I was surfing around and came across this poem by the Hungarian poet Attila Jozef. He wrote “A Tired Man” in 1923:
A Tired Man
Attila Jozef
Solemn peasants in the fields
straggle homeward without a word.
Side by side we lie, the river and I,
fresh grasses slumber under my heart.
A deep calm is rolling in the river.
My heavy cares are now as light as dew.
I’m not man, or child, “Hungarian” or “brother” –
lying here is just a tired man, like you.
Evening ladles out the quiet,
I’m a warm slice from its loaf of bread.
In the peaceful sky the stars come out
to sit on the river and shine on my head.
Statue of the “Tired Man” referring to the poem of Hungarian poet Attila József. The statue is the work of József Somogyi, in Makó, Hungary
Does that capture the feeling of the moment for Christians everywhere, or what? We are so weary after a long toil, yearning to lie down beside still waters, letting the starlight wash through our hair and for rest, blessed rest, to seep into our bones.
But though Jozef’s weary peasant lay down, we may not. We are still running the race! Yet so many are stumbling and sinking under the strain. We straggle like the tired man in the statue, sinking lower and head bowed, inches away from succumbing to the lure of ceasing from our labors, aching for it all to just … stop
Do not succumb! Stay upright Brethren. Stay in the race. Paul urges us to always “be rejoicing in hope; enduring in troubles; continuing steadfastly in prayer” (Romans 12:12). he says,
“For our light affliction, which is for the moment, works for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory;” (2 Corinthians 4:17).
I know the cares feel heavy, and they are, but they are only for a moment. We are running a race, and sadly, so many are hitting the wall.
Hit the wall: “In endurance sports such as cycling and running, hitting the wall or the bonk describes a condition caused by the depletion of glycogen stores in the liver and muscles, which manifests itself by sudden fatigue and loss of energy.”
If you see a brother or sister hitting the wall, put your arm around them and help them along!
A high school runner competing in the 3200-metre race is receiving national attention, not for winning or a feat of athleticism, but for an extraordinary act of kindness after she helped a struggling competitor finish the race.
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.” (1 Corinthians 9:24).
In Barnes Notes, the verse is explained, “Know ye not … – In the remainder of this chapter, Paul illustrates the general sentiment on which he had been dwelling – the duty of practicing self-denial for the salvation of others – by a reference to the well known games which were celebrated near Corinth. Throughout the chapter, his object had been to show that in declining to receive a support for preaching, he had done it, not because he was conscious that he had no claim to it, but because by doing it he could better advance the salvation of people, the furtherance of the gospel, and in his special case 1 Corinthians 9:16-17 could obtain better evidence, and furnish to others better evidence that he was actuated by a sincere desire to honor God in the gospel. He had denied himself. He had voluntarily submitted to great privations. He had had a great object in view in doing it. And he now says, that in the well known athletic games at Corinth, the same thing was done by the “racers” 1 Corinthians 9:24, and by “wrestlers, or boxers”; 1 Corinthians 9:25.”
Barnes continues, “If they had done it, for objects so comparatively unimportant as the attainment of an “earthly” garland, assuredly it was proper for him to do it to obtain a crown which should never fade away. This is one of the most beautiful, appropriate, vigorous, and bold illustrations that can anywhere be found; and is a striking instance of the force with which the most vigorous and self-denying efforts of Christians can be vindicated, and can be urged by a reference to the conduct of people in the affairs of this life.”
Just like that runner above, denying herself and her own opportunity to win, to help a struggling friend.
And for every tired man out there, the best, BEST reviving refreshment is JESUS. Take a listen and see if you don’t feel better!
“Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu promised on Monday that by the time his term as Prime Minister is over, Iran will not have a nuclear weapons program.
Speaking to Channel 2, Netanyahu said that if it is necessary, he will lead an independent Israeli attack against Iran, even without the support of the United States.
“When former Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion declared the establishment of the State of Israel, was it with the consent of the Americans? When former Prime Minister Menachem Begin bombed the Iraqi nuclear reactor, was that with the consent of the Americans?” asked Netanyahu.
“If there someone here who, as Prime Minister of Israel, cannot act on things that are fundamental to the State, to its future and to its security and depends only on approval of others, he does not deserve to lead,” said Netanyahu.
“When we didn’t have a state, when we didn’t have an army, and when someone threatened to destroy us and then actually annihilated us, we went and pleaded with others,” he said. “Today we don’t plead, we prepare.”
