The END…

“31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. 32 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.” Mark 13:31-33 NIV

Have you seen any meteors or asteroids lately? They happen. An asteroid got uncomfortably close to the earth this past weekend as well as a meteor shower on Friday. Some of us say, "Cool."That would be those of us who did not have meteors crash nearby. Others of us get a little uncomfortable, because we don’t like the idea of giants rocks crashing down on our heads. Then there are others, people who hear about these things and think of it as a sign of the end of the world.

One day the world will end, and one day your world will end (your life will end). Maybe both events will be at the same time; who knows? Either way, isn’t it a waste of time to speculate when the end will be when we already know that the end will happen? It’s like speculating who will win a football game. We can speculate all day long, but until the game is played you will not know who will win the game until it happens. Rather than exhaust ourselves in speculation over the world’s end, let’s use our time and energy to make the most of it all. As God’s people our focus is not to be on the end of life, our focus should be on having a life that connects with our Lord each day. Jesus said “Be on guard” not to cause us to speculate over the end, but to encourage us to use our time wisely, to find joy in the Lord, and to be a help to others. So if you see a meteor headed your way, it wouldn’t hurt to duck (take cover); and while you are down there, use that time to pray. To connect with the Lord who will one day return. - Vic

courage

Take notice of the following names: Moses, Joshua, Rahab, David, Solomon, Esther, Hezekiah, Peter, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew the tax collector, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, Timothy, and Paul.  These names are just a few of the many heroes of faith we find throughout the Bible.  Could you imagine having to remind Joshua the great warrior and leader he needed to stay focused and be courageous?  Who has more courage than Joshua?  Consider the apostle Paul.  He was a man who was willing to preach the truth to those who had the power and the desire to kill him.  Who has more courage than Paul?

We look back at these amazing men and women of faith and courage, who were willing to stand up for the will of God no matter the odds.  We forget that they too were afraid.  They too needed to be reminded often to be courageous and strong in the Lord.  Paul requested prayers from the church that they would pray he would remain courageous and faithful to God’s will.  Do we do the same?  Do we pray for courage?  Do we pray that we too would have the courage to say no to our desires and temptations?  Do we have the courage to stand up for what is right and pure?  Do we have the courage to serve in the kingdom and to share the story of Jesus with those who are lost?  When we look at the great stories of courage from the Bible, we discover true courage is not from within us but from God.  So how do we find courage?  How do we obtain it?  Do we pray for it like Paul did?  We ask others to hold us accountable, and that they would pray we would be strong and courageous in the Lord.  Finally, don’t forget to read your Bible to be reminded of how God gives His people sufficient courage to do His will each day.  Remember He is faithful.  It is His strength we lean on.  It is His power that brings victory; therefore our courage in Him will lead us into victory each and everyday. - Vic