What is God’s plan for His Church in These Troubled Times?

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END TIMES, Fishers of men, light, love, Love of God, Salt, The Church, Troubled Times

What is God’s plan for His Church in These Troubled Times?

• First, God’s Church is defined as all who call on the name of Jesus to be saved from their sinfulness by Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection. Denominations, local assemblies, or groups (including the Roman Catholic church) are each PART of the whole. In addition, there are millions of believers who no longer go to a local fellowship, but rather they gather together randomly at local restaurants, parks, or private living rooms. ROMANS 10: 1-13 NASB




• Second, we (God’s Church) are to grow up into the likeness and image of Christ by letting the Holy Spirit teach us God’s ways and God’s nature and equip us to be Salt and Light to a world in darkness thirsting to be free. Like our physical muscles need exercise to grow strong, so our spiritual muscles require exercise to grow and develop into useful gifts and skills. It is our responsibility (and joy) to be equipped via the Holy Spirit residing within us, and prepared for whatever path God leads us to follow. Ephesians 4:11-16 NASB




• Finally, our day to day life is to reflect the love of God we have received, even as a mirror reflects the image of the one gazing into it. God has stamped each believer with His own image, and that image is what draws the lost, from the farthest corners of the globe, to Jesus. Obviously, we cannot do this in our on design, our own intelligence, our own wisdom, or our own compassion. We just can’t, because it isn’t our intelligence, our wisdom, our plans, or our compassion that can open the understanding of one still blinded by sin. Only God’s love can rent that veil. We carry that love, if in fact, we have received it, and that allows us – empowers us to reflect it, to let it flow through us out toward the lonely, the broken, those in despair, lost in the darkness. Every place we go … to work, to shop, to play … we carry the Love of God. It is not given to us to hold, but to share, and that requires courage and faith! 2 Corinthians 3: 15-18 AMP

As the days grow darker, Light will become more needed, but it will also become more visible (or it should!) We must allow God to continue to cleanse and purify our hearts and minds so the Light will be clear and bright. God, by His Holy Spirit, does the work. All we must do is let Him!

My experience tells me most local congregations spend more time, talent, and money on their own “aquarium,” rather than on training and equipping “Fishers of men!” Jesus said that the way the world would recognize His people (and thereby HIM) was by the way we LOVE one another. Is that not our Primary Mission? To draw all men (and women) to God? John 12: 31-32 NASB; John 15: 9-17 NKJV

34 I give you a new commandment: that you should love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too should love one another.
35 By this shall all [men] know that you are My disciples,
if you love one another [if you keep on showing love among yourselves].
John 13:34-35 AMP

THIS, then, is God’s plan for His Church, to LOVE … to Love one another and appreciate our differences, to love the lost, to love sinners (like us!), to love them FROM the darkness INTO the Light!

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
a people for God’s own possession”
… WHY?
“so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him
who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
1 Peter 2:9 NKJV

No finger pointing, no condemnation, no name-calling, no back-biting, no slandering, no judgement!!! THAT is God’s job, and He judges via mercy. LOVE is the Mission of the CHURCH. Not soft, sentimental, mushy love, but strong, decisive, empowering, freeing, UNCONDITIONAL love that ONLY flows from God the Father of all mankind! Nope, not easy. Only way we can do it is by the LOVE of God flowing THROUGH us … If we run out, we know it wasn’t God’s love, but our own. Come on, CHURCH … LOVE!!!!! The lost are waiting … Let’s get fishing!!!

Trust in God, not the “Rapture!”

Tags

END TIMES, Jesus Christ, Pre-tribulation Rapture, Rapture, trust

For years, I sat under teaching on what may or may not occur as TIME winds down and we approach “END TIMES!” The last thing I want to do is start a raucous, but … just suppose the whole idea of the “Rapture” is wrong. Just suppose! What if Christians today (or whenever the end comes) are required to endure the “Tribulation.” What if “End time” Believers are required, like those in past generations and past civilizations, to stand against vile persecution. What if … ?

