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.
I had a good week but a tiring week. Work is good as always but running around with kindergarteners gets tiring. And the emotional toll of the Hurricane Sandy has been pretty rough. Also, church brethren and some co-workers are going through some rough medical issues. Seems there is a lot to pray for each other, people are having a difficult time all around.
I am enjoying reading Jeremiah. I am up to chapter 6. It is the chapter where Jeremiah rails against the false prophets who say “peace, peace, when there is no peace.” (Jer 6:14). That really resonates with me. So many “pastors” today are saying ‘peace’ and treating the wound lightly when what we need is a tourniquet.
Anyway, I was praying in the car this morning out loud, you know, just talking to the Lord, and the prayer below is kind of what I said. I can’t reconstruct exactly what I prayed. When I’m alone it always comes out so perfectly, just rolling off the tongue but really coming from the soul. My sense of gratitude to the Lord has not diminished after almost 9 years. I can’t believe that in just a few weeks it will have been 9 years since the dramatic moment when He came into my life and justified me, saving me from His well-deserved wrath. I hope that sense of gratitude never, ever fades. Because what He did for me will never fade. I am His trophy of grace.
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Thank you Lord for saving me. Thank you for justifying me although I don’t deserve it. I spent many decades in rebellion. I was clever in my sin. I was intelligent in my revolution. I was in a cesspool but I did not know it.
You looked at me and saw beyond that. You lifted me out of a sewer of my own making, and you cleaned me off with Your very Self. You loved me and forgave me. Then you installed me at Your table.
I am a trophy of your grace. How can I ever thank you? I cannot, except to honor your Name with my own life. Please, Holy Spirit convict me to only think or say or do things that will please and honor the Lord. Sin, once my deadly friend, is now my eternal enemy. Spirit, make me hate sin all the more, for to entertain it is a blight against the Holy Lord.
How can I do more for you? I can speak the truth to a dying and hostile world. The bible tells us the world will hate us, but You have overcome the world. Let me not say ‘peace peace when there is no peace’. Let me say “war! war! against sin”, ‘fight, fight against the enemy’. ‘Repent, repent of our sins!’ Your Day is coming. It will be a day of wrath and terror. But then … love. Love and peace forever and we will study war no more.
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“Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.” (1 Chronicles 29:11)
“Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O LORD; I will sing praises to your name.” (Psalms 18:49)
“Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;” (Ephesians 5:20)
“And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.” (1 Thessalonians 2:13)
The bible is full of examples of people given time to repent but they refused.
One that comes to mind is in Jeremiah 5:
“O LORD, do not your eyes look for truth? You have struck them down, but they felt no anguish; you have consumed them, but they refused to take correction. They have made their faces harder than rock; they have refused to repent.” (Jeremiah 5:3)
The situation in this chapter is dire. Isaiah had prophesied doom for 50 years in the century before Jeremiah’s prophesying. The people did not take it seriously enough. By the time Jeremiah came along, they did not know it but the prophecies of destruction and abandonment were almost upon them. It happened in Jeremiah’s lifetime. The LORD is patient, giving time to repent!
God’s willingness to spare and bless the nation if the people repent is a theme throughout the bible. He is patient, too. He says repent, and waits in Amos 4:6, Zephaniah 3:2, and Zechariah 7:11 to name just a few examples. In the New Testament Jesus called for repentance to the false prophetess He calls a ‘Jezebel’. In Rev 2:21 it is written, “I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality.”
They refused to repent.
The Lord is gracious and kind, always calling for us to repent and giving us time to do so. Seems amazing, doesn’t it? That they refuse. Even after prophets prophesy a direct word from the LORD, they don’t. Even after they receive a direct letter from the Lord as in Revelation, they refuse.
Lest we think that the refusals to repent are an Old Testament, bygone behavior, here is an update from two dedicated servants of the Lord on mission in a South American jungle. Though they are seeing some harvest, they sadly report heartbreaking news. As they were welcomed into homes and they presented the Gospel, they saw some commit their lives to Christ. Praise the Lord for that! Every single soul added to heaven is a praise to the Lord in His loving-kindness. Yet…
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Some say ‘no’.
“After we clearly presented the Gospel, we asked, “Do you understand what we are sharing?” and several responded that they did understand. When asked if they were ready to receive Jesus as their Savior and Lord, they said “No.”
