Passage to Ponder...

“Do not be deceived.  God cannot be mocked.  A man reaps what he sows.  The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.  Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”          

Galatians 6:7-10

VERSES FROM YOUR BIBLE

Regarding adversity, read...

Matthew 10:16-42.

Regarding anger, read…

Matthew 5:21-26.

QUICK QUIPS

The main thing is to keep

the main thing the main thing.

~           ~           ~           ~

The way I see it,

if you want the rainbow,

you gotta put up with the rain.

FROM THE WORD. . .

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,

but whoever rejects the Son will not see life,

for God’s wrath remains on him.”  (John 3:35-36)

These words of Jesus highlight the purpose for which He came into the world. That purpose was not to overthrow the political and social structures of His times, but to help all who believe to
receive eternal life and escape the wrath that is to come.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave demonstrated the greatest power ever seen on earth. Yet God in His wisdom left much of the political and material circumstances of life as they were—seemingly untouched by the power of the resurrection.

After Easter, Pontius Pilate was still the governor of Judea. The Jews still suffered under him. His brief encounter with Christ does not appear to have made any permanent mark on him. Some years later Pilate was removed from office by the Roman government for misrule, and banished to Gaul. But this was not directly related to Christ’s coming.

After Easter, Caiaphas was still the high priest, and the scribes and Pharisees still held the reins of religious power in Judea. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection did not change that. It was not
designed to change that.

After Easter, the tax collectors still bled the people as they did before. The moneychangers still sat at their table in the porch of the temple, turning God’s house into a “den of thieves.” The poor were still oppressed by the devious and unscrupulous who took advantage of them for their own gain. Rome still ruled the world with an iron rod.

To the casual observer, it would appear that Christ’s resurrection changed nothing at all. The world continued on its course as if nothing had happened.

Nothing changed, but everything changed. The purpose of the resurrection of Christ was not to reform the world and make it a better place to live, but to draw believers out of the world and to set their minds on things above.

The risen Lord didn’t even bother to appear to any of his enemies. He appeared only to those who believed in Him.

Jesus’ resurrection from the grave did not purpose to improve the conditions of earthly life, but to give assurance to those who believe that this life is not the final destiny.