So - You Don't Believe We're On The Eve Of Destruction? - Maranatha!

I wrote this originally in 2018 - with all that is going on in the Middle East I thought it might be good to publish it again. And no - I don't think our generation is facing the Tribulation. 

"Make your ambition to a lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, so you will behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need" - 1 Thessalonians 4:11

"So far as it depends upon you, be at peace with all men." - Romans 12:18

Every day I see so much strife in people's lives - people living in the power of their flesh and in their struggle for self-preservation.  They live in constant fear, and rather than loving God and loving others, their love for themselves dominates them and everything they do or aspire to do.  If people don't meet their expectations or don't dance to their tune, they are considered to be the enemy.  They seek consolation and relief from their fears and insecurities by accommodating their flesh and what it desires.  Turning to things that promise peace and consolation, but, in the end, only bring pain and destruction.

Our culture seems to be imploding.  Consuming itself.  Looking for answers to the problems that dominate us, but unwilling to acknowledge the true source of those problems.  We criticize aberrant - wrong - hurtful behavior and encourage it at the same time. We condemn men for making sexual advances to women and exploit women in the media and add sexual connotation even in television commercials about everyday products.  We wonder why there is a problem with violence in our country and the majority of the most popular television shows and movies are dominated with stark violence and death.  As I watch this going on I feel helpless to change it.  But that is because the source of the problem spiritual .. and most often misdiagnosed as a natural - relational problem. And being a spiritual problem, it can only be solved with a spiritual solution.  My wanting my children's behavior, for example,  to be different will not make it so!  Only God can do that - He is in the "business" of changing hearts.  And their hearts can be changed, but only if they will submit to His call and yield their lives in faith to the Lord.

 “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” - 1 Corinthians 1:18

The solution is so simple, but the truth is, the majority of the world will reject the Truth. 

“They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator .. " - Romans 1:25

 I am not making this up.  God has revealed the Truth to us through the Word of God, by His Spirit and through His Son and His sacrifice.  The world, our culture, rejects the idea that the problem has spiritual roots and a spiritual solution.  

 “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.”  - 1 Corinthians 2:14

What a dilemma.  What to do? The answer is simple.  Don’t expect the world to get better … it is running pell-mell into darkness … headed for destruction …

There was a song written in the mid-60’s, a protest song, but I think it was prophetic.  It was written by PF Sloan, during the Vietnam war, and sung by Barry McGuire who later became a Christian. It speaks to the calamity that rages in this world, but stops short of a solution.  Barry McGuire found the solution … you know the answer too - it's Jesus. My encouragement to you …. Be a light in this dark world … if people seem to be looking for answers .. point them to Jesus .. most will ignore you .. but that is between them and God. Your obligation is to tell the world. The Spirit will do the rest.

Eve of Destruction by PF Sloan. 

The eastern world, it is explodin', Violence flarin', bullets loadin', You're old enough to kill but not for votin',
You don't believe in war, but what's that gun you're totin', And even the Jordan river has bodies floatin',
But you tell me over and over and over again my friend, Ah, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction.
Don't you understand, what I'm trying to say? And can't you feel the fears I'm feeling today?
If the button is pushed, there's no running away,

There'll be no one to save with the world in a grave, Take a look around you, boy, it's bound to scare you, boy,
And you tell me over and over and over again my friend, Ah, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction.

Yeah, my blood's so mad, feels like coagulatin', I'm sittin' here, just contemplatin',
I can't twist the truth, it knows no regulation, Handful of Senators don't pass legislation,
And marches alone can't bring integration, When human respect is disintegratin',
This whole crazy world is just too frustratin', And you tell me over and over and over again my friend,
Ah, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction.

Think of all the hate there is in Red China! Then take a look around to Selma, Alabama!
Ah, you may leave here, for four days in space, But when your return, it's the same old place,
The poundin' of the drums, the pride and disgrace, You can bury your dead, but don't leave a trace,
Hate your next door neighbor, but don't forget to say grace, And you tell me over and over and over and over again my friend,

You don't believe we're on the eve of destruction. No, no, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction!

Jesus is the answer ... always was and always will be!

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Dealing with Doubts

Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him [Peter], “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” - Matthew 14:31

Up front – Some may think that devotions should be short.  A few sentences.  I write what the Lord lays on my heart.  Sometimes, like today, it can be lengthy.  No apologies, just know that is not likely to change.  

Have doubts about your faith? Join the club friend. I was talking with someone the other day.  The matter was concerning what seemed to be the imminent death of a loved one.  He said, “I sure hope that when I die, I find out this (our hope in heaven) is really true.” (Have you ever had that thought?) That statement set me back for a second.  I never thought of him as having any doubts about his faith, but there it was. The stress of the death or grave illness of someone you care about seems to have the effect of removing inhibitions from people.  Those situations reveal things that they typically keep hidden, and you wonder “Where did that come from?” or “I had no idea they felt that way!”  But to the point …

We are on a journey of faith – like in Pilgrim’s Progress.  We are jars of clay, formed from dust.  There is something called the Law of Thermodynamics, actually there are 4 laws, like Newton’s 3 Laws of Motion, except different. “Energy cannot be created or destroyed. In other words, in a closed system, the total amount of energy that can be taken out of the system will be equal to the total amount of energy that was put into the system.” That might be why people think that they can be reincarnated.  If you leave this form, you will “pop-up” in another form.  Zero sum.  Whatever is taken away is put back in.  (Hang with me, I am almost finished with the physics lesson!!!) 

