End Times

It is an uneasy time in America and the world. I'm fairly sheltered and even content to live in my house, on my street, with my family and not be interested in what is going on "out there." But even here I see the news, I see the shootings, racial tensions erupting, and politics redefining what we know to be truth.

This weekend our pastor spoke to these things. Of course, being the rule follower and list maker I am, was thrilled he was going to give our church's stance on these topics, but he did not do that. In fact, he addressed them all together in the BIG PICTURE. I was pretty let down at first, wondering why he didn't take a stand, and then I realized, he did.

What I learned:
1. We don't fear God. We neither have reverence or delight in Him in the everyday actions of our lives. Therefore, it's easy for us to get caught up in every uproar society puts out.

2. The Big Picture is that Jesus died for it all. God wins. He has a plan. It has not changed, and He is not surprised by what is going on in the world. In light of this, the issues do not matter as much as the outcome.

3. My mind should be constantly focused on THE HOPE for our future. I should be teaching my children there is but ONE WAY to peace and truth. Therefore, protecting them from emotional waves that come from the horrible things going on in our world. They are there, but we have HOPE.

Our pastor says there has never been a better time to be plugged into the church. Of course, that sounds like something a pastor would say, but he didn't mean just our church. He means THE CHURCH. "Things are not going to get better. The church is the source of Hope." And JESUS is that hope.

My take away, to ask myself, "Lord, is there anything in me that is not like you?"

Well, of course there is! I'm full of self-centeredness, laziness, fear, bad thoughts, pride, and more...
I should be working to get rid of these things and seek Him more.

From Hebrews 10: 26-31
If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgement and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.  Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.  How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?  For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people."  It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.