I would like to offer you a Biblical perspective on a recent article published by the world economic Forum this article addresses four Global risks to look out for in the post-pandemic era these four areas are as follows number one power disperses in a posts superpower era number two a big election year won't stop our recurrent crisis of political legitimacy number three a more complex Global Mental Health crisis number four an era of shock events now before we dive in and look at what is potentially coming I want to clearly State this the Bible tells us
repeatedly do not fear do not be afraid fear not be anxious for nothing it's the same message spoken in different ways and I want you to remember that as you listen you should not be fearful but rather prayerful fear is not in the DNA of a child of God let's dive [Music] in in an article titled four Global risks to look out for in the post-pandemic era the wef states the following look for Global risks to be further exacerbated by unexpected destabilizing shock events what does this mean to someone in their home listening they may
hear the words Global risk destabilizing shock events and they'll be in panic mode but here's the amazing thing even in news such as this the Bible has already told us this just look at this 2 Timothy chapter 3:1 says but Mark this there will be terrible times in the last days and then Luke 21: 25- 26 says there will be signs in the sun moon and stars on the earth Nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the Roaring and tossing of the sea people will faint from Terror apprehensive of what is coming on the
world for the heavenly bodies will be shaken so you see there is nothing new that can happen on this Earth that we haven't been warned about the Bible is clear as it warns us of what will come so if some organization announces to the world that there are shock events to come events that will destabilize the world Believers in Christ should just say yes we know and then they should say we're not worried we have God on our side another portion of the article reads so expect more extreme climate events that further exacerbate our mental
health especially for growing numbers of climate refugees second AI is being imposed on us whether we like it or not many will feel they do not fit into this new AI die driven economy or are not even being offered a chance creating a greater precariat class who feel left behind the world is being awakened if you are to listen carefully if you are to look carefully you will notice that things are changing the tide is Shifting and there is a spiritual awakening happening some are drawing closer and closer to the darkness of this world as
there is a moral collapse in society today life is no longer valued people's hearts are growing colder by the day people are being consumed by the lusts of this world there is a seduction of sin there is popularity and prosperity for those who teach demonic doctrines and the Bible warns us it warns us and says woe to the earth and the Sea because the devil has gone down to you he is filled with fury because he knows that his time is short the devil is certainly aggressive in these last days but let me tell you
this as aggressive as the enemy is as sinful as the world is becoming many are turning to Christ because they are in need of Hope many are turning to Christ because no one else can carry their burdens in these last days many are turning to God because they need Divine love divine protection and true peace so how do you know how do you you test your own motivation to determine whether what you're doing is truthful or just another snare of deception see I think I think one place with respect that I think you you were
wrong on this subject and that you miss it is that you think human beings have the capability to Divine between uh decide between left right truth lie all these things that are going on and we're just not capable of it we need more Christians like this Christians who know their Bible and more importantly are not afraid to speak accordingly in line with the scripture I I am not looking at the real Jordan Peterson I'm looking at what Jordan Peterson lives in for a while you're not looking at John Rich I just live in this thing
for a while the real Jordan Peterson lives forever he's an eternal being he was created by the Creator and he was put in that body that you're in right now to last as long as it's going to last and then that body is going to die and then the real Jordan is released from that body same way it goes for me so the only way a human being can discern what is true and what is a lie is you better have Jesus inside of you cuz he's the ultimate truth let's unpack this for a moment
now a human being is made up of three parts the spirit the soul and the body how do we know this well the Bible in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 says may God himself the God of Peace sanctify you through and through May your whole Spirit soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ did you get that your spirit your soul and your body now the heart is found in the soul which is the seed of emotions and affections it's the center of human personality the will the reasoning the intellect memory
and conscience in fact I would like to describe it this way the heart is an arena it's the center of everything that a Believer needs to guard concerning their lives it's a Battleground where all the fights in your life take place the fight between good and evil takes place in your heart the fight between God and Earthly Idols that takes place in your heart the fight to wake up early and pray stay up late to pray spend time in the word all of these are issues dealt with in the heart and so when you think
of your heart as an Arena you appreciate that not everything must be allowed to land in that space and so here's why I believe we're told to guard our hearts it's because God wants to land in the arena of our heart he wants to sit on the throne of our heart but so does the devil and so do you with your own will and selfish desires so without Jesus Christ in your heart you are lost and incapable of being loving forgiving or defeating sin so if you've got the real truth living in you which is
not something you have on your own we're inherently evil doctor we are born into sin sin is anything that is less than Perfection you don't have to be a murderer to be a sinner you don't have to be something terrible to be a sinner anything less than absolute perfection in the eyes of the Lord is sin so we are sin we are in a continual state of it and you can't escape it but the only way you're able to navigate through that and and go to heaven when you die is that you brought the Son
