ODJ: at the end of the day
September 7, 2009
Dear brothers and sisters, stay true to the Lord. I love you and long to see you, dear friends, for you are my joy and the crown I receive for my work (Philippians 4:1).
READ: 2 Timothy 4:9-21
Recently my father had open-heart surgery and my father-in-law broke his back. Immediately after their surgeries—and for the weeks that followed—both men tearfully expressed their deep affection for family and friends. “I just love people!” my bedridden father-in-law repeated to anyone within hug-shot.
While their emotional outbursts might be attributable in part to their medication, it seems likely that their brushes with death focused their minds on what mattered most. Both men kept obsessively tidy cars, lawns, and homes. But after their crises, neither asked about the things they owned. They cared only about people.
Paul’s final letter to Timothy conveys a similar focus. Aware that “the time of my death is near” (2 Timothy 4:6), Paul implored Timothy to “please come as soon as you can” (v.9). The apostle felt alone, for Demas, Crescens, and Titus had left him. So he urged Timothy to “bring Mark with you when you come” and to “do your best to get here before winter” (vv.11,21).
Paul was as driven as anyone you’ll ever meet. How else could he have become our greatest missionary? Yet, at the end of the day he cared most about people. Perhaps this is why he concluded his most doctrinal epistle with approximately 30 greetings to specific Christians in Rome. Paul knew that theological orthodoxy means little without people to share it with.
The same holds true for any kind of success. Warren Buffett said: “I know people who have a lot of money, and they get testimonial dinners and hospital wings named after them. But the truth is that nobody in the world loves them. When you get to be my age, you’ll measure your success in life by how many people actually do love you. That’s the ultimate test of the way you’ve lived your life.” —Mike Wittmer
If you knew that you were going to die tomorrow, what people would you need or want to spend time with today? How will you reach out to them?
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This meditation taught me the importance to love people and being loved by people.This is the essence of a Christian life, we are commanded to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:39) and even to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44). This is an act of obedience to God.
I agree whole heartedly with this story as i can relate especially when i was unsaved, i was more selfish and self centred with my own problems and concerned of the earthly things that surrounded me. Now that i have been saved i strive to put God First in my life as well as people and myself, as i have learnt that we must show more concern for what we can do to help other people than ourselves. This is what make us grow in knowing & pleasing our God and becoming more Like Him.In otherwords God Centered.
At the end of the day..
we must look @ what that means now more than ever.. the day has 24 hrs.. none of which is promised to end at the exact hr the other begins..
Scripture says that no one knows the day nor the hr of Christ’s return.. so what must we do??
we keep on doing his will till he calls us home.. and doing his will has work related accidents:
the bible says in Luke 17:1.. The things that cause people to sin are bound to come.. and many in the last day will turn cold on Jesus..
so what must we do.. what does the Bible command??
1 if your hand causes you to sin cut it off..
2 if your eye causes you to sin.. pluck it out..
if your foot causes you to sin chop it of..
why this mutilation??
the Spirit is willing but the flesh is deperately wicked..
so we beat the flesh daily.. we pick up our cross.. crucify if it on a Roman cross.. and follow Jesus..
why.. woe to that person thru whom sin comes.. for this reason.. Paul before his time lamented.. “Oh wrenched man that i am.. who will deliver me from this body of sin?? ” “the things i want to do i cannot,when i want to do good.. sin is always before me”
the law of the flesh battles against the law of the mind.. the flesh wages war against the spirit.. sin crouches @ the door of our hearts.. it seeks to devour us.. and we all like sheep have gone astray.. each doing his own bidding..
in the last days, says the Lord of Hosts.. men will be desperately wicked. loves of pleasure.. not lovers of God.. and on that Great Day of Terror.. it will be better for Sodom and Gomorrah.. that for the nations of the earth.. men of Sodom will stand to judge the men of this age..
so.. @ the end of the day.. what is the remedy>>
the book of Luke 17:7-10 gives us the way we are to see our servant-hood in light of God’s divine power.. which gives us everything we need for life n Godliness.. through our knowledge of Him who called us.. by his own glory and goodness..
“Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes from in from the field.. Come along and sit down to eat? Would he not rather say.. Prepare my meal, get yourself ready and wait on me while i eat and drink: after that you may eat and drink? Would he thank the servant because he did what we was told to do? So.. you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say.. We are unworthy servants; we have done our duty”