Colin Hanson at Christianity Today weighs in on what he feels are the top theological stories of 2009. The SBC and the ELCA are among notables as well as names such as Rob Bell and Rick Warren. Some of the listed events are encouraging while others are deeply disheartening.
If you want to see a great commentary on our culture, take a look at Amazon's 100 Best Books of 2009: Customer Bestsellers.
Here are a few observations from the list:
The lyrics to "The Gift Goes On" remind me of the Filioque Controversy. This probably was not Sandi Patti's intention.
And this video shows just how small you are.
Can you learn something new every day before you learn that you learn something new every day?
We had a Christmas worship service at church tonight. Rebekah sang in the choir and I am happy to report that she got all the words right.
Rick Warren got himself in hot water with the secular media by not speaking out immediately against Ugandan anti-gay laws. Foreign Policy did a short web piece titled "Rick Warren finally speaks out against Ugandan anti-gay law." They called the incident a hit on his credibility.
Rick Warren posted this video and a brief refutation of the rumors surrounding this topic.
Fringe. It's a throwback sci-fi show with a stellar story line. Not to mention J.J. Abrams is a genius.
My bro-in-law and I made some music this weekend. We call ourselves the "Riders of Fauxhan." Check it out and download it if you like...
I am sending myself on blogging sabbatical. This week has been about papers and homework so far, tomorrow we are heading to Pennsylvania to spend Thanksgiving with Rebekah's family, and then we have finals week.
I had hoped to finish my "Christians and Alcohol" series, but recently I have found myself discouraged by the endeavor for various reasons. If it works out, I will draw some conclusions in a couple of weeks.
[Jesus] also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Earlier in this series:
Christians and Alcohol: Prolegomena
Christians and Alcohol: In Context
Christians and Alcohol: Consuming, Drunkenness, and Abstinence as Sin
Christians and Alcohol: Reacting and Relating
Christians and Alcohol: The Corinthian Matrix
Today I was reflecting on the life of Charles Spurgeon and I asked myself if I have the capacity to fight battles on multiple fronts in the way that he did.
I will get back to the discussion of Christians and alcohol this weekend, but some people have inquired about my sources. I was going to compile them all at the end, but I will give you what I have used thus far.
Earlier in this series:
Christians and Alcohol: Prolegomena
Christians and Alcohol: In Context
Christians and Alcohol: Consuming, Drunkenness, and Abstinence as Sin
Christians and Alcohol: Reacting and Relating
Christians and Alcohol: The Corinthian Matrix
Earlier in this series:
I had every intention of getting this post up on Friday; I even started writing. But I didn't finish. Thanks again for your patience.
Alright. So far we have looked at how our context views alcohol and the personal sin that is associated with consuming or abstaining from alcohol.
In light of our previous discussion, let's talk about how Christians should react to alcohol and relate to other Christians if they themselves are drinking alcohol or they see other Christians drinking alcohol.
Many Christians weigh their experience concerning alcohol prior to their acknowledging of Scripture. This can be detrimental. There is no reason why, as Christians, we should ever appeal to experience prior to Scripture. So, often times there will be a Christian who says, "Well, I've never abused alcohol" as a justification for drinking and another Christian who says, "If you had the experiences that I have had, you wouldn't drink alcohol either." Neither of these statements should carry weight for the Christian in reacting to alcohol.
As we saw in our last discussion, drinking alcohol is not a sin, but drunkenness is. This is the objective truth concerning alcohol for the believer based on Scripture. Experience does not govern these thing.
But there is an aspect of the alcohol conversation that we must consider which is based on experience; not the experience of the individual consuming alcohol, but the experience of those who might see that individual consuming alcohol. There are Christians around us who have been deeply affected by alcohol; alcohol may have torn their family apart or even their own life. It is absolutely imperative that we, as Christians, seek the needs of others over our needs. What we can and cannot do concerning alcohol and what constitutes sin for the individual does not trump the consideration we must have for our brothers and sisters. These fellow believers may or may not understand the objective truth concerning alcohol expressed in Scripture, but the understanding of objective truth does not remove the fact that there may be deep emotions tied to the subject of alcohol. We are commanded to be like Christ and therefore must emulate his servant attitude in this. Paul writes,
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.Therefore:
Earlier in this series:
Christians and Alcohol: Prolegomena
Christians and Alcohol: In Context
Christians and Alcohol: Consuming, Drunkenness, and Abstinence as Sin
This is the 300th post in the life of this blog; maybe not a major milestone, but a milestone nonetheless.
