The Challenges Ahead

The Challenges Ahead

Pastor Bruce over the past several weeks has been sharing the “revelations” that Jesus revealed to the apostle John – “those things which are yet to come”. Those things that are meant to give all believers hope, knowledge that God is still in control, and that Christ’s victory is assured. Those revelations are meant to reassure all who trust in Him that they will be saved.

Pastor Bruce has taken time away from those end time visions and signs to focus for a short time on right now. Pastor Bruce, as we once again celebrate and look forward to yet another new year, 2016, is reminding us that it is time to once again reassess, re-examine our hearts. It is time to be mindful of the challenges that God brings forth through His Word.

I want to take some time over the next couple of weeks, and in 2-3 different installments of “Thoughts from the Kitchen Table” to talk about those specific scriptures and more importantly the challenges that Pastor Bruce has issued to us over the past couple of weeks. Again, the timing of these challenges comes as we begin the new year . A time to examine our hearts, think about where been the past year, where we are right now, and most importantly where we want to be during the days and months ahead.

One of the first challenges that Pastor Bruce issued to us came from one of the authors of “the Daily Bread” devotional Joe Stowell. There in his January 1st entry Mr. Stowell talked about how his dad (a pastor) always presented one specific challenge to his congregation on the first Sunday of each new year. He always reminded his congregation that this new year could indeed be the year of our Lord’s return – then he would issue the challenge – Are you ready? Pastor Bruce in sharing that devotional with us, reminded us also that 2016 could indeed be the year of our Lord’s return; he then issued that same question and challenge to us – Are we Ready?

Another challenge, through the use of a bouquet of “thorny” rose stems -Pastor Bruce challenged us to be mindful of God’s ways of using adversity in our lives. He reminded us that we need to be thankful for those “thorns”. He reminded us that the roses can’t survive without those “thorny” stems. Pastor Bruce challenged us to examine ourselves – how are we using both the “thorns” and the roses to glorify God in all we say and do.

Lastly, using the apostle Peter’s sermon in Acts 2 along with the heart wrenching story of a botched abortion, challenged us to ask ourselves – how do we respond to the challenges that are presented to us? Through Peter’s sermon, Pastor Bruce reminded us that the people that heard Peter’s sermon had there heart’s “pricked” and were so overwhelmed, their only response could be “What do we do?” Are our hearts “pricked” in the same way as the crowds after hearing the apostles sermon? Are our hearts “pricked” and overwhelmed in the same way, when we hear stories like that botched abortion? Do we respond in the same way “What do we do?”

The beginning of a new year is an appropriate time to look back at the previous year, to remember the many blessings, but also to remember the adversity and challenges, and praise God for bringing us through. It is also a good time to look forward to the new year, be thankful for all the anticipated blessings of the new year and to ask for strength and courage to face all the challenges of the coming year.

My prayer – let us use the challenges that Pastor Bruce has given to us through God’s Word – let them motivate us, make us more hungry to grow into a closer relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Thanks Pastor Bruce for your challenges, your reminders, and most of all your faithfulness to God’s Word.