April 8, 2011

"Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."   Matthew 24:1-14

Have you noticed that dire predictions about the future are being issued by politicians, environmentalists, talk-show hosts, sociologists, theologians, economists, movie producers, educators, and bloggers world-wide?

Rarely do these folks agree on anything but all agree that the future does not appear especially bright. There is a prevailing sense of doom permeating our planet. You really only need a casual knowledge of history to know how unregenerate human beings are bent toward self-destruction.

So, whose predictions should we pay attention to? Whose advice should we heed?

You make the call for yourself, but when I plan my future I will get my information from the One Who is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. Who better to depend for end-time advice than the One Who stands apart from time and sees the whole continuum of history? Afterall, history is HIS STORY!

Also, His track record is perfect! Everything that He has predicted has happened or is in the process of unfolding. What He forecasted to His disciples in this portion of Scripture did, in fact, happen. And the suffering He said would come, happened to Him! While His prophecies are dire like all of the other predictions, His have a happy ending!

So, as you look for someone to believe about the future, trust Him for your predictions! And, oh, by the way. Also trust Him for your protection!

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging." Psalm 46:1-3

April 7, 2011

"You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains."  Matthew 14:6-8

I have known many pregnant women. They all have told me giving birth to a child is incredibly painful. Labor began with rather light and infrequent contractions but escalated to continual and intense pain until the child was delivered. When a child comes into the world the pain gets much worse before it gets better! But, if you want the joy of a child, you have to endure the terrible pain.

Just as there is no painless way to come into this world, there is no painless way to get out of it. You are born in pain and you will die in pain. If you live in fear of pain you will spend your days in anxiety. You must find a joy, a purpose and a power that makes the pain in your life worth the gains it adds to your life.

In the same way, most people I know want to go to Heaven. They look forward to a blissful eternity with Jesus and loved ones in the presence of God. But to get there, they have to die and no one is anxious to do that. Before it can get better it has to get worse.

So, Jesus, when answering the Disciples' questions regarding the end of time, He compared it to childbirth saying that times would get much worse before they get better again. According to the Master, things on earth during the end times, will get very painful before they finally get better due to the Lord's return. No one welcomes the pain or the persecution that must precede the second-coming, but if you want an eternity with Him that is what must happen.

What are you to do?

Turn to the Lord and trust the Lord in the time of your trouble just as King David did!

"The LORD is my light and my salvation— Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident. One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock. Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD. Hear my voice when I call, LORD; be merciful to me and answer me.  My heart says of you, “Seek his face! ”Your face, LORD, I will seek.  Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Savior. Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me. Teach me your way, LORD; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors. Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, spouting malicious accusations. I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.  Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD."                  Psalm 27 

Things will get worse before they get better, but when you get through the temporary bad you will find the eternal good is worth it! In the meantime, discover that He is worth the pain!

April 6, 2011

"Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”    Matthew 24:1-2

How secure are you today?

How secure are you tomorrow?

How do you know?

When you are facing an uncertain future with ominous storm clouds gathering on the horizon, where do you place your security? How can you be sure that your trust is well placed? What if you discover in the day of trouble that the thing you trusted wasn't trustworthy? Then what?

As Jesus was exiting the Temple with His disciples, they looked at the huge stones that formed its foundation and commented that those stones would surely be a permanent fixture for centuries to come.

They were testifying to their belief in the strength and security of God's house, the symbol of their religion. Shouldn't that be a safe bet?

Jesus rocked their world by stating flatly that those stones and that building would be destroyed in their lifetime. That was something they could not imagine.

This did happen as Jesus said! It was witnessed and recorded in 70 AD when the Roman army grew tired of the rebellion of the Jews and sieged the city and decimated it completely. The only evidence of that old city is what we call the Wailing Wall in present day Jerusalem.


Let’s note that those very same buildings that the disciples thought would be permanent and never changing would be completely destroyed within 40 years in some of these very same disciples with live to see it happen.

This may be a warning to us that we are going to see things in our lifetime that we never thought possible. Things that we thought would stand forever will be dismantled and left in the dust.