of God you've asked him to come in and turned over your will to him no one is without sin we have to know that the Bible says in Romans 3:1 as it is written there is none righteous no not one if you put your hope in people in a pastor you will be disappointed only Jesus Christ is perfect it's only Jesus Christ who can never disappoint you now my second point is that we all to some degree have to fight against living a double life there is a battle between who you are in public and
who you are in private God sees the heart God sees What's Done in private God sees What's Done in the darkness if we claim to be followers of Christ we cannot be split down the middle when when it comes to Faith in Jesus Christ there is no such thing as a neutral stance you cannot have one foot in and one foot out when it comes to the things of God every now and again we need a reality check the pain in your body will remind you that you're not Invincible it will remind you that you're
not Superman you're not Superwoman a disease can come out of nowhere and remind you about your mortality you see every now and again we need to have a reality check and I don't know about you but have you ever had the sense that God has giving you a reality check perhaps everything in your life has been good and all of a sudden a storm comes out of nowhere but it's God's way of reminding you that you still need him regardless of how well you're doing you still need Jesus 1 Peter 4:1 17-19 says for it
is time for judgment to begin at the household of God and if it begins with us what will be the outcome of those who do not obey the gospel of God and if the righteous is scarcely saved what will become of the ungodly and The Sinner therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good don't you find this to be thought-provoking don't you find this to be a reality check for every Christian man or woman we all know that there will be a day of judgment
with the Lord we all know that there is a book of life we know that there is a day where all of our works will be Tried by fire but what challenges me about this passage of scripture in 1 Peter 4 is the location of where God's judgments begin verse 17 says for it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God for judgment to begin you mean to tell me that we the church are judged first God's judgment begins with us this to me shows that God is just his judgment isn't simply
reserved for those who reject Christ but even those who are in the church it's a reality check judgment begins with those who confess has to be Christians now how many of us are ready to be judged you would think that since we are active Christians in the church we would always be ready for God's judgment but I am of the opinion that if God were to cast judgment on us in this very moment many of us would simply not be ready we wouldn't be prepared the Bible points us to the danger of being scarcely saved
yet yet in the church meaning that too many people are professing Christ but they are barely saved Matthew 7: 21-23 says not everyone who says to me Lord Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven but the one who does the will of my father who is in heaven on that day many will say to me Lord Lord did we not prophesy in your name and cast out demons in your name and do many mighty works in your name and then will I declare to them I never knew you depart from me you workers of lawlessness
the people who say Lord Lord are people in the church but Jesus is saying although you're in the church although you know the lingo and the mannerisms when Judgment Day comes do you have me in your heart there is no room for hypocrisy in our lives as Believers we have to be completely loving and living for God in order for us to spend eternity with him so the question is how many of you in the church have a genuine love for Jesus Christ how many of us are genuinely saved and on the other hand how
many are fake but claim to be genuine God is aware that there are some Among Us who are Impostors and hypocrites so judgment has to begin in the church and I wonder what will be the fate of Hypocrites in the church the people who put on a mask and pretend to be something they are not the people who claim to know and follow Jesus but they behave in a way that counteracts the Lord the Bible says in Matthew 6:1 beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them for then
you will have no reward from your father who is in heaven verse 5 and when you pray you must not be like the Hypocrites for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners that they may be seen by others truly I say to you they have received their reward Now by no means should you be under the impression that we are the ones who can judge and determine a hypocrite because ultimately it's an issue of the heart and only God knows the heart but we must examine and judge ourselves
in a way to make sure that we are not the Hypocrites spoken of in the Bible so the message here is to check your heart we're given clear commands to follow all throughout the Bible and if we are in Christ we should be fully committed to being obedient the Bible says that all who love God must also love their brothers and sisters how many of us would be found wanting regarding this how many of us love our fellow brothers and sisters how many of us love our neighbor judgment begins in the house of God the
Amplified translation for 1 Peter 4 verse 17 and 18 says for it is the time destined for judgment to begin with the house of God and if it begins with us what will the outcome be for those who do not respect or believe or obey the gospel of God and if it is difficult for the righteous to be saved what will become of the Godless and The Sinner when I read this I am reminded that I'm never as saved as I think I am because I can so easily fall if not be for the grace
of God so take this message and be warned judgment begins in the house of God simply saying Lord Lord is not enough but doing the will of the Father the righteous and holy will of God that's what counts so I encourage you make sure you're fully given to Jesus Christ and do away with any hypocrisy be someone who has the genuine love of God be sincere in seeking the Lord judgment begins in the house of God's Saints and if it is starting with us what will happen to those who have rejected God therefore keep watch
because you do not know on what day your Lord will come this call to vigilance and watchfulness is as relevant for us today as it was for the disciples when Jesus spoke these words just as a Vigilant Watchman remains attentive to potential threats we must stay alert and watchful for the signs of Christ's imminent return the fascinating thing about a Watchman is that a Watchman has many different roles which are all just as vitally important in the olden days a Watchman was responsible for protecting towns and Army Camps from Surprise enemy attacks as well as
