Our Time Will Come - by Rocky Chambers

Rocky sent me the following essay via email today. I hope that you find it very encouraging and inspirational! I certainly did! Read and enjoy!

Christine

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Our Time Will Come - by Rocky Chambers

James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

When the Lord moved me to Pasadena He set me in a nice neighborhood surrounded by a poor section of the city. He eventually moved me to a church that was located across from a ‘fleabag’ hotel. Consequently that church catered to a section of the population that struggled with many things; drugs, prostitution, poverty and so on. I became friends with one fellow in particular. He’s probably the most naturally talented musician I’ve ever played with. If he were determined enough he could easily become a professional musician. But he turned out to be typical for this church, a person who kept falling back into the same cycle of temptation and sin. He would be clean from drugs for about 3 months, start using again, then after a few months find himself living on the streets, then back in jail. He’d get clean, come out of jail and the whole process would start over. He lacked the determination to hear from God what He needed to hear to be set free. After being at this church for about two and a half years the Lord opened the door for me to leave, but that’s another story. What I saw there in general, and in this musician in particular, is something that I realize we all struggle with on some level, the need for perseverance. As James writes, we all face trials, but the difference in maturing and falling back is our determination to get through them to the victory God has waiting for us in hearing and receiving His wisdom.

I must confess I see this in my own life, that the thing I desire, the Godly desire, becomes twisted and darkened by my impatience, by the fact I lack perseverance and determination in this place. But I realize something different among those who are growing in the Lord and those who keep going round and round that same old mountain over and over gain. That difference is in the next phrase of what James writes. “If any of you lacks wisdom, ask God, and believe you will receive it”. I can honestly say that every trip I make around this mountain I’m asking God for wisdom, and I’m catching it one word at a time. I realize the more I try to figure it out, the darker and more twisted that Godly desire gets and the more likely I am to try and manifest it myself. Remember Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar. They produced Ishmael, which eventually introduced strife into the camp. And it took many years for Abraham to come to that place where Isaac was produced. Ishmael was a result of Abraham’s godly desire (Isaac) becoming darkened by human reasoning that twisted and darkened that desire.

I have become convinced that at the heart of every human desire is a Godly desire. It is just that human reasoning often darkens and twists it and produces something we reasoned we desired, until we see it wasn’t what God really wanted for us. And to be honest here, I’m coming to the place where I don’t really know if what I want is my twisted desire or a Godly desire. But I do know this, when we become determined to wait with patience and are willing to persevere until the time comes for God’s desire to manifest, it will come. To borrow a phrase from a friend, “our time for the things we desire will come”.

Hat Tip: Rocky Chambers via email

Inspiring The 'Precious Ones' And Us All!

I am reading Sarah Palin's "Going Rogue" book. One of the best chapters so far happens to be Chapter Six, aptly entitled "Going Rogue" as well. Love the quote at the beginning of the chapter:

I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it. And so it is with you...we are in charge of our attitudes. - Charles Swindoll

This portion of the book begins by describing how Governor Palin was whisked away out of Anchorage Alaska on a private jet so that her introduction as the Republican vice presidential nominee would be a surprise.

The chapter is filled with examples of how Sarah Palin and her family were so horribly treated by the press and political detractors. As we now know, the "detractors" became whipped up into a weird and ugly political frenzied machine; intent on trying to destroy Governor Palin and her family.

But what was so heartening to recall and read a year and 3 months after the fact, was how Sarah connected with the children who were born with Down syndrome and their parents and caregivers who she had met along the rope lines at several U.S. cities throughout the nation. The following portion of her account of the events made me tear up:

After, in the rope line, I was moving through the crowd, shaking hands and signing posters and hats and shirts, when I suddenly came to a stop. Standing on the other side of the rope were a woman and two teenagers whom I could not miss. The kids had Down syndrome. A boy and a girl.

"Hi, what's your name?" I said to the girl, smiling.

