“It (2023) could have been immeasurably worse. But holding back from the brink in 2023 has simply deferred vast crises to 2024. The post-covid world is exhausted, cash-strapped, but ultimately more fraught than for decades. Overshadowing it all will be a flagging hyperpower, at best distracted with presidential elections, at worst tearing itself apart in voting disputes and political extremism. The likelihood the United States will be occupied by its own traumas amplifies each risk. The geopolitical given of a US response will be absent, fuelling authoritarian ambition, or a radical upending of the global order. 2024 could make 2023 seem rational and sober.”
CNN, 12-26-23
“It feels to me as if America is sitting on a powder keg and the fuse has been lit. The protective shield that all democracies and social orders rely on – legitimacy of the governing body, some level of elite responsibility, the willingness of citizens to view their neighbors in a civic way – is in an advanced stage of decline or collapse. It’s quite possible that the powder keg that America’s sitting on will explode over the course of 2024.”
– Larry Jacobs, director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota
The Guardian, 12-27-23
“Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.”
Revelation 14:12
“And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. If anyone has an ear, let him hear:
If anyone is to be taken captive,
to captivity he goes;
if anyone is to be slain with the sword,
with the sword must he be slain.
Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.”
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”
Matthew 24:9-13
It’s in the air. Whether they’re a believer or not, people can sense that there is more darkness ahead. The pieces on the board are being positioned for an increase in conflict, division, and sorrow.
I’ve been reading through the book of Revelation lately; God’s word calls (evens pleads?) for endurance for those who know Him several times. We’re not in the tribulation yet, but the scenes described in Revelation and Matthew 24 of people cursing God and man, tearing each other apart, and runaway violence are here today. Churches are splitting and closing, with an epidemic of sexual sin and bondage that is often ignored, a hidden vein of spiritual abuse, sexual abuse, believers falling away, and youth hitting the exits in droves. Many are playing with the occult or addicted to entertainment.
Whew. I’m ready to sign off just after writing this first part. No wonder sales of anxiety and other psychiatric medications are through the roof.
Yet, to endure until the end, we must understand the times we’re in and order our lives accordingly. We must warn people that passive, lukewarm Christianity won’t work, and equip everyone for the dangers ahead.
How we live today is critical. Oswald Chambers writes:
“We imagine we would be all right if a big crisis arose; but the big crisis will only reveal what we are made of, it will not put anything into us. ‘If God gives the call, of course I will rise to the occasion.’ You will not unless you have risen to the occasion in the workshop of life, unless you have been the real thing before God already… when the crisis comes, instead of being revealed as fit, you will be revealed as unfit. Crises always reveal character.
‘I can’t be expected to live the sanctified life in the circumstances I am in; I have no time for praying just now, no time for Bible reading, my opportunity hasn’t come yet; when it does, of course I shall be all right.” No, you will not. If you have not been worshipping consistently, when you get into ministry work you will not only be useless yourself, but a tremendous hindrance to those who are associated with you.’”
Let’s look at how we can order our lives to endure and make a difference for the long haul.
Remember His promises to be with us.
“lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:20
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Deuteronomy 31:6
No matter how hard it gets, remember that God is with those who love and fear Him. Don’t allow the enemy to batter you into the hopelessness that comes with the lie God isn’t near or can help us through.
In times of weariness, ask Him for strength.
“Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.”
There have been many times, including recently, when I’ve felt physically weak or spent, asked Him for the strength to keep going, and He came through. This is where the Christian life becomes a powerful walk of faith in an almighty God who can do anything, including giving His beloved children what they need to keep going.
Remember that our time on earth is short.
Our trials and suffering will come to an end, and then we will have all eternity to enjoy His presence. We need not fear suffering or pain. With God there is a purpose and even blessings in our trials.
“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”
Romans 8:18
“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
James 1:2-4
No playing games with sin.
As the writer for CNN said, we live in a time when many are exhausted. Bondage to sin weighs us down and will burn us out quickly. If you’re in bondage to any kind of sin, whether it’s lust, bitterness, pride, fear, food-binging, drugs, or alcohol, take action, now. This means reaching out for help. We see many lives destroyed because the person wants to sit back and wait for the magic bible verse or a lightning strike from above that will take all their problems away.
“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Hebrews 12:1-2
Take time to heal.
There are many in the body of Christ who are hurting from unresolved wounds of the past, spiritual, sexual, or emotional abuse, or some other affliction, such as spiritual torment. Marathons aren’t run on broken legs. There are times in our life when we need Jesus with skin on—another believer—for healing and help. Attempting to outrun our pain through busy-ness, medicating it with sin, or stuffing our emotions doesn’t work. Get help now.
Get off the drug of entertainment.
Binging on entertainment for hours a day kills the spiritual life and creates lukewarm, prayerless believers. The more we pray, the less we crave mindless entertainment. Extended screen time quenches prayer and the hunger for God. It doesn’t matter whether the content is Christian or secular; reduce the footprint of entertainment on your soul.
