Category: Discipleship Essentials

How to Identify a Satanic Attack: Part 1 – Lies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The more understanding we gain, the easier it becomes to navigate life. Knowledge relates to facts and information. Understanding assembles knowledge in a systematic way that gives insight. Wisdom uses knowledge and understanding to plot a prudent course of action. Satan undermines a society by sabotaging the flow of truthful information, which short circuits the ability to gain understanding and act with wisdom.

The Bible says that Satan is the “father of lies” and that “there is no truth in him.” (John 8:44) He overthrew Adam and Eve by lying to them about God’s character and motives.

A chief characteristic of a Satanic attack is deception.

Any person or organization that lies as a matter of course is satanically affiliated and is motivated and empowered by hell. (James 3:6) Over the past several years politics and reporting by the media has been characterized by deception and misinformation. You connect the dots. Many realize what is happening, which is maddening. Others, who have lost their ability to judge truth from falsehood, have no clue that they are being duped.

Booker T. Washington said it well. “A lie doesn’t become truth, wrong doesn’t become right, and evil doesn’t become good, just because it’s accepted by a majority.”

Since lying is satanic, those who give themselves over to lying become tools of the devil.

The scariest thing that can happen to a person is for God to give him or her over to the evil from which they refuse to renounce. (Romans 1:24, 26, 28) If that happens, there is no escape. Repentance is a gift from God, and if the Holy Spirit stops working in someone to influence them toward good, the evil present in them will gain mastery over them.

“Why are you so angry?” the LORD asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? 7  You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.” Genesis 4:6-7 (NLT)

Sin mastered Cain because he refused to repent from his hatred and bitterness, resulting in his murder of Abel. This is what happened to Pharaoh when he repeatedly went back on his word and “hardened his heart” against God. When we refuse to respond to the Spirit’s promptings to turn away from evil, the Bible says that God “hardens our hearts.” (Exodus 9:12) The Lord gives some people over to their sin. He stops actively working to turn them away from their habitual disobedience, thereby allowing them to become captives to Satan to do his will. Paul wrote:

A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. 25  Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. 26  Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants. 2 Timothy 2:24-26 (NLT)

Abandonment of the truth leads to captivity by Satan. Large numbers of people in our government and the media have given themselves over to lying and have become active agents in a satanic attack on our country.

The purpose of satanic deception is to undermine our faith in God and human authority and cause us to make destructive decisions, thereby bringing upon ourselves God’s judgment.

This is how the first lie worked in the garden of Eden, and this is how Satan operates today. False information leads to bad conclusions which result in destructive actions. It should be obvious that this is happening all around us, especially in government, but also in society at large. Large numbers of people have swallowed lies regarding homosexuality, transgenderism, sex outside of marriage, abortion, and so on.

Believing lies results in disobedience to God, bringing upon ourselves the negative consequences associated with sin.

Nobody ever “gets away with” sin. We always reap what we sow, eventually.

How Do We Defend Ourselves?

The key to fending off satanic attacks is to first discern the nature of the attack, which allows us to respond appropriately. It should be obvious that the antidote for lies is the truth. Armed with the truth, we can make our stand against the lies and schemes of the devil.

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11  Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12  For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. 13  Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14  Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. Ephesians 6:10-14 (NLT)

Jesus is the Truth. He stands opposed to Satan’s lies. His truth sets us free from the power of the lie.

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32  And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 (NLT)

Once we embrace truth, it is like turning on the lights. The dark power of the lie simply goes away. It cannot survive exposure to the light.

Our job is to be proclaimers of truth, which starts with sharing the gospel. It includes a wholesale acceptance of the Bible as God’s written truth to us. God’s Word is truth. (John 17:17) But our responsibility extends beyond the confines of religion. We are to stand for truth in every area. We must be declarers of truth wherever we discover that lies are being propagated. In our day, this is nearly everywhere: government, education, medicine, the news media, television, the movies… the list goes on. Remember:

He [Satan, the anitchrist] will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. 11  So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. 12  Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 (NLT)
Steps to Freedom
  1. Confess that Jesus, who is the Truth, is your Lord. To follow Christ is to embrace truth.
  2. Read, think about, and put into practice the teachings of the Bible.
  3. Repent in any area where you have embraced deception.
  4. Become a truth teller.
Share this post...

