Good Thursday morning and welcome to the first day of Autumn! Our equinox does seem to occur on Saturday night, but someone chooses the day for the entire country and this is it. We had quite the little rainstorm yesterday afternoon; it brought back memories of our storms earlier in the year. Do we know when a storm is coming? Not everyone does. I have this thought that occurs to me at times where I theorize that all the rushing about we see today is a part of the realization deep within us that the tribulation time is at hand. However, yesterday I was reminded that even with that deep down knowledge of the tribulation, the storm will catch us by surprise. I watched yesterday as the builder who had worked outside in the weather all day long at my neighbor's house was caught completely by surprise and thoroughly drenched in the storm. He could see the clouds and feel the air, but did he take steps to protect himself and his tools? Not until the torrent came down. The world will be like that when the rapture and tribulation come.
How do we know that the return of Jesus is close? John the Baptist has an answer for that today.
John replied, "No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven." John 3:27
In the world, we often speak of how we have earned things. John seems to have a different opinion. In truth, we come to realize that our ability to work to earn a living is God-given. Our ability to eat to feed ourselves is God-given, and even our very life is God-given. Finally, we have read previously in this chapter that our eternal life is also God-given through the Son. Praise God the Father for all that we have been given! John is of course answering the question of his disciples from yesterday's verse as well. The disciples of Jesus were baptizing because they had been given that authority from heaven. Jesus came down from heaven; you could say that he was given to us from heaven. I'm not making that up! Look in Isaiah 9:6, "For a child is born to us, a son is given to us." In order for us to receive the Son as a price for our salvation, we must first be given the Son. Isaiah recorded the prophecy and Jesus fulfilled it and died for it. We have been given the greatest of gifts, but we must also accept this gift.
We received the first installment in about nine months of gifts last night as our men's Bible study opened for the new season. We will accept the gift of 2 Peter once again as we study it closely for some weeks. Even in our daily Bible reading we need to pause now and then to thank God for the gift of His Word. Thank you, Lord, for the gifts you have given us this day.
Bucky
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