Jesus Christ – Page 7 – Resounding Shophar Ministries

What’s In Your Heart?

Two men have been lost and walking through the woods for a number of days. They’ve run out of food a few days ago and they drank the last of their water 18 hours ago. Both men are tired from the ordeal wondering if they will ever find their way back or at least get rescued. Having gone so long without water all the while traipsing up and down the hills has made both of them really thirsty. As they try to get their bearings and figure out where they need to go they stumble upon an old hunters shack nestled among the trees along the side of a hill. They hurry inside hoping to find some food and water only to find an old gallon jar ¾ full of water. One man is very excited because they now have some water to drink that could help sustain them a couple more days, but the other man doesn’t see it the same way. He finds himself wondering how stale the water is, whether or not there is any bacteria in it that could cause them to get sick, and concerned that it’s not full.

For one man, he just naturally sees the positive in the situation and rejoices in it, recognizing the big blessing this ¾ full jar is, not thinking about how it could be bad. The second man realizes the water is a blessing, but he’s more concerned about how that water could negatively impact them if they drink it. One man is excited that his life can be sustained a little longer as they try to get back to home base, but the second man is more concerned that his life might be shortened if he drinks the only thing that could possibly sustain them. Two men in exactly the same predicament, but two men with vastly different ways of viewing their situation and life itself.

I think about the Christians in the early church and the persecution they had to endure for the sake of Jesus, persecution that at times inflicted great pain to them physically and often times even cost them their lives. I wonder how they looked at their situations. Did they look at them the way the first man in our story did, or did they look at them the way the second man did? Personally, I think the second man would have had a very hard time going through that persecution because his focus was more on the “what if’s”. The first person would probably be stronger because he focused on the positives, knowing that as Christ suffered for us he would consider it an honor to suffer for Him, and also because he would know that in a short while he would finally be with Jesus.

Christians have been persecuted for their faith ever since its inception on the Day of Pentecost. This is nothing new, though it may be new for us in America where we once were known as a Christian nation. Even Jesus was persecuted for the message He brought to humanity, a message of hope, love, grace, forgiveness and life eternal. As we see our country distancing itself more and more from Biblical Christianity, and even becoming more and more hostile towards Christians and the Biblical standards we seek to adhere to, Christians are coming under fire here unlike any other time in this nation’s history. As Christians we are faced with a situation where our response is very important, and our perception to these times will play a significant part in how we deal with them. Are we concerned about how people will view us or what they may do? Are we focusing on how others may take advantage of us or turn what we think is good into something that will end up being bad for us? Or do we trust God that He has us covered and will take care of us no matter what may or may not happen?

As we watch and prepare for the very soon return of Christ for the Church, we need to be mindful of what way in which we view the situations in our life and the world around us. While we may know that things are only going to get worse until the tribulation period comes to an end, we need to make sure our perception of things and how we respond to them will strengthen us and not sap us of our strength and energy. One way of knowing the condition of your heart is to ask yourself what your initial response to the above story was, not the response after your initial response. It’s important to note your initial responses to situations as that often times reveals what is truly in your heart. A lot of times we can have our initial response within ourselves only to quickly change that once our mind engages and takes another look at things, but what is in our heart is usually seen in our initial responses.

If you find that your initial responses tend to be more like the second man in our story than the first man, then you really need to ask God to help change your heart more into what the first man in our story portrays. In fact, you’ll find that life is much more relaxed and enjoyable when you do than if your heart and initial responses are like the second man. The second man is caught up in “what if’s”, worry and doubt, bound up such that he will miss the blessings and joys of life God is trying to bless him with. God doesn’t want you to be like the second man, so He’s more than willing and able to help change that in your heart, if you will allow Him to and follow His lead no matter what that might entail.

There’s a popular commercial on TV that asks a simple question, “what’s in your wallet?” Similar to this question I have to ask you this, “what’s in your heart?” It’s a simple question that packs quite a punch when carefully and honestly considered.

John Johansson

Weakening of the Fibers

Last Sunday our pastor preached a good message on being thankful, and in his message he commented on the different types of root systems different kinds of trees have. He noted that some trees like oaks and walnuts have deep roots, and then trees like the pines and redwoods of California have very shallow roots but find their strength in intertwining with the roots of other trees. As I thought about that another thought crossed my mind.

