How powerful is our God? It's his earth and he can do what he wants, and he sent a ginormous earthquake to hit an Island. I mean, an earthquake.... that's so cool.
How fragile is life? In the matter of seconds, 200,000 people were wiped out. Completely out of control of any human being. I was made aware of a family that STREETS is familiar with who experienced the fragile-ness of life. The father was driving and fell asleep at the wheel; they hit an 18-wheeler. The mother died instantly, the father is in intensive care on life support, the son broke both of his hips, and the 2 daughters are okay. Can you imagine how different their lives all become now? Life is fragile.
How sweet would it be if this Haiti earthquake is a birthpain? Look at Matthew 24:4-8 -
Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains."
I love life, and it is good. But because I know that "my citizenship is in heaven and we eagerly await a savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ," I'm ready to go home and be with my Lord. So the idea of birthpains kind of excites me.
The idea of birthpains kind of scares me. I know that I am going to be held accountable of what I have been entrusted with (the gospel) and that God expects that interest has been made (i.e. I've made disciples. See Luke 19:11-26). I'm pretty confident that I'm the servant who laid it away in a cloth so that it would be safe... I'm the wicked servant. So these birthpains should make me do something... Let me explain the parable of the ten minas (one of my all time favorite parables)
"A man of noble birth" - Christ
"Servants" - followers of Christ, disciples.
"Subjects" - nonbelievers, people of the world
(I LOVE verse 15. Jesus states that the people didn't want him to be king, but the following verse basically says... I'm king anyways, sorry. hahah I LOVE IT!)
"Money" - the good news
Look at verse 15... "Then he sent for the servants (believers) to whom he had given the money (gospel), in order TO FIND OUT WHAT THEY HAD GAINED WITH IT."
Keep reading....
The first servant took what he was given, and earned 10 more. Then he was rewarded with ten cities. The next servant took what he was given, and earned 5 more. He was rewarded with 5 cities. The last servant didn't earn anything and his mina was given to the servants who had earned interest... and he is called wicked. Then he kills all the subjects in front of him....
I don't know about you, but I really want to be the good and faithful servant who took what I was given, and "earned 10 more." I've got some serious disciples to make...
It's interesting to notice that from this parable, Jesus talks as if what we do on earth is directly proportional to our rewards in heaven. So much work to do.. "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few..."
I love our children!!!
-Mrs. Scalf
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