What Are We Waiting For?

 

 

 

 

The disciples ask Jesus to eat something, but he replied that he had food of which they knew nothing. As they wondered aloud what he meant…

Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work. 35  You know the saying, ‘Four months between planting and harvest.’ But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest. 36  The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike! 37  You know the saying, ‘One plants and another harvests.’ And it’s true. 38  I sent you to harvest where you didn’t plant; others had already done the work, and now you will get to gather the harvest.” John 4:34-38 (NLT)

Principle: What Are We Waiting For?

The disciples were asleep to the opportunities for sharing the gospel that were all around them.

There is a joy that is associated with sharing the gospel and leading people to faith in Christ that is more satisfying than food. In another place, Jesus told his followers about this.

In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away! Luke 15:7 (NLT)

Most of the church seems to find their satisfaction in hanging around other believers. If you are reading this article, I hope it is because you feel the pull to be an ambassador for Christ who ventures out of the comfort and safety of the local church to search out those who are open to the gospel. If you are, be encouraged by Jesus’ words. Whether or not we are in the midst of an awakening, the harvest is ripe. There are people whom the Holy Spirit has prepared to hear and believe the Good News!

Being Christ’s ambassador is perhaps the most satisfying occupation in the world.

It was more important to our Lord than food. May the Spirit of God awaken us to the opportunities around us. May he give us the love and boldness to engage people. May he equip and inspire us to operate in the supernatural realm of the gifts of the Spirit, and may he give us success in effectively sharing the gospel. If all that happens, the only thing that remains is to disciple our converts to become just as we are – followers of Christ and fishers of men.

Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” Matthew 4:19 (NLT)
Share this post...

Don’t Wait Until You’re Ready

 

 

 

 

The Samaritan woman at the well abandoned her water jar to go round up the rest of the village to come meet Jesus.

Just then his disciples came back. They were shocked to find him talking to a woman, but none of them had the nerve to ask, “What do you want with her?” or “Why are you talking to her?” 28  The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, 29  “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?” 30  So the people came streaming from the village to see him. John 4:27-30 (NLT)

Principle: Don’t Wait Until You’re Ready

Many new believers imagine that they should wait until that magical day when they finally will be ready and fully equipped to share the gospel. This is partly the fault of the church. We think that sharing the gospel is more to do with having our doctrine right than it is with being “on fire” for Christ. It is partly our fault for buying into the notion that it is better to say nothing at all than risk making a mistake.

The Samaritan woman did not know much, but God used her to bring the entire village to Christ.

And this is not the only time that Jesus commissioned a new convert to be an evangelist. The Gerasene man whom Jesus delivered from many demons was immediately put into service, too.

As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go with him. 19  But Jesus said, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.” 20  So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them. Mark 5:18-20 (NLT)

Didn’t Jesus realize that it is dangerous to put a new convert into the ministry, especially one who had been so unstable?

By the time we are thoroughly trained to properly share the gospel, we likely have lost contact with many of the people who most need to hear our message. This is because we stop “hanging around” with unbelievers and spend all our time with other Christians at church meetings.

The most opportune time for us to share our faith is when we first come to Christ, before our unbelieving friends relegate us to the “weird Christian” category.

Another reason we should start sharing our faith immediately is that we likely never will be quite so enthusiastic about Christ as when we are first saved. Some call this “first love” or the “honeymoon” period of Christianity. This is not to say it should be this way, but it often is. By the time disciples are thoroughly trained, they often have  picked up plenty of excuses for not be evangelistic and become quite comfortable simply going to church, rather than actively sharing the gospel. I call this Great Commission drift.

Most of the American church is more in love with comfort than with sharing the gospel.

