Gather HIS own from the four winds...[/caption]That is a big question and one worth pondering.
Yes, to do or not to do that is often the question we find ourselves asking and answering.
I have heard "2020" spoken of as a strange time. And I’m sure that there have been other years that people have deemed strange times.
- I’m sure that when the Mississippi River rolled backward three days in 1811 and formed Reelfoot Lake because of an earthquake, that was deemed strange times.
- I’m sure that when the smallpox epidemic was happening, that was deemed strange times. (As recently as 1967, the World Health Organization estimated that 15 million people contracted the disease and that two million died in that year. After successful vaccination campaigns throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the WHO certified the global eradication of smallpox in December 1979. [Wikipedia])
- I’m sure that when the flu pandemic of the early 1900s happened, that was deemed as strange times.
- When a person sees a tsunami for the first time, I’m sure they deem it as a strange time.
- When Mount Saint Helens blew up in Washington on the continental United States, I’m sure that was deemed as a strange time. (I still have one of the opal-looking rocks that was unearthed after the eruption.)
- And before the Lord comes back again, there are so many things that are going to have happened that people will have dubbed, "strange." But we’ve already been warned and been told to be ready. I spoke about that on my blog yesterday. Our question as we live our lives is whether to do or not to do. When we look at Matthew the 25th chapter starting with verse 31 going on down to verse 45, we see situations where some people chose to do, and others chose not to. We are shown what’s going to happen as a result of whichever actions we choose. When you read the passage cited below, you see what will happen if you do or if you don't.
Matthew 25:31-45
31 “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.
32 All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats;
33 and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
35 For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;
36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’
37 Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink?
38 And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?
39 When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’
40 The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’
41 “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink;
43 I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’
44 Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’
45 Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ (NASB) {Bold green writing is not a part of the cited text. I just highlighted it so as to make it stand out to you more.}
During these pandemic times, we can choose to do or not to do; we can choose to help, to clothe, to feed, etc., or we can choose not to. But it bears remembering that from the passage above, the Lord said, "If you did it to the least of them, you did it to me and vice-versa. So, let’s all be very aware that we live in strange times, and let’s treat each other as fellowmen and not enemies because we do not know when...
Just saying…
One Last Thought
How does the "book of remembrance" read when it comes to your name? Not to worry, as long as you are breathing, you can make what the record says be positive by treating each person we meet as we would the LORD.
Be safe.
Walking by faith,
Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones
No comments:
Post a Comment