In all honesty, I think it is cruel and lazy for various denominations and pastors to build up the hope of such an event without hard evidence. It is very similar, in my view, of popular dependence on government handouts instead of the work of their own hands to provide for their needs. Think about it …

1. God wants us to be dependent on Him and Him alone, right? (Matthew 22:36-40; 1 John 3:1-3 (The Message)
2. God either is, or He isn’t able and willing to meet every need we have, right? (Phil 4:4-9; Mt 6: 28-30; Luke 12:27)
3. God is either changing us, His children, from glory to glory, into the likeness of Jesus, or he isn’t, right? (2 Cor 3:12-18)

The concept of “Rapture” is a relatively new one, arising in the early 1800’s. This is not a theological study stating the impossibility of Rapture, but it is raising a challenge to the MENTALITY often associated with raptured thinking, i.e Escapism!

Jesus came …

to save sinners: “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.” (1 Tim 1:15)

to destroy the works of the evil one: “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3:8)

to give us life, and that abundantly: “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:7-10)

If Jesus came to bring us LIFE, and that abundantly, why would any of us seek to escape the life He has given us?

The “Rapture,” as taught by many local groups may be real, but either way, should we not remain focused on our Source and our Goal = JESUS CHRIST? Should we not be prepared to follow wherever … wherever He leads us whether through the valley or to the mountaintop? Many times, END TIMES teaching distract us from Jesus. We think we want to know exactly what is coming, but let me ask you this …

How many of us are now exactly where we planned to be 5, 10, 25, or 50 years ago? Yea, me either! But GOD’s plan is ALWAYS better than ours. A few more verses to set your thinkers to work. Consider the lives of the martyrs, and believers in other lands like Iran or Nigeria currently. They suffer and die daily for the sake of Christ. Are we “Special” children of God? Of course not! But if our eyes are on Christ, whatever happens comes through God’s loving fingers, right? (Rom 8: 28)

“Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed.” Proverbs 16:3

3Trust in the Lord and do good;
Dwell in the land and [a]cultivate faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself in the Lord;
And He will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light
And your judgment as the noonday.
Ps 37: 3-6

“Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.”
Revelation 20:4-6

10 Promises to Help us through “END TIMES” ~ Blogsense style

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10 Promises of God to us, END TIMES, future, LIFE is NOT FAIR, Pre-tribulation Rapture

Look back over your own life. I’d be willing to bet none of us are where we imagined we’d be when we graduated from high school. Am I right? Have there been disappointments? Has there been heart-ache? Hard times? Of course! If God had laid out the itinerary for each of us, step by step, kinda like an instructional map, how many of us would have stuck to it voluntarily? I bet NONE! We’d all try to eliminate the hurt, the tough times, the heart-ache, yet for most of us, the hard places are the richest for us – the places we learn the most about ourselves and about who God is. In spite of our President’s political viewpoint, LIFE is NOT FAIR!!!!!

The pre-trib Rapture idea is relatively new to Christianity. I’m a Teacher, by calling by motivation, by vocation and avocation! One of the first lessons I learned in Christ was before I could Teach a lesson, I had to Learn it, so that I was teaching by experience, not just by rote! This is probably why I have a very hard time with the pre-trib Rapture idea. Christ will return one day. This much is true, but the details are unclear, and must not become a distraction to us as we live day to day.

Disclaimer: I am not necessarily a fan of this ministry or teaching. Just throwing it out there for debate!

10 Promises of God to us, which, like Him, are the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. (Hebrews 13:8) Consider them a rope to hold onto through any storm, or a hand to hold!

1. “Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.” Deut 31:6
2. The steps of a man are established by the Lord,
   And He delights in his way.
   24 When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong,
   Because the Lord is the One [f]who holds his hand.
   25 I have been young and now I am old,
   Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
   Or his descendants begging bread.
   26 All day long he is gracious and lends,
   And his descendants are a blessing. Psalm 37: 23-26
3. He has promised to supply every need we have. The Bible says: “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus”. That’s Phillipians 4:19. Now notice, God has obligated Himself only to the extent of our needs. That would include food, clothing, shelter, companionship, love, and salvation thru Jesus Christ. It would not include the multiplicity of luxuries that we have come to think of as needs.
4. God has promised that His grace is sufficient for us. (2 Corinthians 12:9). In fact, He has made provision for our salvation by His grace through faith. Read Ephesians 2:8. It is through an obedient faith that we have access into the grace of God according to Romans 5:2.
5. God has promised that His children will not be overtaken with temptation. Instead, He assures us that a way of escape will be provided. This promise is recorded in I Corinthians 10:13. Jude wrote: “Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present your faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy” (Jude v 24). Darius, King of the Medes, said to Daniel, “Your God whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you.” (Daniel 6:16). He did deliver Daniel from the den of lions.
6. God has promised us victory over death. He first resurrected Jesus by way of assuring our resurrection. Peter said: “This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we are all witnesses” (Acts 2:32). Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (I Corinthians 15:3,4). Later on he adds: “but thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Corinthians 15:57).
7. God has promised that all things work together for good to those who love and serve Him. (Romans 8:28). The first part of this verse is often quoted without the second part. It may be difficult for us to see and understand how this is accomplished at times, but God has promised it, and He will deliver.
8. God has promised forgiveness to those who believe. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (Read Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 1 John 1:9 ).
9. God has promised His people eternal life by means of an intimate relationship with God himself! (John 10:27,28). We are adopted into Gods own family, his bloodline! (1 John 3:1) How amazing is this?
10. God promises unconditional and everlasting love.
    “How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
    If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand.
    When I awake, I am still with You. Psalm 139: 17-18

