Readiness Check

 

Readiness Check

 

Matthew 24:29-44, The Message - “Following those hard times,

Sun will fade out,

    moon cloud over,

Stars fall out of the sky,

    cosmic powers tremble.

“Then, the Arrival of the Son of Man! It will fill the skies—no one will miss it. Unready people all over the world, outsiders to the splendor and power, will raise a huge lament as they watch the Son of Man blazing out of heaven. At that same moment, he’ll dispatch his angels with a trumpet-blast summons, pulling in God’s chosen from the four winds, from pole to pole.

“Take a lesson from the fig tree. From the moment you notice its buds form, the merest hint of green, you know summer’s just around the corner. So it is with you: When you see all these things, you’ll know he’s at the door. Don’t take this lightly. I’m not just saying this for some future generation, but for all of you. This age continues until all these things take place. Sky and earth will wear out; my words won’t wear out.

“But the exact day and hour? No one knows that, not even heaven’s angels, not even the Son. Only the Father knows.

“The Arrival of the Son of Man will take place in times like Noah’s. Before the great flood everyone was carrying on as usual, having a good time right up to the day Noah boarded the ark. They knew nothing—until the flood hit and swept everything away.

“The Son of Man’s Arrival will be like that: Two men will be working in the field—one will be taken, one left behind; two women will be grinding at the mill—one will be taken, one left behind. So stay awake, alert. You have no idea what day your Master will show up. But you do know this: You know that if the homeowner had known what time of night the burglar would arrive, he would have been there with his dogs to prevent the break-in. Be vigilant just like that. You have no idea when the Son of Man is going to show up.

 

                A couple of reflections ago, I mentioned that Matthew 24 has spurred many wide-ranging interpretations scholars over the history of the Christian church.  It is this passage above, concerning the return of Christ, that presents the most difficulty.  What does tall this strange imagery mean?  I’ll be completely honest; I’m not sure.  I not even sure that Jesus’s intentions with these words was to provide any real clarity on what His return will be like.  Jesus even states that even He, in that moment, did not know exactly when all this would occur.   Jesus also states that no one other than God knows the timing.  But there is a thread of clarity throughout this passage.  That thread is readiness.

Readiness.  Right now, could you make a list of the things for which you know nothing about, but you are currently prepared?  That’s pretty hard to do when we don’t know what is coming.  When we know the details about a coming event, we prepare.  We pack for a trip.  We study for tests.  We board up the windows when the hurricane is coming.  The Lord has said that He is indeed coming.  Are we prepared for that? 

Awake.  It is a reminder to me to not live in the past (what could have been) or the future (waiting for something to happen in the future that may or may not ever come).  We are to live fully in the present because the present is the only time we can do anything about. Living in the present can redeem the past and prepare us for the future.

Jesus is teaching that being fully engaged (awake) in the moment in which we are living and prepared for Him to show up in any of those present moments is the way that His followers are to live.  No, the smartest biblical scholars can’t agree on the details of the Second Coming.  Jesus assures us that knowing the details is not necessary.  Knowing Him is what prepares us.  Living fully awake in the present will help us recognize when the time is coming.  Jesus makes it clear that, while everyone will know when the Second Coming occurs, not everyone will receive it as good news because of unreadiness.  Ready and Awake. The words for this day. And every other day for that matter.

 

Questions:  Have you ever caught yourself living on autopilot?  (in other words, not fully present with what was going on right in front of you)

 

Prayer: God, help us to live in the present, knowing you can redeem our past and you have a glorious future in store for us.  Prepare us for to recognize and respond to Christ when He returns.  Amen.

 

Prayer Focus:  Pray for political prisoners all over the world today.

Song:  I Wish We All Been Ready - DC Talk

Daily Devo w/ Pastor Eric March 1, 2022

Readiness Check

 

Matthew 24:29-44, The Message - “Following those hard times,

Sun will fade out,

    moon cloud over,

Stars fall out of the sky,

    cosmic powers tremble.

“Then, the Arrival of the Son of Man! It will fill the skies—no one will miss it. Unready people all over the world, outsiders to the splendor and power, will raise a huge lament as they watch the Son of Man blazing out of heaven. At that same moment, he’ll dispatch his angels with a trumpet-blast summons, pulling in God’s chosen from the four winds, from pole to pole.