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Mr Netanyahu does not strike me as a Prime Minister who makes idle threats. Those were strong and sobering words, especially in light of the conflagration prophesied to occur in the last days involving most every middle Eastern nation. And Russia. (Zech 12-14, Isaiah 17 and 19; Psalm 83, Obadiah 3)
Speaking of Russia, I’d mentioned before that a Russian sub had been discovered patrolling for quite a period of time in the Gulf of Mexico, off Louisiana. Now they were discovered 200 miles off Kings Bay GA. Kings Bay is a US submarine base. Here is the story–
Russian attack sub detected near East Coast A Russian nuclear-powered attack submarine cruised within 200 miles of the East Coast recently in the latest sign Russia is continuing to flex its naval and aerial power against the United States, defense officials said.
The submarine was identified by its NATO designation as a Russian Sierra-2 class submarine believed to be based with Russia’s Northern Fleet. It was the first time that class of Russian submarine had been detected near a U.S. coast, said officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of anti-submarine warfare efforts.
One defense official said the submarine was believed to have been conducting anti-submarine warfare efforts against U.S. ballistic and cruise missile submarines based at Kings Bay, Georgia.
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If it feels like the jackals are surrounding the wounded gazelle, it is because they are.
I was thinking about fortresses today. Fortresses of both the spiritual and the military kind.
Some years ago, my husband and I traveled to Italy. We rented a car and spent a month bumming around. We wound up visiting the tiny nation of San Marino, a separate nation inside of Italy. I never forgot our day there.
I like military history, weapons advancement and development, (San Marino is known for its expertise in medieval crossbows) and forts. Therefore, San Marino was a gold mine for me in spending time learning its history and culture! This micronation at just 24 sq/mi. in size is intensely fortified and almost impregnable.
Legend has it that a man named Marinus, later a saint (San Marino) fled Christian persecution in 296 AD and founded a small community atop Mount Titiano. There, his little community flourished. They built a tower and a wall, as was the custom of the day. The geography also affords a natural protection. The cliffs look like devil’s teeth and the height (2400/ft) gives a spectacular view across the plains to the east all the way to the Adriatic. You can spot an advancing army coming hundreds of miles off. To the west, the Appenines butt up against the Mount in extremely close proximity. There’s literally no way to sneak up on them and nowhere to hide.
As the community grew, they built a second ring wall around the expanded community and then eventually, a third. Each has a tower. The place is known as the City of Three Towers.
The Fortress Guards, called the Guard of the Rock
The bible tells us “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, (2 Corinthians 10:4–5)”
“To successfully fight the spiritual war requires weapons from the heavenly arsenal. Only those divinely powerful weapons are suited for the destruction of the enemies’ fortresses. That term would convey to the New Testament reader the thought of a formidable stronghold.”
“Fleshly weapons cannot successfully assault the formidable strongholds in which sinners have entrenched themselves. Such impotent weapons cannot bring about the destruction of those fortresses, which Paul defined specifically as speculations (logismos), a general word referring to any and all human or demonic thoughts, opinions, reasonings, philosophies, theories, psychologies, perspectives, viewpoints, and religions. The fortresses in view here are not demons, but ideologies. The notion that spiritual warfare involves direct confrontation with demons is foreign to Scripture. Christians who verbally confront demons waste energy and demonstrate ignorance of the real war. We are not called to convert demons, but sinners. The battle is rather with the false ideologies men and demons propagate so that the world believes them. Doomed souls are inside their fortresses of ideas, which become their prisons and eventually their tombs—unless they are delivered from them by belief in the truth.”
So if you picture the fortress itself as an ideology and the people living in the fortress of Tower 1, they are raising up every lofty thing as a speculation, which the wind will simply carry away because it has no substance. And the people living inside the wall in Tower 2 are likewise imprisoned by their own empty reasonings. And the same for tower 3, yet another vain thought system satan has raised up, and put a wall around so they cannot escape. They think they are secure in their strong tower but they are not, they are actually imprisoned and will eventually die and their fortress becomes their tomb.
“Here’s the picture: the Christian, wearing his spiritual armor and bearing his spiritual weapons, sets out to “conquer” the world for Christ, but he soon finds obstacles. The enemy has erected strongly fortified garrisons to resist the Truth and attempt to thwart God’s plan of redemption. There is the fortress of human reasoning, reinforced with many subtle arguments and the pretense of logic. There is the castle of passion, with flaming battlements defended by lust, pleasure, and greed. And there is the pinnacle of pride, in which the human heart sits enthroned and revels in thoughts of its own excellence and sufficiency.
The enemy is firmly entrenched; these strongholds have been guarded for thousands of years, presenting a great wall of resistance to the Truth. None of this deters the Christian warrior, however. Using the weapons of God’s choosing, he attacks the strongholds, and by the miraculous power of Christ, the walls are breached, and the bastions of sin and error are battered down. The victorious Christian enters the ruins and leads captive, as it were, every false theory and every human philosophy that had once proudly asserted its independence from God.
If this sounds a lot like Joshua fighting the battle of Jericho, you’re right. What a great illustration of spiritual truth that story is (Joshua 6)!”
