Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Relax, God Can Be Trusted! Part 1 (March 27, 2009)


Because you have obeyed My command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world. Revelation 3:10 NLT
Jesus replied, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, because many will come in my name, claiming to be the Messiah. They will lead many astray. And wars will break out near and far, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must come, but the end won’t follow immediately. Nations and kingdoms will proclaim war against each other, and there will be earthquakes in many parts of the world, and many famines. But all this will be only the beginning of the horrors to come.” Mark 13:5-8 NLT
We are living in a time where the world is being tested, as they try to fix the global problems in their own strength. At the same time, we as the children of God are being protected against the misleading policies and the false hope this world is trying to offer. But we are also being protected against the fear propaganda that is being spread among believers that we need to act now to ensure our survival. On the contrary, I believe, it is actually in the midst of this decaying (economic) world that God wants us to persevere and be the salt and the light of the earth as God is showing Himself through our faith walk how He is supernaturally taking care of us, and thus using His children to ignite a fire of desire for the living God through Jesus Christ in the heart of the lost.
Fear tactics in the Church
It was with great sadness I saw on a Christian TV channel that a well known preacher was telling the audience how God wanted to give them break-throughs and blessings in this season of economic downfall by sowing a “promotion” seed of $200 to his ministry and if they didn’t have it, they could put it on their credit card.
The next day, a sister who was invited to go to a fairly large church, was confronted with a very aggressive minister begging for money, threatening the congregation that they would be in danger of losing their homes to foreclosure if they did not give. He whipped the congregation, as he spoke so-called “words of knowledge” that a woman working in the real-estate business was to give $5000 and another woman, who was Vice President of a Bank was to give $2000. The minister even had the audacity to say to the people that God would actually punish them the very same night if they didn’t give.
Like the TV preacher I saw, this minister said the familiar words: “I don’t normally do this…” when he continued his deception and fleecing of the people. He said that there were twelve couples in the room that were supposed to give $800. When not many came to the front, he started lowering the amounts all the way down to the twenty-dollar bill the minister knew everyone would at least have in their wallet.
What we are supposed to do in this time
The Bible teaches us in Hebrews 10:23-25 NLT the following: “Without wavering, let us hold tightly to the hope we say we have, for God can be trusted to keep His promise. Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of His coming back again is drawing near.”
And in another passage it says: “Do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord, no matter what happens. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that He has promised. For in just a little while, the COMING ONE will come and not delay. And a righteous person will live by faith. But I will have no pleasure in anyone who turns away. But we are not like those who turn their backs on God and seal their fate. We have faith that assures our salvation.” Hebrews 10:35-39 NLT

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