Repercussions
For quite a while now, my little essays have been an attempt to persuade people — whether friends, acquaintances, or complete strangers — God does exist and rewards those who seek Him in earnest. The Bible is an historical documentation revealing God’s purposes for Mankind, revealing His right ways of living, revealing His justice, and revealing His eternal choices laid out before us.
How God has changed me, guarded me, and rewarded me has been laid out for everyone to see. I have held back nothing. However, it is not about me. It is about Jesus and His power to save us from ourselves and from the storms of life.
The world is so full of cynicism, people will debate anything and everything. There is much to be cynical about. It is like a thick jungle that perhaps no machete can cut a path through. Yet, as promised, my intent is to chop away until the day I die. The love of God compels me.
God is a good, good Father. He loves everyone and that is proven by sending Jesus into the world to make provision for all of Humanity to escape all the hurtful things in the world — all those things created by mankind’s self will, self determination, and false pride.
Cynicism is rampant and battles optimism at every turn. But like the Sci-Fi Borg say, “Resistance is futile.” Who can stop the world from its apparent commitment to self destruction? Who can stop the current events from unfolding? Who can stop the Climate from going into the toilet? Who can stop the famines? Who can stop the pestilence? It is absolutely right to try. But in reality there is no stopping what is generating disasters. Most people do not even admit there are problems. Sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows are so much more pleasant for meditations.
I have insisted that everything is sliding sideways and will continue to get worse and worse. It is hard for me to deny that conclusion. The observation spreads out before me in an unobstructed view. My Bible reading parallels this forecast. The stage has been set. Everything either has been or is being fulfilled. I hope I am wrong, but it seems so much like God is simply getting out of our way leaving us to our own devices. We do not want to listen. We want our own ways. So, maybe God is saying, “Okay. You don’t want to trust and obey to listen to me. You’re on your own. Let me know if you change your mind.” Parents are forced to do that sometimes.
Nevertheless, I will end with two passages from the Bible. One is for general consumption and the other is for taking personal responsibility.
The first excerpt is from Matthew chapter twenty-four: Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.” (Matthew 4:4–8, NIV)
The second excerpt is from Paul’s second letter to Timothy: “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God…” (2 Timothy 3:1–4, NIV)
Want to get away from all this crap? Repent. That means turn off whatever path you are on and take the path Jesus has provided for everyone to take.
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off — for all whom the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:38–39, NIV)
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. (Revelation 22:17, NIV)
The sooner the better. Only God can stop this mudslide from utterly destroying. Only Jesus can get us out of this mess Mankind has created.
