It seems so long ago that our church went to Cuba for a Work and Witness trip. It was good to go and help the churches and encourage the pastors along the way. We arrived back safely in the United States just before the quarantine hit in February of 2020. While in Cuba, it was very oppressive due to socialism. I will never forget the control the government had on the people and how their personal freedoms were infringed upon even to the point of their grocery shopping. But the church continued to thrive even in the midst of socialism. Castro’s experiment with communism failed.
Sometimes seeing mistakes of other countries makes you realize how blessed we are as a free nation under God. I have been reading through the Bible and last week I finished the book of Amos. He began prophesying against the surrounding nations. But the Israelites didn’t like it when he brought up their sins. Over 150 years earlier, the ten northern tribes had officially established the worship of golden calves in their capital, Samaria. Over the years, the inevitable results were widespread idolatry, immorality, and injustice. Amos warned them to prepare to meet God (Amos 4:12). The people would meet Him in either revival or destruction. Amos basically boiled it down to this: “Seek the Lord and live” (Amos 5:6). He was challenging what they thought was the status quo. But those were prosperous times for Israel so they were not too quick to listen. They didn’t realize that time was short. Many nations make wrong turns that result in negative long-term consequences. It’s the role of God’s servants to point out these mistakes and to suggest corrective measures. The message of revival represents the only hope for life to return to a people, but it is often resisted by those who have the most to lose. Even so, all nations must prepare to meet God – in repentance or in judgment. I vote for repentance. This Sunday we will jump back in the book of Acts as we look at the Church continuing to thrive in difficult days. May God give you strength for the task before you this day. Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike
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Rev. Mike McClurgSenior Pastor, Findlay First Church of the Nazarene Archives
March 2020
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