“Why would they respond this way? The local believers said it is because they find pleasure in their sin and are not ready to forsake their sinful ways. They understand that in following Christ, they will have to leave their lives of immorality, drunkenness, and other sinful ways. They are not willing to give up their sin.”
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They understood but refused, preferring to remain in their sin.
Paul wrote, “But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.” (Romans 2:5).
That Day is fast approaching. Please do not reject any Gospel message you hear. As Wesley said, “man may refuse it; God will not compel.” The fact that the Gospel exists is a praise to the Lord who died as the substitution for our sin, becoming sin who knew no sin and enduring all of God’s wrath as punishment for it. And it is a praise to Him who was resurrected and who now sends witnesses, ambassadors, and missionaries to proclaim His beautiful truth- that He loves you and He wants you to become part of His family. As in the OT times, God’s willingness to spare and bless the nation and spare and bless and individuals who repent still stands. But equally true, as Paul said, there will come a day when His righteous judgment will be revealed. I can’t imagine how it will be for those who have heard but who have consciously and willfully rejected Him. Worse still, having rejected Him for the reason they they want to extend their season of sin is a terrible reason.
Sin is actual rebellion against God. It is not a matter of taking pleasure in alcohol, adultery, homosexuality, carousing, thievery or what have you. No. In fact, each of those acts and all sins are a direct poke in God’s eye.
So as you pray tonight, pray for all those who have heard the Gospel message and have refused to repent. Our missionaries asked, “pray with us that they will desire the hope that is only in Christ, obey the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and receive Jesus as the Savior and Lord of their lives.”
“At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, “A hot wind from the bare heights in the desert toward the daughter of my people, not to winnow or cleanse, a wind too full for this comes for me. Now it is I who speak in judgment upon them.” (Jeremiah 4:11-12)
The Lord sends the wind. He is the God of this earth and nothing happens on it that He does not cause or allow. Not even a sparrow falls to its death without the permission of the LORD. (Matthew 10:29).
So, He sends the wind.
That was the literal part of my essay. The verses in Jeremiah above are metaphorical. What He had instructed Jeremiah to say is that He sends the wind for different purposes. Firstly, the wind accomplishes His will. “Fire, and hail; snow, and vapour; stormy wind fulfilling his word” (Psalms 148:8 )
He sends a gentle wind for winnowing. He sends a fruitful wind for planting. He sends a wind for cleansing (Job 37:21). In the case of judgment He sends a hot wind that doesn’t salve, but agitates. It is a hot wind, a damaging wind, a full wind that scorches and destroys. Barnes Notes explains:
“A dry wind – literally, A clear wind. The Samum is probably meant, a dry parching east wind blowing from the Arabian desert, before which vegetation withers, and human life becomes intolerable. Not to fan … – The Syrian farmers make great use of the wind for separating the chaff from the grain: but when the Samum blows labor becomes impossible. It is not for use, but for destruction.”
We can ignore the wind, but that won’t work. We can rely on the wind for planting and winnowing. The wind purifies and cleanses.
But woe to those who ignore the wind.
We cannot outrun the wind. It will catch us. The wind blows where it will. “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8).
When the wind is destructive it means it is of the judgments of God:
“In measure, when it shooteth forth, thou wilt debate with it: he stayeth his rough wind in the day of the east wind.” (Isaiah 27:8)
“Thou shalt be visited of the LORD of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire.” (Isaiah 29:6)
“Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the LORD, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.” (Isaiah 41:16)
You can think of the wind as the breath of God.
When you read the bible, think on these metaphors. Yesterday I wrote of the light an the darkness. Today I write of the wind. The bible uses symbols for a reason. Symbols don’t change. Words change, symbols do not. Planting is planting. Reaping is reaping, Lions prowl. Sheep follow.
As far as the wind goes, you should always let the wind of the Spirit move you as the wind moves a sail. The sail bows to the wind, letting the wind fill it, and gently guide and propel the sail to move the boat. It is all harmony, the wind and the sail and the boat and the water as one unit.