...this was pretty sweet.
If you have been following my "Christians and Alcohol" series, I am sure you are checking your feed-reader every five minutes awaiting the next installment.
Unfortunately, this week has been very busy and I have not had a chance to do much thinking, let alone writing. I will resume the discussion in the very near future. Thank you for your patience.
If you haven't read any of the posts in the series yet, now is your time to catch up.
Christians and Alcohol: Prolegomena
Christians and Alcohol: In Context
Christians and Alcohol: Consuming, Drunkenness, and Abstinence as Sin
This post is almost unnecessary, but I don't want to take anything for granted in this discussion. So, before we press on we need to address what immediate individual sin is, or what implications drinking has on the Christian actually imbibing alcohol.
It has been said from time to time that simply consuming alcohol is a sin. This view is invalid according to Scripture as displayed by this syllogism:
The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Earlier in this series:
I think before going any further in the discussion about Christians and alcohol it would be good to take a look at some statistics concerning alcohol consumption in our country. I know that stats can be used to manipulate an audience, but I am not seeking out the most shocking stats to promote a bias; rather I am compiling some data to draw a conclusion about our current context which will prove important later in the discussion.
Christians talk about alcohol a lot. Unfortunately, most of the conversation is stupid and, at times, sinful. Hence, I am going to take the next few days and address the primary issues swirling around Christians and alcohol.
In the recent weeks I have done a significant amount of reading on what others think about this topic and have engaged in introspection and self-evaluation concerning the matter of alcohol in my own Christian life. Therefore, I desire to prompt introspection and self-evaluation, not evaluation of others.
With that in mind, there will be times where I will quote some individuals who I think are wrong about certain areas of the issue and will argue against them. There are a lot of people spouting off on the internet right now about this topic. But from what I see they mostly fall into one of two camps:
Here are two videos that help with an understanding of the prosperity gospel. This corruption of the true gospel is alive and well in our backyard and is exploiting people in poor contexts across the world. Awareness of this false gospel should profoundly impact the Christian's missiological perspective. Take a look.
In 1859 Constantin von Tischendorf visited, for the third time, St. Catherine's monastery in Sinai. His first trip to the monastic community in 1844 was slightly successful while his second, in 1853, was fruitless.
Tischendorf was Indiana Jones one hundred years before the Indiana Jones trilogy was set. He was on a quest to discover ancient manuscripts of the Greek Bible in hopes of compiling them according to the discipline known as textual criticism, a process initiated by Erasmus three hundred years earlier.
When Tischendorf arrived at St. Catherine's for the first time in 1844 he made a disheartening discovery: a large amount of parchment, considered rubbish, was in a waste-basket in queue to start fires. The "rubbish" was actually an early manuscript of the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament. Tischendorf attempted to save the parchment, but tipped his hand and the monks, understanding that Tischendorf viewed these ancient documents as valuable, only allowed him to take a one third of the "rubbish."
Tischendorf did not return to St. Catherine's until 1853, seeking to complete the set he had begun collecting nine years earlier. But his trip was insuccessful.
Then on January 31, 1859, Tischendorf made a final visit to the monastic community by request of the Czar of Russia, Alexander II. Tischendorf arrived and, like his 1853 experience, found nothing. Then, after he resolved to leave the monastery, he made an incredible discovery. Tischendorf recorded his finding on February 4, 1859:
"On the afternoon of this day I was taking a walk with the steward of the convent in the neighbourhood, and as we returned, towards sunset, he begged me to take some refreshment with him in his cell. Scarcely had he entered the room, when, resuming our former subject of conversation, he said: "And I, too, have read a Septuagint"—i.e. a copy of the Greek translation made by the Seventy. And so saying, he took down from the corner of the room a bulky kind of volume, wrapped up in a red cloth, and laid it before me. I unrolled the cover, and discovered, to my great surprise, not only those very fragments which, fifteen years before, I had taken out of the basket, but also other parts of the Old Testament, the New Testament complete, and, in addition, the Epistle of Barnabas and a part of the Shepherd of Hermas."
You know those jobs that when you were a kid you thought were sweet but never pursued because they just didn't seem viable?
