From Gary... A sign for the times

This is a sign for the times we live in!  Our government seems to have gone crazy, morals have all but disappeared, and financial security seems like a thing of the past.  Its hard to know what to do next.  So, it is not surprising to see this sign.  But there is hope!!!  Read this passage from the book of James and be encouraged!!!

James, Chapter 3

 13  Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by his good conduct that his deeds are done in gentleness of wisdom.  14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t boast and don’t lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, sensual, and demonic.  16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition are, there is confusion and every evil deed.  17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.  18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. 

When all is lost, God is still there; showing you the way out of any mess, providing answers to all your problems, giving hope and comfort to those will perk up their ears and really listen to what HE has to say.  There is absolutely no question that God's ways are the best ways and those are revealed in the Holy Bible!!!  Read, think about what God has to say to you and lastly, DO IT!!!  You will find hope and direction in your life while those around you are still lost.  Smile, things are looking up!!!

From Jim McGuiggan...WHAT'S THE MATTER GEORGE?

WHAT'S THE MATTER GEORGE?

Didn’t I tell you that George Dawson made it to 103 and that not long before he died he wrote a book called Life is so Good. When George was a boy of twelve, the oldest of the children, poor, black, and away from home for the first time, he was working on Mr. Little’s farm. It was 1910. His family worked every waking hour to make a living out of the farm but things became especially hard with poor crops and mortgage payments. Mr. Dawson agreed that George could go work for Mr. Little. This would mean one less mouth to feed and a wage coming in.

Like so many others this boy had had to become a man long before he was a teenager. Even so, away from home, eating alone, sleeping alone in a tiny shack away from the main house, alone I said, sleeping on a wooden platform with a corn husk mattress on top—that was a burden and a half. He was twelve years old, for pity’s sake.

At home he slept with his brothers and sisters and when he visited the Coals and stayed the night they just squeezed him into the bed with their kids. Now away from home, "I would have given anything," he said, "for a crowded bed with my brothers and sisters sleeping and breathing next to me." How deep the need in us for warm human companionship.

"And then I thought of Mama’s biscuits. It would have been okay in the daytime when I was working. But somehow out there by myself in the shed, thinking of her biscuits only made me cry. Mrs. Little made good biscuits, but they weren’t Mama’s. I wanted to be strong, but I couldn’t help myself. I just wanted someone, Mama or Papa, to say it would be okay, or even for one of the little ones to ask, ‘What’s the matter, George?’ "Even for one of the little ones to ask, 'What’s the matter, George?'"

There’s something about that phrase.

The combined innocence of a child’s question and a twelve year old who must be a man before he has been allowed to be a boy. Oh, ohhhh, what a pain-filled world where children bear so much of the hardship and oh what a lovely sight it is to come across adults whose only interest in children is to nurture and help. How profoundly important are good deeds that are done—something kind, something sensitive and strong. [You remember some of those, don't you? Lovely things you did that you can't help being pleased about. Lovely things that deliver you from utter and complete self-despising when you know that you, at least a few times, rose to a brave and compassionate act that defied the world-spirit.]

How precious the memories of kindnesses are that make a child believe that the world is not all darkness or sleaze or cruelty. A flash of lightning, brief but it let’s you get your bearings in the dark. And how sweet it is to see a concerned face, a little face, too young to be hypocritical, looking at you with a mixture of wonder and pain and a universe of sympathy. How blessed the memory that someone made your tears and your aching heart their concern, with a tiny voice and big lovely, sincere question, "What’s the matter George?" How do you think George Dawson made it to 103 with a great spirit, having seen and felt all he saw and felt?

And who, if anyone, is going to look back and remember me at any age saying something like, "What’s the matter George?"

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long s money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Mark Copeland...The Judgment Of The Nations

                        "THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW"

                 The Judgment Of The Nations (25:31-46)

INTRODUCTION

1. Included in "The Olivet Discourse" are two parables, followed by a
   judgment scene...
   a. The parables are directed toward Jesus' disciples
      1) The first to encourage them to be watchful - Mt 25:1-13
      2) The second to admonish them to be productive - Mt 25:14-30
   b. The judgment scene depicts the nations brought before Jesus 
      - Mt 25:31-46
      1) Note that it is the "nations" being judged, not disciples
      2) The nations are judged based upon their treatment of Jesus'
         disciples
         a) Those that showed mercy and kindness to His disciples are
            blessed
         b) Those that did not are condemned

2. Questions abound regarding "The Judgment Of The Nations"...
   a. Who are the "nations" in this passage?  All of mankind, or only
      the non-elect?
   b. Is this "judgment" scene depicting the Day of Judgment, or might
      it refer to a judgment that foreshadowed the Final Judgment?
   c. As part of "The Olivet Discourse", could Jesus still be talking
      about events related to the destruction of Jerusalem?

[However one may answer such questions, there are important lessons to
be gleaned from these words of Jesus.  But let's first consider how it
may be that Jesus is still referring to events related to the
destruction of Jerusalem described in Mt 24...]

