So, Do We Know Yet What Time It Is?
No, I don't think we do. Even though we've been reading about it in God's Holy Word for hundreds of years. Our beloved Father God has been telling us and His Only begotten Son has been telling us and we STILL don't know what time it is. Here in the twenty-first century, we have terrorism born of despair, we have dwindling resources, we have famine, war, pestilence, plague, disease and the HEARTBREAK OF PSORIASIS (sorry, I couldn't resist) and we STILL don't know what time it is!
Now, when Jesus said, "The poor, you have with you always", I believe he was at least telling the truth. There will not ever be a shortage of poor people - and therefore, there will not ever be a shortage of people, period. But I also believe Jesus was telling us something about the urgency of our time. Jesus went on to say (John 12) "but with me, it is not so."
The poor, we have with us always: the work of reconciliation is not complete (and likely will not be in the foreseeable future) but "with me" (the Prince of Reconciliation - the very Reconciliation of God) "it is not so". !!! The very Prince of Reconciliation... will not always be with us? !!! Surely, Jesus was talking about His coming crucifixion but was He also warning us? Was He also warning us that unless we harbor, nurture, honor, cherish and strengthen the spirit of reconciliation that is among us in Christ Jesus that the very Spirit that has given us the possibility of reconciliation could be withdrawn? (Withered, weakened, atrophied?)
Think about it! If I don't nourish my relationship with God, will that relationship not wither? If I don't extend reconciliation to my brothers and sisters, will my capability to be reconciled not shrivel? THE PRINCE OF RECONCILIATION IS NOW AMONG US! LET'S TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HIS BEING IN US / WITH US - WHILE WE CAN!!
"Well, um, okay, Tom. So, how do we do that?" We take advantage of the presence of the Spirit of Reconciliation by EXTENDING HIS RECONCILIATION to those who are not privileged to know Him!! We ADOPT THEM into the family of God or, as Matthew 28:19 says "Go ye, into all the world and" (Tom's translation) "ADOPT EVERYBODY INTO MY FAMILY". (Whew!)
Okay, so, all of my ranting is overwrought. No, NO, NOOO!! I don't have anything against reproduction. But at this point in human history, reproduction is fruit out of season. In reproducing, we're celebrating a gift that is not ours to celebrate at this time. We've made of it a counterfeit, an IDOL!! We have something MUCH more important to do!! The time now is to celebrate reconciliation and we are to celebrate (pursue, enact, re-create) the celebration of reconciliation until there are NO MORE UNWANTED, DISCARDED PEOPLE. That means, until ALL of the jails and prisons ALL OVER THE WORLD are empty and rusting; until ALL of the wars have ceased and their weapons are beat into tools for replenishing the Earth; until ALL of the diseased, discarded, aged, unwanted, outcast and misfits are claimed, loved and contributing, it's time for you and me to be pursuing reconciliation whole heartedly, as our TOP priority. Please remember Matthew 6 and remember what Jesus said we must seek first.
If you can remember what Jesus told us to seek first and if you can remember what MUST be our #1 priority, then you KNOW what time it is. Let's get busy.
"Adopt ye, one another, even as I have adopted you..."
Now, when Jesus said, "The poor, you have with you always", I believe he was at least telling the truth. There will not ever be a shortage of poor people - and therefore, there will not ever be a shortage of people, period. But I also believe Jesus was telling us something about the urgency of our time. Jesus went on to say (John 12) "but with me, it is not so."
The poor, we have with us always: the work of reconciliation is not complete (and likely will not be in the foreseeable future) but "with me" (the Prince of Reconciliation - the very Reconciliation of God) "it is not so". !!! The very Prince of Reconciliation... will not always be with us? !!! Surely, Jesus was talking about His coming crucifixion but was He also warning us? Was He also warning us that unless we harbor, nurture, honor, cherish and strengthen the spirit of reconciliation that is among us in Christ Jesus that the very Spirit that has given us the possibility of reconciliation could be withdrawn? (Withered, weakened, atrophied?)
Think about it! If I don't nourish my relationship with God, will that relationship not wither? If I don't extend reconciliation to my brothers and sisters, will my capability to be reconciled not shrivel? THE PRINCE OF RECONCILIATION IS NOW AMONG US! LET'S TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HIS BEING IN US / WITH US - WHILE WE CAN!!
"Well, um, okay, Tom. So, how do we do that?" We take advantage of the presence of the Spirit of Reconciliation by EXTENDING HIS RECONCILIATION to those who are not privileged to know Him!! We ADOPT THEM into the family of God or, as Matthew 28:19 says "Go ye, into all the world and" (Tom's translation) "ADOPT EVERYBODY INTO MY FAMILY". (Whew!)
Okay, so, all of my ranting is overwrought. No, NO, NOOO!! I don't have anything against reproduction. But at this point in human history, reproduction is fruit out of season. In reproducing, we're celebrating a gift that is not ours to celebrate at this time. We've made of it a counterfeit, an IDOL!! We have something MUCH more important to do!! The time now is to celebrate reconciliation and we are to celebrate (pursue, enact, re-create) the celebration of reconciliation until there are NO MORE UNWANTED, DISCARDED PEOPLE. That means, until ALL of the jails and prisons ALL OVER THE WORLD are empty and rusting; until ALL of the wars have ceased and their weapons are beat into tools for replenishing the Earth; until ALL of the diseased, discarded, aged, unwanted, outcast and misfits are claimed, loved and contributing, it's time for you and me to be pursuing reconciliation whole heartedly, as our TOP priority. Please remember Matthew 6 and remember what Jesus said we must seek first.
If you can remember what Jesus told us to seek first and if you can remember what MUST be our #1 priority, then you KNOW what time it is. Let's get busy.
"Adopt ye, one another, even as I have adopted you..."
posted by Tom ta tum Tom | 10:18 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home