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Proclaiming a Message of Good News and Hope to our generation!
This is the time of the year where people in many cultures around the world join in celebrating traditional holidays. In an effort to avoid offense, some are removing the reference to Christianity, but the idea of Christmas for many more has long transcended religious differences. The music, the colorful decorations, the parties and get-togethers, the sharing of gifts, the inspirational stories and movies are all a part of the “Spirit of Christmas,” which is associated with warm feelings and joyful hearts.
Even many Christians realize that Christ is not always the center of this holiday season. From the beginning different cultural elements have joined in that have little to do with the birth of Christ in Bethlehem. And yet, there is a kind of magic in the air, and special enjoyment when getting out last years decorations, and adding some new ones to this years Christmas Tree!
The Christian faith teaches that God pours out His grace and goodness on those who do not believe on Him as well as upon those who do. Could it be possible that this universal desire for peace and love is behind all the mythology and traditions surrounding the season? Could the very idea of a humble and yet powerful and loving Savior sparked something in the imagination of so many to hope that this could be actually be true?
Not everything about the season is positive, we know. And yet it does often bring out the best in people. I say let’s focus on that part of it. As a Christian, I believe we are to allow the nature of Christ to be seen in us in all seasons. At the same time, I am encouraged that He can be at work in the lives of those who do not even know Him, for what ever reason! What do you think?
2 Cor 5:12-15:
“If it seems that we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. Whatever we do, it is because Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for everyone, we also believe that we have all died to the old life we used to live. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live to please themselves. Instead, they will live to please Christ, who died and was raised for them.” (NLT)
Since the apostle Peter instructs us to prepare our hearts and minds in order to be always ready to give reasons for the hope we have in Christ (1 Peter 3:15), that hope must of course be reasonable. In fact we have numerous examples in the New Testament where believers in God did this very thing. Jesus, Stephen, Apollos and Paul are all shown reasoning through the scriptures, and Paul in his letters made weighty use of reason to convince his readers to hear and obey Christ.
On the other hand, sometimes what we propose seems crazy to others. In Athens, Greek philosophers thought Paul mad when he declared to them the resurrection of Christ. During his incarceration, Paul reasoned with the governor Felix concerning righteousness, temperance and judgment to come. Paul’s persuasion was so powerful that Felix trembled! Later however, when Paul told Felix’s successor, Porcius Festus, about his meeting the risen Christ, Festus thought Paul was mad! (Acts 24:25, 26:24)
Let us be honest. Before some of us understood and experienced what Paul was talking about, we too thought this whole Bible story was a bit crazy. Why should we not now expect outsiders to think that of us as well? On one hand, the evidence of God’s promises and blessings does appear to be clear and obvious. But on the other hand, the things we claim to be true can appear to be really strange to many.
Noah heard voices that instructed him to build a boat. Moses was told by a burning bush to face the most powerful man in the world. Gideon was told to reduce his military forces from 30,000 to 300! David as a young boy was crazy enough to go after a 10 foot tall seasoned warrior with a slingshot!
Then we have the prophets who saw strange visions concerning the future and were often told by God to do daring things.
Eventually, the age of mystical experiences and miracles came to a close, until another prophet came, who challenged His hearers to believe again in wondrous possibilities! He knew that all things were possible with God, and He proved this to be true! A new age of miracles, signs and wonders was inaugurated by Jesus and His disciples which lasted for many years.
From time to time, God will nurture in the hearts of certain individuals and groups the desire to see powerful signs again in the earth that witness to the resurrection of Christ. Any student of Church History might discover that the age of miracles can return as often as God desires.
When I as a younger man, I was a bit crazier than I am today. In fact I went off the deep end a few times in expecting miracles when a problem could be solved in a more practical way. Presently I am feeling the need to be more adventurous and believe again that ALL THINGS are possible with God! Maybe I have accepted too many things without considering that God might perhaps want to show His power in our circumstances.
