Are you making any sense of what is happening in the world today? Any thoughts on the "flotilla story" that continues to dominate the media? Any sense in the direction our country is headed economically, politically, morally, and especially in relation to Israel? I have found that, when I engage a person in a conversation about today's world and their understanding of it, they either shrug their shoulders and state, "I really am not interested," or they admit that they are interested by don't know where to turn for answers. Sadly, the first group of responders is much greater than the second group.
Where do we turn for answers? The only adequate response is the Scriptures. I have had people ask me why they should care about what is happening in the world. Here is my response: Because Jesus said we should. In Matthew 16:1-3, Jesus is confronted by the Pharisees and Sadducees with a question: "The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven. He replied, 'When evening comes, you say, '"It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,"', and in the morning, '"Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.'" You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times."
In Matthew 24, that passage we often call Jesus' Olivet Discourse, Jesus continually commands His followers to be discerners of the times, to be observers of what is happening in their world. "Watch out that no one deceives you" (verse 4). That means to pay attention to what is happening and how it might impact your life. We are not to go around with our heads buried in the sand about what is happening around us. Again Jesus declared, "So when you see standing in the holy place the abomination that causes desolation spoken of through the prophet Daniel - let the reader understand" (verse 15). Again comes the challenge to be cognizant of events taking place before our very eyes. Jesus continued, "Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. (verses 32-33). Could that statement be any clearer? Just as we observe the various stages of the agricultural cycle - anticipating the time of harvest - so we are to observe the various events happening in our world - anticipating the time of spiritual harvest.
Finally, Jesus commands us: "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come" (verse 42). How can a person keep watch when his eyes are closed? How can a person keep watch when his mind is closed to the events happening all around him?
I know that many of you are very good at discerning the signs of good or bad weather. I have had people share with me that they believe it will be a hot, dry summer because of the way this plant or that insect is behaving. Others of you are very good at discerning the success or failure of your favorite ball team - mine, the Cubs...well, let's just say it is "wait until next year." Why should we be so reticent in discerning the events happening around us?
It is time that we wake up so that we can watch for our Lord's return. In so many ways I believe He is announcing to us that His coming is near. Oh Lord Jesus, come quickly!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
A Flotilla of Peace? I Don't Think So!
Once again the eyes of the world are focused upon the Middle East. And, once again, the nation of Israel is caught in the cross hairs of public opinion. As you know by now, this past Sunday commandos from the Israeli navy boarded six ships in a flotilla whose destination was the Gaza Strip. The ships were filled with Palestinian sympathizers from around the world as well as 10,000 tons of humanitarian supplies. The Israeli navy had tried to direct the ships into the Israeli harbor at Ashdod where the supplies could be off-loaded, inspected for contraband and weapons, and then loaded on trucks for the Gaza Strip. In the light of the recent smuggling of arms into the Gaza Strip through the border with Egypt, this seemed like a sensible request on the part of the Israeli government.
Five of the six ships were successfully boarded with no incidences of violence. But the sixth ship was a different story. Aboard this ship, flying the Turkish flag, were militants armed with knives, metal rods, and other weapons. As the Israeli navy commandos descended from their helicopters, they were attacked. I have seen the video footage shot from the helicopters. Armed with only paintball guns and side-guns, the Israeli commandos sought permission to return fire. When the request was granted, in the exchange of gun fire nine militants were killed and many more were wounded, including several Israeli soldiers.
Immediately the world was condemning of Israel. The Turkish government recalled its ambassador from Israel. Other European countries denounced the actions of the Israeli military. Protests were staged around the world before a media that displayed a feeding frenzy. "Israel is guilty" was the instant declaration.
Perhaps the facts speak otherwise. First, the world views the Gazans are prisoners locked in a cage. While it is true that Israel and Egypt together provided a naval blockade of the Gaza Strip following the Hamas take-over in 2006, it is not true that humanitarian aide is not getting to the Palestinians living there. During the first three months of 2010, Israel supplied over 94,500 tons of relief supplies - including 48,000 tons of food supplies, 40,000 tons of wheat, 2760 tons of rice and 1987 tons of clothing and shoes. (The flotilla of six ships carried a meager 10,000 tons of supplies).
