SIGNS OF THE LAST DAYS (Part III)

Gloria Copeland said (in the devotional book "From Faith to Faith" she co-wrote with her husband), "The Spirit of God is delivering a vital message to you today:  Get ready for Jesus' return!  It's an old message.  But there is a fresh urgency to it.  An urgency you can't afford to ignore."

The thing is that we have waited for His coming for so long we have become complacent and tend to not look for signs that His return is imminent.  If we are not pressing in, trying to draw ever closer to God, seeking out His heights and depths, or actively looking for Him how can we be ready to go with Him when He comes (Mt. 24:44)?

I count myself as one who has not continued to dig deeper EVERY DAY into His Word, in conversation with Him, and praying continually (1 Thess. 5:17).  Oh, to others around me I appear to go hard after God but His Spirit convicts me that what I am doing is not enough.  He is calling me to MORE.  We may not know the exact time and day that Jesus will return for us, but we should be ready (Mt. 24:36, 44-45; 25:13).  I am not ready.

When I was in Mission School my obligation to my program was as follows:

1.   Read the Bible every day:

a.   Two chapters in the Old Testament

b.   Five Psalms

c.   One Proverbs

d.   Two chapters in the New Testament

2.   Spend time every day writing in a journal what God is showing me in His Word

3.   Work every afternoon in my assigned job (mine was emptying all garbages around the campus and dorms)

4.   Do an outreach once a week in the community (I and two other classmates would hold services in a local nursing home, taking turns leading worship and preaching)

5.   Be ready, at any time, to be a witness for the Hope (Jesus) that was within me to those around me

This was in addition to my morning classes, yet I was enthralled and so focused on Jesus that the time just flew by.  It was like being on a honeymoon; my relationship with the Lord just soared!

Upon graduation we each made the commitment to continue doing items one and two daily.  I have to admit that over the years, 32 to be exact, I have relaxed into a nice little routine of reading about one chapter in the Bible, praying for the prayer requests others have given me, praying for our president, and praying for any of my personal needs.  I also share with other residents and with staff as God gives me direction.  God’s Spirit has pointed out to me that it is not enough; I have left my “first love” (Rev. 2:3-5).

I have asked forgiveness of the Lord for becoming lax in my relationship with Him and repented [meaning I choose right now, 5/25/2020, to turn away from my nice little routine and go hard after Him again (Psalm 63)].  Will you pray for me to be faithful?

Are you sensing that we are living in the Last Days and that His return for His Bride (the Body of Christ) is imminent?  We are His Bride, you know.  We need to be ready.  Will you ask the Lord to show you how He wants you to get closer to Him?  Will you join me in “diving” closer into Him?  That’s right, I did not say “drawing”, I said “diving”.  It needs to be an all-or-nothing commitment; it needs to be sudden; it needs to be now!

“I don’t think, friends, that I need to deal with the question of when all this is going to happen. You know as well as I that the day of the Master’s coming can’t be posted on our calendars. He won’t call ahead and make an appointment any more than a burglar would. About the time everybody’s walking around complacently, congratulating each other—‘We’ve sure got it made! Now we can take it easy!’—suddenly everything will fall apart. It’s going to come as suddenly and inescapably as birth pangs to a pregnant woman.”  (1 Thess. 5:2 MSG)

TRUST

"Lord, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong:" -Psalm 37a KJV

Forty years ago today Mt. St. Helens erupted in Washington State at 8:32 am.  I was just getting off the night shift at Mid-Columbia Medical Center in The Dalles, OR.  We were about 90 miles east of St. Helens.  I remember all the staff and the ambulatory patients crowding into the observation lounge which looked north across the Columbia River and we could see the ash cloud rising miles up into the sky.  We all worried about friends and loved ones who lived in Vancouver, WA, and Portland, OR.  It was a terrifying event, to say the least.  As I drove home I prayed about protection from further eruptions or from Mt. Hood (in Oregon) which was much closer to us.  After I got home the Lord led me to this verse, "Lord, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong:" -Psalm 37a KJV.  I was immediately filled with God’s peace.  Mt. Hood, my mountain, would not erupt because I had his Word on it.

We, our communities, our nation, our entire world, have and are still going through another terrifying event:  a pandemic.  I could sit here and judge all those around me as they react in fear but I too have experienced fear.  Fear of going outside, especially to the doctor; fear when a caregiver enters my apartment and does not have their facemask on, does not have gloves on or does not wash their hands right after they enter.  Being from a medical background I know just how virulent these unseen bugs can be.  I could be paralyzed with fear, having the medical knowledge I have.  But I am not.  Why?  I have prayed and God has taken me to the Word again, but this time He has given me two verses:

1.   I am covered by the blood of Jesus just as the Israelites had covered their doors with sacrificial lambs blood…the plague shall not come upon me to destroy me (Exodus 12:13).

