Site Administrator posted on January 04, 2009 14:23
Predictions for 2009 will abound over this week before January 1, 2009. They will cover the gamut from the sheer gloomy and scary to “happy days are here again!” Some will see the future year as half empty and some will see it as half full.
It is important that we balance the positive with the gloomy. I call this an attitude of positive realism. A positive realist is one who strives to be fully aware of what is happening within their life, community, family, church, and in the political arena. Yet they will emphasize through the promises of God hope, courage, fearlessness—a can do spirit! They will strive to be both one with God and their neighbor.
What will it be? Denial/gloom or positive reality? In Matthew 24, Jesus waited to predict the future until it was clear that the House of Israel had made their decision regarding whether Jesus was indeed the long awaited Messiah or not. Once that was clear he predicted the future. And His predictions came at a time when it seemed impossible to His disciples that anything could possibly disrupt the status quo of the institution of the Jewish nation.
Jesus’ Predictions: Your house is desolate; will not see Me again until you say “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord;” “not one stone will be left upon another;” 34 predictions later, Jesus says in verse 44, “Therefore you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
As is true of all predictive prophecy, they are conditional. If people repent and humble themselves, events predicted are either delayed or become blessings.
One prediction that Jesus gave that is really not conditional is described in Matthew 24:45-51. Regardless of the conditions of fulfilled predictions, God’s people are to be about the business of feeding God’s people anywhere and everywhere with both physical and Spiritual food. They are called faithful and wise servants in Matthew 24:45. They are in a blessed state and not a gloomy state when the Lord returns. They are promised to be set over the Lord’s possessions because they used their earthly possessions in service to God during the times of waiting. On the other hand the unfaithful and foolish servant focuses attention on either denying or being wrought out with fear the predictions of Jesus and loses their salvation in times of stress. Where will you and I stand in 2009: the Wise or the Foolish?