Pam Padgett - teacher
Luke 21:5 And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with
goodly stones and gifts, he (Jesus) said, 6 As for these things which ye behold,
the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
The people spoke of the appearance of the temple, what they could see, but Jesus spoke of what the end of these things would be.
This reminded me of something the Holy Spirit spoke to me last summer.
The community where I live was built around a golf course. The golf
course property is directly behind my house, and I've enjoyed looking
out over this open space. But about a year and a half ago the golf
course closed with the owner announcing that he had been loosing money
running the golf course and planned to try to sell the property. I heard that meetings had been planned for the community to
get together to plan what to do (how to fight) if the land was sold
to a developer to build houses on what is now open space.
At first my flesh was stirred up to attend these meetings. But when I turned to God, I was reminded of two things:
- At the end of the world, all of this is going to burn. People try to
preserve the way things are now as much as possible. But all these
things we see now are temporary and will be destroyed at the end of the
world.
2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the
night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and
the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works
that are therein shall be burned up. 11 Seeing then that all these
things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all
holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hasting unto the
coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be
dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
13
Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a
new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be
diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and
blameless.
- The second thing I was reminded of was the instruction Jesus gave us
to not plan for tomorrow. Certainly the purpose of these community
meetings was to plan for what might happen in the future.
Matt. 6:31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat?
or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For
after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father
knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the
kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be
added unto you.
34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the
morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the
day is the evil thereof.
There is no problem for me today with the golf course being closed and
the owner trying to sell it. And God knows exactly what I need, what is
best for me. It is God who provides what I need.
How futile these community meetings are, and they are opposite to the
way God was showing me to go. I did not attend any of the meetings.
(One of my neighbor attended the first meeting and said there were
already starting to be conflicts as some people wanted one thing, while
others wanted something else, everyone thinking they knew what should be done ... but not having the wisdom of God in the matter. Futility, strife, conflict.)
Later in the summer, since the golf course property was not being
maintained the grasses and weeds started growing quite high. An email
was sent to owners of property in the community about this saying that
the owner of the golf course property would not have the land mowed but
had given permission for anyone who wanted to mow behind their
property to do so. A neighbor mentioned to me that the owner of the golf course
property should be forced to maintain the land.
But the thing that was
put in my heart was to just pay the people who mow my yard to also mow the
golf course land directly behind my yard. This very quickly and easily
dealt with the weed problem affecting me. There was no strife in trying
to force anyone to do anything. I was able to remain in peace as Peter
exhorted us ...
2 Peter 3:14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for
such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without
spot, and blameless.
We see and enjoy some of the things of this world, but they are temporary. Even our physical bodies are temporary.
We are spared much unnecessary trouble
by not setting our affections on these temporary things, but on things of God
which are eternal.
When His disciples asked Jesus about the end of the world, Jesus told
them things that would come to pass, and also gave the following instruction ...
Luke 21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. 35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.