These are dangerous days! Storm clouds are gathering on the horizon. Evil is on the rise. Lawlessness is spreading world-wise and is being expressed in riots, and protests and demonstrations and cries for revolution. Our economy is on the brink of collapse as European nations scramble to avoid default.

American is involved in two wars and just committed to another engagement in Lybia with no clear purpose or objective stated. Radical Islam is on the march with a clearly articulated goal of world domination. Their terror agenda is world-wide and effective in intimidating prospective opponents with bombings and beheadings. Should they succeed in their dream of forming a caliphate in stretching from the Gulf Region, through Northern Africa, and into Southern Europe. They would rule the Mediterranean Region with an iron-fist and Sharia law brutally dealing with Jews, Christians or any non-Muslim who refuses to convert. Under their control would be much of the world's oil supply and the means of moving it economically through the Suez Canal sending world oil prices through the roof and crumbling world economies.

Add to this nightmare scenario the probability nuclear weapons would fall into the hands of these zealots.

What are you trusting to help you face these frightening prospects? Are you sure that your trust is well placed? Is your faith founded on a strong and sure and everlasting foundation? Can you confidently rest your future and your eternity on the things you have been trusting?

How can you be sure? What are the unmoveable rocks upon which you place your hope?

April 5, 2011

"The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths or his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, or you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever."  Psalm 23

Can you name five animals more helpless than a sheep?

Sheep have multiple predators and few means of protection. Wolves love them! Cougars find them tasty. Lions call them lunch. When face to face with a ferocious animal all a sheep can do is say his prayers. Sheep cannot run. They cannot swim. They cannot fight. They can only get mauled and munched on.

If anyone has a reason to fear it is a sheep. They have a long list of things to be afraid of.

Guess who the Bible often refers to as sheep? You! (And me) You don't have to think for very long to figure out why.

The future of a sheep is only as certain as his shepherd. So is yours!

When a sheep is under the care of a good shepherd, the future is his friend! The Psalmist reminds you and me in poetic verse that we are under the care of a Good Shepherd! A really good One!

Take time to read the Psalm! If you are prone to fear, read it often! Ready it daily! Read it out loud! Pray it! Meditate on it! Memorize it!

As the world gets more dangerous and turmoil rages, you need to know that when the Lord is your Shepherd the future is your friend!

April 4, 2011

"As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. or many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."  Matthew 24:3-14

For over 2,000 years people have been talking about the end times. The first generation of believers thought they were in the last days and so they found no problem in selling all they had to support the spread of the Gospel.

During that period there has been endless speculation regarding the anti-Christ and who that might be.

Back in my high school, college and early adult years, another wave of second-coming speculation arose. Those were years of great unrest and world turmoil. The struggle for civil rights was raging with riots and violence throughout the nation. Viet Nam was heating up and that sparked protests across the country, especially on college campuses. The Kent State riot errupted in gunfire when students threatened National Guard troops resulting in the deaths of some students. Over a five year period America was stunned by the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther King, and Senator Bobby Kennedy. Those years saw the rise of violent anti-government, anti-establishment groups such as Students for a Democratic Society, the Weathermen, the Black Panthers, and the Symbionese Liberation Army. These groups raised tensions and perpetrated violence in out land.

Also, during this unstable period, prayer was removed from the schools, drug use what rampant, immorality was promoted and abortion became the law of the land.

At the same time on the world scene, tensions peaked in the Middle-East with two wars involving Israel. The Six Day War in 1967 in which Israel swiftly and decisively regained several areas of land that are still in dispute today. Another conflict broke out in 1973 when Israel attacked Lebanon in retaliation for the attack on Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics Those Arab-Israeli conflicts caused instability in the Middle-East oil production causing an oil shortage in the United States and sparking an economic recession.

The "Cold War" between the United States and Russia was heating up, adding to the world tensions.

With all of those events unfolding at a rapid pace, end-times prophecies again came into sharp focus. Hal Lindsay wrote "The Late Great Planet Earth". Teachings on the Book of Revelations became the rage and Prophecy Conferences complete with charts and graphs were attended by thousands.

