Camping - Five days to go?

Part the third - Sunday 16th October

Got a Bible hand? Good stuff!

So let's look at the Bible bits regarding the return of Christ and in doing so, beginning with 1 Thessalonians 5: 1 - 4, we find:

"Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labour pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you bare not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief."

So the day is going to come upon us as a bit of a surprise (and for some a shock) and as such tells us that we won't know when. Mind you, not knowing has never stopped people from trying to find out or posturing as if they have some esoteric knowledge has it? But words that make the process of trying to predict it seem, perhaps, a little futile.

Luke 12: 35 - 40:
“Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, heh would not have left his house to be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

A bit of a pattern emerging here in that we shouldn't be wasting our time scaring the goats but should be working at making sure there were as many sheep as possible and ensuring that those sheep were prepared to go when the 'Day of the Lord' comes upon us!

Matthew 25: 1 - 13:
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour."

"For you know neither the day nor the hour," sort of sums it up.

So here's the first bit of thinking - more tomorrow.

Pax