THE PRESENT FUTURE (1 PETER 4:7-10)
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The once in sixty years near-zero temperature (3.1 degrees in TST, 1.3 degrees in Ma Wan, minus 5.7 degrees in Tai Mo Shan) chill that enveloped Hong Kong on Saturday (Jan 22 2016) is nothing compared to the blizzard that shut down the east coast of United States. 42 inches of snow were recorded in West Virginia, 75 mph wind were recorded in New England, 500 vehicles were backed up seven-mile long, 74 thousand customers were without power and more than 8,000 flights were canceled on January 23-24, 2016.
What is the fun name given to the massive blizzard in the eastern States? Snowzilla.
What do you call traffic jam at the end days? Carmageddon.
What do you call air pollution on the last days? Airpocalyspe.
NEARLY a third of people believe God - not natural disasters, nuclear war or climate change - will cause the end of the world, according to the results of an Express.co.uk poll. Some 7,927 Express.co.uk readers took part in the poll. Out of those who voted by today, 31 per cent (2,457) said God would be responsible for finishing off mankind. Second highest was the super volcanoes category - which 17 per cent of people went for. Closely behind this at 15 per cent were people who said humans as ¡§always find a way¡¨. While 11 per cent of respondents thought overpopulation would bring about the end and 10 per cent thought nuclear war would be the cause.
http://www.express.co.uk/news/science/632537/End-of-the-world-God-NOT-climate-change-apocalypse-Express-co-uk-rapture
The noun ¡§suffer¡¨ occurs 42 times in the Bible, but 12 of the references are in in 1 Peter. The next highest are in in Luke (6x) and Acts (5x). Out of the references four are in chapter 4 (vv 1 twice, 15, 19).
If the end of the world is near, what things or people concern you the most? How about others? How about God?
Motivate the Mind
7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God¡¦s grace in its various forms.
The future is uncertain but the end is always near. Jim Morrison
The end of the world might be near, but we don¡¦t have to rush to reach it
¡§In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.¡¨ - Abraham Lincoln
The end's not near. It's here.
Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia. Charles M. Schulz
Dear Past, Thank You For All The Lessons; Dear Future, I Am Ready.
The end is at last in sight, but we will all need to work to get there
The End is Just a New Beginning
If change is happening on the outside faster than the inside, the end is in sight. Jack Welch
Near (v 7) is surprisingly not an adverb but a verb, also translated as at hand (Matt 3:2), drew nigh (Matt 21:1), approaches (Luke 12:33) in KJV. The Lord¡¦s coming may not be next hour, next day or next year, but it is coming, creeping and calling, nearer and nastier than before. At hand is near but not necessarily now, close but not currently, pending but not presently. In the words of Bob Dylan, ¡§There's a slow, slow train coming up around the bend.¡¨ It¡¦s like the Earth spinning at 1000 miles per hour about its axis and moving at 67,000 miles per hour around the Sun, but you do not feel the rush, rotation or risky. It is certain, current and coming. It is imminent, not immediate, but it could be instantaneous. It changes the way we think, the things we say, the path we take, the decisions we make and the life we live. The least to worry about is wars and rumor of wars. The end of the world include natural perils and disasters, religious persecution and discrimination (Matt 24:9), moral permissiveness and depravity, social poverty and deprivation (Matt 24:8), but not as much as the gospel¡¦s proclamation and deliverance (Matt 24:14).
Sober mind (v 7) is an imperative, an order and not an obligation, a demand and not a duty, fact and not fiction. The word has to do with the mind, or to be in the right mind, specifically the state of the legion¡¦s mind after Jesus cast out demons from him (Mark 5:15, Luke 8:35). This word occurs six times in the Bible but this is the only occasion of an imperative. It means to be sound in analyzing, attentive and aware; detecting, discussing and discerning, not deceived, distracted, disturbed or destructive. A sober mind is like coffee in the morning. It means think in the right degree, direction and with the right disposition.
The other verb ¡§alert¡¨ (v 7) s also an imperative, a command and not a counsel, a must do and not maybe do. This word occurs merely six times in the Bible, but no book matches the optimum three times the word occurs in 1 Peter (1 Peter 1:13, 4:7, 5:8). The next time this word occurs reminds readers to be sober and vigilant because the devil walks about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). To be sober is to be circumspect, cautious, consistent, and not corrupt, compromised and careless. The phrase Chinese parents use most on their children: ¡§Be careful.¡¨ It means to be serious, sensible, and steady, not sinful, silly, sensational, especially in reference to former times in verse 3, when they walked in living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. It is to steer away, not to be attracted, or distracted, or contracted to them.
Like believers today the believers then were exposed to a lot of excesses, enticements, and entertainment in a culture that teases, tempts and toys with unthinking, unintended and unrehearsed hearts and minds.
Minister in Love
8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.
A young woman who fancied herself a poetess, and who had her own ideas about love, once came with her poems to the editorial office of a New York magazine. The editor asked her what she wanted. She told him that she had some poems that she would like to have published in his magazine.
