I was thinking about our calling to make the truth of the Gospel known to this generation. I was reading about Ezekiel's and Jeremiah's call to prophetic ministry in particular. Both men lived during very distressful times in Israel's history and God's calling upon them no doubt was an overwhelming sense of inadequacy and intimidation.
Jeremiah lived when his nation was determined to do wrong, worship false deities and refuse the words and instruction from their God. It was so bad that Jeremiah was told by God not even to pray for them, God refused to hear. How dreadful that must have been to Jeremiah. Ezekiel lived and served after the exile had taken place, or at least had begun, and spoke to his people as he and they were captive in a cruel and foreign land. As we read through those books we can hear the hearts of the two men breaking because of the sins of their nation, and the resultant judgment they had to suffer. The nation was steeped in false religion, moral corruption, dishonesty, greed, oppression, injustices, slanders, not a very pleasant condition.
Yet, God calls these men to be separate. He set them apart for the mission He had for them, and in spite of the animosity and resistance to their message, they obeyed God and spoke His word to a generation who really did not want to hear it. The source of their courage? God promised to be with them.
The call to make God's word known was binding upon these men, but it is just as binding on us today. All believers are called to God, and sent to man. Our culture is in pretty bad shape today. We are steeped in the same types of sin the two prophets had to face, perhaps more, but like God promised them, so He promises us--He will be with us.
Jesus sends us out in the great commission, and likewise promises to be with us until the end of the age. We need not fear the intimidation of others, or the backlash of culture when we speak or stand for truth. God is with us. He knows very well the condition of our society and the pressures of living as a follower of Jesus in such a context, but He is with us. His strength, boldness, love, consistency convictions are all at our disposal as we walk contrary to the winds blowing through our nation. And although we don't face the persecution that many Christians do worldwide, our hearts still grieve at the sin and peoples outright refusal to turn from it. We grieve because God is with us. Our grieving is tied to His grieving at the corruption of our nation and the world at large.
The only option is to go forward, faithfully carrying out the will of God day by day, making His word known in our own small ways. His calling remains, it will not fail to carry us through in all obedience and victory. His calling is with us because He is with us. Be faithful, be strong, be diligent, be assured. He is with us!
Thursday, August 31, 2017
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
Solar Fide
Earlier this week of course was the total eclipse of the sun. It was a marvelous event that was met by almost everyone who saw it with expressions of wonder and a sense of awe. It reminded us that we are one part, and a very small part, of the great system that is the universe. One reporter on the weather channel was so moved that she wept and struggled to keep her composure as she was on air broadcasting. That's totally understandable, given the rarity and the beauty of what she was able to be a part of that day.
Yet for all the expressions of wonder and spectacle I for one, in the broadcasts I watched and accounts I read, did not hear one mention of God. As I watched, the whole event was a testimony to the invisible, sovereign hand of the Almighty. I was reminded of several Bible passages, not least of which is Psalm 8:3-4. It reads, " When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have ordained; what is man that you take thought of him; and the son of man that you care for him? " It was somewhat disheartening to realize that no matter what religious background of the reporters may have been, not one mentioned or made any reference to God throughout the event. It made me realize that our culture has regressed greatly, in that we can not or perhaps will not acknowledge the God who created this universe, and sustains it all by the power of His word. As I watched the thoughts came again of God's love, mercy and blessing. I remembered that He sustains all life, at every level for His good purpose. It reminded me of the great systems by which God governs and maintains His universe. More than that, He is guiding His universe to a glorious conclusion some day at the return of His Son Jesus Christ.
We are a small part in God's awesome universe, but not at all an insignificant one.We are created in God's image. We are created to experience the glory of His eternal presence and love, through faith in His Son Jesus. We are given the understanding that one day all this universe and creation will be recreated. There will be a new heaven and Earth, that will be free from sin, sorrow, pain, hurts and all wrongs. For me, the eclipse reminded me that God is in control of HIS universe, and for all the sorrow and turmoil we experience in our brief time upon this Earth, the day will come when the immutable laws of Gods creative power will manifest the perfections and infinite beauty of Gods person. Perhaps the reporters during the eclipse don't acknowledge God, perhaps some do but were not allowed to mention their faith on the air. For them I'm sure it was hard not to! In either case Gods glory, His power and in some ways His purpose for our human race was displayed in the eclipse for all to see. Some things are so plain that they simply don't need acknowledgement.
Earlier this week of course was the total eclipse of the sun. It was a marvelous event that was met by almost everyone who saw it with expressions of wonder and a sense of awe. It reminded us that we are one part, and a very small part, of the great system that is the universe. One reporter on the weather channel was so moved that she wept and struggled to keep her composure as she was on air broadcasting. That's totally understandable, given the rarity and the beauty of what she was able to be a part of that day.