So cool, huh?! Proclaim the Gospel. Speak of Jesus. Commit His word to your heart. It is those weapons that demolish even the strongest looking fortress. Even a fortress as impregnable as San Marino does not stand a chance against the piercing weapon of the truth of Jesus and His Gospel!
On Twitter I read Steve Schippert’s note. It got my attention. “@SteveSchippert, Good Morning! While you were sleeping, Syrian tanks violated Golan Heights. Q is how localized decision was.” Here is the news of it-
Syrian tanks enter demilitarized Israeli frontier BEIRUT (AP) — Three Syrian tanks entered the demilitarized zone in the Golan Heights on Saturday, Israel said, raising concerns violence from Syria’s civil war could heat up a long-quiet frontier that has not seen such an incursion in nearly 40 years. Israel complained to U.N. peacekeepers present in the area, a relatively low-key response that suggested it did not see the Syrian armor as an immediate threat. But the entry marks the most serious spillover of Syria’s turmoil to date at the frontier, where stray ordnance has exploded on the Israeli side in the past.”
The Golan Heights are strategically important to Israel. The Israel Project explains a brief history of the Golan Heights, situated at Israel’s north along the border with Syria:
“The Golan Heights were captured from Syria in 1967 as a valuable military asset. Prior to 1967, Israelis living in the valleys below the Golan Heights suffered rocket fire and terrorist attacks from Syria for more than a dozen years. In the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Syrian forces overran much of the southern Golan before being pushed back by an Israeli counterattack. Israel and Syria signed a ceasefire agreement in 1974 that left almost all of the Golan Heights in Israeli control, while returning a narrow demilitarized zone to Syrian control. Since losing control of the territory, Syria has made clear that any peace negotiations with Israel would require a full Israeli withdrawal from the territory to the pre-1967 borders.”
The Israel Project explains why the Heights are so important. If you go to their site you can click on their footnotes for verifications of all facts.
“The topography of the Golan serves as a natural blockade against any military attack from Syria. The Golan is essentially one high-altitude plateau that overlooks southern Syria and serves as an excellent vantage point for Israel to keep track of Syrian military movements.”
‘Advances in ballistic technology in recent years have increased the importance of keeping control of this strategic high ground and maintaining geographic depth. During the 1973 Yom Kippur War, control of the eastern mountain ridge of the Golan helped 177 Israeli tanks to repel 1,400 Syrian tanks.”
“The Sea of Galilee borders the southwestern Golan and provides one-third of Israel’s fresh water supply. In 1964, the Syrians attempted to impair Israeli access to fresh water through a damming project, which the Israel Defense Forces ultimately thwarted. Israel has utilized the fertility of the Golan landscape to enrich and expand Israel’s agricultural sector. About 40 percent of Israeli beef, 30 percent of Israeli fruit and 38 percent of Israeli wine exports come from the Golan.”
So you can see that any incursion into Israel’s Golan Heights is cause for concern. Israel’s response was immediate. Today Al Arabiya reports,
Israeli army on high alert as Syrian tanks enter Golan Heights “Three Syrian tanks entered a demilitarized zone of the Golan Heights, which was set up in the 1974 disengagement treaty, raising Israel’s high alert as the Israeli military chief observed the area a day after the entrance of the tanks and warned his soldiers to be on high alert. On Sunday, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz warned Israeli soldiers, occupying the heights area, of the escalating violence in Syria and expressed concerns of possible spread of the Syrian conflict across the border.”
“This is a Syrian affair that could turn into our affair,” the army’s website quoted Gantz during his visit to the troops on the frontier.”
“Marco Carminjani, an official with the U.N. body supervising the zone, said he could not immediately confirm the entry of the tanks. But if the report is true, he said, it would be a violation of the 1974 disengagement agreement between Syria and Israel. He said it would be the first such move in the zone since the accord.”
In other news,
“Iran has built an advanced drone which can take off vertically without a runway, Iranian state media says“ (Reuters) – Iran has built an advanced drone that can take off vertically and without a runway, Iranian media reported. Iran’s military regularly announces defense and engineering developments, though some analysts are skeptical of the reliability of such reports. Abbas Jam, researcher on a project for a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drone, said on Saturday that the drone would be tested that day and “unveiled” next year, according to Iran’s Mehr news agency.”
Israel has been responding to each Iranian military and technological advance with an advance of their own. At some point the men in charge of these toys are going to want to try them out. And Psalm 83, Isaiah 17, and Ezekiel 38-39, (and don’t forget Zechariah 12-14) tells us that they will. The only question is wondering how many of these battles will occur on this side of the rapture and how many after we are gone. We do not know. That is one reason the tension among Christians is so high. However, we all feel the imminence.
