A Message of Only Doom!?

Is the Message that our Lord Jesus brought a Message of only doom!?

Make no mistake, in my view, there are way TOO MANY "gloom and doom" messages being preached.

As I pointed out in a previous write-up, I think this point needs to be expounded upon.

I STRONGLY believe in preaching the TRUTH and the FACTS of the “gloom and doom” which is coming. But, how often do you go to church and hear a message of the POSITIVE messages of God’s living truth!?

• The Way to live!?
• The Way to conduct yourself!?
• The Way to properly prepare yourself for these tribulations of “gloom and doom”!?
• How to arm yourself from these coming tribulations!?

The fact is this: this world is decaying at a rapid pace! And our people are melting like butter in a hot skillet!

And, sadly, many of our brethren are NOT spiritually mature enough to take on all these terrible tribulations befalling all around them.

Why!?

Because a great many of these worldly churches DO NOT have enough ministers that are properly preaching just how to arm and wear the glorious armor of God!

Oh, they preach plenty of the bad but DO NOT preach much in the Way to overcome sin and the terrible times to come.

Now my track record is rather strong on the preaching of the terrible times to come – but I also preach of the Way in how to have God’s armor and of making the Way to the awesome rewards that will come in the Kingdom of God!

In fact, every sermon I have ever given does have some “gloom and doom,” but also HOW to overcome these terrible tribulations to come – according to God’s living word – A Message from God on just how to arm yourself for battle!

The ministry needs to make sure that they balance out their messages. So that when brethren walk away from a church service they don’t go away with only a “gloom and doom” message stuck in their minds.

Sadly, I know of a couple who has been in the church for 60-years, and they told me that they have only heard messages of “gloom and doom” week after week – for 60 years! They said that is all they have any memory of and that they have been preparing themselves for the end for all of these 60-years! And that now that they are in their 80s, they have finally come to realize that they have wasted their lives in a church that had nothing but negative messages!

Now that, my friends, is a crying shame!!

The ministry needs to learn to weigh the negative messages with the positive.

The apostle Paul went to his death in the joy of Christ Jesus!

The answer lies in JESUS CHRIST!

When you preach JESUS you can conquer every negative situation!

The “gloom and doom” truth and facts are properly placed in the perspective of the positive messages through JESUS CHRIST.

Our Lord Jesus Christ proclaimed, “ … ‘be of good cheer; …’” – Matthew 9:2.

And, to the frightened disciples battling the tempestuous sea, our Lord Jesus, walking on the sea, declared to them, “’ Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.’” – Matthew 14:27.

Negative messages are nothing new.

Ever since Adam and Eve were banished from the garden of Eden, life has been difficult – and we have been complaining ever since! – cf. Genesis 3:23.

It is within our sinful nature to complain and to live for ourselves when our desires are not being met – cf. Galatians 5:19-20.

We tend to argue for “our rights,” to demand “our ways,” and to oppose ANYONE who disagrees with us. And this combination results in a general spirit of negativity toward life and the world in general.

It is completely understandable if those who do not believe or do not know Christ Jesus are – basically – negative. They have no hope (or the wrong kind of hope; hence “going to heaven”) beyond this life and this world’s utter deception and confusion.

Having a strong negative attitude as a Christian means that you are NOT seeing life from God’s perspective. When Christians join in with unbelievers – with their PRIDE, their HOSTILITY TOWARD AUTHORITY, and their incessant COMPLAINING, over time they begin to react and act the same way.

Our Lord Jesus Christ says, “ …’In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.’” – John 16:33.

Grave negativity was one of the children of Israel's greatest of sins even after the LORD our God brought them out of the land of Egypt, had parted the Red Sea, and had utterly destroyed their enemy as the waters returned and covered them over – cf. Exodus 14:16-18.

For just as soon as the children of Israel were not getting what they desired, they began to grumble against the LORD God Himself! – cf. Numbers 14:27. For they, rather than continue to rejoice and praise the LORD God for what He had done for them and to trust that He would continue to provide for them, they began again to murmur and complain.

God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ hear us when we do that, and it greatly displeases Them! – cf. 1 Corinthians 10:10-11; John 6:43.

There is a difference between being grieved over sin and being negative.

ANYONE who agrees with God over the gravity of sin, also agrees with God that we should do something about it!

God knew that mankind would need the necessitation for an atoning sacrifice for sin – and God did something about it! – cf. John 3:16.

Jesus Christ was sent to show us the Father and to “’ preach the gospel to the poor; to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD’” – cf. John 14:6-11; Luke 4:18-19.

And, He was not afraid to “roll up His sleeves and get His hands dirty” – cf. 2 Corinthians 5:21.

As His Body (1 Corinthians 12:27), we remain to carry on the Work He began for us.

True Christians can counter the “doom and gloom” mentality with a gentle, loving, and faith-filled approach to life – cf. John 13:34-35; Ephesians 4:32; 1 John 5:14; 1 Peter 4:8. We can refuse to be caught up in the hopelessness and the #MeToo mentality that is too “normal” in this world – cf. Philippians 2:14-15.

We can offer our fellow man light in a darkened world (Matthew 5:14-16), the living truth of God in the midst of a satanic and deceived world (John 17:17; 2 Corinthians 4:3-4), and hope in the face of despair (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Romans 11:25-27; Acts 2:36-39).

The apostle Peter gives us a plain and clear guideline about facing tribulations –

“Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13) but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.

14) If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.

15) But let none of you suffer as a murderer [spiritually or physically], a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. 16) Yet if ANYONE suffers as a Christian, let him NOT be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter” – 1 Peter 4:12-16, NKJV.

True Christians are ambassadors for Christ!

In the Book of Luke chapter 6 – in what is called “the Beatitudes,” our Lord Jesus Christ told us the Way we should conduct our life – Luke 6:20-23. I suggest, however, reading verses 24-49 as well.

The apostle Paul, in 1st Timothy 4:12, tells us to “be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”

For ministers of God as well as the flock it is IMPORTANT always to keep this in mind – for those who do not believe – you might be the closest they will ever be to the glorious soon-coming Kingdom of God.

While so many Christians feel compelled to make sure the “gloom and doom” messages outweigh any solutions offered – and maybe they do this because of control – if we, as true Christians, focus on the positives of God’s truth and hope in this darkened world – then God’s Way of light will shine forth upon the negatives.

Brethren, we have been blessed with the Redeemer (Isaiah 41:14; 47:4; 48:17; Psalm 19:14; Luke 1:68; Romans 3:23-24; Galatians 4:4-5; Ephesians 1:7, 13-14; Colossians 1:13-14; Hebrews 9:11-12) – the Holy One of Israel! And He will also bless us with the tools to combat this world’s negativity and to model the abundant life which He came to give us! – cf. John 10:10.

The ANSWER is found through JESUS CHRIST! □

Additional things to think about ...

Are We Insane!? - More and more people are becoming insane!

Do They Have God's Spirit? -  ... Ask yourself – do they have God’s Spirit!? [...]

A Soon-Coming Kingdom! - Personally, I firmly believe the following – and it surely makes a lot of wonderful sense. [...]