The night I came to Christ, I immediately began telling my friends that I just met Christ and that he is real. That is about all I knew, but it was worth sharing. Over time I have added to my knowledge and understanding of who Christ is and what he did for us, but my fire to share the gospel has never been stronger than it was on the very first night.

Don’t wait until you’re “ready”. Start sharing the gospel and never stop.

Share this post...

Look for Evidence of the Holy Spirit’s Work

 

 

 

 

After Jesus satisfactorily answered the Samaritan woman’s question about the rift between Jews and Samaritans, she showed that she was one of those who eagerly awaited the coming of the Messiah.

The woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” 26  Then Jesus told her, “I AM the Messiah!” John 4:25-26 (NLT)

Principle: Look for Evidence of the Holy Spirit’s Work

When a disciple of Christ begins a conversation with someone he or she has never met, it is something like opening a long buried treasure chest. What is in it? That is one of the things that makes fishing for people a most interesting occupation.

Going into an encounter, we do not know how God may have already been working in a person’s life, but our hope is that God will lead us to those he has already been preparing to receive the gospel.

It is obvious from the passage above that the Samaritan woman had been thinking about and longing for the coming of the Messiah. She was more than ready to meet and believe in Jesus. She just did not realize at first to whom she was speaking.

When a fisherman leaves home for a day on the water, he or she anticipates catching a big one. We know they are “out there.” That’s what makes it fun. Will God privilege us to meet someone like the woman at the well? I am convinced they are “out there.” We only need to find them, and the Holy Spirit knows exactly who they are. Don’t forget that she was a most unlikely person. We dare not judge people superficially. Only God knows the heart.

We should pray daily for the Spirit to orchestrate encounters like the one Jesus had at the well.

We should also prepare ourselves mentally to be alert when such opportunities present themselves. Jesus could have simply sat there in weariness, but he engaged this woman. We must also be alert to using the gifts of the Spirit. They are not just for church meetings. Lastly, we should prepare far ahead of time by thoroughly familiarizing ourselves with the gospel message. Don’t waste your opportunities!

(Learn more about the gospel by clicking here.)

Share this post...

Address Root Questions

 

 

 

 

After Jesus fully gained the Samaritan woman’s attention, she addressed the heart of the controversy between Jews and Samaritans.

So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?” 21  Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. 22  You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. 23  But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. 24  For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” John 4:20-24 (NLT)

Principle: Address Root Questions

There was no point ignoring the “elephant in the room.” The Samaritan woman re-posed her opening question – “Why are you talking to me?” – in more theological terms. When we converse with people outside the boundaries of “normal” social interaction, these sorts of questions may arise. Rather than skirting the issue, he explained it in terms of the New Covenant, which breaks down the walls separating Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles.

Jesus’ interaction with the woman at the well, coupled with his answer to her question, made her realize that God’s plan included her. The gospel bridges cultural, racial, socioeconomic, and political divides. The key is for us to be able to explain how.

Jesus did not go into much detail as to how this would happen. He did not need to do so. He was and is the embodiment of the New Covenant. Since we are not, we must be prepared to give a reason for our hope by explaining the gospel as best we can.

Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. 1 Peter 3:15 (NLT)

(If you want to learn more about how to share the gospel effectively, click here.)

Share this post...

Depend on the Holy Spirit

 

 

 

 

After Jesus moved the conversation to a spiritual plane, the woman responded by asking for eternal life, whether she fully understood or not.

“Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.” 16  “Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her. 17  “I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied. Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband— 18  for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!” 19  “Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet. John 4:15-19 (NLT)

Principle: Depend on the Holy Spirit

When Jesus used the gift of the word of knowledge, a subset of prophecy, to identify the woman’s hidden sin, it changed the entire dynamic of the interaction.

It moved her from curiosity to full attention. It proved to her that Jesus was from God. It showed her that God knew all about her without condemning her. It convinced her that Jesus was someone she could trust and to whom she should listen. All that happened because Jesus shared one thing he could not have known without the Spirit’s help.

