I woke up this morning and noticed that my perpetual calendar still read July 31. As I turned the block over to August, I thought of how busy July had been – filled with church and personal activities. VBS preparation with decorating and a block party for the neighborhood, then the five actual days of “Magnified” with it’s theme, “Oh magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt His name together” (Psalm 34:3). My eleven 4th/5th graders kept me very busy that week. I wish their energy was transferable!
Next came the food pantry drive-thru giveaway on Saturday, followed by our church anniversary celebration with special music and a delicious meal after the service. I had one week to rest before my husband and I drove the 1,000 mile round trip for his family’s reunion which is always a blessing. I’ve never really understood how sitting in a car can make me so tired, but it always does.
Now that all of July’s activities are over, I have flipped all my calendars over and am contemplating how quickly this summer is passing by. I inevitably carried that thought over to my life. It can’t be possible that I am in my 70s! How about you? Does life seem to be passing by too quickly? I am reminded that we all have a set time for the dash between our birth and death dates. How we use that time is what’s important. I pray that we all use our time wisely, and your August is one to remember.
These words of encouragement from renowned pastor David Jeremiah appeared on my newsfeed yesterday, and I wanted to pass them along. Biblical truth can always shed a light on difficult times. God told us what to expect in His word. So much of the Old Testament prophesied what would happen in later times. The New Testament bears witness of what earIier prophets wrote. Nothing takes God by surprise. Rest assured that He is in control.
If you have watched the news over the past week, you might agree that the violent protests taking place in Los Angeles over the issue of ICE removing illegal immigrants has taken our country back to the harrowing events that occurred after the controversial death of George Floyd. Once again crowds of protestors are using fiery chaos and physical violence to make their demands known. And once again the media is showcasing the political side that says these protests are peaceful, while I watch protestors drop cement blocks from freeway overpasses onto police cars and throw fireworks and other projectiles at the national guard and military that have been sent in to quell the violence. These same people burn the American flag while proudly waving flags from other nations. Why is this happening? How can politicians and even some Christians support the such travesty? Why don’t some people understand the concept of law and order? It just boggles my mind.
(LA Times)
Then, last night Israel finally carried out plans to eliminate Iran’s nuclear threat to their country by bombing strategic sites in that country. Retaliation against Israel and U.S. bases in the Middle East is expected. To say that we are living in difficult times is an understatement, but are we living in the End Times when life as we know it ends? The Bible describes the scenario of those times in numerous scriptures. Timothy 3:1-5 says: “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.” Add to that scripture these verses from Matthew 24: “As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. ‘Tell us,’ they said, ‘when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?’ Jesus answered, ‘Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.'” Today’s events do seem to mirror those descriptions. If you move into the book of Revelation, you will find out what happens to the countries that attack Israel. It isn’t pretty!
(Getty images)
Does this news cause worry or anxiety as you consider the future? Let me offer a remedy for those feelings. Those of us who have trusted in Jesus as our Savior and repented of our sins to follow Him have nothing to fear from the dangers of today, and eternity with a loving God to anticipate. Jesus told us, “Let not your heart be troubled,” and that He was going “to prepare a place for us” to be with Him forever. Please join in accepting this Savior and you will have peace in the midst of this latest storm.
Several weeks ago I finished a seven-month study of Revelation. Many times in this look at the End-Times conclusion of human history on earth, the lessons emphasized the importance of sharing what we were learning with others. From a Christian perspective, this final chapter of the Bible relates what will happen to those who have trusted in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, and the destruction and judgment of those who haven’t. I suppose everyone who participated in this study could think of family and friends who were not ready for this promised end to our time on earth. I was reminded of a sermon I once heard when the pastor said that one of Satan’s best tactics is to put in people’s minds the idea that they have plenty of time to make the decision to accept Jesus. The reality of the situation is that no one is promised tomorrow – we only have today. A perfect example is the tragic account of a high school senior who participated in graduation ceremonies recently and was killed several hours later in an automobile accident. He had his whole life ahead of him. His family went from celebrating to mourning in a matter of hours.
The whole purpose of this post is contained in the title – do you know? Do you know about God’s plan for the world and for you? Do you know that Jesus died to cover your sins and mine, and bring you to a home He has made for you in Heaven? Do you know how much you are loved by your Heavenly Father? Time is passing quickly; everything predicted in the Bible is coming true. Don’t procrastinate – to not make a decision is making a decision. You are worth Jesus’ sacrifice. Accept Him today.
I know that’s a strange title, but it sums up how I feel about the conclusion of Lent. Ever since I saw a movie with my youth group at church years ago, I have dreaded the yearly remembrance of events that occurred during the last week of Jesus’ life on earth. The beginning, Palm Sunday, was joyful enough as crowds in Jerusalem excitedly welcomed who they thought would release them from the oppressive Roman rule. However, as the week progressed, everything became more somber and saddening.
The timeline progressed from that welcome through these events: Monday – Jesus released sacrificial animals and cleansed the temple. Tuesday – Jesus taught at the temple. Wednesday – Jesus’ disciple, Judas, betrayed Him for 30 pieces of silver. Thursday – Jesus washed the disciples’ feet and celebrated the Last Supper, saying that the bread and wine represented His body and blood that would be shed for them. Friday – Jesus, having been brutalized with a flesh-tearing whip, mocked and spat upon by soldiers, and crowned with a painful spiked headpiece was crucified on a cross as the world was plunged into darkness. Saturday – Jesus was sealed in a borrowed tomb. Sunday – finally good news! Jesus is resurrected and appears to Mary in the garden near the tomb.
Because of Jesus’ sacrifice and my trust in Him as my Savior, I am accepted by God, even though I am a sinful person. Let’s be honest – we are all sinful, even “good people.” We so needed a Savior because we could never measure up on our own. How gracious of a good God to provide a way to bring us to Him, even though it was a traumatic process. Sin is so awful, it required an equally awful payment. So I am grateful, even though I grieve what my Jesus had to go through for me. Pause and remember this week what Jesus did for you.
One God, Two Voices 