October 26, 1999
In Edmonton, a youth sexually assaulted a female classmate, pleaded guilty and was sentenced. However, authorities have not prevented him from returning to the same school where his victim still attends. Local talk show hosts and many callers are enraged at this injustice.
Lack of justice does not upset everyone. ABC news surmises that the tabloids are quite happy that no one has been prosecuted in the JonBenét Ramsey murder case. For them, any unsolved crime adds grist to their rumor mill. They can speculate as long as the public is intrigued by their probable scenarios and bizarre headlines.
Nevertheless, justice is a universal issue. It affects both educated and ignorant, rich and poor, cultured and barbarian. If anyone’s law (according to their understanding of law) has been broken, all people cry for justice. Those who break the rules must be punished.
This even explains the popularity of most fiction. We want our heroes to eventually overcome the villains. We want right to defeat wrong. As in life, mystery whodunits would not sell if in the final chapter the hero always loses.
If villains violate a law or moral code and get away with it, my adrenalin runs. I yell or weep or both. If victims are people close to me and justice fails, I’m tempted to take matters in my own hands and retaliate. However, God says no revenge. It is not the same as justice.
Yet justice does not always win. Some cases have holes in them, like the JonBenét Ramsey case. The Grand Jury decided that the evidence was not sufficient for a prosecution. It seems that whoever killed this little girl is going to get away with it.
While we are tired of hearing about this murder, this conclusion is not what Joe or Jill Citizen wanted to hear. We are not comforted by knowing that this is only one of many unsolved murders. We want a neat wrap-up or a last hour confession. Justice should not allow criminals to live out their natural lives with blood still on their hands.
While we cannot always control it, God tells His people to “love justice.” We are to consider the oppressed and deal with oppressors. The New Testament says, “The authorities that exist have been established by God. . . and he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.”
This passage from Romans goes on to explain that God ordained governing authorities to punish those who do evil. They are “God’s servants” to bring justice to those who break the law. The problem is, sometimes the governing authorities fail. Justice does not happen. What then?
God has other solutions. He created conscience; even successful criminals can be tormented when they are alone with their memories. He also is sovereign. Life’s events can turn sour at His command. What looks like a victory over a victim can swiftly change.
Most important of all, God says, “Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither. . . The wicked plot. . . but the Lord laughs at the wicked for He knows their day is coming. . .”
I’m consoled that God is beyond the “evidence is insufficient” reasoning. No matter the crime, He knows what happened and who is guilty. He does not need police files or conclusive evidence. He does not even care that a human prosecutor will not take a “loser case” to court.
The Bible assures me that one day, those who choose lawlessness will face a Judge. In His time, justice will be done.
Showing posts with label assurance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label assurance. Show all posts
Monday, October 23, 2017
Monday, March 6, 2017
A Perfect Place to Hide ................ Parables 558
June 10, 1997
Since January, residents of Bangladesh, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Madagascar have endured tropical cyclones. Madagascar was double-whammied by an invasion of locusts.
Floods made headlines in several places such as Winnipeg and the Midwestern States, also including China, Afghanistan, Tanzania, Ecuador, Bolivia, Mozambique and Malawi. Also in the past five months, drought struck Ethiopia, Ecuador (also flooded) and Kenya. Earthquakes rocked Iran, Trinidad and Tobago, China, Iran and Peru. Because of these disasters, many people died.
Weather is not the only calamity that hits unexpectedly, taking or changing lives. Traffic accidents, cancer, heart disease also takes their toll. Consider Mark O’Brien. Struck by polio forty years ago, O’Brien lives in an iron lung. Without it, he would not survive, nor would the 118 others who call one of these contraptions home. Even at that, if there were a better place to find protection, all 119 would want it. For them, this machine is both a refuge and a prison.
Polio victims are not the only people who need a refuge. All of us experience difficulties that we cannot handle by ourselves. Sometimes we look for hiding places or shelter when we are in danger or when our world spins out of control.
When calamities happen, many look to God. The psalmist wrote, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”
The psalmist believed God was always ready to help him. Even if the world was falling apart, he knew that he could find a sense of security in the Lord.
Perhaps it was this psalm that prompted the winning entry for a painting depicting “peace.” The artist thought that a calm sea or a lazy meadow would not make the statement he wanted to make. Instead, he painted a severe storm with threatening waves of the sea crashing against a cliff. In the center, sheltered in the cleft of a rock, he placed a bird on her nest, calm and safe in the middle of the turmoil.
