Tag: bible

Where is the fear of the Lord?

The other day as I was reading my Bible, I came across a story in the book of Acts, that really made me stop and think. It’s not that I haven’t read the story before. I have. Many times, actually. And that is the point here. I have read the story and never thought much of it. But this time as I read the story of Ananias and Sapphira in Act 5, I had a strange thought. What if today’s church leaders did what Peter did that day? Would Christianity look different than it does now? Would we be able to turn the world upside down, the way they did back in the early days of the Church? So I decided to look at other stories in the Bible, and say “what if”? I kept it to the book of Acts in this article, for brevity’s sake. Allow me take you on my journey of discovery and you decide if I’m right. Would the modern church look different today, if leaders acted the way Peter and Paul did.

Let’s start with Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-11. They were an ordinary couple who were known for their generosity in the church. We would no doubt call them generous donors and perhaps even honor them. Certainly the pastor would. They had offered to sell their estate and give the entire amount to the church building fund. What an example they were! There was only one problem. They lied. They sold it for a certain amount, kept back some of the proceeds, and gave the rest to the church. You might be asking, so what? But that’s not what Peter said. Peter received a word of knowledge from the Holy Spirit the day Ananias came and gave him the money. “But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” (Acts 5:3-4) Ouch. Good grief. What does it even matter? I mean, he was generous. So what if he lied! So what if he kept some of it? Exactly. And that is no doubt what many of today’s church leaders would say. Even if they knew Ananias had lied, they would say nothing but “thank you”. 

But look at what happened next. In verse 5 we are told: “Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last.” The Lord killed him! For lying, no less. And it gets worse. When his wife showed up a few hours later, Peter, who is now emboldened by what the Lord did, confronts her and when she also lies, pronounces the same doom on her. “Then Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last.” (Verse 9) What really struck me about this whole story however, is what happened afterwards in the church. We are told, “So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things.” The fear of the Lord came down upon the body of Christ. The message: “Don’t lie to the Holy Spirit!” Do you think it possible that the church would look very different today, if people actually feared the Lord so much, that they thought twice about sinning?

The next story, also in Acts, comes from a slightly different angle, that might be hard to see at first. In Acts 19:11-20, we are told a story about some Jewish religious leaders who had watched Paul and the miracles he did, and decided to copy him. Unfortunately, they were not believers in the Messiah, Jesus Christ, so they went at it a different way. They thought they could just use the Lord’s name, to get what they wanted.

“Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”

It’s almost funny, when you think about it. Imagine their faces as the evil spirit said this to them!

But what that spirit did next was anything but funny: “Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.” 

In order to really understand what happened here, we have to look at the context. Right before we are told this story, we are told something about the ministry of Paul. “Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.” In other words, Paul, a leader in the church, walked in the power of the Holy Spirit and God was able to use him to deliver His sheep, the church. That’s why the Jewish religious leaders tried to copy him. They were hoping that they could somehow harness this same power and use it to their own advantage, but, without having to give up their false religious beliefs. And what were the consequences? The Fear of the Lord came upon them! And that takes me right back to my original question, would today’s church look different if leaders acted like Paul. 

Let’s look at the effect this had on both the church and the world, which was watching the church in action. Here’s what happened next: 

“This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.”

Both the church AND the world repented because they recognized the power of the supernatural and realized that the evil spirits which they had previously not been afraid of, (they had been practicing magic) actually had great power and there was only one name, the Name of Jesus, that could deliver them from that power. 

I have one more. In Acts 24:25 Paul, who is now a prisoner, is defending himself in front of Governor Felix and his wife Drusilla. Felix apparently enjoyed listening to Paul preach, although there is no evidence that he ever believed. On this particular day, it tells us, “he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come…” I want to stop right here for a moment. Look at the words that Paul uses to present faith in Christ to Felix. Righteousness. Self-control. Judgment to come. When is the last time you heard those words in church? I would venture to say that they are, what Paul calls the “whole counsel of God” in Acts 20:27. I want to point out the effect this sermon had on Felix. “Felix was afraid and answered, “Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you.” 

