Does God really care about the grief and misery we experience in our lives? Consider what God, through his Son, has done for you.

Jesus, called the “Man of Sorrows” in Isaiah 53:3, was despised and rejected by the very people He came to save. Imagine if your family and friends started to mock you, laugh at you, sing dirges about you, shun you, and even gossip about you! Jesus, the “Man of Sorrows,” was persecuted, despised, rejected, tested, tempted, shamed, repeatedly beaten, and then subjected to the sorrows and humiliation of the most cruelest of deaths.

The price has been paid … the invitation has been made.

Are you satisfied with your spiritual life? Are you content with your status quo?

In Joshua 14:1-15, Caleb, at 85 years old, had just returned from wandering 40 years in the wilderness. He had every right to be tired...to be weary...to be satisfied with sitting back, propping his feet up. But he wasn’t content with where he was...he wasn’t ready to sit back and take it easy. Instead...he said...Give me that mountain.” Too many of God’s people are willing to live in the low country. Too many are content with being nominal Christians. Too many are dwelling in spiritual mediocrity when God wants us to live on the mountain!

According to Scripture, the lost are spiritually blind, captive to Satan, condemned, helpless, hopeless, and bound for hell. What is the answer? God must open their eyes. God must soften their hearts. God must give them understanding. And God must make them spiritually alive so they can see and believe. And so, we plead to God on their behalf. We petition their cause. We take their names before the Throne of Grace begging God to save them. When was the last time you determined to stand in the gap and cry out to Jesus on behalf of the souls of men?

Have you stopped praying for unsaved friends, neighbors, and loved ones because your prayers seem to go unanswered? Beloved, the Word of God charges us to pray through for the breakouts and the breakthroughs. To push… that’s P.U.S.H … to Pray Until Something Happens. Beloved, get back on your knees and get back to sending those “knee” mails full of requests, supplications, praises, confessions, thanksgivings, and worship! Refuse to let go of God until He answers. Grab onto God in prayer and P.U.S.H! Pray Until Something Happens!

As we await the imminent return of Jesus Christ to His Church, the Apostle Paul sets the direction on how we should be living in the meantime when he says in Romans 13:12, “The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.” Put on what? Paul clarifies this when he talks about the Armor of God in Ephesians 6:11-18. He says in verses 11 and 13, “Put on the full armor of God.” Not just one piece or some of the pieces of armor, but the “full” armor of God!

Where are the watchmen who see the danger of approaching judgment? Where are the watchmen who see evil creeping ever closer to our churches, our families, and our communities? Many of our pulpits today are polluted and diluted. They no longer name sin, they no longer call people to repent of sin, and they no longer preach the Cross for forgiveness from sin. They don't want to upset anybody, so they preach nothing but peace, prosperity, harmony, acceptance, love, and inclusion. They are what the Bible calls…Blind Watchmen! Consequently, our churches today are full of people who don’t want to hear the truth, let alone live according to the truth. Beloved, we need an earthshaking move of God, and it starts in the pulpits! Pastor, you are either for Jesus or you are against Him. You are either preaching the truth and living by the truth, or you are rejecting the truth!

Beloved, if the Rapture were to occur today, would you be left behind? Make sure you are Rapture READY by turning from your sin and embracing Jesus Christ alone for your salvation! “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.” Acts 16:31 (NKJV).

The Rapture will separate true believers from those who are only religious, from those who hope their ‘good’ outweighs their ‘bad,’ and from those who believe they can obtain salvation in any way other than simply believing the Gospel. Only those who have a relationship with Jesus Christ are going to be raptured. Those left behind will face the horrors of the Tribulation.

“He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).

“Maranatha!” means, “Our Lord, Come!” and was first used by the Apostle Paul in (1 Corinthians 16:22). The interesting thing about “Maranatha!” is that it comes in the form of a petition, meaning, when a Christian in the early Church made this statement, they were actually petitioning or asking the Lord to return. That upward look revolutionized the church. Can you imagine what the church would look like today if “Maranatha!” would return as a sincere greeting and prayer on the lips of an expectant people?

Mighty Men of Valor, WHERE ARE YOU? Men of faith, RISE UP! The time is short; the time is NOW!

