Are You Prepared for the Difficult Days Ahead?
by Matthew Chapman
But He answered and said to them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.' And in the morning, ‘There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times?” (Matthew 16:2-3)
“Be on guard, that your hearts may not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day come on you suddenly like a trap; for it will come upon all those who dwell on the face of all the earth. But keep on the alert at all times, praying in order that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:34-36)
I
would like to share with you a dream that I had several years ago which
I have been pondering ever since and believe is from the Lord… In the
dream, it was a very, very dark night—no moonlight and, because of cloud
cover, no starlight either—and the air was very heavy and still. There
had been a continual, steady downpour of rain for a very long time that
was interspersed with periodic storms, but presently there was a break
in the rain. My oldest son, Benjamin, was with me, and I was taking
us from where we were to where we were going.
Again,
without a light source, it was so dark and heavy; you literally couldn't
see your hand in front of your face. I had one of those handheld “1-million-candle-power”
spotlights that enabled us to see wherever the beam of light was directed.
With it, I would pan the light ahead of us, back and forth, from left
to right and back again, in order to determine the best path for us
to take. Finding our way was not easy because, in addition to the thick
darkness, the unrelenting storms and precipitation had caused a significant
amount of erosion on the earth, leaving many ruts and trenches that
had been cut into the ground by the runoff of all the rain water.
As
we were making our way along, I suddenly spotted a very poisonous snake.
At first I couldn't tell if it was dead or alive because it was lying
there so still. But then I could tell it was very much alive by seeing
its eyes, the continual slithering of its tongue, and the limited movement
it made—it's like it was waking up or coming out of a long hibernation.
What was really interesting though is how the snake was positioned and
how part of its body was above-ground and part of it was underground.
It was lying at the very bottom of an erosion rut, facing downhill (the
direction of the runoff water's flow), with only its head and about
one-fourth of its body exposed while the remaining back three-fourths
of its body was still buried in the earth in the uphill part of the
rut. It's like the snake had always been there, lying dormant just under
the surface, waiting, but it took the erosion of the earth to begin
bringing it out into the open, and the more the soil was eroded, the
more the snake would be unearthed.
I
directed Benjamin away from and around the snake as we continued on,
but soon we came to another very poisonous snake that was situated in
an erosion rut just like the first one. We made our way around it but
then came to another one, and then another, and another. We then saw
yet another snake, but this one had half of its body exposed—which allowed
it slightly more freedom of movement—with its back half still buried
in the ground. We maneuvered around it and came to another one that
was half-unearthed, and then another, and then another. The further
we walked on, the more common it became to encounter these snakes.
We
then came to yet another of these deadly snakes, but this one had three-fourths
of its body exposed—which allowed it even more freedom of movement than
the others—with its back one-quarter still buried in the ground. We
worked our way around it and came to another one just like it, and then
another, and then another. We picked up our pace as best we could and
yet we couldn't move too quickly because we might walk upon another
one of these snakes and get bit. The spotlight pierced the darkness
very well, but it only shone in a beam, so we could only see where it
was specifically pointed and not the whole area.
We
then came to a place where the earth had been eroded enough to fully
uncover the snake that lay in waiting underneath. This snake was “fully
awakened” and was actually coming up out of the erosion rut and moving
freely wherever it wished. Then we came to another one like this and
then another and another. It soon became apparent that this was not
an isolated event that was happening—they were everywhere!
At
this point, the scene in the dream shifted and it was daytime now, but
though the sun shone, the heaviness in the atmosphere remained. I was
standing with my wife and all of our children on a very small plot of
ground (approximately four feet by four feet). We were all squeezed
together tightly and hanging on to one another because the surface of
the earth all around us was literally covered with these deadly snakes
of every size and kind. There were no longer any open places on the
ground on which to go or walk that were not covered with snakes. They
kept encroaching upon the little bit of ground we occupied, raising
their heads and hissing at us and positioning themselves to strike at
us and bite us, but they were not able to harm us. It was scary and
tense, yet we were very aware that the Lord was protecting us.
I
was considering how to lead my family because I knew that we had to
keep moving forward and couldn't just stay huddled there standing still—we
were going to have to do something. I knew the direction we needed to
go, but wasn't sure how to proceed. As I waited upon the Lord, I was
reminded of the time when Jesus went to Nazareth and spoke in the synagogue
and how, after reading the passage from Isaiah, the people were “filled
with rage” at Him for declaring that He Himself was the fulfillment
of the scripture He had just read. They then “rose up and cast Him out
of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city
had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff.” But it then says
that “passing through their midst, Jesus went
His way” (Luke 4:16-30). I then knew that we had to just start walking
and “pass through the midst” of the snakes, trusting in God alone to
keep us safe from harm.
