|
A Pastor’s Perspective
“Cold…Or
Absence of Heat?” by Mike Hill, pastor of
Calvary Chapel Aberdeen (mjhill@ida.net)
Listen to CALVARY RADIO 90.3 FM
Brrr.
It’s cold.
This is the kind of chill that cuts through your
clothes and sucks all the warmth away.
I read somewhere that technically there is no
such thing as “cold” but simply a lack of heat.
Well, heat has taken a hiatus, for sure.
It’s so cold in the morning that my heater
spits out snow cones.
Okay, maybe that was a slight exaggeration.
From
where does cold weather ultimately originate?
To research this question related to the natural
realm, you will discover fascinating facts from a
meteorologist. What
about the supernatural perspective?
That is, what does the Bible say about where
“cold” comes from? God’s Word declares that “He gives snow like wool;
He scatters the frost like
ashes; He casts out His hail like
morsels; Who can stand before His
cold?”
(Psalm 147:16, 17).
I know I can’t stand too long in the cold—get
me in by the wood burning stove with a hot chocolate! “He sends out His word and
melts them; He causes His wind to blow, and
the waters flow” (Psalm 147:18).
The fact that God is on the throne means He rules
over all—even over the weather.
I realize not too many of us welcome cold
weather, but when we are reminded of His sovereignty, we
have reason to praise Him.
I can not make it warm outside, that’s God’s
job. But I
can wear a jacket and make it warm inside my home.
Cold
weather has benefits.
It takes care of those pesky gnats.
But it can also be deadly to humans.
A cold heart is even more deadly.
Jesus said that in the last days, “Sin
will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will
grow cold” (Matthew 24:12 NLT).
John believed he was in the last days during the
1st century (1John 2:18).
How much more relevant these words are to us in
the 21st century!
“Sin will be rampant everywhere…”
You don’t have to look far to find it through
the media, the government, the internet, your
neighborhood—and your heart! (Jeremiah 17:9; Matthew
15:18, 19; Romans 3:23).
The last days are characterized by a global
rejection of biblical truth, resulting in an unbridled
expression of sinful behavior and acts of selfishness,
and (1Timothy 4:1-3; 2Timothy 3:2-4).
The chilling effect of sin can produce a cold
heart.
“…The love of many will grow cold.”
What
is the temperature of your heart in your relationship
with God, His Word, and others?
We are to be “fervent
(Lit. boiling hot)
in spirit, serving
the Lord” (Romans 12:11b).
Are you cold or on fire for the Lord?
You cannot change the temperature of the heart of
someone else. You
can, however, turn to the Lord Jesus yourself and ask
Him for a fired-up heart.
Add fuel to the fire through study and
application of His word and interacting with other
fired-up Christians.
It may be cold outside, but you’ll have the
warmth of His presence in your heart.
|
