As most of you have heard by now Pope Francis has, in so many words, recognized the Palestinian Authority to be a viable state entity (the first World leader to do so) among the international community. He further informed the world that the chairman of that state Mahmoud Abbas was an "angel of peace". With warm affection gifts were exchanged. We were informed that this man, who worshiped Yasser Arafat his mentor and the one whom Abbas succeeded in leadership was not merely a man of peace (he's not), but the leader of 1.2 billion followers declared him to be an "angel" of peace. By the way, if true, he's got the wrong angel.
Honestly, Looney Tunes comes to mind - Daffy Duck lives and has taken over the international community. Think of the entrance music to the Barnum and Bailey circus - Comical in the midst of constant tragedy. When looking at our world condition today and the "leaders" shaping those conditions, one must conclude that we have amongst us children trapped in adult bodies. These are the sophisticates of the world; the ones calling evil good and good evil and who are substituting darkness for light and light for darkness (Is. 5:20). These are the ones who are calling Islam the religion of peace and are tripping all over their feet to proclaim that the violence currently being generated by such as Boko Haram, Al Queda, Hamas, ISIS, the Taliban, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad etc. is a deflection from true Islam - that religion of peace.
Do not think that I am declaring these men and women to be uneducated, uninformed, and unsophisticated in the natural realm. They are indeed mature in their ability to obfuscate and confuse. It is in the spiritual realm that they are children - buffoons actually. We as Christians have pretty much lost the information-flow in this world. We have been called-out of such (John 15:18-22), but in the midst of the unfolding of world events we are required to proclaim and live out the demands and liberty of the Gospel of Christ.
Licentiousness is what the world wants - a license to sin and to not be held accountable. And it seems that they are doing quite well in their efforts. So, should we wring our hands. Well, no actually. I have been sharing with those who come across my path this thought: When frustration in the midst of this world circus seriously discourages you, let that frustration drive you into the bosom of Christ (John 15:4, 5).
One day at a time beloved, one day at a time. Time is on our side and all will be revealed.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Haaretz is not America
Please understand that what is to follow is not blasphemy. For several years now I feel as though I have been intellectually stuck with a pin every time I hear the misuse of what has become an icon of American Christianity, namely, the misuse of that magnificent conditional offer that God made to Solomon and "His people" national Israel.
If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. (II Chron. 7:13-14)
Now, please, don't deflect from what is to follow by shutting down your thinking process because you think that the subject-matter is national Israel. That is a topic for a later time. God is promising to the people who posses God's "house of sacrifice" (v. 12) that when under conditions of (severe) distress God will heal their land. Under conditions of humility, hunger for God, and repentance God will heal. Zech. 12-14 comes to mind, especially 12:10.
Now, let's fast forward approximately 3000 years to today and consider how that wonderful promise is applied by the American church of today. We can all agree that, even though it is the opinion of this writer that God was promising Israel this blessing of healing, He was also offering an eternal blessing to all who are called by His name who humble themselves, seek His face, and repent of their sins. Thus it follows in the minds of many American Christians that if we do so God is going to heal America. "If only, if only..." Fill in the blanks. Every time that I hear that phraseology, I feel that I have been pocked in the eye with the proverbial stick.
If only we will all get out and vote...we will heal America,
If only the Church will...we will heal America,
If only we would all pray...we would heal America,
If only, if only...
Pointed sticks abound.
Beloved, the Church is not going to heal America. "If only" is not going to happen. Does that sound blasphemous to you. Please - read the Book. The second coming of "the Lamb standing as if slain" (Rev. 5:6) is going to heal America. So, do I feel that the Church should shut down and wait for the Second Coming? No, It is not my intent that the Church should shut down. On the contrary we are priests in His Kingdom. It is our function to hear and subsequently to obey. The Church is not going to heal the World, neither is it going to heal America. The remnant of His Church who are in the process of praying to Him for healing, who are humbling themselves, seeking and repenting will constantly be bringing healing to both America and the World, but we will not ultimately accomplish the finality of that impossible task.
The godless of this world will continue to do that which is godless and will eventually win the day in the natural world. In the duration of the unwinding of human history the ekklesia of Christ will be healing the sick, be saving babies in the womb, see mothers repent and come to Christ, vote and bring better governance to our land, expose sin in the land, offer sanctuary for the weak and cast out, preach the light of the Gospel and welcome in the saved who will become part of the redeemed of the Lord, and so much more.
