Troublesome Times, Yet No Fear

 

 

Lina Johnson – Prayer Center Coach

Have you been watching the news? There is no doubt the times we live in are troublesome. It can be shocking what people will do to one another.

Then there are the natural disasters. One comes and, before the people can recover, another one strikes somewhere else.

It can all be overwhelming. However, God is not overwhelmed, nor is He surprised!

Luke 21:8-19 is a great reminder that God is all-knowing. Jesus prophesies as to what is to come. It is not all good news. It certainly was not what the disciples hoped to hear. However, it does end in a glorious promise in verses 18 and 19:

But not a hair of your head will perish! By standing firm, you will win your souls. (NLT)

How marvelous God is! Jesus not only warns us what is to come, He also shares the hope that through Him we can overcome!

God has faithfully told us our options and their consequences from the beginning. In Genesis 2:16-17 He told Adam:

But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden—except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”

God knew Adam would fail. He knows we will sometimes fail. However, we do not need to fear, because God always has a plan. Revelation 13:8 tells us Jesus was the plan from the beginning:

… the Lamb who was slaughtered before the world was made.

God knew Jesus would need to come and die on a cross to make things right. We have no need to fear. God has a plan, He is for us, and He loves us.

First John 4:18 informs us about God’s love casting out fear.

Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.

God’s love is perfect and no matter what we face, or how crazy this world gets, His love is always there for us, to rescue us. Romans 8:35-39 states it this way:

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We, therefore, have hope and confidence in our God. Do not let the events around you, or even those in your life, cause you to fear. Trust in the Lord for He is good.

God of the Living and not the Dead

 

John Struzzo – Prayer Center Assistant Coach/Recruiter, cbn.com

I am so glad that Jesus tells us:

“He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.” Luke 20:38 (NIV).

This verse brings comfort to me knowing that all of us who live and die in Christ are alive forevermore with Him. This has special meaning to me since my mom died about a year-and-a-half ago from COVID-19. She was a woman of great faith and believed in Jesus. She is not dead but is truly alive with Christ.

Soon after my mom’s passing, my dad also passed away. Yet, he is not dead; he asked Jesus into his life and to forgive him for his sins. I had the privilege of leading my dad to Christ many years before his passing, and he is also alive with Christ.

I believe the Lord has given me a picture of them together with the greatest smiles you can imagine. They are in the care of the Lord Himself—safe in His hands. I look forward to the day I will see them again.

I am so thankful to Jesus for His giving my mom and dad eternal life. This eternal life is made absolutely clear in this very familiar verse:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

I would not want to be separated for one second from Jesus, and I can’t even imagine life without a relationship with Him. Jesus is clear that we have the freedom to accept or reject Him—in both life and death:

“I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.” John 8:24

My heart’s desire and prayer for all is that we believe that Jesus is the one He claims to be, and so we will not die our sins. Jesus says that our new birth is a spiritual birth. By believing in Jesus who is the Savior of the world, we are born again. The Holy Spirit Himself guarantees our:

Inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. Ephesians 1:14.

Don’t Let the Rock Cry Louder

 

Nia Taylor, cbn.com

Are you struggling in certain areas, and you find your praise and worship life has gone… stale? I’ve

asked the Lord: “Help me level up my worship to You. I know I have not given You my all. I know

there is a higher place than I can reach. Please don’t let the rocks cry out louder than I.”

The Gospel of Luke tells us:

“When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”

“I tell you,” He replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” Luke 19:37-40 (NIV)

There are times when I feel numb, and it is so hard to even cry out to you. It is like the devil has a hold of my tongue.

I know the Lord has authority over situations that bring me down because if I use my language, I can speak my way out of it. My praise is my power, and when my strength is dim, I have to increase my praise even if I have to force my flesh to cry out. Listening to music helps, reading psalms helps, opening my mouth and singing whatever song on my heart helps, and singing songs specific to my situation helps. I will not let the Pharisees or the negative people in my life stop my praise or speak against my circumstances. I won’t let them silence me, so you should not let them silence you. Don’t let the devil’s negative thoughts stop your praise even when you are in a dry place. Use your mouth and cry out unto the Lord.