Even though Felix was afraid, he did not repent. But, and this is important, he heard the truth, the whole truth, from the mouth of Paul. Not a washed down version of the gospel, not what most churches and ministries teach in this day and age, but the whole truth and nothing but the truth. A truth that scared him. And well it should. Seriously, when was the last time you heard a sermon that scared you? 

When I look at just these three examples of what went on in the early church, I see a common denominator: the fear of the Lord. Because the leaders, the apostles, feared the Lord, they obeyed Him and therefore the Lord was able to use them to turn the world upside down. Imagine a world, where the church once again fears the Lord and obeys Him. I think things would look different than they do right now. What do you think?

7 prayers you can pray over yourself for protection.

Many years ago, not long after I became a born again Christian, I remember praying a prayer for myself, that looking back on my life, God has answered many times. I don’t think I fully understood how much I was in fact protecting myself from deception when I prayed it. It was a very simple little prayer, but it was heartfelt. I simply prayed, “Lord, help me to never let go of you”! Although I do not believe that the enemy can snatch us out of His hand, I do believe we have the power to walk away. It’s called free will.

Jesus tells us in John 10:27-30, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.” 

As I have looked back at my life, I see how often the Lord has helped me to not let go of Him, especially during difficult times. With that thought in mind, I was thinking about how Jesus prayed for both His disciples and for us, those that follow in their footsteps. I thought it would be interesting and helpful to create a list of prayers, some of them straight from the mouth of Jesus, that we can pray over ourselves and even our loved ones that know Him, for protection. I have compiled a short list of seven prayers that I would like to share with you here.

We live in the age of deception. It is difficult to know if what we are hearing both on the internet, and sadly, even from the pulpits, is truth. Deception is often carefully wrapped in a blanket of truth, and therefore difficult to discern without help from the Holy Spirit. 

With that in mind, I think my first prayer would be from John 16:13, “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth”.

1) Lord, I pray that the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit, would guide me into all truth. 

The enemy is on a rampage these days. He knows his time is short and he is angry. We know from 1 Peter 5:8 that he is looking for prey: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” James 4:7 tells us: “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” And in John 17:15, Jesus prays this over His disciples, “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.”

2) Lord, protect me from the evil one and help me to resist the devil, so he will flee from me. 

As mentioned above, if we are His sheep, Jesus promises us that we will hear His voice. We will not follow the voice of strangers. In the book of  Revelation, the Lord tells us 7 times, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29, Revelation 3:6, 13, 22) For Him to say it that often, means that it’s important. 

3) Lord, I pray that I would have an ear to hear what You are saying to the churches. 

With persecution on the rise around the world, it is easy to be afraid to share the Gospel. But in Acts, the disciples specifically prayed about this by asking for boldness. “Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” (Acts 4:29-30)

4) Lord, I pray that you would give me boldness to speak your word. Help me to not be afraid and shrink back when the opportunity presents itself.

Sadly, we live in a world filled with debauchery, filth and sin. It is everywhere these days and it is not hard to become immune to it or even tainted by it. One of the prayers that Jesus prayed for His disciples was about holiness. “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth”. Sanctify means to purify. His word purifies us! 

5) Lord, purify me by your truth, for your word is truth.

We live in dark days. The early church did as well. In John 15:1-8 the Lord tells His disciples the following:

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”

6) Lord, help me to abide in you, so that I can bear much fruit to bring you glory.

Finally, as this present age comes to a close and we are watching prophecy unfolding at breakneck speed before our very eyes, I cannot help but remember Jesus’ warning to His disciples in Luke 21:34-36, right after He answered their questions about the signs of the end. 

“But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

7) Lord, I pray that I and my family would keep watch and pray, that we would be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before You on that glorious day!

These 7 prayers are by no means a complete list. But I thought it prudent to write down what I consider some of the most important ones to help us navigate these difficult days. I hope that they encourage you and help you as well. Until He comes. 

Is revival still coming to this earth?

