I listen to a lot of sermons, and from time to time, a pastor will share statistics with his congregation about the current state of Christianity in America. Polls survey people from around the country and ask them multiple questions. Most times, the statistics are alarming.
Sadly, it seems fewer and fewer people believe in God anymore. The number of believers in Jesus Christ is dwindling. Many believers can’t agree on rapture timing, or they have given up on Jesus ever returning. Many people have been burned or are burned out on churches. You get the point.
Despite the downer Debbie news, it doesn’t change this one thing – God’s not dead. So, do not be deceived.
God still sits on the throne regardless of survey results. He is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. Those are fancy words for God is all-knowing, everywhere, and all-powerful.
God’s word is powerful. The Bible tells us it is sharper than any two-edged sword, able to cut through bone and marrow. God’s word is true, and while there seem to be fewer believers than before in the United States, it doesn’t change the facts or that there are believers around the world.
I believe we’re living in the last days. When I read God’s word, it lines up against the landscape of the world. Many things are happening all at the same time. There’s a lot of deception going on.
A well-known pastor, Tony Evans, said in a speech given recently, “God is shaking things up so that we will shape up. He is dismantling things so they cannot be fixed through ordinary means.
God has allowed a crisis of health. Covid-19 disrupted the world and also the church.
Then the death of a man in Minnesota caused a racial upheaval that continued to bubble up, pitting people against people, cultures against cultures, colors against colors, and communities against communities.
He would take a political divide between Democrats and Republicans, black Christians and white Christians, and allow it to erupt into a divisive reality in the church.
And not only would he allow all of these things, but he would also stack them. Health, topped by race, adds political, then police, and community conflict, so there would be no question that things are shaking. God shakes our physical human reality to get us spiritually back on point.”
2 Chronicles 15:3-6, “3 For a long time Israel was without the true God, and without a teaching priest and without law, 4 but when in their distress they turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought him, he was found by them. 5 In those times there was no peace to him who went out or to him who came in, for great disturbances afflicted all the inhabitants of the lands. 6 They were broken in pieces. Nation was crushed by nation and city by city, for God troubled them with every sort of distress.”
Notice the above passage says God troubled them with every sort of distress, not Satan. God was shaking things up to get things back in order again.
Also, notice that in their distress, they came back to the Lord, and he let them find him, and he brought them out of distress.
Will more and more people turn to the Lord in this time of distress? Only God knows. I hope so.
Not everyone sees the country in distress, and they are fine with how things are going. They have no concerns or worries. Some have shut the television off, so they don’t know what’s happening.
The Bible tells us this world will not get better. In fact, it will continue to decline. As we get closer to the Lord’s return, we will see things decline further.
In Matthew 24, Jesus tells his disciples about the coming destruction of the temple. His disciples ask him a few questions.
“Tell us, ” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
I want you to notice what he says first in response to their questions.
“Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you.”
Notice the first thing Jesus warns them against is deception. See that you are not deceived.
That is a message for us today as well. See that you are not deceived. With everything happening today, and so quickly, be careful you are not deceived. Get into your Bible for the truth and seek the Lord in prayer daily. Stay close to him, and he will see you through each day.
I will talk more about Matthew 24 in future blogs. In the meantime, please pray for believers everywhere and those being persecuted for their faith.
Blessings!
The Teaching Lady
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