Month: July 2019

Today’s headlines tell of wars and famines, earthquakes, hurricanes, and tornados, kidnappings, missile launches, and terrorist attacks. Are these the harbingers the Bible tells us would signal the end times and Christ’s ready return, or are they simply our heightened awareness — through 21st century technology — of the death, destruction, and evil that always have been with us since mankind first rebelled against God … and so many in the world continue to do even today?

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 “So always be ready, because you don’t know the day or the hour the Son of Man will come.” Matthew 25:13 (NCV)

“For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” Revelation 6:17 (NKJV)

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WE WATCHED WITH GREAT INTEREST as the artist, brightly clad in a clown’s outfit, carefully painted the little girl’s eager face. 

When the artist finished, the girl was sporting a unicorn character, complete with a horn painted on her forehead from her nose to her hairline and two horns above her eyes.

This was Independence Day at the City Park, and the locals — many wearing festive July 4th hats, shirts, and pants — were gathered to celebrate the country’s birthday. 

For this moment, on this day, time stood still. No thoughts of the evil that plagues our world. No hint this day in this locale of devastating storms, no violence or angry shouts, no disturbances of any kind. No fender benders in the parking lot. No shoving or pushing in line. 

At the City Park, for one day, Americans of varied sizes, backgrounds, occupations, education levels, skills and talents, political views and dreams and hopes, assembled to watch their youngsters pet donkeys, rabbits, and goats, slide down giant blowup sliding boards, and carry colorful balloons twisted to resemble dachshunds and swords.

Missing was any sense of judgment, of end-of-world prophecy, of punishment and reward, of Heaven and Hell. That’s the stuff of Sundays, and this was a Thursday.

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 THOSE WHO READ GOD’S WORD know that Jesus Christ will return to the earth, bringing His saints with Him to begin a 1,000-year reign, known as the Millennium. 

The Bible says that will be a time of peace on the earth before the ending battle of Armageddon and the beginning of Eternity, when God will unveil the New Heavens and the New Earth.

While many of us understandably are eager to see our Savior return and usher in this new world, Jesus told us during His earthly ministry that it was not for us to know the hour or day when He will return.

We are to live in eager anticipation for His return; meanwhile, we are to be prepared for two things: to receive the Holy Spirit into our hearts and to share the Gospel with others. 

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SO, WHAT ARE WE TO MAKE of today’s troubling headlines and what they portend for our future? And what about those around us who seem oblivious to the warning signs? 

Are we living in a time warp? We read about end times prophecies and gather in worship with fellow believers. In those moments, all of the Bible’s teachings seem so relevant and comforting.

Yet, when we leave the friendly fellowship circles with hugs and prayers for one another’s wellbeing, we re-engage a world no more concerned about God’s warnings than were the scoffers who watched Noah labor for a century to build an ark, or those whose sinful passions engulfed Sodom and Gomorrah right up until the time God rained sulfur on their towns.

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IT SEEMS SO UNREAL. We want to reach those around us with the message of hope, yet they’re so mired in the here-and-now, they can’t see the future. As long as their kids are happy and the bills are paid, they’re content with life. 

Now, beneath the surface, they could be raging with all kinds of emotions, from anger to sadness to hopelessness to depression to betrayal to fear to … whatever … but the screen they put up hides all of that and, moreover, blocks out the message that Jesus offers to each of us.

How do we penetrate that screen? How do we tell them that the Christ Child who came to offer salvation will return a victorious King of kings and Lord of lords to execute judgment on the world and remove His saints to Paradise?

In the world of City Park, with the vendors and rock music, with happy children and amusements, it all sounds so surreal, so otherworldly, so irrelevant to what they care about.

The message dies on our tongues, unable to reach receptive ears. 

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WE ARE LEFT WHERE WE STARTED, utterly, totally, and completely dependent on the Holy Spirit … to provide willing hearts to listen, perfect opportunities to speak, and obedient servants to share.

Jesus knew this would happen to us. 

He left us with words of comfort for just these moments. We’re to abide in Him and let Him abide in us.

Here they are:  

“Abide in Me, and I in You. … Apart from Me you can do nothing.”

John 15:4a-5b (NASB)

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PRAYER

 O Lord, our Heavenly Father. Sometimes, we just feel so overwhelmed with the task of carrying the Gospel to a broken, unbelieving, cynical world; yet, when we place our trust in You, we labor not with our strength and wisdom but with Yours. We pray for grace and mercy as Your Spirit prepares us for the good work to be done on behalf of the Kingdom, not for our glory, O Lord, but for Yours. In Jesus’ mighty name we pray.  AMEN

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Questions for Personal Meditation and Small Group Discussion

1. Do you believe you are *ready* to provide an oral witness for your faith when the opportunity arises? Do you pray that the Lord will use you to advance the Gospel? Do you look for those opportunities to arise?
2. Have you *practiced* giving a brief (30 seconds to 1 minute) personal testimony that describes your life before Christ, how you received the Holy Spirit, and ways His grace has changed your life? Are you ready to answer any follow-up questions you might be asked.
3. Do you accept that all believers – not just pastors, teachers, evangelists, and missionaries – are called by Jesus to tell others about their faith? Is this something you would rather not do? Can you pray for opportunities to share and the wisdom to share effectively? If not, what holds you back? Can you pray about that?

