What is love?

"Love is a decision, not an emotion or feeling." Ever heard that? Perhaps you have. Perhaps I've told it to you with my own mouth, because it's how I've traditionally understood the word "love." Maybe you've even said it yourself. As of late, I've been reconsidering this definition. Initially, I hadn't known where I had gone wrong in my personal theological study, but I knew something was flawed. Today a light turned on: the most glaring problem with this definition is what it ultimately says about my relationships, particularly with God.

When considering His love for me and the love He asks of me in return, a glaring problem arose: God doesn't desire from us an allegiance void of emotion. To the children of Israel Moses commanded, "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." And yet, this "love" didn't simply require volitional obedience, void of feeling, for the Lord would later speak through the prophet Hosea, "I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings." Even to Saul, Samuel declared, "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice..."

Loved ones, my poor definition has inadvertently led me to begin thinking in this dangerous manner: "I will love you, but that doesn't mean I have to like you." I realize now how terrible a definition of love this is, for not only has it undermined my relationship with others, it has painted a terrible picture in my mind of a God that does not love me. Even when I think of Christ and His Bride, the Church, I have acquiesced to this compromised belief, "Christ loves the church in action, but that's all, and nothing more."

Luther longed for a God whom He could love. As of late, I've understood his longing a bit better. The danger I would warn you of is not falling into this mentality that you can love people through decisions alone--it takes more than that. For if God simply wanted your decision, He'd be a different kind of God. In fact, God despises your empty decisions. I would even go as far to say he hates them (Amos 5:21–24). I would plead with you today, don't make the same mistake I did. You cannot serve God, have no love for Him, and yet hope to enter His Kingdom. You will not. Love is more than a decision.

CHAMPS!

To see Christ...

"There is a true story of a bridegroom, whose name is William Dike.  He had been blinded by an accident, when ten years of age.  But in spite of his handicap he went to university.  He won honors in the university.  He won honors in the university in Britain.  He also won a beautiful bride, whom he had never seen.  Shortly before his marriage, he submitted to an operation, and the climax came on the day of his wedding.  And in order to make it as climatic as possible he had the eye doctor, who had performed the operation, stand by his side on his wedding day.  And just before his bride was to come down the aisle, the eye doctor cut away the bandages from his eyes, and as she reached the front of the auditorium for the first time, his eyes looked up her.  And he looked into her eyes the first time he had ever seen her, and he said, “At last, at last.”  -S. Lewis Johnson

^{Beloved, live} looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.

End the Fed?

Disney and Dollars

     Scrooge McDuck, Walt Disney's leading character in the show “Duck Tales,” was born in Scotland into a poor family of many generations. The first salary he ever acquired was made from a humble job as a shoe shiner. Scrooge eventually moved from Scotland to America and became a self-made millionaire because he was a smart risk-taker. In one episode of “Duck Tales,” Gyro—a genius inventor who also happens to be Scrooge's personal friend—creates a ray-gun which is able to duplicate any item he fires it at. Without Scrooge's knowledge, his mischievous nephews, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, discover the machine and begin turning their insignificant piggy banks into endless supplies of money.

     Naturally, almost every character in the cartoon believes this is a groundbreaking invention that will make them incredibly wealthy, and change the world. Disney's animator's could have illustrated the excitement of these cartoon characters by drawing dollar signs in place of pupils in their eyes. To everyone's great surprise, however, Scrooge McDuck demands the machine must be destroyed immediately. Scrooge carefully explains that the more money they create, the less valuable the money already in existence will become. In other words, if money actually did grow on trees, it would become just as invaluable as the leaves that grow on its branches. Scrooge also warns that if this machine falls into the wrong hands it could potentially bring chaos to the world. This children's cartoon story, as silly as it might sound, provides for us a superb illustration of the dangers the Federal Reserve system poses to the economic welfare of the United States.

A Brief History of The Federal Reserve System

     The Federal Reserve began in 1913 during what has commonly been referred to as the “Progressive Era.” In a time in which the gold standard maintained a system of balance, banks could only risk so much money on what they loaned out. Gold, in a sense, acted as the key regulator even over the largest banks. However, over a long period of time various events occurred which pushed the creation of one central banking system that could perform actions commercial banks could not. Men like Jacob Schiff, head of Kuhn, Loeb, & Co., spoke in favor of American's adopting a European style central bank, claiming that the “country needed money to prevent... crisis.”¹ While speeches like Schiff's sparked curiosity, it would seem that the banking panic of 1907 was the strong thrust of force that moved government officials to flirt with the idea of adopting this type of monetary system.

