September 13
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God,” Romans 12:1, 2.
Paul makes some very clear points in these verses—first, Christians are to be living sacrifices; second, it is reasonable that Christians be living sacrifices; third, to be a living sacrifice, the Christian cannot be conformed to the world; fourth, if the Christian is not to be conformed to the world, his mind must be transformed.
The implication of these points goes far beyond a mere perfunctory assent to them. Rather, performing them is our “reasonable service.” Too many of us today, as apparently in Paul’s day, consider that all that is required of us is lip service to the tenets of the Gospel. The great Apostle declared otherwise, as he proved by the way he lived his life.
Paul willingly gave up his position and the prestige it accrued to him as he stated in Philippians 3:3-10: “We who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, put no confidence in the flesh— 4 though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If someone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 I was circumcised on the eighth day, I am of the people of Israel—of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, I am a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, I was persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, I was faultless.
"7 But whatever things were gain to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them as dung, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of His resurrection and participation in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death…”
This is no mere perfunctory reiteration of the Gospel message but a totality of surrender of the entirety of his life and work to the transformation the word of the Living Christ makes in a life that is revolutionized by an encounter with the Savior. And this is what Paul says each of us must have.
If we have accepted Jesus but our lives go on as usual, if we name the name that is above all names but have required no alteration to our lifestyle, if we have joined the ranks of Sunday morning saints but live worldly lives Monday through Saturday, Paul is saying we have fallen short of the mark of a true believer, for being a true believer requires sacrifice and transformation.
Are we willing to sacrifice life’s temporal pleasures and accolades at the altar? Are we willing to be transformed by the renewing of our mind so that not only what we say and what we do will be a reflection of the Lord but our very thoughts will be His? If we believe Paul, we will agree that this is our reasonable service.
Saturday, September 13, 2014
Friday, September 12, 2014
Open Our Eyes And Hearts
September 12
“But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death,” Revelation 21:8.
It is difficult to reconcile the fact that all men have an opportunity to be forgiven and made righteous by the blood of the Lamb. There is something in the heart of peaceable, ordinary people who disdain the thought of some of the vilest individuals coming to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
And yet we know in the depth of our being that in God’s eyes we are no better than they are. While men see degrees of sin and while men adjust temporal punishments to suit the crime, in the eyes of God, all sin is abhorrent. When Jesus, battered and bleeding, hung on the cross, it was for the sin of the little white lie you told when you took a penny from your mother’s purse as well as for the sin of the vilest murderer.
The evil murderer makes the headlines, but the little thief who stole the penny also breaks God’s heart. We all stand in need of a Savior. “There is none righteous, no not one,” Romans 3:10, and, “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:23, apply equally to all our race.
Romans 2:1-3 makes God’s position very clear in the matter: “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?”
How do we escape the trap we’ve set for ourselves? The trap that ensnares others in the depravity of their sin but makes excuse for our own sins and foibles? Our only route of escape is to see with God’s eyes. Our only hope to attain full forgiveness and not mere perfunctory assent to our culpability is to bow before our Holy God and ask Him to bathe us afresh in the cleansing blood of our Savior.
We must ask Him to give us a glimpse of Him—“high and lifted up and His train fills the Temple,” Isaiah 6:1; we must ask Him to let us see our Lord Jesus on the cross, brutalized for MY sins (see Isaiah 53:5); we must ask Him to reveal to us the Christ of Revelation 19:12, 13 “His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.…”
If we see ourselves as we are, “conceived in sin,” Psalm 51:5, and see Him as He is, we will fall on our face in humble thanksgiving and praise for the deliverance Jesus has supplied to us, and we will be eternally turned away from the great calamity that awaits the unrepentant sinner for eternity.
Oh, Lord Jesus, open our eyes to see, and open our hearts to receive You, so that none may perish but that all might come to repentance according to II Peter 3:9.
“But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death,” Revelation 21:8.
It is difficult to reconcile the fact that all men have an opportunity to be forgiven and made righteous by the blood of the Lamb. There is something in the heart of peaceable, ordinary people who disdain the thought of some of the vilest individuals coming to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
And yet we know in the depth of our being that in God’s eyes we are no better than they are. While men see degrees of sin and while men adjust temporal punishments to suit the crime, in the eyes of God, all sin is abhorrent. When Jesus, battered and bleeding, hung on the cross, it was for the sin of the little white lie you told when you took a penny from your mother’s purse as well as for the sin of the vilest murderer.
