June 3
Proverbs 22:17-24:34
The natural tendency when being attacked is to adopt a defensive position and protect whatever it is that you believe needs protecting. In these uncertain times there are preppers who have amassed huge supplies, many are consumed with protecting their investments or retirement accounts, while others have become consumed with protecting their health from the threat of disease. Though keeping an eye on what you have is normal, we are called to be others focused rather than self-centered. We read in Philippians 2:4, "Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too." The most dangerous place in the world right now is still the womb, as this year alone there has already been close to 18 million abortions performed worldwide. While the majority of the world was on lockdown in May, 2020, the Bridge Women's Center took "Hannah", our bus which contains an ultrasound machine, on the road to reach abortion minded individuals to save lives. While things are difficult here in the U.S., things are even worse for many of our brothers and sisters living in nations where the mere mention of Jesus Christ could mean imprisonment or death. Though many will not feel called to enter the foreign mission field, we can do our part by supporting our missionaries throughout the globe. We can also be so focused on our own plight that we miss the fact that most of our family members, neighbors, co-workers, and acquaintances are destined for hell, having never made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Are we so concerned with ourselves that we are ignoring others who are on that wide path to destruction? Rather than complaining that we "just want things to return to normal", perhaps we should realize that our times are in His hands, nothing happens by accident, as Esther was told in Esther 4:14 (NKJV), "...Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
We read in Proverbs 24:11-12, "Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to die; save them as they stagger to their death. Don’t excuse yourself by saying, “Look, we didn’t know.” For God understands all hearts, and he sees you. He who guards your soul knows you knew. He will repay all people as their actions deserve." We can pretend that we don't know, but ignorance is not a real defense to the inaction which is so widespread. We read in Ezekiel 3:18-19, " If I warn the wicked, saying, ‘You are under the penalty of death,’ but you fail to deliver the warning, they will die in their sins. And I will hold you responsible for their deaths. If you warn them and they refuse to repent and keep on sinning, they will die in their sins. But you will have saved yourself because you obeyed me." We are to be watchmen, poised and ready to seek those who are on the path to death. We read in Proverbs 24:10, "If you fail under pressure, your strength is too small." Our failures are usually because we venture out in our own power, rather than the power of the Holy Spirit, as Paul realized in 2 Corinthians 12:10, "That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
We can continue to be in shock and complain about the changes occurring in the world that we live in. We can continue to focus all of our concerns on protecting that which we have. But this is not what Jesus did, and this is not what He commanded us to do. Despite the chaos surrounding Jesus before He went to the cross, He didn't focus on His own situation, but knew the true situation of all of those around Him. Likewise, as citizens of heaven and ambassadors on this earth (Philippians 3:20), our lives are not our own and we should not be consumed with our own situation. The drama that is unfolding around us is not by accident. Our being born when and where we were and living where we do now in our present situation is also not by accident. We were carefully chosen and placed here by our loving Creator "for such a time as this". The threats are real, it is time to become "others-focused" and Christ minded, as we move out in offense into our respective mission fields.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: