Under pressure

You might be wondering why I chose to walk our church through Revelation at this time. Through conversations I’ve had with fellow believers, I’ve sensed a general disdain for the direction our culture is moving. As we examine the world around us, it certainly seems that more people are choosing to reject God and His ways. And, they are being more outspoken about it. This puts a type of pressure on the people of God. We tend to respond with a “circle the wagons” mentality. We want to protect ourselves and those closest to us, and ensure that the secular mindset doesn’t take hold within our circle.In response to the direction of our culture, I’ve heard this type of comment from my fellow believers: “I believe we are getting close to the end times, and Jesus will come back soon.” Along with that, I’ve heard the occasional comment about Revelation, through which we can read the vision God gave John regarding the end of this world and the creation of a new heaven and earth.This certainly played into my choice to take our church through this final book of our Bibles. Revelation (along with the rest of Scripture) teaches us how to respond to the times we are living in. Already in the letters to the churches in the first three chapters, we have read that we must hold fast to what we know to be true. We must receive God’s correction and repent of the sin in our lives. It is imperative that we are passionate about the mission Jesus has given us: make disciples. And at the heart of this is loving God and loving others … which Jesus said is the foundation of all God’s truth.Our natural response to the culture is to fight back; to defend and even seek opportunities to go on the offensive. But we are followers of Jesus, and that places us in a spiritual battle rather than a physical battle. Spiritual battles are fought with the Word and prayer. And only the Gospel will change the heart of another person. As I read Revelation 6 last week, God moved in my heart to write the following in my own personal journal:- Instead of living in fear, I will live out my faith.- I will have confidence in the blood of the Lamb.- I will respect the power of God.- I will not cling to my life.- I will pray for and actively reach out to unbelievers.- I will disciple those who follow Christ.- I will allow other believers to invest in me.- I will stay focused on Jesus, and not get distracted.I hope these thoughts inspire you as they did me.- Pastor Dan