The Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will. Matthew 24:43-44.

 Here is where we left off in our study of Matthew 24.

“But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.  44 “For this reason, you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.”
Matthew 24:43-44 NAS95

The context has everything to do with Israel and the Jews, with a special focus on the seven years of God's wrath.

Can it also apply to us now?

Certainly. In the broader picture, the head of the household - called the Jews, are the rabbis, Pharisees, and scribes.

In the narrow view, it is one in which the Gentile church body exists in the form of individual believers, the heads of our own households, a situation where we are anxiously looking for the Son of Man (Jesus). For some, Jesus will be coming as a thief in the night.

I have sat with religious people who have scoffed at my statement and ranted that they are ready and don't need me to lecture them on what it is to be ready, all the while denying that such a theme exists for them. Well, Paul, Peter, and the Apostle John also referred to this very thing.

The Apostle Paul wrote.

1 Thessalonians 5:1 NASB Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you.

Paul could not say this unless he had clearly developed this teaching within this church body and left no room for argument.

Consider the words, times, and epochs.

Time, according to the Word Study Dictionary, is the Greek word chrónos. “This word perceives time quantitatively as a period measured by the succession of objects and events and denotes the passing of moments.”

Quantitatively, is something that is expressible in terms of quantity.

So Paul was comfortable telling them that this time that was coming was something expressible.

Epochs according to the WSD is the Greek word kairós. It is a season or an opportune time. It is not merely as a succession of minutes, which is chrónos (G5550), but a period of opportunity.

If you are paying attention to the events which are centered on Israel, then you would know that many of us are watching intently for Jesus' return for His bride.

1 Thessalonians 5:2 NASB For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.

Note the usage of the word “like”. It has similarities to the thief, but for the believer, He is not coming as a thief. Another scripture that speaks in similitude is Revelation 13:3, where it says.

Revelation 13:3 NASB I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast;

Typically, when people read or hear this, they don't pay attention to fact that it is one of it's many heads that sustains the wound, nor do they realize that it is NOT dead, it just seems to be for the moment. The Ottoman Empire easily fulfills our understanding of this head.

1 Thessalonians 5:3 NASB While they are saying, "Peace and safety!" then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.

The United Nations and the World Economic Forum both repeatedly made calls for peace and security or safety, and, blame the lack of such on “antisemitism, anti-Muslim bigotry, persecution of Christian minorities and white supremacist ideology.”¹ All of this is evidence that the globe needs to live on social contracts like China already does.

Today is August 12, 2024. This is important for several reasons. 1. It is a day of mourning in Israel as so many bad things have happened on this day. Such as the expulsion from Spain and then England. The Destruction of both temples, and now the threat of Iranian missiles be shot as Israel in retaliation of several assassinations attributed to Israel. Iran has the intent of removing Israel from the map. So, Watchman River Tom, a YouTube channel I watch, spoke about the possibility that Iran could hold off on these launches and feign peace by holding hostage talks with Israel on Thursday. This could play into the common thread where either the Jewish people or the antichrist character says peace peace.

Look at the terminology that the Amplified Bible uses.

“When people are saying, All is well and secure, and, there is peace and safety, then in a moment unforeseen destruction (ruin and death) will come upon them as suddenly as labor pains come upon a woman with child; and they shall by no means escape, for there will be no escape.” 1 Thessalonians 5:3 AMP

1 Thessalonians 5:4 NASB But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief;

Why will it NOT overtake us?

2 Timothy 4:8 NASB In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me but also to all who have loved His appearing.

1 Thessalonians 5:5 NASB for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness;

Paul explains verse four above by telling this church and us, that we are not of night or or darkness; and, therefore, not subject to the fears of the night.

Again I turn to the Amplified Bible as it defines 1 Thessalonians 5:4 so well.

“But you are not in [given up to the power of] darkness, brethren, for that day to overtake you by surprise like a thief.” 1 Thessalonians 5:4 AMP

1 Thessalonians 5:6 NASB so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.

The challenge, if you will, is to be alert and sober.

Sobriety has little to do with alcohol. According to Webster's it also means to be “Cautious; prudent; watchful on all sides; examining carefully all the circumstances that may affect a determination.

The Weymouth translation states,

“So then let us not sleep, like the rest of the world, but let us keep awake and be sober.” 1 Thessalonians 5:6 Weymouth

So then, let us not sleep like the rest of the world.

Can I spread a broad blanket and say that the majority of those who claim they are Christians are nothing more than asleep?

I recently saw a clip where Joy Behar, a commentator on the television show, The View, said, in talking about Donald Trump, after he said that it was God's grace that spared his life in this assassination attempt, that she, too, was a Christian because she was brought up in the Catholic church, and that Donald Trump's comments about God moving in his life were narcissistic. Growing up in a Catholic church does not make you Christian. Putting your life and faith into the hands of Jesus Christ by asking Him to come into your life, does. Joy Behar could never speak so corruptly about people who choose to uphold conservative values and standards and be deemed a Christian by anyone.

Matthew 24:44 Weymouth  “Therefore you also must be ready; for it is at a time when you do not expect Him that the Son of Man will come.”