Whether or not we are snatched up in the air and allowed to escape the devastation planned by God to turn the hearts of the rebellious back to Him or not, these promises, and all the rest, are given to us as tools to equip us for daily life regardless our circumstances.

My favorite promise, that motivates my life, even on the dark days …

Jesus said,
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;
I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”
John 10:10

Is END TIME Prophecy Unfolding Before Our Eyes? [VIDEOS]

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9 Harbingers, blessings, economic collapse, END TIMES, gratitude, Ground Zero, Isaiah 9: 10, Left Behind, liberty, moral-decay, prophecy, Social enmity, Tree of Hope, US Constitution, WARNING

No single human being, or even a small group of humans, could possibly be behind the chaos that is growing across the globe. Economic collapse has begun in Cyprus, Italy, Greece and other EU nations and is heading toward America. Moral decay is rampant globally. Social enmity is at its highest point as government and social leaders prompt one group (collective) against another.

Those of us with a passion for LIBERTY must find a way to unite our various positions if we are to survive. I can think of no better rallying point than the US CONSTITUTION.

Uniting Around the Constitution

Immigrants arrive at America’s shores hopeful of New Beginnings. 1843.

As Americans, our heritage is rooted in Judeo-Christian ethics/morality. We were established as a Christian nation with our arms open to all under certain conditions. People flocked to America in the 1800’s to flee the various forms of tyranny in other nations. There was an understanding, though, among these immigrants that they were not coming here to recreate their homeland, but to build something better! They learned our language. They learned our Godly American history. They learned our customs while having the freedom to celebrate LIFE in whatever ways were comfortable to them. They became AMERICANS, not Lithuanian-Americans, Irish-Americans, or German-Armericans, but AMERICANS. Proud of their individual ancestry, and grateful to be New Americans. But this is gone.

People across the America are angry, jealous, and greedy for more! We have more than most elsewhere, but we are still not satisfied. We want more! Some are willing to work for it, but many are not, yet they still want more! We want more, but are not satisfied when we get it. Why?

We are not satisfied because the blessing rots if we “hoard” it. Blessings are meant to be shared. For decades, American generosity covered our nation’s errors and blunders, our misguided policies & politics. But sadly, while the generosity remains to some extent, the individual attitudes corrupt the blessing. We give to gain. We give with strings attached. We give asking favors in return.

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3: 16-18 NIV

LEFT BEHIND SERIES, by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins

There are certain principles God established in antiquity. Perhaps the most significant is …

“Surely the Lord God does nothing,
Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.” Amos 3:7

There are many websites and videos that present various perspectives of the things that must take place at some point. None have the whole and complete picture because we are but flesh and GOD is GOD! Some things are just Common Sense. The crime of America is defiance against God, as though we are “supreme” and able to control all things. As though we control our destiny.

PLEASE
Make Time
to
WATCH THIS VIDEO

10th Anniversary of 9/11: The Lord’s Word in September 11th The details and explanation of these “harbingers,” or warnings can be found in Jonathan Cahn’s book, The Harbinger: The Ancient Mystery That Holds the Secret of America’s Future [Paperback]

The number of voices raised in warning is increasing. The urgency mounts with every passing day. The sin and effects of sin threaten to destroy our nation. God longs to restore our nation and our society, but we must turn away from our arrogance. We must acknowledge our limitations as humans and our need for GOD!