The Apostle Paul knew inner peace is possible in outward difficulties. He wrote, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” He explains, “We do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
Paul knew God is in control. He also knew God uses all things to shape the character of His people, to help them become more like His Son. With that in mind, the tough things in life did not get him down or rob him of his hope. He was able to persevere through them.
When we put our faith in Christ, we too can know God as our refuge in the midst of life’s storms. His Spirit and His presence become a comfort, His truth a peaceful resting place.
Since January, residents of Bangladesh, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Madagascar have endured tropical cyclones. Madagascar was double-whammied by an invasion of locusts.
Floods made headlines in several places such as Winnipeg and the Midwestern States, also including China, Afghanistan, Tanzania, Ecuador, Bolivia, Mozambique and Malawi. Also in the past five months, drought struck Ethiopia, Ecuador (also flooded) and Kenya. Earthquakes rocked Iran, Trinidad and Tobago, China, Iran and Peru. Because of these disasters, many people died.
Weather is not the only calamity that hits unexpectedly, taking or changing lives. Traffic accidents, cancer, heart disease also takes their toll. Consider Mark O’Brien. Struck by polio forty years ago, O’Brien lives in an iron lung. Without it, he would not survive, nor would the 118 others who call one of these contraptions home. Even at that, if there were a better place to find protection, all 119 would want it. For them, this machine is both a refuge and a prison.
Polio victims are not the only people who need a refuge. All of us experience difficulties that we cannot handle by ourselves. Sometimes we look for hiding places or shelter when we are in danger or when our world spins out of control.
When calamities happen, many look to God. The psalmist wrote, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”
The psalmist believed God was always ready to help him. Even if the world was falling apart, he knew that he could find a sense of security in the Lord.
Perhaps it was this psalm that prompted the winning entry for a painting depicting “peace.” The artist thought that a calm sea or a lazy meadow would not make the statement he wanted to make. Instead, he painted a severe storm with threatening waves of the sea crashing against a cliff. In the center, sheltered in the cleft of a rock, he placed a bird on her nest, calm and safe in the middle of the turmoil.
The Apostle Paul knew inner peace is possible in outward difficulties. He wrote, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” He explains, “We do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
Paul knew God is in control. He also knew God uses all things to shape the character of His people, to help them become more like His Son. With that in mind, the tough things in life did not get him down or rob him of his hope. He was able to persevere through them.
When we put our faith in Christ, we too can know God as our refuge in the midst of life’s storms. His Spirit and His presence become a comfort, His truth a peaceful resting place.
Monday, April 18, 2016
Being real .................. Parables 420
May 10, 1994
A waitress approached two customers, a small boy and his mother. She asked the boy for his order and he said, “I’d like a hamburger, fries, and a glass of chocolate milk.”
Mother said, “He will have Salisbury steak, vegetables, and a glass of plain milk.”
The waitress, eyes on the child, said, “What would you like on your hamburger?”
“Just ketchup, please.”
After the waitress left, the boy turned to his mother with excitement. “Did you notice that, mother? She thinks I’m real!”
Imagine yourself at a social event or party and no one listens to anything you say. How would you feel? Invisible? Insignificant? Unimportant? Hurt? Angry?
Anyone who is ignored in any situation, feels frustrated. Continued neglect can result in low self-esteem, depression, even violence or suicide.
People need to know some one hears them. That is one reason prayer is so important. Even if no one else hears or cares, when we talk to God, He listens. How can we be sure?
The Apostle John wrote three short letters besides his familiar “Gospel of John.” Apparently the early Christians also had feelings of uncertainty and worthlessness. They wondered if they really belonged to God and if their experience with Him was real. 1 John addresses these uncertainties.
John first wanted them to be certain their sins were forgiven and they had eternal life. He told them to test themselves by their attitude toward their sin. Did they pretend they were not sinners? Or did they confess their sin? If so, he assured them God forgives and cleanses whatever they confess.
He also told them to test how they responded to the world’s system. Did they give in to sinful cravings and boasting? Or were they more concerned to do God’s will? If so, he assured them this desire came from their Father, therefore they were part of His family.
A third test involved how they treated others. John asked if they hated others and “loved” them in words only? Or was their love real and demonstrated? Were their relationships characterized by kindness, truth, and obedience to God?
A fourth “be-sure-you-are-forgiven” test involved the inner witness of the Holy Spirit. If they genuinely believed Jesus is the Son of God, and if He actually was in their lives, the Spirit would assure them they had eternal life. They would just know.
