Finding Christ in the Chaos :: By Holly Spate

Published on: by RR10 Category:General Articles, Holly Spate

Friend,

Are you feeling overwhelmed by life and all its demands? Do you feel drained of energy and in need of refreshment? Are you finding yourself restless and weary in the world that surrounds you?

If so, you’re not alone.

Life has a way of being overwhelming. Life can feel out of control. It’s very easy to feel quickly burdened by so many things constantly vying for our attention… some worthwhile and some completely worthless.

But, through it all, with each new day we are given, we have a choice to make. We can carry the burden or release it. We can make the right things a priority or make insignificant things a priority. We can embrace joy or embrace misery. We can make each minute count or let each minute count for nothing.

In all these things, we have a choice: we have freedom to choose wisely or choose unwisely.

If someone asked me to share my best advice concerning living life significantly and successfully in this chaotic existence, I would not be able to take credit for the answer. The best advice I could ever share comes directly from God’s Word.

  • Come to Christ- Accept Him as Savior.

“And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment” (1 John 3:23).

  • Love God. Love Him with all your heart. Make getting to know Him your top priority.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:30-31).

  • Love Others

“This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you” (John 15:12).

All these things will not only help the believer navigate more intentionally in this chaotic world but will naturally bring a better path. When we practice keeping focused on Christ, we tend to have more peace, joy, direction, and hope. Keeping His commandments, spending quality time with Him, loving Him and loving others, puts us in the best position.

It does not mean we will never have trials or difficulties, but it does mean we can better hear, discern, trust, love, persevere, and be more at rest during challenging times because we’ve spent quality time investing in a close relationship with our heavenly Father.

I love James 4:8, which states: “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.”

What a beautiful promise!

Brother or Sister in Christ-

No matter your schedule, no matter your commitments, no matter your long “To Do” List, one thing stands true. For all who are believers in Christ, time is always best spent investing and drawing close to our heavenly Father.

Truly, every minute spent with the Savior is a win and a minute well spent.

And, every minute we have been entrusted with… every single breath we have been given… every single second we’ve been allotted… are all gifts given by our Creator. We literally cannot draw one single breath without Him.

He is our lifeline to all good things. James 1:17 reminds us of this truth as it clearly states: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”

Your very life is a gift.
This very day is a gift.

Now… How will you choose to spend it?

Will you spend it wisely or foolishly? Will you savor every second or squander every second? Will you make it a priority to put Christ at the center… will He be your focus?

Time invested with the Savior comes with so many wonderful blessings.

The enemy knows this, which is why he enjoys our excessive busyness and childlike distractions. He loves to see us waste our time on worthless efforts and enjoys seeing us squander our seconds as our Bibles collect dust on our shelves.

He understands clearly that the closer we grow in our relationship with Christ, the more effective witnesses we will be in the world around us. He is aware if we focus on what’s most important, we will make a bigger impact, shine more light, plant more seeds, and store up worthy treasures in heaven, as Matthew 6:19-21 reminds:

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

He knows if we live out Ephesians 6:11, we will be better equipped in a world growing ever darker: “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”

He is well aware our weariness will be strengthened through resting and trusting solely in our Savior. He understands, when we surrender to the Savior, we are more likely to praise and less likely to complain when we suffer.

The truth is we are always made better and stronger when we keep focused and close to our Maker… always.

Several verses in Matthew beautifully convey some of the natural benefits that come with putting Christ first in our hearts and lives:

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

So, friend… will you make Christ a priority?

True success, peace, and contentment in this life only come by surrendering every part of yourself to the Savior and investing quality time with Him. It is growing in relationship with Him and confidently realizing that no matter what happens in life, you will always find Christ close, even in the chaos.

spate.holly@gmail.com

What Does it Mean to Stand with Israel? (Part 1) :: By Paul J. Scharf

Published on: by RR10 Category:General Articles

My previous column challenged Bible-believing Christians—and all Americans—to stand with the people, nation, and land of Israel during these times of unprecedented hatred aimed at Jewish people around the world.

During the past week, the animosity and hostility spouted against the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob have grown to a level that we might have considered unfathomable, making such pleas all the more necessary. This story is not going away anytime soon. The acrimony is spreading like wildfire.

And make no mistake about it: This is not simply an attack on Israel and the Jewish people. It is an attack on America, our Christian worldview, and everything we hold dear—coming from those who identify proudly (even if unwittingly) with the Hamas terrorists. If this is not a struggle between good and evil, then I don’t know what is. [i]

But what does it really mean to stand with this “holy people” (Deut. 7:6)? It’s easy enough to say the words, but what actions do they represent? Additionally, the mere mention of the concept seems to draw out every imaginable objection. The dissent ranges from a soft antisemitism—rooted in the worst traditions of Catholic and Protestant Christendom—to the musings of professing dispensationalists who simply cannot be convinced that the Israel now returned to its land is related to Biblical Israel.