Iron Dome Upgraded to Meet Iranian Missile Threat “The Ministry of Defense officially announced Sunday that a series of tests to the Iron Dome anti-missile defense system has been successfully completed, in an important step in the IDF’s plans to upgrade the system. Following the tests, IDF forces will acquire an additional Iron Dome battery, this one with improved capabilities. The new battery, which will be the IDF’s fifth, will soon be transferred to the IAF. The series of tests was designed to broaden the activities of the Iron Dome system and to improve its capabilities against an unprecedented variety of threats. The advancement of the system will enable it to handle the threats posed by Iran’s Fajr and Zelzal missiles.”
Imminence spoken of by John McTernan “For you that followed this blog for a long time, I can tell you that there is a strong dread over me for America. It is as if the nation was already judged, Something has radically changed in the heavenlies.”
And Todd Strandberg: “We are now at a point where disasters have become so frequent and massive is scale, the news life cycle of an single event is very brief. Tropical Storm Irene was a bad storm, but it has been wiped from everyone’s memory by Hurricane Sandy.God is clearly trying to get man’s attention with all these calamities. The Lord is very patient, but He is no fool. Eventually, the warnings will end and the final judgment will begin. “Am I truly ready?” is the question everyone needs to ask themselves.”
And Joel Rosenberg: “That said, we also need to pray for the peace and protection of the nation of Israel, and all of the inhabitants of the epicenter, be they Jews or Arabs. Given all the sins we are committing as a nation — and the danger we face of God’s judgment — the last thing we dare do is forget, or abandon, or turn away from, or stand against the nation of Israel.”
And John MacArthur: “I don’t know how much time America has left, I really don’t. But we’re on a course described here as God casting us out. The land has become defiled. “I’ve brought its punishment upon it,” verse 25, “so the land has spewed out its inhabitants.”
The most important thing is to continue to pray. Stay connected to Him. He is a Mighty Rock in a weary land!
“Each will be like a hiding place from the wind, a shelter from the storm, like streams of water in a dry place, like the shade of a great rock in a weary land” (Isaiah 32:2)
This story from the end of October came to my attention this morning. The UK Daily Mail covers it-
“A group of Christian football fans at Louisiana State University has been left outraged after the college airbrushed out crosses painted on their chests in a picture it emailed to students. The ‘Painted Posse’ attends every Tigers home game with their bare chests painted with the team’s colours – yellow and purple – with a small cross added above their hearts. But in an email about the LSU game against South Carolina on October 13, the college included the picture but digitally erased the cross. The photo was otherwise untouched.”
Above is the photo as it was taken
Here is the photo with the crosses airbrushed out
These boys are known as the Painted Posse, and have been attending LSU games in this manner since they were students in 2003.
The University said,
“The university stood by its decision, which had been taken so as not to offend other students. ‘We don’t want to imply we are making any religious or political statements, so we air-brushed it out,’ LSU said in a statement. ‘Only one of the students, who didn’t appreciate it, actually contacted us about it. So next time, we’ll just choose a different photo.’
Though their photograph has been published many times before, this was the first time the University took steps to deliberately remove the “offensive” cross.
The cross IS an offense. The depraved minds of the people of the world are so blinded by hatred of Jesus that they will do anything to take the offense away from their sight. Offending other students or not wanting to appear religious is the excuse. The bible tells us the real reason is that Jesus is an offense. (Galatians 5:11).
Peter said in 1 Peter 2:7-8,
“So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.”
They just don’t want to obey Him. They are more worried about offending rich alumni, other religious students, donors, parents, whoever, that they forget the One they should not offend is Jesus Himself!
I just wanted to let you know that the chasm between believers and non-believers is widening fast. Expect trouble. If you wear a Christian fish pin, or a cross, or carry a bible to work, pray before your meal in the employee cafeteria, expect someone to make a case about it. You may be asked to take off your pin. To stop praying in public. Anything. Study the Word now for the verses that the Spirit may lead you to respond with. Pray now for strength and clear eyes and open ears to make the decision the Spirit will lead you into.
The Painted Posse simply responded in Christ-like manner. They said they love Jesus and they love LSU. Their passion is proclaiming Christ and they will continue to do that. They don’t want an angry showdown with University officials, but one of the boys said he would love to see a campus full of crosses for the next game.
“The Alabama game is Nov. 3 and everyone needs to wear a purple or black shirt and wear a large cross, a shirt with a cross on it or face paint a cross on your face. The media will be everywhere and my goal is to have a campus of crosses.”
Maranatha!
They may try to Photoshop the cross out of existence, but as long as He lives in us, His light will continue to shine! Did they extinguish the Light in the first century martyrs? No! His light shone even brighter!
