Pastor Mike’s Garage March 24, 2022
March 25, 2022
As I’m sure it is the same with many of you, each evening when I settle
into my recliner to wind down for the day, I look what has transpired that
day in the Ukraine conflict. Each day I hope for some kind of breakthrough,
or promise of resolve. Sadly, the news just seems to get worse every day.
More destruction, more death, more heartache and suffering, more bitterness
and division! The aerial photos they showed on the news last night of the
port city of Mariupol are absolutely unbelievable! What was a modern,
thriving, beautiful port city of four hundred thousand people just one
month ago is an absolute charred ruin!
This past Sunday I spoke on being personally prepared for the return of
Christ. I don’t pretend to be any end times expert, but as I look at world
events unfolding on a daily basis, I can’t help but see the link between
these and the many verses in the bible that describe world events just
before the return of Christ. Even this past Monday President Zelensky of
the Ukraine proposed a meeting to personally sit down with President Putin
of Russia and try come to some kind of compromise to end this conflict and
I found it interesting that he proposed Jerusalem as a suitable place to
have this meeting. Unless you are familiar with the place and role that
Israel has in end time events you would think it strange that a meeting of
this magnitude would be held in a small, seemingly unrelated, middle
eastern country. The point of last Sunday’s message was not that I am
predicting that the return of Christ is immediately immanent, although one
could definitely make that argument considering what we see going on around
us, but rather considering none of us are guaranteed tomorrow, are we
living and making decisions in such a way that we would be ready should He
return today!
One of the verses I read in that message was Matt 24:12. “Sin will be
rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold” While I’m not
going to expound on that verse now, I was reminded of it when I read
another passage that came to mind because of the phrase “as you see the day
approaching” popped into my head as I was writing this PG. “Let us hold
fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is
faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good
works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner
of some, but exhorting one another, and so much more as you see the Day
approaching.” Hebrews 10:23-25NKJ The NLT says the last sentence like this,
“especially now as the day of His return is drawing near” We need each
other! The purpose of church is community! We need that community now more
than ever! We need the balance, support, and protection that comes with
that community! The enemy knows that, and is seeking to undermine,
discourage, distract, and divide us away from that community now more than
ever! Don’t let your love for your church family grow cold!
Pastor Mike
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