I try to
keep up with the world news, but if I watch too much I get depressed over the
status of people throughout the world. So many people are lost! To make matters
worse, time is running out for this earth. But, I keep watching the news to stay
informed and to find the bits of truth within the news.
My Bible
study group has been studying Ezekiel, chapters 38 and 39. It seems that
everything that the prophet Ezekiel prophesied about the end times is on a
path toward fulfillment. Contrast Ezekiel’s prophecy with what Jesus said in Matthew
24 and Luke 17 about His return and the end times and we see that the world is rapidly
heading toward its end. How do we know time is running out? Well, the
Scriptures tell us that in the last days there will not only be signs but “…
that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and
their money. They will be boastful
and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents and ungrateful. They
will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will
slander others and have no self-control; they will be cruel and have no
interest in what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be
puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act as if they are religious, but
they will reject the power that could make them godly. …” – (II Timothy
3: 1-4. NLT). Does any of this ring a bell?
Although,
none of us know when Christ will return, we can recognize some of the end time
signs listed in the Bible as already occurring. But even up to the very end,
whenever that may be, Christ has told us that we are to go out and constantly
witness to others about the Good News. We also need to focus on mentoring others
for the Lord, as we role-model living for Christ. We are to become a living
testament and witness to the life a person can have, if they believe in Jesus
Christ as their Savior.
Unfortunately,
we in America have a false sense of security. We believe that because we have
always been safe in our country that nothing can happen to us. Actually, we are
being destroyed from within, and this internal destruction is paving the way
for our enemies to easily overcome us. How are we being destroyed from
within? Well, Christians are no longer
mentoring and teaching others about God and His morals, values and ethics. Although it is not surprising that the non-believing and morally corrupt live for themselves,
it is sad to see Christians living for themselves; forgetting about all those
who are lost or who need guidance.
As I listen
to the news programs, it is easy to see that our young people are relationally
poor. They have been taught independence, but yet they need to
belong and be interdependent. Young or
old people feel the need for both belonging and spiritual growth. But in their
search they can turn to other things to attempt to fill the God-shaped space in
their souls. Some eventually turn to cults to fill this void; the greatest of
which today is the cult of ISIS. ISIS understands this and deliberately
recruits our young people to their cult of hate.
Obviously, we have failed to teach the younger
generations to be dependent upon God. We have also failed to teach our
Christian young people to be interdependent with each other; gaining spiritual
strength and greater faith from the lives of their fellow Christians. Instead,
they often feel alone in their struggles. Christians have also failed to tell
them that when troubles come, they should rely on God and His guidance. For God
says, “… humble yourselves [demote
yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due
time He may exalt you. Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all
your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you
affectionately and cares about you watchfully.” -- (I Peter 5: 6-7. Amplified Bible).
Christian women must step up and mentor all women, young and old. We have to start making a
difference in the lives of those around us or many will never see eternity.
Moreover, if we don’t stop languishing in our apathy toward Christianity and
others, we will not be living in a country that allows us the freedom to worship
God. For, if we do not stand for the Truth,
we will fall for anything. So, we need to stop living moment by moment and
for ourselves and start living for the future and for God.
ARCM is an
easy and wonderful way to help many women either get to know Christ or to start
living their Christianity in a way that affects not only their family’s life,
but the lives of others. Please start paying attention to what is going on
around you. Start praying for the people in our country, for those in the
Middle East, and for those in other countries who do not know Christ as their
Savior. Then, step forward and mentor
someone for the Lord. You can do it!
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