You Ain't Seen Nothin Yet - Luke 21:5-36 - Twenty-third Week after Pentecost

 

Luke 21:5-36 NIV

⁵ Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, ⁶ “As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.”

⁷ “Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?”

⁸ He replied: “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them. ⁹ When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.”

¹⁰ Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. ¹¹ There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.

¹² “But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. ¹³ And so you will bear testimony to me. ¹⁴ But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. ¹⁵ For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. ¹⁶ You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. ¹⁷ Everyone will hate you because of me. ¹⁸ But not a hair of your head will perish. ¹⁹ Stand firm, and you will win life.

²⁰ “When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. ²¹ Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. ²² For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written. ²³ How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. ²⁴ They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

²⁵ “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. ²⁶ People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. ²⁷ At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. ²⁸ When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

²⁹ He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. ³⁰ When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. ³¹ Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.

³² “Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. ³³ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

³⁴ “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. ³⁵ For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. ³⁶ Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”

You Ain’t Seen Nothin Yet!

Since Pentecost began, we’ve been on a long journey with Jesus and His disciples in these Lukan passages of Scripture. We’ve wandered and snaked our way from territory to territory. We’ve moved back and forth across the Jordan river, from Israelite territory to Gentile territory. Jesus has been teaching, healing and performing miracles. We’ve heard parables, seen demons cast out, been taught about showing mercy, God’s Kingdom, shown how to love people different from ourselves, warned about idols of greed, power, sex, money and prestige. We’ve been taught to give away not only our idols but our very selves. We’ve been shown what it is to serve God and to serve neighbor. And as we stumble behind Jesus and His disciples we’ve been forgiven, blest with the Kingdom, called and sent out. All the while, Jesus has been determined to fulfill God the Father’s plan for Him and for all, as Jesus set His face “like flint” to march on to Jerusalem, to suffer, die, rise and ascend into heaven. Yes, we even saw how God can take the black-eye of our sin and still grant us forgiveness and salvation.

Sure, it’s been a great late spring, summer, and fall with the Scripture of Luke this year.

Now this week, last week as well and next week Jesus teaches about the Kingdom, heaven and eternity and the price He pays for our communion with Him into eternity. Yes, Jesus HAS changed our “Point of View” as we discovered last week, and that view is beyond anything we could ever imagine.

Before we dig into this week’s passage of Scripture, let me tell you about something I witnessed this past week, that made me think of all of this week’s reflections.

I’m a Ham Radio operator and enthusiast. It’s a hobby of mine. So, it’s not unusual for me to follow the activity of the sun. The activity of the sun impacts the ionosphere around our earth that enables communications around the globe. Sometimes in good ways and sometimes in ways that make communications difficult. This past Tuesday I began to see Hams in the US citing the possibility of Northern Lights. These lights are caused by magnetic material from the sun that excites the ionosphere. I looked at the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center, and sure enough, we were having a severe geomagnetic storm with a possible aurora forecast into the Ohio region and some distant south. So, up I jumped, told my wife, Sue, that I was heading out to take some pictures. I made my way away from the city light pollution and took a series of beautiful pictures of the Northern Lights. They are beautiful. They remind me of how wonderful God’s creation is and His power to give good gifts. I was awestruck.

Wednesday morning, I enjoy practice using my CW (that’s Morse Code) skills for three one-hour intervals. The first session is at 8am in the morning. I noticed from the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center that a geomagnetic storm was happening. As I usually do, I logged onto a Web SDR (radio) in Boone NC and one in Vermont. I couldn’t even see my transmit signal in Boone and only barely saw my signal in Vermont. Usually, my signal from my radio at home in Boone is strong. So, the session began. I called out using morse code (CW) from my home in Middletown. The signals were hard to copy in the weird ionosphere impacted by the geomagnetic storm. I had a good hour, but was struck by the power of the geomagnetic storm’s ability to make communication difficult.

After the hour, I got to thinking of the aurora I had witnessed and how hard it was to hear my friends in the noise. God sometimes moves in on us. God sometimes shows power and strength. God sometimes displays, in the heavens, beauty for the eyes and God sometimes displays in the power of overtaking the radio waves, that causes us to stop and take notice. Stop and take notice, to slow down, to listen carefully, not only for my fellow CW, Ham radio friends, but to stop and listen to His voice as well. So, yea, this all shook me to my core as a God event, for both eyes and ears and spirit. This is one of those “Thanks be to God” events. So, as I logged my contacts after that hour, I always send a note to those I contacted like, “God bless” or something like that. But this time my note just had to give thanks. To each person I contacted, I sent a note about how I thought we should give thanks to God for what His heavens had given to each of us. My note? --- “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, His mercy endures forever.”

