ, we have to let nothing and no one stops us from following Him.

Today’s practice

Like a soldier on a rescue mission, I’ll let nothing come between me and my goal –to honor God with my life, and rescue others from eternal damnation, telling them about the Savior.

“You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please Him who enlisted him as a soldier.”      (2 Timothy 2: 3-4)