Besides forgiveness and eternal life, John wanted his readers to be confident about who was who. Many claimed to be Christians in that time (as they do now) but were actually deceivers. True believers could test such “false prophets.” What was their attitude towards sin? Did they confess it? or embrace it? Did they accept or reject Jesus Christ as One who came from God? Did they continue in fellowship with proven Christians? or did they walk away?
John also wanted Christians to have confidence in God’s love for them. He reminded them, and us, that God proved His love by sending His Son to die for our sins. That alone should be proof enough, but there is more; Christians can prove God’s love by loving one another with the same sacrificial love. Since this love comes only from God, when we demonstrate it, we have confidence God loves us.
Finally, John’s readers are assured of God’s love because He hears them. “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us--whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of Him” (5:14,15).
As long as we belong to Him, and as long as our requests are on His menu, answered prayer builds our confidence: God “thinks we are real.”
A waitress approached two customers, a small boy and his mother. She asked the boy for his order and he said, “I’d like a hamburger, fries, and a glass of chocolate milk.”
Mother said, “He will have Salisbury steak, vegetables, and a glass of plain milk.”
The waitress, eyes on the child, said, “What would you like on your hamburger?”
“Just ketchup, please.”
After the waitress left, the boy turned to his mother with excitement. “Did you notice that, mother? She thinks I’m real!”
Imagine yourself at a social event or party and no one listens to anything you say. How would you feel? Invisible? Insignificant? Unimportant? Hurt? Angry?
Anyone who is ignored in any situation, feels frustrated. Continued neglect can result in low self-esteem, depression, even violence or suicide.
People need to know some one hears them. That is one reason prayer is so important. Even if no one else hears or cares, when we talk to God, He listens. How can we be sure?
The Apostle John wrote three short letters besides his familiar “Gospel of John.” Apparently the early Christians also had feelings of uncertainty and worthlessness. They wondered if they really belonged to God and if their experience with Him was real. 1 John addresses these uncertainties.
John first wanted them to be certain their sins were forgiven and they had eternal life. He told them to test themselves by their attitude toward their sin. Did they pretend they were not sinners? Or did they confess their sin? If so, he assured them God forgives and cleanses whatever they confess.
He also told them to test how they responded to the world’s system. Did they give in to sinful cravings and boasting? Or were they more concerned to do God’s will? If so, he assured them this desire came from their Father, therefore they were part of His family.
A third test involved how they treated others. John asked if they hated others and “loved” them in words only? Or was their love real and demonstrated? Were their relationships characterized by kindness, truth, and obedience to God?
A fourth “be-sure-you-are-forgiven” test involved the inner witness of the Holy Spirit. If they genuinely believed Jesus is the Son of God, and if He actually was in their lives, the Spirit would assure them they had eternal life. They would just know.
Besides forgiveness and eternal life, John wanted his readers to be confident about who was who. Many claimed to be Christians in that time (as they do now) but were actually deceivers. True believers could test such “false prophets.” What was their attitude towards sin? Did they confess it? or embrace it? Did they accept or reject Jesus Christ as One who came from God? Did they continue in fellowship with proven Christians? or did they walk away?
John also wanted Christians to have confidence in God’s love for them. He reminded them, and us, that God proved His love by sending His Son to die for our sins. That alone should be proof enough, but there is more; Christians can prove God’s love by loving one another with the same sacrificial love. Since this love comes only from God, when we demonstrate it, we have confidence God loves us.
Finally, John’s readers are assured of God’s love because He hears them. “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us--whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of Him” (5:14,15).
As long as we belong to Him, and as long as our requests are on His menu, answered prayer builds our confidence: God “thinks we are real.”
Monday, October 12, 2015
Security assured ................ Parables 338
October 6, 1992
“When I was a young boy, my dad gave me a silver dollar. He told me to keep it because if I did, I would never be broke.”
Smart dad. While the value of a dollar has diminished, the fact of having something in one’s pocket during tough times is comforting. There is a story about an orphanage where each child was given a crust of bread at night. None of them ate the crust though. Instead, it went under their pillow where it gave them a sense of security against hunger for the next day.
These small things illustrates how God’s present blessings are tokens of assurance for the future. His spiritual versions of “a silver dollar” ensure we will never be spiritual impoverished. His spiritual “crusts of bread” are deposits to give us assurance about a great coming feast we will share with Him someday in heaven.
While not every promise in the Bible is guaranteed in the life of every believer all the time, here are some universal “tokens” in the Christian experience.
