“These are the things you shall do: Speak each man the truth to his neighbor; Give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace;” Zechariah 8:16 NKJV
“The mountains quake before Him, The hills melt, And the earth heaves at His presence, Yes, the world and all who dwell in it. Who can stand before His indignation? And who can endure the fierceness of His anger? His fury is poured out like fire, And the rocks are thrown down by Him.” Nahum 1:5-6 NKJV
If you have been following the news out of Israel, you will recognize these two verses as the ones found on fragments of newly discovered pieces of the Dead Sea Scrolls which were excavated from a cave in the Judean desert. Now to be sure, everyone who reads the news will have a little different take on what they hear or read which will normally produce a reaction of some kind. I am equally certain that my reaction probably differed greatly from anyone else’s because my first thoughts went to a song that came out in the seventies by the Five Man Electrical Band which contained the phrase “signs, signs, everywhere there’s signs”.
The truth is, from the communication I have had from fellow believers, the events of the past year have put the body of Christ in a position where many if not most are suffering from some sort of persecution and often find themselves crying out to God not only for deliverance, but calling out for His judgment on our enemies. From that perspective, is it so difficult to believe these verses are a message from God directed squarely at the body for our instruction and comfort? The first verse tells us what is expected from us in these times of distress, and the second one gives us encouragement with the knowledge that the Father is going to be faithful to judge those who have persecuted the body.
I am equally sure that most, if not all of you who visit my blog are visiting others as well, and it is certainly no secret that most of us feel that the end is near. I ran across the following article this past week and wanted to share it with you today. It addresses what we are feeling as well as any article I have come across. Read it and be encouraged.
Chad Thomas: How to Finish Strong In Distressing Times
Let’s face facts. We live in a Fallen World; people are hurting; people are depressed. Suicide, alcoholism, and drug addiction rates are at an all-time high. When I look at these horrifying statistics, it does not surprise me.
People are turning to all the wrong places to deal with everyday life’s trials, tribulations, and storms. People are turning to alcohol, drugs, sex, money, and many other things to try to fill that void in their hearts. The problem is those things may produce temporary happiness, but it leads to permanent destruction in the long run:
Romans 6:21 KJV – “What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.”
God has given us the formula in His Holy Word (The Bible) on how we can have peace through life’s storms, and it is not through worldly methods; it is only found through Jesus Christ.
Of course, this doesn’t mean Christians are exempt from life’s trials. In fact, Jesus tells us we will experience hardship:
John 16:33 KJV – “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
Jesus never said following Him was going to be easy, only that it would be worth it:
Romans 8:18 KJV – “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time [are] not worthy [to be compared] with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”
Romans 8:35-39 KJV – “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
What is weighing you down right now? I know many of you are going through many hardships as we speak. Whether it’s financial, family-related, physical illness, or something else, the good news is that if you feel like you are sinking, Jesus can lift you up… right now.
The more we get caught up in the affairs of this life and take our eyes off of Heaven, the more we begin to feel like we are sinking:
2 Timothy 2:4 KJV – “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”
Romans 12:1-2 KJV – “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
This Christian life is a race, and we need to make sure we utilize the tools God has given us so we can finish this race strong.
If you feel like you are sinking right now, I want to go through a section of scripture that I believe will help you:
Matthew 14:24-25, 28-31 KJV – “But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea… And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”
The above verse is incredibly powerful! Jesus was walking on the sea, and His disciples were afraid. When Peter began to walk on the water toward Jesus, he took his eyes off of the Savior and began to focus on the winds and the waves crashing around him. As soon as he took his eyes off of the Son of God, he began to sink. As he was sinking, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”. Christ immediately reached down and picked Peter back up!
How does this apply to us? There is a major implication! We are all walking on water. This valley of life is the water, and the trials and tribulations we are all going through are the winds and the waves crashing all around us.
When we focus on those things and take our eyes off of Jesus, we begin to sink! When we feel like we are sinking, it is incredible that we can cry out to Jesus, and He will immediately lift us and fill us with His peace which passes all understanding!
Philippians 4:6-7 KJV – “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
The Finish Line is in Sight. Jesus is coming soon! But none of us are promised tomorrow; we can breathe our last breath at any time. We must strive to finish this race strong as Paul did!
2 Timothy 4:7-8 KJV – “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”
Let’s keep fighting the good fight! It all comes down to keeping our eyes on Jesus Christ the author and finisher of our faith. The winds, waves, and storms will come and crash all around us. But we must not allow the Devil to make us feel shaken. We may fall, but we will rise back up! Eyes up, saints! The day draweth nigh!
Hebrews 12:1-2 KJV – “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
https://harbingersdaily.com/chad-thomas-how-to-finish-strong-in-distressing-times/
Having just been through a labor and delivery I can assure you that once the labor pains begin, there is no stopping the delivery. The pains do indeed get stronger and more frequent until the birth occurs. The vast majority of those I communicate with are as certain as I am that this world is experiencing the labor pains and where we go from here is indeed inevitable and as certain as God’s promise to us. Keep the faith, be at peace with all men, and rest in the knowledge God the Father has our back.
Keep watching.
