Summary: This is no time for any man of God or serious Christian to be shy, hesitant, compromising, or half-hearted in our commission from the Lord Jesus Christ to go out into the world and preach His Gospel. Today is the day to be bold for the kingdom of God.

Fellow preachers and servants in Christ, I must admit that it seems as if we are proclaiming the truth of the Gospel to stone walls these days. I have never seen such indifference and apathy in people concerning the state of their souls as I do now. We see and hear of so-called “believers” walking away from the faith they had claimed to possess and defend. Due to the “pandemic” and its aftermath, churches are either being threatened to shut down, face arrest, or be forced to pay ridiculous fines that the government does not seem to place on bars, strip joints, stores, and other public places.

Even the best and boldest of us are wearing thin in our work for the kingdom of God. And just as the Bible states, we are being wearied by the continual onslaught of the world’s evil and maliciousness that comes from all directions.

The hatred towards the Lord Jesus and us is growing every minute here in America and around the world. I have been watching pastors and concerned believers talk about the certainty of meeting in secret from now on due to rising government and local persecution and harassment. Those of us who are awaiting the “Blessed Hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) are being bullied and berated by some brethren who get almost apoplectic when you mention the word “rapture.” They are ready to verbally go to war with you if you even so much as want to discuss the event, let alone being prepared for that inevitable day (Romans 10:9-10) or the day when you quit breathing and assume room temperature (Hebrews 9:27).

Let us put differences of prophetic interpretation aside for a moment and reevaluate where we have come from, what is happening now, and what needs to be done in spite of the rampant evil that is swallowing the world. Go back to the beginning and remember who you were before the Lord Jesus saved you. What were you like? A literal hell-raiser, or a quiet skeptic, or a garden variety pagan who believed that you were “good enough” to enter the portals of heaven when you died?

Think what would have happened to you if someone had been too lazy or afraid to tell you about Jesus. Think on what would have happened if you had not gone with that friend or family member to the church service, youth group meeting, revival, home Bible study, or even the incident that got you to consider what would happen to you after you died and were not ready (Luke 12:13-21).

Look back on the way that the LORD graciously called you to come to Him for true peace and rest (Matthew 11:28-30; John 10:28-30). Have you forgotten the joy, amazement, gratitude, or maybe the tears of repentance and relief you shed when you knew that your sins were wiped away, never to be remembered by God ever again? (Psalm 103:8-12). Has the work of the LORD taken you away from the LORD of the work, like the church at Ephesus (Revelation 2:1-7)?

We are fallible, imperfect, and limited in our strengths and abilities, brethren. Why do we feel we have to put a superhero suit on every day and do a million things in the name of “ministry” when the most important thing we should ever do as men of God is to spend time with the Author of the Word, studying and meditating upon it?

We need to recapture the wonder and awe of being in the presence of the Holy, Sovereign, King of Kings, and not worry about the meetings or other considerations. Get back in touch with the wife and children who love you and stick with you in spite of it all. Approach the King (Hebrews 4:14-16) today, ask Him to forgive you of becoming indifferent, angry, apathetic, and unfocused on your true calling, and that is to win souls for the kingdom. Giving the blessing over the green bean casseroles at the monthly senior luncheon can be done by someone else. You need to get back with God and His infallible, all-sufficient Word (2 Timothy 2:15, 3:16-17) and your family.

By the way, ministry can be defined in a variety of ways, and that reality had to hit me like a ton of bricks, along with the insight of the love of my life for nearly forty years. She told me that my talent lay in teaching and writing, and I am glad that I finally got around to seeing her point of view and wisdom after all these years. I kick myself mentally for not listening to the LORD as I ought to have at times, but I cannot redo the past, and neither can you (Philippians 3:12-14).

Now, I do like to stand before a congregation or classroom and present the truth of God’s Word and the salvation provided in Christ in the churches I have served in the past, save for one. I loved and did my best to serve them as a loving pastor should, but it was not what was intended for me, and I dragged my poor family along for the journey, oblivious at times to their feelings and concerns. So, what I have written here is from a life of both graciousness and grief, and I thank the LORD that He saw fit to use me when I behaved like a mule that needed to learn not to kick against a goad (Acts 9:5). My health plays a role in what I do for the LORD from now on, and it seems that with writing and the occasional opportunity to teach the Word, I have found my niche.