So
I explained to my family what I believed the Lord was directing us to
do and, with a child in one arm and holding the hand on the one behind
me, I stepped out first to lead the way, putting my foot right on top
of the slithering snakes that covered the ground. As I began to walk,
all my family followed, hand-in-hand. As we were making our way along,
some of the snakes charged at us, gasping and hissing and baring their
fangs and continually threatening us, but they were not biting us. Despite
how [humanly] unnerving the situation was, and how unnatural it felt
to walk right on top of all these snakes, we still had the peace of
God, knowing that He was with us—that wonderful peace that passes all
understanding—and joy we have always shared in being together as a family
was there also, even in such trying circumstances. This is where the
dream ended.
Discerning “the erosion” of the earth
We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. (I John 5:19)
And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he may be revealed. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. And then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? (2 Thessalonians 2:6-10, 5)
Nearly
two thousand years ago, Paul wrote that “the mystery of lawlessness
is already at work” and described that, in time, it would lead to a
great falling way from the faith (apostasy) and “the man of lawlessness”
being revealed, after which “the day of the Lord” would come (2 Thes.
2:1-17). I do not know how much longer it will take—months, years, perhaps
decades—but I believe we are somewhere on the threshold of the time
when “that lawless one will be revealed” (v. 8). My interest in this
is not to try to figure out who “the Antichrist” is—that should become
discernable and relevant to those who are living awake in Jesus when
the time comes. Instead, my desire is to “discern the signs of the times”
right now, in this present time, in these days that appear to be the
final lead-up to these events, and encourage the Lord's people to order
our steps in such a way that we are truly living as His set-apart people
of faith and are consistently abiding in Him and bearing Him “much fruit
that remains” (Matt. 16:2-3, Luke 18:8, John 15:1-17). This is the only
way by which the Lord Jesus will find us ready when He returns or, at
the least, we can live ready to face our death and depart with “confidence”
to be with Him at any time prior to His coming
(1 John 2:24-3:3, Mark 13:33-37, 2 Pet. 1:1-15, et al.).
I
believe that the groundwork has been being laid for centuries in order
for this time to come about (“the mystery of lawlessness is
already at work…”). But the events of the last 120 years
have especially been as steady hard rain to erode the political, economic,
social, and moral landscape of the earth in order to develop and bring
us to a context that allows for the fulfillment
of these events that have been prophesied about so extensively. Borrowing
from the dictionary and the imagery of the dream, “erosion” can be defined
as “a slow washing or wearing away (change, alteration) of the earth's
surface (what's visible on top of the ground) to a more degenerative
(unregenerate) state that exposes what's underneath and brings it to
the surface.” Many people look for one big single cataclysmic event
to usher in the reign of the man of lawlessness, but I do not think
it will come about that way. The deception is in the steady rain—it
keeps the ground saturated with water and then erodes the earth as it
continually drains off. Sure, as in the dream, there are storms (big,
“intense” events) along the way that get our attention for a little
while, but like the ease of taking a good nap on a rainy day, it is
the ongoing steady downpour from the kingdom of darkness that can lull
us to sleep and cause us to miss the enormity of what is happening all
around us and fail to rightly “discern the signs of the times.”
As
one example, consider the “erosion” that has come to the geopolitical
landscape of the earth in the just the last 100 years as a result of
“the mystery of lawlessness already being at work” (the steady rain
interspersed with storms) in order to pave the way for the man of lawlessness
to be revealed. If the scriptures are to be fulfilled which
clearly show that his reign will be a worldwide reign, then a context
has to be created for this to come about. Well in just
the past century, the world has changed (eroded) from being a planet
of relatively isolated nation-states and empires to a world that is
tightly integrated in every area of economy, commerce, technology, and
communication. And it is these forces, along with the problems and challenges
they create, that are driving the world's feverish pursuit toward greater
and greater political integration as well.