I like Google Chrome. Among many other perks, it's not gray.
Click through and watch this video on YouTube for an extra-special experience.
By resisting a brand, churches brand themselves. Here is an example from the belief statement on the website of Jacob's Well Church in Kansas City:
"The Apostles' Creed gives a summary of the doctrinal commitments of this community. However, we do not think the best way to know what we believe is to read it off a page. We believe the best way to determine what someone, or some group of people, believe is to watch them -- or better yet, join them and discover it from the inside. When we are handed a sheet of paper or click on a link with a list of statements, we believe that something vital is short-circuited. More than that, we become a brand: "Oh, you're 'that' kind of Christian/church." We are a brand culture. We don't want to be a brand church. We are a community of people seeking to follow Jesus in faith and freedom."
I made a wallpaper. I am sharing it with you.
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The Chapel services here at SBTS this week were particularly strong. I would highly recommend both of them.
Firstly, Dr. James Hamilton gives a stern warning concerning sexual sin in the life of the believer drawing from the transgression of David in 2 Samuel 11.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the LORD is sure,
making wise the simple;
the precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the LORD is pure,
enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the LORD is clean,
enduring forever;
the rules of the LORD are true,
and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.
Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.Who can discern his errors?
Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;
let them not have dominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless,
and innocent of great transgression.Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
How does one ensure that the words of his mouth and the meditations of his heart are pleasing to the Lord? By grounding himself in the Word of God.
That's a real sentence. No joke. Wikipedia and William J. Rapaport say so. And I believe them.
Apparently a popular idiom in the South is "clear off a spot and pitch a fit," although I am unaware of what context such a thing would be said.
If you have some insight a comment would be greatly appreciated.
Why do so many people feel like they must indicate the plurality of the second person pronoun "you" when referring to groups?
You guys, you all, y'all.
Just "you" is perfectly acceptable.
And don't get me started on the possessive form.
Your guyses? Y'all's? Really?
I am quite upset that I missed out on English Language Day. It was yesterday.
The English language has such a rich and diverse history; I encourage you to read about that which was arguably the most influential event in our language's history: the Norman conquest of England in 1066. If you are interested further, check out The Stories of English by David Crystal.
No offense to the folks who thought this up; it's incredibly creative. Personally though, I thought it was really lame.
Titles of Facebook photo albums commonly exhibit these qualities:
The easiest way to get your name on the cover of a book is to write a foreword. And you don't even have to be an expert on what the book is about; you just have to say some nice things about the book and its author then shamelessly plug your own work.
I am going to make business cards that say:
Caleb Drahosh
Foreword Writer
I decided to retire. I cashed out my 401k and bought some books: BDAG, 1-3 John, Basics of Verbal Aspect in Biblical Greek, and Adopted for Life.
A sound investment. And money left over to help with rent.
Ok, I know I said I was discontinuing this portion of the blog, but this tree is too cool to not bring back the "Tree of the Week" for one last hurrah.
...or you may have Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig telling you to pick up during their Broadway show, A Steady Rain.
I just had a "did I really just do that?" moment:
I took the trash out wearing socks and flip-flops.
I have often asked this question: if someday I am a pastor, how will I address particular subtle changes that may be a point of stumbling for a portion of the congregation?
In this video, John Piper is asked about changing from KJV to a more contemporary translation. I found the principles communicated in his answer, although brief, to be helpful in answering the question that I posed at the outset.
Here is a nice follow up to yesterday's post.
Last night Doug Wilson spoke at the Desiring God National Conference about the debate between himself and Christopher Hitchens. This may be a more helpful tool for those who have actually watched the documentary, but you can always come back to this interview once you watch the film.
Again, Collision is due out October 27.
I am excited to watch this:
Seventy-five years ago today A.T. Robertson died, but not before leaving his imprint on the history of New Testament scholarship. Robertson was arguably The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary's most prolific professor. His classes are legend here at Southern and his influence was wide-spread. His Shorter Grammar was the favorite of Pope John XXIII and congregations across the United States eagerly awaited his arrival to hear him preach. The tragedy of Robertson's life was his inability to engage his own family; his daughter was an agnostic and his son never expressed interest in Spiritual things. It is a stern warning concerning the family life of the proclaimers of God's Word.
