The return of the Lord is imminent. The hand writing is on the wall. The signs are all around us. The whole world is in chaos. We are living in the days the prophets dreamed about. We are a chosen generation to be sure.
While these are exciting times from an eternal perspective, with all that is being shaken down, it is easy to get discouraged. The Spirit calls me this morning to talk about my focus. I guess He was noticing my discouragement.
He said, "Unless you are focusing on the end game and the Return of the King, you will suffer under discouragement, and apathy will soon follow." So the next question is about how to refuse to be discouraged and avoid the drift into apathy.
The early church was energized and the Gospel of Jesus Christ spread like wildfire. Interestingly enough, it wasn't the crucifixion of the Lord that captured the hearts and minds and imagination of the people in those days, but rather the resurrection of the Man called Jesus. Many were crucified in those dark days, but none were raised from the dead.
Their focus was on the hope of eternal life through the fact of the resurrection of the once dead Savior of mankind. As I look around the Body of Christ I am saddened by the apathy so many have to the greatest news to hit our planet.
Not only did our Savior rise from the dead, but He left here promising to return. In the view of many witnesses, Jesus ascended toward Heaven.
Acts 1:9 "After He said this, He was taken up before their very eyes and a cloud hid Him from their sight. They were looking intently into the sky as He was going, when suddenly 2 men dressed in white, stood beside them. "Men of Galilee", they said,"Why do you stand there looking into the sky? This same Jesus who has been taken from you will come back in the same way you have seen Him go."
How can I become apathetic or discouraged when that kind of message has been given to us? The message of Christ's return should surely cure any case of "apathy" as we anticipate it at any moment. As I let those words sink into my brain, I can feel a surge of encouragement coming up from the Holy One within.
Rev 22:12, in the words of Christ Jesus to John, His beloved disciple: "Behold I am coming soon. My reward is with Me. I will give to everyone according to what he has done." The King of Glory has promised to return and then....promised a reward, according to what we have "done".
Do we think that we will earn any reward for being asleep at the switch? For having missed great opportunities due to apathy or indifference? The question then becomes, "What in the "world" am I doing with so great a message entrusted to those of us who know Him?"
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16
Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us and He is coming back soon to pick us up.
Are you ready? Are all your friends and family ready?
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
While these are exciting times from an eternal perspective, with all that is being shaken down, it is easy to get discouraged. The Spirit calls me this morning to talk about my focus. I guess He was noticing my discouragement.
He said, "Unless you are focusing on the end game and the Return of the King, you will suffer under discouragement, and apathy will soon follow." So the next question is about how to refuse to be discouraged and avoid the drift into apathy.
The early church was energized and the Gospel of Jesus Christ spread like wildfire. Interestingly enough, it wasn't the crucifixion of the Lord that captured the hearts and minds and imagination of the people in those days, but rather the resurrection of the Man called Jesus. Many were crucified in those dark days, but none were raised from the dead.
Their focus was on the hope of eternal life through the fact of the resurrection of the once dead Savior of mankind. As I look around the Body of Christ I am saddened by the apathy so many have to the greatest news to hit our planet.
Not only did our Savior rise from the dead, but He left here promising to return. In the view of many witnesses, Jesus ascended toward Heaven.
Acts 1:9 "After He said this, He was taken up before their very eyes and a cloud hid Him from their sight. They were looking intently into the sky as He was going, when suddenly 2 men dressed in white, stood beside them. "Men of Galilee", they said,"Why do you stand there looking into the sky? This same Jesus who has been taken from you will come back in the same way you have seen Him go."
How can I become apathetic or discouraged when that kind of message has been given to us? The message of Christ's return should surely cure any case of "apathy" as we anticipate it at any moment. As I let those words sink into my brain, I can feel a surge of encouragement coming up from the Holy One within.
Rev 22:12, in the words of Christ Jesus to John, His beloved disciple: "Behold I am coming soon. My reward is with Me. I will give to everyone according to what he has done." The King of Glory has promised to return and then....promised a reward, according to what we have "done".
Do we think that we will earn any reward for being asleep at the switch? For having missed great opportunities due to apathy or indifference? The question then becomes, "What in the "world" am I doing with so great a message entrusted to those of us who know Him?"
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16
Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us and He is coming back soon to pick us up.
Are you ready? Are all your friends and family ready?
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
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