PEACE WITH GOD: Jesus Christ secured our forgiveness to the extent that those who believe in Him for eternal life are “no longer condemned.” While this is a reality that is not visible, it is made real by faith since faith is “the evidence of things not seen.” This peace is a token of what one aspect of eternity will be like — a great and deep peace with our Creator and Judge.
PRESENCE OF GOD: God does not promise that life here will be always rosy and trouble-free, but He does promise to be with those who truth Christ. Even though we sometimes fail to sense His presence, our feelings do not change the reality. When we do sense Him near, we often yearn for the fullness of seeing Him someday face to face. This is a wonderful token of a future blessing.
INDWELLING OF HIS SPIRIT: The presence of God is related to the Third Person in the Godhead, the Holy Spirit who lives within Christians. He enables us to “partake in His divine nature” so we have all that is needed to believe and obey Him. This is so important that the Bible says, “Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His” (Romans 8:9).
In Ephesians, the Holy Spirit is also called “the guarantee of our inheritance” until the redemption of our bodies. He has saved us and given us Himself as a “deposit” or down payment which is assurance that the full transaction will be made later on. In the meantime, we are able to enjoy the ministry of the Spirit as He teaches, comforts, assures, enables, and equips us to serve God.
ACCESS TO THE THRONE OF GOD: Jesus, as the High Priest who intercedes for us, also opens our access to God. Sinful creatures cannot approach the Holy One but His blood covers our sin and we can “therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). While God has the wisdom and prerogative to deny our selfish and foolish requests, He still hears what we say and considers our needs. He knows whether we need money, more food, a new job, a friend, to get married, to stay single, or good weather. Every thing that we pray about is heard, evaluated, and answered according to His will and His wisdom — because He loves us and is attentive to us.
EVERLASTING LOVE: No one is able to consistently meet the love-needs of another person, no one except God. His love is unconditional and eternal. He has demonstrated it in sending Christ to die for us.
Paul exclaims, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” These are the tokens — imagine the yet-to-come heavenly inheritance!
“When I was a young boy, my dad gave me a silver dollar. He told me to keep it because if I did, I would never be broke.”
Smart dad. While the value of a dollar has diminished, the fact of having something in one’s pocket during tough times is comforting. There is a story about an orphanage where each child was given a crust of bread at night. None of them ate the crust though. Instead, it went under their pillow where it gave them a sense of security against hunger for the next day.
These small things illustrates how God’s present blessings are tokens of assurance for the future. His spiritual versions of “a silver dollar” ensure we will never be spiritual impoverished. His spiritual “crusts of bread” are deposits to give us assurance about a great coming feast we will share with Him someday in heaven.
While not every promise in the Bible is guaranteed in the life of every believer all the time, here are some universal “tokens” in the Christian experience.
PEACE WITH GOD: Jesus Christ secured our forgiveness to the extent that those who believe in Him for eternal life are “no longer condemned.” While this is a reality that is not visible, it is made real by faith since faith is “the evidence of things not seen.” This peace is a token of what one aspect of eternity will be like — a great and deep peace with our Creator and Judge.
PRESENCE OF GOD: God does not promise that life here will be always rosy and trouble-free, but He does promise to be with those who truth Christ. Even though we sometimes fail to sense His presence, our feelings do not change the reality. When we do sense Him near, we often yearn for the fullness of seeing Him someday face to face. This is a wonderful token of a future blessing.
INDWELLING OF HIS SPIRIT: The presence of God is related to the Third Person in the Godhead, the Holy Spirit who lives within Christians. He enables us to “partake in His divine nature” so we have all that is needed to believe and obey Him. This is so important that the Bible says, “Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His” (Romans 8:9).
In Ephesians, the Holy Spirit is also called “the guarantee of our inheritance” until the redemption of our bodies. He has saved us and given us Himself as a “deposit” or down payment which is assurance that the full transaction will be made later on. In the meantime, we are able to enjoy the ministry of the Spirit as He teaches, comforts, assures, enables, and equips us to serve God.
ACCESS TO THE THRONE OF GOD: Jesus, as the High Priest who intercedes for us, also opens our access to God. Sinful creatures cannot approach the Holy One but His blood covers our sin and we can “therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). While God has the wisdom and prerogative to deny our selfish and foolish requests, He still hears what we say and considers our needs. He knows whether we need money, more food, a new job, a friend, to get married, to stay single, or good weather. Every thing that we pray about is heard, evaluated, and answered according to His will and His wisdom — because He loves us and is attentive to us.
