Knowing, Doing, Being
Our morning began with waiting for our “run-away” dog to return. The rabbits in our yard and neighborhood provide too much of a distraction if he has the opportunity to escape our grasp. Fortunately, he know where he lives and usually comes home…eventually.
I had my final appointment three times per week with my Chiropractor. Next week we begin to scale down to twice a week and then once a week to complete the treatment plan. My challenge is getting back to a regular exercise routine to keep working at building muscle. I did get back to the fitness center today. I was on the treadmill for 10 minutes and I think I was able to accomplish that task in better shape than last time I tried.
As I was leaving the fitness center it began to rain. So my timing of the rain the last two days has been good. The rain has started after an event has ended which is good.
We are looking forward to a busy weekend. Tomorrow we travel to Denver for the Western Conservative Summit, and then we will attend a 50th wedding anniversary for our friends Doug and Pat Powell and then on Sunday is my mothers 90th birthday reception.
BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “But the day when the Lord comes again will surprise everyone like the coming of a thief. The sky will disappear with a loud noise. Everything in the sky will be destroyed with fire. And the earth and everything in it will be burned up. Everything will be destroyed in this way. So what kind of people should you be? Your lives should be holy and devoted to God. You should be looking forward to the day of God, wanting more than anything else for it to come soon.” 2 Peter 3:10-12 (ERV)
I have been reading through what is call the “Book of Enoch.” It is an “extra-biblical” ancient writing that is attributed to Enoch, “the seventh from Adam” but is believe to have been written during the first century. It is interesting that Jude makes reference to a quote from the book in his letter and that is what got my attention.
There was verse that I read that did get my attention more than most. It speaks of the consummation of God’s plan of redemption and says, “The former heaven shall depart and pass away; a new heaven shall appear; and all the celestial powers shine with sevenfold splendour for ever…..Neither shall sin be named there for ever and for ever.” Enoch 92:17,18
We certainly see this in the Biblical record in several passages. Peter talks about the “day of the Lord” and how what is now will be no more and how the Lord will create a “new heaven and a new earth.” We see in Old Testament prophecies, in the New Testament and in Revelation descriptions of God’s plan for the earth and His people. Sometimes, those descriptions create more questions than clarity and I find it interesting to see how many of those “end time” events are reflected in prognostications of scientists and others.
For example, upheaval in nature and the economy; massive earthquakes, hailstones, war and even “stars falling from the heavens.” Much of it can sound like the worst case scenario of “global warming or climate change” or fears that one day there will be a giant collision of an asteroid striking the earth.
The questions and search for “figuring out” what will happen, when and why as the earth moves closer to “that day” will continue. As matter of fact it began at Jesus ascension. As the Lord promised He would return the first question of the disciples was, “when?” ….tell us more. Jesus response in brief was, “it’s not for you to know….”
He followed that with this what you are to know, “when the Holy Spirit comes, you will receive power to be my witnesses…” In like fashion Peter asks the question, “knowing these things, what kind of people should we be?”
It is not wrong to study, seek and ponder. But not at the expense of doing what we are to do (sharing the “good news” with the whole world) and being the people we are to be (those who are devoted to the Lord and looking for and eager for Christ’s return.)
The Lord wants us to relax and be at peace; like He is saying, “I have this under control.” But we don’t sit back and do nothing, we live life with confidence and take our responsibility to share a message of hope, forgiveness and peace with others. This will be all the more important as our world becomes more hopeless, tense and filled with unrest. As Christ’s ambassadors we need to understand that as long as we are in the world, we are to be the “light of the world.”
So remember our focus as we look to the future is not be on what we don’t know and won’t know, but what we do know and what are to do and be.