My point is that these “laws” are nothing more than man’s observation of God’s creation.  The truth is that God can do what He wants to do, whenever He wants to do it.  He operates on an eternal clock and we operate on seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years. Hey, we do the best we can.  

Here is the problem. If we try to figure God out on our own, we are doomed to failure.  

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”  - Isaiah 55:8-9

You, with your mortal natural mind, cannot figure God out.  

 “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.” - 1 Corinthians 2:14

You see, in order to not have doubts, you must see the world as God does, and you can only do that by the power of God’s Spirit in you. We are given an account of a young boy being healed by Jesus.  The boy was apparently beyond human help. 

“So He (Jesus) asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You (Jesus) can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” - Mark 9:21-25

All of us have or will or will again face impossible situations. Situations that challenge the promises of God and our faith. Hebrews 11:1 says that Faith is about things hoped for and not seen.  If you want to strengthen your faith you can do two things.  First, Be reminded of when God showed up in impossible circumstances. Second, keep your heart and mind fixed on Jesus.  If you don’t do that you will suffer spiritual atrophy and when that happens you will be plagued by doubt. 

“Trust in the Lord in all your ways and not your own mental capacity.” Proverbs 3:5-6 

In one of the Indiana Jones movies, Indy was confronted by a huge man with a huge sword.  Then Indy remembered that he was carrying a gun, so he shot the man with the sword. Well, in a way, Indy is me and you. Faced with impossible circumstances, we must remember that we are “packing”.  We have the Holy Spirit in us .. the Creator God is on our side .. and He is faithful to His promises. That you can believe!

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

God Is The Wind Beneath My Wings

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. - Philippians 4:13

Many people have turned back because they are afraid to look at things from God’s perspective. The greatest spiritual crisis comes when a person has to move a little farther on in his faith than the beliefs he has already accepted.” - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

When I was in the Army, we would do a lot of physical exercise as a unit.  I can remember with one particular unit in the Aviation Squadron of 3rd Armored Cavalry in El Paso, Texas,  I had a squadron commander that trained us for war.  Not just physically, but mentally.  We had a saying “you fight the way you train”.  Well, in one case he used our physical training to help us with mental toughness.  We were used to running a particular route.  Early in the morning – 5:30 early – we call it O-dark thirty. We knew the land marks for our 3 to 4 mile run.  We knew when we were half way and we knew when we were at the finish. By then, we were ready to hear “Quick time – march”, which means – stop running and walk in civilian vernacular.  Well, one day we got to the “finish line”, but we kept running.  We were always exhausted by the time we got to that point, but he kept running.  You are already thinking I can’t go on, and I am thrilled we are at the finish line – but the squadron commander kept us running right past the point where we could not go on!  We ran for another half mile or so.  What was the lesson?  We can do more than we think we can.  War is very demanding on the body and the mind.  You must be able to go beyond yourself. God will also call you to go beyond yourself ... how will it be possible ... He will be your second wind. And such is our life of faith.  

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”  - 2 Timothy 4:7

 Paul said that in the face of great personal trials. He had gone beyond himself many times, running on faith – Spirit power, and not his own determination and wisdom. 

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.”  - 1 Corinthians 9:24-25

Not falling out of the run requires discipline and faith.  In our runs in the Army, there were always people who would fall out, who could not go on, who lost heart and confidence.  They fell by the wayside.  The same way with our faith.  I am not talking about loss of salvation.  The people I mentioned were still in the Army, they needed more physical training so they could serve in the manner that was expected of them.  And so it is with us as Christians.  There are many who don’t have the faith to keep up with where God wants to take them. They need more training .. more confidence .. more encouragement.

I remember taking a PT test in the Armor Officer Basic Course.  That test is something you must pass.  Well, a friend of mine stopped running during the two mile run.  He had a look of pain and exhaustion on his face.  I stopped too so I could encourage him to finish.  The evaluators called out to me and told me to keep going and leave him behind.  I could not and would not.  He finished .. passed, barely.  But he passed.  So did I, but helping him cost me something. 

“No greater love has one man than this, to lay down his life for his friends”  - John 15:13

I am not bragging, I am making a point.  We are supposed to encourage one another to love and good works. 

 “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”  - Hebrews 10:24-25

Some need more encouragement than others . .who do you know that needs to be encouraged in their faith .. to continue to run and not fall out .. even when they think they can’t go on?  But know this .... helping them will cost you something.  Be willing to pay the price and bring glory to God.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone