I cannot wait to be out of this COVID-19 lockdown, which may or may not, and to varying degrees, be in force according to actual realities. However, our desire to escape the eternal torment of Hell and be free to walk with Jesus into a glorious existence after death, ought to be infinitely greater than our wishes to escape temporal restraint. What God has set in place, is reality, and you can count on it. How are we working on seeing people set free from sin to live with God forever?
– Shelli Prindle
“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36)
Are you counting on Jesus today? Relishing His amazing grace? Relying on His plan? Resting in His faithfulness to keep His promises?
Jesus. Not self. Jesus. Not government. Jesus. Not influential friends. Jesus. Not personal strength. Jesus. Not your ability to figure it out. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Only Him.
– Shelli Prindle
“And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.” (Psalm 9:10)
If you do not believe in a great, unseen, cosmic battle taking place every minute of every day, then you must not have read the full narrative of the Bible. We face an insidious enemy at nearly every turn, as he wreaks havoc, demented by his rebellion and cursed forever by His Maker.
Satan is more powerful than us, having been originally created as a great angel of God. He moves and works in the invisible realm, with access to many demons. However, perspective is always necessary. Keep in mind that the One who has redeemed us and made us His own, Jesus, is infinitely higher and infinitely greater than the devil. As challenging as he is to us, Satan is a mere created being of God. He had a beginning, and he will have an horrific end.
When I sense the darkness of the battle setting in, and when I feel the enemy pressing hard against my soul, I run in greater dependence to my Savior. I plead His shed blood over my soul, and I trust in His power and saving grace. Salvation is not for a moment, or a day, or a season; salvation is forever. His blood will forever be my power over the evil of the enemy and the sin of my own heart.
I will soldier on in this world, until I see my Savior’s face. Long after Satan is doomed to eternal Hell, I will be walking the New Heavens and New Earth with Jesus – safe forever.
– Shelli Prindle
“But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.” (2 Thessalonians 3:3)
He’s coming back! Jesus will soon return to get His own. We can see the light of His coming breaking through the clouds of end time difficulties. He is our hope!
– Shelli Prindle
“Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:28)
There is no force in the whole universe more powerful than the blood of Jesus Christ. That blood sets people free from sin and death. It breaks the chains of darkest guilt and hopelessness; it delivers from most terrible sin.
There are no words in the whole world more powerful than the Word of God. The Bible declares the miraculous power of the blood of Jesus, and it delivers the hope of that blood to anyone who is seeking the help of the one, true God.
Do you need the blood of Jesus applied to your soul? I do, every minute! Do you need the Word of God to deliver to your heart the supernatural truth and power of God? I do, every day!
Let Jesus meet your need!
– Shelli Prindle
“And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” (Revelation 12:11)
God is shaking us! He certainly is. God is sovereign, which means that nothing happens outside of His permission. All biblical signs point to this pandemic and its commensurate emotional, social, and economic fallout as one of the types of mechanisms that the Lord has used in ancient and recent history, does use on an ongoing basis, and will use to the fullest degree in the future to gain the attention of sinners and reignite the hearts of those who are His. The Church of Jesus Christ in America as a whole has gone dim, though we are called to shine the light of Jesus as bright as the sun. We are too full of ourselves and what we want, and we are continually running to God to fit into the plan we have for our lives. We want Him to serve us, to make us feel good about ourselves. We remain on the throne, even as we call Him the King.
Collectively, this time has forced many churches to be stripped of dependence on crowds, noise, fancy stages, special effects, and instant human accolades. We are being forced to depend on the one thing – the one Person – on whom we should have always depended – the Holy Spirit of God. Jesus Himself said, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all.” (John 6:63)
Think about it, perhaps many people falsely believe that they are “okay” with God because of the facade of the flesh. Maybe all of the things that we have attempted to use to “bring people to church” may not actually have been bringing them to God. God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29), so when He truly comes into a life, he begins to take it over, until – one day -nothing is left but His glory.
I fear that too many “Christians” are letting God “fit into their lives” to make them happier, more comfortable, or more successful; rather than seeing that each one of us is actually supposed to fit into God’s plan, and be a flame that is burned up so that all may exalt Jesus and rejoice in His aim for the universe.
Individually, this time has forced many people to examine their lives and hearts. Thankfully, people are asking questions and looking to see what God or His Word might have to do with everything. My question is, are we ready to answer with solid truth, not “feel-good hype.” Obviously, these are tough times, and people aren’t going to buy the easy answers. Let’s dig deep into God’s Word and let Jesus say what needs to be said.
Even we who call ourselves Christians need to continually examine ourselves and fall before God Almighty, asking His Spirit to reveal what sin needs dealt with and what areas of life are out of alignment with God’s glory. We need to get serious as to exactly what the Lord has called us to be and called us to do.
Here it is in a nutshell. This world is going down. Do not put your trust in it. Do not put trust in yourself. Churches, do not depend on the flesh; repent if necessary, and depend on the Holy Spirit.