Up until a few months ago we lived in the beautiful Sierra Foothills, also known as “the mother lode”. To give you a better idea of where we were at, we were so close to Yosemite National Park we often times referred to it as being in our backyard.

Well, about a year ago we had the third largest wildfire in California’s recorded history, known as the “Rim Fire”. The fire was so close to us that relatives was ordered to evacuate, and we were waiting to receive evacuation orders ourselves. We even had a family in the church staying with us because they had also been evacuated. Because of my job I was involved with the evacuation of residents directly impacted by the fire, taking them to shelters setup by the Red Cross.

The smoke from the fire was pretty bad for weeks, and people were being told not to go outside unless necessary, and if so they needed to wear a specialized dust mask to filter the air. People usually didn’t wear the masks though the air quality was terrible and pretty toxic. One of the things I learned from this experience involved the smoke and the trees.

I don’t remember what it was called, but one of the main elements of the smoke was pretty toxic to the trees. You would think these towering trees would be impervious to the smoke, but that wasn’t the case. Apparently the effect this smoke had on the trees was significant because it weakened the trees fibers. This would then make the trees susceptible to falling over or breaking apart. Because of this there was concern both of the trees just falling over, and whether or not they would be able to withstand the winds, rain, and snow from the coming winter.

This reminds me of what we face spiritually and the importance of being well rooted in the faith. As Christians, we are continually bombarded by the allure of sin in its many forms, a poisonous toxin to a Christian. If we have strong, established roots, deep in the Word and tightly intertwined with fellow believers who are both a support and an encouragement to us spiritually, the easier it will be to stand. However, if we absorb what the world is bombarding us with, our backbone to stand will be weakened and we’ll become more apt to fall in the storms of life.

How do we absorb that which the world is bombarding us with? We absorb it through what we listen to, the things that we see and read, the places we go to and the people we hang around with. The more we allow ourselves to be exposed to the temptations of the world, the more apt we are to absorb those things. Is it just in the “big” sins everyone talks about, or does it go beyond that? It involves, not just the “big” sins, but also mindsets and attitudes that are unbiblical and conflict with the Word, as well as the heart and mind of God. These could be seen in misplaced priorities, the greed for power, fame, prestige and financial and material gain. It could be attitudes of superiority and pride, attitudes that express a mindset absent and independent of Christ. It could be self-centeredness and selfishness, and the idea of “whatever feels good” is right and good and living for the moment. It could also be mindsets that have little or no problem with spreading gossip and slander, having little regard for confidentiality and the best interests of the other person you’re talking about.

So, the question is asked, are your fibers getting weakened? Or, are you having little or less backbone to stick with the moral standards found in the Bible, or to remain loyal to your commitment to Christ and His Kingdom? If this is you, then I challenge you to take a step back and re-evaluate your life, and to begin taking steps to change this in you. Only you can determine what you absorb into your heart, mind and life, and it is you with the help of the Holy Spirit that can make the necessary steps to minimize your absorption of what the world throws your way, and to strengthen your “fibers” and backbone for the glory of God and your spiritual health.

By John Johansson

As We See That Day Approaching …

As I was thinking about the soon return of our Lord and Savior for His bride, I began to think about what are some of the things we need to be doing as we see that blessed day approaching. Or, should we just continue living life, as some would say, believing it will all work out in the end? Well, what does scripture tell us?

In Luke 21:34-36, Jesus tells us two things we should be doing. He tells us that we need to be watching for His return, not getting caught up in carousing, drunkenness and the cares of this life. He makes it clear that if we get caught up with these things His return will come on us unexpectantly. I’ve heard many people say that they’re not concerned about ‘watching’ for His return, in observing the signs of the times and the unfolding of Biblical end-time prophecy. They claim that we are to ‘occupy’ until He comes, and that as long as they are ready then it will all work out, but that mindset concerns me. In multiple passages Jesus tells us to ‘watch’, and with emphasis. Why, because apparently it would be easy to get caught up with the cares of life and not be ready for His return. By the way, did you notice He’s telling this to His disciples and not to those who were not following Him?

