December 31, 2010
Year to Forget?
In their recap of 2010 some media outlets are describing this as the year to forget. They cite the tanked economy, the east coast blizzard and the oil unleashed in the gulf coast. It would be easy to jump on that train of thought, but I think the Lord looks at it differently. Assuming we believers have been doing our job, then the Gospel has spread, souls have been saved and Christ has been glorified. It doesn’t get any better than that. May 2011 become another successful year for the Kingdom of God on earth.
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2 comments:
Gail;
-----Is the glass half empty? Or half full? Referring to the water in the glass, it’s half full. In reference to the air in the glass, it’s half empty. Referring to the evil in the world, it’s a year to forget. All of them since Eve agreed with the snake have been years to forget. Referring to God’s purpose in the being of this evil age, they have all been years to remember.
-----Jesus gave us a model for our prayers. The fourth point of address in that prayer is the coming of His Kingdom. It will come to the point of vanquishing this system of evil. Five times the Bible refers to all the stars falling upon the earth. Once it refers to the folding up and setting aside of the heavens and earth like an old garment. Once it refers to heaven and earth fleeing from the face of the Judge. And Peter refers to all the elements melting away with fervent heat. Some cosmologists theorize that gravity will eventually prevail and collapse the universe upon itself. Others theorize dark energy will overcome and scatter it into a vapor of sorts. None that I know theorize an eternal equilibrium. God doesn’t theorize. He knows. However sketchy His Word may be on certain topics, It states what will be. All the stars will fall from heaven. The universe will collapse. That day will be the coming of His kingdom into its fullness for all things except for what is thrown into the collapse of the stars falling from heaven, the universe’s flee from His face into eternal minuteness, its fold-up like an old garment, its melt-away in fervent heat, its compaction into one point of an eternally collapsing lake of fire. Until that day comes, the coming of His Kingdom is a continuing progression into each obedient soul individually and into this present evil system through all His individuals collectively. Only it will escape the collapse.
-----Paul writes of each man’s work being tested by fire in that day. “If the work which any man has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.” (I Cor 3:14) We know this physical stuff will flee with the earth and sky. It can not inherit the eternal. So we know the work Paul writes of is not church buildings or pews or artwork or anything else of such nature. Only thoughts, feelings, memories, and being of character can possibly enter His presence with a man’s spirit and resurrected body. We also know that only what is good and right and just can reside in the presence of the Holy God. So only those thoughts, feelings, etc. that are perfectly built upon the foundation will survive the cleansing fire. If we expand our awareness to include our eternal existence, we will notice that this part of us which will make it through the fire into eternity is being built in us today by our efforts, the efforts of those who love us, and the efforts of His Spirit. But those good and true thoughts, etc. in ourselves are not all of our works which will survive. Many (and maybe more) are those we build into others by warming the cold of heart, preaching to them the gospel, encouraging the faint, influencing the strong, and obeying His Word to generously spread around every aspect of it. This is His Kingdom coming for which we pray. As much of it as we allow in ourselves and inspire in others is eternally memorable. Years are merely glasses. Now let’s go fill 2011 with as much eternal memorabilia as we can.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
And don't forget the personal spiritual growth that we have each experienced as we have listened, obeyed and rejoiced in the daily grace of God.
Grace and Peace
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