April 22
Josh 24:1-33 | PS 89:38-52 | Prov 13:20-23 | Luke 21:1-28
As Christians we need to be prepared. That is why it is such a disservice when certain pastors preach messages like the prosperity message. These pastors state that if you turn to Jesus, everything that this world has to offer is yours: wealth, relationships, jobs, etc. Sadly, this is not what Jesus preaches. He talks of His kingdom in heaven. He promises eternity to those who are willing to place their faith in Him, but He does not,nor ever has, promised us every comfort on this earth. If we love Jesus, then this future hope supercedes the persecutions that will come our way. Jesus said in Matthew 20:28, "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." We need to prepare one another, not delude one another. When we desire the Rapture, we must understand, that Jesus did not tell us that we will escape many of the persecutions that will come those last days, but we will escape His Father's wrath. We need to be vigilant and alert. We can't look towards the Rapture like we count the days before going on vacation. There is a war between good and evil. Though none of us are good, those in Christ fight for the side of good. But a battle it indeed is.
We need to take Jesus' words seriously and ponder them, all of them, as we read Jesus talking about what will transpire just prior to the tribulation in Luke 21:12-18, "But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake. But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony. Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But not a hair of your head shall be lost."
It's interesting, because on multiple occasions, Jesus talks of His impending death in Jerusalem, but His disciples did not hear Him. Many of us read this and say, "weren't they listening?", "why were they shocked ?", "why were they so unprepared?" But are we? They missed Jesus' prediction because they had selective hearing. They heard what they wanted to hear to produce the God that they wanted to follow. We are often guilty of the same thing. God's words are important, all of His Words. He gives us a beautiful message, but persecutions are throughout His warnings for us. We can either continue to walk along starry eyed, or we can prepare for the battle which will take place. But we must remember who our Commander in Chief is, and how He has prepared us, as we read in 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,".
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: