This one may surprise you considering these days of chaos and urgency we are living in. But next to watching for the imminent return of Jesus we should be watching out for ... ourselves.
I was looking into false prophets and false Christs and ended up viewing a documentary on Jim Jones and his almost 1,000 followers who took their own lives and the lives of their innocent children in 1978. It was the first time I had ever heard of someone claiming they were Jesus. (Unfortunately, it wasn't the last time I would hear of such a thing). I was wondering how intelligent people, many of them who had previously been church-goers and Bible readers, could be led to such extremes.
I think a major clue is found in the statement of one survivor. "At one point I was so tired and so lacking in sleep that I would have willingly fallen to my knees in front of Reverend Jones and given him anything if he would have just let me sleep."
Being overworked, with lack of sleep, isolated from loved ones, no free time, no quiet time, and not allowed to read the Bible on their own allowed Jim Jones to completely control them. And in most cases, they were not just physically controlled, but mentally and emotionally too. People watched their spouses and children being whipped and tortured and "disciplined" and thought it was the "right thing for them".
Jesus warns us in places in the Bible like Matthew 24 and Luke 21 that in these " last days" many will come proclaiming to be the Christ and will "deceive many". That's part of the reason I urge and encourage you each week to follow the fourth commandment and take a day of quiet and rest. When we lack sleep we simply cannot make good decisions and many times will distort the basic facts of a situation. When I am faced with any major decision I always "sleep on it" if at all possible. Haven't you ever faced what you think is a major problem that you can't think of a solution to at the end of a long and tiring day only to wake up the next morning and suddenly be able to see the answer so clearly?
Right now we are facing unprecedented times where our decisions are many, confusing, life-threatening, and daily. What a recipe for disaster! I believe God's goal with the fourth commandment (and ultimately all of them) is not to get extra attention and glory for Himself, but because He so deeply loves us and knows what is best for us. During these "final days" of life on earth with Jesus literally ready to come back for those who love Him at any moment, day or night, it can be a hugely stressful time to be living (to say the least). But we simply CANNOT go into the fetal position, rock ourselves, and chant "Jesus is coming. Jesus is coming."
"Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it, thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it." (Exodus 20:9-11)
We must make sure to:
Eat right.
Get plenty of rest and sleep.
MAKE the time to be completely alone and quiet. No TV, internet, music or people.
Do not completely isolate yourself either.
You may need to make an extra effort if you live alone but you need more than emails, tweets, and text messages. You need to hear a human voice and interact with them. Pick up the phone, do a conference call, Skype someone, participate in a webinar, or Zoom meeting. But find a way where you are personally interacting with someone.
Find a wholesome, creative diversion.
I don't mean just "vegging" in front of the TV. Do something you enjoy.
Draw, color, or paint. Take up photography. Learn a new language or skill. Participate in an online course on a topic that interests you. Host a Zoom meeting to read a book out loud (the free version allows you up to 100 people for 40 minutes). Cook or bake something. Try wood carving. Jewelry making. Needle crafts (embroidery, crocheting, knitting, sewing). Write a song.
The list is endless. As long as it's something you love to do and there is no pressure involved (ie. You aren't doing it to make money or have to get it done quickly).
And take time DAILY to get alone with God. Jesus did this too. And if He thought it was necessary to do it at His time and place I guarantee it is for us too. Allow the Holy Spirit to encourage you, boost you, and love you directly, and through His word the Bible.
When you take the time to care for yourselves properly you will be able to weather any storm, will make good and sound decisions, and have nothing to fear no matter what comes your way. The stakes have never been higher but these times are not only fearsome but exciting too.
My love and prayers for you.
Speaking the truth, with love,
Always, Laura-Lee
 |
YOUTUBE LINK "Deceived - the Jonestown Tragedy"
No comments:
Post a Comment
Your comment will be submitted for moderation. Opposing opinions are fine, but please be respectful of others and use common courtesy. Profanity will not be approved.LLR