The year was 2008. I remember getting up early in the morning to watch the news about Hurricane Ike, set to make landfall in the Texas coastal area. As I watched the devastation unfolding, I remember asking the Lord some questions. Clearly this was His judgment on that region and I wondered how He could judge the middle of the country. The coastlands seemed obvious. But I was living in the northern Midwest at the time and we hardly ever had bad weather that could cause such calamity. I know these seem like strange questions and thoughts. But if you know your Bible, you know the Lord uses calamity to wake us up and turn our hearts to Him. So I asked Him, how would you judge this region, the one I’m living in? I was just talking to Him, honestly. It was just a question, curiosity. It’s how I talk to Him. I did not expect to get an answer. But I did. Within 48 hours that storm hit Cincinnati with 70 mph winds and brought devastation to our region. 750,000 homes without power. Some of those homes didn’t get it back for days or even a week. Trees down everywhere. It was a bad storm to say the least and yes, I was shocked at how He answered me. This was in September. Fast forward to January 2009. 

I’m sitting in church one Sunday. The preacher is preaching. The Lord begins to speak to me so loudly that I couldn’t miss what He was saying to me. I heard Him say to me, “just like that hurricane came through this region and not one home was left untouched, so my spirit will roar through this region, and not one home will be left untouched by my presence.”

I wasn’t sure what to think of what I heard. It confirmed other words I had heard from the Lord, and also from many prophets who had spoken similar things in times past. But as with most words spoken by the spirit of God, there is always a time of waiting for that word to come to pass. Years went by. Truthfully, I began to doubt that I had heard Him. Maybe, I had just imagined those words out of my own heart. Maybe, I wanted revival so badly, that I had made it up. But did I?

The end of 2019 was not good. There were many false prophets who prophesied things over 2020 that were not true. They all spoke revival, packed stadiums with people hungry for God, good things about to happen. We all know how that ended. Not well. Many people became disillusioned about prophets and rightly so. Instead of revival, we got lockdowns and closed churches. 

I became so disillusioned with the whole prophetic movement that I stopped going to charismatic churches. The funny thing was, I still believed in prophecy. I still believed in the gifts of the Spirit. But I no longer knew who to believe or what to believe about these things. It seemed so confusing. But I also knew that confusion is not of God. 

During this season I began to listen to Christian teachers or pastors who talked about end time prophecy. They talked about the rapture and the tribulation. They talked about the second coming of Jesus Christ. They made a lot of sense, because what was happening in the world was in fact lining up perfectly with what Daniel and John, and even Jesus Himself, had prophesied would happen at the time of the end. I could see end time prophecy unfolding before my very eyes. But there was always that nagging thought, how about that revival I had heard so much about? 

I saw there were two camps in the church. One believed that the end was near, the only revival they thought would happen, no, could happen, would be during the tribulation when millions would get saved because they finally realize that the Bible is true. But there was also the other camp, insisting that revival was coming. I could see little pockets of revival happening, some of them in prayer groups, others in universities or schools. And there was always those words that I had heard personally from the Holy Spirit, that He would pour out His spirit on all flesh. Slowly it dawned on me what that meant. Joel 2:28 says this: “”And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh”. Notice it says all, not some. All flesh. Not the church. All flesh. In other words, the whole world!

Now why would the Lord do that? I asked myself that question because I was still trying to reconcile, or marry the two different beliefs that the two camps held. Are we in the end times? Or is revival coming? 

It’s been my personal experience that when there are two different doctrines, for want of a better word, in the Bible, it’s probably both. For example, predestination and free will. It’s both, people! Some things are predestined to happen, like the first coming and the second coming. There is a day and an hour! Nothing will change that. But, the Lord also says He will have mercy, and He will pour out His Spirit on all flesh. Why? Because, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9 

He doesn’t want to send people to hell. He wants to give all of us, the entire world, a chance to repent before He raptures His church and pours out His wrath on the earth, as shown in the book of Revelation.

It’s funny how things make no sense, and then one day, a light bulb goes on in your mind. Yes, it’s both. Perhaps you have struggled, as I have. Perhaps the shenanigans in the church have left you disillusioned and confused. You’ve watched the scandals unfold over the past year, you’ve heard the false prophecies that did not come to pass and you have grown weary of it all. Let me encourage you with this. Your faith is not in your pastor, some teacher or some internet prophet. Your faith started with Jesus Christ and it ends with Him! He is the author and finisher of your faith, not some man or woman. Seek Him. Seek His word. Get grounded in the Bible. It is the foundation of your walk with Him. When you know the word, it is harder to fool you. 

