He Will Keep You...

Happy Wednesday, Friends! Susie Larson here...

And to those visiting, I say welcome! I post every Wednesday and my sole purpose is to nourish your soul along the way. Each month I give away a $10.00 Starbucks gift card to someone who posts on my blog. So leave a post, share an insight, bless lots of folks, and just maybe you'll win a jolt of java for you and a friend.

It's time to announce the winner for August: Tammy Steiner, congratulations! Just send me your mailing address and we'll get your gift card out to you within a week. You can contact me through my website: www.susielarson.com 

Now on to my topic...

Anne Graham Lotz is my guest on today's show. Anne is a voice crying in the wilderness, calling God's people to wake up and to prepare a way for the Lord. She is convinced that her generation is the one that immediately precedes the return of Jesus Christ. And this isn't just a 'feeling' or a hope-so kind of thing. Anne studies prophecy, watches the social, spiritual, and economic climates, and she makes a compelling case that it's time for God's people to wake up and look up! 

Jesus said that the coming of the Son of Man will be like in the days of Noah. People will be eating, drinking, and partying right up to the end, with no sense of their impending doom. Anne writes, "There's something drastically wrong with a culture that goes about everyday activities oblivious to God...In a similar way, our generation seems to have no fear of God or awareness of our accountability to Him." 

She further writes (speaking to the state of our nation), "God's past blessings do not mean that He will keep you safe at present or in the future. Your hope is not in the local or state or federal government. Your hope is in the Lord alone. With all of your know-how and your go-to-it innovative, creative ideas, you cannot predict your future or secure your future. God holds your future, and you need to get right with Him."

These are sobering times, and we need to be awake and alert to what the Spirit of the Lord is saying to the Church. Are we weak, though we say we are strong? Are we lukewarm though we pretend not to be? Or do we daily fan the flame of our first love devotion to the One and Only Savior of the world? 

We cannot keep ourselves, we are kept by a living, loving God, who patiently wills that all would voluntarily come to Him by faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. But the clock is ticking, prophetic world events are piling one on top of the other. God is who He says He is and He'll do what He said He'll do. But oh, how He loves His own!

Are you running a mile wide and an inch deep? Are you more focused on a trivial task list than the coming of our King? I know I am sometimes. Yet, we live in unprecedented times. If we--as God's saved and beloved ones--don't live focused, passionate, and purposefully, who will? 

Will we be found ready? Or will we be distracted, unprepared, with a lamp half full of oil? 

Just how do we live with a constant state of reverent readiness? 

The answer is right here in Hebrews 12:1-3

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let's run with patient endurance, the race set before us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who, for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the Father. Let us consider Him who endured such scorn from sinful men that we might not grow weary, and lose heart. 

Remember, we're not kept by perfection or performance, we're kept by faith in Christ alone. 

Never have we been closer to the return of Christ as we are now. It's quite possible we or our children may see Christ return for His bride. May we live faith-filled, focused lives, tossing aside the trivial, embracing the substance of Scripture. May we reach out to those who are partying and shopping and living as though they have all the time in the world. 

I'll leave you with this passage from Jude 1:23-25

Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.

Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.

~Until next week

The Right Way...

Greetings, Dear Friends!

And to those visiting, I say welcome!

Susie Larson here...

I post every Wednesday and my sole purpose is to nourish your soul along the way.

Each month I give away a $10.00 gift card to someone who posts on my blog. So leave a comment, share a story, and let's do this journey together!

Now on to my topic...

These are turbulent times, no?

Every which way we turn, we hear more bad news, bad numbers, and speculations about how much worse things might get.

Just how do we keep our peace and our focus amidst such trying times? 

My sister and I spent some time on the phone this morning. We discussed the over abundance of information out there, and how easy it is to get bogged down by it. 

It's important to be educated on what's happening in our world.

It's even more important to take a stand on issues of faith, morality, and integrity. It's essential that we walk closely with Jesus. 

We need His power to invade every nook and cranny of our lives!