The girl stammered for a minute and finally managed to say, "Sarah."

"Sarah!" I said. "That's my name, too! It's so great to meet you, and we have the same name. Isn't that amazing?"

Then I turned to the boy, and my heart just melted. Trig's face flashed into my mind, and I thought, This could be my son fifteen years from now.

By then, Trig was going on five months old and we were still learning the ropes of having a child with Down syndrome. We were so enjoying this little guy with his just-happy-to-be-here demeanor and his silly smiles, and watching him get stronger, chubbier, and more fun every day, just like any other baby. Still, we were curious about what was ahead. We were managing well with him as a baby, but what about a toddler? As a teenage?

I reached across the rope and laid my hand against the boy's face. "Let me look at you," I said, "I want to get a good look at how beautiful my Trig is going to grow up to be."

If that last sentence from Sarah doesn't make you well up with tears, maybe nothing will.

Here is a woman who is just learning to deal with a baby with whom most people in society would label as "imperfect." Yet, she turns such a societal label completely around by using uplifting words of support to let that teen aged boy with Down syndrome know that he is beautiful! No wonder crowds of people with special needs children felt emboldened to attend the rallies. They already knew that they would have an ally in the White House if John McCain and Sarah Palin won the election.

Governor Palin writes:

That was a significant turning point for me, personally. At that moment , I realized in awe that these precious ones are all brothers and sisters. Before Trig was born, I didn't know what to expect and we had a natural uncertainty about perceived "imperfection." There on the rope line in Cedar Rapids, I realized that my Trig is part of a large and very special community. And look how this mom was making it work with these two precious teenagers! Look how she cared so much to bring them out to a crowded, hectic, but fun rally and given them what might be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, a presidential campaign event in their own hometown. And I just knew there was no need to fear anymore. At this rowdy rally in Iowa my world became a more peaceful place. Todd was right: everything was going to be all right.

As it turned out, the number of special needs kids and adults who began showing up at events along the trail was spectacular. It was one of the absolute best parts of the campaign. I heard from experienced staffers that organizers would typically need maybe a sign language interpreter and a handicapped area large enough to accommodate a few dozen wheelchairs. But it seemed that at all our stops, the number of wheelchairs multiplied, as did the number of kids and adults with various challenges. At a rally in Fairfax, Virginia, I remember looking about and seeing scores of wheelchairs. In the middle of my speech it started pouring rain. Within five minutes, I looked like a wet dog and my makeup was running off my face. I wanted to keep going and finish because I didn't want to disappoint all those people who had been waiting for hours to hear our ticket's message. Even more, I was inspired to see that not one of the people in wheelchairs made a move to leave.

I thought, This is inspiration!

Governor Sarah Palin? YOU are an inspiration! You were a great inspiration to millions of Americans during the entire 2008 campaign and you continue to be a true voice for Americans today! You were real during the campaign. You are a real, patriotic, God-loving American who brought out the best in people everywhere. There is nothing phony about you; unlike the presidential opponent and well-oiled (and bullying) "machine" that you and John McCain faced during the election race. Those foam faux Greek columns that were placed near Obama when he made another one of his typical teleprompter speeches - filled with great rhetoric but empty promises - showed just how phony he was as a candidate. Governor Palin's speech writer even predicted how Obama would be as president:

A bit later, I launched into a part of the speech that, since Barack Obama's election, has proved Matthew Scully prescient:

"...when the cloud of rhetoric has passed...when the roar of the crowd fades away...when the stadium lights go out and those Styrofoam Greek columns are hauled back to some studio lot--what exactly is our opponent's plan? What does he actually seek to accomplish, after he's done turning back the waters and healing the planet?

"The answer is to make government bigger...take more of your money...give you more orders from Washington...and to reduce the strength of America in a dangerous world. America need more energy...our opponent is against producing it.

"And let me be specific, the Democratic nominee for president supports plans to raise income taxes...raise payroll taxes...raise investment income taxes...raise the death tax...raise business taxes...and increase the tax burden on the American people by hundreds of billion of dollars."