While it might seem scary at first, living as a fool for Christ is more fulfilling than any other path. It puts us in a place where we more fully trust in Him, and actually deepens our relationship with Him. In another sense it will liberate us from fear, worry, and doubt, as we look to our wonderful Savior and Lord for all things!
When I was a skinny young boy growing up in the Columbus South Side, I was often confronted with my limitations. Maybe that is why I so loved to read about my comic book heroes, like Superman, the Iron Man and Spiderman.
And there were of course my Biblical heroes: David, who killed the giant, Daniel who faced the lions, the prophets, who commanded circumstances by the spoken Word of God. These were not fictional heroes, but real people, along with others …..
Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. (Hebrews 11:33-34)
All of these great heroes only pointed to the ultimate deliverer of all mankind, the Lord Jesus Christ! He became the leader of an army of faithful men and women of whom it was said that they turned the world upside down! (Acts 17:6)
The troubles of our world today may seem overwhelming, and this can lead to discouragement, apathy and despair. But there is an alternative. Years ago I came up on an analogy that has helped me greatly.
All of us must admit that most things we are concerned about are things we cannot change. That is the larger circle below. But we all have opportunities to change some things. That is the smaller circle within it.
The second demonstration, however, illustrates what has been proven from all history: If one works from the smaller circle, rather than worrying about the larger one, the smaller one will grow!
It is time we all break the cycle of complaining like so many around us and begin living like our Christian heroes who have gone before! For some of us the middle circle is very small. Maybe the only thing I can change is myself! This is a great place to start. It is to obey God’s command to repent, which means to change my way of thinking! He will give the faith to obey that command if we all just submit to His wonderful Word!
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From my CD, “Treasures Old and New.” A new take on an old hymn.
My thoughts and feelings along these lines have swayed over the years. We know that as Christians the condition of our hearts toward God is of primary importance. We also know that governments and laws cannot control people’s hearts.
We should know that God has Himself established governments and that we are to be ideal citizens under His Kingdom rule where ever we live (Romans 13:1-5). In the US and in many countries a good citizen is expected to vote for people and laws he or she believes is good for society.
Years ago I was taught that society was doomed, and from that I concluded that there would be no point in trying to better things. But Paul instructed Christians to pray for the worldly leaders of his day, that believers could live quiet and peaceable lives for the glory of God. (1 Timothy 2:1-2). Later I learned from history that Christians have prayed for the leadership of their countries and have led millions into great revivals that started with actual changed hearts! From there, many positive changes were advanced in these communities.
If there is an opportunity to do good, I believe God would have us to do it. (Galatians 6:10). There are and have been opportunities to do good in the way we support good government and speak out against bad government.
Historically, Christians have both failed and succeeded in these areas. God help us to hear from you as you lead us in our call to be salt and light in this world for your glory. Help us to be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves as we desire to be worthy representatives and citizens of Your Kingdom!
Have you ever been frustrated with feelings of powerlessness in every day situations? Peter, in a letter to his fellow believers gave some instruction that could help.
“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”
(1 Peter 4:10 NIV)
Paul also taught that each one of us has a specific gift from God by which we bless others. He further elaborated that as each one serves in his or her capacity, the entire community of believers is strengthened and unified. (Romans 121:3-6, Ephesians 4:13-16)
This is very empowering. But it takes a certain amount of faith in what God has said He will do while we focus on the things that He wants us to do – those things He has in fact enabled us to do!
You and I are not powerless in Christ! Our power is found in serving others in the special capacity that uniquely belongs to each one of us. He will in turn direct that power towards those things for which we are praying.
What a mysterious and wonderful plan!
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Recent polls have revealed that church attendance in America is going down drastically. It is reported that an estimated 4,000 churches close their doors every year, and that about 3,500 people are leaving the church every day!
What does this say about our triumphant Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? Is He failing to build His Church – the one that He declared that the very gates of hell could not withstand?