“Take a lesson from the fig tree. From the moment you notice its buds form, the merest hint of green, you know summer’s just around the corner. So it is with you: When you see all these things, you’ll know he’s at the door. Don’t take this lightly. I’m not just saying this for some future generation, but for all of you. This age continues until all these things take place. Sky and earth will wear out; my words won’t wear out.

“But the exact day and hour? No one knows that, not even heaven’s angels, not even the Son. Only the Father knows.

“The Arrival of the Son of Man will take place in times like Noah’s. Before the great flood everyone was carrying on as usual, having a good time right up to the day Noah boarded the ark. They knew nothing—until the flood hit and swept everything away.

“The Son of Man’s Arrival will be like that: Two men will be working in the field—one will be taken, one left behind; two women will be grinding at the mill—one will be taken, one left behind. So stay awake, alert. You have no idea what day your Master will show up. But you do know this: You know that if the homeowner had known what time of night the burglar would arrive, he would have been there with his dogs to prevent the break-in. Be vigilant just like that. You have no idea when the Son of Man is going to show up.

 

                A couple of reflections ago, I mentioned that Matthew 24 has spurred many wide-ranging interpretations scholars over the history of the Christian church.  It is this passage above, concerning the return of Christ, that presents the most difficulty.  What does tall this strange imagery mean?  I’ll be completely honest; I’m not sure.  I not even sure that Jesus’s intentions with these words was to provide any real clarity on what His return will be like.  Jesus even states that even He, in that moment, did not know exactly when all this would occur.   Jesus also states that no one other than God knows the timing.  But there is a thread of clarity throughout this passage.  That thread is readiness.

Readiness.  Right now, could you make a list of the things for which you know nothing about, but you are currently prepared?  That’s pretty hard to do when we don’t know what is coming.  When we know the details about a coming event, we prepare.  We pack for a trip.  We study for tests.  We board up the windows when the hurricane is coming.  The Lord has said that He is indeed coming.  Are we prepared for that? 

Awake.  It is a reminder to me to not live in the past (what could have been) or the future (waiting for something to happen in the future that may or may not ever come).  We are to live fully in the present because the present is the only time we can do anything about. Living in the present can redeem the past and prepare us for the future.

Jesus is teaching that being fully engaged (awake) in the moment in which we are living and prepared for Him to show up in any of those present moments is the way that His followers are to live.  No, the smartest biblical scholars can’t agree on the details of the Second Coming.  Jesus assures us that knowing the details is not necessary.  Knowing Him is what prepares us.  Living fully awake in the present will help us recognize when the time is coming.  Jesus makes it clear that, while everyone will know when the Second Coming occurs, not everyone will receive it as good news because of unreadiness.  Ready and Awake. The words for this day. And every other day for that matter.

 

Questions:  Have you ever caught yourself living on autopilot?  (in other words, not fully present with what was going on right in front of you)

 

Prayer: God, help us to live in the present, knowing you can redeem our past and you have a glorious future in store for us.  Prepare us for to recognize and respond to Christ when He returns.  Amen.

 

Prayer Focus:  Pray for political prisoners all over the world today.

 

Song: I Wish We’d All Been Ready – DC Talk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSW5uO4kKto

Matthew 16:1-12 - Watch Out for That Yeast!

Watch Out for That Yeast! - November 20, 2021

Matthew 16:1-12, The Message - Some Pharisees and Sadducees badgered him again, pressing him to prove himself to them. He told them, “You have a saying that goes, ‘Red sky at night, sailor’s delight; red sky at morning, sailors take warning.’ You find it easy enough to forecast the weather—why can’t you read the signs of the times? An evil and wanton generation is always wanting signs and wonders. The only sign you’ll get is the Jonah sign.” Then he spun around and walked away.

On their way to the other side of the lake, the disciples discovered they had forgotten to bring along bread. In the meantime, Jesus said to them, “Keep a sharp eye out for Pharisee-Sadducee yeast.”