When the disciples asked Jesus in Matthew to tell them about the time of the end, “Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you.“ Why would He make this the first warning? Because that’s the number one sign to watch out for, deception! So be encouraged my friend. Revival is coming, but so is your redemption. He’s coming soon. Be comforted and know that He who has promised is faithful. 

What are you thirsty for?

Have you ever driven through the desert? Many years ago when my oldest was just a baby, we drove from San Diego, California to Yuma, Arizona. That road takes you through some incredible wilderness. I saw enormous vultures, the like I have not seen since. But what really stuck in my mind from that road trip so many years ago, was the dry heat. It was so powerful that it felt like it sucked the moisture right out of your body. We could not drink enough throughout those hours of driving, and at that time, there were almost no places to stop and get water. The thirst that I felt was unquenchable. 

As I look back on that time, I am reminded that there is also another kind of thirst, a thirst that few talk about, but most if not all of us struggle with. It is the spiritual thirst that God put in us, that causes us to never feel satisfied. God created within us a vacuum, an inner void or empty place that only He Himself could fill. Even though this thirst, or void, is spiritual, it manifests itself in physical ways. And just like the dry California desert heat, this thirst cannot be quenched by physical or emotional things. It often expresses itself through addictions, but the fix is always temporary. 

What are you thirsty for? What do you crave above all else on earth? Is it love, acceptance, food, sex or perhaps something else that is so deep and so hidden inside of your soul, that you can hardly find the words to express it? You just know that you have a deep longing for something, and nothing will satisfy that craving, no matter how hard you try. The Bible calls that intense desire, thirst.  The gospel of John tells us in John 7:37 that Jesus literally addressed this issue: “On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.“ What is it that Jesus offered them to drink? He tells us in the next sentence. “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” John 7:38

We are told a story in John 4 about Jesus coming across a woman who was getting water from the town well at noon. He had an interesting conversation with her. Clearly, she was thirsty, which is why she was getting water. But He started the conversation with an odd request. Jesus asked the woman for a drink! This startled her and here’s what happened next: “Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.” (John 4:9) He then tells her that if she knew who she was talking to, she would have asked Him for a drink and He would have given her living water. Not fully understanding what living water was, she thought it meant she would never have to walk back to the well and get water again. Jesus cut to the chase and addressed her thirst. He told her to go get her husband. If you know the story, she responds by telling him she has no husband. And that is when it gets interesting because Jesus tells her that she’s actually had 5 husbands and the one she has now is not her husband. This woman was indeed thirsty and it appears from her life that no man had ever been able to quench that thirst. 

But why would Jesus ask her to get her husband? Because it is not until we identify the cause of our thirst, that we can begin to recognize that no one, not any man or woman, not money or power, nor food or sex, or anything else on this earth can ever quench our thirst for the living God. It is not until we admit this to ourselves that we can come to Him and ask for this living water, the water that only Jesus the Rock can give us.

We are given a foreshadow of this living water in the book of Exodus when we are told about the children of Israel who had been wandering about in the wilderness with Moses. The thrill of leaving Egypt was gone and now they were left wandering around in a dry and barren land for many days. How often do our lives feel like this? We feel like we have been wandering around in a wilderness, alone, hot and without any satisfaction, looking for a promised land that never seems to get any closer than our distant horizon or dreams. They were thirsty! They were literally dying of thirst and they blamed Moses. In Exodus 17:1-6 we are told their story. They believed it was his fault that they were in this situation and he was responsible for why they didn’t have anything to drink. So Moses went to the Lord and told Him the situation. (As if He didn’t know) The Lord told Moses to go to the rock in Horeb, and the Lord Himself would stand before Moses, and Moses should strike the rock and water would come out. Moses did exactly what he was told, and miraculously, water came gushing out of the rock.

How does this relate to being spiritually thirsty? The prophet Isaiah tells us in Isaiah 53:4.

In this chapter Isaiah describes the crucifixion, and says that God would “reckon Him stricken, struck down by God and afflicted”. The Father struck Jesus, the Rock, so that living waters would come out of Him. Paul confirms this in 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 when he tells us that the children of Israel “all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of the Spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ”.

