Hugs
The power of a hug is a real thing. The exhale hug is my favorite. When is the last time you let Jesus hug you with a sweet embrace that makes you exhale?
Three Purposes of the Great Tribulation
The time between the Rapture of the Church and the Glorious Appearing of Christ is referred to by many names throughout the Bible. We, however, will refer to it as Christ did in Matthew 24:21 when He informed the disciples that there would be a tribulation, a period of intense suffering like the world has never known. Although we have seen tremendous death and destruction in this century and the last, with World War II alone killing more than 56 million people and the Indian Ocean Earthquake/Tsunami of 2004 killing more than 225,000, Jesus says that what will occur in the Tribulation will be nothing like has ever happened since the beginning of the world (Matthew 24:21). This Tribulation is mentioned 49 times in the Old Testament and at least 15 times in the New Testament. It will be a time of God’s wrath against the entire earth (1 Thessalonians 1:9:10, Revelation 3:10). John describes the nature of the Tribulation as being such that everyone from kings to slaves will hide in caves and among the rocks and mountains and beg the mountains and the rocks to fall on them and hide them from the wrath of the Lamb (Revelation 6:15-17). This wrath will last 7 years, and there will only be survivors because it will be cut short to save the elect (Matthew 24:22). The Church will not have to endure the Tribulation because Jesus will come back for the Church in an event called the Rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17), saving it from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 5:9). The Tribulation is a terrible time, but it is not without purpose. It has three main objectives. DISCIPLINE OF ISRAEL The first objective is to discipline Israel for its rejection of Christ and prepare them for the coming Kingdom. Jeremiah 30 calls this time of testing, the time of “Jacob’s distress,” but emphasizes that Israel will be saved from it. During this time, God will chasten Israel justly and punish them, purging from them rebels who transgress against God (Ezekiel 20:38). Before it is over, two-thirds of Israel will be cut off and perish, but one-third will be refined and tested by God. This remnant will eventually return to God (Zechariah 13:8-9), acknowledging that Christ is their Lord and God will restore and heal their land. END-TIME REVIVAL The second objective of the Tribulation is to redeem believers from around the world. Jesus tells us in Matthew 24:14 that before the end comes, the Gospel will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations. As a result, there will be an end-time revival, and multitudes will be saved (Revelation 7:9-14). JUDGMENT OF THE WICKED The third objective of the Tribulation is God’s judgment of the wicked, those unbelievers who hardened their hearts to Christ and refused to believe (2 Thessalonians 2:12). God will judge all flesh and punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity (Isaiah 26:21, Jeremiah 25:30-32). In Revelation, we are told that even amid the wrath of God, these unbelievers will continue to curse Him and refuse to repent of their deeds (Revelation 16:9, 11, 21). Although the Tribulation is inevitable, we know that God wants no one to perish. He is patient and wants everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9). God has decided where and when each man must live so that they will search for Him and find Him though He is not far from any of us (Acts 17:26-27)! Before Jesus ascended to Heaven, He told us to go and make disciples of all nations and He assured us that He will be with us always, to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:19-20). While we wait on Jesus’ return, we have work to do, a Message to get to the world!
Trust
It’s a word with weight. The word trust is one that shouldn’t be used lightly. Ever had your trust broken? Ever been the one to lose someone’s trust? Then you know the struggle it truly is to rebuild. Even with that in mind, we find ourselves trusting in some form every single day. We trust in small things and big things. We trust the car will start or that the chair will hold when we sit. We trust others and ourselves in daily and life decisions. Every. Single. Day. Yet, here’s the thing…every single one of them can fail. Every. Single. One. After all we’re in the natural world and every single one of us are flawed humans. The car may not start, the chair may break. Someone we trust may hurt us, we may hurt someone that trusts us. Things break and people make mistakes. I feel like this is where you may be thinking “Duh Shahla!” but stick with me. If someone asks you do you trust God, what’s your answer? If like me, your answer is ‘of course’. Then why does my trust not always remain with Him? Ever try to “fix” a situation? Ever think God’s moving too slow so you “help”? I have. In the moment I let my fear take over. And sitting in my feelings I made a choice that I thought was “helpful”, that seemingly “solved” the problem. Somewhere along the way I thought my solution was better than trusting God and His outcome. The dictionary’s definition of trust is beautiful when read with God in mind. “trust: assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of (God) someone or something.” He is One who is utterly and completely trustworthy. My trust, our trust, ultimately needs to be in God and remain in Him. Do I trust God? It really is a yes or no answer. If my answer is yes, then my focus needs to be on putting my trust in Him, letting it remain with Him no matter the circumstances. I share from a place of