Thinking he was scolding them for forgetting bread, they discussed in whispers what to do. Jesus knew what they were doing and said, “Why all these worried whispers about forgetting the bread? Baby believers! Haven’t you caught on yet? Don’t you remember the five loaves of bread and the five thousand people, and how many baskets of fragments you picked up? Or the seven loaves that fed four thousand, and how many baskets of leftovers you collected? Haven’t you realized yet that bread isn’t the problem? The problem is yeast, Pharisee-Sadducee yeast.” Then they got it: that he wasn’t concerned about eating, but teaching—the Pharisee-Sadducee kind of teaching.

 

                Back when we were in Matthew 12, we hear Jesus having almost the same encounter with the Pharisees – the Pharisees asking for a sign and Jesus scolding them.  He tells them again that “the only sign you’ll get is the Jonah sign.”  Here’s a couple of excerpts from the reflection on Matthew 12:38-45 about what Jesus is suggesting:

                We need to hear Jesus’s warnings to those who should know better, because the warnings are      for us as well.  Don’t continue to demand proof as a basis for faith when all the proof necessary has already been given.  Only people who have already steeled themselves against such proof                and betrayed the faith insist on signs being given.   

                Jesus says that the only sign that will ever be given for such rebels is “the sign of Jonah.”  Jonah   was willingly thrown into the sea by those in peril so that those in peril might be saved from the              wrath all around them.  Long before He is crucified, Jesus alludes to his ultimate sign;  he will die            at the hands of those who oppose Him, but their “victory” is actually their once-and-for-all   defeat.  Truth will prevail in the end.  And the “generation” that fought against truth and             brought others down with them will find themselves in a worse situation than they were in                 before.

Right after this happens for a second time, the disciples forget to bring bread to the next place where they and Jesus will be staying.  Jesus says to them, “Keep a sharp eye out for Pharisee-Sadducee yeast.”

The disciples think Jesus is mad about not having bread. 

                We should note a sad irony here.  First, the disciples have just witnessed Jesus, on two occasions producing enough bread for thousands of people from meager resources.  It is no wonder that Jesus is incredulous at the pure lack of faith that He would be worried about not having enough bread.  “Teaching! Teaching! I’m talking about the faithless teaching of the Pharisees, you dolts!,” is what Jesus seems to be saying.

                The Pharisees are not the only ones missing the signs.  Those closest to Jesus can’t seem to see what has been happening right before their eyes in the time they have been with Jesus.  I find it interesting that Matthew would be completely honest about his own lack of faith in his telling of the story.  He is one of the disciples who are clueless about what Jesus has been trying to tell them for months.  I think Matthew does this because he knows that if the disciples struggled to see what God was doing right in front of them, than his readers will also struggle.  Matthew knows that his struggle is our struggle as well. 

                I am currently reading a book that contends that we humans tend to embrace information as true if we simply hear it enough times or if it already seems to confirm what we already think.  For instance, what would you say if I asked how you calculate a dog’s age equivalent in human years?  Multiply by 7, right?  Unfortunately, there is no science behind this.  It is a saying that has simply been repeated over and over since the 1300’s.  We embrace it as true because we have heard it represented as truth our whole lives.  This is the warning Jesus is making to His disciples (and us).  They have blindly embraced the faithless teaching of the Pharisees and it has caused them to be blind to what is happening right in front of them.  They worry about bread when Jesus has just supernaturally provided bread to thousands multiple times. 

                Sometimes, perhaps even many times, we need to let go of, or at least question, the “truths” that have been represented to us as “truth and nothing but the truth” so much that we can’t see truth right before us. The truth is that God is always doing something right before us, but we often don’t perceive it because we see through “faithless filters.”  You will be provided for by our Savior and any “teaching” that causes you to doubt that, no matter how long you have believed it, should be questioned.  God is not angered by the frivolous mistakes we make; he is saddened by our lack of faith.

 

Question:  Are there any notions (yeast) that you have always accepted as true that are getting in the way of your trusting God completely?

 

Prayer:  Lord I believe, help me in my unbelief!  Amen.

 

Prayer Focus:  Pray for the homeless as we move into the colder months of the year.

 

Song: Oh Me Of Little Faith - Matthew West

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RykT6VN584Y