Now is the Time for Faith
This will be a bit different “Israel Watch” this week. Rather than do a straight analysis, I have on my heart to encourage you. With the world perhaps more insane than it’s ever been, it seems like a good topic.
From what I hear and read, a great many people are having difficulties. It’s the usual laundry list, but one at a hyper pace. People are afraid of losing their homes. Although I do think of Trump as a rescuer economically, Biden trashed it to such an extent that the recovery will take longer. Things are tight.
For others, relationships are difficult. Especially parents that raised their kids right but now see them struggling because of poor decisions.
Then the international goings-on are truly crazy. France’s former leader Sarkozy has been sentenced to prison. Emmanuel Macron is hated by the people but clings to his corrupt power. Muslims have invaded Western Europe. I’d be uneasy about traveling there now.
There’s always a however, however.
It occurred to me this week that this is the greatest moment to be alive. Most of the readers of this column are believers, I think. We have a different focus. In Christ, we are free. Including free from throwing in the towel. As we watch the world descend farther into chaos, the calmer we should feel.
Israel is a great focus of our faith. The return of the Jews to their ancestral home in the last century (they’re still coming!) is the greatest miracle since the Resurrection. It should be on our minds a lot, as a witness to the power and majesty of the Living God. I’ve written about this many times, but novelists Mark Twain, Walker Percy, and Anne Rice understood very well that Israel’s return is something unexplainable apart from the supernatural. In my perfect world, churches and pastors all over America would tell this to their people. Most don’t.
Even now, when we see Jew-haters crawl out from their rancid hideouts, we should be encouraged rather than fearful.
This world is passing away!
“I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. (Isaiah 11:6)
The fact that it’s passing away should make us joyous.
This week, I heard that a wonderful prophecy conference, held for many years with wonderful fellowship each year, will not return next year. They are closing-up shop. And these are fantastic, faithful people. I think we can all figure out what happened. Such conferences aren’t well-attended today. Those audiences are aging.
I don’t think that’s cause for sadness, though. It means we are that much closer. Which is what a dear, wise friend of mine said this week when we discussed it. It isn’t 1975, anymore. The “Adrian Rogers’s” of those days have passed from the scene. Just as Scripture predicted in the New Testament, their places have been taken by hirelings.
We are exactly where we’re supposed to be. We are outliers now. Our role, in my humble opinion, is to pray, and reach those we can reach with the truth of the Gospel. As we know very well, still a glorious evangelism tool is the witness of fulfilled predictive prophecy. It is one of the things that makes the Bible and our God wholly unique.
Our current place in history makes Scripture all the sweeter. It is honey to us, while the world tastes bile.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
We know that our faith “works.” I hate the pragmatism of the current Church Visible, but sometimes, if something works, it is good.
We are seeing people that were friends turn. This is personally a devastating blow. And it sounds trite, but it’s true: when the cares of life seem to overwhelm us, we need to concentrate on what we have, not what we don’t have. As fall turns into winter, most of us aren’t well-off. But if you have a dry place to live and are warm and have enough to eat, we are blessed. Some don’t even have this, so it is up to the rest of us to help when and if we can. Some of this is easy for me to say. I have a decent place to live. I have always really enjoyed “simple” things. I can wash and dry my clothes. I only have myself to take care of. I have enough to eat.
Appreciate these things more in the down times. What I’m trying to say is, as believers, do we ever truly have “down” times? Death, money problems, battered relationships…all weigh us down.
But I urge you, turn your eyes upon Jesus. Our life here is temporary and is rapidly passing away.
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (John 10:28-30)
The holidays are here soon. I hope that whether you spend it with a big family, or with on one, that you will experience peace and joy. This year especially, let’s praise our Great God, who is Master of all. He will even remove evil one day simply by showing up. Even in misery, He is Lord. When the remainder of Europe’s British and French armies were trapped at Dunkirk, God sent thousands of citizen boats to pick them up on the beaches. Those men that were saved in 1940 returned in 1944 to shatter Hitler’s armies at Normandy. History is FULL of such stories. We are just like the Israelites, that had the Red Sea behind them but feared anyway shortly after.
History is exactly where it’s supposed to be, and so are those of us living in it right now.
If you are struggling right now, you are not alone. You have all of us, and more importantly, you have the Lord of History on your side.
Tell the Lord what your issues are. And don’t forget to thank Him that we live in this era of world history.
Be encouraged!
www.patreon.com/TheGodThatAnswers
(My two new books, The God That Answers by Fire, and Zechariah 2, are now out. You can find them here and here. Let me know what you think, and if you think they are worthy, an Amazon review would be great. Thank you!)