By Greg
Laurie
As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is
coming, when no one can work. John 9:4
As we
look at how dark our culture is today, we wonder if we can ever really make a
difference. It seems so overwhelming. It seems as though darkness is spreading
and light is receding. It is like the time Isaiah described when he said,
"What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that
dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter"
(Isaiah 5:20).
To illustrate that very point, I could cite movies that are popular right now. We celebrate that which the Bible says is wrong and offensive to God, and we laugh at that which the Bible holds forth as standards we should live by. The good news is that the same Holy Spirit who set the early church in motion can use us if we are willing.
It's interesting to note that in the first century, the question on the disciples' minds was, "Is the end of the world near?" That same question is on the minds of many today. What Jesus essentially said to His disciples was, "This isn't the time for that. My purpose is to rule and reign in the hearts of people. Don't be so concerned about when I am going to do that. Rather, be concerned about what you should be doing while you wait."
The same principle holds true for us. Don't worry about when. He will return when the time is right. What we should be committing ourselves to, what we should be interested in, is what we are supposed to be doing as we await the Lord's return.
To illustrate that very point, I could cite movies that are popular right now. We celebrate that which the Bible says is wrong and offensive to God, and we laugh at that which the Bible holds forth as standards we should live by. The good news is that the same Holy Spirit who set the early church in motion can use us if we are willing.
It's interesting to note that in the first century, the question on the disciples' minds was, "Is the end of the world near?" That same question is on the minds of many today. What Jesus essentially said to His disciples was, "This isn't the time for that. My purpose is to rule and reign in the hearts of people. Don't be so concerned about when I am going to do that. Rather, be concerned about what you should be doing while you wait."
The same principle holds true for us. Don't worry about when. He will return when the time is right. What we should be committing ourselves to, what we should be interested in, is what we are supposed to be doing as we await the Lord's return.
