“There is no faithfulness, no kindness, no knowledge of God in your land. You make vows and break them; you kill and steal and commit adultery. There is violence everywhere—one murder after another. That is why your land is in mourning, and everyone is wasting away. Even the wild animals, the birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea are disappearing.”
~ The Lord| Hosea 4:1-3 (NLT)

Are you focused on the wrong things?

What turbulent times we live in, is there anything that is the way it should be? COVID, political unrest, violence, economic turmoil… the list is long and seems to be growing. As I read this scripture from Hosea the other day I was struck, shocked really, with the similarities to our present day. Who alive today has lived in times like these before? But in reading through the Bible, there certainly were lots of times like these…plagues, wars, slavery, droughts, evil kings, and even locusts seem almost commonplace.

Despite all of our amazing advancements, the world has not changed so much.

In Jesus’ day, oppression by the Romans was heavy. The people desperately wanted a king to rise up, a savior, that could rescue them from their oppression. Yet, not even a week after an incredibly grand welcoming with palms branches and singing, they turned on him, believing he was not their man.

Jesus was no political solution.

It seems nowadays we too have turned to the government to solve our problems… If just the right person were president, or the right party wins dominance, then all of our problems would be solved. There is so much pressure for a solution and such deeply entrenched opinions on which way to go, that people are turning against each other. Violence is everywhere, and much more lays unexpressed in people’s hearts. Hatred is rampant and is ever increasing as the clash of opinions is fueled by an unending media barrage. Everyone has the cause figured out and is shouting “The politicians are to blame for this!” Or “The biased media is the culprit!” I can just envision Satan sitting back with a huge grin on his face.

Do we have this whole mess upside down?

My son, a very smart young man, a history major, once said, “If only people knew history, they would make much better decisions. The problem is people don’t.” So here we are again. We have much to learn. But we can choose to learn from history by embracing God’s response to the Israelites.

“Don’t point your finger at someone else and try to pass the blame! My complaint, you priests, is with you.”
The Lord| Hosea 4:4 (NLT)

He goes on to say,

“My people are being destroyed because they don’t know me. Since you priests refuse to know me, I refuse to recognize you as my priests.”
The Lord| Hosea 4:6

The Bible makes it clear, all who claim to be followers of Jesus are priests. No, the politicians are not the blame, nor the media…

We are to blame. We cannot pass the buck. Too many people do not know the Lord.

Some attribute what is happening to the “End Times.” Perhaps so, perhaps not. What we do know is that we are one day closer to Jesus’ return than we were yesterday. It seems like throughout the entirety of my devotionals last year, preaching the gospel came up more than any other topic by a long shot.

With great urgency, the Holy Spirit has been pushing me to proclaim the Good News.

Most recently I read this:

“The day of the Lord is an awesome, terrible thing. Who can possibly survive? That is why the Lord says, “Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish. Who knows? Perhaps he will give you a reprieve, sending you a blessing instead of this curse.”
Joel 2:11-14 (NLT)

Yes, we are closer to this day than yesterday. How much time is there? Who know? What matters is what we do now.

Today is the day to start sharing the Good News.

Jesus is indeed the King who will save the world. Perhaps he will have mercy on us and give us a reprieve for a time before he returns. Each of us needs to be stone-faced determined focus on our Life Mission, which is your piece of fulfilling the great commission.

“Jesus came and told his disciples, ‘I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’”
Jesus Christ| Matthew 28:18-20 (NLT)

The buck stops with you. It’s time to refocus your energies on enlarging the Kingdom of Heaven. Do this by committing to do your special part, your Life Mission. Don’t know it? Our Reach New Peaks Guided Workshop will guide you to it. It will change your life, guaranteed.

Let’s talk.

Go to www.missioncurve.com to learn more.