October 28, 2014
As with each week that passes of late, we
keep seeing so much taking place in this crazy world .. things that tell us we
are approaching the final hours of this Church age. ... The prophesied end-time signs are exploding
all around us with increasing frequency and intensity. .. The 'Birth Pains'
spoken of by Jesus in Matthew 24 are certainly happening right before our very
eyes!
As a 'watchman' of Bible prophecy, and
having a basic understanding of what is taking place, and why, I find a peace
in it because I know that the Lord's triumphant return is just around the
corner. .. Those of you who share this knowledge understand what I am talking
about here. ... But what about the vast majority of people who don't have a
clue as to the 'what & why?' ...When I think about this for even a moment,
it's hard for me to even imagine what it must be like to watch all this
craziness taking place, and not understanding why! ... It has to be
frightening. ..... I feel such a sadness for them!
The next time you are out and about .. say
a place like Fred Meyer (one of my social centers), just watch people .. their
attitudes and expressions ... I will tell you up front that you will not
observe much joy or happiness. ... Most all are distracted at best .. hurrying
to finish this to get to that .. whatever 'that' is ... and when they get
there, it will be the same thing, until they get to the next place .. and then
it will be the same thing again ... and again. ... The masses are collectively
distracted and, for the most part,
unhappy! ....
Another sad observation? ... We find this
same overall attitude in many of our churches today! ... These are the places
where joy should be the dominant characteristic! ... Now before I point my
finger at any one specific church, or another brother or sister, first I must
point it at me! .. I've noticed that of late, I've not been the 'light' that I
often tell other people to be. .. I, like many of you, have been heavily
burdened by all the chaos that is taking place all around us. ... I can make
excuses and find many reasons, such as other brothers & sisters to blame,
but then I must remember to 'pull the plank out of my own eye before
criticizing the speck in another's eye'
(Matthew 7:3) ...... Simply, it
ain't easy out there right now! ..
For a moment, let me share an experience I
recently had that may add some 'light' to what we are sharing right now
...... A family member made the decision
to accept Christ as his Savior . .. Needless to say, my wife and I were joyous
over the occasion. .. But because they lived a bit too far away for all of us
to attend the same Church, we all decided to seek out a Church closer to their
home. ... Always an interesting process, we visited several churches with mixed
reviews .. too large .. too small .. too quiet .. unfriendly .. nut-jobs ......
some of you can certainly relate .....
And then one Sunday morning we walked into
an unexpected surprise .. a room full of people that were happy and friendly.
.. To quote myself, I said that they seemed 'ridiculously joyful.' .. Needless
to say, I was immediately suspicious! .. What was their motive? .. What did
they want from us? .. Simply, there had to be a reason for all this senseless
happiness!
After the service was over, the four of us
went and found something to eat, and began our usual post-service critique. ...
After a brief discussion, it was unanimous! ... While we all felt a bit uneasy
about all the exuberance .. this over-the-top display of warmth and sincerity
.. we decided we needed to go back one more time to see if it was either a
fluke or if it was genuine.
The next Sunday was no different. .. These
people were completely the same as the week before .. and although I was still
suspicious, it began to dawn on me that they had what was missing in my life!
... What they had was a joyfulness about our Savior Jesus Christ and what it
meant to serve Him!
Ultimately, what I realized was that in my
current 'walk,' people couldn't tell me apart from the world. .. But these
people? .. You bet there was a difference! ... and the minute I realized it was
genuine, I wanted what they had -- I wanted and needed to get back what I had
lost in my walk.
We eventually had to leave this fellowship,
only because it was just too far for us to go each week. ... And now once
again, I found myself walking with a lack of joy that had so recently 'brought
me back' to what it is supposed to be ... a walk of joy and happiness .. a
confidence in the knowing knowledge of what is the truth in the final outcome
... the glorious return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! ... Hallelujah!
...
So now, once again I commit myself to
focusing on the 'light' of the Kingdom, and not the darkness of this world.
... Will it get darker in these coming
days? ... According to scripture, you bet it will! ... But here's the truth ...
I know for a fact that it will not last for very long, and if I show joy and
confidence in the truth of God's Holy Word, I will share a more positive
attitude toward those to whom I come in contact with. .. My prayer is that if I
remain joyful, those in the dark will want what I have ... and will gladly give all the credit to Jesus
Christ and His saving grace! ... Hallelujah!
My prayer today is this .... 'Lord, forgive me for falling back and
succumbing to the darkness that surrounded me. ... May you give me the strength
to be one of your brightest lights, and may it shine into the lives of those
who are searching to find their way. ... Allow me to be a beacon of hope in
this dying world. .. Thank you Jesus for your unwavering love.' ....
May our great God richly bless each of you,
and may His strength pour out on you in your times of trials. ... Let me know
if I can ever be of any help or assistance to you, and know that I love each
and every one of you ... and God knows exactly who you are .... Hallelujah!
Until next time,
Red