any other potential dangers Watchmen on the walls would look out for approaching Messengers danger armies or envoys in 2 Samuel 18 we're told that David was sitting between the two gates and the Watchman went up to the roof over the gate to the wall lifted his eyes and looked and there was a man running alone then the Watchman cried out and told the king and the King said if he is alone there is news in his mouth and he the messenger came rapidly and Drew near it's a watchman's job to always be on the lookout
to peer into the distance to observe to await and certainly to be alert the Watchman stands as a sentinel guarding against any dangers and in our own spiritual lives every Christian has this role of acting as a Watchman we are to observe evaluate and examine Our Lives against the word of God we are to guard the gates of our eyes ears and heart from the threat of sin the threat of evil and the threat of the devil we are to be Watchmen over our heart's desires and affections now as children of God who live in
a period of time where there is great uncertainty one thing we have to guard against is the spirit of fear people out there are fearful of so many things the threat of emerging pandemics for some there is uncertainty when it comes to the current state of international affairs the Bible warns us of wars and rumors of wars and when we finally see Bible prophecy unfolding right before our eyes it can leave us seeking Clarity and you can end up asking questions like how will this affect the country I live in how will this affect the
world and so there is uncertainty there for someone else the fight they face is economic uncertainty either personal finances or The Wider economy of their country for other people in certain parts of the world Christians who face persecution for their faith in Christ there may be some uncertainty as they think how long can I Endure this or how much more should I Endure Lord and I personally believe that in these last days in these days where we see Bible prophecy unfolding before our eyes I believe the Bible gives us five commands that will help us
all in these times the first of these five commands is to keep watch because Christ is coming soon Matthew 24:42 the Bible says therefore keep watch because you do not know on what day your Lord will come when you are living in uncertain times when you are living in fearful times in times where biblical prophecy is happening and we are seeing an increase in the number of conflicts all around the world we are seeing pestilences we're seeing the love of many growing cold when you are living in such time it's important to keep watch for
you don't know what day your lord is coming we may not have the answers to everything there may not be a detailed road map telling you what to do and how to do it whenever you see troubling things happening but all in all we must remember that ultimately our focus should be in one place and that is on Jesus Christ if you focus on the world you will be worried you will be burdened and anxious but when you focus on Jesus you will see the trouble in the world but you will not be troubled in
your heart the second command is to watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation Matthew 26:41 says Watch and Pray so that you will not fall into temptation the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak we are encouraged to watch and pray so that we won't give into temptation and a lot of times people associate temptation to only be of a sexual nature however people can be tempted by sin in various ways some are tempted to lie and steal all for their personal and selfish gain some are tempted to get drunk
others are tempted to gossip but most of all watch out against being tempted to follow a gospel that tickles your ears in the last days there will be deception and this deception will be tempting to many because you will be told gospel that simply makes you feel good instead of leading you to repentance be careful not to be tempted the third command is to watch and pray so that you can escape Luke 21:36 says watch therefore and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass and
to stand before the son of man when Jesus said this to his disciples he was talking about the future and he was warning them of the terrible things to come on the earth as we Edge closer to the End of the Age those who will be counted worthy to escape God's Wrath on this Earth are those who have put their trust and faith in Jesus Christ but you can only do this if you watch and pray always in other words Jesus is telling us to be focused on him the fourth command to Believers in this
day and age is to be Earnest and disciplined in your prayers the Bible in 1 Peter 4:7 says the end of all things is near therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray in this context sober means serious in other words as Believers we should be careful about how we live our choices impact our ability to think clearly it is better to be self-controlled so that we can pray earn estly I believe here that Peter is also speaking to those who suffer for Jesus's sake the Believers who are persecuted and Peter
gives us a word of warning that is also encouraging as he says it's almost over the end of all things is near and don't we see that today more so than ever the fifth and final command to Believers is to be clear in your mission 2 Timothy 4:5 gives us great advice when it comes to dealing with all that we hear and see in the world today the Bible says but you should keep a clear mind in every situation don't be afraid of suffering for the Lord work at telling others the good news and fully
carry out the ministry God has given you the world has many different voices some Godly some ungodly and these voices will tell you so many different things things that will confuse you things that will leave you perplexed things that will pollute your mind and all of this leads you to live in a fearful state but God's word is calling us to have a clear mind in every situation and I believe that you can achieve this by doing one thing focusing on Christ and doing everything for his glory as more and more people ask questions like
are we living in the last days is this the end I want to encourage you to do something rather than look at each and every event that is currently happening in the world my message to you is that you should make sure that you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ yes it's good for us to take note of the events happening in this world but the focus for our lives should be to make sure that our individual relationships with God are in good standing whether these are the last days or not whether this is
the 11th hour or not you and I as Believers need to make sure that our focus is only on Jesus Christ we should focus on the one who is the way the truth and the life and that is Jesus Christ who explicitly said no one comes to the father except through me [Music]
