In Jesus’ various teachings concerning the end of time and His return there is a great emphasis on being ready.  So I have to ask you, ‘are you ready?’  He speaks about this readiness in relation to how we live, ‘do our lives show the evidence of being born again’?  Jesus wants us to have a sense of assurance, but there can’t be strong assurance if we are actively ignoring His commands for our lives.  So work with me through the following questions: Do I accept God’s verdict on my life, that I actually deserve to be separated from Him and punished for my sin? Do I see that my only hope is in the death and resurrection of Jesus, and that I will continue to the end only because His Spirit enables me? Am I asking the Holy Spirit to reveal to me where I need to change and seeking His enabling to be more like Jesus?

Chaos!  Don’t we just hate chaos?
It is one thing after another.  There is always something dripping or broken in the house, but that is nothing compared to the fact that there are people in the church on the edge of homelessness.  The kids have just gone back to school – and we wonder how they will cope this year.  There is that worrying lump, and the doctor’s appointment.  There always seems to be new bills to pay.  We are worried about elderly relatives or wayward children.  There are so many things that make life stressful.
In these verses Jesus speaks about very stressful events.  To those Jews He speaks of the fact that in a matter of decades the Roman forces are going to come in and destroy the temple – that symbol of their nations favour, security and pride.  What’s even more frightening is that at some undisclosed day in the future there is going to be the breaking up of the very fabric of the world.
How are we supposed to cope with those levels of stress?  We cope by remembering that Jesus is in control of all things and that He loves us.
God cares for us in the chaos (14-23)
Jesus had told the disciples that the temple would be destroyed.  Four of them had asked him when this would take place and what would be the sign that these things were about to be fulfilled.  Jesus now gives them an answer.
When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong . . . then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  The ‘abomination that causes desolation’ is the sign that the temple was about to be destroyed.  But what is ‘the abomination that causes desolation’?  The answer lies in the book of Daniel.  There this phrase is used in connection with the desecration of the temple—the introduction of pagan sacrifices to it.
Jesus is telling them that ‘when you see pagan worship in the temple then you should know that it is about to be destroyed.’  While there is some debate about what this act of desecration looked like the thing to note is that it did take place and the temple was then destroyed in A.D. 70.
Jesus then gives them some specific advice.  The events surrounding the temple are going to be dreadful and his followers are to flee to the mountains.  If you read the history books you will see that the temple and the city itself were destroyed by the Romans, and it seems that the Christians did take this warning seriously and escaped before the crisis.
so note God’s care for his people!  Jesus warns them so that they will escape this terrible event.  In verse 20 we read that the Lord even shortened the time of that tribulation for the sake of his people.  The God who is in control of history altered the course of history for his people’s sake.
Look back upon your life through the eyes of faith.  Weren’t there times when you thought you could not cope, but He actually got you through?  Hasn’t He proven that He has trustworthy?  He who spared not His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, will He not grant us all things? (Rom. 8:32).  Psychologists have discovered that the mind can not dwell on anxiety and thankfulness at the same time, so thanking God for His past mercies actually drives out present worry!
One of the things that I love about our heavenly Father is that He is concerned about everything in our life.  We may not be facing the destruction of our city and having to flee our homes, but that does not mean He thinks the small things are insignificant.  He tells us to cast all our anxieties on Him–‘no job too big. no job too small’ – because He cares for us!
Don’t be afraid of Jesus’ return (verses 24-31)
When the four disciples had asked their question about when the temple would be destroyed they seem to have associated the destruction of the temple with the end of the world.
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Rather than doing my utmost to fully obey even very difficult commands, I turn quickly to the exclusions. I become an expert on what God does not mean rather than a demonstration of what he does. I live safely and comfortably rather than radically. And, I fear, I end up living in self-satisfied rebellion rather than free and joyful obedience.

I have long observed a fascinating but concerning tendency when I read one of the Bible’s clear commands. I have observed it in myself and I have observed it in others. It’s the tendency to turn quickly from what the Bible does command to what it does not, from the plainest sense of one of God’s directions to a list of exceptions or exclusions. It’s the tendency to hear what God says and immediately reply, “Yeah, but…”
“If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also,” Jesus says. Yeah, but you don’t really mean that in any sense but the metaphorical, right? Surely I shouldn’t actually allow myself to be harmed without mounting a strong defense. Surely I shouldn’t actually suffer unjustly without some kind of recourse or retaliation?
“Love your enemies.” Yeah, but they are your enemies too and they are doing harm to your people and your church. I’m sure you don’t mean for me to actually love them. What if I just pray for them and leave it at that? Isn’t righteous anger and imprecatory prayer a better response in this case?
“Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.” Yeah, but I know that beggar is going to use the money to buy booze and I’m pretty sure that borrower is going to fritter it away on something ridiculous. Surely wisdom should trump generosity in this circumstance, shouldn’t it?
“Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.” Yeah, but I’m sure you don’t mean for me to be subject to this ruler, this governor, this institution. Don’t you see how he stole the election? Don’t you see how he hates and defies you?
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Written by Richard P. Belcher, Jr. |
Wednesday, October 18, 2023
A wise person submits every aspect of life (thinking, willing, and feeling) to God’s Word….A foolish person rejects God’s Word, which is a rejection of God’s way of wisdom, and pays the moral consequences for not fearing God. 