This experience sort of summed up my studies this week.

Here are some of my notes…

This passage is the conclusion of Jesus’ ministry and teaching before the passion. A climax to, and about, the Kingdom.

As the disciples look at the magnificent Temple, they must have thought it to be the “Gate of Heaven.” I couldn’t help to think of the Northern Lights that I saw. Yet… Like Jacob’s dream at Bethel when he witnessed the angels ascending and descending from heaven, Jacob proclaimed, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.”

Well… “You Ain’t Seen Nothin Yet!”

As the disciples looked at the temple, what they see and what we see IS NOT what Jesus saw.

Listen to Paul speak of the Temple…

Ephesians 2:19-22 NIV

¹⁹ Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, ²⁰ built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. ²¹ In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. ²² And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

 

There is a time and the time is now. God’s emergencies don’t look like my emergencies. There is a time and the time IS now. Jesus has led us along this season of Pentecost to show us the time is now.

 

Again, listen to the words of Paul speak of this time, this hour…

 

Romans 13:11-14 NIV

¹¹ And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. ¹² The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. ¹³ Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. ¹⁴ Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.

 

Tough words! But as Jesus tells us in Luke 8… “Watch out…”

 

See the signs. Sure, I flail in the dark, holding onto false idols of philosophy, law, science, machines, inventions. BUT --- the end of these things IS death.

 

Hear Paul…

Romans 6:19-22 NIV

¹⁹ I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. ²⁰ When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. ²¹ What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! ²² But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.

 

You see, the stuff happening today is just things before the messianic age. So, we are to stand in FAITH-NOT-FEAR. There is HOPE. Take hold and lay this stuff in God’s hands to lead and guide you day by day. Suffering, now is sure, so don’t let go of God.

 

Remember Jacob, once again as he wrestled…

 

Genesis 32:25-26 NIV

²⁵ When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. ²⁶ Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”

But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

Yea, hang onto God--- God hangs onto you.

There will be suffering in your witness to God, so exhibit faithfulness to God’s path to life. Set your face like flint as well. God has this. Realize like Jacob, that heaven is REAL. Jesus’ ascension points us to follow Him.

As the disciples were marveling at the Temple of the day, Jesus points out that this very Temple will be destroyed. In fact, around AD 66-72 this prophecy comes true, as the Roman army destroyed Jerusalem. Once again, as far as the Temple goes, cast your eyes on Jesus. He IS the TEMPLE of God now and forever.

Look up! Look out! Look beyond! “You Ain’t Seen Nothin Yet!”

Jesus is coming! This is salvation in a cosmic context.

Let’s listen to Paul again…

Romans 8:18-25 NIV

¹⁸ I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. ¹⁹ For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. ²⁰ For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope ²¹ that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

²² We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. ²³ Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. ²⁴ For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? ²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

There is a time to unmask yourself. A time to repent. A time to “look up.” In my sin the day is darkness. But, look up! See the cross outlined against the sky.

The signs of the END are also signs of God’s NEW beginning. A NEW beginning where LIFE bursts OUT.

When? NOW!

Every day is the last day. When it’s all gone, God IS left.

The faithful need not be angst. Redemption is near. There is salvation in repentance AND forgiveness.

God delays Jesus’ coming for the spread of the Gospel. In Jesus all of your sins are forgiven. Turn and believe it. Go and tell your friends and neighbors and all those God places in your life each day, how much God loves them and wants to be with them forever in His Kingdom. How Jesus came and died for all of their sins and forgives them and gives them new and eternal life. All as a gift. A wonderful gift. A much greater gift than any aurora… “You Ain’t Seen Nothin Yet!”

We may die, BUT through what God does in Jesus, we WILL escape INTO life.

“You Ain’t Seen Nothin Yet!”

Be ready for it!

So, what do you MAKE of life? A love that stands IN Jesus.

Look up! Look out! Look to Jesus.

Jesus didn’t set His face like flint for nothin, you know.

“You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet!”

Thanks be to God!

