Lynn's Pen
|
"THINGS TO REMEMBER" |
Our theme for May is “Things to Remember.” This was selected because of two special days in May: Mother's Day and Memorial Day. If your mother is alive, you need to remember to show her your love and respect in some appropriate way. If your mother has died, then Mother's Day is certainly a day for remembrances. Memorial Day has been set aside to honor and remember those who have died while serving our country. They have paid the highest price possible and deserve a time of remembrance. In April we stressed how real and practical our faith in God and Christ is, not foolishness as some would call it. We need to remember what the Bible teaches about God, Christ, worship, eternity, heaven, hell, etc. In May we will look at our need to remember that a new world is coming. This world is going to end. The exact time of that is not known to humanity. Some deny that it will ever happen – at least as a result of a divine action. They say it may end because of our lack of proper care or a nuclear disaster. But the Bible makes it very clear that this world is coming to an end. That end should give some direction to our lives. We need to remember the words of Jesus as He left to return to the Father in Matthew 28:20 “until the end of the age.” Peter “encouraged” the struggling, persecuted Christians of the first century with the promise of the end of the world in 2 Peter 3:8ff. That may seem like a strange way to encourage anyone, but the reality of the shortness of this life and then eternity is meant to encourage us in our daily walk. It is to impact “what sort of people ought you to be” (2 Peter 3:10 ). There is no question that few of us “dwell” on life after this life. If we did some would call that morbid. But it really is not. While death is the most common way we will enter eternity, thinking about, hoping for, even longing for that is not at all wrong – as long as we don't forget to live and be thankful for each day of life we have. We must not be like the Thessalonians whose response to the imminent coming of Christ was to sit and do nothing. Paul powerfully corrected that. But we need to remember that “the end is coming.” That does not make us some wacko - unless you go around in a robe, carrying a sign with that message. It simply makes us believers in the words and promises of Christ. He said He was going and that He was coming back (John 14:3). John saw the glory of heaven and the struggles that can happen in this world, and his conclusion was “Come quickly, Lord.” (Revelation 22:20). That is not morbid. That is not defeatism. That is certainly not fatalism. It is faith in action. It is faith being real and practical. Paul would have rather been “with the Lord” than remain. But he would remain as long as that was God's plan for his life and ministry. There is absolutely no indication that we should actively shorten our lives on earth to enter eternity. We do need to live with eternity in mind. That should impact our lives toward “holy conduct and godliness” (2 Peter 3:11 ). It is intended by God to direct us to “be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless” (2 Peter 3:14 ). Clearly any time we give in to sin, it is because we have forgotten these proclamations of God in His Word. We choose something both wrong and temporary for something that is right and eternal. That should be seen in our attitude, our worship, our service, our everything. As we remember such important things, we will truly be. Together For Him, Lynn |
|