Without taking sides in our political tempest, let me point out that the dire warnings of the imminent collapse of America are over-wrought presentations of singular points of view, supported by isolated anecdotes which are carefully selected to buttress the opinion of the speaker. I am not naïve and realize that the challenges we face in these United States are real. The choices we make in our elected leadership have consequences, but… panicky declarations of the end of the world as we know it are not at all useful, nor are they true.
Christian, stop spreading tales of fear and repeating the lies of self-serving politicians! We are citizens of the Kingdom of God and He reigns sovereign over the affairs of the world. This truth should make us a people of peace, reasonable, rational, and engaged in prayer that makes us partners in Jesus’ work of salvation for humanity of every generation.
I
know that our 24/7 ‘news’ networks make it possible for a singular opinion to
spread like a virus. Our social media
gives voice to everyone, regardless of truthfulness, education, or accuracy in
their words. Conspiracy theories grow
like weeds. Highly biased pundits see the same event and tell us very different
stories. Yes, it is very hard to discern the ‘truth,’ extremely difficult to sort through the debris
of words to find the diamonds that are facts.
Christians must go deeper and anchor themselves in the surety that Jesus Christ is the same ‘yesterday, today, and tomorrow,’ and that God holds you and me in the palm of His hand and that the salvation promised us cannot be stolen by anyone or anything in all the earth.
By
way of example of human error in conclusions, let me point out a few
realities.
One hundred years ago, the average life expectancy for an American was around age 50; today it is near 80.
When I was a child 60 years ago, there were
hundreds of 'dead' rivers and lakes in America, full of toxic wastes. Today,
there are virtually none
Dr. Paul Erlich, a biologist and author of The Population Bomb, published in 1967, predicted that the world would experience famines sometime between 1970 and 1985 due to population growth outstripping resources. Ehrlich wrote that "the battle to feed all of humanity is over ... In the 1970s and 1980s hundreds of millions of people will starve to death in spite of any crash programs embarked upon now." Ehrlich also stated, "India couldn't possibly feed two hundred million more people by 1980," and "I have yet to meet anyone familiar with the situation who thinks that India will be self-sufficient in food by 1971." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_R._Ehrlich) Forty years later and with a world population that has doubled, the predicted famines are not happening. Is there hunger in the world? Absolutely, but not because of production problems. Hunger exists in some parts of our world primarily because of warfare, poverty, and distribution issues.
My point is not to belittle caution or to say that there are no real problems! There are and it is our responsibility to meet those challenges with innovation. When we do, life goes on but new challenges emerge for each and every generation.
This is a fact! God is greater than our fears and misconceptions! What peace I find in meditation on this doxology from Romans 11.
"Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!
“Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his
counselor?”
“Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?”
For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen." (Romans 11:33-36, NIV)
Our
high calling is to hear the cry of those in peril and respond with compassion,
with a message of hope, and an invitation to restoration to the family of God, through
the grace of Jesus. Jesus did not call us to retreat into our churches and
defensively ‘hold out’ to the End! He told us to "go and make disciples
of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and
the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have
given you.” And He gave us this
assurance - “I am with you always,
even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20, NLT)
Are
you letting the troubles of life fill you with fear?
Are you living defensively, building walls to shut out every threat both real
and imagined?
If so, I would gently suggest that you have missed the major part of His-Story! Go to the Scripture and read again the glorious 8th chapter of Romans! In one brief, breathtaking passage, we are told of God's plan, about our destiny as His children who may know Him as both the “Lord of Glory” and our “Abba” (Dad!). The inspired text tells us to keep faith focused on the one who Lord of Time, of Humanity, Who has conquered even Death itself. Living with that solid foundation, we lose fear and lead with love.
Then the chapter closes with this shout of victory which is our word from the Word. Oh, may the Spirit grant us faith to own these words. "What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? . . . No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:31-32, 37-39, NIV) Can I get an “Amen?”
____________
(Video of this blog at this link)
_________
Lead
on O King Eternal
The
day of march has come
Henceforth
in fields of conquest
Thy
tents shall be our home
Thro'
days of preparation
Thy
grace has made us strong
And
now O King eternal
We
lift our battle song
Lead
on O King Eternal
Till
sin's fierce war shall cease
And
holiness shall whisper
The
sweet Amen of peace
For
not with swords loud clashing
Nor
roll of stirring drums
With
deeds of love and mercy
The
heav'nly kingdom comes
Lead
on O King Eternal
We
follow not with fears
For
gladness breaks like morning
Where'er
Thy face appears
Thy
cross is lifted o'er us
We
journey in its light
The
crown awaits the conquest
Lead
on O God of might
Ernest Warburton Shurtleff | Henry Thomas Smart | Ovid Young
© Words: Public Domain
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