The Unexpected Hour of His Coming

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Pastor Doug Batchelor shared, “If we’re living lives of consistent surrender and obedience and looking for opportunities to share our faith, we won’t need to worry about the date on the calendar because we’ll be ready every day for the Lord’s coming!”

What’s the significance of the Lord’s coming for Christians and humanity? It is called the “Blessed Hope” of all believers in Jesus. It is the day that His promise to return fulfilled more than 2,000 years ago. Jesus provided specific admonition for all who looks forward to His return:

Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect (Matthew 24:42-44 ESV).

What does it mean to stay awake? Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary explained, “Our Lord's coming will be happy to those that shall be found ready, but very dreadful to those that are not.” Simply, an anticipation of something big is about to happen that cause oneself to become mindful at all times. Paul exhorted the Corinthian church in this manner, “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13). Peter added, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

Another attitude to adopt is to stay in constant readiness. Specifically, it is a reminder for believers of Jesus to be ready as Luke stressed, "Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning” (Luke 12:35).

Houses constructed of sun-dried bricks, mud, or loose stones, could be easily pierced and entered without forcing shuttered window or barred door. The significance of the parable is easy to see. The householder is the disciple of Christ, the thief is Christ himself, who comes on the unwatchful when and where they expect him not. ~Pulpit Commentary

Jim Bramlett posed an excellent question, “Does God gives clue?[1] Then, he enumerated the answers to this nagging issue:

·      He gave Noah advance notice of when the flood would be in Genesis 6 & 7.

·      He told Abraham how long the Israelites would be in Egypt in Genesis 15:13.

·      He revealed to many people the very day of Elijah's rapture in 2 Kings 2.

·      He told Jeremiah how long the Babylonian exile would be in Jeremiah 29:10.

·      He told Daniel exactly when Messiah would come the first time in Daniel 9:25-26.

So, what should be done while waiting for Jesus? Allow me to provide some recommendations for everyone to implement as we wait patiently and enthusiastically for Jesus’ coming anytime. First, recognize that God is always in control. Often when it seems nothing is happening is when things happen behind the scenes. Habakkuk emphasized, “Look around at the nations; look and be amazed! For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn’t believe even if someone told you about it” (1:5 NLT). Next, renew your faith in God’s constant provision. Waiting is not incidental to faith. Waiting is the DNA of faith as the Psalmist’s exhorted, “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14, ESV). Finally, redeem your time while waiting for Jesus. Times of uncertainty and doubt are useful periods in which we can draw into God, hone our skills and prepare for the time when that big day comes as James stressed, “let patience have her perfect work” (1:4).

At night as Dr. Horatius Bonar retired to rest, his last action ere he laid down to sleep was to draw aside the curtain and looking up into the starry heavens, say: "Perhaps tonight, Lord?" In the morning, as he arose, his first movement was to raise the blind, and looking out upon the gray dawn, remark: "Perhaps today, Lord?"—The Dawn.

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[1] Jim Bramlett Retrieved from http://www1.cbn.com/biblestudy/signs-of-jesus%27-return

The Rainbow and God's Faithfulness

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After the great flood that destroyed every living thing, the ark of Noah rested on Mt. Ararat and God directed Noah to look at the horizon. God spoke to Noah and said, “When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth” (Genesis 9:16-17, ESV). Here, in a nutshell, the covenant of God using the rainbow as the visual evidence of God’s covenant and promise to every living creatures represented by Noah and his family.

How does a rainbow form? Discovery kids.com explained:

Rainbows happen when sunlight and rain combine in a very specific way. The beams of sunlight separate into the colors we see in the rainbow as they enter a raindrop. Sunlight is actually made up of different colors that we don’t usually see. When a beam of sunlight comes down to Earth, the light is white. But, if the light beam happens to hit raindrops on the way down at a certain angle, the different colors that make up the beam separate so that we can see them — in the form of a rainbow. The angle for each color of a rainbow is different, because the colors slow down at different speeds when they enter the raindrop. The light exits the raindrop in one color, depending on the angle it came in, so we see only one color coming from each raindrop. Light at different angles coming through many raindrops form the rainbow that we see, in stripes of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.

