Chronicles of the End Times

Walking Closely With Jesus in Challenging Times

July 09, 2024 Russ Scalzo
Walking Closely With Jesus in Challenging Times
Chronicles of the End Times
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Chronicles of the End Times
Walking Closely With Jesus in Challenging Times
Jul 09, 2024
Russ Scalzo

How can we find peace and strength in these challenging times? Join us on  Chronicles of the End Times as we unpack the profound wisdom of Matthew, chapter 11. In this episode, we focus on the essential practice of walking closely with Jesus. Reflecting on verses 25-30, we discuss His invitation to those burdened and weary to find rest in Him. We delve into the significance of having a humble heart and accepting His yoke, which leads to divine guidance and a lighter load, even as we navigate the complexities of today's world.

As we look ahead, we give a sneak peek into our next topic, exploring the fascinating concept of glorified bodies and the new kingdom. Stay encouraged and keep your focus upward as we journey together through these prophetic times.

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How can we find peace and strength in these challenging times? Join us on  Chronicles of the End Times as we unpack the profound wisdom of Matthew, chapter 11. In this episode, we focus on the essential practice of walking closely with Jesus. Reflecting on verses 25-30, we discuss His invitation to those burdened and weary to find rest in Him. We delve into the significance of having a humble heart and accepting His yoke, which leads to divine guidance and a lighter load, even as we navigate the complexities of today's world.

As we look ahead, we give a sneak peek into our next topic, exploring the fascinating concept of glorified bodies and the new kingdom. Stay encouraged and keep your focus upward as we journey together through these prophetic times.

Support the Show.

Welcome everyone. This is Russ Scalzo Chronicles of the End Times. Thank you for listening in today. Today, we will look at Matthew, chapter 11, and talk about walking closer to Jesus. With the acceleration of the signs of the times going on all around us and so many unaware, it's important to stay close to Jesus. There are many experts out there, people with PhDs, people who have many credits attached to their name, and they're telling us this is happening and that's happening. But if we don't have the missing piece, then we don't know the roadmap. Why should we care if things are going awry? Oh, they'll straighten out. They always do. One day is like the next, and that is the attitude of many people. But if you're walking with Jesus and you know him, he has opened up the entire kingdom to you. Isn't it amazing that he's decided to reveal the secrets of eternity to the lowly, to those of lower stature? Let's just put it that way. You may have many degrees after your name. The scripture says that when we are weak, he is strong. We are always weak, but it's those of us who realize that we are weak, for when we realize we are weak, then we're strong. It just makes sense. So, God is talking about the lowly of heart, that God is not just looking for the intelligentsia to explain his plan of love and compassion or his plans for the future. What kind of people is he looking for? He's looking for people like you and me. 

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01:53

We're going to look to Matthew, chapter 11. We're going to begin in verse 25. We need to concentrate on our closeness with Jesus. It says in Matthew 11, 25,. At that time, Jesus said I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to little children. I don't mind being called a little child in the sight of the Father. You see, he is so great, and I am so small. Pick it up in verse 26. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 

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02:46

Wow, if you meditate on that, it should blow your mind: God has been revealed to you through the will of Jesus Christ. The door is open to you and me to get as close to Jesus and as close to our Heavenly Father as we desire. And how do we do that? We can say the obvious: read your Bible and pray. But let's look a little deeper in verse 28. 

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03:13

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Let's take that apart a bit. First, he's telling us to come to him. Who? People are weary and burdened, not the people who sit on top of the world. They have everything they need and can solve their problems through money, technology, and knowledge. But he says those of you who have had it, basically those of you who are weary and burdened by this world. Because it's getting to you, and it gets to me, it must be getting to you as well. It just wearies us with the constant bitterness, hatred, arguing, and overall atmosphere. So he says take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Wow, you don't see a lot of that today, right? Gentle and humble in heart, just a lot of mean-spirited people who are always raising their flag and prideful of whatever they have in this life, whether it's who they are or what they're pushing, or just a braggadocios spirit. 

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04:43

But why is it important for us to put the yoke on? Why is he mentioning that? You may have heard teachings on this before, but a yoke, as we know, is something they used for the oxen to pull carts and plows. It caused them to pull together instead of separate. And Jesus said I don't want you to go out there separately. You're not going to make it. Take my yoke and put it upon you. What's he saying? I'm next to you. I have the yoke on me. You and me, not two other people, follow me from a distance. No, I'm on the yoke with you. It's my yoke. Come and put it on. 

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05:22

So if you put on the yoke of Jesus, you're right next to him. You must be physically next to him to put that yoke on. And what does he say? He says learn from me. That's what we need to do. How can we learn from Jesus if we're over two fields away doing our own thing? Yeah, we say, well, I'm a Christian, I love the Lord, but we need to be right next to Jesus so he can whisper in our ear so that he can teach us and learn about his ways. As Jesus said, my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Why is that? Because he's walking right alongside us. 

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06:04

When we're out on our own, and we all do it, we suddenly feel like we're being crushed. The world is too much; the responsibilities are too great. We can't handle it. There might be other serious issues, and we're burdened down. We can't make it. And I've had those days when I don't feel like doing anything. Today, you just feel that weight on you. But Jesus is saying, come on over here, let's walk together, put the yoke on. I'm right here with you. I'm not going anywhere. We're tied together here. We're going to walk. Let's walk down the road a bit, and he'll speak to us. And what will happen? We will find rest for our souls. That's what we need. You and I need rest for our souls. 

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06:50

I love talking about Bible prophecy because I am looking forward to a new kingdom where there's no cancer, no other diseases, no starving children, and no heartache. That's the kingdom I'm looking forward to. But we have to walk through a lot of muck and mire, but we need to put the yoke on and walk through that with Jesus. Mire, but we need to put the yoke on and walk through that with Jesus because either way, life is tough. We all know it. Yeah, it has its wonderful moments now and then, but you know, generally life is a challenge. It's tough. 

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07:25

We need to be walking not a mile away from Jesus, but we need to be walking step by step, right alongside him, with him speaking in our ear, no matter what happens in this world and as prophecies are being fulfilled that we know things are going to go bad to worse before they get better when Jesus Christ comes. So we're going to need his strength and his instruction. It gives us a balanced life. I pray this has been a blessing to you. Remember that Jesus said we can do all things through him if we're in the vine, but we must be connected to the vine. We can do anything with him, but we can do nothing without him. This is Russ Scalzo of Chronicles of the End Times. Thanks for listening today. We're going to be talking about glorified bodies and the new kingdom in the next podcast. God bless, keep looking up. The King is coming. 

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Walking Closer With Jesus
Walking Closely With Jesus