The evil murderer makes the headlines, but the little thief who stole the penny also breaks God’s heart. We all stand in need of a Savior. “There is none righteous, no not one,” Romans 3:10, and, “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:23, apply equally to all our race.
Romans 2:1-3 makes God’s position very clear in the matter: “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?”
How do we escape the trap we’ve set for ourselves? The trap that ensnares others in the depravity of their sin but makes excuse for our own sins and foibles? Our only route of escape is to see with God’s eyes. Our only hope to attain full forgiveness and not mere perfunctory assent to our culpability is to bow before our Holy God and ask Him to bathe us afresh in the cleansing blood of our Savior.
We must ask Him to give us a glimpse of Him—“high and lifted up and His train fills the Temple,” Isaiah 6:1; we must ask Him to let us see our Lord Jesus on the cross, brutalized for MY sins (see Isaiah 53:5); we must ask Him to reveal to us the Christ of Revelation 19:12, 13 “His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.…”
If we see ourselves as we are, “conceived in sin,” Psalm 51:5, and see Him as He is, we will fall on our face in humble thanksgiving and praise for the deliverance Jesus has supplied to us, and we will be eternally turned away from the great calamity that awaits the unrepentant sinner for eternity.
Oh, Lord Jesus, open our eyes to see, and open our hearts to receive You, so that none may perish but that all might come to repentance according to II Peter 3:9.
Thursday, September 11, 2014
"I Will Never Fail You Nor Forsake You"
September 11
Today is the thirteenth anniversary of the attack of Islamic militants upon the United States. The event sent shock waves through the nation and into many parts of the world. Since that time, the intensity of hatred leveled against the western world by muslim extremists remains unabated. Even as their aggression has taken on barbaric proportions, so has the retaliation against it wreaked havoc.
The Bible prophesies that in the Last Days, “things shall wax worse and worse and then the end shall come,” II Timothy 3:13, and certainly the events of our day are horrific in nature and world-wide in their scope. But is it the end? In Matthew 24:44 Jesus said, “…at an hour when you think not, the Son of Man shall come.”
Much of the world is in denial regarding the claims of Christ upon their lives. Europe, which was once a source of fervent missionary exploration has become quite lax in its exercise of Christianity. Beautiful old churches and cathedrals have slumped into disuse and disrepair or been converted to other purposes while the people languish in religious indifference. Indeed, many think nothing about Jesus at all, let alone concern themselves that He might return at any moment.
Others have a false concept of Jesus, who they believe will come as a cohort of the Madhi who will establish Islamic rule everywhere on earth. According to their eschatology, his role will be to slaughter everyone who does not acquiesce to demands of submission to muslim rule.
Some who see the unfolding events of time as a warning of dire things to come are on their knees before the Holy One according to II Chronicles 7:14 which says, “If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land.”
These Christians see a need for a “Third Great Awakening” to hold back the tsunami of economic and social and political and religious upheaval that is creating world-wide turmoil, even as they utter the words of Revelation 22:20, “…even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
May we add our supplication to theirs that the nation and the world will see a resurgence of faith in the Living Savior Jesus Christ before He comes with His legions of angels to take believers to Himself. But, however the time before us may unfold—whether to go on another thousand years in the depravity and disparity of man or whether to be swallowed into the glorious light of God’s eternal Day—may we who call upon the name of the true Jesus who is our Savior and Lord know that in good times or bad, He is with us.
May we know that we will not be forsaken, no matter whether another onslaught of 9/11 proportions —or greater—may come, for He is faithful who has promised (see Deuteronomy 31:8 and Hebrews 13:5) which say, “I will never fail you nor forsake you.”
Today is the thirteenth anniversary of the attack of Islamic militants upon the United States. The event sent shock waves through the nation and into many parts of the world. Since that time, the intensity of hatred leveled against the western world by muslim extremists remains unabated. Even as their aggression has taken on barbaric proportions, so has the retaliation against it wreaked havoc.
The Bible prophesies that in the Last Days, “things shall wax worse and worse and then the end shall come,” II Timothy 3:13, and certainly the events of our day are horrific in nature and world-wide in their scope. But is it the end? In Matthew 24:44 Jesus said, “…at an hour when you think not, the Son of Man shall come.”
Much of the world is in denial regarding the claims of Christ upon their lives. Europe, which was once a source of fervent missionary exploration has become quite lax in its exercise of Christianity. Beautiful old churches and cathedrals have slumped into disuse and disrepair or been converted to other purposes while the people languish in religious indifference. Indeed, many think nothing about Jesus at all, let alone concern themselves that He might return at any moment.
Others have a false concept of Jesus, who they believe will come as a cohort of the Madhi who will establish Islamic rule everywhere on earth. According to their eschatology, his role will be to slaughter everyone who does not acquiesce to demands of submission to muslim rule.
Some who see the unfolding events of time as a warning of dire things to come are on their knees before the Holy One according to II Chronicles 7:14 which says, “If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land.”
These Christians see a need for a “Third Great Awakening” to hold back the tsunami of economic and social and political and religious upheaval that is creating world-wide turmoil, even as they utter the words of Revelation 22:20, “…even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
May we add our supplication to theirs that the nation and the world will see a resurgence of faith in the Living Savior Jesus Christ before He comes with His legions of angels to take believers to Himself. But, however the time before us may unfold—whether to go on another thousand years in the depravity and disparity of man or whether to be swallowed into the glorious light of God’s eternal Day—may we who call upon the name of the true Jesus who is our Savior and Lord know that in good times or bad, He is with us.
May we know that we will not be forsaken, no matter whether another onslaught of 9/11 proportions —or greater—may come, for He is faithful who has promised (see Deuteronomy 31:8 and Hebrews 13:5) which say, “I will never fail you nor forsake you.”
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
In Praise of Who You Are
September 10
“We want each of you to go on with the same hard work all your lives so you will surely get what you hope for. We do not want you to become lazy. Be like those who through faith and patience will receive what God has promised.
“These two things cannot change: God cannot lie when He makes a promise and He cannot lie when He makes an oath. These things encourage us who came to God for safety. They give us strength to hold on to the hope we have been given.
“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, sure and strong. It enters behind the curtain in the Most Holy Place in Heaven where Jesus has gone ahead of us and for us. He has become the High Priest forever, a priest like Melchizedek.” Hebrews 6:11, 12, 18, 20.
The first matter Paul addresses to the Hebrew believers is diligence. Like them, we must be resolute in our determination that our service to the Kingdom of Christ will result in what we hope for—the salvation of souls for eternity. If we are patient and if we are steadfast in faith, we will see the promise, for we know it is the Lord’s will that all men be saved (see I Timothy 2:4).
We know that God’s word is “yea and amen,” II Corinthians 1:20, and His precious promises have all been fulfilled in Jesus. All that remains is for each man to accept the redemption that Jesus purchased for him and has given to him through His “unspeakable gift,” II Corinthians 9:15.
Of course, any gift can be refused and the unfortunate thing is that many who abide in this Vale of Tears have rejected the promise that is above all promises. Many are among those who deny the veracity of the promise of Christ who extends salvation to everyone who’s ever lived.
Many turn their backs on the Lord and His mercy because they deny who He is. They do not accept that Jesus is the ONLY Savior and Lord, that His is “the only name given under Heaven whereby men might be saved,” Acts 4:12. In their denial, they relegate themselves to the lot of the damned who must eternally bear the punishment for their own sins.
But for us who believe, “we have a hope that is an anchor for our soul; an anchor that is sure and strong.” This hope allows us to enter into the Holy Place in Heaven where Jesus is, where we may bow before our High Priest in worship and adoration of the One who set us free from the chains of sin with which the evil one had us bound and where we may “receive grace and mercy that will help us in time of need,” Hebrews 4:16.
Lord Jesus, remove the scales from our eyes so that we might behold You in Your glory and bow before You in praise of who You are. The Word tells us that one day, “Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord; every knee on earth and in heaven and in hell shall bow before Him and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God,” Philippians 2:10.
Lord, let us be among those who bow before You in life so we may bow before You eternally in heaven.
“We want each of you to go on with the same hard work all your lives so you will surely get what you hope for. We do not want you to become lazy. Be like those who through faith and patience will receive what God has promised.