This takes us back to the synagogue in Nazareth when Jesus launched his itinerant ministry by reading from Isaiah 61.

“The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, 19  and that the time of the LORD’s favor has come.” Luke 4:18-19 (NLT)

A big secret of Jesus’ effectiveness was that he ministered under the influence of the Spirit.

Try to imagine how he would have operated without miracles and the gifts of the Spirit. He would have been reduced to how a modern evangelical operates. How sad, for him and us. How tragic that today his disciples act as if the power of the Spirit is no longer available.

We need to return to New Testament methods if we want early church results. We need to depend on the Holy Spirit in a greater way.

Share this post...

Move the Conversation to Spiritual Matters

 

 

 

 

Using the open door provided by the Samaritan woman’s question, Jesus masterfully moved the conversation to spiritual matters, from a drink of water to eternal life.

“But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water? 12  And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?” 13  Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. 14  But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” John 4:11-14 (NLT)

Principle: Move the Conversation to Spiritual Matters

It was immediately apparent that this woman was no one’s fool. She wanted to know the practicalities of how Jesus was going to provide a new kind of water in a place where the only source was this well that her forefather Jacob had provided. She wondered just who Jesus thought he was, but her thinking was still on a natural level. She realized that she was speaking to a very interesting person, but might have wondered if he were some sort of “nut job.” She certainly had no clue yet that he was the Messiah.

Instead of immediately responding to her natural question, Jesus offered what seemed to her to be a puzzling reply that moved things toward a spiritual plane entirely. This is an important key to fishing for people the Jesus way.

Certainly our desire is not to come across as “weird;” rather, we should strive to be authentically and spiritually interesting, which requires that we listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit.

Probably Jesus had quickly discerned her spiritual hunger and led her down a conversational path to satisfy her deep longings for God. In our case, since we usually cannot so easily “read” people, we may have to be more “experimental” in our approach, offering interesting spiritual conversational tidbits to see if the one with whom we are talking responds positively.

The important thing is to try to move the conversation toward spiritual matters instead of allowing it to focus on the kind of mundane and trivial small talk that the world prefers.

Share this post...

Remember Whom We Represent

 

 

 

 

After the woman at the well questioned Jesus regarding why he was speaking to a despised Samaritan, he continued.

...“If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.” John 4:10 (NLT)

Principle: Remember Whom We Represent

The Bible says that disciples of Christ are ambassadors for God (2 Corinthians 5:20) who carry the most important life-changing message in the universe – the gospel.

Unfortunately, we often forget who we are and act as if we are insignificant with little to offer. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Jesus never forgot his identity, his message, or his mission. He was on point all the time, and so should we be.

But dedicate your lives to Christ as Lord. Always be ready to defend your confidence {in God} when anyone asks you to explain it. However, make your defense with gentleness and respect. 1 Peter 3:15 (GW)
Share this post...

Talk to Unlikely People

 

 

 

 

 

When Jesus engaged the woman at the well in John Chapter Four, he broke the rules.

The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?” John 4:9 (NLT)

He was a Jewish rabbi. She was a Samaritan woman. Jews had nothing to do with Samaritans. Rabbis did not talk to women. Jews would not drink from a cup or jar handled by an “unclean” Samaritan. What Jesus did in asking for a drink of water immediately got her attention and prompted her question. When people ask “Why,” it means we have made them curious and gives us an open door to share.

Not only did Jesus break social taboos, he also made himself vulnerable by asking for a favor. We like to present ourselves as self-sufficient, but people generally respond well when we admit that we need their help. She could have rebuffed him, but did not. When we ask for a favor, we open the door for people to be kind to us. Once a person does something for us, it is more likely that they will be more open in general.

Have you recently engaged anyone outside your normal comfort zone or pack of friends? Have you asked a favor from an unlikely person? Are you willing to launch a conversation just to see where it might go? These are all keys to being an effective fisher of men.

Share this post...