I. THE JUDGMENT OF THE NATIONS THEME

   A. AS FOUND IN THE BOOK OF JOEL...
      1. The coming day of the Lord is depicted
         a. Following the outpouring of God's Spirit - Joel 2:28-29
         b. A great and terrible day is coming - Joel 2:30-31
         c. Yet salvation is available to those who accept it

            Joel2:32; cf. Ac 2:16-21
      2. A "judgment of the nations" is then described
         a. The nations gathered in the Valley of Jehoshaphat -Joel3:1-2a,12-16
         b. The nations judged on the basis of their treatment of God's
            people - Joel 3:2b-8

   B. AS FOUND IN THE OLIVET DISCOURSE...
      1. Jesus foretold the coming day of the Lord - Mt 24:1-51
         a. Coming in destruction upon Jerusalem 
         b. With warnings to escape when they see Jerusalem surrounded
            by armies
      2. A judgment of the nations is then described - Mt 25:31-46
         a. The nations gathered before Son of Man
         b. The nations judged on the basis of their treatment of God's
            people ("inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of
            these My brethren")

   C. THIS IS A COMMON THEME IN THE SCRIPTURES...
      1. God describes judgment to come, using other nations as
         instruments of His wrath
      2. But He also holds the nations accountable for how His people
         are treated; for example...
         a. Assyria, the rod of God's anger - Isa 10:5-7,12-14,24-26
         b. Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Ammon - Amos 1:3,6,9,11,13
      3. Nations that went too far (e.g., abusing the innocent) were
         held accountable

   D. JESUS MAY BE USING THE SAME THEME...
      1. Describing a judgment upon the nations...
         a. Employing figures reminiscent of the Judgment at the Last
            Day; for example...
            1) The Son of Man coming in glory, sitting on His throne
            2) The nations divided like sheep and goats
            3) Judgment rendered, followed by reward or punishment
         b. For such judgments foreshadowed and typified the Final
            Judgment
      2. Describing a judgment of the nations...
         a. Which followed the Lord's judgment upon Jerusalem - Mt 24
         b. Regarding their treatment of His brethren (the disciples of
            Jesus)
         c. Nations who treated them kindly would be blessed, otherwise
            they would be condemned
         -- In the Book of Revelation, we see how Jesus dealt with the 
            Roman empire, used as the instrument of wrath in destroying
            Jerusalem, and then the object of wrath in its own judgment

[This may be what Jesus is doing at this point in "The Olivet
Discourse".  It would certainly serve to comfort His disciples, knowing
that nations which failed to show mercy to them would not go
unpunished.  Even if this is point of the text, we can still glean
important...]

II. LESSONS FROM THE JUDGMENT OF THE NATIONS

   A. THERE WILL BE A DAY OF JUDGMENT...
      1. Just as the Lord has judged nations throughout history
      2. So He will judge the world at the end of time, at the Last Day
         a. Jesus often spoke of the Judgment - e.g., Mt 12:36-37,
            41-42; Jn 12:47-48
         b. Paul also - e.g., Ac 17:30-31; 24:25; Ro 2:3-6; 14:10; 
            2Co 5:10; 2Ti 4:1
         c. Others as well - e.g., He 9:27; 1Pe 4:5; 2Pe 2:9; 3:7;
            1Jn 4:17; Jude 6
      -- Are we preparing for the Day of Judgment?

   B. ONE ISSUE WILL BE HOW WE TREATED JESUS' BRETHREN...
      1. Of course, every deed, word, and thought will be judged (see
         above verses)
      2. But our text reminds us how Jesus takes the treatment of His
         brethren - Mt 25:40,45
         a. "as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren,
            you did it to Me"
         b. "as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did
            not do it to Me"
      3. Jesus made the same point to Saul on the road to Damascus 
         - Ac 9:1-5
         a. "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?"
         b. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting."
         -- By persecuting the church, Saul was guilty of persecuting
            Christ!
      4. Jesus is the head, and His disciples (the church) is His body
         - Ep 1:22-23
         a. What we do or not do for His disciples, we do or not do for
            Christ!
         b. How is our treatment of our brethren?  Are we guilty of:
            1) Abusing them?
            2) Ignoring them?
            3) Failing to love them?
      -- What is our relationship with other Christians, especially in
         the context of the local church?

   C. THERE ARE PLACES PREPARED FOR AFTER THE JUDGMENT...
      1. One is for prepared people - Mt 25:34
         a. Described as "the kingdom prepared for you from the
            foundation of the world" - cf. 2Ti 4:18; 2Pe 1:11
         b. Described as "new heavens and a new earth in which 
            righteousness dwells" - cf. 2Pe 3:13; Re 21:1
         c. Described as "the holy city, New Jerusalem" - cf. He 13:14;
            Re 3:12; 21:2-7
         -- This place is for those whose names are in the Lamb's book
            of Life - Re 20:11-15
      2. One is for unprepared people - Mt 25:41
         a. Described as "the everlasting fire prepared for the devil
            and his angels" - cf. Re 20:10
         b. Described as "the like of fire and brimstone" - Re 20:10,
            14; 21:8
         c. Described as "the second death" - Re 20:14; 21:8
         -- This place is for those whose names are not in the book of
            life - Re 20:15
      3. Both places are prepared to last for eternity - Mt 25:46
         a. The one offering everlasting punishment
         b. The other offering eternal life

CONCLUSION

1. God's judgment upon nations in the past were written for our
   admonition - 1Co 10:11
   a. Such judgments reveal that God is a Righteous Judge
   b. Such judgments portend the Judgment to come at the Last Day

2. Whether or not Jesus uses the setting of the Final Judgment to
   describe judgment upon the nations following the destruction of
   Jerusalem, His words should cause us to consider...
   a. Are we preparing for the Day of Judgment?
   b. Involved in that preparation, is our relationship with our
      brethren what it ought to be?
   c. What will Jesus say to us on that Day?

May we all walk in the grace and mercy of the Lord with an obedient
faith and love, so that we may hear Him say:

   "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared
   for you from the foundation of world." - Mt 25:34

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011