acknowledgment that I have had my trust broken and I’ve also been the one to break trust. I know the painstaking, heartbreaking, journey rebuilding trust is. It’s why I’m so thankful you and I are able to leave our trust with the One who is unfailing, who is in the details, whose Living Word is meant to be believed and walked out each day. Our trust in God never has to be rebuilt because He is faithful and unchanging. I look at Psalms 62:8 every morning when I sit in what has become lovingly deemed, “my prayer chair,” and even with a daily reminder in front of me, I have had setbacks when I took my eyes off Jesus. If you’ve had a setback in trusting God remember today is a new day and we can ask for forgiveness for misplacing our trust and ask for his help placing our trust firmly in Him and to let it remain with Him. There are a few simple things we can do to help us keep our trust with the One who is completely trustworthy. Talk with God about misplacing our trust, which unfortunately fosters our doubts and fears. He knows this and is one of many reasons to ask for his help and wise counsel. Seek reminders of his trustworthiness, read His word and if you’re a journal keeper like me, then read old journals. You may be surprised at how many answered prayers and the faithfulness of God show up in those pages. Listen to good reminder songs of His trustworthiness. Worship music is a key to keeping our trust in Him. A few suggestions below. Lord, thank you for being completely trustworthy. You know my heart better than anyone, the good and the bad. I confess there are times I let my feelings take over and take my eyes off You. Please help my heart remain steadfast in Your promises and my trust to remain firmly in You. You are my King, You are a Promise Keeper, may these words be reflected in my heart and in my actions. In Jesus Name. Amen. This week’s playlist: King Of The World Natalie Grant Promises Maverick City Music Trust In You Lauren Daigle
This Present Age
The Old Testament prophesied of the birth of a Messiah who would overcome the world, set up His Kingdom, and bring peace to all. Just as from a distance, two mountains are often seen as one, the Jews from the distance of the Old Testament viewed the Messianic coming as just one event. The Old Testament hinted at what they failed to glean: the Messiah would come to suffer and die and then judge and establish. Their mistaken perception of distant events became a stumbling block in believing that Jesus was their Messiah. As the gap of time progressively continues to narrow between prophecy given and prophecy fulfilled, the prophecy itself begins to become clearer. We can now see that the Old Testament texts that seemed to present the Messianic coming as one event were, in reality, referring to two separate fulfillments: one near and one far, separated by an unspecified amount of time. The time between the fulfillments is often referred to as a prophetic gap. This particular gap is called “this present age” or the “church age.” Jesus taught about the prophetic gap between His First Coming and Second Coming. In Matthew 17:11-12, Jesus said that “Elijah is coming and will restore all things; but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished.” Here, he referred to John the Baptist, who came in the spirit of Elijah to preach repentance but was rejected without fully accomplishing his mission. Elijah will have to return to finish his mission. Jesus went on to say that just like Elijah, He would suffer at the hands of the Jewish leaders. That’s what happened. Jesus’ mission was cut short because Israel rejected Him, and this rejection necessitated a Second Coming. Another way Jesus alluded to the prophetic gap was during His reading of Isaiah 61:1-2 when he stopped mid-sentence, not reading the rest of verse 2, specifically: “And the day of vengeance of our God,” which refers to His Second Coming. (See Luke 4:16-21). The part He read refers to what He fulfilled during His First Coming. And the part He didn’t read refers to what He would fulfill during His Second Coming. Jesus knew about the prophetic gap. This prophetic gap is what we refer to as “this present age” or the “Church Age;” it is the age we currently are in. The Mystery Kingdom The word “kingdom” is used in many different ways throughout the Bible. The Kingdom of God refers to God’s sovereign rule over the entire universe. He created the earth and then man to rule over this earthly Kingdom. When man sinned, man handed his control over to Satan. God then promised a Messiah who would take back the earthly Kingdom and reign over Israel and the world from the throne of David. Christ offered Israel this Kingdom at His First Coming, but they rejected His offer. As a result, Jesus began to reveal a different form of God’s Kingdom that would intervene between His First Coming and Second Coming, a mystery kingdom that had been previously hidden but now was being revealed through Christ, the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 13:11). Jesus describes this Kingdom in the seven parables of Matthew 13. These parables address the progression of the Kingdom between His First and Second Coming. In Jesus’ Messages to the Seven Churches of Revelation, we discussed the letters to the seven churches that describe the progression of the Church during this intervening age. Revealed Mysteries: Character of this Age Not only did Jesus reveal the mystery kingdom to believers, but Holy Spirit also gave believers the ability to spiritually understand other mysteries previously hidden but now revealed. Some of these mysteries include the hardening of Israel so that Gentiles might be brought into the Kingdom (Romans 