How to Shine for Jesus in the Midst of Judgment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are in the midst of a pandemic during which nations around the world have taken great measures to protect their people, greatly slowing the world and national economies and societal interaction. These are unique times that deserve our attention. In the words of a politician, never waste a crisis.

If we go through this one without receiving what God intends, it will have been a terrible waste.

Point #1: God Is Sovereign

The author of Second Chronicles in the Bible penned these familiar words.

When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, 14  if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 (ESV)

Admittedly this promise was made to Jews living in the promised land. Does it have an application for us today? Through his death and resurrection, Jesus did away with the dividing wall between Jew and Gentile, creating in himself what the Bible calls “one new man,” the church, composed of every race and ethnicity. (Ephesians 2:13-16) All those who put their faith and allegiance in Christ are part of what Paul called the “Israel of God” (Galatians 6:15-16) and are sons of Abraham (Galatians 3:7-9).

Followers of Christ, as children of Abraham, are to be a blessing wherever we live. That is part of our calling according to the promise made to the father of our faith.

You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ Acts 3:25 (ESV)

One of the main ways we can be such a blessing in the lands where we live is by praying that God will bring repentance and healing, which is the main focus of this article.

Before we go there, however, let’s pay close attention to the first sentence from the passage from 2 Chronicles quoted above: “When I… send pestilence…”

The Bible clearly teaches that God is sovereign over his creation. Nothing happens without his “signing off on it.”

God is not the author of evil, but as the Over Ruler (Lord) of all things, he makes everything, including evil, accomplish his purposes.

If you wonder where the coronavirus came from, ultimately it came from God.

This agrees with the admonition in Proverbs, which I consider to be a core passage of the Bible.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)

Believers in God are told to acknowledge him in all things, even difficulties and tribulation.

Since everything that enters our life has to go through him, we should always go to him first to get his perspective and our marching orders.

God has given us an amazing promise that many acknowledge but few seem to really believe.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 (ESV)

Everything works for good for the believer. This is because God, as the Over Ruler, makes it happen that way. There can be no other explanation. However, those who are not God’s children have no such promise. The devils steals, kills, and and destroys those who do not have God’s protection. (John 10:10) Those are the ones God wishes to rescue from the consequences of their own sin.

Point # 2: It Is Extremely Important for Us to Have God’s Perspective

Just before Jesus’ crucifixion, our Lord began to prepare his disciples for what was coming.

From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead. 22  But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!” 23  Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” Matthew 16:21-23 (NLT)

If we fail to see things as God sees, we will likely find ourselves working at cross purposes with his will, as did Peter. It was God’s will for the judgment for our sins to fall upon Jesus, who died on the cross as God’s sacrificial Lamb. That was God’s plan. This was an example of redemptive judgment, but to Peter it seemed horrible and something to be avoided at all costs. He did not see as God did. He did not value what God valued. He preferred that Jesus be spared and the whole world be lost, but God ordained that his Son die in order to save the world. (John 3:16)

There is a difference between redemptive judgment and God’s wrath.

God’s wrath has no redemptive element. It is an outpouring of final judgment upon people who have rejected repeated overtures from him to repent and turn from their wicked ways. The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus endured God’s wrath for the sake of those who put their faith and allegiance in him, so that we never have to face it again.

And they speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God’s Son from heaven—Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment (literally: “the coming wrath). 1 Thessalonians 1:10 (NLT) 

For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Thessalonians 5:9 (ESV)

Nevertheless, God graciously sends forms of redemptive judgment (otherwise called discipline) to turn us away from our sin and back to him, so that we can avoid one day encountering his wrath.

This is what is promised in our first passage above from 2 Chronicles. This is a major way that God blesses his people and the lands in which they live.

Point # 3: Be Prepared to Shine in the Midst of Judgment

The Bible makes it clear that God judges wickedness. Here are two passages that come to mind.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. Romans 1:18 (ESV) 

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2  in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3  among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. Ephesians 2:1-3 (ESV)

Notice that both of these passages refer to God’s wrath.

