Coin Side 1: ‘Fess Up’

Ok, it’s time to say it.  I’ve been approached by folks lately that are fixated on “where are we” in the biblical timetable.  Things are moving so fast.  We have two distinct groups of thought.  Many cheering us on along the path we have chosen to take and just about as many trying to pull back on the reigns and slow this thing down.  It’s so like the days of the Prophets, who had bad news to deliver in an environment where most folks just wanted to be left alone.  Well, here’s my take.  And, in spite of the tenor of the content, I can say everything and still keep a smile on my face.  It’s not good news on the surface but, as most novels go, it ends up ok.

Let me first say this one specific and necessary thing: It is positively, necessarily, and obligated that we choose Him.  That is the one true and unique fact of this life on planet earth.  Now I know many disagree and many are even now working actively to get us away from that fact, but regardless, it does not change the fact.  The following is my explanation of why.

The planet was created by the hand of God and the creature (that’s you) was created by the very breath of God.  He made that creature totally dependent upon Himself.  He, at that same time, made the creature independent with the choice of whether that creature would actually depend on Him or not.  So we are left with one huge dilemma:  we need Him without exception and yet, we are obligated to have to choose Him in order to have the very thing we need.  Problem!  For me there are only two things going on in the earth, those that seek Him and those that are trying to deny Him.  This is a ‘me or He’ choice.  There is one Need that’s contrasted by a million ways that the creature comes up with to try and separate himself from God.  Not smart to do, but that is exactly the free choice God has given to us.  And, the world is running as hard and fast as it can to do just that. 

Now, assuming that is the case, here’s the rub.  You see, the creation is not neutral.  God, in order to make the need part, the NEED part, put a caveat in the mix.  Here’s the caveat: Choosing against Him, no matter how many diverse ways we come up with to do it, ALWAYS leads to calamity in our lives, our country and the world as a whole.  That’s where I believe we’re at!  We see trouble, and the potential for more trouble, because the creature continues this journey by choosing his own way.  Because of the caveat, every time we choose against Him we become as blind.  Israel, even His chosen, became blinded as they continued to reject His every call.  And Paul teaches that, without Christ, we will be as those that stumble and fall.  As we (meaning our culture, our world) distance ourselves further from the Love of God, as we get further away from Him, we look more and more like someone drunk on his own rebellion.  That’s not because we are silly just by ourselves, it’s because God in His Wisdom has put the caveat in.  It’s impossible not to stumble and be as blind men when we choose against Him, No Exceptions!  It’s not like we can get smart enough to avoid the blindness; no it’s a blindness guaranteed by the very rejection!  The world has decided that what we lack is logic, but logic will not work.  OK, we need more reason, more education, but both have been proclaimed and expanded and both have failed to provide a true remedy.  We just need more communication and discussion is the cry today.  Yes, that’s the grand solution to the earth’s problems.  Or, maybe our peace will be found in the banks and the insurance companies.  This is where I think my grandfather would have said, “Hogwash!”  It’s us just putting more confidence in our ‘head stuff’ rather than the heart of God.  We just simply will not learn that, apart from God, we are nothing!  Nothing! That’s not a word that means we are something, but something with just a little less of Him.  No, nothing means nothing, zip, nada.  Oh, we are a million things for sure, but the sum total of the million things is still zero.  But, the world will not get over it.  It labors full time to say there is no God, we need no One!  Why do we do that?   How do good and normal people seem to be able to do it so easily?

Jesus occasionally dropped the answer in his conversation.  I don’t think it’s easily recognizable because we usually see the symptoms of our independence, but not the cause itself.  The cause of all the trouble we see and dread has a basket full of ‘independent’ tricks for us to choose from, but really there is only one cause for all this stuff.  Jesus called it ‘the spirit of anti-Christ’.  It is powerful enough that it lets very reasonable, very logical men and women act totally unreasonable and not logical at all.  It’s so clever it does not necessarily take evil or crazy folks for its expression, but takes everyday people and their everyday activities to accomplish its rebellion against the Love of God.  It, this spirit, works full time against the Truth, cheers the Lie, applauds the bad and makes heroes out of our elite rebels in our culture.  It’s this spirit that makes it possible for us, sometimes the best of the creatures, to call evil good and good evil.  Makes no sense, but we do it without a conscience, and sometimes wrapped in the flag of our great love for humanity.  This spirit of anti-Christ works in people, people that would never purposely choose for it to do so, but because it blinds us to the Truth we sometimes unknowingly partnership with its purpose.

Bottom line: I believe the Gentiles will reject this Gospel just like Israel rejected their King, our Saviour.  The world system will continue to do to Him today what they did to Him 2000 years ago.  They killed the King of Glory.   We are in the process of doing the same thing right now!  I’m reminded of a vignette we’ve played on the station for over 20 years.  You know the one: the aliens from Zebulon Alpha 04.  They wanted to know if anything special ever happened on the earth.   Finally, in the interview with their human contacts, they get to the point that the humans tell those Zebulon fellas that ‘God once visited the earth.’  Their response was ‘did you welcome Him as King, hold a parade for Him, name buildings after Him, throw a party for Him, roll out the red carpet for Him, worship Him?’  The human finally tells them, ‘No, we killed Him!’  It sounds amazing and impossible, doesn’t it?  But that’s exactly what they did.  It’s exactly what many are trying to do again today!

Other Side Of The Same Coin:  ‘Applause from Heaven’

Well I’m left with only one thing to say:  Hope!  Just because those that choose against Him are without Hope does not mean that you are without Hope.  This coin has two sides to it.  Whenever one is present the other is present also.  This side is about a Kingdom that challenges the lies of the other side of the coin.  It’s Kingdom again kingdom.  God’s Word and Spirit are active and reliable in the middle of what’s going on with side one.  To hear the information above does not have to overwhelm or discourage us.  We do not give up just because the secular world chooses to run from God.  Just because the creature chooses against Creator, does not mean that the New Creatures are subject to the same fate as the rebellious.  We are instructed not to grow weary just because we see these thing happening.  The Kingdom of God runs parallel to the rejection.  As it increases, so does the evidence of the Love of God in the earth. 

The calamity we see around us, and around the world, proves the caveat that without God it is impossible to experience Faith, Hope, Love, Peace, Joy, etc.  A world without the Love of God looks like the one we see the signs of more and more each day.  The further the world distances itself from Him the more the world accumulates trouble to itself.  Ours is not to fret, God has seen the beginning and the end and is not wringing hands with worry.  Good News:  the Love of God preserves those that choose to trust and live in it.  It does that in the middle of this mess we see day to day.  Jesus told us very directly to FEAR NOT.   He did that with all the tenderness that Tenderness can muster, with all the Love and caring that Love can Love.  It was not said with an arrogant heart, He said that with loving cheer to keep our hearts from fear even in a time such as this.