So, what do I mean when I talk about standing with God’s chosen people? Let’s set up the answer in this installment by thinking about a few things that this does not mean.

Standing with Israel does not mean that we believe her to be inherently worthy of God’s blessing. Israelites, like everyone else on this planet, are worthy of God’s judgment, not His favor—and they certainly have received His chastening in heavy doses throughout their history (see Jer. 31:18). The Apostle Paul made it clear in Rom. 3:9 that “both Jews and Greeks … are all under sin.” And God made it plain from the beginning that He never chose Israel because of any intrinsic goodness within them, “but because the LORD loves you” (Deut. 7:8). So, let’s rule this one out right away—and, while we’re at it, let’s hope that none of us ever have to worry about God giving us what we deserve.

Standing with Israel also does not mean that we discount the fact that Israel today is a nation in unbelief. Having largely rejected their Messiah, the Jewish people suffer under spiritual “blindness” (Rom. 11:25). They live in spiritual apostasy (see Rev. 11:8). Yet, thank God, this blindness is only “in part” and only for a limited period of time (Rom. 11:25)! One day, their return in faith will be complete and eternal (see Rom. 11:26; cf. Zech. 13:9).

But now, Israel is one of “the kingdoms of this world” (Rev. 11:15) which remain “under the sway of the wicked one” (1 John 5:19)—just as our own beloved United States does also (cf. 2 Cor. 4:4). Sadly, this is going to get worse before it gets better. In fact, it is going to be so bad that Israel will literally cut a deal with the devil. They will make a seven-year covenant with the antichrist, which will officially begin the seven-year period of tribulation (see Dan. 9:26-27; John 5:43). So, if you think Israel has failed spiritually in the past, just hang on. You haven’t seen anything yet!

Israel, as a whole today, is a bit like the northern kingdom following the split that took place under Rehoboam in 1 Kings 12 and 2 Chronicles 10. Those 10 northern tribes chose to go into apostasy. They had no temple, no legitimate king, no hope of bringing the Messiah into their nation, and just a handful of true Biblical prophets. They were a people in rebellion. And yet, God’s concern for them was overwhelming because of His covenant promises to “their forefathers” (Jer. 11:10; cf. Isa. 54:10; Hos. 1:10-11; 14:4).

And here is where evangelicals—even some dispensationalists—seem to drive over the metaphorical cliff. If Israel is apostate during this present time, they reason that Christians have no business supporting such a nation—or even that it is sinful to do so! Now, indeed, there is lots of sin in Israel, just as there is in our homeland. Yet, we certainly love our country, do we not? When we stand with Israel, we stand with her in spite of her flaws and in light of God’s promises and plans for her.

In fact, shouldn’t we be concerned for all unbelievers? Doesn’t God work in the lives of unbelievers? I hope so—or you and I wouldn’t be here right now! But when we concern ourselves with blessing the Jewish people, even in their unbelief, we have a promise of something much greater. We know that we are part of a chain of events that will one day culminate in their ultimate and complete salvation (see Isa. 4:3-4).

One final thought. Standing with the people of Israel does not mean that we endorse everything that the Israeli government or military does. The Israeli government is a complex subject, but I know enough about it to say this: Israel’s leaders do not always agree with one another! So, how could I ever agree with all of them?

I am no military expert by any means. I do admire the Israeli military—it is surely one of the greatest fighting forces ever assembled in the history of the world. But is it perfect? By no means. Does it claim to be? Not at all.

You see, I do not hold to any of these ideas, yet I still stand solidly with the people, nation, and land of Israel. So, what does that mean in a positive sense?

We’ll take up that question in the next installment.

***

Paul J. Scharf (M.A., M.Div., Faith Baptist Theological Seminary) is a church ministries representative for The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, based in Columbus, WI, and serving in the Midwest. For more information on his ministry, visit sermonaudio.com/pscharf or foi.org/scharf, or email pscharf@foi.org.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version.

[i] For anyone seeking a greater understanding of the origin and nature of the current conflict in Gaza, I would highly recommend the three keynote lectures that Dr. Randall Price delivered on March 4-6, 2024, at the Chafer Theological Seminary Pastors’ Conference. His messages on “The Truth Behind the Headlines” and “How the Middle East Conflict is Preparing the World for the End Time” go to the heart of the issues at hand, in light of Biblical history and prophecy. You can find them at “2024 Chafer Theological Seminary Pastors’ Conference;” Dean Bible Ministries; https://deanbibleministries.org/presentations/messages/series/2024-chafer-theological-seminary-pastors-conference; Internet; accessed 2 May 2024.