These days test our trust. The darkness is so vivid, fear so rancorous and loud that we feel our lives being cloaked in shadow. In times such as these we must remember whom is our deliverer. When evil seems to eclipse our every waking hour, we must remember Emmanuel is with us. It can be tempting to trust authorities to intercede on our behalf, but woe if we trust man, “This is what the Lord says: Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind, who makes [human] flesh his strength and turns his heart from the Lord.” (Jeremiah 17:5). We must put our trust in Christ Jesus, the God Man who has all power and authority and dominion! Humans will fail us, they cannot be pure and benevolent in perpetuity. Only God can at every hour and second stand on our behalf interceding, “Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” (Romans 8:34).
Our deliverance can only come from the Lord God Trinity. Institutions and agencies will fail us; they cannot be counted on to be demi-christs. No, we must rely on Christ himself to aid us in a world of trials. For the tribulations are to press us to the Trinity, to forsake our ill advised certainties in mankind. For Jesus himself knew was in man, “But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew all about people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.” (John 2:24-25). Now I am not saying you should become a hermit and distrust all human beings. But we must beware, people can be fickle, but Christ is constant, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8).
Our strength must derive from our Lord, not the hordes of people around us. For only God The Trinity promises He will not forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), and will stand by us in all tests and difficulties. Our God is all powerful to deliver us, if we will but put our trust in Him! For the people of this world are growing selfish (2 Timothy 3:1-7), but Jesus is selfless, which He has proven by dying on the cross for our sins!
We as a Church all across the world are on a threshold. The buildings of our worship are emptying or being repurposed as pubs and studios and mosques. Global persecution of Christians is at an all time high. We are in trying times, perhaps heading for Great Tribulation. Our trust must be fixed in Christ who was fixed to the cross and buried and raises from the dead. Though all things be shaken around us, “When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: “Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also. The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken--that is, created things--so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe,” (Hebrews 12:26-28), let our faith and trust in Jesus remain unshaken. Let us keep the Testimony of Jesus, “This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently, obeying his commands and maintaining their faith in Jesus.” (Revelation 14:12) with zeal as the dark clouds roll over our Church.
Right at this moment many may feel grime and that history and the times are against us. But take heart! You are in good company! The Early Church suffered greatly for their faith. The Apostle Paul spoke of dark moments too, “We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.” (2 Corinthians 1:8-9). They made it through, and you will too! Until my next post, May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God the Trinity be with you all. Amen.
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