Or are we really looking at the same church He spoke of, the one depicted in the New Testament?
First let’s look at the word “church.” In our English translations of the New Testament, this word is translated from the Greek word, “ekklessia.” In the First Century it was used to describe an assembly of people that was called together for various occasions. In one example from Acts 19:32 we see the word used to describe an angry mob. Then in verse 39 the crowd is told to return later to meet in a lawful, “ekklessia” or assembly.
In time then, we see how this word ekklessia came to be the common word used to describe gatherings of the people of God in different cities or locations. These are local expressions of the one Church which Jesus calls His own, that Universal Church which encompasses all locations and periods of time! When we read the various passages, it is important that we discern from the context if they refer to the Universal Church, or to specific local churches.
What constitutes a church? In Acts we see a brief portrait of the early days of the Church at Jerusalem in Acts 2:41-47:
“So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.
And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
NASU
Churches in other locations are described in Acts 14:21-23:
“After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”
When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.”
NASU
So, in a very practical sense, New Testament churches are gatherings of believers, who are in fact a community within the society where ever they happen to live. Because they were all saved by the same faith in Christ, they cared for one another, strengthened one another in the faith, and simply wanted to be together because of Him!
But don’t let the simplicity of this picture mislead you! These simple gatherings of humble believers in Christ are God’s means of transforming the world! Within the first 3 centuries after the appearing of Christ, the Roman Empire was largely converted to Christianity, or at the least greatly influenced by the values of Christ.
Today we have orphanages, hospitals, and a greater sense of equality among people mainly because of the influence of the Church of Jesus Christ!
Some of us even need a greater revelation of Jesus and His purpose for His people in the earth….Ephesians 1:15-23:
“For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,”
There might be several reasons that so many today are abandoning the churches they attend. This passage challenges me, however, to wonder how many both in and out of these churches actually have a revelation of the riches of the glory of His inheritance IN THE SAINTS.
Continuing in verse 19:
“and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”
NASU
Paul states boldly, confidently, that the community of believers together are a body, a physical representation of Christ in this earth, revealing His fullness as the Head of that body! To be clear, the church is the body of Christ, whose hands, feet, arms legs, eyes and ears are actually His redeemed, born-again, Spirit-filled individual people who are connected together in Him.
Then he explains how the Church is ultimately coming to fulfill this ideal that God has in mind.
Ephesians 4:11-16:
“And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.
As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.”
NASU
Unity as we often understand it seems to be totally unattainable for the Church of Jesus Christ. However the all-powerful King of the Universe is not bound to our limitations!
Ephesians 3:7-11:
“Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.
His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
NIV
God has a plan for the ages, and a time ordained for His manifold wisdom to be revealed through His Church. That time is now, and is continuing to unfold, if our eyes only could be open to see it!
So, how important is the Church to Jesus? He loved her as a man loves his bride, and gave Himself for Her. He has also prepared us to be His army, battling against the gates of hell, proving the wisdom of God to the evil authorities in high places.
God is calling us to a fresh look at our heritage as His people, and a greater sense of value in one another. Our motivation must be that of His, His love for His people and for the world which he came to save. Only that fiery, passionate love can motivate us to fulfill our heavenly calling in Christ.
What is the result of not understanding the value that Christ holds for His Church? Well, in the book of Haggai we have a good example of that situation. After 70 years in Babylon, the people of Judah were allowed to return to Jerusalem and to rebuild the Temple and the city. They started out with great enthusiasm, but when difficulties arose, their enthusiasm waned. Even after conditions improved, they assumed that perhaps the need for the Temple was not so urgent. Instead they focused on their own material needs.
Hag 1:1-12:
“In the second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying,
“Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘This people says, “The time has not come, even the time for the house of the LORD to be rebuilt.”‘” Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying, “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies desolate?” Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts, “Consider your ways! “You have sown much, but harvest little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but no one is warm enough; and he who earns, earns wages to put into a purse with holes.”
Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Consider your ways! “Go up to the mountains, bring wood and rebuild the temple, that I may be pleased with it and be glorified,” says the LORD. “You look for much, but behold, it comes to little; when you bring it home, I blow it away. Why?” declares the LORD of hosts, “Because of My house which lies desolate, while each of you runs to his own house. “Therefore, because of you the sky has withheld its dew and the earth has withheld its produce. “I called for a drought on the land, on the mountains, on the grain, on the new wine, on the oil, on what the ground produces, on men, on cattle, and on all the labor of your hands.”
Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him. And the people showed reverence for the LORD.”
NASU
Have you ever been in this place where little, if anything results from your efforts? I know I have. Jesus put it this way, He said when we seek to save our lives, we will lose them. It is only when we seek first to lose them for Him that we find the life that we were intended to live.
Many years ago I came upon Matthew 6:33. At the time, the harder I had been trying to fix my problems, the worse they became. Upon reading this passage, the Holy Spirit inspired and enabled me to act on what Jesus said, to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. I was given the faith to believe that the things I really needed would then be added to me by God’s grace. God proved this to be true, and I have lived by that principle ever since.
Where do we find the Kingdom of God and His righteousness? We find it in the Gospel, which is continually and practically lived out in the church of Jesus Christ. Maybe thousands of people are finding out that their churches were not truly Gospel-centered churches. Maybe they are right to leave organizations that do not present or even believe the Truth of Jesus and His life.
However, among gatherings of true believers in Jesus, there is the danger that we can become distracted away from his priorities. It is also easy to take the reality of the true riches that we have together in Christ for granted. Like the inhabitants of Jerusalem, we begin to think our private interests are more important than who we are together as the New Covenant Temple of the Holy Spirit!
The greater reality is that our investment in the Kingdom of God returns to us in a multitude of ways. Beyond the fact that our material needs are provided for, the riches in Christ we enjoy are eternal and imperishable riches in love and friendship, peace and joy, satisfaction and purpose, and most of all a relationship with Jesus himself!
To seek first the Kingdom of God means more than setting aside a few hours on Sunday morning. But for me 40 years ago, that was a start. From there Christ began filling up my life day by day with more of His wonderful presence. The things I worried about most before became less and less significant. His work in the world and among His people has become a wonderful adventure, an adventure which would make even Indiana Jones jealous!
Lord Jesus, may the Holy Spirit reveal Your purpose to all of us, that the eyes of our understanding will be opened, that we may see and become consumed with Your desire for Your Church, Your Bride, that we might freely pour our lives, our resources, even our finances into her, for the betterment of our families, our communities and our nations and for your glory.
In Your precious Name, Amen!
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In the Bible we see a contrast between what it means to be physically dead or alive, and spiritually dead or alive. Remember God’s word to Adam in the beginning. He could eat the fruit of all the trees in the garden, including the Tree of Life, but if he ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he would die that very day. Even though he lived to be 930 years old, he did surely die that very day. He lost something. He lost the dimension of life that can only come from an intimate relationship with God. There was a thief at work. This has been the story of humanity ever since.
The Bible describes those who are dead while still living (1 Tim 5:6). Many unconsciously realize this. From the beginning of motion pictures there have been stories of zombies and creatures like those in the popular TV series “The Walking Dead.” What a dramatic picture of mere existence, when we were actually destined to an abundant life in Christ!
Abundant Life
Jesus said in John 10:10:
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it more abundantly.” (NASU)
Life is a recurring theme in the Gospel of John. We need to understand, however, that he is referring to a quality of life that in uncommon. If everyone was already living life in the full sense that God had intended, it would not have been necessary for Jesus to come!
Listen to what John writes in His gospel:
“Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.” (John 20:30-31)
is fascinating to me to learn of the confidence he had in both the story of Christ and how the Holy Spirit would use it to generate faith in our hearts. It is a faith in Jesus that has immediate results!
