FRIDAY May 1, 2020
Knowing the Congregation
To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 1:7
In the first chapter of the book of Romans, Paul knew the congregation. He recognized what the Christians in Rome faced--persecution. He saw the condition of the flock. Paul communicated God’s message to them and ministered to their problems and issues. He spoke right to their needs, hurts and struggles. In a way, Paul was prophesying to the congregation, as he knew what they would face in the future. He wanted people to know he was behind them, praying for them, as they went through these difficult times.
The Scripture says to know your flocks (Proverbs 27:23). As I look at the Church and what people are facing in the world today, I, like Paul, preach a message to minister to people’s hearts. I know the message needs to be straight from the heart of God. The Bible tells us what is ahead of us. I know we are living in the last days, and everything is heading toward Ezekiel 38-39, Daniel 9, and the Great Tribulation period described in the book of Revelation.
People cannot place their trust in anything; tomorrow their finances can be gone! Look at the way things are going; the economy is hurting and things are moving forward within the world powers. Scripture is unfolding before our very eyes. America needs to wake up from their parties. Most young people do not care what is going on in the world––that is their mentality.
It seems the people who are genuinely concerned are the older people because they have seen and gone though many things in the past. This is not a time to go to sleep; it is time to wake up to the fact that we are in big trouble. We need the grace and peace of God in our lives. This is not the time to drift away from the truth of God and what He wants to do in your life.
In this hour of all-but-universal darkness one cheering gleam appears: within the fold of conservative Christianity there are to be found increasing numbers of persons whose religious lives are marked by a growing hunger after God Himself.
~A.W.Tozer~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!