Foxe’s Book of Martyrs tells the tale of the blood-born battles to keep the faith alive. In one story, Foxe recounts,
“A Protestant gentleman being ordered to lose his head for not renouncing his religion, went cheerfully to the place of execution. A friar came to him, and said these words in a low tone of voice, “As you have a great reluctance publicly to abjure your faith, whisper your confession in my ear, and I will absolve your sins.” To this the gentleman loudly replied, “Trouble me not, friar, I have confessed my sins to God, and obtained absolution through the merits of Jesus Christ.” Then turning to the executioner, he said, “Let me not be pestered with these men, but perform your duty,” on which his head was struck off at a single blow.”
Or this story:
“Upon the day appointed, Lord Cobham was brought out of the Tower with his arms bound behind him, having a very cheerful countenance. Then was he laid upon a hurdle, as though he had been a most heinous traitor to the crown, and so drawn forth into St. Giles’s field. As he was come to the place of execution, and was taken from the hurdle, he fell down devoutly upon his knees, desiring Almighty God to forgive his enemies. Then stood he up and beheld the multitude, exhorting them in most godly manner to follow the laws of God written in the Scriptures, and to beware of such teachers as they see contrary to Christ in their conversation and living. Then was he hanged up by the middle in chains of iron, and so consumed alive in the fire, praising the name of God, so long as his life lasted; the people, there present, showing great dolor. And this was done A.D. 1418.”
The blood of Jesus makes a way for us to be reconciled to God, and the blood of the martyrs kept the light alive. Reading stories like these brings tears to my eyes every time.
I do not know what lay ahead for the brethren of our faith. The noose is tightening, we can see that. Photoshopped Painted Posse pictures are nothing compared to the blood shed in the Middle Ages nor the blood that will be shed in the Tribulation. But blood is being shed now, in Nigeria, in Egypt, in Tunisia. And in America, home of the free, the cross is seen to be increasingly an offense and a stumbling block. Who knows what tomorrow will bring for Christians in America? Nothing good, that is for sure.
Remember the martyrs, have faith in Jesus, and be ready for whatever private or small battle may come your way. It will likely happen suddenly, or from an unexpected quarter, like the Painted Posse suddenly being airbrushed for the first time, after all these years. So be ready to show Christ-like love and equanimity in the face of their anger and offense. This will heap coals upon their head. And above all, Jesus will be glorified!
I’m watching Columbo on Netflix. One of my favorite episodes was Swan Song, starring Johnny Cash. The show opens with Cash singing “I Saw the Light”. When I saw this show last, I was not saved. I remember loving the song, and searching the internet for the lyrics. I found them,
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I’ve wandered so aimless, life filled with sin I wouldn’t let my dear Savior in Then Jesus came like a stranger in the night Praise the Lord, I saw the light
I saw the light, I saw the light No more darkness, no more night Now I’m so happy, no sorrow in sight Praise the Lord, I saw the light
I’ve walked in darkness, clouds covered me I had no idea where the way out could be Then came the sunrise and rolled back the night Praise the Lord, I saw the light
Just like a blind man I wandered alone Worries and fear I claimed for my own Then like a blind man who God gave back his sight Praise the Lord, I saw the light
When death takes me down and I breath here no more My anthem will sound on that eternal shore When I join with the angels in heaven on high Singing Praise the Lord, I saw the light
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I wondered, ‘what did it mean?’ I liked the tune, but what was the reference to darkness and light all about?
Well, the Light found me and I became saved. Now I know what it means.
Isn’t it fun to look back and see the steps He used to draw us to Him? He surely pursues us, even drenched with sin as we are.
I review my life before I was saved and I can clearly see the people and the incidents He used to bring me along, ever closer to the cross. GotQuestions asks,
“What does it mean that God draws us to salvation?“ “Answer: The clearest verse on God’s drawing to salvation is John 6:44 where Jesus declares that “no one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.” The Greek word translated “draw” is helkuo which means “to drag” (literally or figuratively). Clearly, this drawing is a one-sided affair. God does the drawing to salvation; we who are drawn have a passive role in the process. There is no doubt that we respond to His drawing us, but the drawing itself is all on His part.”
The essay continues in explaining His drawing of us. I was glad to read that, because I know I was not ‘drawn’, I know I was dragged. LOL. I mentioned that once to a Christian friend. I’d said, “He dragged me kicking and screaming to the cross.” My friend has replied, “Of course He didn’t drag you!” But He did. I knew He did.I remember those last three years before I was saved distinctly and I felt like I was being dragged. Further, even now I know I never would have come on my own unless He had brought me. Now I can read it for myself in John 6.
Our sin is so pervasive, it can only be the power of God to drag us out of it. Not that God struggles with bringing us to salvation, but that we struggle against it so much. I wish more people understood how firmly sin has us in its clutches, and how much we like it there.