“These two things cannot change: God cannot lie when He makes a promise and He cannot lie when He makes an oath. These things encourage us who came to God for safety. They give us strength to hold on to the hope we have been given.
“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, sure and strong. It enters behind the curtain in the Most Holy Place in Heaven where Jesus has gone ahead of us and for us. He has become the High Priest forever, a priest like Melchizedek.” Hebrews 6:11, 12, 18, 20.
The first matter Paul addresses to the Hebrew believers is diligence. Like them, we must be resolute in our determination that our service to the Kingdom of Christ will result in what we hope for—the salvation of souls for eternity. If we are patient and if we are steadfast in faith, we will see the promise, for we know it is the Lord’s will that all men be saved (see I Timothy 2:4).
We know that God’s word is “yea and amen,” II Corinthians 1:20, and His precious promises have all been fulfilled in Jesus. All that remains is for each man to accept the redemption that Jesus purchased for him and has given to him through His “unspeakable gift,” II Corinthians 9:15.
Of course, any gift can be refused and the unfortunate thing is that many who abide in this Vale of Tears have rejected the promise that is above all promises. Many are among those who deny the veracity of the promise of Christ who extends salvation to everyone who’s ever lived.
Many turn their backs on the Lord and His mercy because they deny who He is. They do not accept that Jesus is the ONLY Savior and Lord, that His is “the only name given under Heaven whereby men might be saved,” Acts 4:12. In their denial, they relegate themselves to the lot of the damned who must eternally bear the punishment for their own sins.
But for us who believe, “we have a hope that is an anchor for our soul; an anchor that is sure and strong.” This hope allows us to enter into the Holy Place in Heaven where Jesus is, where we may bow before our High Priest in worship and adoration of the One who set us free from the chains of sin with which the evil one had us bound and where we may “receive grace and mercy that will help us in time of need,” Hebrews 4:16.
Lord Jesus, remove the scales from our eyes so that we might behold You in Your glory and bow before You in praise of who You are. The Word tells us that one day, “Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord; every knee on earth and in heaven and in hell shall bow before Him and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God,” Philippians 2:10.
Lord, let us be among those who bow before You in life so we may bow before You eternally in heaven.
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
What Makes Christians Different? from Focus on the Family
Sooner or later, most of us will hear this question: "What makes Christians different?"
We know the answer to that question is not just a matter of behavior, following a certain set of rules, or belonging to a particular group. Becoming a Christian involves something far deeper that changes a person on the inside. We should emphasize the key that distinguishes believers from non-believers—the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.
While fallen people have a sin nature, that doesn't mean they are completely devoid of the knowledge of God, of good and evil, and of right and wrong. In fact, the Apostle Paul tells us that the unsaved are responsible for their actions (Romans 1:18-20) and have a conscience (Romans 2:14-15)—though some have seared or hardened it to the point where it's gone dormant (1 Timothy 2:4). As human beings made in the Creator's image, we all possess a basic natural understanding of God's truth and moral standards.
However, it's important to help seekers of all ages understand the New Testament's clear teaching that no one has the Holy Spirit until he or she turns to God and asks to receive His transforming, indwelling presence (Luke 11:13) through faith in Jesus Christ. That decision is the most important choice anyone can ever make—and it makes all the difference in the world.
The Holy Word of Our Holy God
September 9
"You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.' But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire,” Matthew 5:21, 22.
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother,’ which is the first commandment with promise: that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.’ And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord,” Ephesians 6:1-4.
People can agree on virtually nothing. Some people thoroughly enjoy hot, sunny summer days while others prefer the beauty of a winter snowfall. Some people like plain vanilla ice cream while others laden their frosty treats with chocolate sauce and pineapple topping and crushed nuts. And it is fine that we each enjoy life’s summers and winters and ice cream delights in our own way.
But if all men could subscribe to the above passages of scripture, if all inhabitants of our frail planet could agree to this one thing, we would diminish greatly, if not eradicate entirely, all that ails our troubled world.
If we could refrain from anger against our brothers for various degrees of perceived flaws—such as: 1. He receives a promotion that I feel I was due, 2. His skin is a different color than mine, 3. He worships God differently than I do, 4. He has more of life’s treasure than I possess—we would greatly reduce the incidence of all manner of crimes perpetrated by our species.
