00:00Hey friends, you know, I'm getting a lot of contact right now from all of you.
00:05People in the world seem to be changing.
00:08They seem to be changing with their circumstances.
00:11I can assure you that some of my recent business interactions are as odd to me as your personal lives
00:19seem odd to you.
00:20I can't really explain what's going on in the world.
00:24And I know the world may feel frightening to many of you right now.
00:28I wrote a letter and I wanted to share it with you today.
00:33And this letter was from me to you.
00:38Dear friend, I know the world feels frightening right now.
00:44Every day seems to bring another conflict, threat, warning, or prediction.
00:49People speak about war, political division, economic uncertainty, and the end of the world.
00:57Some voices tell you that every new headline proves that a terrible event is about to happen.
01:05If you listen long enough, fear can begin to feel like the only reasonable response.
01:13But I want to remind you of something that Jesus said.
01:17When Jesus spoke about wars and rumors of wars, he did not tell his followers to panic.
01:25He said,
01:27See to it that you are not alarmed.
01:32That's Matthew 24, verse 6.
01:35You see, Jesus did not say that nothing difficult would ever happen.
01:40He did not tell us to ignore suffering or pretend that evil is harmless.
01:46He knew this world would experience violence, confusion, betrayal, disaster, and loss.
01:55He told his disciples the truth because he wanted them to be prepared.
02:01Yet, his command was still very clear.
02:06Do not be alarmed.
02:08And that doesn't mean you will never feel afraid.
02:13It means fear does not have to control what you believe, how you treat people, or what you do next.
02:21You know, the news may surprise you, but it did not surprise Jesus.
02:26Governments may lose control.
02:29Leaders may make terrible decisions.
02:32Nations may threaten one another.
02:34People may use religion to justify hatred and violence.
02:41None of that removes Jesus from his throne.
02:45Christ has not lost his authority because the world has lost its calm.
02:51You do not have to understand every prophecy before you can trust him.
02:57You do not have to identify the Antichrist, calculate the date, or connect every event to revelation.
03:06Jesus specifically warned his followers against people who would mislead them.
03:13He said no one knows the day or hour of his return.
03:18Our assignment is not to predict what Jesus said we cannot know.
03:24Our assignment is to remain faithful.
03:27If Jesus returns tomorrow, I want him to find me loving people today.
03:35I want him to find me telling the truth, helping someone who is hurting, forgiving someone, praying for my enemies,
03:44and treating every human life, every human life, as valuable.
03:51I do not want him to find me hiding in fear while spreading rumors that make other people even more
03:58afraid.
04:00The return of Jesus is supposed to be a source of hope for those who belong to him.
04:07It is the promise that evil will not win forever.
04:11War will not have the final word.
04:14Death will not have the final word.
04:16Human cruelty will not have the final word.
04:22Jesus will.
04:24And that doesn't give us as Christians permission to become careless about suffering.
04:30We should pray for people caught in war.
04:33We should care about frightened families, injured children, exhausted soldiers, displaced communities, and innocent people on every side.
04:46Jesus never taught us to celebrate human suffering because we think it might fulfill a prophecy.
04:54He taught us to love our neighbors.
04:57He told us to pray for our enemies.
05:00He called peacemakers blessed.
05:04Now, you can believe that Jesus is returning while still working for peace.
05:09You can recognize that the world is troubled without treating every frightening headline as a secret message from God.
05:18You can remain watchful without living terrified.
05:23Jesus said,
05:25Peace I leave with you.
05:28My peace I give you.
05:42You see, his peace does not depend on peaceful circumstances.
05:47If it did, the disciples could never have experienced it.
05:52They lived under Roman power.
05:55They faced persecution, imprisonment, rejection, and death.
06:01Their security did not come from a world that was safe.
06:05It came from knowing who was with them.
06:09The same Jesus that was with them is with you.
06:15Perhaps your greatest fear is not war itself.
06:17Maybe all the frightening news has awakened a deeper fear.
06:22You're wondering whether you're ready to meet Jesus.
06:26You may be thinking about mistakes you've made, years you have wasted, or things you have hidden.
06:33Please understand this, my friends.
06:37Jesus is not asking you to repair your entire life before coming to him.
06:43He's just asking you to come.
06:46Bring him your fear.
06:48Bring him your sin.
06:50Bring him your doubt.
06:52Bring him the part of your story you wish you could erase.
06:56Jesus gave his life for sinners, and that includes both you and me.
07:03His grace is not a prize for people who have already made themselves worthy.
07:08It's a gift for people who know they need him.
07:14Turn toward Christ today.
07:17Tell him the truth.
07:19Ask him to forgive you, lead you, and teach you how to live.
07:25You do not need an impressive prayer.
07:28If all you can say is,
07:30Jesus, please help me,
07:33then begin there.
07:34If you already follow Jesus and have become consumed by fear,
07:40step away from the noise for a while.
07:44You don't need to watch every prediction.
07:46You don't need to absorb every argument,
07:49and you do not need to carry every possible disaster in your mind.
07:55You have been given this day.
07:58Use it well.
08:00Call someone you love today.
08:02Help someone who is struggling.
08:05Pray for peace.
08:07Read the words of Jesus before reading another person's theory about him.
08:13Take care of the responsibilities in front of you.
08:18Trust God with what remains beyond your control.
08:23You see, Jesus never promised that following him would remove every storm.
08:28He promised that the storm would never separate you from him.
08:34Now, I want you to think about this.
08:37When Peter began sinking beneath the water,
08:40Jesus did not stand at a distance and lecture him.
08:44Peter cried,
08:46Lord, save me.
08:48And Jesus immediately reached out his hand.
08:52That is the Jesus I want you to remember today.
08:57His hand is closer than your fear.
09:00His mercy is greater than your failure.
09:03And his presence is stronger than all this noise around you.
09:09Whatever tomorrow brings,
09:11Jesus will still be Jesus.
09:14Look at the world honestly,
09:17but do not surrender your heart to fear.
09:20Stay awake.
09:21Stay compassionate.
09:23Stay faithful.
09:25Keep your eyes on Christ.
09:28You do not have to know everything that is coming.
09:31You only need to know that the one who loves you
09:36will be with you when it comes.
09:39With hope in Jesus Christ.
09:42My name is Douglas Vandergraaf,
09:45and I believe in Jesus Christ.
09:49God bless every single one of you,
09:53and God bless everyone you love.
09:58Bye-bye.
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