As God pours out wrath on the earth, God’s people may have to endure aspects of it, without being the objects of it.

Those who belong to Christ are no longer “children of wrath,” but those without Christ still are, and we all live together.

It is clear that our nation and the entire world deserves God’s judgment. We continue to flagrantly and arrogantly flaunt God and his words. Our Lord has been extremely patient with mankind, but even his patience will eventually reach an end.

Jesus warned us that in the Last Days, as his Second Coming draws closer, there will be what the Bible calls “birth pangs.” When a woman goes into labor, her contractions begin mildly and are spaced far apart, but as the birth grows closer, the “pangs” become stronger with greater frequency.

The earth will experience stronger and more frequent “pangs” of judgments and outpourings of wrath as the Second Coming approaches.

Jesus said:

There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. Luke 21:11 (ESV)

I believe the coronavirus qualifies as such a “pestilence.” Many, including myself, believe it is a “birth pang.” The earth is experiencing an uptick in earthquakes. Locusts are devouring crops, increasing hunger and famine. Nations continue to rise up against nations.

The suppression of truth is a major problem in the last days. Even the church is affected. One example of disinformation that has plagued the church of late is the notion that God’s people will no longer be here during these birth pangs. Some assure God’s people that they will be “raptured” or snatched up from the earth before tribulation arrives.

No one knows for sure how the Last Days and Second Coming will play out, but the Bible clearly teaches that God’s people must be prepared to endure tribulation and suffering.

To think otherwise is deception and runs counter to God’s purposes who said in his Word that we are “appointed to tribulation.” (1 Thessalonians 3:3-4) Suffering is part of God’s plan to develop and mature us. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

As God pours out his judgments on the world, who will be able to offer hope to hopeless, if not the church? Peter wrote:

Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. 1 Peter 3:15 (NLT)

Peter wrote this during a time of cruel persecution of the church by Jews and Romans. God allowed the church to suffer then. Why should we expect to escape suffering today?

God wants his church to be prepared to shine as lights in a very dark world.

Do everything without complaining and arguing, 15  so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. 16  Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return… Philippians 2:14-16 (NLT)

Praying according to God’s Purposes

Since we are God’s ambassadors of reconciliation in the world, it is vital that we act and pray accordingly. Here are some suggested prayer points.

  1. Pray for God’s kingdom to come and his will to be done. This may seem too obvious to put in the list, but Jesus put it in the prayer named after him. If he thinks it is important, so do I. We will always be in agreement with God when we pray this way. Over the years, I have often felt a strong sense of God’s presence when I prayed for his kingdom to come and will to be done. Perhaps as we deliberately align ourselves with God’s purpose in this way, he will give us greater clarity on the details. When we pray in agreement with his will, we can be sure he will hear us and do what we ask. (1 John 5:14-15)
  2. Ask God to grant repentance to the church and the nation. Repentance means chiefly to “change the mind.” It will result in a change of action, but it starts in the heart. The Holy Spirit is the only one who can change us at the heart level. We do not need to pray for people to reap what they sow. God will see to that. Our commission is to intercede with God on behalf of those who are in the midst of judgment, asking him to mercifully grant repentance to a hard-hearted world before it is too late.
  3. Pray for a great “awakening” and ingathering in our land. The ultimate purpose for repentance is for people to put their faith and allegiance in Christ and come under his benevolent rule. This  means the church needs to rise up and become bold and compassionate gospel communicators. People are afraid. The church is able to present Christ as the only One who is able to satisfy their deepest longings and needs. He is the Good Shepherd, Prince of Peace, Healer, and Lord. There is no other name under heaven that can save.
  4. Pray for government leaders. Our leaders need God’s wisdom and the fear of the Lord.
  5. Pray for medical personnel. They are on the front line and at great risk. Pray for God’s blessing and protection.
  6. Pray for unity. Satan always tries to divide. There has been deep division in our nation. Pray that God will unify us as the church, as families, and as a nation.
Share this post...
Share this post...