People are searching for answers. COVID-19 has brought an increased interested in Christianity. Pastors and ministers are fielding questions about the Bible, Jesus, Prayer, and eschatology (the study of end times). And social media has blown up with all sorts of questions.
Since the break of the COVID-19 pandemic, many pastors like myself have been fielding an increase in questions related to eschatology. People inside and outside the church have an increased interested in Christ’s return. What will it be like? Will we have any advanced warning? What signs should we look for? When is He coming back? We need balance in these discussions.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, people are clearly spending too much time alone, over-thinking our current circumstances.
We have witnessed some extreme thoughts and teachings ripping through society, and social media. There are teachers and preachers, bloggers and vloggers, pitching all sorts of predictions and prophecies.
In looking at the spectrum, the bookends of the over-thinking and false teaching seem to come to one of two conclusions: (1) The world is ending, or (2) it’s all a hoax.
Today, I want to bring some truth into the crisis and uncertainty. As social media blows up with all sorts of predictions, and prophecies, and myths, increasing fear and panic; we can choose to cling to truth. And the Apostle Peter, led by the Holy Spirit in the First Century, can help us do just that!
Believe it or not, church leaders give their lives to Jesus at Christian conferences and events every year.
It’s true! Billy Graham experienced this throughout his career. Pastors, Elders, Deacons, Ministry Leaders; coming to Christ for the first time at his revivals, after years of leading churches.
Then they had the difficult task of explaining it to their churches. Listen to one’s Deacon’s words:
“The hardest thing for me is that I am going to have to tell my pastor and fellow deacons that I’ve been living a hypocrite life all these years.” (A Day in the Life of Billy Graham )
From afar, Northerners like myself, have all been watching as COVID-19 spreads throughout the world. Although the health of Yukoners hasn’t been impacted in a major way as of yet, it is a definite possibility.
Humility is daily struggle. But humble people make choices. In 1 Peter 5, we find four choices that stem from the single choice, to be humble. Out of a choice for humility, there are subsequent choices that are made.
I don’t think I’m the only person who struggles with humility. When life’s going well it’s not overly difficult. But when life is hard, humility becomes really hard! We feel like the world’s against us, or that no one is acknowledging our efforts in a particular circumstance or relationship. It gets really difficult to stay humble then. Until we understand the big picture…
Hiring ministry staff in our modern era is one of the most difficult challenges we face as church leaders. Download this staffing resource for churches, camps, and Christian ministries.
Compact life and ministry causes every action to have immediate, and often quite personal reactions. And yet, because of this context, there is huge potential for integration, fellowship and massive wins for the Kingdom!
God calls Peter to write a letter of hope to a group of Christians who have been abandoned, and exiled for following Jesus. He calls them to “Be subject” (to submit) to government authorities that reject them. (1 Pt. 2:13-17) He calls servants to “be subject” (to submit) to earthly masters that persecute them. (1 Pt. 2:18-21) How can this kind of submission ever lead to hope? Can hope be found in submission?
God uses Peter to present amazing theological truths held in metaphor, beginning with the words, “As you come to him,” (1 Pt. 2:4). Then backs up these truths, adding prophetic poetry as evidence, with the statement, “For it stands in Scripture:” (1 Pt. 6)