Bible Prophecy and Inspiration

Yesterday we spoke on the parable which says it is good for those who keep watch for Him and live that way.  Today we will read what Paul has to say in 1 Thessalonians.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-8-  ¹ Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, ² for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. ³ While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

 ⁴ But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. ⁵ You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. ⁶ So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. ⁷ For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. ⁸ But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.

Two messages here from Paul.  First, if you’re paying attention, you won’t be caught off guard like those in the darkness.  Second, we don’t live like those who are in the darkness.  Then he reminds us about the armor of God.

We are supposed to be looking for Jesus’ return. 

2 Timothy 4:8 –  ⁸ Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Rewards from the Lord aren’t cheap.  A crown will be given for all those who were looking for Him in the past before they died, as well as for those who will be when He comes. 

Important?

It really is too bad, because I have talked to many people that their answer is something like this, “When He comes, He comes.  Since I can’t control that I will not let that affect me on how I live my life.”

If you knew He was coming in a month, how would you live your life?  If the Master comes back and finds His servants doing His work and will, it will be good.  If He comes back and they are out in the crowd going berserk like Moses had some of the Israelites doing when he came back to the camp after receiving the Ten Commandments, it won’t be so good for those people.  At least not from what I read.

We need to be children of the Light.

It’s possible I have written on this topic in this past, but I’m sure it won’t be the last time.

Let’s say you knew Jesus was coming back tomorrow.  How would you act?

Let’s say you knew Jesus was coming back a month from now?  How would you act?

There is a good reason for asking that, because His imminent return is supposed to keep us living in the right direction.

Luke 12:35-40- ³⁵ “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, ³⁶ like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. ³⁷ It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. ³⁸ It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night. ³⁹ But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁰ You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

Keep Watch!  The Bible is always encouraging us to keep watch and be ready.  This isn’t idleness.  On the contrary we are supposed to be trying to share the gospel and live for Jesus.

Too many people will answer like this, “I just don’t worry about it.  It will happen when it happens.”

Is that what it says on how were supposed to be living? 

Here are the warning just two verses further.

Luke 12:42-48- ⁴² The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? ⁴³ It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. ⁴⁴ I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. ⁴⁵ But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk. ⁴⁶ The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

   ⁴⁷ “That servant who knows his master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. ⁴⁸ But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

The warning I see here is the believer that mixes himself in with the other believers to the point that you would never pick them out of the crowd by looking into it.  You wouldn’t pick them out even after talking to all of them.

Some will say, “Well I’m supposed to inner mingle with others that don’t believe.”  True to a point, however, you are supposed to be a light in the darkness.  The light you bring allows them to see.

Tomorrow we will finish up this post.

The rewards that we are going to get from Jesus are not going to be based on all your hard worldly work.  Your 401k is not a gage on your heavenly retirement.  The employee of the month plaques for a job well done at the work place are staying behind.

 1 Corinthians 3:9-15- ⁹ For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.

 ¹⁰ By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. ¹¹ For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, ¹³ his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. ¹⁴ If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. ¹⁵ If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.

The foundation is Jesus. 

Throughout we read of the parables Jesus taught. 

Parable of the Sower – The first too examples either don’t understand or quickly fall away.  The other two read like this.

Matthew 13:22-23   – ²² The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. ²³ But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

In rewards talk I see this parable in our world today.  I see missionaries and pastors out there giving up their lives for the love of the Father and wanting to have others come to know the Lord.  They are trying to produce a crop.  I see many others trying to produce a worldly kingdom.  Those things usually take our focus off God.

We also see it in the parables of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) and Ten Minas (Luke 19:11-27).  In both cases they were entrusted with a certain amount and the ones who produced were rewarded with much more.  Both times the one that wasn’t entrusted with much at all and didn’t produce was casted out and it was taken away from him.

We need to serve the King.  The devil is the one whispering in your ear to serve yourself.  He is a thief, liar, and murderer. 

Do you want the most sure fire way to hear God’s voice?  It’s in His Word.  You can read and hear it as much as you like.

Your reward is based on your work, just not the work your doing for yourself or the world.  It’s based on what you’re doing for the Kingdom.  How much you love the Lord.  Are prayer warrior?  That’s working for the Kingdom.  Are you doing things for people in His name? 

No one gets paid to milk the cow if he is a computer programmer.  Another doesn’t get paid for picking up rocks out in a field if he is a waiter.  You get rewarded when you accomplish work in the right area.  The Lord wants to reward us all.  Pray and seek what it is He wants you do and start today.  Your loving work for the Lord will only draw you closer to Him.

The Word of God is full of living words that we are supposed to live by.  Anymore the Churchas a whole just says know the name of Jesus and you don’t have to know anything more.  Is that true?  If it were, there are a lot of wasted words printed all the way through the Bible on how we are supposed to act, treat others as well as serve the Lord. 

1 Corinthians 5:9-13 – 9 I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— ¹⁰ not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. ¹¹ But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.

 ¹² What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? ¹³ God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.”

Warnings galore!  If we are honest with ourselves almost everyone is guilty of the very things were being warned about throughout the Bible.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 –   ¹ But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. ² People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, ⁴ treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— ⁵ having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

This isn’t about having a witch hunt for those who are not perfect.  We all need to read these words and try to improve on them in our lives.  Help others realize that it is important to God.

We are in the last days.  Look at that list.  I’ve had to work on a third of those myself because the world is teaching that it’s the way of success.

Check out some of these.  Don’t pass over them and don’t take them lightly, because the last sentence states have nothing to do with THEM.

Lovers of Themselves – plenty of books to accomplish this one.
Lovers of Money – you don’t even have to have it to love it.  What makes you tick?
Lovers of Pleasure rather than Lovers of God – Ouch.  We love our recreation.  We pay lots to do it and plenty of time getting it done.  Where is time with God on the pie chart?  Big piece?  Small sliver?

Our walk is a journey.  We don’t want to walk backwards or sideways.  We lose a lot of time and ground that way in our relationship with the Lord.  We don’t need to become discouraged either, but motivated by knowing that we have a guideline to follow and today is the day we take a new step towards pleasing God, not ourselves.