How could I not! Here is the YouTube Music Video… “You Ain’t Seen Nothin Yet” -Look at the lyrics!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9S93bE06H0&list=RDg9S93bE06H0&start_radio=1

You Ain't Seen Nothin Yet

Look! - Luke 20:27-40 - Twenty-second Week after Pentecost

 

Luke 20:27-40 NIV

²⁷ Some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus with a question. ²⁸ “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. ²⁹ Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a woman and died childless. ³⁰ The second ³¹ and then the third married her, and in the same way the seven died, leaving no children. ³² Finally, the woman died too. ³³ Now then, at the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”

³⁴ Jesus replied, “The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. ³⁵ But those who are considered worthy of taking part in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, ³⁶ and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God’s children, since they are children of the resurrection. ³⁷ But in the account of the burning bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ ³⁸ He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.”

³⁹ Some of the teachers of the law responded, “Well said, teacher!” ⁴⁰ And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Look!

Look back, look forward, look around. Look into my tomb, look beyond my tomb, look back to my tomb, or look through my tomb… I don’t know what to think. It’s so confusing!

People are looking around all the time. People want to know what is in the future. People can see the past but have no idea what the future may bring. We think we can plan for the future, but many times something unplanned takes place.

The Sadducees were wealthy priests for the most part. They were conservative and relied on the five books of Moses for guidance and law. Most everything was cut and dry and planned. But in order to question Jesus with a point of the law, they approached Him with a question.

And it seems true then as it is today; we always want to make familiar what we know to match what we do not know. We take for granted that what we see, here and now, will be seen the same in the future and in heaven as well.

Paul gives us a hint on how we set our minds on the here and now…

Philippians 3:18-19 NIV

¹⁸ For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. ¹⁹ Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things.

 

We look to this earth. We look to this life and try to relate everything to only here in our own time. We can understand here and now. The future and heaven are beyond what we can imagine, so we resist anything we can’t see or understand. The future and heaven can’t be trusted by so many people of today.

 

This heaven and eternal life stuff is some weird stuff to think about. It may even scare us a bit.

 

As an angel appeared to Moses in the burning bush and God called to Moses…

 

Exodus 3:6 NIV

⁶ Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

 

What did Moses see? What did Moses think? Moses was hearing God and seeing an angel in the burning bush. It’s so confusing! All of this God stuff, angels, fire, burning bush, and the voice of God. What’s up?

 

But it’s all about the point of view.

 

All summer long, it seems, we have been travelling along with Jesus and His disciples as He approaches Jerusalem. Jesus is bound to do the will of God. Jesus is teaching His disciples and us as we have looked at all of these passages from Luke, and it’s always been a bit weird, but now Jesus seems to be teaching some really weird stuff. Jesus has had us look at the Kingdom of God from here to there and now from there to here. And it's something to grasp and think about that is beyond us. It’s something that causes us to stop and rely on what God has been doing all along. What choice do we have?

 

It's all about point of view.

 

In this reading from John, Jesus attempts to put our wondering and wandering minds at ease about heaven and God’s Kingdom.

 

John 14:2 NIV

² My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?

 

It’s easy to understand the confusion of the Sadducees. Sure, maybe they were also trying to trap Jesus in a definition of resurrection, but maybe not. They brought forth a real-world situation that applied to the laws that they could understand and wanted to know what would happen in heaven with this kind of thing that we deal with on earth.

 

And then, Jesus points out the obvious. Duh! In heaven we won’t need to procreate children, so it doesn’t matter what happened with the wife on earth without child. After all, in heaven and here as well, we ARE the children. That doesn’t mean that in heaven marriage will end. Jesus doesn’t say that, so we can’t assume that to be the case.

 

So, if we’re caught looking back to earth from heaven with earthly eyes, we may just not have a clue.

 

Jesus is teaching how the resurrected life IS NOW AND to come.

 

Let’s look at John once again… this is when Jesus is speaking to Martha, the sister of the about to be raised to life, Lazarus…

 

John 11:25-26 NIV

²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; ²⁶ and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

 

See it? Jesus is the resurrection. He is the resurrected life NOW and to come as well.

 

Our earthly reasoning and our earthly values and desires won’t always apply in heaven.

 

It’s all the point of view. And Jesus has the point of view we need.

And Paul attempts to put that point of view into words. Listen to this…

 

Romans 8:38-39 NIV

³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

There will be evil in this world. Yet even so, Jesus has come and will come again. Ever since the fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden, when God wanted to know, “Where are you?” --- God has been hunting us down. God has been turning us around. God has found us and has forgiven us and saved us. God has always been there near us and for us to provide us the point of view… from a burning bush, to the cross, God calls out my name, your name, and the name of ALL people. And nothing can separate us from Him.

