OzThoughts. Thursday 29th October 2009

OzThoughts. Thursday 29th October 2009

“Hold your minds in a state of undistracted attention”. Peter reminds his readers that both his letters reminds them that are to keep their minds totally fixed on the things the prophets had said and the teachings of Jesus passed on to them by the Apostles.

In recent days we have heard of a plane that missed an airport by 240 kilometres (150 miles) because the two pilots, as they told the FBI "were in a heated discussion over airline policy and lost situational awareness".

An Australian teenager is currently out in the South Pacific Ocean, attempting to become the youngest person to sail around the world non-stop. On the first night out of her home harbour sailing to her official starting point in Sydney, while she slept, considerable damage was done to her yacht when she collided with a huge bulk carrier.

A fishing trawler recently parked itself in the shallow waters of the beach at Fraser Island and needed to be towed by a tug from its resting place. The crew were asleep at the time.

These actions have all caused considerable comment. The “situational awareness” of the people involved has been considered the result of foolishness by many.

Jesus told a story of 5 foolish and 5 wise young women who waited for the bridegroom to appear. He reminded us to be ready and maintain “situational awareness”. Peter builds on this teaching and reminds his readers and us to “Hold your minds in a state of undistracted attention”.

[Listen: http://www.salvoaudio.com/audio/music/mus_970.mp3 ]

My heart is fixed, eternal God,
Fixed on thee;
And my unchanging choice is made,
Christ for me.
He is my prophet, priest and King,
Who did for me salvation bring,
And while I've breath I mean to sing:
Christ for me.

Let others boast of heaps of gold,
Christ for me.
His riches never can be told,
Christ for me.
Your gold will waste and wear away,
Your honors perish in a day,
My portion never can decay,
Christ for me.

In pining sickness or in health,
Christ for me.
In deepest poverty or wealth,
Christ for me.
And in that all-important day,
When I the summons must obey,
And pass from this dark world away,
Christ for me.

At home, abroad, by night, by day,
Christ for me.
Where'er I speak, or sing, or pray,
Christ for me.
Him first and last, him all day long,
My hope, my solace, and my song,
I'll send the ringing cry along:
Christ for me.
Author: Richard Jukes (1804-67)
The Salvation Army Song Book: Song Number: 356

2 Peter 3:1-10 (The Message)
1-2 My dear friends, this is now the second time I've written to you, both letters reminders to hold your minds in a state of undistracted attention. Keep in mind what the holy prophets said, and the command of our Master and Saviour that was passed on by your apostles.
3-4First off, you need to know that in the last days, mockers are going to have a heyday. Reducing everything to the level of their puny feelings, they'll mock, "So what's happened to the promise of his Coming? Our ancestors are dead and buried, and everything's going on just as it has from the first day of creation. Nothing's changed."
5-7They conveniently forget that long ago all the galaxies and this very planet were brought into existence out of watery chaos by God's word. Then God's word brought the chaos back in a flood that destroyed the world. The current galaxies and earth are fuel for the final fire. God is poised, ready to speak his word again, ready to give the signal for the judgment and destruction of the desecrating sceptics.
8-9Don't overlook the obvious here, friends. With God, one day is as good as a thousand years, a thousand years as a day. God isn't late with his promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn't want anyone lost. He's giving everyone space and time to change.
10But when the Day of God's Judgment does come, it will be unannounced, like a thief. The sky will collapse with a thunderous bang, everything disintegrating in a huge conflagration, earth and all its works exposed to the scrutiny of Judgment.

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