     Two years later in 1909, President William Howard Taft personally endorsed the American adoption of a central bank, and influenced others through his endorsement. Even the Wall Street Journal ran a fourteen-part series on the benefits and need for a central bank in the United States.² In November 1910, the first drafting of the bill that would eventually become the “Federal Reserve Act” was written. The men who attended this meeting certainly were an interesting combination: Nelson Aldrich, Henry Davison, Paul Warburg, Frank Vanderlip, and A. Piatt Andrew.

     Aldrich was from the senate. Davison was a senior partner of J.P. Morgan, the banker. Warburg was a German advocate of central banking. Vanderlip was the VP of a large bank known as National City Bank. Andrew was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury to the President of the United Sates, William Howard Taft. Ron Paul notes “In this group, we find the essence of the Fed: powerful bankers with powerful government officials working together to have the nation's money system serve the interests, justified by economists there to provide the scientific gloss.”³ After some slight modifications were made to satisfy some protestors, the bill would eventually be passed and the Federal Reserve system we know today was born. Since that time, the FED—as it is often called—has played a major role throughout history in the economic status of our nation.

What is The Purpose of The Fed, Exactly?

     According to a publication of the board of governors over the Federal Reserve, the Fed was originally created, “to provide the nation with a safer, more flexible, and more stable monetary and financial system.⁴” What is its main means of doing so? How could we sum up the Fed's unique duties and abilities in one sentence? In the words of Ron Paul, “The Fed has one power that is unique to it alone: it enables the creation of money out of thin air.”⁵ Occasionally money will be created in incredibly vast amounts. Other times, it won't seem like much at all. Yet, just as Gyro's ray-gun duplicator, the Fed has the unique power to instantly make something out of nothing and to do it instantly. This concept is sometimes referred to as “Fiat money.” In other words, something that essentially comes from nothing as if God were creating all over again—if that helps to illustrate the point at all.

     The main avenue used by the Fed to create money has been through the loans given out to citizens by commercial banks. The process usually goes something like this: a bank customer applies for a loan of any amount, in this case we'll say 1,000 dollars. After approving the loan, the bank will credit that amount of money to that person's account by “creating it,” according to the Economic Way of Thinking.⁶ Contrary to what the populace believes, banks do not take the money out of someone else's account. Soon after when the customer who received the loan for 1,000 dollars spends the money, the first bank will credit the funds to the person who now owns the rights to that money. Finally, the Federal Reserve will then credit the 1,000 dollars loaned out by the first bank to that same bank, and new money has been introduced and cycled into the economy. The process sounds simple and efficient, but what sort of potential problems does the existence of the Fed pose?

Five Potential Problems The Fed Poses to our Economy

     First, regardless of our stance on whether or not America needs a central banking system, it should be noted that the freedom by which Federal Reserve operates is quite troubling. Did you know if the head of the Fed wanted to, he could print 999 trillion dollars tomorrow without any explanation whatsoever? This isn't an exaggeration, it's actually true!  The Fed's influence over the economy is most certainly unparalleled. Its power knows no other equal. It has no accountability.  Skeptics may not be one-hundred percent committed to abolishing the Federal Reserve, but all of us should certainly be troubled by the Fed's absolute freedom to exercise its will without hindrance. As Ron Paul notes, “The fact that the Fed can create trillions of dollars and distribute them... without congressional oversight should shock us all.”⁷ The Fed even has the power to control interest rates, and to carry out any desire it has without providing a single reason to congress. It certainly is troubling to realize the immense power that has been placed in the hands of the Fed.

     If those who run it were ever to be blinded by their own opinions—which all of us are at some point!—they could easily throw the American economy into complete and utter chaos. Not only that, but the Fed's unchecked decisions have bearing upon not just our economy, but the entire world's. When the American economy fails, countries that we trade with will greatly suffer as well. When those countries suffer, other countries are thrown into turmoil. A single decision of poor judgment from the Fed could easily result in a domino effect of epic proportions.  Milton Friedman, Nobel Prize winning Economist, said it best:

Any system which gives so much power and so much discretion to a few men, [so] that mistakes excusable or not—can have such far reaching effects, is a bad system. It is a bad system to believers in freedom just because it gives a few men such power without any effective check by the body politic—this is the key political argument against an independent central bank.”