So I ask again, what are you really thirsty for? Identify your craving, not the physical symptom that you use to momentarily satisfy it, but the deeper one, the one that you can’t face because it is too painful. When you have found it, come to the One who has the living water and ask Him for a drink. He has promised that He will grant your request. His love for you is so great, that He laid down His life for you, so you could spend eternity with Him. He died on that cross, so you could live. And He is calling you, yes you, and telling you that He desires to give you living water. His name is Jesus. In Isaiah 55:1, Isaiah, like Jesus in the temple, cries out: “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters!” Cry out to Him and He will answer you. 

Are you sick of scandal in the church?

I find myself very discouraged these days. The church seems to be full of scandal. It doesn’t matter what denomination you belong to, Protestant or Catholic, the scandals are all around. Unfortunately, just as in the time of Jesus on earth, the religious leaders of today are full of hypocrisy. Both Jesus and John the Baptist called them out for their hypocrisy back then, (“Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'”) Matthew 15:7-9. It seems that not much has changed. 

It is hard to watch these kinds of things happen, especially, when they are from people we have listened to, learned from and trusted. Sometimes I find it hard to wrap my brain around how these men or women can do the things they do.  They live one life on stage and another life in their off hours. How can we make sense of all this? We know that Jesus is not fooled by these people. In Matthew 7:22, Jesus talks about a coming day, a day when these people will stand before Him at the judgement seat and He tells us the scene from that day. They stand before Him, arrogantly proclaiming their own righteousness, proudly tell Him about their accomplishments, all done in His name. He is not fazed or swayed by their pride. “Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophecy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?” I cannot imagine standing before the Almighty, and not being afraid, no, terrified for my life, knowing that He has the power to throw me into hell. Yet these people are not afraid. They are not ashamed of their hypocrisy. But listen to what Jesus says to them in Matthew 7:23: “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” They practiced lawlessness. They said one thing and did the opposite. 

But notice something else about what Jesus says to them. He says “I never knew you”. He doesn’t say, “YOU don’t know me”, no, He says, I don’t know you and I never have. “I never knew you”! That statement is very important, because it gives us some insight into what really happened here. 

The prophet Hosea actually gives us some understanding about this situation. I know it’s not a book often read these days, but I want to show you some things that God teaches Hosea, that will help us to understand what is going on in the church today. In Hosea 2:2-5, the Lord talks about Israel not being His wife, nor Him being her husband (anymore). The Lord tells Hosea that Israel has committed harlotry or spiritual adultery because of all the idols that she worships. He goes on and tells Hosea that because of this idolatry, her children are children of harlotry. At first, this seems confusing. What is the Lord talking about here? Clearly, He is referring to spiritual things, not physical. But bear with me. 

Let me put it to you in modern terms. Any person that considers themselves a Christian, and brings forth a ministry that is born out of anything, and I mean anything, other than intimacy with our Lord, is creating a child of harlotry. This distinction is very subtle and very hard to discern, because only the Lord knows our hearts. If this upsets you, I understand. Many wonderful ministries and organizations have been born out of a heart of giving. What we would call philanthropy. But here’s the kicker. Anyone can be a philanthropist. You don’t have to even be a Christian, you can just be a kindhearted person and start a great ministry, a successful ministry that helps other people. Is there something wrong with this? Not necessarily. 

But let’s  go back to all those people who had great ministries, who healed, spoke prophecies, and cast out spirits. Listen to what Jesus says to His disciples right before He tells us about these people. He says: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. (Matthew 22:21) Jesus told His disciples on the night of His crucifixion “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” John 15:4. If we want to do the will of the Father, we have to abide in Him, spend time with Him, read His word, listen to His voice, and most importantly, obey Him! 

Ministries, for want of a better word, are spiritual children, spiritual fruit. They are born out of two places: Intimacy with the Lord, or intimacy with idols. That idol could simply be self. 

An example of this would be someone who has been wounded from past hurts. They struggle with self worth and self esteem issues. Much to their delight, they discover that when they help others, they feel better about themselves. It makes them feel like they have value and worth, which is not in and of itself a bad thing. They help more people, develop their talents or gifts, and begin to have an impact on their world, i.e. the church. The problem however is that they cannot feel good unless they are helping or doing. It is a constant struggle for them because, like an addict, the only time they are feeling “high” or good, is when they are actually doing ministry. To the people who know them, they appear to be mature leaders in the church. They are walking in their gifts, how could they not be? 