It's all about point of view. All and everything. So… Look!

Praise God and give thanks for all that has been done, and will be done… today… tomorrow and forever. Yes, God sees the situation and has the point of view. Thanks be to God!

I leave you with this YouTube music video that spoke to me this week…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVqWEtfpTgo&list=RDzVqWEtfpTgo&start_radio=1

“Lord I Lift Your Name On High”

Lord I LIft Your Name On High

That Day - This Day - Matthew 5:1-12 - All Saints

 

Matthew 5:1-12 NIV

5 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, ² and he began to teach them.

He said:

³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
⁴ Blessed are those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
⁵ Blessed are the meek,
    for they will inherit the earth.
⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they will be filled.
⁷ Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God.
⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God.
¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¹¹ “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

 

That Day – This Day

From the present to the future in eternity. From the community now to the community in the future in eternity. From the everyday trials of today to the glory of the world to come. The “Beatitudes” are streaks of Light in the dark of today. The “Beatitudes” Jesus shares outward today to be fulfilled by Christ today and into eternity. This is the character of people who inherit the Kingdom of God. A character opposite of this world’s standards. Here we see that Heaven is way ABOVE earthly life. But it’s present to future IS for today as well.

I must completely depend on God! You too!

In these few passages of Scripture, we witness teaching for the disciples. Teaching about the response to Jesus’ call out into the world and fulfilled in God’s Kingdom, today and forever. Teaching on a mountain, kind of like when God gave His Law to Moses. Yes, teaching that proclaims that the Kingdom of God is at hand, now, and will be complete when Jesus returns.

In Jesus’ teaching the Spirit is on Jesus. Remember?

Matthew 3:16 NIV

¹⁶ As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.

 

Jesus’ ministry has begun, to claim and heal the sorrowful, to bring freedom and to comfort mourners, and so much more.

 

The “Beatitudes” are promises of the Kingdom of God. For whom?

 

For people who trust in God. Promises to be ACTED upon and practiced with an attitude of humility, love, trust, and courage, NOT by the perfect, but by the converted. Here the unfortunate ARE blessed and heaven will make the earthly wrong right. God loves you and has not given up on you.

 

Blessed means to be happy and well.

 

Let’s look at that word “blessed” from the Psalms…

Psalm 1:1 NIV

¹ Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,

 

Psalm 32:1 NIV

¹ Blessed is the one
    whose transgressions are forgiven,
    whose sins are covered.

 

Psalm 112:1 NIV

¹ Praise the Lord.

Blessed are those who fear the Lord,
    who find great delight in his commands.

 

Here we need to beware of when riches become pride. FOR the poor remember their dependance on God AND are blessed.

 

Back to the Psalms…

 

Psalm 10:2 NIV

² In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak,
    who are caught in the schemes he devises.

 

Psalm 40:17 NIV

¹⁷ But as for me, I am poor and needy;
    may the Lord think of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
    you are my God, do not delay.

 

Here we hear of those put down by the evil, but keep a loyalty to God’s will.

 

Pride IS the root of sin.

 

Now to those who mourn or those in need of comfort.

 

Comforted by God. Let’s look to some more Scripture…

 

Isaiah 61:1-3 NIV – Speaking to the Year of the LORD’s Favor

61 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom for the captives
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,
² to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
    and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
³     and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
    instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
    instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
    instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
    a planting of the Lord
    for the display of his splendor.

 

While in mourning we may feel the darkness of grief, the darkness of our sin, the darkness of loneliness, the darkness of the tomb, the darkness of failure, however in this darkness can be a blessing. For, it’s in the darkness that the LIGHT is revealed. Even here on earth, in the darkness of night the stars shine the brightest.

In the darkness the blessed mourn for their sins.

 

Psalm 51:3 NIV

³ For I know my transgressions,
    and my sin is always before me.

 

SO --- God IS always close. God is closer than you think.

 

Remember that Joy is not the opposite of pain. Joy is sorrow accepted in forgiving love. Joy comes from forgiveness and love, freely given by and through Jesus to ALL.

 

So, now what about the meek. Don’t let our meek thinking of today through you off. Meekness is the goodwill towards our neighbors in obedience to God’s will. You see, God watches over His children. So, to be meek IS a good Christian characteristic. Jesus was meek. And the meek will inherit the earth, as a reward, as a gift.  Don’t let this world’s people lead you to think that meekness is weakness. Beware of that type of thinking. Jesus WAS meek and look what He did! So, be meek.