EVERLASTING LOVE: No one is able to consistently meet the love-needs of another person, no one except God. His love is unconditional and eternal. He has demonstrated it in sending Christ to die for us.
Paul exclaims, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” These are the tokens — imagine the yet-to-come heavenly inheritance!
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
The Worst Fear .............. Parables 252
(January 30, 1991)
“Our worst fears came true Wednesday...” began the news story.
The outbreak of war in the Middle East seems to be the “worst fear” of at least one journalist and perhaps many other people. Wars are continually being fought, why is this one war causing the “worst fear”?
Part of the reason for such fear is the attitude of Saddam Hussein. He apparently has no concern for human life, not even that of his own people never mind those who have combined forces to put him out of Kuwait. He has been compared to Hitler and himself says he will fight to the death.
Others are afraid because the war involves the superpowers. If Canada and the United States are fighting, are we not open to retaliation from fringe groups and Iraqi terrorists? Are airports, department stores, even the streets safe for us? War has not just invaded our living rooms via television, some fear that it will suddenly come into our back yards.
And what about the weaponry? The United States has clearly demonstrated the incredible power of their high tech equipment. Bombs have not only been accurately dropped, but cunningly directed through the doors of buildings to explode inside. The Iraqi missiles also put terror into hearts, at least the hearts of many Israelis. During one raid, some even died from heart attacks, not actual injuries.
Some are afraid because the war could be extended over a long time and distance, involving more soldiers and unimaginable casualties. No longer is it a movie that involves actors and ketchup but real people with families that love them and don’t want to lose them. Along with that is a fear that our own loved ones are at direct risk. Many have family members in the services, perhaps even at the front. Some fear conscription is a possibility. Who would want their young sons to be drafted and sent into battle?
Those fears are heightened because most of our generation has not seen war, at least directly. The conflicts in Korea, Viet Nam, even Iran/Iraq were far-away because WE were not involved. Now we are. We don’t know how to think about war, so fear governs.
Perhaps another reason this war is feared as the “worst” fear relates to Biblical prophecy. Even many who never read the Bible are aware of a final battle where nations gather together against the people of Israel. Then the Lord God intervenes in judgment, bringing the world to a horrible end and establishing a new heavens and a new earth. The place of this battle will be a valley called Armageddon, about 60 kilometers northeast of Tel Aviv.
Some determine not to fear Armageddon, dismissing it as myth. Christians wonder. Is the stage being set? Are these the last days of this age before our Lord will return? If so, should we be afraid?
The Bible says many things about war and about a final war, but none of them give my heart the assurance that comes from passages that speak of the power of God. The enemies may be great, the weapons may be awesome, but none compare to the power of God. Psalms 46:8,9 say: “Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations He has made in the earth. He makes wars to cease unto the end of the earth; He breaks the bow, and cuts the spear in sunder; He burns the chariot in the fire.”
Iraq and allies alike are no match for God. The kings of the earth may set themselves against Him but Psalm 2 says He laughs at them. He is the one that controls the destiny of the nations, not the one with the most guns and the biggest or most accurate bombs.
While today’s Israelites are wondering if the prophecies in Jeremiah 50 and 51 are what God has planned for modern Iraq (historic Babylon), God’s first concern is to give all men and women inner peace, the kind that endures threats and shelling alike. Psalms 46:10 invites each one of us to “Be still, and know that I am God.” Anyone who has that knowledge through faith in Jesus Christ, can be confident amid fear, for in His time, He “will be exalted among the heathen, He will be exalted in the earth.”
“Our worst fears came true Wednesday...” began the news story.
The outbreak of war in the Middle East seems to be the “worst fear” of at least one journalist and perhaps many other people. Wars are continually being fought, why is this one war causing the “worst fear”?
Part of the reason for such fear is the attitude of Saddam Hussein. He apparently has no concern for human life, not even that of his own people never mind those who have combined forces to put him out of Kuwait. He has been compared to Hitler and himself says he will fight to the death.
Others are afraid because the war involves the superpowers. If Canada and the United States are fighting, are we not open to retaliation from fringe groups and Iraqi terrorists? Are airports, department stores, even the streets safe for us? War has not just invaded our living rooms via television, some fear that it will suddenly come into our back yards.
