DISCERNING THE TIMES

 

Monday, March 20, 2023

 

DISCERNING THE TIMES

 

Matt 16:2-3

2 He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.

3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times? KJV

 

          Ancient mariners used to quote a rhyme that I heard as a youngster. “Red sun in the morning, sailors take warning. Red sun at night is a sailor’s delight.” This saying is based on meteorological facts but I prefer to not ruin the poetry of it.

 

          Today is the spring equinox. It is the day, officially, when the sun begins to win the struggle between light and darkness. The days grow longer, and we begin to see the blooms of life. Our bodies and our spirits rejoice even though the temperatures do not yet feel warm.

 

          Patience seems to be a hinderance to progress when desire does battle with discipline, but patience has its reward. The period of waiting teaches us endurance and offers an opportunity to learn recurring patterns. If we wait, we can observe the signs of the times.

 

          It is becoming increasingly more difficult to doubt that our world is approaching the end of the journey. We hardly need to testify that Jesus is coming soon. Though the unbeliever may deny Jesus, he must struggle against observable evidence that something is surely about to happen.

 

Heb 10:35-37

35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.

36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.

 

Dear Lord, help me to observe the evidence of your soon coming and help me to prepare for it. AMEN

 

A GUEST DEVOTIONAL!

 

Saturday, March 18, 2023

 

A GUEST DEVOTIONAL!

 

Placed in an orphanage at the age of seven and sentenced to the Texas State Penitentiary at the age of nineteen, James Ryle's life is a powerful and uplifting story of how God's grace can work all things together for good. I thought his devotional for today was so good that instead of quoting from it I would post it as a guest devotional. I hope you enjoy it.

 

A Cardiac Revolution

"Wilt Thou not revive us again: that Thy people may rejoice in Thee? Show us Thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us Thy salvation." Psalm 85:6

There is no question that America is at a critical crossroads in Her history. There is also little doubt that the Church is faced with one of the most serious and demanding challenges that many of us as followers of Jesus Christ have ever known. To put it bluntly — how can we deliver a message of redemption to our troubled world when there seems to be so little difference between those who do not know Christ, and those who say we do?

The hour was never more urgent than now for followers of Christ to honestly come to terms with the claims of Christ. Certainly, the need is great for a spiritual awakening in our land, but first there must be a revival in the hearts of God's people, and a renewal of the Church which now slumbers in a carnal stupor — intoxicated with affluence, and seemingly oblivious to the fact that for many in our nation she has lost her influence.

We are in desperate need of a cardiac revolution; a turning of our hearts fully unto the Lord; a reordering of our lives freely to His purposes.

Oh, sure, we have "our great cathedrals, our paradigm-breaking megachurches with ultra-cool satellite campuses, and our trend-setting postmodern un-churches"(CT). We have multi-media worship sets, pop-star worship leaders; stand-up comedian pastors, with high-tech video tools that let Hollywood illustrate the sermon.

Why, there's a church for every appetite known to man, and yet despite this abundance of religious options – this smorgasbord of spiritual selections — those who live within sight of these very worship centers admit their souls are still hungry and impoverished. And many who actually attend these churches confess the same. The words of Bono, though sung over a decade ago, express the heart cry of many, many people in our world today — "But I still haven't found what I'm looking for.”

Are we a people dressed and ready for service? Is the Church in a state of preparedness for the epic events that loom large on the near horizon? Do we have what it takes to deliver the goods when desperate conditions drive men and women to our doors, looking for real answers to serious problems?

We need more than a cosmetic makeover; we need a cardiac revolution.

Prov 4:23

23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

SPRING BACK!

 

Friday, March 17, 2023

 

SPRING BACK!

 

Phil 3:13-14

13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. KJV

 

          When people refuse to give up on themselves and the world, even after misfortune, they are being resilient. Resilience is the biblical norm for Christians. We spring back.

 

          I am just back from a small Spring Break. We went with some dear friends to Oklahoma City. While that may not be your idea of an entertaining trip, we wanted to see the museum at what is now known as “The Oklahoma City Bombing.” It was deeply moving. Of the 168 dead, 19 were children who were in a daycare. More than 700 were injured, some horribly disfigured. It is hard to imagine resuming normal life, but Oklahoma did finally spring back.

 

          It is hard to forget the trauma that made the scars many of us carry, but the scars are a reminder that we survived and have a story to tell of rescue and resilience.

 

Ps 56:11-13

11 In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.

12 Thy vows are upon me [I have promises to keep], O God: I will render praises unto thee. 13 For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living? KJV

 

Dear Lord, I remember so many times you have rescued me from harm and horror. Let me spring back stronger than before. AMEN