The second thing that Jesus tells us in this passage is to pray continually that we may be counted worthy to escape that which is coming down the pipes upon this earth. Wait a minute. He’s telling His disciples to pray, and pray continually, that they are counted worthy to escape that which will be coming to pass? Wow. What does that tell us? What it tells me is that we can’t just sit smugly in our Lazy Boys and think we have it made and have nothing to worry about. One of the best lies of the enemy, among many, is that once we’ve asked Jesus to be our Lord and Savior then we have nothing to worry about and can relax believing we’re okay, but that is not how Jesus wants us to approach it. Jesus knows far better than we do what will come to pass after He comes for His bride, and He’s letting us know we need to take our relationship with Him so seriously so as to not take anything for granted. Oh, Lord, help us to take your warnings and admonitions to watch and pray as seriously as you need us to.

In Philippians 2:12, Paul tells us to ‘work out our own salvation with fear and trembling’. While there may be differing views of what that may mean, I believe the consensus is that we take our relationship with Jesus seriously. I also note that in the same verse prior to the above statement he comments on the obedience of the Philippians to the gospel. This is something that is missing in most church circles in America these days, the commitment to being obedient to God and His word, the Bible. We live in a time when it’s fashionable to decide which parts of the Bible we will follow in our own lives, and which ones we will conveniently ignore. One of my pet peeves is when we either put words in Gods mouth, or for that matter take words out of His mouth. We have a tendency to look at a scripture we don’t like or agree with and to ‘modify it’ according to what we think God really meant by it so as to justify why we don’t embrace and live by it. Jesus said that if we love Him we will do His commandments, and when we fail to be obedient to Him and His word we are then considered as lawless in His sight.

Another thing we need to be doing is found in Hebrews 10:24-25. The writer of Hebrews tells us to consider one another so that we can stir up love and good works. He further states in the same sentence that we are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as apparently some made a habit of doing, so that we can exhort one another, especially as we see the day of His return approaching. Check this out. We are told that as we see the day of His return approaching we must not forsake the times that we gather together with the brethren. The more evident it becomes that Jesus’ return is imminent, the more we need to embrace times with fellow believers both in church settings and in our ‘social lives’, this is so that we can be an encouragement and a help for others and they in turn can do likewise for us. The closer we get to His return, which means the closer we’re getting to the tribulation period, the darker things are going to get in this world, and the harder it will be for us to stay close to Him. Might I also add, the closer we get to His return the harder it will be for us to 1) watch for His return, 2) continually pray that we are counted worthy to escape that which is coming, and 3) to remain obedient to Him and His word when so much of this life will pull us away. We need more than ever before, to relish all the time we can with fellow believers where we will find the encouragement, the help and the corporate strength to persevere until that blessed day arrives. I’m speaking even to myself in that I’m not a ‘social butterfly’, but it is going to be essential for each of us to lock arms with our brothers and sisters in Christ like never before if we’re going to stand. I’m not saying we need to isolate ourselves from those who are not followers of Christ, because that is not what we are called to do, but it does mean we need to value time with the brethren more and more all the time. People who are not followers of Christ, or those who think they are but are merely fans of Jesus, and there is a difference, may not understand this, but we need the support of those in the family of God if we are going to make it in these last days. Many feel that being faithful to your local church and spending time with fellow believers of Christ is optional and not essential, but I’m afraid that they will one day have tremendous regrets for not heeding the instructions of the Lord and taking their walk with Him more seriously. After all, if you knew that there was a potential threat coming to you and your family, would you not take it seriously and do whatever you needed to do no matter how inconvenient and disliked it was just so you could protect them? How much more seriously should we take our walk with Jesus as we see the coming judgments of God coming soon to this earth after what we call the rapture takes place?

So, as we see the day of His return approaching more and more each day, and seeing the urgency of the times we live in and that His return is imminent, are you doing what you should be doing? If not, I strongly encourage you to grab a hold of these things as you prepare for Him. No matter how some may paint things, you will not want to be here during the tribulation period as it will be worse than many think it will be.