There have been attempts historically to cancel God. Seems every generation has tackled that challenge. Again today, we have (using human logic, greed and political power) man’s own attempt to be their own god, determining what is right and wrong by their own definitions and thereby pushing out the Wisdom and Peace of the one true God.
To me, I can’t image that effort more obviously expressed than in the attempt to discard God’s words about His creation: Adam and Eve. Mankind in the name of love tolerates so many things that are not 1) good or 2) wise for children or adults. There’s no attempt by the current worldly cultures to be wise with either their own lives or their children’s lives. Question: Is it love to let children play in the street? Of course it’s not. You wouldn’t tolerate something that dangerous for our children just to be kind to them. You wouldn’t do that just to prove you understand how they might be feeling. Yet, today how people ‘feel’ (even 6-7 year olds) far outweighs how destructive their feeling might be. We can let today’s feelings fulfilled adversely affect years of our future. Real love protects, it’s compassionate; simple tolerance should not be superior to wisdom. (Over-exaggerating here but: Tolerance has become this culture’s god, we bow down to it day after day. The Wisdom of God has been given the boot.)
Culturally, it seems all ideas are validated just by being someone’s idea. In the real life not all ideas are equal; some are not wise, some are not best. Without the anchor of the One True God’s Love or Wisdom, without the Creator’s Manual, right and wrong becomes of no consequence, behavior has no consequences. Simply look around and evaluate the future of our world 25 years from now; a world ‘maturing’ into its current definitions and actions for life. It’s an amazing panorama looking at what we had to deal with a few years ago and what we’re being asked to ‘tolerate’ today. Much of what’s taking place today, we’re not taking as seriously as we should be. We’ve been persuaded that all things man can come up with to oppose God’s word and Wisdom are valid, even to the point of people’s personal character weaknesses being celebrated. Wisdom is passed off as an inappropriate consideration for our world today. Canceling God, Creator of all things, leaves us vulnerable to some pretty ‘sick’ stuff.
We’re at the crossroads of civilization and significantly for believers in Christ. Today is what I’d call ‘Gospel Big Time’ (sub-titled ‘Crunch Time,’ sub-titled ‘This Is Not the 50s’). In the past I think we got away with talking the talk but as we’ve continued to ‘progress’ we’re being dominated by human-cultural-logic. Walking the walk in Jesus, physically and mentally, is becoming more necessary for believers each day. My wife Jane expresses it simply, “When your cup gets bumped we’ll find out what’s on the inside,”– what spills out reveals our true Faith and Belief. When the squeeze comes, how will our Faith respond? The real you is being revealed under today’s situations each day.
I’ve always teased people, and it’s becoming more and more serious when I share it with friends, that there’s a time coming when it will be characterized as a time of ‘separation for clarification.’ What I mean is things will get so ‘upside down’ that good will be evil and evil will be good. It will be obvious to us what‘s being whispered to us is a deception of the truth about God. Much of what we see today on the national and world scene is lumped into the term ‘value signaling.’ Prancing around in what we are supposed to believe is compassion but behind the curtain are other reasons for the behavior. What is love and what is Love; there is a difference. There’s a huge difference in what’s created by God and what’s created by the heart and mind of unbelieving men and women. Godly Compassion heals and helps, tolerance eventually hurts.
Often I think about how the biblical patriarchs are described as common people, people just like you and me. Peter was a fisherman and Mathew a tax collector. If Jesus had come in this generation, perhaps we would characterize Peter as a cattle rancher and Mathew perhaps working for the IRS; people with very normal people lives and reactions. They were not super men or women but people created just as we are. The only difference was Jesus was living and teaching right in front of them.
I was recently reading John 20, the description of the disciples after the crucifixion. Mary had just discovered that someone had stolen Jesus’ body or perhaps Nicodemus or Joseph (of Arimathaea) had moved him. These people had heard Jesus express being raised from the dead; however, doing about the same as we would do, they didn’t comprehend what Jesus had said . They didn’t shout with glory, they panicked. Peter and John ran to the tomb, rushed inside to verify Mary’s fear. The grave cloths were there, not neatly folded and placed on the stone ledge but laying exactly as if Jesus had just risen directly up over them. Mary mistakes Jesus appearing to her at the cemetery as a gardener. She asked him if he knew where they had taken Jesus. Jesus simply identified himself by merely speaking Mary’s name.
Later, some of Jesus’ inner circle was gathered in what they considered a safe place. In an upstairs room, the door was shut, they were hiding, being fearful followers, leaderless followers, their Messiah dead, Jewish leadership and Roman guards seeking them to give Jesus’ followers trouble. In walks Jesus and the first words out of his mouth: ‘Peace be unto you.’ He alone was, and still today is, the only one that could have delivered that message. He alone gives that Peace in the middle of the fear and uncertainty at any moment or situation.
The Bible is not just words on a page but words that need to be revealed to us; they must have the presence of the Holy Spirit. The Bible isn’t simply a historical comment on creation, the Jewish people, Jesus or the disciples; it’s about Christ’s presence then and his presence today. John the Baptist expressed it simply: ‘Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.’ He continuously takes sin away, not just that once at the Jordan, but still does that today. John’s word ‘behold’ in that scripture implies an encounter. That’s more than just ‘see’ the Lamb of God with our eyes, but perceive with your heart and mind.
The original sin was Satan deceiving Adam and Eve suggesting God was not trustworthy, suggesting God lies, He withholds from us. It was a direct attack upon the character/nature of God. We still hear those accusations today from people that hate God. In Eden the deception created mistrust and a separation from God. Those thoughts still do that today. The misinformation of that day was that God was against us, much the same as today. Reality is that sending His own Son to teach and be a sacrifice on the Cross was a statement of how much He was for us, valued us, reached for us, Loves us.
Jesus’ message, after being put through a kangaroo court, humiliated and murdered, entering into the Upper Room, was ‘Peace be unto you’… This is the Peace that overcomes the world, it’s beyond our understanding and it’s what overwhelms all the plans of evil. It’s a Peace that defeats every challenge and it’s a gift from God through Jesus Christ. There is only one way to the Father, only one way to understand the Father, and it’s through the heart knowledge of Jesus Christ.
It’s a ‘Gospel Big Time,’ and while serious in every way, our lives can still be filled with His Joy, His Peace, His Hope, His Comfort. It’s not the time to be faint of heart. Jane often reminds me that one of her favorite biblical teachers describes today’s world as not one that’s falling apart but it’s the world falling into place. Jesus’ teaching was prophetic, and when we see these things fall into place it encourages us to ‘not be unaware.’
It’s ‘Gospel Big Time.’ A time emphasizing the importance of faith and the choices we make about faith. I have faith and trust in Christ Jesus and in the Father’s heart. Others have faith in no Christ, no God, but theirs is still faith. It’s true, neither one of us can give you physical proof to support our beliefs. However, it’s still a belief system no matter what side of the fence we stand. My side and the other’s side simply have to have a faith based on what’s in each of our hearts. In my case, if I’m wrong no big deal. If they’re wrong…big deal! I would seriously encourage people to study that difference out.