 

Now hunger and thirst. Hunger is an intense desire. In the desert, thirst is even a more intense desire. So, hunger for righteousness, within yourself, AND within this world. BUT, always thirst after Christ. AND you will be changed.

 

2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV

¹⁸ And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

 

We are being changed. As we bear our sins fully in the face of God, He forgives us and changes us into His righteousness. This isn’t something we do, it’s a gift from God.

 

AND here we find JOY. We are no longer focusing on our sins BUT now we focus on Christ AS Jesus draws us to Himself.

 

 

Psalm 17:15 NIV

¹⁵ As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face;
    when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.

 

We are righteous NOT by our own power or will, but rather by God’s, power and will.

 

Jesus’ promise of reward for disciples who join with God to rescue and calm the suffering of the unfortunate people on earth is to strive for peace, righteousness and mercy.

 

To be merciful is a behavior that is sympathetic, loving, and kind.

 

When Jesus told the Parable of the Good Samaritan, He told a story of a man attacked by robbers and left half dead on the side of the road. Three people came upon this man, one a priest, one a Levite, and one a Samaritan. Only the Samaritan stopped to help the man. Jesus posed this question to a man, asking what he must do to inherit eternal life…

 

Luke 10:36-37

³⁶ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

³⁷ The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

With mercy, when you have no words, your tears have and hold grace. The merciful are aware of their own sins AND have love towards the other sinful of this world.

Now let’s move to the pure in heart. The pure in heart are those single minded who try to do God’s will.

Colossians 3:22 NIV

²² Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.

 

James 4:8 NIV

⁸ Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

The pure in heart is NOT some of the phony bologna we sometimes see on Facebook, who just want to appear something they are not to the world. This IS REAL stuff here.

 

So why be pure in heart? Look at this reward!

 

Revelation 22:1-5 NIV

22 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb ² down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. ³ No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. ⁴ They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. ⁵ There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

 

Wow! This is a heart involving your mind and your will, NOT only emotions. Yes, today, we CAN see God in this world!

 

We are called to seek peace as well. Not made-up peace, but real peace.

 

Psalm 34:14 NIV

¹⁴ Turn from evil and do good;
    seek peace and pursue it.

 

This is peace both personal and social. Peace makers will be called children of God, or some may say Sons of God. The Sons of God aren’t some made up thing in the heavens, they are real people that God created.

 

Jesus’ last will has brought peace!

 

John 14:27 NIV

²⁷ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

 

Being restored to God IS Peace. Yes, Jesus MADE peace.

 

 

Ephesians 2:14-16 NIV

¹⁴ For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, ¹⁵ by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶ and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.

 

What is the work of peace?

 

To focus on the love of God. The restoration of mankind with God so ALL turn to Christ in His presence.

 

Yet, in all of this, as you work, here and now to bring justice and righteousness to the earthly unfortunate, EXPECT to join them. You too will be persecuted AND blessed as well. As God’s servants WE WILL be at risk of our lives. Persecution for God IS blessing AND sacrifice.

 

Our reward is in Heaven AND ON earth. This reward does not come about by bookkeeping methods. Rather the reward is out of proportion to what we do or have done.

 

Matthew 19:29 NIV

²⁹ And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.

 

Matthew 25:23 NIV

²³ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

 

Do you see it? It’s a gift!

 

Luke 17:10 NIV

¹⁰ So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”

 

Yes, we do as we always should do.

 

Jesus lets us see God. We see God in Jesus, in eternity. That’s not something I can see here, but I will enjoy some day, with all the saints and angels, when I see Jesus in eternity. Here, Jesus gives us work to do in love towards God and in love towards neighbor.

 

And this teaching in the “Beatitudes” is NOT me, or you, trying to flaunt righteousness over and above someone else. To seek righteousness is not a work to go after. Rather, the work is the doing of God’s will. Only God in Jesus can give you righteousness, so DON’T BE HAUGHTY!

 

This is an eschatological reverse. An end-time reverse, that turns things on their head at the last judgment.

 

The work of the Saints is not only for heaven but also on this earth as well.

 

There will be a day when ALL see Jesus. All will see Jesus AT THE CENTER.

 

Praise God for that day. Yes, Lord, I pray, make me, and you, and all disciples, like Jesus… today… tomorrow… and forever. --- Amen

 

How could I not but leave you with this YouTube music video…

 

“For All the Saints”

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ML6WFskgYI&list=RD9ML6WFskgYI&start_radio=1

For All the Saints