     Just like Gyro's duplicator gun—or a real gun, for that matter—it would only take pulling of a trigger, and instantly economies all over the world would take a deadly bullet to the heart. There's no telling what sort of pandemonium it could cause. No one man should have that much power. As Ron Paul states, “No single institution in society should have power this immense.”⁸ In this writer's opinion, the people of the United States, though they are unaware, live each day atop a sleeping volcano; ever so silent, incredibly lethal, and ready to explode at any moment without their knowing.

     Second, the Federal Reserve system gives an unfair advantage to large commercial banks. Banks are able to take risks that couldn't have been taken over 100 years ago. In 2008, when many large commercial banks and huge businesses were failing, the Federal Reserve created money for the purpose of saving these companies. To have given certain businesses free money because they have been deemed “too big to fail,” does not fit within the principles of a free market. Not only should we be free to succeed, but free to fail as well. In the end, the people who end up getting hit the hardest, unfortunately, are the poor. It's also not unfair, considering that the competing companies who might have become the next big company had their competition properly fallen from the race. For them, it's like fighting a battle against “zombie corporations” who simply can not die. It all results as simply a classic example of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.

     Third, the Fed, though it is neither good nor evil, has the potential to be used in incredibly immoral ways. Just as the Apostle Paul once wrote, “the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil.”⁹ Those who love money—and we can safely assume that's a lot of people—could easily use the Fed for their own crooked desires. Some allege theories regarding conspiracy and deceit consuming the Fed. Whether or not these theories are true can not and will not be proven by this writer. That being said, it does not seem foolish at all to speculate that the future may see someone take advantage of this monetary system for their own selfish gain—if someone has not already taken advantage of it already in the past. We would be wise to steer clear of the dangerous and destructive road which leads toward the love of money. The Fed can easily act as that road. Therefore, this writer would conclude it is more than likely that the Federal Reserve will be taken advantage of at some point in its history. Many systems are taken advantage of. None, perhaps, more dangerous to all of us than the Federal Reserve.

     Fourth, the Fed has the potential to cloud any voter's judgment during presidential elections. It has shrewdly been observed that before election years the president in office will seek to provide an economic stimulus to the nation. He does this, naturally, out of a desire to boost his popularity just before debates, interviews, and the eventual votes take place. What most people are unaware of, though, is that he uses the Federal Reserve system to accomplish this. The stimulus is simply artificial.  Without providing any “real” economic growth, the president can easily influence the people to vote in his favor by requesting the Fed approve of his stimulus plan.

     Sadly, this serves only his own personal interests. In the long run he only creates inflation, and he does so in a terribly irresponsible manner. It doesn't seem right for the president to artificially boost the economy before his re-election campaign just so he can get more votes. The Fed states one of their duties is to be, “maintaining the stability of the financial system and containing systemic risk that may arise in financial markets.¹⁰” How does aiding the President by providing an artificial stimulation even come slightly close to fulfilling this duty? It doesn't.  And shouldn't the President be focusing on improving our nation rather than spending months working toward being re-elected as well as damaging our dollar's value in the process? We can be sure that even if the Fed did not exist he would most likely still dedicate his time toward being re-elected. At least we could eliminate the possibility of his causing inflation to boost his own public-image. That much in itself is important enough to be sought after.

     Lastly, the Fed, without a doubt, is the catalyst behind inflation. The irresponsible creation of money, just like in the “Duck Tales” episode, only makes money less valuable. It raises prices and makes the bare necessities harder to acquire for the middle class and poor people. If we define inflation as “an artificial increase in the supply of money and credit,¹¹” as Ron Paul does, then we must conclude that the Fed drives behind the wheel of inflation rates. In fact, the entire existence of the Fed's purpose is to generate more money.

     Toward the end of the “Duck Tales” episode, the created money begins to duplicate on its own without the use of the duplicator gun invented by Gyro. The city begins to crumble, and prices begin to soar through the roof.  Lollipops cost five-thousand dollars, and one scene shows a mother demanding her children stop dragging coins into the house stuck on the bottom of their shoes.  Luckily, the copies of the money begin to explode and cease to exist any longer. The city is saved and the duplicator machine is destroyed. Unfortunately, while this solution helped Disney writers provide a conclusion to the 20 minute children's cartoon episode, money will not just explode on its own in reality.