Yep...what a terrific prediction that is now coming true (unfortunately) right before our very eyes!

Back to the rallies.

Sarah goes on to briefly describe other rallies where special needs children and people attended. One group of fifteen kids with Down syndrome wore shirts that read, WE LOVE TRIG! and TRIG IN THE WHITE HOUSE! The fact that these kids could identify with a national campaign was awe-inspiring...to Palin, her family, the people who showed up, and now the entire nation as millions of people read Sarah's best selling book!

May God continue to bless you, Sarah Palin, in all that you do and through any and every endeavor that the Lord leads you to pursue!

Is Your Soul a Watered Garden?

Despite the fact that the world seems to be turned upside down lately, Christians can still find peace and contentment. Even though the political climate here in America is daunting - maybe even terrifying - we know Who holds the future in His mighty hands. When people lose their money, their comfort, their morality, their loved ones, and have a new found fear about what is happening to our freedoms here in America, we can still have the joy of the Lord sustain us.

Loved this part in the devotional:

Oh, to have one's soul under heavenly cultivation; no longer a wilderness but a garden of the Lord! Enclosed from the waste, walled around by grace, planted by instruction, visited by love, weeded by heavenly discipline, and guarded by divine power, one's favored soul is prepared to yield fruit unto the Lord.

How do we "yield fruit unto the Lord?" We share the gospel of Jesus Christ. Recently, I gave the book "Traveling Light" by Max Lucado to one of my daughter's friends. I am praying that it will help her drop some of the "luggage of life" that can weigh a person down - even a young life like hers. I am praying that a seed for faith in Jesus Christ will be planted in her life - for she was not brought up in a Christian home (as far as I know).

Each person that I have given that book to has come back and told me how much it has helped them! Many have started reading the Bible as a result of reading that book! Praise God!

God's Word is the ultimate in wisdom. No where else can a person find the TRUTH. The Bible (and prayer!) are methods we can use to both "water" our own soul and bring souls to the place of being a "watered garden."

The above paragraphs were some of my thoughts this morning as I read the following C.H. Spurgeon devotional:

Faith's Checkbook by C.H. Spurgeon
Saturday August 29, 2009
http://bible.christiansunite.com/devotionals.shtml


Plentiful Refreshment

Their soul shall be as a watered garden. (Jeremiah 31:12)

Oh, to have one's soul under heavenly cultivation; no longer a wilderness but a garden of the Lord! Enclosed from the waste, walled around by grace, planted by instruction, visited by love, weeded by heavenly discipline, and guarded by divine power, one's favored soul is prepared to yield fruit unto the Lord.

But a garden may become parched for want of water, and then all its herbs decline and are ready to die. O my soul, how soon would this be the case were the Lord to leave thee! In the East, a garden without water soon ceases to be a garden at all: nothing can come to perfection, grow, or even live. When irrigation is kept up, the result is charming. Oh, to have one's soul watered by the Holy Spirit uniformly--every part of the garden having its own stream; plentifully--a sufficient refreshment coming to every tree and herb, however thirsty by nature it may be; continually--each hour bringing not only its heat, but its refreshment; wisely--each plant receiving just what it needs. In a garden you can see by the verdure where the water flows, and you can soon perceive when the Spirit of God comes.

O Lord, water me this day and cause me to yield Thee a full reward for Jesus' sake. Amen.

Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge

God gave Solomon . . . largeness of heart, even as the sand that [is] on the
sea shore.

Behold, a greater than Solomon [is] here.--The Prince of Peace.

Scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.--Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.--The love of Christ . . . passeth knowledge.

Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.--In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.--The unsearchable riches of Christ.--Of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.