Whatever we do for a living as Christians, we do it as unto the LORD (1 Corinthians 10:31), and we are to do our jobs as a testimony to what the Lord Jesus has done in our lives, not being “holier than thou” but to imitate the life of our LORD in all aspects despite whatever comes our way (1 Peter 2:18-25). It is not easy to do as we are bombarded with the maliciousness of this world constantly, and there is always the temptation to repay evil for evil. Sometimes you have to defend yourself, your loved ones, and the faith you possess (Luke 22:36-37; 1 Peter 3:15), so pacifism is not a viable option.

What I want to say is that the work we do is just as much a ministry as if we were behind a pulpit. The great reformer and preacher John Calvin (1509-1564), certainly no slouch, praised honest labor and craftsmanship as a vital means of presenting the Gospel. His untiring transformation of the city of Geneva, Switzerland, into an economic and moral powerhouse was sufficient evidence of his claim.

If you are reading this and your job is to mop the floors and clean a building, or collect trash, or you’re a skilled laborer and feel that you might not be doing your best for the glory of the LORD where you are, remember that He has given you that talent, skill, and necessity to make this world somewhat tolerable to live in until Jesus returns, along with the opportunity to share your testimony that a regular clergy member might not be able to reach.

The bottom line of all of this is to encourage you — whether you are a pastor, teacher, craftsman, or another type of worker — to stay focused on the message and lifestyle expected of you by the Lord Jesus, to be ready to give a reason as to why you follow Him, to be immersed in His Word, and to obey His leading wherever it might end.

People are lost, dying, and heading to hell because the devil has been busy getting our minds and emotions tied to the political atmosphere in this nation, or angry over the “cancel culture” and other social ills, or upset over anything and everything in order to keep you away from time with Jesus and to go out and do what He said, and that was to spread the Gospel in your locality or Jerusalem, Samaria, and uttermost parts of the earth (Acts 1:8-11). He is getting ready to come back, brethren, so take a deep breath, calm down, keep doing your jobs, love your families (warts and all), pray for each other, and rededicate your life and all that you are to His Lordship and leading.

Remain faithful, and be the good soldier in the fight (Ephesians 6:10-18; Hebrews 10:25). If a bunch of ragtag nobodies whom Jesus called two thousand years ago got the job done and started the evangelism ball rolling, then there is nothing to stop you nor deter you (Matthew 16:18).

The Word of God is sharp and strong (Hebrews 4:12). Never be tempted or pressured to water it down or neglect any part of it. Do not concern yourself with what the world thinks. You do not answer to them (2 Corinthians 5:10). Even if you think you never did anything more than give a cup of cold water to a stranger, or pass a tract to someone, just wait until you see what that produced when you arrive in glory (1 Corinthians 2:8-9).

Brethren, following Jesus is worth it all. Now, get up and carry on.

donaldwhitchard@gmail.com

www.realitycityreverend.com

“I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3).

The above passage of Scripture speaks of Israel as a blessing meant for every man, woman and child on the face of the earth. The only curse from the Lord would be directed at individuals and groups of individuals who cursed the apple of His eye – the Jewish people. Easy enough to understand, but does it get into many heads, if not hearts? Sad to say, not the case – especially in very recent times. Not so much of negating the literal meaning and implications of the above passage of the Living Word, but more so because of unfounded biases.

A huge chunk of hearsay typecasts Jews in every possible manner as evildoers. It is of little doubt that there is rotten fruit in various crates – why make a big thing about one while turning a blind eye on the others? If ever anyone chose to advocate social justice in its genuine sense, then it is equal treatment for all – regardless of ethnicity and socioeconomic status. It is increasingly getting rarer by the day to see this happen. All in the spirit of popular views, even if it appears to defy conventional wisdom – let alone lessons from recent history.