Second, the Israeli government did not prohibit the supplies from reaching Gaza; they merely asked that the ships off-load at Ashdod so that the supplies could be inspected for illegal weapons and other contraband, and then sent off to Gaza. From a nation that has experienced over 10,000 rockets from Gaza over the past 3 years, this seemed like a logical request.
Third, supposedly the participants in this flotilla were peace-activists. By the very term that should have denoted men and women given to non-violent ways. Instead of promoting peace, they instigated conflict. As one Muslim activist on one of the ships exclaimed, "There are two possible happy endings; either we will reach Gaza or we will achieve martyrdom." Doesn't sound very peace-loving to me, does it to you?
Fourth, according to a report from Al-Jazeera television, you know this station from its broadcasts of the ben-Laden tapes, the Muslim activists were shouting, "Khaybar, Khaybar, oh Jews, the army of Muhammed will return." Khaybar was Jewish settlement that was viciously attacked by Muhammed; 628 Jews were massacred.
Now, as I write this piece, two more ships are headed for Gaza. The Israeli navy has threatened to intercept them as well. This does not sound like peace; it sounds like provocation to me.
Does this assault have any biblical importance? I believe that it does. It is another step in the isolating of Israel from the world community. As I continue reading and studying the writings of the prophets, I am becoming increasingly aware that God will separate His people from the nations of the world in the end times. He has a special work that He desires to accomplish through them during those days. This will not be the first time the Jewish people have been isolated; in fact, when one carefully studies their history, isolation is almost a Jewish thing.
What I do find sad, though, is the lack of support from our nation's government. Although invited to the White House for a meeting with President Obama yesterday, according to a leading Israeli paper, Prime Minister Netanyahu was told that President Obama did not want him to use the White House as a stage on which to present Israel's side of the story. Thus the Prime Minister returned to Israel.
Friends, the focus of our attention should continue to be on the Middle East. You can rest assured that the Iranians are loving this diversion of attention. Now the eyes of the world are off them allowing them to pursue their goals of nuclear armament. The bulls-eye has been moved over a nation no larger than New Jersey. Satan has hated Israel since the time of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. His one desire would be to see Israel totally destroyed. And with that desire, the Bible tells us that he will be defeated.
Five of the six ships were successfully boarded with no incidences of violence. But the sixth ship was a different story. Aboard this ship, flying the Turkish flag, were militants armed with knives, metal rods, and other weapons. As the Israeli navy commandos descended from their helicopters, they were attacked. I have seen the video footage shot from the helicopters. Armed with only paintball guns and side-guns, the Israeli commandos sought permission to return fire. When the request was granted, in the exchange of gun fire nine militants were killed and many more were wounded, including several Israeli soldiers.
Immediately the world was condemning of Israel. The Turkish government recalled its ambassador from Israel. Other European countries denounced the actions of the Israeli military. Protests were staged around the world before a media that displayed a feeding frenzy. "Israel is guilty" was the instant declaration.
Perhaps the facts speak otherwise. First, the world views the Gazans are prisoners locked in a cage. While it is true that Israel and Egypt together provided a naval blockade of the Gaza Strip following the Hamas take-over in 2006, it is not true that humanitarian aide is not getting to the Palestinians living there. During the first three months of 2010, Israel supplied over 94,500 tons of relief supplies - including 48,000 tons of food supplies, 40,000 tons of wheat, 2760 tons of rice and 1987 tons of clothing and shoes. (The flotilla of six ships carried a meager 10,000 tons of supplies).
Second, the Israeli government did not prohibit the supplies from reaching Gaza; they merely asked that the ships off-load at Ashdod so that the supplies could be inspected for illegal weapons and other contraband, and then sent off to Gaza. From a nation that has experienced over 10,000 rockets from Gaza over the past 3 years, this seemed like a logical request.
Third, supposedly the participants in this flotilla were peace-activists. By the very term that should have denoted men and women given to non-violent ways. Instead of promoting peace, they instigated conflict. As one Muslim activist on one of the ships exclaimed, "There are two possible happy endings; either we will reach Gaza or we will achieve martyrdom." Doesn't sound very peace-loving to me, does it to you?
Fourth, according to a report from Al-Jazeera television, you know this station from its broadcasts of the ben-Laden tapes, the Muslim activists were shouting, "Khaybar, Khaybar, oh Jews, the army of Muhammed will return." Khaybar was Jewish settlement that was viciously attacked by Muhammed; 628 Jews were massacred.
