Encouragement Email – Sent on March 20, 2020

“The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts” (Rev. 9:20-21, NASB).

John the Apostle wrote Revelation to bless and amaze us, because he too was amazed at what he saw coming in the end-times. Already in chapter six he wrote about future people who will prefer living in caves and under rocks rather than stopping the practice of their sins, while experiencing the end-times wrath of the Lamb. Amazing! And a few chapters later as God’s judgments continue, the people of the world will be still be making the same dumb choices. Amazing

Who in their right mind wouldn’t trade misery for joy? Or, who wouldn’t trade pain for relief? Or heinous plagues for holy pleasures? The answer is most strange:  pretty much everybody.

However, when a man or woman is delivered from their sins by God in this age and the next, they are given not only a new heart, but a new mind too. This “new man,’ of which you and I are a part by faith in Jesus Christ, is renewed in knowledge as it is “created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:24 NKJV). Apart from that amazing new creation, wouldn’t we think and do just like the rest? Wouldn’t we all be young people acting recklessly on Spring Break?

So what’s really amazing is the grace of God in making you a member of the new man in Christ, a new creation in which “there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all. Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful” (Col. 3:11-15 NKJV)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Sent out by the Pastoral Staff (Ted Bigelow, Pastor of Preaching and Development and Steve Ridge, Executive Pastor) of Grace Bible Church of Colorado Springs.