Have any of these folks who go around chanting antisemitic jargon had an in-depth look at the fate of Iran and Turkey? Since the mullahs wrested control of the nation from the Shah and labeled Israel as the ‘little satan’ – did it bring any blessings? Not the case! The result: a largely mismanaged economy due to obsession with becoming a nuclear power! Has Erdoğan and company done anything good for Turkey since turning against Israel? Nothing but a faltering economy beset with hyperinflation amidst a plummeting currency.

Blame it on their overweight focus on rumors, allegations and half-truths, all readily available on social media – heaps of sizzling sensationalism that increases their appetite for such questionable drivel! It did not take very long for these mangled mindsets to find their way into pews and subsequently pulpits. The defensive barriers against this ominous and troubling onslaught were only capable of muted resistance. The devil’s dirty work made the infiltration process dead easy. Watered-down sermons, Scripturally baseless doctrines, and the undue emphasis on political correctness opened the floodgates – anything goes so long as everybody’s happy.

Fads versus Gospel truth gave ample space for a slew of unbiblical leanings. Perhaps some people had a disdain for the old-time religion; new styles and reshaped interpretations were hip-shaking – whatever prophecies made thousands of years ago were deemed as moribund through allegorical lenses! The number of ayes on social media determined acceptability, even if it did not make much sense.

Antisemitism has been in the history books for a long time, except that it has had brief periods in the spotlight in an ebb and flow manner. But in recent times, it has made a comeback, albeit in a repackaged form. It drew an impetus from the intifada against Israeli occupation of lands claimed to be rightful Palestinian territory. On this vile note, the Jews were compared with the now-defunct apartheid regime of South Africa. Whether true or manufactured, a large number of professing Christians bought into this! Few questioned the credibility for this line of thought!

Populism, according to the flesh versus the honest truth through Holy Writ, was enough to catapult an unprecedented surge in global antisemitism. Demonic doctrines such as Replacement Theology became more than buzzwords; they attracted multitudes and, with it, proponents that spewed curses at the Jews. Did they fully understand the consequences of their actions? They were intoxicated in a rage against the truth in their insistence that God was done with Israel. Perhaps the motivation for saying this came from lie after lie from the father of lies – quite the case, nothing Scriptural about their rants and raves.

A hybrid of what is deemed as contemporary Christianity is making waves at the time of this writing. Only in very recent times does anybody come across Christian Palestinianism! In the true sense, it is quite an un-Christian entity. It’s all about supporting the enemies of Israel, barely anything about love for one another, directed by tenets that proclaim hatred in the name of so-called social justice. This distasteful fad has gained much traction as a result of the most recent Israeli conflict with Gaza.

Our Heavenly Father has about had it with these treacherous tendencies. It will bring no joy to many patriotic Americans that the fate of their nation could be no different from those countries that cursed the Jews. A look at Leviticus 26:15-17 explains the severity of disobedience from an unrepentant heart.

“and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform My commandments, but break My covenant, I will do this to you; I will appoint terror over you, wasting disease and fever which will consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart, And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. I will set My face against you, and you shall be defeated by your enemies. Those who hate you shall reign over you, and you shall flee when no one pursues you.”

Does it not sound all too familiar, the pandemic that has raged on for more than a year? Many lives in turmoil as each passing moment terrifies as well as generates depression. Whether the pandemic was manmade is of no consequence here; nothing like that ever happened to America in her entire history – why now? What about the record-smashing drought in the Southwest, a harbinger of more pain?

Then there is all that talk about Communist China turning the Land of the Free into a totalitarian state governed by Maoist principles. All the hard work of industrious forbears risk confiscation in the name of Communism. Gulags, communes and re-education camps – a frightening prospect but a not-too-distant reality?

Hell on earth for those who persist in antisemitic pursuits. Whatever is mentioned above is just the appetizer that precedes the heinous main course. Thankfully, those who are of the Bride of Christ that bless the Jewish brethren will not be here for this. We have a marriage feast to savor. Whatever is happening at this moment is leading to that which is designated for them. Not us!

MARANATHA

Edwin

Contact me at edwinuk13@gmail.com