Also on this day, 250 years ago, Charles Simeon was born. Simeon is a hero of mine as he was the model of perseverance. He served in the same church for fifty-four years many of which were marked by an extreme dislike for him by his congregation. When asked why he did not move on from the hostile situation Simeon would point to the fact that God simply did not provide any other options. Simeon's persistence and faithfulness to God's Word and to the calling God gave him is an incredible testimony. I identify with Simeon as his early years proved him a prideful man; God clearly had a plan to uproot the sin by giving him such a difficult post.
I would encourage you to seek biographical information on each of these men as their lives can teach us so much about the faithfulness of God.
Some of you may know how I came to Christ and others may not. And since I recently had to write up my testimony for class, I thought it would be a good opportunity to let you all know how it happened.
Although my personal testimony is not particularly riveting, I have come to understand that it is only by the grace of God that my conversion ever could have happened. All testimonies speak to the power of God because humanity is rooted in sin and not one individual is able to choose God unassisted. The inward condition is manifested differently in each person. My depravity was so radical and my rebellion so great, yet God raised me and gave me new life. That is the miracle of my conversion and all others.
I struggled greatly throughout my early life, desiring to be accepted by those around me. I was loved deeply by my family, but I was a social outcast at school. I found some acceptance at church, but unfortunately through people. I was born into the Lutheran Church, but my family began attending an Evangelical Free Church after my parents got saved. Here I had friendships that waxed and waned, but always seemed to end in a flippant manner. Nevertheless, it was the most acceptance I had outside the home.
It was then that my family experienced probably our greatest trial. My parents decided to separate for a time while they addressed some issues. I saw the security that I felt at home melt away. I only saw my dad on weekends and my mom was less than stable. Also during this time we left our church. My dad began attending another Evangelical Free Church while my mom took my sister and me irregularly to a Baptist church not too far from our house. I did not enjoy either church as I was frustrated with my life circumstances.
By the grace of God my parents rejoined. I started middle school and my family began attending the Evangelical Free church my dad had connected with while my parents were separated. I longed for a new situation to maybe find some security and acceptance. I was disappointed. I began looking for acceptance in different places; in sports, academics, and music. I did not find it.
I started high school and it was more of the same. I was successful by worldly standards. I had a good number of friends for the first time in my life, I played three different sports, I was gifted musically, but I was still empty. I got frustrated and became more and more prideful. If I was good at the things the world said I should be good at, why was I not accepted by it? I determined that it was not me who had the problem, but everyone else. The roots of pride grew deep into the recesses of my heart during this time.
From that point forward I did everything out of selfish pursuit. I found a girlfriend. She liked me and I liked her, or at least I liked the way that I felt around her. I felt accepted, but it was a façade. She hurt me deeply multiple times, but I returned repeatedly to this broken cistern.
I graduated from high school still empty, thinking I had found something in my current relationship. I moved away from home and began attending North Dakota State University. Shortly thereafter the relationship that I had put so much stock in ended. I was broken and stripped of what I thought was fulfilling me. It was then that I was positioned to experience the life-giving power of Jesus Christ.
My conversion was a simple realization. I was utterly wretched, there was nothing good in me, and I needed to be saved. Earlier in life I had heard the gospel, but I never really responded. I had prayed a prayer and rededicated my life multiple times, but never had I grasped the gravity of it. It was here, on my own for the first time at college, that I knew there was never any security or acceptance in the things that I had sought. The wrath of God was on me and I deserved to be separate from him. My heart was rebellious and I needed reconciliation. I cried out to God and he saved me. Christ’s work on the cross meant acceptance by God and eternity with him. Christ became the most beautiful thing to me.
After I experienced conversion my freshmen year in college, my life was transformed. Jesus Christ changed my life in so many ways; I will give but a few.
Firstly, my life has been marked by a love of Scripture. I have a passion for God’s Word. Before my conversion I saw little need for reading a really old book that did not seem to be relevant to my life circumstances. After my conversion I began to see that Scripture is the primary way which God speaks to us.
Secondly, my life has been marked by a love of people. The relationships that I experienced prior to my conversion where mostly geared at fulfilling a need that I had. Now the relationships that I have with my wife, my family, and my friends are in the fellowship of Christ. The gospel changed the way that I view the others in my life.
Thirdly, my life has been marked by a removal of self. I went to college seeking a good job with an inflated salary which included comfort and an early retirement. In Christ my life has taken a whole new direction. I am seeking education to be a full-time minister of God’s Word, which does not pay well, will not be comfortable, and will not allow for retirement. There is no other option. God has given me so much; I want my life to proclaim him, not me.