Throughout Scripture, the rainbow symbolizes God’s glory — the radiance of his beauty, holiness, and perfection. Dieudonne Tamfu described, “None of us have beheld God’s glory with our eyes. The rainbow gives us a picture of the beauty believers will see when God comes again to live on the earth and to fill it with his glory.”  First, the rainbow was a sign from God. Next, the rainbow was a resolution. Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary emphasized, “As God looks upon the bow, that he may remember the covenant, so should we, that we may be mindful of the covenant with faith and thankfulness.” Lastly, the rainbow was a reminder. Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible expounded, “whenever they see the bow in the cloud, that God is not unmindful of the covenant he has made with all creatures, and which is to continue to the end of the world. GK Chesterton provided an excellent picture, “And when it rains on your parade, look up rather than down. Without the rain, there would be no rainbow.”

Whenever we see a rainbow, we need to remember that God’s glory is revealed. Also, God’s faithfulness is renewed whenever a rainbow is seen and most importantly, God’s integrity is reinforced whenever a rainbow is seen as Matthew 24:35 asserted, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (ESV).

On the other hand, the rainbow reminds us the effects of sinfulness, disobedience, and its destructive consequences when we choose our way outside of God’s will. Also, the rainbow provides an excellent reminder of what God did but seeing a rainbow gives comfort, knowing that even after a terrible storm, God can and will be with us. Lastly, the rainbow reminds us of the salvation that God offered to Noah and everyone who believes in His Word and His Son. God always give enough time to reconsider our ways and to return to Him, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9, ESV).

After all is said and done keep looking up because after each rain or storm that passes, God wants us to look up into the rainbow as it appears being a symbol of hope that God stands behind His covenant for all eternity.

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Remembering my Dad

Eugenio "Jun" Navo Jr. (01/8/1940 – 02/28/2016)

He is a husband of a loving wife, a father of five wonderful children, a grandfather to cheerful kids, a brother to his siblings, a friend to many and a God’s child. It is an overview of who he was to many people in his lives in the past until his last breath.

As a Husband

 

It was a front-row seat for me to witness the loving relationship between my Dad and Mom. Although they were nine years apart, they were deeply in love. It was not a perfect marriage but they were perfect for each other. Nonetheless, theirs was a marriage made for them by the Lord until death separated them after 47 years.

 As a Father

Having five children with four girls and an only boy, my Dad preferred to have boys, and if not for Mom’s losing her ovary, there was a huge possibility that twelve children may have been our number instead of five. My Dad wasted no time, they were married January 1969 and in November, I was born, Evelyn came next on December the following year, then Joan on January the next year. It was with Arlene and Eliza that a break came but both were born two years apart in the same month. His style was strict not just to us but to his nieces and nephews as well. He wanted the best for his children and extended family and being strict was his way of showing care. I didn’t understand it then but appreciated them altogether. He is a man of few words but a man determined to express his feelings in a straightforward manner without any pretense whatsoever. He was proud of us and made sure that he shared about it to many of his friends.

As a Provider

I remembered tagging along as a little kid during his PLDT days as an installer-repairman and seeing his work first-hand was one of our bonding times until he left for overseas in the early 80’s and became an OFW for most of my elementary and high school days. In leaving for Libya and Saudi Arabia to provide for the needs of his family, he missed a lot of important events in our lives growing up but it was a sacrifice he needed to endure for his family’s welfare. We heard his personal messages through audiotapes, overseas telephone conversation, and letters. He sent whatever he can to ensure that his family was cared for and whatever request we have, he would try to send it as well. He loved his family so much and gave up many years in doing so.

 

As a Grandfather

My Dad was blessed to have grandchildren that he needed to converse in English. He may not be fluent in speaking it but his grandchildren understood him nevertheless. Whenever a favor was asked of him about any of his grandchildren regarding pick-up from school, babysitting hours and other things, he would never say no but always on the go. Mcdonald’s would be one their hangouts and he would bring them as his treat. His grandchildren recognized his strictness but in a different way for how he showed to us and it was more of playful strictness and my Dad enjoyed them a lot.