Now, as I write this piece, two more ships are headed for Gaza. The Israeli navy has threatened to intercept them as well. This does not sound like peace; it sounds like provocation to me.
Does this assault have any biblical importance? I believe that it does. It is another step in the isolating of Israel from the world community. As I continue reading and studying the writings of the prophets, I am becoming increasingly aware that God will separate His people from the nations of the world in the end times. He has a special work that He desires to accomplish through them during those days. This will not be the first time the Jewish people have been isolated; in fact, when one carefully studies their history, isolation is almost a Jewish thing.
What I do find sad, though, is the lack of support from our nation's government. Although invited to the White House for a meeting with President Obama yesterday, according to a leading Israeli paper, Prime Minister Netanyahu was told that President Obama did not want him to use the White House as a stage on which to present Israel's side of the story. Thus the Prime Minister returned to Israel.
Friends, the focus of our attention should continue to be on the Middle East. You can rest assured that the Iranians are loving this diversion of attention. Now the eyes of the world are off them allowing them to pursue their goals of nuclear armament. The bulls-eye has been moved over a nation no larger than New Jersey. Satan has hated Israel since the time of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. His one desire would be to see Israel totally destroyed. And with that desire, the Bible tells us that he will be defeated.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Some Reflections on Memorial Day
Monday is Memorial Day. As a child growing up the day meant two things: a picnic at my grandparents' farm and a visit to the cemetery to place flowers on the graves of people whom I had never met. I remember the brightly colored flags that draped the small driveways and the cheery peony bushes that dotted the landscape. I came to associate the peony as the cemetery flower. We especially took time before the graves of those who had fought either in World War I or II. To be brutally honest, as a child the picnic was much more exciting than the cemetery visit.
As a parent I can hardly remember taking my own children to the cemetery on Memorial Day. I am not sure exactly why I didn't. Perhaps it was because I had grown apathetic about those freedoms that I had come to take for granted. Perhaps it was because my generation had not been touched by a war that brought unity rather than riot. Perhaps it was because I had simply lost touch with my past.
I am nearing the completion of preaching a series through the book of Joshua. What God has shown me through my study is the value of remembering, the value of memorial stones. Throughout the book, Joshua and the people of Israel erect several memorial stones; some are to commemorate great victories, while others are reminders of the consequences of sin. These memorial stones literally dotted the landscape of the newly conquered Promised Land. Each stone had a story that needed to be retold to the next generation. It was as if God wanted His people to be connected to the past and its lessons.
One of the great failures of the Church today is to connect its people with the past. There are no memorial stones in today's Church. There are no cemeteries, if you will, where a person can wander and discover roots and stories and truths. We have failed to help believers to connect with men and women who gave their lives contending for the faith. We have very few heroes and heroines. We have become so absorbed with the present that we have lost touch with the past, resulting in a cloudy future.
So, this Memorial Day weekend I want to enjoy a picnic with family and friends. Perhaps I will spend some time enjoying the peony bushes in my yard and be reminded of days gone by. And, although I will probably not get to the cemetery where my Dad is buried or where my grandparents are buried, I want to pause for a few moments to remember their influence upon my life. I want to reconnect to the past so that I can have a better understanding of who I am.
As a parent I can hardly remember taking my own children to the cemetery on Memorial Day. I am not sure exactly why I didn't. Perhaps it was because I had grown apathetic about those freedoms that I had come to take for granted. Perhaps it was because my generation had not been touched by a war that brought unity rather than riot. Perhaps it was because I had simply lost touch with my past.
I am nearing the completion of preaching a series through the book of Joshua. What God has shown me through my study is the value of remembering, the value of memorial stones. Throughout the book, Joshua and the people of Israel erect several memorial stones; some are to commemorate great victories, while others are reminders of the consequences of sin. These memorial stones literally dotted the landscape of the newly conquered Promised Land. Each stone had a story that needed to be retold to the next generation. It was as if God wanted His people to be connected to the past and its lessons.
One of the great failures of the Church today is to connect its people with the past. There are no memorial stones in today's Church. There are no cemeteries, if you will, where a person can wander and discover roots and stories and truths. We have failed to help believers to connect with men and women who gave their lives contending for the faith. We have very few heroes and heroines. We have become so absorbed with the present that we have lost touch with the past, resulting in a cloudy future.