God’s words have the power to raise people from the dead; your words have the power to praise you out of a bad situation. God is worth our praise! There is nothing He won’t do for you. Let us shout and receive Him in every moment, good or bad. We should trust that the Lord hears our cries, shouts, praise, and song. He loves to listen to our voices. Let our voices be heard here and in the heavenly realms!

The Perverse Generation

 

Sarah Phillips, Crosswalk.com

“O unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you and put up with you?” Luke 9:41

There is much written today about how the world has lost touch with God and morality. It’s easy to view the past with rose-tinted glasses, to believe in “the good old days” or reminisce about a golden era.  We do this in the Church all the time, often pointing to one practice that, if resurrected, would surely turn this generation around.

“If only the women still wore head coverings in church… ”

“If only we sang ancient hymns… ”

“If only young men and women got married earlier… ”

Don’t read me wrong here… these issues are important. But the stark reality is, every generation has fallen short of God’s glory. Every generation has sinned. Does this sound familiar?

“The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers.”

How often have I been tempted to mutter these words when encountering today’s teenagers? But this quote is attributed to Socrates by Plato. Apparently, teens weren’t doing so well in the ancient world either. The fallen nature of man has followed us through the ages, plaguing the youth and old alike. Our broken nature manifests itself in so many ways… from the darkest sins to our lack of basic manners and courtesy.

Jesus himself seemed to grow weary of the sins of his own day. I imagine the openinscripture was expressed with a mix of sadness and righteous anger.

But what is the rest of the story? Even as his sinful followers surrounded him, Jesus healed the spiritual and physical afflictions of a possessed boy. We see here that going back to the “good old days” doesn’t have the power to save us. It’s the person of Jesus Christ who saves. This is the miracle of Easter: The incredible mercy of a God who would be justified in staying angry forever after the golden era of Eden went terribly wrong. He hears our cries for redemption – weak though they may be – and saves us.

Is the world worse today than it was yesterday? Does it matter? God’s patience and mercy for our “perverse and unbelieving generation” reveal the depths of his divine love. And those forgiven the most sins have the greatest number of reasons to rejoice.

Rewards for Following Jesus

 

John Struzzo – Prayer Center Assistant Coach/Recruiter

As a believer in Christ, the greatest reward is having a relationship with Jesus! I am so eternally grateful for this relationship which I enjoy, but it’s not all that God has given me. In Luke 18:29-30, Jesus says:

“No one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life” (NIV).

I can’t help but think of all the fellow believers God has put in my path who have been blessings to me. I have been able to bless others as well. I am thinking of one believer who has gone out of his way to pour encouragement in to my life. We used to work together, but God called him to a new assignment in a different state. He still prays for me and reaches out to me by text every Sunday to encourage me, share Scriptures and let me know he is praying for me. He is a true gift from the Lord, and I have benefitted from this relationship by being willing to follow Jesus!

My life has been enhanced and blessed by having such relationships in my life. And they will never end because I will be with these believers in Heaven. Thankfully, following Jesus leads to the ultimate destination of eternal life in Heaven with Him. I so look forward to that time. Apostle Paul looked forward to that time as well when he said, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).

God has been so good to me, and He has been my provider. He even let me know that He was my provider when I was wondering why I had not made as much money as I thought I should be making as a real estate agent, and why I had not been more successful. God clearly let me know that if He wanted to give me more houses to sell that He could do it. I received that message knowing that ultimately God is my provider.

For believers, let me encourage you to realize and count all the blessings you have in life that God has given you: you are part of the family of God and you get to go to Heaven and have eternal life with Christ and all other fellow believers. If you are not a believer, let me encourage you to become one so that you may also enter in to eternal life with Him and to be a part of the family of God here on earth and in the age to come!

Following Christ

 

 

John Struzzo – Prayer Center Assistant Coach/Recruiter

I know what it is like to follow Christ. When we follow Him, we show that we trust Him and believe He will provide for us and fulfill His promises.

