Advent I, B Psalm: Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
Old Testament: Isaiah 64:1-9
Gospel: Mark 13:24-37
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Old Testament: Isaiah 64:1-9
Gospel: Mark 13:24-37
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 1:3-9
- Advent means Coming! Jesus' Coming!
- From the days of the Apostolic Fathers this was a season set aside to prepare ourselves for His Return. The Christmas is very recent, andmaybe not the best idea.
- What does it mean that He is coming?
- Ac 1:6-12
- Not as He came before, as a helpless babe, and a wandering rabbi,but as He left: in glory, with all power and authority in power, to deliver, to judge, and to deliver judgment.....
- Where is He coming to?
- Jerusalem, real space/time location for a real space/time return as only befits His real, space/time Incarnation.
- When will this take place?
- "No man knows..." but we know that,
- The Judgment will be in two phases, first the redeemed, then the lost, and,So also His Coming, first to claim His bride, and then His actual Returnto reclaim His world.
- There will be a judgment, then to reward His faithful children, and then a judgment to sentence the sinners. Advent is a time to reflect, to search our own hearts and lives before God, which judgment are we headed for.
- It is not His will for the Church to be caught unawares.
- How will it happen, and how will we know?
- Every eye shall see. No "secret comings" or "hidden resurrections" like certain heretic cults have claimed.
- We will see Him face-to-face, and in seeing, be transformed.
- Why is He coming, and why do we need to make ourselves ready? He is coming,
- To make all things new (He is coming to make all things new. Are we, by His grace, making all things new in our lives today?)
- To put wrong to right, (ditto, this!)
- To establish an eternal Kingdom of righteousness on this earth (and, this!)
- And all this is just the beginning!
- Seeing things through kingdom glasses, understanding things in light of God's revelation to us, waiting for when we can see with kingdom eyes, by the light of God!
- Is there anything in this world we can rely on? Anything that will survive as long as we will? How can we depend on something that is so temporary, that we will be around long after what we trusted in has rotted away?
- Jesus said, "fear not, little flock, (etc)," and warned us, "what profit is there if a man gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?"
- 2 Peter 3:1-13
Hi Robert,
ReplyDeleteThat is a good Biblical ending to a series of points which are a good quick summary of the essentials.
Russ:)
2 Peter 3:1-13 (King James Version)
2 Peter 3
1This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:
2That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:
3Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
4And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
5For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
6Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
7But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
8But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
9The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
10But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
11Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
12Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
13Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Yeah, my rector keeps saying I'm on to something when I close with a reading like that. This week's is apt to be even quicker though, sadly, a bit more controversial due to the way that a fragmented view of the Gospel tends today to us missing points, which then just aggravates the problem, with each party defending their most familiar splinter and none getting the full view of the Cross. Not saying I've got the whole Picture in perfect view, but I do hope it will help shed light where needed.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the support with the PhD defence, Robert. I will post on the problem of evil for the next month in preparation.
ReplyDeleteDid you see the Lochness Monster?
Ach, Russ, I was only on the Green Isle- never went across!
ReplyDeleteNo, the monster on my thekingpin68 article, sorry. See You Tube.
ReplyDelete