11:25), the mystery of the rapture (1 Corinthians 15:51-43), the formulation of the Church made up of both Jew and Gentile (Ephesians 3:3-9), Christ Himself and his relation to man’s redemption (Colossians 2:2, 4:3), the development of evil culminating into the man of sin (2 Thessalonians 2:7), and the apostate religious system (Revelation 17:5,7). These mysteries describe the character of this present age, an age that is like the valley that could not be seen from the distance, but nevertheless was there and has now been revealed to us through the Holy Spirit. Kingdom Parables – Course of this Age Jesus in Matthew 13 presents to us seven parables that provide the essential characteristics of the course of this present age. These parables offer further evidence that Jesus foresaw the gap between His First Coming and Second Coming. Let’s explore the seven parables: Parable of the Sower The present age is characterized by the sowing of the Word to which people will respond in different ways depending on the soil’s preparation. The seed is God’s Word and the soil, people’s hearts. Parable of Tares Among Wheat At the same time the Word is being sown, during this present age, weeds will also be sown among believers. Satan sows these weeds to deceive the Church, but these weeds will be destroyed by fire in the end. Parable of the Mustard Seed The mystery kingdom has a small beginning, but it will grow to significant proportions and include Gentiles. Additionally, believers and unbelievers alike will benefit from its blessings. Parable of the Yeast There are two interpretations of this parable. The first interpretation compares the yeast to sin and apostasy’s growth until they take over the world during the Tribulation. The other describes the yeast as the Kingdom of heaven that receives its power from the inside, spreading rapidly and changing everything it touches. Parable of the Hidden Treasure This parable also has a couple of interpretations. It could describe salvation as something that, once revealed, is so valuable that people are willing to give up everything
Perfectionism
One of the greatest obstacles to overcome when someone struggles with perfectionism is being vulnerable. We are so worried that someone will use our weaknesses against us or not love us because of them. I speak from experience on this subject. It has taken me years to learn that the root of perfectionism is really a fear of not being accepted, of not being enough, good enough. Those words, “good enough”, are a broad term and can be applied to a variety of relationships, jobs or job titles, thoughts of self-worth, a God-given calling, etc. If you will, allow me to paraphrase the dictionary’s definition for the words “good enough”: ‘a favorable tendency, or suitable to fully meet demands, needs or expectations’. I’m not a woman who typically makes wagers but if I was to place a bet, I’d say that the majority of women I know have struggled with feelings of being good enough, feelings that question being suitable to fully meet all of the demands, needs or expectations we have, some if not most being self-imposed, during at least one chapter of our lives. Who did you think of? Yourself? Your sister? Your best friend? Maybe all three. See, here’s a little truth bomb…the process creates progress not perfection. Let that settle for just a minute. As any real perfectionist will understand we typically don’t want or think the process is necessary. Our expectations of ourselves are to have it all figured out, solved, or fixed. After all, we have a standard of perfection. The ugly truth of a perfectionist is that we desperately want to be accepted but at our core believe it’s our performance, good or bad, that will drive acceptance or lack thereof. Are we being the perfect wife? Mother? Daughter? Sister? Friend? Let me gently answer this for all of us. No, we are not. Sweet sister, it’s not possible. No matter how hard we try to perform, figure it all out, or fix every situation, perfection will never be the outcome. Perfectionism is overrated. Perfectionism is unobtainable. And quite frankly perfectionism is no fun! Who wants to have it all figured out and put off the perfection vibe all the time, for all people, where you feel like you can’t exhale or really be seen or known? I’ll take another rare bet here and say NO ONE. And because as a former perfectionist I know we like tangible things ‘to-do’, here are some takeaways for you or the perfectionist in your life, to help during the process as we work towards progress not perfection. Seek loving accountability from true and trustworthy relationships. Give yourself grace; giving grace to myself was harder than receiving it from someone else. Receive the truth that God’s Word is for you too, not just for everyone else. Trust that God knows your flaws and He wants you to stop striving for something He never intended you to. Most importantly, seek Him and His truth. Soak in His truth about you (Ephesians 2:10), knowing that despite our struggles, His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:23), give thanks that despite lessons we find harder to learn, He doesn’t give up on us (Philippians 1:6). The personal growth I’ve had in this area is not perfect but it’s about the process and progress not perfection, right?! Lord, thank you for your new mercies every morning and for continuing to work in my life despite my struggles. Thank you, Lord, for changing my heart away from desiring perfection. Help me continue to receive my acceptance from You as you stay with me thru the process. I praise you for the victories and progress in my life and for all that is yet to come. In the Name of Jesus. Amen. This weeks playlist: Known Tauren Wells The God I Know Love & the Outcome Perfect (original by Ed Sheeran) Christian Version- Beckah Shae featuring Damien Horne
