Fresh Manna
by Pastor Tim Burt
If you have ever attended professional sporting events, they are fun and exciting but not easy to get into or cheap. Finding parking can be challenging and represents a significant expense—maybe twenty dollars or more. A game ticket may cost a hundred-plus dollars. You may be paying eight bucks to twelve dollars for a hot dog. To do something like this as a family event may cost you hundreds of dollars. I am not implying that any of this is bad. On the contrary, these events can be a lot of fun. I’ve watched the Vikings play and heard the roar of the cheering and excited crowds. These stadiums are packed out despite the cost and energy it takes to participate in them. Even during the recent years of recession, the stadiums were packed at prices that I never would have believed could be sustained.
Every day that passes, we approach the second coming of Jesus Christ. We are now in what many, if not most, Christian leaders call The Last Days. How long are the last days? That’s hard to speculate. The Bible teaches that God is patient for humanity to come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Yes, He is patient, but there will come a day when that time of patience ends just as it did when the door of Noah’s Ark was closed. The Bible has much to say about those days. 2 Timothy 3:1 (NLT) says: “You should also know this…that in the last days there will be very difficult times.” The Greek Word difficult means perilous—many devastating events occurring on the earth. But it means even more. It means that what is going on—the evil and lack of living for God will reduce people’s strength to resist evil. It means that the increase of sin will diminish not only unbelievers but also believers’ strength to withstand the temptations that lead them to violate God’s Word and instruction for living. It then describes what many will become like in these last days—horrifying descriptions. One of those descriptions says, “People will be… lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.”
I am not equating anything regarding these sporting events as bad. I am asking this: Is there the same excitement for sporting events, music festivals, and more as for knowing the God of creation and the Savior of humanity? Honestly, people make the most lame excuses for why they can’t attend church, yet go to extraordinary effort and expense to make time for the things that represent pleasure in their lives. That is a sign of diminishing spiritual strength. They say they don’t have money—except maybe token gifts of change to give to God or good works—and yet they’ll spend enormous amounts on their pleasures. That is a sign of diminishing strength. Jesus taught that saying, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” People put their time, effort, and money into what they value. They don’t have time to pray, read their Bible, or engage in something that lifts their heart toward God in the morning. Still, they will spend hour upon hour on social media, reading their newspaper, or watching their favorite talk or entertainment show, and let’s not forget making their stop at Starbucks.
I say none of this to condemn. None of these things are inherently evil. The Bible says, “God richly gives us all things to enjoy.” But even though He doesn’t mind if we have things and enjoy them, He doesn’t want “things” to have us—to dominate our thinking and pleasures only to diminish and supplant our craving and love for Him and His plans.
Can we return to our knees? Can we honestly open our hearts to God? Can we ask Him to strengthen us to live for Him and have evidence of it in our lives? Can we pray daily for God to raise up godly leaders and tear down the corrupt throughout the earth? That is the only thing that could and would delay the last days on this earth. God is patient, but our prayers, our hearts, and our lifestyle are critical to His patience. Things are okay when and only when we focus on God, and His plan becomes and remains the center and focus of our lives. If we return to our knees with sincerity, openness, and repentance if necessary, He can refresh our love and impart His strength and a renewed focus to live for Him. And that will lead to us being a light for Him in the darkness of this ever-increasing dark world!
Luke 18:8 (NIV) “… when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
In His love,
Pastor Tim Burt
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Published by Pastor Tim Burt
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