For several months now I have been expecting Israel to launch a pre-emptive strike against Iranian nuclear sites to keep the apocalyptic death-cult followers who run that country from perpetrating a second holocaust – not millions of Jews dying in Nazi death camps over torturous years but millions perishing in an instant from a death-rain of Iranian warheads. A few weeks ago I shared my view as to why it had not yet happened: covert operations over the summer involving a computer worm known as “Stuxtnet” had slowed the Iranian march towards the bomb giving Israel more time before a strike was necessary. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is no shrinking violet when it comes to making tough decisions, but he is waiting till the last possible moment to make this one. And who could blame him! If he takes military action and launches a first strike on Iran, the international reaction and condemnation of Israel will be overwhelming! The whole world will be down their throats and on their backs!
The Bible, in Ezekiel 36:24-38 predicted the re-creation of Israel - God would bring them home from the many lands and nations to which they were exiled for nearly 2000 years. This prophecy was partially fulfilled in 1948, and then completely fulfilled by victories in the ‘67 and ‘72 wars! In the following chapter, (Ez. 37) Ezekiel sees a valley of dry, disconnected bones coming together and coming to life. This is a word picture of these 20th century events! Then, in the very next chapter, Ezekiel predicts that many nations will gather against Israel led by “Persia” …none other than modern-day Iran! (Ezekiel 38:5) Could this next chapter be about ready to unfold?
The world-wide media machine continually spews out anti-Semitic and anti-Israel propaganda. Israel is hounded as an “occupier” and branded as an illegitimate interloper in very the land that God Himself gave to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob by an everlasting covenant over 3,000 years ago. Recently, the Obama administration once again pressured Israel to stop settlements in certain areas of east Jerusalem that were not under Israeli control prior to the 1967 six-day war. Netanyahu’s cabinet is right now discussing a 90-day moratorium on such construction. I was shocked to learn that they might be bowing to such pressure…until I heard what the U.S. was offering in return: 20 new F-35 fighter jets, and perhaps just as powerful, an extended security agreement between the U.S. and Israel which included promises from the U.S. to oppose in the United Nations Security Council any proposed resolutions that may come forward in the near future seeking to de-legitimize the sovereignty of Israel.
So what do we make of this? Should we conclude that the current administration has undergone a change of heart towards Israel? I don’t think so. If that were the case, the U.S. would simply offer the planes and the UN support without any strings. It seems that the Obama administration wants to look like it’s getting “tough” on Israel while at the same time doing some things that the President wouldn’t normally do to help Israel. Why? Of course, I don’t know…but my view is that last week when Netanyahu was in Washington he gave them the strike timetable. On Aug. 22, the Russians, after many years of trumped-up delays, finally delivered on their promise to provide nuclear fuel to Iran. It’s now loaded up into their reactor. On Nov. 3, the top Israeli general in charge of military intelligence reported to the Israeli parliament his evaluation is that Iran can now build at least one bomb and will soon have two. Without some unforeseen miraculous intervention, Mr. Netanyahu will very soon be caught between the devil and the deep blue sea - strike Iran and unleash a firestorm, including perhaps a large scale multi-front conventional war of retaliation, or see his nation obliterated by a nuclear missile. We should all be praying that Netanyahu will be like one of the son’s of Issachar described in the Old Testament – a man who understands the times and knows what Israel should do (1 Chronicles 12:32) – and that every believer in Jesus Christ would understand who we are and what we should be doing: praying for the peace of Jerusalem, living holy and godly lives, looking forward to the day of God and speeding its coming! (2Peter3:12)
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Friday, November 5, 2010
If I Could Turn Back Time…
Go ahead, sing a few bars! I know you want to! I guess I was thinking about that ‘89 Cher standard (kinda weird to mention Cher, 1989, and “standard” in the same sentence, huh!) since last Saturday night we did just that: we turned back time. Of course, the hour we gained moving from daylight savings time back to standard time will be lost again next spring when we turn our clocks forward, but for one fleeting moment anyway, we got to do what many of us often wish we could, we got to turn back time. Unlike Frank Sinatra, whose regrets were “too few to mention,” most of us have plenty of them: missed chances, blown opportunities and words we shouldn’t have said. Many spend their lives playing the “coulda, woulda, shoulda, if-only” game.
What should we do with our regrets? We can’t really “turn back time” in the sense that we can change the past. Is it “water over the dam” or “water under the bridge? I don’t know, but either way, you get the picture, what’s done is done! … Or is it? The answer is….yes!.... and no!
