The kingdom of God is near!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.
(Luke 21:29-31 (NIV))

Are you paying attention?

God is trying to get our attention. For those who profess a faith in Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior, He is calling us to recognize the signs. For those who shun Him, He is calling them to repentance by shaking up the world in an effort to get their attention. No matter which group you consider yourself to be in, God is calling us to recognize the times and to look to Jesus!

There are so many things unfolding in this world at this specific time in history that if I presented everything that correlates to and supports the widely held belief that the time of the end is here, then I would need to write nonstop relaying everything that is happening all around the world. It is too much for one person to even attempt to undertake, so I prayerfully ask you to seek the Holy Spirit for discernment and wisdom. The proverbial fig tree is sprouting leaves!

Are you so engrossed in your daily lives that you miss what is unfolding right before your eyes?

Are you so engrossed in the media distractions that you miss the true news and events of significance in this world?

Are you more aware of who was awarded what in the recently televised defamation lawsuits than you are aware of the vast number of food processing plants burning to the ground?

Jesus refers to those who believe in Him as His flock. He seeks and saves the lost sheep of the flock. There appears to be another flock that people can be part of, especially when you consider that sheep are considered to be mindless and will follow anything that distracts them. Don’t be distracted by the world. Keep your eyes focused on Jesus!

The kingdom of God is near!

Copyright 1998 – 2022 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Are you prepared for what’s next?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.
(Luke 21:29-31 (NIV))

What is it that you see going on in the world?

Do you even care?

There is so much happening in the world that it makes me wonder what people are thinking anymore? There is so much turmoil. There is so much hatred. There is so much persecution, and there is so much mockery of Jesus and the Body of Christ.

Has the world turned its back on things that are good? Has the world replaced good with evil?

I follow numerous prophecy sites just as a way to get the latest on what is happening. I want to say that I don’t take everything literally as the truth from these sites. I weigh what is presented and compare it to Scripture. I also compare the sites to other sites to see if there is any continuity between the messages that are given. I study and pray for discernment.

It is true that many things contradict each other. I do not argue that fact. What I do see is an increase in the things that are being reported. I see an awareness that is growing. I am also seeing more and more things that are in agreement from sources that have no way of being able to corroborate what they are presenting. In essence, they are witnessing to what God is in the midst of doing! More and more are pointing to the very same thing!

A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
(Deuteronomy 19:15b (NIV))

Many sites are saying that something major is going to happen soon and that what is going to happen will be widely known by the whole world by September. I am by no means date setting, but with the confirmation from more sites than I can count, we must be ready for whatever the Lord has planned no matter what day or hour that it is planned for!

Think about that for a moment.

For almost two thousand years, people have been looking for the events that will lead to the return of Jesus. At no other time in history have all of the events lined up as they do right now. They line up so perfectly that many Bible scholars are calling this the Great Convergence. Things are happening all over the world at a rate that most people can’t even begin to comprehend. Would you be caught off guard if God’s plan began to rapidly accelerate even more and things did unfold today, tomorrow or perhaps even in September?

Do you recognize the things that are happening? Do you find yourself anticipating more events to unfold as foretold?

There are things that are happening all around the world that appear to make the case for the time getting closer.

No matter when the true church is removed and when Jesus does return, we must realize that we cannot sit idly by and accept what the world is telling us. If we do, are we truly followers of Jesus? If we do, are we truly part of the Body of Christ?

What is it that you see going on in the world?

Are you prepared for what’s next?

Copyright 1998 – 2020 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Are you an active worker in the harvest?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
(Matthew 9:37-38 (NIV))

What do you see when you look around?

Do you see what the world has to offer, or do you see a world of lost souls who need Jesus? Do you see an urgency to get the next big raise and promotion, or do you see an urgency to bring as many people as possible into God’s Kingdom?

Each of us will target our efforts based on what we see, which is a direct result of what is in our hearts. Sadly, it is often the world that is truly in our hearts. Even if we profess a faith in Jesus, many of us are still so caught up in the worldly task of living and making that almighty dollar, that we fail to see the world as Jesus sees it. We don’t truly see the lost because we are thinking of ourselves. We don’t see the needy because we are too worried about our own wants. We don’t make an effort to rescue the dying because we are too worried about the splinter in our finger that has demanded all of our attention!

I often wonder if we have come to look at God’s harvest the same way that we look at grocery stores. When we go into a grocery store, we see all of the things that have been harvested and prepared for our consumption, yet we fail to recognize the work that was required to get everything there. We fail to see the time spent in preparing the soil. We fail to recognize the care that was taken to nurture the plants as they grew. We don’t ever think about the long days spent cultivating the crop and we definitely don’t think of the effort that goes into harvesting the crop. We simply look at the options and find ourselves thinking that the price we must pay is too high!

Do we think that the price that we must pay to work the harvest is too high?

Are we willing to prepare the soil of the heart to receive the seed? Are we willing to nurture that seed in the lives of those who have seen it sprout? Are we willing to cultivate that seed in the lives of those who are growing in their faith? Are we willing to step out in faith and join in the harvest? Have you been sent into the harvest field? Have you been obedient and have you gone?

Are you an active worker in the harvest?

Copyright 1998 – 2020 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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