As a Brother to his Siblings

 

My Dad cared for his siblings and his relationship with them was solid. He made them laugh whenever they meet in Balagtas, Bulacan during his visits to them. It was one of those days that my Dad constantly brings me along with him. He loved them and cared for them also. My Dad was good-humored whenever he sees them and saw how they cared for him as well. Whenever he asked them a favor or any request from him, they dotingly accommodated him.

As a Friend to Many

My Dad was not an extrovert but he loves telling stories to people that would like to engage discussion. It wasn’t a huge number of people but it was enough for him to be in a company of friends that he liked to keep. When meeting with new people, he would ask many questions as his way of inquiring about them. It was his way of making people comfortable using this style. People would be uncomfortable at first but before they separate they would tell me they liked my Dad and his way of engaging people. He has his way and people that knew him remembered it explicitly.

As a Child of God

My Dad’s journey in his relationship with God was an uphill battle; he was not religious and curses a lot as part of his vocabulary. However, whenever possible, he would be in a church to attend important events. The turning point in his life was during one of his illness and through hearing the gospel message, received the Lord as his Savior and Lord. It was a significant event for him and for myself, as a Pastor because God used another person to lead him and secure his spot in God’s family.

Goodnight Dad

Remembering him in this manner allowed me to deeply appreciate my Dad’s life and journey until the end. His life may be ordinary compared to others, but he made extraordinary efforts that made a huge impression to many people until his death. It was clear that my Dad’s life was a colorful one and filled with many adventures. 

His illness was a long battle filled with pain that he tolerated silently. We were fully aware of his pain and greatly admired him for being strong. He was stubborn yet he knew what was at stake. At the end, even in the midst of pain, I believed that the Lord Jesus was conversing with him as he reflected many days before his passing. I saw the peace of God on the day that I was in the hospital, we were alone and prayed for him, said my goodnight, and kissed him on the forehead. Deep inside, I was made aware that it was not that long. Later that day, he passed away witnessed by my siblings. When I visited and saw him lying on his bed without life, I saw a man’s body fully rested and free from pain but the soul and spirit of Eugenio “Jun” Navo Jr. went on his eternal journey to heaven and to be with the Lord forever. To this, we say, cheers to you Dad until we see you again!

God's Kingdom and You in 2016

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God’s Kingdom has been compared to a hidden treasure in the field and a pearl of great price; thus, God’s people must place enormous value on being part of the Kingdom of God, and the true riches that people received when they become members of God’s Kingdom. “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it (Matthew 13:44-46, ESV).

What is the Kingdom of God? Dr. David Naugle defined the Kingdom of God this way,

The Hebrew word for kingdom is malkut and its Greek counterpart is basileia. Both terms primarily mean “rule” or “reign.” Only secondarily do they denote a realm, sphere, or territory over which a rule or reign is exercised. Both terms have a dynamic or active meaning, and refer to the exercise of God’s power, dominion, or sovereignty.”

Why did Jesus choose a pearl to compare God’s Kingdom in this parable? Ron Graham explained,

Jesus chose a pearl rather than a gold nugget or a diamond because it may be that a pearl is a ready-made treasure that cannot be improved upon by man. A pearl need not be melted down and purified, nor does it need facets cut upon it so that its glory may be seen. The kingdom of God comes to us already perfect. We cannot improve it in any way, or make it more valuable than it is.”

In understanding the reality of God’s Kingdom and its value, what is the significant value of God’s Kingdom today? Jesus spoke that God’s Kingdom should hold prominence and first place in our lives, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33, ESV). Next, looking from God’s perspective, it highlights the spiritual and universal nature of God's kingdom and illustrates that the Kingdom of God is a heavenly kingdom for people of all nations. Lastly, the parable demonstrated that the glory and power of God’s kingdom couldn’t be understood and explained using the combined wisdom of the ages. Why? Because when God is fully involved, everything else becomes insignificant to what He can do to those that are part of His Kingdom.

