The whole day was cloudy yesterday but it was the perfect day to visit another berry farm. This time, my husband came along. He and my daughter got a little carried away in picking some berries. I don’t think they wanted to stop! My son decided to pick blueberries and luckily, he didn’t pick much. It turned out they were more on the sour side.
On the way home, we passed by an Oriental Poppy field.
How can I on one day talk about the severity of God’s impending judgment and today, talk about the beauty and color that is in the world? Christians are expected to live grounded on the truth of God’s Word. In it are good promises in store for those who are humble enough to choose God’s authority over their lives, and judgment for those who don’t. God pleads with people through people and gives time for everyone to come to Him. The Bible also informs us that not everyone is willing.
We are to tell people about the good and the bad. Refraining to talk about the scary things is not the complete counsel of God. Jesus pronounced woes to those who needed to hear it, and He also told people what they needed to do in order to fix it. We could do things the way we think is good for everybody not stepping on toes, but we can’t please all people. To live in a manner that is overly cautious that you avoid saying what needs to be said is not freedom. It is bondage. For God has not given us a spirit of cowardice, but of power… (2 Timothy 1:7)
There is nothing wrong about hoping and dreaming only of good and happy things for the future like the hope of a revival, but we do know with certainty what the Word of God tells us about the social climate at the time nearing His return.
“And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.”
Matthew 24:12
Bullies will get their way as they bully everyone into submission to their agenda through the laws they want to impose on those who do not agree and also via violent activism in the streets. People will be afraid to stand up to avoid getting physically hurt or suffer the consequence of having their livelihood taken away as big companies are demonetizing those who produce content not aligned to their political views. I know people like separating religion from politics, but the truth is that it is impossible to do so since a person’s political view is reflective of the set of beliefs they hold.
“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons”
1 Timothy 4:1
Doctrines of demons include teachings that promote the occult, self-centeredness, as well as other causes that give more priority to the lives of animals over human lives. All of this trickle right into Christian circles. We have “Christians” who are more preoccupied with environmentalism than winning souls for Jesus. It appears it is more acceptable to talk about saving the planet than talking about faith which ties to one’s eternal fate and living life pleasing to the Lord.
“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; 9 but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.”
2 Timothy 3:1-9
As we can see, it is biblical to call to attention things not fitting for us as followers of Christ so we can avoid it.
“These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. 17 But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: 18 how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts.”
Jude 1:16-18
All these verses combined look like we can expect nothing but dark clouds and not sunny skies ahead, but we are not to be overcome by the dark clouds that we know is here to stay until the return of Jesus. As believers indwelt by the Holy Spirit, we continue to live enjoying and making the most of the blessings God has given us and the beauty of His creation being mindful that our lives could change and be taken from us at any given moment. The best thing we can do is to focus on telling people about the way to escape the judgment that is to come.
“Salvation exists in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
Acts 4:12
His name is Jesus.