Jesus goes on to say that to hurl the term ‘raca’ at anyone is cause for grievance. The Hebrew term has an interesting etymology. ‘Raca’ is an Aramaic transliteration for ‘reka,’ a term expressing contempt, scorn, or disdain. The Greek word ‘rhaka’ means empty, vain or worthless one, signifying a lack of intellect.
Directing the term ‘raca’ at anyone is like calling them an imbecile or a blockhead. The Jews of Jesus’ day used it as a word of contempt. It is derived from a root meaning, ‘to spit.’ We are not to be contemptuous of those whose opinions differ from ours. Neither are we to call others ‘a fool.’
The second scriptural admonition deals with interaction within families. Children are to be respectful of their parents, to honor them. Even adult children are expected to maintain a high regard for their parents. The parents are to earn this respect and honor by being fair to their offspring. Part of that responsibility is to establish their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord—to build their lives upon His truth.
If we, each of us, within our sphere of influence will employ these Biblical principles, we will go far toward anchoring ourselves to the truths that set all men free if they will but adhere to the Holy Word of our Holy God.
"You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.' But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire,” Matthew 5:21, 22.
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother,’ which is the first commandment with promise: that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.’ And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord,” Ephesians 6:1-4.
People can agree on virtually nothing. Some people thoroughly enjoy hot, sunny summer days while others prefer the beauty of a winter snowfall. Some people like plain vanilla ice cream while others laden their frosty treats with chocolate sauce and pineapple topping and crushed nuts. And it is fine that we each enjoy life’s summers and winters and ice cream delights in our own way.
But if all men could subscribe to the above passages of scripture, if all inhabitants of our frail planet could agree to this one thing, we would diminish greatly, if not eradicate entirely, all that ails our troubled world.
If we could refrain from anger against our brothers for various degrees of perceived flaws—such as: 1. He receives a promotion that I feel I was due, 2. His skin is a different color than mine, 3. He worships God differently than I do, 4. He has more of life’s treasure than I possess—we would greatly reduce the incidence of all manner of crimes perpetrated by our species.
Jesus goes on to say that to hurl the term ‘raca’ at anyone is cause for grievance. The Hebrew term has an interesting etymology. ‘Raca’ is an Aramaic transliteration for ‘reka,’ a term expressing contempt, scorn, or disdain. The Greek word ‘rhaka’ means empty, vain or worthless one, signifying a lack of intellect.
Directing the term ‘raca’ at anyone is like calling them an imbecile or a blockhead. The Jews of Jesus’ day used it as a word of contempt. It is derived from a root meaning, ‘to spit.’ We are not to be contemptuous of those whose opinions differ from ours. Neither are we to call others ‘a fool.’
The second scriptural admonition deals with interaction within families. Children are to be respectful of their parents, to honor them. Even adult children are expected to maintain a high regard for their parents. The parents are to earn this respect and honor by being fair to their offspring. Part of that responsibility is to establish their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord—to build their lives upon His truth.
If we, each of us, within our sphere of influence will employ these Biblical principles, we will go far toward anchoring ourselves to the truths that set all men free if they will but adhere to the Holy Word of our Holy God.
Monday, September 8, 2014
Have Your Way In Every Heart
September 8
“Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually,” Genesis 6:5.
The degree of wickedness described in Genesis 6:5 is quite pervasive. We who function within our little church conclaves and live in our pleasant neighborhoods and work in well-regulated offices and study in orderly schools and shop in air-conditioned department stores have little concept of the depth of depravity to which many among our race have sunk.
If we can tolerate the news on any given night, we are scarcely touched by the level of violence some of our brothers in Christ are enduring because we are so steeped in mayhem in our ordinary entertainment viewing, that we can scarcely connect the dots from which emerge a picture of unadulterated evil being perpetrated in some parts of the world against followers of our Lord.
But God hears and God sees. Our Holy and Heavenly Father knows the wickedness that is being unleashed upon His people by hordes of demonic barbarians whose blood lust knows no limit. Perhaps the ruthless extermination of His people, as described in Revelation 20:4, has already begun.
