Given the current fervor over health care and the possible descent of our country into pure socialism, we must keep our eye on who we serve and the purpose of our lives. As a former Protestant I was taught that the world would end soon and Jesus' return was right around the corner. A little bit of research shows that this way of thinking has been around for 2000 years.
Because of this way of thinking many believers put off getting married, or having children, even refusing to do any thing including work because Jesus would be here soon and put everything right. Tragically, productive abundant filled living became fodder for a pessimistic view of the world. We are called to a higher view.
The Kingdom of God is not something that will be ushered in at the return of Christ, although it certainly will be so, it is the realm we as Christians must live now. His Kingdom must be lived now if the present world is to be changed for the good. We are not called to wait for the Kingdom to come, we are called to live it day by day showing the people of the world the love of Christ.
For far to long Christians have been content to sit in the pews on Sunday and then live the rest of the week without power to change. Our faith is an active faith. Living the Sermon on the Mount is not something that magically will happen just because we believe in Jesus. Many tune out the Holy Spirit which calls to mind the will of the Lord. We must actively live in accord with it as St. James said "faith without works is dead." The Kingdom of God is living according to God's word. Our way is an optimistic way. Listen for the Holy Spirit and live before your King as a loyal subject who desires to do His will.
How Star Wars Gives Voice to the Spiritual Journey: A Webinar
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By Joe Paprocki
I have long been a fan of science fiction. (I’m old enough to remember
enjoying the original Star Trek series on TV when I was a kid and ...
18 hours ago
Fantastic blog post, Steven! Doesn't it just increase your faith even more when you know that there are no "secret theories" about the end times and all the wasted time spent on trying to figure out the date?
ReplyDeleteI was sort of wondering something. You know however one is trying to figure out who the last "anti-christ" will be? The New Testament says that it is those who deny that Jesus came in the flesh...and other things...
I know what the gnostics taught..but I wondering if there is another meaning there.
All I can do is ask the Seminarian..LOL.
Did you find him on FB?
Blessings and peace
There have been anti-christs since the beginning of the church. St. John spoke of them during his time in 1st John. Anti means over against something, basically a counterfit of the true. An example would be I set up a shoe store to sell a certain brand name, then you set up one next to me and sell the same brand (except secretly the shoes are knock offs). If the Catholic Church is the church who protects the full deposit of truth, as we believe, then it holds to reason based on our premise, that those who look like and smell like the church but are counterfit spewing a gospel not delievered by the saints would be considered an anti-christ. I'm treading a fine line here and don't want to say where or who I think fills the bill. It is interesting to talk about, but not something to worry over either.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the kind words. See you at the parish dinner.
YBIC,
Steven