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Would you like us at LoveAndGrace to pray for you? If so, please indicate in the Comment field. God bless!

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Followers of Jesus Christ are being watched. The world knows we are different. We listen to a different Source. We’re children of the living God. The angels are watching. The demons are watching. Unless we’re “prayed in” to God’s strength, wisdom, and guidance, we’ll be nothing more than fish-on-a-hook, struggling for life. With His Spirit in us, we can reflect the love, compassion, understanding, and forgiveness that we already have received from the Son. That is the work He has called us to do.

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“Two people are better than one, because they get more done by working together. If one falls down, the other can help him up. But it is bad for the person who is alone and falls, because no one is there to help.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NCV) 

“Without Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5b (NKJV)

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 PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS WATCHING US.

The other day I was at the service station, filling my car’s gas tank, when I noticed the driver of the car behind me. He cocked his head, as though studying me. I thought little of it and finished my task.

That next Sunday, as I was making my rounds at church welcoming worshippers, I came upon a young man, who said, “Hey, I saw you at the gas station the other day. I was in the car right behind you. I thought I recognized you.”

Okay, that was great. Immediately, my mind raced to that day and every movement I might have made and, especially, any facial expression — especially those involuntary ones — that could have signaled my displeasure with something.

In other words, what was my witness like? Did he see Christ in me … or did he see … me in me?

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IF WE SAY WE FOLLOW CHRIST, they will watch us. Are we different in the way we act? In the way we talk? Do we model grace? Are we patient? Compassionate? Forgiving? 

When we are thinking about our witness, we have the advantage of praying in and seeking the Holy Spirit’s divine guidance for our actions and words.

But what about those moments when we’re not focusing on Kingdom work but just buying groceries or driving along the highway or playing sports at the neighborhood park? Are we displaying the love and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ then?

I find it very difficult to walk in Jesus’ sandals, to place my feet in the markings left by His feet, to show compassion and grace the way He did, to genuinely feel love and concern for others the way He did.

Every day, the Holy Spirit works in my heart to bring me closer to the person He wants me to be; but every day, I fail to measure up, so I am in need of forgiveness. 

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THAT EVER REPEATING CYCLE brings me closer to Jesus because I constantly and repeatedly see my need for Him. He tells us that we should abide in Him and promises us that, when we do that, He will abide in us (John 15:4 NASB). He assures us that without Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5 NASB).

Theologian and author Robert A. Cook wrote about this same topic. Here’s what he had to say about it: 

“People do watch you, you know. What you may not realize is that there are individuals right now who are patterning their conduct after yours. Somebody, somewhere, is a carbon copy of you. What if he is reproducing your selfishness, your weakness, your compromise, your sin?” [Robert A. Cook, Now That I Believe, Moody Publishers. Chicago. 1949. 1977]

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SO, HOW ARE WE DOING? More import, What is in our hearts? 

Do we want to hear from our Savior that we could have done more to spread His Word to our neighbors and co-workers, and especially to our family and friends, but, instead, our energy was absorbed in personal concerns, and too often we failed to ask the Holy Spirit for  His guidance?

Jesus tells us that it is the evil in our hearts that leads us to say hurtful things and to act rashly toward others, (see Matthew 12:34-35; Matthew 15:11)even while He commands us — commands us — to love one another (see John 13:34; 1 John 3:11).

Since, as Christians, we are born again, and we are new beings (see 2 Corinthians 5:17), we should show that new being to the world.

Here’s Cook again: 

“You don’t need any list of dos and don’ts as a Christian. All you need to keep straight is the thorough knowledge that you’re born again … a real surrender to Christ … a loving concern for your fellows … a genuine hatred for Satan and sin … and a healthy fear of God.”

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WANT A QUICK REMINDER that you can carry around with you, something to keep you grounded, something to keep you on track? It’s from the apostle Paul. It said it first to the church in Corinth, but his words echo down the corridor of time to reach our ears.

Here it is:

Imitate Me As I Imitate Christ

1 Corinthians 11:1 (GW)

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PRAYER 

O Lord, please forgive when we fail to follow faithfully in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. There is evil and malice in our hearts; there was love in His; there is pride and greed and envy in our hearts; there was compassion and grace in His; there is spite and anger and vengeance in our hearts; there was forgiveness in His. Lord, lead us to become more like Him and less like ourselves. Thank You for Your mercy and loving kindness. Thank You for claiming us as Your own. In Jesus’ name. AMEN

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Questions for Meditation and Small Group Discussion

1. Can you understand why unsaved people will watch you closely when you identify as a follower of Jesus Christ? Can you accept that truth and see how God can use you to witness for the Gospel?

2. How do you prepare for those moments when you expect people will learn from you? Do you pray in for the Holy Spirit’s guidance and strength? How faithful a witness do you think you are in those moments when you are not consciously modeling Jesus Christ? 

3. Do you believe, without a doubt, that Jesus has called us — called you — to honor Him by carrying out your life as a living testimony to the life-transforming power of the Holy Spirit, which is living in you? Regardless of your answer to that question, what about your answer to this question: What are you going to do about it?

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