The Apostle Paul was a fellow who had lots of past mistakes: stoning Stephen, persecuting the church, denying Christ, to name a few! In fact Paul calls himself, “the worst of sinners!” But Paul did not let his past sins keep him from Christ’s service. Instead, he loudly proclaims his sinful unworthiness as an example of God’s mighty saving grace! “The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.” (1Tim. 1:14-15) Paul could have let his regrets eat him alive, but instead he sees and receives the grace, mercy and forgiveness of the cross that actually has the power to “turn back time”- making us justified: “just-as-if-I’d never sinned! (Rom 5:1-2) Paul refuses the devil’s condemnation and he exhorts us to not allow the devil to pummel us with our past either! “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death!” (Rom 8:1-2)
The blood of Jesus can, in a spiritual sense, “turn back time” removing all the guilt, shame and punishment which we deserve because of our sin! We must confess our sins to God and repent of them and by faith put our trust in Jesus’ finished work on the cross, and when we do He removes all the negative spiritual consequences of our past sins. However, the earthly consequences remain. Stephen was still dead. (Remember, I said the answer was both yes!... and no!) Sometimes our sins do have painful earthly consequences that God doesn’t remove. He wants us and others to see and remember that when we live according to our own desires, not doing things His way, (i.e. sin,) that those sinful actions bring pain and death. If it didn’t hurt when we touched a hot stove, we’d do it over and over. Pain has a purpose! But regrets…. not so much.
God does not want us to wallow in our past sin, failures or missed opportunities, rather He wants us to “let the dead bury the dead” and follow Him! Paul, puts it this way, “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Why not use this seasonal clock change as a reminder to do more than just exchange the batteries in your smoke detector. Exchange your sinful past for a forgiven future, condemnation for freedom, regrets for motivation. Give Him your sin, guilt, shame and punishment, and receive righteousness, peace and joy!
What should we do with our regrets? We can’t really “turn back time” in the sense that we can change the past. Is it “water over the dam” or “water under the bridge? I don’t know, but either way, you get the picture, what’s done is done! … Or is it? The answer is….yes!.... and no!
The Apostle Paul was a fellow who had lots of past mistakes: stoning Stephen, persecuting the church, denying Christ, to name a few! In fact Paul calls himself, “the worst of sinners!” But Paul did not let his past sins keep him from Christ’s service. Instead, he loudly proclaims his sinful unworthiness as an example of God’s mighty saving grace! “The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.” (1Tim. 1:14-15) Paul could have let his regrets eat him alive, but instead he sees and receives the grace, mercy and forgiveness of the cross that actually has the power to “turn back time”- making us justified: “just-as-if-I’d never sinned! (Rom 5:1-2) Paul refuses the devil’s condemnation and he exhorts us to not allow the devil to pummel us with our past either! “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death!” (Rom 8:1-2)
The blood of Jesus can, in a spiritual sense, “turn back time” removing all the guilt, shame and punishment which we deserve because of our sin! We must confess our sins to God and repent of them and by faith put our trust in Jesus’ finished work on the cross, and when we do He removes all the negative spiritual consequences of our past sins. However, the earthly consequences remain. Stephen was still dead. (Remember, I said the answer was both yes!... and no!) Sometimes our sins do have painful earthly consequences that God doesn’t remove. He wants us and others to see and remember that when we live according to our own desires, not doing things His way, (i.e. sin,) that those sinful actions bring pain and death. If it didn’t hurt when we touched a hot stove, we’d do it over and over. Pain has a purpose! But regrets…. not so much.
God does not want us to wallow in our past sin, failures or missed opportunities, rather He wants us to “let the dead bury the dead” and follow Him! Paul, puts it this way, “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Why not use this seasonal clock change as a reminder to do more than just exchange the batteries in your smoke detector. Exchange your sinful past for a forgiven future, condemnation for freedom, regrets for motivation. Give Him your sin, guilt, shame and punishment, and receive righteousness, peace and joy!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Playing the Waiting Game
“They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength….” You probably recognize these words from Is. 40:31. But what does that mean, “wait upon the Lord?” King James’ translators used the English word “wait” for the Hebrew word “kaw-vah.” Many modern translations render the same word as “trust in” or “hope in.” Kaw-vah literally means “to expectantly look for.” Remember when you were a kid and Grandma was coming to your house? You’d run and look out the window over and over, or go out and swing on the porch swing until you saw her car turn down your street! That’s Kaw-vah – to hopefully wait while expectantly looking. So, Is. 40:31 could easily sound like this: They that… hopefully wait and expectantly look for the Lord to show up in the midst of their present circumstance….will renew their strength!