Live a Life of Prayer
Spend an hour with God every day. You need His strength, wisdom, understanding, conviction of sin, guidance, love, and the filling of His Spirit, every day. Make time with Him your number one priority. From morning until night, prayer should fill every believer’s life. God commands us to be devoted to prayer. Click the link above for more on living a life of prayer.
“Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving”
Colossians 4:2
Prayer Meetings!
We desperately need prayer meetings running 7 days a week, at every church. Believers everywhere should be meeting for prayer and crying out to God for mercy, repentance, salvation, victory over the enemy, for captives to be set free, and that He would set the minds and hearts of believers everywhere on that which counts for eternity. If you read the book of Acts you’ll see that the early church began with 7 days straight of prayer meetings and they continued to meet for prayer all the way through.
There is no reason every church can’t break up for prayer for at least 15-20 minutes pf prayer in their weekend services. If I were pastoring a church I’d devote one weekend service a month to prayer alone.
At Blazing Grace we have prayer meetings going on by zoom through the week, including one I highly recommend (and attend when I’m able) Wednesday mornings. Contact us if you want to get plugged in. Our groups are for anyone who speaks English, from any country; we have participants from North America and Europe.
You must be saturated in the truth.
We live in a time of lies and deception. To know the truth requires that we soak our spirits in God’s word every day.
Stop pampering comfort zones.
Comfort-driven churches are lukewarm mills that put their flocks to sleep. Topics such as sin, hell, sexual issues, the occult, entertainment addiction, suicide, and equipping for spiritual warfare must be brought to the forefront. Toxic positivity is killing the church. Breaking your people up for sharing and prayer during your weekend services will remove isolation and bring healing to many. Give God’s people what they need, not what they think they want.
You must be a part of a tribe.
80-90% of Christians are isolated, meaning they don’t meet with another believer weekly for the purpose of encouragement, accountability, support and prayer. This is a big reason why the church is coming apart; isolated believers are easily picked off. Get plugged in.
Rest.
Stop. Turn your phone off. Sit alone with God in silence. Takes walks outdoors. Listen. Give your soul the space and time it needs to recover and heal from the trauma we’re immersed in, often. Worship. Listen to music that praises God. Slow down. Lighten your load by thinning out the chaff and unnecessary distractions of your life. There’s a big difference between “burning out for God” in flesh-driven ministry verses walking with Him at His pace and in His will.
Rest is a critical part of the Christian life.
“Beware of any work for God that causes or allows you to avoid concentrating on Him. A great number of Christian workers worship their work. The only concern of Christian workers should be their concentration on God.”
– Oswald Chambers
“O Lord, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty;
Nor do I involve myself in great matters,
Or in things too difficult for me.
Surely I have composed and quieted my soul;
Like a weaned child rests against his mother,
My soul is like a weaned child within me.”
Psalm 131:1-2
“One hand full of rest is better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind.”
Ecclesiastes 4:6
Pour your life out until the end.
There is no retirement for a Christ follower. Jesus poured His life out for others until His last breath. Should we not do the same? Paul kept going until he was martyred; tradition tells us he was beheaded. Spending the last 20 years of life puttering around the house is a waste of the precious life we’re given. We’re called to be broken bread and poured out wine until the end. I don’t just want to endure, I want fruit from my life. Go hard until the end. Don’t waste your life on the short lived pleasures of this world.
“The righteous flourish like the palm tree
and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
They are planted in the house of the Lord;
they flourish in the courts of our God.
They still bear fruit in old age;
they are ever full of sap and green,
to declare that the Lord is upright;
he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.”
Psalm 92:12-15
Expect trials, suffering, and pain.
If you live the way of the Rogue Christian as I’ve described above, you’ll draw the enemy’s fire. Just ask Job. Jesus guaranteed suffering in the life of His followers. Dig in, keep praying, and moving forward. Warfare is a sign that you’re making a difference. You might even think of it as a badge of honor that proves you’re a son or daughter of God, a spiritual warrior, and an overcomer.
Or, to your peril, you can live for comfort, fun, and pleasure, as many in the church are doing, and Satan may leave you alone, for a time.
We offer support groups, prayer groups, counseling, and more. Please contact us if you want to get plugged in.
Speaking of Getting the Wrong Attention…
Since the Christmas weekend, around 300 posts were made on the Blazing Grace Facebook page that were obscene in nature. The posts included “F… you,” attacks on me and the ministry, links to porn websites, dark pictures and memes attacking Jesus and the church, attacks on women, comments on how “porn is good,” and more. One picture was so vile it made me sick. We’ve also been getting posts with links on The Rogue Christian that are so twisted I don’t want to say more about them.
“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Matthew 5:11-12
They also posted links to news articles where Christians were arrested for sexual abuse or other sex-related crimes, which are a daily occurrence in the US. The outside world knows that many in the church are in bondage to sexual sin… yet many churches still avoid those topics. There’s no way a church that is corrupt with sexual and other forms of sin can be salt and light.
“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.”
Matthew 5:13
The days of playing ostrich with sex, porn, and other issues God’s people are in bondage to must come to an end.