No one wants to be considered a fool. A fool will act in ways that bring shame, ridicule, and condemnation to his life. But what if a large group of people define what has been deemed foolish as wisdom and what has been deemed wisdom as foolish? We see this happening in many different areas of our culture today, including how people want to express their sexuality. How are we to decide such questions? Where is wisdom really to be found?
God is the God of wisdom, which means that He is the source of wisdom. He has revealed in His Word what wisdom and foolishness look like. He defines the characteristics of a wise person and a foolish person. We become wise people as we live our lives according to the way that God defines wisdom. In so doing, we will also avoid the heartache and trouble that come with living a foolish life.
The Old Testament has a lot to say about wisdom. The main term for “wisdom” is the noun hokmah (there is also a verb and an adjective from the root hakam). “Wisdom” can refer to human wisdom, which always falls short of God’s wisdom because it comes from human strength rooted in arrogance (Isa. 10:13) and it leads people astray (47:10). True wisdom begins with God’s definition of wisdom. Wisdom can be defined in two broad ways. It refers to a skill that is learned or developed and a basic perspective on life. The first definition of a skill that is learned is also seen as a gift given by God. The skill needed to build and furnish the tabernacle is called “wisdom.” This includes the craftsmanship to devise artistic designs; to make Aaron’s garments; to work with gold, silver, and bronze; and to cut stones and carve wood (Ex. 28:3; 31:3–5; see also 35:25–26, 31, 35; 36:1–2). These skills are said to come from the Spirit of God. They are also skills that would need to be developed through training and experience. Solomon specifically asked God for wisdom to be able to govern the nation of Israel and to administer justice (1 Kings 3:7–14; 4:29). In the book of Proverbs, “wisdom” refers to the “skill” to navigate the difficulties of life. It helps us avoid the pitfalls of life to achieve the right goals in life.
The second way that wisdom is defined is as a description of a perspective on life. Two key passages are Psalm 111:10, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding,” and Proverbs 1:7, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” The perspective on life that comes with wisdom is the fear of the Lord. The word “fear” can have the connotation of being terrified of something or someone. When God appeared to the Israelites on Mount Sinai with thunder and lightning that caused the mountain to smoke, the people trembled (Ex. 19:16; 20:18). They were afraid that they were going to die (20:19). Moses tried to calm them with the words, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin” (v. 20). The word “fear” is used twice in this verse. Moses first commands the Israelites not to fear God. He is commanding them not to be terrified of God even though they have seen a manifestation of His majestic power. Instead, they should fear God so that they do not sin. Moses exhorts the people to have a reverence and respect for God that will affect the way that they live their lives. Such a reverence for God will lead them to want to honor God with how they think and what they do. They should be willing to submit the way they think and the way they live to the law that God has given them and to judge everything in life by the standards of righteousness that He has set forth. God becomes the center of a person’s life when he is willing to submit his life to the truth of God’s Word as the true path to wisdom. Deuteronomy 4:6 states that the keeping of the law of God is the people’s wisdom and understanding in the sight of the nations.
The book of Proverbs uses these same ideas to develop further the true path to wisdom and the implications for living life. The fear of the Lord is central to obtaining the knowledge that is key to living a life of wisdom. It is called the “beginning” of knowledge, which means that it is the first or controlling principle of a person’s life. You must start with the fear of the Lord to live a life of wisdom, but the fear of the Lord must also continue to be the basic perspective by which you live. It is foundational to everything else in life. First, it leads to knowledge (Hebrew da‘at). Knowledge includes information but it emphasizes more how to use that information. The craftsman who built the tabernacle had to know how “to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft” (Ex. 31:4–5). But to properly use that knowledge in ways that would be pleasing to the Lord included not just the work done on the tabernacle but also the right perspective that such work was done for the honor and glory of God. The Spirit of God was needed to help the craftsman approach the work with the right reverence for God (v. 3).
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