Turning WIMPS into WARRIORS

We live in uncertain times - to that we ALL must agree!!

My heart has broken so many times especially in the last two years with the rise of persecution of Christians - the horror of terrorism - the birth of ISIS or ISIL or IS whatever they choose to call themselves this week etc.

Wars and horrific events overwhelm us on all sides and we are bombarded constantly with detestable, ghastly and heinous crimes. Most of these crimes are directed at Christians, even in our so-called 'safe' Western world, the persecution and awful maltreatment and oppression continue right before our eyes.

OPEN DOORS is an organisation set up to directly assist the persecution of Christians world wide and they certainly have their hands full - read how they define Christian persecution on their website at https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution

"Beatings, physical torture, confinement, isolation, rape, severe punishment, imprisonment, slavery, discrimination in education and employment, and even death are just a few examples of the persecution they experience on a daily basis"

I guess we can all relate to this statement as we have witnessed the frightful and abhorrent events carried out right before or very eyes.

It is my privilege to pray for Africa, Asia and the Middle East every week through Twitter on #GodsPrayerRoom and #GodsPraiseRoom and I would love to have you join us if you can - go to TweetingGodsLove.com for details.

During this time my eyes have been opened to just some of the fearful events unfolding in these countries and I may add some of the amazing ways God's Word is being spread by incredible and wonderful servants of our Lord and Saviour.

As I was dwelling on these suffering and persecuted Christians my mind wondered as to how I would fare, dealt the same set of circumstances? It's so easy in our comfort to say how we would react, it's so easy to put our hand over our hearts and confirm our faith in Christ and our willingness to lay down our lives for Him, BUT...

Are we really prepared? I thought of Paul being a mentor to a young Timothy and extolling the young guy to 'be strong in your spiritual duty NO MATTER what comes against you."

Paul knew that Timothy would be under great persecution that could very well cost him his life and he implores the young man never to lose his faith and to keep going on with Jesus.

Proverbs 29:25 tells us in the New Living Translation that "Fearing people is a dangerous trap".  Just being afraid of what people could think of us or say about us or how they will react to us if we boldly proclaim Jesus is enough to muzzle the bravest of us.

We are such capricious, changeable and unpredictable people are we not?

I am afraid we are not alone - I remember Peter and the 'denial incident' - Oh how we love to put the boot into Peter - but poor man had just seen Jesus horribly beaten, stripped, humiliated and sentenced to death on probably THE most horrible creation of man.

Peter buckled and crumpled at the thought that he could be next, but he wasn't alone. It says in Matthew 26:56 that the rest of the disciples had left Jesus and fled. They had all been ashamed of Him and not only were they embarrassed but they were afraid for their lives as well.

Peter's denial, you could say, is a classic illustration of what being ashamed of Christ is like. So instead of judging Peter, let's think it over. I would reckon all of us who love our Lord have had a 'past' in denying Him.

Those times at a party, at home with the family, at work even on Facebook or Twitter when we may have spoken just a word for Jesus and we have failed miserably. We have been ashamed of Him and failed to uphold our love for Him - and guess what - it's such a sin.

After the resurrection, you will recall that Jesus asked Peter three times "do you love me?' Jesus was restoring Peter because the old 'ashamed' Peter was useless to Jesus, just like we are useless in our embarrassed state.

It's only when God truly works in our lives that He can push us past that shame and fear - and we can throw embarrassment out of the window - only then can we be of any use to God.

Matthew 10: 32 & 33  Jesus said "Everyone who confesses me I will confess before my Father who is in Heaven but whoever shall deny me before men, I will also deny him before my Father" can't get much plainer than that!

If we don't belong to Jesus - He doesn't belong to us - If we don't acknowledge Him he won't acknowledge us.

So here is a major sin that we commit and that sin is in the denying of Christ. It's probably THE worst sin we can commit - so how can we have a effective witness to our Lord?

We need to renew our commitment to God - Only He can change us from a WIMP to a WARRIOR.

God didn't give you a spirit of timidity - so if you are struggling with 'shyness' when it comes to God you can guarantee that it isn't a gift from God. God's gifts to us include love, hope, courage, power and discipline.

