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Finding Refuge in Troubled Times
Hebrews 10:23-35
Let us hold fast the confession of our
hope without wavering, for He who
promised is faithful. And let us
consider one another to stir up
love and good works,
Even
though the world around us is is rapidly
decaying and becoming more and more
hostile to those who take their
faith seriously, God is with us and will
offer us places of refuge. Now is the
time to labor together with Him as Jesus
builds His Church, where the
gates of hell have no authority during a
season, in which we are still relatively
secure.
As it is, our
world is changing at an alarming rate.
Though the homelessness situation is
seemingly out of control, with inflation
reaching record highs, and violence with
murders and other forms of lawlessness
continue to increase, we continue to go
on with our lives without too much of a
concern. However, it’s important to
understand what is happening in our
world today is only a precursor of what
is to come. We could be about to enter
into what the Bible outlines as the
beginning of sorrows or perilous times.
The closer we get to the second
coming of Christ, all that was mentioned
above and more will continue to worsen.
God’s desire is for His Church to be a
place of refuge and security during
times of extreme difficulty. The Church
Jesus is building is to be a strong
tower amid all that is
crumbling around us.
Jesus said,
“I will build my Church and the gates of
hades will not be able to prevail
against it.” This statement by
Jesus means His Church will be able to
withstand all that comes against it
during perilous or difficult times. It
will be a place or refuge and strength
to all who dwell there during troublous
times.
The Church
Jesus is building is being made out of
lively stones of which are God’s chosen
vessels of righteousness — that’s us. We
are co-laborers with Jesus as we build
His Church together. As co-laborers we
have a responsibility to build on the
foundation that has already been
laid.
To build on the foundation of
Jesus Christ, we can draw from the
examples of the Church in the
wilderness, which was a type of the New
Testament Church, and the Church that
emerges in the book of Acts and the
Epistles. What kind of Church is it that
will provide a place of security and
refuge for the people of God and those
seeking refuge during extremely hard
times? What will the strong tower of
righteousness look like?
When the
children of Israel were in the
wilderness for 40 years, God instructed
Moses to have them build the Tabernacle
of Meeting. It was to be the place where
they would meet together as God’s called
out ones to offer their sacrifices to
God. God gave very specific instructions
on how every aspect of the tabernacle
was to be built including the Ark of the
Covenant, the furniture and the utensils
that would be necessary for presenting
their sacrifices.
Under the New
Covenant established by the perfect
sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of
God, we find this same pattern of
building to be true. We are the living
stones that God is using to build His
Church in these last days before the
second Coming of Christ.
As
living stones, the Church has gone
through various stages of building and
rebuilding since the Day of Pentecost
was fully fulfilled when the early
disciples received the outpouring of the
Holy Spirit prophesied by the prophet
Joel.
As His living stones, we are His
places of refuge, amid
all the trouble that is brewing in our
world. If we are entering into the
birth pangs and perilous
times as many believe, we need places of
security and refuge for those trying to
escape troubled times. Let us lay our lives
down for one another, offering ourselves
as living sacrifices upon the altar of
God’s righteousness.
Romans 12:1-2
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The
"Rise of the Anointed Ones"
is a 40-day devotional book
that perfectly fits our
present times. As you read
through the 40 devotionals,
you will find a beautiful
blend of timeless truths
fitly applied to today's
culture and challenges. The
majestic flow from theme to
theme contains powerful
prophetic revelations as God
calls His Anointed Ones to
rise. Each of these
devotionals stands on its
own, but together they will
propel the reader into a
rewarding journey of
experiencing God's presence
in tumultuous times. Each
devotional ends with a
Davidic poem in nature
flowing like a delightful
stream with heavenly
impartations. "Rise of the
Anointed Ones" is like a
voice in the wilderness
calling God's beloved away
from all that distracts to
Him who is jealous for His
bride.