Right now Des and I are playing the waiting game. We are waiting for our house to sell. (Know of anybody looking for a nice 3 bdr. brick ranch on the lake in Cherrydale?) We are waiting to see what kind of house we will be moving into when we get to our new home in Kansas. We are waiting to see what kind of jobs might be available for Des. We are waiting for answers to questions that right now have no answers. We are waiting. Anybody else hate to wait? Sometimes we do it well, other times….not so much.
I am reminded of Elijah’s weatherman… (Know who he was?) Three years before the great “call-down-fire-from-heaven” confrontation on Mt. Carmel (see 1Kings 18), God had told Elijah to pray that it would not rain as punishment on Israel for their idolatry, and for three years it did not rain. Then after the big show-down where baal was “showed-up,” the people turned their hearts back to God. So Elijah asked God to once again send rain upon the drought-stricken land. As Elijah began to pray he told his “weatherman” servant, “Go look for the rain-cloud.” (1 Kings 18:43) Now that’s kaw-vah! But, even though he was praying according to God’s will, there was absolutely no sign of rain. Again he prayed, and again he sent his servant to expectantly look. Over and over Elijah kept praying and kept anticipating an answer… until on the seventh trip, the servant saw one tiny cloud no bigger than a man’s fist! Hearing the partly cloudy weather report, Elijah told King Ahab, “Better hitch up your chariot and head for the palace because a real toad-strangler is a-brewin!” (I translated the Hebrew on that one myself!) And sure enough, before they got to Jezreel, the cloud became a thunderstorm and the downpour came!
So what’s the point? “Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.”(Luke 18:1) Are you playing the waiting game too? Well, keep praying and don’t give up! Pray and expectantly look for God’s answer! Wait upon the Lord, and He will renew your strength! Remember Elijah’s weatherman!
P.S. for those of you who read between the lines, you probably noticed something between these. After almost 18 wonderful years serving the Lord here in Mechanicsville, Des and I will be finishing the year here at Hanover Friends and then after Christmas, we will be heading back home to Kansas to take a pastorate in a small town near Wichita. I have dearly loved being able to share my “View” with you here in the Local for the past 11 years and pray that you have been blessed! I will have a few more articles in the paper before we have to say our good-byes. But for now, let’s agree to pray for one another, expectantly looking for God’s perfect answer!
Right now Des and I are playing the waiting game. We are waiting for our house to sell. (Know of anybody looking for a nice 3 bdr. brick ranch on the lake in Cherrydale?) We are waiting to see what kind of house we will be moving into when we get to our new home in Kansas. We are waiting to see what kind of jobs might be available for Des. We are waiting for answers to questions that right now have no answers. We are waiting. Anybody else hate to wait? Sometimes we do it well, other times….not so much.
I am reminded of Elijah’s weatherman… (Know who he was?) Three years before the great “call-down-fire-from-heaven” confrontation on Mt. Carmel (see 1Kings 18), God had told Elijah to pray that it would not rain as punishment on Israel for their idolatry, and for three years it did not rain. Then after the big show-down where baal was “showed-up,” the people turned their hearts back to God. So Elijah asked God to once again send rain upon the drought-stricken land. As Elijah began to pray he told his “weatherman” servant, “Go look for the rain-cloud.” (1 Kings 18:43) Now that’s kaw-vah! But, even though he was praying according to God’s will, there was absolutely no sign of rain. Again he prayed, and again he sent his servant to expectantly look. Over and over Elijah kept praying and kept anticipating an answer… until on the seventh trip, the servant saw one tiny cloud no bigger than a man’s fist! Hearing the partly cloudy weather report, Elijah told King Ahab, “Better hitch up your chariot and head for the palace because a real toad-strangler is a-brewin!” (I translated the Hebrew on that one myself!) And sure enough, before they got to Jezreel, the cloud became a thunderstorm and the downpour came!
So what’s the point? “Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.”(Luke 18:1) Are you playing the waiting game too? Well, keep praying and don’t give up! Pray and expectantly look for God’s answer! Wait upon the Lord, and He will renew your strength! Remember Elijah’s weatherman!
