Bruce Collins, Evangelist

The personal website of Bruce Collins

Comforting Grace for Scary Times

 

Revelation 22:21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

 

Scary Times

The book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ is scary.  Most of its message has to do with judgments on this earth because men would rather worship anyone and anything other than the Lord Jesus.  But with all the scary stuff in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, the final words are encouraging. “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.” That grace is unmerited favor, it is a free gift, it is receiving blessings that are not deserved.  It is embodied in the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

As we approach another new year, change is in the works.  Some change is good and some is bad.  I used to tell my clients when I advised them as a CPA that if everything was going well, don’t change anything.  I also told them that if things were not going well, change something.  Most people would say things are not going well for the world in general.  We have wars, earthquakes, diseases, floods, tornadoes, murders, drug usage, government debt that is strangling our economies and I could go on and on.  But I suppose the thing that is on most people’s mind is the possibility of an all-out nuclear war.  I know that is on my mind.  Because things are not going well, people want to change something.

 

While I do believe that the world is headed for a seven year period of great trial, I do believe that those who are saved will not be part of that.  The tribulation period is an earthly judgment centered around an earthly people with earthly promises.  I am part of a spiritual people with the spiritual promises.  However, while we who are saved are spared from the tribulation judgments, we may still go through tribulation before the Lord comes.   We who trust in the Lord Jesus worry about our children and our grandchildren and wonder what they are going to have to face on this earth.  We need to make sure that we teach them how to become Christians before we try to teach them how to live like Christians.  It is imperative that our children understand that they are not saved by doing right but they are saved by trusting in the Lord and then they will have a desire to do right.  They need to understand that they were not born believers in Christ. Times are scary and we don’t want to lose our children.  But neither do we want to mislead those who call themselves Christians because they stand for the right moral issues in our day.  Being moral to the extent that man can be moral does not make us fit for eternity.  We need people to realize that scary times are here and there is only one say to be saved for time and for eternity and that is to “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16: 31).”  For those of us that are saved, I have been thinking of some verses of real encouragement. These promises are from the New Testament since we have a tendency to take Old Testament promises meant for Israel as the promises for the church.  Then we are disappointed when we don’t see the fulfillment of the promises. Here are some words of encouragement:

 

Promises that Comfort

 

Matthew 6:31-34 "Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

 

John 14:1 "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.

 

Romans 8:38-39 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  (Notice death does not separate us from the love of God).

 

1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

 

Hebrews 13:5-6 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU." So we may boldly say: "THE LORD IS MY HELPER; I WILL NOT FEAR. WHAT CAN MAN DO TO ME?"

 

I’m Glad I am Saved

I plan on facing 2017 with the confidence that the future does not need to be scary.  I have the promises of God encouraging me.  I have the Holy Spirit within me and the angels of God that minister to me.  What can man do to me?   God has not told us what 2017 holds but He has told those of us who are His children by faith that if we trust Him not only for eternity but also for the present time, then 2017 has to be a good year. 

 

And what the Lords says, I also say:  "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen."

 

Bruce Collins

 

Meditation for the week of January 1, 2017

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