I know a thing or two about following Christ. Regarding my wedding and marriage, God let me know that the lady I was dating was someone He had in mind for me. He even let me know when we would be married and who He wanted as the pastor to marry us.  I am so glad we followed Christ’s lead because I had the peace of knowing that God was for this marriage. Beyond having this peace, by following Christ we were able to experience the fruit of following Christ—the pastor at our wedding shared the Gospel during the ceremony and we believe that at least one person accepted the Lord Jesus into her life that day.

I also experienced what it is like to follow Christ when I went back to school to get a Master of Divinity degree at Regent University. God let me know this was the school He had in mind for me. Although it was not revealed at first when this would happen, it did happen after about 28 years of waiting. I tried to go a year before God wanted me to go, but I didn’t have God’s peace. So, I decided to wait. The following year things seemed to fall into place for me and my wife to go. And we had peace about moving forward. We had to get rid of enough of our belongings (except for two items we sent ahead of us by mail) to be able to travel across country in our car. It turned out well because we were doing what Jesus tells us to do: let go of what we are holding onto here on earth to put Him first and follow Him (Luke 18:22).

We learned about trusting in the Lord and how God makes our paths straight in a very real way. It brought to life my favorite Scriptures in the Bible, Proverbs 3:5-6:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” (NIV).

We were completely dependent upon God to provide everything.

Thankfully, going to Regent was what He wanted, so He had everything prepared for us. Just like He has prepared for you. We just need to move forward in faith and follow Christ. And when we move in faith, God will move on our behalf to provide everything we need to serve Him. How true is the Scripture:

“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

In Our Midst

 

 

Marissa Nordlum – Email Analyst

“One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, “When will the Kingdom of God come?” Jesus replied, “The Kingdom of God can’t be detected by visible signs. You won’t be able to say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘It’s over there!’ For the Kingdom of God is already among you.” Luke 17:20-21 NLT

Just like the Pharisee who asked Jesus in Luke 17, “When will the Kingdom of God come?”, sometimes I get caught longing for eternity and to be in Heaven with our Lord and our loved ones. The things of this earth can cause us to become weary and long for Heaven. And while that longing of eternity with Christ will someday be fulfilled, we can find joy here on this earth as God is with us even now. I am reminded by Jesus’ words that the Kingdom is already here in our midst, and every day we can experience His presence.

Because of our belief that Jesus Christ died for our sins and was resurrected to give us eternal life, we can experience God’s presence in our lives. We can see His work in our lives and the lives of others when we position our spiritual eyes to be open to seeing Him move. While sin and death are present and part of our lives, even greater is God’s grace and His hand at work! It is in Him that we can put our hope!

From the air we breathe, to the people we interact with, to the amazing miracles taking place all around us, God’s kingdom is always advancing here on this earth. Every day, we can look for the Kingdom of God at work in our lives. Even in trials, there are millions of little miracles taking place all around us:  new life being born, salvation prayers being prayed, healing taking place, addiction being overcome, families being restored, and even lives entering into eternity are all evidence of the Kingdom of God at work in and on the earth.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed with the things of this world that may distract our attention or focus from seeing the hand of God. Today my prayer is that our hearts would be positioned to see and experience the Kingdom of God, every day of our lives. Would you pray with me?

Rejoicing in His Grace

 

 

Gordon Robertson – President and CEO, CBN

Although God ordained three major feasts for His people, many Christians are only familiar with the first two: the Feast of Unleavened Bread, or Passover, and the Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost. Yet the third also has great significance. It’s the Feast of Tabernacles—a special week each fall when families build temporary shelters outside their homes.

Essentially the idea is to cement in ourselves the fact that we are sojourners. While we may have houses with good roofs over our heads, the reality is that we are here temporarily. And the older I get, the more I understand just how temporary life is.

It’s a yearly reminder that we are looking for a city, whose builder and maker is God (Hebrews 11:10). All of our efforts here on earth should be oriented toward that place in eternity.

