Are you aware that we are presently living in the Millennium described to us in the Book of Revelation? This may come as a surprise to many of us, especially those of us who have read the Left Behind series or other premillennial works like it. The Church adheres to the prevailing idea that we are currently living in the Christian age. Now that raises some very important questions about what is going on with our world. As with anything, it all depends on perspective. Before the Millennium, Satan was able to block the sharing of the Gospel. People were not able to share in the Good News. Very few people in fact even knew about God and His message. After Jesus Christ came to defeat death, the message of salvation offered through our loving God was revealed to all. The destruction of death involves the resurrection of the dead—all of the dead, not just some dead, or death would not have been destroyed. This occurs in Revelation 20:13–14, which is after the Millennium (cf. Rev. 20:1–6). So what does that have to do with the modern day world? In a word, everything. The promise is not that the world will be free of temporal problems but that the Devil will be bound in such a way that he cannot deceive the nations. That has happened. He has been bound in such a way that he cannot stop the proclamation of the gospel. As Jesus himself said when reflecting on the results of the disciples’ ministry, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven" (Luke 10:18). Today a third of the human race is Christian, and fully half of the human race worships God in one way or another. The remainder has—with few exceptions—at least heard of the true God, and by the standards of biblical history, knowledge of the Lord does indeed cover the earth like the waters cover the sea. The light has dawned, and the darkness been dispelled. The biblical prophets would have wept for joy at the unimaginable prospect that so much of the human race would have embraced the worship of God. This was simply unthinkable in their time, and they would have regarded the current age—for all its problems—as unquestionably golden. Does this mean that we are done with our work? Absolutely not. There are many people who have not realized the majesty of God. There are people all around the world who have not heard about Jesus Christ. Many of our close friends, co-workers, and even family members have not embraced the salvation that God offers. They do not realize that the Holy Spirit resides in them and is available to them at all times. So this Christmas season is about your responsibility to open their eyes. It doesn't only have to occur in words. You can reveal the face of Christ to people through your actions. You can show them that God loves them by allowing Him to use you. After their eyes are opened, you can then begin to share all of your faith with them. It is such a powerful journey. Don't you want to share it?
Born during the turbulent era of the French Revolution, Saint Jeanne Jugan rose above hardship and a lack of formal schooling to become a profound vessel of Christ’s mercy. After losing her father at a young age and working through her youth as a kitchen maid and nurse, her life radically changed one freezing night when she encountered a blind, paralyzed elderly woman with nowhere to go. Jeanne carried the woman back to her own home, placed her in her own bed, and began a lifelong mission of radical hospitality. This act of profound love blossomed into the Little Sisters of the Poor , a thriving community dedicated to sheltering and honoring the destitute elderly. Despite later facing heavy trials—including being unjustly sidelined and stripped of her leadership by a controlling chaplain—Jeanne accepted her obscurity and exile with a joyful spirit, resting her complete trust in God's hidden providence until her death in 1879. In our daily lives, Saint Jeanne Jugan invites us to lo...
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