2246AFC111122 – Try chance it!
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Luke 21:17-19 – 17 You will be hated by all because of my name. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By your endurance you will gain your souls.
Luke 21:22 – 22 for these are days of vengeance, as a fulfillment of all that is written.
Luke 21:28 – 28 Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.
Malachi 4:1-2a – [a] (↔ Click Link[a]) 1 See, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble; the day that comes shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings.
Aloha pumehana, a me ke akua ho’omaika‘i ‘oe, ʻŌmea! Warmest Aloha, and may God bless you, Belovéd! Today we grab up choke dakine Bible verses and try chance it for not all hamajang. ≡ Today we’ll present many Bible verses and try not to make it all disorganized. Try chance it? That means take the risk, it could be a good one.
First I take an opportunity to greet and express appreciation for our fellow Veterans on this important holiday. SA-A-A-A-A-H-LUTE!!
We begin our study with unraveling a mystery. In the Lectionary – the book of readings used during Mass – and on the USCCB website for the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, the Old Testament reading is marked as “Malachi 3:19-20a.” That is the designation of the text for the Hebrew version of Malachi. The NABRE uses the Hebrew presentation form. In many other translations (such as the NRSVCE), the passage is labeled as “Malachi 4:1-2.” That is why our fourth Key Verse location differs from what is in the lectionary and on the web page at USCCB . Malachi is the last book of prophecy in the Bible, and has some spectacular readings and quotable quotes. A couple of my favorites are “Will anyone rob God? Yet you are robbing me!” (See Malachi 3:8). Another is “We call the arrogant blessed; for evil doers not only prosper but even test God and escape.” Doesn’t that seem like the case today? Consider what happened this week in our “midterm election.”
Several states took action to make abortion “legal,” i.e., parents and healthcare workers are exempted from the punishment for murdering unborn children. Some other states have laws so that family members and healthcare workers are exempted from the punishment for euthanizing persons who have requested it. Both have been “legal” in Hawaiʻi for a long time. That saddens me greatly, first because both of those things should be unthinkable, and secondly because the persons promoting and performing these murderous actions seem to actually believe saying it is legal will make it so in God’s eyes. As we have stated here before (and often), they are in for one hell of a surprise. The talking heads on the MSMOs claimed that “60% of Americans believe (↔ Click Link) that abortion should be legal.” Researchers also claim that 69% of Catholics (↔ Click Link) do not believe in the Real Presence. Some of us in the minority would prefer it to be much the other way. In today’s Key Verses, Jesus’ words in Luke 21:22 are in the same perspective as his Father’s in Isaiah 5:20-25. We’ve cited Isaiah 5:20 often, calling evil good and good evil, but we need to look beyond that a bit and understand that what God permitted when Israel went astray is something we need to heed. We Christians have been saying it for over 2000 years, nonetheless, “Jesus is coming” and “the time of the Lord is nigh.” There’s some heavy-duty suffering coming before that.
We can turn to Jesus’ own descriptions of that time given to us in Luke 21:10-33. I urge you to select one of the translations shown there and read the whole thing. That will help you make sense of this statement which is based on Luke 21:24d: until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. We have seen this kind of “time measurement” before in the past. Look to Genesis 15:16 – But in the fourth generation [about 400 years according to many scholars] they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. The Children of Abraham would not return to the Promised Land until the Amorites (the residents of Canaan) were ripe for punishment, when they had done as much evil without repentance as is possible. When will we modern-day Gentiles be ripe for punishment? It seems to me we must be getting close to that day of wrath and those times of tribulation. There certainly have been terrible times in the past, and I can’t say with certainty that today is more terrible than all the other days before it; BUT, things are certainly bad enough that we need to be walking in lock-step with Jesus. Let’s end this time of trial by converting every soul we see, by praying for those who refuse repentance and conversion, and by praying, “EVEN SO, COME LORD JESUS!” And if he comes, will he find faith on Earth? (↔ Click Link)
Remember our first Key Verse today: Luke 21:17-19 – 17 You will be hated by all because of my name. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By your endurance you will gain your souls. Just a few phrases up the page Jesus warns that his followers will be persecuted, betrayed, hunted down, imprisoned, and even killed and in Luke 21:13, he gives the reason this is a good thing: 13 This will give you an opportunity to testify. But what does he mean by saying in Luke 21:22 – “22 for these are days of vengeance, as a fulfillment of all that is written.“? In part, it echoes Isaiah 61:2 – 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn; All of the innocent, righteous blood shed by all the martyrs (those who testify with their blood and/or loss of freedom) will be avenged when calamity upon calamity falls on all the unrighteous. Evil will be rewarded with everlasting death. Read this: Matthew 23:35* – 35 so that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. *Use the link to see this in context. Jesus – who is God – is tanning the hides of a crop of sinners he calls snakes and vipers who are going to hell! Who will testify to the Lord’s goodness? Let that one repent and be humbled in his presence! Be dutiful to the Spirit of God!
