We definitely live in difficult times. The Bible calls these days perilous times. The word perilous means hurtful, dangerous, unpredictable, uncontrollable, and high-risk periods of time will come.

The last days:

We are seeing we are in the last of the last days, right now! (2 Timothy 3:1). We are living out the Scriptures. We are living in a moment when no one really has any answers. There is no one to ask because in our recent history we have never experienced what we are experiencing in our world today.

No fear:

So, what do we do? Firstly, don’t panic: God has not been caught off guard. He knew this was going to happen. He knew that there would be tremendous amounts of fearmongering and overreacting, as people tend to do. Secondly, don’t be afraid: don’t live in fear, for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. We are not to live in fear. We do need to use wisdom, but never fear.

The word:

We do not ever lay aside the word of God for any man, any government. It’s the word of God that lasts forever. The world doesn’t have the answers — they don’t offer any hope to the lost or hurting. Let’s seek God like never before. Let’s take what the enemy means for evil, and use it to do good. Let’s share our faith with others like never before. Let’s be the Church, and lead in these perilous times we live in.

It’s all a choice. I pray we choose life.

Just a thought,

PSS

There are way too many converts in the body of Christ.

A convert is:

A convert is one who believes in Jesus, but that’s where it stops. They don’t help. They stand on the sidelines and cheer Jesus on. The problem with that is Jesus didn’t come and die for a bunch of cheerleaders. He came and died for disciples. We are called, commanded to go (as you go, as you live your life) make disciples (Matthew 28:18–20). We are not to make converts.

A disciple is:

A disciple is one who is growing, maturing, being a doer of the word; who is striving every day to obey Christ, obey His word, realizing that they will make mistakes, but because they are a disciple, repent and keep on going. A convert is never really seeking God, never really experiencing any real-life change. They want only fire insurance; they don’t want to go to hell. But if that is all it is, they are going to be very disappointed when Jesus comes back and looks at them and says, “I don’t know you!”

A true disciple is:

We must all become true disciples — willing to put aside our wants, our desires, for what Christ wants us to do. We must deny ourselves and follow Jesus, turn from our selfish ways and follow Jesus, put His ways, His will first, regardless of how uncomfortable it makes us feel.

You have to choose: are you going to stand on the sidelines or get in the game and fulfill the great commission to go and make disciples?

Just a thought,

PSS

Good advice is not always godly advice.

The highest standard:

We should weigh every decision against the word of God. When faced with a problem or a tough decision, we should go to the word of God and take our counsel from it. When we are at a crossroads in our life, what we put our trust and confidence in is important. It is the difference between life and death, success and failure, overcoming or being conquered by something or someone. You are the only one who can decide for your life — no one else can decide for you. 

What you believe in:

What a person believes is very important to their life. If you choose to believe in the word of God, and you have complete trust and confidence in the word of God, it will bring life to all your being. Proverbs 4:22 NLT says, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. This is speaking about the word of God.

The final say:

Allowing God’s word to have the final say will keep you safe, protected from making decisions that could cause harm to your life and well-being. God’s word is full of wisdom — we must hold on to it, trust in it, and have confidence in it.

It’s your choice. You choose whom you will serve.

Just a thought,

PSS

That is a huge question in our world today, even in our Christian communities. Am I allowed to judge? Should I make judgments? Is it right for me to do so? Jason Malec said, “Faith in God will, by definition, grate against a morally ambiguous culture.”

To judge means to separate, pick out, and to pronounce an opinion concerning right or wrong. We make judgments every day, all day. When people say, “Who are you to judge me?” what they are really saying is, “Don’t tell me that my morality is wrong.” When you tell someone that you agree with them, you don’t hear them say, “Who are you to judge me?” In reality, you are making as much of a judgment there, as you are if you disagree.

People today don’t want, or are becoming unwilling, to be told that they are wrong. The Bible says, “Do not judge, and you will not be judged … For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Luke 6:37-45, NIV). If you read it in context, it is telling us not to be hypocritical. In other words, if you are drinking alcohol and trying to tell someone else it is wrong, don’t do it. However, to be able to tell someone that they are wrong in the way that they are living (lifestyle, for example) really is right. We should not do this in a mean way.

If we don’t uphold the standard of God’s word and let people know the standard that God put forth on how we are to live, who will? As Christians, we are to let people know what God’s word teaches on every area of our lives. That, in and of itself, will cause people to either embrace it, or reject it by saying, “Who are you to judge me?” 

Either way, we are obligated to teach God’s word to everyone.

Just a thought,

PSS

What kind of faith do you really have? Is it focused faith or circumstantial faith?

Circumstances:

Circumstantial faith is faith that goes up or down, depending on my current set of circumstances. It’s believing in God as long as I am happy with every aspect of my life — everything going the way I want it to go. This type of faith is not at all faith in God — in one day, out the next, depending on how I feel God is acting and what He’s doing for me.

Expectations:

A good term is unexplainable circumstances. We expect God to act in a certain way, and when He doesn’t, we have a crisis of faith. One of our biggest issues is that we are just not good at interpreting events. For example, I worked at UPS for 10 ½ years. I thought God was punishing me for something I did wrong, or He just didn’t like me. I didn’t understand the events. I went to Bible school to be in the ministry, not to work at UPS.

Understanding:

Probably 10 years after I left and began to pastor, I realized it wasn’t that God didn’t like me or was punishing me for something I did wrong. He was teaching me and training me to serve Him. He taught me that no matter how I felt, do my job. Whether it’s freezing cold outside, or 100 degrees with 90% humidity, do your job. Whether you’re angry, sad, or hurting physically, do your job. Little did I know then what I would be doing today. These lessons have served, and are still serving, me well.

In the midst of trials and tough times, based on circumstances which cause so many to fall away and quit serving God, we can begin to wonder, Is God really there; does He care? What we need is focused faith. Faith that keeps on believing and trusting, no matter the circumstances. That’s the kind of faith we want.

Just a thought,

PSS