The Thursday Update

AUGUST 22, 2024

Lakeshore Friends—

Life is not easy.  In fact, it’s pretty difficult at times to live with faith, hope, and love when all around us are signs of fear, despair, and hatred.  The news is often filled with so much depressing information that it just seems like things will never get all that much better.

For 2,000 years Christians have felt this way.  From persecutions and martyrdom in the first three hundred years since the time of Jesus, to the torturous treatment of so many Christians around the world today, living for Jesus Christ usually costs us something.  We’re seeing it in increasing measure in our country today.  It’s happening with people who are simply praying in front of an abortion clinic, or who believe in the traditional biblical view of the family and publicly say so, or who just want the right to talk about their faith and views in school or at work.  For simply being open about their beliefs in a peaceful way, some are being arrested, having their homes raided, or even being fired from their jobs and the like.  All while it seems like violent activity goes unpunished.

That leaves us with a decision.  Will we press on in our faith?  And if so, how do we press on?

The answer is we should press on and we can do it when we think about one important thing: the promised land, God’s promised land.  We know it as heaven, when we spend eternity with God.  When we think about the rewards awaiting every faithful Christian in heaven, we have the courage to live out our faith on earth.  As the classic country song by Jim Reeves in 1962 puts it, “The world is not my home, I’m just a-passing through.”

What problems are you facing?  What unfair treatment are you experiencing?  What mistreatment are you experiencing because you’re a Christian?  Remember that this world is not our final home.  Heaven is.  So stay fixed on your future residence there until God fulfills His promise to us to take us there very soon.

Warmly,
Vince