I enjoyed learning the word helkuo, and that it means drag. Here is a bit more from GotQuestions about that word and its use in bringing us to salvation:
“Helkuo is used in John 21:6 to refer to a heavy net full of fish being dragged to the shore. … Clearly the net had no part in its being drawn to the shore … Why does God need to draw us to salvation? Simply put, if He didn’t, we would never come. Jesus explains that no man can come unless the Father draws him (John 6:65). The natural man has no ability to come to God, nor does he even have the desire to come. Because his heart is hard and his mind is darkened, the unregenerate person not only doesn’t desire God, but is actually an enemy of God (Romans 5:10). When Jesus says that no man can come without God’s drawing him, He is making a statement about the total depravity of the sinner and the universality of that condition.” More at link.
So you get saved by His power. You’re justified, the Judge has pardoned you. Now what?
GotQuestions explains spiritual growth “When the transformation of salvation takes place, spiritual growth begins. The Holy Spirit indwells us (John 14:16-17). We are new creatures in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). The old nature is replaced with a new one (Romans 6-7). Spiritual growth is a life-long process that depends on our study and application of God’s Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17) and our walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-26). As we seek spiritual growth, we should pray to God and ask for wisdom concerning the areas He desires us to grow in. We can ask God to increase our faith and knowledge of Him. God desires for us to grow spiritually, and He has given us all we need to experience spiritual growth. With the Holy Spirit’s help, we can overcome sin and steadily become more like our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.’
Sometimes I like to look at the glossy magazines’ photos of Before and After. You know, when they take a regular looking woman and they make her up and dress her and she looks totally different. But that change is only external. I love to think about the Before and After of our salvation. If we could see how putrid sin is and how ugly it makes us, before, and how beautiful we will be after glorification…now there is a real Before and After. I can’t wait to see my friends in their eternal state when the rapture comes. How beautiful they will be and how pure their soul will shine, inside and out. We will have had our sin-nature removed and been changed into incorruptible bodies with full and complete access to God in person.
I look forward to that day! I pray for that day! I hope you do too.
Are Mormons Christians? No. Do they worship the same Jesus as we do? No.
See for yourself. These are short clips explaining Mormon beliefs. They come from Wretched Radio via LHVM.org, a website dedicated to explaining Mormon beliefs in comparison to the Holy Bible.
History according to Mormonism has no validation in any historical account, any archaeology, or any anthropological source.
How many wives did Mormon founders and leaders have, anyway? LOTS.
Though they downplay the polygamy issue, their religion does still teach you have to have multiple wives to become a god.
There is more at the Wretched Network. Get familiar with Mormonism. We will have a lot of witnessing to do. Even worse, Billy Graham confused the issue after he met with Presidential candidate and Mormon Mitt Romney and subsequently removed Mormonism as a cult listing from his website. Woe to Graham!
Two separate newscasts report that the town of Seaside Heights NJ is under martial law.
1:08 minute in
50 seconds in
The reaction on Twitter-verse was the usual wit laced with some Macabre humor:
“As fun as it is watching NJ steadily creep toward martial law after Sandy, I think I’ll try to fly to Columbus today. Football is the cure.” Ramzy Nasrallah @ramzy
“NJ declares martial law in desperate attempt to stop me as I collect fallen branches to throw on cars of those who doubted me in high school.” Cory snearofwushjki @corysnearowski
“Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis.Martial law is usually imposed on a temporary basis when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively (e.g., maintain order and security, or provide essential services), when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law becomes widespread.”
“In most cases, military forces are deployed to subdue the crowds, to secure government buildings and key or sensitive locations, and to maintain order. Generally, military personnel replace civil authorities and perform some or all of their functions. In full-scale martial law, the highest-ranking military officer would take over, or be installed, as the military governor or as head of the government, thus removing all power from the previous executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government.”
The situation in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy is dire. Many places look like a war zone, and what comes with war zones is chaos. Hence, the Martial Law to restore order. Extraordinary times require extraordinary measures, I guess.
“Hurricane Sandy is another reminder of just how incredibly fragile the thin veneer of civilization that we all take for granted on a daily basis really is.”
One twitter comment along those same lines struck me:
M. @MKriegbaumJr: “Seeing what essentially is martial law surrounding gas situation in NYC/NJ area is what the world will be like if catastrophic event hits.”
Indeed. One hurricane and a few days later, people are reduced to animals, pooping, fighting, scrambling for food. I had written last Tuesday in the height of the storm, “Anyway, as millions upon millions are discovering now, living on any floor above, say fifth, means a lot of walking up and down stairs. No elevators. No running water. That means you have to lug water up, if you can even find any. No flushing, unless you stored water ahead of time and can use it to flush the toilet. No food, or if you find some, you have to lug it up. If you go out on the street there are a lot of other tired, desperate, hungry, thirsty people. There were twitter meet ups planning a mass looting, so it is even more dangerous than usual to be out and about. Then cabin fever sets in. What to do with the kids for days on end inside an apartment with no internet, tv, or PlayStation? And where would you even go? The subways aren’t running, along with bus and most likely, cabs. The streets are littered with tree limbs, flood sludge, dangling electrical wires, and debris. Even if you want to get out and about it is impossible and dangerous. … So the city is a bad place in the best of times. It is downright survival UNfriendly in the worst of times.”
