Happy New Year

The ancient Romans had a god named Janus.  He was a two-faced god whose image was placed above doorposts enabling him to look forward and backward. Not only has the name survived in the title of the first month in our calendar but the customs associated with looking forwards and backwards also feature in modern life. A new start is often characterised by making resolutions through which we weigh up our lives with the intention of improving things in the coming year. Christadelphians look for signs that indicate a better world to come; one in which Jesus will return to restore the world as God would wish. Looking through Signs of The Times for 2015 it is obvious that we are living in ‘the last days’ but are far from dwelling in an ideal world.  The signs have included the following:
 
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
November
Middle East Conflict
Apostasy
Anti-Semitism
Perplexity in the Middle East
Earthquakes and Volcanoes again
Can we really see the signs of the times?
Further signs
Violence. On one day
Running to and fro
Middle East moves

     
The articles of 2015 have given full and informative views of the state of the world in that year.  These have also been related to the prophecies that will have their fulfilment in the return of Jesus Christ.
We have looked back on difficulties and problems that were prophesied at the time of Christ.  People want to know about their future, and the disciples of Jesus’ time were no different, as we can read in Matthew 24:3:
As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
Jesus replied in some detail concerning the events that would precede his return to the earth but was careful not to give a precise date, saying,
“No-one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
Matthew 24:36
Can we believe the New Testament prophecies that have yet to be fulfilled ?  We know that those of the Old Testament have been fulfilled. One example is from Micah 5:2:
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”
If we believe in the fulfilled prophecies of the Old Testament then there should be no problem with those in the New Testament, especially those made by Jesus himself.  For instance, in recent Christian Christmas services, Bethlehem will have featured as prophesied in the above quotation from Micah.
The Christian message has been proclaimed throughout the world that Christ the Saviour was born over 2000 years ago in Bethlehem.  Christians have rejoiced, following the example of the shepherds and the angels.
Luke 2 has these verses:
8 ¶ And there were shepherds living out in the fields near by, keeping watch over their flocks at night.
9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
11 Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests.”
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.
17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,
18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
So if we believe that the scriptures record and forecast the Christian message we should also follow them.  Predicting the day of Christ’s return is open to all. The Bible gives many pointers to what we can expect, so the important principle is that we should learn from it and be ready. In this we can then be led by the knowledge that there is a time when God will judge the world and those faithful followers of Jesus will account for their lifetime deeds.
Matthew 25 records three of Jesus’ parables showing how people will be judged on the basis of commitment and conduct. The first uses lamps filled with oil as a symbol of minds enlightened by the word of God.
1 ¶ “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise.
3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them.
4 The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.
5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6 “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
7 “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.
8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’
9 “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’
10 “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived . The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
11 “Later the others also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said. ‘Open the door for us!’
12 “But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’
13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
The next parable, Matthew 25:14-30, concerns a lord distributing talents (a form of currency) to his servants before departing to a far country.  On his return, the lord praised two diligent servants, who had profitably traded their talents, with words commencing ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! …’ But one, who not used his talent, he condemned as ‘You wicked, lazy servant! and ordered that they … throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
In the third parable, Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus uses the idea of a shepherd separating sheep from goats to illustrate how, on his return, he will judge people according to how they cared for their fellows.  In particular it shows how he regards care of his followers as care shown to himself.
31 ¶ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him , he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.
32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.
35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,
36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?
38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?
39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,
43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
So at the beginning of a new year it seems appropriate and essential that our resolutions should be directed to following the right paths. The catalogue of world problems cited in the Signs of the Times for 2015 can be overcome with the right attitudes. Top of the list should be study, belief, patient understanding and love.
In the words of 1 Corinthians 13:12-13,
12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
 
Bible quotations are from the New International Version.