The world is increasingly getting unstable and chaotic. There are wars going on here and there, as people are getting more and more rebellious. Nations are beginning to face uncertainties about their future. Many of them are being demographically, socially and politically transformed, with uncertainties about the future.
In the midst of all these, the love of many believers is waning instead of getting stronger. The only thing that has never changed, and will always remain constant, is the faithfulness and the steadfast love of God Almighty (Hebrews 13:8).
MARANATHA – Our Lord is Coming!
Jesus warned us about this dangerous trend in the world, as we see it today when He said:
“Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
Matthew 24:12-14 NIV
In other words these changes and uncertainties, that the world is experiencing right now, are all due to “the increase of wickedness”. But in the midst of all that is going on around us, we need to pay particular attention to what Jesus said in verse 14.
It is very important. He said:
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
Matthew 24:14 NIV
In order words, there may be an “increase of wickedness” around the world; but Jesus is here reassuring us that there will eventually be an end to all of it.
The key to stopping the increase of wickedness, is in our proclamation of the gospel. We’ve been called to declare Jesus as Lord, all over the world as a testimony. Jesus never said that all will be saved; but He said that the whole world will hear the testimony about Him as we go.
The testimony of Jesus is all that the world needs through the preaching of the gospel. Not everyone will be saved as we proclaim Him as Lord; but everyone will have the opportunity to hear about Him.
Whether we believe it or not, Jesus is coming back again to reign here on earth. And only those who do believe in Him will reign with Him. The Devil may try to delay His return, but he can never derail it.
The testimony of Jesus is our key into the kingdom of God. And the key belongs to every born again child of God. Every time the we testify of Jesus, we are prophesying that He is coming back again (Revelation 19:10).
Get Stronger and Bolder!
For this reason we do live now, in this period of time when our love for God needs to be getting stronger and bolder, and not weaker, cold or even lukewarm. This is the Christian response to the wicked changes in our world today.
We can’t make it without a stronger love for God. You can’t afford to follow the wicked crowd, in the midst of all of these stuffs going on all around the globe. It is very dangerous to do that. We do not belong to the world. We belong to God, and our kingdom is a spiritual one.
The bottom line as Jesus puts it, is that we have to keep preaching the gospel, declaring that Jesus Christ is Lord. A proclamation of the gospel by every believer, is heaven’s answer to the earth’s problems.
But we are not even thinking about those problems of the world. We are focused as we rejoice, in the preaching of the gospel. It is the key to keeping the fire of God inside us stronger and bolder.
If a believer is not being a witness for Christ, that believer will eventually become lukewarm or cold, to the works of wickedness around him. That is why keeping the joy of our salvation is very important to us.
Pray in the Spirit always!
But how do we make our love for God stronger, without being complacent in an ever changing world. The secret is in our ability to stir up ourselves in the spirit, while remaining centered and focused on these words of Jesus in Matthew 24:12-14.
Jude said:
“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”
Yes, we are to pray always in the Holy Ghost; because God’s wisdom comes to us as we pray in this way. And it is only in His wisdom, that we can overcome the increases in wickedness around the world today.
Get Wisdom and Walk in it!
As a believer you may have the knowledge and understanding, about a situation around you right now from the word of God. But without the wisdom of God to guide you into victory, there is nothing that you can do about it.
The Holy Spirit works always with that knowledge and understanding from the word of God, inside a believer to bring out the wisdom of God to that believer.
That’s why it is important to study the Bible. If a believer is not committed to studying the word of God, that believer will have no knowledge and understanding of God concerning the issues of life. He may be praying in the spirit, but there is no knowledge and understanding about what, and how to be more effective in these from God’s word. And apparently there is no way wisdom will ever come to that believer. The Holy Spirit will have nothing in that believer to work with at all.
Commitment to the studying of the Bible is also a way for us as Christians, to show God that we have faith in Him. By committing to it on a regular basis, we are reminding Him of our faith in Him.
So we do what God says:
“Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.”
Proverbs 4:7 NKJV
Wisdom is the crucial thing in getting stronger and bolder, in a world that is increasing in wickedness. Wisdom is not one of the main things; but it is the main thing in the time that we live in now.
We are never to forget the words of wisdom from God as we receive them. We are to apply those words of wisdom in transforming situations around us.
So, as believers in Christ Jesus we’ve got to stir up ourselves, by praying in the spirit until the wisdom of God comes to us.
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