What about Korea? What is going on?
Just sayin …

Ground Zero fallen sycamore Interestingly, the tree fell in such a way that its branches protected Saint Paul’s Chapel of 1766, where newly sworn President Washington went immediately after his inaugural address to pray and fast that he might receive wisdom to lead the young nation. How different from the attitudes of our current President!

Old Testament prophecy fulfilled before our eyes?

“What do sycamore and cedar trees have to do with biblical prophecy, the tragic events of 9/11 and the imminent future of the United States?

“The roots of a sycamore tree at Ground Zero felled on Sept. 11, 2001, have been preserved as a memorial to the event in New York City. A local messianic rabbi believes it’s a visible fulfillment of an Old Testament prophecy about God’s current judgment on America.

“Everything, according to a new book which says an obscure text from the Old Testament prophet Isaiah is an urgent wake-up call for all Americans in light of what happened on that fateful day in 2001.”

Read more

When Will God Judge the World?

Is This the END?

Tags

attitudes, behaviors, END TIMES, Go ... Give ... LOVE, LAST DAYS, lawlessness

Is this the END so many of us have heard about, the Last Days, the End of the World? Maybe … maybe not. No one knows. NO ONE! Since the beginning of time, with each generation there have been those who believed the End was nigh, and we’re still here. The End will come one day, for sure, but is it now? Are the “signs” pointing toward the “Great Tribulation?” Again, there are those among us that believe that is so, and I know no differently, but for one seemingly insignificant thing. The Church.

Suppose, just for a minute, the End is near. If our illustrious media (cough, cough) began to query, hypothesize and investigate the various “signs of the times” as they appear to line up today, how would it affect you? Would your behavior change? Would your relationships change? Would your daily routine change?

Like many of you, I grew up in a family that frequently attended a local church. The message from the pulpit changed depending on the one speaking. There was the pious deep voice of academic theology resonating through the crystal chandeliers about this and that; the young, passionate, if whiny voice of social consciousness; and the dispassionate, weary voice of the occasional missionary reporting in and seeking more funds. Honestly, it was nothing to inspire Godly pursuit. Still God spoke to me (and you?) in the quiet of my childhood wanderings, not in words as you and I know them, but in quiet assurances.

Now that I’m a grown up, it is sometimes hard to “hear” those quiet assurances amidst the daily banter of work, family, and survival. Yet God speaks always, if we dare to listen, and His “word” is always “Go … Give … LOVE!” I did not learn this, I’m sad to say, where we went to worship. I learned it from a man who ran a sport camp. I don’t think he ever actually spoke the words either, he simply lived them.

There’s no point in a fear-driven life. If we are in the Last Days, there is nothing we can do about it, right? Neither is there much point in struggling to determine if we are in the “Last Days.” That struggle will only distract us from our purpose. We cannot change time. We cannot change people. We are who and what we are. Ah, but we CAN change our own attitudes and behaviors.

We probably agree that the world, the USA, our states and communities have become more violent, more hateful, and even more … despondent over the last few decades. We can theorize and brainstorm till the cows come home and still be uncertain about WHY, still pointless drive-by shootings, gang violence, senseless bigotry increase in number and intensity.

Lawlessness, like a swelling ocean, threatens to engulf us. Silently, liberties and choices are being replaced with mandates and “security measures.” It may or may not mean the END, but the question is: What can I do about it? Can I make a positive difference? Do I WANT to make a positive difference?

• Do I fall on my knees and pray and wait?
• Do I lock myself behind closed doors and hide?
• Do I procure a weapon of some sort?
• Do I become a political activist and work to revive Biblical morality?
• Do I put the responsibility on the government to take care of the problem(s)?
• Do I point fingers at my neighbors and recount their offenses?
• Do I make an extra casserole and share it with my neighbor?
• Do I walk across the street and talk to my neighbor for the first time in 5 years?
• Do I take self-defense classes and learn how to protect myself?
• Do I … “Go … Give … LOVE?”

Each of us, I believe, is on this earth with a purpose born(e) within. Our mission, should we accept it, is to uncover that purpose and pursue it. It is a life-long pursuit! If we can do this, it honestly will not matter whether we are approaching the END or not. We will be satisfied in the pursuit of our purpose. It is the “higher call” that will draw us, use our talents and abilities, and reward us with an abundance of memories and love. “Go … Give … LOVE!”