1Ki 4:29 Mt 12:42 Isa 9:6 Ro 5:7,8 Php 2:6-8 Eph 3:19 1Co 1:24 Col 2:3 Eph 3:8 1Co 1:30

Daily Light on the Daily Path Devotional
Saturday August 22, 2009
http://bible.christiansunite.com/devotionals.shtml

Jesus Is The Voice of Truth

Received a wonderfully encouraging email from my Christian Internet friend, Rocky Chambers. He has often told me that I can share anything that he sends to me on my message board or blog.

How timely is this message!! Not only for Rocky - in his own trying situation - but also for us all!

First, read his email. Second, pay close attention to the words of the song - The Voice of Truth by Casting Crowns (one of my favorites!). Third, view the video!

I had a word from God this morning I’d like to share. As you may know, my wife Paula and I are fighting Huntington’s disease. The Lord gave me the word fighting some months ago from the scripture where Jesus says, “forceful men are forcefully advancing the Kingdom of Heaven”.

This morning I was walking my dog Trooper. I was sharing with the Lord how I am feeling exhausted from this fight. I asked Him how much longer. Later as I was making the hour drive down to Freeport from Houston for a meeting I needed to attend today the Lord answered me. I was listening to a song called, ‘The Voice of Truth’. I suddenly found myself ‘in the song’. I can’t describe what happened to me any other way. I was conscious of still driving down the highway, but somehow I was also living this song. I was Peter in the boat and the Lord has called me to come out on the water. I can hear the wind and the waves laughing at me, reminding me of all the times I’ve failed. In that same moment I can see all of my circumstances, the fight I am in. I hear doubt, anxiety, fear all rising against me. Suddenly in that moment I look at Him as I am stepping out of the boat, His hand is out, calling to me and He says… ‘Do Not Be Afraid’.

I know my description here can’t even come close to doing the experience justice. Let me just say that in that moment ‘He touched me, He calmed me, He encouraged me, He strengthened me, He emboldened me, He established my faith’. The wind and the waves can laugh at me all they want, I am deaf to them. The fact that it ‘looks impossible’ means nothing as ALL of these other voices are drowned out by the voice of Truth saying…. ‘Do Not Be Afraid’.

Let me encourage everyone who reads this. The facts can say what they are. And they can laugh at you, mock you, tell you that what you are trying to do is impossible…but let me tell you, the Voice of Truth says…’nothing is impossible for him who believes’…. ‘Do Not Be Afraid’.



Rocky Chambers

The Voice of Truth - lyrics by Casting Crowns

Oh,what I would do to have
the kind of faith it takes
To climb out of this boat I'm in
Onto the crashing waves
To step out of my comfort zone
Into the realm of the unknown
Where Jesus is,
And he's holding out his hand

But the waves are calling out my name
and they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me
time and time again
"Boy, you'll never win,
you'll never win."

But the Voice of truth tells me a different story
the Voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
and the Voice of truth says "this is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of truth

Oh, what I would do
to have the kind of strength it takes
To stand before a giant
with just a sling and a stone
Surrounded by the sound
of a thousand warriors
shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand

But the giant's calling out
my name and he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
time and time again
"Boy you'll never win,
you'll never win."

But the voice of truth tells me a different story
the Voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
and the Voice of truth says "this is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of truth

But the stone was just the right size
to put the giant on the ground
and the waves they don't seem so high
from on top of them looking down
I will soar with the wings of eagles
when I stop and listen to the sound of Jesus
singing over me

But the Voice of truth tells me a different story
The Voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
And the Voice of truth says "this is for my glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me (calling out to me)
I will choose to listen and believe (I will choose to listen and believe)
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of truth

I will listen and believe
I will listen and believe the Voice of truth
I will listen and believe
'Cause Jesus you are the Voice of truth
And I will listen to you.. oh you are the Voice of truth
Voice of Truth Video link


Hat Tip:

Rocky Chambers via email.

Thanks Rocky! Praying for you! Praying for Paula! Praying for our Nation!

As I was just praying, the Voice of Truth - the Holy Spirit spoke to me through a thought:

"The truth will come out. It always does."