God said:

“You shall observe the Feast of Tabernacles seven days, when you have gathered from your threshing floor and from your winepress. And you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant and the Levite, the stranger and the fatherless and the widow, who are within your gates. … The Lord your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you surely rejoice” (Deuteronomy 16:13-15)

Notice that it’s not just for the head of the household—and that twice God gives the command to rejoice. This is a party for everybody!

And it will be celebrated even after Jesus returns. Zechariah 14:16 says,

It shall come to pass that everyone … shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

The Torah readings for this week are called the Intermediate Days. As Christians, we are certainly living in the Intermediate Days between Jesus’ first and second coming. So how do we rejoice during this in-between time? One Torah reading includes God’s promise in Exodus 33:19,

“I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”

So, while waiting for the prophetic fulfillment of Christ’s glorious return, rejoice that the Lord has chosen you for His service—and remember that He has compassion and grace for you every day of the year. God bless you!

Unique or Not?

 

Vernell Windsor – Prayer Center Coach, cbn.com

Growing up, I thought my family was unique. Others have probably thought the same about their families. Who could dispute it? My parents sternly warned us not to tell our “business” to others under threat of punishment! We went to Mass and ate fish on Fridays (I did not like fish). My siblings and I attended Catholic schools and got good grades. We knew our parents loved us and not much else mattered. Unique, right?

I remember being five or six and wanting a pack of chewing gum from the Ben Franklin store we visited. I snuck it when my mother wasn’t looking. When my crime was discovered, my father gave me a terrible spanking. Ben Franklin never had to worry about me taking anything again… ever! My dad put the fear of God in me and I love him dearly for it! Unique, right?

As a tween, my siblings and I were playing ball in the house. Did I mention that we were told not to do this? As fate would have it, we broke the ceiling light. We had that look of terror on our faces because we knew what was going to happen when my Father got home. He lined us up according to age and the “party” began. I don’t know about you, but my father could whip off that leather belt in a New York minute—one, two, three, and bam! That was another fear-and-trembling moment in our lives. Unique, right?

My family was a closely knit one that looked out for its own. We had challenges, but a lack of love was not one of them. My sister followed me everywhere. My parents required her to tag along. Consequently, we would do anything for one another (then and now).

My heart races with emotion as I read about King David and his family. The prophet Nathan rebuked King David after he committed adultery:

“Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.” Thus says the Lord: “Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house.” 2 Samuel 12:10-11 (NKJV)

The king paid a heavy price for his sin.

Second Samuel 13 presents a jaw-dropping family drama. (Read 2 Samuel 13:1-39.) No sacred secrets here! I read in wonderment, as Amnon went from loving (perhaps lust better describes those feelings) his sister Tamar to committing violence against her, to hating her.

Imagine going to care for your ill brother but getting violated instead. This traumatic deed made the king “very angry,” but we do not read about him punishing his son. Cultural differences do require some consideration, but our hearts sadly weep for Tamar.

Tamar’s brother, Absalom, did not respond like their father. Perhaps Amnon had even forgotten the incident? Two years later, Absalom slew his brother. This whole account portrays family dysfunction at its worst! Thank God for grace and mercy!

I think I’ll keep my unique family just as we are!

Right Your Wrongs

 

 

 

Nia Taylor, cbn.com

 

It is essential to maintain the relationships God gives us here on Earth. We are all His children and need to treat each other right. Years ago, I decided to close the door on a friendship because our lifestyles no longer aligned. I made a good choice for myself, but the timing was wrong, and the way I went about it was wrong.

In 2 Samuel 9, we learn the story of Mephibosheth. His father, Jonathan was King David’s close friend and his grandfather, Saul was the former King of Israel (1 Samuel 18). Both of these men had been killed in battle (1 Samuel 31).

One day, King David asked one of Saul’s former servants:

“Is there no one still alive from the house of Saul to whom I can show God's kindness?” Ziba answered the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is lame in both feet.” (2 Samuel 9:3 NIV)

His name was Mephibosheth. David sent for him and gave him all the land that belonged to his grandfather Saul and servants to tend it. Plus, he treated him like his own son by having him always eat at David’s table (v. 9-11).

