Overcomers: aware, but not without hope

Thoughts this morning after receiving an email from a dear brother in Christ. His message opened with this sentence: “Our nation is surely destroying itself from within, exactly like the Roman empire.”

Not the kind of observation I would choose to start my morning!

But then God spoke to my heart: “You know this brother, Steve. You know His love for Me, and His desire to share the message of salvation with the lost.”

Yes, I do. His is a life radically changed by Jesus shortly after I met him 15 years ago. This man loves God, and expresses his gratitude for the Father’s love in one way or another every time I see him.

So, given his previously mentioned reference to the demise of the Roman empire, is my brother in Christ despondent, passionate with an anger that knows no hope?

Hardly, as evidenced by the second half of his email:

“…  He will remove us from this pit of corruption. But not yet. We still have to be LIGHTS. We must still show the Truth, which is Jesus Christ.”

“We must not bend to the will of the evil in our midst,” he continued. “We must stand with our fellow Christians and support one another without compromise. Only through and with the wisdom given by the Holy Spirit will we be overcomers. Let us all continue to pray in Jesus’ name for His strength to be our shield in these very truly last days.”

God is in charge, and since the days of Adam and Eve has made clear His desire that ALL should come to know the joy and hope of life eternal with Him. Yes, “all have fallen short of the glory of God,” but through Jesus Christ we can gain the inheritance of precious daughters and sons of our Creator/Father.

Once we have surrendered our hearts there are no necessary “works” – only opportunities to shine the light of Truth and when called, to speak and act in His name, always motivated by His pure love.

Come Lord Jesus, but inspire us, strengthen us, give us Your joy until that time.