Now, what would you do when you find a great treasure such as God’s Kingdom? There are three specific things we can do: (a) Let others see the value of God’s Kingdom in our lives by living it out; (b) Let others know about the existence of God’s Kingdom by speaking about its value in our lives, and (c) Let others enter by leading them in the God’s Kingdom by boldly sharing its effect on our lives. And most importantly, lead others towards God’s Kingdom to ignite people’s hearts on fire. It is easy to determine when something is aflame. It ignites other material. Any fire that does not spread will eventually go out. (Christian Theology in Plain Language, p. 162).

Remember that the parables Jesus told reflected the high value of belonging to the kingdom of God and nothing is worth having unless you and I become part of His Kingdom. Jesus said it explicitly, “Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will never pass away.” When we believe His Word, then His Kingdom would become a reality in our lives. What’s the attraction of this kingdom? “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17, ESV).

Martin Luther said, “And if thou be not in the kingdom of Christ, it is certain that thou belonged to the kingdom of Satan, which is this evil world.” What are you still waiting? This year, make firm decision to enter God’s Kingdom through His Son, Jesus Christ, and He provided the way to do it, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

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Understanding our Spiritual Battle

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Another year is fast approaching, and we need a reminder of the spiritual battle we need to face with confidence and assurance of victory with God's help.

Craig Brian Larson, chief editor for Christianity Today's PreachingToday.com, shared a National Geographic article about the Alaskan bull moose: The males of the species battle for dominance during the fall breeding season, literally going head-to-head with antlers crunching together as they collide. Often the antlers, their only weapon are broken. That ensures defeat. The heftiest moose, with the largest and strongest antlers, triumphs. Therefore, the battle fought in the fall is really won during the summer, when the moose eat continually. The one that consumes the best diet for growing antlers and gaining weight will be the heavyweight in the fight. Those that eat inadequately sport weaker antlers and less bulk.

These images clearly illustrate what occurs in our spiritual battle on a daily basis. One gained supremacy because their dietary source was better than the other and not about their size. Thus, in our spiritual battle against our enemy, our victory depends on the strength of our faith life and not our religious life. We need to anchor our faith in God’s promises to remain “strong in the Lord and in his mighty power” (Ephesians 6:10). What are the sources of our strength? It is through “the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:1) and the “power through his Spirit in your inner being” (Ephesians 3:16).

Aside from maintaining our faith-life secured, what else could we do to ensure our victory on an ongoing basis? Paul outlined specific instructions for us to do on a daily basis:

1.      “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (Ephesians 6:11). What does the armor of God symbolize? Paul explained it this way, “The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light” (Romans 13:12).

2.      “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:14-15).  Remember, the belt holds the clothing together in the same way that the truth of God’s Word holds our faith firmly in place while the breastplate protects the front body as it moves forward only. What does the breastplate symbolize? It is “putting on faith and love as a breastplate”(1 Thessalonians 5:8). What role do our feet signify? Our feet fitted with readiness “who bring good news!" (Romans 10:15) to others in need.

3.      “Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:16). What does this mean? The shield of faith is both a defensive and an offensive weapon against the enemy. It becomes defensive by having “minds that are alert and fully sober” (1 Peter 1:13) and it becomes offensive when we “keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” (Ephesians 6:18).

4.      “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:17). When we wear the “hope of salvation as a helmet” (1 Thessalonians 5:8), we preserve what Christ gave us in His death in the same way that Jesus used the word of God to defeat Satan’s schemes in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-15).

How do preserve and secure these things on a daily basis? By following the same pattern of clothing ourselves physically. Simply put, it is a position of readiness at all times because our enemy lurks and waits for an opportunity to attack. Ray Stedman explained,

“We have been born into a world under the control of the satanic mind. Yet, in the mystery of the cross of Jesus and in the power of His resurrection, applied by faith, we discover that the force which ruins us is now broken and its power is canceled.”

He added, “No battle was ever won without courage, perseverance, and strength. And that is the challenge before us, clearly sounded in Ephesians 6.” But the most important aspect of our spiritual battle is to distinguish our real enemy: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:12). Thus the conclusion of the whole matter: Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand (Ephesians 6:13). Keep standing no matter what and to hold your ground at all cost. Jesus did, and He promised His presence is with us when we do the same.

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