Adventure Day 18 - 3/11/09

Hello fellow Adventurers.... hope you are enjoying this great March snowstorm in Minnesota! (Those of you who are reading this in exile somewhere else, eat your heart out...)

May I point you back to last weekend for a moment... My message, in particular. I didn't paint a very rosy picture. Although there is much that can be said about our country that is good, the direction the nation is headed is certainly unsettling to thoughtful believers.

I didn't preach the last two messages on Revelation 13 for their shock value, but rather to focus on the spiritual warfare, the "cosmic battle," that rages between the powers of light and darkness, and to have us consider that what John the Apostle wrote about in that chapter is what Jesus himself said is where all these events are headed. My hope was to get us thinking about one plausible interpretation that involves our own nation, and how events of our day possibly fit into such a scenario. If you missed those messages, they are available as mp3 downloads at our church website (www.nlcovchurch.org)

Obviously the nature of this subject is unpleasant, and requires serious and somber thought. In the long run, however, the outcome for us is joyous, but prior to the Return of Christ apparently many of us will need to develop greater faith and courage.

Our Adventure Scripture passages this week contrast such faith and courage of Moses, Joshua and Caleb compared to the un-faith and cowardice of God's people, who they were leading to the Promised Land. [Read Numbers 14:26-45]. The lack of these qualities in the Israelites had tragic consequence. Oh Lord, make us people of faith and courage...for your glory! Amen!

God's Peace,
Pastor Paul