Jesus’ Message to the Seven Churches of Revelation
The churches that Jesus chose to write letters to were real churches located in Asia Minor, now western Turkey. There are two explanations for why Jesus chose these specific seven churches. The first is that these churches represent the varying spiritual conditions of churches throughout the church age. The second is that each of these churches represents the seven stages of church history, with Laodicea, the apostate church, representing the current stage. Regardless of our approach, we can learn much about the present from these seven letters. In each letter, Jesus began by identifying Himself with a title related to John’s earlier vision in the first chapter of Revelation. This title pertained to the spiritual condition of the church that He was addressing. Jesus then informed each church that He knew all about them and their deeds. He assessed the church’s spiritual condition and appealed to each church to listen to his assessment and take action. Although each letter addressed a specific church’s spiritual condition, the letter was for all the churches to heed, as Jesus said at the end of each letter, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Additionally, He would end each letter with a promise to those who overcome. John tells us in 1 John 5:4 who the overcomers are. He says, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” Another version puts it this way: “For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.” As children of God, we are overcomers! Jesus’ promise to the churches is a promise to us today. Ephesus: The Church Whose Love Had Grown Cold Jesus identified Himself to the church at Ephesus as the “One who holds the seven stars…and walks among the seven golden lampstands,” reminding the Ephesus church that He is the head of the church. The church in Ephesus had retained its doctrinal purity but also left its first love. It had become rigid and legalistic, forgetting the very reason they were maintaining the doctrine in the first place. Paul reminds us in 1st Corinthians 13 that without love, we are nothing. Jesus tells the church to repent and do what they did at first. Then He promises that those who overcome will “eat of the tree of life.” Smyrna: The Suffering Church Jesus identified Himself to the church at Smyrna as the “first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life.” This title would have reassured the church at Smyrna as they were a persecuted church, sometimes to the point of death. Jesus had no harsh words for this church; His letter was a letter of encouragement, not rebuke. He told them that although they lacked financial resources, they were rich. Their richness was not in the physical but in the spiritual. Jesus promised this suffering church that those faithful until death would receive the crown of life. And He promised those who overcame the second death would not hurt them. Pergamum: The Church that Tolerates Wrong Teaching Jesus identified Himself to the church at Pergamum as the “One who has the sharp two-edged sword,” which would have brought to their mind judgment. He described the city of Pergamum as the place of Satan’s throne. Pergamum was the home of Zeus’s altar and the seat of Satan’s power in that region. Jesus commended the church for holding fast to His name and not denying Him in the face of satanic opposition. He also expressed concerns with the church, namely that they allowed the Nicolaitans’ teaching in the church. The Nicolaitans taught worldly compromise and moral surrender. They taught that it was okay to live in two worlds. However, as Christians, God has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). We are not to accommodate the world through compromise. Jesus then admonished them to repent and said if they don’t, he will make war against the Nicolaitans with the sword of His mouth. His letter ended with a promise to those who overcome: “I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.” Thyatira: The Church that Tolerates Sin Jesus describes Himself to the church at Thyatira as the one with eyes like a flame of fire and feet like burnished brass. The eyes of Jesus penetrated deep into the heart of the church, and his feet of brass could swiftly execute judgment. Jesus commended the church at Thyatira on their love, faith, and perseverance. He said their more recent deeds were more outstanding than their first ones (contrast this with Ephesus). But He held one thing against them: they tolerated sin. The city of Thyatira was the home of a military outpost and a commercial center. To work in the city, one had to be a member of a trade guild. However, the trade guilds were corrupt and required their members to commit perverse acts. The threat of no work put pressure on the Christians to compromise. Jesus specifically mentioned a woman who not only taught immorality but also led the church into acts of depravity. This influential woman in the church most likely encouraged its members to engage in the immoral activity required by the trade guilds. Jesus demanded repentance of this woman and her followers and promised harsh judgment if repentance was not made. Jesus encouraged those who remained steadfast and had not succumbed to this teaching to hold on until He came. He ended the letter with a promise to the overcomers that they would rule with Him over the nations and receive the morning star. Sardis: The Dead Church Christ identified Himself to the church at Sardis as He who has “the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.” This