How to wait for Jesus' return

Christians have often gotten tangled up in disputes over the details of various end times scenarios. But I wonder if it wouldn't be better to focus on what to do in the meantime--on HOW to wait for Christ's return. This was the topic of a recent sermon series by Don Carson. Here are his "how to" answers based on Matthew 24-25:

Wait for the Lord Jesus…

1. As those who do not wish to be surprised at his coming (24:36-44).
   
2. As stewards who must give an account of their service, faithful or otherwise (24:43-51).
   
3. As those who know their Master’s coming may be long delayed (25:1-13).
   
4. As slaves commissioned to improve their Master’s assets (25:14-30).
   
5. As people whose lives are so transformed by the Gospel, that they unselfconsciously serve brothers and sisters in Christ in self-sacrificing ways (25:31-46).
   

.

David Wilkerson's Urgent Message

Just recently David Wilkerson posted an urgent message.

I have a variety of questions in response to this word of warning, one of which is this: if indeed the New York City megaplex is to be struck with an "earthshattering calamity" and engulfed by a thousand fires from Connecticut to New Jersey, wouldn't it be a fitting response to encourage believers to prepare for this catastrophe by taking measures beyond self-preservation in order to be ready to love their neighbors amidst such tribulations? Wouldn't it be wise to put believers on the lookout for elderly and disabled citizens who would be most vulnerable in the coming chaos? And wouldn't it be appropriate, as a way of loving enemies, to launch Christians out with compassion even for neighbors who oppose Christ and his followers?

Accordingly, something just doesn't sit right about the advice to God's people, "If possible lay in store a thirty-day supply of non-perishable food, toiletries and other essentials." Surely such an ominous threat should also elicit from church leaders an outward-oriented call to loving witness and service.

-------

Mar. 17: see the recent CT article in response to Wilkerson.

.

Why This Recession?

I appreciate John Piper's insights from Scripture about what the current economic recession, under divine sovereignty, is for. His main points, in summary, are these:

(Some of) God’s Purposes in This Recession

Now what are some of God’s purposes in this recession? I will mention five:

1. He intends for this recession to expose hidden sin and so bring us to repentance and cleansing.
   
2. He intends to wake us up to the constant and desperate condition of the developing world where there is always and only recession of the worst kind.
   
3. He intends to relocate the roots of our joy in his grace rather than in our goods, in his mercy rather than our money, in his worth rather than our wealth.
   
4. He intends to advance his saving mission in the world—the spread of the gospel and the growth of his church—precisely at a time when human resources are least able to support it. This is how he guards his glory.
   
5. He intends for the church to care for its hurting members and to grow in the gift of love.
   

For the full message, click here.

.

How To Sabotage Your Prayer Life

"My dear Wormwood," writes the senior demon in The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis, as he broaches "the painful subject of prayer.... The best thing, where it is possible, is to keep the patient from the serious intention of praying altogether.... If this fails, you must fall back on a subtler misdirection of his intention. Whenever they are attending to the Enemy Himself we are defeated, but there are ways of preventing them from doing so. The simplest is to turn their gaze away from Him and toward themselves" (pp. 19-23).

In keeping with the model of Screwtape, allow me to offer fourteen ways to divert, distract, disconnect, and otherwise sabotage your prayer life:

1. Pray only when you feel like it. Disregard any biblical talk of praying "day and night" or "without ceasing."
2. Try to impress God with pious prayer performances to win maximum spiritual points.
3. Pray publicly in order to exhibit your "spiritual maturity" for others to admire.
4. Let your prayers degenerate into mindless repetitions. Recycle those same old phrases even when your mind is far away.
5. Imagine that it taxes God's abilities to meet your needs and respond in the best possible way to your prayers.
6. Convince yourself that God doesn't really care about you and your silly little struggles and trials and tears.
7. Pretend that God doesn't like to be bothered, and that he's "put out" by your numerous cries and appeals.
8. Think of prayer as a way of putting God's arm behind his back: prayer as leverage.
9. Demand instant results. Dismiss the idea that God would have you persevere in prayer.
10. Imagine that prayer won't make any difference anyhow.
11. Reduce prayer to and equate it with asking. So when you pray, bypass all that extraneous praise, confession, and thanksgiving and go straight to important stuff: requests.
12. Reserve the worst hours of your day for prayer. This way you can give to God what has the least value to you.
13. Think of prayer as doing God a favor.
14. Reduce prayer to a kind of mental exercise, a kind of self-therapy to put the mind at ease, and in this way remove God from the picture entirely. Imagine that, prayer without God!

.

Brazen Lies

The Bible is crystal clear that Satan is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44). In fact, one of the Enemy’s nicknames is “the deceiver” (Rev 12:9), and he’s ready and eager to launch all kinds of disinformation in your direc­tion. Through deceptive propaganda, Satan promotes all kinds of insidious falsehoods. Imagine what some of his grand lies might be:

· “There is no God” [but see Gen 1:1; Ps 14:1; 53:1].

· “‘The devil’ isn’t real” [Matt 4:1-11; 1 Pet 5:8-9].

· “You’re worthless” [Gen 1:27; Ps 8:5; 1 Cor 6:19-20].

· “You have to work harder to get God to love you” [Rom 5:8].

· “This life is all there is” [Matt 25:46; John 3:16; 1 Cor 15:19].

· “Busy-ness is good—go, go, go” [Ps 46:10; Matt 11:28-30].

· “Prayer is a waste of time—not productive” [Luke 11:8; Jas 5:16].

· “If you suffer, God’s failing to do his job” [Gen 50:20; Rom 8:28].

What about some of Satan’s lies related to finances:

· “You need more money to be happy” [Heb 13:5; Phil 4:6, 11].

· “The more you make, the more you should elevate your lifestyle” [Eph 4:28; 2 Cor 8:2; 9:7].

· “Wealthy people are more important than others” [Luke 16:19-31].

· “You’re the true owner of all your possessions” [Ps 24:1; 50:10-12].

How about in connection with sexuality:

· “No harm just looking” [Mt 5:27-30; 6:22-23; Job 31:1; Prov 6:25].

· “If everyone else is doing it, it must be okay” [Matt 7:13-14].

· “Sex before marriage is no big deal” [1 Cor 6:9; 1 Thess 4:3-5].

And in the area of outreach and evangelism:

· “No need to talk about Jesus, just be kind” [1 Pet 3:15; Mt 28:18-20].

· “Sharing your faith is rude” [Acts 8:30-38; 16:31; 17:16-33].

Let’s pray for discernment so we’re not taken in by Satan’s deadly lies!

.