Jesus said there would be troublesome times! Indeed, there have been! Evil is on the march. It never rests. As the Church was lulled into a slumber, evil found less resistence. But those days came and went. The world survived. The Church shook itself a bit and responded with a renewed emphasis on evangelism and church-growth.

I share this brief history lesson just to give some perspective as we focus our 40 Day Fearless study on the Fear of Global Calamity. The fact is that Jesus plainly told us things would get bad, really bad, before they would get better. We have seen bad days and we will see worse days. That is precisely why we must live by faith and overcome our fears. As evil dominates planet earth it doesn't have to dominate you! As others despair you can declare that Jesus is Lord and God is on His Throne!

And, back in those days of my youth, gospel music was the rage. This was one of the songs that brought hope and comfort in the middle of the chaos. If you are a gospel music fan, enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3l_LfGjXShg

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

April 3, 2011

"Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”  John 11:25-26

Do you?

Do you believe that Jesus IS the resurrection and the life?

In the final analysis that is the key to overcoming the fear of life's final moments.

You can know in your mind that Jesus is bigger than life, and you can give intellectual asent to the truth that Jesus beat death, and you can acknowledge that Jesus is preparing a beautiful forever place for you - BUT, when the frigid breath of death is felt on your face, will you believe beyond doubt that He is the resurrection and the life?

Jesus asked Martha this BEFORE He raised her brother from the dead. You are two resurrections beyond where she was (Lazarus' and Jesus'). It should be easier to believe!

The Apostle Paul believed! Listen to His testimony:

^"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance^[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,"   I Corinthians 15:3-8

Do you believe this?

"But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.  And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep." 

I Corinthians 15:12-20

Do you believe this?

"I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."  I Corinthians 15:50-58

Do you believe this?

Bill and Gloria Gaither believe it and they expressed it like this:

And then one day

I'll cross that river

I'll fight life's final war with pain

But then when death gives way to victory

I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He reigns!

Do you believe this?



When you do, you will overcome the fear of life's final moments!

April 2, 2011

"My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” John 14:2-4

Do you have a place? Places are important. It is good to have a place. Having a place makes you feel special and significant. Having a place makes you feel as though you belong. Having a place makes you feel safe and having a place makes you feel secure.

While Jesus was here with His disciples for those three years, they really didn't have a place. They DID have a significant Person to hang out with! They were itinerates who traveled regularly from place to place. Now His time with them is coming to a end as He will soon be arrested, beaten savagely and then nailed to a cross. As He has come to town for that purpose. It is in the context of His impending suffering and death that He shares these comforting words. Certainly at a time when they should be comforting Him for what He is about to face, He is concerned for them. They left all to follow Him and have been His committed disciples for three years. Now He has to break the news to them that He will be arrested, savagely beaten and nailed on a cross on the next day. The center of their universe is about to drastically change. They are facing the fearful prospect that not only will they not have a place, they won't have a leader.

So, when Jesus breaks the bad news to them He also shares some good news, "I go to prepare a place for you."

As the disciples heard these words, they heard something that the typical modern Westerner misses. These were the words of great significance for the Jews. They are words of great joy for they are the words a newly engaged young man would says to his betrothed. Once he had asked the father for the hand of his daughter and permission was given, he would promise his wife to be "I am going to prepare a place for you". In joyful anticipation of sharing life with his beautiful new bride, he would eagerly begin building a home where they could live their lives together in marital bliss. This "place" would be a "love nest" for the newlyweds.

This is the spin that Jesus puts on death because of His resurrection and His life. Since the time He returned to His Father following His resurrection, He has been building a place for you in eager anticipation of being with you forever! Like an anxious bridegroom, He awaits your arrival. Jesus has conquered death and turned your funeral into a wedding! Such is the love of Jesus! So powerful is His resurrection that He removes the fear of life's final moments and replaces it with joy!

I pray that you will enjoy many more healthy and happy years in your place here in this life. But even more so I pray that when death takes you from your place you will arrive joyfully at His place - the place He has been preparing for you!