July 10, 2016
MY FRIENDS, WILL THESE BIRTH PANGS CONTINUE?
“……..I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me” 2 Tim. 1:11-12 (ESV) Second Timothy was probably written when Paul was in a Roman prison “abandoned by all but a few friends and facing imminent death,” imminent meaning likely to occur at any moment. My friends, what has become imminent in our life in regards to our Salvation. Is it imminent that the boisterous waves of our life take us under to where we no longer hear the cries of those we should be helping.
Paul in His second epistle to Timothy is not thinking of self because He realizes what time he has left must not be spent in an attitude of profound hopelessness and discouragement. And as we look “forward to a home yet to come,” and as we witness the constant bombardment of “breaking news,” false prophets, wars, lawlessness at an all-time high, as the love of mankind grows colder. It is imminent that grievous trouble and severe trials and suffering is only the “beginning of out birth pangs.”
The contractions will begin to move at a rapid pace like no human has ever seen before. More frequent and with far more pain until there will “be 
great tribulation (pressure, distress, oppression), such has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now.” Matt 24:21 (AMP) And as we approach the final days of this life’s history there will be a sharp contrast from a child of God and those who follow the forces of evil.
My friends, perilous times have just begun, But like Paul we know whom “we have believed” and through our faith and endurance our life at this point must only focus on producing positive result. So we cannot be ashamed of what we do for Christ.” Remember, God has placed us on this Journey. He directs our foot-steps and it is His mandate we are fulfilling as heirs to His kingdom.
So we must maintain our faith, even when we feel the waves are taking us under we must remember “afflictions do and will work very much for the good of our salvation through Christ because His love grace and “mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning.” So we must pray daily for a commitment of faith, as Paul maintained while under such trying circumstances.
My friends, “Soon the night of trial and suffering would end, and then would dawn the glad morning of peace and perfect day. “The apostle [as we should be] was looking into the great beyond, not with uncertainty or dread, but with joyous hope and longing expectation. [And as we stand today at this place in time where “others who have no hope.”]
A child of God must look up through the calm blue heaven of that summer day to the throne of the Eternal” (E. G.White) and realize because of our faith and endurance we have been washed with the blood of Jesus Christ and we are now “safe to save.” My friends, what happen to Paul on the road to Damascus we should all seek.
That light from above, that same voice of Christ telling us, “Arise go into the [community], and you will be told what you must do.” We must all seek. My friends, we cannot be ashamed of the gospel of Christ because, “whoever is ashamed of Christ and His words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and reward us for what we have done in his body, whether good or worthless.” 2 Luke 9:26 (NIV) Cor. 5:10 (ISV)
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