God's power, not our ability to debate the issues, is what will change hearts, leaders, and ultimately nations. 

Read this great excerpt from a book I love, "God's Generals" by Roberts Liardon,

"...It seems that evangelicalism today has shifted from a spiritual to a political emphasis. While we still largely focus on the work of evangelism, we have laid aside the power of God for the more easily controlled power of a conservative voting block. We seem to have forgotten that it was revivalism that changed nations and righted social injustices during the past three centuries - not the power of democracy or the right to vote alone. it seems that evangelical Christianity has lost much of its relevance to societies because it tends to focus more on changing laws than changing hearts...I believe God is ready to anoint new revivalists. He only needs those who are willing to pick up the torch of these Generals (Finney, Wesleys, Booths, Graham, etc.) and pay the same price for the power of God that they did. His ways and blessings have not changed - Jesus Christ is still the 'same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8)." (p. 483-5)

I understand the angst in many Believers today. I too am sickened by the number of babies aborted every year. Every day. I too think the Church needs to do more for the poor and the oppressed in our world. 

But, as my sister and I discussed, you can stand for what's right with a wrong heart. You can put your foot down on behalf of all that is right and good, but do so with anger, frustration, impatience and irritation, only discredits yourself and your message. 

If you read what I write or have heard me speak with any regularity, you've heard this story before, but it works here:

I always tell my sons that the Christian life is like a winding country road, with deep ditches on each side. One ditch represents your outright rebellion, the other ditch, your response to someone else's sin. The devil could care less which ditch he gets you into, he just wants you off the road.

If I stand for all that's right but with a wrong heart, my words sound like noise in the ears of a world in need. 

So what's our answer?

Well, I may sound like a broken record but it's Jesus. Time with Him. Walking with Him. Listening to Him. Doing what He says.

Guy King wrote this, "His love wants the best for us; His wisdom knows the best for us; and His power gets the best for us." 

Lately I've been praying a powerful passage from Scripture: Phillippians 1:9-10 (here's my paraphrased prayer from that passage)...

Dear Lord, 

Help me to abound in love more and more...

That I may increase in all knowledge and depth of insight...

That I may easily discern what's right and best in every situation...

That I may walk blamelessly and purely before You...

That my life will be filled with an abundance of the fruit of righteousness. 

Amen.

Is that not amazing when you think about it? 

I've been praying this prayer many times a day lately. I love it. :)

As the days grow evil, may your love grow stronger.

With an abundance of information at your fingertips, may you focus in on the Word of God and listen to the direction of the Holy Spirit within you.

With the call to be set apart, may you stand for what's right with a humble heart of love, that people may be won over more by what you do, than by what you say.

Have a blessed week~

PS - Please pray for me next week. I'll be in Guatemala. I return home late Thursday night and have a large speaking event the following night. I need divine protection, direction, and provision!

Peace to you all~

A Special Note...

Greetings Dear Friends!

I'm posting a little early this week because I am flying out tomorrow to meet with my publisher for the next few days. Most of you know that I post every Monday, but this time, my usual post will appear on Wednesday when I return.

In the meantime I want to share something very important with you. Some of you who know me know that the issue of human trafficking has been weighing on me for the last year or two. Through a series of divine connections, I was introduced to a POWERFUL mission that is very close to my heart. International Justice Mission works tirelessly to rescue little girls forced into prostitution, prosecute the perpetrators, transition the victims back into life, and strengthen communities so they will no longer allow such a practice to take place. Well I am thrilled to tell you that I've recently joined with Christian artist Sara Groves as Minnesota's representatives for IJM.

We will be hosting a fund raising banquet on Tuesday, May 15th, 2007; please mark your calendars, save your money, and plan on joining us if you live in the area.

Jesus calls us to release the captives, rescue those in need, and bring justice to the oppressed.

IJM is doing just that.

Please consider supporting this powerful organization. I would love to see you in May.

That's all for now~

Blessings to you and yours!