That wasn’t a prophetic statement. It was a realistic statement.
The LORD knew we were not ready for cities. He told Adam and Eve to be fruitful, multiply and fill the earth. (Genesis 1:28). But they didn’t. After the flood Noah to go throughout the world and be fruitful and multiply. (Genesis 9:1). But they didn’t. In one famous case, Noah’s great-grandson Nimrod collected the people into one city, Babel. So God He stopped the city-making at Babel and disbanded the people. (Gen 11:5-7).
With a veneer of civilization over us we tend to forget how full of sin we are. We forget how close to the surface it is. We do not think of how easily our sin will come out. All the imaginations of the unrenewed heart are sinful. (Genesis 6:5, Genesis 8:21). All.
Did that man in the gas line who pulled a gun think that a week ago he would be tempted to take another man’s life? Did he envision any circumstance in which he would be arrested and awaiting trial for his crime? Likely not. The Queens blog says that the man allegedly pulled a gun just because he didn’t want to wait in line. He allegedly wanted to cut, so he could fill up his BMW before everyone else.
We’re sinners. When pressed, and not too much either, sin comes out fast and hard.
So for this next thought, as we transition into this part of my essay, is to think about some words I’ve already used, anarchy and chaos.
“A presidential transition or presidential interregnum refers to the period of time between the end of a presidential election and the inauguration of a new President of a country. During this time the incoming President usually designates new government personnel, including selecting new Cabinet positions and government department or agency heads.In the United States, during a presidential transition, the outgoing “lame duck” President has lost many of the intangible benefits of a Presidency (e.g., being perceived as the default leader on issues of national importance) but the incoming President-elect is not yet legally empowered to effect policy. This ambiguity in the roles of the President-elect and outgoing President creates the potential for a leadership vacuum, which may be most acutely felt during wartime or times of economic crisis.” [emphasis mine]
Our nation has been a beacon of light in terms of what democracy can do with the support of the people and an informed electorate. We have shown the world that no matter what happens to our President, we can institute an orderly transition from one man to the next. Whether from assassination, unexpected death, impeachment, voting irregularities, or resignation, we have always gone from one President to the other without civil unrest, chaos, or the application of martial law.
I believe that time is over.
I usually don’t speculate on the blog because I want to stay biblically grounded. Also, I don’t like to add to the general confusion and anxiety. But in my opinion this is a serious time.
I read people saying things like ‘I can’t wait for this election to be over and Obama is out.’ Given the nature of sin, the nature of the times, and the nature of the man we have come to know as Obama, do we actually think that if Obama loses he will participate in an orderly transition from the most highest position in the world down to obscurity? Really? I don’t. I think the times are over when we can expect anything that has gone before to continue going as before, and this includes political processes.
When was the last time Congress really worked? When anything got accomplished? They haven’t even passed a Federal budget in years.
Do we really think that Obama, the most arrogant man in the world, the most hateful in terms of actively destroying America, will actually leave office with the job unfinished? Do we really think that a little piece of paper, or historical tradition, will stop him from simply enacting martial law and staying in power?
I hope it does not happen. I really do. I am proud of our hundreds of years of orderly transitions in both Congress and the Presidential office. But we need to stop thinking that these are normal times. Men are increasingly sinful. If a NY Yuppie would pull a gun just so he could get gas into his BMW what would the most evil president we’ve ever had do to get what he wants?
This is the man who campaigned on instituting civil national security force. He said in 2008, “We cannot continue to rely on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we’ve set. We’ve got to have a civilian national security force that’s just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded.” (July 2, 2008, in Colorado Springs, Colorado).
Now one reason I don’t like to speculate is that people take conspiracies and run with them. Viral emails are even now circulating that claim that Obama has signed 900 Executive Orders, that they add up to creating a platform to an easily implemented martial law. Liberal sites claim that Obama is doing no such thing. Somewhere in the middle lies the truth. But the truth is hard to find these days.
But even the site FactCheck.org admits that “It’s true that President Obama is increasingly using his executive powers in the face of staunch Republican opposition in Congress. He’s changed federal policies on immigration and welfare and appointed officials without congressional approval.” However the site claims that “Obama’s executive actions have nothing to do with martial law.”
FactCheck.org (an extremely liberal site, remember) does state that Obama is “sidestepping Congress through his ‘We Can’t Wait’ initiative, a series of executive actions that he says benefit the middle class through infrastructure projects and economic policy changes.” He did the same when he created the DREAM Act.
