I am continually amazed at the number of my fellow Christians who are still asleep. Throughout the Bible, we are told to stay awake. Our faith journey is long and there is so much to be awake for... God's Presence in our lives; the spiritual war we find ourselves battling; and the knowledge of what God's Word tells us we can expect to experience. Whether we are asleep or awake in these instances will greatly affect our lives and the lives of those we love and are responsible for. I'm sure you are like me -- I want to be fully awake in my relationship with my Lord; alive and active in my faith. It will not only benefit me, but anyone that I can encourage and in whom I can instill hope and trust as they pursue growth in their faith.
So what does staying awake look like in this generation? Unless you are hiding under a rock, no one should be ignorant of the warning signs that the world is in danger of becoming so disobedient to the God of Heaven, that He is storing up His wrath against those who are steeped in their stubbornness and unrepentant hearts (Romans 2:5). That includes against those who glorify their unrighteousness and purposefully sow injustice (Proverbs 22:8).
Just read the headlines of the day ,,, The Earth is in Chaos. What's Going on Right now?; Trump Issues Explosive Warning to Europe -- Warns Europe of "Civilizational Erasure" Unless It Stops Mass Migration; China Deploys More Than 100 Military Ships, Worrying Taiwan and Japan; Killing Us For Money? Government Sides with Monsanto to Shield Roundup from Cancer Lawsuits... and those are just the tame ones! NOTE: I am not saying that we should believe every news report or headline that comes across our phone or computer feeds. Our Godly discernment is more important than ever. But I am cautioning all Believers to recognize that there is ample evidence that the Man of Lawlessness is stirring up his accomplices on the earth and that the God of the Universe is keeping watch over the unrighteousness in mankind.
If you know God's character, then you know His wrath is not inconsistent nor unreasonable. His judgment and wrath are in balance with His immense love for us, and His holiness. It is all in keeping with His desire to establish a relationship with us; challenging us to repent and draw close to Him, while making it abundantly clear that He does not sacrifice His Righteousness nor His Judgment. And that brings me to the foundation of our holy relationship with Him.... our faith.
Hebrews 11:1 says, Now Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. That confidence and assurance that Scripture speaks of is identified as Trust. They are intertwined to be sure, but it's important we acknowledge that Trust springs from our Faith. The Greek word for Faith is pistus -- the conviction of the truth God exists; that He is the bestower of eternal salvation through our acceptance of Christ as our Savior. We know we can rely on Him. The Hebrew word for Trust is châçâh, meaning having a certainty; not questioning or doubting; contingent on our faithfulness to God. The result of trusting in our faith is that we make God our refuge, we have hope, and we find peace in knowing that God is our rock and our shield.
But this knowledge does not come without effort on our part. We have an Enemy that is constantly tying to sow doubt and fear into our faith. How many Christians do you know that declare their faith in God, yet live in fear and doubt? Fear comes from not trusting that the Lord's promises to us are true, leading us to doubt [or hesitate, waver], and results in a lack of faith in His character. How then can we ever be at peace or find refuge in Him?
I believe I'm safe in saying that the turmoil in today's world is leaving many people -- both believers and non-believers -- in various stages of fear, doubt, and wavering faith. But why should we be surprised? Our Bible tells us in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 that people [even the elect] will fall away from their faith in the midst of mankind's rebellion. Because of the doubt that fear in the world's disobedience brings to some of the faithful, they will abandon their faith and begin to believe false teachings as the Day of the Lord approaches.
So, what are we to do in the face of such rebellion against God; a rebellion that is so evident in today's world? It is my opinion that we are to examine the state of our hearts and determine to remain steadfast in our faith, which is stand fast in our conviction of the truth of God's promises to us. We are to keep the armor of God securely fastened and be prepared for what the Word has declared we will experience. We are to be prepared in confidence and readiness, with a heart that is assured we can stand and endure whatever comes, whenever it comes.
Let us be prudent [wise, wary, sensible, far-sighted, forearmed and forewarned] in the Word. We know that the battle is the Lord's, so we need not be foolish and trust only in our might. It is He who trains our hands for war and gives us spiritual armor that is both offensive and defensive in the storm that is brewing. Do you feel it? Do you see it? Do not hide in fear from what is evidenced, but be awake so you can battle in faith on behalf of your God. Be a living demonstration [to the lost and confused] of Faith and Trust in the Lord. Prepare yourself in readiness. As Jesus tells us in Matthew 24, there will be various stages of collapse in the world, but we who endure in our Faith will be steady and resolute as we wait for the Victory that we know is ours. The storm is coming, but we can be ready for it as the Lord plans our steps and guides our way, renewing our strength. Let us anchor ourselves to our trust in Jesus and our growing faith. It is the eternal hope of our hearts.
Romans 4:20-21 Yet he [Abraham] did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God has the power to do what He had promised.
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