So, this Memorial Day weekend I want to enjoy a picnic with family and friends. Perhaps I will spend some time enjoying the peony bushes in my yard and be reminded of days gone by. And, although I will probably not get to the cemetery where my Dad is buried or where my grandparents are buried, I want to pause for a few moments to remember their influence upon my life. I want to reconnect to the past so that I can have a better understanding of who I am.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Thoughts on the Feast of Shavuot
Today, May 19, 2010, is Pentecost, or as it is observed in Israel - the Feast of Shavuot or the Feast of Weeks. It marks the fiftieth day since Passover. Shavuot was one of the three pilgrimage feasts as outlined by God in the Law of Moses. We read in Leviticus 23:15-16: "From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering (this is a reference to the Feast of Firstfruits, celebrated immediately following Passover), count off seven full weeks. Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the LORD." The passage in Leviticus then proceeds to describe the various offerings that were to be presented to God at Shavuot.
What I found very interesting were two commands in conjunction with this festival commemorating the harvest. The first is found in Deuteronomy 16:10: "Then celebrate the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God by giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings the LORD your God has given you." Notice, there was no stipulation as to the precise amount to be given to God. At other times, a certain amount was prescribed, but not now. This was truly a freewill offering. As God had blessed the harvest I was cutting, so I was to be inclined to give proportionally to Him, not out of obligation, but out of joy.
In this light I am reminded of the advice the Apostle Paul gave to the Corinthians: "Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7). The size of the gift is left to the discretion of the giver; and whatever the size of gift, it should be presented with great joy. I have always said that the most joyful part of any worship service should be the presentation of tithes and offerings. Yet, unfortunately, it is often the most somber, almost funeral-like. Are we that attached to what God has loaned to us?
But I discovered a second truth about the celebration of Pentecost. It is found in Leviticus 23:22 - "When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God." What a statement! Not only were the children of Israel to bring a freewill offering to the Lord, but they were not to completely harvest everything in their fields. They were to leave some of it standing so the poor and others who were disenfranchised could gather provisions for sustaining life. It is like God was saying to them: "Give Me a gift first, then leave a gift for the poor, and you will still have sufficient for yourselves." Pretty amazing principle, don't you think?
One final thought concerning the Feast of Shavuot: it was on this day that the Church was given birth. You will find that story in Acts 2. It was as if the receiving of the Holy Spirit came as God gave to us His freewill offering. And then He urged us to share that gift with others.
So, my friends, I wish you a joyous Pentecost.
What I found very interesting were two commands in conjunction with this festival commemorating the harvest. The first is found in Deuteronomy 16:10: "Then celebrate the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God by giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings the LORD your God has given you." Notice, there was no stipulation as to the precise amount to be given to God. At other times, a certain amount was prescribed, but not now. This was truly a freewill offering. As God had blessed the harvest I was cutting, so I was to be inclined to give proportionally to Him, not out of obligation, but out of joy.
In this light I am reminded of the advice the Apostle Paul gave to the Corinthians: "Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7). The size of the gift is left to the discretion of the giver; and whatever the size of gift, it should be presented with great joy. I have always said that the most joyful part of any worship service should be the presentation of tithes and offerings. Yet, unfortunately, it is often the most somber, almost funeral-like. Are we that attached to what God has loaned to us?
But I discovered a second truth about the celebration of Pentecost. It is found in Leviticus 23:22 - "When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God." What a statement! Not only were the children of Israel to bring a freewill offering to the Lord, but they were not to completely harvest everything in their fields. They were to leave some of it standing so the poor and others who were disenfranchised could gather provisions for sustaining life. It is like God was saying to them: "Give Me a gift first, then leave a gift for the poor, and you will still have sufficient for yourselves." Pretty amazing principle, don't you think?
One final thought concerning the Feast of Shavuot: it was on this day that the Church was given birth. You will find that story in Acts 2. It was as if the receiving of the Holy Spirit came as God gave to us His freewill offering. And then He urged us to share that gift with others.
So, my friends, I wish you a joyous Pentecost.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Jerusalem Day!
What day is today? Strange question you might ask. It is Wednesday, May 12, 2010. And that is correct. But it is also something else. This is Jerusalem Day. It was 43 years ago that the Israeli armed forced captured the Old City of Jerusalem during the Six-Day War. Previous to that time, the Jordanians ruled over that part of Jerusalem. Of course, the greatest prize was the Western Wall which Israeli Jews had not seen since the War of Independence in 1948.
