by David Brenneman
It's awesome to see and realize that today marks 5 years of post writing concerning this blog. Every single day that I showed up, the Spirit has been here to guide my writing as promised. The following is a post that started it off. Today this blog has been seen in 79 major locations in this world. 214,000 views. The most I have done has been to hand out business cards with the web address on it as well as post to Facebook. God's taken it where it's gone.
Signs of the Times
In our time, I do believe that Jesus Christ is returning.
As it happens, my Bible reading plan is in the book of Mark, at the point of just prior to the crucifixion but after the betrayal by Judas.
Jesus took all the humanly possible torture and torment that was meant for sinners like you and I, in order to obey His Father's will, to make a way for forgiveness of sin. In a moment on the cross, all the sins of all mankind for all time were heaped upon Jesus. In that moment even His Father had to look away. Can you imagine seeing the one you love going through all that Jesus did, and now you have to turn away? The Father did, because both He, Jesus and the Spirit knew that only a perfect sacrifice could ever remove the sting and stain of sin.
But the story doesn't end there. Oh no. Yes Jesus died on a cross, but more importantly He came back. He paid the penalty for sin, He removed the sting of death. The free Gift was now available to all who call upon the Lord for salvation. It isn't about bunnies or chocolate or eggs. Easter is about God's perfect plan to enable man to be saved.
But why all the evil in this world? God's enemy, Satan, wants to be God. He threw everything he had at Christ on the cross and lost. He is using and manipulating people to go after those who are true Christians. We see things escalating, wars, rumors of wars. Upheavals, hatred of anything Christian. The rise in the hatred of Israel. Sides are being formed. Christianity is under fire. How could such a wonderful gift of Salvation be so wrongfully taken by the world? Satan deals in lies in twisting and perverting God's Word. If he goes down he wants to take as many as he can with him. But, he is a created being. God is not. Jesus is not. The Spirit is not. Satan knows the Bible and is trying all he can to prove it wrong. To turn people away from God. To get people to hate those who God says are His. Death used to be Satan's greatest thing but Jesus removed the sting of it. Anyone who dies in Christ is instantly in Heaven with Him. No sting of death.
As the very foundations of our country crumble remember there is no place in Scripture for America. The American Church would like it to be but there isn't. The Church is the enemy of Satan. To think that we are going to be immune to attack is ludicrous. Our standing up for what we believe is under attack every day. God isn't blind to it. We still have the mission to tell others about the free Gift of Salvation. Times are tough and they will get worse. I have always believed that either the USA is taken out of the world picture or we take ourselves out of it. The book of Revelation is only about Israel. It's coming. Jesus's gift of Salvation isn't simply a get out of Hell free card. It's giving our life to the one who gave His to set us free. To live as those alive in Christ. It's a relationship with God that isn't possible apart from Jesus.
Time is short. The Church is being attacked by all kinds of groups from the left and right. Trying to silence the Church. If that wasn't enough wolves in sheep's clothing are trying to remove the message of Jesus Christ from within the Church. It’s all been foretold.
If you haven't placed your faith and trust in Jesus's finished work on the cross. Today's a good day to do that. All this world is perishing. Christianity is not about the hate of this world or a group calling themselves Christians who protest in hate. It is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and spirit. To love your neighbor as yourself. Tell others of the great things that God has done for you. Read His Word, talk to Him. There you have it.
Now, do you have it?
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The signs that the Spirit puts out there are for all to see. I have come to realize that it's certainly not just the Jews that seek for a sign...but everyone. People everywhere are wanting proof of God. Some, by searching, have indeed found Him.
Was reading in Colossians this morning of the words of Paul to them.
"I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument. For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ. Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ." Colossians 2:4-8.
There are warnings here and other places in the Scriptures against philosophy...I would include worldly psychology. People trying to influence the Church of Jesus Christ with psychology that isn't founded in the Bible. The Biblical terms is false prophets, false preachers, false teachers.
Whereas in these days in which we live, there's no end to books, speakers, televangelists, etc. that teach the world that you need God AND their books...not just the Bible. Some teach that you need the Bible AND psychology. The Early Church only had the Bible as written in the Old Testament until enough copies of the Gospels and what we now call the New Testament were available. Testimonials of a changed life in coming to Christ were what lead people to salvation themselves. We aren't the ones who save people...the Spirit does.
Are you striving to stand firm in Christ Jesus? Are you really aware that at any moment Jesus could return? Are you ready aware that in a heartbeat you could be standing face-to-face with Jesus? If you are sitting...simply standing up might usher you into the presence of God.
My hope, in all these years of writing, is that people either come to Christ for salvation or find their way back to Him to cultivate a right relationship with Jesus. That prayer continues today.
All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.
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