SIGNS AND RUMOURS

SIGNS & RUMOURS!

Matt 24:3-6

3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

Luke 21:25-28

25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

           We live in an increasingly troubled and troublesome world. Like the disciples of old, our thoughts naturally gravitate to their question regarding the eventual collapse of society. The heavy burden of sin has turned God’s creation into a groaning and grotesque monster.

Politically, “the wicked beareth rule” and so the people mourn. (Proverbs 29:2) Religiously, churches have been overrun by carnal theatrics. Socially, the family unit is under tremendous strain. Cohabitation and illegitimacy are the result of a general lack of commitment. Productivity is down because entitlement now rules the day. There is a growing unrest as culture begins to dissolve.

Jesus urged his followers to remain calm but to be prepared. We will feel the pressure along with others but we will know that our ultimate redemption is drawing closer and closer. We must remain true to godly principles, resist the culture and win the lost. Then shall the end come.

Dear Lord, help me to remain calm and faithful in the face of growing unrest. AMEN

EXPECT GREAT THINGS ATTEMPT GREAT THINGS

EXPECT GREAT THINGS ATTEMPT GREAT THINGS!

Matt 7:7

7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

William Carey (17 August 1761 – 9 June 1834) was an English Baptist missionary and a Reformed Baptist minister, known as the "father of modern missions" and one of the founders of the Baptist Missionary Society. As a missionary in the Danish colony, Serampore, India, he translated the Bible into Bengali, Sanskrit, and numerous other languages and dialects. (Wikipedia)

The quote: “Expect great things from God, Attempt great things from God” was originally spoken in his sermon to the Baptist Association meeting in Nottingham, England, May 30, 1792, at the Friar Lane Baptist Chapel, Carey used the citation to urge his Baptist colleagues to enter the missionary enterprise. (Source: www.wmcarey.edu)

Missionary enterprise, as the above reference puts it has morphed into something other than was modeled by the Apostle Paul. After praying for direction, Paul would visit a city and find someone who needed the gospel. He kept doing this until a church was formed. He did this in Galatia, Ephesus, and Corinth. The idea was to produce sustainable and self-perpetuating congregations led by disciple pastors.

Nowadays, mission enterprise is what I call “flip flop and selfie” missions. Giddy with the prospect of visiting a foreign culture, a modern “missionary” visits a coffee shop in some strange land and asks if there are any poor people about. He then visits the squalor, hands out sandwiches and snaps pictures on his smart phone. He returns home to tell of his great adventure while the squalor remains as he found it.

Matt 28:19-20

19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Dear Lord, give me an even greater heart for sustainable mission work. AMEN

JUST BETWEEN US

JUST BETWEEN US!

Neh 2:11-13

11 So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.

12 And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon.

13 And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire.

           Has God laid something on your heart? Is it potentially controversial? Do you have all the facts necessary to proceed? Is it important – potentially life changing? Then you might want to keep it between yourself and God – and a few (very few) trusted friends until the time is right to act. That is what Nehemiah did.

           The situation caused him concern. He had heard of the sad condition of Israel, his homeland. His concern was noticed by the king. The longer he thought about it the more he felt it was his responsibility to do something to change it.

           The King had promised all the resources needed to accomplish the task. Our King, King Jesus, has promised us the same. However some things needed to happen before the work could proceed.

           Nehemiah identified the opposition. He knew who would be fighting against him. It is important to know this because most worthwhile ventures have opposition. Be aware!

           Nehemiah kept things to himself at first. Only a few trusted friends – perhaps prayer partners – should be included in your circle. Even with all the promised resources, Nehemiah needed to know exactly what to do and how to do it. He made a survey trip around the walls. (Nehemiah 2:15-16)

           Finally, Nehemiah shared both his burden and his vision in Nehemiah 2:17,18. He made them to SEE what they should have already seen. Moreover, he challenged them to DO what they should have already been doing!

Neh 2:18

18 Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build.

Dear Lord, thank you for showing me the walls. Let me see clearly what I should have already been seeing. Help me to do what I should have already been doing. AMEN