And what about the weaponry? The United States has clearly demonstrated the incredible power of their high tech equipment. Bombs have not only been accurately dropped, but cunningly directed through the doors of buildings to explode inside. The Iraqi missiles also put terror into hearts, at least the hearts of many Israelis. During one raid, some even died from heart attacks, not actual injuries.
Some are afraid because the war could be extended over a long time and distance, involving more soldiers and unimaginable casualties. No longer is it a movie that involves actors and ketchup but real people with families that love them and don’t want to lose them. Along with that is a fear that our own loved ones are at direct risk. Many have family members in the services, perhaps even at the front. Some fear conscription is a possibility. Who would want their young sons to be drafted and sent into battle?
Those fears are heightened because most of our generation has not seen war, at least directly. The conflicts in Korea, Viet Nam, even Iran/Iraq were far-away because WE were not involved. Now we are. We don’t know how to think about war, so fear governs.
Perhaps another reason this war is feared as the “worst” fear relates to Biblical prophecy. Even many who never read the Bible are aware of a final battle where nations gather together against the people of Israel. Then the Lord God intervenes in judgment, bringing the world to a horrible end and establishing a new heavens and a new earth. The place of this battle will be a valley called Armageddon, about 60 kilometers northeast of Tel Aviv.
Some determine not to fear Armageddon, dismissing it as myth. Christians wonder. Is the stage being set? Are these the last days of this age before our Lord will return? If so, should we be afraid?
The Bible says many things about war and about a final war, but none of them give my heart the assurance that comes from passages that speak of the power of God. The enemies may be great, the weapons may be awesome, but none compare to the power of God. Psalms 46:8,9 say: “Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations He has made in the earth. He makes wars to cease unto the end of the earth; He breaks the bow, and cuts the spear in sunder; He burns the chariot in the fire.”
Iraq and allies alike are no match for God. The kings of the earth may set themselves against Him but Psalm 2 says He laughs at them. He is the one that controls the destiny of the nations, not the one with the most guns and the biggest or most accurate bombs.
While today’s Israelites are wondering if the prophecies in Jeremiah 50 and 51 are what God has planned for modern Iraq (historic Babylon), God’s first concern is to give all men and women inner peace, the kind that endures threats and shelling alike. Psalms 46:10 invites each one of us to “Be still, and know that I am God.” Anyone who has that knowledge through faith in Jesus Christ, can be confident amid fear, for in His time, He “will be exalted among the heathen, He will be exalted in the earth.”
Monday, February 24, 2014
Predictions ............................ Parables 084
“Top Ten Predictions for 1988"
It won’t be long before headlines like that march across magazine stands and through the racks beside grocery store checkouts. The current stable of soothsayers will be telling the readers their predictions for the coming year and those readers will hang on to every word. Some will maybe even plan their lives around such prophesies for 1988.
I suppose someone goes back to check the track-record of those who filled the same pages the year before. They would need to if they honestly wanted to publish the “top ten”, but I wonder about their evaluation system, if there is one. Would it stack up with the one God used for Old Testament prophets? Or would they even dare try God’s method for determining the “top ten” prophets for 1988?
Out of Deuteronomy 18:20-22 comes this: “You may say to yourselves, ‘How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?’”... and the response: “If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.”
That doesn’t seem too difficult a test. Everyone makes mistakes. One might think that to proclaim something in the name of the LORD or just in your own name and then have it fall through would not be a big deal... but here is the kicker: “... A prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death.”
That is not your average test. If the prophecy came true, the one who made it was allowed to live. If not, he was stoned to death. Pretty drastic isn’t it? That is why the prophetic books of the Old Testament have such impact. They were written by God’s top men, men who were 100% accurate. They only wrote what God actually did tell them to write.
God has His reasons for insisting on such accuracy. To say something is a message from God will grab a listener’s attention. His Words are not to be taken lightly. What He says is true, accurate, and reliable. When a false prophet claims “God told me...”, thousands of undiscerning people cannot tell the difference between those lies and God’s truth. Worse yet, most of them are as unconcerned about being led astray as the people who write and publish such nonsense are about doing it. It happened in the days of Isaiah and Jeremiah and it still happens today.
When I see those magazines, and anything else that is a perversion of genuine prophesy, I am angry and grieved. God has recorded events that are yet to come and these can be trusted as certainties, but He also can be trusted even when we don’t know the future. We are not to put our faith in the words of some self-proclaimed experts. God said to Jeremiah, “The prophets prophesy lies... and my people love it this way... But what will you do in the end?”