Last night we went to hear a good band that was playing as part of the summer concerts in the parks. There were easily about three hundred people there. We often see people that we know from church. In a way, having a picnic in the park and listening to music makes the world seem normal, especially as the city picked up the bill for the band to be there and we just come and enjoy. The problem, that most will refuse to see, is that few of those people have any clue that we are on the cusp of Jesus' return and the start of the seven years of God's wrath.

The scriptures tell us that they were not looking for Him, nor were they aware.

Having said all that, Matthew 24:43-44 is implying that we, as the heads of our households, can know what time the thief is coming (He only appears to be a thief because they are not looking for Him.) Those of us who are alert and ready are so because we have given our hearts to Jesus as the Redeemer. Those who merely attach themselves to the name Christian will not be taken up in the rapture of the church, as they are not looking for Him, and neither are they ready for Him. For them, Jesus will come at an hour when they are NOT looking for Him.

1https://press.un.org/en/2024/ga12582.doc.htm

Anyone whose goal is to serve. 1 Timothy 3:1-7

 We closed out chapter two with Paul saying, "I have been chosen as a preacher and apostle to teach the Gentiles this message about faith and truth. I'm not exaggerating—just telling the truth." 

While learning about faith and truth is vital, something else is just as essential, and that is the need to pray. 

Paul puts it like this, "in every place of worship, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy." You can find this in 1 Timothy 2:7-8 NLT.

Controversy is an interesting word. The dictionary defines it as dispute; debate; agitation of contrary opinions.

The NASB uses the term dissension instead of controversy. If you look up the Strong's concordance for dissension, you get the word dialogismos, which means discussion, debate, and reasoning. 

The logical assumption on my part would be to say that this is where we get our word dialogue. Dialogue, of course, implies that the parties involved are having a meaningful conversation. Welcome to my world, where, in a household of those who claim to be "Christians," there is non-stop dissension and agitation due to contrary opinions concerning the mandates put on us by our California Governor, and faith. It is painful to watch, as faith means nothing.

By the way, my home has become a model of the church today, as with minor exceptions, the church lives in fear, and pastors, preach nothing to stimulate faith and boldness.

Paul opens chapter three, talking about those that aspire to be church leaders. The assumption here would-be pastors, but it can cover a variety of ministerial titles.

I wonder what Paul would think of us today. 

1 Timothy 3:1-7 NLT "This is a trustworthy saying: "If someone aspires to be a church leader, he desires an honorable position." (2) So a church leader must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach. (3) He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money. (4) He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him. (5) For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God's church? (6) A church leader must not be a new believer, because he might become proud, and the devil would cause him to fall. (7) Also, people outside the church must speak well of him so that he will not be disgraced and fall into the devil's trap."

• "If someone aspires to be a church leader, he desires an honorable position."

If it is your goal, or you are shooting for the role of being a church leader, you do well. That is if your motives are correct. 

What do I mean by that? 

I have seen many come to the mega-churches because that is where the money is. Maybe their motives were pure, and they truly wanted to shepherd people, but you find out quickly that shepherding is often complicated and uncomfortable. You also find out that the bigger the church, the more exhaustively elaborate the organizational system. Timothy found out about people and their eccentricities, because he was asked by Paul to put several of these unruly sheep in their place, and, if necessary, kick them out of the congregation.

If my mother had raised Timothy, he would have found that difficult to do.

The context of 1 Timothy chapter three has everything to do with someone seeking to be the shepherd of a church body.

Verses 2-7 cover the qualifications.

Paul tells us that if any man aims to be the overseer or pastor, it is a fine work he desires to do. 

An overseer, then, must be:

• A man whose life is above reproach.

Here we are in a Presidential election year, and it doesn't matter what side you are supporting, as your candidate will have their skeletons exposed. Of course, they will counter with dirt against the opposition and do their best to cloud the issue against them. 

What's the point here? 

Everyone has skeletons in their closet. Are you willing to take the heat for those skeletons? Maybe the best approach is to air out the laundry at the beginning, and then there will be no secrets that you have to dodge later on.

The Greek word translated as a reproach is anepílēptos and implies one who has nothing which an adversary could seize upon with which to base a charge. (WSD)

Why does this make me think of a church like Victory Outreach, where some of the Pastors will, in their testimonies, tell you that they murdered someone. It seems then, as if this reproach would be more of an active lifestyle thing, but not necessarily. 

• He must be faithful to his wife.

Sadly, most of us know of some pastor who has had an affair with their secretary or someone else. 

• He must exercise self-control.

Without some parameters, this could apply to anything, some being nowhere near as destructive as the others. The Word Study Dictionary states: "to be sober. Sober, temperate, self-controlled, especially in respect to wine." This does not give you any more crazed freedom with whiskey or other libations.

Not being an alcoholic, I don't understand the dynamics of alcoholism. You see, I put myself in recovery because I was getting far too comfortable, allowing rage to make my decisions for me. You might think I would understand the alcoholic better, simply because I attended recovery and led the anger group. But rage, for me, was a choice. With an alcoholic, I am not so sure there is a choice as it is an addiction.