Last night, in a speech on the eve of Jerusalem Day, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu quoted from Isaiah 62:1 - "For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem's sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch." He went on to say, "The battle for Jerusalem is a battle for truth. ... There can be no justice without truth and if there is a perversion of justice vis-a-vis our city and nation, it means the truth has been perverted, because the truth is that Jerusalem is our city and we never compromised on that, not after the destruction of the First Holy Temple, nor after the destruction of the Second. We were a majority in the city until the 9th century and we returned 2000 years later and witnessed the city's destruction once again. There is no other nation that feels this deeply about a city. ... We will continue to build Jerusalem, a city that is full of life."
But, as you are aware - or, at least I hope you are aware; you need to be aware - there is incredible pressure being placed upon Israel to give up its claim to the Old City, including its spiritual treasure in the Western Wall. In its eagerness to pacify the Arab world, our nation's leaders, along with those of Europe, have demanded that Israel hand over East Jerusalem to the Palestinians. Thus the city would once again be divided. The holy sites would be in jeopardy.
My friends, the longer I study the prophetic texts, the more assured I become that Jerusalem occupies a great place in God's heart. It is the city of His choosing; not Washington DC, or Paris, or London, or Tehran. This is the place where He inscribed His name. This is the place where He paid the ultimate sacrifice to redeem a lost mankind. This is the place where a handful of followers of Jesus Christ were sent out to change the world.
Yes, Jerusalem has more suffering to do. The Scriptures indicate that. In fact, one of the great battle scenes of Armageddon will occur just outside its walls. Yet, when the King of kings descends in power and glory, it will be to Jerusalem that He will come. And it will be from Jerusalem that He will reign for those millennial years.
How I wish I could walk with each of you through the crowded streets of Jerusalem! There is a certain electricity that is felt with each step. It is as if you were treading on holy ground; and, it is holy. It is holy because of what happened there in the past; and it is holy because of what will happen there in the future.
So, I wish you a blessed Jerusalem Day. Why not take some time today to read Psalm 122. There you will read: "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels. For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say, 'Peace be within you.' For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your prosperity." (Psalm 122:6-9).
Long may the banner of Jerusalem fly high!
Last night, in a speech on the eve of Jerusalem Day, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu quoted from Isaiah 62:1 - "For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem's sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch." He went on to say, "The battle for Jerusalem is a battle for truth. ... There can be no justice without truth and if there is a perversion of justice vis-a-vis our city and nation, it means the truth has been perverted, because the truth is that Jerusalem is our city and we never compromised on that, not after the destruction of the First Holy Temple, nor after the destruction of the Second. We were a majority in the city until the 9th century and we returned 2000 years later and witnessed the city's destruction once again. There is no other nation that feels this deeply about a city. ... We will continue to build Jerusalem, a city that is full of life."
But, as you are aware - or, at least I hope you are aware; you need to be aware - there is incredible pressure being placed upon Israel to give up its claim to the Old City, including its spiritual treasure in the Western Wall. In its eagerness to pacify the Arab world, our nation's leaders, along with those of Europe, have demanded that Israel hand over East Jerusalem to the Palestinians. Thus the city would once again be divided. The holy sites would be in jeopardy.
My friends, the longer I study the prophetic texts, the more assured I become that Jerusalem occupies a great place in God's heart. It is the city of His choosing; not Washington DC, or Paris, or London, or Tehran. This is the place where He inscribed His name. This is the place where He paid the ultimate sacrifice to redeem a lost mankind. This is the place where a handful of followers of Jesus Christ were sent out to change the world.
Yes, Jerusalem has more suffering to do. The Scriptures indicate that. In fact, one of the great battle scenes of Armageddon will occur just outside its walls. Yet, when the King of kings descends in power and glory, it will be to Jerusalem that He will come. And it will be from Jerusalem that He will reign for those millennial years.
How I wish I could walk with each of you through the crowded streets of Jerusalem! There is a certain electricity that is felt with each step. It is as if you were treading on holy ground; and, it is holy. It is holy because of what happened there in the past; and it is holy because of what will happen there in the future.
So, I wish you a blessed Jerusalem Day. Why not take some time today to read Psalm 122. There you will read: "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels. For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say, 'Peace be within you.' For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your prosperity." (Psalm 122:6-9).