It will happen, people! It will be in God's timing - not ours. But be encouraged by this!! For in the end - all that transpires on this earth, the good, the beautiful, the bad, and the ugly - will one day culminate into eternal victory through Christ Jesus!! And, the purpose will all be for HIS GLORY! Praise the name of the LORD!!

Great News!!

My son received a text message from The Rock Church today. Carrie Prejean will be speaking at the services this Sunday!! Isn’t that great??

Leave it to Pastor Miles to arrange having Carrie come to our church! She is continuing to be an inspiration to all and great witness for Christ! God is blessing her - despite the horrid rhetoric from the haters and the spiteful Hollywood crowd!

Call My Name

"Call my name say it now, I want you to never doubt - The love I have for you is so alive!" Matthew 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen.

Call My Name by Third Day

I love you, Jesus. Thank you for dying in my place to save me from my sins and for rising again to conquer the sting of death. Thank you for your unfathomable sacrificial death and gift of forgiveness. In six days we celebrate your birth on this earth. Thank you for showing me the way to salvation through your Word, the Bible, and by your mercy, love and grace, demonstrating Who you are. - Christine

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Continuing follow-up on the Obama "natural born citizen" controversy, here is some of the latest important information to share:

For those of you who are following (or, unsure about the reasons for all the lawsuits) the Obama "natural born citizen" controversy, the following two videos help to spell it out clearly:

Dr. Orly Taitz Video 1

Dr. Orly Taitz Video 2


In the videos, Dr. Taitz shares some very important facts.

1. Obama admits (on his website!) that he was born as a British subject (due to his father being from Kenya and when Kenya was under British jurisdiction).

2. The vault-length COLB (Certificate of Live Birth) from Hawaii (you know - the one that Obama has spent nearly one million dollars to conceal and not be revealed in a court of law or to the public) has a place on it where it says "foreign born" on it. In other words, even if the short form of Obama's birth certificate (you know - the one that has already been analyzed and determined to be fake) WAS real - the fact remains that he most likely was not actually born in Hawaii - just registered there later. We would know for sure if Obama would just release it to the court(s) and/or the public (as John McCain did), but he REFUSES to do so!

Obama supporters - don't you find that troubling?

I do.

A man who would hide his original vault-length birth certificate (which costs $12.00 to get a copy of) and spends almost 1,000,000.00 to prevent anyone from viewing it, probably has a lot more to hide, as well.

3. EVERY hospital in Hawaii has been investigated and NOT ONE OF THEM has ANY record of Obama's birth or his mother's presence there to give birth. Also, even if he happened to be "home birthed," why did his half-sister lie and claim that he was born at two different hospitals in Hawaii (she is quoted as saying as such on two separate occasions.)

4. Obama's paternal grandmother in Kenya claims that she was present IN KENYA - at his birth. There is video proof of this fact. Why would she lie? The more likely answer is that Obama IS LYING ABOUT THIS. Why? Because he is a lawyer by trade (supposed to be a "Constitutional lawyer") so therefore, he KNOWS that he doesn't meet the "natural born citizen" status necessary for POTUS.

The date of January 9th is very important. This is because Congress will have already done their job to certify (or, reject...but I doubt that) Obama's electors. It is then that Obama can be charged at the Supreme Court for his ineligibility.

I don't know if the Supreme Court will ultimately do their job and do the right thing regarding Berg's case. But at least millions of people have been made aware that if Obama is inaugurated, we will have a usurper in office. We shall see what happens.

For more details, please see:

Investigating Obama

Obama Crimes

[Note: 12/18/08 - URGENT NOTICE – False rumors are circulating – Justice Kennedy denied our Application for an Injunction to Stay Electoral Vote Count by Congress on January 8, 2009. However, our Writ of Certiorari is still pending and is now scheduled for Conference before U.S. Supreme Court on January 9, 2009.]