Solution And Conclusion

     So what should be done?  Paul says, “The Federal Reserve should be abolished because it is immoral, unconstitutional, impractical, promotes bad economics, and undermines liberty. Its destructive nature makes it a tool of tyrannical government.¹²” While this writer appreciated Ron Paul's data and his knowledge of economics, his views seem a bit extreme, especially in the area of wars and money.  Paul advocates what could only be described as economic pacifism. Nevertheless, our conclusion doesn't deal with Ron Paul, but with the Fed. This writer agrees with Dr. Albert Mohler, who says he prefers “a simple monetary system.¹³” For now, it doesn't seem like the Fed is going away any time soon.  So what kind of solutions could make the Fed better than it is now?  This writer, who overall is not a big fan of the Fed, could only think of one: accountability
     If some form of checks and balances was put into place the Federal Reserve would instantly gain credibility.  It might even be a system worth keeping. No other leader in the U.S. government has been granted as much power as the Fed's chairman. Isn't this country supposed to operate on a separation of powers?  It is this writer's conviction that, regardless of one's background, we must all recognize the unchecked power of the Fed must be removed. The absence of any accountability leaves open the door to an economic pandora's box. Almost all of the Fed's problems stem from its unchecked authority over money and interest rates.  Unconstitutional power is the root of its bad fruit.  It isn't entirely necessary that we "End The Fed," as many will say, but a sovereign central banking system will never be safe for any economy full of mere men.

1Ron Paul, End the Fed, (2009, Grand Central Publishing) p. 19.

2Ibid. p. 20.

3Ibid. p. 21.

4http://www.federalreserve.gov/pf/pf.htm

5Ron Paul, End the Fed, (2009, Grand Central Publishing) p. 6.

6Paul Heyne, Peter Boettke, David Prychitko, The Economic Way of Thinking, (2010, Prentice Hall) p. 346.

7Ron Paul, End the Fed, (2009, Grand Central Publishing) p. 12.

8Ibid. p. 13.

9The Holy Bible, (1995, New American Standard Bible) 1 Tim 6:10.

10http://www.federalreserve.gov/pf/pdf/pf_1.pdf#page=4

11Ron Paul, End the Fed, (2009, Grand Central Publishing) p. 15.

12Ron Paul, End the Fed, (2009, Grand Central Publishing) p. 104.

13Interview with Dr. Albert Mohler

See my Pt. ?

Did you know?...

The abbreviation "Pt." can stand for :

"Pacific Time zone"
"Pro tempore" (a Latin phrase meaning "for the time being")
"Physical training" (an abbreviation used commonly in the US military)
"Price Target"  (the price at which a stockholder is willing/is projected to sell their stock"
"Proverbs 31 Woman"  (OK--not really--that one was for my friend Thomas Unson)
"Part" (as in pt. 1, 2, and 3 of a story.  like harry potter)

In Units of Measurement
"Point" (as in promontory, a physical landmark, e.g. point loma, point dume, etc.)
"Pint" (as in a unit measuring volume)
"Point" (as in a measurement of the thickness of card stock)
"Prothrombin time" (a measurement of blood coagulation)
"Point" (as in a unit of measure used in typography)

In Science

"Platinum" (a chemical element)

"The Periodic Table" (yes, Angelica--if you're reading--this one's for you)

"Polythiophene" (again relating to chemistry)

"Transverse momentum" (relating to particle physics)

"Pressure and temperature" (in geology)

"Post-tensioned concrete" (something relating to structural engineering)

In Medicine
"Patient" (like when we go to the doctor's office!)
"Physical Therapy"
"Pararosaniline-Toluidine" (a histological stain, "histos," or "ἱστός"; the greek word meaning "tissue," ergo: the study of tissues)
"Percutaneous" (a medical procedure)
"Mitochondrial permeability transition" (a disease)
"Pulmonary Hypertension" (basically reallllly high blood pressure. Leigh--or any other future nurses--I'm looking for you to correct me on this one if I'm mistaken.)
"Phyllodes tumor" (a breast tumor)