And though we can grasp on a superficial level the great sacrifice that our brothers in Christ are making for their faith in the One who has come to “set the captives free,” Luke 4:18, our overriding complacency is palpable. Because it is thousands of miles away from us, because we are not personally touched by the atrocities our fellow believers are enduring, we avert our eyes and stop our ears to their suffering. But God hears, and God sees.
Not only does He see the horrors to which Christians are being subjected in some parts of the world but He also sees the thoughts and intents of our hearts—hearts that do not allow themselves to be touched by the atrocities being perpetrated against the people of God. And in our indifference, we are found to be as guilty as the ruthless barbarians.
Should we not rise up as one voice and cry out against this inhumanity that is being unleashed upon our brethren! Should we not demand that the greatest military power in the world should rain down retribution upon the perpetrators of such unadulterated evil so the guiltless would be rescued from their barbarity!
Or are our consciences “seared by a hot iron,” I Timothy 4:2 and we cannot accept that our silence gives assent to the cruelty!
Lord Jesus, forgive us! Lord Jesus keep us on our knees before You as we supplicate Your mercy for our brethren that you will deliver them out of the hand of the evil one. Help us to pray even for the demonic hordes that are cruelly butchering them—that they would see that their actions do not please the Almighty but that they reflect only the intent of “the one who comes to steal, kill and destroy,” John 10:10.
Let them fall on their faces in repentance before You that they who are enemies of the Gospel and destroyers of the Saints and despisers of the Savior will be turned around from the evil of their ways; that the darkness in them will be overcome by He who is Light; that the death in them will be swallowed up by He who is Life; that the hell to which they’re bound will be exchanged for the narrow path to Heaven (see Matthew 7:14) as they embrace the Savior with full and transformed hearts.
“Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually,” Genesis 6:5.
The degree of wickedness described in Genesis 6:5 is quite pervasive. We who function within our little church conclaves and live in our pleasant neighborhoods and work in well-regulated offices and study in orderly schools and shop in air-conditioned department stores have little concept of the depth of depravity to which many among our race have sunk.
If we can tolerate the news on any given night, we are scarcely touched by the level of violence some of our brothers in Christ are enduring because we are so steeped in mayhem in our ordinary entertainment viewing, that we can scarcely connect the dots from which emerge a picture of unadulterated evil being perpetrated in some parts of the world against followers of our Lord.
But God hears and God sees. Our Holy and Heavenly Father knows the wickedness that is being unleashed upon His people by hordes of demonic barbarians whose blood lust knows no limit. Perhaps the ruthless extermination of His people, as described in Revelation 20:4, has already begun.
And though we can grasp on a superficial level the great sacrifice that our brothers in Christ are making for their faith in the One who has come to “set the captives free,” Luke 4:18, our overriding complacency is palpable. Because it is thousands of miles away from us, because we are not personally touched by the atrocities our fellow believers are enduring, we avert our eyes and stop our ears to their suffering. But God hears, and God sees.
Not only does He see the horrors to which Christians are being subjected in some parts of the world but He also sees the thoughts and intents of our hearts—hearts that do not allow themselves to be touched by the atrocities being perpetrated against the people of God. And in our indifference, we are found to be as guilty as the ruthless barbarians.
Should we not rise up as one voice and cry out against this inhumanity that is being unleashed upon our brethren! Should we not demand that the greatest military power in the world should rain down retribution upon the perpetrators of such unadulterated evil so the guiltless would be rescued from their barbarity!
Or are our consciences “seared by a hot iron,” I Timothy 4:2 and we cannot accept that our silence gives assent to the cruelty!
Lord Jesus, forgive us! Lord Jesus keep us on our knees before You as we supplicate Your mercy for our brethren that you will deliver them out of the hand of the evil one. Help us to pray even for the demonic hordes that are cruelly butchering them—that they would see that their actions do not please the Almighty but that they reflect only the intent of “the one who comes to steal, kill and destroy,” John 10:10.
Let them fall on their faces in repentance before You that they who are enemies of the Gospel and destroyers of the Saints and despisers of the Savior will be turned around from the evil of their ways; that the darkness in them will be overcome by He who is Light; that the death in them will be swallowed up by He who is Life; that the hell to which they’re bound will be exchanged for the narrow path to Heaven (see Matthew 7:14) as they embrace the Savior with full and transformed hearts.
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