P.S. for those of you who read between the lines, you probably noticed something between these. After almost 18 wonderful years serving the Lord here in Mechanicsville, Des and I will be finishing the year here at Hanover Friends and then after Christmas, we will be heading back home to Kansas to take a pastorate in a small town near Wichita. I have dearly loved being able to share my “View” with you here in the Local for the past 11 years and pray that you have been blessed! I will have a few more articles in the paper before we have to say our good-byes. But for now, let’s agree to pray for one another, expectantly looking for God’s perfect answer!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Ahmadinejad at the UN, “Stutxnet” and Esther
In the words of former President Ronald Reagan, “There he goes again!” Last month, Iranian dictator Mahmoud Ahmadinejad appeared at the UN making his annual America-bashing speech to the delegates, and once again, as he has done each and every time he has spoken to the UN, he included a prayer for the appearance of the Mahdi. Most mass media outlets failed to cover this item, but the prayer was there, in fact, it was his opening line! “O Allah, hasten the arrival of Imam al-Mahdi and grant him good health and victory and make us his followers and those who attest to his righteousness.” Those of you who follow my column know that I believe that the Mahdi, whom Muslims believe to be their messiah, will be the world leader whom the Bible refers to as “The Anti-Christ.” Ahmadinejad certainly believes in the soon appearance of the Mahdi and he is doing everything in his power to hasten that arrival, including the building of nuclear weapons and threatening to use them against Israel - plunging the world into chaos to bring forth the Mahdi. Here’s a link to the full transcript of Ahmadinejad’s UN remarks:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/38037667/Mahmoud-Ahmadinejad-United-Nations-General-Assembly-FULL-Transcript
In spite of Ahmadinejad’s chilling words, an interesting thing has been happening inside Iran. Over the past few months their nuclear capabilities have taken an unexpected down-turn. The number of Iran’s operational centrifuges needed to enrich uranium to weapons-grade level has actually declined for the first time ever after years of steady growth. Has Iran bowed to international pressure and slowed their hell-bent pace towards the bomb? Hardly. It seems a computer worm, a mal-ware virus known as “stutxnet” has infected their enrichment computers! Over 30,000 Iranian computers are now infected with this bug which has knocked nearly 1/3 of their centrifuges off-line. This might be the work of hackers, but more likely it is a targeted attack on the Iranian nuclear program. But from whom? The CIA? The Israeli Mossad? The stutxnet virus has infected computers from other countries as well, with some infections taking place before it hit Iran, but it seems to have been intentionally planted in the Iranian atomic plants much like the virus that knocked out the alien enemy in the sci-fi movie “Independence Day” or its literary fore-runner from several decades ago, H.G. Well’s War of the Worlds!
Of course, no one is taking credit for this attack….at least not overtly! Many prognosticators, including me, have been predicting an Israeli attack on the Iranian nuclear sites before now. Why hasn’t it come? Perhaps they know something we don’t. Maybe Israel already attacked them from the inside! Virus experts have analyzed the computer code in this worm and noted that one of the main “files” in the code is named “Myrtus.” Myrtus is the latin root from which we get our English word myrtle – the fragrant plant. Why is that interesting? You may remember a beautiful Jewish girl named Esther who became a queen and foiled a Persian (Iranian) plot to wipe out all the Jews? Her Hebrew name was Hadassah, which is the Hebrew word for…. myrtle! Too far a stretch? Maybe not. One thing is sure, this “cyber” attack, wherever it came from, seems to have worked beautifully, it has given Israel (and us all) more time and it has not cost a single life nor endangered a single soldier, sailor or airman. Now that’s a miracle worthy of Esther!
Ahmadinejad is working with all his might to speed the coming of his messiah. Are we speeding the coming of ours? “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.” (2Peter 3:10-12a)
Source: The New York Times, “In a Computer Worm, Possible Biblical Clue.” Markoff and Sanger, Sept. 29, 2010
http://www.scribd.com/doc/38037667/Mahmoud-Ahmadinejad-United-Nations-General-Assembly-FULL-Transcript
In spite of Ahmadinejad’s chilling words, an interesting thing has been happening inside Iran. Over the past few months their nuclear capabilities have taken an unexpected down-turn. The number of Iran’s operational centrifuges needed to enrich uranium to weapons-grade level has actually declined for the first time ever after years of steady growth. Has Iran bowed to international pressure and slowed their hell-bent pace towards the bomb? Hardly. It seems a computer worm, a mal-ware virus known as “stutxnet” has infected their enrichment computers! Over 30,000 Iranian computers are now infected with this bug which has knocked nearly 1/3 of their centrifuges off-line. This might be the work of hackers, but more likely it is a targeted attack on the Iranian nuclear program. But from whom? The CIA? The Israeli Mossad? The stutxnet virus has infected computers from other countries as well, with some infections taking place before it hit Iran, but it seems to have been intentionally planted in the Iranian atomic plants much like the virus that knocked out the alien enemy in the sci-fi movie “Independence Day” or its literary fore-runner from several decades ago, H.G. Well’s War of the Worlds!
Of course, no one is taking credit for this attack….at least not overtly! Many prognosticators, including me, have been predicting an Israeli attack on the Iranian nuclear sites before now. Why hasn’t it come? Perhaps they know something we don’t. Maybe Israel already attacked them from the inside! Virus experts have analyzed the computer code in this worm and noted that one of the main “files” in the code is named “Myrtus.” Myrtus is the latin root from which we get our English word myrtle – the fragrant plant. Why is that interesting? You may remember a beautiful Jewish girl named Esther who became a queen and foiled a Persian (Iranian) plot to wipe out all the Jews? Her Hebrew name was Hadassah, which is the Hebrew word for…. myrtle! Too far a stretch? Maybe not. One thing is sure, this “cyber” attack, wherever it came from, seems to have worked beautifully, it has given Israel (and us all) more time and it has not cost a single life nor endangered a single soldier, sailor or airman. Now that’s a miracle worthy of Esther!
Ahmadinejad is working with all his might to speed the coming of his messiah. Are we speeding the coming of ours? “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.” (2Peter 3:10-12a)
Source: The New York Times, “In a Computer Worm, Possible Biblical Clue.” Markoff and Sanger, Sept. 29, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
The Rainbow Connection
Last Sunday evening after a brief rain shower just about sundown, a beautiful rainbow appeared right in our back yard! Many times over the years I have marveled at this miraculous display of God’s handiwork as he repeatedly offers His credentials as a “promise–keeper,” but this time I saw something that I have never seen before. In fact I thought that it wasn’t even possible! (Of course, isn’t that kind of the definition of a miracle?) I saw the end of the rainbow! You know, that place where the pot of gold is supposed to be! Right there in my back yard the end the rainbow came down and I got to see the very bottom where it touched down! You could actually look right through the translucent colors and see the trees on the other side! So that got me thinking about rainbows. How many colors? Seven. Hmmm. God is light. In Him is no darkness at all and He dwells in unapproachable light! The apostle John saw the throne of God in heaven and he described it in Rev. 4:3 as being encircled by a rainbow! Normally, all the visible colors are contained invisibly cloaked in what we call “white light.” Sometimes, after a rain shower the light breaks apart in the prisms of suspended atmospheric water vapor and we can see all the beauty of a rainbow - beauty that is always there, just unseen until there is a storm. Faith is being sure of what we can’t see... God’s invisible qualities can be clearly seen through his creation… Lots of sermons in rainbows!
When did the first rainbow appear? God set his rainbow in the sky as the sign of his covenant with Noah (and with all life on earth) to never again destroy the earth with a flood. (Gen. 8:11-17) Why did the flood come? Death and destruction came because of man’s wickedness. (Gen 6:5-7) But God made a way of escape, an ark of deliverance which would save all who were inside. The day came when God himself shut the door and afterward, His wrath and judgment were poured out. Was God looking forward to this punishment of evil-doers? No! The Word says he was “grieved.” God is not willing that any should perish but that all come to repentance! (2Pet. 3:9) Noah’s grandfather was a man named Methuselah. Remember him? He was the oldest man who ever lived. Why do you suppose he lived so long? When Methuselah was born God told his father Enoch, a man who truly walked with God, to give him that name which means: “After him, judgment!” So God already knew what he was going to have to do, yet he allowed Methuselah to live 969 years and the year he died the flood came! Can you see the mercy and grace and long-suffering patience of God? He gives chance after chance for men to turn from their wickedness… but eventually he will always bring judgment on sin. God’s rainbow reminds us that he will never again destroy the earth … by flood. But the earth is slated for demolition, although the next time won’t be with water but with fire! (2Pet. 3:10) Man’s wickedness must be dealt with once again. And once again, God has made a way of escape, an ark of deliverance – Jesus Christ! There is no other name under heaven by which man may be saved! For He said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me!” All who are “in Him” will be saved, but those outside will be lost forever. Today, the door to the ark stands wide open! Whosoever will may come! But there is coming a day when God will shut the door and what God shuts, no man can open! The Day of Grace will soon be over and when grace comes to an end, the Day of Judgment will be violently upon the earth.
Some people scoff at God’s coming wrath and judgment. Others wonder, why is it taking God so long? God is not slow in keeping his promise - He keeps them all! Remember the rainbow? God is patient with us, just like he was in Methuselah’s time. He is giving people (maybe you?) a chance to get right before they get left. “Because of our stubbornness and our unrepentant hearts, we are storing up judgment against ourselves for the Day of God’s wrath.” (Rom. 2:5) “Since everything will be destroyed in this way…. What kind of people ought we be?” (2Pet. 3:11) Ark- dwellers with a rainbow connection. Saved covenant people who are trying as best we can to get more folks in the ark before the door shuts.
When did the first rainbow appear? God set his rainbow in the sky as the sign of his covenant with Noah (and with all life on earth) to never again destroy the earth with a flood. (Gen. 8:11-17) Why did the flood come? Death and destruction came because of man’s wickedness. (Gen 6:5-7) But God made a way of escape, an ark of deliverance which would save all who were inside. The day came when God himself shut the door and afterward, His wrath and judgment were poured out. Was God looking forward to this punishment of evil-doers? No! The Word says he was “grieved.” God is not willing that any should perish but that all come to repentance! (2Pet. 3:9) Noah’s grandfather was a man named Methuselah. Remember him? He was the oldest man who ever lived. Why do you suppose he lived so long? When Methuselah was born God told his father Enoch, a man who truly walked with God, to give him that name which means: “After him, judgment!” So God already knew what he was going to have to do, yet he allowed Methuselah to live 969 years and the year he died the flood came! Can you see the mercy and grace and long-suffering patience of God? He gives chance after chance for men to turn from their wickedness… but eventually he will always bring judgment on sin. God’s rainbow reminds us that he will never again destroy the earth … by flood. But the earth is slated for demolition, although the next time won’t be with water but with fire! (2Pet. 3:10) Man’s wickedness must be dealt with once again. And once again, God has made a way of escape, an ark of deliverance – Jesus Christ! There is no other name under heaven by which man may be saved! For He said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me!” All who are “in Him” will be saved, but those outside will be lost forever. Today, the door to the ark stands wide open! Whosoever will may come! But there is coming a day when God will shut the door and what God shuts, no man can open! The Day of Grace will soon be over and when grace comes to an end, the Day of Judgment will be violently upon the earth.
Some people scoff at God’s coming wrath and judgment. Others wonder, why is it taking God so long? God is not slow in keeping his promise - He keeps them all! Remember the rainbow? God is patient with us, just like he was in Methuselah’s time. He is giving people (maybe you?) a chance to get right before they get left. “Because of our stubbornness and our unrepentant hearts, we are storing up judgment against ourselves for the Day of God’s wrath.” (Rom. 2:5) “Since everything will be destroyed in this way…. What kind of people ought we be?” (2Pet. 3:11) Ark- dwellers with a rainbow connection. Saved covenant people who are trying as best we can to get more folks in the ark before the door shuts.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
From Bad to Worse
Those of you who have been reading my column for several years know that for some time I have predicted a coming confrontation between Israel and Iran. Today, I looked back though the archives and noted that I have written about this 19 times over the past five years! Some would say I am beating a dead horse! But I say, I am beating a drum and sounding a trumpet! I want to wake up the sleepers out there who are oblivious to the coming events that are about to overtake the world like a thief in the night. I believe this confrontation will happen - and when it does, it may very well bring about unpredictable consequences, which like rapidly falling dominoes, will propel the world towards the coming of the anti-Christ and the second coming of Christ. I read a very interesting article this week in the Atlantic magazine entitled “The Point Of No Return” about the probability of this coming conflict. I do not have space to reprint it, but for those of you who are awake enough to care about such things you can read it here: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/print/2010/09/the-point-of-no-return/8186/
Perhaps nothing in this article was more profound than the recent words of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s father, Ben-Zion Netanyahu on the occasion of his 100th birthday. (Think for a moment about what this Jewish centenarian has witnessed in his lifetime!) Ben-Zion is a noted historian and the father of both the current Prime Minister and another son who died in a fire-fight while freeing the Jewish hostages during the 1978 “Raid on Entebbe.” Here is a portion of his remarks that night: “Our party this evening compels me to speak of recent comments made about the continued existence of the nation of Israel and the new threats by its enemies depicting its upcoming destruction. From the Iranian side, we hear pledges that soon—in a matter of days, even—the Zionist movement will be put to an end and there will be no more Zionists in the world. One is supposed to conclude from this that the Jews of the Land of Israel will be annihilated, while the Jews of America, whose leaders refuse to pressure Iran, are being fed a lie - that the annihilation of the Jews will not include them! The Jewish people are making their position clear and putting faith in their military power. The nation of Israel is showing the world today how a state should behave when it stands before an existential threat: by looking danger in the eye and calmly considering what should be done and what can be done. And to be ready to enter the fray at the moment there is a reasonable chance of success.”
Now read these words spoken by Iranian President Ahmadinejad about a month ago: “Sixty years ago, by means of an artificial and false pretext, and by fabricating information and inventing stories, they gathered the filthiest, most criminal people, who only appear to be human, from all corners of the world. They organized and armed them, and provided them with media and military backing. Thus, they occupied the Palestinian lands, and displaced the Palestinian people.” The “invented story” is, of course, the Holocaust. Ahmadinejad’s efforts to deny the historical truth of the Holocaust reflect the official position of the Iranian government. Iranian foreign minister, Mottaki said in 2005, “The words of Ahmadinejad on the Holocaust and on Israel are not personal opinion, nor isolated statements, but they express the view of the government.” The Iranian leadership’s own view of nuclear war is perhaps best exemplified by a comment made in 2001 by the former Iranian president Rafsanjani, who entertained the idea that Israel’s demise could be brought about in a relatively pain-free manner for the Muslim world. “The use of an atomic bomb against Israel would destroy Israel completely while a nuclear attack against the Islamic countries would only cause damages.” This is the thinking that has the Israeli government on a knife’s edge.
Following his father’s birthday speech, Prime Minister Netanyahu was asked to comment on the Iranian threat, “Iran has threatened to annihilate a state. In historical terms, this is an astounding thing. It’s a monumental outrage that goes effectively unchallenged in the court of public opinion. Sure, there is perfunctory condemnation, but there is no shock.” And then, as if he were channeling is father’s historian persona, he warned, “A crucial lesson of history is that bad things tend to get worse if they are not challenged.”
Friends, his words are true, whether you are talking about a death-cult dictator like Ahmadinejad, bad policy right here in America, or our own personal sin. Chew on that for a while.
Perhaps nothing in this article was more profound than the recent words of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s father, Ben-Zion Netanyahu on the occasion of his 100th birthday. (Think for a moment about what this Jewish centenarian has witnessed in his lifetime!) Ben-Zion is a noted historian and the father of both the current Prime Minister and another son who died in a fire-fight while freeing the Jewish hostages during the 1978 “Raid on Entebbe.” Here is a portion of his remarks that night: “Our party this evening compels me to speak of recent comments made about the continued existence of the nation of Israel and the new threats by its enemies depicting its upcoming destruction. From the Iranian side, we hear pledges that soon—in a matter of days, even—the Zionist movement will be put to an end and there will be no more Zionists in the world. One is supposed to conclude from this that the Jews of the Land of Israel will be annihilated, while the Jews of America, whose leaders refuse to pressure Iran, are being fed a lie - that the annihilation of the Jews will not include them! The Jewish people are making their position clear and putting faith in their military power. The nation of Israel is showing the world today how a state should behave when it stands before an existential threat: by looking danger in the eye and calmly considering what should be done and what can be done. And to be ready to enter the fray at the moment there is a reasonable chance of success.”
Now read these words spoken by Iranian President Ahmadinejad about a month ago: “Sixty years ago, by means of an artificial and false pretext, and by fabricating information and inventing stories, they gathered the filthiest, most criminal people, who only appear to be human, from all corners of the world. They organized and armed them, and provided them with media and military backing. Thus, they occupied the Palestinian lands, and displaced the Palestinian people.” The “invented story” is, of course, the Holocaust. Ahmadinejad’s efforts to deny the historical truth of the Holocaust reflect the official position of the Iranian government. Iranian foreign minister, Mottaki said in 2005, “The words of Ahmadinejad on the Holocaust and on Israel are not personal opinion, nor isolated statements, but they express the view of the government.” The Iranian leadership’s own view of nuclear war is perhaps best exemplified by a comment made in 2001 by the former Iranian president Rafsanjani, who entertained the idea that Israel’s demise could be brought about in a relatively pain-free manner for the Muslim world. “The use of an atomic bomb against Israel would destroy Israel completely while a nuclear attack against the Islamic countries would only cause damages.” This is the thinking that has the Israeli government on a knife’s edge.
Following his father’s birthday speech, Prime Minister Netanyahu was asked to comment on the Iranian threat, “Iran has threatened to annihilate a state. In historical terms, this is an astounding thing. It’s a monumental outrage that goes effectively unchallenged in the court of public opinion. Sure, there is perfunctory condemnation, but there is no shock.” And then, as if he were channeling is father’s historian persona, he warned, “A crucial lesson of history is that bad things tend to get worse if they are not challenged.”
Friends, his words are true, whether you are talking about a death-cult dictator like Ahmadinejad, bad policy right here in America, or our own personal sin. Chew on that for a while.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
The Hot Seat or the Mercy Seat?
A young mom who attends my church approached me last Sunday after service. She was struggling with the words of Christ in Matt.12:36, “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.” This scripture, coupled with Paul’s reminder that “We must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” found in 2Cor. 5:10 was causing her great distress because she was feeling condemnation and fearing punishment for she knew that she often said careless words and did things that probably displeased the Lord. I know many Christians struggle with such feelings… but should we? Is this what the Lord wants? Does he want us to be so scared of this terrible life-end evaluation that we “straighten up and fly right?” After all, the Bible doesn’t say, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom?” Yes, that is true… but what does that mean ?
How do those verses “square” with these scriptures: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death!” (Rom. 8:1-2) “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1John 2:1-2) “In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.” (1John 4:17-18) So, where is the balance?
What helped my friend on Sunday find some balance was to imagine herself talking to her own kids when they had failed. Imagine your son or daughter failed a big test at school, or failed to catch the high fly ball and lost the game, or failed at being a good friend to one of the neighborhood kids. How would you handle that? What would your hope be for the end result of that conversation? Would your hope be that your child ended up in your arms hugging you, sorry that they had messed up, but glad for your correction and unconditional love? I can’t imagine a parent who wouldn’t at least hope for that resolution! We have the perfect heavenly father who loves us so much, so unconditionally, that while we were yet sinners, in active rebellion against Him, He gave His only Son for us! That’s how he feels about you! Listen to these… “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? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” (Rom 8:31-34) "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! (Matt. 7:10-11) So how do you suppose God will handle his sons and daughters in dealing with our failures? I can’t say for sure, but this I do know, there will be no condemnation in it, no punishment dished out. He already punished Christ for all our sins, so if we have by faith received salvation in Christ, we will not be judged for them. In fact God will not see our sins at all, but rather the righteous record of sinless Jesus! (see 2Cor. 5:21) Jesus’ words in Matt. 12 about men being held to account for every careless word, were spoken to unbelievers who had just “carelessly” accused Jesus of using the power of the devil to drive out demons. Paul’s warning about standing before the judgment seat of Christ, however, was addressed to believers. He said we will be judged “for things done in the body – whether good or bad.” Does this mean our salvation depends on our good works? No, our salvation is not at stake here. This will be a judgment for what we heaven-bound Christians did with our salvation. Did we live for Christ or for self? Did we follow Him or serve mammon? Did we build His kingdom or feather our nests? Guess we all can chew on those questions for a while. Truth is, we could all do better. But I want to leave you with this: at the judgment seat of Christ, we will not be in fear or be feeling guilt or shame, since Jesus took those from us at the cross. We will feel His GREAT love and mercy and compassion as we see just how much he forgave us!
Now go hug your kids, and as you do, think, “God loves me… and them …and everyone… more than this!” And when they ask you, “Why are you hugging me?” you can tell them, “Just because I love you….no matter what!”
How do those verses “square” with these scriptures: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death!” (Rom. 8:1-2) “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1John 2:1-2) “In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.” (1John 4:17-18) So, where is the balance?
What helped my friend on Sunday find some balance was to imagine herself talking to her own kids when they had failed. Imagine your son or daughter failed a big test at school, or failed to catch the high fly ball and lost the game, or failed at being a good friend to one of the neighborhood kids. How would you handle that? What would your hope be for the end result of that conversation? Would your hope be that your child ended up in your arms hugging you, sorry that they had messed up, but glad for your correction and unconditional love? I can’t imagine a parent who wouldn’t at least hope for that resolution! We have the perfect heavenly father who loves us so much, so unconditionally, that while we were yet sinners, in active rebellion against Him, He gave His only Son for us! That’s how he feels about you! Listen to these… “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? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” (Rom 8:31-34) "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! (Matt. 7:10-11) So how do you suppose God will handle his sons and daughters in dealing with our failures? I can’t say for sure, but this I do know, there will be no condemnation in it, no punishment dished out. He already punished Christ for all our sins, so if we have by faith received salvation in Christ, we will not be judged for them. In fact God will not see our sins at all, but rather the righteous record of sinless Jesus! (see 2Cor. 5:21) Jesus’ words in Matt. 12 about men being held to account for every careless word, were spoken to unbelievers who had just “carelessly” accused Jesus of using the power of the devil to drive out demons. Paul’s warning about standing before the judgment seat of Christ, however, was addressed to believers. He said we will be judged “for things done in the body – whether good or bad.” Does this mean our salvation depends on our good works? No, our salvation is not at stake here. This will be a judgment for what we heaven-bound Christians did with our salvation. Did we live for Christ or for self? Did we follow Him or serve mammon? Did we build His kingdom or feather our nests? Guess we all can chew on those questions for a while. Truth is, we could all do better. But I want to leave you with this: at the judgment seat of Christ, we will not be in fear or be feeling guilt or shame, since Jesus took those from us at the cross. We will feel His GREAT love and mercy and compassion as we see just how much he forgave us!
Now go hug your kids, and as you do, think, “God loves me… and them …and everyone… more than this!” And when they ask you, “Why are you hugging me?” you can tell them, “Just because I love you….no matter what!”
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