One Week Left

What if God told you that you only had one week left to live? How would you live this next week? Would you:

• Spend money?
• Give everything away?
• Go see family or friends?
• Go somewhere you’ve always wanted to go but have never been?
• Eat anything and everything?
• Go to your special place?
• Invest for kids or grandkids?
• Sleep?
• Tell as many people you can about the life-changing love and grace of Jesus?

What will you do this week?

Burdens

Are you carrying heavy burdens?  Martha was. She was trying to feed a crowd and her sister, who usually helped her, was sitting at Jesus’ feet. Not helping.  

Can’t you just picture Martha? In the kitchen stirring a pot, counting heads, pulling things out of the cupboard and fretting. Was there enough food? Did she need to cut food into smaller portions? Were there enough plates? She knew there wasn’t enough help!

She complained…to Jesus. And he gently rebuked her. She was burdened about many things (the WRONG things)and was missing the whole point! The most important thing was what Mary had found—worshiping him, listening to his teaching—and just sitting at his feet.  

Are my burdens his burdens? What have I taken on that he hasn’t told me to take on? Am I worrying instead of worshiping? Have I assumed and not listened? Have I chosen to be busy instead of sitting with him?

How many of my burdens have I created?

Birth Pains

Matthew 24 talks about wars, rumors of wars, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes…and then it says these are the beginning of birth pains. Any woman who’s delivered a baby knows the beginning of birth pains is nothing. Ask her about the last 30 minutes of labor!  The pressure and pain are intense.  

Recently, I’ve been asking others, “Can you feel the intensity of the spiritual atmospheric pressure?”  And then I read Matthew 24:8 this morning, “All these are the beginning of sorrows (Greek: birth pains).” It’s the pressure of birth pains. 

Have you talked to others? Do you see the severity of our day? It seems everyone is in a fierce battle. And then there’s the battle for the souls of men. I don’t want anyone left behind when Jesus comes!

The labor pains before the coming of Christ have intensified!  Prophecy is being fulfilled.  I can only hope and pray our “birth” into the heavenly realm is soon!  Come quickly, Lord Jesus!