If you think this time of shaking is bad, wait until God shakes not only the earth, but the heavens. On that final day, everything that is not rightly related to Him will be destroyed. I urge you to read the following verses of the Bible, pray over them, and talk to the Lord today.
– Shelli Prindle
“When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: ‘Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.’ This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain. Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. For our God is a devouring fire.” (Hebrews 12:26-29)
Your number one responsibility is to be right with Jesus Christ. No disease, no politician, no economy, and no power of hell itself can destroy a person who is right with Jesus Christ. (Romans 8:31) Only when the Lord allows something to happen to one of His children, can a circumstance occur; and, in that case, God will work it for the making of that believer into a more fervent follower of Jesus Christ. (Romans 8:28-29) The difficulty will not be wasted; it will be used for the glorious and eternal purposes of sovereign God.
We need to focus on our Savior and not other people, leaders, conditions, frustrations, or hindrances. Talk about your Lord. Serve your Lord. Make Jesus huge in your sphere of influence. (1 Corinthians 6:20)
Yes, we are to act as responsible citizens of the nation in which we reside. We are to pray for our leaders and exercise our responsibility to participate in government. We must uphold freedom, for true, spiritual freedom is at the heart of the Gospel! (John 8:36) All other freedom flows from that reality.
However, dear Christian, our ultimate hope is in the proclamation of the entire counsel of God’s Word. We must declare Jesus as Creator, Sustainer, and soon-coming King! We must emphasize that a person can only truly be safe when they are in Christ. (Psalm 2:12)
The world is going to eventually come to a point when one, deceptive, wicked, peace-proclaiming leader will be set as ruler of a global government. His propaganda man will unite spirituality with politics, and deceive everyone who does not have the Holy Spirit abiding in them. He will demand to be worshipped as the hope of humanity, set in one universal leader. (Revelation 13:7-8)
My friends, we cannot put our ultimate hope in government. We must strive to do what we are called to do as citizens, while always holding our vision far above our earthly citizenship, to that of our heavenly allegiance. (Philippians 3:20-21)
As we worship God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, He will provide what we need to make it through this life and to the blessed hope of the life to come.
How do you want to be known and remembered? With what will people say that you most associated? Your opinions and views on so many things, or your passion for Jesus Christ?
Perspective. Keep perspective. The right perspective is summarized in one word, Jesus.
– Shelli Prindle
“Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.” (Psalm 2:12)
“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the LORD Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” (Philippians 3:20-21)
Open the Bible and read God’s Word. This is no ordinary book. In fact, it’s more than even an extraordinary book. The Bible is alive, because the Spirit of God illuminates it’s truth to those who will receive it by the grace of God, through Jesus Christ.
Call on Jesus, and then open the Bible. Let your soul be immersed in God’s Word, and the Lord will perform a work in your heart.
More than you need the news, more than you need human advice, more than you need diversion or entertainment, you need to hear from God Almighty.
Approach the Bible with awe and expectation. God wants to speak to you. Jesus has made the way for God to be known, and the Bible reveals Jesus.
The Father and the Son are in Heaven right now, and the Holy Spirit is here with us. Wherever you are, He is there – waiting to work in you. The Bible is the tool that the Holy Spirit uses.
Please utter a sincere and simple prayer for understanding, and God will open the Word to you in incredible, unexpected, and life-giving ways.
– Shelli Prindle
“The living and abiding word of God…The grass withers and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” (1 Peter 1:23-25)
Christian friend, we’re not looking for the antichrist; we’re waiting for the Christ! We’re not preoccupied with the mark of the beast; we’re fixated on the seal of the saved – the blessed Holy Spirit of God who lives in us! Keep your eyes on the truth, and the lies will be obvious, the fears will flee, and our only end-time obsession will be sweet Jesus!
– Shelli Prindle
“Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks.” (Luke 12:35-36)
Christian martyrs in the first century were not persecuted and killed because they were “kind” or “giving” people. They were not murdered for feeding the poor or loving others, although those are things the church did. They were executed because of their belief and proclamation that the God-Man, Jesus Christ, actually – in real time and space – died on the cross in Jerusalem under the Roman government, and then miraculously rose from the dead! They gave their lives away, standing on the premise that God had come to earth in Jesus, and paid for our sins by conquering death. They died standing on the truth that, because Christ had died on their behalf and risen from the dead, that they would rise from death too!
I ask you, what is the message of the church? Yes, we are to do good as a result of what Jesus has done for us. We are to love others and thereby, demonstrate our love for God. However, good works alone do not save! The heartbeat of the Gospel, and what gets the devil really ramped up is when the people of God proclaim the death and resurrection of Jesus as our actual victory over sin and death!
Has Jesus cleansed you by His blood? Is His Spirit alive in you? Proclaim that! And, by all means, do what He calls you to do! But do not neglect to articulate the Gospel – the divine rescue of humans by the blood of the Son of God!
– Shelli Prindle
“Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you – unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)
