Throughout history, people have believed they could handle any calamity well enough without faith in God. The prophet Isaiah wrote that such scoffers boast, “When the overflowing scourge passes through, it will not come to us” (Isaiah 28:15). Isaiah calls these people spiritually blind (see Isaiah 26:11); in other words, they will not attribute any calamity to God’s work. Instead, they will act as if God is not in heaven at all.
The conditions in the world today are causing fear to mount. We are witnessing the words of Jesus come to pass: “On the earth distress of nations, with perplexity … men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken” (Luke 21:25-26). Christ is warning us, “Without hope in me, multitudes of people are literally going to die of fright.”
As followers of Jesus Christ, we are to be constantly aware that the devil is out to destroy us. Therefore, Paul says, we need to know as much as we can about the enemy’s tactics and plans “lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices” (2 Corinthians 2:11).
A complaint among Christians all over the world is, “I can’t find a good church anywhere! I need a place where my family can be ministered to and where my children can grow up knowing true righteousness.”
Too many pastors are constantly trying out new things in church — new methods of evangelism, new music, new “revival” movements. There is so much hype and foolishness — all kinds of distractions from the gospel.
Scripture makes it clear that it is possible for every true follower of Jesus to see and understand the glory of God. Indeed, our Lord reveals his glory to all who ask and seek for it diligently. I believe the revelation of God’s glory will equip his people to endure the perilous days ahead.
The glory of God is not a physical manifestation or an ecstatic feeling that overcomes you. Nor is it a kind of supernatural aura or angelic light that bursts forth. Simply put, God’s glory is a revelation of his nature and attributes!
Whatever happened to repentance? We rarely hear the word mentioned in most churches these days. Pastors seldom call for their congregation to grieve over wounding Christ by their wickedness. Instead, the message we hear from many pulpits today is, “Just believe. Accept Christ and you’ll be saved.” The text used to justify this message is found in Acts 16:30-31: “‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ So they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.’”
“Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves” (2 Corinthians 13:5).
The Greek word for “examine” here means “scrutinize, assess.” The apostle Paul is saying, “Test yourself to see if you are walking according to God’s Word.” We are to constantly ask ourselves, “Am I changing? Am I becoming more loving and tenderhearted? Is my conversation becoming more righteous? Am I still complaining or am I beginning to speak edifying words of faith? Am I consciously trying to please Jesus?”
You probably have various circles of friends that include your business world — your coworkers, partners or clients — and acquaintances you associate with on a surface level. We would have to leave the world altogether in order to avoid these kinds of contacts.
God cares most about your intimate circle, your bosom pals. These are the people you love most and who have an influence in your life. You agree on most things and you feel safe opening your heart to each other.
God commands us not to fear our enemies. “You shall not be afraid of them” (Deuteronomy 7:18). For Israel, “them” represented the massive, well-armed heathen nations they faced in the Promised Land. For us today, “them” represents every problem, trouble and overwhelming difficulty we face in life.
God says we are not to fear, so no other explanation is needed. God is all powerful and he is aware of the satanic strongholds we face — every snare, trial and temptation. But he still says, “You shall not fear any of them!”
The Old Testament is filled with many accounts of the blessings that came to those who had the presence of God with them. These stories are meant to encourage and exhort us to seek God’s presence in our lives.
God’s presence was so evident in Abraham’s life that even the heathen around him recognized the difference between their lives and his: “Abimelech … spoke to Abraham, saying, ‘God is with you in all that you do’” (Genesis 21:22). This heathen king was saying, “Abraham, there’s something different about you. God guides you and blesses you wherever you go!”