If you did not check the background on this, new, potential pastor, then their propensity for excess might get past you and explode in all your faces.

• Live wisely, and have a good reputation.

The NLT has no direct reference to word origins in the Greek, and so I have to try to make an accurate comparison with something that does, like the NASB, or KJV. The words the NLT gives are, live wisely, and have a good reputation.  These are useful words for the moment, but several of these words overlap in their definitions and repeat a theme. The KJV uses terminology such as be vigilant, sober, and of good behavior. The Greek words used to make this sentence are nēphálios, sṓphrōn, and kósmios. 

If we look at kósmios in The Word Study Dictionary, we get this, "Plato presents someone who is kósmios, much like the citizen who quietly fulfills the duties which are incumbent on him and is not disorderly."

Plato associates such a person, as Paul does, with sṓphrōn, where he conveys the idea of a sensible, self-controlled person who voluntarily places limitations on their freedom.

Immediately I can tell you that some will lose their minds simply because Plato, the philosopher, is being referenced. There is no denying that usage, but if good, Godly sense shines through, then the goal is accomplished, and Paul calls for this very thing.

The end of this sentence above is quite telling and might severely impact those who choose to lead man-cave groups that have little to no restraints.

• He must enjoy having guests in his home.

Well, at least not in its present condition. The wife and I have talked about this very thing many times. 

• He must be able to teach.

Keep in mind that Paul already went through a long oration about how women are NOT to be Pastors. Honestly, I am not sure about the whys, but many hold to this standard. There is no doubt in my mind that there are women who can teach, and Beth Moore comes to mind as she did a teaching on Daniel that opened my eyes. However, such a harsh rejection is one reason I struggle with Pastor John MacArthur, as he rudely told her to go back home.

If you have sat under a Pastor who clearly could not hold an audience, you can understand what Paul is talking about. 

• He must not be, as the NASB states, addicted to wine, or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money. 

Yes, I know, this is a lot to cover in one breath, but, in many ways, we had already touched on this, when we covered self-control, because of the word pároinos. "The word-picture is that of an individual who always has a bottle (or wineskin) on the table and so signifies addiction."

Moving beyond the alcohol addiction, what about this idea of being gentle. The Greek translates to equitable, fair, gentle.

Equitable, according to Webster's means: Equal in regard to the rights of persons; distributing equal justice; giving each his due.

• "He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him."

I guess I just got lucky. When I had a family, I married into it, and then added two of my own. The step kids were well mannered and respectful. I never asked or demanded that they call me dad, but they did, and they complied when I called them. I suppose a lot of the respect I experienced came from their mother, who would back me up. The step kids parted from my fellowship as the price of divorce, but my girls also grew up without me, apparently having their choices forced on them. 

As for discipline, I did not count to whatever stupid number some people ascribe to before I asserted my will on them, as their count was included in the words, "I need you over here." I managed and coached the ball teams for both the step-son and the step-daughter, and as far as I was concerned, they were my kids. My daughters, without me in their lives, have shown me no respect. I am not sure the circumstances reflect a fair assessment of my ability to run a household.

I have only known one pastor who held the respect of his daughter, and it fair to say, he only had one child. All the others had children that were out of control. One pastor had to put his boy in a military academy in the hopes of straightening him out. I am not sure how that worked out; most I know that did that same thing, got back a child that was now rigidly antagonistic toward their father. 

Even worse, the passage ends like this, "For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God's church?" It seems like a logical assumption, doesn't it?

• "A church leader must not be a new believer, because he might become proud, and the devil would cause him to fall."

Here's the logic. New believers may have enthusiasm, but do they have an understanding of the Holy Spirit? Probably not; it is not impossible, but not probable. The wisdom of the Lord and how to use it, come over time, with practice. 

A new believer, thinking they know everything, can and will become proud and irritating. I speak from experience as this is what happened to me when I was in the faith movement.

• "Also, people outside the church must speak well of him so that he will not be disgraced and fall into the devil's trap."

This is not a command; however, this is a method of judging whether the man is what he says he is. You go to the references, those who know him, and ask some probing questions, as you try to find out what kind of character this person has. If the community feels like he is tense and irritable, then this is a trait that you are likely to experience.

The pastor of the church that I was recently attending, in his introductory message, informed us that he was a recovering pharisee. Most in the church that morning had no clue what that meant. To me, it said that he still had the potential to be another Saul, hopefully stopping short of having people stoned. He also told us that his dream for the church was to have it filled with forty-year-old couples. Considering that the church body's average age was around 60, that should have made those of us that are older speculate about what our potential we would continue to have there.

Note how this sentence “people outside the church must speak well of him,” in effect, it says that if the people don't speak well of him, he will be disgraced and fall into the devil's trap. 

To fall is the Greek word empiptō, which means to be entrapped by the community.

In other words, these people, having the dirt on this guy, may be able to destroy any good work he could do.

What's my take away? 

Don't hide any skeletons in your closet.

Perhaps, the knowledge of information that could destroy your ministry should cause you to step away from potentially being the pastor.

Maybe an alternate method of dealing with this is to keep your closet clean.

Remember, our secrets become our prison cells.