3 thoughts

Three thoughts as I head off to my end times conference.
(1)  This from D. Bonhoeffer, relates to the fact that I honestly think, bitterness, unforgiveness, and the resulting damage, is the greatest threat to the church.

40 Day Journey with Dietrich Bonhoeffer 

Day 34
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Often we combat our evil thoughts most effectively if we absolutely refuse to
allow them to be verbalized. It is certain that the spirit of
self-justification can only be overcome by the spirit of grace; and it is just
as certain that the individual judgmental thought can be limited and
suppressed by never allowing it to be spoken except as a confession of sin….
Thus it must be a decisive rule of all Christian community life that each
individual is prohibited from talking about another Christian in secret. It is
clear and will be shown in what follows that this prohibition does not include
the word of admonition that is spoken personally to one another. However,
talking about others in secret is not allowed even under the pretense of help
and goodwill. For it is precisely in this guise that the spirit of hatred
between believers always creeps in, seeking to cause trouble.

(2)  This from my facebook page, because my loving God, put it right before me today in my morning devotional.  Very kind of Him.  Today is the day I leave for the once a year gathering with brothers who believe the church is called to go through the tribulation and be a sold-out witness to the Jews and the world.  This scripture speaks of not escaping but going through!

John 12:27,28 "Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, 'Father save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour. "Father, glorify Your name." Then a voice came out of heaven: "I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again." ... Heading off to my end times conference, because I don't think the church should be wanting "saved from this hour", but "Father, glorify Your name!"

(3)  This scripture came to me twice yesterday, once in writing and once on the radio.

Romans 15:4   For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

SO THAT.. we might have 'endurance' and 'encouragement' and 'hope', none of those words apply to a church that is escaping the tribulation, all of those words apply and give strength to a church that is going through the tribulation out of love for God and one another.