theologer

"While people are saying, 'There is peace and security,' then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape." - 1 Thessalonians 5:3

I'm thinking, earthquakes, and typhoons. China and Myanmar. I'm thinking New Orleans, and tornadoes in Kansas. And how much I believe I live in peace and security. And how quickly it could be taken away.

I also think about bringing children into such a world. But I have two other thoughts.
1. People of every generation feared it being the last, and there being terrible times ahead.
2. Living like the Lord will return does not mean putting life on hold, quite the opposite.

"But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness." - v 4-5

"Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming." Matthew 24:42

How do we take this to heart? I spoke maybe two weeks ago about the difficulty of living like the return of the Christ is imminent. But today I want to talk a bit about what we might be doing when the Lord comes.

Before I was married I tried to quietly hope the Lord wouldn't return before I had a chance to see what sex was like. I know, thats crude, but its true. Now that I have a child I actually sit and wonder about her growing up before the Lord returns. Part of me doesn't want to live like the Lord could return at any time because that seems like something only the wackos believe. The other part of me fears my not being able to see my child grow up. Or more frequently I think about this verse:

"And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days!" - Verse 19 of the same chapter.

What if my wife is still nursing our infant? What sort of horrible thing will I have brought on my wife and child if I raise them during the tribulation? My eschatology here is vague which may be part of my fear, I tend to lead towards a-millennialism but these verses seem pretty clear it will be terrible for everyone.

The other thing I think about is what if, on the day the Christ returns, I'm in the middle of a good game of rugby? Or what if he returns just before the Broncos win the superbowl? Can I cope with that sort of thing? These things seriously bother me. How can I be awake? Do I want to be awake? Ideally I will be bored to tears and the Lord will return and it will be a sort of "saved by the bell" situation.

Am I alone in such musings?

“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
- Matthew 24:45-51

Now this is the part that scares me. It's not only hard to live like Christ will be returning soon, its also dangerous if we don't. It doesn't even say "the master" will be angry but it says he will "cut him in pieces." I think this appropriately scares me.

But what does it look like to live like we're ready for Him to return? What do we change in our lives? If I knew the Lord was coming back this weekend I would legitimately get ahold of everyone I know and I love who isn't a believe and be begging them to reconsider their faith. I would not care if they never wanted to see me again. I would not care if I was suddenly considered crazy and was a plight to my neighbors. I would not care because their eternal life would be decided within the week.

How can we live like that when it's likely that we have a few more years? It's likely we can pray for our friends for years and set a model with our lives which they'll desire to imitate. It's likely some of our friends who we've shared with before will become believers before they die or the Lord returns.

How do we live with what we're ordered to do, and what the reality seems to be? What about your life should and can legitimately change in light of the immanent second coming?

"Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."
- Matthew 24:42-44

For me there is a bit of a dilemma regarding the return of Christ. I know that we're told to be to ready for His return. I want to be ready but I also feel like He told them it would be soon and its been 2000 years, how can I live like it will be soon if it might be a few more thousands of years? But I know it could also be tomorrow, in my heart I just don't really believe it though.

I imagine this is like the master of the house going 2000 years without a break-in and then becoming complacent about his home security. That's what I've done.

The other thing is I feel if I get all caught up in the second coming then I'm being like a dispensationalist. They always seem really caught up in the Lord returning and with Israel being a nation now they think it really could be within the next 5-20 years. While I disagree with the theology, they may find it easier to live expecting the Lord to return because according to their thinking it must be immanent.

How do we live like the Lord will return any time when we're told to, but it just doesn't stinkin' feel like He will while we're still alive?

An altogether too well put together simple post that I couldn't help but agree with and then link to. Titled, "My Eschatology." For all of you out there who know all about what happens between now and the second coming I'd just like to say... you're confused.
Thanks to Tim Ricchuiti.