6/18/14
Greetings to all! In
three days, we will officiallly have “summer” again. Here in Alaska the
salmon are running, fishermen fishing, bears feasting, lawnmowers cutting, and
everywhere birds and animals scurring to feed the newborns. A garden of
Eden for sure!
Speaking of feeding the newborns....we have a
crisis on our southern borders. Not just animals are scurring, humans have
the same instincts, and the flood of illegal immigrants is calling our attention
to it. We ask ourselves, will it soon stop? Or will we go bankrupt
paying for it? (Now we are thinking of OUR
preservation!).
The morning news can make us want to sell our
computers and the tv and go hide from all this darkness. But do we
remember how Jesus talked about events taking place in His day? One
instance was when a tower in Saloam fell and left eighteen dead. He talked about
it. And some came to inform Him that Pilate had mingled the blood of some Galileans with their sacrifices. (Luke 13).
Jesus was not ignorant of current events. In replying to his
disciple’s question, “Tell us, when shall be the sign of thy coming,
and of the end of the world?” (Matthew 24), He answered: “When ye hear of
wars and commotions, be not terrified, for
these things must first come to pass... Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom
against kingdom. And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and
famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from
heaven.” (Luke 21:9-11) Then Jesus talked about what was to
happen to His own people, the Jews: “...ye shall be hated of all nations for
my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another,
and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall
deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall
wax cold.” (Matthew 24:9-12)
Does that speak of times of peace?
No. Just the opposite. But we are not be terrified of what
is happening, even at the fearful sights and great signs that are coming.
What will give us peace in the midst of the storm, is to have an understanding
that there is a plan being fufilled...God’s.
So what should we be doing right
now? How can we make it through? And what is the
outcome for us?
God watched and heard the rejoicing the children
of Israel made when they crossed over the river on dry land to safety.
They saw their enemy destroyed and then were to be led by Moses to the promised
land. You and I have a “promised land” in our minds too, but our
journey through this life on earth is where we are right now. And even at
this very hour, many Christians are being slaughtered for their faith all over
the world.
Many believe in the rapture of the church.
(1 Thess 417) I do also. But there might be, in our times of waiting, when
we, like the children of Israel in the desert, begin to find the journey too hard—with many difficulties. Jesus
warned us that the love of many would wax cold....of men’s hearts failing for
fear and a great falling away.
The children of Israel were always provided for;
Manna might suffice to sustain them for a time, a raining down of
quails and water out of a rock to quence their thirst, but
nevertheless they begin to long for the leeks and onions of
Egypt in their hearts. That generation did not
make it over Jordan. Only their children.
The Bible outlines a specific path that the world will take as we move
closer and closer to the Time of Jacob's Trouble, and praying for it to go away
isn't part of that scenerio.
I
still get concerned sometimes reading breaking news and intelligence reports,
even though they serve to confirm to me all that I believe to be true about
Bible prophecy and what will happen to the generation in which I live.
Fear is a natural, God-given emotion, and believe
it or not, it is one of mankind's most basic survival tools. Pain hurts, so that
we fear it, and therefore, we are careful not to damage ourselves. It is an
automatic response...it is the fear
of pain that makes us run from danger, preserving our lives. Without fear, few
of us would survive to adulthood.
The Bible
doesn't tell us not to fear so much as it teaches us how to redirect our fear. Jesus said to fear not
those who can destroy the body, but rather to fear Him who can destroy the soul.
(Satan)
The Psalmist
wrote:
Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and
though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea . .
." (Psalms
46:2)"In God I will praise His word, in God I have
put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me."
(Psalms
56:4)
So, if scary
news scares us, does that mean that we are faithless Christians? No. Being
scared doesn't mean not having faith in the Lord. It is all but impossible to see the signs of the times
and not get concerned, even anxious once in awhile. It doesn't mean you've
lost your faith in God. "Sudden fear" comes upon us all, saved and unsaved
alike. It is what we do with sudden fear that will make the
difference.
"Be
not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it
cometh. For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being
taken." (Proverbs
3:25-26)"The fear of man bringeth a
snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe."
(Proverbs
29:25)
What will bring
us comfort in these situations is to establish our thoughts. On
what? On the absolute infallibity of God’s word. Jesus said this to
His disciples as he was leaving this earth:“Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the
earth”. (Matthew 28:20b)
We may leave God, but He will never leave us. No
matter how bleak the situation, no matter how empty the feelings come, God will
never leave us! His promises are true. His word is above all!
We can move forward because He goes before us. And if God be for us, who
can be against us?
“In this world you will have tribulation. But
be of good cheer....I have overcome the world”. (John
16:33)
MARY E.
ADAMS