King David was able to right a wrong that was done to Mephibosheth.

A few years ago, my old friend reached out to me and sent me a poem expressing how painful it was to lose my friendship and how broken-hearted she was. I never looked at the end of our friendship in that way. I only saw what God told me to do; I didn't seek Him in how to do it. There was a better way to handle it. I had thought more of myself than of her feelings. God gave us another chance to reconcile. Yes, there are still boundaries because we live two different lifestyles, but we both understand and don't cross those boundaries. We may never be what we were, but it's great still to be a part of each other's lives.

Some people are more open to forgiving than others. I was blessed that my former friend wanted to reopen that door instead of keeping it closed.

That’s not always how it goes. We learn about one such incident in 2 Samuel 10:

David thought, "I will show kindness to Hanun, the son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me." So, David sent a delegation to express his sympathy to Hanun concerning his father. (v. 2)

However, Hanun met David with war and humiliation. (v. 3-19)

Some people in our lives may not be willing to let the past go. God will give us the grace and wisdom to know how to handle them. They may not know the Lord or have a good relationship with Him. They may not understand the full benefit of forgiveness.

We can reach out and then let the Lord handle the rest. He will fight any battle we might come against. He will help us right our wrongs because He will always get the glory in it.

The Beloved Son

 

Gordon Robertson – President and CEO, CBN

God gives a phenomenal promise about the Messiah when the prophet Nathan tells King David:

I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your

body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever. 2 Samuel 7:12-14, 16 (NKJV)

Later, God sends Nathan to David with another message when Solomon is born:

The LORD loved him … so he called his name Jedidiah. 2 Samuel 12:24-25

In Hebrew, Jedidiah means “beloved of the Lord.” Yet Solomon doesn’t use that name; in all his writings he refers to himself as Solomon. So who is Jedidiah?

Isaiah’s prophecy in chapter 42 begins,

“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights.”

—meaning “beloved of the Lord.”

Jesus quotes this while withdrawing from the great crowds following Him. If they acclaim Him as their ruler, they’ll expect Him to establish the Davidic line on the throne in Jerusalem and overthrow the Roman oppression. Yet Jesus knows that before coming in power and glory, He must fulfill His calling as the Suffering Servant.

And He quotes Isaiah at length:

Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased!” I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He will declare justice to the Gentiles. He will not quarrel nor cry out, nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets. A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench, till He sends forth justice to victory; and in His name Gentiles will trust. Matthew 12:18-21

The prophecy had to be fulfilled. He must do all these things because He is Jedidiah; He is the beloved of God. This is confirmed in the New Testament a number of times.

When Jesus is baptized, a voice from heaven says,

“You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Mark 1:11

Matthew, Mark and Luke all record that when Jesus is transfigured on the mountain, a voice from the cloud declares, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

And notice how Peter concludes his eyewitness account of the Transfiguration:

He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. And so we have the prophetic word confirmed. 2 Peter 1:17-19

Yes, the ancient prophecies are confirmed. Jesus is Jedidiah, the Beloved Son. And God is saying, “This is the One. Hear Him.”

At the dawn of New Testament times, people sensed that God was doing something new. They anticipated the coming of the Son of David.

Matthew 20:30 describes two blind men sitting by the road. When they hear Jesus is passing by, they cry out,

“Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!”

Similarly, Mark 10:47 says that Bartimaeus, a blind beggar in Jericho, shouts,

“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

They knew Isaiah’s prophecy that the deaf will hear and the blind will see.

Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s great plan. And the Lord is building a house for His name, just as Nathan prophesied a thousand years before Christ was born. Jesus is the architect, making us into a temple. He is the Alpha and Omega, the author and finisher of our faith. He is Emmanuel—God with us and in us. And because we are in Christ, God considers us His beloved.

As Paul writes in Galatians 2:20,

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

This is the best news the world has ever heard. When we believe it, we are seated with Him in heavenly places. He will withhold nothing from us. We have power, authority and healing because we stand in this place of Jedidiah—the beloved of God.