Continuity!

Continuity!

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Matthew 24:35 NIV

It is important to keep at the front of our hearts the context of today's extract. These words were spoken by Jesus himself to his disciples, and at a time when the disciples were also interested in what the signs of the end times were. They were hearing things that were unexpected from Jesus, but there really was nothing in the physical to suggest that these hard times were near. The temple, with all its glory, was still standing, and men were still their regular, hypocritical bunch. However, in the midst of all the relative safety, Jesus warns the disciples: the kingdom of Heaven is at hand. It takes a man whose heart is set on God to seek to understand this message, know what to do and how to respond. 

We are in those end times Jesus spoke out so many times. All that our eyes see belong to this earth, which has an appointment with fire. I must use and exhaust the resources that belong to the earth in a way that I can be assured of eternal dwellings. I must not be so caught up with what my eyes see that I ignore that which my heart must seek, which is the eternal. The disciples saw the lovely temple; Jesus saw the same temple, but with trouble coming. At the end of the day, the temple was looted and destroyed, and we are still expecting the return of the Messiah. If the word of Jesus about the temple came to pass as he said, why would I doubt that his Word about the coming kingdom will also come to pass? 

Heaven and earth have an appointment with fire. A shaking is coming. As mighty and complex as the heaven and the earth are, they will pass away, like one who dies and is beyond redemption. All that is in it will also pass away, and a new earth and heaven are promised. As I read all that Jesus had pronounced to his disciples while he was still with them in the flesh, I realise that His Word has not ever failed. As he promised judgment on nations, we see the impact of those promises all around us today. Nations that were rulers in their time are no more. Some have lost all power and relevance, while others that were inferior at a time are now playing on the world's stage. That is the power behind God's Word.

In that light, I must take heed to myself, asking myself the right questions: what is God expecting from me in these times? What is the code of conduct for such a time like this? What value should I place on power, politics, possessions and position? How do I make the right use of what is in my hands now, and what I will still lay my hands on in the future? I believe the secret lies in today's extract: know who God is. Know His power, and the effect, reach and scope of His Word. There is nothing my eyes see now that will not pass away, but the Word of God, who is Jesus himself, lives forever. That is the major difference: possessions have no life of their own, and depend on us assigning them relevance.

Jesus needs no one to make him feel important; all who have come to truly know him know that he is all that matters. His Word is life to all who have it, and he is the guarantee of eternal life for all who hold on to the truth of God's Word to the end. Nothing the world gives you can outlast the world, because the world does not have the unending life of God. If the world gives you, it can take it away from you, as well as other things. If the Word of God gives you, be sure that the world can only threaten, but it cannot disposses you of that which it did not give you. So, on a daily basis, I evaluate my life, as well as my hands. What am I holding on to that will not lead me into eternity? I must drop it all now, so I can lay hold of that which is truly life and eternal. God's time of favour is here.