Welcome, my daughter was confirmed on Sunday and we had a nice day with family over to celebrate it. The bad news is that I will be too busy with the call committee to write a commentary this week. I would invite you to go to the left side of this blog and click on the link to Crossways where you will find a podcast to listen to for Sunday and a print out of the podcast in a pfd file. I urge you to take advantage of this as Harry Wendt does a great job of uncovering the meaning for each text. The other thing I would like to do is reprint here a section of the notes that Harry wrote for November. So many people worry about getting themselves into heaven. Please read Harry’s notes and be comforted by them.
What things should we focus on when helping people deal with their mortality, the approach of death, and certainty about “making it into heaven”?
* God already loves us and has forgiven us. Jesus’ brothers and sisters are already citizens of God’s Eternal Kingdom.
* We can do nothing to persuade God to forgive us. He already has. We are to rely on God’s promises–not our achievements.
* God does not ask us to work hard at earning His acceptance. He asks us to rejoice in the fact that He has already forgiven and accepted us.
* In Matthew 25:31-36, Jesus points out that His people will experience a “Welcome Home!” on that Last Day. They will not be subjected to an investigation to determine whether or not they have done enough good deeds to merit entry into heaven.
* In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus points out that on that Last Day:
* He will welcome those blessed by His Father;
* Those whom He welcomes will enter a Kingdom
prepared for them since the beginning of time;
* They will inherit entry God’s Eternal Home; they will not
merit it.
In short, throughout life we Christians are to seek to live now as we shall then.
All material (unless otherwise noted) © H.N. Wendt 2010
Crossways International * Minneapolis, MN 55435 USA * 1.800.257.7308 *
Please take some time to reflect on what God has done for us by grace.
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