November 10th - 25th Sunday after Pentecost

Breaking Open the Scriptures Scriptures for November 10th: Haggai 1:15b-2:9; Psalm 145:1-5,17-21; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5,13-17; Luke 20:27-38; song: Standing on the Promises – UMH 374: Theme: Living Faith of a Living God. 2 Thessalonians: There was a time in my life that I believed that life had gotten so bad, that the end of the world was near. I gave away all of my stuff because I felt that I would not need it anymore. I stood by the door, and waited for Christ to arrive. It took a friend to remind me that I probably needed to hold on to things, because life was going on. Going on without me. The world coming to an end was the easy way out. God is not the God of easy ways out. The God of our faith, encourages us to endure. Not to give up. And not to predict when the end will come. Paul is trying to help the church understand that in life, the easy answers are not the God answers. Paul reminds us that the end of the world is not about our life and our understanding of life. It is about the redemption of the whole world and making the devil pay for all of the evil he has done in the world. When we reach the end of the rope – we can know that Christ will be with us to make sure that our lives move on. Luke: The marriage vow that we take says till death do we part. Marriage is a part of our life on earth, but not a part of our eternal life. Jesus is challenged about what happens when we die? Do our relationships continue? When Jesus is challenged by the Sadducees, he does not directly answer that question. He does not talk about what life will be like. Just as our relationships shape an important part of life on earth, our character, our belief in God, our behavior has an important influence on where we spend eternity. We only get to heaven based on our own efforts, not on who we know. Jesus reminds us that life and death is not about heaven and earth, but about our relationship with God. There are some people who are on earth, but are dead in spirit. There are some who have passed on, whose spirits are very much alive. Being alive is in understanding the presence of God- seeking God in all things, all places and in all situations. We should seek life, eternal life with God. Questions: What do you believe about the end of days? Do you think that life can get any worse than it is right now? What do you believe about the end of days? How do you think God will come to us? How does that belief affect the way that you live? What does it mean for you to seek Christ? To seek life? what does it mean that God is the God of the living? Who are the dead? Have they left the presence of God? Or has the presence of God left them?