A Word from Pastor Steve | July 2024

People are out and about in neighborhoods, parks, and the community.  Now is the time to maximize opportunities to be salt and light.  Today is the day to be friendly and build relationships.  Summer is a great time to invite others to BBQ’s and church activities.  There is a harvest of human souls that lies before us!  Are you making the most of the summer harvest?  Jeremiah, speaking for God’s wayward people, states such a sad fact, “The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we are not saved.”

In His “Olivet Discourse” Jesus teaches about the urgency of understanding and acting upon the truth that He is coming again.  He foretells what will happen in the Tribulation before He returns:

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near.  So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates."

Matthew 24:29-34

We cannot know the hour of Christ’s return, nor can we control circumstances until then.

I wish that I could.  I wish that you and I could “pray away” the evil of war, human depravity, and idolatry until Jesus comes.  But we can’t.  Now, we can use prayer, evangelism, serving, and giving as a strategy to push back against darkness and make inroads into Satan’s strongholds; however, we cannot make it all go away.  Jesus will do that.

What we can do, however, is to recognize the times and to take action.  We can remind ourselves of the urgency.  The Bible talks about this in many places.  Here’s a couple of examples:

Recognize the Times: Matt 16:2-3

He replied, "When evening comes, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,' and in the morning, 'Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.'  You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.

Act Before It Is Too Late: Proverbs 10:5

He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.

Don't waste your summer.

Reach out to someone far from God.  Get to know them and their questions about faith.  Invite them to church.  Meet a new family.  Practice hospitality.

May the prophetic word of Jeremiah not come true for us or the people in our sphere of influence:

"The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we are not saved."  Jeremiah 8:20