Finally, my life has been marked by joy. Fighting for joy has been one of the biggest struggles in my new life. I am naturally cynical and somewhat cold. But as I continue to study Scripture and understand the weight of the gospel, joy comes more and more easily. How could I let anything rob the joy that comes with the knowledge of redemption?
I am so grateful that God plucked me from my situation and gave me new life. The compassion he showed me and continues to show me is unfathomable.
Raking leaves (social action) does not constitute a Gospel presentation; the physical needs of humanity pale in comparison to the depravity of the human heart and its need to be quickened. In Mark 2 Jesus recognizes this and goes right for the jugular; he proclaims that he is the Christ, the God-man, he has the power to forgive sins, and that humanity, no matter what its physical state, needs forgiveness of sins first and foremost.
And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
Inadequate. That is how I feel. There are so many questions and I have so few answers.
Good thing my adequacy is non-existent; otherwise I might fall victim to self-esteem.
For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
"So God's grace is the source of every blessing that we have as Christians. Truly, as Jesus said, "apart from me you can do nothing." We have nothing that we have not received. Even our response to his grace is given by grace. When God saves us, he takes way every possible ground of boasting. All the praise and glory belongs to him."-John Frame, The Doctrine of God
In my Personal Evangelism course here at Southern we are required to memorize 40 key verses for evangelism. I have found the list to be quite helpful, so I thought I would pass it on.
Scripture is so important in evangelism; since we claim it to be the ultimate authority in our lives, using it in our witness only makes sense. I would encourage you to adopt this list or a similar list to memorize as together we seek to be obedient proclaimers of the Gospel of Christ.
God
Psalms 19:1
Revelation 4:11
Matthew 22:37-38
Leviticus 19:2
Rebellion
Isaiah 59:2
Isaiah 53:6
Romans 3:23
Romans 6:23
Hebrews 9:27
Matthew 10:28
Atonement
John 3:16
Luke 19:10
Romans 5:8
1 Peter 2:24
Isaiah 53:5
1 Peter 3:18
2 Corinthians 5:21
John 3:36
Conversion
John 3:3
John 1:12
Acts 16:31
Romans 10:9
Romans 10:13
Matthew 11:28
John 14:6
Acts 4:12
Luke 13:3
Isaiah 55:7
1 John 1:9
Isaiah 1:18
2 Corinthians 6:2
Revelation 3:20
Ephesians 2:8-9
Eternal Life
John 10:10
John 6:37
1 John 5:12-13
Romans 8:16
John 5:24
2 Corinthians 5:17
2 Timothy 1:12
Everyone remembers where they were on 9/11/01. It was a day that altered history. But I remember 9/12/01 almost as vividly.
It was the day when the questions that I was too numb to form the day before began to take shape in my mind. Who would do this? How could something like this happen? Is this reality? It was the day I began to seek understanding.
Nothing earth-shattering happened on 9/12/01. It was just the beginning of a slow digestion process that we still feel the effects of today, eight years later.
Taken from Tell the Truth by Will Metzger
The fire of God's wrath has touched down at one particular point in history. And when it did, it utterly consumed a man as he hung on a cross. It did not burn a large area, but finalized God's work of judgment. The fire of God's wrath will come again in history. This time it will consume the whole earth. Will there be any place to hide? Only on the hill where that cross stood, where the fire has already burned. A person is forgiven if he identifies with Christ who on the cross bore God's judgment for sins. Jesus Christ is our burned-over area, the only safe hiding place.
So, yesterday in my Greek Exegesis class we were discussing participles which express cause.
Look at these two verses.
Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.
So, I have been thinking a good deal about the whole N.T. Wright/Doctrine of Justification bit since my post last Friday. My understanding is so limited I am tempted not to go there, but I will anyway.
Watch this video of Bishop Wright discussing his book, Justification.
If you have been a faithful follower of Thorns you have experienced my frustration with the design of the blog through the multiple changes that have occurred in the past six months.
Well, it looks different again. I hope this one sticks. Tell me what you think.
Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if I expected it would not be above an hour, before I should hear the last trump.
Christ is coming back at any minute. You and I do not know when. Our actions should reflect this fact...
“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning—lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”
