"....The Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven..., dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the lord and from the glory of His power." (From 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9, NASB)
As you know, I select the day's texts from my daily reading. It would be far more popular, I suppose, to search the Bible for those passages which soothe us, you know, "prophesy to us smooth things," though in reality, no Biblical Word is, "smooth," in the sense that humanists desire. For me, such "quiet time" reading, devotionals, conferences, etc., are just smorgasbord, deceptive, self-made religion. But I digress.
Our text has been very disturbing to me today. Sometimes we think we know who, "those," are, yet perhaps more disturbingly, we do not. Yes, we have our evangelical "formulae" and texts which we believe qualifies some and eliminates others. But I say that we should not take theological chances. What I do know is that the Bible does teach that a "day of reckoning" is coming, followed by, "....eternal destruction...." It makes me want to grab and shake every person I see and encounter. Many make fun of the sign along highways, "Are You Ready to Meet God?" Yet there is a Biblical realty to such a question. Am I? Are You? And, what about "them?"
I am praying these days more fervently (whatever that may mean) for those who may, "not know God...," Whom the Bible says can only be known in Jesus Christ, none else. Of some of them I am not so sure, of others I seem to be more so. Regardless, you and I who claim to, "....know God...," have a call, an indebtedness to all humanity, and most compelling, the Great Command of our Lord Jesus Christ, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations (Matthew)....Go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel (Mark)....You are witnesses of these things (Luke)."
As you know, I select the day's texts from my daily reading. It would be far more popular, I suppose, to search the Bible for those passages which soothe us, you know, "prophesy to us smooth things," though in reality, no Biblical Word is, "smooth," in the sense that humanists desire. For me, such "quiet time" reading, devotionals, conferences, etc., are just smorgasbord, deceptive, self-made religion. But I digress.
Our text has been very disturbing to me today. Sometimes we think we know who, "those," are, yet perhaps more disturbingly, we do not. Yes, we have our evangelical "formulae" and texts which we believe qualifies some and eliminates others. But I say that we should not take theological chances. What I do know is that the Bible does teach that a "day of reckoning" is coming, followed by, "....eternal destruction...." It makes me want to grab and shake every person I see and encounter. Many make fun of the sign along highways, "Are You Ready to Meet God?" Yet there is a Biblical realty to such a question. Am I? Are You? And, what about "them?"
I am praying these days more fervently (whatever that may mean) for those who may, "not know God...," Whom the Bible says can only be known in Jesus Christ, none else. Of some of them I am not so sure, of others I seem to be more so. Regardless, you and I who claim to, "....know God...," have a call, an indebtedness to all humanity, and most compelling, the Great Command of our Lord Jesus Christ, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations (Matthew)....Go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel (Mark)....You are witnesses of these things (Luke)."
Father, in Jesus' Name, You said, "I will make you fishers of men." I am not a very good "fisherman." Holy Spirit, in Jesus' Name, empower and enable and teach and, "make," my friend and me tireless, "fishers of men." Amen.
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* More news out of the "shakeable" European Union at: jhs58.blogspot.com
* Please pray for our October Mission in Germany. Things have changed a lot since we were there last.
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* More news out of the "shakeable" European Union at: jhs58.blogspot.com
* Please pray for our October Mission in Germany. Things have changed a lot since we were there last.
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
Hebrews 12:2
Hebrews 12:2
