March 26th 2023
Tomorrow ONLY Belongs To God!
James 4:13-14 (NIV)
Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
Are you in control of your life, and have planned sufficiently for the future? Then your tomorrow is going to go well for you and your family and friends, right? Jesus’ brother James wrote the verses selected for this commentary, many years ago, but his words are still right and reflect the uncertainty of this lifetime. Only God knows for sure what our futures hold for us. As James wrote for us, “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
Are you vanishing as you age? Actually, this is not a silly thing to say, as we do diminish somewhat, as each year passes by. The longer you live the more friends and close relatives pass away, and leave you behind. This is not meant to be solely morbid, but it is a realistic statement! The point being attempted here is not to make anyone reading it sad, but to cause you to take a look at your earthly lifetime, as a good thing, because it is given to us by God. ONLY God knows the future, and God also controls the future. It may be a long time until this world is destroyed, and replaced by a new world. When this occurs the new world will be a wonderful place for all who have followed Jesus will live there forever.
Are you planning for that new world, while you are still alive in this cursed world? Or are you only working on laying up treasures to insure a good life in this current world? Jesus warned His followers not to use all of their time working for treasures on this earth, and then, when they die leaving it ALL behind! Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. (Matthew 6:19-20) It is a good thing to do to work hard, and then to leave good stuff for those people you love who will be left behind, when you go back to be with God in heaven!
Jesus left us with great hope, when He died to this life and went back to be with His (our) Father in heaven. He told His followers about how He is the shepherd, and that He had the authority to lay down His life and to pick it up again, which gives us who follow Him today a great hope of our resurrection in the future. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life— only to take it up again. No-one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father." (John 10:16-18)
This command I received from my Father, "The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life— only to take it up again. No-one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. Then He said, “This command I received from my Father." Jesus said, “I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.” Jesus uses the analogy of the sheep in the sheep pen to indicate the Jews, but note He also includes those of us who would have been called Gentiles in that day to also be included, and thus, we can follow Jesus too, when He says, “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also.”
Are you being included in this sheep pen analogy in some way? In the days when Jesus walked this earth and preached to the people who would listen to Him, there were those who questioned who He is. There were many different ideas given as to who these people thought Jesus may have been. Once Jesus asked His disciples who they thought He is. "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" (Matthew 16:15) Your salvation depends upon who you believe Jesus is, so it is the most important question you can ever be asked. What is your answer to this most important question? Maybe a more important question may be, “Who would Jesus say you are?”
When you appear before God in heaven, how will Jesus introduce you to His (our) Father? Will Jesus recognize you? Will Jesus say, “Well done, good and faithful servant! Come and share your master’s happiness!” (Matthew 25:21) Do you really identify with such terminology? I believe that this kind of a scenario will actually occur, soon after we take our last breath to end this lifetime! What do you really believe, it is important for you to know! Jesus promised to come back and take us to where He is! Are you ready for this wonderful trip? Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. (John 14:1-3)
Paul believed that Jesus followers will be raised from the dead, and then, taken back by Jesus to where He is too! Paul wrote if this is not true, then we are wasting our time following Jesus, and we should just do whatever we want, because when we die, there is no hereafter to look toward. If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." (1 Corinthians 15:32) Atheists believe that when a human being dies, just like any other animal that is the end, there is no hereafter! Of course, they do not believe there is any God or gods! What do you really believe?
My goal is to become more like Christ, so I need to treat others as the Lord treats me. Are you working on trying to look at your life in a way that you can understand WWJD, at least in most circumstances? Jesus died for my sins, and because He did, my salvation has been assured. I believe that is the absolute truth. The Bible supplies the only place to find absolute truth! All other books and belief systems are created by fallible human beings. Believe it, God is real, and He has a Son, who died for all the sins of mankind. Now that is wonderful to know and believe!
What do you believe?
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
James 4:13-14 (NIV)
Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
Are you in control of your life, and have planned sufficiently for the future? Then your tomorrow is going to go well for you and your family and friends, right? Jesus’ brother James wrote the verses selected for this commentary, many years ago, but his words are still right and reflect the uncertainty of this lifetime. Only God knows for sure what our futures hold for us. As James wrote for us, “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
Are you vanishing as you age? Actually, this is not a silly thing to say, as we do diminish somewhat, as each year passes by. The longer you live the more friends and close relatives pass away, and leave you behind. This is not meant to be solely morbid, but it is a realistic statement! The point being attempted here is not to make anyone reading it sad, but to cause you to take a look at your earthly lifetime, as a good thing, because it is given to us by God. ONLY God knows the future, and God also controls the future. It may be a long time until this world is destroyed, and replaced by a new world. When this occurs the new world will be a wonderful place for all who have followed Jesus will live there forever.
Are you planning for that new world, while you are still alive in this cursed world? Or are you only working on laying up treasures to insure a good life in this current world? Jesus warned His followers not to use all of their time working for treasures on this earth, and then, when they die leaving it ALL behind! Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. (Matthew 6:19-20) It is a good thing to do to work hard, and then to leave good stuff for those people you love who will be left behind, when you go back to be with God in heaven!
Jesus left us with great hope, when He died to this life and went back to be with His (our) Father in heaven. He told His followers about how He is the shepherd, and that He had the authority to lay down His life and to pick it up again, which gives us who follow Him today a great hope of our resurrection in the future. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life— only to take it up again. No-one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father." (John 10:16-18)
This command I received from my Father, "The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life— only to take it up again. No-one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. Then He said, “This command I received from my Father." Jesus said, “I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.” Jesus uses the analogy of the sheep in the sheep pen to indicate the Jews, but note He also includes those of us who would have been called Gentiles in that day to also be included, and thus, we can follow Jesus too, when He says, “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also.”
Are you being included in this sheep pen analogy in some way? In the days when Jesus walked this earth and preached to the people who would listen to Him, there were those who questioned who He is. There were many different ideas given as to who these people thought Jesus may have been. Once Jesus asked His disciples who they thought He is. "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" (Matthew 16:15) Your salvation depends upon who you believe Jesus is, so it is the most important question you can ever be asked. What is your answer to this most important question? Maybe a more important question may be, “Who would Jesus say you are?”
When you appear before God in heaven, how will Jesus introduce you to His (our) Father? Will Jesus recognize you? Will Jesus say, “Well done, good and faithful servant! Come and share your master’s happiness!” (Matthew 25:21) Do you really identify with such terminology? I believe that this kind of a scenario will actually occur, soon after we take our last breath to end this lifetime! What do you really believe, it is important for you to know! Jesus promised to come back and take us to where He is! Are you ready for this wonderful trip? Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. (John 14:1-3)
Paul believed that Jesus followers will be raised from the dead, and then, taken back by Jesus to where He is too! Paul wrote if this is not true, then we are wasting our time following Jesus, and we should just do whatever we want, because when we die, there is no hereafter to look toward. If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." (1 Corinthians 15:32) Atheists believe that when a human being dies, just like any other animal that is the end, there is no hereafter! Of course, they do not believe there is any God or gods! What do you really believe?
My goal is to become more like Christ, so I need to treat others as the Lord treats me. Are you working on trying to look at your life in a way that you can understand WWJD, at least in most circumstances? Jesus died for my sins, and because He did, my salvation has been assured. I believe that is the absolute truth. The Bible supplies the only place to find absolute truth! All other books and belief systems are created by fallible human beings. Believe it, God is real, and He has a Son, who died for all the sins of mankind. Now that is wonderful to know and believe!
What do you believe?
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
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