God is looking for a few good men! God is looking for praying men! God is looking for men committed to reading His word, to hearing His word, and in keeping His word, men who are determined to lead their families in the ways of the Lord, men who are morally upright, men who are not ashamed to stand up and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ! God is looking for bible packing, scripture cracking, Holy Ghost filled, praise dancing men of God!

This week, Elder Laine Wilder asks, "Will You Be There?" when that final trumpet sounds. Will you be there when the Lord, Jesus Christ comes to claim His bride, the Church? Will your name be included in that number when the Saints Go Marching In? Don't hesitate and take too long thinking about it.

Did you know that Jesus is coming for His church, and His return is imminent; it can happen at any moment! In Revelation 22:7 Jesus proclaimed, “behold I am coming quickly.” The word He uses for “quickly” is the Greek word “tachy”; this is where we get the word tachometer. It means swift or speedy, and when used in the context of time, it means suddenly or without delay.

Beloved, are you READY for His return? Have you believed the Gospel and turned from your sin and turned to Jesus for rescue from the wrath of God and the second death? (John 3:16). Have you surrendered your life to the ultimate commitment of the disciple – dying to self, taking up your cross, and following Jesus? (Matthew 16:24).

Are you ready?

The imminent return of Jesus Christ is a biblical imperative and therefore a reality! Because it is a reality, God’s people must wake up, get up, clean up, get prayed up, and start living it up for Jesus! Endure the hardships of living for God! Do not walk away from your faith and turn to worldly wisdom!

How would Elder Laine Wilder explain the importance of the Word of God? A wise man once said, “Where the word of a king is, there is power.” Thus, saith the Lord! Not…“thus, saith tradition,” or “thus, saith religion,” or “thus, saith the government,” not “thus, saith education,” or “thus, saith experience,” or “thus, saith the heart.” These are idol-gods and defile the heart and must be destroyed. They usurp the rightful place of God’s Word in our life.

"The Bible contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. CHRIST is its grand subject, our good the design, and the glory of God its end. It involves the highest responsibility, will reward all faithful labor, and will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents." (Author unknown)

Elder Laine Wilder reveals the mystery: Here’s the mystery: The morning of the Resurrection of Christ, Jesus was not “restored back to life.” Jesus was Resurrected! Those who were raised from the dead would die again, but Jesus Christ, at His resurrection, was raised in an immortal, incorruptible, forever body that will never die, get old, get sick, or get hurt! Praise the Lord!

Elder Laine Wilder posits, "Have you ever asked yourself the question, 'Why did Jesus die on the cross?” The Holy Scriptures provide plenty of answers to those who seek the truth, and Laine praises God for immortal realities and certainties. Why? Because "Jesus has done this great work! His resurrection from the grave was God’s exclamation point that His sacrifice for our sins was accepted, that sin was destroyed, the law was satisfied, that God honored, and that His people were eternally and everlastingly saved. And now, “He always lives to make intercession for them.” Hebrews 7:25 (NKJV). PRAISE THE LORD!

In this week's Insights From an Elder, Laine Wilder challenges us to watch out for people who practice "make-believe religion." They may be the ones with "shallow hearts" who sit next to you every Sunday and practice a form of "modern ritualism" for the benefit of others, and when they leave the church, they return to their unregenerate lives. Listen to Laine's insight on how to avoid the pitfalls of religious hypocrisy.

Elder Laine Wilder recommends that we "never question God’s love! He went overboard, for you, by paying the ultimate price so you can be born into His family through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ." Let us closely examine what the Apostle John means by "lavish" when referring to God's love.

If I told you the "god" that's preached from pulpits today has no power to save and no ability to do anything for anyone, would you believe me?

Beloved, the God of the Bible doesn’t need your help nor your cooperation in order to save you, help you, or bless you. Be very careful that you believe the Bible and its description of God instead of believing in the pitiful and powerless "god" that is preached in many pulpits today!

Elder Laine Wilder asks, "Did you know that a broken heart, a contrite spirit, and a subdued will are rare things these days?" He contends, "No one has ever experienced the grace of God in salvation until their heart is thoroughly broken before a Holy God, revealed in the crucified Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ." Will you be counted as one of the "broken people" destined for an eternity with Jesus? If not now, when?