A new Executive Order that was signed last week adds fuel to the fire. On October 26, 2012, Obama signed, “Establishing the White House Homeland Security Partnership Council“. The Order tightens Department of Homeland Security ties with local law enforcement and other federal agencies.
Joseph Farah of World Net Daily (a conservative site I do not usually cite or read or use), said of this Order,
“I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: If Barack Obama is re-elected Nov. 6 for a second term, he will declare a full-scale war on his domestic opposition. There may not be another free and fair election in America. I would expect due process to go the way of the horse and buggy. I think he will move to shut down and destroy all independent media. In fact, I think his biggest critics will be rounded up in the name of national security. Last week, for instance, with little fanfare, Obama issued an executive order establishing something that sounds so innocent on the surface – but it could prove to be a vehicle for the kind of political putsch I am describing.”
“It establishes the “White House Homeland Security Partnership Council.” What’s the purpose? As Obama put it, to advance the federal government’s use of local partnerships to address homeland-security challenges. He claims to be doing it under the authority of the Constitution. Why is such a council needed? Don’t we already have a Department of Homeland Security that works with local governments? Of course we do.”
As I’ve said, I don’t like to run with conspiracies. However, we have to be realistic. If Martial Law was called in some parts of New Jersey after just a couple of days without power and fuel, what might happen if Popocatépetl Volcano in Mexico were to erupt and millions of Mexican citizens were to stream north as refugees to America? Or if the New Madrid fault were to let go and millions of Americans in the central US were to be facing a worse catastrophic situation than NY/NJ in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy? Or if the earthquakes along the western coastline and British Columbia were to raze Seattle? Or if an EMP were to be loosed over the United States in a terror attack? If any of these situations that we are currently facing were to happen imminently, what are the chances of an orderly transition? The catastrophes are going to keep coming, and they will only increase. There is already a Nor’easter forecast to soon hit Hurricane ravaged areas, though it will not be as severe. It is forecast to bring cold rain and high winds, with snow further inland. Those are woes to people already cold and hungry, and worse still for those without shelter.
As I’ve said before, it is a long time between November 6th and any inauguration that would install the successful candidate. And it would be a long, long four years if Obama were to be re-elected. (If the rapture doesn’t take us first).
It is a hard ministry, this. On the one hand I am called to watch and warn. To report what I see and point to impending doom. On the other hand I point to Jesus and assure believers that they need not worry. In sum, what I do is to say “Doom is coming! But don’t worry!” It is a fine line. But it is also a fact, the bible says that things will go from bad to worse. (2 Timothy 3:13; 2 Timothy 2:16, Matthew 24:12)
In Matthew 24:12 Jesus said that love will grow cold. The Greek here is plēthýnō – properly, made full, especially to maximum capacity (potential); hence, “multiplied; to increase, multiply”.
In other words, as the end time nears its conclusion, coldness in our hearts will increase until its full capacity. People are never going to get nicer than they are today. Tomorrow they will be worse. And worse, and worse, until they are completely mean in the Tribulation when the Holy Spirit does not even restrain their sin any longer. (2 Thessalonians 2:7).
We have every reason to claim that this period of election and power transfer might not go as expected according to law or tradition. Alternately, we have every reason to claim that that no matter what happens, Jesus is in control.
So on the one hand we have legitimate biblical reasons to be pessimists on earth. On the other, we have eternal reasons to be optimists; for heaven is our hope!
We have the Gospel which brings joy:
“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11).
We have the Word which brings joy:
“Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.” (Jeremiah 15:16).
We have His promises of joy which bring us joy:
“I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy.” (Psalms 132:16)
And we have joy because of JESUS!
“And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.” (Romans 5:11)
So though we expect worse and waxing worse because the bible says this will occur, we hope for the best, which is our Holy Jesus delivering us out of this present world into His beautiful heaven. Maranatha!
“Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.” (John 19:11).
That was the response of Jesus to Pontius Pilate. Pilate had just said, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?””
Jesus reminded Pilate that no king or governor or anyone in authority has any power in and of themselves. All power is granted from above. Barnes Notes explains,
“No power – No such power as you claim. You have not originated the power which you have. You have just as much as is given, and your ability extends no further. Except it were given thee – It has been conceded or granted to you. God has ordered your life, your circumstances, and the extent of your dominion. This was a reproof of a proud man in office, who was forgetful of the great Source of his authority, and who supposed that by his own talents or fortune he had risen to his present place. Alas, how many men in office forget that God gives them their rank, and vainly think that it is owing to their own talents or merits that they have risen to such an elevation. Men of office and talent, as well as others, should remember that God gives them what they have, and that they have no influence except as it is conceded to them from on high.”
Let us all remember that as we vote and then watch the outcome on Tuesday.
