The Four W’s
God knew what this world would bring. He knew that we would have situations where we would feel weary, weak, woeful, and worried. He knew we would need warnings, instruction, encouragement, and guidance.
Will Christians Be Judged?
When we think of judgment in the Bible, we often think of the fiery pits of Hell and gnashing of teeth. However, “to judge” in the Bible has two different meanings: one to condemn and the other to give out rewards. Judges can decide whether you deserve punishment or freedom, a blue ribbon or a red one. Not all judgment is about punishment. Some is about reward.
Rain
“Rain, rain go away come again another day”. I’d say most of us have heard or even sang those lyrics at some point in our lives. During a recent rain shower, that was pretty much my attitude, “rain go away!” I started to complain, “ugh rain!” or something to that effect and while I was in the middle of complaining, I had a nudge from the Holy Spirit, reminding me of the adage “April showers bring May flowers” and to be thankful for the rain. Would you laugh if I told you I’ve recently asked for rain? My husband and I put out two hundred pounds of grass seed and fertilizer. Not to mention planted a variety of flowers. All of which need rain. I enjoy flowers immensely. The different colors, shapes, smells, each bloom being beautiful and unique. I look at them as little treasures. And yet will still complain sometimes when I need to water them throughout the season, wishing ironically, it would rain. Let’s think about what rain does. It cleanses. It nourishes. It helps flowers bloom. It helps crops grow. It relieves drought. And much more… The Bible speaks of rain in various scriptures to help remind us, to not only be thankful for rain, but to show us tangible ways rain is needed. Hebrews 6:7 “For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God.” Isaiah 55:10 “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,” Zechariah 10:1 “Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime; it is the Lord who sends the thunderstorms. He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the field to everyone.” Psalm 147:8 “Who covers the heavens with clouds, Who provides rain for the earth, Who makes grass to grow on the mountains.” Did certain words jump off the page for you like they did me? “Who provides?” “Bud, flourish?” What about Zechariah 10:1 when it says to ask the Lord for rain? Remember the adage mentioned, ‘April showers bring May flowers?’ The rain helps nourish the soil so the flowers bloom. The same way a rainy season may cleanse our hearts and help us let go of unforgiveness or when we sit silently for a moment, listening to the rainfall and hear the voice of God or when the rainy season starts to clear and we see the same situation with a fresh perspective. When we find ourselves in a season of rain, let’s be encouraged that those seasons help us grow. Now, there’s the crux in the rainy season. It’s up to us what our attitude is while we’re waiting for the beauty of the bloom. We can complain about the rain or make the decision to keep an attitude of praise, knowing that God is intentional with every raindrop and that our bloom won’t happen without it. No rain, no flowers. Lord, I praise You for the rain and thank you for all it provides. When I find myself in a rainy season may I trust that there is a purpose. You alone create the beauty of the bloom within our hearts and lives, and it is worth it. Hallelujah grace like rain! May this be a constant praise of my mouth and heart. In Jesus Name. Amen This weeks playlist: Grace Like Rain Todd Agnew Fresh Chance River Valley Worship Clean Natalie Grant
The Rapture: But When?
There are many views on when the Rapture will occur. Some think it will happen before the Tribulation. Others believe it will happen mid-way through the Tribulation, and still others at the end of the Tribulation.[1] All three opinions are scripturally based; however, the main difference in interpretation is determined by whether the scriptures are taken metaphorically or literally. Using the literal approach and taking into account all that the Bible says on the Rapture, we conclude that the Rapture happens before the Tribulation. Christ Promised the Church’s Deliverance If the Rapture occurs mid-tribulation or at the end of the Tribulation, that would mean that the Church would be forced to endure God’s wrath. Yet, Paul tells us that Jesus will rescue us from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10), and Jesus himself promises that He will deliver the Church from the hour of testing (Revelation 3:10). Christians Are Not Appointed to Wrath In 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 Paul reassures the Thessalonians that they, as believers, will not experience the Tribulation. He goes into great detail about the Day of the Lord, the time when Jesus comes to judge unbelievers at the end of the seven-year Tribulation. He assures the Thessalonians that they will not experience this “day” because they no longer walk in darkness but are children of the light destined for salvation. From this Scripture, we can be reassured that we, as children of the light, will not experience the Tribulation since it occurs before the Day of the Lord. The Day of the Lord Has Not Yet Come In 2nd Thessalonians, we see that the Thessalonians were concerned that the Day of the Lord had already come and that they had missed the Rapture. They were experiencing persecution, making them believe reports that the Day of the Lord had begun. Paul reassures them that the Day of the Lord had not yet come because before it does, the apostasy by the man of lawlessness must occur (2 Thessalonians 2:1-8). This apostasy is described by Paul as a religious rebellion where the man of lawlessness holds himself out as God. Daniel prophesies about this same man and event in Daniel 9:26-27, which begins the 7 year Tribulation. We refer to this man of lawlessness as the Antichrist. The Church is Absent In Revelation’s Account of Tribulation The first three chapters of Revelation mention the Church seventeen times. However, when the Spirit of the Lord shows John what is to unfold during the Tribulation, the Church is not mentioned. We don’t see the Church again until Chapter 19, when we see her return to earth with Christ during His Glorious Appearing. The only logical explanation for the Church’s absence in John’s account is that the Church isn’t part of the Tribulation; Jesus Raptured it before the time of testing began. The Rapture is Imminent The return of Christ is imminent. Imminent means it is ready to take place, or it is happening soon. There is nothing else that must take place before His return for the Church. Christ could return at any moment. Scripture after Scripture admonishes us to watch, be ready, and look for Jesus to come at any time. Hebrews 10:24-25, 37 tells us that day is drawing near and in a little while, Jesus will come and not delay. James 5:7-9 tells us that the Lord is standing at the door. And Jesus himself tells us in Revelation three times that He is coming quickly (Revelation 3:11; 22:7; 22:20)! Regardless of whether you take the pre-tribulation approach, mid-tribulation approach, or post-tribulation approach, the Bible’s admonishment is the same: BE READY for HIS return! Scripture details what we should be doing while we wait for His return. It says that we should turn to God (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10), stimulate one another to love and do good deeds, not forsake meeting together, and encourage one another (Hebrews 10:24-25). It also admonishes us to be of sound judgment and sober spirit and to conduct ourselves with holiness (1 Peter 4:7, 2 Peter 3:11-18). And last but not least, to fix our hope on Jesus (1 John 3:2-3). [1]
Right
At some point most people enjoy being right. But sometimes, our focus is more on being right than loving well. God calls us to be reconciled.
God’s Will
Whatever that is, is what we should desire. But how often do we crave, desire, plea for or dare I say try and demand what we want? There is no finger pointing here. This is a personal conviction. To share a level of transparency, I’ve had the following emotions/reactions when battling between God’s will or mine… hurt and rejection self-righteousness and entitlement overwhelmed and anxiety laughter and happiness calm and acceptance ~humility and love Wowzers! That’s quite a list. The bottom line though, I was focused on my wants or what I thought I wanted or needed vs. trusting God’s will, his good and perfect will. Ouch. Are you asking, “how is that possible when words like laughter, calm, love, etc are all listed?” I know I asked that question. Thankfully God put the answer right in front of me in written form with an excerpt from a book I was reading at the time, “Good or God” by the well-known author John Bevere. “There is nothing good for you outside of My will. It doesn’t matter how good something looks, how happy it makes you, how much fun it is, how rich and successful you’ll become, how deeply spiritual it appears, how sensible it seems, how popular or accepted it is. If something is contrary to My wisdom and Word, it will ultimately be detrimental and bring sorrow to your life.” What an amazing truth! If there is anything, a relationship, a job, service, activity, __________(fill in the blank), that is not the will of God, we don’t want it. Or we shouldn’t. So how do we keep that as our focus, especially when life happens? I don’t have some new concept or answer that’s going to blow you away. The answer is the same, yesterday, today and tomorrow. God and His Word. However, there is caveat. We must be intentional in seeking His will and we do this in how spend time with Him. Learning Listening Discerning Living All according to His will. If we allow gaps in our time with the Lord, it creates an opportunity for the enemy to enter in, to twist, manipulate and deceive us. The same book I mentioned above, helped me think about it like this. “If the serpent got Eve to believe there was something good for her that God was withholding. If this was successfully accomplished in a perfect environment, with a woman who had never before been abused, offended or taken advantage of, how much easier is the enemy’s task today in a fallen world filled with offense, corruption and deceit?” Read that twice. Was your mind blown like mine? With that mind-blowing description, let’s not only be intentional in our time with God but let’s be intentional in the fight against the lies and tricks of the enemy. Let’s link arms, pray for one another, share truth-filled love and help one another stay focused in seeking God’s will. Let’s spend alone time with the One whose will for us is the true definition of good. There are a couple scriptures heard more often regarding Gods will such as Proverbs 3:5-6 and Romans 12:2, but let’s look at a few more. “This Book of Law shall not depart from your mouth, you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it.” Joshua 1:8 “Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” Ephesians 5:17 “Don’t be deceived dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” James 1:16-17 Notice how the first scripture says day and night? We should surround ourselves with His Word, whether that’s singing along with worship music, a bible study with a friend/group, reading a devotional, listening to a Christian podcast or digging in deep with His word in our quiet time. Don’t allow the gaps…that’s what helps us stay aligned with God’s will. Also, did you notice the warning in the last scripture? Don’t be deceived! There will be things in this world that will seem good, but let’s pray to have discernment to only want what God defines as good. Lord, You utterly amaze me. Thank You for being unchanging when the world around us constantly does. Help me Lord to not allow gaps or create opportunity for the enemy. May I be open to Your revelation knowledge that will speak to my spirit and know Your will for me. Guide me in consistently seeking Your good and perfect will. Protect my heart and mind from being deceived so may I obedient to follow what You say immediately and despite what may be seen knowing Your will is the one I want. In Jesus Name. Amen. This weeks playlist: Spirit Lead Me Influence Music & Michael Ketterer Let It Be Jesus River Valley Worship Be With Me Brian & Katie Torwalt