So, why is this even important? Can we not at least agree to the possibility that in our professing of this great promise of God that we have created one of our many anesthetizing beliefs? We proclaim a Scripture as in II Chronicles 7:14 and subliminally believe that by our proclamation of such a Scripture that the living-out of that Scripture is actually occurring. We have numbed ourselves. We ignore that our nation is not humbling itself, repenting, seeking and praying. The man-made church is not humbling itself, repenting, seeking and praying. The remnant is not even sufficiently humbling, repenting, seeking and praying - at least not to the degree that God is going to heal America. He is bringing healing to America, but He is not going to heal America.
Should we as God's called-out and redeemed elect be living out II Chronicles 7:14? My yes, and that with much gusto! Especially as we see the day drawing near should we pursue such. To whatever degree that God is well pleased with the integrity of our efforts, not only will He bring healing, but He will also, with equal and even greater gusto, cause the calling-out of the Saints unto the final ingathering of His beloved elect. For those of us who perceive the seriousness of the moment let's pursue humility, repentance, the seeking of His face and with vigorous and constant prayer loose God to bear the fruit that He deems appropriate for this time in history. This is the calling-out of the Church, not the healing of America.
"The Land" is not America -
"Haaretz" in not the Ekklesia.
If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. (II Chron. 7:13-14)
Now, please, don't deflect from what is to follow by shutting down your thinking process because you think that the subject-matter is national Israel. That is a topic for a later time. God is promising to the people who posses God's "house of sacrifice" (v. 12) that when under conditions of (severe) distress God will heal their land. Under conditions of humility, hunger for God, and repentance God will heal. Zech. 12-14 comes to mind, especially 12:10.
Now, let's fast forward approximately 3000 years to today and consider how that wonderful promise is applied by the American church of today. We can all agree that, even though it is the opinion of this writer that God was promising Israel this blessing of healing, He was also offering an eternal blessing to all who are called by His name who humble themselves, seek His face, and repent of their sins. Thus it follows in the minds of many American Christians that if we do so God is going to heal America. "If only, if only..." Fill in the blanks. Every time that I hear that phraseology, I feel that I have been pocked in the eye with the proverbial stick.
If only we will all get out and vote...we will heal America,
If only the Church will...we will heal America,
If only we would all pray...we would heal America,
If only, if only...
Pointed sticks abound.
Beloved, the Church is not going to heal America. "If only" is not going to happen. Does that sound blasphemous to you. Please - read the Book. The second coming of "the Lamb standing as if slain" (Rev. 5:6) is going to heal America. So, do I feel that the Church should shut down and wait for the Second Coming? No, It is not my intent that the Church should shut down. On the contrary we are priests in His Kingdom. It is our function to hear and subsequently to obey. The Church is not going to heal the World, neither is it going to heal America. The remnant of His Church who are in the process of praying to Him for healing, who are humbling themselves, seeking and repenting will constantly be bringing healing to both America and the World, but we will not ultimately accomplish the finality of that impossible task.
The godless of this world will continue to do that which is godless and will eventually win the day in the natural world. In the duration of the unwinding of human history the ekklesia of Christ will be healing the sick, be saving babies in the womb, see mothers repent and come to Christ, vote and bring better governance to our land, expose sin in the land, offer sanctuary for the weak and cast out, preach the light of the Gospel and welcome in the saved who will become part of the redeemed of the Lord, and so much more.
So, why is this even important? Can we not at least agree to the possibility that in our professing of this great promise of God that we have created one of our many anesthetizing beliefs? We proclaim a Scripture as in II Chronicles 7:14 and subliminally believe that by our proclamation of such a Scripture that the living-out of that Scripture is actually occurring. We have numbed ourselves. We ignore that our nation is not humbling itself, repenting, seeking and praying. The man-made church is not humbling itself, repenting, seeking and praying. The remnant is not even sufficiently humbling, repenting, seeking and praying - at least not to the degree that God is going to heal America. He is bringing healing to America, but He is not going to heal America.
Should we as God's called-out and redeemed elect be living out II Chronicles 7:14? My yes, and that with much gusto! Especially as we see the day drawing near should we pursue such. To whatever degree that God is well pleased with the integrity of our efforts, not only will He bring healing, but He will also, with equal and even greater gusto, cause the calling-out of the Saints unto the final ingathering of His beloved elect. For those of us who perceive the seriousness of the moment let's pursue humility, repentance, the seeking of His face and with vigorous and constant prayer loose God to bear the fruit that He deems appropriate for this time in history. This is the calling-out of the Church, not the healing of America.
"The Land" is not America -
"Haaretz" in not the Ekklesia.
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