Did
things erode this far overnight? Has our present situation sprung up
as the result of a single traumatic event? No. At this point I could
give a detailed history lesson, which would be fascinating to a very
few, but would be a turn off to most of you. Suffice it to hit the key
events and point out that there was World War One followed by the formation
of The League of Nations, which was the modern world's first attempt
at some form of global governance. The came World War Two which merely
finished much of what WWI began, followed by the dismantling of the
League of Nations in order for a more updated and relevant world body
to come into being—the United Nations. One result of these wars (“storms”
in the midst of “the steady rain”) was that the British Empire, the
French Empire, the Ottoman Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and
what was left of the Spanish and Portuguese empires, were all dismantled
and relegated to the pages of history. In other words, in a mere 45
years (1900-1945), an entire world order that
had been in place for centuries had been
disassembled to allow a newer world order to come to the surface. Former
world-superpowers like Great Britain and France and Germany became “just”
some of the many counties that make up Europe.
In
the aftermath and as a result of World War Two, the next 45 years (1946-1990)
were characterized by The Cold War. The world became “bipolar,” in that
the world was divided into The Soviet Union and the countries allied
with it and The United States and the counties allied with it. Then
The Soviet Union fell and the United States found itself “the sole superpower”
of the world. And yet this is proving to be a fading glory. Anyone with
eyes to see can see that the United States is in a serious state of
decline, with both domestic and foreign influences working to undermine
the “sole superpower” status and take it down the already well-worn
path to being “just another nation” of the earth, prominent but not
too dominant. The UN has proven itself ineffective and corrupt, and
there continues to be a steady stream of news reports about early-stage
movement to restructure the UN or do away with it altogether like the
League of Nations in order to bring about the next level of “global
governance.”
So
in these just these past 108 years alone, enough erosion has taken place
to bring the nations of the world from a place of isolationism to a
place of advanced interrelatedness with “the need” for more and more
global leadership. And all of this should be expected. The entire world
is, politically, on a left-ward slide toward greater socialism and integration,
which is what must take place in order for
the conditions to exist which bring about the man of sin—a global leader
with global vision to seemingly solve global problems—and a way of life
in which “no one will be able to buy or sell, except the one who has
the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name” (Rev.
13). And such cannot happen if the world is top-heavy with one or two
superpowers. The scriptures tell us that “the man of sin” comes forth
in conjunction with “kings” (world leaders) having “a common purpose”
to “give their power and authority and kingdom to the beast, until the
words of God will be fulfilled” (Rev. 17:8-13; cf. 19:17-29).
The
erosion of the 1900's in just this one area of the geopolitical landscape
is huge. But we also have to factor in the economic, social, and moral
landscapes upon which enormous and widespread erosion has and is taking
place, and view all of these facets of erosion as a whole. Remember,
“the whole world lies in the power of the
evil one” (1 John 5:19). These are the seemingly unrelated and “natural”
(i.e., nothing spiritual going on here) effects of the evolution of
“the mystery of lawlessness already [being at] at work” which is powered
by one, united kingdom of darkness at work on a global scale among people
of the earth who are “by nature, children of wrath” and walk “according
to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of
the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience”
(cf. Matt. 12:25-26, Eph. 2:1-3). So while all of this is happening
all around us, most people take little notice because they are deceived
and distracted, busying themselves with paying the bills, seeking pleasure,
and finding a better cell phone signal.
Some
people would say, “Aw that's just history and negative news. We need
to keep our eyes on Jesus and not worry about all of that stuff.” Yes,
amen, we do need to keep our eyes on Jesus, first and foremost! And
yes, we need to always be of faith and never give ourselves to worry
or fear. But Jesus didn't only command us to just pray (commune, interact,
and converse with Him), He commanded us to “WATCH and pray,” and He
did so in the specific context of speaking to us about the last days
(Mark 13:33-37, et al.; “watch” is used in the KJV throughout the relevant
passages in the Gospels and New Testament, whereas the same word is
translated “be on the alert” in the same passages in the NASV). The
Lord Himself commands us to be aware and discerning of the times in
which we live and the events that are shaping the context in which we
are called to run. As we are, we can more faithfully and effectively
stand, intercede, and be lights in the world and busy about the work
of His kingdom.
Consider
also Paul and the example of the early church. Right after having been
persecuted, beaten, and imprisoned in Philippi for the testimony of
Jesus, they were released and went immediately to Thessalonica. As “a
wise master builder” (1 Cor. 3:10), Paul poured into the church that
was birthed into existence there the things that were truly relevant,
knowing he probably had only a short amount of time. And sure enough,
he and the church there were soon experiencing great persecution, and
he and Silas had to depart from there by night (Acts 16:11-17:10). Now
in the short amount of time that he had to labor apostolically among
the saints in Thessalonica, do you think he would waste his time with
trivial matters? No, he would only deposit in them the things that were
relevant and expedient to the life of the church, who is the local expression
of the bride of Christ. So we should take serious note that things about
“the mystery of lawlessness already being at work” and “the man of lawlessness
being revealed” and “the apostasy that comes first” and “the day of
the Lord” were all included in the things he imparted and spoke to them
about in depth during the short time that he had with them (1 Thes.
