Higher Ground Lk 21: 25-28 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

As things have become more unstable in the earth and people are getting scared, Christians are following the prevailing worldly attitude.  As one of the missionaries at the conference told me, “The trouble with the churches in the USA now is that they are ‘hunkering DOWN.’”  They are looking after those things that are coming ON THE EARTH [v.26].  The remedy, according to our text is to LOOK UP [v.28].

Like the song says:

I’m pressing on the upward way

New heights I’m gaining every day

Still praying as I’m onward bound

“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground”

My heart has no desire to stay

Where doubts arise and fears dismay

Though some may dwell where these abound

My prayer, my aim is higher ground

I want to live above the world

Though Satan’s darts at me are hurled

For faith has caught the joyful sound

The song of saints on higher ground

I want to scale the utmost height

And catch a gleam of glory bright

But still I’ll pray till heaven I’ve found

“Lord, lead me on to higher ground”

That’s what we need to be doing.  We don’t need to be hunkering down.  That missionary said that more churches are listening to Glen Beck than are reading their Bibles.  “Don’t you know” he said, “that the Mormons have always believed in stockpiling for the future?”  Man, we are not preparing for a kingdom down here.  Our kingdom is a spiritual kingdom – the kingdom of God [Lk 17:20-21].  And because these churches are hunkering down, they are dying and they are closing.  One of the missionaries at our conference has lost 25% of his support due to churches not being able to continue his support, mostly due to closures.  That is an alarming fact!

So, what’s to be done about this?

LOOK UP:

 Col 3:1-2 – Set your affection on things above NOT on the things on the earth – you [Eph 2:6] and your home [Jn 14:1-3] are there – do you even realize what you have IN Christ? He that is least in the Kingdom of God is greater than John the Baptist [Lk 7:28] and no prophet was greater than him!!

• Ps 5:3 – Pray to the Lord in heaven
• Ps 148:13 – Praise the Lord – his glory is above the earth and heaven

STORE UP:

Matt 6:19-21 – Lay UP for yourselves treasure in heaven NOT in the earth – the way to do that is to keeping giving it away Lk 6:38 [Matt 19:21].

SPEAK UP:

Phil 3:20 – Talk about heavenly things – Our conversation is in heaven – Preach the gospel, Mk 16:15 – that way the folks you lead to the Lord can get saved and get out of here alive

1 Cor 6:14 – God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power – no matter how much a man prepares for disaster, riches profit not in the day of wrath – they all need Jesus and when they get him he raises them UP Eph 2:6