Greetings from Crane, Missouri—
…where it’s 27 degrees (F) outside, but with Nita and Rebecca jumping on the bed and goofing off while I’m attempting to put this together. Nita helped some with reading and commenting on what I had typed. Fun. Little Thomas, one year old today, has been in an out. We met Thomas for the first time in person last night after being picked up at the Joplin Airport. He was a little freaked out at first, but now I guess we are familiar old friends.
I think I have a little deal going with the kids—after sending this, we plan to go outside to make a fire and roast some whatever—maybe marshmallows—maybe wieners.
Hope this transmits OK. Blessings on your day. Ray.
The scene that Jesus presents here is more than awesome. How can we not melt with overwhelming marvel and humility to imagine what it would be like to be there in person to behold the setting Jesus describes: “When the Son of Man appears in his majestic glory, with all his angels by his side, he will take his seat on his throne of splendor and all the nations will be gathered together before him” (vv. 31-32, TPT). Of course, some may want to pass this off as a bunch of Star Wars-type fantasy. But based on the whole of Biblical revelation, I have to view it all as not only true and accurate, but even required if Jesus is going to be proven and vindicated as being WHO the Bible presents Him to be. For just one example to support this reasoning, consider again the great pronouncement of Philippians 2:9-11—“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (NIV) I have to conclude that Jesus is so absolutely EXALTED that He becomes the very hinge on which all human destiny turns. Wow! JESUS IS IMPORTANT!
Another fundamental truth is confirmed in this final judgment scene. If you take time to read it, you will see that we will all be judged not only on the basis of the FIRST GREATEST COMMAND (passionately loving God), but on the basis of the SECOND GREATEST COMMAND (loving those whom God loves). According to Jesus, those two are inseparable—like we can’t really do one without the other (Matthew 22:36-40). So there cannot be true compliance with the FIRST GREATEST COMMAND without an accompanying compliance with the SECOND GREATEST COMMAND—without which compliance with the FIRST cannot be authentic. Wow again!