Luke 21:24 - Josephus, a renowned historian, wrote that 1,100,000 fell by the sword. Turmoil. Distress. Horror. Fear. Unimaginable.
Jerusalem was in trouble. And Jerusalem, one day, there will be the roaring of the sea and the waves, people will faint with fear, for the foreboding of what is coming on the world. The powers of the heavens will be shaken. The Son of Man will come in a cloud with power and great glory. Straighten up. Raise up your heads because your Redemption is drawing near. Luke 21:33 ~ "Heaven and earth will pass away. But My Words will not pass away." What am I banking on?
Luke 21:34 ~ But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. Observe how the author placed heinous surfeiting and debauchery drunkenness with the cares of this life. For that day will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Stay awake at all times, praying you may have strength to escape what will take place, and that you will stand before the Son of Man ~ Luke 21:36.
Luke 21:38 ~ And early in the morning all the people came to him in the temple to hear Him. For the past twenty centuries people have debated and discussed and disagreed and denied and diluted the Gospel. Oh, the dissonance. Even, this day, there's a frontrunner with a gargantuan following who believes that God will not send people to hell if they do not respond to Him on earth. Universalism to me. The bottom line is this: Watch yourself. Stay awake at all times. Pray and long in that interior heart of yours for the One Who is about to Redeem you in the coming chapter. Raise your head for your Redemption draws nigh. He is coming back again for you but it is your choice. Go to Him early every day---that's not about the time but it's about where your heart goes from the moment you awake til the close of your eyes every night.
There is a goal. Our goal is God Himself...and that, my friend, is all we need to know. But God!
"Redemption is drawing near. . .the Kingdom of God is near."
ReplyDeleteBut stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."
Is it faith-filled to know that I will stand before Jesus or is it presumptuous? This is a dire warning from Jesus--stay awake! Pray for strength to escape the snares of evil! Pray that I WILL stand before the Son of Man and not fall because I was caught off-guard.
In James, he tells us "you have not because you ask not." Pray and seek and repent and ask. Be the persistent widow, or the man knocking at his neighbor's door in the late night hours. We have not because we ask not and we ask for the wrong things.
Blessed Sunday, Pearls. Redemption draws nigh.
Interesting, he stayed close to the temple at night, up on Mount Olivet. Back to teaching in the morning...at the temple.
ReplyDeleteHis teachings were so centered in eternity. He taught about heaven, storing treasures there, how he would be betrayed, who is first, and how we must love God with our whole heart. And he revealed how healing our faith can be when we trust him.
He loves his Father, he loves creation, and he loves us so much to share the truth about the redemption that draws nigh.
Do not slumber. Stay awake!