1 John 4:2-4 – 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. And this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming; and now it is already in the world. 4 Little children, you are from God, and have conquered them; for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
Do you believe in God? If you do, then you must also believe in Satan, because God is not a liar, so he would not warn us against him if he was not real. Do you believe in Angels? Then you must believe in demons, because Satan took with him many of the Holy Angels who joined him in his rebellion against God. Do you believe the souls of our Faithful and Obedient departed are with God? Then you must believe that the souls of the faithless and rebellious departed are with Satan.
- Think of all the people you know – not just the ones you hang out with – all the people in the news, all the people in the nations where war is happening right now, and all the people whose “spiritual ideologies” exclude any aspect of the reality of the Holy Trinity.
- Now think of all the people who claim to know God, to serve Christ, but whose words and actions contradict everything they claim.
- Next, think of all the people whose words match their lives, who can say with absolute certainty “Jesus Christ is Lord.” (↔ Music Link)
- Run a quick tally in your head.
Which of these three groups is the smallest? Which of these three groups are most likely to become allies when the battles intensify? Finally, if you know in your heart how to distinguish one group from the other, then you know how to “test the spirits.” In the end, we will all have to answer these questions, so it is best to answer them today, and every day, as we test the spirits we encounter – including the spirit of persecution.
American Christians often cry out that we are victims of persecution. It is certainly not anything like what the experiences of millions of people elsewhere in the world endure! We hear claims that we are oppressed in our Religious Freedom because of the abuse of our FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS. (↔ Learning Link) The US Constitution certainly does provide for protection concerning religion, verbal and written expression, to assemble for cause, and the right to ask for rectification of the perceived oppression. If we were to look into who is actually being martyred here, we’d find mighty few examples. Most of what we complain about doesn’t rise even to the level of bloodless martyr. Our idea of being a witness for Christ pretty much stops at getting up in a tent-revival meeting and answering the altar call. But there are remarkable exceptions. (↔ Learning Link) Many of us – whether Catholic or Evangelical fundamentalists, or Buddhists, or Jews, or you-name-it-faiths – are content to quietly go to services and live unmolested about our faith when in society. We often barely have courage to “Stand Up for Jesus.” (↔ Music Link for Luke 21:28)
We have these lessons in our scriptures to teach us the difference between true repentance and false pretensions. Next time you decide to repent, God requires that you stick with it instead of saying, “Oh. It’s OK. I can always do it over again.” It is true, and I have said it many times, that there are no limits to how many times we can experience repentance. Well, it seems there is one, and the Ammorites learned about it firsthand. When we have reached the fullness of our wickedness (see Genesis 15:16), God will show us the door, and it just may be that he’s there to shut the door (see Genesis 7:16). What does all this “fullness of evil” mean, anyway? Here is a passage from the Books of the Maccabees ~~ 2 Maccabees 6:12-16 – 12 Now I urge those who read this book not to be depressed by such calamities, but to recognize that these punishments were designed not to destroy but to discipline our people. 13 In fact, it is a sign of great kindness not to let the impious alone for long, but to punish them immediately. 14 For in the case of the other nations the Lord waits patiently to punish them until they have reached the full measure of their sins; but he does not deal in this way with us, 15 in order that he may not take vengeance on us afterward when our sins have reached their height. 16 Therefore he never withdraws his mercy from us. Although he disciplines us with calamities, he does not forsake his own people. The good old U.S. of A. is one of those “other nations.” When our time for recompense comes, will we be like the Amorites, or like the Israelites? Will we find the Lord has disciplined us or will we find he allows us to be obliterated? “Woe to you who call evil good and good evil.” Will God destroy the Nation if only ten righteous people are found? (Hark back to my Old Friend Abraham in Genesis 18:15-33 ↔ Learning Link)
So, Belovéd, are we that close to the end? With God we always say, “It’s always good in the end. If it’s not good yet, it isn’t the end yet.” This is perhaps a reason to find extraordinary hope in today’s remaining Key Verse: Luke 21:28 – 28 Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near. “Repent and believe the Gospel” is all the more urgent a command in this present darkness. God is Light and in all things in this darkness He is exalted (↔ Music Link). The operational language of the APP is Relationship Built. That is why we sing with the Psalmist Bless the Lord O My Soul (↔ Music Link. See Psalm 103:1-5)
By your endurance you will gain your souls, [so] stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near; for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings. Belovéd, we shall do what we know is right, avoid what we know is wrong, and ask God to help us discern his will for us. Try chance it!
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever —
at your service, Belovéd!
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Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture passages are from the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Biblical languages inserts from Bible Hub (Bible Hub: Search, Read, Study the Bible in Many Languages) Visit at http://biblehub.com
Aloha Friday Messages by Charles O. Todd, III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