¡§About what?¡¨ asked the editor. ¡§All about love,¡¨ she replied. ¡§Well, what is love?¡¨ asked the editor. ¡§Tell me.¡¨ ¡§Love,¡¨ replied the young woman, casting her eyes heavenward, ¡§is gazing upon a lily pond at night, by the shimmering moonbeams. when the lilies are in full bloom, and¡X¡¨ ¡§Stop, stop, stop,¡¨ cried the editor, curtly interrupting her, ¡§you are all wrong ¡Xvery, very wrong. I will tell you what love is: It is getting up cheerfully out of a warm bed on a cold winter morning, at two o'clock, to fill hot-water bottles for ailing children. That's real love. I'm sorry, but I don't think we can use your poems.¡¨ (Christian Union Herald)
The next paragraph (vv 8-9) is grouped by two pronouns - each other/among yourselves (v 9) and one another (v 9). The phrase ¡§a multitude of sins¡¨ is always in the positive context of converting other, not condemning others (James 5:20). Cover is not the same as cover up. Cover up means to hide, but cover means to help. ¸ÓÁ¿´NÁ¿¡A¦ý¬O¤£n¤Ñ¤ÑÁ¿¡CIt means to veil the person and not voice the practice, redeem the person not rehash the practice, deliver and not doom the person. The Greek word kalupto, where we get the word apocalypse or revelation. The root word is loose, not to let loose, blow up a wrong. It doesn¡¦t mean cancel but cover, it is not there since you got to hide it, but it means not expose it, exaggerate it or embellish it. Not to enslave or enchain others for a sin, a wrong or a slight. Cover is a good word because the blood of Christ covers our unrighteousness. To cover the shame, clothe the scar and convert the sinner. Not to break, bind or blind a person for his faults, flaws or failings. Not like ISIS. In English we say I got you covered, cover my back.
Love is the greatest. In love there is remedy and restoration, instead of retribution and revenge. Today love takes a back seat to peace and justice or righteousness. Peace and righteousness will end but love will endure. By the way justify or righteous is in the passive tense (18x) when it comes to men in the New Testament, active tense (4x) when it comes to God¡¦s work (Rom 8:30 twice, Gal 3:8), and active sense when it comes to self-justification (Luke 7:29)
Love and hospitality is linked. Love is agape but hospitality is philoxenos, or love of foreigners or aliens. To one another means not outright foreigners. Hospitality must not dictated by custom, convenience or compensation for previous favors. Love has nothing to do with policies, politics and
Magnify the Lord
10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God¡¦s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
It¡¦s more than over halfway the EPL season with 15 games left by the end of January 2016 and the leader is not the big-spenders Manchester United, Manchester City or Chelsea, but Leicester FC. Tipped again to be relegated in their second year in the EPL the Foxes featured two fearsome strikers Jamie Vardy and winger Riyad Mahrez for a combined mere total just north of $2 million, in contrast to Gareth Bale¡¦s $100 million purchase. You can call it the rise of the Nones or the have-nots of soccer.
In the 2013-14 season, the last for which we have reliable figures, United's payroll was $326 million, City's was $309 million and Chelsea's was $291 million. Leicester's was $55 million. http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/soccer-fc-yahoo/leicester-city-still-enjoying-unexpected-success-224348609.html
The secret of Leicester City¡¦s success, according to newspapers:
¡§Team spirit and togetherness,¡¨
¡§Boardroom stability, astute scouting and an emphasis on youth.¡¨
Leicester City midfielder Danny Drinkwater says, ¡§We're just a solid team. We play to our strengths, try and not play to our weaknesses - it's not rocket science.¡¨
Kelly Holmes was a fairly ordinary middle-distance runner, now she's remembered as one of the greats. When she arrived at the Athens Olympics in 2004, she was 34 and 100/1 to become the first British athlete since 1920 to complete an Olympic Gold double, but little did anyone else outside her camp know, she was in peak condition, free from injury for the first time in her career.
And her strategy for both the 800m and 1500m finals was simple: ignore your rivals, just treat every lap the same. Run consistently at the same pace and see where it takes you.
When Holmes crossed the line in the 800m, she was so in-the-zone she didn¡¦t even realise she¡¦d won. When she approached the bell for the final lap of the 1500m five days later, she was eighth out of 12 runners. Yet her tunnel vision of running four equal laps worked a treat.
Read more at http://www.fourfourtwo.com/au/features/5-reasons-why-leicester-might-actually-win-premier-league-title-season#06fC8F1JM1OPopvm.99
Do or do not. There is no try. Yoda
The last paragraph is a tense affair. The first tense ¡§received¡¨ is in the aorist tense, a thing of the past. It is in your bank, bag and body. How many gifts do we have? The perfect answer is at least one. It is received but not rewarded, obtained and not obligated, gifted and not gained. Not deserved. This makes us more humble, more helpful and more human.
Serve on the other hand is present tense and not past tense or future tense, a current, consistent, continuing journey, and not a concluded, closed complacent or cold case. ¡§Various¡¨ means divers (James 1:2) and manifold (1 Peter 1:6) in KJV. The oneness factor or unity in diversity is demonstrated by the plural noun of stewards but the singular noun of gift, grace and various (v 10).
There is always a purpose to gifts, which is to glorify God (v 11). is that God is glorified in the present tense. Four ways to glorify God in the Bible are:
- That ye may with ONE MIND AND ONE MOUTH glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 15:6)
- For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God IN YOUR BODY, AND IN YOUR SPIRIT, which are God's (1 Cor 6:20)
- Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the WORD OF THE LORD may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you (2 Thess 3:1)
- Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your GOOD WORKS, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation (1 Peter 2:12)
Conclusion: Are you gifts offered to God? Is your love shared, supportive and substantiated? Have you manifested, multiplied and maximized your gifts and talents? Are you prompt, patient and positive in serving?
