“Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” Col. 3:17, NRSV
Consider the lilies of the field… Matt 6:28
Consider the lilies of the field… Matt 6:28
“Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” Col. 3:17, NRSV
thedailylily.com 
Hey, do you have this on your bucket list: “… in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus…” I heard a lady say today that she was going to attend a home ladies Bible Study and the hostess told her she did not want any gloom or doom people there. I thought, how do we define this. Then I read this article:
“Have you noticed that most Americans seem to know far more about American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, Justin Bieber and their favorite sports teams than they do about world affairs? Most Americans cannot even find Tunisia and Algeria on a map, and if you told them that food riots are happening in those nations right now most of them would not even care anyway. We have become a very self-centered, self-involved and self-absorbed nation. Quite a few people have accused this column of being obsessed with “doom and gloom”, but the truth is that the world really is falling apart out there. What are we supposed to do? Are we all supposed to stick our heads in the sand and pretend that everything is going to be okay? Read article in completion:
http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/doom-and-gloom
What do you think the hostess was saying?
One of the things that stood out to me in the article was her admonition to “wake up”. Jesus, in the book of Revelation, Chapter 3: 2 of the Bible says that to His church in Sardis, ( representing His present church in these latter days), “Rouse yourselves and keep awake and strengthen and invigorate what remains and is on the point of dying, v. 3″…If you will not rouse yourselves and keep awake and watch out…” then I will come as a thief in the night comes and you will not know”….( your hour of justice and judgment).
In another place in Luke 17 Jesus is teaching about watching and staying alert and awake….”As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be when I am coming in judgment. People were eating and drinking, marrying and being given in marriage right up until the day Noah went into the ark. The flood came and destroyed them all.”
And in the days of Lot…Abraham’s nephew. People were going about their business, not paying attention to the times; buying and selling, eating and partying, building and acquiring material things ..”but on the very day that Lot left the city of Sodom it rained down fire and brimstone and all were destroyed. That’s the way it’s going to be,” warns Jesus to His disciples.
Talk about gloom and doom!! But it doesn’t have to be that way for those who will stay awake and alert and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for He will keep His own, those who love and trust and obey Him. He has promised a glorious outcome for His people who trust Him in these times of worldly gloom & doom.
Perhaps the hostess did not want ‘negative’ discussion about such topics as are addressed in the article or about warnings of judgement on sin and perceives these truths as ‘gloom and doom’.
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
To do everything in the name of Jesus would seem to keep in step with His perspective on all matters. He told of many grim future events that would occur.
“Are we all supposed to stick our heads in the sand and pretend that everything is going to be okay?” I don’t believe so, God’s Word is clear, as Debi said, “In the world you will have tribulation.” “What do you think the hostess was saying?” Sounds like the hostess just wants “positive” input. But we can’t ignore truth.
Yes we can’t ignore truth by sticking our heads in the sand. All my married life I would wear a look that said everything was OK just as if I were putting on a costume to show others what a “Wonderful Life” I was leading. Underneath it all, one tiny little boiling bubble at a time was simmering. I tried to think this was the way life should be – ups and downs, peaks and valleys – all hidden beneath the surface others saw. The little simmering moments led to bigger and bigger simmering moments. Finally the boiling came to a head. Thirty some years of simmering simmering had past and then several years of counseling to temper the waters and understand or make sense of it all. Its heart breaking to realize your sin (coverup) and then to realize the sin you have lived in. When having done all (steps with counselors, in depth Bible scripture, and prayer) you grow into and ever increasing trusting relationship with JESUS. The world will always have trials and tribulations but with Jesus at your side you can confess all that is bothering you to HIM. Tell Him what you did wrong in the years of boiling and JESUS will give you steps to take and a relief of your heaviness of heart. You will be able to have a renewed mind by the closer walk with Him. Each step you feel more and more freedom and trust in HIM. You will receive HIS healing. You may not like what life has come to because of sin and sin of others, but you will begin to fly free and begin to be the person God meant you to be. No more emotional torment waying heavily on your heart. Your stress level will go down plus the added benefit of a healthy heart.
A.W. Tozer (one of my favorite authors) had some interesting thoughts in his book, “The Divine Conquest”, which I think relates to the above topic on ‘gloom and doom’. In his chpater, ‘Victory through Defeat’ he has much to say about the cross and Christianity. This is a portion:
“Have we not heard the slogan, New days, new ways’? And who but someone very old and very conservative would insist upon death as the appointed way to life? And who today is interested in a gloomy mysticism that would sentence its flesh to a cross and recommend self-effacing humilty as a virtue actually to be practiced by modern Christians? These are the arguements, along with many more flippant still, which are brought forward to give an appearance of wisdom to the hollow and meaningless cross of popular Christianity,”
Tozer sure wrote and freely gave wisdom to all that will read, listen and love. I have to laugh when I hear someone make a comment on ‘gloom and doom’ when they are referring to Our Father, that is in heaven, that gives and gives and keeps on giving to His children, peace, love, joy and hope. In the midst of human doom comes Hope. Maybe the speaker housing doom and gloom in their private closet. Enjoy His Joy is my answer!