The following post is less than a month old but I have been writing so
much that it seems longer since I posted it. The killing of Christians
in Pakistan is old news by now. This was exactly my point! I often hear
these or similar words....."Don't be so concerned. Just trust God." Just
trust God? I tried that in high school.....didn't work.....I found that
you also had to pay attention and study. Friends, this is a hyperbolic
comment. Of course I know that we must trust God! His faithfulness is
the greatest surety that we have!!! I also trust in the verity of these
words to the Apostle John in Revelation..."And to the angel of the
church in Sardis write......I know all your works. You have the
reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen
what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works
complete in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and
heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a
thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you."
No Threat....No Reasoning...No Evidence......3/28/16
If you read the news with any kind of regularity you know about the bombing massacre in Pakistan of over 60 people, most women and children, most Christian. I am long past being dumbfounded that we remain steadfast in just living life as normal while nonchalantly repeating....'God is in control,' as if those words are a talisman to ward off frivolous fears and not a truth to calm justifiable fears? What makes us think that we are immune from the inattentiveness that the rest of the world has to God's judgments?
This is not a time of normal violence. These are not normal days and years. The violence throughout this world and in our own cities today is as if all the powers of hell have gathered for one last battle yet we act as if we are in denial; "No"... we say....."we will not change or even alter our lifestyle....we will not even admit that we may have been asleep." Our shepherds meanwhile are supremely confident that they are taking care of the sheep. They believe that they couldn't possibly have been deceived.
Terrorism has already come to America but each time it does we are concerned for a week or so and then it's back to normal. No threat will awaken us, no reasoning will disturb us, no evidence will convince us that America could actually fall, but our bravado does not impress God nor intimidate our enemies.
God provides pleasant arbors on our pilgrimage "for the refreshing of weary travellers" and America has often been just such an arbor, but we have fallen asleep in one. If only John Bunyan's scriptural words from Pilgrim's Progress would ring out effectively to us as they had for many centuries to others....."Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise."
No Threat....No Reasoning...No Evidence......3/28/16
If you read the news with any kind of regularity you know about the bombing massacre in Pakistan of over 60 people, most women and children, most Christian. I am long past being dumbfounded that we remain steadfast in just living life as normal while nonchalantly repeating....'God is in control,' as if those words are a talisman to ward off frivolous fears and not a truth to calm justifiable fears? What makes us think that we are immune from the inattentiveness that the rest of the world has to God's judgments?
This is not a time of normal violence. These are not normal days and years. The violence throughout this world and in our own cities today is as if all the powers of hell have gathered for one last battle yet we act as if we are in denial; "No"... we say....."we will not change or even alter our lifestyle....we will not even admit that we may have been asleep." Our shepherds meanwhile are supremely confident that they are taking care of the sheep. They believe that they couldn't possibly have been deceived.
Terrorism has already come to America but each time it does we are concerned for a week or so and then it's back to normal. No threat will awaken us, no reasoning will disturb us, no evidence will convince us that America could actually fall, but our bravado does not impress God nor intimidate our enemies.
God provides pleasant arbors on our pilgrimage "for the refreshing of weary travellers" and America has often been just such an arbor, but we have fallen asleep in one. If only John Bunyan's scriptural words from Pilgrim's Progress would ring out effectively to us as they had for many centuries to others....."Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise."