Places

"Palestinian territories"

"Petronas Towers" (a pair of towers in Malaysia)

"Park and Tilford Gardens" (a botanical garden in N. Vancouver)

"Palau Tiga" (an island in S. China Sea)

"Petah Tikva"  (a city in Israel)

"Port Townsend"  (a city in the state of Washington)

"Portugal"

Politics

"Partido dos Trabalhadores"  (a Brazilian political party)

"Parti des travailleurs" (a French political party)

"Partido del Trabajo" (a Mexican political party)

Miscellaneous!
"Pressure treated" (a type of wood)
"Petunidin" (a plant pigment)
"Peat"  (decayed vegetation soil)
"PT Cruiser"
"PT boat"
"Panorama Tools"
"Pro Tools" (a computer program)
".pt" (an internet top level domain name for Portugal.  i.e. www.facebook.pt )
"Pythagoras Theorem" (I remember this from geometry: a^2 + b^2 = c^2)
"Porcupine Tree" (a British rock band)
"Priston Tale"
"Prison Tycoon"
"Pokemon Platinum" (all these past three being video games)
"Prequel trilogy" (like star wars episodes 1, 2, and 3)
"Pro Tour" (like in skateboarding, or sports in general)
"Passing Tone"  (a term used in music theory)
"Portuguese Language"
"Perpetual traveler"
"Pandit" (as in the honorific title applied by Hindus to scholars)
"Capital Cargo International Airlines"  (I don't see how they do this one... oh well!)
"West Air Sweden"  (Oh, probably in a different language)
"Putnam Transit"  (a New York public bus system)
"Portugal Telecom"


How many of those random facts did you know?  Probably not too many...  In fact, my guess would be that most of you could probably count the number you knew on one hand.  How does any of this relate to the topic of humility?  SO GLAD YOU ASKED!  Yesterday I was studying the omniscience of God, the attribute which has often been defined by theologians as the attribute by which “God fully knows himself and all things actual and possible in one simple and eternal act.”  Meditating on this truth began to humble me. 


As I read, I began to ponder the infinite knowledge of God and--in contrast to God's perfect knowledge--how little I actually know.  It doesn't take long after reading a silly little list like the one above to realize theres so much I don't know, and yet, it's so easy for me to walk around with my head held high (metaphorically speaking), strutting internally as if "I know what's up!"  I struggle at times especially with becoming a "know it all"; how little I actually know!  What a wicked sin this is to see ourselves as knowing better than God.  I've never instructed God, have you?  No!  And yet so often I carry this attitude around with me as if I can teach Him a thing or two.  I know it sounds ridiculous--that's because it is--but it's the truth!  How irrational my thinking, tainted by sin, has become!  As Isaiah asked, "Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge, or showed him the path of understanding?" (Isaiah 40:14) Sometimes I think I'm the answer to this rhetorical question; oh how I have erred, Lord!  All knowledge You give is given as a privilege to lowly creatures; a precious gift!  I'm reminded of Your words to the Corinthian Church, and of Your words spoken through the prophet Isaiah...

"What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?" (1 Cor. 4:7b)

"For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, andrighteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.” (1 Cor. 1:26-31)

“But to this one I will look,

To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word."  (Isaish 66:2b)


I remember hearing C.J. Mahaney say, "if one desires to be humble, one must study the attributes of God."  I'm beginning to understand what he meant by that...  The very nature and person of the Creator brings humility to the the creatures He reveals His character to.


Well, loved ones, do you see my point? (or Pt.)  Haha :).  I hope and pray you would understand by God's grace, and that He would lead you to humility.  Let the knowledge of God's perfect and infinite knowledge leave you humbled.  As silly as it sounds, God knows all these "pt's" perfectly.  In fact, they are but a grain of sand in the infinite desert of his mind.  I must qualify that my language pales in comparison to the actual, but it's the best I can do.  Grace and peace, ya'll.
-zach  

Been trying to work on a sermon manuscript for several days now...  Looks like I've got a bad case of "writer's block" with better blocking technique than a 7 foot 350 pound all-pro lineman.   please pray for me...

A Biblical study on the disciple of fasting. (pt. 3)

Perhaps the most important question has been saved for the end:
Why should I fast?

