Published by Deborah Negron M.A.
Iglesia de Dios – Centro de Vida Bridgeport, CT
Delight yourself in the Lord…Psalm 37:4 tell us.
What a challenge these days. To look to he Hills from where our Help Comes from, as Psalm 121 says,, for some, is difficult thing.
During this time of great unrest the world is looking for answers. The entire globe is perplexed by the violence and the calamity. These times are unprecedented. We have never seen the numerous horrors tha we are seeing globally.
Yes from time to time we have been in war.
We have seen times of trouble. But the unrest in he world today on a global scale is what can be seen as an increase in wickedness.
Evil and famine, wars and disease, brother against brother. Racial tensions, Pride and hate… The previous sins have increased. Sin breeds sin. We are living a time like never before. The magnitude of sin is at a peak.
Oh, but in the midst of unfavorable news…
In the midst of this time of storm after storm, I am reminded….
God is still present. Scripture warned us of these times that would come.
But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of stress. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, fierce, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding the form of religion but denying the power of it. Avoid such people. For among them are those who make their way into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and swayed by various impulses, who will listen to anybody and can never arrive at a knowledge of the truth.
2 Timothy 3:1-7
There are many who cannot arrive at the truth. The scales have covered I their spiritual eyes and they cannot see what is truly happening.
We are the ones who are supposed to hold the truth of God. We are not dismayed by bad news. We do not fold when the times of war arise. We must be those who in the midst of Adversity, we recall God’s faithfulness.
We are the ones that understand this,
“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6
We do not cower at the thought of danger coming. We surrender to the Sovereignty of the Lord Jesus Christ and we become those whom are able to stand in the evil day. We cover ourselves in the Armour of the Word of God. (Ephesians 6). We hold fast to our faith and do not waiver in our beliefs.
We do not cave in. We stand tallest on our knees. We continue in our prayers and our supplications to the one who is able to save. (Philippians 4:6) We cry out for we know who is on our side.
We do not blame God. We expect from God His peace that passes understanding (Philippians 4:7).
Faith does not mean we do not experience moments of fear. No, faith means we encounter these moments as challenges and press on in God. We pray, seek his direction in order to act and we do not simply go with he current of the times. (Psalm 37:23).
The Church of Jesus Christ stands firm in his promises. We stand firm in our convictions and we do not surrender our wills to despair.
We combat evil with good.
Far too many are teaching and preaching psychology and a make me feel good message. Jesus has come that we may be bold in our faith and stand United as one People of God.
Regardless of the issues we face, we are first God’s Children and then citizens of this great country. We are first Servants of God and then parts of our communities.
We are the salt of the earth. Have we lost our ability to function?
We are the light to a darkened world. Have we dimmed our light?
Where are we standing? Are we standing on the Rock that is Christ Jesus.
We cannot cower and call evil good and good evil. We do not follow the guidelines of men when they are not in accordance with God’s word.
Our brothers and sisters in communist countries face persecution and unrest on a daily basis. They do not cower at the dangers of being the light to those around them. They risk their very lives for the sake of the gospel.
How is our resolve? What do we stand for?
So many today have gone so much, along with the flow of this world, that the fragrance of the Master is no longer on them.
Do we hold the aroma of his presence in us?
“For to God we are the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.”
2 Corinthians 2:15
Our focus is off. The government is not our Savior. The political parties are not going to save us. The looking to Science and technology is not going to save this fallen world.
You see, scripture tells us to look to the Heavens. We must have a celestial encounter. We must have an encounter with the Almighty. We cannot expect man to save mankind.
Our only hope is found in the Son of God. Jesus is the only one who can save humanity. He gave himself an offering and sacrifice for those who choose to believe in him. Those who turn away from their desires for power, greed, lust and their own sinful ways and repent. They will recieve salvation and hope, peace and stability even in the midst of a world in turmoil.
Looking at all the negative news and the issues of life can make us tired and weary. We may be exhausted if our focus is off. For a time we all feel this way. But we can trust in the one who sustains us. In the God wo fights our battles. He has already won the victory.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Isaiah 40:30-31
We can be Renewed in faith when we look to Him. Only he has the answers to humanities plight…
Mankind has not the answer.
They have not a clue as to how to heal the human condition.
Our greatest Sickness is called Sin.
It breeds more sin. It destroys families, communities and kingdoms. It ruins good marriages and takes fathers away from their children. Sin takes our sense of good will and gives us a selfish heart instead.
Sin causes sexual confusion. It causes a mother to want to abort her unborn child. It causes a government to make this abortion legal. Sin brings addictions of drugs and sex and greed. Sin brings fear and crimes. Sin is the the one responsible for causing the great divides.
I sat in an office the other day of a laboratory. They were going to extract some of my blood for some tests my doctor was requesting.
I took the opportunity to ask the young phlebotomist this question.
If I were to need a transfusion. Would the race or skin color of the person who donated the blood matter?
She looked at me and said, Blood is Blood. All tha matters is that you have the right type.
There are A, B, AB and O blood types.
Positive and negative. So in total there are 8 groups of blood type.
I asked so do the types vary by race or ethnicity? She said, ” If you ask me, “Blood is Blood. It wouldn’t matter who gave it as long as it is a match.”
Blood is Blood. Every life is valuable.
This is consistent with scripture.
“And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
Acts 17:26 KJV
The Believer understands, that in Christ, we are one. Jesus came to give us freedom from sin. His Blood was shed for all of us. He created us all from the seed of Adam and Eve.
Humanity is all valuable to God. Hos desire is that we would look to Him fo our Hope an our Salvation. He loves us enough to extend to us forgiveness and to cleanse us from the Sickness called sin.
When we look to the heavens for our help, we can stand in th day of trouble and know Christ is on our side. Whether we are persecuted for our faith or whether we have to face war, we can rest assured we will be delivered from this earlthy plain and taken to be with Him forever.
The promise of forgiveness of sins and eternal life is pure and clear when we look upwards. We can trust in the midst of trials, that the Lord will give us the wherewithal to stand against the evils of these days.
Our only hope is found in Jesus.
He died for us to be set free from the consequences of sin. The Bible says the wages of sin is death bit the gift of God is eterna ife.
Jesus is alive. He rose again to give us eternal life. He is for us.
In the midst of all adversities and trials we may face, God is for us.
Read on. His word gives us this assurance.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4
The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid.
Psalm 27:1
When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
Deuteronomy 20:1
I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Psalm 16:8
I choose to look to the Hills from where my help comes from. Psalm 121.
I choose to look to the goodness and the faithfulness of God during these difficult times.
Life and Faith By Deb 
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