*The story of the 16-year-old girl abducted by force on the streets of Philadelphia by a mad man this week had me in tears and in intercession for her safe return. PTL she was rescued. My anger toward that evil man was so intense it was palpable.
*The recent story in the Christian press that got me seeing red was of the wicked televangelist Ernest Angsley sexually abusing members of his congregation, forcing abortions on some and vasectomies on others. In my heart I wanted to take a two-by-four to his head.
*When a “senior US official “ called Israel’s Benjamin Natanyahu “chickensh**” for insisting on protecting the people of his country, I seethed over that. The audacity to call the biggest hero on the political scene today something comparable to a ‘coward’ is outrageous. I agreed with one blogger who said they’d like to tie that man down and wash his mouth out with soap.
We cannot put our heads in the sand and just refuse to hear any bad news. But at the same time we have to guard our hearts and abide in Christ and renew our commitment to Him. Work out our salvation with fear and trembling, while at the same time pondering His attributes and keeping our love for Him alive.
Our love for Jesus can grow cold when we lose our focus on Him. Remember how strong and overpowering that first love for Him was when He first made Himself known to us? I remember as a new Christian I was such an embarrassment to my parents because I would take my bible with me wherever I went. When I took it with me to a funeral of an elderly aunt I attended with my dad, he was so nervous thinking I would stand up and start preaching. After all, I was so vocal about my love for Jesus, he knew I couldn't keep my mouth shut. He was so relieved when I behaved myself.
Now 30+ years later I need to remind myself of how I felt when I was in my honeymoon stage with Jesus. You too can recall those things He did for you:
He pulled your life out of the cesspool;
He revealed His glory to you - the exalted coming King;
He rescued you from the path of destruction and set you on the way everlasting;
He loves you and hears your prayers and sends His Spirit to minister to you when you call on Him;
He gave you a second, third, fourth, fifth chance, ad infinitum;
His words in the Gospels penetrated your hard heart and humbled you;
The glory of His greatness left you awestruck in His presence;
You were amazed and excited when you first discovered the Word of God;
You were excited at the discovery of great and lasting Truth.
We can add to this a long list of answered prayer and renew our love for Him even in the midst of all the evil we see every day. We need to cast our cares upon Him daily and make Him our Refuge in these perilous times.
I love this message/prayer/song of praise by Keith Green. Let this song be your prayer today.
“I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent." - Rev.2:2-5
"In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us." - 1John 4:9-12
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