re: Power of Prayer >No Matter Which Faith YouFollow=GOD is With You
But We See Jesus!
Today Satan is attempting to get the church off its message of the centrality of Jesus Christ. Satan desires nothing more than to turn God’s people off their message and one way he does this is by riling up Christians over a political issue until it consumes them. When this happens, the issue soon becomes all one can talk about and Jesus is no longer the consuming concern.
There are issues that God’s people must care about, but not to the extreme that the heart is opened up to bitterness and unchristlike activity. We must be able to pray without a disturbed spirit. Jesus insists that we allow nothing to rob us of his peace. Indeed, he commands that we enter and stay in his rest: “God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it” (Hebrews 4:1, NLT).
This is not a political statement. Rather, it is a warning to Christians not to get entangled in the growing bitterness of today’s politics. The testimony of Jesus is that we can be in this world yet not of it. This means we don’t take part in its spirit or pull. The fact is, this is how we become a testimony of hope in a world without any. When some anxious person asks us, we can answer in faith and confidence, “Jesus is my hope and peace.”
Jesus must remain central in our hearts, minds and activities, not policies or politics. Though those things are important, they can rob us of our central concern, the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our confidence as Christians is that we know all nations will come under the authority of our Lord Jesus.
All around us the world is breaking down. But we see Jesus! We see him in all our present trials. We see him standing with us in our pain, our suffering, our crises, all things.
Most of all, we see Jesus getting all things ready for his coming. Hallelujah!
__________________
I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4
|