Long may the banner of Jerusalem fly high!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Listen: Joel Is Trying to Warn Us!
Last evening I began a study that will take me most of the summer. It is a comprehensive study of the Minor Prophets - all twelve books, all 67 chapters. This is in preparation for a class that I will be teaching in January-February 2011. I have wrestled with some of the major teachings in each book as part of the 36-week "Genesis-Revelation" study that I have been teaching these past 11 years. But I have never truly delved into each of the books individually.
I began with Joel - not sure why, but that is where I began. The central truth of that first chapter is of a series of four devastating locust invasions, followed by an intense summer heat that has completely destroyed the crops, even to stripping the bark off trees. The ground is so parched that nothing can grow. Even the cattle and flocks moan because there is nothing for them to eat. Because of the lack of grain and wine, the grain offerings and drink offerings cannot be provided in the temple; thus the incompleteness of the burnt offerings, resulting in the worship of God being compromised (Joel 1:9).
The reason for such devastation is not directly stated in the chapter, but it is certainly implied. The cause - sin. The prophet entreats the religious leaders to "declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly" (Joel 1:14). This is a national crisis. Resolution will not be found in governmental programs or ideas, but in a genuine turning to God in repentance - a national repentance. The prophet further declares: "Alas for that day! For the day of the LORD is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty" (Joel 1:15). In other words, judgment is certain!
But what truly grabbed my heart as I was reading this chapter was this thought: God was powerfully making a statement to Judah through a series of catastrophic natural disasters. It was to be a wake-up call to them. It was to be a time for them to re-evaluate their relationship with Him. It was a time to mourn, to grieve, and to cry out to God. It was a time for change because something worse might happen if the people continued to persist in their sinful practices.
2010 has certainly been a year of unusually powerful natural disasters. From the powerfully destructive earthquakes in Haiti and Chili to volcanic eruptions in Iceland, from historical winter snows in Europe to record flooding in America's southeastern region - it is as if God were trumpeting His strong warnings. But are we listening? Has there been a turning to God? Are people repenting of sin? Yes, in some cases people are responding back to God. But so many more are not. I keep wondering what God will do next to get our attention.
Observing first the locusts and the devastation they caused, then the intense drought, the prophet Joel declares that God's judgment is imminent. Might we say the same today as we observe the cries from the natural world? If these are truly the birth pangs, then friends, we had better begin falling on our knees before a holy God because the Judge will soon walk through His chamber doors and take His throne.
I began with Joel - not sure why, but that is where I began. The central truth of that first chapter is of a series of four devastating locust invasions, followed by an intense summer heat that has completely destroyed the crops, even to stripping the bark off trees. The ground is so parched that nothing can grow. Even the cattle and flocks moan because there is nothing for them to eat. Because of the lack of grain and wine, the grain offerings and drink offerings cannot be provided in the temple; thus the incompleteness of the burnt offerings, resulting in the worship of God being compromised (Joel 1:9).
The reason for such devastation is not directly stated in the chapter, but it is certainly implied. The cause - sin. The prophet entreats the religious leaders to "declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly" (Joel 1:14). This is a national crisis. Resolution will not be found in governmental programs or ideas, but in a genuine turning to God in repentance - a national repentance. The prophet further declares: "Alas for that day! For the day of the LORD is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty" (Joel 1:15). In other words, judgment is certain!
But what truly grabbed my heart as I was reading this chapter was this thought: God was powerfully making a statement to Judah through a series of catastrophic natural disasters. It was to be a wake-up call to them. It was to be a time for them to re-evaluate their relationship with Him. It was a time to mourn, to grieve, and to cry out to God. It was a time for change because something worse might happen if the people continued to persist in their sinful practices.
2010 has certainly been a year of unusually powerful natural disasters. From the powerfully destructive earthquakes in Haiti and Chili to volcanic eruptions in Iceland, from historical winter snows in Europe to record flooding in America's southeastern region - it is as if God were trumpeting His strong warnings. But are we listening? Has there been a turning to God? Are people repenting of sin? Yes, in some cases people are responding back to God. But so many more are not. I keep wondering what God will do next to get our attention.
