Good News Press Summer 2017 Good News Press Summer 2017 | Page 9

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for the practice of tough faith — the kind of faith
that is not dependent on circumstances. It’s the kind
of faith that hangs in there when the going gets tough
because of a confident belief that “all things work
together for good for those who love the
Lord” (Romans 8:28).
God never promises that believers will be immune to
suffering. What He does promise is that He will be
there to walk through the trials with us. He promises
to be beside us when we “pass through the waters”
and “walk through the fire” (Isaiah 43:2). And He
states that He will be there when we “walk through
the valley of the shadow of death” (Psalm 23:4).
What is the quality of your faith? When life turns
sour, do you turn to God, or do you question Him or
even curse Him? One of the keys to hangin g tough is
to learn the promises of God’s Word (like Philippians
4:6-7, 11-13, and 19) and start claiming them in pray-
er when confronted with the challenges of life.
This brings us to the final guideline I would like to
emphasize regarding how to live for Jesus in the end
times. The Bible tells us point blank that we are to
live “looking for Jesus” (Titus 2: 13).
Most Christians are so caught up in the world that
they live thinking about anything but the return of
Jesus. This is a sad state of affairs because Jesus’
return is our “blessed hope” (Titus 2:13). And His
return is imminent.
Another problem is that most Christians know so
little about Bible prophecy that they cannot get excit-
ed about the Lord’s return. How can you get excited
about an event you know nothing about? Ignorance
produces apathy.
And apathy about the Lord’s return has tragic conse-
quences. It robs us of an eternal perspective, and it
destroys any sense of urgency about reaching lost
souls. It also undermines a powerful motivator for
holy living.
You see, when a person comes to truly believe that
7) Keep an Eternal Perspective —
Jesus is returning and may return any moment, that
We are to be in the world but not of the world (John person will be motivated to holiness and evangelism.
17:11 & 16). That’s a difficult principle to follow. It Regarding holiness, the Apostle John put it this way:
constitutes a daily struggle.
“We know that when He appears [the Rapture], we
It is so easy to get our eyes off the Lord and focus
shall be like Him [glorified] . . . And everyone who
instead upon the world in which we live. The daily
has this hope fixed on Him, purifies himself, just as
demands are so pressing. And one of the greatest of
He is pure” (1 John 3:2-3). Regarding evangelism,
those demands is that we conform to the world — to Peter writes that the only reason Jesus has not yet
the world’s language, dress, entertainment, and val-
returned is because “God does not wish that any
ues.
should perish, but that all might come to repent-
That’s why we are constantly exhorted in Scripture to ance” (2 Peter 3:9).
consider ourselves as “aliens, exiles, and strangers”
A Spiritual Mirror
who are just passing through this world (Hebrews
Paul provides us with a spiritual mirror for end time
11:13 and 1 Peter 2:11). We are told to “set our
conduct. He says we are to “deny ungodliness and
minds on things above, not on the things that are on
worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and
the earth” (Colossians 3:2). And we are warned to
never fall in love with the world or grow comfortable godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope
and the appearing of the glory of our great God and
with it (Romans 12:2 and 1 John 2:15-16). In fact,
Savior, Christ Jesus” (Titus 2:12-13).
Jesus said we are to “hate our life in this
When you look into this mirror, what do you see?
world” (John 12:25), and His brother, James, said
Are you walking in the center of God’s will? Have
“friendship with the world is hostility toward
you ordered your priorities to put God first? Are you
God” (James 4:4).
What does it mean to hate the world? It means we are standing on the Word of God, testing everything by
to hate the evil world system that prevails in society. it? Do you believe in a personal, caring and all-
powerful God who hears prayers and answers pray-
We are to hate a system that glorifies violence and
ers, and who still performs miracles? Are you relying
immorality and which depreciates the value of life.
As C. S. Lewis once put it, “We are to live like com- daily on the power of the Holy Spirit? Are you prac-
ticing tough faith, refusing to allow the calamities of
mandos behind the enemy lines, preparing the way
for the coming of the Commander-in-Chief.” In other life to overwhelm you? Are you keeping an eternal
words, we are to live yearning for the day when Jesus perspective, refusing to get comfortable with this
will burst from the heavens to bring peace, righteous- world? And are you daily looking for Jesus? Is the
Rapture in your heart? Is “Maranatha!” on your lips?
ness, and justice to the earth.
(A Raptureready.com Article)
8) Look for Jesus —
Connie Woods Women’s Ministries
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