Anything and everything at Texas Darlin' blog; but especially this well written request of Dr. Kate to Chief Justice John G. Roberts:

Do Not Leave Americans With Silence

Life of Learning, Humbly Offered to God

I have read a few chapters of Dr. David Jeremiah's new book "What In The World Is Going On?" It is excellent! So far, it is one of the best prophecy-matched-to-today's-political-headlines books that I have ever read!

You can get a glimpse of what the book is about by going to:

Lightsource: Turning Point Ministry and view the video sermons there.

Recent broadcasts include:

The New Axis of Evil
Sunday, November 02, 2008
When One Man Rules the World
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Is America In Prophecy?
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Arming for Armageddon
Sunday, November 09, 2008

I tend to have the bad habit of skipping around to different chapters when I read books on prophecy. So, I almost skipped Chapter 2 - "The Crude Awakening" - because I wasn't really interested in reading about "mankind's thirst for oil." However, it did get more interesting towards the end of the chapter. There, Dr. Jeremiah goes into "how does the oil situation affect our future?"

1. The emergence of prophetic alliances.
2. The emergence of petroleum alliances.

Dr. Jeremiah goes into the fact that oil can be used as a weapon against the West and Israel by the Arab nations that hate both of us. Since many of these oil rich countries would love to see the end of America and Israel, this does not bode well for us.

What are we to do?

The entire chapter, up to this point, contained very little good news. In fact, Dr. Jeremiah tells us - point blank - that what he had written in the chapter gave us "little reason to be optimistic - that is, if your outlook is entirely earthly."

We have been unusually blessed in this nation. And, we need to look beyond the past and the present and focus on the future. We are witnesses to the staging of events that will precede the ultimate coming of Christ to this earth. These events, written about in Scripture centuries ago, are unfolding right before our eyes.

As Christians, we know that Jesus keeps his promises! Our patient anticipation will soon be rewarded.

Dr. Jeremiah shares what Jesus told His disciples:

Keep on Waiting

Jesus told His disciples that just as you can tell that summer is near when the fig tree puts forth leaves, you can also tell that the Son of Man is returning by recognizing the signs given by the prophets (see Matthew 24:32).

We can't hasten His coming, so we are to be patient. "Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near" (James 5:7-8 NASB).

Of course, we don't know the day nor hour (see Matthew 24:36), but we can discern the season of His coming.

Keep on Working

Dr. Jeremiah talks about those who wish to "passively wait" for Jesus' return - so they assume that they don't need to do anything.

No. That is NOT what Jesus meant by "waiting." In one of Jesus' parables, He said, "Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing [serving]" (Matthew 24:46).

Dr. Jeremiah:

It is a matter of working while we wait. Working hard. Working faithfully. Working in the power and joy and filling of the Holy Spirit.

Each Christian is equipped with gifts from the Spirit. Some are led to serve the poor. Others are led to be missionaries. Others are writers, preachers, lecturers, teachers - the list is endless.

When I was a "baby Christian" I often wondered (and worried) about whether I was working within God's will for my life. So, I studied the Bible diligently and "sat at the feet of Jesus" through my Bible study leaders and learned Jesus' teachings in God's Word. Next, I volunteered in several areas of ministry like our church's "Garden of Eatin" food preparation and serving team, AWANA - a club leader for two years and then a division leader for one year, a Bible study leader, and a special events volunteer. Each ministry experience helped develop the Christian woman I am today.

When I started this blog, I didn't know where it would lead. One day, my Christian friend and sister - Susan Smith - told me that Talk Wisdom was "my ministry." At first I thought...really? A blog can be a ministry? When Susan had mentioned that what I shared from God's Word blessed her, her words of encouragement blessed me right back!! (thanks so much Susan!) I have also been blessed by Susan's email newsletters!

In turn, I have found myself continually blessed by the writings of my Christian blog list friends (see sidebar!). They have blessed me with their excellent subject matter in their posts, the comments that are shared at their blogs, as well as the questions and answers provided - both here as well as at their own blogs. I am so thankful to God for finding every one of them!