2.   Since I live my life submitted to God no plague will even come near my apartment (Psalm 91:10).

There is something important to note:  if you do not believe in Jesus and God’s Word why should you expect Him to keep you from harm or heal you?

Leviticus 26:21 says, “And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins.”  Ouch!

It really is that simple my friends.  I have made it a conscious choice to walk with the Lord and listen to Him.  Fear does not control me; I choose to TRUST God.  That is where my faith is right now.  Where is YOURS?

SIGNS OF THE LAST DAYS (Part II)

When I was 16 years old a Christian youth organization held a rally where we were given the challenge to bring a complete Bible and get it all the way to the center of the Shasta County Fair Grounds (Anderson, CA).  The Bible was considered contraband in our make-believe nation.  We were warned that the whole Fair Grounds were set up as if it were a different country under religious suppression like those of the eastern bloc nations behind the Iron Curtain.  This was 1972 so it was well before Glasnost and the fall of the Berlin Wall.  Religious persecution was very strong in Communist Countries.

Some of us hid parts of the Bible in our clothing, baked parts right inside cakes, or memorized large portions so we could rewrite them after reaching the center of the grounds.  We thought we were being so clever.  Well, many got caught and each one caught had to give up their portion of the Bible and were put in a “jail” (in our case a make-shift holding area in one of the buildings).  The ones that were able to bring at least some portions of the Bible were the ones who memorized scriptures and rewrote them after arriving at the goal area.

Of course the rally’s goal was to catch kids’ attention and lead them to Christ.  Many made decisions to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior that night, yet the thing that still sticks in my mind from that night is what it can be like to live where others hate and persecute you for your faith.  This could be why my heart goes out to believers around the world who are suffering persecution today and why I am always promoting their needs in my Facebook “PRAYER OPPORTUNITY” posts.  Lately, I have asked for prayer for believers in China but I am starting to see persecution happen here in the U.S.  The incidents of shootings in churches have increased exponentially.  Cross burnings have increased on the properties of African American and Latin American churches especially in the South.

I read an interesting article by David Ravenhill (son of the late Rev. Leonard Ravenhill), where he quotes something his father said in the 1980s, "If America does not concentrate in prayer, it will pray in concentration camps."  I think we Americans have become complacent and do not think such hard times will come to us.  Well, think again!  These hard times have already arrived.

Thomas Horn, in his article for Worthy Christian News entitled “Persecution of Christians Growing in the United States, he says, “…persecution of Christians is on the increase in the United States,” and he goes on to share part of an article written by Don McAlvany, a reporter of The Midnight Herald, which compares post-WWI Germany and its popular hatred against the Jews increased until wholesale persecution followed.  Mr. Horn then goes on to quote Mr. McAlvany, “Could this be where the growing anti-Christian consensus in America is taking us?”

Not only is the prejudice against Christians increasing in the U.S. but the tolerance of anti-Christian attitudes is escalating.  It is easy for us to see the larger news reports of late where Churches are refusing to close their doors to group services as dictated by civil authorities (i.e. the Florida pastor arrested for holding large group services; the pastor who preaches every Sunday in Washington State while the stay at home orders have not been relaxed) but have you heard about Ohio State Representative Rep. Nino Vitale refusing to wear a facemask because “…we are all created in the image and likeness of God. That image is seen the most by our face. I will not wear a mask."  How about Pastor Andrew Womack, a televangelist from Colorado, who also refuses to wear a face mask because “…Jesus probably wouldn’t wear one either”.  All of these actions are standing out to those who dislike Christians, but actually fueling the fire against them. 

 

I could go on and on with examples but I am sure you get the picture.  The world is not getting “better” for us.  Why?  Jesus said, “Just remember, when the unbelieving world hates you, they first hated me.” –John 15:18 TPT  We are being hated increasingly because He was first hated by them and we remind them of just Who He is.  They do not want to be confronted with even the idea that they are sinful.  In this world, things will grow increasingly worse for us, but there IS hope!  As we draw closer to Him and His Kingdom God will provide just what we need to get through the increasing turmoil in this world.  “Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.” –Matthew 6:33 MSG

So, let me ask you, what is YOUR focus today?

NOTE: the Bible tells us how to deal with civil authority in Romans 13:1-7 and 1 Peter 2:13-17. 

REFERENCES:

Why Revival Tarries & America Is Too Young To Die, both by Leonard Ravenhill

http://www.davidravenhill.com/ 

https://www.worthynews.com/1710-persecution-of-christians-growing-in-the-united-states

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/christian-persecution-not-just-happening-overseas-many-in-us-targeted-for-their-faith-too

https://www.gotquestions.org/civil-disobedience.html