Yet for all the expressions of wonder and spectacle I for one, in the broadcasts I watched and accounts I read, did not hear one mention of God. As I watched, the whole event was a testimony to the invisible, sovereign hand of the Almighty. I was reminded of several Bible passages, not least of which is Psalm 8:3-4. It reads, " When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have ordained; what is man that you take thought of him; and the son of man that you care for him? " It was somewhat disheartening to realize that no matter what religious background of the reporters may have been, not one mentioned or made any reference to God throughout the event. It made me realize that our culture has regressed greatly, in that we can not or perhaps will not acknowledge the God who created this universe, and sustains it all by the power of His word. As I watched the thoughts came again of God's love, mercy and blessing. I remembered that He sustains all life, at every level for His good purpose. It reminded me of the great systems by which God governs and maintains His universe. More than that, He is guiding His universe to a glorious conclusion some day at the return of His Son Jesus Christ.
We are a small part in God's awesome universe, but not at all an insignificant one.We are created in God's image. We are created to experience the glory of His eternal presence and love, through faith in His Son Jesus. We are given the understanding that one day all this universe and creation will be recreated. There will be a new heaven and Earth, that will be free from sin, sorrow, pain, hurts and all wrongs. For me, the eclipse reminded me that God is in control of HIS universe, and for all the sorrow and turmoil we experience in our brief time upon this Earth, the day will come when the immutable laws of Gods creative power will manifest the perfections and infinite beauty of Gods person. Perhaps the reporters during the eclipse don't acknowledge God, perhaps some do but were not allowed to mention their faith on the air. For them I'm sure it was hard not to! In either case Gods glory, His power and in some ways His purpose for our human race was displayed in the eclipse for all to see. Some things are so plain that they simply don't need acknowledgement.
Wednesday, August 16, 2017
God Bless America For Real
As I watch the news each day like many of us, I am very concerned for the future of our nation. We are more fragmented as a people than ever before, and the hostility in the political and public arena is more vicious than most can remember. Although I am thankful for those who are in positions of leadership in our nation and for the work they are trying to get done, I realize more than ever that their efforts are limited and that the changes we need to see are not to be generated by politicians or from any system of government. The need we have that is fundamental to any progress we may make is to be met by a spiritual awakening that comes from the Holy Spirit of God falling upon the church of Jesus Christ.
A large part of why we're so fragmented today is because we have discarded that which used to hold us together, that which made us "one nation under God" and "indivisible" and that was a view of the world that arose out of the Christian faith. We believed the Bible, recognized absolute truth and honored the precepts and principles of Gods word, trying to govern ourselves accordingly. Of course, we were far from perfect, but this created a culture that was distinctly christian because our values were derived from the christian faith. Therefore being an American was to buy into a unique philosophy and worldview and vowing to live in that context. But now that we have discarded that unifying glue the result is that we are like the book of Judges where "..everyone did what was right in his own eyes." The result is the fragmenting of a nation because we have nothing that tells us definitely who we are or what we stand for or where we came from.
We must recover our foundational identity and that can only happen in the way in which we discovered it, by the outpouring of God's Spirit in a religious, Spiritual awakening.
This puts a great opportunity for the follower of Jesus Christ in this confused age. We are called in Hebrews to hold fast our confession of hope without wavering or giving in to the pressures and struggles of the current situation. We can live in such a way that we can stimulate one another to do what is right and proper, as it is defined in the Scriptures. And most importantly, we can be determined to assemble ourselves in our house of worship. For it is there that we hear the words of God preached and taught. There we seek Him together and He hears our collective prayers and there is where we most effectively bear each others burdens. It is also from the worship setting as one body of believers that God will pour out the Spiritual revival that we need so desperately within His church and from there out into the public squares and into our entire country. May God help us to pray, to feel the grief of His Holy Spirit over our straying from Him. May God help our leaders to repent of their sins and misguided views, and may God remember His church and restore us to salt and light, to be the city on the hill we are called to be. In other words may God bless America.
A large part of why we're so fragmented today is because we have discarded that which used to hold us together, that which made us "one nation under God" and "indivisible" and that was a view of the world that arose out of the Christian faith. We believed the Bible, recognized absolute truth and honored the precepts and principles of Gods word, trying to govern ourselves accordingly. Of course, we were far from perfect, but this created a culture that was distinctly christian because our values were derived from the christian faith. Therefore being an American was to buy into a unique philosophy and worldview and vowing to live in that context. But now that we have discarded that unifying glue the result is that we are like the book of Judges where "..everyone did what was right in his own eyes." The result is the fragmenting of a nation because we have nothing that tells us definitely who we are or what we stand for or where we came from.
We must recover our foundational identity and that can only happen in the way in which we discovered it, by the outpouring of God's Spirit in a religious, Spiritual awakening.
This puts a great opportunity for the follower of Jesus Christ in this confused age. We are called in Hebrews to hold fast our confession of hope without wavering or giving in to the pressures and struggles of the current situation. We can live in such a way that we can stimulate one another to do what is right and proper, as it is defined in the Scriptures. And most importantly, we can be determined to assemble ourselves in our house of worship. For it is there that we hear the words of God preached and taught. There we seek Him together and He hears our collective prayers and there is where we most effectively bear each others burdens. It is also from the worship setting as one body of believers that God will pour out the Spiritual revival that we need so desperately within His church and from there out into the public squares and into our entire country. May God help us to pray, to feel the grief of His Holy Spirit over our straying from Him. May God help our leaders to repent of their sins and misguided views, and may God remember His church and restore us to salt and light, to be the city on the hill we are called to be. In other words may God bless America.
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