Observing first the locusts and the devastation they caused, then the intense drought, the prophet Joel declares that God's judgment is imminent. Might we say the same today as we observe the cries from the natural world? If these are truly the birth pangs, then friends, we had better begin falling on our knees before a holy God because the Judge will soon walk through His chamber doors and take His throne.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Thoughts on Time
Time...have you ever wondered what life might be like in the absence of time? Now I know that is very difficult to comprehend. Our lives are governed by time. In fact, before Adam and Eve were placed into God's Garden, time had already usurped its dominion. "And God said, 'Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years" (Genesis 1:14). By the fourth creative day, time had begun.
Our lives are measured by time. The very first act performed on your behalf upon birth is the recording of the time, and the last act is the recording of the time. Your life is defined by days and years - I have now lived 63 years and 75 days. (I must admit that, at times, it seems longer than that, while, at other times, it has seemed shorter). Your day-by-day life is measured by time; you eat at certain times, you sleep at certain times, your hurry off to work at certain times, your children go to school at certain times, your favorite program on television begins at a certain time, and the baseball game begins at a certain time.
The changing seasons remind us of time. Spring follows winter, only, in turn, to be followed by summer, then fall, then winter again. Again, God says this measurement of time indicates the continuance of the earth: "As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease" (Genesis 8:22).
Could time ever be changed? Could a day be possibly something other than a day, an hour something other than an hour? "Hardly likely," you will say. But, would not it be possible for God to "mess with" time? Of course He could! After all, He is the Creator, and the Creator can do whatever He wishes with His creation. He can take five little loaves and two little fish and feed an estimated 20,000 people with them. He can take six large pots filled with ordinary water and turn them into the finest wine ever tasted. He can summon from the grave a man who had been dead for four days.
Did God ever interfere with time? One such occurrence is found in Joshua 10:12-14: "On the day the LORD gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the LORD in the presence of Israel: 'O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.' So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the LORD listened to a man. Surely the LORD was fighting for Israel!" The miracle known as the "long day" is just that...a miracle! It defies human explanation. It transcends human understanding. It surpasses all scientific logic. But to deny that it happened is to lessen the character of God. Remember, God is the Creator of time. God is outside of time. Therefore, although He normally chooses to exercise His authority within the boundaries of His creation, there are those moments when He acts above and beyond those boundaries. And so, one day was longer than 24 hours; in fact, it was as two days. Incredible!
Time...what a world awaits us; a world outside the parameters of time as we now know them. A world with no clocks. A world with no alarms telling us it is time to.... What a day that will be!
Our lives are measured by time. The very first act performed on your behalf upon birth is the recording of the time, and the last act is the recording of the time. Your life is defined by days and years - I have now lived 63 years and 75 days. (I must admit that, at times, it seems longer than that, while, at other times, it has seemed shorter). Your day-by-day life is measured by time; you eat at certain times, you sleep at certain times, your hurry off to work at certain times, your children go to school at certain times, your favorite program on television begins at a certain time, and the baseball game begins at a certain time.
The changing seasons remind us of time. Spring follows winter, only, in turn, to be followed by summer, then fall, then winter again. Again, God says this measurement of time indicates the continuance of the earth: "As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease" (Genesis 8:22).
Could time ever be changed? Could a day be possibly something other than a day, an hour something other than an hour? "Hardly likely," you will say. But, would not it be possible for God to "mess with" time? Of course He could! After all, He is the Creator, and the Creator can do whatever He wishes with His creation. He can take five little loaves and two little fish and feed an estimated 20,000 people with them. He can take six large pots filled with ordinary water and turn them into the finest wine ever tasted. He can summon from the grave a man who had been dead for four days.
Did God ever interfere with time? One such occurrence is found in Joshua 10:12-14: "On the day the LORD gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the LORD in the presence of Israel: 'O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.' So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the LORD listened to a man. Surely the LORD was fighting for Israel!" The miracle known as the "long day" is just that...a miracle! It defies human explanation. It transcends human understanding. It surpasses all scientific logic. But to deny that it happened is to lessen the character of God. Remember, God is the Creator of time. God is outside of time. Therefore, although He normally chooses to exercise His authority within the boundaries of His creation, there are those moments when He acts above and beyond those boundaries. And so, one day was longer than 24 hours; in fact, it was as two days. Incredible!
Time...what a world awaits us; a world outside the parameters of time as we now know them. A world with no clocks. A world with no alarms telling us it is time to.... What a day that will be!
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