What indeed will anyone do? Christians sometimes think that because we are a minority, we are helpless, forgetting that God plus one equals a majority. Instead we often ignore the perversions, retreat into our spired buildings, and hope for the some judgmental fire from heaven.
What a sad commentary on the value systems of the people of God when the greatest measure of integrity we can muster is to look the other way rather than do something positive to counter false prophesies with truth and the good news of the gospel. Jesus Christ, the greatest prophet of all, didn’t come to give us a detailed list of what will happen in 1988 or any other year, but He did come to give us is hope for eternity. We may not know what tomorrow will bring but we ought to know what will happen to us after we die and then tell others so they can have the same assurance.
Personally, I know enough about the future to make me realize how important it is to concentrate on the right now. God has given me plenty to think about, plenty to talk about, and plenty to do - TODAY.
It won’t be long before headlines like that march across magazine stands and through the racks beside grocery store checkouts. The current stable of soothsayers will be telling the readers their predictions for the coming year and those readers will hang on to every word. Some will maybe even plan their lives around such prophesies for 1988.
I suppose someone goes back to check the track-record of those who filled the same pages the year before. They would need to if they honestly wanted to publish the “top ten”, but I wonder about their evaluation system, if there is one. Would it stack up with the one God used for Old Testament prophets? Or would they even dare try God’s method for determining the “top ten” prophets for 1988?
Out of Deuteronomy 18:20-22 comes this: “You may say to yourselves, ‘How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?’”... and the response: “If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.”
That doesn’t seem too difficult a test. Everyone makes mistakes. One might think that to proclaim something in the name of the LORD or just in your own name and then have it fall through would not be a big deal... but here is the kicker: “... A prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death.”
That is not your average test. If the prophecy came true, the one who made it was allowed to live. If not, he was stoned to death. Pretty drastic isn’t it? That is why the prophetic books of the Old Testament have such impact. They were written by God’s top men, men who were 100% accurate. They only wrote what God actually did tell them to write.
God has His reasons for insisting on such accuracy. To say something is a message from God will grab a listener’s attention. His Words are not to be taken lightly. What He says is true, accurate, and reliable. When a false prophet claims “God told me...”, thousands of undiscerning people cannot tell the difference between those lies and God’s truth. Worse yet, most of them are as unconcerned about being led astray as the people who write and publish such nonsense are about doing it. It happened in the days of Isaiah and Jeremiah and it still happens today.
When I see those magazines, and anything else that is a perversion of genuine prophesy, I am angry and grieved. God has recorded events that are yet to come and these can be trusted as certainties, but He also can be trusted even when we don’t know the future. We are not to put our faith in the words of some self-proclaimed experts. God said to Jeremiah, “The prophets prophesy lies... and my people love it this way... But what will you do in the end?”
What indeed will anyone do? Christians sometimes think that because we are a minority, we are helpless, forgetting that God plus one equals a majority. Instead we often ignore the perversions, retreat into our spired buildings, and hope for the some judgmental fire from heaven.
What a sad commentary on the value systems of the people of God when the greatest measure of integrity we can muster is to look the other way rather than do something positive to counter false prophesies with truth and the good news of the gospel. Jesus Christ, the greatest prophet of all, didn’t come to give us a detailed list of what will happen in 1988 or any other year, but He did come to give us is hope for eternity. We may not know what tomorrow will bring but we ought to know what will happen to us after we die and then tell others so they can have the same assurance.
Personally, I know enough about the future to make me realize how important it is to concentrate on the right now. God has given me plenty to think about, plenty to talk about, and plenty to do - TODAY.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Russian roulette ................... Parables 070
Russian roulette is a deadly little game once popular in the movies. Players took turns putting a gun to their head and pulling the trigger, gambling that the chamber with the solitary bullet would not have their name on it.
A couple of modern Russian roulette players came to my attention this week. One was a driver who ran the warning ropes, red flags, and stop signs on highway 15 at the detour crossing. Fortunately for him, his number did not come up.
A friend told us of another one, a man made aware of the gospel and who knew that he would be separated from God for eternity if he did not confess his sins and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of his life. But he wanted to “do his own thing” for awhile, so he memorized the sinner’s prayer and practiced saying it with speed. He thought that if he was ever in an accident he would be prepared to quickly get right with the Lord.
One day, he was in a car that was suddenly struck by lightning. Hair standing on end, frightened, yet relatively unhurt, he realized that death does not always give anyone time to get their relationship with God in order. He changed his mind about, quit trying to play games with the Lord and prayed that prayer.
