What a week we’ve had. All sorts of doom and gloom in the news. Typhoons, earthquakes, tsunamis – all kinds of natural disasters. Thousands killed and hundreds of thousands homeless. Talk about a confirmation of the Signs of the Times that Jesus spoke about in Matthew 16:2-4. A body could get weary of listening to it all – sombre faced TV news casters giving out all this bad news. Not a trace of good news anywhere – except perhaps for Brazil as they “won” the vote for the 2016 Olympics.
So then, as Christians, what are we supposed to do?
Well actually the Bible is quite clear on that. Take a look at Romans 8:18-39
Paul says this “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. ...... in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. “
Whatever we are going through right now will be more than compensated for us when we are revealed as sons of God. Sons of God !! What a promise. Then he goes on to say this (particularly relevant today)
“We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.....as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.”
So thats what all these natural disasters are – creation groaning as we await our adoption as sons and the redemption of our bodies – the Rapture !!
“For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”
This is almost the same as Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Our hope is in our faith and our faith is our hope !!
“....but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.....in accordance with God's will.”
Hang on – this is a glorious promise, that the Holy Spirit is in intercession on our behalf – He is praying for US !!!
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,”
One of the great and most quoted verses of scripture. Yes, we KNOW that God works in ALL things for our good. This is why we praise Him in ALL things – in the good times we praise Him – in the bad times we praise Him. Our praises rise like incense before His throne – He inhabits our praises !! What else do we want?
“For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.”
Another wonderful promise of scripture here. Those who He foreknew, thats ALL of us, are predestined to be like Jesus, we are called, justified, and glorified before God. Hallelujah \o/
“What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”
Why do we worry so much? God is our provider – Jehovah-Jireh God our provider. He will provide all things for His children.
“Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns?”
If God has justified us, who then can condemn us. Satan will certainly try but all we need to do is to quote this verse back to him. He was defeated once and for all time at Calvary – he cannot condemn us or defeat us if we trust God.
“Christ Jesus, who died - more than that, who was raised to life - is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.”
Yes – Jesus is sitting right beside God interceding for us. We have the Holy Spirit doing so on one hand ‘with groans that words cannot express’, and Jesus doing so on the other hand. We have got it made !!!
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? "
This is the beginning of perhaps the greatest statement Paul ever made regarding our position in Christ. None of these things can separate us from Him.
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
Not only that but we are already ‘more than conquerors’ through Jesus because He loves us.
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
On a personal note – these two verses (Roman 8:38-39) were the first two verses that ever struck me as I started on my Christian journey. There is such a wonderful promise here, written with such power and conviction – How can anyone ever doubt after reading these amazing words of faith and promise.
My message in all this is simple – take heart for the Kingdom of God is so much nearer than you may believe. Despite all the doom and gloom – despite the economy – despite the job situation – despite the natural disasters – and despite all the ‘sabre rattling’ of nation against nation. Jesus is coming again soon but until that glorious day we have these promises of scripture upon which to hold and stand firm.
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ReplyDeleteI don't know how imminent the return of Jesus is into our world. I know that there's been a lot of "buzz" in the believing community about it being soon, but the Bible also says that he will return "like a thief in the night". We don't know when exactly.
ReplyDeleteI agree that we should always be prepared for his coming (and keep oil for our lamps while awaiting the bridegroom), but there have always been wars, tsunamis, earthquakes, and the like. I imagine many people have anticipated the return of Christ at many points in history, when disasters have struck humanity.
Also, I'm concerned that collective Christianity is so depending on "the rapture" to save them from any serious suffering as the Messiah's return approaches, that many will lose faith if (amazingly), there *is no* rapture. I know that's a radical thought, but the theology of the rapture is less than 200 years old. Prior to that time, the Church didn't conceptualize a "rapture" as part of the "return". It wasn't part of the faith of believers before about 1830. I wrote a short article on the subject some years ago:
http://www.shema-yisrael.org/rapture.html
Our faith shouldn't be in the rapture or what disasters and wars are reported on CNN. Our faith should be in God and his only and unique Son, regardless of the events that are happening around us. We need to live out our faith in both fair weather and foul, and not let circumstances affect our devotion (or lack thereof).
Update: I deleted my prior version of this comment, because it was the only way to correct a typo.