I think that today's "Sparkling Gems From The Greek - Volume 2" by Rick Renner is spot on!
In Days of Difficulty, We Have
the Answer
Then the disciples, every man
according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which
dwelt in Judaea. — Acts 11:29
I have no doubt in my mind that
we are facing the most serious time in the history of mankind. Jesus warned of
impending floods, earthquakes, and wars as we approach the end of the age.
These calamities will become more and more frequent in the days ahead — but how
we deal with them is up to us. We can respond in fear, or we can be prepared
and rise up in faith to seize the hour for the spreading of the eternal Gospel.
There are numerous instances in
Scripture where believers prepared themselves for difficult times after being
forewarned. In Matthew 24:1-8, Jesus Himself warned the Early Church that
trying circumstances lay ahead in their future, and instead of succumbing to
worry and panic, these believers continued to believe and work and prosper.
Another example is found in Acts 11:27-30, which tells of believers in Antioch
who were warned by the Spirit of an impending famine and then began to set
aside food and prepare for the coming crisis.
Notice that when these believers
heard this warning from the Spirit, they were “determined” to take action. The
Greek word for “determined” is horidzo, which means to be bound or to
be obligated. In other words, these believers didn’t hoard their prosperity in
times of need. Bound by a sense of covenant obligation as fellow believers,
they determined to act. Working together in unity, the believers in
Antioch prepared a relief offering to send to the church in Jerusalem so the
money could be distributed to believers in need. The action of the Antioch
congregation before a time of crisis made them God’s agents of provision and
deliverance for others when the crisis actually occurred.
Today the Church’s response to
crises is often fractured, disorganized, and negatively influenced by poor
doctrine. In the face of an impending catastrophe, one camp’s strategy is to
run and hide, whereas another will deny that the crisis even exists at all.
Both of these strategies ultimately produce the same result: They prevent the
Church from demonstrating God’s manifold wisdom to the world.
There’s no way to avoid the
end-time prophecies outlined in the Bible — troubles will increase on
the earth in the days ahead. However, these troubles are prime opportunities
for those of us who know God and are called according to His purposes. By God’s
power, we can walk in faith through every fiery trial and become sources of
supernatural provision to meet the needs of those who are suffering,
demonstrating His love, grace, and wisdom to those who don’t yet know His saving
power in their lives.
Even if days of darkness lie in
the future, these are not days to fear. Rather, they are opportunities for you
to rise up as a man or woman of faith and do great things for the Kingdom of
God. These are days for you to demonstrate that you are a member of the Church
of Almighty God and that you will meet the needs of the lost and hurting. Just
as God used the church of Antioch to meet the severe needs of believers in
Jerusalem — this is your moment to shine! But in order to be God’s hand
of deliverance and provision, you must plan and prepare. Are you praying
about how to prepare so God can use you mightily in these last times?
When we see the things going on across the earth that we have in the last few years, and even more in the last year, we should be encourage and inspired to continue to go all out for God's plans and purposes for our lives. Remember, we are ONLY here as HIS ambassadors, sharing the Gospel, so that all of the whosoevers will have the opportunity to believe and receive! To be born again by the Spirit of Almighty God! To have Heaven as their home when they leave this earth! To be anointed with power from on high! To become members of God's own family, heirs of God, joint heirs with JESUS, and members of His body! Let's be more determined than ever before to about our Father's business! Here, to encourage you in this, is Hillsong UNITED with "GO":Shalom in Him!
