Good Morning Friends,
The attitude of an evangelist, the Lord’s return and the Christian’s duty converge in today’s lectionary selection.
The Bible says no man knows and not even the angels know the time of Jesus’ coming. But when Saint Paul spoke to the Thessalonians, he said children of light will know the season. So, we are to pray. We are to listen. We are to watch. We are to store up those things we will need. We are to keep the light on from the inside out. Are You Prepared?
Scripture: For this reason, brothers and sisters, during all our distress and persecution we have been encouraged about you through your faith. For we now live, if you continue to stand firm in the Lord. How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you? Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is lacking in your faith. Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
1 Thessalonians 3:7-13 (NRSV)
Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner 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. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour. “Who then is the faithful and wise slave, whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves their allowance of food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives. Truly I tell you, he will put that one in charge of all his possessions. But if that wicked slave says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and he begins to beat his fellow slaves, and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour that he does not know. He will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 24:42-51 (NRSV)
Message: Today we look at the Church of God in Thessaloniki almost 2000 years ago. The place is also known as Salonika or Saloniki. Interestingly this place has given Greece some of its greatest musicians, artists, poets, and thinkers. It has some of the most beautiful beaches and has some of the finest hotels and best restaurants in northern Greece. Today it is home to the Thessaloniki Film Festival and the International Trade Fair. But something difficult to understand was going on in this birthplace of the early church. To give us guidance we are going to consider part of the Olivet Discourse from the lips of Jesus to give us understanding not only to events that were taking place in this part of the world 2000 years ago, but also to those stretching far into the future beyond even today. Specifically, three momentous occurrences are intertwined in today’s scripture, the role of Rome in the judgement upon Jerusalem, the challenge of the saints in the church of God and the final judgement at the close of the world’s history when Jesus returns. Friends, I have read but not counted myself that are over 2,000 references to the second coming of Jesus in the Bible. For every prophecy concerning the first coming of Christ, that means that there are about eight that look forward to His second. It is that important. And it is presented as a certainty that Jesus will come back and when this happens the final judgment at the close of the world’s history will occur. But there is much to be done in advance to build up the called-out assembly of God. There is much to be revealed.
And So, Christians around the world have waited for the glorious return of Jesus Christ for millennia. Interestingly, preparing for Jesus’ return and engaging in ministry have many things in common. To prepare us, Jesus instructs us on what we are to do with the time and talents he gives to us. Jesus’ parables of the talents and bridesmaids are helpful here and more practical than we might first think. For most likely you are involved in some sort of outreach or another. And that is where we learn. And when the Holy Spirit is in them, things go amazingly well but when the Spirit is sapped out… when the light of joy grows dim, by division and finger pointing and legalism, things go poorly. The thing is that to do God’s will requires us to see where God is at work and then join in with what God is doing. Jesus did this and we are to do the same. So, stop creating something and then ask God to bless it. Instead find out where God is moving and get plugged in and you will discover the will of God for your life. It will not likely fall on you like a ton of bricks, as it did with Paul, but more likely gently and gradually take hold of you. The equipping takes time. But in this way things are redeemed. Friends, Jesus reversed the curse of Eden and the way, truth and life of His spirit filled teachings are to guide us. But it must be from the inside out for things to work well. We are to show forth the image of Christ in us through ministry. We are to reveal a divine peace of mind in troubled times. We are to show the image of Jesus by investing into the lives of others. We are to be active in prayer for others and be honest that we are all prone to sin and laziness so must be filled with the spirit of Jesus to make an impact. Whoever wants to be in ministry must be moved deeply by the word of God so that it becomes incarnate in one’s daily life. Living life in relationship with Jesus is critical. Loving God and loving our neighbors is critical. Be responsible and keep working for the glory of God, for our time is short. This is what you were made for.
Pray we believe that God has prepared a place for us through the work of Christ and engineered in our experience of sanctification the preparation to enter the presence of the Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer of life. Pray in this process that we can be holy and wholly useful to our Lord in building up the Kingdom of God. Pray we realize that we have a purpose before the end comes in sharing the Gospel of the Kingdom to both our neighbors and the nations. Pray we respond to God’s call. Pray we realize that we have not been called to dream only but to fight as well. Pray we realize that the collective work we do is designed to produce consecration on earth and salvation in heaven. Pray we be awake, alert, and safe. Pray we be sober, vigilant avoiding the dangers of evil. Pray we be faithful servants doing as we have been instructed. Pray we realize that the authority we have been given belongs to the Lord. Pray the communities in which we live are Spirit-filled and the gifts of the Holy Spirit saturate us with the stewardship of much grace. Pray we are led by the whole truth. Pray we realize that the whole truth is the person and purpose of Jesus. Pray we have discernment. Pray we be about the Lord’s business until we are called home. Pray we enter the joy of the Lord when the time comes and we are greeted with the acknowledgement, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Pray we glorify God.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 