A good thief is at your door...

Hey Friends…

 Thieves are bad, are they not? They steal from us things that we do not want to give up. They break into homes. They take what does not belong to them. They ruin people’s fortunes and sometimes even their lives. Jesus called the devil a thief who has come to steal, kill, and destroy all that God loves. But this might startle you--Jesus calls himself a thief too. I’m betting his thievery is something good. Surprised? Do you have your Ring doorbell camera working? I’ll tell you more in Deeper Thoughts below…
 
But first….
 
·      Men: TOMORROW morning, Saturday June 8: Join us for a quick men’s challenge breakfast, rich fellowship, and passion for Jesus. 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. at the church!
 
·      THEN…don’t miss it! – Summer Kick-off Celebration and Carnival – THIS Sunday, June 9… 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Join us right after church for our “second annual” celebration of all things summer with food, fun, fellowship, games, and activities. While we’ll aim this to be super-fun for the kids with relay races, competitions, and games, this is for the entire church to gather for a great day in the pavilion! Hot dogs, bratwurst, coleslaw, chips, fresh squeezed lemonade, and funnel cakes included… come hungry and thirsty. Did I mention the Kona ice truck?
 
·      Ladies: Mark your calendars for two upcoming events:
 
o   Saturday, June 29 – Join us for a service project to help our beloved Carol Treachler with her move out west! More details to come.
 
o   Saturday, July 20… 8:30 – 9:30 a.m. – Prayer walk at Morven Park in Leesburg. Click here for more details!
 
OK…that’s it today for you email skimmers and those who leave their doors unlocked overnight.  BUT…
 
 
Some Deeper Thoughts…
 
We are presently teaching our two 14-week-old puppies how to “drop it.” They are not so happy about this game.
 
The command “drop it” is to teach them to let go of something they value—a bone, a toy, or in the case of our little ruby cavalier named Penny, grass. She eats grass like a cow. Oh, and mulch. That girl loves her mulch. And rocks. Yep. Rocks. But I digress.
 
To train a dog to let go of something of value, we give the command and then when they obey, we give them something of higher value as a reward—a treat, kibble, affection, etc.
 
Here’s the kicker: If we don’t offer something of greater reward, they’re going to see us as thieves. We are taking away their treasure. But we want them to understand that taking from them what they value will actually lead to greater levels of joy as they gain that which is superior.
 
Do you suppose there is anything in our lives that Jesus wants to command us to “drop it”?
 
Let’s level set: Humanity has filled itself with a LOT that is not to our favor. We may think it’s all good for us. We may think we really want it and its outcomes. But we haven’t connected the dots to all the misery and heartache that attends these ill-framed desires. Penny thinks her mulch and grass and rocks is what she really wants. She hasn’t connected that stomach aches and invasive doggie surgery await her should she not learn to “drop it.”
 
When God asks us to “drop it,” He has something far superior to trade with us.
 
God has planned the most amazing outcomes of everlasting love, joy, peace, and abundance for us. God will reset all that’s wrong, overflow us with hope and lavishness, and comfort us with unending peace. You can read all about it 1 Corinthians 15:50-57, Revelation 21:1-7 and Revelation 22:1-6. Wow…it is going to be SO good!
 
But to give us all this wonder and joy, God needs to get us to “drop” our treasures.
 
Here’s how Jesus explained it: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21).
 
Jesus tells us there’s this nasty thief—the devil—who has come to “steal, kill, and destroy.” And then Jesus clarifies his own role in the matter: “But I am come to give you life, and life to the full” (John 10:10).
 
So, thieves are all bad, Jesus all good, right?
 
Hold the phone.
 
Jesus again, this time in his revelation to the Apostle John: “Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.” (Revelation 16:15)
 
Did you catch it? Jesus is the thief?
 
He hinted at this before: “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” (Matthew 24:42-44)
 
Peter picked up on this theme when he spoke of the end times that are coming: “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.” (2 Peter 3:10)
 
Paul said essentially the same: “Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” (1 Thessalonians 5:1-2)
 
Here’s the point: God is going to reset everything for us to give us amazing abundance, joy, peace, prosperity, and love. But to do it, He has to get us to “drop it” with all the sin, destruction, and corruption we humans desperately cling to. When He shows up to make this trade--to get us to “drop it” and reward us with something of much greater value—He isn’t going to tell us when. He just shows up. Like a thief.
 
But you get the deal, right? He is a very good thief. He takes away, but He rewards with immeasurable abundance.
 
So what do we need to do with this?
 
Prepare.
 
Preparation is why Jesus revealed the details of his second coming. Let’s check it out in his own words this Sunday as we continue our summer teaching series of hope: “God’s Game Plan—Beginning, Middle, End: A study in biblical prophecy.”
 
Let’s get ready for the good thief to show up. Do some advance reading: Study carefully Matthew 24:36-51 and Matthew 25:1-46. See if you can pick up the game plan God has for you and me, and what we might need to do to be fully prepared.
 
Then… let’s meet! Sunday 10:00 a.m. in-person (best!) on online livestream if you’re out of town.
 
Here we go… can’t wait!
 
Chris Eads
Mt. Hope Pastor
Friend