King Saul of Israel played a similar game. He knew what God wanted but made one excuse after another to do his own thing. Finally Samuel, God’s prophet, said to him, “... You have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you as king over Israel” (1 Samuel 15:26). Saul lost.
Jesus told of another roulette player, a rich man who played the game by hoarding his wealth, and deciding to “eat drink and be merry.” God told him, “You fool...this very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” (Luke 12:20). He lost the game too.
James, in the New Testament book he authored, warns about being a boasting roulette player. That is one who makes great plans for his future with no concern for the Lord’s will. He says, “Why you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14).
The survival rate for running through stop signs is probably higher than it is for being hit by a bolt of lightning; however, no one survives playing Russian roulette with their soul. Proverbs 29:1 says, “A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed -- without remedy.”
If a person listens to God and is prepared for whatever may happen, they are already a winner and disqualified from even playing the game. If they are not prepared - there is no greater loss.
A couple of modern Russian roulette players came to my attention this week. One was a driver who ran the warning ropes, red flags, and stop signs on highway 15 at the detour crossing. Fortunately for him, his number did not come up.
A friend told us of another one, a man made aware of the gospel and who knew that he would be separated from God for eternity if he did not confess his sins and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of his life. But he wanted to “do his own thing” for awhile, so he memorized the sinner’s prayer and practiced saying it with speed. He thought that if he was ever in an accident he would be prepared to quickly get right with the Lord.
One day, he was in a car that was suddenly struck by lightning. Hair standing on end, frightened, yet relatively unhurt, he realized that death does not always give anyone time to get their relationship with God in order. He changed his mind about, quit trying to play games with the Lord and prayed that prayer.
King Saul of Israel played a similar game. He knew what God wanted but made one excuse after another to do his own thing. Finally Samuel, God’s prophet, said to him, “... You have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you as king over Israel” (1 Samuel 15:26). Saul lost.
Jesus told of another roulette player, a rich man who played the game by hoarding his wealth, and deciding to “eat drink and be merry.” God told him, “You fool...this very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” (Luke 12:20). He lost the game too.
James, in the New Testament book he authored, warns about being a boasting roulette player. That is one who makes great plans for his future with no concern for the Lord’s will. He says, “Why you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14).
The survival rate for running through stop signs is probably higher than it is for being hit by a bolt of lightning; however, no one survives playing Russian roulette with their soul. Proverbs 29:1 says, “A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed -- without remedy.”
If a person listens to God and is prepared for whatever may happen, they are already a winner and disqualified from even playing the game. If they are not prepared - there is no greater loss.
Monday, August 5, 2013
No Need to "What if?" .................. Parables 007
Another school was closed this afternoon due to a bomb threat.
News headlines tell of schools attacked by snipers, burned down by pranksters, bullet-sprayed by crazies, taught by sexually perverted people, marched on by mad minorities, and crashed into by airplanes.
Who said, “Enjoy school -- it is the best time of your life”?
Moms and dads reading these things are beginning to “what-if?” Some have pulled their children out of school and retreated underground, to spend the rest of their lives “protected” from society in a bomb shelter. Others worry themselves gray. Still others try to shut it out, knowing they have little control.
One of these unusual events touched my life this week. As my son told me about it, this thought ran through my mind, “But we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are the called according to His purpose.”
I wondered, for a brief moment, why that verse from Romans 8 should fit this situation. But later on I realized how practical it was. The “news of the day” had not flustered me in the slightest. That truth protected me from the “what-if’s.”
I send my son to school about 200 days out of a year, and run the risk of a multitude of things that could happen to him. Yet over and over again, this promise from God sets my mind at rest. I know that it applies to me, for I love God and have been called by Him according to His purpose. But it also applies to my son. He loves God also, and has responded to His call. And, according to the Word of God, nothing is going to happen to him that God cannot use in his life, for God’s own good purpose. The very next verse (verse 29) reveals that His purpose is to transform those He calls into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ.
Frankly, I haven’t a clue how God controls the events of life, from the ordinary to the extraordinary, and uses them to mold a person into a different person’s image. I do know that he starts from within, and gives the gift of his Son to each of us who have responded to His call. His Son lives within. Then somehow, He takes the outside and reworks it to match the inside. That makes all of life a school -- a school where every situation is a lesson or an exam, and the only way to fail is to refuse to be molded.
We will send our son back to school, confident of Who is in charge of his life, and joyfully see both kinds of school shaping him to mental and spiritual maturity. And we don’t have to “what-if.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)