John 7:37-39:
“On the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'” But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”
In the early chapters of Acts we see how the time had come for the Holy Spirit to be given, and the powerful affect it had upon all the believers there in the Upper Room. They were indeed filled with Abundant Life, depicted as Rivers of Living Water that flowed out into the community, resulting in thousands coming to know Jesus and His Salvation!
Eternal Life
Probably the most well-known verses in the Bible are John 3:16-17:
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. “
Also in John’s Gospel we see Jesus praying these words:
John 17:3: “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”
Those who know and believe in God and Jesus Christ have a dimension of life that is eternal. Yes, they do have a life that extends beyond the grave, but also a quality of life that is eternal now. It does not diminish in any way. It is real and perpetual.
In the Bible we also learn of an aspect of life known as “Resurrection Life.” Paul writes in Philippians 3:7-15:
“But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”
What a mouthful! But what is he saying? First he refers to his salvation, being made righteous not by works, but by faith. Then he speaks attaining something. That something is resurrection life!
“Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.“
The Christian Life, the abundant, eternal Life that God has provided through Jesus Christ begins when we receive Him. But at the same time He continues to call us upward into a greater depth of knowing Him. There was a holy dissatisfaction in Paul, and it should be in us as well. God does not want us to be insecure in our salvation, which He has secured for us by His own power. But neither does He want us to be unfruitful in this life. He wants all of us to live and walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, becoming more like Him every day.
Instead of missing the mark, we are pressing towards the mark, that is, we are pursuing Christ Himself!
Heavenly Father,
We thank you for stirring our hearts to desire a greater knowledge of You, and for providing everything we need to grow in our relationship with You. Continue to challenge us, like you did our brother Paul, to never become self-satisfied, but always desiring and delighting ourselves in You and You alone. Help us to know you more by following You, loving as You love, serving as You serve, and living by the Faith of the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us.
In His Name, the precious Name of Jesus we ask,
Amen.
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In the late 1960’s a Rock band by the name of Chicago had a hit song containing this line, “Does anybody really know what time it is? Does anybody really care about time?”
For people in many countries in the world, today’s date, December 31, marks the end of a year. Midnight at the end of this day is recognized as the beginning of the new year, 2021. There will be various traditional gatherings where people like to “bring in the New Year together.” Here in the U.S. the first day of the year is a national holiday and many businesses and institutions will be closed. So I guess people to really care somewhat about time.
Robert Lamm, the author of the song by Chicago seemed to be asking a deeper question. Listen to these lines:
“People runnin’ everywhere
Don’t know where to go
Don’t know where I am
Can’t see past the next step
Don’t have time to think past the last mile
Have no time to look around
Just run around, run around and think why …..”
Times and seasons are really important to us. Maybe the actual date on the calendar isn’t as important as our need to stop and reflect on the passing of time, what we have done and intend to do with the time that has been given unto us. A Biblical Psalm that is attributed to the great prophet Moses brings this request to God:
He says, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12).
Those who love and worship their Father and Creator God have the potential of receiving valuable wisdom from Him concerning the time they have been given on this earth. They need not run everywhere, not knowing where to go, or where they are. They can, to some degree actually see past the next step, for their steps are directed by the Lord. They can look back and see His Hand upon their lives. And because they know a glorious future in Him awaits them, they can fully live in the present.
For over two thousand years now, Christians have been looking for a great event in the history of the world. This event has to do with the culmination of all that God has been planning and bringing forth from the beginning of time. It has to do with the full, final and complete revelation of Jesus Christ to all of humanity. We have searched the prophecies of the Bible with great enthusiasm to determine just when He will appear, and what will actually transpire at that time. The many divergent interpretations of these prophecies from the most devout and dedicated scholars from various times and backgrounds can be confusing. Lately I have come to the understanding that God Himself has hidden some of the details from us for some good reason, which we will eventually learn.
