Tough Times are Opportunities to Serve Others
Difficult times we live in. There seems to be so many things going on and all at once. I could caveat that with…if we are paying attention. We also live in a society where it is easy to just go about our daily lives and not see the impending storm. Such are the days we were warned about by Jesus Himself and the prophets. The church started in tumultuous times and was pivotal to the survival of believers who were persecuted even unto death. On the other hand, I have heard it rendered that more were martyred for their faith in Jesus in the 20th Century than in the first couple centuries combined. That seems daunting.
The church. What are we to be to each other? I have some challenges below that I believe the church will need to be for each other. We must understand the church isn’t a building. It isn’t programs. The church is a gathering of like-minded believers in Jesus. That is it. The first century believers took care of each others’ needs. The Book of Acts is a great resource for this. I believe the church will end how it started. I also believe we are on the cusp of that as the imminency of the Rapture is more now than ever as we see everything being set up and desired for in what will take place during the 70th Week (Tribulation).
This is a weighty matter, and this may put some people off. I have been challenged by the following two Scriptures:
“A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished.”
Proverbs 22:3
Proverbs 22:3, “A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished.” Proverbs 27:12 is a parallel passage.
Ezekiel 33:1-11 is a passage I take to heart. Read this! This is the position I am coming from. To me, it says that as I see what is coming and do not provide the warning that I see, the calamity that another faces is upon me. To you, it says if you do not heed that warning, the calamity is on you. I see this in two ways: warning people of judgment and to seek Jesus in whom only there is salvation AND what is coming upon our world in the days to come needs some prudent preparation.
Let me give you a direct answer to prayer that I have, honestly, held at bay. In the summer of 2020, Alana and I had been trying to find some time to meet with Nick and Heather to pray. I saw then what was coming and so did the rest of us, except Alana was a little skeptical. I had been feeling as though things were building. I wanted to keep my emotions in check as emotions can betray us. The truth of God’s Word is what stands.
Nonetheless and after several attempts followed by rescheduling, we finally landed on a day to pray which was planned for several days in advance due to schedules. We gathered in our family room and prayed diligently for the Lord to show us that we are either crazy or we should institute some preparedness measures to be ready for whatever is to come. No sooner than we finished praying, my phone started getting alerts of a storm coming into town soon followed by the activation of the outdoor warning sirens. This was the day the derecho came through. There was no warning. We had landed on a day to pray that provided some practical things. This was a direct answer to prayer.
I do not want to misconstrue what I am trying to say to sound like we should at all live in fear or go to the opposite spectrum and be complete prep-ers. Even FEMA recommends at minimum 3 days food and water should be stored in every household for the entire household. I do believe we as believers have a unique opportunity to prepare for disasters that will come as an opportunity to provide stability for our own homes, support our local church members by sharing what we have, and supplying others as a means to meet their needs and share the Gospel message. This was the early church! This was also Joseph in the Old Testament.
As we see inflation on the rise, warnings of rolling blackouts, shortages of food and even baby formula, we should be prudent and not believe the lie that everything will return to normal. If you aren’t paying attention, you can easily fall into this. If you are paying attention, you will see the rapid movement toward what the anti-christ will ultimately set up during the 70th Week. We are in overdrive!
It really takes very little effort and funds to ensure provisions are stored in our houses yet not ignoring the current and immediate needs of others around us. We may see in very short order that we will need to support each other as well as others all the while spreading the Gospel as is the charge of the church! I can sum this up in what we in the Military term as the 7 Ps: Proper Planning and Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance.
MARANATHA!