5:1-11, 2 Thes. 2:1-17). In fact, Paul so shared these things in detail
with them that when he later learned that they had some confusion about
it, his surprised response was, “Do you not remember that while I was
still with you, I was telling you these things?” (2 Thes. 2:5 in context!).
We
could go on and look at yet another “storm” that passed while we have
been in the midst of “the steady downpour,” which was September 11,
2001. The global chain of events that were set in motion as a result
of the terrorist attacks in the US that day as pertains toward further
erosion and preparing the way for “that lawless one to be revealed”
could easily take up another article in itself. One of the things that
day fueled was “the need,” backed by widespread public support, to develop
systems to monitor and establish ever-tightening control on the movement
of people as they travel and move around the world. Couple this with
the powers of darkness also energizing the rising trend of “identity
theft,” and you have calls worldwide for better and more sophisticated
forms of personal identification, including retina scans and other “biometric”
means of ID including getting a rice-grain-sized transponder placed
in your body. We could talk about the evolution (erosion) of the economy
in these last 120 years, from bartering goods in the marketplace to
purchase and pay for things to e-commerce and the speedy swiping of
plastic cards and even, in some Kroger grocery stores, the mere scanning
of your thumbprint to debit funds from your bank account.
We
could talk about the unified realm of darkness that pushes technology
over here to chip your animals so that they can be found if they are
lost, and chip your car so it can be located if it is stolen, while
the same powers of darkness drive evil men to abduct and perpetrate
horrible acts upon women and children, making “chipping” our loved ones
“the only logical and loving thing to do” so they can be quickly located
if the unthinkable should happen. This trend is already gaining recognition
and support, and all of this together is leading to the “need” people
will feel to one day get what the scriptures call “the mark of the beast”
(Rev. 13:11-18). If some Christians thought that it was hard to deal
with the world because some of us chose to home school or not to have
our children [fully] immunized by the medical system's standard, just
wait until you are painted out to be an unfeeling and cold-hearted parent
who loves your pets more than your children because you don't care enough
about your kids enough to get them chipped for safety and medical reasons.
You can also factor in the moral erosion, which hardly needs to be mentioned
due to the day in which we live where sensuality, lewdness, seductive
dress, and perversions of every kind are easily accessible or on open
display all around us, both in real life and through the media. And
we could go on and on and on.
All
of this erosion has been steady and it will continue, setting the stage
for “the man of lawlessness to be revealed” at the appointed time And
as this erosion continues, demonic powers, which have been lying dormant
just below the surface, waiting for this time, will be more and more
unearthed and unleashed upon this world (cf. Rev. 9:15). As disciples
of Jesus, we do not have to fear any of these things. Will they affect
our lives? Yes. Will it make life harder rather than easier? Yes. Will
we have to be vigilant and discerning? Yes, just as we should be being
now, or we will be deceived. We can “be on
the alert and pray” as we watch all these things happening. As we find
our life in Jesus and seek first His kingdom, we can also walk free
from fear and engaging/participating in the never-ending fighting amongst
the people of the world over territory, property protection, and “national
interests” as all of these changes take place (cf. 1 Cor. 7:29-31, Heb.
10:32-39, Matt. 5:38-48). Our faithfulness in these things today will
make a huge difference in our capacity to overcome when tomorrow comes.
Preparing, and living ready
These
“last days,” or at least the clear run-up to them, are already upon
us. The key to being able to stand then is to stand today. If we are
faithful to abide in Jesus and obey Him right now, and this is our moment-by-moment
day-by-day practice, then when these “extraordinary” times and events
come, walking through them will simply be the next steps in a journey
of faithfulness that we are already on. The influences in our time that
are designed to lull us to sleep and ensnare us in sin are everywhere.
We want to stay awake and alert and be found as wise virgins, spotless
and blameless, who are awake, prepared, ready, and waiting for the Bridegroom
when He comes. What then are some specific things we can be doing right
now to better prepare ourselves for Him and the more difficult days
ahead?
Abide
in Jesus. The scriptures define “eternal life” as “knowing
the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent” (John 17:3). Being
a Christian is absolutely meaningless if we do not know Him and have
a real, interactive, ever-deepening relationship with Him. Likewise,
being the church is absolutely meaningless if He Himself is not the
center and functioning Head of everyone and everything that transpires
in/through/among His people, and if He Himself is not viably and discernibly
present in our midst when we gather together (1 Cor. 14:24-26; Eph.
1:22-23, 2:19-22). The only way this can happen is if we respond to
His invitation and meet with Him where He is in the Spirit and get to
know our Lord, The Person, more and more, and walk with Him, individually
and together, through everyday life. Only then can we know the truth,
partake of His mind, discern His will, obey His commandments, effectively
proclaim His gospel, share His life, and emit His fragrance through
our lives to the world around us. This is some of what it means to abide
in Him. Wherever you are in your journey in God, there is always more
of Him to know, and a greater capacity to be gained in us for walking
with Him in our every moment of life.
Know
the scriptures AND know His voice. This is a huge part of
knowing Jesus and abiding in Him, but I wanted to single it out for
emphasis. The scriptures encourage us in both of these areas, and it
is good to be adept at both. We need to know that the scriptures say
about everything and have the biblical knowledge needed to guide us
and our families and churches through all the trials and circumstances
of life (2 Tim. 3:16-17, et al.). That said, we must also know His voice.
If we are born of the Spirit, we have been given the ability to hear
Him and discern His voice, but it takes time to develop and mature in
it (John 5:39-40, 10:1-5, 27; Matt. 4:4, Rom. 10:17, 1 Cor. 2:9-16,
1 John 2:26-28, Is. 30:20-21, et al.). Do whatever it takes to so walk
with Him. There are many things in life for which we need His guidance
and wisdom and there is not a “chapter and verse” to specifically tell
us what to do. What does He want us to do today, or right now? What
would He have us share with the saints the next time we gather together
around the Lord? How do we effectively minister to this person or that
person? Do we live here or relocate there? When is it time to flee?
How do we protect and lead our families? In what way do we make our
way past “the snakes” that are being manifested in this eroding world?
All of these are the types of things for which we need the scripture's
instruction as well as specific words of direction and wisdom from the
Great Shepherd's voice.
Be
forward-looking and proactive about “last days” things. We
all know that prophecy and teachings about “end times,” etc., has been
a magnet for false teachers, false prophets, and all kinds of religious
kooks who have twisted God's prophetic word into every flaky teaching
imaginable. Thus we've all seen or heard about excesses, perversions,
and deceptions related to “the last days.” But we must learn to look
past these things and unashamedly embrace the truth that our Lord Jesus
Himself has called us to walk in with regard to these matters. Satan
loves to keep God's people backed-up, disengaged, and fearful of living
whole-hearted for Jesus and His word and kingdom for fear of guilt by
even an appearance of association with people of excess and error. We
must be true to Him and let the chips fall where they may.
The
first century Christians in the Gentile world were often accused of
cannibalism because the pagan people around them would hear about them
“eating the flesh and drinking the blood of a man called Jesus.” Because
they believed that this offended the gods, they would persecute them
in order to put a stop to it and curry favor with their deities. What
should the response of the saints be in situations like this? To quit
having the Lord's Supper for fear of being associated with cannibalism?
To change the terms of how we talk about it to more pagan-friendly verbiage—something
like “ingesting His earthly expression” and “sipping His life essence”?
Of course not. They went right on with what God has ordained and led
in, and they endured. In the same way, we must actively hold to the
things that Jesus said and led in for us to both “be” and do in these
times, without apology, even if in the minds of others that lumps us
in with the kooks.
That
said, the ordeals and difficulties of these days that lay ahead are
not to take the people of God by surprise (1 Thes. 5:1-11). As we “watch
and pray,” there is also a lot that we need to be considering right
now. Most all of us use modern conveniences like using debit cards,
paying our bills online, talking on cell phones, sending & receiving
email, buying things through the Internet, etc. All of these things
can currently be used in such a way as to remain godly and pure in doing
the tasks of daily life, but we all know where these things are headed
(Rev. 13:16-18!!!). When and where do we draw the line and say
“no more!” because it crosses the line into something that is inherently
sinful? If you know that time is coming—and be assured
that it is—then you are alert and looking for it rather than asleep
and undiscerning. Are there things we need to be doing now, while things
are “good,” that we will reap benefits for us later when things are
hard—like getting out of debt, learning to garden, developing skills
to be able to do for ourselves and freely help others rather than pay
for outside service to come and do it for us, etc.? What is our plan
if the government manages to outlaw homeschooling our children like
they recently tried to do in California? We don't want our first thoughts
on these kind of matters to come in the wake of being blindsided by
such trials. At least some amount of forethought, anticipation, planning,
and preparation—carried out in peace and faith, with no being anxious
for tomorrow—will only help when the time comes.