This question is deeply connected to what has already been discussed as far as our motives for fasting are concerned.  (If you haven't already, see pt. 1 and 2)  That being said, there are a lot of reasons for why we should fast.  One source I read said the purposes believers should engage in fasting are, 

• To demonstrate their satisfaction in God. (Matthew 4:4) 
• To humble themselves before God. (Daniel 9:3) 
• To request God’s help. (2 Samuel 12:16; Esther 4:16; Ezra 8:23) 
• To seek God’s will. (Acts 13:2-3) 
• To turn from sin. (Jonah 3:5-10)
• To worship God without distractions. (Luke 2:36-38) 

When we engage in fasting, we disengage in what we would normally engage in frequently (eating), and to use that time to seek the Lord earnestly in prayer. Fasting, in fact, is never seen apart from the act of prayer in all the Bible.  That's quite a statement, I know, but you can take it to the bank, cause it's the truth. 

As one has pastor has said, “You can engage in prayer without fasting, but you can never fast apart from engaging in prayer.” 

Prayer always accompanies fasting, and the ultimate purpose in the end is to seek God.  When you fast, perhaps make a list of things or people that you feel the Lord is leading you to pray for. It's helpful to have a list because sometimes you'll just sit there for 20 minutes and really not pray anything.  It's difficult sometimes when we sit there not knowing what to pray.  Sometimes we can be so full of sorrow and confusion that we don't even know what to say.  One encouraging truth to remember is that the Bible teaches that even when we don't know what to pray the Holy Spirit is praying on our behalf.

"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.  And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God." (Romans 8:26-27)

What a blessing, right? The Spirit actually prays on our behalf. (v. 26) And When God, the Holy Spirit, prays to God, the Father, He always says, "Yes!" Because the Spirit prays in accordance with the will of God.  (v. 27)

In conclusion, whether it's because of sin, for guidance, or for help, or just to be with the Lord, fasting is to be Christ-centered. It's all about Christ in the end, not about us.  In the book of Mark, chapter two, a group of scribes approached Jesus who was reclining at the table in Matthew's home.  They began to ridicule Jesus, because they had noticed that while their disciples fasted, and even John the Baptist's disciples fasted, the disciples of Jesus did no such thing.  I close with the words of Jesus, in response to the scribes question as to why His disciples were not fasting, 

“And Jesus said to them,

'While the bridegroom is with them,

the attendants of the bridegroom cannot fast, can they? 

So long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 

But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, 

and then they will fast in that day.'"  

(Mark 2:19-20)

Loved ones, Jesus' disciples had no need to fast at this moment because Christ, the bridegroom, was with them!--and nobody fasts at a wedding!  And so, the disciples of Jesus had no need to fast because Christ, the God of the universe, had made his dwelling among them.  


Since Jesus spoke these words, much has happened.  He was crucified for sinners, died and was buried, but raised to life on the third day.  After this He ascended to heaven.  In other words, the bridegroom has since then been taken away, but just as He left, so He will return.  And when He comes back, He will judge this world.  All those who are in Christ will be found righteous because of all that He has accomplished through his death and resurrection, but all those who do not know the Lord will be forever in torment.  Do you know this Jesus, who will return, my reader?  Give heed to these words, stranger, for they are not my own.  They are, rather, the Words of God, that today is the day to turn from your sins, today is the day of salvation. Come and to cling to the precious Lord Jesus.  Forsake this life and be done with this world!  For all who turn will be counted forgiven, but all who are found with sin will be thrown into the eternal lake of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  As it has so wisely been said, 

"Only one life; 

'twill soon be past.  

Only what's done 

For Christ will last."

Christ is coming back, loved ones!  Christ is coming back!  And when our Lord returns we won't have to fast any longer, for He will make His dwelling place among us!  We will not fast, rather; we will feast!  For there will be nothing to mourn over after Jesus does away with pain and wipes away every tear.  There will nothing to repent of because Christ will glorify us and make us like Him.  There will be nothing to seek after, because the One we've sought after all along will finally be with us, face to face.  Oh, for that day!  Let it come soon, Lord!  Let all the people of God say, "Amen!  Amen!"  Let all His chosen children sing out, "Hallelujah!  Bless the Lord!"  Let all we Saints of Christ look forward and persevere until that day!--that faithful day, in which we will finally be home.

Grace and peace, Saints!

zach