The Holy One calls to me this morning. The world around us is in shambles. Of course, prophecy has already warned us that it would all come down to this: A world in chaos and none but God can rescue.
Whether we count it a privilege or liability, most of us alive today with our feet on planet earth will see the Day of the Lord and His dramatic return to His world to make the crooked things straight.
As the earth shakes and shivers and the 6 o'clock news blasts out the threats, the Holy One calms me with Truth. He reminds me, "I will never leave you nor forsake you. Hold on to what you have."
He takes me to His Word and Rev 3:10, "Since you have kept My commands to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth."
"Endure Patiently" is not how I would characterize my thumping heart, swirling thoughts or drawn sword. Yet I know I must go beyond the superficial grasp of "endure patiently" to find His point.
Webster defines endure as:
1. To stand
2. To tolerate
3. To last, continue
4. To bear pain without flinching
Enduring is not easy. But Jesus knows what He is asking of us from His personal experience on the Cross. In Rev 3:8, right before the great promise that He will keep us from the hour of trial, Jesus said, "I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my Word and not denied My Name".
Each and every day there comes a temptation to depart from the word of God and join with those who deny His Name. Each day there is an alternative to standing firm, resisting evil, and declaring the Holy Name of Jesus as the Savior of the world.
With the temperature of the world's sickness heating up all around us, opportunities to compromise our walk and faith come hard and fast. How do we keep form becoming infected? Where do we find the strength to "endure"?
The answer is simple yet most will not take the time to figure it out: Read the Word and claim the promises contained therein, and then stay connected with others to who do the same.
Salvation is meant to be more than fire insurance against a hellish eternity. Salvation is meant to be the doorway to a love relationship with the God of all Creation. He has the final word over what happens to His world and the individuals who walk upon it. The Bible is God's love letter to His Beloved. Inside it's pages we find the true picture of a Father's love and a Sovereign's authority.
Today the threats loom large and the persecution will only get worse as the final days are played out. Decisions will get more and more difficult for a mind not stayed on the Word of God. By His command, we are instructed to endure patiently.
The warnings foretell things to come, and here is a warning but yet with a promise. The "hour of trial" is coming and will test those who live on the earth. But Jesus says, "I am coming soon. Hold onto what you have". What we have are His Word and His promises. As the world seems to get crazier by the minute, I, for one, am holding onto these.
How about you?
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
Whether we count it a privilege or liability, most of us alive today with our feet on planet earth will see the Day of the Lord and His dramatic return to His world to make the crooked things straight.
As the earth shakes and shivers and the 6 o'clock news blasts out the threats, the Holy One calms me with Truth. He reminds me, "I will never leave you nor forsake you. Hold on to what you have."
He takes me to His Word and Rev 3:10, "Since you have kept My commands to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth."
"Endure Patiently" is not how I would characterize my thumping heart, swirling thoughts or drawn sword. Yet I know I must go beyond the superficial grasp of "endure patiently" to find His point.
Webster defines endure as:
1. To stand
2. To tolerate
3. To last, continue
4. To bear pain without flinching
Enduring is not easy. But Jesus knows what He is asking of us from His personal experience on the Cross. In Rev 3:8, right before the great promise that He will keep us from the hour of trial, Jesus said, "I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my Word and not denied My Name".
Each and every day there comes a temptation to depart from the word of God and join with those who deny His Name. Each day there is an alternative to standing firm, resisting evil, and declaring the Holy Name of Jesus as the Savior of the world.
With the temperature of the world's sickness heating up all around us, opportunities to compromise our walk and faith come hard and fast. How do we keep form becoming infected? Where do we find the strength to "endure"?
The answer is simple yet most will not take the time to figure it out: Read the Word and claim the promises contained therein, and then stay connected with others to who do the same.
Salvation is meant to be more than fire insurance against a hellish eternity. Salvation is meant to be the doorway to a love relationship with the God of all Creation. He has the final word over what happens to His world and the individuals who walk upon it. The Bible is God's love letter to His Beloved. Inside it's pages we find the true picture of a Father's love and a Sovereign's authority.
Today the threats loom large and the persecution will only get worse as the final days are played out. Decisions will get more and more difficult for a mind not stayed on the Word of God. By His command, we are instructed to endure patiently.
The warnings foretell things to come, and here is a warning but yet with a promise. The "hour of trial" is coming and will test those who live on the earth. But Jesus says, "I am coming soon. Hold onto what you have". What we have are His Word and His promises. As the world seems to get crazier by the minute, I, for one, am holding onto these.
How about you?
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
No comments:
Post a Comment