The next assurance from the key verses should give us all pause. I know that modern churchianity has convinced everyone that everything from God is just this lovey-dovey, candy coated ball of theological cotton candy. Then what do we do with verses like verse 10 from the key verses? We stay away from it. Instead, we preach on Jeremiah 29:11 again even though that is NOT meant for the church. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief and that is not comfy news. How does a thief come beloved? Unannounced and in stealth. One of the greatest lies we all buy into is there is always time tomorrow. Then one day you run out of tomorrows but no one told you. Five police officers left their homes yesterday and did not know their time was up. All we can do is pray they knew the Lord because now it is too late. The same will be for the world and the church that is only pretending to follow Him. When He comes back it will be like a thief. Jesus said it will be like in the days of Noah. Everyone was partying and having a good old time. No one was considering what was on the horizon. A global agnostic worldview. The truth is there are very few atheists in this world. Most people are agnostic. They believe in "a" god, but seemingly do not care what He might want. I had someone once say to me that he was happy the "Christian" thing was working for me and also that the "Muslim thing" was working for a friend of his. Here is the problem though -- one of us is wrong. Pretending that it doesn't matter is mind boggling to me.
The final promise captured here is that the heavens will pass away with a roar, the heavenly bodies will burn up and every work on this earth will be exposed. Count on it. All of the vile hatred will be laid bare. All of our secret loathing will be open and we will not be able to lie to God like we do to man. The lies our deceptive hearts create for us to believe will not stand before the Lord. Our only hope is in our Savior, Christ Jesus. That is the true message of hope in Christianity beloved. That God does not desire for anyone to perish apart from Him. That He will return and end this turmoil we live through each and every day. He will wipe away every tear beloved. But you do not get there on the broad path because that only leads to destruction. You do not get there by covering up the truth. By covering up the shining city on a hill.
So what does this practically mean for us as believers? It means we should not be caught outside of the truth. We should stay away from picking sides because sides on this temporal coil do not matter at all. There were no winners yesterday beloved. Only people who lost their lives unnecessarily and now those who would traffic in this tragedy for propping up their own hate. Those who defend police at all costs. Those who pronounce judgment upon many for the acts of a few. Those who put personal politics over everything else. Those who leverage the Bible to sound pious when all they really are is carnal. Those who pray as if they do not understand the fundamentals of the Bible. We cannot bring anyone to Christ. That is carnal thinking. All we can do is turn the lights on in the city and let the light of Christ cut through the hazy shades of grey this world has devolved into. Preach the Gospel and let the Holy Spirit do the work. Some will come. Many will not. Preach the Gospel. When someone points out that black or blue lives matter -- preach the Gospel. When someone posts lying memes disparaging one candidate or the other -- preach the Gospel. The Bible says to not be caught up in foolish arguments:
Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know they breed quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. -- 2Timothy 2: 23-26 (ESV)
It does not matter what side we think is right. Don't we get it? We hold the keys to the kingdom of heaven in our hands and we want to argue with people over the kingdom of Satan? We have knowledge of the only thing that contains the power of God to save the lost and we want to quarrel over which killings were more righteous than others. The Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome. We are supposed to be kind to everyone beloved, not just those who share our opinions. When we must correct opponents we do so gently. We patiently endure evil as God is showing His patience and for the same reason. Perhaps some will come to repentance before it is too late. Perhaps some will come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil before God returns. Because then it will be too late. When He does return what will He find us busy with? Will He find us about His business or stumbling around through the haze, trying to find that leak"
Reverend Anthony Wade -- July 8, 2016
