I wish it "were the good old days" where there was a common separation between natural life things and spiritual things. It was pretty easy back then to realize when you were crossing the line, or wallowing too much in the pleasures of the world...you could wash yourself up, and go into the presence of your spiritual congregation of believers, and get right back on track.
When I was just a young Christian, there was a big "Jesus Movement". The movement brought converts closer to Jesus by speaking of Rapture and the Tribulation to come. It caused many of my age group of young people to rush to Him for comfort. And it caused just about as many to rush away even quicker when days passed, and nothing happened.
In the meantime, I remember thinking hard about the techniques that Satan might use against me in end times in attempt to remove my allegiance from my Jesus. I practiced in my imagination rejecting the millions of dollars, the fame, the power that he would offer me to denounce my Christian faith. At many junctures in my life, when money and power would come my way, it was easy to reject in the name of Jesus Christ, because I could recognize the wickedness behind the offers. I was thankful that I had prepared early, because that was the common way Satan used to grab people.
Times have changed though, and the End is nearing. Satan is getting his armies in order, and is increasing his attempts at snaring both the young and older Christians. But...
This is important.....He has changed his focus and is he's going after the mature and older Christians and applying tremendous pressure to them, in hopes that if they fall, many of the younger Christians will be dragged down with them.
The techniques he is using is not the promises of riches or power. He's plucking away at family members, removing one after another after another. He's causing Christian leaders to be put into positions that give the appearance of evil when they hold strong to their Christian beliefs. He's not using the techniques of promises to riches and power against them........he's using rejection, exclusion, ridicule, anger, mistrust, and emotional blackmail to force their giving up of their commitment to the faithful.
Yesterday, I might have encouraged each of us to focus our complete attentions on the young Christians, to offer them protection, guidance, hope and a model for spiritual life that they can follow. Today, I have changed my focus......Young Christians are important, and we need to do all of those things, but we must turn our focus and our our committment to upholding the mature, the strong, the leaders, the shakers and the movers in our Christian family...because if one of them falls, they will take many, many, many young Christians with them, to Satan's great delight.
That is why the LORD GOD has established Guided Bible Studies for Hungry Christians, and why we are receiving so many blessings from Him. The strong Christians must uphold each other, joining together in strong congregation, focused on the Word of God, and upholding the principles and patterns that He has set forth. Once the strong Christians have come together and united, the young Christians have a better place to give more of themselves to our Christ.
Times are going to get rough in the coming days...we must stand together in allegiance to our Christ....for alone we will fall and fail to accomplish the Works He desires us to do!
Bucker
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved; but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. (Matthew 24:21-22 AV)
When I was just a young Christian, there was a big "Jesus Movement". The movement brought converts closer to Jesus by speaking of Rapture and the Tribulation to come. It caused many of my age group of young people to rush to Him for comfort. And it caused just about as many to rush away even quicker when days passed, and nothing happened.
In the meantime, I remember thinking hard about the techniques that Satan might use against me in end times in attempt to remove my allegiance from my Jesus. I practiced in my imagination rejecting the millions of dollars, the fame, the power that he would offer me to denounce my Christian faith. At many junctures in my life, when money and power would come my way, it was easy to reject in the name of Jesus Christ, because I could recognize the wickedness behind the offers. I was thankful that I had prepared early, because that was the common way Satan used to grab people.
Times have changed though, and the End is nearing. Satan is getting his armies in order, and is increasing his attempts at snaring both the young and older Christians. But...
This is important.....He has changed his focus and is he's going after the mature and older Christians and applying tremendous pressure to them, in hopes that if they fall, many of the younger Christians will be dragged down with them.
The techniques he is using is not the promises of riches or power. He's plucking away at family members, removing one after another after another. He's causing Christian leaders to be put into positions that give the appearance of evil when they hold strong to their Christian beliefs. He's not using the techniques of promises to riches and power against them........he's using rejection, exclusion, ridicule, anger, mistrust, and emotional blackmail to force their giving up of their commitment to the faithful.
Yesterday, I might have encouraged each of us to focus our complete attentions on the young Christians, to offer them protection, guidance, hope and a model for spiritual life that they can follow. Today, I have changed my focus......Young Christians are important, and we need to do all of those things, but we must turn our focus and our our committment to upholding the mature, the strong, the leaders, the shakers and the movers in our Christian family...because if one of them falls, they will take many, many, many young Christians with them, to Satan's great delight.
That is why the LORD GOD has established Guided Bible Studies for Hungry Christians, and why we are receiving so many blessings from Him. The strong Christians must uphold each other, joining together in strong congregation, focused on the Word of God, and upholding the principles and patterns that He has set forth. Once the strong Christians have come together and united, the young Christians have a better place to give more of themselves to our Christ.
Times are going to get rough in the coming days...we must stand together in allegiance to our Christ....for alone we will fall and fail to accomplish the Works He desires us to do!
Bucker
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved; but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. (Matthew 24:21-22 AV)
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