We, as Christian brothers and sisters, are here to help inspire and encourage each other - as we wait in the joyful hope of the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ! Amen?

Dr. Jeremiah writes:

Keep on Watching.

On numerous occasions Jesus told His followers to watch. He exhorted them to be full of anticipation, to look up and lift their heads up and realize that their redemption was drawing near (Luke 21:28). The apostle Paul continued the theme of watchfulness, telling the Roman believers to awake out of their sleep, for their salvation was nearer than when they first believed (Romans 13:11).

How infinitely wise is our Lord to encourage us to wait, work and watch for his return! It is true that our salvation is continually nearer than when we first believed. But not knowing the day nor the hour keeps us working! We are not supposed to just sit and wait. We are not supposed to just watch. We are to do all three - wait, work and watch!

I loved what Dr. Jeremiah shared next:

How can we gear up our wills and our emotions to keep on going in this era of church history when the future looks so ominous?

C.S. Lewis answered that question almost seventy years ago in another time when extreme danger loomed on the horizon. In an address to Oxford University students shortly after the English declared war with Germany, Lewis stated well the attitude Christians should have in times like his and ours:

This impending war has taught us some important things. Life is short. The world is fragile. All of us are vulnerable, but we are here because this is our calling. Our lives are rooted not only in time, but also in eternity, and the life of learning, humbly offered to God, is its own reward.

WOW! Is that an awesome statement or what?

Dr. Jeremiah continues:

In his speech, Lewis asserted that an impending crisis makes no difference to the nature of our duty and our calling. The truth is that danger is always part of our environment in this fallen world; the presence of an obvious and immediate danger merely intensifies our awareness of this reality that we tend to ignore. Any one of us could meet death at any moment through an accident, an invisible blood clot, or by an act of a deranged gunman. An impending battle that may be in our own future changes nothing. Our task as faithful stewards to God's calling is to keep to our duty - to be patient and watch, but also to keep on working.

We need not despair. As children of the living God, we live with continual hope. We work, we love, and we laugh and find joy because we always know that an end is coming. Whether the battle does or doesn't come in our lifetime changes nothing about the way we should live. Our own "end time" will come, and it could arrive at any moment. So our task is to keep on plugging along, faithfully fitting into the place where God put us as productive members of society.

I am convinced that God puts each one of us exactly where He wants us and gives each of us a task that advances His eternal plan in a particular way. Remember the words of Queen Esther's guardian Mordecai when she was afraid to face the deadly danger of appearing uninvited before the king to plead for her people: "...If you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place...And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?" (Esther 4;14 NASB). God raised up Esther at a particular time for a particular purpose. Today is the time God has ordained for you and me to be alive, and we are placed in our time and place with no less purpose than Esther. Your task may not be as grandiose as hers; you may not be called on to save your nation. But as Lewis said elsewhere in his speech to the Oxford undergraduates, "The work of a Beethoven and the work of a char-woman become spiritual on precisely the same condition, that of being offered to God, of being done humbly 'as to the Lord.'"

You may wonder, What 's the point in keeping on doing my little insignificant job when such doom hangs over the world? The point is that you are filling your role as an agent of God in this particular time, and your work may have a greater effect than you imagine. Few of us see the ultimate result of our actions. But by the power of the ripple effect, what you do either as a CEO or a salesclerk may join the current of God's intent and bring about His will in enormous ways you would never dream of. So it is vital that each of us takes our God-given tasks seriously. We must stick to our work, remain watchful, and patiently wait on the timing of the Lord.

Southern evangelist Vance Havner gives us the real key to keeping to our task and finding joy in the face of impending doom: "We are not just looking for something to happen, we are looking for Someone to come! And when these things begin to come to pass, we are not to drop our heads in discouragement, or shake our heads in despair, but we are to lift our heads in delight."

HT: Dr. David Jeremiah