Be
discerning. I find it very sobering that in Matthew 24, in
response to being asked privately by His disciples about the end times
and His return, the very first thing Jesus told them is, “See to it
that no one misleads you…” (Matt. 24:1-4). This is something He tells
us to “see to,” and the scriptures make it
clear that this time will be a time of great deception, a time in which
“evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and
being deceived”—but we are to “continue in the things [of God that we]
have learned and become convinced of…” (2 Tim 3:13-14). One thing I
have learned about the Lord is that He never calls us to something that
He doesn't provide for, which tells me that He will give us the means
to be discerning. Our part is to come into those means, in His way,
and learn to walk in them. As we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, our ears
attentive to the Holy Spirit, and our hearts given to the word of God,
He will give us discernment (1 Cor. 2:12-16, 12:12:10-11). As we feed
upon His words of truth and practice them, our “senses are trained to
discern good and evil” (Heb. 5:11-14). How else will we be able to distinguish
between the holy and the profane, differentiate manifestations of the
Spirit from the goings-on of “Satan disguised as an angel of light,”
and “test the spirits to see whether they are from God” (2 Cor. 11:3-4,
12-15; 1 John 4:1)? We need all of the discernment we can muster to
walk faithfully and lead our families and churches right now, let alone
in the days to come.
Be
diligent in leading your family. Husbands/Fathers, are you
faithfully leading your family as you follow the Lord? Are you being
the shepherd and gatekeeper of your home, nourishing your family in
His life and protecting your boundaries from inroads of evil? Wives/Mothers
are you submissively following your husband's lead in “looking well
to the ways of your home” and helping “train up” your children in the
fear and instruction of the Lord? Men, is your family accustomed to
following your lead or is your marriage and family life marred with
power struggles, rebellion, and discord? Learning to “manage your own
household well” is part gaining maturity as a man of God in any place
or time since Pentecost where church life exists (1 Tim. 3:4-5). But
in the difficult days ahead, when the pressure is especially on and
faithfulness [as always] is everything, if a family is not together
in the Lord, it will lead to situations where “brother will deliver
up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise
up against parents, and cause them to be put to death [because] you
will be hated by all on account of Jesus' Name, but it is the one who
has endured to the end who will be saved” (Matt. 10:21-22). Be consistent,
men, and don't allow your leading to be spurts of “putting your foot
down” from time to time in the midst of a passive lifestyle. If you
family is accustomed to trusting and following you now, and drawing
strength from your faithful and loving and steady leadership now, it
will be natural to continue in the same way when times get hard and
“the snakes” are everywhere in a greater, more oppressive measure.
Love
fervently from the heart and yet be unwavering with regard to the truth
that is in God. It's hard to find folks who have both of these
capacities as people typically gravitate toward one to the neglect of
the other, but we need to walk fully in both. The scriptures have so
much to say about both, and especially about love which sums up all
the commandments and is “the goal of our instruction” (Matt. 22:34-40,
Rom. 13:9, 1 Tim. 1:5). We are to love the Lord our God first and foremost,
and then our spouse, our family, His people, our neighbors, unbelievers,
and even our enemies. Boil it all down and, biblically, we are to love
everyone except demons! And as we do so with the life and fragrance
of Christ, we are also to be unwavering in our holding to the truth.
This means that we will inevitably have many situations in which we
will have to make choices and declarations and take certain stands with
friends, family, and foes alike—but all with the radiance of His love
in our eyes and upon our countenance as we do.
Be
content and thankful, and know how to deny yourself. This
may sound like a strange one to put into the list, but what will we
do when times get more difficult? Complain or give thanks “in everything”
(1 Thes. 5:18)? What about when it's our turn to have our property seized,
will we “joyfully accept” it or will we be resentful and fight (Heb.
10:32-39)? If we walk faithful in such areas right now, each day, in
the relatively small trials that come our way, the “big” trials of the
days to come will be just another step, just as taking on Goliath was
just another step for David who had already relied upon the Lord to
kill the bear and the lion while tending and protecting his father's
sheep (1 Sam. 17:22-37).
Obviously,
a book could be written on this subject, but I pray that this article
will stir you up, encourage your faith, get you to “watching and praying,”
and stimulate your thinking on these matters. It is most assuredly not
a time to be sluggish or asleep.
“Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps alight.” (Luke 12:35)
Kindling Publications
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