If you need courage to speak, ask for it. If you feel shy and ashamed about God then re-think where you stand actually with Him, take a good hard re-look at the gifts God feely gives and then tap into these amazing resources.

So like Timothy we need to be bold and courageous and not ashamed. We need to tap into the amazing gift of the Holy Spirit so wondrously given to us by God the Father.

God bless you as you use the gifts God has given us - the gifts of boldness and courage in taking His name to this uncertain world.

Meteors and promises

The world news is shocking - literally it truly is!

Everything is happening at alarming rates unheard of in the history of the world.

As a Christian, these horrible events have made me think even more than ever before at just how close the return of Jesus must be. I personally have always been fully aware of the second coming of Christ and have looked forward to that amazing day.

I have had many people try to explain to me that Jesus' return must be so close - "a minute to midnight" one dear Christian elder in the church once said to me and yet - it seems to me that Jesus must be delaying His return for a reason.

With the event of the holocaust for example many thousands of believers truly thought that Jesus' return was imminent - during that horrendous, despicable time, God's own chosen people were murdered, tortured, driven away, starved, beaten and horribly discriminated against. And yet here we are in the 21st century and nothing seems to have changed in fact things have got considerably worse.

So with that in mind I have started my research into the 'Heavenly's" to see what God Himself says about these 'last days'.

I began my search in Matthew 24 - the very words of Jesus Himself - "Immediately after the distress of those days 'The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky and the heavenly bodies will be shaken."

That verse drove me to Isaiah 13 which virtually predicts exactly the same and to Luke 21: 26 -28. "People will faint with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken and then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."

The very heavens will be shaken? So the heavens will herald the coming of Jesus? So we should look to the heavens for signs of our Saviour return?

So armed with my scant knowledge of the return of Christ and my trusty laptop I began a Google search through the heavens for any signs - and I was surprised at the results I found.

I first started with the sun - that glorious creation that keeps us all here alive and kicking. Well according to Space.com the sun unleashed some sort of amazing eruption of plasma back in 2012 in back to back 'solar storms' called the incredible name of a "Solar Prominence" sounds awesome doesn't it.

In an interview, physicist Michio Kaku related how he personally is getting pretty worried about the recent 'solar flares' and said that the sun is 'having temper tantrums and is getting worse and worse". he continued in the interview saying that "My greatest fear is the earth could be hit by a large solar flare, and all hell could break loose."

Profressor Kaku is carefully watching the signs in the sun especially these amazing giant eruptions called "solar prominence" and solar flares becoming more and more frequent.

I then turned my attention to meteorites and the chance of these huge rocks hitting our tiny vulnerable little earth.

The world stood aghast as a giant meteor exploded over Russia on February, 2013 - here is the link to the video available though Space.com  http://www.space.com/19809-meteor-hits-central-russia-900+-hurt-video.html

The meteor is estimated to weight up to 10,000 tons and was travelling 64,400 km/h when it exploded. It was substantially more massive than first thought.

The blast, when it exploded, had power estimated of about 500 kilotons around 30 times larger than that of the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945.  It caused shockwaves that injured 1200 people and damaged 1000's of homes and businesses.

The happenings in our heavens are a sure sign that God is preparing us for the return of His son. Jesus is coming back with power and great glory and at that time 'Every knee will bow...every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2: 10-11.

I truly feel that our world is about to change forever. God is warning us loud and clear on the BIGGEST screen ever. The very heavens are speaking to us - thing is are we listening???

One thing I have learned from this study is that Christ is indeed coming again and that if we aren't ready for his amazing return then we will be left behind, we will not be part of His reign and we will be excluded from eternally living with Him in the place where He has prepared for us.

How do you get ready for this astounding, incredible time? By asking forgiveness for your sins which have separated you from God, asking God to lead your life and surrendering your life entirely to His control.

So like it says in Luke 21 - we look up to the heavens to see the wondrous works of God and see his promises coming true - We look up for our salvation and redemption is written above for all of to see.