Freedom Fellowship Church New Braunfels, Texas

There are many in the church who are keenly aware of the signs of the times. The question, then, becomes, "If we can see in the Word that the sign of the times aligns with Scripture, what is our response?" Simply put, our response is to pray. It is to pray in the same way that the prophet Daniel prayed as Israel's time of release from captivity was so close at hand. Instead of rejoicing and praising like we might assume would be the case for such a joyous event, Daniel's posture was one of humility and brokenness before God. "We are unworthy sinners," was his plea. In Ezekiel, we hear the Word of the Lord calling out for someone to stand in the gap, though sadly, there was no one. The Lord is calling His church to stand in the gap between Heaven and Earth. It is not a battle for political agendas or economical markets, but for the souls of men, women and children. Now, however, is a time for refining the church so that she can become the kingdom of saints who will stand in the gap, free from the dross of sin.

Jesus commissioned 72 of His followers to go out. He gave them the authority to heal the sick, preach the Gospel and to cast out demons. The 72 came back rejoicing at the power which Jesus had given to them. Jesus replies by recounting His perspective, "I saw Satan fall." And yet, our enemy, fallen as he is, seeks desperately to derail us from knowing that same power and purpose which Jesus gave to the 72 and gave to us through the cross. "Do not be deceived," Paul admonished in his letter to the Corinthian church. As we begin a period of 30 days of prayer, let us not be deceived and drift away from the truth of the power which Jesus has given us.

One of the most beloved stories in the New Testament is the story of Nicodemus, found in the book of John chapter 3. In it we find Nicodemus, a religious leader, seeking Jesus' counsel on the Kingdom of God. Jesus lovingly challenges Nicodemus' perspective by answering him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." Jesus' answer challenged Nicodemus for the same reason it often challenges modern-day "seekers," those wanting to "see" the answers to their questions. Eternity was written on man's heart, but it is only through being spiritually born again that we can truly "see" the answer, and that answer is Jesus.

The times are quickly upon us to be salt and light in our communities. With the quickening pace life has taken, it has never before in history been so imperative to not lose sight of our purpose as the church of Jesus Christ. A day is soon coming when the idea of sin will become illegal. It will be a day that will be ruled by sensuality, when mankind will largely be driven by emotions and our senses. It is paramount that we take responsibility for the communities in which we find ourselves. Whether that community be the workplace, homes, schools, PTA meetings, neighborhoods, hospitals or any one of the other numerous places, we have a responsibility to be agents of cleansing and purifying to the world around us.

As a people we are not unfamiliar with heart cries. Some particular cries have, no doubt, shaped your own personal experiences. It may be the cry of a family suffering the loss of a loved one or the cry of parents facing struggles with a beloved yet wayward child. Or, it could be the cry of grief caused by death or betrayal. The cry of the heart can be and often is multi-directional, especially given all the social media outlets available to us today. While the cry for these causes are both compelling and compulsory, no cry is so needed and, sadly, so neglected as the cry up. Our nation and our world is at a unique and critical moment in time. What will your response be to the injustice or oppression or sin you see around you? What are you going to do about it? There's no questions revival will come. What matters is how it will come about. Will it come about as a result of desperation, or will it come about as a result of devastation? The choice is ours, church.

In the book of Genesis, we see Joseph become a leader in Egypt with great power and status, but he lacked the one thing he desired most - his father’s blessing. Today, having a father’s blessing is just as important for us as it was for Joseph. As a society, we have come to a point where we think doing the basics means we are better off than most. However, God is calling us as a church, specifically fathers, to something more...to be a blessing to those around us. Whether or not we had a father figure has no bearing on what God is calling you to today. It is time for fathers to speak out blessings and reassume a position of leadership and influence, just like Joseph.

Before sin entered the world, God saw that something was amiss. Man was alone without a suitable helper. Enter Eve, God’s solution to man’s aloneness. It is through relationships that we become complete and fulfilled, a relationship with God and with others. In our broken state, however, we often find ourselves asking the wrong question. “Am I getting everything I DESERVE out of this relationship,” we ask. Instead, we should be asking ourselves, “What is GOD getting out of this relationship?” This question should permeate every relationship in our lives, those with friends, family and, of course, spouses. Look and see for yourself. Is there evidence of divine unity? Do your relationships resemble the love the Trinity has among itself? Are you yoked with the heavy burdens of this world or with the easy and light burden of the humble Lord Jesus?

We begin another Sabbath season in a momentous point in history. The past few weeks have been major game changers which will lead to a time of trial for the American church. That is why the principle of Sabbath rest is so important. The key attribute that the enemy wants to rob from you is the Sabbath rest of Jesus. If the enemy controls your peace, your rest, then he wins. That is why it is so important that we allow the Lord of the Sabbath to rule in the days of adversity, persecution, turmoil and temptation. Steady yourself, church, He is still Lord of the Sabbath.

What should our response be when the law of the land issues a decree that is opposite the law of God? Some might pack up and leave, others might make their opposition known on social media. But there's one option that we see in Scripture, and that is to pray constantly. Our study in Ephesians leads us to the book of Daniel who prayed constantly, intensely and unselfishly when the king issued a decree that all should worship him. That is to be our response.

Like Mt. St. Helens, the world around us is bulging like a volcano waiting to erupt. Jesus described the signs of His return, and recently those signs have become clearer. Jesus instructs the disciples with a sobering message in Matthew 24:12 saying that, "...the love of most will grow cold." How do we keep ourselves in the love of Christ? The answer is prayer. More specifically, the answer is ceaseless prayer. Prayer is what will keep an end-times church's lampstand in its place, and the love of the saints burning brightly.