Smarter

"Nobody knows when that day or time will be," Matthew 24:36.

Who's talking here? Jesus. What day's he talking about? The day the Son of Man would appear. Yeah, and Jesus said nobody except the Father knows when. Nobody. Nobody except. (But that never stopped people over the past two thousand years from weighing in with their smarter-than-Jesus wisdom and bandying dates and times all over the place.) Jesus clearly said life would be normal at his advent. Clearly. Two guys would be at work like normal when the Son of Man would come. Two women would be at work like normal when the Son of Man would come. Just a normal day like any other. So, Jesus said, Get Ready, Stay Alert. Because he's coming. When we do not expect him. Except the Father.

As we get together with a brother or sister today, we hope eagerly anticipating Jesus' nearing advent. And, together, we give thanks to God for holding our future secure, well in hand.

Nearer

"Salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed," Romans 13:11.

Therefore. Owe each other nothing at all. Well, except for, keep on paying back love to each other. (That's how we do everything the law says to do.) Yes, we keep owing love to each other. And, too. It's time for us to wake up. Nighttime's dying away. It's dawn. There's no time for doing dark stuff, no time for wild parties, no time for getting drunk, no time for any sexual sin, no time for fighting, no time for jealousy. It's time to end plans that satisfy our sinful selves. Salvation's getting closer and closer! So. Before it's too late. Because it gets closer and closer. Consequently. It's time to get up. To get dressed with Jesus. With the Lord. With Christ. To anticipate the Day ahead!

We remind each other today, a brother or a sister, that the Lord will appear soon, that the consummation of the age draws nigh. And, together, we give thanks to God for confident hope that the eternal Day's coming!

Present

"The Lord's teachings will go out from Zion," Isaiah 2:3.

In the eighth century, B.C., a prophet saw the word about the last days. Here's the word he saw: the hill that the Lord's temple sat on in Jerusalem would become the most exalted of all mountains, all peoples would flow up to it to learn and walk in God's ways; God's judgment and peace would reign supreme over all. So, in the last days, seven and a half centuries later, God spoke to us humans through his son, Jesus, whom he raised up (from the dead) to reign beside. As Jesus prepared to leave earth and to rise up into the clouds, he told his followers: Repentance and forgiveness of sins must be announced in his name to all peoples, beginning from Jerusalem. And so it was. And so it continues. Until Jesus should appear again in the clouds. Sky kingdom.

We meet with each other today, brother or sister, walking in the Lord's way. And, as we turn together toward Zion's hill, we give thanks for the Lord's teachings reaching out to us all the way from the hill's cross to our very present.

Stilled

"God is our protection and our strength," Psalm 46:1.

God helps us in times of trouble. Therefore: We will not be afraid. Even if the earth shakes. Even if the mountains slough off into the sea. Even if the oceans roar. Even if mountains shake with the seas' pounding. We will not fear. God lives right in the middle. His dwelling remains secure. Nations rage. Kingdoms fall. God speaks. And the earth melts. Jehovah God of armies lives among his people. God is our fortress. God wipes out opposing wars, weapons, armor - all in shambles. God says: Be still! I am God! So, hearts quiet down. We will not fear. Sky kingdom.

Today we visit with a brother or sister stilled in our God's protection. And, grateful together, we give heartfelt thanks for his imperishable security.

Crispy

"Fire came down from heaven and burned them up," Revelation 20:9.

Whoa! What's it talking about? Well, that's the whole Bible story of Armageddon. Yeah, that's pretty much it. So. Everybody Satan deceived, Gog and Magog, all the bad guys of planet earth (and elsewhere), a humongous number, surrounded God's people, his city. Looked pretty grim. Hopeless. But not so! No! Not at all! (Why not? because God.) So all those stories and movies and books about the horrors of the Armageddon war? Nothing to them. (They're not Bible.) Just as the thing's about to start, so it seems, God sends fire from the sky and it's all over. Like that. Crispy critters. His people, his kingdom, safe for ever. Nothing to worry about. The war's done. Done. Sky kingdom.

Citizens of a kingdom that cannot be shaken, we meet with a brother or sister today in thankful praise to him who sits on the throne and to the lamb, slain from the foundation of the world, alive for ever more. Praise and honor and glory and power for ever! And ever!

Safe

"Whoever comes to me I will never cast out," John 6:37.

Jesus said he had come down from the sky. He said his father had sent him. So, Jesus said, he came to do his father's bidding. He had not come to do whatever he, Jesus himself, might have otherwise wanted to do. And, Jesus said, his father's will held that Jesus should not lose a single thing that the father had given to him. Yeah. So, Jesus said, he, Jesus, on the last day, would resurrect every thing given to him. Yep. Every single one who gazed at Jesus, each one might have forever life. That is, every single one who believed in Jesus would have life that never ends. Yes. Jesus himself would raise each one up on the last day. Unbelievable. Well, that's what Jesus said, anyway.

We, brothers and sisters, come together today blessed in assurance that we're safe in the arms of Jesus. And, together, we speak unutterable thanks to God for receiving our living belief in Christ as enough for life.

Criminal

"Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom," Luke 23:42.

Who's talking? A criminal, hanging, nailed to a cross beside Jesus. Where's Jesus? Well, yeah, also nailed to a cross, dying, beside the convict. Now, this bad guy had acknowledged that he himself deserved this horrid execution. He also had affirmed that Jesus' execution had no just cause. And then, he said: Remember me. To whom (again)? To a dying Jesus. To one later that very day, who hung dead on his own cross. So how does one man, watching another die right beside him, make such an absurd request? No matter. Jesus answered: You'll be with me in paradise today. Sky kingdom.

When we visit a brother or sister today, we acknowledge our own just convictions for sin, and ask a risen Christ to remember us in his kingdom. And, together, we express inexpressible thanks for the assurance of God's grace and unfathomable kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Moved

"He brought us into the kingdom of his dear Son," Colossians 1:13.

Who did this? God. Who did God do this to? Us. To us, who? To us, who believe in Christ Jesus. To us, who love all the people likewise made holy by faith in Christ. So what's the thing God did? God transferred us. God packed us up and moved us all from that place to this place. What place did us get moved from? From the domain of darkness. From its power. What place did God move us into? Into the kingdom of his son. Of Jesus. Into the kingdom of heaven. When's God going to move us in? He's already done it. Past tense. Transfer's done. Since when? Since the day us came to understand God's real grace, since us came to living faith in Jesus. Sky kingdom.

Seeing a brother or sister today, we share God's love in the kingdom's new rule. And, together, we give thanks to God for having moved us into his neighborhood.

When

"Says the Lord of heaven's armies: They belong to me. On that day they will be my very own," Malachi 3:17.

Who? Who belong to God? These: People who honor the Lord. Who fear the Lord. Who esteem the Lord's name. And in what ways do they respect God? Two ways. Way one: These talk with each other. (Talk about what? God's loyalty, of course!, his faithfulness!) Way two: These do not bad-mouth God. They do not buy into vulgar talk that claims it's pointless to serve God since the bad guys keep on winning. No, not at all. Quite the contrary: these God-honoring people become his treasure. God's treasured possession. When will we see it? (Here's the call for perseverance). When? When he does it. Obviously.

We visit with one another today confessing God's loyalty to us, his own people. And, together, we honor the Lord of the sky kingdom whose armies ever serve his purposes in his time.