When you sail, and the wind is behind you, it is smooth and quiet sailing. Quite peaceful. If you try and sail into the wind it is called “beating”. It really does feel like you’re getting beaten. The wind is loud. The waves are choppy. The boat balks. The sails refuse to fill and you have to constantly adjust them. You’re working against the wind in that case, sailing upwind as close as you can to the no-go zone. The boat heels over and the sails, mast, and people sailing it are stressed. The direction you go relative to the wind matters. The best thing to do when sailing into an upwind destination is to simply change your destination and thus go with the wind.
Pay attention to where the wind blows, and change your destination. If a person refuses to repent, all they will sow is a hot wind that destroys.
Much better to go with the gentle wind, allowing it to push us, purify us, cleanse us. Jesus is Lord, kind and good. .
Steve Crowder redistributes kids’ Halloween Candy at a church trunk or treat. The kids give us an important lesson about earning potential, fairness, and wealth redistribution.
“Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord! Why would you have the day of the Lord? It is darkness, and not light, as if a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him, or went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall, and a serpent bit him. Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light, and gloom with no brightness in it?” (Amos 5:18-20)
First, the earthly hardships that go along with a storm of this size are incredible. Frankly, when the Tribulation hits, the last place you want to be is in a city. Bug OUT if you want to survive.
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.
And then the rats arrive. The UK Daily Mail helpfully reminds us that “Rats are highly social individuals and live in a fairly stable social structure. If this storm disturbs that, rats could start infesting areas they never did before.’ There are precedents for rats being displaced by floods and forced into buildings. In the UK this summer washed out rats began infesting homes. ‘It’s not just about the high winds and rain,’ said Ostfeld. ‘A rat disturbance is something we should be concerned about.’ “
So the city is a bad place in the best of times. It is downright survival UNfriendly in the worst of times.
But what about spiritual survival? I pray that those who know Jesus have remained peaceful even in the face of terrible fear, adrenaline-pumping protection of your children, in evacuation, or even in the face of loss of all you owned. Jesus is the rock who will provide help to you spiritually to work through these hard times. (Psalm 9:9). What a Savior we have who promises help in times of trouble! Before I was saved I used to mock Jesus because I thought, wrongly, that if you were a Christian that meant you would never have trouble. So when trouble inevitably came to His believers, I thought he was powerless and ineffectual to protect them.
I know different now. Jesus said that in this world you will have trouble,
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”’ (John 16:33)
The difference now is that my faith in Him has shifted my perspective from one of clinging to temporal, earthly things, like a house and clothes and a car or a job, to Him in eternity. I have an eternal perspective and the treasures I am heaping up are hopefully faith, patience, love, kindness and other fruits of the Spirit that point to HIM. If I go through trouble (and I do) I rely on His peace and His grace and His Spirit to get me through. He is my Light. Being in the Light is warm and safe and peaceful. Nothing can trouble me when I am in the Light.
But for those who do not know the Light and are in the dark, it is a dark place indeed. Having an earthly perspective means that we see only to the end of our lifespan on earth, 40 or 70 or 80 years. That is not long. Anyone who is over 50 knows how short life is! And when some of that is taken away, a job or a car or a house, unbelievers get frantic because it takes time to build back up and if all you see are a few short years of life then there is no time!
Back to Manhattan being dark. Imagine the lost people in New York in the dark as the people in Amos’s verse, stumbling around in the dark during the Tribulation, AKA The Day of the Lord.
“Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord! Why would you have the day of the Lord? It is darkness, and not light, as if a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him, or went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall, and a serpent bit him. Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light, and gloom with no brightness in it?” (Amos 5:18-20)
They reel from one calamity to another, in gloom with no brightness.
The NYC photo of darkness is a real and scary event that is happening to millions right now. But it is also a spiritual metaphor for those who are stumbling around with no hope, they are in spiritual darkness. After the rapture there will be only darkness. Sin will have its day and the gates of hell will be allowed to prevail and overcome the world and the saints. (Revelation 13:7)
Repent now and be in His Light! In Him was the Light of men and in Him there is no darkness at all. (John 1:4-5). I’m not saying that if you repent of your sins and ask Jesus to forgive them, and become a born again (John 3:14) that you won’t have a tornado slam into your house or a flood carry your car away or that other disasters won’t touch you. Not at all. But you will be able to handle them with the Holy Spirit in you giving you strength, and the forgiveness and sanctification of Jesus giving you peace.
“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
Please come into the Light, the Light of Jesus and His outstretched hand offering forgiveness of your sins. Repent and believe, for the time is short.
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