But what is really going on in their hearts? It’s not about loving Jesus. It’s about loving self.

Jesus told Peter in John 21:15-17, if you love me, you will feed and take care of my lambs (baby Christians) and my sheep.  And you see, that’s where we have to examine ourselves. Why are we starting a ministry? Is it because it makes us feel good? Does it make us look kind and caring to others? Does it give us power, authority, and perhaps a good income? Or are we doing it because we love Jesus and He is asking us to do it. And that, my friend is the difference. Are we being led by the Holy Spirit or our own spirits, or worse, an evil spirit using us to lead others astray?

When I look at these failed leaders, who upon examination, lived double lives for decades, it is quite obvious, at least to me, that their ministries were never born out of abiding with Jesus and obeying Him. These ministries were nothing but children of harlotry. 

Sadly, their hypocrisy reflects badly on the Lord and in the end, people become disillusioned with the church, and rightly so. Let me encourage you if this is you. Look to Jesus. If you belong to Him, realize that He will never lie to you or deceive you.  He is faithful. These evil leaders do not represent Him nor do they work for Him. Do not allow them to steal your faith and your walk with the Lord. 

Are we living in dangerous times?

When you read the word perilous, what immediately comes to your mind? I know I think of the word danger. If you look up the word perilous, the words that are used to describe it are hazardous and extreme risk or danger. It is a word that could easily be used on a warning sign near the edge of a cliff. And yet, Paul uses this very word in 2 Timothy 3:1. “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:” Notice that I left the colon, because Paul then goes on and uses 19 or 20 adjectives to describe what the world will look like in the end times. 

Here are the words he uses in verses 2-5: “For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!”

Does this not describe our world today? Sometimes when I’m having a particularly hard day, I read this passage and for some reason, it gives me strength. Perhaps it encourages me that I’m not alone. I remember that there are others out in the world who are experiencing similar difficulties. 

What I do find interesting about this passage however, is that Paul, who no doubt was sitting in a Roman prison, dealing with an empire that was killing Christians for entertainment, certainly persecuting them, never mentions any physical dangers. He never mentions that in the last days we would be persecuted, or thrown in jail, or tortured for our faith, perhaps even killed. That was already happening in Paul’s day and has continued throughout the ages. No, what Paul mentions here when referring to the last days, is entirely about the way people would behave and treat each other. And, if you look at verse 5, he tells us that this is people in the church! (having a form of godliness but denying its power”). I could perhaps handle this passage a little easier if it was just unbelievers who behave in selfish ways. That would actually make sense to me. But Paul warns us that it will be believers who have a form of godliness, that will act this way. I would suggest, that what he is referring to is hypocrisy. 

Sadly, Paul goes on to tell us that we should turn away from such people.

I could go on to describe what this kind of person looks like in today’s world, but I’m sure, if you are still reading this, that you have encountered them yourself. It makes me sad. 

Jesus tells us in John 15:12: “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” Yet, when I read the adjectives that Paul used in the above passage, I see absolutely no love. The world tells us to love ourselves. The world suggests that you are enough. There are songs that suggest that self love is the greatest love of all. Yet, when I’ve met people who believed those things, I saw only selfish, and often narcissistic behavior. 

So why am I writing this you might ask? I’m writing this because I want to encourage you. If you read those adjectives and like looking in a mirror, you saw yourself in those words, repent. Ask the Lord to forgive you, to give you a new heart and a new Spirit. He is gracious and forgiving. 

If you read those adjectives and you see those behaviors and attitudes all around you and it grieves your heart and mind, then take heart, you are not alone. We are in the last days on this earth as we know it. 

Jesus tells us in Luke 21:28, after describing what the world will look like in these last days, “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” Soon, very soon, those of us who are His will see Him in the clouds as He calls us home. Paul called it the “blessed hope” in Titus 2:13. He tells us that we should be  “looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ”.

So take heart, our redemption draws near. And when the darkness envelopes you, when you  feel overwhelmed by the amount of evil around you, look up and smile. Jesus told us to keep watch: “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.” (Matthew 25:13) Remember, there is a day and an hour! He will not tarry.