Category: devotional

  • Wars and Rumors of Wars: Living Ready for Christ’s Return

    LIfe is full of storms. Dark gray storm clouds fill the sky above a green evergreen and a tree with orange and red autumn leaves.

    Storm Clouds

    Yesterday was one of those days, rain interspersed with torrential downpours. We had brief moments when the sky wasn’t opening up on us, but they were few and far between. I snapped this view of the sky on my way to pick Kathy up from work.

    Life comes with all kinds of storms, both literal and metaphorical. Turn on the news, read a newspaper (yes, they still exist), check on social media, listen to people talk. There are storms. Times are hard. There are wars and rumors of wars, diseases rage, crime happens, evil walks on the earth.

    That truth isn’t news, and it certainly shouldn’t be a surprise.

    Jesus said,

    As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. Matthew 24:3-8 ESV

    In the same discourse, he went on to say:

    “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Matthew 24:29-31 ESV

    Social media is filled with people running around screaming “the end is near.” They are correct, of course; Jesus return is imminent – that is, it will happen suddenly. Attempting to guess the time and date is a futile exercise. Jesus told us that (Matthew 24:36 ESV) 

    So what do we do in these dark, evil times?

    We don’t need to panic or fret. There is no point in speculating. We live our lives as Christ commanded us. We take comfort in His promises and the truth that God’s timing is always perfect.

    Will we see His return in our lifetime? Quite possibly, but then again, quite possibly not. Let’s live our lives as if His return is just around the corner and show the world what peace and love look like.

    Be blessed 

    Kevin

    SUMMARY

    Wars, rumors of wars, and storms of every kind are exactly what Jesus told us to expect. So let’s skip the panic and live as if His return is just around the corner.

    TAKEAWAY

    Hard times shouldn’t catch us off guard. Jesus told us there would be wars and rumors of wars, and He told us not to be alarmed.

    Trying to pin down the date of Christ’s return gets us nowhere. His return will come suddenly, and speculating doesn’t change that.

    While we wait, we live as Christ commanded. We take comfort in His promises, trust God’s perfect timing, and show the world what peace and love look like.

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  • Poverty and the Poor You Always Have With You 

    Live with Jesus love and compassion

    Homeless. poverty, A row of dome tents covered with blue and brown tarps lined up along a shaded sidewalk beside a chain-link fence.

    Like many other communities, we have what seems to be a growing population of homeless people. We also have large numbers of people who have a place to live but struggle with poverty. Our community is not alone in this problem; I doubt there is a community out there that doesn’t struggle with some form of poverty. Some hide it better than others, but it still exists.

    Poverty isn’t a new problem. It’s as timeless as sin itself and will continue until the Lord returns. There are people in poverty because of mental illness or poor life choices. Others are there because of circumstances beyond their control. It isn’t a one-size-fits-all problem. Some only need a hand up, while no amount of help will bring others out.

    Jesus Himself said:

    For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”  John 12:8  (see also Matthew 26:11, Mark 14:7

    Jesus is responding to complaints about a woman who had anointed Him with costly perfume. The disciples complained that the money could have been spent on the poor, but they really wanted it for themselves. I think they were jealous of the woman’s extravagant act of worship.

    Jesus saying here is often misunderstood. Some take it to be fatalistic: there will always be poor people, so don’t even try. Nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus is, in fact, pointing them back to a passage they should have known well.

    For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’ Deuteronomy 15:11 ESV

    The Deuteronomy passage does not merely predict the continuing presence of poverty; it commands God’s people to respond with generosity. Jesus’ words therefore should not be understood as an excuse for neglecting the poor. In Mark 14:7, He explicitly adds that they can do good to the poor whenever they wish.

    We are called to be generous in our worship of God, but also called not to neglect those in need.

    It’s true we can’t fully solve the problem, but we can show Jesus’ love through how we respond to the poor. The Lord doesn’t call us to believe poverty doesn’t exist or to turn a blind eye. We’re called to act in love.

    God didn’t send His Son believing that everyone would accept His love. He sent Him knowing full well that the problem of sin would not go away in this world (until He returns). He came in love, humility and sacrifice even when the problem would continue. 

    We are called to love and compassion the same way.

     Kevin

    SUMMARY

    Jesus’ words about the poor were never a reason to look away from them. We can’t end poverty in this world, but we can meet it with the same love Christ showed us.

    TAKEAWAY

    Jesus wasn’t telling us to give up on the poor. He was pointing back to Deuteronomy 15:11, a passage His disciples should have known well, where God commands us to open wide our hand to the needy.

    Poverty isn’t a one-size-fits-all problem. Some people only need a hand up, while no amount of help will bring others out. Either way, we’re called to act in love.

     

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