I wish it would come at this very moment. That is freedom. To live as if we were about to die is something we all should strive for. In matters of perception not one of us is blessed with premonition of future events and the twists and turns God's plan for our life holds. Jesus spoke often of we humans not knowing about anything.
Matt 24:43
But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.
Notice how Christ doesn't say "think about this", "ponder this", or "if you've got a moment you may like to consider".
He says "KNOW THIS"
Matt 24:44
“For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.
So we need to always be ready. We need to acknowledge that "He will" return. Not might, probably will, eventually will. HE WILL. I think it imperative that we live as if He was on His way. Granted, I'm sure most every generation thinks that Christ was going to return in their lifetime. This is not be discouraging, but encouraging. We have a chance for the hope of all creation to return in our lifetime. Check this out-
Matt 24:45-51
45 Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46“Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. 47“Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48“But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards; 50 the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, 51 and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Who then is the faithful and sensible slave? If we live in a way that we are called to, doing God's work, maintaining His kingdom we will be rewarded upon his return.
On the other hand, if you live as most of our generation lives, hurting those around you, drinking and carrying on, treating today as if it is not the day of the Lord's return you risk being cast from His sight.
I pity those to whom the Lord will describes in saying:22“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.
Matt 7:22-23
We are called to the highest standard of living. Clean and blameless in the sight of men (Ephesians 1:4, Phil 1:10 & 2:15, 2 Peter 3:14). To be examples, showing others Christ by living as He lived and so often told us to live.
But how can we, fallen and fleshly, ever succeed in such a task?
Through Christ and Christ alone for: he has reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without blemish and blameless before him (Colossians 1:22)
Yet we can't pray for Christ to guide our walk if we refuse to move our feet. Caught in a perpetual cycle of fleshly living (of which I also continually fall short).
We are in the midst of a spiritual battle. As new believers we are called up to the throne room of God, filled with the Holy Spirit (the spirit of truth, meant to guide us, our helper) For more on the Holy Spirit
Then we are cast back down to earth (spiritual metaphor of course), Born Again. We are thrust as new-borns back into battle. So we need to do two things
1. Protect our new borns, arm them, defend them against the ways of the world.
Keep in mind: Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour 1 Peter 5:8
Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 1 Peter 2:11
We are exiles of the world do not be surprised when the world does not understand our lack of interest in worldy desires
Read more in 1 Peter 4:2-4
2. Arm and defend ourselves, waging war against the flesh
1 Peter 4:1
Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin
So how shall we arm and defend ourselves then? From this enemy that surrounds us on all sides?
Ephesians 6:11-17
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
12For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
13Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
14Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;
17and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,
Check it out
1. We are at war, the guy in me loves this sooo much. I think every man desires to be that hero, that warrior, fighting the good fight against the dark. Just as every woman wants her prince to ride in and sweep her off her feet. Not to say that women aren't in this fight too, but we as men have a specific calling to lead and charge into the battle.
A. We're not fighting against man. But against the ways of the world (culture, society, friends, peers)
(side note-nothing in scripture says to kill or attack in the name of Christ, only suffer and die in His name. Hence the Gospel of "Peace" in verse 15)
B. We've got to arm ourselves! Be ready, so that we can make a stand, constantly ready so we are never unprepared. So what do we arm ourselves with? What's in our arsenal?
2. We've got Armor, God armor, all the armor we could ever need.
A. We've got a belt of Truth. It holds everything together (remember John 18:37, why Christ said He came?)
B. We have the breastplate of righteousness.
In being righteous, not allowing sin a foothold our armor is strong. The breastplate protects the chest, the largest piece of armor we wear. When we let sin in we allow cracks to form in our hearts and the flesh to be exposed. So stand firm, and don't let sin create cracks in righteousness we have in Christ Jesus
C. We've got shoes! So that we can be ready (Remember Matt 24:44?)
Always prepared to share the gospel, flee to His word, and be ready for His return
D. We have a Shield to protect from the flaming darts of the evil one! That's gnarly huh?
I think we can all attest to having those darts hit us and stick. Giving us those little bits of poisonous doubt. In times such as those I think of Peter and what he wrote as he was about to face death in 2 Peter 1:16-19. He tells us that this isn't some cleverly designed plan, he isn't crazy, he isn't lying, and he really saw the transfiguration of Christ (Matt 17)
Not only that but he tells us that even better evidence of the Truth of Christ is the Bible itself! What a blessing we have in God's Word. Through which He continually speaks, comforts, grants knowledge, show's His infinite love, and show's us where, when, and how we step out of His will.
F. We've got a helmet of salvation
The Helmet, signifying the protection the head, the vitals, an essential part of living.
So the helmet of salvation (or hope of salvation in some translations) Our souls are protected from the harshest of attacks of the enemy by our hope and faith in salvation and a life to come. This is verse can't be understood without knowing it first in your heart. Please pray for that for all of us to come to know the hope of salvation better than we ever have.
G. Now we've got a sword! Sharper than any weapon, as said in Hebrews 4:12:
"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."
I beg of you, read the Word daily. It has a way to go straight for the jugular, then mends the wound for all time. There is no book like it, no book equal to it, no book that is to be added to it. Perfect, complete, translated correctly, not to be changed for now and for always.
It cuts like a knife all the desires of the flesh, all the doubt in your mind, and all the spite from the world. Rather than make you bitter and cynical, it creates love and hope. The Word of God it active and alive, never irrelevant, never old fashioned, never changing for God's Will doesn't change, the world changes.
I'll end for the day with few quotes about the Bible that I think should be heard
Reading the Bible without meditating on it is like trying to eat without swallowing. --Anonymous
The Bible is a book that has been read more and examined less than any book that ever existed. --Thomas Paine
It is not at all incredible, that a book which has been so long in the possession of mankind should contain many truths as yet undiscovered. -- Bishop Butler
It is clear that there must be difficulties for us in a revelation such as the Bible. If someone were to hand me a book that was as simple to me as the multiplication table, and say, 'This is the Word of God. In it He has revealed His whole will and wisdom,' I would shake my head and say, 'I cannot believe it; that is too easy to be a perfect revelation of infinite wisdom.' There must be, in any complete revelation of God's mind and will and character and being, things hard for the beginner to understand; and the wisest and best of us are but beginners. --R.A. Torrey
The letter of Scripture is a veil just as much as it is a revelation; hiding while it reveals, and yet revealing while it hides.—Andrew Jukes
Some people like to read so many [Bible] chapters every day. I would not dissuade them from the practice, but I would rather lay my soul asoak in half a dozen verses all day than rinse my hand in several chapters. Oh, to be bathed in a text of Scripture, and to let it be sucked up in your very soul, till it saturates your heart! --Charles Haddon Spurgeon
In most parts of the Bible, everything is implicitly or explicitly introduced with "Thus saith the Lord". It is... not merely a sacred book but a book so remorselessly and continuously sacred that it does not invite -- it excludes or repels -- the merely aesthetic approach. You can read it as literature only by a tour de force... It demands incessantly to be taken on its own terms: it will not continue to give literary delight very long, except to those who go to it for something quite different. I predict that it will in the future be read, as it always has been read, almost exclusively by Christians. --C.S. Lewis
One of these days some simple soul will pick up the Book of God, read it, and believe it. Then the rest of us will be embarrassed. --Leonard Ravenhill
Remember this always. Think of this always. Know this not only in your head, but in your heart
Joshua 1:5-9
5No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. 6Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. 7Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good successa wherever you go. 8This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
Be radical, be strong, don't be scared.
Romans 8:31
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?
God bless; Please pray for me, for one another, and for God to have us all be continual blessings in the lives of others.
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