Good Day, Meetpastordan Readers…I have mentioned many times in previous blogs that I feel particularly blessed to be part of Grace Church St. Louis. I believe, without a shadow of a doubt, that Pastor Ron Tucker has been anointed for this particular time, and he rises to the occasion week after week without fail. He never shies away from tackling the tedious topics that result from our culture’s embrace of practices that are contrary to God’s stated will, and he stands firmly on the truth of God’s Word and the Gospel of Grace. He has just begun a new series entitled “Staying Steady in a Shaky World”, and it is from that message that I got my inspiration for today’s blog.
As we look at the world around us, just when we think we’ve seen it all and that things surly can’t sink to an even deeper level of pathos, the headlines in the next day’s news proves us wrong! Our culture is morally and spiritually bankrupt (I’m jumping right in and using those terms because I believe that is the root cause of the vile behavior and language that is becoming so commonplace), and unfortunately it (our culture) continues a tragic downward spiral that keeps all rational-thinking people totally befuddled. But for all of the God-fearing people (meaning those with reverence for God) who are familiar with the Truth of God’s Word, this should really come as no surprise. Why? Because it’s been prophesized for centuries. Allow me to substantiate that statement.
Matthew 24:3-13,21: “Later, Jesus sat on the slopes of the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to Him privately and asked, ‘When will all of this take place? And will there be any sign ahead of time to signal Your return and the end of the world?’ Jesus told them, ‘Don’t let anyone mislead you. For many will come in my name saying, ‘I am the Messiah’. They will lead many astray. And wars will break out, near and far, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must come, but the end won’t follow immediately. The nations and kingdoms will proclaim war against each other, and there will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all of this will be only the beginning of the horrors to come. You will be arrested and persecuted and killed. You will be hated all over the world because of your allegiance to Me. Many will turn away from Me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will lead many people astray. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. For that will be a time of greater horror than anything the world has ever seen. But those who endure to the end will be saved.
Apostle Paul is talking to his mentee in Timothy 3:1-5,8: “You should also know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control; they will be cruel and have no interest in what is good, or in what is right or wrong. They will betray their friends, be reckless and puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act as if they are religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Their minds are depraved, and their faith is counterfeit.”
When you read the above two paragraphs, do you see what is being prophesized coming to life, not only in our culture, but in the world around us? Now keep in mind, what we’re seeing now is only the beginning of “the horrors yet to come.” (Not my words, but Jesus’ words, Matthew 24:21 above.) Apostle Paul’s discourse to Timothy, however, pretty well describes our culture today.
My purpose for writing about this is to address two points. In Jesus’ discourse above (FYI, often referred to as the Olivette Discourse), He is obviously concerned about two things. He is concerned that Believers might be led astray by false prophets, and He is concerned that our faith might not be strong enough to endure the horrors yet to come. So here is how Pastor Ron’s message is so right on point for this time.
Unfortunately, many people mistakenly think that when they accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, their lives will miraculously improve. They’re expecting to become less stressed, more prosperous, filled with joy, and that their lives will be characterized by peace and serenity. All of that is certainly possible, IF they continue to grow in their new identity in Christ. 2 Peter 1:3 hits this nail on the head: “The more we grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ, His divine power (supernatural power) gives us everything we need for living a godly life. He has called us to receive His own glory and goodness.” Yes, all the above expectations ARE indeed possible, IF we participate in the process of growing in our relationship with Jesus Christ.
The more we grow in Him, our faith becomes stronger and stronger. But you also must keep this truth in mind: Jesus never promised us a rose garden. In fact, He was up-front about this when He said in John 16:33: “In this world you will have troubles…” That’s the statement of truth; we’re living in a fallen world, in these fleshly bodies, and we have a formidable adversary whose sole purpose is to shipwreck our best efforts to become a mature follower of Jesus Christ. The solution is in the remainder of that Scripture. “But fear not, for I have overcome the world!” If Jesus has overcome the world, then so have we because we are in Christ.! We just have to know that, trust that, and live in our reborn identity.
As I’ve noted before, God’s Gift of Grace not only seals our eternal destiny, it also provides for those of us who are still living in this fallen world. God is well aware of the turmoil we have to face in this life, because He saw what this world did to His Son. And, of course, He knows we are NO match for our adversary, satan. Therefore, since I’ve written numerous times about His gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit to empower us to face and achieve victory over issues and situations that here-to-fore overwhelmed us, now I want to write about His method of preparing us for victory over the long-haul.
Under the Old Covenant, we saw numerous examples of God’s punishment for those who were out of line with His will. But under the New Covenant, for those of us who make up the body of Christ, He paid our sin-ransom on the cross, so it is no longer about sin and punishment for us, but about “discipline” and victory. Discipline is about preparing us for the victory God has planned for us. Proverbs 3:12 tells us, “He disciplines us because He delights in us.” “Hebrews 12:6 reinforces that: “He disciplines those He loves.” Discipline is about preparing us for future victory, and that process involves facing and overcoming trials and tribulations. Hebrews 12:11 addresses that: “All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”
James begins his epistle with these bold words in verses 2-4. “Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So, let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.” Apostle Paul reinforces this in Romans 5:3-5: “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us – they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation.” ((Refer back to the last sentence in paragraph 3.)
No one likes to think about being disciplined, but here is the flip side of that coin…the good news! We have the indwelling Holy Spirit to empower us to deal with any trial and tribulation we have to face. The more we call Him into action, the more that action becomes a habit. The more we get out of the way and let Him direct our path and our actions, the more victorious we become. As it says in Romans 5:3-5 in the paragraph above, the more our endurance, the stronger our character. That very point is what will determine who will fall away in the horrific times to come, and who will endure to the end. Thank you, God, for your perfect plan for our salvation!
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May God Bless You Abundantly,
Dan Presgrave (a.k.a. Pastor Dan)
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