At the same time, I believe that He plans to make more of these details known to this generation. We must have open hearts and minds to hear from Him, and be diligent as were the wise Orientals who followed His star to Bethlehem. Certainly we can become too preoccupied with “the signs of the times,” or the “end times.” But Jesus Himself complained to the people of His day for being unaware of the significance of the day they were in. They should have observed the signs pointing to His arrival and of His Kingdom breaking forth upon the scene.
Where is our country heading? What is God doing among His people? Are we following Him or are we hoping He will endorse the plans we have made? Is the Church of Jesus Christ becoming too inwardly focused? Do we have a vision for His greater purpose which can give more meaning to our everyday challenges and activities? Or is it all about me? My needs. My happiness?
Some of the most powerful words ever spoken will lead us all to the true happiness that God desires for every one of us.
Luke 9:23-25:
“And he (Jesus) said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?”
In our day we are seeing an intense and deliberate attack on the very Word of God that can make us aware of the times in which we live. Those who hold His Word in their hearts will be able to discern between all the confusing voices and to detect His Voice above them all. They will know how to prepare themselves for the immediate future as well as for eternity. Unlike the “blind leading the blind,” they see a bright and glorious path set before them.
Proverbs 4:14-18:
“Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.
For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall. For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
But the path of the just is as the shining light , that Shines more and more unto the perfect day.”
Impending doom is a reality for those who walk in darkness, and reject the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But there is always hope that the fire that He has lit within our hearts will continue to grow and glow out into the darkness of this fallen world. Let us pray with Paul the apostle that the eyes of our understanding will be opened to a greater vision of Him and His purpose for His Church. (Ephesians 1:16-22). This will no doubt inspire us to see beyond ourselves and to participate in His great love for all.
Lord, help us to accurately discern the signs of these times. Give us a greater zeal in our hearts for Your Heart, Your desire for Your people and all of humanity. Help us to truly know what time it is in your redemptive calendar, and to respond accordingly.
In Jesus Name, Amen.
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We are excited to present to our friends a Christmas song recently produced in Higher Ground Studio in Columbus, Ohio. It is entitled, “Night to Day.” The words were written by Dana Berry, music and arrangement by Larry Hakala. Lead vocal is by Dana Berry, backup by Larry Berry, with Larry Hakala on vocals, guitars, and keyboards, Dan Beaty on bass and drums. Mixed and mastered by Dan Beaty.
Merry Christmas everyone!
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Anyone who listens to the news these days has reason to wonder about the state of the world and perhaps our own personal safety. For over a century now, many groups of Bible-believing Christians have interpreted the many tragic events as signs that the end of the world is very near. But it might surprise many to know that this belief has not always been the dominant view among Christian scholars. In fact, from the colonial days in North America up until the mid to late nineteenth century a more optimistic view prevailed.
Many of the hymns from that time reflect the expectation that the Church of Jesus Christ would triumph in this world, and that Christ would come to claim that victory in person, not to destroy the world, but to solidify His righteousness, peace and joy forever in His Creation.
This is not heresy. It is based on serious, sound Biblical interpretation and reflection on the nature, power and love of our wonderful God and Savior. While no reasonable person would deny that the nations of the world are in great jeopardy, we know from scripture and history how things can turn around when people seek the Lord.
Could I pose this question? How much faith would it take to accept the fatalistic view that mankind will eventually be destroyed? Even many secular people embrace that idea. No effort would be required either. Just let things continue to go as they have been.
The Lord has not given His people that option. They are called to light up the world with the Good News of Jesus, the Good News of His righteous reign over the earth! Our hope is in Him, and He takes no pleasure in the death of unbelievers. His joy and that of all heaven is when they repent and turn to Him! What can you or I do about the state of the world? We can look unto Jesus for hope and guidance, and serve in what ever capacity He has prepared for you. What ever part He has for you, what ever gift he has given to you, that is the area of your greatest power and effectiveness in Jesus name!
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