John 14:15-17, “If you love Me, obey the commandments I have given you. 16 I will ask the Father to send you another Helper, the Spirit of truth, who will remain constantly with you. 17 The world does not recognize the Spirit of truth, because it does not know the Spirit and is unable to receive Him. But you do know the Spirit because He lives with you, and He will dwell in you.
It is an alarming world – full of fear, fighting, and fuming over an uncertain future. Jesus said, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars; nation will rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom; there will be famines, earthquakes; you will be handed over to be persecuted, hated, and put to death; there will be an increase in wickedness; the love of most will grow cold; many will turn away from the faith”; and yet Christ commanded the following “See to it, that you are not alarmed.”
We may be alarmed about the world, but is God? He is aware. He is engaged. But, He is not alarmed by the same things that capture our anxious thoughts.
So, what alarms God? It is those things that put people in peril of being distracted, destroyed or deceived. Here are just a few things we face that God found alarming in the Old & New Testament. Are these the headlines reported as most alarming today?
□ Distortion of the Heart
□ Deception about Grace
□ Compromise over Truth
□ Lack of Purity in His People
□ Relevance trumps Righteousness
The true battle is staying connected to God. Religion is not enough for crisis, only relationship with Him can comfort and console the persecuted and oppressed. Our greatest weapon is agreement with God and alignment with His Word.
We are made to contend for the Spirit of Truth – in ourselves, our families and communities. But, we can only do so through the power of the Holy Spirit. We stand in hope, we pray in faith – for the soul of a generation. This is our time to hear the alarm of God, and pray for the soul of America.